Remote sensing and GIS application in assessing the adaptability of some key crops in Dak Nong province

Remote sensing (RS) and Geographic information system (GIS) is widely applied in the world and gradually affirms its role in Vietnam in managing agricultural and forest resources. This application is highly effective, providing information timely for managers to make decisions and build development strategies. In this study, RS and GIS were integrated to assess suitability for key crop species in Dak Nong province including coffee, rubber, cashew, and durian based on their suitability to site conditions such as soil (soil type, soil texture, soil thickness), topography (elevation, slope) and climate (temperature, precipitation). Using the restrictive method and overlapping map layers of natural factors, classified into adaptive levels according to FAO (1976). Results show that most land areas in Dak Nong province have different levels of potential suitability for key crop species ranging from non-adaptive to lesst-adaptive and moderately adaptive. However, most suitable areas for key crops are only at low (accounting for a large proportion) and the average adaptation level. The findings from the study are the scientific information for managers to make decisions regarding the structure of major crops in the province.

Survey of Indian Medical Students’ Adaptation in Kazakhstan: Psychological, Sociocultural, and Academic Dimensions

This study investigated international students’ adaptation experience in a higher education institution. A sociological survey was conducted among one hundred and seventy Indian students in their first and second year of medical studies at West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, the Republic of Kazakhstan. Against the background of many studies in this field, this topic is contextualized within the higher medical education system in the western region of Kazakhstan. The study helps to improve understanding of such phenomena as international students’ dimensions of psychological, sociocultural, and academic adaptation. The differences in the various dimensions of adaptation from the gender perspective and the year of study were investigated. The impact of the adaptation level on the students’ study achievements was assessed. The study results demonstrated challenges in psychological adaptation in the first-year international students, which decreased over time. The differences in the psychological, sociocultural, and academic adaptability between girls and boys were not statistically significant. Second-year international students felt more emotionally comfortable and psychologically safe in the group, and this reflected their high grades GPA. Based on the findings, the authors propose recommendations on how to improve the international students’ comfortableness in the Kazakhstani university setting.

The Subjective Adaptation of Syrian Emigrant Families in Algeria

The current study explores the subjective adaptation level of Syrian emigrant families in Algeria according to the Montgomery model. The variables in this study, the elements of subjective adaptation, include salary, whether the emigrants’ jobs utilises their skills, overall satisfaction, whether their jobs aid acculturation, job security, and current jobs versus expectations. We collected data using a structured questionnaire, which we gave to 49 Syrian emigrants living in Jijel and Algiers for a period of nine months in 2016. We analyzed the data using SPSS Windows 20. The study concludes by registering negative orientation toward the majority of the subjective adaptation elements, with positive orientations towards a few. Results of the emigrants’ characteristics correlation display significant impact of their type of work, sex, year of arrival, language, and salary variables, respectively, on the emigrants’ subjective adaptation levels.

USER EVALUATIONS OF CONTRAST-DOMINANT DISCOMFORT GLARE IN DIM DAYLIT SCENARIOS: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Discomfort glare metrics typically consider at least one of the two effects of discomfort glare - saturation and contrast - in their equation. The former occurs when there is an excessively bright glare source in the field of view, while the latter occurs when there is a high luminance ratio between the glare source and the adaptation level of the eye. We hypothesize that the contrast effect may dominate in low-light scenarios such as those commonly found in open-plan offices. Thus, we designed and carried out a user study in controlled laboratory conditions with 63 participants with a total of 252 scenes to investigate discomfort glare evaluations in dim daylight office environments with low adaptation levels. Our preliminary findings support our hypothesis that contrast-driven metrics predict glare responses in a more reliable way than hybrid metrics at low adaptation levels where the contrast effect dominates, which underlines the need for refining glare metrics in low brightness conditions.

Mindset as Characteristic Adaptations: Using Response Surface Analysis to Assess Mindset in the Personality System

This study aimed to assess the congruencies and discrepancies between mindset domains in relation to well-being and sought to demonstrate that mindset falls into the characteristic adaptation level of personality. Data (N = 618, Mage = 16.07, SDage = 0.99) from Wave 1 of a longitudinal study on primarily ethnic-minority adolescents were used in response surface analyses to examine the effects of (in)congruence on well-being. The response surface analyses suggested no overall congruence effect between moral and ability mindsets. However, two-thirds of the participants demonstrated differing levels of mindsets, highlighting the domain specificity of mindsets. Results suggest that mindsets are contextual, domain-specific constructs, suiting the characteristic adaptation level of personality. Congruence for moral and ability mindset does not affect adolescent well-being.

Assessment of passive design strategies in traditional houses of Sabzevar, Iran

PurposeThis paper aims to address Passive Design Strategies (PDSs) in the traditional houses of Sabzevar and to assess the adaptation level of these strategies to the climate of the region.Design/methodology/approachIdentifying the Sabzevar climate, five samples of traditional houses have been chosen to be analyzed via two stages. In stage one, the efficiency of each strategy is weighted through qualitative analysis, and in stage two, the houses are simulated in EnergyPlus 9.3.0 to quantitatively evaluate their heating and cooling performances.FindingsThe obtained results from the energy performance analysis of the case studies indicate that the houses present diverse energy performances in different seasons. Those buildings with PDSs for both cold-arid and hot-arid climates, however, are more adaptable cases to the climate of the region.Originality/valueThe results of this study are expected to provide a basis of materials and methods for the climatic assessment of the traditional buildings, specifically traditional houses and will open new doors to future studies about the integration of these potential PDSs with the new technological developments and climate considerations as well as protecting the conservation policies of these buildings by means of optimizing and improving their energy performance and implementing effective retrofit scenarios.

The Roller Coaster of Leader Affect: An Investigation of Observed Leader Affect Variability and Engagement

Recognizing the dynamic nature of affect, we consider observed leader affect and its variability as important social signals that jointly impact employees’ daily affective reactions and work engagement. Integrating the emotion as social information model and adaptation-level theory, we hypothesized that the impact of daily observed leader affect on employees’ affect and subsequent work engagement is moderated by observed leader affect variability. To test the model, an experience sampling method (ESM) involving two surveys per day over 10 days was employed with a sample of 75 employees. Results indicated that observed leader affect variability weakened the positive relationship between observed leader positive affect and employee work engagement via employee positive affect. Also, observed leader negative affect was negatively related to employee work engagement via employee negative affect, but this indirect effect was not moderated by observed leader affect variability. Our results highlight the critical role of observed leader affect variability in understanding leaders’ affective influence on employee affect and engagement.