Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Exploratory Study of Project Lead the Way Secondary Engineering Educators' Self-Efficacy

Researchers find that teacher self-efficacy influences student performance and student academic interest (Anderson, Green & Loewen, 1988; Ross, 1992; Ashton & Webb, 1986; Woolfolk & Hoy, 1990; and Muijs & Reynolds, 2001) and that prior teaching and teacher preparation experiences influence teacher self-efficacy (Preito & Altmaier, 1994). Since the late 1990s, a significant number of teachers have been drafted to teach engineering content in secondary schools across America (NAE & NRC, 2009). Given that none of those teachers were specifically prepared for that task in pre-service secondary engineering teaching licensure programs, some—or perhaps even many—of these new secondary engineering educators might be experiencing low teacher self-efficacy, which research suggests would lead to relatively ineffective secondary engineering teaching. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate experiences/factors that might influence secondary engineering teachers’ self-efficacy, to inform those who are developing new preand in-service secondary engineering teacher preparation programs, and educational administrators / policy-makers. The population of Project Lead the Way (PLTW) secondary engineering teachers across the U.S. was invited to participate in this study. PLTW offers the best-known secondary engineering curriculum in the U.S. It features robust linkages/articulation agreements with post-secondary engineering programs (McVearry, 2003). The data for this study were obtained by administering the Teachers’ SelfEfficacy Belief System-Self (TEBS-S) instrument (Dellinger, Bobbett, Oliver, & Ellett, 2008) and a demographic instrument developed by the researcher. The following factors had a statistically significant influence on teacher self-efficacy: pre-PLTW teaching experience, PLTW teaching experience, post-secondary course hours completed, teacher licensure process, and current and past teaching schedules. Implications of these findings may be used by administrators and educators who are actively involved in recruiting, selecting and preparing secondary engineering educators.
International student mobility: onset for a future career or an experiential opportunity?

ABSTRACT International student mobility (ISM) has emerged as an important field of study that various nations and organizations have been attaching great importance to. This paper studies the drivers of international student mobility, using a competing destinations model for the international student flows among 35 OECD countries in the period 2004–2018, by integrating the motivations for ISM. We find that OECD students are motivated by both career orientation and personal and cultural experience when decide to move abroad for study. Nonetheless, remarkable differences emerge when considering country subgroups (origin countries, wealthier, English-speaking top destination (namely US, the UK, Canada, and Australia), and European countries, students search for personal and cultural experience, valuing the lifestyle of the destination country. Students seeking for education quality are instead polarised in the rest of the OECD countries.
Våldutsatta kvinnor drabbas av långsiktiga negativa ekonomiska konsekvenser

Utsatthet for vald kan medfora langvariga konsekvenser. Studien tar upp langsiktiga ekonomiska konsekvenser for valdsdrabbade kvinnor med fokus pa behovet av forsorjningsstod. Den sammanfattar tva .
Time To Conversion of Hemi/Total Shoulder Arthroplasty To Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review of Longevity and Factors Influencing Conversion

Background: The purposes of this study were to determine the average time from hemiarthroplasty (HA) or total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) to conversion to reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) and to determine the factors leading to conversion to RTSA. Methods: A review of the literature regarding the existing evidence for conversion of HA/TSA to RTSA was performed. Inclusion criteria were as follows: reporting of conversion of a HA or TSA to RTSA with a follow up of greater than 24 months, English language, and human studies. Excluded were articles that did not mention a time to conversion surgery. Results: One hundred studies were initially retrieved with 3 meeting the inclusion criteria. The weighted mean time to conversion of HA/TSA to RTSA was 36.8 months. Rotator cuff failure was the indication for conversion in 66% of cases (65/99), while component loosening (glenoid or humeral stem) was the indication in 14% (14/99) of cases. Conclusions: Among patients that undergo conversion of HA/TSA to RTSA the reported time to conversion was 36.8 months on average. The most common indication for conversion to RTSA was rotator cuff failure, highlighting the importance of rotator cuff integrity when performing a primary HA or TSA.
Anomalous kink-related excess noise in MOSFETs at 4.2 K

The anomalous drain-voltage-dependent excess noise that is observed in silicon MOSFETs at cryogenic temperatures is examined. A model for the underlying physics is described. It is shown that the mechanisms inducing this excess noise are shallow-level impact ionization and trapping in the bulk of the MOSFET. A model for the noise spectrum and amplitude is proposed and is validated by the measurements. Evidence-both theoretical and experimental-is presented for the correlation between the anomalous low-frequency noise and the kink/hysteresis observed in the characteristics of MOSFETs operating at 4.2 K. >
Analysis of new high-voltage bipolar Silicon-On-Insulator transistor with fully depleted collector

A new type of high voltage bipolar transistor for implementation in SOI material (Silicon-On-Insulator) has been developed. It is shown by measurements on fabricated structures and by numerical device simulations that the current drive capability of such a transistor is comparable to what has been achieved in a conventional transistor with buried layer and plug or in any optimized lateral transistor with buried emitter and collector layers. The new type of transistor designed in a few micrometer thick silicon layer has a breakdown voltage BV/sub CEO/ in excess of several hundreds volts and also a remarkably high Early voltage of about 400 volts. This unique Early voltage is also explained in detail by a new analytical model. The transistor is expected to have a strong impact on the feasibility to realize mixed analog and digital signal circuits with high and low voltage functions on the same chip. >
The Influence of the Clearance of Shrouded Rotor Blades on the Development of the Flowfield and Losses in the Subsequent Stator

Although turbines are commonly noted for their high efficiency this efficiency can be improved further. The importance of the leakage flow for the losses of turbine stages makes this flow a promising candidate to be examined for loss reduction: first it decreases the workflow through the rotor and second, the suction side incidence of the re-entering leakage flow in the subsequent stator causes additional losses.As an essential parameter for leakage flow the clearance and its influence on the losses is investigated by experimental and numerical approach as well. The measurements of the experimental part were carried out on a 1.5 stage axial model turbine of an enlarged scale. The rotor of the turbine consists of shrouded blades with two teeth on the shroud. The clearance was varied from s/D = 0.0007 up to 0.004. Linear traverse measurements with a pneumatic 5-hole probe were taken in front of and behind the second stator. The re-entering leakage flow extremely influences the flow properties in radial direction (up to 50% of the span) at the inlet of the following stator. So the flow angle α1 deviates up to 90° of the flow angle in the mid-span, depending on the clearance. Along with mixing losses, this suction side incidence leads to an increase of the losses within the stator. In addition numerical investigations of the flow field were done with the commercial flow solver CFX-TASCflow. The interaction between the leakage flow and the secondary losses of the following stator is shown, and a comparison with available loss correlations is carried out in this paper.Copyright © 2000 by ASME
Assessment of Degree of Conversion and Knoop Microhardness of Different Resin Cementing Agents

There are still controversies in the literature as to which is the best resinous cementing agent. Due to this fact and the immense availability of types and brands of cementing agents, further studies are needed to evaluate the properties of these important dental materials. To assess the degree of monomer conversion (DC) and Knoop microhardness (KHN) of four resin cements: two conventional dual-cured resin cements (EnForce and RelyXARC); one self-etching cement (RelyXU100); and one chemically-activated cement (Cement-Post). 20 Pieces were made to assess KHN, and 20 to assess DC (n = 5). The DC was analyzed using a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer, and KHN of the base and the top of the pieces were assessed using the Future-Tech microhardness tester. The data of KHN were statistically analyzed by two-factor ANOVA, and data related to DC were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test. The analysis of the correlation between KHN and DC of the cementing agents was performed by linear regression. Dual-cured cements exhibited lower average KHN values at the base than at the top of the pieces (p <0.05). The self-etching cement had a significantly higher average KHN value than the other assessed cements (p <0.05). The DC of the dual-cured cement did not differ (p >0.05). The chemically-activated cement exhibited the lowest averages of KHN and DC values (p <0.05). Linear regression analysis indicated a strong correlation between DC and KNH (p = 0.043; R2 = 0.96); however, a specific hardness value could not be correlated to a specific DC value. Preferably, dual-cured resin cements (conventional or self-etching) should be used. Chemically-activated resin cements should be avoided due to their lower averages of DC and KHN values.
Review of the Effectiveness of Vehicle Activated Signs

This paper reviews the effectiveness of vehicle activated signs. Vehicle activated signs are being reportedly used in recent years to display dynamic information to road users on an individual basis in order to give a warning or inform about a specific event. Vehicle activated signs are triggered individually by vehicles when a certain criteria is met. An example of such criteria is to trigger a speed limit sign when the driver exceeds a pre-set threshold speed. The preset threshold is usually set to a constant value which is often equal, or relative, to the speed limit on a particular road segment. This review examines in detail the basis for the configuration of the existing sign types in previous studies and explores the relation between the configuration of the sign and their impact on driver behavior and sign efficiency. Most of previous studies show that these signs have significant impact on driver behavior, traffic safety and traffic efficiency. In most cases the signs deployed have yielded reductions in mean speeds, in speed variation and in longer head-ways. However most experiments reported within the area were performed with the signs set to a certain static configuration within applicable conditions. Since some of the aforementioned factors are dynamic in nature, it is felt that the configurations of these signs were thus not carefully considered by previous researchers and there is no clear statement in the previous studies describing the relationship between the trigger value and its consequences under different conditions. Bearing in mind that different designs of vehicle activated signs can give a different impact under certain conditions of road, traffic and weather conditions the current work suggests that variable speed thresholds should be considered instead.
Negative Effects of Snow Cover on Foraging Habitat Selection and Breeding Success in the Red-Billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Summary. The Red-billed Chough, a species of conservation priority in Europe, is threatened by habitat encroachment, decline of pastoralism, heavy use of pesticides and disturbance by recreational activities. Its future greatly depends on the quality of its remaining habitat, particularly in mountains where no previous study has explored the effects of climate and snow condition on its populations. In the Gavarnie special protection area (9,300ha, Pyrenees National Park), a highly mountainous open landscape mainly covered by grassland, alpine moorland, screes and rocks, we compared the reproductive success of Red-billed Choughs during two very contrasted years, 2013 and 2014, in terms of snow phenology in spring. We also evaluated foraging habitat selection during the young rearing period. Habitat selection was estimated by modelling the probability, for 50 × 50 m2 spatial units sampled in the study area, of being observed to be used by choughs for foraging. Breeding success was much lower during the year with prolonged spring snow cover, especially at higher elevation: 11 breeding pairs were present, compared to 22 pairs during the following year when snow cover phenology was more typical. Nesting phenology was delayed by ten days in the year with prolonged snow cover. Variables that positively influenced the probability for choughs to use spatial units as feeding areas were mostly linked with the presence of low vegetation (herbaceous or mixed scrub and grassland areas, grazed areas), and the absence of snow (time of snow cover during study period, exposure to solar radiation, presence of wetlands). We suggest that snow cover at the end of the cold season can create a spatial mismatch between customary chough nest locations at high elevations and areas suitable for foraging. The consequence is a scarcity of nesting attempts and low breeding success in the mountainous areas during years with prolonged and high altitude snow cover in spring. We also use these results to suggest the potential for this species to be used as an indicator for the effects of changes in climate and pasture grazing practices. —Fontanilles, P., Boulicot, I. & Chiffard-Carricaburu, J. (2022). Negative effects of snow cover on foraging habitat selection and breeding success in the Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax. Ardeola, 69: 59-74.
The Requirements of Jobs: Evidence from a Nationally Representative Survey

The Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) is a new survey at the Bureau of Labor Statistics which collects data on the educational, cognitive, and physical requirements of jobs, as well as the environmental conditions in which the work is performed. Using pre-production data, we provide estimates of a subset of elements by broad industry and occupation and examine the relationship between the cognitive elements and measures of education and training. We exploit the overlap between ORS and the National Compensation Survey to estimate models of the returns to different occupational requirements. Finally, we examine the relationship between occupational requirements and occupational safety measures and outline potential research uses of the Occupational Requirements Survey.
High Levels of Expression of Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein in Lymph Node Metastases in Breast Cancer Are Associated with Reduced Survival

Simple Summary Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is an emerging independent prognostic marker for breast cancer patients. COMP expression by cancer cells affects their metabolism, metastases, and the abundance of cancer stem cell populations. This study assessed the levels of COMP in the sera of metastatic breast cancer patients. Further, matched tumor tissues from the primary tumor and metastases were stained for COMP expression with immunohistochemistry. The levels of serum COMP were highest in the blood of metastatic ER-positive and HER2-positive patients. The expression of COMP in primary tumors correlated with COMP expression in the metastatic loci. Lymph node metastases (LNM) with COMP expression were associated with reduced survival. The expression of COMP in LNM at the time of primary diagnosis could indicate later development of visceral and lung metastases. Abstract Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is a regulator of the extracellular matrix and is expressed primarily in the cartilage. Recently, COMP expression was also documented in breast cancer patients both in sera and tumor biopsies, in both of which it could serve as an independent prognostic marker. This study aimed to assess COMP as a potential biomarker in the group of metastatic breast cancer patients. Levels of COMP were measured by ELISA in serum samples of 141 metastatic breast cancer patients. Biopsies from primary tumors, synchronous lymph node metastases, and distant metastases were stained for COMP expression. The levels of serum COMP were higher in patients with ER- and HER2-positive tumors when compared to triple-negative tumors and correlated with the presence of bone and lung metastases, circulating tumor cell count, and clusters. Most of the primary tumors expressing COMP (70%) retained the expression also in the lymph node metastases, which correlated with visceral metastases and reduced survival. In conclusion, COMP appears as a valuable biomarker in metastatic breast cancer patients indicating a more severe stage of the disease. Serum COMP levels were associated with specific types of metastases in patients with metastatic breast cancer emphasizing that further studies are warranted to elucidate its potential role as a monitoring marker.
Adaptive multimodal vibration suppression using fuzzy-based control with limited structural data

We propose a novel fuzzy-based method of adaptive multimodal vibration suppression with limited structural data. The adaptive control consists of fuzzy inference and a semi-active switching approach. We demonstrate it to be applicable to multimodal vibration suppression for vibrating structures, where a single piezoelectric actuator suppresses two modal vibrations simultaneously. Our fuzzy-based semi-active control requires only the structural information of natural frequencies for real-time adaptive feedback, whereas common adaptive controls require highly precise structural models or complete equations of motion. We conduct experiments in semi-active vibration suppression using the proposed fuzzy-based control, and compare the suppression performance of our fuzzy-based approach with conventional controls. The experiments indicate that the proposed fuzzy-based control demonstrates good adaptability when experiencing sudden changes in disturbance excitation, and also demonstrates high suppression performance. The fuzzy-based control can adapt to a wide range of disturbance conditions, both within and outside the range of vibration excitations assumed when the controller is designed.
Supplementary material to "Substantial organic impurities at the surface of synthetic ammonium sulfate particles"

Ammonium sulfate (AS) particles are widely used for studying the physical-chemistry processes of aerosols and for instrument calibrations. Small quantities of organic matter can greatly influence the studied properties, as observed by many 10 laboratory studies. In this work, monodisperse particles (from 200 nm to 500 nm) were generated by nebulizing various AS solutions and organic impurities were quantified relative to sulfate using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). The organic content found in AS solutions was also tentatively identified using a Liquid Chromatography–tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). The results from both analytical techniques were consistent and demonstrated that the organic impurities contained oxygen, nitrogen and/or sulfur, their molecular masses ranged from m/z 69 15 to 420, they likely originate from the commercial AS crystals. For AS particle sizes ranging from 200 nm to 500 nm, the total mass fraction of organic (relative to sulfate) ranged from 3.8 % to 1.5 % respectively. An inorganic-organic mixture model suggested that the organic impurities were coated on the AS particle surface with a density of 1.1×10 g m. A series of tests were performed to remove the organic content (using pure N2 in the flow, ultrapure water in the solutions, and very high AS quality), showing that at least 40 % of the organic impurities could be removed. In conclusion, it is recommended to use AS 20 seeds with caution, especially when small particles are used, in terms of AS purity and water purity when aqueous solutions are used for atomization.
Solvability for time‐fractional semilinear parabolic equations with singular initial data

We discuss the existence and nonexistence of a local and global‐in‐time solution to the fractional problem ∂tαu=Δu+f(u)x∈Ω,01$$ p>1 $$ , one has |f(ξ)−f(η)|≤C(1+|ξ|+|η|)p−1|ξ−η|$$ \mid f\left(\xi \right)-f\left(\eta \right)\mid \le C{\left(1+|\xi |+|\eta |\right)}^{p-1}\mid \xi -\eta \mid $$ for all ξ,η∈ℝ$$ \xi, \eta \in \mathbb{R} $$ . Particular attention is paid to the doubly critical case (p,r)=(1+2/N,1)$$ \left(p,r\right)=\left(1+2/N,1\right) $$ .
A Critical Review of Machine Loading Problem in Flexible Manufacturing System

Production planning is the foremost task for manufacturing firms to deal with, especially adopting Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) as the manufacturing strategy for production seeking an optimal balance between productivity-flexibility requirements. Production planning in FMS provides a solution to problems regarding part type selection: machine grouping, production ratio, resource allocation and loading problem. These problems need to be solved optimally for maximum utilization of resources. Optimal solution to these problems has been a focus of attention in production and manufacturing, industrial and academic research since a number of decades. Evolution of new optimization techniques, software, technology, machines and computer languages provides the scope of a better optimal solution to the existing problems. Thus there remains a need of research to solve the problem with latest tools and techniques for higher optimal use of available resources. As an objective, the researchers need to reduce the computational time and cost, complexity of the problem, solution approach viz. general or customized, better user friendly communication with machine, higher freedom to select the desired objective(s) type(s) for optimal solution to the problem. As an approach to the solution to the problem, a researcher first needs to go for an exhaustive literature review, where the researcher needs to find the research gaps, compare and analyze the tools and techniques used, number of objectives considered for optimization and need, and scope of research for the research problem. The present study is a review paper analyzing the research gaps, approach and techniques used, scope of new optimization techniques or any other research, objectives considered and validation approaches for loading problems of production planning in FMS.
The efficiency of balanced and unbalanced production lines

Three previous authors have presented some evidence in support of the hypothesis that the output rate of perfectly balanced lines with variable station (or operation) times can be improved by deliberately unbalancing the lines in different ways, i.e. through different methods of assigning unequal operation times to the respective stations. This paper reports on the rather extensive computer simulation experimentation undertaken with various configurations of production lines to compare the effectiveness of the three conjectures. Results confirm that only one of these conjectures—the ‘bowl-phenomenon’ method of assigning comparatively lower operation times to the middle stations—consistently results in better output rates than those of balanced lines as well as lines which are unbalanced in accordance with other methods. Although the ‘bowl-phenomenon’ method is found to exist in general, the extent of improvement over the output rate of balanced counterparts increases directly with the number of stations i.