39506 research outputs found
Sort by
Teaching and learning with instructional humor: a review of five-decades research and further direction
No full textThe discussion about how to use instructional humor in class to promote teaching and learning efficiency has always been a concern of researchers in recent decades. The present project summarizes extant studies on instructional humor and provides a detailed review of research findings. First, the definition and classification of instructional humor are overviewed. Then, the study introduces three theoretical
frameworks, namely Instructional Humor Processing Theory (IHPT) and other two alternative models, which, respectively, based on Self-Determination Theory
(SDT) or from an integrative perspective of cognition and affection, explaining how humor works in education settings. Based on the theoretical clarification of instructional humor, the paper further reviews existing empirical evidence regarding teachers’ use of humor in class and its impact on students’ learning, with emphasis on explaining inconsistencies in previous conclusions and identifying limitations in extant relevant works. The detailed analysis and comparison of previous results regarding instructional humor offer potential directions for further relevant research. Finally, the study concludes with feasible advice for teachers to maximize the positive benefits of humor in class
Effects of BAP and GA3 on Micropropagation of Vanilla planifolia
No full textVanilla planifolia Andr. is an orchid species belonging to the Orchidaceae family, valued for the pleasant
fragrance of its fruits or pods, which are widely utilized in the food industry, beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, cosmetics, perfumery, and pharmaceuticals. Typically, the propagation method of V. planifolia via stem cuttings is considered inefficient for planting materials production on an industrial scale due to limited planting supplies, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Hence, this research focuses on the rapid multiplication of V. planifolia in vitro to enhance and provide enough planting materials. A nodal segment with one node of approximately 1.0 cm from six months of healthy plants was selected as an explant. The explants were sterilized with a detergent solution and Clorox before being cultured into media containing MS medium supplemented with 30 g/L sucrose, added with different concentrations (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mg/L) of BAP and GA3 applied singly. The cultures were maintained in the culture room at 25 ± 2 ˚C under a 16-hour photoperiod of fluorescent light. The data including the percentage of explants forming shoots (%), shoot length (cm), percentage of root formation (%), root length (cm) and percentage of callus induction (%) were recorded after 30 days of
culture. Results clarified MS medium supplemented with BAP promoted the optimum shoot induction, 100% shoot
formation with the highest mean shoot length, 2.0 cm and better callus formation, 13%. Meanwhile, the MS basal medium
is considered the best condition for rooting in vitro plantlets, 66% root formation with 2.0 cm root length. The present findings provide significant knowledge on establishing the optimum procedure for micropropagation of V. planifolia
Phylogeny of Southeast Asian Mapania (Cyperaceae: Mapanioideae) using chloroplast sequence data
Get PDFMapania (Cyperaceae) is a pantropical genus associated with the forest understorey. Its evolutionary history and species delimitation are poorly known in Southeast Asia. To address this lack of knowledge, DNA sequence data from four chloroplast regions (trnL-F, atpH-F, psbA-trnH, and
trnK-matK) were generated for a number of populations of 15 species of Mapania. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses of the concatenated regions showed a better-resolved phylogeny than previous analyses based on morphological data alone. Mapania bancana was resolved as the sister to the other species of Mapania included in the study. Moreover, this study highlights the need for further investigation of the species limits in this genus. For instance, Mapania cuspidata is retrieved as polyphyletic, and a tentative new species has been detected closely related to Mapania debilis. This study also infers the cradle of the Southeast Asian Mapanias in Borneo, which also holds the largest diversity of the genus in the region. Mapania is still a poorly understood genus that requires further local taxonomic work and more comprehensive fieldwork records
to better assess and protect these species
Analyzing the Relationship Between Environmental Variables, Job Demands, Emotional Fatigue, and Job Stress in the Metal Industry of Southern Peninsular Malaysia
Get PDFOccupational environmental stress significantly impacts employees' efficiency, wellbeing, and safety within the workplace. This study aimed to evaluate such stress in the
metal workplace by scrutinizing environmental factors: temperature, relative humidity, noise, and illuminance. This study employed mixed data collection methods, combining both objective and subjective approaches. Four (4) metal workplaces were conveniently selected, and questionnaires with 159 subjective evaluation items were distributed to 60 respondents. The methods involved collecting empirical data on environmental factors. Pearson correlation and regression analysis revealed a strong correlation between occupational environmental factors and both objective physical
assessments and subjective evaluations. Temperature data exhibited the highest association, followed by relative humidity, noise, and illuminance. Further, a multivariate regression analysis highlighted a robust positive correlation (r=0.834) and a regression value (R2=0.785) between environmental variables and the job stress
level. This study highlights the relationship between job stress levels and their impact on workers in the workplace. It also introduces a new model for predicting
occupational environmental stress at work. In conclusion, this research provides valuable insights for stakeholders by ensuring workplaces align with standards that promote employees' well-being, safety, and physical and psychological health. Such findings facilitate the creation of conducive work environments
Optimization of Photocatalytic Fuel Cell (PFC) and Synthesis of Metal Complexes as Potential Photocatalysts in PFC for Synthetic Methyl Red Dye Degradation
Get PDFPhotocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) is the combination of photocatalysis and fuel cell that can be used to treat wastewater and convert chemical energy to electrical energy simultaneously. Dual-chamber photocatalytic fuel cell (DCPFC) has been reported to have better performance than single-chamber photocatalytic fuel cell (SCPFC) because of the ability to prevent the electron-hole recombination in DCPFC. But there was not many side-by-side studies found in the literature to compare the performance in between SCPFC and DCPFC. This study presents a comprehensive comparison at different parameters between typical SCPFC and DCPFC for the synthetic methyl red dye degradation and power generation under different conditions. The performance of PFC influenced by the electron transfer driven by potential difference between two electrodes. SCPFC system after suffers from the fast recombination of electron-hole pairs. Besides that, the wide band gap of photocatalyst used in PFC has limited the utilization of sunlight hence has unsatisfied performance. The transition metal complexes with smaller band gap are believed to be able to improve the photocatalytic performance when applied as a photocatalyst in PFC. In the present study, a DCPFC setup was setup by separating the photoanode and cathode into two different chambers to prevent the rapid electron-hole recombination. Both types of PFC used ZnO/Zn as photoanode to treat the 10 ppm synthetic methyl red dye solution at pH 4. The DCPFC achieved a highest power generation (132.83 mW/cm2) and 100% dye degradation, significantly outperforming than SCPFC which obtained the highest power generation (60.11 mW/cm2) and 18.93% dye degradation. The ZnO/Zn photoanode could be reused twice in DCPFC but only once in SCPFC. This study highlights the advantages of DCPFC in its’ performance and hence the design can be served as a model for the future reference. The optimized condition of DCPFC: contact time of 5-hour, and 10 ppm initial
dye concentration at pH 3 was then used to test the performance of transition metal complexes as photocatalyst and compared to ZnO photocatalyst while ZnO photocatalyst acted as the standard in this study. Although the calculated band gap of synthesized transition metal complexes was lower compared to ZnO, the power generation and dye degradation efficient of transition metal complexes were lower than that of ZnO. Under the same condition, ZnO showed highest power generation of 172.75 mW/cm2 with 100% dye degradation while the highest power generation among transition metal complexes was only 120.96 mW/cm2 with 73.23% dye degradation performed by tris(acetylacetonato) Cobalt(III) [Co(acac)3]. Low stability was deduced to be the reason of the low performance of transition metal complexes as photocatalyst
Landscape-level human disturbance results in loss and contraction of mammalian populations in tropical forests
Get PDFTropical forests hold most of Earth’s biodiversity and a higher concentration of threatened mammals than other biomes. As a result, some mammal species persist almost exclusively in protected areas, often within extensively transformed and heavily populated landscapes.
Other species depend on remaining remote forested areas with sparse human populations. However, it remains unclear how mammalian communities in tropical forests respond to
anthropogenic pressures in the broader landscape in which they are embedded. As governments commit to increasing the extent of global protected areas to prevent further biodiversity loss, identifying the landscape-level conditions supporting wildlife has become essential. Here, we assessed the relationship between mammal communities and anthropogenic threats in the broader landscape. We simultaneously modeled species richness and community occupancy as complementary metrics of community structure, using a state-ofthe-art community model parameterized with a standardized pan-tropical data set of 239 mammal species from 37 forests across 3 continents. Forest loss and fragmentation within a 50-km buffer were associated with reduced occupancy in monitored communities, while
species richness was unaffected by them. In contrast, landscape-scale human density was associated with reduced mammal richness but not occupancy, suggesting that sensitive
species have been extirpated, while remaining taxa are relatively unaffected. Taken together, these results provide evidence of extinction filtering within tropical forests triggered by anthropogenic pressure occurring in the broader landscape. Therefore, existing and new reserves may not achieve the desired biodiversity outcomes without concurrent investment in addressing landscape-scale threats
Overcoming low status or maintaining high status? A multinational examination of the association between socioeconomic status and honour
Get PDFWe examined the relationship between socioeconomic
status (SES) and endorsement of honour. We studied the
SES-honour link in 5 studies (N=13,635) with participants
recruited in different world regions (the Mediterranean and
MENA, East Asian, South-East Asian, and Anglo-Western
regions) using measures that tap into various different
facets of honour. Findings from these studies revealed
that individuals who subjectively perceived themselves
as belonging to a higher (vs. lower) SES endorsed various
facets of honour more strongly (i.e. defence of family
honour values and concerns, self-promotion and retaliation
values, masculine honour beliefs, emphasis on personal and
family social image, the so-called street code). We discuss
implications of these findings for the cultural dynamics
linked to SE
Prevalence, risk factors and association with gallstone disease of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among rural indigenous communities : A cross-sectional study in Sarawak, Malaysia
Get PDFIntroduction: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among Dayak communities in Malaysia, shedding light on an underexplored population.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken among Dayak villagers in Sarawak aged 18 years and above using an interview-based questionnaire, followed by an anthropometric measurement, a blood test and an abdominal ultrasound.
Results: A total of 324 participants met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 42.9% were men, and the mean age was 49.85±14.9 years. The prevalence of NAFLD was substantially high at 58%, with 43.1% of the participants having mild fatty liver (grade 1). NAFLD was closely associated with waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) (P<0.001). Central obesity, as indicated by waist circumference and BMI, emerged as a potent risk factor, with higher values correlating with an increased likelihood of NAFLD. A higher prevalence of NAFLD was observed in the participants with an advancing age, an elevated triglyceride level (66.7%) and a lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (81.6%). However, these associations did not remain significant in the multivariate analysis. Gallstones, which share common risk factors with NAFLD, were not significantly associated with NAFLD in this population (P=0.853).
Conclusion: This study defines the prevalence and association of NAFLD with sociodemographic characteristics, health profiles and gallstone disease among indigenous villages in Dayak communities. A high BMI and central obesity are found to be independent risk factors of NAFLD
A Systematic Review of Metaheuristic Algorithms in Human Activity Recognition : Applications, Trends, and Challenges
Get PDFMetaheuristic algorithms have emerged as promising techniques for optimizing human activity recognition (HAR) systems. This systematic review examines the application of these algorithms in HAR by analyzing relevant literature published between 2019 and 2024. A comprehensive search across multiple databases yielded 27 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The analysis revealed that Genetic Algorithms (GA) exhibit classification accuracy rates ranging from 88.25% to 96.00% in activity recognition and up to 90.63% in localization tasks. Notably, Oppositional and Chaos Particle Swarm Optimization (OCPSO) combined with MI-1DCNN significantly improves detection accuracy, demonstrating a 2.82% improvement over standard PSO with Support Vector Machine (SVM) as classifier approaches. Our analysis highlights a growing trend toward hybrid metaheuristic approaches that enhance feature selection and classifier optimization. However, challenges related to computational cost and scalability persist, underscoring key areas for future research. These findings emphasize the potential of metaheuristic algorithms to significantly advance HAR. Future studies should explore the development of more computationally efficient hybrid models and the integration of metaheuristic optimization with deep learning architectures to enhance system robustness and adaptability
Conclusions and future prospects
No full textNutrient and color pollutants have increased in parallel with population growth and rapid development in Industry Revolution 4.0. Managing and recovering the nutrients, as well as color removal from wastewater, is essential to achieving sustainable development goals. Economically feasible, technically viable and socially feasible nutrient recovery and color removal strategies from wastewater must be established for safe and clean water in the future