The Effects of the Work Environment on the Employees Optimal Performance: A Study of Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo

The study sought to investigate the effects of the work environment on the employees’optimal performance in Ebonyi State College of Education,Ikwo,as one of government organizations.The research design for this study was the survey research design to assess the relationship between the work environment and the employee’s performance in Ebonyi State College of Education.Thus,the population of the study comprised all employees of the college.The college which has total staff strength of 493 employees and seven management members making total of 500 was used as the study area.In an attempt to realize the objectives of the study,222 questionnaires were administered to both the management team and the employees of Ebonyi State College of Education.In order to ensure that all the strata of the population were fairly represented and all cases within each stratum had equal chance of being selected,stratified random sampling was used to select a sample of 215 employees and seven members of the management team for this research.A response rate of 78%was achieved.The data collected from both employees and managers was analyzed,using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions and t-test statistics to test the hypotheses at alpha level of 0.05 significance.It was found that each of the components that define the work environment were statistically significant to performance of the college.However,the social work environment of employees of the college was the most conducive work environment in the institution and the psychological environment of the college was least conducive.In the end,the work environment of the Ebonyi State College of Education,Ikwo,was statistically significant to the performance of employees of the college.It was among other things recommended that for the performance of staff of the college to be enhanced,the college managers must improve its psychological environment so as to improve the psychological health of its employees.

Current Situation and Implementation Paths of International Understanding Education in Local Application-oriented Universities

It is urgent and necessary to implement international understanding education in local application-oriented colleges and universities.Improving the international competitiveness of talents and cultivating global citizens is one of the goals of higher education.This paper discussed the problems of international understanding education in local application-oriented colleges and universities,including weak policy orientation,insufficient practical exploration,aphasia of national culture,etc.It is recommended to implement the international understanding education from two ways:subject penetration and project-based professional courses.In addition,the introduction of Chinese culture cannot be ignored to prevent the absence of national culture in cross-cultural communication.

Exploring the Dual Subjectivity of Kindergarten's Self-made Play and Teaching Aids Activities from the Perspective of Children's Play Development in China

The joint development of teachers and young children is the basis for promoting the development of high-quality preschool education in the new era,and encouraging early childhood teachers to make playthings according to local conditions is both the fine tradition of China's early childhood education and the direct orientation of China's preschool education policy.Homemade play and teaching aids are some of the methods often used in kindergartens,which skillfully combine young children's daily life objects with toys and early childhood teaching,not only enriching the collective activities of young children but also cultivating children's abilities in various aspects.Kindergarten homemade"play and teaching aids"for early childhood teachers and children have their special educational significance and value,therefore,this paper is based on the children and teachers double subject basis,discussing the homemade"play and teaching aids"for children and teachers of the double subject meanings,and puts forward the realization of the This paper discusses the double-subjective meaning of homemade teaching aids for children and teachers on the basis of the double-subjective foundation of children and teachers,and puts forward specific suggestions for realizing the double-subjectivity of kindergarten homemade teaching aids to enrich the theoretical value and practical significance of homemade teaching aids,to provide theoretical references and support for the relevant staff.

AMachine Learning Approach to User Profiling for Data Annotation of Online Behavior

The user’s intent to seek online information has been an active area of research in user profiling.User profiling considers user characteristics,behaviors,activities,and preferences to sketch user intentions,interests,and motivations.Determining user characteristics can help capture implicit and explicit preferences and intentions for effective user-centric and customized content presentation.The user’s complete online experience in seeking information is a blend of activities such as searching,verifying,and sharing it on social platforms.However,a combination of multiple behaviors in profiling users has yet to be considered.This research takes a novel approach and explores user intent types based on multidimensional online behavior in information acquisition.This research explores information search,verification,and dissemination behavior and identifies diverse types of users based on their online engagement using machine learning.The research proposes a generic user profile template that explains the user characteristics based on the internet experience and uses it as ground truth for data annotation.User feedback is based on online behavior and practices collected by using a survey method.The participants include both males and females from different occupation sectors and different ages.The data collected is subject to feature engineering,and the significant features are presented to unsupervised machine learning methods to identify user intent classes or profiles and their characteristics.Different techniques are evaluated,and the K-Mean clustering method successfully generates five user groups observing different user characteristics with an average silhouette of 0.36 and a distortion score of 1136.Feature average is computed to identify user intent type characteristics.The user intent classes are then further generalized to create a user intent template with an Inter-Rater Reliability of 75%.This research successfully extracts different user types based on their preferences in online content,platforms,criteria,and frequency.The study also validates the proposed template on user feedback data through Inter-Rater Agreement process using an external human rater.

Synaptic Transmission of Primary Hippocampal Neurons was Enhanced after Terahertz Waves Exposure

Terahertz(THz)waves,also known as T-rays,encompass frequencies ranging from 0.1 to 10 THz and possess unique properties that render them applicable in various biomedical domains,particularly in neurobiology[1].Synaptic transmission,the process through which signals propagate between neurons at synapses,is pivotal for brain function and information processing.

A Prospective Study on Evaluating the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Vaccination from Birth to 13 Years Old in Kuwait

Background: To prevent infectious diseases and deaths of children, vaccinations play a crucial role in public health strategies in Kuwait. However, it remained uncertain to demonstrate the potential long-term health outcomes of vaccination, including neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) and autism. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term health outcomes of vaccination among Kuwait children from birth to thirteen years old. Objectives: This study included the significant objectives: (1) to compare long-term health effects, including chronic and acute conditions for unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and vaccinated children, and (2) to evaluate the association of vaccination with the neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) and autism, and the preventable illnesses. Methods: This prospective study involved a sample of 976 children from Kuwait based on mothers’ reporting. Data collection about the vaccination status of children and various health outcomes relevant to chronic and acute illnesses was performed based on structured questionnaires through an online survey. However, participants were classified into unvaccinated (n = 40), partially vaccinated (n = 222), and fully vaccinated (n = 714). Statistical analyses, including the chi-square test, Odds Ratios (OR), 95% Confidence Interval (CI), and logistic regression, were performed using SAS (Version 9.4) to determine the associations between vaccination status and health outcomes among children. Results: The study disclosed that vaccinated children showed an increased diagnosis of chronic (allergic rhinitis, allergies, autism spectrum, eczema, neuro-developmental disorders, learning disability, ADHD, and any chronic condition) and acute (whooping cough, pneumonia, rubella, hepatitis A or B, measles, mumps, meningitis, influenza, rotavirus, cancer, chronic fatigue, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, conduct disorder, diabetes type 1 or 2, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, seizures, hearing loss, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, and depression) illnesses than unvaccinated children. The fully vaccinated children showed an increased prevalence of influenza diagnosis, while partially vaccinated children were more likely to be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis than unvaccinated children. In contrast, unvaccinated were more likely to have been diagnosed with chickenpox and encephalopathy than fully and partially vaccinated. Males with chronic and acute conditions had a lower incidence of allergies and pneumonia, respectively, whereas females had a reduced prevalence of acute illnesses, such as whooping cough, inflammatory bowel disease, and hepatitis A or B among vaccinated (n = 936;combination of partially vaccinated and fully vaccinated) children. Regarding medication use and health service applications, vaccinated children were more likely to use medications for fever, antibiotics, and allergies. In addition, they showed an increased rate of sick visits and emergency visits in the past twelve months. On the other hand, factors like age (2 - 5 years, 6 - 9 years, and 10 - 13 years), birth type (cesarian), and mother suffering during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) were significantly associated with NDD (learning disability, autism spectrum, and attention deficient hyperactivity disorder) in the adjusted analysis. In the interaction model of age and birth type, age (6 - 9 years;OR 5.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 25.3) and mother suffering (gestational diabetes;OR 2.5, 95% CI: 1.2, 5.2) during pregnancy were associated with NDD. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that there are some cases where the infection rate is higher among the vaccinated compared to unvaccinated children, or there are no significant differences between the two groups in Kuwait. Upon controlling the factors in the interaction model, the age of 6 to 9 years and gestational diabetic mothers during pregnancy were associated with the synergistic increment of odds with NDD. These data findings are recommended to verify a larger and diverse group of samples to optimize the vaccination on health outcomes in Kuwait children.

The Effects of Disruptive Thinking on the Food Industry*

This study aimed to understand disruptive thinking and how its ideas can change the food industry. This was achieved by identifying, studying, and understanding the impacts, current trends, and different disruptive ideas and innovations emerging in the food industry. The study was conducted through interpretive research philosophy by carrying out secondary data collection processes, where both qualitative and quantitative information was presented. Deductive approaches were also selected to apply existing theories and models, which were used to construct research hypotheses and present detailed findings. The study finds that, with disruptive thinking, enhancements in the product life cycle, new flavors, and improvements in food packaging have been possible. The supply chain, which is always considered a complex part of the food industry, has been streamlined, offering greater transparency and real-time tracking and improving quality control across distribution systems.

How University Athletics Can Impact Mental Health among Student Athletes at the University of Evansville

In recent years, the NCAA student athlete population in the United States has surpassed 500,000, and is continuing to rise each year [1]. These student athletes work their entire lives academically and athletically to reach the ultimate goal: competing in university athletics. However, when these athletes reach university, they are met with non-stop training, homework, exams, and evolving social lives. We have conducted a study at the University of Evansville evaluating how participation in university athletics may impact mental health status among these student athletes, as well as measuring players’ awareness of accessible mental health resources. Over fifty percent of participants reported experiencing at least one mental health condition while competing in their sport;eighty percent reported having knowledge of the mental health resources available to them on campus, however, nearly thirty percent of those knowledgeable reported not knowing how to access these resources. This has indicated a gap in awareness and utilization of mental health resources among student athletes at the University of Evansville.

Considerations for the use of porcine organ donation models in preclinical organ donor intervention research

Use of animal models in preclinical transplant research is essential to the optimization of human allografts for clinical transplantation.Animal models of organ donation and preservation help to advance and improve technical elements of solid organ recovery and facilitate research of ischemia-reperfusion injury,organ preservation strategies,and future donor-based interventions.Important considerations include cost,public opinion regarding the conduct of animal research,translational value,and relevance of the animal model for clinical practice.We present an overview of two porcine models of organ donation:donation following brain death(DBD)and donation following circulatory death(DCD).The cardiovascular anatomy and physiology of pigs closely resembles those of humans,making this species the most appropriate for pre-clinical research.Pigs are also considered a potential source of organs for human heart and kidney xenotransplantation.It is imperative to minimize animal loss during procedures that are surgically complex.We present our experience with these models and describe in detail the use cases,procedural approach,challenges,alternatives,and limitations of each model.

Evidence for the Reliability and Validity of the Arabic Version of the Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors (SRSS-IE)

School-based universal screening for behavioral/emotional risk is a necessary first step to providing services in an educational setting for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs). Psychometric properties are critical to making decisions about choosing a screening instrument. The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the student risk screening scale for internalizing and externalizing behaviors (SRSS-IE). Participants included 3145 students and their teachers. Item-level analyses of the current sample supported the retention of all items. The internal consistency of the SRSS items ranged from 0.83 to 0.85. Convergent validity between the SRSS-IE and a well-established screening tool, the strength and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), was found for the total score (r = 0.70). Additionally, the results of this study demonstrate strong social validity, suggesting the SRSS-IE to be a useful and functional screening tool. We conclude that the SRSS-IE is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the level of emotional and behavioral difficulties among elementary students.

A Review on the Advancement of Renewable Natural Fiber Hybrid Composites: Prospects, Challenges, and Industrial Applications

Naturalfibre(NFR)reinforced functional polymer composites are quickly becoming an indispensable sustainable material in the transportation industry because of their lightweight,lower cost in manufacture,and adaptability to a wide variety of goods.However,the major difficulties of using thesefibres are their existing poor dimensional stability and the extreme hydrophilicity.In assessing the mechanical properties(MP)of composites,the interfacial bonding(IB)happening between the NFR and the polymer matrix(PM)plays an incredibly significant role.When compared to NFR/syntheticfibre hybrid composites,hybrid composites(HC)made up of two separate NFR are less prevalent;yet,these hybrid composites also have the potential to be valuable materials in terms of environmental issues.A new dimension to theflexibility of composites reinforced with NFR is added by the cost-effective manufacture of hybrid composites utilising NFR.The purpose of this study is to offer an over-view of the keyfindings that were presented on hybrid composites.The emphasis was focused on the factors that influence the performance of the naturalfiber composites,diverse approaches to enhancing MP,physical,electri-cal,and thermal characteristics of the HC.HC study in polymer science gains interest for applications in con-struction and automotive industries.

Growth, Development and Yield of Kenaf as Affected by Planting Dates and N Fertilization

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L) consists of various beneficial components like stalks, seeds, leaves, fibers, oils, proteins, allelopathic chemicals, and fiber strands, among other things. Despite the numerous uses of the crop, there is little or no information on optimum agronomic practices such as planting date and N fertilization of the crop in the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana where the crop is widely cultivated by smallholder farmers. Field experiments were therefore carried out in 2020 and repeated during the 2021 cropping season in the study area. The objective of the study was to determine appropriate planting date and N fertilization for increased kenaf productivity. In each year, the treatments consisted of 3 × 5 factorial combinations of three planting dates (1st July, 7th July and 14th July) and five levels of N (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kg/ha) replicated three times. The design of the experiment was a split-plot with the N fertilizer as the main plot and the planting date assigned to sub plot. The results showed that, planting kenaf in early (1st) July or N fertilization at the rate of 60 kg/ha increased plant density, stem height, stem diameter, dry bast and core yields in both cropping seasons.

Effects of Perceived Teacher Support on Student Behavioral Engagement in the Blended Learning Environment:Learning Experience as a Mediator

Blended learning(BL)has been widely adopted to improve students’academic achievements in higher education.However,its success relies mainly on student engagement,which plays an essential role in active learning and provides a rich understanding of students’experiences.The study utilized three self-designed scales-the Teacher Support Scale,Student Engagement Scale,and Student Learning Experience Scale-to gauge and examine the impact and relationship between perceived teacher support,student behavioral engagement,and the intermediary role of learning experiences.A cohort of 899 college students undertaking the obligatory College English course through BL modes across five Chinese universities actively participated by completing a comprehensive questionnaire.The results showed significant correlations between perceived teacher support,learning experience,and behavioral engagement.Perceived teacher support significantly predicted students’behavioral engagement,with socio-affective support exerting the most substantial predictive effects.All predictive effects were partially mediated by learning experience(learning mode,online resources,overall LMS-based learning,interaction with their instructor and peers,and learning outcome).The influence of perceived teacher support on behavioral engagement differed between students who reported the most positive(vs.negative)learning experiences.Suggestions for further research are offered for consideration.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Consultants’ Roles in Improving Value for Money in Public Infrastructure Projects in Ghana

Ghanaian construction projects encounter a number of challenges, including low health, safety, and environmental requirements, poor performance, and time and cost overruns. To provide value for money (VFM) on government infrastructure projects in Ghana, this research assesses the roles of project consultants, specifically architects and quantity surveyors, and highlights important obstacles. A cross-sectional survey design involving architects and quantity surveyors yielded a 96% response rate after 100 questionnaires were distributed. Consultants’ responsibilities also include monitoring standards compliance, providing advice on delays, controlling budgets, and advising on project completion dates. Difficulties encompass a lack of promptness in decision-making, unethical conduct, political pressure, and inadequate focus on contract administration and construction audits. Project urgency, longevity, political clout, timely decision-making, and team experience are important variables that impact VFM. Policy makers and construction management practitioners should take note of the implications for Ghana’s public infrastructure projects.

The Influence of the Implementation of Trade Facilitation Systems on the Time Required for Creating Delivery Orders: A Case Study of Tema Port

This study evaluated the impact of Ghana’s Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), implemented within the National Single Window initiative, on the efficiency of issuing Delivery Orders (DO) at Tema Port. Filling a gap in the existing literature, the research employed a quantitative approach to assess a specific time-related aspect of the cargo clearance process. Employing an Independent t-test on a dataset spanning 2026 Delivery Orders (924 pre-ICUMS and 1102 post-ICUMS) from July 2020 to July 2023, the study investigated ICUMS’s effectiveness in reducing DO issuance time. Results indicate a noteworthy decrease in average DO issuance time, from 11 days pre-implementation to approximately 9 days post-implementation, a reduction validated by statistical analysis through the independent t-test. In light of these findings, the study recommends ongoing refinement of the implementation, reinforcement of trade facilitation measures, and the adoption of best practices from successful global ports. Continuous stakeholder training and regular assessments of ICUMS performance are also endorsed. The study’s implications support the theoretical framework for Single Window systems and carry significant policy implications, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to streamline trade facilitation processes driven by Information Technology. Practically, the results serve as a management tool for stakeholders, highlighting areas for targeted interventions to reduce DO issuance times. Methodologically, this research contributes by applying robust statistical analysis to a specific component within the Time Release Study framework, offering a nuanced understanding of trade facilitation systems’ effectiveness in improving cargo clearance processes.

Analysis of Extreme Temperature Variability in Rwanda

The temperature is one of the most important factors in weather and climate forecasting.Studying its behaviour is crucial to understanding climate variability,which could vary spatially and temporally at local,regional,and global scales.Several recent studies on air temperature findings show that the Earth’s near surface air temperature increased between 0.6℃ and 0.8℃ throughout the twentieth century.Using temperature records from ten meteorological stations,this study examined climate variability in Rwanda from the 1930s to 2014.The air temperature data were collected from Meteo Rwanda.Before making the analysis,the authors used software,such as Excel 2007 and INSTAT to control the quality of the raw data.The analysis of maxima and minima indicated that the trends of maximum air temperature were positive and significant at height meteorological stations,whereas the trends for minimum air temperature were found to be at 10 meteorological stations.For all parameters analysed,Kigali Airport meteorological station indicated the higher significance of the trends.The majority of meteorological stations showed an increase in both hot days and nights,confirming Rwanda’s warming over time.The analysis of average seasonal air temperature showed almost similar trends even though not all were significant.This similarity in trends could be attributed to the fact that Rwanda’s short and long dry seasons coincide with rainy seasons.

Influence of personal and lesson factors on caloric expenditure in physical education

Increasing caloric expenditure in physical education is considered an effective school-based approach to addressing the child obesity epidemic.This study was designed to determine synergistic influences of student characteristics and lesson factors o caloric expenditure in elementary and middle school physical education.Methods:The study used a multi-level design.Level-1 factors included personal characteristics:age,gender,and body mass index.Level-2 factors included lesson length,content,and school level.Based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention age-gender adjusted growth chart,students in 87 classes from 14 elementary and 15 middle schools were pre-screened into "Overweight","Healthy weight",or “Thin” groups.One boy and one girl were randomly selected from each group in each class as data providers(264 elementary and 294 middle school students).Caloric expenditure was measured in 243 physical education lessons using accelerometers.Results:Analysis of variance revealed and hierarchical linear modeling confirmed separate age by body mass index,age by gender,and content by lesson-length interaction effects,suggesting that the personal and lesson factors influenced caloric expenditure independently.Older male and heavier students burned more calories in all lessons.Students burned more calories in 45-60 min sport skill or fitness lessons than in shorter (30 min)or longer(75-90 min)game or multi-activity lessons.Conclusions:The hypothesized cross-level interaction was not observed in the data.Caloric expenditure can be optimized in 45-60 min sport skill or fitness development lessons.It can be recommended that schools adopt 45-60 min lesson length and provide skill and fitness development tasks in physical education to maximize caloric expenditure.Copyright(c)2012,Shanghai University of Sport.Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.All rights reserved.

The Relationship between College Graduate’s Dual Self-Consciousness and Job Search Clarity: The Mediating Role of Perceived Stress

The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between college graduates’dual self-consciousness,job search clarity and perceived stress,and reveal the mediating role of perceived stress between dual self-consciousness and job search clarity.In this study,467 college graduates were investigated using the Dual Self-Consciousness Scale,Job Search Clarity Scale,and Perceived Stress Scale.After controlling for gender,age,and region,the results revealed that:(1)private self-consciousness has a significant positive predictive effect on job search clarity;(2)perceived stress has a significant negative predictive effect on job search clarity;(3)perceived stress plays partial mediation effects between private self-consciousness and job search clarity;(4)perceived stress plays complete mediation effects between public self-consciousness and job search clarity;(5)perceived stress has suppressing effects between public self-consciousness and job search clarity.

Effects of land-use types and the exotic species,Hypochaeris radicata,on plant diversity in human-transformed landscapes of the biosphere reserve,Jeju Island,Korea

Land-use and plant invasion influence biodiversity.Understanding the effects of land-use types and invasive plants on the ecosystem is crucial for better management and the development of strategic plans for increasing biodiversity in Jeju Island,Korea,a designated Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Education,Scientific,and Cultural Organization.The effect of the most dominant invasive exotic species,Hypochaeris radicata,on the four land-use types of Jeju Island was investigated.Plant composition,soil characteristics,and plant diversity among four land-use types(cropland,green space,neglected land,and residential)were compared.Among the land-use types,croplands had the most diverse plant composition and the highest richness in exotic and native plant species.Croplands,such as tangerine orchards,which are widely distributed throughout Jeju Island,showed the highest plant diversity because of medium intensity disturbance caused by weed removal.The relative cover of H.radicata did not differ between land-use types.However,H.radicata invasion was negatively related with plant species richness,making this invasive species a threat to the biodiversity of native herbs present in land-use areas.H.radicata adapts to areas with a broad range of soil properties and a variety of land-use types.Therefore,it is crucial to monitor land-use types and patterns of plant invasion to guide the implementation of consistent management and conservation strategies for maintaining ecosystem integrity of the transformed habitat in Jeju Island.