bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy simulation and heat absorption of 3R cement in multivariable resource optimization to reduce temperature calefaction
Authors: Ravi Monisha , Murugesan Balasubramanian
Published: November 2023

In recent years, most developing countries, the construction sector has been aware of sustainable building combinations of thermal comfort, low energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the environment. About 90% of CO2 is released in construction building materials, in that cement plays an important role in releasing the large amount of carbon dioxide in the manufacturing process. Many researchers have focused on alternative materials in cement to reduce the raw material demand and sustainable building materials. A 3RC was developed by (aquamarine + industrial) waste materials introduced in cement to identify the performance. The study describes the thermal behavior of newly invented 3RC in concrete with different elements in the physical models to observe the temperature, sensible heat and relative humidity at 12-months using thermal sensors. The validated results are computationally evaluated using Design Builder software to prove that less than 2°C error from the observed data is similar. The results of the analysis showed that the thermal comfort, energy consumption and greenhouse gas satisfy the manufacturing of cement and had good adaptability in the overall performance of the building. The simulation models were observed for 12 months, and the energy consumption in future developing building sites was predicted.
A design based on centrifugal inertia of rotational oil film for reducing pressure at shaft hole
Authors: Shen Xufeng , Xu Jiawei , Yu Xubo , Li Xin
Published: November 2023

Shaft seal covers a very wide range of machinery and applications. Lip seals, which are used for sealing shafts against the exit or ingress of liquids, are a type of shaft seal. Reducing the wear of the sealing ring and extending its service life can increase the time interval for machine maintenance and inspection. In this paper, a disk structure for reducing the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the lip seals is proposed. The disk structure forms a layer of rotating oil film on the seal ring, so the oil pressure near the seal ring is less than in a sealing chamber. First, based on the similarity principle and the hypothesis of von Kármán, a theoretical model of the rotating oil film was established, and the dominant influence of inertia of circumferential velocity and viscosity of radial velocity on pressure distribution was expounded. Then, an experimental device that can measure pressure distribution and temperature was constructed, and a pressure distribution measurement experiment was conducted. Based on theoretical models and experiments, it was proved that the rotating disk could generate a pressure drop and the pressure drop was a function of the square of the rotating speed. The influence of temperature and oil film thickness was studied, and it was found that the increase in the temperature and oil film thickness weakened rotational flow inertia and enhanced radial flow viscosity, increasing pressure within the oil film. Additionally, it was observed that the oil in the sealing chamber produced a sunken liquid level due to the stirring of the rotating disk, which would reduce the boundary pressure at the periphery of the oil film and produce a greater pressure drop inside the oil film.
On leaderless consensus of incommensurate order multi-agent systems
Authors: Wang Fei , Zhang Chuan , Li Ning , Yang Yongqing
Published: November 2023

This article concerns the leaderless consensus problem of incommensurate-order multi-agent systems. First, a detailed analysis of the consensus between two agents with incommensurate order is shown. From this, one can conclude that consensus behavior exists in such cases. Furthermore, the initial value of the agent with a lower order will decide the consensus state. Second, a general incommensurate order multi-agent system is investigated under the directed ring topology, and the results imply that the consensus behavior also exists in such a topology. At the same time, the initial values of the agent with minimum order will determine the consensus state. Finally, some numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of the aforementioned theoretical results. In addition, several attempts are given just by simulations when the topology is undirected and connected, and some discussions are conducted in the end.
Exploring factors influencing the use of open access resources in India: A novel perspective on Indian researchers
Authors: Zia Sana , Nazim Mohammad
Published: November 2023

This study investigates the use of OA resources among faculty members and research scholars at IITs in North India and explores the factors influencing their engagement with OA resources. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to participants from selected departments across four IITs in North India, resulting in 814 respondents. The study’s conceptual framework is based on the Social Exchange Theory (SET) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The findings indicate that while the majority of participants were aware of OA resources, their actual use was limited. Critical determinants for using OA resources were identified, including internet self-efficacy, awareness and attitude toward OA, accessibility, trustworthiness, professional recognition, academic reward, altruism, mandates and culture, and individual traits. Copyright concerns were found to negatively influence OA resource use, while additional time, effort and cost had no significant impact. The study emphasizes the importance of formulating OA policies, promoting awareness and understanding, and addressing copyright concerns to facilitate the effective use of OA resources, thereby benefiting knowledge dissemination and scholarly communication.
16th International congress on antiphospholipid antibodies task force report on antiphospholipid syndrome laboratory diagnostics and trends
Authors: Atsumi Tatsuya , Chighizola Cecilia B , Fujieda Yuichiro , Mackie Ian , Radin Massimo , Roubey Robert , Bertolaccini Maria Laura
Published: November 2023

Classification criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) require IgG or IgM isotypes of the anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies, anti-β2 glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI) antibodies, and/or the lupus anticoagulant (LA) to satisfy the laboratory disease definition. Over the past 20 years, non-criteria antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) directed to other proteins of the coagulation cascade (i.e. prothrombin and/or phosphatidylserine–prothrombin complex) or to some domains of β2GPI have been proposed. This task force concentrated and reviewed the literature on data including aPS/PT, antibodies to domain 4/5 of β2GPI and the newly described antibodies to protein/HLA-DR complex. In addition, we discussed testing of LA in the ‘new’ oral anticoagulants’ era and the value of triple positivity in the risk assessment of aPL. The conclusions were presented at a special session during the 16th International Congress on aPL, Manchester, UK, September 2019.
Psychological Capital and Work Engagement: Moderating Role of Social Relationships
Authors: Biswal Kalyani , Srivastava Kailash B. L. , Alli Sayed Firoj
Published: November 2023

Background

Employees are the real capital of any organisation, and to keep the employees productive and functional, employers need to focus on the psychological capital and social relationship of the employees to keep them engaged in their work. This study examined the emerging field of constructs of psychological and social capital to examine Indian employee’s behaviour.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine a comprehensive model of the relationship between employees’ psychological capital and work engagement. Furthermore, it examines the moderating effect of social relationships between them.

Methods

This is a primary survey conducted mainly on the manufacturing industry. A sample of 375 mid- and senior-level executives of different age groups was considered in the study from India’s public and private manufacturing sectors administering a questionnaire survey. A random sampling technique was used for data collection. This study applied SPSS and Amos software to validate the measurement model.

Results

The results indicate a significant correlation among PsyCap, work engagement, and social relationships. PsyCap and social relationships are positively connected to work engagement. Thus, these results provide preliminary support for our hypotheses. The finding suggests that psychological capital and social relationships positively influence work engagement, and social relationships moderate the association between positive psychological capital and work engagement. It helps employees get better engaged at work.

Conclusion

Organisations must develop psychological capital to provide resources to employees and share a supportive relationship. Developing and maintaining a supportive relationship for employees and employers is important. In the future, both qualitative research methods and longitudinal data from other sectors can be used to understand the interplay between social and psychological capital for enhancing work engagement. Developing and cultivating positive social relations can help employees utilise their psychological strength to better engage in work.
Local Economy as the Key Driver of Urbanization in the Indian Sundarbans
Authors: Sarkar Rakes , Samanta Gopa
Published: November 2023

The relationship between local economic development and urbanization is a vital policy concern across the world, especially in the developing countries. The local economy exhibits enormous potential in the process of transformation of a rural area into an urban one. Based on the theoretical discourse of planetary and subaltern urbanization, this article explores the role of the local economy, even in the form of banal activities, in the process of urbanization of the Indian Sundarbans, a highly vulnerable part of the Ganga–Brahmaputra delta. For this study, we have relied on two facets of local economy—that of the local market centres, and the household economy of small towns. In the local market analysis, we have analysed market details such as the growth story of entrepreneurs, the function of shops in providing services and in developing their own profit level for sustenance and further growth. Household economy has been analysed from the perspective of changes in the occupational structure, nature of employment and household income in order to understand the surplus generation and reinvestment of the same as the local capital. This article is based on an intensive field survey that used the stratified random sampling method. A total number of 240 households and 100 shops have been surveyed from four towns. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection have been followed. The article argues that the local economy plays a key role in the urbanization process of the Indian Sundarbans, as the regional economy is gradually shifting from the farm to non-farm activities.
Understanding Flood Vulnerability Using Index-based Approach: A Study of Chilmari Upazila, Kurigram, Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Md Jahidul , Hasan Md Kamrul
Published: November 2023

The lives and livelihoods of the people of Bangladesh are regularly threatened by natural disasters and climate dangers. Floods are the most common occurrence that puts people and their properties at risk. This study was conducted to assess the flood vulnerability of Chilmari upazila, which is located in Kurigram district of Bangladesh. Using a random sampling technique, primary data was obtained from 395 households in six unions of Chilmari upazila through a structured questionnaire survey. The Flood Vulnerability Index (FVI), an index-based approach, has been used to assess flood vulnerability. A set of 23 indicators has been fixed to assess four components of floods: physical, economic, social and environmental. Following this procedure, an FVI score was calculated for each of the unions (administrative unit of upazila) of Chilmari. Ashtamir Char, Nayerhat and Chilmari were designated as ‘very vulnerable’ based on the FVI study. Since these unions have relatively low levels of adjustability, coping ability and resilience, their sensitivity and vulnerability are high. Two of the unions of Chilamri are found to be highly vulnerable to floods and another to be generally vulnerable to floods. The results of the FVI analysis have been used to produce a flood vulnerability map of Chilmari upazila. As FVI consists of multi-dimensional indicators, the analysis can be used to pursue specific flood-mitigation measures in Chilmari.
Exploring the Gaps and Potential for Strengthening Urban–Rural Linkages in Hoi An City, Vietnam
Authors: Dinh Cuong Le , Mitra Bijon Kumer , Dasgupta Rajarshi , Pham Ngoc-Bao , Phu Song Toan Pham
Published: November 2023

This study evaluates the gaps between urban and rural linkages within the corridor of Hoi An city and suggests potential solutions utilizing the circulating and ecological sphere principles for further strengthening these linkages and gradually promoting sustainable development of the city and surrounding area. A face-to-face interview method and an Origin 2018-based analysis were utilized to analyse the gaps between urban and rural linkages. Results were represented by ArcGIS 10.3 with a line diagram. The identified obstacles were (a) unequal distribution of human resources and income gaps, (b) poor basic and economic infrastructures, (c) a lack of interest in the agricultural sector and (d) the absence of corresponding policies. The suggested solutions were effective decentralization, raising investment for basic and economic infrastructures and sustainable agricultural systems, including tourism, value-added chain of network building and more focused and effective corresponding policies. This study also recommends optimizing synergies as well as reducing trade-offs between the proposed approach and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Measuring Sustainable Urban Development: The Case of India, Europe and Germany
Authors: Kundu Debolina , Sharma Pragya , Gupta Devarupa , Mueller André , Gareis Philipp
Published: November 2023

Sustainable development has become a global agenda that was institutionalized through the United Nations’ Millennium Declaration in 2000 and was later promoted by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 Agenda emerged as a comprehensive global framework for fostering universal development, with a vision of ‘leaving no one behind’. Both India and Germany are committed towards the 2030 Agenda. In light of this commitment, this article attempts to understand the initiatives taken by both the countries and by Europe to monitor the progress towards the achievement of the targets at the local/city level. It tries to understand the challenges in an urban data ecosystem for monitoring the progress (or regress) of the SDGs within the geographies. Lastly, the article puts forward recommendations for the timely assessment of sustainability measures and it advocates for the generation of granular data on a regular basis.
The Relationship Between the Family Environment and Community Context on LGBTQ+ Youth’s Disordered Eating Behaviors
Authors: Paceley Megan S. , Watson Ryan J. , Fish Jessica N. , Jarrard Clayton , Ramseyer Winter Virginia , Kattari Shanna K , Walter Samantha
Published: November 2023

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth experience disparate rates of disordered eating behaviors (DEB; purging, restricting food intake, and binge eating) compared with cisgender and/or heterosexual youth. Yet we have limited data examining the mechanisms that contribute to DEB among LGBTQ+ youth. This study examined associations among family acceptance and rejection and community context (acceptance, support, involvement, and bullying) on LGBTQ+ youth DEB, using data from the LGBTQ National Teen Survey ( N = 7,901) collected in 2017. Findings indicate that DEB for weight control and binge-eating DEB were positively related to family rejection and LGBTQ+-based bullying and negatively related to LGBTQ+ community acceptance and support. Findings from this study have implications for individual-, family-, and community-level interventions to support LGBTQ+ youth.
Poromechanical modeling of fluid penetration in chemo-responsive gels: Parameter optimization and applications
Authors: Shi Yuhao , Wallmersperger Thomas
Published: November 2023

As an important category of smart materials, stimuli-responsive hydrogels are highly concerned due to their extensive application possibilities and their outstanding biocompatibilities. The ability of responsive hydrogels about significant volume change by external stimuli inspires the design of electronic devices, for example, as sensors and actuators. The modeling of the hydrogel behavior enables the optimization of corresponding applications. In the present research, on the basis of the experimentally determined material parameters, a chemo-poromechanical model was implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics® to investigate the constricted swelling of hydrogels. The swelling kinetics affected by the diffusion coefficient is discussed in detail with numerical simulations.
An Elicitation Study to Understand Young Adults’ Beliefs About Seeking Health Information From Social Media Influencers
Authors: Pfender Emily , Bleakley Amy
Published: November 2023

Social media influencers increasingly make health recommendations on social media. Research on influencer health messaging is mixed in that some studies show it can result in misleading or harmful health information, and others demonstrate it can lead to beneficial behavioral outcomes. However, there is little research on young adults’ beliefs about following health guidance from influencers. Guided by the reasoned action approach, this study examined young adults’ attitudes, normative beliefs, and control in seeking health information from social media influencers using focus groups ( n = 31). Results suggest that young adults obtain health information from influencers and perceive them as a source of health education. Several barriers to getting health information from influencers were mentioned, including sponsorship, lack of credibility, and perceived normative pressure to critically analyze influencer content from peers and family. Practical and theoretical implications for future research are discussed.
From “How-To” to “Why Do?” A Film-Centered Pedagogy for Teaching Contemporary Careers
Authors: Tosti-Kharas Jennifer , Levinson Julie
Published: November 2023

In the contemporary work landscape, individual workers increasingly create, sustain, and manage their own careers. Business schools prepare students to enter careers using a vocational approach that neglects the cultural lens on why students desire the careers they do and how they perceive those careers over time. In this essay, we argue that career education entails not only assessing and developing individual strengths and skills but also pondering the context, purpose, and scope of one’s career. Our proposed pedagogy is: (a) interdisciplinary, blending insights from management and the humanities; (b) centered in narrative, specifically film narrative, which forms the central organizing principle of the course; and (c) historical, analyzing the narrative themes and subtexts that recur over time. We seek to move beyond a “how-to” approach, focusing on skills students need to succeed in their initial jobs, toward a “why do?” interrogation of the cultural and historical roots of work and career attitudes. This approach challenges students to critically examine ideas about what makes a good career—for themselves and others—over the long arc of their working lives. We present some key tenets of our proposed approach, using examples and evidence from a class we co-taught to illustrate them.
Comorbidity Patterns in Older Patients Undergoing Hip Fracture Surgery: A Comorbidity Network Analysis Study
Authors: Lee Chiyoung , Wei Sijia , McConnell Eleanor S. , Tsumura Hideyo , Xue Tingzhong (Michelle) , Pan Wei
Published: November 2023

Comorbidity network analysis (CNA) is a technique in which mathematical graphs encode correlations (edges) among diseases (nodes) inferred from the disease co-occurrence data of a patient group. The present study applied this network-based approach to identifying comorbidity patterns in older patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. This was a retrospective observational cohort study using electronic health records (EHR). EHR data were extracted from the one University Health System in the southeast United States. The cohort included patients aged 65 and above who had a first-time low-energy traumatic hip fracture treated surgically between October 1, 2015 and December 31, 2018 ( n = 1,171). Comorbidity includes 17 diagnoses classified by the Charlson Comorbidity Index. The CNA investigated the comorbid associations among 17 diagnoses. The association strength was quantified using the observed-to-expected ratio (OER). Several network centrality measures were used to examine the importance of nodes, namely degree, strength, closeness, and betweenness centrality. A cluster detection algorithm was employed to determine specific clusters of comorbidities. Twelve diseases were significantly interconnected in the network (OER > 1, p-value < .05). The most robust associations were between metastatic carcinoma and mild liver disease, myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure, and hemi/paraplegia and cerebrovascular disease (OER > 2.5). Cerebrovascular disease, congestive heart failure, and myocardial infarction were identified as the central diseases that co-occurred with numerous other diseases. Two distinct clusters were noted, and the largest cluster comprised 10 diseases, primarily encompassing cardiometabolic and cognitive disorders. The results highlight specific patient comorbidities that could be used to guide clinical assessment, management, and targeted interventions that improve hip fracture outcomes in this patient group.
Talents Under Threat: The Anticipation of Being Ostracized by Non-Talents Drives Talent Turnover
Authors: van Zelderen Anand , Dries Nicky , Marescaux Elise
Published: November 2023

Based on social identity theory, exclusive talent programs can be understood to divide employees into two groups—‘talents’ versus ‘non-talents’—creating a setting where ostracism may occur. Using 360°-video vignettes (Study 1; N = 184) and text vignettes (Study 2 and 3; N = 243 and 573) we recreate a fictional HR board meeting and trouble three assumptions commonly held in the talent management literature: First, does exclusive talent management indeed lead to a feeling of exclusion and turnover amongst non-talents? Second, do emotional reactions to talent management spill over between employees? Third, does transparent communication reduce negative employee reactions, as is often assumed? We found that employees identified as talents in fact anticipate more ostracism by non-talents than vice versa, increasing talents’ intention to quit. However, this effect only occurred when non-talents displayed contrastive emotional responses to talent programs (e.g., resentment), not when they displayed assimilative responses (e.g., admiration). In addition, talents’ anticipation of being ostracized by non-talents was also found to be reduced when organizations implemented talent management secrecy. This study addresses researchers’ and practitioners’ concerns about talent retention and provides theoretical and practical implications for the field of workforce differentiation, social identity theory, and organizational intergroup conflicts.
Disentangling Underemployment and Precarious Work: A Latent Profile Analysis
Authors: Allan Blake A. , Kim Taewon , Pham Joanne
Published: November 2023

As global labor markets become increasingly unstable, scholars have attempted to operationalize and categorize different forms of poor-quality work, such as with underemployment and precarious work. While these have significant implications for mental health and other outcomes, scholars have mostly studied different forms of underemployment using variable-centered assumptions, which assume homogeneity among workers. However, person-centered approaches may be better suited to studying underemployment because of varying patterns of employment in different industries and occupational categories. Therefore, with a sample of working adults ( N = 1,016), we used latent profile analysis to identify profiles of subjective underemployment using seven indicators. We found three distinct profiles: Fully employed, stable underemployed, and precarious workers. Subsequent analyses exploring symptoms of distress, meaningful work, decent work, occupational classification, and level of education revealed key distinctions among the groups, such as precarious workers having the greatest distress and poorest working conditions. Taken together, this study provides a meaningful distinction between underemployed and precarious workers, while highlighting the relevance of these employment groups for several key outcomes.
Green Packaging as a Precursor to Sustainable Environment: Evidence From Rural India
Authors: George Hesil Jerda , Susainathan Sahayaselvi , Newton Saromi , Kennedy Rosario Florence , Selvan Anusha Mini , Parayitam Satyanarayana
Published: November 2023

This research aims to investigate the effect of green packaging on a sustainable environment. A double-layered complex conceptual model was developed, and the relationships between green packaging awareness (GPA), green packaging behavior (GPB), and environmental benefits were tested. A carefully crafted survey instrument was used in collecting data from 389 respondents from 41 villages in southern India. After checking the psychometric properties of the survey instrument using the LISREL package of structural equation modeling (SEM), the hypothesized relationships were tested using Hayes’s PROCESS macros. The results indicate (i) GPA and GPB are positively associated with environmental benefits and (ii) GPB mediates the relationship between GPA and environmental benefits. The findings also support the three-way interaction between GPA, green packaging initiatives (GPI), and environmental concern in enhancing GPB. The double-layered moderation tested in this research adds to the novelty of the study, thus making a unique contribution to the bourgeoning literature on sustainability.
The Correlation Between Cardiac Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Cytokine Response Following Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Duan Dongpeng , Fan Tianfeng , Zhang Linlin , Li Lingling , Wang Honghu , Guo Mingming , Feng Yan
Published: November 2023

Our study was conducted to investigate the potential correlation between cardiac oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine response following myocardial infarction. A total of 120 patients harboring acute myocardial infarction who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at our hospital were included. Their general clinical data were analyzed, and comparisons were made regarding the levels of inflammatory factors, oxidative stress markers, heart pump function, and cardiac function. The correlation between cardiac oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine response was assessed using Pearson's linear correlation. Following treatment, significant reductions were seen in the serum levels of cortisol, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), C-reactive protein (CRP), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and catalase (CAT) compared to pre-treatment levels. Conversely, the levels of growth hormone (GH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), cardiac output (CO), and cardiac index (CI) were significantly elevated. Serum cortisol ( r = 0.481, P = .001), BNP ( r = 0.437, P = .001), CRP ( r = 0.542, P = .001), STAT3 ( r = 0.835, P = .001), TSH ( P = .001), IL-8 ( r = 0.867, P = .001), TNF-α ( r = 0.439, P = .001), and cardiac oxidative stress demonstrated significantly positive correlations ( P < .05). Additionally, a significant negative correlation was found between GH ( r = −0.654, P = .001) and immune balance ( P < .05). This study evaluated the severity of myocardial infarction using indicators such as CO and CI. This study found a significant correlation between cardiac oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines after myocardial infarction, suggesting their potential as predictors of myocardial infarction severity.
Sound transmission loss analysis of double-walled sandwich functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite magneto-electro-elastic plates under thermal environment
Authors: Farahmand-Azar Bahman , Pourmoosavi Ghazaleh , Talatahari Siamak
Published: November 2023

Sandwich structures with functionally graded (FG) cores have gained interest in vibroacoustic applications. This article considers the vibroacoustic properties of double-walled sandwich magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) plates with a functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) core layer in a thermal environment. A coupled multiphysics model is developed based on third-order shear deformation theory (TSDT) and acoustic-structure interaction. Special attention is paid to the transmission loss of this arrangement for simply supported and clamped boundaries for four different kinds of CNT distributions, namely, UD, FG-V, FG-O, and FG-X. Sound velocity potential, normal velocity continuity conditions, and Hamilton's principle are used to generate the coupled vibroacoustic equations, which are then solved using the Galerkin method. The effects of boundary conditions, CNT distributions, cavity depth, multiphysics coupling fields, and temperature on the STL are comprehensively studied. The results provide guidelines for tailoring the dynamic response of these materials to achieve enhanced acoustic insulation performance. It enhances fundamental understanding and enables the engineering design of multilayered composite panels with optimized vibration and noise control capabilities.
Escaping, Living, and Writing
Authors: Badley Graham Francis
Published: November 2023

I use this narrative to trace ways in which writers such as Graham Greene and Michel de Montaigne escaped from tedium and unhappiness so that they could live better lives and write for greater pleasure and satisfaction. I then outline ways in which I have struggled to escape from the prison camp of strict academic writing.
Evaluating the Impact of PWS Smart-Start: A Behavior Analytic Caregiver Training Program for Prader-Willi Syndrome
Authors: Bedard Kasey E. , Griffith Annette K. , Ulm Delyla , Strittman Mary , Krukowski Kelly , Eaton Angeline , Rone Amanda , Cardon Teresa
Published: November 2023

PWS Smart-Start is a behavioral caregiver training program developed specifically for caregivers of children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) ages 3 to 14. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of the program. Thirty-four caregivers of children with PWS received the PWS Smart-Start training using online live video-coaching across a 10-week period. The impact of the training on a variety of variables including caregiver and child behavior, caregiver stress and burnout, and family functioning were evaluated using a quasi-experimental pretest posttest design. Results indicated statistically significant decreases across child behavior challenges and parental stress and burnout following the training. Statistically significant improvements were also seen in parenting practices, the quality of the parent–child relationship, and family quality of life. Results of social validity measures indicated caregiver satisfaction with the program. These preliminary results indicate that the PWS Smart-Start program has the potential to not only support children with PWS through behavioral challenges but also reduce caregiver stress and burnout and improve a variety of aspects of family life. Future research is needed to replicate and further validate these results and to extend the exploration of other behavior analytic interventions for this population.
‘Downright dangerous’: Citizen reactions to media diversity issues in public submissions
Authors: Koskie Timothy
Published: November 2023

Despite its prominence in societal and scholarly discourse, a consistent definition and scope for media diversity remains elusive. This leaves ambiguous its characteristics, concerns, and impacts and complicates efforts to achieve its benefits. This study sought a new approach to identifying its role that leverages lived experiences of the public interacting with their media ecosystem. Public submissions to the Media diversity in Australia inquiry presented a unique opportunity to pursue this goal. The 5068 texts were dominated by citizens perspectives that went beyond reframing and redefining media diversity to explain how they saw it affecting their daily lives, families, and communities. Using multi-stage thematic analysis, this study worked to consolidate these diverse and grounded views into the shared themes that confronted citizens, finding concerns about the diminishing reliability of media functions, with losses in media diversity leading to unsatisfactory media performance, media avoidance, and harms for communities and individuals.
Our magazine, or, why does no-one read us?
Authors: Parker Martin
Published: November 2023

In this short piece, I want to reflect on the status, relevance and future of the academic journal. They emerged at a point when middle class European men were beginning to produce a cumulative body of knowledge using paper technologies, editorial boards and professional associations to legitimate their discoveries. Three hundred years later, the global university system, the financial interests of global knowledge corporations, and the occupational interests of university workers has supported a huge explosion of journals as markers of status, providers of data about who writes and who cites, and profitable ways of extracting value from university library budgets. This journal, though it has published much which is critical about such a system, is entirely parasitic on this set of financial and occupational interests. As Organization enters its fourth decade, might it be possible to be clearer concerning what services it provides and for who? If we think of it, as my mother-in-law once presciently suggested, as a magazine, can we be more explicit about what stories and features we are selling, and who our readers are? In other words, should we try to be more magazine?
Bridging industrial relations and critical management studies: Work, resistance, and alternate imaginings in late capitalism
Authors: Yu Kyoung-Hee , Pekarek Andreas
Published: November 2023

The study of work is central to understanding how changes in organizations and their environments impact lives and livelihoods. While industrial sociology and its concern with the organization of work are foundational to management and organization studies, scholars have bemoaned the waning interest in work and its evolution within these fields. In this article we seek to re-energize this tradition, arguing that Critical Management Studies (CMS) and Industrial Relations (IR)—two disciplines whose core interests concern work and its changing nature—have much to gain from further cross-fertilization. As Organization becomes a recognized platform for scholarship on the organization of work, we submit that more could be done to bring IR’s intellectual legacy into CMS approaches, and that doing so will yield mutual benefits. We focus here on IR’s core concerns with rules and regulatory frameworks, and collectivities over individualities. Similarly, IR can benefit from integrating and building on insights developed in CMS. We argue that CMS as a whole offers lessons for IR in at least three ways: (i) the emphasis on cultural dominance over workers; (ii) recognition of social and identity-based fault lines that define life and work experiences; and (iii) attention to the social construction of subjectivities. In closing, we suggest four areas that cross-fertilization between IR and CMS is likely to greatly contribute to: resistance in late capitalism, alternative organizations, inclusion, and the “future of work.”
The good business school
Authors: Rhodes Carl , Pullen Alison
Published: November 2023

As Organization celebrates its 30th Anniversary, this paper asks: what might it mean to be a good business school? The paper reviews research published in this journal to assess the current state of business schools, revealing a somewhat dismal picture of institutions beholden to instrumental managerialism, top-down hierarchical control, obsession with metrics, and narrow and elitist research agendas. This state of affairs is re-assessed though Raewyn Connell’s idea of The Good University. Through this analysis, we are able to identify the good business school as one serves society by educating citizens and creating knowledge that leads to shared prosperity, social equality and human flourishing.
Pseudorelatives, relatives, and L1 attrition: Resilience and vulnerability in parser biases
Authors: Cairncross Alex , Vogelzang Margreet , Tsimpli Ianthi
Published: November 2023

Aims:

While research on syntactic L1 attrition has largely focused on interface phenomena (e.g., overt pronouns in null-subject languages), attrition has also been reported to affect syntactic parsing. This paper extends previous work by looking at the attrition of (pseudo)relative clause parser biases in L1-Italian L2-English speakers. This was done to investigate whether previous findings of attrition in the interpretation of ambiguous relative clauses can be accounted for by changes to the parsing of pseudorelatives.

Method:

To tap parser biases, we conducted a sentence interpretation task in Italian with ambiguous items. Within these items, pseudorelative availability was manipulated. Participants consisted of two groups of adult native Italian speakers: one living in Italy and one living in an English-speaking country.

Data analysis:

Responses from the sentence interpretation task were subjected to a mixed-effects logistic regression.

Findings:

Results indicated a global effect of attrition resulting in more low attachment interpretations. This did not interact with pseudorelative availability.

Originality:

We take this to be a novel contribution to the literature for two reasons. First, our results extend previous results from Spanish–English bilinguals to a new language pair. Second, we believe that this is the first study to investigate attrition of relative clause attachment biases in light of Grillo and Costa’s, Pseudorelative-First Hypothesis. Once this is taken into consideration, we argue that attrition of parser biases is not due to a loss of a global high attachment bias under pressure from the L2, but a strengthening of a low attachment bias already present in the L1.

Implications:

Results suggest that future work on attrition should look beyond conflicts in parser biases between a bilingual’s languages and raise the possibility that attrition affects attachment biases in other contexts.
The dichotomy between health and drug abuse in bodybuilding
Authors: Horn Jay
Published: November 2023

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the expansion and prevalence of anabolic steroid use by examining the divergent effects between health and drug abuse and to create more awareness around the harmful consequences of these drugs when administered at abusive levels. Methods: A focused and concise literature search was conducted, and 101 high-quality articles were included in the review. Results: The findings underscore the adverse health risks of steroid abuse, emphasizing the stark contrast between health and drug abuse. Conclusions: While steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs can yield muscle growth, strength and even fat loss, abusing these substances can lead to adverse health outcomes. Furthermore, within the fitness subculture, particularly in the realm of bodybuilding, steroid abuse fosters an atmosphere of cheating and deception, frequently downplaying or ignoring the negative and sometimes deadly consequences it brings.
Social work at the end of life: Humanization of the process
Authors: Prieto-Lobato Juan Mª , De la Rosa-Gimeno Pablo , Rodríguez-Sumaza Carmen , Marquina-Márquez Alfonso , Lucas-García Jezabel A
Published: November 2023

This article examines the role of social workers involved in a pilot home care project undertaken to attend to the social needs of people at the end of their lives and their carers. Mixed methods approach and evidence-based, constructivist, and comprehensive evaluation were chosen to achieve this aim. Analyses are based on 235 responses from a survey addressed to professionals working in the project, 22 in-depth interviews with a selected group of these professionals, and 114 semi-structured interviews with the sick people and their caregivers. The analysis of the data has considered the theoretical development and professional experience systematized in the Spanish and international literature on social work in end-of-life care.

The results highlight the relevance that professionals, patients, and carers attribute to social care at the end of life and to the role, skills, and qualities of social workers. Their contribution has been valued in terms of the management of services and supports (speed, availability, kindness, sensitivity), the establishment of teamwork (coordination, facilitation), and the recognition of the basic principles of the care process (individualization, respect for privacy, confidentiality).

Findings demonstrate that social work is a profession well placed to help in the recognition of people's dignity at the end of life, in the exercise of their self-determination, and in the humanization of the care process. Some challenges facing consolidation of this professional practice are also indicated within a framework constrained by a predominantly biomedical culture.
Participatory research with women in the perinatal period: Considerations for reflexive, community-oriented and power-sensitive research practices
Authors: Frances Tanya , Lucas Siân E
Published: November 2023

This article provides an account of using reflexive participatory methods including study advisory group membership to evaluate a perinatal wellbeing service in an economically deprived area of Scotland. There is little qualitative research that explores the experiences of women accessing perinatal mental health services. This article draws on feminist values and narrative theory to explore the practice, process and ethics of using participatory methods with women in the perinatal period. We explore the blurring of intervention and research group boundaries to consider the service and study advisory group as a space which provided the conditions for collective care and re-storying the self. We explore the study advisory group as an extension of the intervention itself, highlighting the role of community in research practices and in interventions, for women who experience perinatal mental health difficulties. We reflect on the ‘sticky’ practice of navigating epistemic and decision-making power in participatory research, including the dual positionalities of being two academic researchers who come to research with therapeutic training in counselling, psychotherapy and social work. We call for reflexive, community-oriented and flexible approaches when using participatory methods with populations that might be considered vulnerable, marginalised or stigmatised.
A novel spatiotemporal 3D CNN framework with multi-task learning for efficient structural damage detection
Authors: Kord Sadeq , Taghikhany Touraj , Akbari Mohammad
Published: November 2023

In recent years, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have demonstrated promising results in detecting structural damage. However, their architectures often overlook spatial and temporal effects simultaneously. This limitation can result in the loss of valuable information and an incapability to fully capture the complexity of the data, ultimately leading to reduced accuracy and suboptimal performance. This study proposes an intuitive three-dimensional CNN architecture that takes into account vibration history along with sensor spatial relations based on their relative positions. Furthermore, a multi-task learning (MTL) approach is suggested, which is a powerful approach for performing multiple tasks with a single network. The proposed 3D CNN method has been employed to detect single and double damage cases in an experimental steel frame through conventional classification alongside the transfer learning (TL). Moreover, MTL is used to detect single and double damage scenarios with a single unified network, which evaluates damage presence in separate tasks. The 3D CNN fulfilled state-of-the-art performance and 100% accuracy in detecting structural damage in almost all experiments. Additionally, the MTL model achieved promising results even in the presence of severe imbalanced classes of data. Furthermore, it was observed that the utilization of TL resulted in a notable reduction of computation time by 68% and the number of trainable parameters by 90% with the same level of accuracy in double-damage cases.
Optimizing statin therapy for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: Exploring dose, class, and intensity
Authors: Yu Jung-Min , Chen Wan-Ming , Shia Ben-Chang , Wu Szu-Yuan
Published: November 2023

Purpose

To investigate the impact of statin use on primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a dose-, class-, and use intensity-dependent manner.

Methods

We used an inverse probability treatment-weighted Cox hazards model, with statin use status as a time-dependent variable.

Results

Our results showed that statin use was associated with a significant reduction in CVD risk with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.39. Pitavastatin was found to have the lowest CVD risk among the different classes of statins, followed by rosuvastatin, pravastatin, atorvastatin, simvastatin, fluvastatin, and lovastatin. Our analysis also revealed that a higher cumulative defined daily dose per year of statin was associated with a lower CVD risk. Additionally, a higher intensity of daily statin dose was associated with a lower CVD risk in patients with T2DM.

Conclusion

This study highlights the importance of statin use in reducing the risk of CVD in patients with T2DM, and the significance of dose, class, and intensity of statin use, in particular, pitavastatin class of statins was found to be the most effective in primary prevention of CVD in T2DM.