bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A first account of pteropod taxa from off Saurashtra, western offshore of India: Implications for palaeohydrological studies
Authors: Ambokar Mugdha , Panchang Rajani , Govil Pawan , Azharuddin Syed
Published: December 2023

Pteropod aragonitic shells contribute to 12% of biogenic inorganic carbon flux to the world ocean but are also prone to dissolution. Though their state of preservation and generic ratios, namely Creseis/Limacina have been used as a proxy for palaeoclimatic reconstruction, their taxonomic attributes have remained unexplored. The present study reports 20 pteropod species from a single location in the northeastern Arabian Sea offshore of Saurashtra, all of which show the same degree of preservation throughout the core. The occurrence of mesopelagic fauna in the study area located on the shelf region however points to palaeoenvironmental changes and underscores the importance of employing pteropod assemblages for palaeoclimatic reconstructions in the study area.
‘To prevent any succour to the insurgents’: Enslaved insurgency and the Royal Navy in the Caribbean, 1795–1832
Authors: Hamilton Douglas
Published: December 2023

While the actions of foreign navies and enemy privateers in the Caribbean have occupied the minds of maritime scholars, the role of the Royal Navy as an instrument of counterinsurgency to be used in suppressing self-liberation struggles by the enslaved has received much less attention. Yet, across the Caribbean, the Royal Navy was instrumental in securing victory for the colonial elite. In addressing this lacuna, this article revisits Fédon's rebellion in Grenada and the Second Carib War in St Vincent in 1795–1796, and the Jamaican Rebellion in 1831–1832, to suggest the extent of naval activity in confronting internal threats, and how responses to revolts illuminate the complex relationship between the navy and enslavement. In adopting its counterinsurgency role, after 1815 the navy found itself in the seemingly paradoxical situation of protecting enslavement and suppressing the slave trade.
The Role of Emotional Processes in Explaining the Link Between Severity of Childhood Maltreatment and Relationship Difficulties
Authors: McNeil Julia , Rehman Uzma S.
Published: December 2023

Up to 32% of adults have experienced some form of childhood maltreatment (CM). Research has shown that these early childhood experiences are associated with a variety of interpersonal difficulties in adult sexual and romantic relationships. Polusny and Follette have suggested that these negative long-term effects are the result of emotional avoidance strategies that individuals use to cope with thoughts, feelings, and memories associated with CM. The present study tested this theorized mediational model with a sample of 150 participants, all of whom were currently in long-term relationships. Participants completed questionnaires designed to assess the severity of CM, fear of their own emotions, and a task designed to assess their accuracy at identifying emotions. Additionally, participants completed a variety of measures assessing the quality of their sexual and romantic relationships. These measures assessed their satisfaction, their communication, and the extent of problems in each domain. Our results showed that higher levels of CM were associated with lower satisfaction with communication and more problems in both the romantic and sexual domains. In regard to our mediational hypothesis, we found partial support showing that fear of one’s own emotions and emotion recognition mediated some of these associations. Our findings suggest that treatments targeting affective processes may be particularly important for helping victims of CM.
Reciprocal Links Between Friendship Quality and Peer Victimization Among Middle Adolescents
Authors: Cao Juan , Yuan Wen , Xu Xiaodan , Liu Xu
Published: December 2023

There is a robust association between friendship quality and victimization in adolescence; yet, it remains unclear whether friendship quality may be linked causally with different forms of victimization in middle adolescence. To fill this gap, this study examines the bidirectional associations of friendship quality and relational/verbal victimization with data collected at two time points, 6 months apart, in a sample of 671 middle Chinese adolescents ( Mage = 15.63, SDage = 0.73, 49% males). Cross-lagged panel analyses revealed a two-way relationship between friendship quality and victimization, which existed in both verbal and relational victimization. Multi-group panel analyses observed that the cross-lagged associations between friendship quality and relational/verbal victimization were only found for males, but not for females. This result suggests that adolescent males’ victimization is both affected by and a predictor of friendship quality, with implications for youth prevention programs.
Revolutionizing transportation composite structures: Lightweight, sustainable, and multi-scale hybrid design through waste tire-driven graphene, hemp fiber, and bio-based overmoulding
Authors: Aliyeva Nargiz , Sas Hatice S. , Saner Okan Burcu
Published: December 2023

The pursuit of lightweight, environmentally friendly composite structures in transportation is crucial for minimizing ecological footprints and promoting energy-efficient manufacturing techniques. This study presents a novel approach by replacing traditional long glass fiber reinforced homopolymer polypropylene (homoPP) compounds with short hemp fiber reinforced homoPP, incorporating graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) derived from recovered carbon black via waste tire pyrolysis, resulting in a remarkable 15% weight reduction. With new compound formulation by adjusting the amounts of compatibilizer and GNP, injection moulding process was integrated with overmoulding process by using bio-based UD prepregs to enhance the adhesion of injected part and interfacial interaction by decreasing the stress concentrations in the structure. This novel hybrid composite design having 40 wt% hemp fiber, 1.0 wt% GNP and 2.7 wt% compatibilizer provided to improve flexural modulus and strength by 169% and 67.9%, respectively, compared to neat homoPP. The overmolding process employed bio-based natural fibers reinforced UD tapes as inserts, leading to an impressive enhancement of 211% in tensile modulus and 93.6% in strength, further surpassing the performance of neat homoPP. This work not only achieves the conversion of conventional composite structures into recyclable, sustainable thermoplastic composites but also introduces multi-scale reinforcements with customizable functionality, demonstrating a significant step forward in the development of environmentally conscious materials and manufacturing methods by adopting Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology regarding the sustainability of the newly developed composites.
Influence of fibre curvature and orientation on the mechanical properties of injected irregular short hemp fibres reinforced polypropylene
Authors: Bourgogne Quentin CP
Published: December 2023

This paper presents a numerical study of the influence of geometry and orientation of fibres on the mechanical behaviour of a hemp fibre reinforced polypropylene, obtained with injection. Tensile tests and multiplexing mode Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) were carried out in order to determine the mechanical behaviour of the neat and reinforced material. A numerical homogenization was then performed with the elastic hemp fibres for aligned and random orientation as well as a reconstructed microstructure obtained with injection simulation to correlate with tensile tests. The simulations were performed for sphero-cylinder and curved fibres and the results were compared to FFT results obtained directly on micro-tomography images as well as experimental data. The results showed that the complex geometry of the fibres can be approximated with a random 3D orientation of sphero-cylinder shaped fibres, a reasonable hypothesis leading to a simplification of the problem and an easier process of design of parts made with such materials.
Organizing as Tong (通): Decolonizing Organizational Communication from the Roots
Authors: Kang Dongjing , Long Ziyu
Published: December 2023

We offer a critical intervention to decolonize organizational communication from the roots by interrogating the basic assumptions of “organizing” and foregrounding alternatives that draw on nonwestern languages, cultures, and philosophies. Centering language and the lived experiences of two marginalized women organizing actors in China through 10-year consecutive ethnographies, we propose Tong as a theoretical framework that offers three branches to privilege subaltern knowledge and organizing praxes: (1) Bian Tong: approaching organizing as constant form-shaping whereby organizing essence/goals emerge through changes; (2) Hui Tong: understanding organizing knowledge as relational, and achieved through a confluence of the agentic interplay of time, place, and people; and (3) He Tong: highlighting organizing as the creation of possible pathways against opposing forces by remaining still and nurturing. Grounded in local languages and indigenous philosophies, our work serves as a decolonial intervention to disrupt deep-seated Eurocentric assumptions and to stimulate theoretical imagination to foreground organizing from the margin.
Comparison of Mindfulness Practices for Effectiveness of Stress and Burnout Reduction in Healthcare Staff
Authors: Sos Tammy , Melton Bridget
Published: December 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of various mindfulness practices for reducing feelings of stress and burnout among healthcare staff. Study Design: This article contains the quantitative portion of a mixed-methods study. Methods: Healthcare workers ( n = 48) were randomly assigned to one of three practices. Data were collected at three-time points (pre-intervention, mid-intervention, and three-weeks-post-intervention). Scores on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) were recorded at each time point. Findings: Scores on the PSS reduced significantly ( p < .05) across three time periods. Maslach Burnout Inventory for Human Services Survey EE subscale scores reduced significantly ( p < .05) across three time periods. There was no significant difference between the intervention groups on PSS or MBI-HSS scores. Conclusions: All three mindfulness practices were effective in reducing perceived occupational stress and emotional exhaustion. There was no intervention that stood out from the others as the most effective in reducing scores on the PSS and MBI-HSS. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of mindfulness practices that are short in time and simple in implementation for relieving stress and burnout in healthcare staff.
CFD-based multi-objective optimization of indoor air quality and thermal comfort in a classroom
Authors: Aydın Kadir , Yılmaz Berrin
Published: December 2023

Comfort conditions and air quality in educational buildings can affect students’ performance, achievement and productivity, but they can also threaten their health. In this study, a sample classroom in Trakya University, Edirne, which lacks a ventilation system, is discussed. Depending on the determined parameters, an optimization study was performed using computational fluid dynamics. Predicted mean vote (PMV) for general thermal comfort, draught rate (DR) for local thermal comfort and the carbon dioxide (CO2) level for indoor air quality are selected as target functions. Outdoor air temperature, heating/ventilation system, insulation thickness, number of people in the classroom and clothing factor were identified as parameters that could affect the target functions. According to the numerical results, the rank of importance of the parameters affecting the target functions was calculated using the Taguchi method. The effect percentages of the parameters were determined using the analysis of variance. Then, all target functions were optimized with the grey relational analysis. The best case obtained as a result of the optimization has PMV, CO2 and DR values of −0.12, 511 ppm and 5.37%, respectively. When the general results are evaluated, a comfortable and healthy environment is provided in the classroom with the underfloor air distribution system operating at 100% fresh air and a reduced number of occupants.
Trajectory-shaping guidance based on optimality formulation for cooperative attack of multiple interceptors
Authors: Kim Hyeong-Geun , Shin Jongho
Published: December 2023

In this study, we present an optimal guidance structure that achieves impact angle and time constraints for the salvo attack of multiple missiles. As the first step in deriving a guidance law, we define a desired profile of the look angle that satisfies the impact angle and time constraints using a polynomial function of the relative range. The guidance command is configured based on the optimality formulation that achieves the desired profile of the look angle while minimizing the usage of the normal acceleration. The resulting trajectory under the proposed law is expressed as a polynomial form whose exponents can be selected to satisfy the desired constraints with the impact courses of various curvatures. In addition, the proposed law can achieve a wide range of terminal constraints since the time-to-go, which is difficult to estimate for a trajectory with a small radius of curvature, is not required for implementation. The numerical simulation results show that the proposed law achieves precise interception under various terminal conditions, validating the proposed law.
The effect of femur positioning on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measures and statistical shape and appearance modeling (SSAM) fracture risk assessments
Authors: Ammar Ali , Jazinizadeh Fatemeh , Adachi Jonathan D , Quenneville Cheryl E
Published: December 2023

The diagnosis of osteoporosis using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) relies on accurate hip scans, whereby variability in measurements may be introduced by altered patient positioning, as could occur with repeated scans over time. The goal herein was to test how altered postures affect diagnostic metrics (i.e., standard clinical metrics and a newer image processing tool) for femur positioning. A device was built to support cadaveric femurs and adjust their orientation in 3° increments in flexion and internal/external rotation. Seven isolated femurs were scanned in six flexion postures (0° (neutral) to 15° of flexion) and eleven rotational postures (15° external to 15° internal rotation) while collecting standard clinical DXA-based measures for each scan. The fracture risk tool was applied to each scan to calculate fracture risk. Two separate one-way repeated measures ANOVAs (α = 0.05) were performed on the DXA-based measures and fracture risk prediction output. Flexion had a significant effect on T-score, Bone Mineral Density (BMD), and Bone Mineral Content (BMC), but not area, at angles greater than 12°. Internal and external rotation did not have a significant effect on any clinical metric. Fracture risk (as assessed by the image processing tool) was not affected by either rotation mode. Overall, this suggests clinicians can adjust patient posture to accommodate discomfort if deviations are less than 12 degrees, and the greatest care should be taken in flexion. Furthermore, the tool is relatively insensitive to postural adjustments, and as such may be a good option for tracking risk over repeated patient scans.
Jacques Brel's Ne me quitte pas in English: On putting the record straight… and queering it?
Authors: Bradford Terry J.
Published: December 2023

This article is part of a wider project investigating the theory and practice of song translation and performance. It derives – specifically – from my own desire to attempt to translate Ne me quitte pas into English. (See: Appendix.) It is designed as an investigation into the tenacious misconception that certain English-language versions of Brel's songs are translations thereof. Using Peter Low's typology, many of these versions can more accurately be described as adaptations or as replacement texts. One objective of this comparative study is to draw attention to the need – in theory – to distinguish between translation and adaptation. This work also calls for more precision in attributing authorship to the lyrics or texts sung by different performers. Examination of eight English-language versions of Ne me quitte pas – an exceptional corpus made up of texts sung by Rod McKuen, Scott Walker, Marc Almond (×2), Momus, Arnold Johnston, Des de Moor and The Black Veils – seeks to illustrate and discuss the history of approaches to rendering this song in English. That is one sense in which this article aims to put the record straight. This aim might also hint at the idea of respecting (high) ‘fidelity’ to the original. However, whether translation, adaptation or replacement text, any Target Text – even if assessed by criteria provided by Song Translation Theory – can only ever be interpreted subjectively. Thus, imagining a single way of putting a record straight is futile. Comparison of versions of Ne me quitte pas can, however, illustrate how different strategies and priorities can ‘succeed’ differently. Understanding the potential for ‘queering’ Ne me quitte pas was a by-product of research and close reading of the texts themselves. As this appears to pertain significantly in a handful of versions in the Anglophone world – but not, seemingly, in Turkish versions – this article seeks also to open up the ‘queering’ (or not) of Brel, in particular, as an avenue of future inquiry.
Color Semantics in Human Cognition
Authors: Schloss Karen B.
Published: December 2023

People have associations between colors and concepts that influence the way they interpret color meaning in information visualizations (e.g., charts, maps, diagrams). These associations are not limited to concrete objects (e.g., fruits, vegetables); even abstract concepts, like sleeping and driving, have systematic color-concept associations. However, color-concept associations and color meaning (color semantics) are not the same thing, and sometimes they conflict. This article describes an approach to understanding color semantics called the color inference framework. The framework shows how color semantics is highly flexible and context dependent, which makes color an effective medium for communication.
Assessing Consumers’ Attitude and Intention to Recycle Household Electronic Waste
Authors: Ahanger Sadat Hussain , Bashir Irfan , Shah Adnan Rouf , Parry Mohd Ashraf
Published: December 2023

This study aims to investigate the determinants of attitude and intention to recycle electronic waste. Building on TRA a theoretical framework is developed and tested using a structured questionnaire administered online among 506 university students. The collected data is descriptively analysed with SPSS and structural equation modelling is employed using SMART-PLS (version 3.0). Results show that attitude has positive influence on intention to recycle electronic waste. Notably, incentives emerge as a pivotal factor for recycling intention followed by social influence, sense of responsibility and incentives. The results show that awareness has insignificant influence on intention to recycle e-waste. Further, results confirm that attitude mediates the effect of awareness, incentives, SoR and social influence on intention to recycle e-waste. The study extends TRA by introducing SOR and incentives as novel constructs, enriching understanding of e-waste recycling behaviour. The study offers potential insights into customer perspectives on electronic product obsolescence to enhance e-waste recycling strategies. Understanding how consumers perceive obsolescence allows for product adjustments that align with recycling preferences. Moreover, decision-makers can use the study’s findings to gauge public support for e-waste recycling initiatives. The findings offer valuable guidance for businesses aiming to implement effective e-waste recycling programmes, engage young adults in recycling efforts, l and enhance overall e-waste recycling participation.
A Conceptual Framework for Tacit Knowledge Transformation in Family Business: A Case Study of Plastic Family Firm in Malaysia
Authors: Yew Lee Kean
Published: December 2023

This article investigates the transformation of tacit knowledge on enterprise development in family business, specifically on generational change. Different generations exhibit different characteristics that will influence organization outcome and strategy management, this motivates the current work to form a conceptual framework, which determines the factors that trigger generation change in family enterprises. First, the case study of plastic family firm examines the firm’s historical profiles that were attained from Malaysia’s companies house (SSM) to assess the organization capabilities towards enterprise development. Second, this article examines the influence of strategy management during generational change upon innovation capacity. In this case study of plastic family firm in Malaysia, this firm focuses on the firms’ ability to keep and advance their tacit knowledge, which prompted them to pick up new technology and skills to achieve innovativeness in their products and services. As the business is inherited by the later generation with a good education background, they tend to form new knowledge.
Distribution and Usage of Digital Payment Cards in India: Findings from NSS 77th Round Survey
Authors: Sutradhar Tapas Kumar , Ghosh Santadas
Published: December 2023

Promoting digital economy is a policy priority of the Government of India. The latest available large-scale survey data on households’ debt and investment from National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO, 2021) provides details on the possession and utilization of payment cards for adults across India. Using the information, this article explores the state and district-level variations in its distribution and usage in India—which is a crucial knowledge gap in the existing literature. The article finds that while 85% of Indian adults have a bank account, less than half of them have a debit or credit card. Also, 82% of card-holders have actually used their cards for transactions during 365 days prior to the survey. Access to payment cards seems crucial for digital integration. This article attempts to identify policy handles that can help in the spread of payment cards. Their possession is aggregated at district levels and regressed on several indicators. The article identifies that literacy rate, access to banking, road density, prevalence of Self-Help Groups and Co-operative Credit Societies are all significant positive influencers towards digital integration. A similar result is obtained for the usage of payment cards as well. This article comes up with a first glimpse of digital integration at the pan-India level while also providing some policy suggestions for enhancing cashless transactions in India.
Road Ahead: Post Collapse of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank
Authors: Periwal Dipti
Published: December 2023

This case is about challenges faced by the depositors and the entire banking system following the collapse of the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank. The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation insured the bank deposits, and the earlier deposit insurance coverage was $74 million, which was increased to $370 million in the Union Budget of 2020. This increase was attributed to the collapse of the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank, where 0.3 million people lost their money.
An Instructional Innovation That Embeds Group Learning in Case Teaching: The Table Case Method
Authors: Wright April L. , Irving Gemma L. , Pereira Sandra , Staggs Jonathan
Published: December 2023

Although combining case study teaching with group learning is a popular approach for teaching business courses, pedagogical challenges arise, particularly in undergraduate classes. To address these challenges, we developed an instructional innovation called the Team- Based Learning and Evaluation (TaBLE) Case Method, which increased student engagement and deepened learning in an undergraduate introductory management course. The TaBLE Case Method is built upon specific principles of team-based learning, and comprises phases that meld together individual preparation and group participation before, during and after class. Our evaluation of the TaBLE Case Method highlights how it enhances group learning by: increasing student motivation to prepare, attend and engage; creating individual accountability for group goals; fostering critical thinking and creative debate; and making theory-practice links more visible. We also discuss the method’s “shadowsides” and limitations, and provide guidance on how the method can be adapted for a variety of class sizes and delivery modes.
A Phenomenological Exploration of the Co-Teaching Experiences of Associate Choir Teachers in Texas
Authors: Nápoles Jessica , Kelley Jamey F. , LoBiondo Julianna
Published: December 2023

The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to examine the co-teaching experiences of secondary choir teachers in associate director positions in the state of Texas. We interviewed 12 participants, who had held an associate director position for at least 3 years, two times across a 4-month period. Three themes emerged from the data: personal compatibility with head director, context for mentoring and learning, and hierarchical structures. The most satisfied associate directors had a positive relationship with their head director colleague, felt that their input was valued, and collaborated as part of a team. They desired to learn and receive mentorship from their colleague, though that mentorship was facilitated or impeded by context. Hierarchical structures were pervasive and affected job roles, associate directors’ sense of agency, and the choirs they taught.
Current decoupling control of permanent magnet synchronous motor based on improved nonlinear extended state observer
Authors: Li Shuai , Wang Hai , Yang Chunlai , Li Henian , Gui Jinsong , Fu Ronghua
Published: December 2023

Precise current decoupling is required to achieve good control performance in the vector control of permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), but traditional decoupling methods are unable to solve the problem of poor current decoupling effectiveness when the system inductance parameters are mismatched. Therefore, a decoupling control method of PMSM based on improved nonlinear extended state observer (INESO) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a smooth, differentiable nonlinear function is used to replace the traditional fal function, which overcomes the problem of discontinuous gain changes. Secondly, a time-varying gain is designed to address the problem of reduced observer performance due to differential peak values in traditional NESO. Finally, the stability of INESO and the current loop closed-loop system is proven, followed by simulation and experimental verification. The simulation and experimental results show the proposed method effectively observes and compensates for system uncertainties, including parameter perturbations, external disturbances, and unmodeled dynamics. This method achieves complete decoupling of d and q-axes currents, while suppressing interference and enhancing the control performance of PMSM. The proposed INESO decoupling method reduces the d-axis current fluctuation about 96% and 90% when the load changes abruptly under motor inductance parameter mismatch, and can reduce q-axis current fluctuation about 88% and 78% when the d-axis current steps, respectively, compared with the conventional Current Feedback Decoupling Control (CFDC) and CDDC decoupling methods.
Determination of the sound absorption coefficient of ETFE cushions in-situ using the genetic material optimizer in Odeon®
Authors: Sluyts Yannick , Lavasani Majid , Rychtarikova Monika , Glorieux Christ
Published: December 2023

ETFE cushions are used as cladding in predominantly mid to large size architectural projects. Smaller cushions are about 10 m2 in size and the biggest single cushions can be several hundreds of square metres large. They are composed of ETFE membranes a few hundred of micrometres thick. From a point of view of room acoustics, their acoustic transparency, which increases with decreasing frequency, makes them to effectively act like sound absorbers. Their voluminous nature and transparency make it challenging to measure the sound absorption coefficient of ETFE cushions in a laboratory. Using the genetic material optimizer of Odeon® software, the effective sound absorption coefficient of ETFE cushions in four rooms was extracted from room acoustic parameters, which were in turn derived from measured room impulse response data. The results were compared and interpreted by the help of theoretical modelling and measurements on small cushions in a reverberant room. There is a relatively good agreement between the three types of results, possible causes for the differences are explained in the paper.
An audience studies’ contribution to the discoverability and prominence debate: Seeking UK TV audiences’ ‘routes to content’
Authors: Johnson Catherine , Hills Matt , Dempsey Laurie
Published: December 2023

Despite discoverability and prominence emerging as crucial to contemporary industry and policy debates in relation to online and internet-distributed television, there remains relatively little rich, qualitative data about how contemporary audiences discover content. This article addresses this gap through empirical audience research focused on the ‘routes to content’ through which UK audiences find and decide what television to watch. Defining television broadly to include all forms of video content accessed in the home, we argue for the importance of thinking about discoverability as an audience activity, not just an industrial strategy. Building on TV audience studies’ longer history and more recent literature on engagement, media literacy, algorithms and technological affordances in contemporary media platforms, we argue for new understanding of the imaginaries shaping people’s habitual viewing activities. The article proposes four new concepts for thinking about discoverability as an audience activity. First, we explore technological affordances and default behaviour, developing the concept of the negotiated-null affordance to explain how technological affordances can be rendered invisible by habitual behaviours. Second, we focus on algorithmic literacies and propose a new dissonant algorithmic imaginary to explain our participants’ ambivalences towards algorithmic personalisation. Third, we unpack the dynamics of access that emerge in our participants’ negotiations of television technologies, services and content. Fourth, we examine the role of word of mouth and promotional paratexts, theorising a second-order algorithmic imaginary to help us understand how these forms of communication can often, themselves, be subject to algorithmic processes. In doing so, we argue for the need for further qualitative research that looks beyond the ‘savvy’ consumers that dominate audience research in order to unpack the technological, industrial, cultural and social processes that shape people’s routes to content in a platform-dominated media landscape.
The if, why and how of fitness testing in secondary school physical education in the United Kingdom
Authors: Harte Naomi Paula Alice , Alfrey Laura , Spray Christopher , Cale Lorraine
Published: December 2023

Historically fitness testing has been identified as a common but controversial physical education (PE)-for-health practice across the globe. Despite this, little is known about the current prevalence and implementation of fitness testing. This paper therefore reports on findings from a survey which gathered both quantitative and qualitative data to explore the ‘if?’, ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ of fitness testing and provide new insights into teachers’ learning intentions, pedagogical practices, and attitudes towards it. The survey was distributed to PE departments in secondary schools across the UK, and responses were analysed and reported descriptively and thematically. Responses from 260 schools highlighted that fitness testing remains a common practice in PE, with 80% of PE teachers reporting it to feature in their curriculum. There was less consensus surrounding the ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ of testing, with variation evident in teachers’ stated learning intentions, pedagogical practices, and attitudes. Despite its prevalence, PE teachers expressed concerns over negative pupil outcomes potentially arising from fitness testing, and over 60% of teachers were uncertain or agreed that fitness testing can have a negative impact on pupils’ psychological health. Given the findings and the reported widespread prevalence of fitness testing, further research should explore pupils’ perspectives, responses, and outcomes of fitness testing, including their motivational and emotional responses to testing. Working with teachers and encouraging them to critically reflect on the ‘if?', ‘why?' and ‘how?’ of fitness testing is recommended and will hopefully help to bridge the gap between research and practice.
Perceived teachers’ enthusiasm and willingness to communicate in the online class: The mediating role of learning enjoyment and group interaction for Chinese as a second language
Authors: Zhang Haijing , Huang Fangwei
Published: December 2023

Few previous studies have focused on the effect of online environment factors (teachers’ enthusiasm, group interaction, etc.) on learners’ willingness to communicate in the context of learning Chinese as a second language (CSL). To fill this gap, this study investigated 471 CSL learners (1) to explore the mediating role of online learning enjoyment and perceived group interaction on the perception of teachers’ enthusiasm and willingness to communicate in L2 in online CSL classes; and (2) to clarify whether gender, weekly self-online learning time and learning achievement moderate those relations. A moderated mediation structural equation model with good fitness revealed that both perceived group interaction and online learning enjoyment fully mediated the relationship between perceived teachers’ enthusiasm and willingness to communicate in L2, with perceived group interaction being a more vital mediator than learning enjoyment. The results illustrated that the structural mediating relationships significantly differ across genders, weekly self-learning times, and learners with different learning achievements. The findings advance the understanding of the pyramid model of willingness to communicate in online L2 learning and provide significant pedagogical implications.
The role of the judge in the European plea bargaining procedures: Three models compared
Authors: Bozbayındır Ali Emrah
Published: December 2023

This article examines the role of the judge in ‘prosecutor-centred’, ‘law-centred’ and ‘judge-centred’ models of plea bargaining in the European context. A comprehensive study regarding the judicial role in plea bargaining is necessary, since the principle of double control has frequently been neglected in negotiated case dispositions, and in the literature it has often been suggested that more robust judicial control of plea bargaining should be in place. Instead of a pan-European overview, our article focuses on the different models of plea bargaining, particularly in the example of the Swiss abbreviated proceedings, the German confession bargaining and the English sentence discount. In order to put the judge's role into context, the article first introduces the contours of each model before analysing the role of the judge in these proceedings. In conclusion, the article compares the models discussed, which would provide a baseline for assessing the judicial role in plea bargaining.
Mothers’ experiences of caring for their children with liver transplantation: From sorrow to new determination
Authors: Kim Sooyoung , Kang Sook Jung
Published: December 2023

This study aims to understand mothers’ dynamic experiences of caring for their children with liver transplant. A descriptive phenomenological qualitative approach was applied to this study. A total of seven mothers participated in this study. Data were collected from April 2020 to June 2020 through face-to-face interviews. Data analysis was performed using Giorgi’s phenomenological method. By grouping general meaning units, 8 themes and 19 subthemes were derived. Eight themes are as follows: sorrow and distress of accepting a child’s diagnosis; difficulties in deciding to undergo liver transplantation; negative emotions before and after transplant; the support system before and after liver transplantation; achieving a sense of trust toward healthcare providers; new concerns about the child’s life after undergoing liver transplantation; appreciation of the experience; and new determination and expectations for future life. This study can contribute to the guideline that describes the role and daily life experiences of caregiving for other parents whose children undergo liver transplantation and nurses who work with impacted families. Healthcare providers can refer to the results to provide liver transplantation childcare and hospital-based support groups for child’s family to improve nurses’ communication skills.
Corporate constructions of bio-digital identity: DNA-based playlists and the mandate to “listen to your DNA”
Authors: Peters Charnell , Gorissen Sebastiaan
Published: December 2023

This article analyzes the novel partnership between Ancestry DNA and Spotify to create DNA-based playlists and tracks publics’ responses to them. Analysis reveals how the companies construct a sense of self that is biologically determined, technologically mediated, and culturally expressed. Layers of abstraction and curation construct their corporate, techno-utopic view of bio-digital identity performances. Yet, publics perceived these media through a dystopic lens, critiquing invasions of privacy and genetic determinism. Conceptualized as hyper-objects, DNA-based playlists demonstrate collective desires to leverage media and technoscience for conceptualizing and managing identities.
Brewing sustainability and strength: Biocomposite development through tea waste incorporation in polylactic acid
Authors: Khodadad Hatkeposhti Javad , Kordani Naser , Akbarzadeh Pasha Mohammad , Bodaghi Mahdi
Published: December 2023

This study aims to enhance the mechanical properties of polylactic acid by incorporating black tea waste as an economical and sustainable additive capable of being recycled. The black tea waste, after the hot water color removal process, is milled to a fine and uniform powder size. The combination of these particles with polylactic acid is carried out using a twin-screw extruder. Specimens of pure polylactic acid and biocomposites containing 3 and 5 wt% black tea waste are manufactured using a hot press machine at a temperature of 200 °C. The filaments are also successfully extruded for three-dimensional printing purposes. Scanning electron microscopy images reveal that in the polylactic acid–3% tea biocomposite, the tea particles are appropriately dispersed within the polylactic acid matrix. The tensile test results indicate that biocomposite polylactic acid-3% tea has the highest mechanical properties, with a tensile strength of 67 MPa, demonstrating a 34% increase compared to polylactic acid. Furthermore, the biocomposite of polylactic acid–3% tea waste exhibits the best performance with a fracture energy of 2.5 kJ/m2 in the impact test. Hence, polylactic acid–3% tea biocomposite can be recommended as a suitable sustainable substitute. Finally, numerical simulations are performed on biocomposites containing double keyhole notches. This analysis is conducted to observe the behavior of biocomposite models with double keyhole notch under mixed-mode loading. The critical fracture load of the models is calculated using the strain energy density criterion. It is observed that an increase in the notch inclination angle and notch radius leads to a decrease in the fracture load in the models.
The Bitter and the Sweet: Managerial Perceptions of the Well-Being of Ethiopian Female Apparel and Horticultural Workers
Authors: Fourie Elsje , Dito Bilisuma , Gudeta Konjit , Schelleman-Offermans Karen , Mazzucato Valentina , Jonas Kai
Published: December 2023

Observers of Ethiopia’s entry into export-oriented global value chains generally agree that social upgrading is crucial if these chains’ largely female workforce is to reap the benefits of participation. They disagree, however, on the extent to which a ‘business case’ can be made to involve in this upgrading the managers who link frontline workers to international buyers. This article takes a novel approach to these questions by directly asking these managers and those who advise them on human resources how they understand the well-being of their frontline workers. Drawing on 37 qualitative semi-structured interviews, we find great variation in the extent to which such actors are interested in pursuing worker well-being and social upgrading beyond basic compliance. This is indeed due in part to the sectoral dynamics that have shaped managers’ views of what constitutes a profitable labour regime but also by sociocultural factors that include managers’ own national contexts, gender and class.
The challenges of ‘researching with responsibility’: Developing intersectional reflexivity for understanding surfing, place and community in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Wheaton Belinda , Olive Rebecca
Published: December 2023

Located within feminist scholarship on sport, leisure and physical cultures, this article explores our attempts to understand what conducting ‘research with responsibility’ means as White, settler-coloniser, immigrant women researching surfing, place and community in Aotearoa New Zealand. Taking inspiration from Hamilton’s ‘intersectional reflexivity’ and Māori feminist scholars’ discussion of (de)colonizing methodologies, we discuss the development of our intersectional, collaborative methodology to understand our relationships to place, community and surfing. This co-ethnographic approach helped us navigate the ethics and challenges of knowledge production in Aotearoa New Zealand, and enabled us to be aware of, and open to, different worldviews and ways of knowing. We argue this methodology has value in developing better recognition of our own privileges; understanding of the intersectional politics-of-place we are part of as researchers, and as community members; and of the assumptions, motivations and values that inform our research practices.
Beyond the risk factors of sports-related match-fixing: Testing the applicability of situational action theory
Authors: Vanwersch Lucie , Willem Annick , Constandt Bram , Hardyns Wim
Published: December 2023

Despite the increasing academic interest in match-fixing, little is known about the behavioral determinants of this phenomenon. This study applies key theoretical concepts of situational action theory (SAT) to sportspersons’ decision-making process when confronted with sports-related match-fixing (SRMF) propositions. Using a factorial survey, amateur football players ( n = 661), and tennis players ( n = 609) in Flanders (Belgium) were asked to evaluate hypothetical realistic situations containing match-fixing propositions. Our results show that sportspersons’ crime propensity, mostly determined by their moral judgment of SRMF and self-control, and their levels of temptation, together with a number of SAT interactions, were the best predictors of SRMF as a form of sports-related rule breaking. We conclude that SAT provides a valuable theoretical framework to study fraud in sports phenomena such as SRMF, and that factorial surveys have great potential to allow researchers to reach beyond the risk factor stage of research, to efficiently inform prevention initiatives.
Roadblocks to reforming UK guidelines on medically unnecessary penile circumcision: inconsistent safeguarding of bodily integrity
Authors: Lempert Antony
Published: December 2023

Medically unnecessary penile circumcision (MUPC) performed on a non-consenting child has been the subject of increasing critical attention in recent years. This paper provides a behind-the-scenes narrative of the politics of ethical policymaking in the United Kingdom in this area including a discussion about some potential barriers to reform. After a brief overview of ethical guidance for medically unnecessary surgical procedures on children in general and on their genitalia in particular, the paper takes a closer look at three contemporary documents released by UK medical bodies and highlights the unique ethical and safeguarding contradictions in this area. The outcomes of initiatives aimed at engaging constructively with the medical bodies and encouraging wider debate are then described, along with some of the main obstacles to engagement and counter-arguments employed. MUPC is subsequently discussed in a wider societal context, highlighting why serious safeguarding concerns have been raised about what many people believe to be a harmful, preventable practice hiding ‘in plain sight’. The paper ends by calling for UK MUPC guidance to be made consistent with the body of guidance that UK doctors are expected to follow.
The continuum of liver injury with severity of dengue fever: A retrospective observational study
Authors: Mohindra Ritin , K Divyashree , Kalyan Madhur , Bora Ishani , Soni Roop Kishore , Suri Vikas , Behera Ashish , Saini Neha , Sharma Vishal , Zohmangaihi Deepy
Published: December 2023

Background:

Dengue is a major international health concern prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical countries. There are a paucity of studies on the relationship of hepatic complications with inflammatory parameters in dengue infection.

Methods:

Single-centre observational study was conducted at the tertiary care centre in North India. Patients (>12 years) diagnosed with dengue infection between August and November 2021 were enrolled in the study. The frequency of hepatic derangements and their associations with inflammatory severity was analysed.

Results:

Based on the clinical symptoms, 170 patients were classified into three categories, namely, dengue fever, warning dengue and severe dengue. Higher incidence of liver dysfunction was observed in severe dengue patients with median values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (3051 U/L, p < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (1792 U/L, p = 0.009), alkaline phosphatase (172 U/L, p = 0.001), T.Bil (34.2 µmol/L, p < 0.001), albumin (30 g/L, <0.001), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (152 U/L, p < 0.001) along with inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) (43 mg/dL, p < 0.001) highly deranged, in comparison to patients with/without warning signs. Median levels of CRP were found to be positively and significantly correlated with the median levels of AST and ALT ( p < 0.05, r = 0.99) in all three categories of dengue patients. Liver injury was noted in 107 (63%) of the cohort, and mixed type of liver injury involving both hepatocellular and cholestatic patterns was observed as the most common type of injury ( n = 50, 29.4%). Liver injury correlated with the severity of dengue illness as about 85% of severe dengue patients had significant liver injury ( p = 0.014).

Conclusion:

In dengue patients, the association of the liver injury with inflammatory severity suggests that the mechanism of liver injury may be related to inflammatory response apart from the hepatotropic nature of the virus.