Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prediction of Group Performance: The Interplay of Individual Performance, Interpersonal Attraction, and Interpersonal Behavior

On the basis of the input-process-output model, the present research examined how individual performance, interpersonal attraction, and interpersonal behavior affect group performance in a problem-solving task. 164 participants were assigned to 41 groups, each consisting of four same-sex members. Participants completed a measure of interpersonal attraction and individually solved the established moon-landing task. Afterwards, all group members worked together to find a common solution for this task. Four interpersonal behaviors were recorded on video while the group interacted (cooperative, communicative, coordinative, and conflict behavior). Two main findings emerged: First, on average, groups performed better than the individuals did alone. Second, individual performance, interpersonal attraction, and directly observed interpersonal behaviors were independent predictors of group performance. Furthermore, we found indications that interpersonal behavior might play a mediating role here. The results and their implications are discussed.
Neurocognitive Robot-Assisted Rehabilitation of Hand Function

Robot-assisted rehabilitation aims to complement conventional therapy after neurologic injury. Over the past two decades robotic devices have been developed and tested for their beneficial effect on the recovery process in stroke survivors. Results from meta-analyses suggest that robot-assisted rehabilitation might be at least as good as dose-matched conventional treatments. However, not all patients respond equally well to this type of therapy. The goal of this thesis was to investigate unexploited potential in robot-assisted rehabilitation, such as the more distally oriented training of hand function, incorporating the training of haptic perception and the use of robotic measures to assess sensorimotor impairments in order to adapt the therapy difficulty level to the abilities/impairments of the individual patient. Neurocognitive therapy – a conventional therapy concept requiring patients to solve cognitive problems based on expected and perceived somatic afferent inputs – was developed in the 1970s. It was utilized in this study on a new end-effector based, two degrees-of-freedom hand rehabilitation robot, the ReHapticKnob, to train grasping (hand opening/closing) and forearm rotation in stroke survivors. The large renderable impedance range (Z-width) and high-fidelity haptic rendering capabilities of the ReHapticKnob allow a variety of interactions, ranging from passively guided movements, which are essential for completely plegic patients, to the training of fine motor skills in mildly impaired stroke victims. Novel neurocognitive exercises were implemented on the ReHapticKnob customized to the patient’s impairment level using robotic assessments conducted at baseline. During therapy progression, an automatic routine adapted exercise difficulty levels in order to track and maintain a challenging and motivating performance level. The novel neurocognitive robotassisted therapy concept was successfully tested through a four-week randomized controlled trial on 15 sub-acute stroke patients. The intervention group received robotic therapy during four 45-minute sessions per week. A dose-matched neurocognitive therapy control group performed exercises without the robot. Both groups additionally participated in the clinic’s intensive rehabilitation program. Over the course of the study, average increases of 7.9% (robot group) and 10.5% (control group) could be observed on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment score for the upper extremity. Sensorimotor impairment, which was assessed by the robot, vii
Geographies and Cultures of International Student Experiences in Higher Education

Updated research is required on the geographies of the cultural issues that shape international students’ experiences. The growing number of students traveling to different countries implies a need to cater to cultures and values from different parts of the world. Apart from cultural and geographical aspects, there is scarce knowledge about similarities between students’ experiences abroad that takes into account their countries of origin (and, to some extent, their cultures) within those mobility flows. Using a probabilistic topic model on 59,662 international student reports from 167 countries on their mobility experiences, we examine links between the students’ experiences and their countries of origin. The results show that the geographical features of the reports are connected not only to cultural issues, but also to other factors that might affect their international experience.
IoT Enabled UAV: Network Architecture and Routing Algorithm

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be deployed efficiently to provide high quality of service for Internet of Things (IoT). By using cooperative communication and relay technologies, a large swarm of UAVs can enlarge the effective coverage area of IoT services via multiple relay nodes. However, the low latency service requirement and the dynamic topology of UAV network bring in new challenges for the effective routing optimization among UAVs. In this paper, a layered UAV swarm network architecture is proposed and an optimal number of UAVs is analyzed. Furthermore, a low latency routing algorithm (LLRA) is designed based on the partial location information and the connectivity of the network architecture. Finally, the performance of the proposed LLRA is verified by numerical results, which can decrease the link average delay and improve the packet delivery ratio in contrast to traditional routing algorithms without layered architecture.
Self-sexualization in preadolescent girls: Associations with self-objectification, weight concerns, and parent’s academic expectations

We investigated the relationship of self-sexualization to self-objectification, weight concerns, self-efficacy, academic outcomes, and career aspirations among preadolescent girls. Participants were 89 six- to nine-year-old girls; parental reports were also obtained. Two thirds of girls showed signs of self-sexualization by choosing a sexualized doll over a nonsexualized doll as who they preferred to look like and/or who they currently look like. Girls who self-sexualized reported higher self-objectification and weight concerns than girls who did not self-sexualize. Self-sexualization was unrelated to social, emotional, and academic self-efficacy and to girls’ career confidence and interest. However, parents of girls who self-sexualized reported their daughters had lower academic performance and enjoyed school less compared to girls who did not self-sexualize. Additionally, parents of girls who self-sexualized had lower academic expectations for their daughters. It is possible that in preadolescence self-sexualization affects girls’ body cognitions and parental expectations without (yet) affecting self-efficacy or academic goals.
Learning Lives of North Korean Young Defectors: A Preliminary Study of Reconstructing Identity in Career Development.

This study of eleven young North Korean Defectors (NKDs) examines how they engage in daily learning focusing on the process of identity reconstruction through their attempt to engage in career development activities. For the purposes of this paper one case was selected to illustrate how a reconstructed identity is learned. The main research questions for the study were: a) how do young NKDs reconstruct their identity in career development activities? and b) how do young NKDs learn through the identity reconstructing process? This research was based on a Cultural-Historical Activity Theory and data were analyzed by adopting a theory-driven approach. For data analysis, open, focused, and axial coding was conducted. Conclusions are preliminary, as the analysis is ongoing.
Fuzzy Logic Control for harvesting maximum power from PV solar based SEPIC Converter

This paper presents a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control that makes use of fuzzy logic for switching a single-ended primary-inductor (SEPIC) converter for harvesting power from a photovoltaic (PV) system. The proposed FLC MPPT is presented at varying irradiances of 1000, 900, 700 and 500 W/m2 and varying temperatures of 30, 25, 20 and 18oC respectively. The SEPIC converter has a voltage output of 58.70 V for 1000 W/m2 at 18oC and the PV panel has power output at 407.7 W over 1000 W/m2 and 18oC. The fuzzy controller for the SEPIC MPPT scheme shows good current transition and keeps the voltage constant within the acceptable limits, in variable temperatures and irradiances.
Occupations and industries of employment of Māori university graduates: early career aspirations and destinations

ABSTRACT Technological advancements, a changing demography, and labour market demands mean that it is increasingly important to have a skilled Māori labour workforce. Māori students are graduating from universities in increasing numbers but little is known about their careers post-graduation. Our aim was to describe the early career aspirations and destinations of Māori university graduates in the Graduate Longitudinal Study New Zealand. Data were collected when participants were in their final year of study (n = 626) and 2 years post-graduation (n = 455). The most common occupation types 2 years post-graduation were professionals (66%), clerical or administrative workers (10%), and managers (9%). The most common industries of employment were education and training (29%), health care and social assistance (22%), and legal and accounting services (8%). The percentage of graduates who, in their final year of study, planned to enter into industries that matched their actual industries at 2 years post-graduation was 67%. There were some differences across fields of study, with Health and Education graduates working in industries more closely aligned with their studies than Science or Humanities graduates. Future surveys will enable us to track graduates to see if these patterns change as graduates settle into their careers post-graduation.
Awareness of the Usefulness of ICTs as Correlate of Attitude towards Use in collection development by Librarians

The study is on librarians’ awareness of the usefulness of ICTs as correlate of attitude towards application in collection development in federal university libraries in South-East, Nigeria. The study was descriptive survey design. The population for the study consisted of 203 librarians from three federal university libraries in South-East, Nigeria. The sample size was 109 librarians. Frequency count, Mean and Pearson’s Correlation were used for data analysis. The study revealed that Acquisition Librarians are aware of the usefulness of ICTs in collection development; and are positively disposed to their use in developing library collection; and there was a significant relationship between librarians’ awareness of the usefulness of ICT and their attitude towards use in collection development in university libraries. Collection development librarians must be trained and retrained in order to be abreast with international standards and have enhanced attitude towards the use of ICT in collection development. The study concluded that positive attitude alone cannot make the difference adequate power supply and internet bandwidth, motivation and conducive environment are needed. The study recommended that Parent bodies should as a matter of utmost urgency provide ICT facilities together with adequate power supply especially in the face of constant power cut.
‘Sowing the seeds of community’: Daycare managers participating in a community approach project

This paper is based on a study of daycare center managers participating in a project aimed at changing the communal approach in early childhood education (ECE) centers. The project was implemented by the ECE system of Israel’s Association of Community Centers for ages birth to three, based on the Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). The study aimed at learning about the managers’ views and attitudes toward the project, expanding knowledge in the sphere of ECE management and proposing relevant methods for policy improvement. The study applied qualitative methodology and was based on in-depth interviews with managers who participated in the first year of the project, and on observations at the daycare centers and on the project’s implementation process. The findings reveal that the managers are influenced in various ways, by the complex economic and organizational reality of their workplace. The position of the daycare managers as responsible for both implementing the project’s policies and for managing the caregivers creates a complex identity informed by ambivalent attitudes toward the system and the project itself. As ECE for ages birth to three is a conspicuous subject on international public agendas, this study may help ECE policymakers improve education systems by developing solid communal policies.
Internet Addiction Disorder: Internet Gaming Disorder in a Nonclinical Sample Of Moba And Mmorpg Videoplayers

This study concentrates on two kinds of video games, Massive Online Battle Arena and Massive Multiplayer Online Role Play Game, and examines the scores obtained by the subjects in the sample. Score analyses pointed out that they do not exceed the respective cutoff scores for each scale. The sample was divided into three clusters to differentiate three kinds of users: nonproblematic, problematic, and “addicted” players. The study highlights that the variable “video game typology” relates to some personality traits. Players who excessively use them tend to experience relatively more negative emotions (anxiety and depression), avoid socioemotional involvement, and report bizarre and culturally incongruent thoughts (accompanied by the respective behavioral displays).
Developing an Entrepreneurship Scale for 5th Grade Students

The aim of this study is to develop an Entrepreneurship Scale to measure the entrepreneurial skills of 5th grade students and to conduct the reliability and validity of the scale. This research is a descriptive survey method. The pilot application was made with 432 students in Amasya City in Turkey. SPSS 23 and LISREL 8.80 programs were used to analyze the data. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was performed to construct the validity. As a result of exploratory factor analysis, a 4-factor structure emerged on the scale. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the structure, and it was determined that the developed model was in compliance with the criteria in the literature. These sub-factors were identified as meaningful in terms of self-confidence, need for success, personal benefit and leadership and responsibility. The Cronbach Alpha internal consistency coefficient of the scale was determined as 0.77. At the end of the research, a reliable and valid measurement scale about entrepreneurship was developed for the 5th grade students.
Detecting and monitoring mental fatigue: a non-invasive approach

On a daily basis, people at work often feel a sense of exhaustion due to mental or physical work, with a degraded sense of accomplishment in performing simple tasks. The working capacity and the individual performance, whether physical or mental, generally decreases as the day goes by. The loss of these capabilities may be associated with the onset of fatigue, which is especially noticeable in long and demanding jobs or repetitive tasks. However, effective work and time management, as well as the effect of breaks, can result in better mental outcomes, partially offsetting the effects of fatigue. Indeed, the object of this doctoral thesis will be centered on the analysis and creation of solutions to assess the human behavior, and in particular mental fatigue in a non-invasive way and without the interference of daily routines. It will be grounded on an Artificial Intelligence based approach to problem solving.
Special educational needs co-ordinators’ perceptions of effective provision for including autistic children in primary and middle schools in England

ABSTRACT In the Autumn of 2017 a small-scale study was designed to explore the degree to which school staff in the East Midlands of England were in an informed position to meet their statutory obligation with regard to the autistic children in their care as reported by a sample of special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCos), members of the school staff in the best position to shed light on the topic. Findings indicated that the SENCos in the study under consideration here were clear that, overall, they were confident in their own abilities to assess autistic learners’ strengths and weaknesses and plan for meeting identified needs. They were much less confident that their colleagues with prime responsibility for classroom teaching and implementing special arrangements had commensurate knowledge and understanding, or even necessarily were very well disposed or well enough informed to differentiate classroom activities appropriately.
Visuomotor figure construction and visual figure delayed recall and recognition in primary progressive aphasia

ABSTRACT Background: Individuals with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) develop visuospatial deficits over time, and those with logopenic variant (lvPPA) are at greatest risk of developing such deficits. However, not all previous studies of visuospatial deficits in PPA have ensured equivalent duration of disease across variants and few have measured deficits longitudinally. Aims: The aims of our study were to 1) investigate differences in baseline visuomotor figure construction, visual figure delayed recall, and figure recognition in PPA variants with similar symptom duration at baseline, and 2) explore patterns of decline in these areas. Methods & Procedures: 93 individuals with PPA [39 lvPPA, 24 nonfluent agrammatic PPA (nfaPPA), and 30 semantic variant PPA (svPPA)] were administered the Benson Complex Figure Copy, Benson Complex Figure Delay (Recall), and Benson Figure Recognition. Thirty individuals completed this testing 3 to 47 months post-baseline. Outcome & Results: Participants with lvPPA and svPPA showed lower mean scores than those with nfaPPA on visual figure delayed recall at baseline, even though there were no differences in estimated time from disease onset or correlation with disease severity as reflected by naming performance, F(2, 90) = 5.78, p < . 004. Those with nfaPPA performed significantly better than those with lvPPA, Tukey HSD p < . 05, and those with svPPA, Tukey HSD p < . 01. There were no differences between variants in rate of decline in visuomotor figure construction, visual figure delayed recall, and figure recognition. Conclusions: These findings revealed relatively spared visuospatial memory in nfaPPA, which may aid in the differential diagnosis of PPA and contribute to designing therapy or compensatory strategies.
The Effect of Nonlinear Springs in Jumping Mechanisms

This research investigates the potential effects of utilizing nonlinear springs on the performance of robotic jumping mechanisms. As a theoretical example, we study dynamic characteristics of a jumping mechanism consisting of two masses connected by a generic nonlinear spring, which is characterized by a piecewise linear function. The goal of this study is to understand how the nonlinearity in spring stiffness can impact the jumping performance. To this end, non-dimensional equations of motion of the jumping mechanism are derived and then used extensively for both analytical and numerical investigations. The nonlinear force-displacement curve of the spring is divided into two sections: compression and tension. We examine the influences of these two sections of spring stiffness on the overall performance of the jumping mechanism. It is found that compression section of the nonlinear spring can significantly increase energy storage and thus enhance the jumping capabilities dramatically. We also found that the tension section of the nonlinear force-displacement curve does not affect the jumping performance of the center of gravity, however, it has a significant impact on the internal oscillations of the mechanism. Results of this study can unfold the underlying principles of harnessing nonlinear springs in jumping mechanisms and may lead to the emergence of more efficient hopping and jumping systems and robots in the future.
T-REST: An Open-Enabled Architectural Style for the Internet of Things

Computing offloading is a key challenge of new rising computing paradigms of the Internet of Things (IoT) like edge computing, which shifts computations to data sources as near as possible to gain the benefits, such as low latency and energy efficiency. However, the fragmentation problem of IoT devices results in a heterogeneous and disordered ecosystem, hindering the interoperating demands of computing offloading. What we need is an open-enabled ecosystem which allows third-party developers to create and update functions of deployed devices dynamically. We propose Things-representational state transfer (T-REST) which is an extension of the representational state transfer (REST) architectural style to address this problem. It integrates contents and computations together to inherit the uniform interface principle from REST. Three architectural constraints are added to REST: 1) reusable remote evaluation; 2) dynamic time series representation; and 3) computational hypertext. A novel event triggering mechanism is designed to decouple the tight coupling of front-end content accesses and back-end computations for resources. A reference prototype, named T-REST engine, is implemented to verify the proposed architecture with the open-enabled style, distributed semantics, and computing offloading features. Discussions show that T-REST preserves the benefits of REST. In addition, it achieves extremely lightweight footprints and can perform computing offloading through open-enabled architectures.
Negative correlation between BMI and perception of physical activity in adolescents

The development of obesity is a complex problem, conditioned by heterogeneous factors. Despite the impressive amount of research, the phenomenon is difficult to investigate, due to the inadequacy of quantitative methods to assess the negative spiral that triggers between self-efficacy perception and physical activity levels. The present study uses tools from quantitative research relating to conditional motor skills and tools coming from qualitative research relating to psychological factors. The hypothesis is that overweight affects not only motor performance, but also related psychological factors (perceived self-efficacy and enjoyment). The survey was conducted on a group of 177 adolescents (85 males and 92 females) aged between 14 and 18 years in the Puglia region. The subjects, once the quantitative tests were carried out, completed the PAQ_C scales (levels of physical activity in the last week), PACES (Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale) and Motor Self-efficacy questionnaire. Attested a negative relationship between overweight and motor tests results, a Spearman ranks correlation analysis was carried out to investigate the BMI relationship with the scores obtained at the qualitative scales. A negative correlation was identified between BMI and the scores of scales for all subjects (rs = -0.03; -0.15; -0.09 for PAQ_C, PACES and SEM). Based on the analysis of the collected data, adolescents with a high BMI have a high probability of developing adverse perceptions of their effectiveness and facing a high risk of sedentary behaviours.