Individual Instruments Research Articles

Future Competencies and E-Tutor Competencies: A Chance for Higher Education Institutions to Support Their Student Staff

Purpose: E-tutors often participate in collaborative online international learning (COIL) settings and guide students in group work and related learning processes. They moderate, organize, and observe the group and individual learning processes and are often students’ first point of contact. This support requires several competencies, which are also largely reflected in the so-called future skills. Thus, it seems sensible to examine these competencies more closely and promote them to enhance the course experience and support for students in COIL settings on the one hand and to make student e-tutors fit for the modern working world on the other. Study design/methodology/approach: As a starting point for this project, a comprehensive systematic literature analysis on e-tutor competencies and qualifications was conducted in Langesee (2023). A competency ranking and task-based competency profile for e-tutors in higher education were developed during this research. To investigate the validity and practicability of these artifacts, an evaluation was conducted with 16 international experts and practitioners (e-tutors) using a questionnaire. Findings: The competencies identified in Langesee (2023), the ranking, and the profile created were recognized as helpful and practical. Additional comments from respondents allowed both artifacts to be revised and expanded. The three most relevant competencies of the nine detected are communication, pedagogical and social competencies. Originality/value: The resulting artifacts can be used in the next step as a basis for a self-evaluation tool (SET), enabling e-tutors to assess their competence equipment. Based on this, individual instruments will be recommended to initiate possible improvements.

Quantifying public preferences for healthcare priorities in Taiwan through an integrated citizens jury and discrete choice experiment

Priority setting is a critical process for national healthcare systems that need to allocate limited resources across unlimited healthcare demands. In recent decades, health policymakers have identified the need to combine technical dimensions of priority setting with political dimensions relating to community values. A range of methods for engaging the public in priority setting has been developed, yet there is no consensus around the most effective methodology. A 2014 paper proposed the integration of two methods currently used for soliciting public preferences around health care services: i) an individual survey instrument, Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs) and ii) Citizen Juries (CJs), a group-based model that incorporates education and deliberative dialogue. This pilot study is among the first to empirically test this integrated method to assess its value across two domains: does the CJ process alter participant preferences and are the consensus values of the CJ captured by the individualistic DCE? The two-part, mixed methods study was administered in Taipei, Taiwan in August of 2016. Twenty-seven participants completed a DCE as a baseline pre-test, ranking a set of attributes in terms of importance for future resource allocation under Taiwan's National Health Insurance System. Twenty of the participants next took part in the integrated CJ-DCE method, which consisted of education and facilitated dialogue through a CJ, followed by retaking the DCE survey. Participant preferences changed after undergoing the CJ process and these new, group-based preferences were reflected in the second DCE, meaning participants did not revert to their original individualistic preferences. The results of this study demonstrate that the integrated CJ-DCE method adds value in allowing an ethically communitarian set of values to be developed and captured via an individualistic methodology. Further testing is needed to investigate the reliability of our findings and how it may be implemented to maximize public acceptance.

Instructor experiences with online guitar lessons during the Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey.

This study aims to analyze the distance guitar education provided by universities during the pandemic process based on the opinions of guitar educators. Twenty-six guitar instructors (academicians) who taught guitar in 24 universities participated in the study, and the data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Findings were interpreted under five categories, which were technical resources, functionality, motivation, guitar studies, and evaluation. It was found that technical problems, for example, audio delays, disconnection, and freezing were encountered. Although technical issues on the guitar can be overcome to a certain extent, it was reported that works such as musicality, and nuance were not reflected in the course. It was also emphasized that the technological possibilities are insufficient in reflecting the depths of the sound coming out of the guitar, and individual instrument guitar lessons must not be considered separately from face-to-face education. It was concluded that distance education leaves out the emotional aspects of music, and distance education can continue to support face-to-face education in the future.

Tax Incentives in the System of State Financial Support of Economic Entities

In crisis conditions of economic development, it is the state’s assistance to economic entities that can improve the economic situation both in the regions and in the country as a whole. The taxation system of business entities should simultaneously stimulate business development and further fill the state and local budgets at the expense of tax revenues. Tax incentives are one of the leading elements of tax policy, which in turn pursue social and economic goals. The research aims to analyze the impact of tax incentives on business entities’ functioning and develop options that improve their efficiency and competitiveness. A detailed and comprehensive analysis of the best foreign practices allowed the authors to propose a mechanism for tax incentives in the system of state financial support for business entities. The authors also provided more detailed recommendations regarding individual instruments of state tax incentives and highlighted the most important practical aspects. The proposed recommendations can contribute to the development of business and the growth of innovative activity of economic entities, which will improve the economic situation in the regions and social progress in general through filling the state and local budgets with tax revenues.

A Research on the Content of the Flute Education Course Carried out in Faculty of Education Music Teacher Education Departments and Faculty of Fine Arts Music Departments in Turkey

One of the most important areas of music education is instrument education. Vocational music education, which is within the scope of music education in Turkey, is carried out in Education Faculties, Fine Arts Faculties, and State Conservatories in order to provide individuals with music as a profession. In these institutions, flute education is also included within the scope of “Individual Instrument” courses, where many instruments are available. In the research, the opinions of the lecturers working in different institutions were taken regarding the content of the flute education courses conducted in the Department of Music Education of Fine Arts Education Department and the Music Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Turkey. The research is important in order to show whether the students studying flute have achieved the goals of the flute education program, which they must earn in the four-year period, and that the students’ success in this regard can be increased. In this context, interview questions developed by the researcher and receiving expert opinions were applied to the study group, and the data obtained were tabulated and presented using the content analysis method, one of the qualitative research methods.

Zabezpieczenie wykonania obowiązków publicznoprawnych wynikających ze stosunku administracyjnoprawnego

This article deals with the issue of securing the performance of the content of an administrative-legal relationship. The purpose of the discussion is to indicate what measures are provided for in the normative acts, as well as what measures are postulated in the doctrine. The article discusses the differences and similarities between the legal means of securing the performance of public-law obligations, as well as recognizing the basic problems that can be encountered when using these instruments and when assessing their effectiveness and efficiency. Administration is faced with a huge number of tasks. They are carried out in various legal forms, often there are imperative forms. The effect of the administra-tion’s actions are then orders and prohibitions of specific behavior addressed to those administrated. They result from administrative acts or normative acts. The state implements its goals and tasks primarily by means of administrative and legal orders and prohibitions, in order for them to be really effective, they must be secured by coercion or sanctions. In public law, the application of legal regulations results from the will of the competent state authorities, and the addressees of the actions of these entities cannot protect themselves from the consequences (consequences) of their adoption or violation. The multiplicity of these instruments is not an obstacle to achieving the goal of safeguarding compliance with administrative law; on the contrary, their richness makes the system more flexible and facilitates the choice of the best measure to se-cure the norm, and on the other hand, to be proportionate and fair in its application. The analysis of the legal problems is preceded by an explanation of the key terms: “administrative-legal relationship”, “administrative sanction” and “administrative lia-bility”, which allow the purpose and functions of individual legal instruments to be described. The article also discusses the objectives of administrative enforcement and administrative sanctions, as well as the problem of compliance of administrative sanctions with the Constitution of the Republic of Poland and international acts.

Towards NGGM: Laser Tracking Instrument for the Next Generation of Gravity Missions

The precise tracking of distance variations between two satellites in low Earth orbit can provide key data for the understanding of the Earth’s system, specifically on seasonal and sub-seasonal water cycles and their impact on water levels. Measured distance variations, caused by local variations in gravitational field, serve as inputs to complex gravity models with which the movement of water on the globe can be identified. Satellite missions GOCE (2009–2013) and GRACE (2002–2017) delivered a significant improvement to our understanding of spatial and temporal gravity variations. Since 2018, GRACE Follow-On has been providing data continuity and features for the first time through the use of a laser interferometer as the technology demonstrator, in addition to a microwave ranging system as the main instrument. The laser interferometer provides an orders-of-magnitude lower measurement noise, and thereby could enable a significant improvement in the measurement of geoids if combined with suitable improvements in auxiliary instrumentation and Earth system modelling. In order to exploit the improved ranging performance, the ESA is investigating the design of a ‘Next Generation Gravity Mission’, consisting of two pairs of satellites with laser interferometers, improved accelerometers and improved platform performance. In this paper, we present the current design of the laser interferometer developed by us, the development status of the individual instrument units and the options available.

Reading the Score of the Air—Change in Airborne Microbial Load in Contrast to Particulate Matter during Music Making

The potential impact of music-making on air quality around musicians was inferred at the outset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic from measurements on individual musical instruments and from theoretical considerations. However, it is unclear to what extent playing together in an orchestra under optimal ventilation conditions really increases infection risks for individual musicians. In this study, changes in indoor air quality were assessed by measuring common parameters, i.e., temperature, relative humidity, and carbon dioxide, along with particle counting and determining the presence of airborne pharyngeal bacteria under different seating arrangements. The study was conducted in cooperation with a professional orchestra on a stage ventilated by high volume displacement ventilation. Even with a full line-up, the particle load was only slightly influenced by the presence of the musicians on stage. At the same time, however, a clear increase in pharyngeal flora could be measured in front of individual instrument groups, but independent of seat spacing. Simultaneous measurement of various air parameters and, above all, the determination of relevant indicator bacteria in the air, enables site-specific risk assessment and safe music-making even during a pandemic.

Interaction-based Mendelian randomization with measured and unmeasured gene-by-covariate interactions.

Studies leveraging gene-environment (GxE) interactions within Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses have prompted the emergence of two similar methodologies: MR-GxE and MR-GENIUS. Such methods are attractive in allowing for pleiotropic bias to be corrected when using individual instruments. Specifically, MR-GxE requires an interaction to be explicitly identified, while MR-GENIUS does not. We critically examine the assumptions of MR-GxE and MR-GENIUS in the absence of a pre-defined covariate, and propose sensitivity analyses to evaluate their performance. Finally, we explore the effect of body mass index (BMI) upon systolic blood pressure (SBP) using data from the UK Biobank, finding evidence of a positive effect of BMI on SBP. We find both approaches share similar assumptions, though differences between the approaches lend themselves to differing research settings. Where a suitable gene-by-covariate interaction is observed MR-GxE can produce unbiased causal effect estimates. MR-GENIUS can circumvent the need to identify interactions, but as a consequence relies on either the MR-GxE assumptions holding globally, or additional information with respect to the distribution of pleiotropic effects in the absence of an explicitly defined interaction covariate.

SP11.10 Assessing the utility of surgical instruments in breast surgery at a tertiary referral centre

Abstract Introduction Most surgical specialties have standardised surgical trays, which are used for a variety of their operations. Any unused instruments require re-sterilisation, with costs relating directly to the number of instruments. This has further environmental implications. In 2019, we performed over 1600 breast surgeries in our unit. This study aimed to look at the utility of the breast reconstruction tray (BRT), which is the most commonly used surgical tray, in the unit to see if there was scope for cost efficiencies. Methods All BRTs (averaging 55 instruments) used for breast operations were recorded from October to November 2021. Data collection included operation type, individual instruments used and additional instruments requested during the procedure. Quantitative analysis was performed on the collected data. Results A total of 55 BRTs were used during the study period. 17 were bilateral cases. An average of 42% (n=23, range 10–33) of instruments were used from each tray, with 16% (n=9) of instruments never used. There was no difference in instruments used in relation to the type of surgery performed (range 42%-46% across operation types). 67% (n=12) of bilateral cases required an additional tray to allow simultaneous operating on both sides. Despite this, 20% (n=11) of the operations required specific additional instruments to be opened. Conclusions This study has shown a significant number of instruments remaining unused but being re-sterilised. If a reconfiguration of the standard instruments were to occur this could lead to a potential cost saving of over £25000 per annum purely on sterilisation costs.

Research Foci in the History of Science in Past Islamicate Societies

In recent years, numerous changes have emerged in the History of Science of what has traditionally been called the Islamic world. By now, it has become usual to speak of the Islamicate world, albeit more so in Islamic Studies and related historical disciplines. The notion Islamicate wishes to express that the societies rule by Muslim dynasties were multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-confessional and plurilingual. Different Muslim denominations could form majority but also minority groups. The processes of change in the study of the sciences in those societies can be summarized as efforts to pluralize research approaches and to historicize objects, themes, people, institutions and practices. The pluralization of approaches includes the multiplication of (1) modern disciplinary homes for studies of scientific topics dealt with in Islamicate societies, (2) the languages acknowledged as languages of scientific texts such as New Persian, Ottoman Turkish or Urdu worthwhile to analyze, (3) the number of historical disciplines accepted under the umbrella of history of science, (4) the centuries or periods as well as the regions that have been incorporated into the investigation of past scientific knowledge and (5) the recognition that more than a single history can and should be told about the sciences in past Islamicate societies. The process of historicization means, first and foremost, to turn away from macro-units of research (Islam, medieval or Arabic science) to medium- or micro-level units. Historicization indicates, secondly, the turn toward contextualization beyond the analysis of individual texts or instruments. And thirdly, it signifies the integration of features or aspects of scholarly practices that are not limited to the content of a discipline or a text but include layouts, the organization of text production, types of visualizations of knowledge or rhetorical strategies and paratextual elements. My paper reports on trends that I consider relevant for understanding how the field changed over the last decades and how it ticks today. But it does not try to be comprehensive.

Integrating Citizens Juries and Discrete Choice Experiments: Methodological issues in the measurement of public values in healthcare priority setting

All health systems struggle with unlimited needs for healthcare, yet limited resources with which to address them. Under national health insurance systems, policymakers must make explicit and potentially contested decisions around resource allocation. Policymakers have recognized the need to include public values in decisions regarding the distribution of resources across competing health priorities. Given the complex nature of these decisions, however, research into how to effectively measure public preferences is underdeveloped. Measuring community values poses special challenges since they involve normative judgments that can be interpreted differently across individuals and communities. Researchers have previously proposed integrating two methods that are currently used for measuring public preferences around healthcare services: i) an individual survey instrument, the Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) and ii) a group-based model that incorporates informed opinions and deliberative dialogue, Citizen Juries (CJs). This current paper proposes a framework for implementing that integration and assesses methodological issues in the integration of DCEs and CJs, including issues of generalizability and validity. CJs and DCEs have conflicting epistemological and methodological foundations, which impact how researchers might analyze results of the integrated method. Researchers and policymakers interested in measuring social values should determine the philosophical orientation of their research question prior to study design, which will assist in choosing an appropriate research method. Further research is needed to investigate the empirical validity of the integrated method and how it may be implemented to maximize public acceptance. Advancing these methods can provide an improved instrument for capturing public preferences for policymakers tasked with priority setting in diverse contexts.

The use of individual instruments in the surgical treatment of malignant bone tumors created by 3D printing

Introduction. Computer modeling and additive technologies are increasingly used in medicine. Oncoorthopedics is no exception. Careful preoperative planning and the creation of individual instruments make it possible to perform radical operations, which allows maximum preservation of healthy tissues and leads to an increase in the functional potential of patients in the postoperative period.Objective – to improve the results of surgical treatment of patients with malignant bone tumors of complex anatomical localizations using computer modeling and additive technologies.Materials and methods. This study included 44 patients (26 men and 18 women) with malignant bone tumors. The mean age of the patients was 39 ± 15.57 years (range 14 to 66 years). In 39 cases, the anatomical location of PSI application was the pelvis, in four cases it was the distal femur, and in one case the femoral shaft. The most common histological type of tumor was chondrosarcoma (47.7 %).Results. In the case of primary resection of the pelvic bone tumor (26 patients), according to the histological examination, radical resection margins (R0) were observed in 25 cases. In one case, after removal of the tumor, a discrepancy between the preoperative histological conclusion (G2 chondrosarcoma) and postoperative (dedifferentiated G3 chondrosarcoma) was revealed. During operations to remove tumors of the distal segment of the femur and resection of the tumor of the diaphysis of the femur, in all cases, the radicality was R0.Conclusion. Individual navigation devices have proven themselves in clinical practice. The results obtained in our study demonstrate their effectiveness in the treatment of malignant bone tumors.

Impacts of dropsonde and satellite observations on the forecasts of two atmospheric-river-related heavy rainfall events

This study focuses on two intensive observing periods (IOPs) that cause heavy rainfall over California during the atmospheric river (AR) Reconnaissance Program in 2019. The impacts of dropsonde and satellite observations on the forecasts of the two AR-related heavy rainfall are investigated through both forecast sensitivity to observations (FSO) and observing system experiments (OSEs). In the first case (IOP3), satellite and dropsonde data coverage were relatively independent, whereas in the second case (IOP5), the satellite coverage was more extensive and substantially overlapped with dropsonde coverage. The FSO experiments indicate that the dropsondes improve the atmospheric forecast by a greater contribution per observation than that of an individual satellite instrument. In the OSEs, the heavy rainfall forecast presents a higher improvement when assimilating both dropsondes and satellite radiances. In IOP3, the dropsonde data slightly amplify the improvement achieved from the satellite data in terms of structure and location of the AR and attendant precipitation. In IOP5, the improvement from dropsonde data is more evident in the forecast of heavy precipitation. The influence of the dropsonde data in each case is broadly consistent with the relative coverage of dropsonde and satellite data. The best forecast performance acquired from the assimilation of both dropsonde and satellite data indicates the complementarity between the two data sources. Based on circulation analyses and further experiments assimilating satellite radiances from temperature channels and humidity channels separately, the improved rainfall forecasts are found to be related to the improvements in the three-dimensional circulation structure impacted by temperature characteristics.

Data Fusion of Total Solar Irradiance Composite Time Series Using 41 Years of Satellite Measurements

AbstractSince the late 1970s, successive satellite missions have been monitoring the sun's activity and recording the total solar irradiance (TSI). Some of these measurements have lasted for more than a decade. In order to obtain a seamless record whose duration exceeds that of the individual instruments, the time series have to be merged. Climate models can be better validated using such long TSI time series which can also help to provide stronger constraints on past climate reconstructions (e.g., back to the Maunder minimum). We propose a 3‐step method based on data fusion, including a stochastic noise model to take into account short and long‐term correlations. Compared with previous products scaled at the nominal TSI value of ∼1361 W/m2, the difference is below 0.2 W/m2 in terms of solar minima. Next, we model the frequency spectrum of this 41‐year TSI composite time series with a Generalized Gauss‐Markov model to help describe an observed flattening at high frequencies. It allows us to fit a linear trend into these TSI time series by joint inversion with the stochastic noise model via a maximum‐likelihood estimator. Our results show that the amplitude of such trend is ∼−0.004 ± 0.004 W/(m2yr) for the period 1980–2021. These results are compared with the difference of irradiance values estimated from two consecutive solar minima. We conclude that the trend in these composite time series is mostly an artifact due to the colored noise.

Self-efficacy instruments for individuals with coronary artery disease: a systematic review protocol

IntroductionSelf-efficacy is associated with management of diseases, psychological well-being, improved quality of life and rehabilitation adherence. Several instruments related to behaviour or specific disease (eg, coronary artery disease (CAD)) assess...

Управление материальными ресурсами в сельском хозяйстве на уровне регионов Беларуси

The modern position of scientists and practitioners in the development of approaches (and often policies) for the development of agriculture is reduced to the need to identify individual instruments for production management and economic potential of the agro-industrial complex. Their distinctive characteristic is taking into account regional peculiarities for agricultural business. The purpose of this article is to develop focused on practice of effective management of material resources in agriculture at the regional level. The objects of the study were the regions of the Republic of Belarus and agricultural firms. The subject was the instruments of material resources management. The theoretical and methodological basis for the research was the papers of Russian scientists on program development for agriculture encouragement, management of industrial and economic agropotential, effective use and management of material resources in agriculture. The information base for the research was the data of the National Statistic Committee of the Republic of Belarus and the accounting statements of agricultural organizations. In the course of the study, it was determined that regional instruments for management of material resources should be differentiated on the basis of resource potential according to the constituents of material resources and should be based on a program-targeted approach that allows to present alternative solutions for the use of material resources, which take into account the interests of the state as a whole, region, district and determine the optimal combination of republican and regional social and economic interests (economic, food, social, and other types of security are taken into account). It is established that comprehensive programs of innovation and investment development should be developed for areas with a low level of resource potential, and for areas with medium and high levels of potential, these programs are mentioned to improve the efficiency of the use of material resources. Methodological approaches to the differentiation of districts by resource potential according to constituents of material resources are formulated. A model for program development to justify the effective use of material resources in the context of increasing the potential of agriculture is presented. The target indicators of the efficiency of material resources use taking into account the fertility of arable land are substantiated.

Crise Democrática Brasileira e Disfuncionalidade e o Direito – À Liberdade de Expressão: Críticas ao Discurso de Ódio Sob o Viés da Teoria do Discurso Jurídico Habermasiano

A pesquisa centrou-se no conceito de justiça para Aristóteles, tendo por objetivo perquirir as bases históricas e filosóficas desse pensamento e contextualização com instituições existentes em Atenas e na Grécia na sua época, bem como o arcabouço político que permitiu o surgimento de suas teorias. Além disso, partindo da justiça como algo antropológico e não mais vinculado à religião, teve como intenção investigar as diversas noções de justiça para o filósofo, como justiça política, qual seja, aquela derivada da relação entre homens, estabelecida pelas leis. Ademais, centra-se na justiça distributiva, teleológica e justiça corretiva. Os resultados encontrados, por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica, de enquadramento histórico-contextual e de análise semântico-conceitual de textos filosóficos, demonstram que a evolução da noção aristotélica de justiça forjou tanto uma fundamentação revolucionária para a época em questão quanto uma tradição clássica de pensamento que esclarece as vinculações contemporâneas entre o Direito e a Ética.

Müzik Öğretmeni Adaylarının Çalgı Performansı Özyeterlik Algılarının Çeşitli Değişkenler Bağlamında İncelenmesi

Bu çalışmada müzik öğretmeni adaylarının çalgı performanslarına ilişkin özyeterlik algılarını belirlemek ve çeşitli değişkenler bağlamında incelemek amaçlanmaktadır. Çalışma 2021-2022 güz yarıyılında dört üniversitenin müzik eğitimi ana bilim dallarında öğrenim görmekte olan katılımcılarla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışma nicel yöntem içerisinde tarama modeline dayanmaktadır. Elde edilen nicel verilerin analizi sonucunda erkek katılımcıların, kadın katılımcıların ortalamalarına göre daha yüksek özyeterlik algısına sahip oldukları; bireysel çalgısı şan olan katılımcıların ise en yüksek özyeterlik algısı ortalamalarına sahip oldukları belirlenmiştir. Müzik öğretmeni adaylarının cinsiyetleri, sınıf düzeyleri, bireysel çalgıları ve günlük çalgı çalışma sürelerinin; çalgı performansı özyeterlik algıları üzerinde anlamlı fark yarattığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

Precision requirements and data compression in CryoEM/CryoET

With larger, higher speed detectors and improved automation, individual CryoEM instruments are capable of producing a prodigious amount of data each day, which must then be stored, processed and archived. While it has become routine to use lossless compression on raw counting-mode movies, the averages which result after correcting these movies no longer compress well. These averages could be considered sufficient for long term archival, yet they are conventionally stored with 32 bits of precision, despite high noise levels. Derived images are similarly stored with excess precision, providing an opportunity to decrease project sizes and improve processing speed. We present a simple argument based on propagation of uncertainty for safe bit truncation of flat-fielded images combined with lossless compression. The same method can be used for most derived images throughout the processing pipeline. We test the proposed strategy on two standard, data-limited CryoEM data sets, demonstrating that these limits are safe for real-world use. We find that 5 bits of precision is sufficient for virtually any raw CryoEM data and that 8–12 bits is sufficient for intermediate averages or final 3-D structures. Additionally, we detail and recommend specific rules for discretization of data as well as a practical compressed data representation that is tuned to the specific needs of CryoEM.