Neural network and principal component regression in non-destructive soluble solids content assessment: a comparison

Visible and near infrared spectroscopy is a non-destructive, green, and rapid technology that can be utilized to estimate the components of interest without conditioning it, as compared with classical analytical methods. The objective of this paper is to compare the performance of artificial neural network (ANN) (a nonlinear model) and principal component regression (PCR) (a linear model) based on visible and shortwave near infrared (VIS-SWNIR) (400–1000 nm) spectra in the non-destructive soluble solids content measurement of an apple. First, we used multiplicative scattering correction to pre-process the spectral data. Second, PCR was applied to estimate the optimal number of input variables. Third, the input variables with an optimal amount were used as the inputs of both multiple linear regression and ANN models. The initial weights and the number of hidden neurons were adjusted to optimize the performance of ANN. Findings suggest that the predictive performance of ANN with two hidden neurons outperforms that of PCR.     

Tribological evaluation of refined, bleached and deodorized palm stearin using four-ball tribotester with different normal loads

The effects of the mechanical factors with applied loads on the tribological performance of refined, bleached and deodorised (RBD) palm stearin (PS) were studied using a four-ball tribotester. All the RBD PS results were simultaneously compared with the additive-free paraffinic mineral oil (PMO). The experiments were carried out using different loads with a constant speed in order to gain a better understanding of the mechanical processes that occurred during the experiment. For each experiment, the temperature was increased to 75 °C and was run for 1 h. In a mechanical system, lubricant plays an important role in reducing wear and friction. PS exists as a semi-solid at room temperature after the fractionation process from oil palm. Due to the increasing rate of pollution to the environment, vegetable oil was chosen as the test lubricant with regard to its biodegradability. Other advantages of vegetable oil are that it is more easily harvestable and non-toxic compared to petroleum-based oil, which made it a suitable candidate. From the experiment, RBD PS is found to have a better friction constraint reduction compared with additive-free PMO.     

Large-scale diagnostic assessment: Mathematics performance in two educational systems

A diagnostic methodology for large-scale assessment was employed to compare performance on a national test in mathematics of representative samples of Jewish and Arab 8th graders in Israel in order to shed light on a previously identified large achievement gap between these 2 populations. The results revealed significant differences between the 2 groups in patterns of strengths and weaknesses with respect to content, process, and skill/item-type attributes, indicating different paths for remedial interventions.     

Somatic embryogenesis in wild relatives of cotton （Gossypium Spp.）

Wild cotton species can contribute a valuable gene pool for agronomically desirable cultivated tetraploid cultivars. In order to exploit diploid cotton a regeneration system is required to achieve transformation based goals. The present studies aimed at optimizing the conditions for regeneration of local varieties as well as wild species of cotton. Different callus induction media were tested with varying concentrations of hormones in which sucrose was used as nutritional source. Different explants （hypocotyls, cotyledon, root） were used to check the regeneration of both local cotton plants and wild relatives using T ＆ G medium, BAP medium, CIM medium, EMMS medium, and cell suspension medium. Different stages of embryogenicity such as early torpedo stage, late torpedo stage, heart stage, globular stage and cotyledonary stage were observed in wild relatives of cotton. The results of this study pave the way for establishing future transformation methods.     

Is the ‘Idiot's Box’ raising idiocy? Early and middle childhood television watching and child cognitive outcome

There is widespread belief that exposure to television has harmful effects on children's cognitive development. Most studies that point to a negative correlation between hours of television watching and cognitive outcomes, fail to establish causality. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) we study young children between 5 and 10 years of age during late 1990s and early 2000s. We find strong evidence of negative correlations between hours of television watched and cognitive test scores. However, once parent's characteristics and unobserved child characteristics are taken into account these correlations go away. We find that hours of television viewed per se do not have any measurable impact on children's test scores. Our results are robust to different model specifications and instrumental variable estimates. We conclude that despite the conventional wisdom and the ongoing populist movement, proactive policies to reduce children's television exposure are not likely to improve children's cognitive development and academic performance.     

Perceived Level of Personal Control Over the Work Environment and Employee Satisfaction and Work Performance

The purpose of this article is to provide a review of background information regarding perceived level of personal control over the physical features of the work environment and its impact on individual satisfaction and outcomes. In today's business with the fast growth of technology, e‐market development, and innovative methods of communication, the workplace will continue to change rapidly. To control and accommodate these fast changes while sustaining or enhancing outcomes, organizations have increasingly turned to a model of work teams; therefore, employees’ skills in working within team environments has been emphasized. To guarantee that the work environment itself supports these new approaches of working, flexible workplaces are often suggested. Open‐plan offices offer more flexibility when compared to completely closed and private ones and they are considered to have more capabilities and are, therefore, highly valued in today's industry. Apart from its advantages, open‐plan office design does create some problems due to lack of personal control over the work environment, which can negatively affect employees’ satisfaction and performance. It is, therefore, important to emphasize the significance of personal control over the physical work environment and the impact of that on employees’ satisfaction and outcome.     

Implications of Institutional Repositories on Contributors' Professional and Publishing Practices: A Survey

An institutional repository is a system for dissemination and stewardship of the intellectual life and scholarship of an institution. It has become a new way for the institutions to contribute to the broader world of scholarship (Giesecke, 2011 Giesecke, J. (2011). Institutional repositories: Keys to success. Journal of Library Administration, 51(5–6), 529–542. Retrieved January 3, 2013, from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libraryscience/255[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). In spite of the global recognition of institutional repositories as an open access scholarly communication channel, institutional repositories are still struggling with the problem of non-participation from contributors in developing countries like India. This study conveys the results of a survey conducted at a minority university of India. The study is an expression of the opinion of 542 faculty members and research scholars pertaining to the possible implications of institutional repositories on their professional and publishing practices. The study is undertaken to: Determine the level of awareness of institutional repository among contributors; identify the reasons for participation and non-participation of contributors; examine the implications of institutional repository on contributors professional and publishing practices; analyze the major obstacles/hindrances in the growth of an institutional repository; and suggest measures for better implementation and development of an institutional repository in future. With the help of the statistical techniques such as chi-square test and weighted mean the study resulted that the majority of the contributors are well aware about the concept of institutional repository, the majority of contributors have not deposited in an institutional repository so far, long term preservation of research materials is the first ranked reason for participation in an institutional repository, copyright and plagiarism concern is the main reason behind contributors’ non-participation in institutional repository, increased accessibility of research output is the major implication of the institutional repository on contributors professional practices, saved cost of publishing in a journal is the biggest implication of institutional repository on contributors publishing practices, and contributors demand more control on ownership, access and security in future for an institutional repository. This article is aimed at the institutions that report low-use and low-deposit repositories. It may be used to convince the contributors about the value of institutional repositories, importance of participating in an institutional repository and possible implications on their professional and publishing practices. The study is also intended at the management of the institutions to take notice of the contributors’ demands for future participation and develop policies accordingly for removing major barriers in the growth of institutional repositories and improving contributions and quality of content in the institutional repositories.     

The role of culturally responsive teaching for supporting ethnic diversity in British University Business Schools

Research into cultural differences in higher education is a growing phenomenon, and there is a need to establish a theoretical framework that supports Business Schools in the personalisation of the pedagogical process. This article investigates the role of Business School academics in shaping the pedagogical process that is culturally responsive to the unprecedented diversity in higher education. This article attempts to uncover the pedagogical machinations that govern how academics teach, interact and engage with their culturally and ethnically diverse students. The article argues that University Business Schools should consider a culturally responsive approach when formulating pedagogy, which takes into account prior student experience as part of the student learning. The notion of culturally responsive teaching that shapes this research is influenced by US research on education and diversity. Such a perspective begins with an acceptance of the rights of not only teachers but also learners.