Identical Instruments Research Articles

A002: Developing an Instrument to Measure Perceived Costs in Physical Education

Background/Purpose: Expectancy-value theorists believe that students' motivation hinges on their beliefs regarding their potential for academic success and the significance they attribute to the task at hand. Cost is typically conceptualized as a subcomponent of value and represents students’ perceptions of what they must give up to succeed or engage in a task. To date, the concept of cost has received scant attention and there has been no established instrument in physical education (PE). This study was designed to develop and validate an instrument to measure perceived costs in PE. Method: There were two waves of data collection. In wave one, 144 students (mean age=13.8 years) from one middle school in Haikou, China completed a designed 12-item perceived cost questionnaire adapted from Jiang et al. (2018) measuring effort cost (e.g., it takes too much of effort for me to do well in PE), opportunity cost (e.g., I have to give up other activities that I like to do well in PE), ego cost (e.g., others would think worse of me if I failed to do well in PE) and psychological cost (e.g., working on PE class makes me feel stress). Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to examine the designed construct. In wave two, 255 students (mean age=13.5 years) from another school in Shenzhen, China completed an identical instrument and choice for future PE. The second confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance tests were conducted across the two schools. Results: We performed an exploratory factor analysis with the data in wave one. The four factors with eigenvalues greater than one accounted for a substantial portion (73.5%) of the total item variance. Results of the CFA yielded the satisfied fit indices: CFI = .981, SRMR = .041, and RMSEA = .055. We used data in wave two to replicate the former CFA to examine the underlying factor structure. Results revealed adequate model fit, CFI = .965, SRMR = .034, and RMSEA = .08. Measurement invariance tests supported the construct invariance across two schools. Costs were significantly and negatively correlated with choice for future PE, supporting the predictive validity of the instrument. Conclusions: The findings provided evidence to the conceptual validation of the four-factor structure of costs. This effort will enrich the understanding of the expectancy-value theory and extend its efficacy in PE.

Decoding physics identity: a Spanish-language adaptation on an instrument and its correlation with STEM achievement

The representation of Spanish-speaking students in STEM identity literature, particularly in physics identity, is conspicuously minimal. This study addresses this gap with a two-pronged approach. First, a physics identity instrument was adapted for Spanish-speaking STEM students to promote inclusivity in educational research. Data from 334 Mexican STEM students was collected and analysed for validation through factor analyses and Cronbach’s alpha, confirming the structural integrity and reliability of the adapted instrument. Second, the instrument was employed to examine the correlation between physics identity and academic performance in a separate dataset from 200 engineering students, using multivariate linear and logistic regressions. The findings underscore gender’s impact on physics course grades. Notably, variations in physics identity among engineering students indicated a potential link with their chosen field. Despite the importance of physics in engineering, physics identity was lower than expected, and performance in physics courses did not consistently correlate with a strong physics identity. However, the ‘interest in physics topics’ subconstruct did correlate with physics course grades. This research fills a critical void by providing an adapted instrument for assessing physics identity in Spanish-speaking students and underscores the need for pedagogical shifts to enhance physics identity and STEM outcomes for Latino students.

IoT Integrated Smart Parking Zone and Website with Stand-alone System and Wireless Technology

The research project works to digitalize the full parking management system, transform the manual parking methods, solve traffic and road congestion problem and show live updates of the designated parking slots. It is ecofriendly and eliminates human interaction. It also offers personal and corporate business earnings. In the project, anyone can book time slots for parking following their convenient schedule, pay bills via the online payment system, control the entrance while entering and exit gate in the parking area with the vehicle using the website system. Users do not have to use any extra identity instrument, like- RFID Cards, QR Codes etc. The system will verify them by online credentials. Moreover, people can see the live slot updates for better security. The project collaborated with 3 major technology parts which are practical hardware, software and database system. NodeMCU, Ultrasonic Sensors, Servo motors, and other technical components are used in the hardware part. PHP, HTML, JavaScript, CSS etc. codes are implemented for the website development. Firebase Realtime Database and MySQL are integrated for the cloud and local database management with the hardware and software parts for building the IoT technology environment and infrastructure.

An Examination of the Psychometric Properties of the Exercise Identity Scale and Its Adaptation to Physical Activity

ABSTRACT This study investigated whether exercise and physical activity identity are conceptually distinct factors. Undergraduate students (N = 647; M age = 19.54 ± 1.86 years; 61% female) completed an online survey including the Exercise Identity Scale and a modified physical activity version. Confirmatory factor analysis largely supported a 4-factor model consisting of physical activity and exercise role identity and beliefs. Despite some evidence of multidimensionality from a bifactor model, 86% of the variance was captured by a general identity factor, indicating unidimensionality across both domains (i.e. physical activity versus exercise identity) and dimensions (i.e. role identity versus beliefs). Collectively, these findings suggest that exercise and physical activity identity may represent a unitary construct. Further research is needed to determine the best factor structure for these identities, especially in more diverse samples. Researchers are strongly encouraged to select an identity instrument that is congruent with their outcome of interest moving forward.

Improved Discrimination of Mass Spectral Isomers Using the High-Dimensional Consensus Mass Spectral Similarity Algorithm.

This study employs a high-dimensional consensus mass spectral (HDCMS) similarity scoring technique to discriminate isomers collected using an electron ionization mass spectrometer. The HDCMS method was previously introduced and applied to the discrimination of mass spectra of constitutional isomers, methamphetamine and phentermine, collected with direct analysis real-time mass spectrometry (DART-MS). The method formulates the problem of discriminating mass spectra in a mathematical Hilbert space and is hence called "high dimensional." It requires replicate mass spectra to build a Gaussian model and evaluate the inner products between these functions. The resulting measurement variability is used as a signature by which to discriminate spectra. In this work, HDCMS is tested on electron impact ionization (EI) mass spectra of 7 terpene and terpene-related (C10H16 and C10H14) isomers with experimental retention indices that differ by less than 30 and with traditional cosine similarity scores greater than 0.9, on a scale of 0 to 1, when compared with at least one other compound in the test set. Using identical instrument parameters, 15 replicate gas chromatography-electron ionization-mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS) spectra of each isomer were collected and separated into distinct library and query sets. The HDCMS algorithm discriminated each isomer, indicating the method's potential. Because the method requires replicate measurements, observations from a simple heuristic study of the number of replicates required to discriminate these isomers is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of compound discrimination using HDCMS and the benefits and drawbacks of applying the method to EI-MS data.

A Diagnostic Case Study for Manufacturing Gas-Phase Chemical Sensors

In this work, we describe the design, manufacturing development, and refinement of a chemical detection platform designed to identify specific odorants in the natural gas industry. As the demand for reliable and sensitive volatile organic compound (VOC) detection systems is growing, our project aimed to construct multiple prototypes to enhance our detection capabilities and provide portable detection platforms. Throughout the development process across nominally identical and duplicated instruments, various failure modes were encountered, which provided insight into the design and manufacturing challenges present when designing such platforms. We conducted a post hoc root cause analysis for each failure mode, leading to a series of design modifications and solutions. This paper details these design and manufacturing challenges, the analytical methods used to diagnose and address them, and the resulting improvements in system performance. In the end, a debugging flow chart is presented to aid future researchers in solving the possible issues that could be encountered. Our findings show the complexities of bespoke chemical sensor design for unique applications and highlight the critical importance of iterative testing and problem-solving in the development of industrial detection technologies. Achieving consistency across devices is essential for optimizing device-to-device efficiency. The work presented is the first step towards ensuring uniform performance across a production run of chemically sensitive devices. In the future, a universal device calibration model will be implemented, eliminating the need to collect data from each individual device.

Exploring atmospheric optical turbulence: observations across zenith angles

We present measurements of the atmospheric optical turbulence as a function of zenith angle using two identical instruments, Shack-Hartmann Image Motion Monitors (SHIMMs), to measure atmospheric parameters concurrently. One instrument was pointed near zenith, while the other collected data by tracking a single star until it set and thus sampling zenith angles continuously to the horizon. By comparing these measurements, we can attribute changes in the atmospheric parameters to the changing zenith angle rather than variations in local turbulence conditions. The primary purpose of this experiment is to make comparisons between the measurements of the scintillation index, σ I 2, and Fried parameter, r0, with current theories. In this demonstration, we find that there is a strong agreement between the models and the instrument up until zenith angles of 70∘, above which model and measurements begin to deviate. We discuss various ways in which limitations in models and our instrument may cause these deviations.

Spectral behavior of recorder tones during transitions between notes

We have studied note transitions in a soprano recorder as tone holes are opened or closed. Experimental results with an instrument excited by an artificial blowing machine are compared to Navier-Stokes-based simulations for an essentially identical instrument geometry. Several different cases have been studied. (1) Transitions involving the opening or closing of a single tone hole, with the notes separated by two semitones; e.g., transitions between C5 and D5. (2) Transitions involving the opening or closing of several tone holes simultaneously; e.g., transitions between C5 and G5. (3) Transitions involving a single tone hole but for notes separated by a major fifth; transitions between C5 and G5 using a forked fingering. Our work has focused on tone hole openings and closings at speeds typical of a human player but interesting behavior was also observed for longer tone hole switching times for cases (2) and (3), in which the sound field inside and outside the instrument was found to take much longer than the tone hole switching time to reach steady state. Work supported by NSF grant PHY2306035

Reliability and validity of a single-item computer science identity instrument

Reliability and validity of a single-item computer science identity instrument

Assay error detection when using common quality control targets across multiple instruments: An analysis using simulated and real-world data.

Clinical laboratories frequently implement the same tests and internal quality control (QC) rules on identical instruments. It is unclear whether individual QC targets for each analyser or ones that are common to all instruments are preferable. This study modelled how common QC targets influence assay error detection before examining their effect on real-world data. The effect of variable bias and imprecision on error detection and false rejection rates when using common or individual QC targets on two instruments was simulated. QC data from tests run on two identical Beckman instruments (6-month period, same QC lot, n > 100 points for each instrument) determined likely real-world consequences. Compared to individual QC targets, common targets had an asymmetrical effect on systematic error detection, with one instrument assay losing detection power more than the other gained. If individual in-control assay standard deviations (SDs) differed, then common targets led to one assay failing QC more frequently. Applied to two analysers (95 QC levels and 45 tests), common targets reduced one instrument's error detection by ≥ 0.4 sigma on 15/45 (33%) of tests. Such targets also meant 14/45 (31%) of assays on one in-control instrument would fail over twice as frequently as the other (median ratio 1.62, IQR 1.20-2.39) using a 2SD rule. Compared to instrument-specific QC targets, common targets can reduce the probability of detecting changes in individual assay performance and cause one in-control assay to fail QC more frequently than another. Any impact on clinical care requires further investigation.

Using a patient-specific cutting guide enables identical knee osteotomies: An evaluation of accuracy on sawbones

PurposeIt was hypothesized that using a Patient-Specific Cutting Guide (PSCG) would allow the creation of sawbones model osteotomies, identical in the 3 planes and the hinge parameters, that can be used for biomechanical studies. The aim of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of the PSCG system and to introduce and assess the new hinge parameter; the hinge area. MethodsSix identical sawbones tibia models were identically set up for identical osteotomy cuts by the same surgeon in the same session and with identical instruments. A medical scanner was used to evaluate the 3D configuration of all the specimens. The analyzed parameters included the cutting angles in both the coronal and sagittal planes (degrees) and the hinge and the slicing areas (cm2), and the hinge thickness (mm). The values were statistically evaluated for average, standard deviation, 95% confidence index, and delta to the expected values were calculated. ResultsThe mean values for the coronal and sagittal angles were 110.5̊±1̊ and 89.8̊±0.8̊, respectively. The 95% confidence index level ranged between 0.1̊, and 0.8̊ in both the coronal & the sagittal planes. The mean values for the hinge thickness, the hinge area, and the slicing area were 12.7±1.5mm, 4.2±0.9 cm2, and 18.3±1.2 cm2, respectively. ConclusionIn the presented study, it can be demonstrated that mechanically identical osteotomy specimens, with regard to the cutting planes and hinge parameters, can be reliably created using the PSCG. The identical specimens can be used for biomechanical research purposes to further expand our knowledge of the factors affecting osteotomy outcomes. Level of evidenceIV.

Music: An Instrument of Identity and Social Stability for the Youths in the 21st Century

As one of the most ancient arts known to man, great thinkers like Plato and Aristotle highly spoke of Music as a powerful tool for taming the restless souls and appealing to emotions, especially the youths in the 21st Century. Understanding this intrinsic power of Music is necessary to turn art into an effective tool for various human expressions. This expression is linked to the overall makeup of a person or a group of persons. It defines them as individuals bound by a common aspiration, tradition, history, ancestry and future. This expression is also the truth of the principle of identity expressed as a law of thought but lived as a principle of existence. This is the position that this paper seeks to express: that Music can become a tool for identity and art that preserves social stability for the youths in the 21st Century, especially in Nigeria. Data for this work was obtained through observation and the library, and conclusions were made based on the findings. Findings from the work showed that Music serves as an instrument for identity and social stability for the youths in Nigeria in the 21st Century.

Television of the Republic of Tatarstan as an instrument of national identity

Television of the Republic of Tatarstan as an instrument of national identity

A machine learning approach to police recruitment: Exploring the predictive value of social identity measurement instruments

Existing research on police recruitment is eclectic, with examples of multiple methodologies in multiple police-related settings. These methods often resemble psychological measurement of individual traits yet neglect the potential recruits’ social resources or network-based influence. More recent research has utilised social identity and social network theory to understand the route to a police candidate’s eventual recruitment, but this is underdeveloped. This literature indicates that further research utilising social identity theory could assist with understanding what was before for police recruits and whether that matters. This study explores the use of random forest machine learning to analyse one partial and two full self-report social identity measurement instruments completed by 886 police recruit applicants. It aimed to explore whether the results of these instruments completed by potential police recruits were predictive of their success in the recruitment process. The results reveal that the combined use of these validated social identity instruments offers a reliable predictive base for successful and unsuccessful applicants, with an overall accuracy rate of 86% across the model’s performance metrics. The implications from this study highlight the significance of perceived social identity in the context of police recruitment, emphasising the potential impact of using its measurement to gain improved understanding of candidate selection. Social identity measurement instruments could be incorporated into recruitment processes, allowing police departments to enhance their ability to identify individuals who are more likely to succeed at an earlier stage via machine learning. Practically, this could reduce the need for multiple, expensive recruitment stages. Theoretically, it illustrates that a police recruit’s social identity is of importance to whether a candidate is successful or not, presenting police forces with both challenges and opportunities.

OH airglow observations with two identical spectrometers: benefits of increased data homogeneity in the identification of variations induced by the 11-year solar cycle, the QBO, and other factors

Abstract. Hydroxyl (OH) radical airglow observations have been performed at the environmental research station “Schneefernerhaus” (UFS; 47.42∘ N, 10.98∘ E) since October 2008, with continuous operation since July 2009. The instrumental setup relies on the parallel operation of two identical instruments, each a GRIPS (GRound-based Infrared P-branch Spectrometer), in order to achieve maximum completeness and homogeneity. After the first decade of observations the acquired time series are evaluated with respect to the main influences on data quality and comparability to those at other sites. Data quality is essentially limited by gaps impacting the completeness. While technical failures are largely excluded by the setup, gaps caused by adverse meteorological conditions can systematically influence estimates of the annual mean. The overall sampling density is high, with nightly mean temperatures obtained for 3382 of 4018 nights of observation (84 %), but the average coverage changes throughout the year. This can bias the annual mean up to 0.8 K if not properly accounted for. Sensitivity studies performed with the two identical instruments and their retrievals show that the comparability between the observations is influenced by the annual and semiannual cycle as well as the choice of Einstein-A coefficients, which influence the estimate of the annual cycle's amplitude. A strong 11-year solar signal of 5.9±0.6 K per 100 sfu is identified in the data. The OH temperatures follow the F10.7 cm value with a time lag of 90±65 d. However, the precise value depends on details of the analysis. The highest correlation (R2=0.91) is achieved for yearly mean OH temperatures averaged around 4 February and the F10.7 cm solar flux leading ahead with 110 d. A prominent 2-year oscillation is identified between 2011 and 2015. This signal is linked to the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), leading to a temperature reduction of approximately 1 K during QBO westward phases in 2011, 2013, and 2015 and a respective 1 K increase in 2012 and 2014 during QBO eastward phases. The amplitude of the semiannual cycle shows a similar behavior with the decade's minimum amplitudes (∼ 2.5–3 K) retrieved for 2011, 2013, and 2015 and maximum amplitudes observed in 2012 and 2014 (∼4 K). The signal appears to disappear after 2016 when the solar flux approaches its next minimum. Although it appears as a rather strict 24-month periodicity between 2011 and 2015, spectral analyses show a more or less continuous oscillation with a period of approximately 21 months over the entire time span, which can be interpreted as the result of a nonlinear interaction of the QBO (28 months) with the annual cycle (12 months).

Revisiting and Extending: “Who Should You Market to in a Crisis? Examining Plog’s Model During the COVID-19 Pandemic”

This Letter updates and expands a study conducted during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. That study confirmed the applicability of Plog’s model of Allocentricity and Psychocentricity within the context of the pandemic, as Allocentrics were found to be much more open to travel during the first 4 months of the pandemic, as the theory would predict. The current research, employing the identical survey instrument and research method, extended the data collection for an additional year as the pandemic evolved. This has allowed a far more extensive examination that confirmed and expanded the earlier findings, providing significant value to both academics and practitioners while again affirming the value of Plog’s model for destination marketers during a period of crisis.

Mathematics identity instrument development for fifth through twelfth grade students

Given the importance of mathematics identity for students continued participation and engagement with mathematics, it is important for educators and researchers to be able to explore students’ mathematics identity development. However, an instrument with validity evidence that can be used to explore mathematics identity efficiently and with groups of students is not currently available. This article draws on prior research to test and validate items for a mathematics identity instrument to be used with fifth through twelfth grade students. This study includes 1559 participants from two school districts in a midwestern state in the USA. Analysis includes assessing four components of validity including content validity, internal structure, relationship to other variables, and generalization. Findings provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the items in the mathematics identity scale, giving researchers and educators a way to explore this construct efficiently.

Agreement between Two Swept-source Optical Coherence Tomography: Optic Nerve Head, Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Ganglion Cell Layers in Healthy Eyes.

Precision of optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements of the optic nerve head (ONH), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and macular ganglion cell layer (GCL) is essential for the diagnosis and monitoring of glaucoma. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of retinal and ONH parameters measured with two identical swept-source optical coherence devices. A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 30 eyes of 15 healthy subjects were included. Two technicians performed four OCT-wide protocol scans in the same visit using two identical Triton swept-source OCT (DRI-OCT) instruments. The interdevice and interobserver reproducibility and the repeatability of both instruments for all ONH, RNFL, and macular GCL parameters were evaluated by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Additionally, Bland-Altman test analysis was used for repeatability and reproducibility measurements. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICCs) of the ONH, RNFL, and GCL measurements were excellent for repeatability and interdevice reproducibility (>0.9). Interobserver reproducibility was good for all parameters except for RNFL clock hour 11 (ICC = 0.72). The variability of the average RNFL was from -4.103 to 4.97 µm, with a mean percentage of the difference (PD) of 0.37 ± 2.03%. Among GCL parameters, the greatest variability was found in the inferior sector (PD = -0.88 ± 5.39%, limits of agreement (LoA) = -8.345-7.078 μm). Using two identical swept-source OCT instruments for the evaluation of the structural parameters of the ONH, RNFL, and macular GCL showed high repeatability and reproducibility. This allows the clinician to make a therapeutic decision based on OCT findings coupled with the clinical evaluation of the patient. When evaluating RNFL clock hours measurements, interobserver reproducibility might decrease. The understanding of measurement variability while using different devices and the impact of the observer capturing the images, is clinically relevant. Prada AM, Tello A, Rangel CM, et al. Agreement between Two Swept-source Optical Coherence Tomography: Optic Nerve Head, Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Ganglion Cell Layers in Healthy Eyes. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2023;17(2):85-90.

THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE LIBRARY IN WARTIME: PAST AND PRESENT

As instruments of guaranteed knowledge, safeguarding memory, diversity and cultural identity of people, libraries during all its existence have been severely attacked during military confrontations. With the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the issue of preserving cultural values, including libraries, in the territories suffering from hostilities becomes very urgent, because russians are trying to destroy Ukrainian people, culture and values. The purpose of our research was to find possible ways of library activity and the reservation of their collections during military operations, based on a review of history of the struggle of libraries for the reservation of their collections during wars and on consideration of the activity of the American Library Association and its Library War Service, as one of the most important institution, focused on helping libraries and soldiers during wartime. Having considered the history of the activities of libraries during the war, it can be noted that the main role in the reservation of the funds was played by the library employees, because they understood the significance of the collections and, in some cases, saved cultural values with their own hands. A consideration of the activities of the American Library Service’s War Library makes it clear how important it is to help soldiers and people during wartime by distributing books and knowledge that prove beneficial to support morale. We also noted the role of the Ukrainian Library Association, which, together with the American Library Association, currently helps librarians and library workers by collecting donations for the Ukrainian library community, which is facing the challenges of war. In addition, in our opinion, one of the most important opportunities for the reservation of library funds during the war may be an attempt to create an organization in Ukraine like the Hill Museum and the Manuscript Library, which will photograph and catalog the collections of manuscripts and rare publications from the libraries of throughout Ukraine, especially in small towns or villages, where there are publications that characterize the history of their specific district or region and which are impossible to found elsewhere. Due to the fact that Russia is trying to destroy the Ukrainian nation, the reservation of such key values of each region becomes very important for the consolidation of Ukrainian society and the further cultural development of the Ukrainian nation throughout the territory of Ukraine.

Quiet-time suprathermal ions in the inner heliosphere during the rising phase of solar cycle 25

Context. The Solar Orbiter spacecraft made its first close perihelion passes in 2022, reaching 0.32 au on 26 March and 0.29 au on 12 October. Transient activity was relatively low, making it possible to perform measurements of the quiet-time suprathermal ion pool over multi-day periods. Aims. The inner heliosphere suprathermal ion pool is a source of seed particles accelerated by coronal mass ejection-driven shocks. Determining its constituents and their dependence on solar activity, location, and time is therefore critical to building physical models of particle acceleration from solar events. Methods. By selecting low-activity periods on Solar Orbiter during perihelia passes, and comparing them with a nearly identical monitoring instrument at 1 au, the observed differences in intensities can be related to factors such as distance from the Sun, transient events, and interacting solar wind streams. Results. Below ∼1 MeV/nucleon, the observed quiet-time spectra at 0.32 au for H, 4He, 3He, and Fe rise toward low energies, as observed previously during longer periods at 1 au, and they show a heavy ion composition that has markers of impulsive solar flare material, such as relatively high 3He:4He, and a high Fe/O ratio. The proton and helium abundances are much higher, consistent with a source in corotating interaction regions. Surveying all semi-quiet times during the mission, there is only a modest (∼15%) increase in the fluences in the inner heliosphere compared to 1 au, indicating small gradients in these populations between 1 and 0.3 au.