Ensuring Academic Integrity in Online Assessments: A Literature Review and Recommendations

During the recent COVID-19 outbreak, educational institutions have transitioned to online teaching for all students for most of the programs. Due to lack of in-person interactions and monitoring, assessments in online courses may be more susceptible to contract cheating, collusion, fabrication and other types of academic misconduct than the assessments in face-to-face courses. This situation has raised several research questions that need immediate attention, such as what are the best possible options for online assessments and how to administer online assessments so that academic integrity could be preserved. The authors have conducted a scoping study and carried out an extensive literature review on i) different types of assessments that are suitable for online courses, ii) strategies for ensuring academic integrity, and iii) methods, tools and technologies available for preventing academic misconduct in online assessments. It is evident from the literature review that there are a range of options available for designing assessment tasks to detect and prevent violations of academic integrity. However, no single method or design is enough to eliminate all sorts of academic integrity violations. After thorough research and analysis of existing literature, the authors have provided a comprehensive set of recommendations that could be adopted for ensuring academic integrity in online assessments.

Translation methods of English-Indonesian subtitles in Mariana Atencio’s “TEDx talk: what makes you special?”

This research aims at finding out methods used to translate connotative and denotative phrases in the video subtitle of Mariana Atencio’s “Tedx Talk: What Makes You Special?”. The video was translated to Indonesian by Badaruddin Saahe and has been reviewed by Santi Deviyanti Rahayu. This research method was qualitative descriptive, focusing on Newmark’s translation theory. The data of this research were taken from the transcript of the video and the provided subtitles. This study revealed twenty-eight phrases with connotative meaning, and the translation process employed both single and mixed methods. Single method types of translation employed were faithful translation, adaptation, free translation, and idiomatic translation, while mixed methods employed faithful and adaptation, faithful and semantic, faithful and communicative, adaptation and communicative, free and idiomatic, and idiomatic and adaptation. This study also revealed twelve phrases with denotative meaning, in which the translator chooses to translate them denotatively using various methods, despite the phrases conveying other meanings. This relates to the second study issue, which explains the connection between denotative meaningful sentences and Newmark (1988) translation approach. Following his observations, the researcher discovered that only one method was used: word-for-word and literal translation. To translate phrases with this denotative meaning, the translator employs two ways simultaneously: word-for-word and literal, literal and adaptation, literal & faithful, faithful & communicative, and Idiomatic & communicative. The researcher may deduce from the previous explanation that mixed techniques and denotative meaning are related in the sense that the combined methods share the same qualities, namely direct, contextual, and communicative. As stated by Fromkin (2001), this is also related to the properties of the denotation itself.

Assessment of the efficiency of agricultural land use: a case study of France

Land is one of the key resources in agricultural production. The use of these resources is signifi antly different from the use of labor resources and financing. It is the land features that affect the assessment of their use efficiency. The analysis of literary sources has shown, there are a large number of approaches and methods to assess the effectiveness of land resources. This indicates a great interest of researchers and practitioners in the issue under study. Each of the researchers offers their own unique methodology for assessing the efficiency of land use. However, it is impossible to distinguish a single method due to various reasons. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the proposed methods are complementary. The main goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of agricultural land use in France. In this regard we used following methods: analysis and synthesis, graphical method, method of comparisons. The analysis was carried out in three stages. The dynamics and structure of agricultural lands of the country, the harvested areas of the main groups of agricultural crops were analyzed, both cost and natural indicators were calculated. As a result, we can say that the studied indicators should be used in the express assessment of efficiency, they can also be used in the comparative assessment of the efficiency of agricultural land use. For a deeper assessment, in our opinion, it is necessary to use other methods of analysis.

Domains in the Encyclopedic Semantics of some English and Arabic Equivalent Culture-Specific Words

The present study aims at finding interpretations for some inquiries in the field of encyclopedic semantics. It is an academic reflection of language exchange between English and Arabic which is one of the most prevalent interests of the recent cognitive linguistic researches. Particularly, it analyzes the way culture-specific words of two different languages can comparatively be understood. The single-method is adopted for the methodological approach of the study. The data collection is conducted according to a content analysis by extracting some CSWs that are referred to in some comparative culture-specific studies of English and Arabic. It is found that (1) there can be more than one domain matrix for equivalent CSWs; (2) the exact comparison between CSWs lies in the profile-base organization (3) the two or multi-dimensional domains are configurational; (4) the culture-specific standards locate the diversity between the domain matrixes of equivalent CSWs. Some key conclusions to draw is that (1) the domain matrix of a CSW depends on to the culture-specific norms; (2) the distinctive point of the tripartite (profile, base and concept) is the profile rather than the base; (3) image-schematic domains indicate the object material domains; (4) culture-specific norms are affected by religious and historical factors which control the inventory knowledge for the CSWs.

Baltica: integrated splice junction usage analysis

Alternative splicing is a tightly regulated co- and post-transcriptional process contributing to the transcriptome diversity observed in eukaryotes. Several methods for detecting differential junction usage (DJU) from RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) datasets exist. Yet, efforts to integrate the results from DJU methods are lacking. Here, we present Baltica, a framework that provides workflows for quality control, de novo transcriptome assembly with StringTie2, and currently 4 DJU methods: rMATS, JunctionSeq, Majiq, and LeafCutter. Baltica puts the results from different DJU methods into context by integrating the results at the junction level. We present Baltica using 2 datasets, one containing known artificial transcripts (SIRVs) and the second dataset of paired Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technologies RNA-seq. The data integration allows the user to compare the performance of the tools and reveals that JunctionSeq outperforms the other methods, in terms of F1 score, for both datasets. Finally, we demonstrate for the first time that meta-classifiers trained on scores of multiple methods outperform classifiers trained on scores of a single method, emphasizing the application of our data integration approach for differential splicing identification. Baltica is available at https://github.com/dieterich-lab/Baltica under MIT license.

Multi-Threshold Image Segmentation of Maize Diseases Based on Elite Comprehensive Particle Swarm Optimization and Otsu

Maize is a major global food crop and as one of the most productive grain crops, it can be eaten; it is also a good feed for the development of animal husbandry and essential raw material for light industry, chemical industry, medicine, and health. Diseases are the main factor limiting the high and stable yield of maize. Scientific and practical identification is a vital link to reduce the damage of diseases and accurate segmentation of disease spots is one of the fundamental techniques for disease identification. However, one single method cannot achieve a good segmentation effect to meet the diversity and complexity of disease spots. In order to solve the shortcomings of noise interference and oversegmentation in the Otsu segmentation method, a non-local mean filtered two-dimensional histogram was used to remove the noise in disease images and a new elite strategy improved comprehensive particle swarm optimization (PSO) method was used to find the optimal segmentation threshold of the objective function in this study. The experimental results of segmenting three kinds of maize foliar disease images show that the segmentation effect of this method is better than other similar algorithms and it has better convergence and stability.

Role of liver biopsy versus non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosis of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis: a web-based survey

Background Liver biopsy is the standard reference for staging hepatic fibrosis. Non-invasive methods for assessment of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis are becoming increasingly popular. Objective We aimed at exploring the change in practice regarding the use of liver biopsy and non-invasive methods for staging hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis among hepatologists. Methods We performed a survey-based study that recruited hepatologists from various Egyptian institutions. Physicians were deemed eligible if they had a degree in internal medicine with hepatology as a subspecialty. We utilized an online-based survey that assessed the acceptability and reliability of liver biopsy, serum biomarkers, and radiological tools for evaluating liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Results A total of 573 responses were retrieved (response rate = 80.3%). Out of them, 58% were having more than 15 years of experience as a hepatologist. Liver biopsy is still considered the gold standard for assessment of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis by 61% of participants. Liver biopsy was accepted by 44% of their patients. 84% reported the need for a more practical alternative to liver biopsy to assess disease progression or response to treatment. 78.34% of participants know serum biomarkers, 84.08% reported that they were acceptable by their patients, 37.79% thought they are reliable. 95.4% were familiar with radiological methods of non-invasive assessment of hepatic fibrosis, 89.1% reported that radiological methods were acceptable by their patients, 62% think that they are reliable and 78% reported they were applicable in clinical practice. Sixty-five percent think that combining non-invasive methods is better than using a single method. Forty percent of participants thought that radiological methods are easier to use for assessment of hepatic fibrosis followed by a combination of non-invasive methods, serum biomarkers, and liver biopsy respectively. Conclusion In conclusion, liver biopsy is still considered the most reliable method for evaluation and staging of liver cirrhosis by hepatologists in Egyptian institutions, despite the modest acceptance by the patients. Nonetheless, non-invasive methods are gaining acceptance by Egyptian physicians and patients, and most of them consider these methods as reliable and applicable tools for predicting the course of liver cirrhosis.

A Glimpse at the Study of English Neologism

Language is a social phenomenon and changes with the development of society. Neologisms are new words and new expressions which are the cutting edge of language. Neologisms are being invented or introduced every day to express new things and new ideas in society. Scholars usually discuss neologisms from two perspectives: the time perspective and the semantic perspective. Neologisms can be classified according to their functions, their coinage processes, their formation, and their sources. There are three main methods of new word creation: neologisms by rules of word-formation; neologisms by adding new meanings to existing words; neologisms by borrowing words from other languages. Even a single method is quite productive in new word creation.

Microbiological and Radiological Perspective of Fungal Rhinosinusitis during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Observational Study in A Tertiary Care Centre in Northern India

Radiological investigations are essential for the diagnosis and classification of fungal rhinosinusitis; however, radiological findings might occasionally be misleading. Computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) complement each other, facilitating clinicians to arrive at a diagnosis. Hence, even with the best radiological modalities, correlation between clinical and microbiological findings is crucial for the accurate diagnosis of fungal rhinosinusitis. In addition, the role of traditional methods such as KOH microscopy and culture should be accurately evaluated. To this end, we aimed to diagnose rhinosinusitis with a fungal etiology based on radiological findings and subsequently correlate these findings with those of microbiological techniques, namely culture and KOH microscopy. A total of 57 clinically suspected fungal rhinosinusitis cases were included in the study. Radiological investigations were performed using either CT or MRI. Tissues samples were processed and analyzed using KOH microscopy and culture. The results of the study suggest that using a single method for the diagnosis of fungal rhinosinusitis is inadequate. Rather, the diagnosis should be based on radiological as well as microbiological findings, especially for cases that are clinically ambiguous.

Alternate remittance systems in Ghana: a trade enabler or an organised fraud

Purpose Alternate remittance systems (ARS) are inherently not illegal; however, the nature of their activities has mostly been linked with money laundering and terrorist financing, which raises several questions as to why businesses in Ghana rely on these systems to conduct their cross-border trade. The purpose of this study is seeks to understand the nature of ARS in Ghana and analyse why business owners rely on them for their transactions. Design/methodology/approach Three companies were selected for the case study analysis. This research paper used a qualitative data analysis for the study. Interviews, direct participant observation and documentary review were the main techniques for data collection. The multiple sources of evidence helped to reduce the potential bias of the single method. Findings This paper found that some businesses using the system in Ghana can acquire unsecured loans at little or no interest cost, which provides a good source of funding to support business growth. Unlike other studies, this study proves that in some instances, ARS operators transact business with the clients they do not, particularly trust. Within the context of this study, this paper found evidence that supports money laundering, but the underlining crime is mostly tax evasion. The adoption of the system is an attempt to disguise the proceeds of the tax evasion crime and clean them through business operations. Research limitations/implications This analysis was based on the strain theory from the perspective of the clients. Future studies can focus attention on the ARS operators and understand their perspectives. Several other fraud theories could be used as a lens to understand the phenomena in Ghana and other jurisdictions. Practical implications The study throws more light on a “secret” or an underground banking system that operates in Ghana. It provides insights that can guide regulatory authorities in their policy implementation. The need for stricter enforcement of the law has also been highlighted. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is original, as it focuses on a sector that is highly secretive but has significant implications on the Ghanaian economy.