ABSTRACT:
Dual enrollment (attending high school and college simultaneously) can be advantageous to students for many reasons. These programs provide students with college-level coursework and expectations before completing high school. This paper explores the impacts of dual enrollment, specifically as it relates to how well students are prepared for success when they are fully in college. As a preliminary exploration, several questions are presented as well as background information on dual enrollment issues. This paper presents a first step in developing a framework for exploring the impacts and preparedness of dual-enrolled student success. The primary question this paper explores is How does dual enrollment prepare students for success?. In addition, technology is explored as a component of success.

ABSTRACT:
A shear flow device contained in the microscope incubator has newly been designed to study the effect of the shear stress field on the biological cell in vitro. The culture medium was sandwiched with a constant gap between a lower stationary culture plate and an upper rotating parallel plate to make a Couette type of shear field with the perpendicular shear slope. The wall shear stress (τ) on the lower culture disk was controlled by the rotating speed of the upper disk. The shear stress τ increases in proportion to the distance from the axis of rotation. After cultivation for 24 hours for adhesion of cells on the lower plate without flow, τ < 2 Pa was applied on cells for 24 hours subsequently. HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial cell) tends to be elongated and aligned under < 2 Pa of the shear stress. C2C12 (mouse myoblast cell line), on the other hand, maintains elongated shape and tends to migrate to the lower shear stress direction (< 2 Pa). The experimental system is useful to study the quantitative relationships between the shear stress and the cell behaviors: deformation, orientation, and migration.

ABSTRACT:
Education in schools and universities suffers from different problems like the lack of interaction between the lecturer and the students as well as the fear of asking irrelevant questions or providing wrong answers in front of a large audience. A lot of systems exist that try to solve these issues by means of technical tools; e.g., audience response systems. Each of these individual systems supports different functional scopes with different didactic purposes in order to support specific use cases. For the lecturer, it is very hard to choose an appropriate system. Besides the functional scope, there are a lot of predefined limitations, such as a given room with technical restrictions or a favorite operating system and presentation software to present the slides. This paper gives an overview of fifty existing systems (with varying degree of detail) and proposes a filter mechanism based on the index card metaphor to select appropriate systems depending on their individual limitations. In order to simplify this selection process for the lecturer, the filter mechanism is implemented in a web-based selection tool.

ABSTRACT:
Learning analytics (LA) is a relatively new research discipline that uses data to try to improve learning, optimizing the learning process and develop the environment in which learning occurs. One of the objectives of LA is to monitor students activities and early predict performance to improve retention, offer personalized feedback and facilitate the provision of support to the students. Flipped classroom is one of the pedagogical methods that find strength in the combination of physical and digital environments i.e. blended learning environments. Flipped classroom often make use of learning management systems in which video-recorded lectures and digital material is made available, which thus generates data about students interactions with these materials. In this paper, we report on a study conducted with focus on a flipped learning course in research methodology. Based on data regarding how students interact with course material (video recorded lectures and reading material), how they interact with teachers and other peers in discussion forums, and how they perform on a digital assessment (digital quiz), we apply machine learning methods (i.e. Neural Networks, Nave Bayes, Random Forest, kNN, and Logistic regression) in order to predict students overall performance on the course. The final predictive model that we present in this paper could with fairly high accuracy predict low- and high achievers in the course based on activity and early assessment data. Using this approach, we are given opportunities to develop learning management systems that provide automatic datadriven formative feedback that can help students to selfregulate as well as inform teachers where and how to intervene and scaffold students.

ABSTRACT:
In this exploratory study we investigate the main reasons and triggers for users to not disclose their personal details, or even to create a fake identity and provide falsified information upon website registration. In addition, we will examine the centrality of the desire to maintain online anonymity among the other antecedents of non-disclosure of personal details or identity falsification. Various reasons for non-disclosure of personal details or identity falsification were considered, such as the desire to remain anonymous.

To this end, a user study was carried out among 169 students of the Israeli academia, via a quantitative method using closed-ended questionnaires. The desire to remain anonymous was found as the most prevalent reason for this behavior and was always ranked as one of the top reasons among every sub-population that was examined (e.g. men / women, Bachelor / Master students, etc.). In addition, we made an attempt to predict the tendency of non-disclosure of personal details or identity falsification upon website registration, by using a multiple logistic regression taking into account various privacy and anonymity related reasons, such as anonymity awareness and privacy concern. However, it was found insignificant for the factors examined.

ABSTRACT:
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) play an important role for the implementation of Industry 4.0 - especially in the area of virtual prototyping, manufacturing and maintenance. Thus, a holistic integration of these technologies in existing processes structures is essential to ensure future competitiveness of companies. Current research mostly focuses on some aspects of the lifecycle and not on the whole process. Furthermore, mostly specific tools are developed to create AR and VR contents instead of using already existing and widespread programs for example the 3D CAD software Inventor [1] or game engines like Unity [2]. The tools are used to create VR content providing a user-friendly environment with limited options for content creation. On one side the use of these programs decreases the required knowledge to create Mixed Reality applications, however they are associated with high implementation and running costs. This increases the entry barrier for small and medium sized enterprises (SME) to adopt AR and VR into their value chains significantly.

The presented work discusses concepts and proposes information models for adding VR-specific information directly in CAD environments. A generic model of necessary interaction options as well as VR properties is created and applied to a use case in the Industry 4.0 model factory at FH Aachen, Germany. Furthermore, a workflow for combined evaluation of product and equipment developments is developed focusing on VR integration.

[1] Autodesk GmbH: Inventor. 3D-CAD-Software fr Produktentwicklung. 2018
[2] Unity Technologies: Unity. 2018

ABSTRACT:
In this paper, we present an algorithm for defect detection in glass products that allows us to minimize the processing time. The main idea is based on the reduction of the size of the image area to investigate by using the features of glass images. Results on a set of test images show that the proposed solution does not compromise the quality of the detection and allows to achieve an improvement of a factor of 7x compared to the existing solution under particular conditions, with the same accuracy in defect detection.

ABSTRACT:
In distributed network intrusion detection applications, it is necessary to transmit data from the remote sensors to the central analysis systems (CAS). Transmitting all the data captured by the sensor would place an unacceptable demand on the bandwidth available to the site. Most applications address this problem by sending only alerts or summaries; however, these alone do not always provide the analyst with enough information to truly understand what is happening on the network. Lossless compression techniques alone are not sufficient to address the bandwidth demand; therefore, some form of lossy compression must be employed. Working on the theory that a network flow that is malicious will manifest this maliciousness early, we explore the impact of compressing network traffic by stopping the transmission of packets in a flow once a given threshold either in number of packets or number of bytes have been transmitted.

ABSTRACT:
The impact of ethnocultural identity on psychological wellbeing is considered within the framework of psychological functioning and in relation to identity clarity, minority population life quality, and harmonious self-concept formation of immigrants. The aim of the research is clarifying the role of regional specificity in the psychological well-being. The study was conducted in six Federal Districts of Russia: Central, Southern, North Caucasian, Volga, Siberian, and Northwestern (1,322 people). After analysis of objective indicators of wellbeing and social situation in the different regions of Russia the authors have measured the subjective experience of the social situation and psychological well-being by the population, relied on the subjective assessment of social stability, physical health, emotional state, and safety degree in various life spheres. The results showed that Russians feel quite protected, and the level of their subjective safety is quite high. However, there can be some differences between objective indicators of well-being of the region and the subjective experience by the population. Mental well-being as a personal feeling is ethnoculturally mediated perception of the social situation and need to be measured not only with objective well-being values on a scale of a country, but in relation on the subjective experience of the population.

ABSTRACT:
Solar technology has gained an increased level of attention worldwide as affordable and clean energy sources garner more demand. While public awareness of solar technology continues to grow, it is often not well understood how the technology works. Also, lesser known is the fact that there exists a large variety of solar materials and device configurations. Of these technologies, Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) can be constructed with relatively simple fabrication methods, from readily available materials. These attributes make it a great technology to demonstrate how solar technology works in the classroom setting. The inquiry-based DSSC classroom activities are a high-gain hands on learning experience.

ABSTRACT:
The contribution provides some possible key points in the relationship among robotics, intelligent systems, Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, data protection and privacy. The starting point is the value of personal data belonging to a natural person. Ethics is one of the aspects that should be considered by everyone to have an excellent approach to the processing of personal data. The contribute of this paper presents some possible solutions to read the GDPR considering ethics and proposing other approaches to avoid misuses of personal information.

ABSTRACT:
The paper analyses relations and impacts between the corporate governance and the Firm Market Value and Firm Risk, including the financial performance in manufacturing industry companies. The empiric research was verified in 118 joint stock companies in the Czech Republic with over 250 employees according to the EU criterion. The data was acquired by empirical research in the Czech Republic, completed in 2012-2016. The aim of the paper is to propose a suitable model of Good Corporate Governance for unlisted Czech companies in the Czech Republic and to identify its impacts on the Firm Market Value, the Firm Risk and the Financial Performance. The methodology of research is based on modelling, using the structural equation modelling (SEM) for modelling the interrelationships and impacts between the GCG performance, the Firm Market Value, the Firm Risk and the Financial Performance. The empirical research has shown that responsible corporate governance has an impact on the Firm Market Value, both through the financial performance and through the stable risk. The investors are thus suggested that if good corporate governance and regulatory measures are introduced, thereby strengthening the corporate financial performance and the stable Firm Risk, then it will have a significant impact on the Firm Market Value.

ABSTRACT:
More severe summer heat waves and droughts in the US Midwest attributable to climate change as well as changes in population distribution can create significant operational stress in the future. Planning options could potentially reduce these vulnerabilities. Costs and benefits of these options must account for population shifts and the impact of climate on electricity service areas, ranges of electricity demand and supply limitations, modification of demand in response to new end-use technology and linking water usage with power plant outages. Three adaptation scenarios based on changes in electricity supply and demand for the greater Chicago, Illinois area were explored by applying a unique set of coupled infrastructure models created by US National Laboratories. The authors find that due to projected population changes in the region, the total number of metered customers approximately doubles by 2054 and total electric energy usage increases over 70%. The latter effect is due in part to projected increases in maximum summer temperatures and frequency of heat waves in the region. Concomitantly, low availability of water during drought conditions and high temperature effluent discharges during heat waves and higher overall temperatures will threaten operations for 30% or more of current power plant capacity reducing critical supply during peak demand. These conditions could lead to a severe supply reserve deficit by 2054 and rapidly declining capacity margins during prior decades. New technology and other changes such as effective demand-based rates could substantially modify customer usage post-2024. Additionally, many water-cooled power plants near the end of their operational lives could be replaced by more water efficient generation, at least partially mitigating these effects.

ABSTRACT:
This paper deals with experience about the research project development with industry for the solution of specific problem. Nowadays most of higher educational institutions are particularly interested in implementing joint projects with industry, sharing experiences and resources to jointly develop new technologies and innovative products. In the University of Latvia within the framework of an effective collaboration projects program, a mutually beneficial shared cost system for the needs of scientists and businessmens is possible for solving the tasks of the both partners. Joint Stock Company Latvias State Forests were interested in development of an automatic volume measurement of logs and wood chip loads on trucks. To solve this problem, a methodology and a technological solution are needed to allow remotely perform volumetric surveys and monitoring. It is significant with the intense development of forest and logging industry. The system consists of measurement arch with video cameras and IT solution - video processing and analysis software, a graphical user interface, data communication channels and storage systems. Video information is obtained from cameras that simultaneously acquire raw data from the object of the video processing area - both sides and top. The information is transmitted to the external systems via data communication channels. The system will be used for automated volume measurement because in Latvia this process is currently performed by persons who manually measure loaded logs or wood chips on the trucks.

ABSTRACT:
The new work environment will support a global marketplace, exchanging goods and services and exploiting the integration of AI, which has the potential to bring benefits and challenges of unlimited scope. The path of adaption will certainly reward those willing to take entrepreneurial challenges and utilize the benefits of AI. This will provide vast opportunities for new products and services and enormous improvement in productivity and efficiency, as well as increase potential revenue and competitive positioning. The revolution will not come without trials including the possibility for enormous wealth inequalities, skyrocketing unemployment, and dangers and disadvantages. Those in positions where the work is cognitively or task repetitive are the most vulnerable. In this research we will investigate and provide insights on the various considerations that will shape the adoption and the acceptance of the change that AI introduces into the workplace and our personal lives. And based on our investigations, we will extend that vision of AI as an accepted partner to our future of what we believe will be logical extensions of improving our work and life balance, raising the thought that this could open up an evolution and revolution of for society.