Instrument Design Research Articles

Особливості реалізації комбінованого оптоволоконного інструментарію, суміщеного з пірометром

A combined optical fiber instrument combined with a pyrometer (hereinafter referred to as an optical fiber instrument) is designed for the implementation of high-intensity laser thermotherapy, HIL therapy, laser therapy, photodynamic therapy, etc. with the function of dynamic real-time temperature monitoring. The design of the fiber-optic instrument allows it to be used in combination with diode surgical laser devices during the treatment of traumatized, wounded and sick people.

Development of an Arabic Receptive Proficiency Test Instrument Based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

This research develops a Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)-based Arabic receptive proficiency test instrument at the Institut Agama Islam Negeri (IAIN) Sheikh Nurjati Cirebon. This study addresses the lack of international standard measures to test Arabic receptive competency, including listening and reading. This work created a CEFR-compliant test instrument that matches Arabic language specifics. The Research and Development (RnD) strategy using the ADDIE model—analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation—is applied. The steps include identifying needs, instrument design, feedback-based iterative development, implementation in an authentic setting, and detailed efficacy evaluation. This study found that the instrument is valid, reliable, and effective in testing CEFR-level Arabic receptive proficiency. The instrument considers Arabic's intricacies and complexities to assess receptive performance holistically and contextually. This work enriches Arabic language competency measuring literature and provides a valuable measurement tool for educators and learners, particularly in Islamic education.

Enhancing Learning Outcomes: A Study on the Development of Higher Order Thinking Skills based Evaluation Instruments for Work and Energy in High School Physics

This study aimed to enhance student learning outcomes in the field of work and energy within senior high schools through the development of evaluation instruments based on higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). Higher-order thinking encompasses advanced cognitive abilities such as analysis, evaluation, and creative problem-solving. The evaluation instrument created was meticulously designed to encourage students to think critically, solve intricate problems, and apply physics principles to real-world scenarios. The research methodology employed the development research approach. The instrument development process comprised several stages, including needs analysis, instrument design, validation, and revision. To ensure the instrument's precision and validity, experts in physics education and educational evaluation actively participated in the validation process. The resulting evaluation instrument included a combination of multiple-choice questions and open-ended responses. Students underwent assessment using this instrument following their study of work and energy. Evaluation data were subsequently analyzed through both quantitative and qualitative methods. The outcomes demonstrated a significant improvement in student learning achievements concerning work and energy when using evaluation instruments founded on higher-order thinking. Students who utilized this instrument exhibited superior critical thinking skills, enhanced problem-solving abilities, and an improved capacity to apply physics concepts in real-life situations. This study provides invaluable recommendations for educators and curriculum developers, advocating for the adoption of higher-order thinking-based evaluation instruments in high school physics education. Such an approach has the potential to bolster students' higher-order thinking capabilities and augment their learning outcomes in the context of work and energy. In summary, the successful development and validation of the HOTS based evaluation instrument for 10th-grade high school physics students studying work and energy attest to its viability. Rigorous evaluations from both subject matter experts and media specialists consistently affirmed its suitability across diverse aspects, encompassing appearance, content, and language. Educators, who play a pivotal role in instrument implementation, lauded its effectiveness in teaching work and energy concepts. Positive feedback from students, the primary beneficiaries of this evaluation instrument, underscores its widespread acceptance and appropriateness. In sum, this research underscores the instrument's strong validity and practicality for evaluating students' grasp and application of work and energy principles in high school physics, endorsing its capacity to augment learning outcomes.

Design and Validation of Instruments for the Study of Exposure to Violence in Children and Adolescents

Design and Validation of Instruments for the Study of Exposure to Violence in Children and Adolescents

Online Forums as a Tool for Broader Inclusion of Voices on Health Care Communication Experiences and Serious Illness Care: Mixed Methods Study.

Existing health care research, including serious illness research, often underrepresents individuals from historically marginalized communities. Capturing the nuanced perspectives of individuals around their health care communication experiences is difficult. New research strategies are needed that increase engagement of individuals from diverse backgrounds. The aim of this study was to develop a mixed methods approach with qualitative online forums to better understand health communication experiences of individuals, including people from groups historically marginalized such as Black and Latino individuals; older adults; and people with low income, disability, or serious illness. We used a multiphase mixed methods, community-informed research approach to design study instruments and engage participants. We engaged a diverse group of collaborators with lived experience of navigating the health care system who provided feedback on instruments, added concepts for testing, and offered guidance on creating a safe experience for participants (phase 1). We conducted a national quantitative survey between April and May 2021 across intrapersonal, interpersonal, and systems-level domains, with particular focus on interpersonal communication between patients and clinicians (phase 2). We conducted two asynchronous, qualitative online forums, a technique used in market research, between June and August 2021, which allowed us to contextualize the learnings and test concepts and messages (phase 3). Using online forums allowed us to probe more deeply into results and hypotheses from the survey to better understand the "whys" and "whats" that surfaced and to test public messages to encourage action around health. We engaged 46 community partners, including patients and clinicians from a Federally Qualified Health Center, to inform study instrument design. In the quantitative survey, 1854 adults responded, including 50.5% women, 25.2% individuals over 65 years old, and 51.9% individuals with low income. Nearly two-thirds identified as non-Hispanic white (65.7%), 10.4% identified as non-Hispanic Black, and 15.5% identified as Hispanic/Latino. An additional 580 individuals participated in online forums, including 60.7% women, 17.4% individuals over 65 years old, and 49.0% individuals with low income. Among the participants, 70.3% identified as non-Hispanic white, 16.0% as non-Hispanic Black, and 9.5% as Hispanic/Latino. We received rich, diverse input from our online forum participants, and they highlighted satisfaction and increased knowledge with engagement in the forums. We achieved modest overrepresentation of people who were over 65 years old, identified as non-Hispanic Black, and had low income in our online forums. The size of the online forums (N=580) reflected the voices of 93 Black and 55 Hispanic/Latino participants. Individuals who identify as Hispanic/Latino remained underrepresented, likely because the online forums were offered only in English. Overall, our findings demonstrate the feasibility of using the online forum qualitative approach in a mixed methods study to contextualize, clarify, and expound on quantitative findings when designing public health and clinical communications interventions.

Development of Environmental Sensitivity Instruments (Esi) Based on Green Chemistry Principles (Gcp) For Chemistry Learning in High Schools

Objective: The developing environmental sensitivity instruments oriented towards the Green Chemistry Principles (GCP). GCP-oriented environmental sensitivity instrument products feasible in terms of validity and reliability. Theoretical framework: International scientific reports, articles, and publications served as the basis for the theoretical contents. Additionally, produce an instrument on environmental sensitivity that is valid and reliable. Method: Research on the development of instruments for environmental sensitivity was designed in three stages. First stage; design and development of environmental sensitivity grids and instruments based on aspects that have been studied theoretically. Second Stage; content validity testing. Third Stage; Construct Validity Testing and Instrument Reliability. This environmental sensitivity instrument was developed from four aspects, namely Harmony and diversity, environmental balance, interdependence, and sustainability. The indicators of these four aspects are related to the principles of green chemistry (GCP) which can be implemented in chemistry learning. Testing the validity of the content validity ratio (CVR) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) techniques. Results and Conclusion: Reliability testing with the Cronbach's Alpha technique shows that the instrument has a consistency of 0.792 (high). The results of testing the content validity using the CVR technique by eight experts obtained 24 items including in good validity category and one item in valid. The results of the EFA test conducted on 116 high school students in South Sulawesi, Indonesia showed that the sample met the adequacy of the test with the KMO and Barlett's tests. EFA analysis shows that the anti-image correlation of 24 indicators is greater than 0.5 with communality not deviating from the factor analysis, meaning that there is a consistent relationship between the indicators in the four aspects studied. Thus, the GCP-oriented environmental sensitivity instrument is declared valid and reliable to use. Originality/value: The results showed that the instrument for assessing environmental sensitivity in GCP-oriented chemistry learning was declared valid and reliable because it met all the criteria of content validity with CVR, construction validity with EFA, and high instrument reliability. The findings of this study add to knowledge and information about assessment in the realm of environmental sensitivity which of course greatly contributes to learning. There are so many phenomena of environmental damage that need to be addressed around us and that requires a sense of care and sensitivity from teachers, students and the community. Chemistry teachers or other researchers can use this instrument to find out attitudes in the form of students' sensitivity to GCP-oriented environments.

Rancangan Instrumen Virtual Kendang Sunda Menggunakan Kontakt Sebagai Media Kreativitas Musik Digital

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to reveal the process of designing a virtual instrument for Sundanese drumming, starting from practical studies to its realization as a market-ready design. The influence of the development of digital music technology has led to various inventions in the form of virtual instruments. As part of the preservation and development of local culture-based music, it is necessary to create virtual musical instruments, including Sundanese drums. The problem that occurs today is, that virtual instrument media for Sundanese drums that facilitate learning Sundanese drums is still very rare. Method: The method is practice-led research or practice-based study by playing real drumming instruments recorded using sampling media in the form of virtual instruments in the KONTAKT Library. Result and Discussion: The design process is carried out in three stages, namely. pre-production, production, and post-production. The results showed that the pre-production analysis of tepak kendang sunda highlighted four drum sounds, namely keplak, kentrung, kemprang, and gedug. The production stage shows that the results of the tepak kendang analysis were recorded and produced a variety of different selected drum sounds. Conclusion: The sound samples were arranged in a keymap system on the KONTAKT keyboard, based on a velocity range system, so that each sound type expression can function as a virtual instrument in a DAW (digital audio workstation) application via midi. Pre-production alpha testing results with two phases state that the virtual instrument of the Sundanese drum can run well. The implication of the product design of the virtual instrument of Sundanese drums is adequate and ready to be used as a means of creativity in digital music.

Characterising innovation policy mixes in innovation systems

Along with the rising economic relevance, scope, and complexity of innovation policy, attention to the concept of the innovation policy mix has surged. Yet, knowledge about how innovation policy mixes relate to innovation systems is limited. Drawing on expert survey data on 4710 policies, this paper uses natural language processing to map innovation policy mixes and represent them as mixtures of 25 distinct topics whose proportions vary across countries. It identifies research, innovation in firms and supporting coordination in the innovation system as key focal areas in these mixes and analyses how these focal areas vary in relation to different performance aspects of innovation systems as well as structural and institutional country characteristics. The results indicate that policymakers design policy instruments supporting innovation in firms to mitigate comparative weaknesses of the innovation system, while they design policy instruments supporting research to complement comparative strengths of the innovation system. The results also indicate that the design of policy instruments strengthening coordination in the innovation system is partly shaped by factors unrelated to innovation. These findings illustrate the utility of a novel dataset and natural language processing methods for innovation policy studies and advance the debate about the determinants of innovation policy design.

Specific Aspects of Design and Use of Instruments for Space EUV Experiments

Specific Aspects of Design and Use of Instruments for Space EUV Experiments

Specific Aspects of the Design and Use of Instruments for Space VUV Experiments

Specific Aspects of the Design and Use of Instruments for Space VUV Experiments

Conventional versus organic olive farming: which has a better economic performance?

The European Green Deal sets a target of at least 25% of the total EU agricultural land under organic farming by 2030. In the case of the Spanish olive sector, organic olive farming accounts for barely 10% of the national agricultural area dedicated to this crop. Within this context, this study compares the economic performance of Spanish conventional and organic olive farms in terms of productivity, profitability, viability, resilience, and independence. To do so, microdata provided by the Spanish Farm Accountancy Data Network have been used, and matching methods have been applied to conduct an unbiased comparative analysis of matched conventional and organic farms. Results show statistically significant differences in productivity, with conventional olive groves being more productive. However, CAP subsidies are shown to be an effective instrument for promoting the conversion to organic farming in olive groves since they cancel out the differences in profitability between these two production systems. There is also evidence of the greater resilience of organic farms. These results could contribute to a more efficient design of instruments promoting the ecological transition of agriculture in line with the aforementioned policy objective.

Integrating irrational behavior into flood risk models to test the outcomes of policy interventions.

Householders are increasingly responsible for managing residual flood risk at property level. Yet, consumers are observed to adopt irrational behaviors under scenarios of risk, often making suboptimal decisions. Therefore, the question is raised, if householders are required to manage flood risk at household level, how can this be made fair and efficient? Policy instruments often incorporate "fairness" by subsidizing the costs of mitigation options, assuming a linear relationship between available finances and the uptake of risk mitigation measures. To integrate behavior into the assessment of policy instruments, this article develops a method to compare the uptake of flood mitigation between agents following models of Expected Monetary Value (EMV) and Prospect Theory (PT). An agent-based model is created, offering the option to apply either EMV or PT frameworks. EMV represents a rational gamble, determining whether an agent "should" invest in insurance or property-level protection. On the other hand, the PT option incorporates behavioral aspects to examine how agents are likely to respond to investment decisions in flood risk environments. The models are applied to Flood Re, a policy aimed at ensuring affordable insurance access for all individuals in flood risk areas. The results demonstrate that PT models exhibit greater similarity to observed behavior compared to models based on EMV. These findings emphasize the importance of accommodating "irrational" behaviors within the design of policy instruments, promoting fairness and efficiency. Overall, this research provides insights into the integration of behavior in policy assessments and highlights the benefits of considering PT frameworks alongside traditional rational models. By understanding and accounting for human behavior in decision-making processes, policymakers can design more effective and equitable policy instruments for managing flood risk.

Structural Optimization of MicroMED Dust Analyzer

This research work describes the structural optimization of the MicroMED Dust Analyzer, an Optical Particle Counter developed for the ESA ExoMars 2022 mission. Topology Optimization, a non-conventional design technique was adopted to obtain a lighter component, a valuable achievement for aerospace and space scientific instruments design. In particular, two solutions for the instrument optical bench were proposed and assessed relying on a classical finite element approach, comparing the improved performance with the current design. The optimization outcome proved the adopted design workflow robustness and provided promising results in view of a possible mechanical design enhancement of the MicroMED Dust Analyzer instrument. Indeed, a mass budget saving of about 55% of the considered design domain was achieved, and the dynamic behaviour of the optical bench was improved by up to 50% of the first natural frequency value. Finally, a mockup of the lightened optical bench was manufactured, and the redesign effectiveness was proven by comparing the numerical mechanical resonances with the ones obtained experimentally. An error smaller than 5% was found on the first natural frequency, validating the performed optimization approach.

Connecting with fans in the digital age: an exploratory and comparative analysis of social media management in top football clubs

In a globalised society, characterised by increasingly demanding markets and the accelerated growth of the digital approach, sports organisations face the challenge of connecting with fans, generating and maintaining audiences and communicating with stakeholders creatively and efficiently. Social media has become a fundamental tool, with engagement as a critical measurement element. However, despite its popularity and use, many questions about its application, measurement and real potential in the sports sector still need to be answered. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to carry out a descriptive and comparative analysis of the engagement generated through social media posts by elite football clubs in Europe, South America and North America. To this purpose, 19,745 Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts were analysed, through the design, validation and application of an observation instrument, using content analysis techniques. The findings show evidence of a priority focus on “Marketing” and “Sports” type messages in terms of frequency, with high engagement rates. They were also showing a growing stream of “ESG” type messages, with a low posting frequency but engagement rates similar to “Marketing” and “Sport”. “Institutional” messages remain constant in all football clubs. “Commercial” messages still have growth potential in both regards, frequency and engaging fans, representing an opportunity for digital assets. Also, specific format combinations that generate greater engagement were identified: “text/image” and “text/videos” are the format combinations more used by football clubs on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; however, resulting in different engagement rates. This study showed evidence of different social media management strategies adopted according to region, obtaining similar engagement rates. This research concludes with theoretical and practical applications that will be of interest to both academics and practitioners to maximise the potential of social media for fan engagement, social initiatives and as a marketing tool.

Additive manufacturing for ultra-high vacuum components: Leveraging photo-polymer resin technologies

Over the past two decades, Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies, commonly known as 3D printing, have witnessed exponential advancements, transforming the paradigms of instrument design and fabrication across an array of scientific and engineering disciplines. The utilization of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and monolithic machining within the AM framework offers unprecedented levels of flexibility, precision, and mechanical stability. These attributes not only facilitate complex geometrical constructions but also substantially streamline the overall fabrication workflows. In this study, we provide experimental evidence to substantiate the viability of employing Masked Stereolithography Additive Manufacturing (MSLA) technology in concert with commercially available photo-polymer resins for the fabrication of components that are compatible with Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) conditions. Utilizing high-temperature photo-polymer resins and specialized post-printing treatments—including an approximate 24-h vacuum bake—we have achieved a vacuum level of approximately 1 × 10−9 torr for a solid component encompassing a volume up to 16 cm3. This methodology paves the way for the expedited and cost-effective production of complex, UHV-compatible devices, thereby offering a substantial departure from conventional manufacturing techniques. The wide-ranging applicability of this technology holds considerable potential for transformative impacts across diverse sectors of research and development. By leveraging UHV-compatible MSLA technology, both academic researchers and industrial professionals are poised to benefit from an efficient and adaptable fabrication methodology, consequently catalyzing cutting-edge advancements in their respective fields of inquiry.

Ultra-Fast Ion Mobility Spectrometer for High-Throughput Chromatography.

Fast chromatography systems especially developed for high sample throughput applications require sensitive detectors with a high repetition rate. These high throughput techniques, including various chip-based microfluidic designs, often benefit from detectors providing subsequent separation in another dimension, such as mass spectrometry or ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), giving additional information about the analytes or monitoring reaction kinetics. However, subsequent separation is required at a high repetition rate. Here, we therefore present an ultra-fast drift tube IMS operating at ambient pressure. Short drift times while maintaining high resolving power are reached by several key instrumental design features: short length of the drift tube, resistor network of the drift tube, tristate ion shutter, and improved data acquisition electronics. With these design improvements, even slow ions with a reduced mobility of just 0.94 cm2/(V s) have a drift time below 1.6 ms. Such short drift times allow for a significantly increased repetition rate of 600 Hz compared with previously reported values. To further reduce drift times and thus increase the repetition rate, helium can be used as the drift gas, which allows repetition rates of up to 2 kHz. Finally, these significant improvements enable IMS to be used as a detector following ultra-fast separation including chip-based chromatographic systems or droplet microfluidic applications requiring high repetition rates.

Limits of three‐dimensional target detectability of logging while drilling deep‐sensing electromagnetic measurements from numerical modelling

AbstractSubsurface energy resources are often found in three‐dimensional and non‐spatially continuous rock formations that exhibit electrical anisotropy. Deep‐sensing tri‐axial borehole electromagnetic measurements are currently being used to detect three‐dimensional fluid‐bearing subsurface formations, but borehole environmental, geometrical and instrument‐design factors, together with measurement noise, constrain their practical range of detection and spatial resolution. By understanding the interplay of the above factors on the detectability and sensitivity of borehole deep electromagnetic measurements, one can potentially quantify the uncertainty of both target spatial location (relative to the well trajectory) and electrical resistivity contrast, thereby improving the certainty of three‐dimensional well navigation in real time. We implement a finite‐volume method to numerically solve Maxwell's equations for three‐dimensional electrically anisotropic heterogeneous rock formations in the calculation of magnetic fields measured with deep‐sensing tri‐axial borehole electromagnetic instruments. The calculated magnetic fields at measurement locations are described as the per cent difference between measurements acquired in rock formations with and without conductive or resistive three‐dimensional targets. We quantify the maximum radial distance of detection from the well trajectory and the spatial sensitivity of a commercially available deep‐sensing electromagnetic instrument with respect to environmental factors and measurement acquisition parameters by assuming that the borehole electromagnetic instrument can reliably detect offset three‐dimensional targets if the corresponding per cent measurement difference exceeds the threshold for measurement noise. Results indicate that commercially available tri‐axial deep‐sensing borehole electromagnetic instruments can achieve maximum detection distances between a quarter of and a full transmitter–receiver spacing. In addition, we show that radial detection distances vary from 0.3 to 2 skin depths depending on the geological environment, that is, target conductivity contrast with respect to the embedding background, electrical anisotropy of the background formation and targets and measurement acquisition parameters, that is, frequency and transmitter–receiver spacings. The above findings are not only important for instrument design and measurement‐acquisition planning but also for the effective implementation of real‐time inversion‐based measurement interpretation procedures.

Arming Fortress Europe? Spaces and Instruments of Economic Patriotism in EU Armament Policy

How does the EU adapt its policies in response to current global changes? Extant scholarship has shed light on the EU’s geopolitical turn by analysing it as either a shift away from neoliberalism or a reshuffling of EU–US relations. This article makes the case for studying how these two dynamics interact. To do so, I draw on the economic patriotism framework, which focuses on the links between types and spaces of economic interventionism. Economic patriotism instruments can take various forms depending on their type (liberal/protectionist instruments) and space of reference (national/EU/transatlantic/international). From this perspective, the EU has responded to global changes by shifting from liberal to protectionist instruments of economic patriotism. However, the design of these policy instruments reflects compromises between the preferences of policymakers who adopt liberal/protectionist and Europeanist/Atlanticist positions. As policy instruments can create room for compromise because they allow various positions to converge, EU protectionist economic instruments cater to Atlanticist and liberal preferences too. This article illustrates this argument by means of EU armament policy. Using official documents and interviews, I analyse changes in EU economic patriotism by looking at the two major policy instruments: the 2009 Defence Procurement Directive and the 2021 European Defence Fund. Whereas the 2009 Directive reflected liberal economic patriotism anchored in the transatlantic space, the European Defence Fund illustrates tensions between types and spaces of economic interventionism in the EU’s geopolitical turn: Some clauses protect the EU from foreign interference, but its political-economic space of reference remains strongly transatlantic.

Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography at Subzero Temperature for Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry.

Chromatographic separations at subzero temperature significantly improve the precision of back-exchange-corrected hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) determinations. Our previously reported dual-enzyme HDX-MS analysis instrument used reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) at -30 °C, but high backpressures limited flow rates and required materials and equipment rated for very high pressures. Here, we report the design and performance of a dual-enzyme HDX-MS analysis instrument comprising a RPLC trap column and a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) analytical column in a two-dimensional RPLC-HILIC configuration at subzero temperature. During operation at -30 °C, the HILIC column manifests greatly reduced backpressure, which enables faster analytical flow rates and the use of materials rated for lower maximum pressures. The average peptide eluted from a HILIC column during a 40 min gradient at -30 °C contained ≈13% more deuterium than peptides eluted from a tandem RPLC-RPLC apparatus using a conventional 8 min gradient at 0 °C. A subset of peptides eluted from the HILIC apparatus contained ≈24% more deuterium.

Dissociative Experiences Scale: Psychometric Analysis in Puerto Rico and Contributions to the Discussion of the Factor Structure

Introduction: The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II) is a widely used psychometric tool to assess dissociative symptoms. Over the years, it has been the subject of numerous studies and research in various fields of psychology and psychiatry. Numerous studies have supported the validity and reliability of the DES-II as a reliable measure of dissociative experiences. The most problematic aspect of the DES-II is the inconsistency in its factor structure. Objective: This research aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the DES-II in a clinical and non-clinical sample from Puerto Rico. Method: This research had an instrumental design. An availability sampling of 341 adult participants was used. Several competing models of the DES-II were analyzed, including a bifactor model. Result: Psychometric analyses concluded that the scale has a unidimensional structure, strong reliability, and construct validity. All 28 items met adequate discrimination values. Participants with dissociative disorders obtained higher means on the DES-II than the other diagnostic groups. Furthermore, the more adverse experiences in childhood, the more dissociative experiences in adulthood. Conclusion: The DES-II should be treated and interpreted as a unidimensional dissociation index rather than a multidimensional instrument. This study will advance further research on dissociation and dissociative disorders in Puerto Rico and Latin America.