bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring Structural Uncertainty in Cost-Effectiveness Modeling of Gestational Diabetes Screening: An Application Example from Norway
Authors: Henkel Pia S. , Burger Emily A. , Sletner Line , Pedersen Kine
Published: April 2024

Background

Screening pregnant women for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has recently been expanded in Norway, although screening eligibility criteria continue to be debated. We aimed to compare the cost-effectiveness of alternative GDM screening strategies and explored structural uncertainty and the value of future research in determining the most cost-effective eligibility criteria for GDM screening in Norway.

Design

We developed a probabilistic decision tree to estimate the total costs and health benefits (i.e., quality-adjusted life-years; QALYs) associated with 4 GDM screening strategies (universal, current guidelines, high-risk, and no screening). We identified the most cost-effective strategy as the strategy with the highest incremental cost-effectiveness ratio below a Norwegian benchmark for cost-effectiveness ($28,400/QALY). We excluded inconclusive evidence on the effects of screening on later maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the primary analysis but included this outcome in a secondary analysis using 2 different sources of evidence (i.e., Cochrane or US Preventive Services Task Force). To quantify decision uncertainty, we conducted scenario analysis and value-of-information analyses.

Results

Current screening recommendations were considered inefficient in all analyses, while universal screening was most cost-effective in our primary analysis ($26,014/QALY gained) and remained most cost-effective when we assumed a preventive effect of GDM treatment on T2DM. When we assumed no preventive effect, high-risk screening was preferred ($19,115/QALY gained). When we assumed GDM screening does not prevent perinatal death in scenario analysis, all strategies except no screening exceeded the cost-effectiveness benchmark. In most analyses, decision uncertainty was high.

Conclusions

The most cost-effective screening strategy, ranging from no screening to universal screening, depended on the source and inclusion of GDM treatment effects on perinatal death and T2DM. Further research on these long-term outcomes could reduce decision uncertainty.

Highlights

This article analyses the cost-effectiveness of 4 alternative gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) screening strategies in Norway: universal screening, current (broad) screening, high-risk screening, and no screening. The current Norwegian screening recommendations were considered inefficient under all analyses. The most cost-effective screening strategy ranged from no screening to universal screening depending on the source and inclusion of GDM treatment effects on later maternal diabetes and perinatal death. The parameters related to later maternal diabetes and perinatal death accounted for most of the decision uncertainty.
Establishing machining process standards in educational scenario—A study in an institutional machine tools laboratory environment
Authors: Sharma Gummaluri Venkata Surya Subrahmanya
Published: April 2024

This study establishes the manufacturing capability of the machines present in a machine tools laboratory at an engineering institution in India. The capability indexes for potential capability as well as performance capability are employed to determine the machine capability of the machine tools. Statistical process control (SPC) studies are performed in a laboratory environment for relatively older and non-automated machines comprising lathes, shapers, drilling and grinding machines. The process potential capability index (Cp) and the process performance capability index (Cpk) values for the CTQ characteristics are obtained as 0.68 and 0.59, respectively, on lathe; 0.99 and 0.99, respectively, on Shaper; 1.55 and 1.55, respectively, on the Drill; and a Cpk of 0.79 on the surface grinder. The procedure adopted and findings of this study may be horizontally applied to other laboratories of any engineering institute. The main practical implication is the standardization of the lab experimental procedure for machining processes employing relatively older machines through formulation of process sheets. Because of this standardization, the upgrade of the syllabus will become an easy task. This work is an attempt to implement the industrial engineering process capability concepts in an educational machine tools laboratorial scenario. The expected applications shall go into leveraging the course-work pertaining to “Metal cutting and Machine tools” as an integrated course where theory and practice go hand-in-hand.
Francophone materialist feminism, the missing link: Towards a Marxist feminism that accounts for the interlockedness of sex, race and class
Authors: Falquet Jules
Published: April 2024

This article discusses the Marxist-Feminist Theses III and VIII. It is based on the ‘French-speaking materialist feminist’ theoretical perspective that has been developed at the end of the 1970s by Colette Guillaumin (with the concept of ‘sexage’), Monique Wittig (with the concept of ‘straight mind’), Nicole-Claude Mathieu, Christine Delphy and other members of the Nouvelles Questions Féministes journal’s board. The article first presents this theorization, which is too unknown to many English-speaking theorists. It then shows how ‘French-speaking materialist feminist’ theoretical perspective fully demonstrated that ‘sex’ was a structural social relation as much as class is (Gender relations are relations of production). The article also analyses how this theoretical perspective enables us to pay a deep attention to the ‘race question’. Therefore, it appears as the missing link that can help bridging at least two important theoretical and political gaps: first, between Marxist feminism and lesbian theory, and, second, between Black feminism and Marxist feminism.
Evaluation of Locally Available Calcined Clay-Based Geopolymer for the Stabilization of Expansive Soils
Authors: Chou Sopharith , Biswas Nripojyoti , Puppala Anand J. , Huang Oscar , Radovic Miladin
Published: April 2024

Geopolymers (GPs) have been effectively used as an alternative to traditional calcium-based stabilizers for treating problematic expansive soils over the last decade. However, the high cost of precursors and limited availability of traditionally manufactured GPs pose significant challenges for commercial implementation. Utilizing locally available sources to manufacture GPs could address such limitations and promote sustainable development. A research study was designed and implemented to evaluate the efficacy of locally available calcined clay-based GP stabilizers to improve the performance of expansive soils and the results were compared with lime-treated and untreated soils. An array of laboratory studies was conducted using two natural clayey soils and two types of GPs to assess improvements in several engineering properties, including unconfined compressive strength before and after capillary soaking, resilient moduli, and moisture-induced strains. Supplemental microstructural studies using X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscope imaging were conducted to identify the mineralogical changes and detect the precipitation of new reaction products. The engineering studies demonstrated that the application of GP significantly enhanced the strength, durability, and stiffness while reducing the swelling and shrinkage strains in the GP-treated soils. Microstructural analysis revealed that the precipitated GP gels effectively coated the soil particles and provided a uniformly bonded GP–soil matrix that enhanced the engineering performance. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive understanding with respect to the potential of using locally available calcined clay-based GPs as a sustainable and durable alternative in enhancing the engineering properties of expansive soils for the long-term performance of transportation infrastructures.
Numerical Simulation of Polymeric Strap Material Reinforced Walls Under Seismic Excitation
Authors: Yünkül Kaan , Gürbüz Ayhan
Published: April 2024

This paper presents a comparison between the two-dimensional finite element and experimental results of shaking table tests on six one-third-scale polymeric strap or polymeric geostrip reinforced walls performed under seismic excitation at given peak ground accelerations [Formula: see text]. The effects of initial tangent stiffness or the stiffness of polymeric strap material [Formula: see text] and the slope angle of the cohesionless backfill material [Formula: see text] on the maximum relative displacement, [Formula: see text], of the reinforced earth wall, the values of the horizontal incremental dynamic earth pressure [Formula: see text] with distributions, acceleration responses, horizontal dynamic active earth pressure coefficient [Formula: see text] and maximum dynamic tensile forces [Formula: see text] were assessed in this study. Moreover, the vertical dynamic active earth pressure coefficients [Formula: see text] and the angles of the resulting dynamic active force with horizontal [Formula: see text] were predicted from the numerical analysis. Closely matched responses between the experimental and numerical studies were attained. Data obtained from experimental and numerical studies illustrated that increasing the slope angle of the cohesionless backfill material resulted in an increase in the values of horizontal displacement in the walls, and in dynamic earth pressure and root mean square acceleration [Formula: see text]. Increasing the stiffness of the reinforcement material caused a decrease in horizontal reinforced earth wall displacement and increases in dynamic earth pressure. In addition, the conventional pseudostatic limit equilibrium methods overestimated [Formula: see text] values, whereas they underestimated [Formula: see text] values, and the recommended [Formula: see text] values by current design codes were not found to be compatible with the numerical and experimental results.
Safety Evaluation of Dual Left-Turn Lane Installations in North Carolina
Authors: Nye Timothy , Simpson Carrie
Published: April 2024

Crash modification factors (CMFs) were calculated for the conversion of a single left-turn lane to a dual or double left-turn lane (DLTL). Despite their proliferation throughout urban and suburban traffic networks, the safety performance of intersection approaches with DLTLs has not been thoroughly investigated and documented within the library of transportation safety research. To date, no published research has been completed that recommends a CMF for DLTL installations. This research effort lays a foundation for the understanding of the before-after safety effect of this countermeasure. A sample of 36 signalized intersections in North Carolina were investigated that received DLTLs between 2004 and 2021. Of these intersections 18 received their DLTLs with no other accompanying geometric changes and were operating with protected left-turn phasing along the treated approaches before and after their DLTL installations. A before-after evaluation of these 18 sites using an empirical bayes methodology yielded the following CMFs: 0.974 (total crashes), 0.844 (fatal-and-injury crashes), 1.010 (property damage only crashes), 0.831 (frontal impact crashes), 0.951 (rear end crashes), and 1.241 (sideswipe crashes). This research recommends that the CMFs for fatal-and-injury crashes and property damage only crashes be used in future cost–benefit calculations when planning DLTL installations.
Compaction Delay and Temperature Effects on Early-Age Properties of Roller-Compacted Concrete
Authors: Roesler Jeffery R. , Ouellet Jordan , Cheung Joshua S. , LaHucik Jeffrey , Dunton Aaron
Published: April 2024

The lower water content of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) coupled with climatic conditions (e.g., higher air temperature, increased wind speed, and lower relative humidity) and compaction delay factors (e.g., traffic delay, plant location, and paving speed) can significantly affect the in situ density and hardened properties of RCC pavements. In this study, a control RCC mix was batched and maintained at standard (21°C) and elevated (35°C) temperatures and then compacted at increasing delay times for up to 180 min. The elevated mix temperature and compaction delay times greater than 90 min prevented the RCC mix from achieving 98% of the initial wet density from the modified Proctor test. Two additional RCC mixes were batched to determine if they could maintain a longer compaction window, one containing a rheology-modifying and retarding admixture and the other incorporating saturated fine lightweight aggregates. The RCC with admixture was the most effective at maintaining moisture content, density, compressive strength, and fracture properties at all compaction delay times. For example, at 180 min of delay, the RCC mixture with admixture still maintained 98.2% of the initial wet density, 81% of the compressive strength, and approximately the same fracture toughness and energy. The addition of fine lightweight aggregates did not extend the compaction window relative to standard RCC mix. The gyratory compacted specimens were more sensitive to the effects of temperature and compaction delay on RCC mixes than the vibratory hammer prepared specimens.
Alternative Approaches for Rapid Evaluation of Frictional Resistance of Aggregates
Authors: Reddy G. Sandeep , Montoya Miguel A. , Abdallah Imad N. , Nazarian Soheil , Izzo Richard
Published: April 2024

Skid resistance of pavements plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of road users, particularly under wet weather conditions. The standardized method for evaluating the skid resistance of aggregates, AASHTO PP103, requires using a three-wheel polishing device. That test procedure requires significant time for specimen preparation, testing, and monitoring of aggregate stockpiles. This study aims to propose alternative test methods to reduce the time required for the evaluation of skid resistance of aggregates. Two approaches were examined as alternatives to the AASHTO PP103 method. The first approach involved using a micro-deval abrasion device to polish the aggregates before evaluating the skid resistance of the aggregates using a dynamic friction tester. In the second approach, a multiple linear regression equation was proposed that uses conventional mechanical performance test results as independent variables to predict skid resistance. Twenty-one aggregate samples were collected from various sources in Texas for this study. The study results indicate that both approaches can be used as surrogate methods for AASHTO PP103 for rapid screening of the skid resistance of aggregates, which could help manage aggregate quality control and assurance.
Theoretical analysis and crashworthiness optimization of multi-cell Al-CFRP hybrid tube
Authors: Ma Qihua , Cai Weiwen , Bai Cuiping , Qin Xiaoyu
Published: April 2024

In this paper, a hybrid thin-walled tube with multiple cells and multiple materials is proposed to achieve lightweight, high energy absorption efficiency, and low cost of structures. Energy absorption characteristics and crushing deformation of the hybrid structures are investigated by experimental testing and numerical analysis. Meanwhile, theoretical prediction models of the mean crushing force for hybrid structures are developed and its accuracy was verified. It is found from the sensitivity analysis that the parameters of the multi-cell structure have significant effects on energy absorption. Furthermore, the multi-objective optimization including surrogate models is performed to obtain optimal crashworthiness of the multi-cell hybrid tube. The same optimal results were obtained using the full factor response mapping optimization algorithm and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm with elite strategy algorithm for multi-objective optimization solution. Compared with the original multi-cell hybrid tube and multi-cell pure aluminum (Al) tube, the optimized structure showed an increase of 0.25% and 25.31% in specific energy absorption, an increase of 16% and 77.34% in average crushing force, and an increase of 3.89% and 23.08% in energy absorption efficiency, respectively.
Suicide While Locked Up in Texas: Risk Factors for Death by Suicide in Custody
Authors: Marks Rocky B. , Moreira Nicole , O’Connell Katherine L. , Hearne Alera , Law Keyne C.
Published: April 2024

In the United States, suicide is a leading cause of death in prisons and jails, with incarcerated individuals being nine times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. Identifying vulnerabilities at each stage of custody (prebooking, jail, prison) and factors that increase suicide risk can improve prevention efforts. A hierarchical binary logistic regression was conducted on data from the Texas Justice Initiative’s Deaths in Custody Report. Variables included race/ethnicity, sex, age at death, days in custody, classification of crime as violent or nonviolent, and custody type of prebooking, jail, or prison. Among main effects, when compared to suicide rates in prison, jail suicide deaths were over three and a half times more likely ( OR = 3.61), and the period of prebooking emerged as a period of staggering risk of suicide death, with suicides being over 5,000% more likely than at other stages of custody ( OR = 50.86). When interactions were entered, Latinx individuals were at a particularly increased risk of suicide death ( OR = 10.46), likelihood of suicide death decreased with each year of age ( OR = .89), nonviolent offenders were just under three and a half times more likely to die by suicide when compared to violent offenders ( OR = 3.45), and each stage of custody was shown to affect the relationship between age-related rates of suicide in different ways. Results call for further investigation into suicide among understudied populations in corrections, such as Latinx individuals, juveniles in the prison system, and nonviolent offenders, to identify the groups at the highest risk of premature death in correctional systems.
Explosive and Harmful Impulses: A Subset of Child and Adolescent-to-Parent Violence and Abuse
Authors: Rutter Nikki
Published: April 2024

“Filial harm” refers to harms experienced by a parent and caused by their child, with increasing umbrella terminology developing to capture all forms of harm despite differing experiences and contexts. In this paper, based on a Glaserian Grounded Theory study underpinned by participatory research principles, this work utilized diaries and interactive interviews with 34 parents and arts-based workshops with 21 children to develop a new terminology and approach to child and adolescent-to-parent violence and abuse when harm does not have a clear intent. Explosive and harmful impulses refer to preadolescents experiencing proactive, reactive, affective, and relational harms and needs. These specific forms of filial harm are based upon underlying needs, and the maladaptive ways children may attempt to meet their needs result in filial harm as an unintended consequence rather than being a form of harm with intent. Using an approach that captures subsections of filial harm, there is opportunity to better represent the nuance of individual family experiences and could provide more appropriate language and interventions that better represent the language used by families themselves. Future interventions, support pathways, and research with families living with explosive and harmful impulses could use the provided framework to understand why children are attempting to meet their needs in harmful ways and to consider less harmful methods of support.
The role of relationship beliefs in predicting levels and changes of relationship satisfaction
Authors: Gander Fabian , Uhlich Maximiliane , Traut Alex Christoph , Saameli Marcelle Ariane , Bühler Janina Larissa , Weidmann Rebekka , Grob Alexander
Published: April 2024

Relationship beliefs (i.e., destiny and growth beliefs) are associated with important relationship outcomes. Destiny beliefs describe the belief that a relationship is meant to be while growth beliefs describe the tendency that relationships can be cultivated and maintained through effort. Based on a longitudinal sample of people in romantic relationships ( N = 904 couples), we examined whether destiny and growth beliefs predict current levels and trajectories of relationship satisfaction across 2 years. Using dyadic growth curve models, we found that individuals with stronger destiny beliefs generally reported higher initial relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, those with higher growth beliefs experienced a slower decline in relationship satisfaction over time. Vice versa, higher relationship satisfaction also predicted increases in growth beliefs, but not destiny beliefs over time. These findings were also supported when directly asking participants about their subjectively perceived trajectories of relationship satisfaction: Growth beliefs, but not destiny beliefs, went along with the perception that relationship satisfaction has increased in the past and will further increase in the future. The findings suggest that relationship beliefs are relevant for long-term outcomes and could have important implications for developing interventions to help couples maintain relationship satisfaction in the long term.
Machining performance of micro-pit and micro-groove composite textured tools in tungsten alloy turning
Authors: Yu Zhiwei , Chen Guangjun , Xuan Wentao , Wei Hong
Published: April 2024

Tungsten alloys are widely used in aerospace because of their high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, high strength, and other excellent comprehensive properties. But tungsten alloys are typical hard-to-machining materials. Surface micro-textures can improve friction properties, such as preparing micro-textures on the surface of cutting tools for tungsten alloys, which is expected to enhance the cutting performance of tungsten alloys. Still, the relevant cutting laws need to be further studied. A combination texture of micro-pit and micro-groove was designed, and the micro-textured tool surface was prepared by laser machining. Compared with non-textured tools, micro-pit and micro-groove composite textured tools can effectively improve the processing quality of tungsten alloys. It happened because textures on the tool’s surfaces enhance machining performance by reducing the actual contact area between the tool and the chip and storing lubrication medium. At the same time, comparative experiments of micro-textured tools and non-textured tools were carried out. The results showed that when cutting W93NiFe alloys with textured and non-textured tools, the maximum reduction in resultant cutting forces with textured tools was 9%. The maximum reduction in surface roughness was 39.3%, the surface burr height of the tungsten alloy workpiece was lower, the number of surface grooves was lesser, and the surface was more flat. The research results are significant in achieving the efficient processing and high-quality manufacturing of tungsten alloys.
Lightweight design of steel sprocket for roller chain drive using explicit dynamic simulation
Authors: Sivakumar Kanniyappan , Timmaraju Mallina Venkata , Gnanamoorthy Rajappa
Published: April 2024

Roller chain drives are frequently applied in a variety of machinery for mechanical motion and power transmission. The roller engagement location on the sprocket tooth contour and the resulted contact behavior is governed by the wear of components and pretension of the chain. Therefore, the influence of extension of chain resulted from wear and pretension of chain on contact behavior was investigated numerically using explicit dynamics module of ABAQUS software. The contact angles evaluated from the numerical simulation were assessed relative to those obtained from the basic rigid body analytical formulation. The chain elongation of 3% increased the maximum contact force up to 52% during engagement with the driver sprocket. The contact force raised to 400% when the pretension in the chain drive was increased from 200 to 1000 N, leaving the force distribution pattern unaltered. The optimal design of a steel sprocket is realized through equivalent static finite element contact analysis of a sprocket engaged with 3% extended roller chain. The dynamic finite element analysis in conjunction with topology optimization reduced the weight of the sprocket by 24%.
Effect of anterior cruciate ligament injury on acceleration response of knee joint
Authors: Ahmadi Reza , Hosseini Lorgan Seyed-Hossein , Sherafat Vaziri Arash , Tahmasebi Mohammad Naghi , Shayan Moghadam Ramin , Farahmand Farzam
Published: April 2024

This study investigated the effect of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on relative acceleration of the tibia and femur during a number of tests/activities, in order to assess the feasibility of acceleration-based diagnosis of ACL injury using inertial sensors. First, a detailed finite element model of the knee joint was developed to simulate the target tests/activities, and identify those in which a large difference between the maximum acceleration peaks (MAPs) of the healthy and ACL injured knees is likely to be observed. The promising tests/activities were entered in an experimental study, where the relative accelerations of the tibiae and femurs of 20 individuals with unilateral ACL injury, allocated randomly to two groups of conscious and unconscious test conditions, were recorded. Model predictions indicated MAP ratios>1.5 for the ACL-injured to healthy knees, during the anterior drawer, Lachman, and pivot-shift tests, as well as the lunge activity. The experimental MAP results indicated acceptable test–retest reliabilities for all tests (coefficient of variation<0.25), and significant MAP differences ( p < 0.05) in the anterior drawer and pivot-shift tests, in both coconscious and unconscious conditions. The individualized MAP results indicated side-to-side differences>2 m/s2 for all subjects during unconscious pivot shift tests, and >0.5 m/s2 for eight cases out of ten during conscious anterior drawer tests. It was concluded that the pivot shift test had a great repeatability and discriminative ability for acceleration-based diagnosis of ACL injury in unconscious condition. For the conscious condition, however, the anterior drawer test was appeared to be most promising.
Access to electronic information resources in law libraries during covid-19 period: The case of office of the director of public prosecutions library, Kenya
Authors: Abiero Joseph , Amunga Helen
Published: April 2024

The study examined the level of access of electronic resources among library users during the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Document review were further used to strengthen the findings of the study. On the use of electronic resources, the findings revealed there was increased use of electronic resources during Covid-19 pandemic, confirming that electronic resources were essential in sustaining library services during the pandemic. The results indicated that effective use of electronic resources requires library users possess skills to use the access equipment such as computers and Internet facilities. The findings further indicated that there is need for the library staff to create awareness of the available resources among library users. At the same time the study revealed that some of the challenges to the use of electronic resources were lack of computers, poor Internet connectivity and inadequate search skills which was linked to lack of elaborate training.
How do digital financial inclusion, ICT diffusion, and education affect energy security risk in top energy-consuming countries?
Authors: Sun Xueyuan , Ullah Sana , Sher Falak
Published: April 2024

Energy security has become a crucial issue as the world economy depends more and more on energy supplies. In the context of the top energy-consuming nations, this research examines the connection between digital financial inclusion, information and communication technology (ICT), education, and energy security risk from 2011 to 2022. To that end, the study applies the two-stage least squares and system generalized method of moments estimation techniques. According to our study's findings, digital financial inclusion and associated factors, including automatic teller machines, bank branches, debit cards, and electronic payments, mitigate energy security risks. The energy security risks are also reduced due to ICT, education, gross domestic product, and renewable energy production. However, carbon emissions increase energy security risks. These findings suggest that policymakers in top energy-consuming economies should focus on the digital inclusiveness of the financial sector, ICT diffusion, and human capital to increase the opportunities for investment in the energy sector to mitigate energy security risks.
Methods for non-proportional hazards in clinical trials: A systematic review
Authors: Bardo Maximilian , Huber Cynthia , Benda Norbert , Brugger Jonas , Fellinger Tobias , Galaune Vaidotas , Heinz Judith , Heinzl Harald , Hooker Andrew C , Klinglmüller Florian , König Franz , Mathes Tim , Mittlböck Martina , Posch Martin , Ristl Robin , Friede Tim
Published: April 2024

For the analysis of time-to-event data, frequently used methods such as the log-rank test or the Cox proportional hazards model are based on the proportional hazards assumption, which is often debatable. Although a wide range of parametric and non-parametric methods for non-proportional hazards has been proposed, there is no consensus on the best approaches. To close this gap, we conducted a systematic literature search to identify statistical methods and software appropriate under non-proportional hazard. Our literature search identified 907 abstracts, out of which we included 211 articles, mostly methodological ones. Review articles and applications were less frequently identified. The articles discuss effect measures, effect estimation and regression approaches, hypothesis tests, and sample size calculation approaches, which are often tailored to specific non-proportional hazard situations. Using a unified notation, we provide an overview of methods available. Furthermore, we derive some guidance from the identified articles.
What Drives Mobile Payment Fin Tech Adoption in India?
Authors: Srivastava Shanu , Mohta Anu , Shunmugasundaram V
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to determine the drivers of mobile payment FinTech adoption. The study was conducted with 306 generation Y (Gen Y) and generation Z (Gen Z) FinTech users, and data were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM) through partial least squares and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The present study investigates some interesting and novel associations among variables that contribute to the literature, such as the mediating effect of effort expectancy, facilitating condition, performance expectancy and social influence between the association of financial literacy and behavioural intention, and investigates the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) constructs (effort expectancy, facilitating condition, performance expectancy and social influence), technology acceptance model 3 (TAM 3) constructs (perceived enjoyment and self-efficacy), financial literacy and demographic features as drivers of FinTech adoption. The results indicate that effort expectancy, performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, financial literacy and self-efficacy are strong drivers of FinTech adoption. Perceived enjoyment and social influence do not influence users’ behavioural intention to adopt mobile payment services.

JEL Codes: G41, O30, O31, 033
Single-parent Adolescents’ Resilience and Psychological Well-being: The Role of Social Competence and Emotion Regulation
Authors: Sia Surendra Kumar , Aneesh Athira
Published: April 2024

Background:

Previous studies have shown that children and adolescents living with single parents are prone to behavioral and psychological difficulties and experience a poor sense of well-being. Also, the period of adolescence is critical for the development of an individual in multiple aspects; it is important to focus on their well-being and associated factors for a better transition into adulthood.

Aim:

This study aims to find the mediating role of social competence and emotion regulation on the relationship between resilience and psychological well-being among single-parent adolescents.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study. The study sample was 385 adolescents residing in Kerala (179 boys and 206 girls, mean age = 15.03, SD = 1.45). A total of 185 participants (48.1%) were from families that lost either of their parents to death, and the other 200 participants (51.9%) were from divorced or separated families. Self-reported measures for resilience, social competence, emotion regulation, and psychological well-being were used for data collection. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS and AMOS version 24.

Results:

The results showed that resilience, the prosocial behavior dimension of social competence, and the cognitive reappraisal dimension of emotion regulation indicate significant positive associations with the psychological well-being of adolescents living in single-parent families. The expressive suppression dimension of emotion regulation and the antisocial behavior dimension of social competence have a substantial negative connection with the psychological well-being of adolescents raised by single parents. The findings suggest that resilience directly predicts psychological well-being; prosocial behavior and cognitive reappraisal partially mediate the association of resilience and psychological well-being.

Conclusion:

According to our findings in this study, developing social competence skills and adaptive emotion regulation strategies can improve the psychological well-being of adolescents living with single parents. The results have multiple clinical, educational, and community implications.
Health Status of Working Women in a Tertiary Care Center, North Kerala, India: During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Joseph Robinson , Premlal K. S. , Anuja R.
Published: April 2024

Introduction:

Women constitute about one-half of the workforces in most countries and spend a significant proportion of their time at the workplace, contributing to a lot of physical and mental stress. The health-care professional in the workforce was the most affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and associated risk factors have a substantial correlation. According to numerous studies from around the world, people who already have established risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, or other vascular risk factors, are more likely to contract COVID-19 and experience complications or even pass away from it.

Objectives:

The objective is to assess the health status of working women in a tertiary health-care center in Kerala during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methodology:

The study was done in a tertiary health-care center in Kozhikode district, Kerala, South India. This center comprises medical, paramedical and nursing institutes. A total of 262 women were included in the study, and data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire.

Results:

This study demonstrated that working women’s stress was prevalent. It reveals that 94 (99.4%) women experience stress, 60.7% experience depression, 72.5% do not engage in daily physical activity and 80.8% of women were at risk of having NCDs.

Conclusion:

This study was an attempt to explore the health status of the women’s working health status during COVID-19 time. It found that some women are hypertensive, depressed and have stress-related disorders such as anxiety and worries. Mental health is directly linked with physical activity. The stress levels were controlled for those who were involved in physical activity on regular basis. Hence, we should work on this area to help improve these conditions.
‘Every day we’d have an arranged activity, so she’d have football, swimming, dance, gymnastics’: A sociological analysis of parenting and sports-based enrichment activities for the under-fives
Authors: Velija Philippa , Allen Georgia
Published: April 2024

In this article we provide a sociological analysis of parental choice in pre-school sports and physical activity, as a form of concerted cultivation, to understand the uptake of sports-based physical activity (PA) enrichment activities in England. Despite a growth in the under-five pre-school enrichment market, little is known about why parents pay for their under-five child(ren) to participate in sport and/or PA enrichment or how this relates to wider patterns seen in contemporary parenting. 24 semi-structured interviews with parents of early years children from across England were conducted. Findings suggest the reasons why parents enrol their child(ren) in sports-based enrichment activities can be considered a form of concerted cultivation. In particular, parents value routine and socialisation for themselves and their children. Parents look for paid-for activities that enhance their child's social and academic skills but do not emphasise the health benefits of being physically active as important in their decision making. Instead, they prioritise opportunities to enhance their child's social and cultural skills in ways that enable the child(ren) to be accepted and interact positively with adults and other children in key institutional settings. Parents also valued spaces where their young child(ren) could expend energy, although the importance of this was distinctly gendered. We conclude by outlining that paying for under-fives sport-based enrichment is linked to wider social and cultural expectations on parenting, and highlighting that more needs to be understood about the gendered, racialised and ableist spaces of commercial pre-school sport and PA.
A pilot study exploring the use of hyaluronic acid in treating insertional achilles tendinopathy
Authors: Ohana Nissim , Segal David , Kots Eugene , Feldman Viktor , Nyska Meir , Palmanovich Ezequiel , Slevin Omer
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This study explores the use of ultrasound-guided Hyaluronic Acid (HA) injections for Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy (IAT).

Methods

A cohort of 15 ankles diagnosed with IAT received three weekly ultrasound-guided HA injections. The Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment – Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire scored the severity of symptoms and functional impairment before treatment, and at one and six months post-treatment.

Results

Significant improvement was observed in VISA-A scores post-treatment, rising from an average baseline of 34.8 ± 15.2 (11-63) to 53.6 ± 20.9 (15-77) after one month, and then to 50.7 ± 18.6 (20-75) after six months. No adverse reactions were noted, underscoring the safety of the intervention.

Conclusion

The pilot study presents HA injections as a potentially effective treatment for IAT, while interpretation of these findings must take into account the variability in results, indicating a range of patient responses. It encourages further research to confirm these findings and to explore HA’s full potential in managing IAT, despite the limitations of a small sample size and lack of control group.
Automating Research in Business and Technical Communication: Large Language Models as Qualitative Coders
Authors: Omizo Ryan M.
Published: April 2024

The emergence of large language models (LLMs) has disrupted approaches to writing in academic and professional contexts. While much interest has revolved around the ability of LLMs to generate coherent and generically responsible texts with minimal effort and the impact that this will have on writing careers and pedagogy, less attention has been paid to how LLMs can aid writing research. Building from previous research, this study explores the utility of AI text generators to facilitate the qualitative coding research of linguistic data. This study benchmarks five LLM prompting strategies to determine the viability of using LLMs as qualitative coding, not writing, assistants, demonstrating that LLMs can be an effective tool for classifying complex rhetorical expressions and can help business and technical communication researchers quickly produce and test their research designs, enabling them to return insights more quickly and with less initial overhead.
I’m Glad I Met You: Ageism Interventions in an Entrepreneurship Course
Authors: Forster-Holt Nancy , Clark Phillip G.
Published: April 2024

It is important that students across university disciplines and class years explore their attitudes about ageism, aging, and older adults. Yet few if any ageism interventions in academic settings are directed at business students, instead targeting disciplines such as health sciences. In this paper we offer requisite detail of ageism workshops we developed for use in an undergraduate entrepreneurship course, including discussion of our results. Business curricula at the university level can serve to reinforce age gaps through the study of functional areas such as marketing (target market segmentation) and finance (retirement planning). In entrepreneurship, stories of youthful startups persist despite recent findings that strongly reject the notion that youth is a key trait of successful entrepreneurs. In the context of workplace ageism, ageism interventions, and age in entrepreneurship, we modified the Disrupt Aging curriculum offered by A.A.R.P., which facilitates an examination of one’s personal attitude about age and aging. Our twist was to focus the curriculum on entrepreneurship and have our students work in groups with an entrepreneur from the Baby Boom generation. This innovation to our curriculum provides promising evidence of effectiveness as measured in pre- and post-workshop attitudes about ageism and entrepreneurship.
“Nobody Told Me”: First-Generation Music Educators’ Soundtracks to Navigating the Academy
Authors: Garrepy Stacey , Bernard Cara Faith
Published: April 2024

First-generation college students (FGCSs) are the first in their families to receive a baccalaureate degree. As a result, they face multiple sociological, familial, and cultural challenges as they navigate their college and professional environments. The purpose of this study is to explore the cognitive soundtracks that FGCSs create to navigate the music academy, university culture, and their first few years of teaching. We conducted an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis with five first-generation music educators who successfully completed a bachelor’s degree in music education. We present the findings as individual soundtracks curated under a playlist titled “Nobody Told Me,” representing participants’ collective lived experiences. Findings suggest that FGCSs struggle with access to material resources, navigating hidden curricula, familial and cultural pressures, and an overarching fear of failure. Based on these findings, we present recommendations for programmatic changes and mentorship for music education programs and schools of music to better support FGCSs.
Anatomic Variations of the Calcaneofibular Ligament
Authors: Ruzik Kacper , Gonera Bartosz , Borowski Andrzej , Karauda Piotr , Aragonés Paloma , Olewnik Łukasz
Published: April 2024

Background:

The lateral ankle joint comprises the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), calcaneofibular ligament (CFL), and posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL). The purpose of this study was to propose a classification of CFL morphology.

Methods:

The material comprised 120 paired lower limbs from human cadavers (30 male, 30 female), mean age 62.3 years. The morphology was carefully assessed, and morphometric measurements were performed.

Results:

A 4-part method for anatomic classification can be suggested based on our study. Type 1 (48.3%), the most common type, was characterized by a bandlike morphology. Type 2 (9.2%) was characterized by a Y-shaped band, and type 3 (21.7%) by a V-shaped band. Type 4 (20.8%) was characterized by the presence of 2 or 3 bands. Type 2 and 4 were divided into further subtypes based on origin footprint.

Conclusion:

The aim of our study was to describe variations of calcaneofibular ligament. Our proposed 4-part classification may be of value in clinical practice in future recognition of CFL injuries and in its repair or reconstruction.

Clinical Relevance:

The anatomy of the CFL plays an important role in stability of the ankle. Greater recognition of anatomical variation may help improve reconstructive options for patients with chronic lateral ankle instability.
Assessment of the Clinical Value of Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Chen Xu , Mohammed Abdul Fatawu , Li Chengbin
Published: April 2024

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with higher mortality as a result of poor prognosis and unavailability of effective treatment options. This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical value of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) to aid in differentiating early hepatocellular carcinoma from liver cirrhosis patients. Three hundred and nine (309) patients including 155 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 154 patients with liver cirrhosis were enrolled in this study. General clinical characteristics and blood parameters of each patient were collected, calculated, and retrospectively analyzed. Mann–Whitney U test was calculated to compare the two groups. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was performed to investigate the diagnostic potential of PLR in the prediction of HCC at a cut-off with high accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]) > 0.80. Hemoglobin (HB) concentration, red blood cell (RBC) count, neutrophil (NEU) count, platelet count, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were significantly higher in the HCC patients than in the liver cirrhosis patients (p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC, optimal cut-off value, sensitivity, and specificity of PLR to predict HCC patients were 0.912, 98.7, 81.2%, and 80.6% respectively. The results suggest that PLR is a potential biomarker that can be used to predict early HCC.
Research on decoupled transfer path analysis method and its application in hybrid mechanical systems
Authors: Zhang Bao , Su Xiaoping
Published: April 2024

As a key technique of vibration control, transfer path analysis (TPA) provides theoretical support for diagnosis, analysis, evaluation, and optimization of vibration in mechanical systems. The coupling phenomena often exists in the vibration transfer paths of complex mechanical systems, which makes most of the existing TPA methods unable to accurately analyze the transfer function of the coupled paths. The classical transfer path analysis (CTPA) is an effective method to solve the problem of path coupling, but it changes the inherent characteristics of the system, the results can not accurately reflect the vibration transfer characteristics of the system. In order to overcome the disadvantages of CTPA method, a decoupled transfer path analysis (DTPA) method is proposed in this paper, and the implementation process of this method is introduced by taking a hybrid mechanical system as an example. The results show that DTPA method can solve the path crosstalk problem and accurately calculate the transfer function of each path.
Using Social Media and Artificial Intelligence to Find Your Purpose
Authors: Klein Peter
Published: April 2024

These days, the distractions of the digital world often obscure the journey to discover one's purpose. Yet these distractions hold clues to that very purpose. This article explores social media and artificial intelligence (AI) as tools to assist individuals in uncovering and expressing their purpose. As a test subject, my social media data were analyzed by AI to identify my purpose, using accounts from LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. This led to my creating an AI bot named Purpose GPT, which is customized to facilitate the exploration of purpose across personal growth, professional development, thought leadership, and legacy-building dimensions. Purpose GPT employs ChatGPT 4 and the Educated Change Digital Twin technology to provide a nuanced approach to understanding and discovering one's multi-dimensional purpose in this world.