Material Infrastructure Research Articles

Examining the Nexus between School Infrastructure and Instructional Materials on Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Gombe State

The main purpose of the study was to examine the nexus between school infrastructure and instructional materials on the academic performance of secondary schools in Gombe State. The study was guided by two specific objectives, two research questions, as well as two null hypotheses. The research which was conducted in the Gombe State adopted a correlation research design. The population of the study was 24,216 subjects comprising 3,178 teachers and 21,038 Senior Secondary (SS II) students in public Secondary Schools in Gombe State. A multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted for the study in which simple random and purposive sampling were used. To determine the sample size, the Taro Yamane formula was used and a sample size of 348 was determined. Impact of School Facilities on Academic Performance Questionnaire” (ISFAPQ) was used as the instrument for data collection. The ISFAPQ was subjected to face validation by three experts and a trial test was conducted in Bauchi State which a reliability index of 0.89 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha. Data were collected through a questionnaire, and End of third-term results form. The data collected was analyzed using mean and standard deviation as well as linear regression analysis. The findings of the study revealed that school buildings and instructional materials had a significant impact on the academic performance of secondary school students in Gombe State. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made; The Government should ensure that school buildings are well-built and painted to facilitate teaching and learning. Instructional materials should be made available by the government and management of secondary schools to enable effective teaching and learning.

A Material Ecology of Toulouse’s Observatories in the 18th Century

Abstract Based on the concept of “material ecology”, which designates the structural properties of space and objects in the constitution of places of scientific practice, this article proposes a socio-historical analysis of the materiality of Toulouse observatories in the 18th century. Toulouse observatories reveal the importance of the material dimension in the organization of scientific work throughout the 18th century. First, the article demonstrates how the material infrastructure of the observatory of the short-lived Academy of Sciences of Toulouse contributed to creating and consolidating the local astronomical community. Secondly, it shows that the architectural characteristics of the observatories built by the most active astronomers in Toulouse served as a model to design later scholarly institutions. The patrimonialization of the old observatories at the beginning of the 19th century is finally discussed. By resorting to the notion of material ecology concerning the places of astronomical observation, the article brings to light the socio-epistemic dimension that underpins scientific practice.

An Infrastructural Brussels Effect: The translation of EU Law into the UK's digital borders

This article gives an account of the legal standards and safeguards that guide and constrain the current design of the UK's digital borders. Based on an empirical engagement with the development of Cerberus – an advanced risk-based analytics platform aimed at the detection of previously ‘unknown’ threats – the article presents a dual argument. On the one hand, it provides an account of the remaining salience and extraterritorial reach of EU law in setting standards for the collection, retention, processing and sharing of Passenger Name Records (PNR) data in the UK. This PNR data is a constitutive component of the digital border. Through the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the UK is now bound to comply with the rather stringent legal safeguards developed by the CJEU (in Opinion 1/15) on the retention and automated processing of PNR data. Our analysis shows the different channels through which EU law obtains this extraterritorial reach, how compliance can be monitored and enforced, and, crucially, how it has influenced and constrained the technical design of the UK's digital borders – a salient and unexplored phenomenon that we describe as an Infrastructural Brussels Effect. Yet, on the other hand, the article empirically shows that this is not merely a process of norm diffusion and extraterritoriality. Once legal standards become infrastructurally embedded in Cerberus, we witness normative translations and sociotechnical shifts with important legal and political consequences. Legal standards on ‘reasonable suspicion’ and the ‘objective evidence’ of ‘risk’, we argue, are given specific meaning through a logic of relational inference and algorithmic pattern detection (leading to forms of ‘concern by association’). By studying the entanglements between legal norms and material infrastructures – an approach we describe as infra-legalities – these normative effects become visible and contestable, providing a productive site for the sociolegal study of law and algorithmic governance.

Istraživanje upotrebe betona i uvaljanog betona umjesto vruće bitumenske mješavine pri izgradnji kolnika autoceste u regijama s visokim temperaturama

This study examines the impact of temperature on the Cizre-Silopi highway’s bituminous hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavement, focusing on rutting issues exacerbated by high temperatures, which can reach up to 50 °C in the region. Despite rapid deterioration, especially under heavy truck traffic, the HMA pavement exhibited significant stability and flow resistance loss (approximately 52 %) between 20 and 50 °C. Concrete (C25) and roller-compacted concrete (RCC) pavements displayed minimal strength reductions under the same temperature conditions. These findings suggest that given the prevalent high temperatures and heavy axle loads in the region, concrete (C25) or RCC should be prioritised over HMA for pavement construction to enhance resistance against wheel rutting and temperature-induced damage. The observed rutting issues, even in the initial summer post-construction, underscore the urgency of adopting more temperature-resistant materials for road infrastructure under specified climatic conditions.

Using Duolingo Application In Learning Vocabulary: A Descriptive Qualitative Study At The Fifth Grade Of An Elementary School In Sumedang

The use of technology in education, particularly in language learning, has become increasingly prevalent. Among the numerous language learning applications available, Duolingo has gained significant popularity. The research titled "Using Duolingo Application in Learning Vocabulary" aims to analyze students' perceptions and to investigate the benefits and challenges that students and teachers find using the Duolingo application in teaching and learning vocabulary. This research was conducted in the fifth grade of an elementary school in Sumedang and data were obtained from 18 students namely 10 females and 8 males. The research was conducted using a descriptive qualitative method, which used observation, questionnaires, and interviews as instruments. The findings show that students' perceptions of the use of the Duolingo application in vocabulary learning received a positive responses. The benefits of Duolingo were also identified (1) students can feel that motivation to learn English by using the Duolingo application, (2) students can learn new vocabulary after using the Duolingo application, (3) students find it easy to memorize and remember new vocabulary, and (4) students can use vocabulary in daily conversations. However, this research also revealed several challenges, such as a mismatch between the material taught at school and that in the Duolingo application, as well as limited access to technology such as laptops and speakers when used in class. The implications of this research show that, with appropriate adjustments and support, Duolingo can be an effective tool in improving students' English skills, especially vocabulary. Moreover, it demonstrates the need for improved technological infrastructure and alignment of learning materials.

ON TOPICAL PROBLEMS OF THE MODERN SCHOOL: TEACHERS’ OPINION IN THE KOSTROMA REGION

This article presents the findings of a survey among school teachers conducted in Kostroma between April and May 2024. The objective of the study was to ascertain the level of satisfaction with their profession among teachers and to identify the most significant challenges they face in their work. The concerns expressed by the respondents could be grouped into the following categories: low income and low salaries, excessive teaching workload and a lack of free time; insufficient material and technical resources in schools in the region; and weak moral incentives for teachers. The results of the survey indicate that, in addition to financial concerns, teachers are also dissatisfied with the decline in their authority and status within society. Furthermore, the survey demonstrated that the material aspect is a significant but not a primary source of discontent among teachers. Their social status, which does not align with their qualifications, is a notable concern. It is also important that in underprivileged regions, the shortage of personnel has intensified, particularly in mathematics and the Russian language. Based on statistical data, media reports, and field observations, there seems to be a reluctance among young individuals to pursue careers in education. The teachers who participated in the survey reached a unanimous consensus on the necessity of implementing measures to enhance the material well-being of educators, upgrade the material and technical infrastructure of educational institutions, and reinstate the esteemed status of teaching professionals in society.

Electrodeposited ZnO Nanostructures on ITO Surfaces: Exploring Their Efficacy for Cholesterol Biosensing Applications

In this study, ZnO nanostructures were prepared by electrochemical anodization of electrodeposited Zn on ITO/glass substrates for cholesterol detection. The efficiency of the developed ZnO nanostructures in the detection of the Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) enzyme was determined by the cyclic voltammetry method. The XRD and SEM results confirmed the synthesis of ZnO nanostructures prepared by the anodization method with various parameters. The effect of electrodeposition and anodization time on the morphology was observed. Cyclic voltammetry of ZnO/Zn/ITO/glass and Pt/ZnO/Zn/ITO/glass electrodes in electrolytes with various cholesterol concentrations was performed. The detection limit of the obtained Pt/ZnO/Zn/ITO/glass structured electrode was calculated as 0.965x10-3M. The resulting material with a layered structure may have potential applications in electrochemical sensors and biosensors in biomedical applications. In addition to biosensing performance, this study proposes a new approach for the development of ZnO-based biosensors that does not require expensive infrastructure and raw material costs, making it possible to develop high-sensitivity biosensor electrodes with lower detection limits with improvements to be made in future studies.

Assessing the potential of horsetail ash as a sustainable additive in infrastructure materials through ignition testing

This study assesses the application of horsetail ash as a sustainable soil stabilizer additive in infrastructure materials, highlighting the significance of environmentally friendly practices in construction. The horsetail plant (Equisetum Hyemale) which is recognized for its abundant silica content, was incinerated at different temperatures to produce ash for investigation. The study included initial analysis by visually inspecting and weighing samples, then conducting ignition tests to measure carbon content and evaluate pozzolanic properties. Subsequently, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to examine the elemental composition and morphology of the ash. Ignition tests showed that higher incineration temperatures are associated with lower carbon content and a rise in crystalline silica forms. Incinerating at 700 ℃ effectively decreased carbon content while maintaining the amorphous silica structure, making it the ideal temperature for bulk incineration. The study shows that horsetail ash, particularly when processed correctly, has great potential as an eco-friendly and economical additive for improving soil characteristics in geotechnical uses.

Machine Learning Approach to Investigate High Temperature Corrosion of Critical Infrastructure Materials

AbstractDegradation of coatings and structural materials due to high temperature corrosion in the presence of molten salt environment is a major concern for critical infrastructure applications to meet its commercial viability. The choice of high value coatings and structural (construction parts) materials comes with challenges, and therefore data centric approach may accelerate change in discovery and data practices. This research aims to use machine learning (ML) approach to estimate corrosion rates of materials when operated at high temperatures conditions (e.g., nuclear, geothermal, oxidation (dry/wet), solar applications) but geared towards nuclear thermochemical cycles. Published data related to materials (structural and coatings materials), their composition and manufacturing, including corrosion environment were gathered and analysed. Analysis demonstrated that random forest regression model is highly precise compared to other models. Assessment indicates that very limited sets of materials are likely to survive high temperature corrosive environment for extended period of exposure. While a higher quality and larger dataset are required to accurately predict the corrosion rate, the findings demonstrated the value of ML’s regression and data mining capabilities for corrosion data analysis. With the research gap in material selection strategies, proposed research will be critical to advancing data analytics approach exploiting their properties for high temperature corrosion applications. Graphical Abstract

Mechanical properties and micro-mechanism of seawater cementitious materials reinforced by in-situ polymerization

Understanding the potential mechanism of in-situ polymerization of acrylamide (AM) for modifying seawater cementitious materials is crucial for designing high-strength and durable marine concrete. Herein, the acrylamide (AM) in-situ polymerization was investigated for its effects on the hydration behavior, micro-morphology, and pore structure of cementitious materials mixed with seawater and freshwater through a series of elaborately designed microscopic characterization methods. The results reveal that the hydration process of cementitious materials proceeds simultaneously with in-situ polymerization. However, compared with freshwater mixtures, seawater provides a large number of metal ions and SO42- ions, which can cross-link with the generated polyacrylamide (PAM) during in-situ polymerization to form a three-dimensional network structure. The synergistic effect of the hydration, in-situ polymerization, and cross-linking processes of cementitious materials can improve the pore structure of seawater-mixed paste, enhance erosion resistance, and improve the stability and toughness of microstructure. These findings were further confirmed by comparing infrared spectroscopy results, hydration products, pore size, and micro-morphology analysis as well as flexural performance tests. This is of great significance to guide the design of novel materials in marine infrastructure.

Effectiveness of Play-Based Learning Method in Promotion of Early Literacy Skills Among Early Childhood Development Education Children

Literacy skills for children in their early years are critical to their cognitive development and future success in primary, secondary and higher education levels. Children acquire literacy skills early through listening and interacting through play-based activities both at home and school with their teachers, colleagues and parents. This paper looks at the effectiveness of play-based learning in promotion of early literacy skills among children in early childhood development education level. Specifically, the paper analyses the conceptual and theoretical perspectives of play-based learning and literacy skills acquisition by children through the theories of Maria Montessori, Vygotsky social constructivism theory and Jean Piaget cognitive theories. The study uses secondary sources of information for analysis based on the following objectives; types of play-based approaches used by teachers in ECD setting, teachers’ role in the implementation of play-based learning and effect of play-based learning approaches towards promotion of early literacy skills by ECD pupils in schools. The paper has found out that acquisition of early literacy skills by learners was dependent on the degree to which teachers were utilising play-based learning methods in classroom. The review of studies has shown that majority of teachers are not using play-based teaching methods and hence promotion of early literacy skills for children was significantly affected. Further, time allocated for play-based learning processes was inadequate and majority of public ECD centres were found not to have adequate infrastructure and materials to support play-based learning. The paper recommends that teachers need to be supported in implementation of play-based learning through attendance of in-service training programmes and benchmarking sessions in other schools, schools to upgrade the infrastructure and instructional materials required to support play-based learning and education officials to conduct supervision of implementation of play-based learning in schools

Assessing the impact of motivational factors on the job performance of lecturers at Vietnam National University, Hanoi

Enhancing the work motivation and job performance of lecturers plays a critical role in elevating teaching quality and enhancing the reputation of universities. This study aims to evaluate work motivation's influence on lecturers' job performance at Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-Hanoi). This study considers five motivational factors, including salary and benefits, leadership competence, training and promotion opportunities, working conditions, and recognition and rewards. Lecturers' job performance is assessed based on teaching outcomes, research outcomes, and contributions to the community. The research surveyed 408 lecturers at VNU-Hanoi using a questionnaire. The structural equation modeling analysis results reveal three motivational factors that impact teaching performance: leadership competence, working conditions, and recognition and rewards. Furthermore, five motivational factors influence research outcomes: salary and benefits, leadership competence, training and advancement opportunities, working conditions, and recognition and rewards. Moreover, two motivational factors affect community activities: leadership competence and working conditions. Additionally, the analysis indicates that research outcomes not only affect teaching performance but also contribute to the community activities of lecturers. Based on these findings, the study proposes several solutions to enhance work motivation and improve the job performance of lecturers at VNU-Hanoi, including: VNU-Hanoi and its constituent units should continue to mobilize and efficiently utilize resources to improve the quantity and quality of lecturers' research outcomes; increase resources to enhance lecturers' income, welfare benefits, and rewards; boost investment and effectively utilize funds in infrastructure and teaching materials to support teaching and research activities; and strengthen the training of lecturers and educational management personnel.

Innovate and renovate: Environmental intensive care unit design.

This article describes the reallocation of space and construction of a new adult shock trauma intensive care unit implementing methods to mitigate the environmental impact. The environmental burden was reduced through innovative reallocation of space and diversity of lighting sources. Circular economy principles were implemented which enabled much of the infrastructure materials to be reused. Collaboration among interdisciplinary health care teams, such as described in this article, helped to ensure expertise was shared so that the environmental impact was lessened. This article provides insight into innovative methods to mitigate the carbon footprint of a critical care renovation project.

Gaseous politics: contradictions and moral frontiers of the energy transition in Ghana

In Ghana, new oil and gas discoveries at a time of global decarbonization and energy transition have put into question the viability of the country’s hydrocarbon reserves and their promises of prosperity and development. As the country anticipates stranded assets, a discourse of carbon justice has emerged around new oil and gas extraction that emphasizes differentiated responsibilities for carbon emissions and colonial legacies of energy underdevelopment. In this paper, I explore the assemblage of what I call the “moral frontiers” of the energy transition through the case of natural gas expansion. I focus on the Atuabo gas processing plant in Ghana’s Western region, built in 2016 during an acute energy crisis to provide indigenous gas from the oilfields to the grid. Amidst growing opposition to and declining investment in oil, natural gas at Atuabo is presented as a “bridging fuel” that reconciles, physically and ethically, the contradictions of global decarbonization imperatives with local demands for industrialization, energy access, security and sovereignty. Through the materiality of gas infrastructure at Atuabo – including the land acquisition process, the take-or-pay contracts of its IPPs, the operations of the plant and its applications, and the contested environmental impact of the plant – I argue that gas’ liminality as a transition or bridge fuel reshapes the moral and political possibilities of fossil fuels in a global but unequal energy transition.

Storytelling from the Visual Archives: Marginalized People and the Materiality of Infrastructure

Storytelling from the Visual Archives: Marginalized People and the Materiality of Infrastructure

The built environment is more predictive of cardiometabolic health than other aspects of lifestyle in two rapidly transitioning Indigenous populations.

Many subsistence-level and Indigenous societies around the world are rapidly experiencing urbanization, nutrition transition, and integration into market-economies, resulting in marked increases in cardiometabolic diseases. Determining the most potent and generalized drivers of changing health is essential for identifying vulnerable communities and creating effective policies to combat increased chronic disease risk across socio-environmental contexts. However, comparative tests of how different lifestyle features affect the health of populations undergoing lifestyle transitions remain rare, and require comparable, integrated anthropological and health data collected in diverse contexts. We developed nine scales to quantify different facets of lifestyle (e.g., urban infrastructure, market-integration, acculturation) in two Indigenous, transitioning subsistence populations currently undergoing rapid change in very different ecological and sociopolitical contexts: Turkana pastoralists of northwest Kenya (n = 3,692) and Orang Asli mixed subsistence groups of Peninsular Malaysia (n = 688). We tested the extent to which these lifestyle scales predicted 16 measures of cardiometabolic health and compared the generalizability of each scale across the two populations. We used factor analysis to decompose comprehensive lifestyle data into salient axes without supervision, sensitivity analyses to understand which components of the multidimensional scales were most important, and sex-stratified analyses to understand how facets of lifestyle variation differentially impacted cardiometabolic health among males and females. Cardiometabolic health was best predicted by measures that quantified urban infrastructure and market-derived material wealth compared to metrics encompassing diet, mobility, or acculturation, and these results were highly consistent across both populations and sexes. Factor analysis results were also highly consistent between the Turkana and Orang Asli and revealed that lifestyle variation decomposes into two distinct axes-the built environment and diet-which change at different paces and have different relationships with health. Our analysis of comparable data from Indigenous peoples in East Africa and Southeast Asia revealed a surprising amount of generalizability: in both contexts, measures of local infrastructure and built environment are consistently more predictive of cardiometabolic health than other facets of lifestyle that are seemingly more proximate to health, such as diet. We hypothesize that this is because the built environment impacts unmeasured proximate drivers like physical activity, increased stress, and broader access to market goods, and serves as a proxy for the duration of time that communities have been market-integrated.

Advanced evaluation of novel quinoline derivatives for corrosion inhibition of mild steel in acidic environments: A comprehensive electrochemical, computational, and surface study

Corrosion poses a significant threat to the integrity and longevity of iron and its alloys, which are crucial materials for modern industry and infrastructure. This study investigates the effectiveness of two recently synthesized inhibitors based on quinoline structures: MPQ (2-methyl-5-(propoxymethyl) quinolin-8-ol) and AAQ ((((2-aminoethyl)amino)methyl)-2-methylquinolin-8-ol) in protecting steel against environmental degradation, particularly in acidic and chloride-rich conditions such as hydrochloric acid. The inhibitors exhibited significant corrosion inhibition efficiencies of 92.37 % for MPQ and 84.13 % for AAQ, as demonstrated through electrochemical analysis. Surface characterization techniques, including SEM-EDX(Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis), AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy), and contact angle measurements, revealed the formation of a protective barrier film that reduces the corrosion rate. Additionally, theoretical calculations using the Gaussian package provided insights into the adsorption behaviors and protective mechanisms of the inhibitors on mild steel surfaces. The findings contribute to the ongoing search for viable corrosion inhibitors, offering prospects for application in industries and critical infrastructures to enhance corrosion protection and durability.

Assessing the priority levels of motivational factors for lecturers: A case study at vietnam national university, Hanoi

Creating motivation plays a crucial role in enhancing the job performance of university lecturers. This study aims to assess the motivational factors among lecturers at Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Five factors with 30 sub-factors influencing lecturers' motivation are considered in this study, including: salary and benefits (S_B, including 6 sub-factors), leadership skills (L_S, including 7 sub-factors), training and professional development opportunities (T_D, including 6 sub-factors), working conditions and environment (W_C, including 5 sub-factors), and recognition and rewards for accomplishments (R_R, including 6 sub-factors). This study applies the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method using a generalized fuzzy set for analysis. The steps of the fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process include: determining the comparison matrix of generalized trapezoidal fuzzy numbers, calculating the values of the fuzzy synthetic extents, and defining the weight vector of generalized trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Data for the study were collected through expert interviews employing a questionnaire. The analysis results indicate that leadership skills and salary and benefits are the most influential factors on lecturers' motivation at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, followed by working conditions and environment, recognition and rewards for accomplishments, and training and professional development opportunities. Based on the analysis results, the study proposes several solutions to create motivation among lecturers at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, including: VNU-Hanoi and its affiliated units should prioritize bolstering the training of lecturer teams, particularly focusing on educational and training management staff. Furthermore, additional resources should be allocated to improve lecturer income, welfare, and rewards, alongside increasing investment and optimizing the utilization of infrastructure and educational materials for teaching and research purposes.

Towards Modern Laundry Practice in Urban Socialist Poland

Drawing on ethnographic data and applying practice theory, this article discusses the emergence of modern laundry practice in urban socialist Poland. We follow an “elemental” approach to social practices: practice consists of meanings, materials, and competences. We analyze the transition of laundering from modern meanings (high standards of cleanliness), through modern materials (running water, washing machine) towards modern competences (individual improvisations, finally adjusted to an effortless laundry procedure corresponding to the capabilities of automatic washing machines). We argue that relations between elements of social practice such as tension and adjustment affect the transitions of the social practice. The transitional cleanliness practices involved men, due to the physical strength necessary to balance the tension between high standards of cleanliness and the lack of domestic material infrastructure.

Communication Approaches to Contemporary Memory Infrastructure: Introducing Amending Our Pasts and Futures Special Issues

This essay introduces “Amending our Pasts and Future: Communication Approaches to Contemporary Memory Infrastructure” Special Issue. The essay begins with addressing the need to approach memory by identifying the infrastructure that produces it, especially investigating how the new media landscape enables and intertwines contemporary material and symbolic memory infrastructures. Following this rationale, the essay introduces the new readings by highlighting their approach and contribution. The articles included examine discourses on statues, media, popular culture, Black press, and digital productions, protests about Black history, race, indigenous people, women, and ethnic trauma in the country and around the world. The essay concludes with a reflection on memory scholarship and a call for methodological evaluation, awareness, and update to adapt to NLP and AI.