Weak Structure Research Articles

Implementing Internal Quality Assurance Systems in the In-Service Teacher Education Programmes in Zimbabwean Universities: The Quality Discourse

The emerging discourses in the Zimbabwean teacher education system have been on the capacity of in–service teachers to be transformative through their preparation at university. The call, then, has been on universities to improve their quality assurance and its effective implementation for quality programmes and learning outcomes. There have been growing indications and expectations that university in–service teacher graduates should lead in transforming the educational and economic systems of nations presenting a strong explanation for effective quality assurance structures in universities. In this article, the researchers contended that without robust quality assurance systems at Zimbabwean universities’ teacher education programmes, the nation may not achieve the desired educational vision. The paper reports, analyses practices and lessons learnt on the implementation of internal quality assurance systems on in-service teacher education programmes at one state university in Zimbabwe. Underpinned by the sociocultural theory, the qualitative case study used semi–structured interviews and open–ended questionnaires. One quality assurance directorate, four departmental quality assurance lecturers drawn from each of the four School of Education departments and twelve final years in-service students were purposefully sampled. The results indicated that the university had weak internal quality assurance management structures failing to continuously monitor and evaluate in-service programmes and their implementation. The study recommended that the institution reconstitutes the quality assurance body by bringing together all stakeholders including in-service students to a dialogue table to discuss how quality assurance standards and practices can be designed, implemented and evaluated. Keywords: Implementation, internal quality assurance, university, teacher education, in-service

STRATEGI PENINGKATAN DAYA SAING INDUSTRI KECIL MIKRO KERAJINAN ANYAMAN BAMBU

This research aims at woven bamboo handicrafts which are one of the superior products of Magetan Regency. The problem that occurs is that innovation is not optimal, because the quality of the workforce is still low. Bamboo woven handicraft products cannot yet have an export market. The lack of coordination between craftsmen, distributors and the government resulted in a weak institutional structure. The purpose of this research is to determine the strategy for increasing the competitiveness of the small bamboo woven handicraft industry in the Ringinagung area, Magetan district. The method used is analytical descriptive. The instrument in the form of a questionnaire given to 5 key respondents. The research used the Process Hierarchy Analysis (AHP) technique. The results of the study show that there are five areas of strategy including 1). Innovation 2). HR, 3). Production , 4). Marketing, and 5) Institutional

On the rigidity of the Sasakian structure and characterization of cosymplectic manifolds

We introduce new metric structures on a smooth manifold (called “weak” structures) that generalize the almost contact, Sasakian, cosymplectic, etc. metric structures (φ,ξ,η,g) and allow us to take a fresh look at the classical theory and find new applications. This assertion is illustrated by generalizing several well-known results. It is proved that any Sasakian structure is rigid, i.e., our weak Sasakian structure is homothetically equivalent to a Sasakian structure. It is shown that a weak almost contact structure with parallel tensor φ is a weak cosymplectic structure and an example of such a structure on the product of manifolds is given. Conditions are found under which a vector field is a weak contact vector field.

Genetic diversity of the breeding collection of tomato varieties in Kazakhstan assessed using SSR, SCAR and CAPS markers.

Tomato is one of the most prominent crops in global horticulture and an important vegetable crop in Kazakhstan. The lack of data on the genetic background of local varieties limits the development of tomato breeding in the country. This study aimed to perform an initial evaluation of the breeding collection of tomato varieties from the point of view of their genetic structure and pathogen resistance using a set of PCR based molecular markers, including 13 SSR markers for genetic structure analysis, and 14 SCAR and CAPS markers associated with resistance to five pathogens: three viruses, fungus Fusarium oxysporum, and oomycete P hytophthora infestans. Nine SSR markers were with a PIC value varying from 0.0562 (low information content) to 0.629 (high information content). A weak genetic structure was revealed in the samples of varieties including local cultivars and, predominantly, varieties from Russia and other ex-USSR countries. The local varieties were closely related to several groups of cultivars of Russian origin. Screening for a set of resistance markers revealed the common occurrence of the resistance locus I against Fusarium oxysporum and only the occasional presence of resistance alleles of other markers. No markers of resistance to the three considered viruses were revealed in local tomato varieties. Only two local cultivars had markers of resistance to P. infestans, and only the 'Meruert' cultivar had a combination of resistance markers against P. infestans and F. oxysporum. The obtained results have demonstrated the need for further studies of local tomato varieties with a wider range of molecular markers and source germplasm to lay a foundation for the development of tomato breeding in Kazakhstan.

Affine Iterative Closest Point Algorithm Based on Color Information and Correntropy for Precise Point Set Registration.

In this paper, we propose a novel affine iterative closest point algorithm based on color information and correntropy, which can effectively deal with the registration problems with a large number of noise and outliers and small deformations in RGB-D datasets. Firstly, to alleviate the problem of low registration accuracy for data with weak geometric structures, we consider introducing color features into traditional affine algorithms to establish more accurate and reliable correspondences. Secondly, we introduce the correntropy measurement to overcome the influence of a large amount of noise and outliers in the RGB-D datasets, thereby further improving the registration accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed registration algorithm has higher registration accuracy, with error reduction of almost 10 times, and achieves more stable robustness than other advanced algorithms.

Development and Characterization of Pickering Emulsion Stabilized by Walnut Protein Isolate Nanoparticles.

This study was conducted to prepare walnut protein isolate nanoparticles (nano-WalPI) by pH-cycling, combined with the ultrasound method, to investigate the impact of various nano-WalPI concentrations (0.5~2.5%) and oil volume fractions (20~70%) on the stability of Pickering emulsion, and to improve the comprehensive utilization of walnut residue. The nano-WalPI was uniform in size (average size of 108 nm) with good emulsification properties (emulsifying activity index and stability index of 32.79 m2/g and 1423.94 min, respectively), and it could form a stable O/W-type Pickering emulsion. When the nano-WalPI concentration was 2.0% and the oil volume fraction was 60%, the best stability of Pickering emulsions was achieved with an average size of 3.33 μm, and an elastic weak gel network structure with good thermal stability and storage stability was formed. In addition, the emulsion creaming index value of the Pickering emulsion was 4.67% after 15 days of storage. This study provides unique ideas and a practical framework for the development and application of stabilizers for food-grade Pickering emulsions.

Modulating the chiral nematic structure of cellulose nanocrystal suspensions with electrolytes

HypothesisThe iridescent optical properties of films made of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are controlled by the pitch and range of the chiral nematic structures. These are further tuned with the addition of electrolyte. ExperimentsElectrolyte type, valency and concentration were varied. The bulk CNC suspension properties were investigated by combining rheology, polarised optical photography and microscopy, while the spacing between crystals was determined using SAXS. FindingsThe addition of electrolyte to a CNC suspension containing chiral nematic structures first causes the nematic pitch to increase indicating the suspension has a weaker structure. Further increases in electrolyte concentration cause aggregation and complete breakdown of the chiral nematic structures. The univalent species cause larger changes to the chiral nematic structure with the onset and magnitude of structure breakdown occurring at lower ionic strengths compared with the divalent species. Cation size influences the chiral nematic structure with the order of influence being K+ > Na+ ≈ Ca2+ > Mg2+, which corresponds from the largest to smallest cation. This work demonstrates that both ion valency, concentration and species play a significant role in controlling the chiral nematic structures of CNC suspensions and will be a vital step in the development of CNC liquid crystals, optical materials and sensors.

COLLABORATIVE GOVERNANCE DALAM PERKEMBANGAN PARIWISATA DI KAWASAN SENGGIGI KABUPATEN LOMBOK BARAT

This research was conducted with the aim of knowing collaborative governance in the development of tourism in the Senggigi area of West Lombok regency. The development of a tourist spot with optimal resource management can be shown through the synergy that is built between various stakeholders, both government, private and community. In addition, as a material consideration in making tourism potential development decisions, it is important to know how the collaboration that has been built and what factors encourage and inhibit collaboration in developing a tourism object. The method that researchers use is a descriptive qualitative method. This method was chosen because it is suitable for accurately describing individual characteristics, symptoms, circumstances and situations of certain groups. This study uses data collection methods through various forms such as observation, interviews, and documentation. This study uses collaborative governance theory from DeSave which provides 7 (seven) indicators as analytical tools. The research results show that collaborative governance in tourism development in the Senggigi area as a whole has not shown maximum results. This can be seen from: a weak network structure, marked by the absence of related actors. Commitment to goals (not good), seen from the absence of common goals and common missions created. Level of trust (weak), where strong trust is only built between collaborative actors between government agencies. Access to power (good enough), where the Tourism Office is very open and knows the performance of other collaborating actors. Division of accountability (good enough), where each collaborative actor has their own duties. Information sharing (not optimal), where the information is mostly shared only with those who are members of government agencies. Access to resources (not yet maximized), this is evidenced by infrastructure development that is still inadequate, even though the development of quality human resources can be said to be already under way.

Flexible plasmonic nanoparticle-on-a-mirror metasurface-enabled substrates for high-quality surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy detection

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology with the advantages of ultra-high sensitivity, non-destructive analysis, and quick measurement for molecular detection applications is receiving increasing attention. However, traditional rigid SERS substrates face challenges in in-suit conformal detection and weak structure coupling effect for real-life applications. Here we report a flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate loaded with plasmonic nanoparticle-on-a-mirror (NPOM) metasurface for SERS detection that featured outstanding sensitivity, uniformity, repeatability, and excellent mechanical flexibility. The upper multilayered NPOM metasurface can be fabricated in a single-step process by ion beam sputtering of various targets. This NPOM configuration consists of dense silver nanoparticles over a silver mirror, separated by a SiO2 spacer layer, which can realize near-total power absorption and exhibits superior SERS ability. The bottom PDMS layer for support can provide excellent mechanical properties. In the test, the as-prepared NPOM/PDMS substrates show high SERS performance in detecting crystal violet and chlorpyrifos molecules. This flexible metasurface SERS substrate promises to provide an in-suit and efficient approach for trace substance detection.

Right-to-Left Displacement of an Airgun Lead Bullet after Transorbital Entry into the Skull Complicated by Posttraumatic Epilepsy : A Case Report.

Penetrating head injury is a serious open cranial injury. In civilians, it is often caused by non-missile, low velocity flying objects that penetrate the skull through a weak cranial structure, forming intracranial foreign bodies. The intracranial foreign body can be displaced due to its special quality, shape, and location. In this paper, we report a rare case of right-to-left displacement of an airgun lead bullet after transorbital entry into the skull complicated by posttraumatic epilepsy, as a reminder to colleagues that intracranial metal foreign bodies maybe displaced intraoperatively. In addition, we have found that the presence of intracranial metallic foreign bodies may be a factor for the posttraumatic epilepsy, and their timely removal appears to be beneficial for epilepsy control.

Barriers and Facilitators of Palliative Care in Older Adults With Heart Failure: A Qualitative Content Analysis.

Objectives: The progressive and unpredictable course of heart failure (HF) has made the provision of palliative care (PC) services to older adults with HF a serious challenge. This study aimed to explain the barriers and facilitators of PC in older adults with HF. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using the content analysis approach. A sample of 15 participants, including 6 patients, 2 family caregivers, and 7 healthcare team members (4 nurses, a psychiatric nurse, a nutritionist, and a PC physician) were selected by purposive sampling over 10 months (November 21, 2020 to September 1, 2021). The data were collected using semistructured in-person interviews until data saturation and analyzed with conventional qualitative content analysis. Results: The findings revealed the main category of "neglecting the provision of PC," with 4 subcategories of "weak organizational structure," "poor social support," "older adults' and healthcare teams' poor knowledge," and "limited financial resources" as the barriers of PC and the main category of "enjoying support potentials" with 3 subcategories of "the cooperation of the government, benefactors, and nongovernmental organizations," "empathy from the family and relatives," and "benefiting from the presence of healthcare workers" as PC facilitators. Conclusions: The findings of this study explained the barriers and facilitators of PC in older adults with HF. Removing the barriers and supporting the facilitators give older adults with HF better access to PC. Therefore, to expand PC centers for older adults with HF, health system officials, and policy-makers should pay attention to organizational infrastructures and remove the barriers at organizational, social, educational, and economic levels with the cooperation of governmental organizations, benefactors, and nongovernmental organizations.

Genome-wide association studies reveal novel loci controlling tuber flesh color and oxidative browning in Dioscorea alata.

Consumers' preferences for food crops are guided by quality attributes. This study aimed at deciphering the genetic basis of quality traits, especially tuber flesh color (FC) and oxidative browning (OB) in Dioscorea alata, based on the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) approach. The D. alata panel was planted at two locations in Guadeloupe. At harvest, the FC was scored visually as white, cream, or purple on longitudinally sliced mature tubers. The OB was scored visually as the presence or absence of browning after 15 min of exposure of the sliced samples to ambient air. Phenotypic characterization for FC and OB of a diverse panel of D. alata genotypes highlighted significant variation within the panel and across two locations. The genotypes within the panel displayed a weak structure and could be classified into three subpopulations. GWAS identified 14 and 4 significant associations for tuber FC and OB, respectively, with phenotypic variance, explained values ranging from 7.18% to 18.04%. Allele segregation analysis at the significantly associated loci highlighted the favorable alleles for the desired traits, i.e., white FC and no OB. A total of 24 putative candidate genes were identified around the significant signals. A comparative analysis with previously reported quantitative trait loci indicated that numerous genomic regions control these traits in D. alata. Our study provides important insights into the genetic control of tuber FC and OB in D. alata. The major and stable loci can be further utilized to improve selection in breeding programs for developing new cultivars with enhanced tuber quality. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

On the Splitting Tensor of the Weak f-Contact Structure

A weak f-contact structure, introduced in our recent works, generalizes the classical f-contact structure on a smooth manifold, and its characteristic distribution defines a totally geodesic foliation with flat leaves. We find the splitting tensor of this foliation and use it to show positive definiteness of the Jacobi operators in the characteristic directions and to obtain a topological obstruction (including the Adams number) to the existence of weak f-K-contact manifolds, and prove integral formulas for a compact weak f-contact manifold. Based on applications of the weak f-contact structure in Riemannian contact geometry considered in the article, we expect that this structure will also be fruitful in theoretical physics, e.g., in QFT.

Kombination von Styrol‐ und Dien‐Struktur zu einem zyklischen Dien: Anionische Polymerisation von 1‐Vinylcyclohexen (VCH)

AbstractWir berichten über die erste anionische Polymerisation von 1‐Vinylcyclohexen (VCH). Diese Struktur kann als eine Kombination von Dien und Styrol betrachtet werden. Die Polymerisation dieses zyklischen, 1,2‐disubstituierten 1,3‐Diens verlief quantitativ in Cyclohexan bei 25 °C mit sec‐Butyllithium als Initiator. Die erhaltenen Polymere wiesen gut kontrollierte Molekulargewichte im Bereich von 5 bis 142 kg mol−1 auf, die durch das molare Verhältnis von Monomer und Initiator einstellbar waren, mit engen Molekulargewichtsverteilungen (Đ<1.07–1.20). Die kinetische in situ Untersuchung der Polymerisation mittels 1H NMR ergab eine schwach ausgeprägte Gradientenstruktur für die Copolymere von Styrol und VCH (rSty=2.55, rVCH=0.39). PVCH, das in Cyclohexan mit sec‐BuLi als Initiator erhalten wurde, zeigte sowohl 1,4‐ als auch 3,4‐Einbau von VCH (Verhältnis: 64 : 36). Es wurde weiterhin gezeigt, dass die Mikrostruktur des resultierenden PVCH durch Zugabe eines polaren Additivs (THF) verändert werden kann, was zu einem erhöhten Anteil der 3,4‐Mikrostruktur (bis zu 78 %) und einer erhöhten Glasübergangstemperatur von bis zu 89 °C führte. Somit polymerisiert das Monomer VCH carbanionisch lebend wie ein Dien, liefert dabei jedoch recht rigide Polymere mit hoher Glasübergangstemperatur, was interessante Möglichkeiten für die Kombination mit anderen Dienen zu hoch definierten Polymerarchitekturen und Materialien bietet.

Merging Styrene and Diene Structures to a Cyclic Diene: Anionic Polymerization of 1-Vinylcyclohexene (VCH).

We report the first anionic polymerization of 1-vinylcyclohexene (VCH). This structure may be considered as an intermediate between dienes and styrene. The polymerization of this cyclic 1,2-disubstituted 1,3-diene proceeded quantitatively in cyclohexane at 25 °C with sec-butyllithium as an initiator. The obtained polymers have well-controlled molecular weights in the range of 5 to 142 kg mol-1 , controlled by the molar ratio of monomer and initiator, with narrow molecular weight distributions (Đ<1.07-1.20). In situ 1 H NMR kinetic characterization revealed a weak gradient structure for the copolymers of styrene and VCH, (rSty =2.55, rVCH =0.39). P(VCH) obtained in cyclohexane with sec-BuLi as an initiator showed both 1,4- and 3,4-incorporation mode (ratio: 64 : 36). It was demonstrated that the microstructure of the resulting P(VCH) can be altered by the addition of a modifier (THF), resulting in increasing 3,4-microstructure (up to 78 %) and elevated glass-transition temperature up to 89 °C. Thus, the monomer VCH polymerizes carbanionically like a diene, however leading to rigid polymers with high glass transition temperature, which provides interesting options for combination with other dienes to well-defined polymer architectures and materials.

Effects of weak connecting structure on penetration performance of free-flight rocket

The strength of connection between the rocket engine and the warhead has a certain relationship with the warhead’s ballistic characteristics and structural response. In this paper, the effects of weak connecting structure on the penetration performance of the free-flight (unguided) rockets is studied by numerical simulation and experiment. The oblique penetration of free-flight rockets with different connecting structures into armour plates is numerically simulated, the rockets’ deflection in the penetration process is analysed, and the effects of the weak connecting structure on the warhead’s structural integrity are evaluated according to the deformation of the warhead tail. The oblique penetration test of free-flight rocket is designed, and the simulation results under low impact velocities are verified. The research shows that the influence of the length of the weak connecting structure on the tail deformation of the warhead varies at different impact velocities. It is better to use direct connection between the engine and the warhead at high impact velocities, and the weak connecting structure performs better at low impact velocities.

Effect of Floating Column in High Rise Building: A Review

The usage of floating columns for additional space is a recent trend that caters to functional needs. The architectural feature known as the floating column responds poorly to earthquakes. As a result, it should be avoided in areas prone to earthquakes. Earthquakes affect mostly where there is a weak structure; in modern buildings, apertures are widespread for lifts, lighting, and other architectural features. This review displays the results of numerous research studies. Different researchers used various floating column locations across the structure. The main goal of research conducted by various researchers is to compare structures with floating columns and without floating columns. The evaluation is done to see if the building is on the side that is safer or if it is subjected to lateral effects. This review on floating columns examines the behavior and impact on the structure as well as possible mitigation measures.

Genome wide association studies and candidate gene mining for understanding the genetic basis of straw silica content in a set of Oryza nivara (Sharma et Shastry) accessions.

Rice is a high-silica (SiO2·nH2O) accumulator. Silicon (Si) is designated as a beneficial element associated with multiple positive effects on crops. However, the presence of high silica content is detrimental to rice straw management, hampering its use as animal feed and as raw material in multiple industries. Rice straw management is a serious concern in north-western India, and it is eventually burned in situ by farmers, contributing to air pollution. A practical solution could lie in reducing the silica content in rice while also attaining sound plant growth. A set of 258 Oryza nivara accessions along with 25 cultivated varieties of Oryza sativa was used to assess the variation in straw silica content using the molybdenum blue colorimetry method. A large continuous variation was observed for straw silica content in O. nivara accessions, ranging from 5.08% to 16%, while it varied from 6.18% to 15.81% in the cultivated varieties. The O. nivara accessions containing 43%-54% lower straw silica content than the currently prominent cultivated varieties in the region were identified. A set of 22,528 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among 258 O. nivara accessions was used for estimating population structure and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A weak population structure with 59% admixtures was identified among O. nivara accessions. Further, multi-locus GWAS revealed the presence of 14 marker-trait associations (MTAs) for straw silica content, with six of them co-localizing with previously reported quantitative trait loci (QTL). Twelve out of 14 MTAs showed statistically significant allelic differences. Thorough candidate gene analyses revealed the presence of promising candidate genes, including those encoding the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, Casparian thickening, multi-drug and toxin extrusion (MATE) protein, F-box, and MYB-transcription factors. Besides, ortho-QTLs among rice and maize genomes were identified, which could open ways for further genetic analysis of this trait. The findings of the study could aid in further understanding and characterizing genes for Si transport and regulation in the plant body. The donors carrying the alleles for lower straw silica content can be used in further marker-assisted breeding programs to develop rice varieties with lower silica content and higher yield potential.

Quantitative structured illumination microscopy via a physical model-based background filtering algorithm reveals actin dynamics

Despite the prevalence of superresolution (SR) microscopy, quantitative live-cell SR imaging that maintains the completeness of delicate structures and the linearity of fluorescence signals remains an uncharted territory. Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is the ideal tool for live-cell SR imaging. However, it suffers from an out-of-focus background that leads to reconstruction artifacts. Previous post hoc background suppression methods are prone to human bias, fail at densely labeled structures, and are nonlinear. Here, we propose a physical model-based Background Filtering method for living cell SR imaging combined with the 2D-SIM reconstruction procedure (BF-SIM). BF-SIM helps preserve intricate and weak structures down to sub-70 nm resolution while maintaining signal linearity, which allows for the discovery of dynamic actin structures that, to the best of our knowledge, have not been previously monitored.

Comparison Of Clustering Levels Of The Learning Burnout Of Students Using The Fuzzy C-Means And K-Means Methods

Learning burnout is an impact from work done in a manner Keep going continuously, causing fatigue physical and emotional. If boredom study no handled, got cause students no productive and inhibits potency student . So from that study this proposed method clustering for group level saturation study students. The clustering process in research this use Fuzzy C-Means and K-Means. According to the previous study, Fuzzy C-Means and K-Means can produce results in the best clusters. Destination of study this is to compare performance from method Fuzzy C-Means and K-Means. The dataset used in this study is the boredom of students. Testing was conducted with the use amount clusters 3,4,5. Test results system with method Fuzzy C-Means get score Meanwhile, the global silhouette coefficient is 0.278 for K-Means results testing get score The global silhouette coefficient is 0.287. Temporary for results Davies Bouldin Index, methods Fuzzy C-Means get score 0.224and the K-Means method get value 0.384 of value, the Fuzzy C-Means generates more clusters _ good from K-Means. However both of them have weak structure _ because some data has data distance between one more clusters far from distance between different data clusters, so that creates that data worth.