Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlates of Public Kindergarten Teachers’ Self-efficacy and Their Developmentally Appropriate Practice Beliefs in Selected Districts in the Central Region, Ghana

The study examined relationships between Kindergarten Teachers’ Self-efficacy and their Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) beliefs in selected pubic basic schools in two Districts in the Central Region, Ghana. The study was underpinned by Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. The cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. Simple Random and Purposive sampling techniques were used in selecting the districts and kindergarten teachers. The sample size for the study was 274 kindergarten teachers, data analysis was however based on responses from 264 of them. An adaption of the long version of Tschannen Moran and Hoy Self-efficacy scale and self developed items from the 12 principles of DAP were used to gather data. Means, Pearsons Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Standard Multiple Regression were used in analyzing data. The findings revealed that kindergarten teachers’ beliefs in employing DAP in kindergarten settings was high. There was a small but positive statistically significant correlation between kindergarten teachers’ self-efficacy and their developmentally appropriate practice beliefs. It also came to light that, of the three self-efficacy sub-variables, kindergarten teachers’ self-efficacy in instructional strategies was the strongest predictor of their developmentally appropriate practice beliefs. It was recommended that stakeholders should organize workshops, seminars, for kindergarten teachers to enable them become abreast with current trends that would increase their self-efficacy and also their belief in their ability to use DAP.
Wave rotor demonstrator engine assessment

The objective of the program was to determine a wave rotor demonstrator engine concept using the Allison 250 series engine. The results of the NASA LERC wave rotor effort were used as a basis for the wave rotor design. A wave rotor topped gas turbine engine was identified which incorporates five basic requirements of a successful demonstrator engine. Predicted performance maps of the wave rotor cycle were used along with maps of existing gas turbine hardware in a design point study. The effects of wave rotor topping on the engine cycle and the subsequent need to rematch compressor and turbine sections in the topped engine were addressed. Comparison of performance of the resulting engine is made on the basis of wave rotor topped engine versus an appropriate baseline engine using common shaft compressor hardware. The topped engine design clearly demonstrates an impressive improvement in shaft horsepower (+11.4%) and SFC (-22%). Off design part power engine performance for the wave rotor topped engine was similarly improved including that at engine idle conditions. Operation of the engine at off design was closely examined with wave rotor operation at less than design burner outlet temperatures and rotor speeds. Challenges identified in the development of a demonstrator engine are discussed. A preliminary design was made of the demonstrator engine including wave rotor to engine transition ducts. Program cost and schedule for a wave rotor demonstrator engine fabrication and test program were developed.
Text messaging for parental engagement in student learning

This document outlines the experimental design and pre-analysis plan for using exploration sampling to test the eﬀects of weekly text messaging to parents’ phones as a means to increase student use of a Whatsapp-based quiz platform and ultimately learning outcomes. Our partner runs private schools in Lagos, Nigeria for students in early primary education and primaries 1-6 and is carrying out the implementation of the experiment. Our study will proceed in two stages:
Using Teardown Analysis as a Vehicle to Teach Electronic Systems Manufacturing Cost Modeling

This paper describes the use of product teardowns in an electronic systems cost modeling course at the University of Maryland. As part of a semester-long project, each student must choose a product with significant electronics content and determining the manufacturing cost of the product using a combination of top-down cost analysis (to determine what the product must cost) and a detailed bottoms-up model (that they calibrate using the top-down analysis). Products considered by students range from complex systems such as mobile phones to relatively simple systems such as memory sticks and MacDonald’s Happy Meal ® toys. Using product teardowns and reverse engineering ideas has proven to be an effective vehicle for educating students on practical manufacturing cost modeling of electronic systems.
M1 and M2 mirrors manufacturing for VISTA telescope

Nowadays LZOS is carrying out work on the manufacturing of the M1 Mirror and M2 Mirror for the VISTA project (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) with the 4100 mm diameter primary hyperbolic mirror with asphericity about 800 μmi and the 1241 mm diameter secondary hyperbolic mirror with asphericity about 350 μm. The current status of the work carried out is presented in the manuscript.
A base of knowledge, mobile, and web 2.0 technologies for connected e-government

E-Government is an evolving field with continually changing practice and priorities. It is also a global phenomenon, from the richest and most technologically developed nations to the poorer and less technologically developed countries, involving a range of latest Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and diverse methodologies. In such a dynamic field spanning all sectors of the governments and societies, it is difficult for e-government researchers and practitioners to identify the trends in the e-government activity and learn from previous cases and experiences. In this context, the aim of this chapter is to present an in-depth evaluation of e-government practice and research since 2007, to provide insight on research practicalities and emerging issues in e-government activity, and to identify the trends and technologies. The chapter also focuses on the current mobile and Web 2.0 technologies and examines the practicalities of using mobile technologies in various countries such as USA, Canada, UK, Austria, Japan, and others, as well as the practicalities of Web 2.0 technologies in some domains such as government, regulation, cross-agency cooperation, law enforcement, etc. This chapter presents a framework based on the mobile and Web 2.0 technologies in the context of e-government activity. In addition, the authors propose a framework for a government-people relationship. We hope to make a contribution for researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and people interested in e-government by providing a base of the e-government domain knowledge, practice, and framework. Additionally, the chapter illustrates how the implementation of mobile and Web 2.0 technologies support connected e-government.
Behavior of hazardous metal(loid)s release from excavated marine sedimentary rock under atmospheric exposure with drying-wetting cycles

Large amounts of marine sedimentary rock are excavated for the construction of modern high-speed railways and roads, and they pose environmental risk due to the release of hazardous metal(loid)s. It is therefore important understand how hazardous metal(loid)s are released from excavated rock. This study investigated the influences of alteration surface structure of excavated rock induced by atmospheric exposure with drying-wetting cycles on the release of hazardous metal(loid)s. The atmospheric exposure with the drying-wetting cycles caused the particle size reduction, but not carbonation. In addition, it induced the oxidation of framboidal pyrite, resulting in the increase in the sulfate ion release and decrease in the pH in the excavated rock. The amount of amorphous iron content decreased with the increase in the period of atmospheric exposure. The amounts of arsenic, lead, and fluoride ion release were decreased with the increase in the period of atmospheric exposure, while those of selenium was gradually increased. The amount of boron release was stable during the atmospheric exposure. On the basis of these results, this study suggests that the atmospheric exposure with the drying-wetting cycles enhances/suppresses the release of hazardous metal(loid)s from the excavated rock.
Evidence Report: Risk of Crew Adverse Health Event Due to Altered Immune Response

The Risk of Crew Adverse Health Event Due to Altered Immune Response is identified by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Research Program (HRP) as a recognized risk to human health and performance in space. The HRP Program Requirements Document (PRD) defines these risks. This Evidence Report provides a summary of the evidence that has been used to identify and characterize this risk. It is known that human immune function is altered in and postflight, but it is unclear at present if such alterations lead to increased susceptibility to disease. Reactivation of latent viruses has been documented in crewmembers, although this reactivation has not been directly correlated with immune changes or with observed diseases. As described in this report, further research is required to better characterize the relationships between altered immune response and susceptibility to disease during and after spaceflight. This is particularly important for future deepspace exploration missions.
The perceived usefulness of different designs of the e-magazine

The electronic magazine (e-magazine) is a digitised magazine and an alternative source of reading materials for students. In order to introduce this source of complementary materials, the design features of the magazine have to be identified and their perceived usefulness elucidated. In this study, an approach was undertaken to collect students’ design requirements. The perceived usefulness was measured for two different designs, namely, the exact printed appearance and the multimedia enhanced design. The results indicate that the multimedia-enhanced version appears to be more useful compared to the exact printed appearance.
PPG Filtering Method for Respiration Measurement in U-Health Care System

This research is to develop PPG filtering method for respiration measurement in U-Health Care system. Respiration rate was determined by filtering PPG and analyzing its spectrum. Optimal filter of PPG has been selected to get respiration by testing 120 sets of experiment data using 700 filtering cases. As a result, 2nd order Bessel-filter that used band-pass cutoff frequency at 0.175~0.4Hz with second order was good at developing respiration signal. Respiration signal in time domain could be continuously analyzed by converting frequency domain using spectrum analysis. 24 seconds has been found to be optimal time duration of collecting PPG data for determining respiration. Therefore, this study was successful of getting not only heart activity but also respiration by only PPG. Minimal invasive measurement obtaining multi-bio information by one sensor can be expected to apply to U-Health Care and human computer interaction.
Significance of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE): Mediating Its Role Between Industry 4.0 Implementation and Operational Excellence

The inception of advanced manufacturing technologies has led to a drastic increase in competition. The concept of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is coined by Germany during the Hannover fair in the year 2011 to handle the manufacturing complexities and dynamic customer demands. Unparalleled benefits of I4.0 implementation have urged the industries to work in this direction. There is a plethora of research available in the context of I4.0 technologies but its implementation, human factors, and ergonomics aspects are not so much explored and still under investigation. In the proposed research, factors affecting the I4.0 implementation are identified through an extensive literature review. Research questions and the hypotheses are formulated. The questionnaire is prepared; area experts from industries are contacted to collect the responses. Data is collected from 471 manufacturing industries. AMOS 22.0 is used to test the hypotheses. All factors including production and operations management, organizational and procedural are found to affect I4.0 implementation significantly. Also, human factors and ergonomics are found to mediate the relationship between I4.0 implementation and operational excellence. Practical implications to industrial managers and practitioners have been discussed. This will help them to analyze the bottlenecks and assess the organization's readiness toward the I4.0 implementation.
TRANSITIONING FROM FACE-TO-FACE TO ONLINE CLASSES DURING A PANDEMIC: FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT STUDENT SATISFACTION OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND INSTRUCTORS

ABSTRACT This study assesses students’ perspectives, including their mental health, regarding their transition from face-to-face classes to online classes for the Spring 2020 Semester as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic. An online questionnaire was administered at the end of the Spring 2020 Semester. Demographics as well as psychographics were assessed. Results showed that students with a more positive attitude toward online classes tend to have greater transition satisfaction with the administration and instructors. The results also revealed that students with greater transition anxiety will have lower transition satisfaction with the administration and instructors. Yet, the analysis uncovered a non-significant gender effect on transition satisfaction with administration and instructors. The results are important for college and university decision makers to better react to future unforeseen changes in the environment.
Taxiway embankment over soft ground using staged construction

The Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTIA), Greensboro, NC has been undergoing an expansion including a new runway (Runway 5 L-23R) and taxiway (Taxiway E) as a result of the construction of a Mid-Atlantic regional hub for Federal Express. The presence of soft ground in the wetlands area at Taxiway E crossing required careful consideration of the effects of construction, and wetland permitting requirements. The design of the embankments had to include minimizing the total area impact as well as prevent slope stability and bearing capacity issues during construction. The use of ground stabilization to provide a working platform in conjunction with toe berms to maintain slope stability and wick drains to accelerate drainage, strength gain, and settlement offered benefits to all members of the project team. An instrumentation program was implemented to determine the fill placement rates or appropriate waiting periods during fill placement, and to prevent slope failures.
The Need for a Permanent Gun System on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

Abstract : Historically, the United States Air Force (USAF) concentrates on advanced or future weaponry when it develops advanced/next generation aircraft like the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). However, some legacy weapons, such as an internal gun system, continue to prove they are still viable and are absolutely necessary if we want our future aircraft to have the flexibility necessary for the wide range of missions we expect them to perform. This point of view is far from being unchallenged. There are many individuals and organizations within the Department of Defense (DoD) and the within the aerospace industry that think the time for a gun on fighter aircraft is long over. These organizations/individuals primarily point to the advancements in modern weaponry to support their point of view. For example, the advancements in precision weapons have provided the USAF with the ability to target virtually any target, in any weather, at any time Additionally, the requirement to design, install and maintain a gun system on an aircraft does not come without additional expense Space and weight are always significant details when designing a new aircraft. These issues are magnified when designing a stealthy aircraft whose signature is negatively affected by any moving part and any opening on the aircraft's precisely designed fuselage.
Gene-level germline contributions to clinical risk of recurrence scores in Black and White breast 1 cancer patients

Continuous risk of recurrence scores (CRS) based on tumor gene expression are vital prognostic tools for 2 breast cancer (BC). Studies have shown that Black women (BW) have higher CRS than White women 3 (WW). Although systemic injustices contribute substantially to BC disparities, evidence for biological and 4 germline contributions is emerging. We investigated germline genetic associations with CRS and CRS 5 disparity through a Transcriptome-Wide Association Study (TWAS). In the Carolina Breast Cancer Study, 6 using race-specific predictive models of tumor expression from germline genetics, we performed race- 7 stratified (N=1,043 WW, 1083 BW) linear regressions of three CRS (ROR-S: PAM50 subtype score; 8 Proliferation Score; ROR-P: ROR-S plus Proliferation Score) on imputed Genetically-Regulated tumor 9 eXpression (GReX). Using Bayesian multivariate regression and adaptive shrinkage, we tested TWAS- 10 significant genes for associations with PAM50 tumor expression and subtype to elucidate patterns of 11 germline regulation underlying TWAS-gene and CRS associations. At FDR-adjusted P < 0.10, we 12 detected 7 TWAS-genes among WW and 1 TWAS-gene among BW. Among WW, CRS showed positive 13 associations with MCM10, FAM64A, CCNB2 , and MMP1 GReX and negative associations with VAV3, 14 PCSK6 , and GNG11 GReX. Among BW, higher MMP1 GReX predicted lower Proliferation score and 15 ROR-P. TWAS-gene and PAM50 tumor expression associations highlighted potential mechanisms for 16 TWAS-gene to CRS associations. Among BC patients, we find differential germline associations with 17 three CRS by race, underscoring the need for larger, more diverse datasets in molecular studies of BC. 18 Our findings also suggest possible germline trans -regulation of PAM50 tumor expression, with potential 19 implications for interpreting CRS in clinical settings. suggest mediation of these associations by PAM50 molecular subtype and gene expression, with implications for clinical interpretation of CRS.
Computational Fluid Dynamic Model of Steam Ingestion into a Transonic Compressor

Abstract : The U.S. Navy's concern with steam-induced jet engine stall has become more pertinent with the introduction of the F-35C. During take offs on aircraft carriers, steam from aging catapult systems can potentially seep onto the flight deck. When ingested into jet engines, this steam may increase the engines' susceptibility to stall. The serpentine air inlet ducts and single engine of the F-35C could make it especially vulnerable to this steam-induced stall during takeoff. To better understand and predict steam-induced stall, this study created a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of steam-induced stall on a single blade passage of a compressor rotor. A single blade passage of the transonic Sanger rotor was generated using computer modeling software. This model was then used in the ANSYS CFX computational fluid dynamics program to simulate steady-state and steam ingestion operations at 95% and 100% rotor design speeds. These CFD simulations generated compressor maps and throttle and steaminduced stall points. The CFD results were then compared to results from throttleinduced stall and steam-induced stall experiments conducted on the Sanger rotor in the transonic compressor rig. This study verified that CFD can estimate steam-induced stall operating margin reduction.
Self-Calibrating Localisation Systems in Wireless Networks

Indoor localisation is still a challenging subject among the localisation tasks. While for outdoor environments the Global Positioning System or GPS (and soon also Galileo) is the well established and popular solution, for indoor environments there are yet many different systems and solutions, each of them with promising features and some draw- backs. GPS is satellite based and uses propagation time of radio signals. A location estimate is retrieved using signals from four or more satellites in line-of-sight (LOS), which explains why it fails to operate with good accuracy in indoor environments, where the complex setups of corridors, foors, walls, and doors attenuate and detect the satellite signals beyond the capability of these systems to adjust themselves. --- Many indoor systems achieve an accuracy of a few metres, which is comparable to the best results achieved with GPS for outdoor scenarios. However, these systems usually need many proprietary sensors populating the area where a user must be located, as in [83] and [75], or they need many received signal strength (RSS) measurements prior to system start to build a radio map, as in [6] and [5]. The major drawbacks in such cases are the low scalability and high implementation costs. Propagation time is also used in some indoor systems, where it achieves comparable performance of systems using RSS, but using proprietary sensors and under additional assumptions, as for example LOS, that limit generalisations as in [78] and [79]. The main advantage of using existent wireless networks for localisation is that no extra hardware is needed to be installed (as is the case with special sensors and tag based systems) since the RSS measurement is a standard feature of wireless commu- nication systems. However, this advantage is opposed by the costly calibration phase that must be accomplished before the system start. In order to build the RSS measure- ment database that such localisation systems require, technicians must collect samples in the area where localisation must be performed. These samples are recorded with the information of where exactly on the map they where taken and sometimes with a time stamp too, being often referred to as labelled samples. This process of going around the whole area, marking manually where the measurement was taken, and measuring the RSS may be extremely time consuming if the locating area comprises a campus with many facilities and multi-storey buildings. In such cases, this process, also known as fingerprinting, may take months and requires a team of technicians dedicated only to this task. --- This work aims at the reduction of this calibration effort in localisation systems based on wireless networks.
The Coerced User and the Era of Smart City Dissonance

This paper discusses the societal impact of increased connectivity and innovation on the smart city’s inhabitants and its effect on the definition of usability. We start by discussing the smart city’s connectivity revolution and the way it affects the perception of usability. In so doing, we eliminate the concept of Non-Users and employ instead Coerced Users , who do not wish to use the innovation, but are coerced into participating—providing it with physical space and data—and therefore enjoying the services returned in the form of city optimization. We then discuss the need for new design approaches addressing these users that may be translated into innovation acceptance . We present a human-centered design study on the Coerced Users of shareable electric scooter services in Tel Aviv. It demonstrates the importance of Coerced User design and its impact on the inhabitants’ wellbeing. We found that the Coerced User’s rejection of innovation is due mostly to low-value technology implementation in the complex smart city structure, creating a feeling of injustice in public goods distribution and an ambiguous feeling of “Smart City Dissonance” that affects the inhabitants’ relationship with the public sphere.