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PurposeThis is a dual-focused study that anticipates qualitatively and quantitatively examining the literature on the recently initiated revolutionizing concept of ChatGPT in education by performing a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis. Current study analyzed eight research questions: (1) the main information and annual scientific publications on ChatGPT in education, (2) the pioneer authors and collaborative authors exploring ChatGPT in education, (3) the authors' productivity through Lotka’s Law of Authors’ Scientific Productivity, (4) the most pertinent sources on ChatGPT in education and how are sources clustered through Bradford’s Law of Scattering, (5) the most related, cited countries and the nature of international collaborations exploring ChatGPT in education, (6) the most relevant publications exploring ChatGPT in education, (7) the most occurring and trending keywords in the empirical studies on ChatGPT in education, and (8) the themes and areas for future investigations on ChatGPT in education.Design/methodology/approachThe current study was designed as a SLR and bibliometric analysis, extracting articles from the Scopus database and utilizing both Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software for advanced scientific mapping and visualizations via quantitative and qualitative analysis approaches.FindingsThe results indicated that ChatGPT in education is a progressively evolving worldwide concept generating 45 scientific publications from 2023 to 2024 (May). The USA, China, and Indonesia are the most productive countries that have published articles on ChatGPT in education. The education systems, AI, students, educational computing, human experiments, teaching, educational status, chatbots, generative AI, academic integrity, educational technology, worldwide education, and technology acceptance are the pertinent future directions in the field of ChatGPT in education.Originality/valueThe analysis’s outcomes will enhance the area of study with theoretical and practical implications and benefit students, teachers, policymakers, regulators of educational and higher educational sectors, government, and the general public worldwide with effective utilization of ChatGPT in education.

PurposeThe current study intended to conceptually and technically examine the literature on blended learning (BL) utilising a dual-focused approach with systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. This study intends to address eight different research problem areas.: (1) the descriptive features of the retrieved empirical studies on BL, (2) the tendencies of the annual scientific production and the thematic evolution of BL, (3) the most relevant and high-impact sources in the field of BL, (4) how sources are clustering through Bradford’s Law of Scattering, (5) the most cited articles on BL, (6) the most relevant countries for BL, (7) the authors’ productivity through Lotka’s Law of Authors’ Scientific Productivity and (8) the trending research themes for future investigations in the field of BL.Design/methodology/approachThe current study analysed 5,809 articles extracted from the Scopus database through the systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis mapping approaches. The two primary tools used in the analysis were VOSviewer and Biblioshiny.FindingsThe results suggest that BL is a subject discipline that is growing progressively, with a remarkable 8.3% yearly growth in scientific output from 2000 to 2023 (October). Online teaching, e-learning, flipped classrooms, distance education, interactive learning environments, asynchronous learning, curriculum, computer-assisted instructions and online learning are the trending themes in the discipline of BL based on the keyword co-occurrence analysis and trend topic analysis. Moreover, motivation, self-regulated learning, flipped learning, self-efficacy, collaborative learning, simulation and social media themes are suggested future directions for further investigations on BL, according to the thematic map of keywords analysis.Originality/valueThe present study offers an extensive literature evaluation, which advances the BL conversation. The outcomes of this research are important for students, educators, legislators, regulators in the field of education and higher education and the community worldwide.

Climate models and paleoclimate proxy records indicate that the absence of preserved eastern Mediterranean organic-rich layers preceding mid-Pliocene glaciation is linked to a pan-North African humid period caused by a more northerly African monsoon front relative to subsequent glacials. The vegetation expansion caused by this humid phase might have influenced early hominin dispersal.

PurposeThis study intends to conceptually and technically examine the literature on work integrated learning (WIL) through a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. The present study addresses eight distinct research questions: (1) descriptive features of the extracted literature on WIL, (2) publications trends and thematic evolution in the field of WIL, (3) the most relevant and high-impact sources on WIL, (4) the most global cited articles on WIL, (5) the most relevant and high-impact authors on WIL, (6) the most relevant countries on WIL, (7) outcomes of Bradford’s Law of Scattering and Lotka’s Law of Scientific Productivity and (8) trending research avenues for future studies in the field of WIL.Design/methodology/approachThe present study employed systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis mapping techniques to analyze 1,295 articles extracted from the Scopus database. The analysis utilized Biblioshiny software and VOSviewer software as the primary tools.FindingsThe findings reveal that WIL constitutes a steadily expanding subject discipline, showcasing a notable 23.28% annual growth in scientific production spanning from 2002 to 2023 (July). Australia, South Africa and Canada emerged as the most productive countries within the field of WIL, as evidenced by their cumulative scientific production. The thematic map of keyword analysis suggests several burgeoning avenues for future researchers in the WIL domain, including education, reflective practices, curriculum, employability skills, international students, learning and self-efficacy.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the WIL discourse by providing a comprehensive literature review. The present study’s findings hold significance for graduates, universities, employers, the higher education industry, policymakers, regulators and the broader community.

Infrastructure is often a limiting factor in microplastics research impacting the production of scientific outputs and monitoring data. International projects are therefore required to promote collaboration and development of national and regional scientific hubs. The Commonwealth Litter Programme and the Ocean Country Partnership Programme were developed to support Global South countries to take actions on plastics entering the oceans. An international laboratory network was developed to provide the infrastructure and in country capacity to conduct the collection and processing of microplastics in environmental samples. The laboratory network was also extended to include a network developed by the University of East Anglia, UK. All the laboratories were provided with similar equipment for the collection, processing and analysis of microplastics in environmental samples. Harmonised protocols and training were also provided in country during laboratory setup to ensure comparability of quality-controlled outputs between laboratories. Such large networks are needed to produce comparable baseline and monitoring assessments.

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a serious global issue affecting freshwater systems, coastal regions, and oceans. These non-biodegradable materials have a detrimental impact on marine species and ecosystems, disrupting their feeding, breathing, and reproduction. In this study, 120 samples of two species of shrimp, Penaus monodon and Penaus indicus, from ten locations in the Negombo lagoon in Sri Lanka were analyzed. MPs were extracted from gastrointestinal tracts (GI) and gills (GL) by alkali digestion followed by vacuum filtering. Stereomicroscopy coupled with advanced micro-imaging and analysis software was employed for analyzing the isolated MPs. A total of 415 items were identified as MPs with an average of 8.29 ± 4.63 items per gram of GI and GL in Penaus monodon and 5.52 ± 3.78 items per gram of GI and GL in Penaus indicus. The majority of MPs identified were fibers (93%), and the remaining ones were fragments. Most of the MPs were >1000 μm, and the most prevalent color was blue (61%), followed by red (15%), black (9%), and others, comprising polystyrene, polyamide, polyester, polypropylene, and rayon, as revealed by FTIR spectroscopy. This study highlights the prevalence of MPs in shrimps harvested from the Negombo lagoon and displays missing baseline data before the effects of fragmented nurdles from the X-Press Pearl incident.

Microplastics have emerged as a significant global environmental concern in the recent decade. The aim of this study was to elucidate microplastic contamination of commercial fish species in a natural lagoon environment. Microplastic contamination was examined in the gastrointestinal tracts and gills of 157 commercial fish from 18 species with varying feeding habits in a vital and sensitive lagoon ecosystem, which connects to the Indian ocean. Microplastics were extracted using digestion, followed by stereomicroscopic inspection using Nile Red stain, and identified via μ-FTIR analysis. Over half of studied fishes ingested microplastics (54.14%). Filaments (50%) and blue items (43%) were the most commonly ingested. Of all the fish species, Eubleekeria splendens had the highest average concentration of microplastics in GIT (1.41 ± 2.52 items/g w.w. tissues), although no statistically significant difference in amount of ingested microplastics (items/g w.w. tissues) was observed among species. The highest concentrations of inhaled microplastics were recorded in Sillago vincenti (1.38 ± 1.30 items/g w.w. tissues). The majority of the extracted microplastics (33%) belonged in the size class 500–1500 μm with rayon, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene as the primary polymers. This study found no correlation between microplastic ingestion and fish species and feeding habits, but a positive correlation with fish size was observed. These findings reveal widespread microplastic contamination in edible fish, posing potential risks to commercially important species due to increasing pollution in lagoon ecosystems.

Microplastics are pervasive pollutants in marine ecosystems worldwide and are increasingly recognized as a significant environmental threat. Sri Lanka, an island nation, is not exempt from this issue. While microplastic pollution has been extensively studied in the southern and western parts of Sri Lanka, limited data is available for the northern coastal regions. This first quantitative study aimed to assess the concentration of microplastics on three northern beaches: Mathagal, Point Pedro, and Charty Beach. This study reveals substantial microplastic contamination, with an average abundance of 11.06 ± 6.06 items/m 2 . The predominant size range of microplastics was 3 to 4 mm (32%). The most common shapes identified were fragments (58%), pellets (17%), and foam (10%), with the primary colours being white (42%), blue (26%), and green (21%). Polyethylene (53%) and polypropylene (18%) were the most prevalent polymers found. Among the beaches studied, Point Pedro had the highest pellet pollution index (PPI), although all three beaches were categorized as having a “very low” PPI level (0.0 < PPI ≤ 0.5). The study highlights the significant contribution of land-based sources to microplastic pollution on these beaches and emphasizes the urgent need for ongoing research and systematic monitoring of microplastic pollution in northern Sri Lanka.