Developmental Testing of Habitability and Human Factors Tools and Methods During Neemo 15

Currently, no established methods exist to collect real-time human factors and habitability data while crewmembers are living aboard the International Space Station (ISS), traveling aboard other space vehicles, or living in remote habitats. Currently, human factors and habitability data regarding space vehicles and habitats are acquired at the end of missions during postflight crew debriefs. These debriefs occur weeks or often longer after events have occurred, which forces a significant reliance on incomplete human memory, which is imperfect. Without a means to collect real-time data, small issues may have a cumulative effect and continue to cause crew frustration and inefficiencies. Without timely and appropriate reporting methodologies, issues may be repeated or lost. TOOL DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION: As part of a directed research project (DRP) aiming to develop and validate tools and methods for collecting near real-time human factors and habitability data, a preliminary set of tools and methods was developed. These tools and methods were evaluated during the NASA Extreme Environments Mission Operations (NEEMO) 15 mission in October 2011. Two versions of a software tool were used to collect observational data from NEEMO crewmembers that also used targeted strategies for using video cameras to collect observations. Space habitability observation reporting tool (SHORT) was created based on a tool previously developed by NASA to capture human factors and habitability issues during spaceflight. SHORT uses a web-based interface that allows users to enter a text description of any observations they wish to report and assign a priority level if changes are needed. In addition to the web-based format, a mobile Apple (iOS) format was implemented, referred to as iSHORT. iSHORT allows users to provide text, audio, photograph, and video data to report observations. iSHORT can be deployed on an iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad; for NEEMO 15, the app was provided on an iPad2

Determining Desirable Cursor Control Device Characteristics for NASA Exploration Missions

A test battery was developed for cursor control device evaluation: four tasks were taken from ISO 9241-9, and three from previous studies conducted at NASA. The tasks focused on basic movements such as pointing, clicking, and dragging. Four cursor control devices were evaluated with and without Extravehicular Activity (EVA) gloves to identify desirable cursor control device characteristics for NASA missions: 1) the Kensington Expert Mouse, 2) the Hulapoint mouse, 3) the Logitech Marble Mouse, and 4) the Honeywell trackball. Results showed that: 1) the test battery is an efficient tool for differentiating among input devices, 2) gloved operations were about 1 second slower and had at least 15% more errors; 3) devices used with gloves have to be larger, and should allow good hand positioning to counteract the lack of tactile feedback, 4) none of the devices, as designed, were ideal for operation with EVA gloves

From autism to eating disorders and more: the role of oxytocin in neuropsychiatric disorders

Oxytocin (oxy) is a pituitary neuropeptide hormone synthesized from the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei within the hypothalamus. Like other neuropeptides, oxy can modulate a wide range of neurotransmitter and neuromodulator activities. Additionally, through the neurohypophysis, oxy is secreted into the systemic circulation to act as a hormone, thereby influencing several body functions. Oxy plays a pivotal role in parturition, milk let-down and maternal behavior and has been demonstrated to be important in the formation of pair bonding between mother and infants as well as in mating pairs. Furthermore, oxy has been proven to play a key role in the regulation of several behaviors associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, including social interactions, social memory response to social stimuli, decision-making in the context of social interactions, feeding behavior, emotional reactivity, etc. An increasing body of evidence suggests that deregulations of the oxytocinergic system might be involved in the pathophysiology of certain neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism, eating disorders, schizophrenia, mood, and anxiety disorders. The potential use of oxy in these mental health disorders is attracting growing interest since numerous beneficial properties are ascribed to this neuropeptide. The present manuscript will review the existing findings on the role played by oxy in a variety of distinct physiological and behavioral functions (Figure 1) and on its role and impact in different psychiatric disorders. The aim of this review is to highlight the need of further investigations on this target that might contribute to the development of novel more efficacious therapies. Figure 1Oxytocin regulatory control of different and complex processes

ANALISA (MIS) MATCH TENAGA KERJA DI ASIA TENGGARA

The mismatch between jobs and skills indicates the match model in the job market is not going well, which is referred to as (e.g.) labor match, which leads to overeducation and undereducation in the job market. This research was conducted to find the influence of growth, overeducation and undereducation on wages in Southeast Asia. The data used is secondary data sourced from https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/ data in 2010-2019, especially in 8 Southeast Asian countries consisting of Brunai Darusalam, Philippines, Laos, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam. The results found that the workers with the highest undereducated levels were in Timor Laste, then Laos and Cambodia. Worker conditions in developing countries such as Southeast Asia have more undereducation conditions than overeducation. Economic growth, overeducation and undereducatio affect workers' wages. Keywords: overeducation, undereducation, mismatch, labor

Risk management strategies among smallholder arable crop farmers in Ibiono Ibom Local Governemet Area, Akwaibom State, Nigeria

The study investigated risk management strategies among smallholder arable crop farmers in Ibiono Ibom Local Government of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used in selecting 80 respondents used in the study. Primary data collected with the use of well-structured questionnaire were analyzed with both descriptive and inferential statistical tools. The result of the study revealed that majority of the farmers (66%) were males, young and active with mean age of 44 years. About 62% were married, 98.25% of them were literate and on the average had spent 23 years in farming. It was observed that the level of adoption of risk management strategy was low (x̄ =2.8). The significant variables influencing production were sex (p < 0.10), age of the farmer (p < 0.10), education (p < 0.01), farming experience (p < 0.10), income (p < 0.01), capital (p < 0.10), and the index of risk situations (p = 0.10). The result revealed that enterprise diversification (x̄ =3.3) was widely adopted as the most important management strategy. The result also shows that farmers in the study area placed higher preference on risk- taking behavior as affirmed by 50% of the farmers. The results therefore call for policies aimed at encouraging financial institutions to collaborate with insurance companies to insure agricultural credit facilities in order to indirectly insure crop farms due to inevitable risk involve in food crop farming business. There is need to encourage farmers to insure their farms and products against uncertain events. Banks and financial NGOs as well as government’s Poverty Alleviation Fund programme are encouraged to strengthen the provision of credit assistance to food crop farmers to enable them adopt the most efficient practices to increase produce beyond subsistent level. Farmers are encouraged to form cooperatives to help manage marketing related problemsKeywords: Risk, Smallholder, Management strategies and Risk behaviou

Word Problems in the Mathematics Textbook: An Instructional Resource Guide to support writing instruction.

Abstract Mathematics textbooks typically include word problems or story problems that require students to develop extended written responses. Yet, the answers to these prompts can vary so widely that preservice and inservice teachers must be prepared for multiple levels of interpretation of the language used to capture mathematical thinking. Based on an analysis of word problems within two teacher’s editions of elementary mathematics textbooks, we describe a series of strategies and tasks to scaffold teachers’ understanding of planning for word problems during mathematics instruction. We detail the following components; (1) the use of the Instructional Resource Guide, which assists in the decision-making process to support preservice and inservice teachers as they plan and analyze word problem language aiding in the selection of tasks based on specific objectives or instructional goals; (2) the creation of a consistent instructional sequence for integrated literacy instruction during mathematics instruction

Character Education Management at Islamic Grassroot Education: The Integration of Local Social and Wisdom Values

This study examined the implementation of character within grassroots Islamic education institutions that integrate local customs values in Palu City, Central Sulawesi. This study explores the strategy of character education implementation at the grassroots Islamic education institutions level and provides insight into the body of knowledge and practitioners. The study was conducted with a qualitative method. The data was gathered through field observation, focus group discussion, in-depth interviews, and written document analysis. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with elementary school teachers, parents, and the city Education and Culture Department officials. The findings show that the Palu city Department has implemented the education character program by aligning the character education programs with their vision. Character education programs have also been implemented through the cultured Thursday parade, family involvement through Paguyuban, and students' immersion into local culture and wisdom values. We concluded that implementing education characters within Basic Islamic education institutions had increased early-age students' awareness of tolerance, respect, and mutual understanding of characters based on local culture and wisdom values by Islamic teaching within the city, dominated mainly by immigrants from different ethnic in Indonesia

Preparing Students with Disabilities for Adulthood

Post-secondary education for students with a learning disability is a gateway to having a successful life providing security and independence, with the ability to earn more money and have higher job satisfaction. The special education teacher should write detailed transition IEP that involve the student, including post-secondary education. Their transitional IEP can help guide them with class in high school, by taking career and technical training and is an introduction to a career path. In addition to more rigorous general education classes that will prepare them for college. Students must demonstrate knowledge of their disability and disability laws to know their rights as an individual with disabilities when they enter the post-secondary setting. Students with a learning disability will need to advocate their needs and to request the accommodation needed for success. Students with a learning disability will need to learn social and organizational skills to navigate in a post-secondary education setting

Construction of a dengue virus type 4 reporter replicon and analysis of temperature-sensitive mutations in non-structural proteins 3 and 5

Replicon systems have been useful to study mechanisms of translation and replication of flavivirus RNAs. In this study, we constructed a dengue virus 4 replicon encoding a Renilla luciferase (Rluc) reporter, and six single-residue substitution mutants were generated: L128F and S158P in the non-structural protein (NS) 3 protease domain gene, and N96I, N390A, K437R and M805I in the NS5 gene. The effects of these substitutions on viral RNA translation and/or replication were examined by measuring Rluc activities in wild-type and mutant replicon RNA-transfected Vero cells incubated at 35, 37 and 39 °C. Our results show that none of the mutations affected translation of replicon RNAs; however, L128F and S158P of NS3 at 39 °C, and N96I of NS5 at 37 and 39 °C, presented temperature-sensitive (ts) phenotypes for replication. Furthermore, using in vitro methyltransferase assays, we identified that the N96I mutation in NS5 exhibited a ts phenotype for N7-methylation, but not for 2′-O-methylation