Quantitative Concepts Research Articles

Conceptual Understanding of Signals and Systems in Senior Undergraduate Students

Contribution: This article proposes a new definition of conceptual understanding (CU) specific to engineering. It then measures CU of signals and systems (S&S) in senior undergraduate students and describes how students approach conceptual problems. Background: Previous studies across multiple engineering subjects show students have low CU at the end of courses. However, little is known about CU semesters after a course. Research Questions: What is the CU of S&S concepts among electrical engineering senior students? Methodology: This mixed method study uses quantitative concept inventory data <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$(n=467)$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and think-aloud interviews <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$(n={12})$ </tex-math></inline-formula> to measure CU. The results come from two universities. Findings: Seniors’ scores on the concept inventory are typical of scores presented at the end of an S&S course. Many struggled with the concept of linearity, made a common error when finding the maximum value in graphical convolution, and had low confidence on relating frequencies in time to a Fourier transform representation, but seniors had relatively high CU of time invariance and filtering.

The Hypothesis of Cognitive Reagents: Potential Applications

The present study explores the hypothesis of cognitive reagents for early detection of dementia and impairment in various cognitive domains. A comprehensive analysis of task-based assessments using specific cognitive tasks targeting different aspects of cognitive functioning is proposed. Ten cognitive domains, including numerical/alphabetical attention, word/image recall, comparison/differentiation, generalization, numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, shape recognition, general quantitative reasoning, time/place orientation, and concept description, are investigated as potential biomarkers, with corresponding cognitive tasks acting as reagents for evaluating cognitive impairment. By examining the effectiveness of these cognitive reagents, the study aims to contribute to the development of reliable and efficient methods for assessing cognitive functioning and detecting early signs of dementia.

Quota, Class, and Political Violence in Mao's China

AbstractBy investigating a one thousandth national execution quota issued in the Campaign to Suppress Counterrevolutionaries (1950–1953), the article explores an aspect of Maoist politics that has largely escaped mainstream scholarship on Mao, the CCP, and PRC history. It shows how the newly created Maoist regime sought to eliminate its political enemy based on a specific demographic estimate of one thousandth. Tracing the roots of this quantification of political enemies into Mao's class-analysis theory back to the 1920s and explaining other political campaigns throughout the 1950s as continuations of the party's use of this method, the article argues that quantitative concepts and relations were important instruments in Maoist ideology, the CCP's political strategy and the working of the party-state. By proposing a concept of “quotacide,” the article identifies an ignored type of large-scale, ideologically based, and politically driven homicide in the history of political violence. The article also brings in similar quantitative policies of political suppression in other authoritarian party-states such as the Soviet Union (the 1930s) and North Vietnam (the 1950s) in this context.

CURRENT ASPECTS OF THE ACTIVITIES OF INSTITUTIONS PROVIDING PRESCHOOL EDUCATION SERVICES UNDER THE MARTIAL LAW IN UKRAINE

The article contains the results of the research of the organization of educational activities in preschool education institutions under the martial law in Ukraine during the 2022-2023 academic year. The study was conducted by the State Scientific Institution "Institute of Educational Analytics" in accordance with the Operational Plan of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine for 2023 to study the features of the organization of educational activities in preschool education institutions. The article aims to analyze the survey results from three groups of respondents, including heads of institutions (units) of preschool education, educators, and parents of pupils. A quantitative concept was used for the study, in which a representative sample was drawn, research tools were developed, and statistics on the implementation of educational activities were collected. To conduct the study, the authors used the online survey method using the Google Forms service as the most optimal, and the results were processed and visualized using graphs and diagrams. Among the most relevant aspects of the preschool institutions' activities, the following have been highlighted: the establishment of a safe environment, adaptation of the educational process based on the safety situation in the region, and the needs of participants in the educational process and preschool education institutions (units) to ensure quality performance. Particular attention was focused on providing a safe environment in preschool educational institutions (units), including the provision and preparation of shelters, due to the urgent need to maintain the quality of the educational process during the hostilities. The level of provision of preschool education institutions (units) with teaching staff and technical personnel, as well as the employment of persons from the category of internally displaced persons, was recorded. These research findings are an essential component of a comprehensive set of measures aimed at enhancing the quality of preschool education and will serve as the basis for informed management decisions.

Study of the resilience index for steel moment frames with reversible connections

Natural hazards can turn into crises with dangerous consequences in the absence of hazards reduction systems. Estimation of hazards quantitatively can lead to the prevention of these crises. Structural resilience is divided into different dimensions of social, economic, organizational, technical, etc. Qualitatively, it means predicting a set of factors in the shortest possible time to return the damaged structure to its former performance. In this study, due to the quantitative concept of vulnerability to reduce the direct economic hazards of the structure, six models of 3-story buildings with post-tensioned self-centering connections have been evaluated for resilience according to the damage curve. Based on Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) and considering five scenarios with the onset times of various events, a new seismic resilience index has been developed based on the vulnerability curve for post-tensioned self-centering buildings. Another quantitative index has been proposed for rapid assessment of self-centering structures due to the importance of four different hazard levels of 2 %, 5 %, 10 %, and 20 % in 50 years and the prediction of various event times. One of the important results of this research is the reduction of resilience and structural performance due to the increase in the occurred event times. If these indices were closer to 100 %, the resilience of buildings would be higher.

Identification of Customer’s Power Supply Quality Demand and the Strategy of Value-Added Service of Premium Power Supply

The value-added service of premium power supply (VSOPPS) serves as a significant way for power companies to enhance their competitiveness of electricity selling. Premium power supply as a quantitative concept is characterized by power quality indices. However, there exist dramatic differences among customers for their demand in premium power supply. Hence, it is more feasible for utilities to consider customer’s demand categories of premium power supply and provide value-added services according to demand categories. Firstly, the customer’s diversified demand in premium power supply and utility’s service will are investigated. The index system of power quality demand classification is propounded, including customer value indicator and power quality utility indicator. Secondly, based on the index system and the importance degree of all indicators, the identification model of customer’s demand categories of power supply quality is built by combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, and the differentiated VSOPPS package is designed. Ultimately, the cost benefit model of value-added service is put forward, in order to determine the value-added service contents of one customer and calculate the price of value-added service. The reasonability and effectiveness of the proposed approach are testified through the practical case.

On the Nature of Information: How FAIR Digital Objects are Building-up Semantic Space

On the Nature of Information: How FAIR Digital Objects are Building-up Semantic Space

How to identify and typify arrival spaces in European cities—A methodological approach

AbstractIn the context of increasing mobility in recent decades, numerous studies have analysed the impact of migration on urban spaces. International immigration is mainly concentrated in certain urban areas, with these so‐called arrival spaces offering important opportunities for migrants to gain a foothold in their new surroundings. However, the current state of research provides just limited ways of identifying and typifying these spaces. On the one hand, there are no transferable, quantitative concepts. On the other hand, current discussions tend to focus on socio‐economically deprived spaces, neglecting more affluent areas. To identify a city's different (and partly newly emerging) arrival neighbourhoods and to adapt local policies to the specific needs of their residents, we have developed a methodological approach to identifying and typifying arrival spaces on a small‐scale level. Using the case study of Dortmund in Germany, this paper presents this approach and its transferability to other European cities.

Evaluation of the effects of temporomandibular joint arthrocentesis with hyaluronic acid injection on mandibular condyles using fractal dimension analysis: A retrospective study

This study aimed to investigate the effects of arthrocentesis with intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injection on mandibular condyles using fractal dimension (FD) analysis.Patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) internal derangement (ID) were divided into three groups according to how many times the arthrocentesis with HA injection was performed. FD analysis is a quantitative concept that provides information about trabecular bone microstructures. Regions of interest were selected from bone areas close to the articular surfaces of the right and left condyles on panoramic radiographs, which were taken before the procedure (T0) and at the sixth month (T1) after the procedure. Then, the FD values were calculated. All images were reviewed by the same researcher. A two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to determine whether there was a significant interaction between groups, treatment sides, and time on the FD values.A total of 140 patients, including 118 patients who received bilateral arthrocentesis with HA injection and 22 control patients, were included in the study. The images of 20 randomly selected patients were re-evaluated after 2 weeks. As a result of the correlation analysis, there was no significant difference between the two measurements (P > 0.05). The main effect of time on the FD value was significant [F (1, 136) = 157.879, P < 0.001]. This effect was qualified by a significant time × group interaction effect [F (3, 136) = 18.533, P < 0.001]. The increases in the mean FD values on the right and left sides in all treatment groups between T0 and T1 times were significant (P < 0.001 for all), whereas changes in FD values on the right and left sides between T0 and T1 times were not significant in the control group (P = 0.164 and P = 0.557, respectively). After arthrocentesis with HA injections, the mean FD values increased in the mandibular condyles, depending on time in all treatment groups.Patients with TMJ ID are likely to have radiologically detectable degenerative changes and abnormalities in the condyles. The FD analysis method, which provides quantitative data, is recommended as an adjunct and guide for oral and maxillofacial surgeons in radiological examinations that should be performed together with clinical examination for the follow-up of microstructural changes in the condyle after arthrocentesis with HA injection.

Concept of Quantitative Research Methodology and Its Implications on Methods in Islamic Education

In the world of educators, it is inseparable from research carried out as an effort to find the truth or to find out something new by collecting, processing, and analyzing data using data analysis methods that are in accordance with the type of research. The purpose of this study is to describe the concept of quantitative research methods and their interactions in Islamic education research. The method in this type of research uses literature on the descriptive-analytical literature method. This study uses data analysis techniques, namely the content analysis method (Content Analysis) to obtain valid and reproducible references based on the context. The results of the study show a correlation between quantitative concepts and the concept of Islamic education, namely the experimental method and the tajribi method which have similarities, but in tajribi a systematically planned plan in finding facts or symptoms based on Islamic teachings guided by the Qur'an and Hadith.

Methodological procedure for the development of a qualitative and quantitative evaluation concept for project benefit assessment

The fourth industrial revolution not only brings great opportunities for the economy, but also poses major challenges for all stakeholders. Manufacturing companies in particular are affected by challenges such as a lack of innovative strength or the risk of being overtaken by innovative start-ups. However, the dynamic environment and the resulting complexity require faster and better decisions to remain competitive in the long term. Current business practices of established companies do not meet this challenge and risk losing control of their core business. Taking a purely technological approach to this subject harbors costly risks. Only the integration of the various individual technologies into a holistic digital strategy creates efficiency and new growth areas. To exploit the full potential of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in the manufacturing industry, companies must therefore take a strategic view of the technological options and adapt their organizational structure and culture.&#x0D; The main objective of this paper is therefore to describe the procedure for developing a suitable evaluation concept for assessing the economic benefits of digitization projects. The evaluation concept to be developed is designed to be able to perform a multidimensional examination and evaluation of digitization projects in order to enable a quick and well-founded decision on the implementation as well as the prioritization of a specific project or several projects from a qualitative and quantitative point of view. The paper therefore describes a seven-step approach to developing a multidimensional matrix diagram that serves as the basic structure for such an evaluation concept.&#x0D; To develop a suitable evaluation concept, the research focus will be carefully examined and in-depth research on two overarching themes will be conducted, resulting in the definition of appropriate evaluation criteria: From a methodological point of view, existing assessment models are considered in general and the strengths and weaknesses of these models are discussed. From a practical perspective, the special requirements of digitization and Industry 4.0 will be addressed. To this end, expert interviews will be conducted and a total of 100 practical examples will be selected from an extensive database and analyzed in a criteria-oriented manner in order to derive assessment dimensions and assessment criteria from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective.

Normal cloud model theory-based comprehensive fuzzy assessment of wooden pagoda safety

• It's the first time to apply normal cloud model into wooden pagoda safety assessment. • Two-way mapping of the "quantitative description-qualitative concept". • A four-level safety assessment index system. Currently the safety assessment of wood structure ancient buildings is mainly qualitative description, ignoring accurate quantitative calculation, and there are uncertain factors such as fuzziness and randomness that affect the results in the assessment process. Therefore, based on the cloud model theory of transformation between qualitative and quantitative uncertainties, this paper proposes a normal cloud model-based safety assessment approach for the protection research of wooden pagoda. A multi-level assessment system combining qualitative and quantitative indexes is constructed, and the comprehensive weight of the evaluation indexes is determined by combination weighting method. And combining with the scoring of evaluation indexes through quantitative analysis of point cloud, qualitative evaluation of experts, and published high-level papers, the comprehensive evaluation cloud model is constructed. According to the standard grade division, the criteria cloud model is constructed. And safety performance grade is determined by comparing the cloud similarity between the two clouds. Then this paper sets Yingxian wooden pagoda in China as an example, safety performance is quantified under this approach to determine its safety performance grade. The results show that the pagoda is the closest to third grade, in a certain dangerous state and consistent with the actual situation. The method takes into account the randomness and fuzziness factors, which makes assessment process more comprehensive and objective, provides a research paradigm for the safety assessment of ancient wooden buildings.

Mathematical Abilities in School-Aged Children: A Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis With Radiomics.

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies have shown that children that differ in some mathematical abilities show differences in gray matter volume mainly in parietal and frontal regions that are involved in number processing, attentional control, and memory. In the present study, a structural neuroimaging analysis based on radiomics and machine learning models is presented with the aim of identifying the brain areas that better predict children’s performance in a variety of mathematical tests. A sample of 77 school-aged children from third to sixth grade were administered four mathematical tests: Math fluency, Calculation, Applied problems and Quantitative concepts as well as a structural brain imaging scan. By extracting radiomics related to the shape, intensity, and texture of specific brain areas, we observed that areas from the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes, basal ganglia, and limbic system, were differentially related to children’s performance in the mathematical tests. sMRI-based analyses in the context of mathematical performance have been mainly focused on volumetric measures. However, the results for radiomics-based analysis showed that for these areas, texture features were the most important for the regression models, while volume accounted for less than 15% of the shape importance. These findings highlight the potential of radiomics for more in-depth analysis of medical images for the identification of brain areas related to mathematical abilities.

Evaluation of Two Cosolvency Models to Predict Solute Partitioning between Polymers (LDPE) and Water - Ethanol Simulating Solvent Mixtures

Binary water - ethanol mixtures, by mimicking a clinically relevant medium's polarity-driven extraction strength, facilitate experimental modeling of patient exposure to chemicals which can potentially leach from a plastic material for pharmaceutical applications. Estimates of patient exposure could consequently benefit from a quantitative concept for tailoring the extraction strength of the simulating solvent mixture towards the one of the clinically relevant medium. The hypothetical partition coefficient based upon the differential solubility between water-ethanol mixtures and water, [Formula: see text], has been calculated by the log-linear model from Yalkowsky and coworkers and a cosolvency model based on Abraham-type linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs). Then, by applying a thermodynamic cycle using the partition coefficient LDPE/water, [Formula: see text], partitioning between LDPE and the ethanol in water mixture was calculated and experimentally verified for a wide array of chemically diverse solutes. The partition coefficients between LDPE and volume fractions of 0.1, 0.2, 0.35 and 0.5 of ethanol in water calculated by this approach correlated well with experimentally obtained values. The LSER based model was found slightly superior over the log-linear cosolvency model. Solubilization strength projection by means of cosolvency models in combination with LSER predicted partition coefficients LDPE/water enable the tailored preparation of water-ethanol simulating solvent mixtures when input parameters from the clinically relevant medium are available. This approach can increase the reliability of patient exposure estimations and avoid overly complex extraction profiles, thus minimizing time and resources for chemical safety risk assessments on plastic materials used in pharmaceutical applications.

Effects of COVID-19 on the Perception of Virtual Education in University Students in Ecuador; Technical and Methodological Principles at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja

The confinement and migration from face-to-face to open access, online or blended/hybrid education modality caused because of the coronavirus crisis has forced a readaptation of education with enormous deficiencies at all levels. This work analyzes the viewpoint of a group of students from the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (Ecuador) regarding the current state of emergency from a descriptive and correlational quantitative methodological conception, based on the application of an instrument made up of six thematic blocks: socio-demographic situation, use of ICT, importance of ICT, methodology, didactic techniques, and study modality. The main results show that students are not yet convinced that a virtual modality is better than face-to-face. However, there are groups that value positively the use of ICTs mainly for recalling information, self-learning, and motivation. The techniques most valued by students are the traditional ones: teacher explanation and individual work. However, they give a low value to individualization as a methodological principle under which these techniques are based.

Recent Developments in Sea-Level Rise and Its Related Geological Disasters Mitigation: A Review

With the rapid development of urbanization around the world, the sea-level-rise problem is gaining more and more attention in the 21st century. Sea-level rise is the result of a combination of climate-related factors, structural factors and human activities. Recent studies related to the contributions of these factors to sea-level rise are reviewed and analyzed in this paper. The results suggest that the melting of glaciers and ice sheets have contributed the most to sea-level rise and will continue to be the dominant factor in sea-level rise for the following decades. As sea-level rise becomes an increasingly serious problem, geological disasters related to sea-level rise are also gaining more attention. To better understand the effect of sea-level rise on geological disasters, relevant issues including storm surges, seawater intrusion, the loss of coastal wetland, seismicity, seismic liquefaction and submarine mass failure are further reviewed and highlighted. In response to the risks of those disasters caused by sea-level rise, some disaster mitigation measures are proposed, and in the end, the quantitative disaster assessment concept based on resilience is introduced to the coastal urban system, to assess its ability to resist and recover from geological disasters due to the sea-level rise.

Online course delivery, assessment, and student satisfaction: The case of Quantitative Chemical Analysis course in the time of COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the concept and perception of normalcy, compelling instructors to switch from face-to-face to online instruction overnight. Meanwhile, the satisfaction of course learning outcomes remains a critical element of modern educational systems and should be monitored during online education. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the online delivery and assessment tools of a Quantitative Chemical Analysis course and evaluate student satisfaction. Methods: Formative and summative assessments were used to test students' learning and the application of Quantitative Chemical Analysis concepts using online teaching models. At the end of the semester, a Likert scale survey was sent to all students to get their feedback. Results: Students were extremely satisfied with online learning, believing that the course's intended learning outcomes were met, with student ability to perform calculations and evaluate errors, precision, and accuracy receiving the highest scores, and student ability to explore multiple solutions for a given problem receiving the lowest scores.

Analysis Of Sources And Use Of Working Capital At North Sumatra Bank For The 2019-2020 Period

The purpose of this study was to analyze and find out the results of the analysis of sources and use of working capital at Bank Sumut for the 2019-2020 period. This research uses descriptive analysis. The object of this research is the Bank of North Sumatra. The type of data used in this study is quantitative data in the form of company financial records at Bank Sumut in 2019-2020. Sources of data used in this study using secondary data sources. The results showed that there was an increase in working capital seen from the table of changes in working capital and the table of sources of working capital use at Bank Sumut, as well as an increase in working capital with quantitative concepts, qualitative concepts and functional concepts in 2019 to 2020.

Analysis Of Sources And Use Of Working Capital At North Sumatra Bank For The 2019-2020 Period

The purpose of this study was to analyze and find out the results of the analysis of sources and use of working capital at Bank Sumut for the 2019-2020 period. This research uses descriptive analysis. The object of this research is the Bank of North Sumatra. The type of data used in this study is quantitative data in the form of company financial records at Bank Sumut in 2019-2020. Sources of data used in this study using secondary data sources. The results showed that there was an increase in working capital seen from the table of changes in working capital and the table of sources of working capital use at Bank Sumut, as well as an increase in working capital with quantitative concepts, qualitative concepts and functional concepts in 2019 to 2020.

Evaluating the Impact of a Comprehensive Canadian Science-Art Residency Program on the Participating Scientist, Artist and the Public

Science-art residencies can provide opportunities for insightful cross-disciplinary collaborations, science communication, and engagement with the general public. Currently, there are few formal ways for artists and scientists to collaborate in Canada, and even fewer publications on how these experiences can impact learning in informal settings. Art the Science (a Canadian non-profit organization facilitating cross-disciplinary relationships between artists and scientists) piloted a comprehensive multiphase science-art residency program. Phase 1 informed the artist’s work through a full-time experience in a scientific laboratory at an academic institution, Phase 2 showcased the artist’s final artwork, Between the Sand at an off-campus local community event, and Phase 3 published an interactive online version of the work for global exhibition. Residency evaluation in each phase was conducted through the use of qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews, concept mapping, video diaries, and surveys. The artist, scientist and lab members gained new perspectives and inspiration about their respective fields. The artist was able to incorporate theories and processes from the research group into their artistic practice. On the other hand, the scientist saw renewed enthusiasm and curiosity within their research lab, and the lab members reported new ways of thinking about how to communicate their research. Both exhibitions proved to be engaging informal learning experiences for 66.2% of survey participants, and revealed several major learning themes. Despite promoting both events as artwork exhibitions, 79.2% of survey participants considered Between the Sand as both an artwork and a science communication product suggesting that science-based art may have the potential to communicate science, even when it is not presented as a science communication effort. Public responses revealed that public perception of funding is not skewed to either discipline and instead seems to call upon both science and arts grants to fund such interdisciplinary initiatives. Providing comprehensive artist residencies in science labs may have a valuable impact on everyone involved: the artist, the research group, and the public.