Emerging Science Journal (ESJ)
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Inquiry as a Part of Educational Reality in Technical Education
Get PDFIn the proposed study, the authors focus on the situation in the field of technical education in Slovak primary schools and present the results of an original research study focused on the application of an inquiry-based approach. The main goal of the investigation was to compare the efficiency of using inquiry-based activities in teaching selected topics (Electromagnetism and Electronics) with the efficiency of traditional teaching methods where students follow their teacher's instructions. In the presented research study, carried out in four primary schools, the methods of pedagogical experiment and didactic tests examining students' knowledge on the three levels of Niemierko's taxonomy were used. The authors of the study present their findings regarding the impact of inquiry-based teaching on 6th grade students' knowledge, activity, and motivation. Based on the obtained results, it can be assumed that inquiry-based teaching can lead to better knowledge acquisition, increased student activity, and a higher motivation to learn compared with applying traditional methods of teaching. The results of the t-testconfirmed the significance of differences between the experimental group's and the control group's performance in all three observed fields. The authors believe that the presented findings can contribute to improving the quality of the educational process not only in technical education but in other fields of didactics as well. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-SIED-016 Full Text: PD
A Review on Neutrino Oscillation Probabilities and Sterile Neutrinos
Get PDFIn the past decades, there have been many groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in the field of particle physics. One of the important elementary breakthroughs is the phenomenology of neutrino oscillations. This includes the properties of neutrinos in the Standard Model (SM) and how neutrino oscillations and their properties have been so important in strengthening the SM. Neutrino oscillations also play a vital role in understanding the current nature of our Universe and the way it behaves. There is also a great interest in neutrino oscillations and their connection with dark matter. In this review, we start with the introduction and discuss the theoretical background of neutrino oscillations and some experiments, which are working to detect the properties of neutrinos. Then the fundamentals of neutrino oscillations and their interactions were described. Since there are multiple sources of neutrinos, we have described the three sectors through which we can expect neutrinos to be produced. These are the atmospheric, solar, and reactor sectors. A brief section on the important milestones in neutrino oscillations is included because of the experiments and what they use to detect neutrino properties. Finally, we also include a section on sterile neutrinos since they have been under study for a long time and there is a possibility of them being connected to dark matter interactions. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-02-015 Full Text: PD
Cellulose Microfiber Encapsulated Probiotic: Viability, Acid and Bile Tolerance during Storage at Different Temperature
Get PDFThis work aimed to analyze the physicochemical properties of cellulose from OPT used in the fabrication of CMF and evaluate the efficacy of the hydrogel CMF as an encapsulant for L. fermentum InaCC B1295 stored at room temperature and in the refrigerator. The Kjeldahl method was used to evaluate the protein content; the gravimetric method was used to determine OPT's ash, moisture, and fiber contents; the Soxhlet method was used to determine the fat content carbohydrates were computed using the difference method. The levels of holocellulose, lignin, and cellulose were also determined. Viability, acid and bile resistance of strain B1295 were evaluated at various temperatures for 35 days. The most abundant component of OPT fiber was cellulose, followed by hemicellulose and lignin. XRD examination revealed that OPT cellulose has a crystal index of 83.40%. FTIR analysis was used to detect the stretching vibrations of the –OH group on cellulose at 3419.03 cm-1. CMF hydrogel from OPT sustained L. fermentum InaCC B1295 survival for up to 28 days at room and refrigerated temperatures. At acidic conditions and in the presence of bile, the viability of L. fermentum InaCC B1295 was excellent, with a drop in cell population of less than 0.2 log CFU/g over 35 days at room and refrigerated temperatures. CMF obtained from OPT can be used as an encapsulant to maintain viability, acid resistance and bile of probiotics. There is still a need for research into the usage of CMF from OPT in combination with other encapsulants to extend the storage life of L. fermentum InaCC B1295. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-01-08 Full Text: PD
Superoxide Dismutase Reduces Creatinine and NGAL by Restoring Oxidative Balance during Sepsis
Get PDFSepsis-associated overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) during pathogen infection leads to overwhelming oxidative stress, which has been recognized as a primary contributor to acute kidney injury (AKI). Hence, antioxidant therapy has been widely explored in order to find an effective treatment for sepsis-related AKI, in particular by using endogenous antioxidant – superoxide dismutase (SOD). We assessed the effect of oral SOD on the alteration of AKI biomarkers (creatinine and Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin – NGAL) in endotoxin-induced septic murine. The animals were assigned as a healthy control, a septic control, and three treatment groups (250, 500, and 1000 IU oral SOD). Treatment of SOD was carried out by force-feeding for 16 weeks prior to intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The sepsis was assessed using the murine sepsis score (MSS) after 12 hours post-LPS injection, where the changes in plasma SOD, ROS, NO, creatinine, and NGAL were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). During sepsis, SOD was significantly decreased from its baseline level while other biomarkers were significantly increased (p<0.05) – except for NGAL. MSS exhibited a declining trend in SOD dosage-dependent manner, and was significantly different with that of septic control group at SOD dosage of 1000 IU (p<0.05). SOD treatment with a dosage as low as 250 IU could prevent the abnormal expression of the tested biomarkers during sepsis. There were significant reduction of plasma ROS, NO, creatine and NGAL in rats treated with 1000 IU SOD. Our study suggests the protective effect of SOD against sepsis-induced AKI by scavenging ROS and NO. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-02-06 Full Text: PD
The Role of Economic Policy Uncertainty in Predicting Stock Return Volatility in the Banking Industry: A Big Data Analysis
Get PDFThe research aims to study the effects of economic policy uncertainty on the return volatility of stocks with data from the largest banking institutions in Greece. Volatility is constructed using intraday data, whereas the research period extends over a period of about thirteen years, more specifically from January 5, 2001, to June 30, 2014. This period includes various phases of the market, such as stock market crashes along with stock market booms (e.g. the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 in the United States and the European sovereign debt crisis). The estimated regressions were used to indicate the direct effects of economic policy uncertainty on the return volatility of the stocks of the four large Greek banks. The volatility index is constructed based on intraday data, whereas four different estimators of volatility were used. There is a statistically significant "direct" effect of economic policy uncertainty on the volatility of stock returns of the largest Greek banks, which are (a) Alpha Bank, (b) Eurobank, (c) National Bank of Greece, and (d) Piraeus Bank. Such findings are highly important for specific groups of people, such as investors, policymakers, and regulators. This study is the first research that seeks to identify the effect of economic policy uncertainty on the stock return volatility of the Greek banking system, constructed from intraday data. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-03-011 Full Text: PD
External Features-Based Approach to Date Grading and Analysis with Image Processing
Get PDFThe analysis and classification of dates is based on their external features: size, appearance, shape, and colour. The process is currently performed manually after harvesting as part of the post-harvesting process. Grading manually is tedious because it usually results in time delays, product quality risks, and it is associated with time and cost delays as well. Although the use of computers and information technology has seen tremendous growth in many small and large sectors, it has been in its infancy in the cultivation of fruit and dates. Using image processing algorithms, we can enhance human vision capabilities through analysis and make images easier to comprehend. A major objective of computer vision-based algorithms for classifying and sorting of dates is to make the procedure fully automated by minimizing the manual component involved in the process. This paper presents an image processing-based algorithm that uses machine learning techniques to extract the characteristics of colour intensity and colour homogeneity, allowing us to grade images in a more timely and automated manner. In order to obtain the results, we extracted the appearance of the date images based on an image processing algorithm. It is used as a validation element for the results that the quality of dates-fruit images can be evaluated through the prior selection process in both separate and in groups. This study has managed to achieve a rate of 95% accuracy in data classification. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-04-03 Full Text: PD
Predicting Exchange Rate under UIRP Framework with Support Vector Regression
Get PDFThis study aimed to forecast the exchange rate between the Vietnamese dong and the US dollar for the following month in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It used the Support Vector Regression (SVR) algorithm under the Uncovered Interest Rate Parity (UIRP) theoretical framework; the results are compared with the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression model and the Random Walk (RW) model under the rolling window method. The data included the VND/USD exchange rate, the bank interest rate for the 1-month term, and the 1-month T-bill from January 01, 2020, to September 11, 2021. The research discovered a linear link between the two nations' exchange rates and interest rate differentials. Interest rate differentials are input variables to forecast interest rate differentials. Furthermore, the connection between the exchange rate and interest rate differentials during this era does not support the UIRP hypothesis; hence, the error for OLS predictions remains large. The study provided a model to forecast future exchange rates by combining the UIRP theoretical framework and the SVR algorithm. The UIRP theoretical framework can anticipate exchange rate differentials using the input variable and the interest rates between two nations. Meanwhile, the SVR algorithm is a robust machine learning technique that enhances prediction accuracy. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-03-014 Full Text: PD
Teachers' Professional Attitudes towards Inclusive Education
Get PDFIn the study, an overview of the current situation in the field of inclusive education in Slovakia is presented. Since teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education are among the key determinants of the success or failure of SEN students' inclusion in mainstream schools, the main objective of the study was to investigate them in the context of implementing the new Strategy for Inclusive Education in Slovakia. In this quantitative study, Mahat [1] "The Multidimensional Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education Scale (MATIES)" was used and three components of teachers' attitudes – cognitive, affective, and behavioral – were examined by means of univariate, bivariate, and multivariate methods of statistical analysis. As the aging of the teaching population is an issue in Slovakia, age-related peculiarities were focused on in the study. The findings revealed statistically significant differences in the affective and behavioral components between the two examined age-groups of teachers. Since no extensive study has been focused on teachers' attitudes towards replacing school integration by school inclusion in Slovakia, the proposed study aims to fill the gap and provide unique data useful in the process of changing traditional schools into inclusive ones. The obtained results also point to the importance of considering teachers' attitudes towards any changes to be introduced. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-SIED-02 Full Text: PD
The Mediating Effect of Knowledge Integration on the Relationship between Capability and Innovative Behaviour
Get PDFOne of the main success drivers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is the integration of information technology and industry, which encourages innovation through collaboration between industry and academia. As a result, fostering innovative behaviour among undergraduates is essential for success in higher education throughout this revolution. The purpose of this study is to examine the direct effects of capability (leadership, technological literacy, interaction, knowledge sharing, and collaboration) on innovative behaviour and the indirect effect of knowledge integration's mediating role. Data from 3,230 undergraduates was collected and analysed. The provided hypotheses were validated using structural equation modelling, which demonstrated that capability significantly influenced the success of adopting innovative behaviour. Furthermore, we observed that knowledge sharing was the most powerful predictor. We also discovered that the intervening knowledge integration had an indirect effect, indicating the presence of a relationship between capability and innovative behaviour through this variable. When the direct and indirect effects were evaluated, the direct effect was substantially stronger than the indirect effect. The study's practical implications should focus strongly on promoting innovative behaviour and knowledge integration in the process of establishing appropriate educational programmes for universities. Furthermore, universities should develop strategies to encourage undergraduate students to share their knowledge and abilities with others since this improves performance and increases awareness of new prospects for innovation. In future research, we should include more educational institutions in our study, such as high schools, technical schools, and graduate students. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-SIED-07 Full Text: PD
Examining the Key Factors that Drives Live Stream Shopping Behavior
Get PDFThe purpose of this research was to examine the key factors that drive live-stream shopping behavior in Thailand. The specific objective was to determine the live stream shopping factors that influence purchase intention. The study was driven by the increasing role of e-commerce and live streaming shopping trends through social media marketing. For marketers, live-stream shopping is considered a valuable marketing strategy for commercial businesses to enhance sales, save expenses, and create unique marketing impacts. The study adopted the Uses and Gratification Theory and the Source Credibility Theory. Through these theories, the variables of the study were considered to be entertainment, informativeness, attractiveness, expertise, trustworthiness, culture, and purchase intention. A quantitative research methodology was adopted, with primary data collected from 370 respondents. The model was evaluated using reliability, validity, and CFA. SEM was used to analyse the hypotheses using AMOS and SPSS software. The results of the study indicated that four factors (entertainment, informativeness, expertise, and trustworthiness) have a significant and positive effect on purchase intention. Trustworthiness and entertainment had the highest effect. Attractiveness was found not to influence purchase intention, while culture did not moderate the effect of any variable on purchase intention. The research recommended that live streaming should be trustworthy in terms of sincerity, non-exaggeration, correct information, correct thoughts, and opinions. They should also be entertaining to establish positive interconnectivity between the user and the product or service, and also informative to contribute towards awareness of a product/service and offer insights that influence perceptions and behavioral intentions. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-06-011 Full Text: PD