Search Results (37)

The Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS) is a 51-item scale commonly used to measure college students’ anxiety regarding statistics. To date, however, limited empirical research exists that examines statistics anxiety among ethnically diverse or first-generation graduate students. We examined the factor structure and reliability of STARS scores in a diverse sample of students enrolled in graduate courses at a Minority-Serving Institution (n = 194). To provide guidance on assessing dimensionality in small college samples, we compared the performance of best-practice factor analysis techniques: confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), and Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM). We found modest support for the original six-factor structure using CFA, but ESEM and BSEM analyses suggested that a four-factor model best captures the dimensions of the STARS instrument within the context of graduate-level statistics courses. To enhance scale efficiency and reduce respondent fatigue, we also tested and found support for a reduced 25-item version of the four-factor STARS scale. The four-factor STARS scale produced constructs representing task and process anxiety, social support avoidance, perceived lack of utility, and mathematical self-efficacy. These findings extend the validity and reliability evidence of the STARS inventory to include diverse graduate student populations. Accordingly, our findings contribute to the advancement of data science education and provide recommendations for measuring statistics anxiety at the graduate level and for assessing construct validity of psychometric instruments in small or hard-to-survey populations. Full article

The sustainable management of biowaste, mainly food and pruning waste, is currently a challenge due to the increase in its production. The CaMPuSTAJE program, which has been implemented on the campus of the Public University of Navarre (UPNA) since 2019, is an excellent example of how the institution is addressing its strategic interests in sustainable waste management. The principal aim of this program is to manage the biowastes generated by the campus canteens through a simple community composting facility, involving UPNA students and graduates. This program aims to promote experiential learning and applied research in sustainability and circular economy, managing their own waste in a circular and local way. Thus, four composting sets of the CaMPuSTAJE program were evaluated by monitoring the process and the main chemical properties of the composting samples. Also, final composts were fully characterized to ensure the process reproducibility and efficiency and the absence of any hazard in the end-products. The final composts showed a significant agronomic quality, had low content of potentially toxic elements, and were free from phytotoxicity, thus being able to be reintroduced as an organic amendment at the university campus itself. Full article

This article examines how water content is a crucial parameter for the preservation of wooden artworks and buildings, focusing on non-invasive ways of measuring water content through capacitive methods. A personalized, low-cost probe to measure the dielectric properties of oak and poplar wood at various water content levels and frequencies is described. The accuracy of the probe is confirmed by testing it with reference materials like air, PTFE, PLA, glass and Bakelite, demonstrating an accuracy error below 2%. Next, the probe is used to evaluate the relationship between water content and permittivity, indicating possible uses in conservation projects. Measurements were conducted on two types of wood, poplar and oak, at five varying levels of water content. The dielectric permittivity between 10 and 100 kHz was assessed. Using the vertical shift from the single interpolant of the dataset, a graduation curve was estimated. Finally, an R² = 0.98 value demonstrates that a sigmoidal function reflects the relationship between the percentage water content and the permittivity of materials. Full article

The Whittaker–Henderson (WH) graduation is a smoothing method for equally spaced one-dimensional data such as time series. It includes the Bohlmann filter, the Hodrick–Prescott (HP) filter, and the Whittaker graduation as special cases. Among them, the HP filter is the most prominent trend-cycle decomposition method for macroeconomic time series such as real gross domestic product. Recently, a modification of the HP filter, the boosted HP (bHP) filter, has been developed, and several studies have been conducted. The basic idea of the modification is to achieve more desirable smoothing by extracting long-term fluctuations remaining in the smoothing residuals. Inspired by the modification, this paper develops the boosted version of the WH graduation, which includes the bHP filter as a special case. Then, we establish its properties that are fundamental for applied work. To investigate the properties, we use a spectral decomposition of the penalty matrix of the WH graduation Full article

The authors focus on innovating the research tool Urban’s Test of Creativity to enhance the evaluation and efficiency of the educational process. This paper presents the possibility of measuring creativity and spatial imagination in the SketchUp virtual environment. Teachers and HR professionals in modern companies require an overview of the key competencies of students and graduates, essential for the transformation towards Industry 5.0. The authors utilize the proven concept of Urban’s Test, modify it into a digital format, and integrate new elements that assess spatial visualization and functional creativity. Teachers and HR professionals gain an efficient tool that is easy to evaluate, time-efficient, and requires minimal infrastructure. The modified research tool is suitable for conducting action research and allows for comparing respondents’ results using quantitative methods. This pilot study aimed to validate the modified test and its properties. A total of one hundred respondents, divided into five groups based on age and education (approximately 10 to 25 years old), were tested. The results confirmed that the concept of Urban’s Test of Creativity can be successfully adapted for commonly available 3D modeling environments. Moreover, it was confirmed that within the target group, the level of spatial visualization improves gradually with age. Full article

The evaluation of the competencies corresponding to the different professional profiles of future nursing graduates is fundamental to their training. In this regard, students’ self-evaluation must be part of their training. This study aimed to develop and psychometrically test the Perceived Self-Efficacy in Nursing Competencies (PSENC) Scale. This study was conducted in two phases: selecting and adjusting items and assessing the instrument’s psychometric properties. A sample of 1416 students completed the scale online. Exploratory factor and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. Inferential analysis was carried out. The exploratory factor analysis of the PSENC scale with 20 items resulted in five factors (76.3% of variance). All factors showed Cronbach’s alpha coefficients > 0.70. The confirmatory factor analysis measurement model showed satisfactory and adequate goodness-of-fit indices. The developed scale showed the psychometric adequacy and usefulness to the self-assessment of nursing students regarding their self-efficacy expectations in competencies during their clinical practicum. This study was not registered. Full article

Background: As the aging population grows, facing multifaceted health challenges and escalating care costs, equipping newly graduated nurses with the requisite skills for high-quality gerontogeriatric care becomes crucial. This study assesses the psychometric properties of a Gerontogeriatric Competency (GGC) scale to evaluate the competencies of newly graduated registered nurses (RNs). Methods: Using a convenience sampling approach, a nationwide, observational prospective cohort study was conducted among 272 newly graduated RNs. The evaluation framework included a sociodemographic questionnaire, three groups of questions targeting gerontogeriatric nursing education aspects, and the GGC scale, with 64 competencies. Construct validity (via confirmatory factor analysis), known-group validity and reliability (assessed by Cronbach’s α) were examined. Results: The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed an adequate index fit: the ratio of chi-square to degrees of freedom (χ²/df) = 2.785, the goodness-of-fit index (GFI) = 0.579, confirmatory fit index (CFI) = 0.864, the parsimony goodness-of-fit index (PGFI) = 0.526, the parsimony confirmatory-of-fit index (PCFI) = 0.809, the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.087, and the modified expected cross-validation index (MECVI) = 24.418. Differences were observed in gerontogeriatric competencies based on curriculum inclusion, self-confidence, knowledge in caring for older adults, and satisfaction with the nursing program content. The Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.992 for the overall scale and ranged from 0.935 to 0.983 for the GGC dimensions. Conclusions: The GGC scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the gerontogeriatric competencies of new graduate RNs, highlighting its potential to enhance education, training, and, ultimately, the quality of care provided to the older population. Full article

The manufacturing of orthodontic archwires made from NiTi alloy has undergone numerous changes from the second half of the last century to modern times. Initially, superelastic-active austenitic NiTi alloys were predominant, followed by thermodynamic-active martensitic NiTi alloys, and, finally, the most recent development was graded thermodynamic alloys. These advancements have been the subject of extensive investigation in numerous studies, as they necessitated a deeper understanding of their properties. Furthermore, it is imperative that we validate the information provided by manufacturers regarding these archwires through independent studies. This review evaluates existing studies on the subject with a specific focus on the Bio-active multi-force NiTi archwire, by examining its mechanical, thermal, and physicochemical properties before and after clinical use. This archwire consists primarily of Ni and Ti, with traces of Fe and Cr, which release graduated, biologically tolerable forces which increase in a front-to-back direction and are affected by the temperature of the environment they are in. The review provides information to practicing orthodontists, facilitating informed decisions regarding the selection and use of Bio-active™ archwires for individual patient treatments. Full article

BioCholine Powder is a polyherbal feed additive composed of Achyrantes aspera, Trachyspermum ammi, Azadirachta indica, and Citrullus colocynthis. The objective of this study was to analyze published results that support the hypothesis that the polyherbal product BioCholine Powder has rumen bypass choline metabolites through a meta-analysis and effect size analysis (ES). Using Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and university dissertation databases, a systematic search was conducted for experiments published in scientific documents that evaluated the effects of BioCholine supplementation on the variables of interest. The analyzed data were extracted from twenty-one publications (fifteen scientific articles, three abstracts, and three graduate dissertations available in institutional libraries). The studies included lamb growing–finishing, lactating ewes and goats, calves, and dairy cows. The effects of BioCholine were analyzed using random effects statistical models to compare the weighted mean difference (WMD) between BioCholine-supplemented ruminants and controls (no BioCholine). Heterogeneity was explored, and three subgroup analyses were performed for doses [(4 (or 5 g/d), 8 (10 g/d)], supplementation in gestating and lactating ewes (pre- and postpartum supplementation), and blood metabolites by species and physiological state (lactating goats, calves, lambs, ewes). Supplementation with BioCholine in sheep increased the average daily lamb gain (p < 0.05), final body weight (p < 0.01), and daily milk yield (p < 0.05) without effects on intake or feed conversion. Milk yield was improved in small ruminants with BioCholine prepartum supplementation (p < 0.10). BioCholine supplementation decreased blood urea (p < 0.01) and increased levels of the liver enzymes alanine transaminase (ALT; p < 0.10) and albumin (p < 0.001). BioCholine doses over 8 g/d increased blood glucose, albumin (p < 0.10), cholesterol, total protein, and globulin (p < 0.05). The ES values of BioCholine in retained energy over the control in growing lambs were +7.15% NEm (p < 0.10) and +9.25% NEg (p < 0.10). In conclusion, adding BioCholine Powder to domestic ruminants’ diets improves productive performance, blood metabolite indicators of protein metabolism, and liver health, showing its nutraceutical properties where phosphatidylcholine prevails as an alternative that can meet the choline requirements in ruminants. Full article

The combustion of fuels has been studied by many researchers as it is used in a wide range of engineering applications. The chemical equilibrium approach served as the foundation for the investigation of combustion reactions. This article presents a software application designed to facilitate the calculation of combustion processes by calculating the combustion of 16 fuels among the common alkanes (C_nH_2n+2) and alcohols (C_nH_2n+1OH). The Ozan Combustion Calculator (OCC) offers a user-friendly and efficient graphical user interface (GUI) that allows users to easily input data and obtain results. The program was developed using MATLAB 2021a and LaTeX software, ensuring its reliability and accuracy. To perform these calculations, the program utilizes calculations of the thermophysical properties of fuels and water obtained from tables. The program consists of five modules, each serving a specific purpose. These modules calculate various parameters, such as the Adiabatic Flame Temperature, Exergy of Combustion with Dry Air, Exergy of Combustion with Moist Air, Energy of Combustion with Dry Air, and Energy of Combustion with Moist Air. Additionally, the program can be used to investigate the impact of relative humidity on the adiabatic flame temperature and exergy destruction. The results obtained from the calculations reveal that the adiabatic flame temperature exhibits a linear decrease as the relative humidity increases. On the other hand, exergy destruction demonstrates a quadratic increase with higher relative humidity values. The program derives mathematical relationships for the adiabatic flame temperature and exergy destruction with respect to relative humidity values, with a high regression coefficient ($r^2=0.999$). The versatility of OCC makes it suitable for various applications. It can be utilized in university settings for both undergraduate- and graduate-level courses, providing students with a practical tool for studying combustion processes. Additionally, it finds applications in industrial settings for the design and optimization of combustors, gas turbines, and burners. The user-friendly interface and accurate calculations make OCC a valuable resource in the field of combustion engineering. Full article

The rapid advancement of technology has revolutionised how we live and work, posing challenges and opportunities for various professions, including the property and construction workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the pace of change. Therefore, in this study, we examined the future property workforce and the required skills for Property Industry 4.0 by conducting semi-structured interviews with property leaders. The findings suggest that digitisation and automation are reshaping the property workforce, including those working in development and construction, necessitating efforts to bridge the gap between graduates’ technology proficiency and practical application. Moreover, calls for proactive regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) use in the property sector highlight the need for regulator and professional body involvement. This study also shows the challenges and opportunities for property professionals with an increased focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters and the challenges of balancing global expansion with local adaptability due to globalisation. Furthermore, this work highlights a concerning decline in communication skills among graduates, which is partly attributed to the pandemic. Collaborative efforts between universities and industry are essential to cultivate these vital skills among future property professionals. The implications of this study are also discussed. Full article

The work readiness of property graduates is the subject of global discourse and is an increasingly critical gap as employers demand professionals with competencies in their fundamental roles and digital technologies. Although these issues have been explored from the perspectives of students, graduates, and employers, the insights of property academics remain unexplored. As such, this study delved into the challenges encountered by property academics in Australia concerning the training of property graduates for the digital age, as well as the efficacy of strategies used to achieve this. The opinions of 22 property academics were gathered through an online questionnaire survey and analysed through mean scores, relative importance index (RII), and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The profile of respondents suggests that approximately half of them have no more than five years of industry experience, and only 54.5% currently engage with the industry. The most significant challenges include limited funding to procure bespoke software and insufficient time to achieve digital competency. Furthermore, academics cited limited support from the universities as a key challenge, but rated curriculum rigidity as non-pertinent. Regarding strategies, retraining academics for digital proficiency, increased technical support from universities, adopting active learning, and revising curricula to incorporate digital technology are critical. Collaboration with industry partners and increased funding for software procurement also emerged as key external factors. Variations in these perceptions also suggest that older academics are less receptive towards retraining, academics with more industry experience believe that a restructuring of the curricula is required, and smaller institutions require more funding and industry support. The core themes of the proposed strategies also indicate that holistic curricula integration is required to incorporate the perspectives of all stakeholders. Practically, these findings underscore the pivotal role of academics in bridging the skills gap and the interconnected roles of graduates, universities, and industry partners. Full article

Background: Self-medication (SM) is a growing phenomenon worldwide that has recently been classified as one of the most serious public health problems. SM can result in an incorrect self-diagnosis, inappropriate treatment, potential adverse reactions, interactions, and the masking of more sinister disease. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of SM practices amongst healthcare professionals and the general population in Saudi Arabia and to identify the sociodemographic contributing factors to this practice. Methods: A total of 540 participants were enrolled in this study. Participants were asked to complete the study questionnaire comprising two sections to gather demographic information and to collect data regarding SM practice. Results: The prevalence of SM practice among the study participants was 78.6%, and it was the highest among the middle age groups of (21–40 years) 82% compared to the younger and older age groups. The observed prevalence was higher in the female participants (53.7%) and those who live alone. Type of education did not affect the attitude of SM (p = 0.374); however, level of education strongly affected the prevalence of the SM, with higher incidence among university graduates (p < 0.001). Analgesics with antipyretics properties were the most self-medicated drugs. Patients considering their illnesses minor was the main reason behind the high prevalence of this practice. Among healthcare professions the highest prevalence of SM was found among pharmacists (95%), followed by physicians, nurses, and other medical practitioners. Conclusion: The general population should be better educated and made conscious about the consequences, risks, and side effects of SM. Awareness campaigns may prove to be useful in this matter, allowing the patient to consider the appropriateness of this practice. Individuals in the age group of 21–40 years, females, and those who live alone should be considered priority target populations in the design and implementation of SM awareness projects. Full article

Material selection for product design is a complex task. Thus, one of the objectives of this work is to analyze and understand and to promote the importance of material selection to conceive quality products with the help of designers that promote green self-identity in the early stage of new product conception. A questionnaire was sent to professional designers and engineers. Thirty-eight responses were validated, which represented the sample for this study. The aspects that influence the complex material selection process and the final quality of the products through the design and production process are presented. Taking into consideration the responses from product designers who work in the market, as well as some engineers and students who are graduating in product design, a new approach for material selection was developed. Based on a collection of main ideas from the traditional and non-traditional material selection methods, seeking to group the maximum requirements of both methods, and inspired by the “canvas” model on the basic modular methodology, a new model for new product projects is presented. Our study focuses on material selection, since this aspect is one of the most relevant steps in the early stage of the prototyping phase of new products, with a view to reducing CO₂ from the air in the atmosphere that we all breathe. The classification of materials is complex due to the diversity of available options. The novelty of this model is that all the properties of a newly designed product, such as technical, aesthetic, productive, and environmental properties, are grouped in the model, which serves as an innovative support. Thus, designers have a tool at their disposal that can help them to select the best materials for the products they design. The results of this study contribute to the field of material selection, to the quality and design of new products, and to promoting green self-identity of designers in the initial phase of product design. Consequently, all consumers in search of a sustainable planet will profit from this study. Full article

This article constructs a multidimensional logistic model for predicting the employment of graduates of higher educational institutions trained under the program of academic mobility, using the example of Kazakh universities. The purpose of the research is to identify the relationship between academic mobility and the employment of university graduates, as well as the necessary skills and competencies that can promote academic mobility in higher education institutions. This paper presents the results of calculating correlation coefficients and conducting a chi-square test, which demonstrated a relationship between the dependent variable and other questions in the graduate questionnaire. After the discovery of pairwise relationships, a multivariate logistic model was built that included statistically significant categories of responses. As a result, it was determined that the usefulness of participation in the academic mobility program is influenced by foreign language proficiency, an increase in academic mobility, the development of educational programs based on the needs of the labor market, as well as an increase in the weight of those methods that form practical skills in information analysis and the creation of public spaces in the labor market. The model demonstrated good predictive properties, which can be used to predict those individuals who were helped by academic mobility in finding employment. Full article