Level of integration of mobile device technology in teaching and learning in universities in Botswana

The study investigated the level of integration of mobile device technology in teaching and learning in Botswana universities. Botswana is one of the few African countries with a strong and stable economy and a high prevalence of technological gadgets that include mobile phones, tablets, and laptops, among others, in use in the population. Despite the prevalence of these technological gadgets, not much is known about the level of integration of technology in teaching and learning in universities in Botswana. A quantitative approach that employed a structured questionnaire for data collection was used in a study that included a sample of 360 lecturers from five out of eight selected universities in Botswana. The results of the study showed that negative attitudes of lecturers towards the integration of technology continue to be one of the major contributory factors in the low levels of technology integration in teaching and learning in universities in Botswana. The study also revealed that high Internet costs, as well as slow Internet connectivity, are some of the main challenges contributing to the slow pace of technology integration in universities in Botswana. Results further showed that despite the high prevalence of mobile devices, desktops remain the main technological gadgets used during teaching and learning at universities in Botswana.Curriculum and Instructional Studie

Influence of low-molecular cationic peptide of a varnerin on indicators of peripheral blood of experimental animals (experimental and laboratory research)

Research objective: an assessment of indicators of peripheral blood of experimental animals at intramuscular implantation of samples of the nanostructured dioxide of the titanium processed by low-molecular cationic peptide wamerin. The samples of dioxide of the titan which are in addition processed by peptide warnerin with various dosages implanted to intramuscularly experimental animal (rats). After the period of an experiment carried out blood sampling. Results of a research of peripheral blood of animals have shown the following: implantation of experimental samples of dioxide of the titan with the nanomodified covering and processing by peptide wamerin doesn't exert impact on indicators of red blood, the trombotsitarnykh of indicators doesn't lead to changes, isn't followed by statistically significant increase in quantity of leukocytes of blue blood of experimental animals. Results of researches can be used for further experimental clinical trials on prevention of the inflammatory phenomena from a parodont and a mucous membrane of an oral cavity in the postoperative period at patients with the acquired defects, deformations of maxillofacial area and defects of tooth alignments by inhibition of formation of bacterial films with use of peptide of a warnerin.Цель исследования: оценка показателей периферической крови экспериментальных животных при внутримышечной имплантации образцов наноструктурированного диоксида титана, обработанного низкомолекулярным катионным пептидом варнерином. Образцы диоксида титана, дополнительно обработанные пептидом варнерином с различными дозировками, имплантировали внутримышечно экспериментальным животным (крысам). По истечении периода эксперимента проводили забор крови. Результаты исследования периферической крови животных показали следующее: имплантация экспериментальных образцов диоксида титана с наномодифицированным покрытием и обработкой пептидом варнерином не оказывает влияния на показатели красной крови, не приводит к изменениям тромбоцитарных показателей, не сопровождается статистически значимым увеличением количества лейкоцитов венозной крови экспериментальных животных. Результаты исследований могут быть использованы для дальнейших экспериментально-клинических исследований по профилактике воспалительных явлений со стороны мягкотканного пародонта и слизистой оболочки полости рта в послеоперационном периоде у пациентов с приобретенными дефектами, деформациями челюстно-лицевой области и дефектами зубных рядов путем ингибирования образования бактериальных пленок с использованием пептида варнерина

Determinantes das vendas de fertilizantes para a soja no Brasil de 1988 a 2012

Nas últimas décadas, o agronegócio brasileiro tem ganhado cada vez mais relevância para a economia nacional, apresentando significativos ganhos de produtividade. Estes ganhos ocorreram devido a maior absorção de tecnologia pelos produtores agrícolas, incluindo o uso de insumos, dentre os quais se destacam os fertilizantes. As vendas de fertilizantes no Brasil cresceram 5,9% entre 1991 e 2012, atingindo 29,5 milhões de toneladas em 2012. Apesar disso, no Brasil, poucos trabalhos tratam dos fatores que afetam as suas vendas. Justifica-se, assim o presente estudo que tem como objetivo analisar os principais fatores que afetam as vendas brasileiras de fertilizantes para a soja. A metodologia utilizada é a de séries temporais e o período da análise é o de 1988 a 2012. Para atingir o objetivo uma função de vendas foi estimada considerando as propriedades de integração e cointegração das séries temporais. O modelo proposto para explicar as vendas de fertilizantes para a soja incluíam as seguintes variáveis exógenas: área plantada de soja; preço dos fertilizantes para a soja; produtividade da soja e preço da soja. A variável preço da soja apresentou uma alta multicolinearidade com a área plantada de soja, e por isto não foi incluída no modelo final. Os resultados encontrados no estudo mostram que a área plantada é o fator que exerce maior influência sobre as vendas de fertilizantes para a soja, sendo que um choque positivo de 1% sobre o crescimento da área plantada tem efeito positivo de 1,8% sobre as vendas de fertilizantes para a soja. O preço dos fertilizantes para a soja resultou em um coeficiente negativo conforme era esperado. A produtividade da soja foi utilizada como uma proxy para a capitalização do produtor agrícola, e, assim como a área plantada, ela apresentou sinal positivo, embora de menor magnitude e não estatisticamente significativo

Η γνώση παιδαγωγικού περιεχομένου εκπαιδευτικών που διδάσκουν "ενοποιημένες φυσικές επιστήμες" στη Ζιμπάμπουε

This research relates to the knowledge acquired by teachers who specialize in teaching Chemistry, Biology or Physics during their initial training in Zimbabwe, as well as the knowledge required when they have to teach the subject 'Integrated Science' ('IS') (out-of-field teaching). The study is guided by two research questions: (a) How do teachers who specialised in Chemistry, Biology or Physics describe secondary school Integrated Science teaching? and (b) What are the gaps in knowledge between the Integrated Science teachers’ espoused knowledge from Teacher Education Institutions and the enacted experiential knowledge needed in Integrated Science classrooms? This study followed a mixed methods research design with an initial quantitative phase in which 60 Integrated Science (IS) teachers were selected through snowball sampling and surveyed. A purposive case selection of 9 IS teachers from the 60 teachers were then interviewed during the second research phase. The research participants were divided into 3 equal cohorts in both phases of the research according to area of study specialisation (Chemistry, Biology and Physics). Concerning the first research question, the results of the study indicate the IS teachers have a common set of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are, in their professional opinion, needed and in some instances, would enable them to teach IS. A striking feature of the survey findings was the similitude in discernments among the three cohorts with different levels of teaching experience. It however should be noted that there was a marked variance in the perception of the three cohorts of teachers towards teaching through Practical Work, importance of pre-service teacher education specialisation towards teaching IS and knowledge of students’ culture. Concerning the second research question, the results of the study indicate gaps emerging on the knowledge of IS teachers as they articulated their espoused knowledge from tertiary institutions against their enacted experiential knowledge needed in IS classrooms. Most of this knowledge came out as challenges the teachers encountered as they endeavoured to implement the IS curriculum. The research participants emphasised the need to adjust teacher education curriculum in order to alleviate the challenges.Η έρευνα αυτή σχετίζεται με την παιδαγωγική γνώση που αποκτούν εκπαιδευτικοί οι οποίοι ειδικεύονται στη διδασκαλία των πεδίων της Χημείας, της Βιολογίας ή της Φυσικής κατά τη διάρκεια της αρχικής τους εκπαίδευσης στην Ζιμπάμπουε, καθώς και με την γνώση η οποία απαιτείται όταν καλούνται να διδάξουν το αντικείμενο 'Ενοποιημένες Φυσικές Επιστήμες' ('ΕΦΕ') (διδασκαλία εκτός πεδίου). Η μελέτη αυτή καθοδηγείται από δύο ερευνητικά ερωτήματα: (α) Πως οι εκπαιδευτικοί που ειδικεύονται στη Χημεία, τη Βιολογία ή τη Φυσική περιγράφουν το περιεχόμενο της παιδαγωγικής γνώσης ΕΦΕ, και (β) ποια είναι τα κενά που παρατηρούνται μεταξύ της γνώσης που οι εκπαιδευτικοί αυτοί λαμβάνουν από τα Ιδρύματα Εκπαίδευσης Εκπαιδευτικών και της εμπειρικής γνώσης που απαιτείται για τη διδασκαλία του συγκεκριμένου αντικειμένου; Για να απαντηθούν τα ερωτήματα αυτά χρησιμοποιήθηκαν ποσοτικές και ποιοτικές τεχνικές λήψης δεδομένων (ερωτηματολόγια κλειστών και ανοικτών ερωτήσεων, καθώς και συνεντεύξεις). Το ερευνητικό δείγμα ήταν 60 επιλεγμένοι εκπαιδευτικοί ΕΦΕ, χωρισμένοι σε τρεις ομάδες σύμφωνα με το πεδίο εξειδίκευσής τους (Χημεία, Βιολογία και Φυσική). Όσον αφορά στο πρώτο ερευνητικό ερώτημα, τα αποτελέσματα της μελέτης δείχνουν ότι οι καθηγητές ΕΦΕ διαθέτουν ένα κοινό σύνολο γνώσεων, δεξιοτήτων και στάσεων που θεωρούν ότι απαιτούνται στη διδασκαλία του συγκεκριμένου αντικειμένου. Ένα εντυπωσιακό χαρακτηριστικό των πορισμάτων της έρευνας είναι η σχετική ομοιομορφία απόψεων των εκπαιδευτικών των τριών ομάδων εξειδίκευσης. Πρέπει ωστόσο να σημειωθεί ότι υπάρχει έντονη διακύμανση στην αντίληψη των τριών ομάδων ως προς τις μεταβλητές 'διδασκαλία μέσω της πρακτικής εργασίας', 'σημασία της αρχικής εκπαίδευσης των εκπαιδευτικών σε θέματα διδασκαλίας ΕΦΕ' και 'γνώση της κουλτούρας των μαθητών'. Όσον αφορά στο δεύτερο ερευνητικό ερώτημα, τα αποτελέσματα της μελέτης αναδεικνύουν σημαντικά κενά και διαφορές ανάμεσα στην παιδαγωγική γνώση και τη γνώση περιεχομένου που λαμβάνουν οι εκπαιδευτικοί ΕΦΕ από τα Ακαδημαϊκά Ιδρύματα και την εμπειρική γνώση που απαιτείται στις αίθουσες διδασκαλίας του προγράμματος ΕΦΕ. Οι συμμετέχοντες στην έρευνα τονίζουν την ανάγκη να τροποποιηθούν κατάλληλα τα προγράμματα σπουδών Εκπαίδευσης των Εκπαιδευτικών ώστε να μειωθούν οι εντάσεις και εξομαλυνθούν οι διαφορές ανάμεσα στις δύο αυτές εκδοχές γνώσης

Design and Implementation of Third Order Low Pass Digital FIR Filter using Pipelining Retiming Technique

This paper presents design and implementation of 3rd order low pass digital FIR filter using pipelining retiming technique. Aim of this paper is to apply pipelining retiming technique on low pass digital FIR filter and compare with the existing second order retimed FIR filter and third order broadcast, non-broadcast low pass FIR filter. MATLAB FDA tool is used to calculate digital FIR filter coefficients. Hamming and Kaiser window methods are used to find out the coefficients of the FIR filter. Broadcast and non broadcast third order low pass FIR filter architectures are used for pipelining retiming .Cutset and feed forward pipelining retiming techniques are used to retime the third order low pass digital FIR filter. We design our algorithm in VHDL and implemented on Xilinx Vivado xc7a35tcpg261-1. Area (LUT), speed and power are calculated using Xilinx Vivado 2015.2 tool. Synthesis and simulation results are discussed in this paper. Speed and area (LUT) of proposed third order low pass FIR filter is improved in comparison with existing designs