Secondary school agricultural teachers understanding of the differences between agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy in Iowa

The focus of this study was an assessment of the understanding of the concepts of agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy as perceived by agricultural education teachers. The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of agriculture teachers regarding the understanding of the concepts of agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy in the study of agriculture in the state of Iowa. To also develop consensus definitions of agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy. Data provide information for development of a framework for education in and about agriculture and the life sciences. We can conclude from the study there is no consensus definition for agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy among agricultural educator teachers in Iowa. Since there is not a consensus definition for agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy, there is not a clear understanding of the two definitions. There needs to be consensus definition of agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy taught to agricultural educators at the collegiate level. There needs to be a consensus definition of agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy taught in the elementary, middle and high school, and agricultural programs such as FFA, 4H, and agricultural fairs. It is recommended that the Agricultural Awareness and Literacy Framework Model that was developed in 2008, should be used in both formal and non-formal educational settings. The course curricula at a formal educational institution can be designed in such ways that they impart the interest in agriculture at the elementary level and knowledge and expertise at high school and post-secondary levels, respectively. If knowledge is imparted by the time students leave the high school, they can make informed decisions regarding careers and their concerns about food and their environment

Building Random, Fair, and Verifiable Games on Blockchain. Raffle smart contract designs on Sui Network

Randomness plays a pivotal role in modern online gaming, but disputes have arisen over the accuracy of stated winning chances, resulting in legal issues and financial setbacks for gaming companies. Fortunately, blockchain-based games offer a solution to the transparency and fairness issue regarding randomness. Furthermore, emerging blockchain technology like Sui Network enhances the efficiency of smart contracts by eliminating traditional web3 barriers, such as inefficiencies and expensive transaction fees. This unlocks the potential for extensive decentralized gaming applications. This paper aims to provide insights into designing a fair, verifiable, and efficient smart contract game on blockchain by the example of building raffles on the Sui Network. We explore efficient methods for implementing randomness on smart contracts, including DRAND committee-based decentralized random beacons and single private-key-based verifiable random functions (VRF). Then, progress from basic to comprehensive smart contract design. We addressed limitations in developing blockchain games in general, such as data input and storage space constraints. We propose corresponding solutions, encompassing the utilization of Object Tables, Delegate Object Creation, and Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP) to optimize storage and input efficiency. After testing our designs, we found that the transaction fees for DRAND beacons and private-key-based VRFs are similar. Moreover, Object Tables incur higher overall transaction fees, while the ZKP setup fee is cheap but becomes very expensive during the verification process. Moreover, we identified suitable designs for different application scenarios by comparing the pros and cons of different smart contract implementations. Our findings provide valuable guidance for future researchers and developers in building random, fair, and verifiable games with smart contracts

Effects of structural environmental enrichment on welfare of juvenile seabream (Sparus aurata)

Current production systems of finfish aquaculture, and in particular intensive farming systems, can cause welfare problems leading not only to poor condition of the fish but also to a decrease in product quality. Adding structural environmental enrichment (EE) to bare rearing environments may improve the welfare of certain cultured fish. In this study we experimentally demonstrate the positive effects of adding structural EE on rearing environments of juvenile seabream (Sparus aurata). Fish maintained for 35 days with EE showed less aggression and interactions with the net pen, and lower erosion of pectoral and caudal fins, compared to fish kept in bare conditions (non-enriched, NE). In addition, EE modified the horizontal distribution of fish in the experimental cage, increasing the use of the inner areas. Non-significant effects of EE were observed on fish body condition and growth, and on brain monoamines levels and mortality. Nevertheless, this work highlights the potential use of structural EE to improve welfare of juvenile seabream, which might be feasible to apply at larger-commercial scale.Agência financiadora Aquicultura Balear S.A.U (Grupo Culmarex) Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology UID/Multi/04326/2019 Spanish national funds from MINECO (R+D project: PHENOFISH) CTM2015- 69126-C2-1-Rinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Design of PI controller with input constraint: application on blending process

Because of their simplicity, reliability and effectiveness, proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controllers remain the most widely used controllers in the process industries. Actuator saturation is among the most common and significant problem in control systems design. Normal PID controller does not take this into consideration. Normally, an anti‐windup compensator is employed in the system to overcome the problem. In this contribution, a new set of controller tuning relations is developed to tune the PI controller when the system is under saturation. The blending process was described as first order plus time delay (FOPTD) process and an expression is developed for saturation level, U as a function of controller gain, Kc with the range of R 0.4–2 (ratio of time delay to time constant). The proposed tuning rule relate the parameters of the controller to the parameters of a FOPTD model of the plant to a step change in the set point. The proposed method was applied to PI controller and tested on the process of blending system of sweetened condensed milk. The performance of the controller with various tuning formulae incorporated with classical anti‐windup strategies has been compared. The simulation results showed that the proposed method could give satisfactory performance in controlling the process

Secondary school agricultural teachers understanding of the differences between agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy in Iowa

The focus of this study was an assessment of the understanding of the concepts of agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy as perceived by agricultural education teachers. The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of agriculture teachers regarding the understanding of the concepts of agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy in the study of agriculture in the state of Iowa. To also develop consensus definitions of agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy. Data provide information for development of a framework for education in and about agriculture and the life sciences. We can conclude from the study there is no consensus definition for agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy among agricultural educator teachers in Iowa. Since there is not a consensus definition for agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy, there is not a clear understanding of the two definitions. There needs to be consensus definition of agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy taught to agricultural educators at the collegiate level. There needs to be a consensus definition of agricultural awareness and agricultural literacy taught in the elementary, middle and high school, and agricultural programs such as FFA, 4H, and agricultural fairs. It is recommended that the Agricultural Awareness and Literacy Framework Model that was developed in 2008, should be used in both formal and non-formal educational settings. The course curricula at a formal educational institution can be designed in such ways that they impart the interest in agriculture at the elementary level and knowledge and expertise at high school and post-secondary levels, respectively. If knowledge is imparted by the time students leave the high school, they can make informed decisions regarding careers and their concerns about food and their environment.</p

A risk score for identifying overweight adolescents with dysglycemia in primary care settings

“To develop a clinical risk scoring system for identifying adolescents with dysglycemia (prediabetes or diabetes) who need further confirmatory testing and to determine whether the addition of non-fasting tests would improve the prediction of dysglycemia”. © 2013, by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. All rights reserved

National athletic trainers\u27 Association position statement: Facilitating work-life balance in athletic training practice settings

Objective: To illustrate the concept of work-life balance and those factors that influence it and to provide recommendations to facilitate work-life balance in athletic training practice settings. To present the athletic trainer with information regarding worklife balance, including those factors that negatively and positively affect it within the profession. Background: Concerns for work-life balance have been growing within the health care sector, especially in athletic training, as it is continuously linked to professional commitment, burnout, job satisfaction, and career longevity. The term worklife balance reflects those practices used to facilitate the successful fulfillment of the responsibilities associated with all roles one may assume, including those of a parent, spouse, partner, friend, and employee. A host of organizational and individual factors (eg, hours worked, travel demands, flexibility of work schedules, relationship status, family values) negatively influence the fulfillment of work-life balance for the athletic trainer, but practical strategies are available to help improve work-life balance, regardless of the practice setting. Recommendations: This position statement is charged with distributing information on work-life balance for athletic trainers working in a variety of employment settings. Recommendations include a blend of organizational and personal strategies designed to promote work-life balance. Establishing work-life balance requires organizations to have formal policies that are supported at the departmental and personal level, in addition to informal policies that reflect the organizational climate of the workplace. Individuals are also encouraged to consider their needs and responsibilities in order to determine which personal strategies will aid them in attaining work-life balance