bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Construction and Validation of a Chinese Translation of the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment, Second Edition (DECA-P2)
Authors: Siu Angela F. Y. , KEUNG Chrysa P. C. , TO Alastair H. K.
Published: November 2023

This study analyzed the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the teacher-reported Devereux Early Childhood Assessment, Second Edition (DECA-P2) using a sample of 246 children aged between 2 and 6 years old. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine its construct validity. Reliability was evaluated based on the internal consistency of the scale items, as well as discriminant and convergent validities were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The findings provide emerging evidence of a four-factor structure (i.e., attachment, initiative, self-regulation, and behavioral concern) and support the use of this Chinese DECA-P2 as a screening instrument to identify social-emotional strengths and behavioral problems among Chinese preschool children. The limitations of this study and its implications concerning the dimensionality of the Chinese DECA-P2 for future research are discussed.
Influence of post-processing treatment on the surface roughness of polyamide PA12 samples manufactured using additive methods in the context of the production of orthoses
Authors: Turek Paweł , Bazan Anna , Zakrecki Andrzej
Published: November 2023

Additive techniques are gaining popularity, primarily due to the emergence of new 3D printing methods, advancements in 3D printers, and the availability of innovative materials. Models produced using additive processes can undergo additional post-processing and dyeing to modify their functional and visual properties. This article presents the results of surface roughness tests conducted on samples made of polyamide PA12, using the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and HP MultiJet Fusion (MJF) methods. Regarding the processing methods, chemical surface treatment contributed to reducing Ra and Rz parameters by about 80% for both analyzed printing methods, while mechanical surface treatment resulted in a reduction of approximately 40% for SLS samples and 30% for MJF samples. On the other hand, dyeing and applying an antibacterial coating did not significantly affect the Ra and Rz parameter values. Considering the obtained results, the recommended manufacturing method for orthosis is the MJF method, and the finishing process should include mechanical treatment followed by dyeing.
Optimisation design of a large space cable-pole tensioned parabolic cylindrical antenna mechanism
Authors: Zhu Jialong , Shi Chuang , Fan Xiaodong , Guo Hongwei , Liu Rongqiang , Deng Zongquan
Published: November 2023

The cable-strut structure optimisation of a large space cable-strut tensioned parabolic cylindrical antenna is studied. Firstly, the deployment mechanism is designed, and the degree of freedom and kinematics analysis of the mechanism are conducted. Secondly, a complete tension cable configuration with 58 tension cables in 24 categories is established on the basis of the structural characteristics and constraints. A configuration optimisation design method based on the influence coefficient of comprehensive stiffness is proposed. A less tensioned cable optimisation configuration with better static and dynamic stiffness performance is established on the basis of the fully tensioned cable configuration and using the proposed method, and the stiffness characteristics of the configuration are verified through the analysis of an example. Lastly, a mathematical surrogate model between the designed angle and length parameters of the reflector rod system and the fundamental frequency of the antenna is established using the response surface method, and the optimal solution of the reflector rod system is obtained by a genetic algorithm. The effectiveness of the optimisation is verified by finite element modelling and simulation analysis. This study provides a basis and reference for the structural dynamic modelling, characteristic analysis and optimal design of a large space cable-strut tensioned parabolic cylindrical antenna.
In-silico study of type ‘B’ condylar head fractures and evaluating the influence of two positional screw distance in two-screw osteosynthesis construct
Authors: Banerjee Anik , Rana Masud , Chakraborty Arindam , Biswas Jayanta Kumar , Chowdhury Amit Roy
Published: November 2023

Clinical fixation screws are common in clinical practices to fix mandibular condyle fractures. Evidence suggests significance of ‘working length’ that is, distance between proximal and distal fixation screws in proximity to the fracture in orthopaedic implant design. In pursuit of stable implant-bone construct, this study aims to investigate the biomechanical performance of each configuration considered in the study and provide an optimal working length between the screws for clinical reference. Finite element models of virtually designed broken condyle as type ‘B’ were simulated and analysed in ANSYS Workbench. Screws are implanted according to previous literature at five varied distances ‘d’ maintaining five different ratios with the fracture length ‘D’. Based on a literature review, boundary conditions, muscle traction forces and non-linear contacts were assigned to obtain precise results. Each case is considered an individual configuration and von Mises distribution, microstrain in bone, screw-bone interface micromotion and fracture dislocation were evaluated for all these configurations. Stress-shielding phenomenon is observed for maximum von Mises stresses in bone. Microstrain concentration was significant in cancellous bone in the vicinity of the screw around the fracture line. Configurations were compared based on the stress-strain along with micromotion to support the required amount of osseointegration between implant and bone. Presented data from all five conditions supported the assumption that under physiological loading conditions, the D3 configuration provided stability for fracture healing. Further research on screw shapes, diameters and material properties, or investigating the direction of forces within the screws could provide further insight into this topic.
Study on the vibration reduction characteristics of shock absorber throttle orifice in tractor suspension
Authors: Zhang Xin , Xiao Zengliang , Li Zhanlong , Liu Yuanyou
Published: November 2023

The hydraulic shock absorber of a certain tractor suspension system is analyzed to determine the influence of the cross-sectional area ratio of the throttling holes of the restoration valve and the compression valve on the vibration damping performance of the whole vehicle, using a new method of machine-hydraulic co-simulation. First, the AMESim model of the hydraulic shock absorber is established, and the Kriging model is used to approximate the parameters of the AMESim hydraulic shock absorber model; the multi-island genetic algorithm and the gradient descent algorithm are used to obtain the three scenarios in which the cross-sectional area ratios of the throttle orifices of the same equivalent damping coefficients are greater than, equal to, or less than one. Then, a co-simulation model of 1/4 vehicle Recurdyn/AMESim and a co-simulation model of the whole vehicle with 162 degrees of freedom were established. The result show that, compared with the traditional method, this machine-hydraulic co-simulation method improves the calculation accuracy, calculation speed, and co-simulation model parameter accuracy. For low-speed conditions, when the throttle orifice area ratio equals 0.32, the minimum vehicle body center acceleration (root mean square value equal to 1.78 m/s2) is achieved. For high-speed driving conditions, when the throttle orifice area ratio is approximately 3.1, the minimum vehicle body center acceleration (root mean square value equal to 3.52 m/s2) is achieved.
Shear Wave Tensiometry Can Detect Loading Differences Between Operated and Unaffected Achilles Tendon
Authors: Schneebeli Alessandro , Barbero Marco , Filardo Giuseppe , Testa Enrique , Riegger Martin , Sangiorgio Alessandro , Cescon Corrado , Soldini Emiliano , Falla Deborah
Published: November 2023

Background:

The clinically relevant healing process of a ruptured and repaired Achilles tendon (AT) can last more than a year. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to test if shear wave tensiometry is able to detect AT loading changes between a surgically managed AT rupture versus the unaffected contralateral tendon. Our secondary aims were to evaluate differences in mechanical properties when measured with myotonometry and morphological properties of the tendons measured with ultrasonographic imaging.

Methods:

Twenty-one patients with surgically treated AT ruptures were investigated 12-37 months after surgery. Tendon load was measured using a shear wave tensiometer composed of an array of 4 accelerometers fixed on the tendon. Shear wave speed along the Achilles tendon was evaluated at different levels of ankle torque for both the operated and the unaffected side. Mechanical properties of the tendons were evaluated using MyotonPRO and morphological properties using ultrasonographic imaging. Friedman test was used to assess differences in AT wave speed, stiffness, thickness, and cross-sectional area between the operated and the unaffected tendon.

Results:

We found a significant shear wave speed difference between sides at every ankle joint torque ( P < .05) with a large effect size for the lowest ankle torque and small to medium effect sizes for higher ankle torque. Stiffness, thickness, and cross-sectional area of the operated tendon remained significantly higher compared to the unaffected side.

Conclusion:

In this cohort, we found that shear wave tensiometry can detect differences between operated and unaffected AT during a standardized loading procedure. The shear wave speed along the operated tendon, as well as the mechanical and morphologic properties, remains higher for 1-3 years after a rupture.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, case-control study.
May Morris, Dorothy Walker, and the Legacies of the Arts and Crafts Interior
Authors: Hart Imogen
Published: November 2023

The designers of the Arts and Crafts movement attempted to articulate the democratic power of the domestic interior. The legacies of these ideas are shaped by house museums such as Kelmscott Manor (home of William Morris) and 7 Hammersmith Terrace (Emery Walker’s House, publicized as “The Arts and Crafts Home”). Lived in and maintained by female descendants, May Morris and Dorothy Walker, and their female companions, these house museums invite a reassessment of the role of the Arts and Crafts movement in feminist and queer histories of interior design. In this article, I demonstrate some of the ways in which house museums and the Arts and Crafts movement can offer opportunities to expose some of the disciplinary structures that hinder an inclusive history of interior design. Situating its case studies in the context of the history of heritage preservation, and engaging with feminist scholarship, I argue that one strategy for exposing and challenging hidden biases in the field is to recognize homemaking, preservation, and curating as forms of creative labor that have made crucial contributions to the history of interior design. Focusing primarily on gender but also paying attention to questions of class, race, and sexuality, I consider the potential and the limits of the Arts and Crafts house museum’s capacity to contribute to intersectional histories of interior design.
Development of porous composite ceramic with sugarcane fiber filler for sound absorber materials
Authors: Rino Agus , Prasetiyo Iwan , Adhika Damar Rastri , Sunendar Bambang , Putra Azma
Published: November 2023

Porous ceramic composite materials are fabricated for sound absorber materials. The ceramic composites are made from silica (SiO2) with a filler mixture to change the pore structure. Natural fillers synthesized from sugarcane bagasse with compositions of 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 g are considered for sound absorber fabrication. Each filler weight comes with three different fiber sizes, namely 212, 425, and 630 µm. Subsequently, a blowing agent made of Al2O3 and CaCO3 is added to create pores in the composite, while a binder made of a mixture of gypsum powder and Portland Composite Cement (PCC) is used to bind the whole ceramic composite materials. Sound absorption coefficients α of each sample are evaluated by using impedance tube measurements according to ISO 10534-2. The results suggest that adding 0.5, 0.75, and 1 g filler gives the composite an absorption coefficient of 50%–80%, 60%–90%, and 75%–90%, respectively.
‘A square peg in a round hole’. Transgender and gender diverse youth and schooling in South Africa
Authors: Francis Dennis A
Published: November 2023

There is a continuing thread of research evidence that schools acknowledge just two self-evident genders and that trans and gender diverse (TGD) youth face significant marginalisation and exclusion. Drawing on a qualitative study of educational staff and seven TGD school-attending youth in South Africa, this paper explores two lines of inquiry – how schools as cultural and social spaces produce and resist cisnormativity and how TGD school-attending youth orientate themselves in or out of line with normative power? Shedding light on how orientation marks out boundary lines and practices of differentiation, the analysis highlights how schools produce a field of objects that ensures that schooling is orientated around the cisnormative body. The paper argues that schooling is a space where TGD youth learn their place, which is exclusion and marginalisation. The findings point to the need for urgent school reform, highlighting the need for important intervention paths to address gender diversity and schooling.
Daylighting design validation and optimisation of tropical school classrooms with asymmetrical bilateral opening typology
Authors: Atthaillah Atthaillah , Mangkuto Rizki A , Subramaniam Sarith , Yuliarto Brian
Published: November 2023

Daylighting is an essential factor in the design and operation of buildings, including schools. School buildings shall therefore be designed and constructed by considering climate variability that may affect daylighting performance. In some cases, such as in Indonesia, school classrooms are typically designed with symmetrical bilateral openings. However, recent literature suggests that such an opening typology may not necessarily lead to optimal daylight performance. This study investigated the potential of applying asymmetrical bilateral opening in tropical school classrooms by conducting validation with scale models and optimisation with climate-based daylight simulation. The window-to-wall ratio and external horizontal shading depth and elevation on opposing façades of the building model were considered input variables. Computational daylight simulation with Radiance (RAD) through the interface of Honeybee Plus (HB [+]) and optimisation using genetic algorithms (GA) were utilised to calculate annual daylight metrics (aUDI250-750lx, aUDI100-3000lx, sDA300/50% and ASE1000,250) and glare indices (DGP) under the climate of two Indonesian cities. Based on the optimisation, the recommended solutions are indeed in favour of asymmetrical opening configurations. These findings are crucial to improving the practice of designing tropical school classrooms with asymmetrical bilateral openings.
A comparative study of the 2D- and 3D-based skeleton avatar technology for assessing physical activity and functioning among healthy older adults
Authors: Lincke Alisa , Fagerström Cecilia , Ekstedt Mirjam , Löwe Welf , Backåberg Sofia
Published: November 2023

Background: Maintaining physical activity (PA) and functioning (mobility, balance) is essential for older adults’ well-being and quality of life. However, current methods (functional tests, self-reports) and available techniques (accelerometers, sensors, advanced movement analysis systems) for assessing physical activity and functioning have shown to be less reliable, time- and resource-consuming with limited routine usage in clinical practice. There is a need to simplify the assessment of physical activity and functioning among older adults both in health care and clinical studies. This work presents a study on using Skeleton Avatar Technology (SAT) for this assessment. SAT analyzes human movement videos using artificial intelligence (AI). The study compares handy SAT based on 2D camera technology (2D SAT) with previously studied 3D SAT for assessing physical activity and functioning in older adults. Objective: To explore whether 2D SAT yields accurate results in physical activity and functioning assessment in healthy older adults, statistically compared to the accuracy of 3D SAT. Method: The mobile pose estimation model provided by Tensorflow was used to extract 2D skeletons from the video recordings of functional test movements. Deep neural networks were used to predict the outcomes of functional tests (FT), expert-based movement quality assessment (EA), accelerometer-based assessments (AC), and self-assessments of PA (SA). To compare the accuracy with 3D SAT models, statistical analysis was used to test whether the difference in the predictions between 2D and 3D models is significant or not. Results: Overall, the accuracy of 2D SAT is lower than 3D SAT in predicting FTs and EA. 2D SAT was able to predict AC with 7% Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and self-assessed PA (SA) with 16% MAE. On average MAE was 4% higher for 2D than for 3D SAT. There was no significant difference found between the 2D and the 3D model for AC and for two FTs (30 seconds chair stand test, 30sCST and Timed up and go, TUG). A significant difference was found for the 2D- and 3D-model of another FT (4-stage balance test, 4SBT). Conclusion: Altogether, the results show that handy 2D SAT might be used for assessing physical activity in older adults without a significant loss of accuracy compared to time-consuming standard tests and to bulky 3D SAT-based assessments. However, the accuracy of 2D SAT in assessing physical functioning should be improved. Taken together, this study shows promising results to use 2D SAT for assessing physical activity in healthy older adults in future clinical studies and clinical practice.
Southern European press challenges in a time of crisis: A cross-national study of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece and Malta
Authors: Price Lada Trifonova , Clark Marilyn , Papadopoulou Lambrini , Maniou Theodora A.
Published: November 2023

The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for newsrooms across the world range from severe economic hardship to increased threats to press freedom. The “perfect storm” that engulfed the media and journalists globally has threatened and continues to challenge their existence, and the core of their mission to serve the public interest. This study maps the impact of external political, economic, legal and societal factors on journalistic freedom and the way(s) news organizations and journalists operate in times of global crisis in four Southern European countries. It provides a fuller cross-national perspective on the complex relationship between media, journalism and politics in countries with existing democratic deficits. Findings are based on 32 semi-structured interviews with journalists working in four Southern European countries, namely Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus and Malta, conducted in 2022. We find increased economic challenges to their fragile media markets, high level of state intervention, political parallelism in coverage of the pandemic and beyond, and numerous threats to the autonomy of journalists that hamper journalism and question its development in the future. The study’s implications are relevant to different contexts, particularly in countries where journalism and media face similar challenges.
Competing external demoi and differential enfranchisement: The case of the 2022 Hungarian election
Authors: Waterbury Myra A.
Published: November 2023

This analysis of the 2022 Hungarian parliamentary election highlights the phenomenon of competing external demoi, a situation that emerges when an incumbent government differentially enfranchises and mobilizes different external national communities for electoral purposes, thus triggering a competing mobilization of external voters by non-incumbent political actors. Hungarian parliamentary elections have increasingly become battlegrounds between the ethnic Hungarians living in countries neighboring Hungary, who have access to non-resident Hungarian citizenship and the right the vote in Hungarian elections by mail; and Hungarian emigrants in Western Europe who must vote in person at home or at embassies. These differences in voting access and the highly partisan mobilization of these two external demoi came to a head during the 2022 parliamentary election. This article seeks to explain the development of two different sets of external enfranchisement policies within a single case, a variation that is undertheorized in the literature, and uncovers the causes and consequences of the unique structure of external partisan polarization that emerged in the 2022 election. It argues that we must look at Hungary’s competitive authoritarian regime type in the context of “divided nationhood” and the relationship between incumbent hegemony and opposition mobilization in different types of external communities to explain this outcome.
Sleeved waveguide ultrasonic sensor for monitoring concrete health
Authors: Kairu Wilson M , Gatari Michael J , Mumenya Siphila W , Rajagopal Prabhu
Published: November 2023

This article reports the development of a novel embedded waveguide ultrasonic sensor for detecting the onset of damage in reinforced concrete structures. A sleeved waveguide is proposed to confine guided ultrasonic waves in one-dimension, with leakage to the surrounding media only through specially created openings, thus reducing attenuation losses and enhancing the capability to inspect large structures from a single transducer location. The test frequency and mode are identified through modelling, and the interaction of leaky guided ultrasonic waves with delamination within the concrete volume is studied. Numerical simulations validated by experiments are used to study the changes in wave features such as mode velocity, wavelength and wave reflection in the delamination region, helping to estimate its location. Further simulation studies are carried out to demonstrate the possibility of using multiple waveguide sensors and sleeve openings to provide a full view of the concrete volume. The results are encouraging for practical long-range and large-scale monitoring of concrete volumes using the proposed sleeved waveguide ultrasonic sensors.
Bridge anomaly detection based on reconstruction error and structural similarity of unsupervised convolutional auto-encoder
Authors: Teng Shuai , Liu Zongchao , Luo Wenjun , Chen Gongfa , Cheng Li
Published: November 2023

This study presents a novel bridge anomaly detection approach that employs the reconstruction error and structural similarity of an unsupervised convolutional auto-encoder. The presence of structural damage in a bridge typically results in changes in its vibration signals, and thus, the use of these signals for structural damage detection (SDD) has been widely investigated, with many methods relying on supervised learning. However, such existing SDD methods based on the supervised learning require prior knowledge of the damage states and cannot process monitoring data in real-time, thereby limiting their application to in-service bridges. To address this challenge, the authors propose the use of a convolutional auto-encoder as the reconstruction algorithm for real-time vibration signals. The auto-encoder is trained using normal signals and then used to reconstruct new inputs (either normal or abnormal). Two damage indicators (reconstruction error and structural similarity) are then calculated based on the reconstruction results and clustered to detect abnormal signals. The proposed approach was applied to the detection of various abnormalities in the old ADA Bridge, the results were 100% accurate, and about a 10% increase in accuracy was observed when compared to other control experiments. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, with the auto-encoder achieving excellent reconstruction results for normal signals and clear discrepancies for abnormal signals. The proposed method was also validated on a cable-stayed bridge and an arch bridge, demonstrating its wide applicability in bridge anomaly detection.
Preparation and characterization of Y-shaped fractal frequency selective fabric
Authors: Li Dan , Li Yating , Guan Fuwang , Yang Zhuli , Qin Lixin , Peng Liyun
Published: November 2023

In order to explore the electromagnetic transmission performance of frequency selective fabrics (FSFs) with fractal units, six samples of Y-shaped fractal parameters with different sizes were prepared by computer embroidery technology, and tested using anechoic chamber test method. The effects of unit type, polarization mode, incident angle and unit size parameters on the transmission performance of different samples were respectively analyzed in depth. The results show that for the aperture type and patch type FSFs, the incident angle has a certain influence. When the incident angle of the two groups of samples is 0°, the resonance peak is the largest. When the incident angle increases to 45°, there are two resonance peaks of different amplitudes in the range of 4 GHz ∼ 20 GHz. The size and spacing of the unit pattern have both visible effects on the transmission coefficient, but the former has a greater impact on the transmission coefficient. There is a certain tension and contraction between the base fabrics during the preparation of the flexible FSFs, which are controlled to make the sample size more accurate. In addition, in order to reduce the calculation time and improve the design efficiency, two kinds of patch type and aperture type with the same size were simulated and optimized using HFSS algorithm. Comparison of measured and simulated results verify the effectiveness of simulation design.
Tomographic Evaluation of Bone Height Between the Mandibular Canal and the Inferior Cortex of the Mandible Related to Bicortical Screws Fixation
Authors: Fares Raissa Dias , Leal João Victor Borges , Areas Manuella Zanela da Silva , Valentim da Rocha Hernando , de Moraes Sylvio Luiz Costa , Homsi Nicolas , Ribeiro da Silva Jonathan
Published: November 2023

Study Design: Original Article.

Objective: The surgical treatment of mandibular fractures has undergone several changes over the past 100 years, since the use of wires and intermaxillary fixation, until today where most of the fractures are treated with internal fixation using plates and screws. For the correct use of this hardware, the surgeon must have adequate knowledge of jaw anatomy to prevent complications during the insertion of screws like in fractures of the mandibular body and angle, when the screws of the plate installed in the compression zone can damage the inferior alveolar nerve within the mandibular canal.

Methods: To minimize this complication, 66 hemimandibles of adult patients were analyzed in CT scans and manipulated with Dental Slice® software, (BioParts®, Brazil) and measured the shortest distance from the inferior cortex of the mandibular canal to the inferior cortex of the mandibular body during the path of the inferior alveolar nerve, since the mandibular foramen until the mental foramen.

Results: The result obtained showed a wide variation of the shortest distance measured (3.52 mm–11.5 mm) with an average of 7.99 mm.

Conclusion: The conclusion demonstrated a minimum distance of 3.52 mm below the cortical mandibular canal to the lower border of the mandible and should be considered as a safety margin during the application of fixing the material in the region of the mandibular body.
The T2-FLAIR mismatch sign in oncologic neuroradiology: History, current use, emerging data, and future directions
Authors: Dagher Samir A , Lochner Riley Hideo , Ozkara Burak Berksu , Schomer Donald F , Wintermark Max , Fuller Gregory N , Ucisik F Eymen
Published: November 2023

The T2-Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery (T2-FLAIR) mismatch sign is a radiogenomic marker that is easily discernible on preoperative conventional MR imaging. Application of strict criteria (adult population, cerebral hemisphere location, and classic imaging morphology) permits the noninvasive preoperative diagnosis of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant 1p/19q-non-codeleted diffuse astrocytoma with near-perfect specificity, albeit with variably low sensitivity. This leads to improved preoperative planning and patient counseling. More recent research has shown that the application of less strict criteria compromises the near-perfect specificity of the sign but remains adequate for ruling out IDH-wildtype (glioblastoma) phenotype, which bears a far grimmer prognosis compared to IDH-mutant diffuse astrocytic disease. In this review, we elaborate on the various definitions of the T2-FLAIR mismatch sign present in the literature, illustrate these with images obtained at a comprehensive cancer center, discuss the potential of the mismatch sign for application to certain pediatric-type brain tumors, namely dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor and diffuse midline glioma, and elaborate upon the clinical, histologic, and molecular associations of the T2-FLAIR mismatch sign as recognized to date. Finally, the sign’s correlates in diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging are presented, and opportunities to further maximize the diagnostic and prognostic applications of the sign in the context of the 2021 revision of the WHO Classification of Central Nervous System Tumors are discussed.
Mismatch of Educational Expectations, Unequal Friendships, and Depression Symptoms of Adolescents
Authors: Wang Zhonghao
Published: November 2023

Numerous studies have explored the links between expectations and the mental health of young people. However, they mainly focus on personal expectations and rarely consider the expectations of connected others. Using data from Waves I and II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this study fills this gap by investigating how ego-friends differences in educational expectations are associated with adolescents’ depression symptoms. Results show that there was no significant difference in depressive levels between adolescents who had similarly high expectations like their friends and those with similarly low-expectation friends. However, when a mismatch exists, low-expectation adolescents had more depression symptoms than high-expectation ones. Teenagers who had low personal expectations and high-expectation friends reported higher depression scores than high-expectation ones. High-expectation adolescents with low-expectation friends felt less depressed than low-expectation individuals. This study advances our understanding of associations among expectations, friendship networks, and mental health.
The Nature of Power: Elaborating the Association between Divine Control and Mental Health
Authors: Upenieks Laura , Orfanidis Christos , Hill Terrence D.
Published: November 2023

Over the last decade, we have witnessed a resurgence of research on religious cognitions and mental health, including, most notably, perceptions of divine control. Although prior work on divine control tends to assume a loving or benevolent image of God, this is only one potential representation. Using nationwide data from the 2017 Baylor Religion Survey ( n = 999), we test whether the mental health benefits of perceived divine control vary according to various images of God (authoritative, benevolent, critical, and distant) and educational attainment. Results suggest that individuals with a college degree tend to report worse mental health if they also exhibit high levels of divine control beliefs and authoritative or critical God images. For those without a college degree, mental health was optimal when perceived divine control beliefs were low and their images of God were either authoritative or critical. For those with a college degree, the best mental health profiles were observed among those who reported high levels of divine control and a benevolent God image. By exploring the intersection of perceived divine control and God imagery, we may gain greater insight into novel processes related to religious cognitions and mental health.
“Fitting It In”: Elementary Teachers Talk About Social Studies Instruction in Public School Classrooms
Authors: Bauml Michelle
Published: November 2023

The tenuous state of elementary social studies has been explained by scholars who cite lack of time and curriculum resources devoted to social studies; teachers’ emphasis on tested subjects; and instruction that distorts, trivializes, or omits social studies content. Integrating social studies with other core subjects has been positioned as a viable approach to address some of these challenges, but not all teachers have a healthy understanding of integration as an avenue for robust social studies instruction. This qualitative study explores 14 elementary teachers’ stances to social studies as a core content area—with particular emphasis on content integration—in public schools. By investigating ways in which practicing teachers talk about social studies in their classrooms, this paper adds to the growing body of scholarship documenting the peripheral status of social studies in early grades. Findings offer theoretical implications for interpreting how and why social studies continues to be marginalized in early grades by focusing on participants’ healthy and unhealthy understandings of content integration.
Environmental struggles and insularity: The right to nature in Mallorca and Tenerife
Authors: Armas-Díaz Alejandro , Murray Ivan , Sabaté-Bel Fernando , Blázquez-Salom Macià
Published: November 2023

Islands worldwide experience commodification of land and natural resources that is closely related to touristic activity and urbanization. Islands represent the epitome of commodified represented spaces, power, and territorialization, and in this regard, focusing on islands may shed light on how the production of socio-natures shapes the dynamics of capital accumulation, dispossession, and resistance. We explore the contestation of urban-tourist development in Mallorca and Tenerife. Both have experienced an intense expansion of artificial land uses since the touristic boom in the mid-20th century, which has intensified with neoliberal capitalism and the commodification of everyday life elements. Environmental struggles in both islands have facilitated greater mobilization than other claims. An empirical survey of the spatio-temporal evolution of these two islands illustrates and helps to deepen the conceptual development of the right to the island and nature. The idea of the right to nature consists of the right to influence and rule the processes by which nature–society relationships are (re)shaped by urbanization and capitalism. The notion of the right to the island relies on the political action to foster a sustainable island future.
Disclosure of suicidal ideation in non-psychiatric clinical research: Experience using a novel suicide risk management algorithm in a multi-center smoking cessation trial
Authors: Schertz Kelsey L , Petrik Megan , Branson Mariah , Fu Steven S , Rothman Alexander J , Begnaud Abbie , Joseph Anne M
Published: November 2023

Background

Clinical trials involving pharmacologic or behavioral treatments often assess depression and suicidal ideation for purposes of screening, baseline assessment of potential moderators or mediators of treatment, or as a study outcome, even if the primary condition under study is not a mental health disorder. Suicide risk management in the context of clinical research poses significant clinical, ethical, and practical challenges, and the literature provides little guidance with respect to outcomes of suicide risk management protocols (SRMPs) or suicide risk assessment instruments deployed in the clinical research setting.

Methods

We report our experience using a novel SRMP in the Program for Lung Cancer Screening and Tobacco Cessation (PLUTO) trial through in-person and remote interactions.

Results

An SRMP was developed for non-clinical research staff to assess and respond to participants who express suicidal ideation. Between September 2016 and April 2021, the SRMP was used 61 times for 59 individuals. The SRMP was activated by explicit probing of suicidal ideation in 46 of 61 uses (75%). Subject risk was categorized as high-risk in 6 of 61 SRMP uses (10%).

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate a useful tool for the management of suicidal ideation and behavior in a clinical trial. Suicidal ideation may be endorsed by only a small number of study participants, however participant safety dictates the need to develop and implement a practical SRMP. These findings may be of relevance to researchers collecting patient reported outcomes remotely. Researchers should consider available resources for SRMPs during design and start-up phases of research.
Water level prediction using long short-term memory neural network model for a lowland river: a case study on the Tisza River, Central Europe
Authors: Vizi Zsolt , Batki Bálint , Rátki Luca , Szalánczi Szabolcs , Fehérváry István , Kozák Péter , Kiss Tímea
Published: November 2023

Background

Precisely predicting the water levels of rivers is critical for planning and supporting flood hazard and risk assessments and maintaining navigation, irrigation, and water withdrawal for urban areas and industry. In Hungary, the water level of rivers has been recorded since the early nineteenth century, and various water level prediction methods were developed. The Discrete Linear Cascade Model (DLCM) has been used since 1980s. However, its performance is not always reliable under the current climate-driven hydrological changes. Therefore, we aimed to test machine learning algorithms to make 7-day ahead forecasts, choose the best-performing model, and compare it with the actual DLCM.

Results

According to the results, the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model provided the best results in all time horizons, giving more precise predictions than the Baseline model, the Linear or Multilayer Perceptron Model. Despite underestimating water levels, the validation of the LSTM model revealed that 68.5‒76.1% of predictions fall within the required precision intervals. Predictions were relatively accurate for low (≤ 239 cm) and flood stages (≥ 650 cm), but became less reliable for medium stages (240–649 cm).

Conclusions

The LSTM model provided better results in all hydrological situations than the DLCM. Though, LSTM is not a novel concept, its encoder–decoder architecture is the best option for solving multi-horizon forecasting problems (or “Many-to-Many” problems), and it can be trained effectively on vast volumes of data. Thus, we recommend testing the LSTM model in similar hydrological conditions (e.g., lowland, medium-sized river with low slope and mobile channel) to get reliable water level forecasts under the rapidly changing climate and various human impacts.

Graphical Abstract
The impact of heating systems scenarios on air pollution at selected residential zone: a case study using AERMOD dispersion model
Authors: Salva Jozef , Poništ Juraj , Rasulov Oqil , Schwarz Marián , Vanek Miroslav , Sečkár Michal
Published: November 2023

The present case study considers fuel base substitution in operation of actual district heating system and in other scenario replacing of district heating system by individual heating system in each apartment building and non-residential building in selected residential zone Zvolen-Sekier, Slovakia. The impact of each heating system was assessed with focus on ambient air quality based on air dispersion modelling of NO2 and CO pollutans using the AERMOD dispersion model. To identify the exposure level on residents, the magnitude and duration of exposure to the hazard were considered according to human health risk assessment method. Results showed that the individual heating systems released significantly higher NO2 and CO concentrations directly in the residential zone compared to district heating system. The obtained results were highly variable for individual scenarios and averaged periods of pollutants concentration. Investigated heating systems scenarios showed low (< 1.0) hazard quotient value, however, individual heating systems would lead to adverse health effects, especially in infants and children population.
Identifying barriers and enablers to participation in infection surveillance in Australian residential aged care facilities
Authors: Watson Eliza , Dowson Leslie , Dunt David , Thursky Karin , Worth Leon J. , Sluggett Janet K. , Appathurai Amanda , Bennett Noleen ,   for the National Infection Surveillance Program in Aged Care (NISPAC) Advisory Group
Published: November 2023

Background

Infection surveillance is a vital part of infection prevention and control activities for the aged care sector. In Australia there are two currently available infection and antimicrobial use surveillance programs for residential aged care facilities. These programs are not mandated nor available to all facilities. Development of a new surveillance program will provide standardised surveillance for all facilities in Australia.

Methods

This study aimed to assess barriers and enablers to participation in the two existing infection and antimicrobial use surveillance programs, to improve development and implementation of a new program. A mixed-methods study was performed. Aged Care staff involved in infection surveillance were invited to participate in focus groups and complete an online survey comprising 17 items. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using the COM-B framework.

Results

Twenty-nine staff took part in the focus groups and two hundred took part in the survey. Barriers to participating in aged care infection surveillance programs were the time needed to collect and enter data, competing priority tasks, limited understanding of surveillance from some staff, difficulty engaging clinicians, and staff fatigue after the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors that enabled participation were previous experience with surveillance, and sharing responsibilities, educational materials and using data for benchmarking and to improve practice.

Conclusion

Streamlined and simple data entry methods will reduce the burden of surveillance on staff. Education materials will be vital for the implementation of a new surveillance program. These materials must be tailored to different aged care workers, specific to the aged care context and provide guidance on how to use surveillance results to improve practice.
Exploring recent patterns of migration of doctors to the United Kingdom: a mixed-methods study
Authors: Brennan N. , Langdon N. , Gale T. , Humphries N. , Knapton A. , Bryce M.
Published: November 2023

Introduction

A shortage of doctors is currently one of the biggest challenges faced by the healthcare workforce in the United Kingdom (UK). While plans are in place to increase the number of medical school places, in the short-term this gap will need to continue to be filled by the international recruitment of doctors. The aim of this study is to identify key factors that explain the patterns of migration of doctors to the UK, in order to aid the development of policies to recruit and retain a sustainable workforce.

Methods

We analysed General Medical Council (GMC) secondary data on the patterns of migration of internationally trained doctors (2009–2019). Qualitative interviews were conducted with 17 stakeholders by videoconferencing which were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using NVivo.

Results

In 2019, 34.5% of UK doctors were trained internationally mainly in India, Pakistan, Italy, Nigeria, Greece, Romania and Egypt. Most new registrations by internationally trained doctors from 2009–2019 did not have a specialty at the time of initial registration (96.2% in 2019). Only a relatively small number of these doctors go on to gain specialist or GP registration (11.6% within 5 years and 27.2% within 10 years of registration). The stakeholder interviews highlighted training opportunities and career progression as the main drivers of migration. The barriers internationally trained doctors face regarding specialty training included differences between UK and destination health systems, systematic bias, bureaucracy and selection processes not being accessible.

Conclusion

This study makes a contribution to the literature by identifying recent patterns in the migration of doctors to the UK. The UK’s dependence on internationally trained doctors has important global implications as source countries are losing skilled health workers which is undermining their health systems. In keeping with the WHO Global Code on the International Recruitment of Healthcare Personnel, policymakers need to consider how to reduce the UK’s reliance on internationally trained doctors, particularly from countries on the safeguard list whilst continuing the drive to increase medical school places. Additional support is required for internationally trained doctors, to ensure that they get on the training programmes they seek, enabling their career progression.
Human airway tuft cells influence the mucociliary clearance through cholinergic signalling
Authors: Hollenhorst Monika I. , Husnik Thomas , Zylka Malin , Duda Nele , Flockerzi Veit , Tschernig Thomas , Maxeiner Stephan , Krasteva-Christ Gabriela
Published: November 2023

Background

Airway tuft cells, formerly called brush cells have long been described only morphologically in human airways. More recent RNAseq studies described a chemosensory cell population, which includes tuft cells, by a distinct gene transcription signature. Yet, until which level in the tracheobronchial tree in native human airway epithelium tuft cells occur and if they function as regulators of innate immunity, e.g., by regulating mucociliary clearance, remained largely elusive.

Methods

We performed immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and immunoblotting analyses for various tuft cell markers to confirm the presence of this cell type in human tracheal samples. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to study the distribution of tuft cells along the intrapulmonary airways in humans. We assessed the influence of bitter substances and the taste transduction pathway on mucociliary clearance in mouse and human tracheal samples by measuring particle transport speed.

Results

Tuft cells identified by the expression of their well-established marker POU class 2 homeobox 3 (POU2F3) were present from the trachea to the bronchioles. We identified choline acetyltransferase in POU2F3 expressing cells as well as the transient receptor potential melastatin 5 (TRPM5) channel in a small population of tracheal epithelial cells with morphological appearance of tuft cells. Application of bitter substances, such as denatonium, led to an increase in mucociliary clearance in human tracheal preparations. This was dependent on activation of the TRPM5 channel and involved cholinergic and nitric oxide signalling, indicating a functional role for human tuft cells in the regulation of mucociliary clearance.

Conclusions

We were able to detect tuft cells in the tracheobronchial tree down to the level of the bronchioles. Moreover, taste transduction and cholinergic signalling occur in the same cells and regulate mucociliary clearance. Thus, tuft cells are potentially involved in the regulation of innate immunity in human airways.