Specific Areas Of Interest Research Articles

Oropharyngeal Carcinoma with a Special Focus on HPV-Related Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-OPSCC) has one of the most rapidly increasing incidences of any cancer in high-income countries. The most recent (8th) edition of the Union for International Cancer Control/American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system separates HPV-OPSCC from its HPV-negative counterpart to account for the improved prognosis seen in the former. Indeed, owing to its improved prognosis and greater prevalence in younger individuals, numerous ongoing trials are examining the potential for treatment deintensification as a means to improve quality of life while maintaining acceptable survival outcomes. Owing to the distinct biology of HPV-OPSCCs, targeted therapies and immunotherapies have become an area of particular interest. Importantly, OPSCC is often detected at an advanced stage, highlighting the need for diagnostic biomarkers to aid in earlier detection. In this review, we highlight important advances in the epidemiology, pathology, diagnosis, and clinical management of HPV-OPSCC and underscore the need for a progressive understanding of the molecular basis of this disease toward early detection and precision care.

Impact of spatially-dense in-situ observations on ocean forecasts of mixed layer and thermocline depth

ABSTRACT Ocean models, such as the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM), rely on ocean observations through data assimilation to predict the evolution of ocean phenomena accurately. The accuracy is highly dependent on the type and quantity of observations available. This work attempts to examine the impact of spatially dense in-situ profile observations on the forecasts of mixed layer depth (MLD) and thermocline depth (TD), using a three-dimensional variational data assimilation algorithm. To do this, a twin data assimilation experiment is used to simulate the impact of float deployments on the forecast of MLD and TD in a specific area of interest (AOI) of the North Atlantic. It is found that during the northern hemisphere summer the model MLD is sensitive to the sea surface temperature (SST) observations rather than the profiling floats. TD is more strongly impacted by the assimilation of float observations, and the experiment with the most floats produces the best results. During the northern hemisphere winter the profiling floats have a greater impact on the model simulation of MLD. Finally, the overall lack of substantial improvement in the winter months for the highest density of profiling floats is determined to be due to the data assimilation methodology itself.

Long-term wave energy potential estimation in the Aegean and Ionian seas using dynamic downscaling and wave modelling techniques.

The current work focuses on the use of dynamic downscaling methods based on 40 years ERA5 hindcast climatic data, for estimating the Wave energy potential for the Hellenic region. The main areas of interest are the Aegean and Ionian islands. The combination of local and reanalysis climatic data, has been used, as it is linking the mesoscale meteorology, with microclimatic weather phenomena. This way the driving geostrophic winds are effectively taken into account for the estimation of low altitude wind distribution. WRF is used to downscale the raw reanalysis ERA5 input data grid to a finer 3 × 3 Km results grid. This way, high computational accuracy can be achieved over the investigated regions, thus revealing finer wind scales phenomena. The downscaled climatic data are used as initial and boundary conditions for NOAA/NCEP's WAVEWATCH III to produce the required wave climate for the areas of interest over a finer grid. The computational results are compared with existing measurements and the significant wave height, wave period and direction distributions are used to assess in detail the potential wave energy distribution in specific areas of interest. The seasonal wave-climate variability and long-term periodicity are also investigated.

The top 100 most cited papers in insomnia: A bibliometric analysis.

The number of citations to a paper represents the weight of that work in a particular area of interest. Several highly cited papers are listed in the bibliometric analysis. This study aimed to identify and analyze the 100 most cited papers in insomnia research that might appeal to researchers and clinicians. We reviewed the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection database to identify articles from 1985 to 24 March 2022. The R bibliometric package was used to further analyze citation counts, authors, year of publication, source journal, geographical origin, subject, article type, and level of evidence. Word co-occurrence in 100 articles was visualized using VOS viewer software. A total of 44,654 manuscripts were searched on the Web of Science. Between 2001 and 2021, the top 100 influential manuscripts were published, with a total citation frequency of 38,463. The top countries and institutions contributing to the field were the U.S. and Duke University. Morin C.M. was the most productive author, ranking first in citations. Sleep had the highest number of manuscripts published in the top 100 (n = 31), followed by Sleep Medicine Reviews (n = 9). The most cited manuscript (Bastien et al., Sleep Medicine, 2001; 3,384 citations) reported clinical validation of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) as a brief screening indicator for insomnia and as an outcome indicator for treatment studies. Co-occurrence analyses suggest that psychiatric disorders combined with insomnia and cognitive behavioral therapy remain future research trends. This study provides a detailed list of the most cited articles on insomnia. The analysis provides researchers and clinicians with a detailed overview of the most cited papers on insomnia over the past two decades. Notably, COVID-19, anxiety, depression, CBT, and sleep microstructure are potential areas of focus for future research.

Jesus in Context: Making Sense of the Historical Figure by David Wenham

Reviewed by: Jesus in Context: Making Sense of the Historical Figure by David Wenham Glenn B. Siniscalchi david wenham, Jesus in Context: Making Sense of the Historical Figure (Cambridge Studies in Religion, Philosophy, and Society; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021). Pp. xii + 249. Paper $29.99. David Wenham’s evenhanded, concise, and accessible book is dedicated to the basic themes of contemporary research on the historical Jesus. It is strongly recommended for introductory-level college courses that are related to historical approaches to the NT writings. One of the best aspects of Jesus in Context is the comprehensive coverage of most of the pertinent subjects in the current state of historical Jesus research. Whether it is the broad contours of the Roman Empire or the Jewish matrix from which Jesus and his first followers emerged in ancient Israel, there is plenty of informative and digestible material in this book. Wenham’s impartial coverage of the current findings of Jesus research is both ecumenically sensitive and consistent with the presuppositions of Christian theology. In this way, W.’s text subtly reports that christological orthodoxy and many well-established conclusions about the historical figure of Jesus can now be seen as comrades-in-arms. W. is keen on informing the reader where the consensus of NT scholars stand with respect to Jesus and his self-understanding; his teachings, actions, and miracles; and the immediate impact that he made on his followers. One might profit from understanding the political and socioreligious contexts in which Jesus lived (part 1) and some of the major themes that characterized his sayings and ministry (part 2). Toward the beginning of Jesus in Context, W. discusses the literary sources that ancient historians commonly use to study Jesus, the geographical and archaeological discoveries that seem pertinent for the relevant contemporary studies, and the history of ancient Israel and the Roman Empire up to and including the first century of the Common Era. [End Page 168] Wenham’s text is also excellent with regard to the fundamental reliability of the canonical Gospels. He rightly reports that form criticism, redaction criticism, the fascination with the second-century apocryphal Gospels, and the notion of oral traditions in ancient Palestine are not relevant enough concerns to lead one to conclude that the Christian Gospels are unreliable. Moreover, the current state of NT scholarship is not on the side of the revision-ist views of Rudolf Bultmann (who was known for separating the theology of the canonical Gospels from whatever history might lie behind them) or the older nineteenth-century scholars who saw the Gospels as fabricated myths. In the words of W., “The skepticism that ends up with scholars concluding or implying that much gospel tradition is the creation of the early Christian church rather than Jesus is curious, to say the least. It is much more likely that the main creative genius reflected in the gospel stories and teaching was the person who inspired the Christian movement, rather than . . . his followers” (p. 76). Rather, most of the newest questers in the guild endorse the historicity of Jesus and his various teachings about the reign of God, his baptism by John the Baptist, his wondrous miracles, and his resurrection from the dead. Recognizing that Paul’s letters were not understood as inspired texts by the original recipients, W. pointedly brings home the relevance of the apostle Paul for Jesus studies: “Both these early letters and others that followed, . . . give a lot of evidence about what the first Christians said and believed about Jesus. The letters are not telling the stories of Jesus, but are dealing with issues that had arisen in the churches; their references to Jesus are all the more revealing for being incidental” (p. 47). One of W.’s areas of special interest is that the apostle Paul and the four Gospel writers were not literarily dependent on one another. Despite that barrage of technical publications on early christology and historical criticism, W.’s book should be warmly welcomed as one of the best introductory texts on the current state of the basic questions on the historical Jesus and the reliability of the NT. In terms of accessibility and depth of...

The Scientific Application for Studying Religion Using the Theological Approach

Students of religious studies use tools similar to those in other fields, including history, sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, and theology. They develop strong analytical skills and are encouraged to think originally, as well as to empathize with people with a wide range of lived experience. Religious studies draws upon methods from both the humanities and social sciences in exploring the complex phenomenon of religion-its history, arts, ideas, distinctive social institutions and the state of mind to which it can give rise to include: Archaeology, comparative method, history, linguistics studies, psychology and sociology are all employed within religious studies, therefore, religious studies is not founded upon the use of one characteristic method or approach of inquiring but uses a range of different methods to explore a particular area of interest, namely religion. Theological approach looks into the religion scientifically and seeks it application to understand what it means to the believer an adherent within its own terms and how that system works as a rational worldview to those within it. In religious studies, these subjective influences may be in the background of your work, but the emphasis and end result are more analytical and objective. Scholars compare various religious practices and identities, consider their historical significance, and aim to understand beliefs in relation to each other. In religious studies, the bases of inquiry are to examine these differences without showing preference to one particular belief system.

Biogeographic patterns of hydrozoans in the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent waters: biological assemblages, beta diversity, and endemism

The biogeography of hydrozoans encompasses a broad scope of study that involves various challenges due to their diverse distributional strategies and life cycle characteristics. This work aims to study the biogeographic patterns of hydrozoans in the Gulf of Mexico. Occurrence records on hydrozoans were compiled through the Global Biodiversity Facility Information database and peer-reviewed literature. Biogeographic patterns were addressed through (1) the identification of biological assemblages, using hierarchical clustering with contiguity constraint; (2) the decomposition of beta diversity into species replacement, nestedness, and local contribution to beta diversity (LCBD); and (3) the identification of areas of endemism with a parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE). The northern Gulf of Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula contain a large hydrozoan assemblage that splits into smaller groups at different levels, characterized by species replacement and high LCBD values. By contrast, the southern Gulf of Mexico contains a homogenous assemblage, which exhibits low LCBD values and contributes strongly to nestedness. PAE identified 19 areas of higher-level endemism, concentrated mainly in shelf zones of the Yucatán and Florida peninsulas. The distribution patterns of hydrozoans in the Gulf of Mexico may be shaped by the life cycle characteristics of the taxa and the geological history of the region, relating either to neritic or oceanic zones. The northern Gulf reflects a heterogeneous biological composition with a complex biogeographical history, which makes this area of particular interest for future studies, as it likely represents a transition zone. This premise must be corroborated in the future.

Design and Implementation of an Automated Robotic Bartender Using VDI 2206 Methodology

Today, robotics has made remarkable advances in a number of industries, including the food and beverage sector. One area of particular interest is the development of an automated bartender capable of efficiently preparing cocktails and drinks. In this context, a state-of-the-art robotic bartender has been designed and implemented following the VDI 2206 methodology, developed by the Association of German Engineers (VDI). This methodology has allowed a more precise definition of the product and accurate estimations in all phases of the mechanical, electrical, and electronic design, and for the mechanical design of the robotic bartender, it prioritizes a solid and safe structure to support the weight of the bottles and components while focusing on an attractive design to improve the user experience. The system features precise sensors to detect and measure ingredients and intelligent control algorithms to ensure accurate dosing. The user interface is intuitive, allowing for uncomplicated cocktail selection and drink customization, and Proteus software was used for the electrical and electronic design, which facilitated extensive simulation and debugging. The system incorporates a PIC16F877A microcontroller to manage and coordinate various functions such as sensors, actuators, and communications. Finally, the pilot implementation has demonstrated the system's effectiveness in preparing a wide variety of cocktails with reduced preparation time. The robotic bartender can produce 10–12 cocktails every 10 minutes, which improves the productivity of the establishments and benefits both bartenders and customers.

Cooperative Relay Networks Based on the OAM Technique for 5G Applications

Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) is an intrinsic property of electromagnetic waves. Great research has been witnessed in the last decades aiming at exploiting the OAM wave property in different areas in radio and optics. One promising area of particular interest is to enhance the efficiency of the available communications spectrum. However, adopting OAM-based solutions is not priceless as these suffer from wave divergence especially when the OAM order is high. This shall limit the practical communications distance, especially in the radio regime. In this paper, we propose a cooperative OAM relaying system consisting of a source, relay, and destination. Relays help the source to transmit packets to the destination by providing an alternative connection between source and destination. This cooperative solution aims on the one hand, through best-path selection, on increasing the communications range. On the other hand, through the parallel transmission orders allowed by OAM carrying waves, the system could raise its total transmission throughput. Simulation results show that combining a cooperative relay with OAM improves the system throughput compared to using each element separately. In addition, the proposed cooperative relaying OAM outperforms the cooperative relaying non-orthogonal multiple access scheme, which is a key spectrally efficient technique used in 5G technology.

Identifying specific interest areas of Twitter users tweeting about cryptocurrencies

Identifying specific interest areas of Twitter users tweeting about cryptocurrencies

특별한 관심 영역을 활용한 전략 교수가 자폐 범주성 장애 학생의 수학 문장제 과제 수행률 및 정확도에 미치는 영향

This study examined the effects of an instructional strategy using areas of special interest to students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) on their performance rate and accuracy in mathematical word problem-solving. The study used a multiple probe design for three students with ASD under three experimental conditions: baseline, intervention, and maintenance. First, the computation level of the word problem was selected by interviewing special education teachers and parents. Next, each participant’s special interest area was determined. Then, the interest areas were used to modify students’ word problems. Finally, the students were taught the instruction strategy’s four steps. The results indicated that the intervention increased each participant’s mathematical word problem-solving performance rate and accuracy. Furthermore, these effects persisted after the intervention. Several implications of the study are discussed

Contribuții la cercetarea ceremonialului nașterii în Țara Lăpușului

Focused on our field research, the present study is about the research of birth customs in several localities of Ţara Lăpuşului, an ethnographic area of particular interest, due to the archaicity and conservatism that are specific to it. In the first part, I dealt with the prenatal period, in which we emphasized the rites related to the desire of newly founded families to bring children into the world, as well as the relief of the birth performed during the wedding ceremony. We then dealt with pregnancy, with the rites intended to ensure the smooth progress of the pregnancy, as well as the prohibitions that the pregnant woman must respect. In the second part of the study, we dealt with the birth itself, which begins with rites to ease the birth performed by the midwife. We gave due space to the first bite, but also to the rites performed after the birth, with openness towards the function of integration and ensuring a beneficial destiny for the newborn. We analyzed the ritual prescriptions related to the first swaddling, as well as the rites related to the period of care of the baby by the midwife. We reserved a large space for baptism, the basic ceremonial sequence in the birth ceremony, in which we emphasized the repertoire of rites, especially those of great antiquity – baptism in the sun, moon, stars and tree. We have not omitted the predeterministic beliefs that have the bearish form of manifestation. We dealt with Christian baptism, the baptismal table, the response to the gifts, as well as a ceremonial sequence of great importance – the ritual washing of the midwife’s hands by the granddaughter. We gave space to the period of praise, characterized by prophylactic and apotropaic rites. The study ends with the care of the newborn, characterized by rites related to rocking, making, washing and drying the child’s diapers, but also apotropaic. We focused on the treatment of some common diseases in children: the bad cry, the bad disease, the pitcher, the goiter. We reserved space for a rite meant to prevent the death of children in the family, which is the ritual sale of the child through the window. We did not omit the traditions related to ensuring the physical beauty of the newborn, the beliefs related to the child’s behavior and the change of teeth. Finally, we made considerations about the function of birth customs in the Land of Lăpuş.

Soil erosion susceptibility mapping using ensemble machine learning models: A case study of upper Congo river sub-basin

Despite its large size, the Congo Basin (CB), which spans ten countries, has remained an area of particular interest for scientific discovery due to gaps in Earth science, environmental and hydrological research. This includes mapping soil erosion, which is the dominant form of land degradation in the basin, particularly severe in its upper part. For these reasons, the use of predictive machine learning algorithms (ML-ALs) rather than conventional models is necessary. In particular, the introduction of the ensemble model which is becoming widely popular, but is still little used throughout Africa. In this study, ensemble ML-ALs were applied and aimed at evaluating the predictive power of combining different algorithms such as Support Vector Machine (SVM), Boosted Regression Trees (BRT), Logit Boost (LB) and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) with Random Forest (RF) as the base classifier for erosion susceptibility mapping (ESM) in the Elila catchment located in the Upper Congo sub-basin. To achieve this goal, 500 erosion sites were identified by the RUSLE model and Google Earth historical maps and then a field survey was conducted to validate the identified erosion sites. The input data were randomly divided into training and test datasets. Fifteen important features were selected using Boruta's approach to produce the ESMs. The accuracy of the models was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and four statistical measures (sensitivity, accuracy, specificity and kappa index). The overall accuracy in terms of AUROC values shows that RF-BRT (87.26%) was superior to all other algorithms, followed by RF-SVM, RF-KNN, and RF-LB with AUROC values ranging from 86.51%, and 85.37%, to 84.21%, respectively. In conclusion, the results of this work can be used to control and prevent erosion throughout the CB, and the methodology of this work can be useful in similar geo-environmental characteristic sites.

Flexibility in primary medical programs: A scoping review

Introduction: Students and universities increasingly seek flexibility in learning options, however terms such as flexible are not consistently defined in the medical education literature. This review aimed to 1) propose a definition for flexibility in medical education and 2) create a typology of contemporary examples of how flexibility has been operationalised in medical education. Method: A systematic scoping review of papers published in English since 2009 was undertaken. The focus was on papers reporting initiatives to create flexibility in primary medical programs. Results: Based on review of 1,641 search returns and 140 full-text articles, two interconnected concepts were identified: flexibility and individualisation. Flexibility describes mechanisms that allow students choice in how they allocate time and resources to meet the requirements of their course, including time-variable progression, acceleration, deceleration, articulated degree entry and exit options, and pedagogical approaches that reduce time required in classrooms. Individualisation describes options that enable student-driven direction, extension or expansion of medical education into special interest areas, including dual degrees, breadth subjects, curriculum tracks, elective service-learning pathways, electives and selectives. Conclusions: Though not always clearly defined as such, international medical education literature describes a rich variety of flexibility and individualisation initiatives. While the constructs of flexibility and individualisation are interconnected, they can assist curriculum designers to differentiate between the mechanisms that enable flexibility in how students meet course requirements and the mechanisms that enable individual choice in what students study. Flexibility and individualisation initiatives target different needs, including both students’ needs and medical workforce needs; they also suggest different institutional and financial implications. Consensus on and consistent use of common terminology about flexibility and individualisation initiatives will improve the “searchability” and synthesis of research on such initiatives and their impacts and enablers, as well as encourage further research, publication and synthesis of outcomes of such initiatives.

Co-Occurrence of Gaming Disorder and Other Potentially Addictive Behaviours between Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom

Background: Evidence suggests that gamers can have varying experiences of disordered gaming behaviours due to coping mechanisms and how they can act as risk or protective factor in the development and/or maintenance of disordered behaviours. A particular area of interest is how this may manifest across different countries. Understanding the interplay of these potential risk and protective factors within different countries will aid identifying and preventing disordered behaviours. Methods: Three cohorts were recruited from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Each cohort was required to complete a battery of psychometric scales exploring problematic behaviours, problematic substance use, co-occurrence, coping styles, and personality. A latent profile analysis was conducted to examine the differences between cohorts and further investigated with additional analyses. Results: The findings suggested that a minority of gamers were affected by gaming disorder, and there appeared an at-risk cohort who utilise gaming as a maladaptive coping strategy. Other accompanying potentially addictive behaviour or substance use may be exacerbated as a result, the manifestation of which can be influenced by cultural elements. Conclusions: When considering gamers from countries which hold similar views, it is important to be cognisant of the variations found in the manifestations of disordered gaming and accompanying potentially addictive behaviours. This will allow for a more precise identification of at-risk behaviours, which will result in more favourable treatment outcomes for those who are considered at-risk or high-risk individuals.

An Energy Efficient Load Balancing Tree-Based Data Aggregation Scheme for Grid-Based Wireless Sensor Networks

A wireless sensor network (WSN) consists of a very large number of sensors which are deployed in the specific area of interest. A sensor is an electronic device equipped with a small processor and has a small-capacity memory. The WSN has the functions of low cost, easy deployment, and random reconfiguration. In this paper, an energy-efficient load balancing tree-based data aggregation scheme (LB-TBDAS) for grid-based WSNs is proposed. In this scheme, the sensing area is partitioned into many cells of a grid and then the sensor node with the maximum residual energy is elected to be the cell head in each cell. Then, the tree-like path is established by using the minimum spanning tree algorithm. In the tree construction, it must meet the three constraints, which are the minimum energy consumption spanning tree, the network depth, and the maximum number of child nodes. In the data transmission process, the cell head is responsible for collecting the sensing data in each cell, and the collected data are transmitted along the tree-like path to the base station (BS). Simulation results show that the total energy consumption of LB-TBDAS is significantly less than that of GB-PEDAP and PEDAP. Compared to GB-PEDAP and PEDAP, the proposed LB-TBDAS extends the network lifetime by more than 100%. The proposed LB-TBDAS can avoid excessive energy consumption of sensor nodes during multi-hop data transmission and can also avoid the hotspot problem of WSNs.

An electrochemical evaluation of state-of-the-art non-flammable liquid electrolytes for high-voltage lithium-ion batteries

The rapid and accelerating adoption of lithium-ion batteries worldwide, especially in the transportation sector, has focused attention on their safety. One area of particular interest is finding alternatives for their most flammable component, the liquid electrolyte. Over the past 20 years, a number of non-flammable liquid electrolytes have been identified and tested. However, because these data are frequently obtained under a wide range of conditions – e.g., different active materials, current densities or voltage cutoffs – it is difficult to compare them. In this work, eight promising non-flammable liquid electrolytes – four phosphate derivatives and four based on fluorinated hydrocarbons – are identified from the literature and tested in commercially relevant high-voltage systems under identical conditions. The electrochemical stabilities of the electrolytes were studied against both inert electrodes and in LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2|graphite cells. Each electrolyte was assessed via long-term cycling experiments and rate-testing and the cell resistance during aging was monitored. It was found that the electrolytes containing phosphate and phosphonate-based solvents generally performed very poorly compared to the phosphorus-free fluorinated solvents; the latter resulted, on average, in twice the capacity retention after 500 cycles of the former. A strong correlation was observed between long-term cycling performance, rate capability and the cell resistance.

Examining the special interest areas of autistic adults with a focus on their employment and mental health outcomes

BACKGROUND: Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have special interest areas (SIAs) which are characterized by significant depth and breadth of knowledge in a particular topic. These interests can continue through adulthood. OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to develop a better understanding of the relation between SIAs and employment and mental health outcomes of adults with ASD. METHODS: Qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to examine the data with an emphasis on bringing autistic voices to the forefront of the discussion. Seventy-two adults with ASD, ages 18–53, completed an online survey describing their SIA engagement, employment status, and current mental health measured by two standardized assessments. Respondents provided open-ended responses describing their SIA and beliefs regarding SIAs broadly. RESULTS: Open-ended responses indicated adults with ASD have highly diverse SIAs that are rarely utilized in their employment experiences. Hierarchical regressions revealed SIA-related bullying was associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. SIA employment was associated with depression such that those who were not currently employed in their SIA reported higher levels of depression. Respondents without support from people in their life related to their SIA reported higher levels of stress. CONCLUSION: SIAs are extremely important in the lives of autistic adults and should be utilized to enhance their employment experiences and overall well-being. Family members, adult service providers, and educational professionals should support and encourage SIAs.

Investigation of High-Resolution Distributed Fiber Sensing System Embedded in Flexible Silicone Carpet for 2D Pressure Mapping.

Fiber-optic sensors are a powerful tool to investigate physical properties like temperature, strain, and pressure. Such properties make these sensors interesting for many applications including biomedical applications. Fiber sensors are also a great platform for distributed sensing by using the principles of optical frequency domain reflectometry. Distributed sensing is becoming more and more used to achieve high-resolution measurements and to map physical properties of biomaterials at small scale, thus obtaining 2D and 3D mapping of a particular area of interest. This work aims at building and investigating a 2D sensing carpet based on a distributed fiber sensing technique, to map local pressure applied to the carpet. The two-dimensional mapping is obtained by embedding a single-mode optical fiber inside a soft silicone carpet. The fiber has been bent and arranged in a specific configuration characterized by several parallel lines. Different fiber fixation methods have been investigated by means of a comparative analysis to perform better characterization and to achieve a more precise response of the carpet. The best pressure sensitivity coefficient (0.373 pm/kPa or considering our setup 1.165 nm/kg) was detected when the fiber was fully embedded inside the silicone carpet. This paper demonstrates the possibility of mapping a 2D distributed pressure over a surface with a resolution of 2 mm by 2 mm. The surface of investigation is 2 cm by 6 cm, containing 310 sensing points. The sensing carpet has been validated selecting several preferential positions, by testing the consistency of the results over different portions of the carpet.

THE INFLUENCE OF TEACHING PRACTICES ON QUALITY ASSURANCE MECHANISMS IN SELECTED UNIVERSITIES IN UGANDA

The effort to enhance formal quality assurance mechanisms in the Ugandan universities started with the creation of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in 2003. Teaching practices are critical in the maintenance of quality assurance mechanisms in university education. The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of teaching practices on quality assurance mechanisms in selected universities in Uganda. The specific areas of interest were content delivered, methods of delivery and the adequacy of infrastructure for quality teaching. The study is based on systems theory where the inputs in a university to improve quality assurance mechanisms are the faculty and infrastructure used to implement the curricula in order to produce graduates. The study is based on the pragmatic paradigm with a cross-sectional survey design. A disproportionate stratified random sampling technique was employed to sample 300 faculty and students who expressed their opinions on questionnaires. With convenience sampling 47 students participated in focus group discussions and 20 managers were purposefully sampled for individual interviews. Frequencies, percentages and chi-square were used to analyze the quantitative data and corroborated with qualitative data. The findings revealed a positive contribution of teaching practices to quality assurance mechanisms. The study concluded that there is a moderate influence of teaching practices on quality assurance mechanisms. Therefore, the study recommends that the universities should adopt modern practices of teaching that involve the use of ICT accompanied with training and adequate provision of infrastructure.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0814/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>