Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Teachers' Perceptions on the Use of ICT in a CAL Environment to Enhance the Conception of Science Concepts.

Instructional methodologies increasingly require teachers' efficacy and implementation of computer-assisted learning (CAL) practices in general and particularly in the science classroom. The South African National Education Department's e-Education(1) policy also encourages the use of computers and computer software in implementing outcome-based curriculum in the teaching and learning processes, proclaiming that; "South African learners in the General Education and Training (GET) and Further Education and Training (FET) bands are expected to be information communication technology (ICT) literate by 2013". Therefore, teachers also have to become ICT-literate and conversant with the ICT-resources that is available at schools. ICT can help learners conceptualise invisible and abstract science processes, models and concepts. The intention to use technology can be influenced by various variables such as perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude towards technology and motivation(2). The aim of this study was twofold: To assess the availability of ICT resources and use in the selected science classrooms; and to determine the interviewed science teachers' perceived intention to use ICT in their classrooms. The theoretical framework of this study is based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) of Davis(2), which is rooted to the Theory of Reasoned Action(3). The sample for the ICT-survey was ten randomly selected high schools and 45 science teachers, who completed a TAM-questionnaire. This study found that most of the selected schools did have at least the basic ICT-resources in the science classrooms, but it was not used optimally. It was also concluded that the perceived usefulness of ICT-resources seemed to be the most influential factor for the teachers' intention to practise CAL. The results of this study could be useful for education authorities and school managements to solve the problem of under-utilisation of technologies at schools.
Obesity in COPD: Comorbidities with Practical Consequences?

Abstract COPD and obesity often coexist and there is a complex interaction between them. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of obesity in a secondary care COPD population. Furthermore, the presence of comorbidities in obese (COPDOB) and non-obese COPD (COPDNO) individuals was studied. In 1654 COPD patients (aged ≥18 years) who visited a pulmonologist between January 2015 and December 2015, patient characteristics, pulmonary function tests and comorbidities were obtained from the medical records. Subjects were categorized according their BMI as underweight (<18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5–24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m2) or obese (BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2). The Charlson comorbidity index and COTE index were used to quantify comorbidities. The prevalence of obesity was 21.8% in our COPD population. Obesity was significantly less common in GOLD stage IV (10.1%) compared to GOLD I (20.5%), II (27.8%) and III (18.9%). COPDOB had different comorbidities compared with COPDNO. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure were significantly more prevalent in COPDOB compared with COPDNO. Osteoporosis and lung cancer were significantly more common in COPDNO compared with COPDOB. Obesity is common in patients with COPD and is most prevalent in COPD GOLD I-II and least prevalent in COPD GOLD IV. Obese COPD patients have different comorbidities than non-obese COPD patients. Cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities, especially hypertension and diabetes mellitus, are highly prevalent in obese COPD patients. Active screening for these conditions should be a priority for physicians treating obese COPD patients.
Diversity and inclusion in different work settings Diversity and Inclusion in Different Work Settings : Emerging Patterns , Challenges and Research Agenda

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and highlight the developments in the current scholarship on managing diversity and inclusion (D&I) and provide insights for future research. While doing so the paper advances our understanding of ‘what matters’ in this field, through the integration of different literature concerning the dimensions of D&I. It also provides a neoinstitutionalist framework, which locates different themes in the D&I, scholarship to assist in further development of the field. It argues for a consideration of enquiry in D&I from a neoinstitutionalist perspective to encourage interdisciplinarity and align with broader social science research in human resource management (HRM) and development, highlighting the complexity involved in the theorizing of D&I management in organizations. Specifically, we argue for the need of engaging with a variety of stakeholders concerned with the management of D&I, to enable cross-fertilization of theories and mixing methods for future research designs. The paper also introduces the manuscripts included in this special issue and build on them as well to develop the future research agenda.
Determinants of labor productivity in manufacturing firms of Iran:Emphasizing on labor education and training

In an era of globalized competition, productivity has become a crucial factor determining profitability, competitiveness and the growth of a firm. High productivity means lower per unit cost and, therefore, ability of the firm to match prices on the global markets. Because of that, there has been an increasing interest recently in the literature on factors affecting productivity. This paper investigates the determinants of labor productivity at the firm level in the Iran’s manufacturing sector. The analysis is based on descriptive statistics and cross sectional regression models on a sample of 12299 Industrial firms. The results show that labor productivity is positively related to wage, fixed capital per employee, export orientation, R&D activity and Education of labor force.
Exceptional preservation of Miocene pollen: plasmolysis captured in salt?

Exceptionally well-preserved Miocene pollen from the Bochnia salt mine of southern Poland is reported herein. The halite deposits within the salt mine belonging to Late Badenian (Miocene) marine evaporites originated in the Paratethys. Rounded and angular structures are present inside pollen grains. On the basis of the similarity with plasmolyzed pollen grains of modern plants, these structures are considered to represent cytoplasms plasmolyzed in the condensed brine prior to fossilization. Two forms of plasmolyzed cytoplasms (concave and convex) can be observed in modern pollen. Both are distinguished in the investigated fossil material. In porate and colporate grains the shape of the plasmolyzed cellular content is concave while in inaperturate it is convex. The plasmolysis form depends on the type of apertures and pollen shape. The percentage of pollen with fossilized cytoplasms within individual taxa is a valuable environmental indicator, as it depends on the proximity of the pollen-producing plant assemblages to the depositional setting.
Relative Contribution of Different Levels of Parental Involvement to Primary School Readiness in Preschool Pupils in Nairobi County.

Recent developments have led to a lot of emphasis being placed on early childhood education. Massive growth has also occurred in this segment of the education sector. Emphasis continues to be placed not just on growth but also on quality of the educational experiences that children are exposed to. In Kenya reports continue to emerge of pupils in primary school who lack numeracy and literacy competencies expected at their level. This inevitably shines the spotlight on the quality of educational experiences at the preschool level, which lays the foundation for all future learning and later success in school. One of the parameters of quality is parental involvement. In Kenya this parameter happens to be amongst the least understood. This paper sought to shed some light on the contribution of this aspect of quality to primary school readiness in preschool pupils in Nairobi. Parental involvement at six levels of involvement was measured for a sample of 150 parents of preschool pupils, while primary school readiness was assessed for a sample of 156 pupils. The results indicate that four of the six levels of parental involvement have a positive correlation to primary school readiness, while two are negatively correlated. The researcher recommends that schools and educators explore ways of creating and enhancing parental involvement so as to tap into the associated and recognized benefits of such cooperation.
Cause of Cavitation Instabilities in Three Dimensional Inducer

Alternate blade cavitation, rotating cavitation and cavitation surge in rocket turbopump inducers were simulated by a three dimensional commercial CFD code. In order to clarify the cause of cavitation instabilities, the velocity disturbance caused by cavitation was obtained by subtracting the velocity vector under non-cavitating condition from that under cavitating condition. It was found that there exists a disturbance flow towards the trailing edge of the tip cavity. This flow has an axial flow component towards downstream which reduces the incidence angle to the next blade. It was found that all of the cavitation instabilities start to occur when this flow starts to interact with the leading edge of the next blade. The existence of the disturbance flow was validated by experiments.
Vital Energy and Afterlife: Implications for Cognitive Science of Religion

A literatura que investiga conceitos acerca de agentes sobrenaturais apontam para uma teoria da mente intuitiva por tras de tais ideias, no entanto, recentes estudos sugerem a presenca de teorias intuitivas acerca da energia vital subjacentes de tais conceitos. O presente artigo centra-se na analise da cultura e desenvolvimento das concepcoes das pessoas sobre a energia vital. Foi feita uma busca bibliografica utilizando a palavra-chave vital energy, revisando literatura oriunda da Antropologia, Psicologia e Ciencia Cognitiva. Em seguida, foi feita uma revisao sobre o tema tecendo consideracoes acerca do desenvolvimento das concepcoes das pessoas sobre a energia vital. Resultados apontam que uma biologia intuitiva, baseada em ideias de energia biologica (energia vital), pode ser a base de uma compreensao de alma, espirito e energia sobrenatural. Estudos empiricos futuros devem investigar o desenvolvimento de teorias intuitivas sobre energia vital com populacoes de diferentes faixas etarias e culturas.
SHAPE EFFECT ON FREE VIBRATION OF FUNCTIONALLY GRADED PLATES

In this article, shape effect on free vibration behavior of functionally graded plates is investigated. Square, rectangular, skew, circular, elliptical, annular and equilateral triangular plates with the same surface area and thickness are considered. Frequency values of these plates are compared for simply supported and clamped boundary conditions. Finite element method (FEM) is used in calculating frequency values and mode shapes. Since commercial codes do not allow inputting functionally graded material properties directly, MATLAB code was developed for FEM solution. Findings of this study can be useful for designers that have freedom to choose the plate shape in engineering applications
Hydrodynamic controls of morpho-sedimentary evolution in a rock-bounded mesotidal estuary. Tina Menor (N Spain)

The Tina Menor estuary is a highly confined incised valley with advanced sedimentary infilling. The outstanding feature of this estuary is its longitudinal zonation, which forms four segments from the outer to the inner limit: Mouth complex , Bay , Tidal flats and Upper channel . The innermost part of the Bay and the Tidal Flats (semi-reclaimed areas) are broader estuarine zones, whereas the Mouth Complex and outermost Bay are confined by narrow rocky outcrops. This paper explains the dynamics and sedimentary distribution of a highly confined and singular estuary, detailing the fluvial-tidal controls on the variations in water mixing (QF/QT). This estuary is largely of salt wedge type and the dynamics are characterised by recording currents (speed and direction) in the water column during a tidal cycle in a spring tide; this process consists of the tidal waves propagation and their dissipation upstream hypo-synchronously and the mixing of fresh and saline waters. The morphology, dynamics and sedimentary distributions have been integrated to develop a conceptual model that demonstrates the circulation within the estuary. The sinuous geometry of the estuarine valley and the Coriolis Effect detected, play a fundamental role in determining the morphology and sedimentary distribution. Consequently, this study provides an adequate overview of this type of confined mesotidal estuary, quite common in the eastern Atlantic coast. The mrophology, dynamics and sedimentary distributions have been integrated to develop a conceptual model that demonstrates the circulation within the estuary. The sinous geometry of the estuarine valley and the Coriolis effect detected, play a fundamental role in determining the morphology and sedimentary distribution. Consequently, this study provides an adequate overview of this type of confined mesotidal estuary, quite common in the eastern Atlantic coast.
Why we need a philosophy of engineering: a work in progress

Abstract Engineering problem solving employs a contingency based form of reasoning that stands in sharp contrast to the necessity based model of rationality that has dominated Western philosophy since Plato and that underlies modern science. The concept 'necessity' is cognate with the concepts 'certainty', 'universality', 'abstractness' and 'theory'. Engineering by contrast is characterised by wilfulness, particularity, probability, concreteness and practice. The identification of rationality with necessity has impoverished our ability to apply reason effectively to action. This article locates the contingency based reasoning of engineering in a philosophical tradition extending from pre-Socratic philosophers to American pragmatism, and suggests how a contingency based philosophy of engineering might enable more effective technological action.
Remote sensing the sea surface CO 2 of the Baltic Sea using the SOMLO methodology

Abstract. Studies of coastal seas in Europe have noted the high variability of the CO2 system. This high variability, generated by the complex mechanisms driving the CO2 fluxes, complicates the accurate estimation of these mechanisms. This is particularly pronounced in the Baltic Sea, where the mechanisms driving the fluxes have not been characterized in as much detail as in the open oceans. In addition, the joint availability of in situ measurements of CO2 and of sea-surface satellite data is limited in the area. In this paper, we used the SOMLO (self-organizing multiple linear output; Sasse et al., 2013) methodology, which combines two existing methods (i.e. self-organizing maps and multiple linear regression) to estimate the ocean surface partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in the Baltic Sea from the remotely sensed sea surface temperature, chlorophyll, coloured dissolved organic matter, net primary production, and mixed-layer depth. The outputs of this research have a horizontal resolution of 4 km and cover the 1998–2011 period. These outputs give a monthly map of the Baltic Sea at a very fine spatial resolution. The reconstructed pCO2 values over the validation data set have a correlation of 0.93 with the in situ measurements and a root mean square error of 36 μatm. Removing any of the satellite parameters degraded this reconstructed CO2 flux, so we chose to supply any missing data using statistical imputation. The pCO2 maps produced using this method also provide a confidence level of the reconstruction at each grid point. The results obtained are encouraging given the sparsity of available data, and we expect to be able to produce even more accurate reconstructions in coming years, given the predicted acquisition of new data.
Supplier base management : the contrast between Germany and the UK

Supplier base management is an important aspect of the management of manufacturing operations, as reducing the number of suppliers – the supplier base – is a key approach in many companies including the US and the UK. By having fewer suppliers, manufacturers have more time to work closely with each remaining supplier, for instance, on improving quality and product innovation. However, is this approach being adopted in Germany as fast as it has been in the UK? This paper describes research which addresses this question and which also investigates how German companies are managing contacts with their suppliers. The study was conducted in two stages. Firstly, a survey of manufacturers in Germany and the UK identified the trends in the supplier base of companies in each country. Secondly, a follow-up telephone survey was carried through with purchasing managers at a random sample of 34 German plants to identify, for example, the advantages experienced by manufacturers, which had reduced their supplier base. The findings show that German manufacturers have not reduced their supplier base by as much as companies in the UK. The second part of the research showed that German manufacturers, which have reduced their supplier base, perceive the benefits of this. However, other companies appear to have failed to take the opportunity to gain advantages from a reduced supplier base.
Validation of bioelectrical impedance analysis for the measurement of appendicular lean mass in older women

Segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (SMF-BIA) has been shown to be a valid, more portable, and less expensive alternative to dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for the measurement of appendicular lean mass (ALM) in several populations. However, few studies have examined the validity of SMF-BIA specifically among populations of older women classified as sarcopenic or dynapenic. The aim of this cross sectional study was to investigate the accuracy of SMF-BIA compared to the gold standard DXA for the measurement of ALM among sarcopenic and/or dynapenic older women. Physical function, ALM, strength, and anthropometric tests were performed to determine the presence of sarcopenia and/or dynapenia in a sample of 25 older (72.3 ± 4.6 years) women using established sarcopenia classification criteria. Estimation of ALM using SMF-BIA and DXA were performed under standardized testing conditions. Both techniques were administered within the same hour with participants adequately hydrated, fasted, following urine elimination, and while wearing hospital scrubs. A Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine a relationship between the two methods for ALM and agreement between the two techniques was assessed using a Bland-Altman plot method. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. A significant and strong correlation was observed between the two techniques with a Pearson’s correlation coefficient of 0.88 (95% CI= 0.75 to 0.95; p < 0.001). The Bland-Altman plot showed a mean difference of 0.5 kg and an indication of overall agreement between techniques. However, SMFBIA overestimated ALM for one participant (-2.9 kg, 95% CI= -3.76 to -2.03) and underestimated ALM for another participant (1.8 kg, 95% CI= 0.98 to 2.71) compared to DXA. The findings indicate overall agreement between SMF-BIA and DXA for the estimation of ALM among older women with characteristics of sarcopenia, but SMFBIA may overestimate or underestimate ALM in some individuals. These data suggest that SMF-BIA may be an acceptable alternative to DXA for the assessment of ALM in older women with characteristics of sarcopenia.
Cause-Specific Neonatal Deaths: Levels, Trend and Determinants in Rural Bangladesh, 1987-2005

Abstract: Reducing neonatal mortality is a particularly important issue in Bangladesh. We employ a competing risks model incorporating both observed and unobserved heterogeneity and allowing the heterogeneity terms for various causes to be correlated. Data come from the Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), Matlab. The results confirm the general conclusion on levels, trends and patterns of causes of neonatal deaths in the existing literature, but also reveal some remarkable socioeconomic differences in the risks of causespecific deaths. Deaths due to low birth weight and other causes (sudden infant death, unspecified or specified) are better explained from the socio- economic covariates than deaths due to neonatal infections or obstetric complications. The analysis highlights the role of maternal and child health interventions (particularly tetanus toxoid immunization for pregnant women, nutrition programs, and high coverage health services: distance to nearest health centre). Policies that increase quality and equity in child births may help to further reduce neonatal mortality.
Organic farming‐compatible insecticides against the aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) in peach orchards

Abstract: Three products allowed in organic farming (kaolin, mineral oil and insecticidal soap) as alternatives to chemical insecticides, were evaluated for the control of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) in a peach orchard. Their efficacy was compared with the neonicotinoid imidacloprid and an untreated control. The experiment was replicated for 2 years (2003 and 2004). The products were applied once in May every year and aphid infestation was recorded three to four times post‐treatment. In 2004, the effect of the products on the predatory coccinellid species was also recorded. In 2003, all four products showed good control with average Abbott's efficiency ranging from 80% to 88%. In the next year, however, the products were less effective and only imidacloprid and kaolin reduced aphid population significantly compared with the untreated control, with an average Abbott's efficiency of 62% and 31%, respectively. This reduced efficiency was attributed to high rainfall occurring post‐treatment. Regarding the effects on beneficial coccinellids, only imidacloprid and mineral oil reduced their numbers after application. The results showed that the three alternative products and especially kaolin are promising for aphid control in peach orchards. Kaolin has also low side‐effects on beneficials and it could be used in organic peach orchards.
FOreign direCt investment in China: beyOnd the representative OFFiCe

Nowadays, China is one of the most important destinations for international expansion of firms from all over the world. Based on the traditional theory on foreign direct investment and the resource‐based view of the firm, this paper analyzes the influence of various tangible and intangible firm‐specific factors on the choice amongst three different modes of entry into China: representative office, joint venture and wholly‐owned subsidiary. The results obtained suggest that the size of the investing firm, its performance as well as its experience regarding the country have a positive influence on the choice of types of foreign direct investment that involve a high level of resources commitment. In addition, the specific aim of the project affects these relationships.
Graphoepitaxial high-Tc SQUIDs

The fabrication process and physical properties of graphoepitaxially engineered high-Tc direct current superconducting quantum interferometer devices (DC SQUIDs) are studied. Double buffer layers, each comprising a graphoepitaxial seed layer of YBa2Cu3O7−x and an epitaxial blocking layer of SrTiO3, were deposited over textured step edges on (001) surfaces of MgO substrates. Scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the microstructural properties of DC SQUIDs with graphoepitaxial Josephson junctions. Both direct coupled and inductively coupled high-Tc DC SQUIDs with graphoepitaxial step edge junctions and flux transformers were studied.