Factors Affecting Adaptability of International Students in Malaysia during COVID-19 Pandemic

It is crucial to investigate adaptability in the context of COVID-19, as evidence suggests that difficulties posed by adaptability can be exacerbated during times of crisis. International students encounter additional pressures during this period, which might impair their capacity to stay and prosper in a new place. In light of this context, the purpose of this study is to examine the factors that contribute to the adaptability of international university students in Malaysia, namely the academic system, acculturation, and social support. A cross-sectional research design was used, and the research instruments were adapted from a number of previous studies. A total of one hundred thirty online questionnaires were filled out by international students in Malaysia. The research hypotheses were evaluated using SPSS Version 27.0. All predictors were found to have a statistically significant and positive effect on the adaptability of international students. This research aims to shed light on educational management strategies for addressing the adaptability challenges faced by most international students within COVID-19 by illuminating the key drivers that influence adaptability. © Journal of Curriculum and Teaching..All rights reserved

Supply chain analytics and post-pandemic performance: mediating role of triple-A supply chain strategies

PurposeThe abrupt outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) hit every nation in 2020–2021, causing a worldwide pandemic. The worldwide COVID-19 epidemic, described as a "black swan”, has severely disrupted manufacturing firms' supply chain. The purpose of this study is to investigate how supply chain data analytics enable the effective deployment of agility, adaptability and alignment (3As) strategies, resulting in improving post-COVID disruption performance. It also analyses the indirect effect of supply chain data analytics on disruption performance through the 3As supply chain strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe hypothesis and theoretical framework were tested using a questionnaire survey. The authors employed structural equation modelling through the SMART PLS version 3.2.7 to analyse data from 163 textile firms located in Pakistan.FindingsThe results revealed that the supply chain data analytics contributed positively and significantly to the agility and adaptability, while all 3As supply chain strategies impacted the PPERF substantially. Further, the connection between supply chain data analytics (SCDA) and disruption performance has substantially been influenced through 3As supply chain strategies.Practical implicationsThe results imply that in the event of low likelihood, high effect disruptions, managers and decision-makers should focus their efforts on integrating data analytics capabilities with 3As supply chain policies to ensure long-term company success.Originality/valueThis research sheds fresh light on the importance of data analytics in effectively implementing 3As strategies for sustaining company performance amid COVID-19 disruptions.

Next normal for business post pandemics: COVID-19

The world's supply chains are changing as both expected and unexpected environmental pandemics occur. Even though some may be expected, the full extent and ramifications a pandemic will have is an estimate at best. Thus, both flexibility and resiliency are becoming crucial to efficient supply chain systems. This study analyses the recent COVID-19 phenomenon and uses it to gauge reactions, best practices, resilience-based issues and operational performance metrics in order to assist with potential future pandemics. Education, as seen, plays a pivotal role in effectively offering options to combat uncertainty and fluid situations. Such dynamic environments have historically posed a serious problem to operations;however, with proper preparation and care taken options are available today that help marginalize harm of future pandemics.

The impact of digital supply chain capabilities on enterprise sustainable competitive performance: an ambidextrous view

PurposeThe construction of digital supply chains to integrate internal and external resources is becoming an important path for manufacturing enterprises to gain competitiveness. However, at present, research on the internal mechanisms of digital supply chain capabilities (DSCC) and enterprise sustainable competitive performance (ESCP) has not been sufficiently studied. Based on contextual ambidexterity theory, this study investigates whether DSCC could enable the realization of supply chain ambidexterity and further explains the mediating role of supply chain ambidexterity on DSCC and ESCP, and the boundary conditions of supply chain governance on supply chain ambidexterity and ESCP.Design/methodology/approachWith a survey data set of 232 Chinese manufacturing enterprises from different industries, the study empirically tests a moderated mediating model and conducts hierarchical linear modeling and bootstrap to test the study's hypotheses.FindingsThe results demonstrate that: (1) DSCC positively enhance ESCP;(2) supply chain ambidexterity, which can be regarded as a synergic ability of supply chain alignment and adaptability, partially mediates the positive relationship between DSCC and ESCP;and (3) supply chain governance such as incentive governance positively moderates the association between supply chain ambidexterity and ESCP, but there is no evidence that relational governance moderates their relationship.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a new interpretive perspective to understand digital supply chains. More importantly, it reveals the importance of DSCC in contributing toward supply chain ambidexterity and ESCP, and demonstrates the differential regulating action of incentive and relational governance on the association between supply chain ambidexterity and ESCP, with implications for both academics and practitioners.

Rethinking future uncertainty in the shadow of COVID 19: Education, change, complexity and adaptability

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 threw the world into an unexpected turmoil;schools were closed, exams cancelled, and educational systems were forced to react to deep and unexpected changes. In educational policy, however, the idea that we should prepare for an unknown, uncontrollable and risky future has been widely accepted long before the outbreak. Building on insights from complexity theory and the study of dynamic systems, the article critically examines how the standard educational response to future unpredictability, which focuses on enhancing adaptability, fares in a time of crisis. It is argued that the emphasis on adaptability in response to a world that is increasingly becoming volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous is often uncritically embraced in educational policy. We suggest that furthering adaptability through education could be suited for tackling everyday uncertainty, yet is an ill-suited response to crisis situations because it hinders transformative change. The article also points to some additional difficulties with striving to further adaptability. Instead, it is argued that developing a vision might prove to be instrumental in guiding an adequate educational response. It is acknowledged that relying on a vision might raise some difficulties, but it is maintained that these can be, at least partially, avoided.

Technological Devices and Digital Competences: A Look into the Digital Divides for University Continuity during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Virtual education has gained great relevance in recent years, due to the pandemic. The access to electronic devices and services represents an urgent necessity and thus the concern for acquiring digital competences, which allow a proper interaction within the teaching–learning process. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of having digital resources and the adaptability of their use from the university students' homes during the pandemic crisis. This research intends to identify the relevant challenges regarding the accessibility to technological devices and digital competences that university students had to face to obtain suitable learning during the lockdown, due to the pandemic. The sample information consisted of 9326 Peruvian university students. The data was obtained from the National Homes Survey from the Statistics and Information National Institute, and it was distributed in twenty-five regions (in groups of five macro-regions) over a period of three years (2019–2021). The results showed significant differences in the number of students with internet access from home: between 40% and 60% access classes with a desktop or laptop, and digital competences have improved in the last year. This is evidence that digital divides set limits on the opportunities for a quality education.

Career adaptability to prevent unexpected careers and burnout for woman employees in the remote work era.

Since the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, female remote workers need career adaptability. The main reason is that women are susceptible to mental health issues like burnout and unexpected career. To balance public and domestic roles, women need access to new skills and professional networks.

Comparison of Predictive Machine Learning Models to Predict the Level of Adaptability of Students in Online Education

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, online education has become one of the most important options available to students around the world. Although online education has been widely accepted in recent years, the sudden shift from face-to-face education has resulted in several obstacles for students. This paper, aims to predict the level of adaptability that students have towards online education by using predictive machine learning (ML) models such as Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest-Neighbor (KNN), Support vector machine (SVM), Logistic Regression (LR) and XGBClassifier (XGB).The dataset used in this paper was obtained from Kaggle, which is composed of a population of 1205 high school to college students. Various stages in data analysis have been performed, including data understanding and cleaning, exploratory analysis, training, testing, and validation. Multiple parameters, such as accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, F1 count and precision, have been used to evaluate the performance of each model. The results have shown that all five models can provide optimal results in terms of prediction. For example, the RF and XGB models presented the best performance with an accuracy rate of 92%, outperforming the other models. In consequence, it is suggested to use these two models RF and XGB for prediction of students' adaptability level in online education due to their higher prediction efficiency. Also, KNN, SVM and LR models, achieved a performance of 85%, 76%, 67%, respectively. In conclusion, the results show that the RF and XGB models have a clear advantage in achieving higher prediction accuracy. These results are in line with other similar works that used ML techniques to predict adaptability levels. © 2023, International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications. All Rights Reserved.

Rethinking regional economic resilience: Preconditions and processes shaping transformative resilience

The unpredictable impacts of sudden shocks such as the current COVID-19 pandemic or the current energy crisis accelerated by the Russia-Ukraine war have led to a renewed interest in regional economic resilience. Much of the literature focuses attention on how regional economies and industries could bounce back, that is, how they could return to their pre-shock conditions. Other scholars have proposed to construe resilience as bouncing forward to capture the mechanisms and processes that underpin positive adaptation and structural change in response to an acute crisis. In this article, we argue that both conceptualisations do not consider shocks and crises as a window of opportunity for regional economies to transform into a radically different and more desirable trajectory. We bring a new perspective into play, that is, transformative resilience which places shifts towards more sustainable pathways centre stage. This understanding of regional economic resilience acknowledges that a crisis may bring about permanent structural change and considers to what extent these transformations are to the benefit of society and the environment. This article seeks to identify in a conceptual way what factors and dynamics are vital for enhancing the transformative resilience of regions. To this end, we draw on recent insights from the debate on challenge-oriented regional innovation systems and elaborate on the role of pre-shock conditions and various core processes in building up regional transformative resilience.

Could Intern Health Care Students Control Their Emotions and Make a Career Plan During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The negative effects of the pandemic caused students to make changes in their career plans and their ability to manage their emotional states. Not only health students in our country, but also students in other countries of the world experienced fear, anxiety, and unwillingness to participate in professional practices and the provision of care for patients with COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted to determine factors influencing intern healthcare students' career adaptability and their ability to manage emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 219 intern healthcare students studying at the Faculty of Health Sciences Undergraduate Program of a University in the fall semester of the 2020 to 2021 academic year. The study data were collected online using the Personal Information Form, Career Adapt-Ability Scale (CAAS), and Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS). The data obtained were analyzed by using the independent samples t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), correlation tests, and the regression model to distinguish variables significantly. Two models explained more than 50% of the variance of CAAS and CECS regarding COVID-19, and 5.1% of the career planning regarding the period during the COVID-19 pandemic (P < .05). As the students' control over their careers decreased during the COVID-19, their feelings of anxiety and unhappiness increased (P < .05). Of the variables, sex, department, future expectations, the position dreamed of being in after graduation, and attitudes toward patient care with COVID-19 affected their CAAS and CECS scores.

Structural Dynamics Predominantly Determine the Adaptability of Proteins to Amino Acid Deletions.

The insertion or deletion (indel) of amino acids has a variety of effects on protein function, ranging from disease-forming changes to gaining new functions. Despite their importance, indels have not been systematically characterized towards protein engineering or modification goals. In the present work, we focus on deletions composed of multiple contiguous amino acids (mAA-dels) and their effects on the protein (mutant) folding ability. Our analysis reveals that the mutant retains the native fold when the mAA-del obeys well-defined structural dynamics properties: localization in intrinsically flexible regions, showing low resistance to mechanical stress, and separation from allosteric signaling paths. Motivated by the possibility of distinguishing the features that underlie the adaptability of proteins to mAA-dels, and by the rapid evaluation of these features using elastic network models, we developed a positive-unlabeled learning-based classifier that can be adopted for protein design purposes. Trained on a consolidated set of features, including those reflecting the intrinsic dynamics of the regions where the mAA-dels occur, the new classifier yields a high recall of 84.3% for identifying mAA-dels that are stably tolerated by the protein. The comparative examination of the relative contribution of different features to the prediction reveals the dominant role of structural dynamics in enabling the adaptation of the mutant to mAA-del without disrupting the native fold.

Social Housing and COVID-19 pandemic: Validity of adaptability as a planning strategy

The Covid 19 pandemic made visible the centrality of the domestic space as an organizar ot the daily life of Latin American urban societies, even when a large part of the available units does not meet the attributes of the Human Right to adequate housing. Based on this scenario, and from the particular perspective of architecture, this essay asks about adaptability as a qualitative premise of Social Housing: its indispensable consideration as a tool to foreshadow or anticipate increasingly uncertain futures. From a disciplinary epistemological framework, in which the architectural project is the main instrument for the production of knowledge within the framework of architectural research, a fieldwork is recovered challenged by the experience of going through a pandemic in a local context. As a result, it contributes to the postponed discussion on the role of the planning attributes of Social Housing, as a determinant of its qualitative aspects.

Social Intelligence as a Factor of Socio- Psychological Adaptation of University Students with Special Educational Needs during Distance Learning due to the COVID-19

The article is devoted to the research of social intelligence as a factor of socio-psychological adaptation of university students with special educational needs during distance learning. Study methods of social intelligence and socio-psychological adaptation are used. The respondents' contingent of consisted of 78 students with special educational needs. The average level of social intelligence was empirically established in part students, which testifies to their ability to understand properly and the ability to behavior in almost half of life situations. Almost a quarter of students have a higher than average level of social intelligence and the same part is lower than average, which confirms their ability to understand and predict other people's behavior in almost three quarters and one quarter of life situations, respectively. Students do not have high and low levels of social intelligence. Most students (almost two-thirds) have an average level of adaptability and mal-adaptability;instead, a minority (almost one third) is at a high level. Adaptability and mal-adaptability, respectively, indicate consistency and inconsistency between the needs of the individual and the requirements of the social environment. Students with a low level of adaptability and mal-adaptability were not found. The defined statistically significant relationship of social intelligence with adaptability (direct) and maladaptive (reverse) shows the influence of social intelligence on the effectiveness of socio-psychological adaptation of students. The results of the research proved that social intelligence is a factor of socio-psychological adaptation of students with special educational needs during distance learning.

Risk, Reward, and Resilience Framework: Integrative Policy Making in a Complex World

In the last few years, many states around the world have faced a series of shocks to their economies-from the seizing up of global supply chains to the weaponization of trade and finance-that have catapulted concerns about how to strike a balance between risk, reward, and resilience into the center of public discussions and policy-making. This Article provides a new Risk, Reward, and Resilience Framework, which synthesizes and integrates insights from diverse disciplines and domains. I set out the drivers of each element, how they are connected, and resulting policy choices. To illustrate its practical application, I apply Risk, Reward, and Resilience Framework to two case studies involving economic interdependence: the COVID-19 supply chain shock and China's economic coercion of Australia. In doing so, I provide policymakers with a new mental model for thinking about and working through complex policy challenges.

Design of a Telepresence Robot to Avoid Obstacles in IoT-Enabled Sustainable Healthcare Systems

In the Internet of Things (IoT) era, telepresence robots (TRs) are increasingly a part of healthcare, academia, and industry due to their enormous benefits. IoT provides a sensor-based environment in which robots receive more precise information about their surroundings. The researchers work day and night to reduce cost, duration, and complexity in all application areas. It provides tremendous benefits, such as sustainability, welfare improvement, cost-effectiveness, user-friendliness, and adaptability. However, it faces many challenges in making critical decisions during motion, which requires a long training period and intelligent motion planning. These include obstacle avoidance during movement, intelligent control in hazardous situations, and ensuring the right measurements. Following up on these issues requires a sophisticated control design and a secure communication link. This paper proposes a control design to normalize the integration process and offer an auto-MERLIN robot with cognitive and sustainable architecture. A control design is proposed through system identification and modeling of the robot. The robot control design was evaluated, and a prototype was prepared for testing in a hazardous environment. The robot was tested by considering various parameters: driving straight ahead, turning right, self-localizing, and receiving commands from a remote location. The maneuverability, controllability, and stability results show that the proposed design is well-developed and cost-efficient, with a fast response time. The experimental results show that the proposed method significantly minimizes the obstacle collisions. The results confirm the employability and sustainability of the proposed design and demonstrate auto-MERLIN's capabilities as a sustainable robot ready to be deployed in highly interactive scenarios.

How Governance Shapes Emergency Management: China's Mixed Records in Responding to COVID-19

A nation's governing system shapes its capacity for emergency preparedness and management. Designed to maintain the central government's absolute authority, China's governing system limits local governments' initiative and capacity in responding to mass emergencies. By examining China's fight against COVID-19, this essay dynamically demonstrates how the country's governing regime constrains the initial response of local officials and other non-state entities to the virus but facilitated large-scale mobilization once the crisis was recognized by the central leadership. Four essential factors for an adaptive emergency management system are identified: 1) raising the central government's ability to recognize mass emergencies, 2) changing political incentives of local cadres, 3) creating a flexible and efficient ad-hoc resource allocation mechanism, and 4) embracing the participation of non-governmental actors. This study provides insights into how political realities explain the disparity in pandemic control performance across nations. It also shows how the resilience of a mass emergency management system can be enhanced within the constraints of existing governing institutions.

Implication of Covid-19 "Lock Down" on Family Functioning among Families with Young Children and Adolescents in Southwest States of Nigeria

Background: Family is the smallest and basic unit of any society. The health of the family will have a great impact on any nation. There are several physical, social and psychological factors that can affect the health of a family. COVID-19 lock down has brought about several changes in the global village which can have either positive or negative impacts on the health of family which in turn will have effects on the health of a nation. Methodology: Research study utilized a descriptive cross sectional design. Snowball sampling was used to select 200 respondents for the study. Willingness and ability to comprehend English were major Inclusion criteria. A web-based questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents using email WhatsApp or telegram. Data were analyzed using descriptive and Statistical inferences. Level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: The level of interaction between couples increased during COVID-19 lock down. There was a significant difference between mean scores of couples interaction with both children and adolescents before and during the lockdown (p= 0.022 and p<0.001 respectively). Although family functioning improved significantly during lockdown, however roles and enmeshed dimensions were significantly reduced during the lockdown (p=0.026 and p=0.046 respectively) Conclusion: The result has shown that COVID-19 lock down had positive on family;it strengthens and improved family relationship. This information can serves as evidence for nurses, physician and educationist working with family in developing more strategies that can help promote family bonding and functioning especially during crisis.

The adaptability of school principal and teachers in curriculum design and lesson plan at COVID-19 pandemic

This research departed from the conditions an Islamic elementary school faces in preparing education planning, especially curriculum design and lesson plan required to adapt to changes, especially in the current pandemic conditions. Therefore, this study aimed to know the adaptability of school principal and teachers in curriculum design and lesson plan during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research used a qualitative approach, while the case study method is used. The data collection process is carried out through observation, interviews, and documentation studies. Then for data validity using triangulation. The data analysis includes data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The subjects of this study were the school principal and the teachers at Al-Istiqlal Islamic elementary school Karawang. The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic became a momentum for teachers and principals to adapt curriculum design and lesson plan in the 21st century. Various efforts are made in preparing curriculum design, namely making the curriculum essential, compiling learning tools, and preparing digital platforms for teaching and learning activities. The adaptability of school principal in designing curriculum is by creating a primary curriculum. Teachers' adaptability in making a lesson plan formulated and designed previously by the curriculum team, school principal, and the head of the foundation. It needs to be done because learning activities during the pandemic have changed the learning process and methods;it requires planning for a new curriculum design and lesson plan. © 2023, Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. All rights reserved.

Creeping crises and public administration: a time for adaptive governance strategies and cross-sectoral collaboration?

Public management scholars have long explored how public administrations respond to sudden crises. However, studies of sudden crises rarely contribute to creeping crisis management. Using data from 186 German health authorities, this study explores how four governance strategies affect public administrations' success in adapting to creeping crises. While dynamic governance strategies entailing digitalization and agility are strongly related to adaptability, public administrations that want to successfully adapt to changing environments also need to demonstrate static resilience and consider collaboration-oriented governance strategies that can indirectly increase organizational success. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Ressources personnelles, sens des études, persévérance et épanouissement: une étude longitudinale implémentant un dispositif pédagogique innovant auprès dé jeunes étudiant es français-es en contexte de COVID-19

This study explores from a longitudinal perspective the nature of correlations, changes in mean scores, and interrelations between personal resources (career adaptability and use of psychological strengths) and other variables such as meaning of education, perseverance, and flourishing. The study is conducted as part of the implementation of a reflective teaching approach during the C0VID-19 pandemic crisis. The sample includes sixty students from a French university. Correlational analyses indicate a conservation of the positive nature of the relations between some of these variables, the appearance and disappearance of some positive effects over time. While the mean score for meaning tends to increase over time, the mean score for flourishing tends to decrease. Finally, we notice a prevalence of the interrelations between the two resources and flourishing. The potential contribution of the implemented framework is discussed. © 2022 Institut National d'Etude du Travail et d'Orientation Professionnelle. All rights reserved.