bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
5. Iannis Xenakis in Japan: Productive Performances and Reception of Texts
Authors: Mizuno Mikako
Published: October 2024

The last two decades produced remarkably excellent Xenakis performers who were born in Japan and who have generated a new phase of Xenakis performances in Japan. They succeeded the first generation which had shared the same years of the avant-garde after WWII with the composer.

This chapter examines Xenakis’s interactions with Japanese musicians for the Osaka World Fair (1970) and the preparatory process of Hibiki-Hana-Ma in the NHK electronic music studio and that had made important footprints on musical concepts for then- contemporary Japanese composers. The Steel and Iron Pavilion in the Osaka World Fair, designed by Kunio Maekawa, was equipped with an original sound system comprising 1008 speakers. Yuji Takahashi, Minao Shibata, and Toru Takemitsu (as well as Seiji Ozawa) were strongly impressed by Xenakis’s rather unique procedure of creating music. The millennium successors experienced several important Xenakis events in Japan during their younger days: the world premiere in Tokyo of Horos, Xenakis being awarded the prestigious Kyoto Prize, Suntory Hall’s original production of Oresteia, the recording of Synaphai with Horoaki Ooi, and so on. This chapter thereby introduces the performance history of Xenakis’s work in Japan.
8. Iannis Xenakis’s Materialism
Authors: del Buey Cañas Ramón , Vasquez Hadjilyra Oswaldo Emiddio
Published: October 2024

Despite the ongoing resurgence of materialist philosophy, Xenakis’s work is rarely associated with materialist thought. This is peculiar since Xenakis’s lifelong commitment to physical matter properties transcribed to compositions, and his philosophical constructions and renditions of material processes in instruments, code, writings, and performances, instantly elucidate his preoccupation on how we relate to matter. Given the little effort to grapple with Xenakis’s materialist work philosophically, this chapter approaches the question of materialism in Xenakis’s work, through his relationship to philosopher and information theorist Abraham Moles and the real-time capabilities of the UPIC, and argues that in the ongoing conversations in materialist philosophy, the work of Xenakis, in its dialectic understanding, plays a pivotal role.
17. Iannis Xenakis’s Hibiki Hana Ma and the Japanese Team for Tekkhokan (Steel Pavilion) at Expo ’70, Osaka
Authors: Mizuno Mikako
Published: October 2024

Hibiki-Hana-Ma was one of Xenakis’s electroacoustic pieces which was repeatedly played every day in Tekkhokan during Expo ‘70 in Osaka. In the process of his composition, Xenakis created a music score which was performed and recorded by the Nippon Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa in the Kawaguchi Municipal Hall. Xenakis and Japanese sound engineers worked on editing the tape, according to Xenakis’s notation for multi-layered manipulations, which mainly overlapped various speeds of the recorded sounds. As reported by Sharon Kanach, Xenakis started sketching general sound schema and instrumentation very soon after Toro Takemitsu had commissioned him to compose a new piece. These sketches show several plans of sound movements and the visual images of sounds themselves. In 1969, Yuji Takahashi provided Xenakis information about the architectural features and the sound-control system of Tekkhokan pavillion. The idea of a sound-controlling system, which was very unique and originally designed by Japanese engineers working at that time in Sansei Engineering, had started with Takemitsu’s comments about sound diffusion there: sound movements should not move from point to point, but rather move from ‘phase to phase’, and include global time differences in which the audience should be ‘travelers’ going through the spectrum of different times. The Japanese acousticians calculated twelve directions of 60 degrees as the best shape that would enable the audience to feel that they were surrounded by sound sources from all directions. But Tekkhokan’s diffusion system was not quite suitable enough for Xenakis’s complex ideas. In this chapter, I address this situation based both on meeting minutes of the Japanese team for Tekkhokan composed of musicians, architects, and sound engineers, and on the blueprints made by Sansei Engineering.
20. An Approach to the Epistemic Potential of the UPIC
Authors: Meza Mauricio
Published: October 2024

The UPIC provides access to a musical creative process based on the creation of synthesized sounds through drawing, giving rise to an analogical graphic register, on the one hand, and on the other, a symbolic digital register. The relationship between these graphic and digital registers, as well as the interactive context of their production, are of particular interest for my research, which aims to make an object of study out of the digital trace of the creative process phenomenon. In this chapter, I will, from a traceological perspective, a comparative analysis of two excerpts of the graphic registers of the creation processes of eua'on, by Julio Estrada, and of Mycènes-Alpha, by Iannis Xenakis. An analysis of the traces of use of the UPIC can be conducive to the emergence of knowledge about the process of musical creation.
21. Seeing Music and Listening to Architecture
Authors: Métra Brigitte
Published: October 2024

Iannis Xenakis has created architectural, musical, and visual works. His architectures are true spatial transpositions of musical works. His extraordinary way of linking space and music opened a new field of reflection and research. A short overview through illustrations from the Philips Pavilion, one of the origins of his inquiry in his Diatope (‘music to be seen’), to his project for the Cité de la Musique (‘a musical jewel box’) allows us to see the evolution of his work bringing forth an unprecedented relationship between architecture and music. In 1980, noting the mediocrity of concert halls of the time, he wrote, ‘we must invent an architectural form that will liberate collective listening’. La Philharmonie de Paris concert hall seems to be one answer to Xenakis's wish, creating a new architectural form serving music. As architects of La Philharmonie de Paris concert hall and music lovers, we wanted to create an instrument allowing immersion in music, echoing the spatialized contemporary music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. A presentation of La Philharmonie de Paris concert hall will highlight the two different approaches, with some parallel paths, and with similar goals: to create an experience that is both musical and visual, allowing one to ‘see music’ and to ‘hear architecture’.
23. Polytropos
Authors: Tournikiotis Panayotis
Published: October 2024

Xenakis's contribution to architecture intertwines the work of Le Corbusier with his own musical explorations but has a special dimension. It is experimental. It combines morphogenesis with structural design and construction. It is created, not born, and seeks a cosmic relation with the earth. Starting from his civil engineering studies in Athens, he developed a mathematical way of thinking that fertilized the morphological search of Le Corbusier and gave an unprecedented material and spiritual dimension to buildings that are now landmarks and part of the world cultural heritage. Xenakis's subsequent autonomous architecture is a small but special chapter on the borders of his musical creation, which highlights the contemplative and highly personal character of his thought and work.
24. Liberated Music.
Authors: Kornilios Νikos
Published: October 2024

What runs through all the music of Iannis Xenakis is violence. An extreme violence which has its source in a crucial moment of the civil war which followed the end of the German occupation in Greece and in which the composer participated unwillingly: the last battle fought by the ‘Lord Byron’ unit of the students of Athens, an integral part of the Popular Army of National Liberation. This famous battle of Didotou Street was told to me many times by my militant father who always spoke with emotion about his comrade Iannis, ‘mortally wounded in the face’ during the operations. The laws of probability and the deep mysticism of life made that, when I arrived in Paris at the age of 18, I was immediately attracted by Xenakis's music (making no connection with my father's narration), whose courses I followed at the Sorbonne and under whose influence I wrote my first musical pieces before turning to cinema. In the meantime, I had discovered, by chance of circumstances, that Iannis Xenakis was this companion of my father who was wounded in the face (and fortunately quite alive!). I had understood that the superb violence of his music was only a great gesture of liberation where love and beauty transcend hate.
29. Iannis Xenakis, Inventor of Music—Composer, Engineer, and Architect
Authors: Lima Cândido
Published: October 2024

Portugal, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and certain specific local personalities, were all crucial to Iannis Xenakis’s career as a composer throughout his life: between 1967 and 1992 and beyond, he received unsurpassed support for not only his creative activities (including financial support for eleven commissions), but also those, less known, geared towards his ideal of a democratization of music/creative pedagogy. In this summarized version of a ninety-page article published in Portuguese by Elisa Lessa, Pedro Maia, and Jaime Reis in Paisagens Sonoras. O Som, a Música e a Arquitetura, Xenakis’s career is seen through this perspective, as well as offering a living testimony (including previously unpublished excerpts of interviews between the author and Xenakis), highlighting some of the affinities between our two very different lives.
33. Xenos
Authors: Radna Raphael
Published: October 2024

Dynamic Stochastic Synthesis (dss) is a direct digital synthesis method invented by Iannis Xenakis that produces a wave of variable periodicity through regular stochastic variation of its wave cycle, resulting in emergent pitch and timbral features. While high-level parametric control of the algorithm enables a variety of musical behaviors, composing with dss is difficult because its parameters lack basis in perceptual qualities. The Xenos virtual instrument plug-in implements dss with modifications and extensions that enhance its suitability for general composition. Written in C++ using the JUCE framework, Xenos offers dss in a convenient, efficient, and widely compatible polyphonic synthesizer that facilitates composition and performance through host-software features, including midi input and parameter automation. Xenos also introduces a pitch-quantization feature that tunes each period of the wave to the nearest frequency in an arbitrary scale. Custom scales can be loaded via the Scala tuning standard, enabling both xenharmonic composition at the mesostructural level and investigation of the timbral effects of microtonal pitch sets on the microsound timescale.
Study of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Related to Smoking Among Health Professionals in Public Hospitals in the Department of Dakar in 2021
Authors: Sow Papa , Diop Assane , Gueye Boubakcar , Bop Martial , Dramé Aboubakry , Ndiaye Abdou , Tal Alioune , Diop Cheikh , M'baye Gora
Published: October 2024

Introduction: In Senegal, previous studies showed a prevalence of smoking among health professionals of between 11.6 and 12.8%. The general objective was to study smoking among health professionals in public hospitals in the department of Dakar. This was a cross-sectional study with a descriptive and analytical aim, the data collection phase of which took place from October 11 to November 23, 2021. The study population consisted of medical and paramedical staff. We collected 262 cases, i.e. a non-participation rate of 12.67%. Results: The average age of the health workers surveyed was 28.19 %. There were 148 men and women with a sex ratio of 1.30. Thus, 68.3% were single. During our study, the health workers at Abass NDAO Hospital were 110 (42%), 80 (30.5%) at the Principal Hospital in Dakar and 72 (27.5%) at HOGGY. The majority of the workers surveyed (69 cases, 26.3%) were DES or 7th year medical students. The least represented professional category was that of nursing assistants. Thus, 3.4% of the health workers surveyed were current tobacco users compared to 10.2% (26 health workers) who were former users. The average age at which these workers first used tobacco was 16.5 ± 2.5 years. Within the study population, 86% (225 workers) had never used tobacco. Smoked tobacco was the only form used by the subjects surveyed. The average consumption of smoked tobacco was 3.5 ± 0.51 times per day. However, the last attempt to quit was more than a year ago for the majority (5/7) of consumer health workers. The main reason for this attempt (failed) was awareness of the dangers of tobacco consumption (5/7). The main reason (05/07) that justified their tobacco consumption was stress management. All the workers surveyed were unanimous on the dangers of tobacco consumption on health. The consequences of tobacco most cited by the health workers surveyed were lung cancer (224 responses or 85.5% of respondents), COPD (205 or 78.24%) and strokes (165 or 62.98%). Male health workers were more likely to have good knowledge about smoking than female health workers. The agents thus surveyed had for 73.7% (i.e. 193 people) of them an insufficient or weak attitude towards smoking. Conclusion: At the end of our study and in light of the conclusions reached, we make the following suggestions to the health authorities: To organize communication-education sessions during World Tobacco Day.
Suggested guide to using lactate gap as a surrogate marker in the diagnosis of ethylene glycol overdose
Authors: Dimeski Goce , Holford Amanda , Isoardi Katherine
Published: October 2024

Background

Ethylene glycol (EG) poisoning, if not diagnosed rapidly, can lead to poor patient outcomes. Gas chromatography (GC) is primarily used for EG quantitation which is rarely available, and the turn-around time may be prolonged. Most lactate results from point-of-care (POCT) methods are falsely elevated in EG poisoning compared with automated chemistry analyser results. In combination, the lactate gap (POCT-Automated chemistry) can be used as surrogate marker in just about all laboratories to indicate likely EG toxicity and guide treatment.

Case Report

A man presented by ambulance to hospital with severe agitation requiring mechanical ventilation to facilitate ongoing management. Venous blood gas analysis confirmed a high anion gap metabolic acidosis (HAGMA) with an elevated lactate. The lactate and osmolarity measured in the laboratory showed a normal lactate and high osmolarity, giving a large osmolar gap. The patient was immediately commenced on renal replacement therapy for presumed EG poisoning to minimize kidney injury, and the treatment continued for 19 hours. A very high EG concentration was confirmed by GC the next day.

Conclusion

An elevated lactate gap along with a HAGMA and osmolar gap can provide rapid surrogate laboratory data indicating EG poisoning enabling timely treatment and better patient outcomes.
Clinical Predilection Features of Middle Ear Adenomatous Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Review of 10 Patients and a Special Case Is Attached
Authors: You Dan , Li Qingzhong , Yu Huiqian
Published: October 2024

Introduction: Middle ear adenomatous neuroendocrine tumors (MEANTs) are rare middle ear lesions characterized by nonspecific symptoms, signs, and imaging findings. Diagnosis typically relies on postoperative pathological assessment. This study investigated the diagnostic utility of the predilection sites and clinical characteristics of MEANTs. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 10 patients with histologically confirmed MEANTs, admitted to Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University between March 2016 and March 2023. Results: The median age of the patients at diagnosis was 39.3 years. Hearing loss (n = 8) and ear pain (n = 6) were the most prevalent clinical symptoms in the patients diagnosed with MEANTs. Endoscopic examination revealed diverse symptoms, predominantly presenting as non-pulsatile masses with distinct boundaries and quasi-circular shapes within the external auditory canal, often accompanied by abundant blood vessels (n = 4). Tumors were typically confined to the middle/lower tympanic chambers or eustachian tube and were frequently associated with tympanic sclerosis, particularly around the pharyngeal tube (n = 3). Pathologically, MEANTs exhibited CD56 positivity or weak positivity, along with positive staining for CKpan and Syn, negativity for S100, and Ki67 ≤3%. Personalized surgical interventions were chosen by all the patients based on lesion severity, with no subsequent radiotherapy or chemotherapy administered postoperatively. No tumor progression was noted during the postoperative follow-up. In addition, a noteworthy case was presented in which MEANT initially manifested in the middle or lower tympanic cavity and eustachian tubes. Over 2 years, the tumor progressively grew, invading the middle tympanum and surrounding ossicles, ultimately achieving complete resection with no recurrence observed during subsequent follow-up. Conclusions: A possible diagnosis of middle ear adenoma should be considered when encountering non-pulsatile tumors with clearly demarcated inner boundaries within the external auditory canal accompanied by abundant quasi-circular vessels and the presence of new bone or neoplasm at the pharyngeal tympanic canal orifice observed during preoperative examinations or surgical procedures.
Working towards consensus on the assessment of mood after severe acquired brain injury: Focus groups with UK-based professionals
Authors: Rose Alexandra E , Cullen Breda , Crawford Sarah , Evans Jonathan J
Published: October 2024

Objective

The assessment of mood after brain injury is more challenging when people have ongoing severe cognitive and receptive communication impairments. There is no gold standard on how these assessments should be undertaken. This study aimed to reach a consensus on this among specialists working with this population.

Design

Focus groups were completed using a structured nominal group technique. Groups were compared for overlapping themes and agreed processes.

Participants

Five focus groups with a total of 14 participants who work with the population of interest were completed. Participants included 12 clinical psychologists, one psychiatrist and one consultant in rehabilitation medicine.

Results

Each of the five groups reached a consensus on a process for assessing mood in this population. Results overlapped and were combined into a proposed circular and iterative model of assessment that includes: (pre) information gathering, (peri) assessment processes, and (post) treatment; with formulation being seen as a vital part of the process. Standardised measures were not recommended for use with this population. Beyond the consensus processes, three implicit themes were identified: (1) depression is different after severe brain injury, (2) overlapping tasks and roles, and (3) looking at the bigger picture.

Conclusions

A good level of consensus was achieved across the five groups on processes to follow when assessing mood when people have ongoing cognitive and receptive communication impairments after severe brain injury. We recommend that this formulation-based model be followed when assessing people in this clinical population.
Effect of hydroxylated boron nitride and boron nitride nanosheets on the properties of doped organosilicone rubber composites
Authors: Zhao Han , Rong Jianxin , Li Dengke , Jia Dianqiu , Yu Xiaoyan , Zhang Qingxin
Published: October 2024

As the electronic industry develops rapidly, the miniaturisation, integration and multifunctionality of electronic devices have resulted in a dramatic increase in power density, and the heat dispersal of electronic devices has attracted much attention. In this work, hydroxylated hexagonal boron nitride (BN-H) was obtained by hot alkali treatment, and boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) with a thickness of about 4 nm were obtained by boric acid-assisted ball milling stripping. The effects of different types of fillers as well as filler contents on the thermally conductive and mechanical performance of organosilicon composites were also compared. Notably, when BN-H and BNNS thermally conductive fillers were added at 12 wt%, the thermally conductive coefficients of the composites were 0.4831 W·m−1·K−1 and 0.7131 W·m−1 K−1, respectively, which were 183% and 318% of higher than that for the pure silicone rubber (SR, with a thermally conductive coefficient of 0.1706 W·m−1·K−1). In addition, in respect of mechanical performance, the tensile strengths of SR/BN-H and SR/BNNS composites with a filling level of 12 wt% were 3.59 MPa and 3.89 MPa, respectively, and the storage moduli were 4501 MPa and 4583 MPa, respectively, which were improved to a certain extent compared with pure SR. The present work provides an effective way to develop organosilicone rubber composites with good thermal conductivity and mechanical properties by boric acid assisted ball milling to strip boron nitride in the field of electronics packages.
A novel design approach based on sequential-conjugate method for high-mesh-ratio harmonic drives with dual-conjugate profiles and polynomial wave generators
Authors: Tsai Chung-Yu , Chang Ya Chin
Published: October 2024

The tooth profiles and meshing ratio of the flexsplines and circular-splines in harmonic drives have attracted significant research attention, especially for applications requiring high-torque. The present study proposes a new five-phase method for the design of the wave generator profile and all the tooth profiles in the harmonic drive. Once the upper profile of rack-cutter has been given, the proposed method enables all of the other undefined tooth profiles in harmonic drive (including the upper/lower-profiles of the flexspline/circular-spline and the lower-profile of the rack-cutter) to be constructed using a sequential-conjugate approach. The designed tooth profiles achieve a high meshing ratio, and thus reduce the transmission load. Notably, part of the period during the meshing process is dual-conjugate (i.e. the flexspline and circular-spline have two meshing points simultaneously). Furthermore, the profile of wave generator is defined as a polynomial curve, which thus provides greater design freedom for any follow-up optimization task. An illustrative example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for a harmonic drive with a three-tooth difference and a wave generator based on a quintic polynomial. The results show that the theoretical meshing ratio is as high as 81%, and the dual-conjugate region accounts for 23% of total conjugate region.
Metaverse Insights: Research Advancements, Innovation Trends and Industry Implications
Authors: Arora Manpreet
Published: October 2024

The metaverse is a universe of communication across boundaries. The provision of new experiences with the highest level of immersion through virtualisation, a greater degree of flexibility to produce and distribute information, and a space for new social communication all occur here. With the aid of technology and gadgets, people can engage digitally and visually in the virtual environment provided by metaverse. It is considered to be an ‘extension of the internet’ in fact. The metaverse has no restrictions based on location. It is based on an ‘immersive digital environment’ that is unbroken, without constraints and without borders. Although it seems like something out of a science fiction film or book, it is actually the way that communication will be done in the future. This article is an attempt to analyse the selective literature from the Scopus database to form an opinion about what can be the trends of research in metaverse and what are the areas of applicability of this phenomenon in business scenarios. It highlights the research areas mushrooming in the field of metaverse.
Sustainability of Digital Friendship: Insights from Early Buddhist Mettā
Authors: Devarakonda Balaganapathi , Chatterjee Anamika
Published: October 2024

One of the significant effects of technology on human relations is visible in friendship. Positively technology through its digital spaces is facilitating friendship that is instant and beyond the limitations of time and space. However, such digital friendships that operate through social media often suffer from issues of trust and sustainability. To resolve this predicament, we need to pause and reflect on how digital friendship can be reframed to improve its sustainability in a practical manner. The primary purpose of this article is to examine how helpful the early Buddhist concept of mittatā (friendship) is in sustaining friendship in the digital age. The article begins by eliciting the moral challenges people encounter in online friendships. The objective is to highlight the need for a more vital concept of friendship, such as the early Buddhist concept of mittatā, that can mitigate the moral concerns in digitized friendship, making it genuine and sustainable. The subsequent part of the article offers an overview of some of the significant theories of friendship upheld in the West and examines whether they can support the sustainability of a digitized friendship. The objective is to reflect upon the lacuna in the practice of such ideas of friendship in the contemporary digital age. To replenish the lacuna, the following section articulates the early Buddhist concept of mittatā as a noble concept of friendship that can be morally relevant and sustainable in this digital world. Based on the philosophical study of the early Buddhist literature, the present article investigates how helpful mettā (loving kindness) in this society to sustain a trustworthy friendship. It proposes an ethical and noble way to nurture and savour an honourable friendship relevant to the digital era by inculcating specific virtues advocated by the Buddha.
Investigation of Resonant Leadership, Work Engagement and Employee Performance in Nurses
Authors: Özer Özlem , Büyükşirin Bilge , Özkan Okan
Published: October 2024

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between resonant leadership, work engagement and employee performance and to reveal whether work engagement has a mediating effect on the effect of resonant leadership perception on employee performance. Another aim of the study is to determine whether nurses’ perceptions of resonant leadership, work engagement and employee performance differ according to various socio-demographic characteristics (such as age, gender and educational status). The study was carried out on 310 nurses working in a university hospital in Edirne, Turkey. According to the analyses made in the study, resonant leadership explained 8.7 per cent of the total variance on work engagement and 2 per cent of the total variance on employee performance; it was determined that work engagement explained 22.2 per cent of the total variance on employee performance. As a result of the analyses, it was determined that the effect of resonant leadership perception on employee performance was mediated by work engagement.
Rhabdomyosarcoma Presenting as an Infective Midline Nodule on the Chin in an Eight-year-old Child
Authors: Garge Saurabh , Sharma Ashutosh , Kumar Rajesh , Sharma Manish
Published: October 2024

Background and Aims:

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common subtype of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) in children. Early diagnosis is the most favourable prognostic factor and thus physicians need to include RMS in the differential diagnosis of more common diseases developing within the head and neck region. This report highlights the same while describing a case of an eight-year-old child who presented with a chin swelling which turned out to be an RMS.

Methods:

We present a rare case of an eight-year-old child with a midline painless mass.

Results:

This child had a transoral resection of the mass. He undertook further chemotherapy and was completely cured with no tumour recurrence.

Conclusion:

In a painless rapidly increasing mass in the head and neck area, despite rare, but RMS should be included as a differential diagnosis. This is important as early diagnosis and proper resection and treatment are paramount in the prognosis of the disease.
Belongingness in higher education: Fostering decent education to sustain academic progress and equitable access to decent work
Authors: Kenny Maureen , Li Zhushan , Chen Jihang
Published: October 2024

Given the critical role of higher education in fostering social mobility and access to decent work, our study investigates how the college experience, shaped by social marginalization and economic constraints, influences students’ academic engagement and work volition before and during COVID-19. Drawing from the psychology of working theory (PWT) and decent education, we assess the mediating role of school belongingness and the moderating effect of COVID-19 timing through structural equation modeling. Our findings suggest that COVID-19 exacerbated the negative effect of social and economic marginalization on work volition and the negative effects of economic constraints on academic engagement, while also diminishing the moderating effect of school belongingness. These insights are crucial considering the profound disruptions in higher education due to the pandemic and underscore the importance of fostering school belongingness as a component of decent education to sustain student engagement and positive views of their work futures.
Older workers and post-retirement employment: A proposed decent work agenda
Authors: Luke Jennifer , McIlveen Peter
Published: October 2024

The United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG8) emphasizes decent work and the need to generate employment for vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and low-income rural and urban residents. Though extended retirement age policies to sustain workforce productivity are promulgated across OECD states, within SDG8 there is no evident focus on older citizens’ need for decent work. We believe this goal lacks detail in addressing the specific needs of older and post-retirement workers and their equal vulnerability to inadequate decent work conditions, economic strain, and diminished well-being. We expand on this issue with particular focus on this older cohort's predictors and attainment of decent work and proffer the psychology of working theory as a foundation to redress the inadequacy of SDG8 and formulate recommendations for policy and research to recognize the needs of older and post-retirement workers. This approach is aligned with the Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development framework in a lifelong perspective.
Toward a conceptualization of decent work in Africa: Development and cross-cultural validation of the Decent Work Triad (DWT) in Burkina Faso, Switzerland, and Togo
Authors: Atitsogbe Kokou A , Ouedraogo Abdoulaye , Pari Paboussoum , Rossier Jérôme
Published: October 2024

Psychology of Working theorists recommend supplementing the Decent Work Scale (DWS) with subjective investigations of decent work across different cultural contexts. Building on this, the present study developed and validated the Decent Work Triad (DWT) for assessing the subjective aspects of decent work in a sub-Saharan African context. Using a Burkinabe sample for exploratory ( N = 303) and confirmatory ( N = 494) analyses, it consists of 8 items assessing three moral and value-based dimensions: Dignity, Corruption-Free, and Shamelessness. The scale showed good psychometric properties and invariance across country and gender in Burkina Faso ( N = 494), Switzerland ( N = 590), and Togo ( N = 812). It also showed incremental validity in predicting work and life satisfaction beyond the DWS and discriminant validity along with constructs of marginalization and economic constraints, underscoring its robustness. The DWT's utility in understanding the subjective and cultural dimensions of decent work and its implications were discussed.
Challenges and opportunities in the mental health landscape of the Maldives
Authors: Mohamed Arif , Mansoor Shanooha
Published: October 2024

This article outlines the history of mental health service delivery with contemporary challenges and opportunities in the Maldives. Mental health has been traditionally the domain of faith healers in the Maldives. This changed gradually with the availability of treatments as well as increased public awareness, and mental health is now recognized as an emerging health issue. The current challenges for the mental health system include governance issues, access to services, human resource limitations, poor prevention efforts, and lack of research. These challenges may be overcome by focussing on opportunities through strengthened governance, intersectoral collaboration, mainstream integration of mental health, and local research.
Functional Models of Work to Examine Human-Robot Coordination in Disaster Response
Authors: Hargis Salvatore , IJtsma Martijn
Published: October 2024

This paper presents a foundational framework for functional modeling of human-robot joint activity in dynamic and unstructured environments. Representing a model of work functions as a network allows for scalable analysis of functional dependencies that create coordination overhead in the human-robot system. Centrality of nodes and cycles in the network can reveal potential patterns of joint activity that point to alternate strategies for human-robot coordination. Analysis of these network structures can provide insight into how a human-robot system may synchronize their activity while managing coordination overhead. We illustrate the use of the framework with a model of collaborative navigation in disaster response, where re-evaluating goals as more information about the environment is identified as a key part of coordination. The modeling capabilities can aid in understanding the effects of coordination strategies and teaming configurations and inform the design of automation capabilities to better support collaborative capabilities.
Evaluation of wavelet decomposition level to enhance numerical analysis of seismic responses
Authors: Kandemir Elif Cagda
Published: October 2024

In this study, the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is used to enhance the efficiency of numerical analysis by decomposing earthquake excitation signals into low- and high-frequency components. The low-frequency components, considered as the main damaging factor in earthquake waves, stored in approximation coefficients have been used to perform time response analysis. In the selection of the ground motions, the special attention is given to the ratio of peak ground acceleration (PGA) to peak ground velocity (PGV). An ensemble of nine earthquake records have been selected and used. For each earthquake, displacement response spectra have been generated for both the original signal and its approximations at different DWT levels. To determine the most accurate decomposition level, the normalized root-mean-squared error (NRMSE) of wavelet energy has been computed in spectral displacement responses. The outcomes reveal a dependency of the decomposition level on the specific characteristics of each earthquake. Subsequently, structural analyses are conducted on base-isolated structures with varying story numbers, to examine the accuracy of decomposed signals. Employing both the original signal and its approximations to the structures, base mat displacements and roof accelerations are computed. The findings of the seismic analyses demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed decomposition levels.
From Science to Therapy: The Shaping of German Psychology Through Student Preferences
Authors: Wieser Martin
Published: October 2024

In 2020, a new record was set: For the first time in history, more than 100.000 students of psychology were officially enrolled in Germany. This remarkable number is the outcome of a long-term transformation of the whole academic landscape in Europe as well as dynamics that are specific to the German context. As these recent changes have not yet been properly discussed outside the German-speaking world, this paper provides a contextual analysis of the factors that have contributed to the current state of discipline, including legal regulations and economic conditions, academic curricula, and students’ preferences. It is argued that the growth of the discipline was primarily an effect of psychology becoming the primary route to psychotherapeutic practice in Germany after World War II. Even though representatives of the discipline repeatedly voiced concern about the one-sided interest of their students, German academic psychology has benefited from the steady increase in demand for clinical training, especially among female students, on many levels. In late 2020, a new law came into force which redefined the requirements for the qualification of psychotherapists. Although this legal reform was introduced only very recently, it is already becoming apparent that this change will have a profound impact on the discipline. As the tensions between basic research and applied branches increase, cracks are appearing in the foundations of the whole discipline, forcing it to make tough choices about its future development.
Police Responses to People Experiencing Homelessness
Authors: Hipple Natalie Kroovand , Allison Kayla , Campbell Kaitlyn , Farrell Mitchell A.
Published: October 2024

Using open-source (i.e., social media) data collection complemented by in-depth case studies, we present a typology of police responses to homelessness across the United States. We identified eight categories of discretionary police responses to homelessness. For several of our categories, we identified subcategories. We present and define each category in the typology and provide open-source examples for each discretionary response. The majority of responses are steeped in discretion and must be tailored to the local context. This work demonstrates that many police departments are innovative in their responses to people experiencing homelessness. While novel, this research can be used as a foundational resource to help guide law enforcement agencies in responding to people experiencing homelessness. It also lays the groundwork for future evaluation efforts that are needed to determine which police responses to homelessness produce positive outcomes or meet specified goals and which do not.
Analysis of health recommendations using longitudinal quality of life data: QoL@TbA − A transformer-based approach
Authors: Siebra Clauirton , Kurpicz-Briki Mascha , Wac Katarzyna
Published: October 2024

Objective: Health recommendation systems suggest behavioral modifications to improve quality of life. However, current approaches do not facilitate the generation or examination of such recommendations considering the multifeature longitudinal evolution of behaviors. This paper proposes the use of a deep learning transformer-based model that allows the analysis of recommendations for behavior changes. Methods: We adapted a prediction approach, namely Behavior Sequence Transformer (BST), which analyzes temporal human routines and patterns, generating inductive outcomes. The evaluation relied on a case study that employed the behavioral history and profile of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) participants ( n = 2682), predicting their psychological mood (normal, pre-depressed, depressed) according to input recommendations for behavioral changes. Root mean squared error (RMSE) and learning curves were used to track the recommendation accuracy evolution and possible overfitting problems. Results: Experiments demonstrated lower RMSE values for the multifeature model (0.28/0.03) when compared to its single-feature versions (marital status, 0.59/0.001), (high pressure, 0.357/0.04), (diabetes, 0.36/0.01), (sleep quality, 0.57/0.02), (level of physical activity, 0.57/0.01). Conclusions: The results demonstrate the architecture’s capability to analyze multifeatured longitudinal data, supporting the generation of suggestions for concurrent modifications across multiple input features. Moreover, these suggestions align with findings in specialized literature.
Analysis of the influence of expansion gap on thermal stress and strain distribution of a hot blast stove
Authors: Gan Yu-Feng , Liao Sheng-you , Wu Tiao-Yuan , Gao Xiang-dong , Chen Jun-jie
Published: October 2024

The hot blast stove is an important facility in the steel industry, which of the expansion gaps design has a significant buffering effect on the thermal stress with a high-temperature operating process. In this paper, a 3D numerical model of a hot blast stove was established to calculate the thermal stress distribution and analyze the remaining thickness of expansion gaps with different parts during the operating process. Young’s Modulus of the refractory linings was obtained by comparing with the experiment data and numerical data under the different temperatures and considering the influence of mortar. The result shows that Young’s Modulus of the refractory brick increased as the temperature, and the comparison of the experiment and simulation data of Young’s Modulus under three different temperatures displayed good agreement between the two sets of data. The first/third principle stress for the refractory linings can be reduced effectively by designing the expansion gap rationally, and the equivalent stresses of the shell are mainly concentrated at the joint and the neck. In addition, the expansion gaps are decreased under the thermal expansion and moved along a radial direction for the combustion/checker dome and the combustion/checker chamber.
Primary headaches in children
Authors: Buckland Anna , Pilley Elizabeth
Published: October 2024

Headaches in children are common, and can have a significant impact on children’s school attendance and quality of life. Although most causes of headaches in children are benign, concern from clinicians and patient caregivers about missing a serious underlying cause can result in a high referral rate to secondary care. This article provides a succinct and practical approach to the assessment and management of a child presenting to general practice with a headache. This will include consideration of possible underlying pathology, diagnosis and management of primary headaches, with emphasis on managing lifestyle and psychosocial factors that negatively impact on headaches.
Timing of Fracture Fixation in Ankle Fracture-Dislocations
Authors: Penning Diederick , Tausendfreund Jasper , Naryapragi M. Azad , Reisinger Kostan W. , Joosse Pieter , Tanis Erik , Schepers Tim
Published: October 2024

Ankle fracture-dislocations may require delayed internal fixation. Our aim was to compare acute open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with delayed ORIF, using external fixation or cast splint in ankle fracture-dislocations. Factors that affect the rates of re-operation and Surgical site infection (SSI) were identified. In this retrospective cohort study, patients were included with open and closed ankle fracture-dislocations treated with ORIF from two large peripheral hospitals and one academic center in the Netherlands. This study included 447 patients with an ankle fracture-dislocation. In the multivariate analysis, the difference between surgery <48 hours compared to bridging with cast or external fixation had no significant influence on unscheduled re-operation or SSI. Higher body mass index (BMI) and open fractures had a significant positive correlation with re-operation while diabetes mellitus (DM) and open fractures correlated with SSI. In patients with open fractures, there was also no significant difference in outcome between acute or delayed internal fixation. We suggest that it is safe to perform primary ORIF on all dislocated ankle fractures if the soft tissue injury allows surgery within 48 hours. When significant swelling is present, patients with well-reduced fractures and with no soft tissue injury could be treated safely with a cast until delayed ORIF is possible.

Level of Evidence: Therapeutic level 2B (retrospective cohort study)
Romantic bias in judging the attractiveness of faces wearing masks
Authors: Sugai Machi , Yonemitsu Fumiya , Ariga Atsunori
Published: October 2024

The spread of COVID-19 has drastically increased the number of people wearing masks in public areas and the opportunities to evaluate others’ faces based on limited information. This study investigates the cognitive bias in judging the attractiveness of faces partially hidden by sanitary masks. Experiment 1 revealed that men rated women's faces as more attractive when wearing masks, specifically in the context of rating women as romantic partners; however, this mask bias was absent when men rated women as friends. On the other hand, women did not show the mask bias irrespective of the assumed social relationship. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the mask bias among elderly men was less affected by the assumed social relationship (or the possibility of reproduction), compared to young men, though they showed the bias itself. These results suggest that the cognitive strategies related to reproduction underlie the attractiveness judgment of the partial faces.
Communication in implant treatment planning, placement and reconstruction in the digital age: a technician’s perspective
Authors: Campbell Steve
Published: October 2024

Effective communication between clinicians and the dental laboratory is paramount in the realm of dental implant restorations, where precision and meticulous planning are key for success. This article explores the transformative shift towards digital workflows, highlighting the collaborative dance between the clinician and the dental laboratory. The power of visual communication is emphasised, with examples illustrating its impact on the precision of treatment plans. Celebrating these digital tools, this article envisions a new era of collaboration, transcending traditional communication methods for more predictable and successful implant restorations.
The Perfect Storm: Abnormal Baseline QT With Chronic Methadone Use and Serious Hypokalemia
Authors: Lopez Oscar J. , Othon Diana , Ng-Wong Yilen K. , Sleiman Jose
Published: October 2024

Methadone, a well-known drug used for pain control and as a treatment for opioid addiction, can cause arrhythmias, including torsades de pointes (TdP), which may progress to ventricular fibrillation and sudden death. We present a case of a middle-aged woman with a long history of methadone use who presented to the emergency department after experiencing cardiac arrest at home. During her hospitalization, she experienced multiple episodes of TdP that improved with isoproterenol and potassium correction. The initial diagnosis was methadone-induced prolonged QT. However, even with discontinuation of methadone, her QTc remained prolonged. Congenital long QT syndrome was suspected, and genetic testing was instructed to test in the outpatient setting. She was discharged on nadolol and a LifeVest.