Digital Commons Network^™

Do Games Reduce Math Anxiety? A Meta-Analysis, Pierpaolo Dondio, Viacheslav Filonenko, Mariana Rocha

Articles

In this paper, we meta-analyse the empirical evidence about the effectiveness of game-based interventions to reduce students' level of math anxiety. After performing a search for randomised controlled studies relevant to game-based intervention for math anxiety, 16 experimental studies with a total of 686 participants described in 11 peer-review articles met the selection criteria.A random-effects meta-analysis indicated a small and non-significant reduction of math anxiety (mean effect size ES=-0.32, CI=[-0.64,0.01]). The results were moderated by several factors: non-digital games were more effective, while digital games had a negligible mean effect size of $ES=-0.13$, $CI=[-0.33,0.08]$. The effect size was moderated also …

A Multi–Objective Gaining–Sharing Knowledge-Based Optimization Algorithm For Solving Engineering Problems, Nour Elhouda Chalabi, Abdelouahab Attia, Khalid Abdulaziz Alnowibet, Hossam Zawbaa, Hatem Masri, Ali Wagdy Mohamed

Articles

Metaheuristics in recent years has proven its effectiveness; however, robust algorithms that can solve real-world problems are always needed. In this paper, we suggest the first extended version of the recently introduced gaining–sharing knowledge optimization (GSK) algorithm, named multiobjective gaining–sharing knowledge optimization (MOGSK), to deal with multiobjective optimization problems (MOPs). MOGSK employs an external archive population to store the nondominated solutions generated thus far, with the aim of guiding the solutions during the exploration process. Furthermore, fast nondominated sorting with crowding distance was incorporated to sustain the diversity of the solutions and ensure the convergence towards the Pareto optimal set, …

Assessing The Impact Of Contact Tracing With An Agent-Based Model For Simulating The Spread Of Covid-19: The Irish Experience, Elizabeth Hunter, Sudipta Saha, Jwenish Kumawat, Ciara Carroll, John Kelleher, Claire Buckley, Conor Mcaloon, Patricia Kearney, Michelle Gilbert, Greg Martin

Articles

Contact tracing is an important tool in managing infectious disease outbreaks and Ireland used a comprehensive contact tracing program to slow the spread of COVID-19. Although the benefits of contact tracing seem obvious, it is difficult to estimate the actual impact contact tracing has on an outbreak because it is hard to separate the effects of contact tracing from other behavioural changes or interventions. To understand the impact contact tracing had in Ireland, we used an agent-based model that is designed to simulate the spread of COVID-19 through Ireland. The model uses real contact tracing data from the first year …

The Potential And Limitations Of Conversational Agents For Chronic Conditions And Well-Being, Ekaterina Uetova, Lucy Hederman, Robert J. Ross, Dympna O'Sullivan

Articles

Conversational agents are becoming more common in the health and wellness domains in part due to assumptions regarding potential improvements in individuals’ outcomes. This paper presents initial findings from a review of conversational agent use in healthcare for chronic conditions and well-being. A search of the literature was performed on electronic databases PubMed, ACM Digital Library, Scopus and IEEE Xplore. Studies were included if they were focused on chronic disorder management, disease prevention or lifestyle change and if systems were tested on target user groups. This paper investigates the health domains, the user profiles and reasons why conversational agents may …

The Effectiveness Of A Developed Unit Based On The Educational Scaffolding Strategy In Improving Visual Thinking Skills And Solving Mathematical Problems Among Fourth Grade Female Students In Palestine, Majed Al-Deeb

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

Abstract: The current study aimed to identify the effectiveness of a developed unit based on the educational scaffolding strategy (EDS) in improving visual thinking skills (VTS) and solving the mathematical problem (SMP) for the fourth-grade female students in Palestine. A quasi-experimental design was used. The tools include a (VTS) test, and an (SMP) test in geometry and measurement. The sample consisted of (82) fourth grade female students divided into two equal groups. The experimental group was taught geometry using the (EDS), while the control group was taught via the normal method. The results of the study showed that there was …

Cognitive Engagement In Learning And Its Relationship To Cognitive Test Anxiety In Online Learning Courses During Coronavirus Pandemic Among University Students, Nafez Bukaiei

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

Abstract: The study aimed to reveal the relationship between cognitive engagement in learning and cognitive test anxiety in online learning courses among students of Faculty of Educational Sciences and Arts / UNRWA in Jordan. It also aimed to identify the level of cognitive engagement in learning and the level of cognitive test anxiety based on the variables of gender, faculty, and school year level. To achieve the study objectives, the researcher used two scales, the first measure was cognitive engagement in learning and the second measure was cognitive test anxiety. The study sample consisted of (n=262) male and female students. …

A Picture Worth A Thousand Words: Factors Influencing Disability Accommodations, Alicia E. Martin

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Because not all disabilities look the same it is difficult to label a person with disabilities just by looking at them. Given that our knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions impact how we interpret our world and our willingness to act, people, including professors, may be biased toward providing accommodations for those with easily recognizable disabilities and biased against those with non-recognizable disabilities, and this may impact the disabled person’s ability to learn. This thesis aims to address whether professors’ disability-related attitudes, perceptions of accommodation reasonableness, and willingness to provide accommodations differ when the disability is recognizable (student is pictured in a …

Hydrologic Outcomes For Ecological Meadow Restoration In The Northern Sierra Nevada, Emma Sevier

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Ecologically functioning meadows provide critical ecosystem services including improving a catchment’s water yield, flood dispersion and attenuation, fostering groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and creating natural fire breaks (Loheide and Booth 2011). Degradation from past and current land use has resulted in incised channels that change the magnitude and timing of watershed and meadow fluxes and cause water table decline. Process-based restoration (PBR) is an approach which leverages fluvial processes to increase restoration efficiency. Though PBR is a promising tool to restore degraded meadow ecosystems, more studies are needed to understand its hydrologic outcomes and whether hydrodynamic modeling can be used as a …

Macrolichen Inventory Of The Horse Mountain Botanical Area, Six Rivers National Forest, California, Usa, Sarah Norvell Conway

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Macrolichen diversity and community composition was determined for an area of high botanical interest in the Coast Ranges of Northern California – the Horse Mountain Botanical Area (HMBA) in Six Rivers National Forest. The Coast Ranges have been suggested to have high epiphytic macrolichen diversity, yet detailed site-specific macrolichen surveys are lacking for the area. Here we present comprehensive data on macrolichens of the HMBA integrated with environmental metadata at the landscape level. Twenty 0.4 ha sampling plots were positioned across the varying habitats of the HMBA and macrolichens were intensively sampled from all substrata. Out of 888 total collections, …

The Effects Of Post-Harvest Residue On Plantation Forest Soils And Early Growth Of Redwood And Douglas-Fir Seedlings In Humboldt County California, Robert W. Raibley

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Forest harvest residue (slash) usefulness has been up for debate among private timberland owners, public land managers, and the timber industry for decades. The disposal of slash, viewed as having low ecological value, has received considerable attention as wildfire risk has made burning it harder. In recent years, forest scientists and ecologists have recognized the importance of decaying wood and its relationship to forest growth and regeneration. At this site in Northern California, we looked at whether forest harvest residue enriches soil near slash windrows through soils coring and lab analyses, looking for primary limited nutrients nitrate (NO₃-N) …

Habitat Selection And Habitat Use Of Gray Foxes (Urocyon Cinereoargenteus) On Trespass Cannabis Grows., Haley-Marie R. Jones

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Trespass cannabis grow sites, otherwise known as illegal cultivation sites on public lands, are extremely hazardous to the environment and can severely impact wildlife movement and behavior. Trespass grow sites are dangerous to wildlife as they negatively impact the quality of habitat and wildlife behavior through habitat modification, pesticide use, discarding of trash, and poaching on national forests. I researched gray fox habitat selection and habitat use at six different grow sites in the Klamath National Forest and Shasta-Trinity National Forest in northwestern California. I deployed GPS collars on three gray foxes at two of those grow sites and three …

Seasonal Growth, Movement, And Survival Of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) Utilizing Restored Rearing Habitat, Monica S. Tonty

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Scott River supports the most robust population of threatened Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch remaining in the Klamath River basin. Even in the Scott River, low quality and restricted extent of juvenile rearing habitat limits the Coho Salmon population to a small fraction of historic abundance. To support persistence and recovery of Scott River Coho Salmon, the Scott River Watershed Council (SRWC) has constructed a portfolio of restoration projects to improve juvenile rearing habitat, including beaver dam analogs (BDAs). The Scott River BDAs were the first implemented anywhere in California. This study compares juvenile Coho Salmon responses associated with production …

Attitude, Perception And Practice Towards Pleasure Reading Among University Students: A Case Study, Md. Sakib Biswas

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study investigates the attitudes, perceptions and practices of pleasure reading among the undergraduate and graduate students of Dhaka University. Undergraduate and Graduate students under three major faculties i.e. Arts and Social Sciences; Business Studies; and Science, Engineering & Technology have been selected to participate in this survey. A total of 300 questionnaires have been distributed among the interested participants and the libraries of the concerned faculties were selected for selecting respondents randomly. Systematic random sampling method has been deployed for the convenient of the study. Data analysis has been done using SPSS Version 25 and MS Excel. The study …

Enhancing The Master Of Library And Information Science Curriculum Towards The Improvement Of The Librarian’S 21st Century Skills In The Workplace, David A. Cabonero, Rosielyn M. Austria, Regina D. Ramel

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study was conducted to describe: 1) the graduates of the Master in Library and Information Science (MLIS) program in terms of socio-demographic, academic, and professional examination achievements profiles; 2) the employment conditions of the Saint Mary's University (SMU) Library and Information Science (LIS) graduates employment after graduation and current employment; and 3) the extent of skills learned from the program in terms of a) creativity and innovation skills, b) critical thinking and problem-solving skills, c) communication and collaboration skills, d) information, media, and technology skills, and e) life and career skills. The study utilized a descriptive method of research …

Influence Of Advocacy And Awareness Programmes On Use Of Digital Library Resources And Services By Postgraduate Students In Three Federal Universities In South-West, Nigeria, Temitope Abegunde, Olalekan Abiola Awujoola, Mary Love Bamidele

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Digital Library Resources and Services (DLRS) are the modern advancement in information technology. These resources help to get precise and current information, especially for postgraduates who depend largely on digital resources for information to enhance their leaning, research as well as to collaborate with other scholars all over the globe for intellectual advancement. Many federal universities do not organise effective awareness and advocacy programmes to get enough digital library resources by postgraduates. Thus, this study investigates advocacy and awareness programmes on use of digital library resources and services by postgraduates in federal universities in South-west, Nigeria. The descriptive survey design …

Use Of Search Engines As Predictors Of Research Skills Of Postgraduate Students In Library Schools: A Case Study Of South-West, Nigeria, Ayansewa Adeleke Adedeji

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Research skills have become so imperative that it is not only needed to write technical research documents like dissertations and theses, but it is also needed after postgraduate studies for research productivity as well as for research and development. Information resources are highly needed when conducting research, which is an indication that the ability to use information resources like search engines could influence research skills. This study examines the use of search engines by postgraduate students in selected library schools in South-West, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design of the correlational type was adopted for this study. The population comprises …

Using New Assessment Tools During And Post-Covid-19, Gbolahan Olasina

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This work tackles the need to evaluate and identify fresh assessment techniques utilized in LIS education during and after the COVID-19 epidemic. It investigates the impact of digital media, feedback, formative assessments, and concerns such as cheating and authenticity, providing critical insights for future assessment practises in the post-pandemic period. Accordingly, there is a pressing need to employ new assessment tools post-pandemic to adapt to online and hybrid learning challenges. This qualitative study investigates complex social phenomena in higher education assessments by exploring behaviours, preferences, beliefs, customs, attitudes, viewpoints, and experiences. Twelve LIS instructors, 6 teaching and learning administrators, and …

Research In Library Herald During 2017-2021 : A Bibliometric Analysis, Sangram Haldar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Bibliometric analysis of research papers, articles, etc., has gained increasing importance in Library and Information Science to analyze the publication patterns, authorship patterns, and citation patterns of research papers published within a defined period. Bibliometric analysis is essential for library professionals in the collection development process. This paper intends to analyze the articles published in the journal 'Library Herald' from 2017 to 2021 with the help of different statistical tools and techniques. The results indicate most of the contributions by two authors and one article by six authors and the overall degree of collaboration among authors is 0.62. The study …

Research Collaboration Analysis Among The Faculty Members Of Vidyasagar University During 1998-2022: A Bibliometric Study, Manoj Kumar Mandal

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Vidyasagar University, named after Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar was established as a state university in 1981. This university is known for research excellence in fields like science and technology, besides other branches of social sciences. This paper attempts to analyse the research collaboration among the faculty members of Vidyasagar University during 1998 to 2022 through bibliometric analysis. To this end, the paper extracted the data from Scopus database for the publications of the faculty members of Vidyasagar University during the said period. To analyse the data and visualise the research aspects Bibliometrix R package, Bibexcel, MS Excel and VOSviewer were …

Robots And Reference Services, Abdullahi Olayinka Isiaka, Biliamin Abiola Aremu, Abdulfatai Soliu, Fahisat Romoke Isiaq

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

This paper explores the integration of robots into reference services in various library and information settings. The use of robots in these contexts has gained momentum in recent years, offering innovative solutions to enhance user experiences, improve access to information, and expand the capabilities of reference librarians. This paper reviews the current state of robots in reference services, discusses their potential benefits and challenges, and examines case studies to illustrate their practical applications. Furthermore, it offers insights into the future prospects and ethical considerations associated with the integration of robots in this domain. This paper delves into the fascinating …

Controversies And Progress On Standardization Of Large-Scale Brain Network Nomenclature, Lucina Q. Uddin, Evan M. Gordon, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Progress in scientific disciplines is accompanied by standardization of terminology. Network neuroscience, at the level of macroscale organization of the brain, is beginning to confront the challenges associated with developing a taxonomy of its fundamental explanatory constructs. The Workgroup for HArmonized Taxonomy of NETworks (WHATNET) was formed in 2020 as an Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM)-endorsed best practices committee to provide recommendations on points of consensus, identify open questions, and highlight areas of ongoing debate in the service of moving the field toward standardized reporting of network neuroscience results. The committee conducted a survey to catalog current practices in …

Open-Source Statistical And Data Processing Tools For Wide-Field Optical Imaging Data In Mice, Lindsey M. Brier, Joseph P. Culver

2020-Current year OA Pubs

SIGNIFICANCE: Wide-field optical imaging (WOI) can produce concurrent hemodynamic and cell-specific calcium recordings across the entire cerebral cortex in animal models. There have been multiple studies using WOI to image mouse models with various environmental or genetic manipulations to understand various diseases. Despite the utility of pursuing mouse WOI alongside human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and the multitude of analysis toolboxes in the fMRI literature, there is not an available open-source, user-friendly data processing and statistical analysis toolbox for WOI data.

AIM: To assemble a MATLAB toolbox for processing WOI data, as described and adapted to combine techniques from …

The Cerebrospinal Fluid Immune Cell Landscape In Animal Models Of Multiple Sclerosis, Gregory F Wu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The fluid compartment surrounding the central nervous system (CNS) is a unique source of immune cells capable of reflecting the pathophysiology of neurologic diseases. While human clinical and experimental studies often employ cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, assessment of CSF in animal models of disease are wholly uncommon, particularly in examining the cellular component. Barriers to routine assessment of CSF in animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS) include limited sample volume, blood contamination, and lack of feasible longitudinal approaches. The few studies characterizing CSF immune cells in animal models of MS are largely outdated, but recent work employing transcriptomics have been …

Impact Of Early Pericardial Fluid Chymase Activation After Cardiac Surgery, Brittany Butts, Lee A Goeddel, Jingyi Zheng, Betty Pat, Pamela Powell, James Mobley, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Chad Steele, David Mcgiffin, James E Davies, James F George, Spencer J Melby, Carlos M Ferrario, Louis J Dell'italia

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Chymase is a highly destructive serine protease rapidly neutralized in the circulation by protease inhibitors. Here we test whether pericardial fluid (PCF) chymase activation and other inflammatory biomarkers determine intensive care unit length of stay, and explore mechanisms of chymase delivery by extracellular vesicles to the heart.

METHODS: PCF was collected from adult patients (17 on-pump; 13 off-pump) 4 h after cardiac surgery. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing chymase were injected into Sprague-Dawley rats to test for their ability to deliver chymase to the heart.

RESULTS: The mean intensive care unit (ICU) stay and mean total length of stay was …

Toward A Computational Theory Of Manifold Untangling: From Global Embedding To Local Flattening, Xin Li, Shuo Wang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

It has been hypothesized that the ventral stream processing for object recognition is based on a mechanism called cortically local subspace untangling. A mathematical abstraction of object recognition by the visual cortex is how to untangle the manifolds associated with different object categories. Such a manifold untangling problem is closely related to the celebrated kernel trick in metric space. In this paper, we conjecture that there is a more general solution to manifold untangling in the topological space without artificially defining any distance metric. Geometrically, we can either

Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque Segmentation In Multi-Weighted Mri Using A Two-Stage Neural Network: Advantages Of Training With High-Resolution Imaging And Histology, Ran Li, Jie Zheng, Mohamed A Zayed, Jeffrey E Saffitz, Pamela K Woodard, Abhinav K Jha

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: A reliable and automated method to segment and classify carotid artery atherosclerotic plaque components is needed to efficiently analyze multi-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images to allow their integration into patient risk assessment for ischemic stroke. Certain plaque components such as lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC) with hemorrhage suggest a greater likelihood of plaque rupture and stroke event. Assessment for presence and extent of LRNC could assist in directing treatment with impact upon patient outcomes.

METHODS: To address the need to accurately determine the presence and extent of plaque components on carotid plaque MRI, we proposed a two-staged deep-learning-based approach that …

Assessment Of Cochlear Synaptopathy By Electrocochleography To Low Frequencies In A Preclinical Model And Human Subjects, Raymond A Haggerty, Kendall A Hutson, William J Riggs, Kevin D Brown, Harold C Pillsbury, Oliver F Adunka, Craig A Buchman, Douglas C Fitzpatrick

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cochlear synaptopathy is the loss of synapses between the inner hair cells and the auditory nerve despite survival of sensory hair cells. The findings of extensive cochlear synaptopathy in animals after moderate noise exposures challenged the long-held view that hair cells are the cochlear elements most sensitive to insults that lead to hearing loss. However, cochlear synaptopathy has been difficult to identify in humans. We applied novel algorithms to determine hair cell and neural contributions to electrocochleographic (ECochG) recordings from the round window of animal and human subjects. Gerbils with normal hearing provided training and test sets for a deep …

The Actin-Bundling Protein, Pls3, Is Part Of The Mechanoresponsive Machinery That Regulates Osteoblast Mineralization, Samantha M Chin, Carmela Unnold-Cofre, Teri Naismith, Silvia Jansen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Plastin-3 (PLS3) is a calcium-sensitive actin-bundling protein that has recently been linked to the development of childhood-onset osteoporosis. Clinical data suggest that PLS3 mutations lead to a defect in osteoblast function, however the underlying mechanism remains elusive. To investigate the role of PLS3 in bone mineralization, we generated MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast cells that are stably depleted of PLS3. Analysis of osteogenic differentiation of control and PLS3 knockdown (PLS3 KD) cells showed that depletion of PLS3 does not alter the first stage of osteoblast mineralization in which a collagen matrix is deposited, but severely affects the subsequent mineralization of that matrix. During …

An Image-Based Modeling Framework For Predicting Spatiotemporal Brain Cancer Biology Within Individual Patients, Kamila M Bond, Lee Curtin, Sara Ranjbar, Ariana E Afshari, Leland S Hu, Joshua B Rubin, Kristin R Swanson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Imaging is central to the clinical surveillance of brain tumors yet it provides limited insight into a tumor's underlying biology. Machine learning and other mathematical modeling approaches can leverage paired magnetic resonance images and image-localized tissue samples to predict almost any characteristic of a tumor. Image-based modeling takes advantage of the spatial resolution of routine clinical scans and can be applied to measure biological differences within a tumor, changes over time, as well as the variance between patients. This approach is non-invasive and circumvents the intrinsic challenges of inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity that have historically hindered the complete assessment of …

The Purpose Of Cybersecurity Governance In The Digital Transformation Of Public Services And Protecting The Digital Environment, Maad Mijwil, Youssef Filali, Mohammad Aljanabi, Mariem Bounabi, Mariem Bounabi

Mesopotamian Journal of CyberSecurity

As it tries to incorporate computer-based technology into the public services provided by businesses or organisations, the digital transformation process is currently regarded one of the most prominent topics in circulation. Establishing fundamentals and points is necessary for digital transformation, as is relying on a specific set of employee talents and actively incorporating customers in the process's evolution. Cybersecurity has become an increasingly important issue for governments and businesses worldwide, and this shift towards digital services is a top priority for all of them. Accelerating the digital transformation process and the usage of its services are the vulnerabilities to cyberspace, …