bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Differential Learning on the Standing Broad Jump
Authors: Rivera Diego , Robinson Tanner , King Adam C.
Published: December 2023

In this investigation, we examined the influence of two approaches of motor skill learning (differential learning and repetition-based) for an explosive motor skill. Twenty-seven individuals completed four training sessions of a standing broad jump task, presented with either differential training or a repetition-based approach. We collected pre-and post-training assessments that included maximal jump distances used to index performance and the recording of ground reaction forces to determine potential biomechanical changes (normalized vertical ground reaction force – GRFvert, rate of force development – RFD, and horizontal take-off velocity - Vhor). Results showed that differential training exhibited greater jump distances than repetition-based training ( p < .001) but no training effect was found for jump distances between pre- and post-assessments for either training approach ( p = .15). However, a significant increase occurred for Vhor with greater velocities achieved following training ( p = .03). Overall, differential training failed to show the expected performance enhancements for a discrete, explosive motor task; this may be related to limited exposure and task specific demands of the movement. Further research is needed to better understand the task factors influencing skill acquisition from differential training.
The Editor’s Note: The work of leaders
Authors: Preston Teresa
Published: December 2023

Leading a school or district requires a complex array of skills, yet leadership development programs have not always given leaders the skills they need. Teresa Preston, Kappan’s editor-in-chief, gives an overview of the December 2023/January 2024 issue, which focuses on preparing school and district leaders.
What do excellent school leader preparation programs look like?
Authors: Fusarelli Bonnie C. , Fusarelli Lance D.
Published: December 2023

Principal leadership is a crucial element in high-performing schools. Research reveals that principals are second only to teachers in impacting student achievement at school. Accordingly, how school leaders are prepared has received increasing attention in recent years. Drawing from the findings of recent reports highlighting exemplary programs and best practices, authors Bonnie C. Fusarelli and Lance D. Fusarelli identify several research-based best practices for improving principal preparation. They include recommendations to scale up best practices nationwide.
Train new principals like THEY work
Authors: Hochbein Craig
Published: December 2023

Without proper training, the realities of leading a school can overwhelm principals. Specifically, the challenges of leading a school will test principals’ abilities to manage operations and implement effective initiatives. Despite knowledge of these demands, author Craig Hochbein writes that aspiring principals often engage in training experiences that do not align with principals’ work. By focusing on how principals spend their time, aspiring principals, school district administrators, and principal training faculty can improve their contributions to principal training.
Equity-centered school leaders
Authors: Eslinger James C.
Published: December 2023

Ohio’s Columbus City Schools developed a new urban grow-your-own principal pipeline. This pipeline emphasizes the cultivation of equity-centered principals who can address educational and social disparities in transformative and sustainable ways. Drawing from research and professional literature and from district and stakeholder engagements, author James C. Eslinger outlines six interrelated critical dispositions that need to be nurtured within school leaders. He demonstrates how these dispositions are integrated in the recruitment, preparation, and induction of aspiring and novice school leaders in the district. These dispositions are key drivers for leaders’ beliefs and practices to advance equity in schools and beyond.
Conflict-competent leadership
Authors: Feirsen Robert , Weitzman Seth
Published: December 2023

Conflict management is one of the most stressful and frustrating aspects of a school leader’s job. An inability to overcome conflicting viewpoints, ever more palpable in today’s polarized climate, stymies innumerable school reform efforts. Yet, the subject is rarely examined in graduate-level leadership preparation programs or in-service professional development. Robert Feirsen and Seth Weitzman explain that conflict in schools is normal and discuss why knowing how to manage conflict can strengthen leaders and build capacity for school improvement. They offer specific strategies to build conflict resolution skills and embed collaborative problem solving in school culture.
The path of a principal: A conversation with Sham Bevel
Authors: Vail Kathleen
Published: December 2023

Sham Bevel, principal of Bayside Sixth Grade Campus in the Virginia Beach City Schools, is one of three finalists for the 2024 National Principal of the Year award. The honor, awarded annually by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, recognizes outstanding school leaders who make exemplary contributions to their schools, staff, students, and the profession. Phi Delta Kappan spoke with Bevel about her path to becoming a principal, how principals keep their schools aligned and focused on their goals, and the importance of modeling expectations.
A new North Star
Authors: Saphier Jon
Published: December 2023

Leadership gurus often put creating a “shared vision” at the top of their pyramid of what successful leaders do. These visions are best when they are an anchor or a North Star – unwavering goals that the district works toward. Author Jon Saphier proposes this North Star for districts: Make every school an engine for continuous improvement of high-expertise teaching for equity. Saphier writes that the statement conjures concrete images of what to do to improve the experience of children and their learning. It comes with deep anchors in the research base on instructional improvement, deep roots in the literature of healthy organizational culture, and direct ties to the lived experiences of students in school.
First Person: Make every child the brightest star
Authors: Wang Shanshan
Published: December 2023

In this personal column, Educator Shanshan Wang recounts her experience helping Jack, an 8-year-old student, become more confident in the classroom. Despite myriad academic struggles, including dyslexia, the student’s hands-on abilities and rich imagination showed through in his devotion to crafting the perfect paper airplane. Wang’s experiences with Jack inspired her to create opportunities for all students to share their knowledge and skills with their classmates.
Backtalk: Removing artificial barriers to licensure could ease the teacher shortage
Authors: Beck Jori S.
Published: December 2023

In this opinion essay, Jori S. Beck argues that current teacher shortages could be mediated by rethinking candidate licensure. She shares various examples of how local, state, and federal policy have prevented talented candidates from earning teacher licensure. She unpacks some of the requirements for licensure, including costs, and discusses actionable steps that could be taken by state and federal government agencies to support teacher licensure.
Ontology-based crisis simulation system for population sheltering management
Authors: Zhong Jinfeng , Ngoc Luyen Le , Negre Elsa , Abel Marie-Hélène
Published: December 2023

Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, necessitating the development of efficient crisis management strategies for population sheltering. However, existing research on this topic primarily focuses on the use of public resources such as ambulances and fire trucks, which may sometimes be insufficient due to high demand and impacted locations, worsening the shortage of resources. This research introduces an ontology-based crisis simulation system for population sheltering management that focuses on the integration and distribution of citizen–volunteer drivers/vehicles into the evacuation process. Recognizing the limitations of public resources in current crisis management models, our approach incorporates citizen resources to enhance overall evacuation capacity. We develop an ontology to standardize crisis management knowledge, frame vehicle distribution as a recommendation problem, and design a simulation module incorporating a constraint-based recommender system. The proposed scenario illustrates how the simulation system can recommend citizen resources during crisis situations by considering the constraints to be satisfied. With our system, we aim at helping stakeholders to be prepared for various disaster scenarios: optimizing resource allocation and reducing time to make decisions by decision-makers.
The Graduate School Pipeline and First-Generation/Working-Class Inequalities
Authors: Hurst Allison L. , Roscigno Vincent J. , Jack Anthony Abraham , McDermott Monica , Warnock Deborah M. , Muñoz José A. , Johnson Wendi , Lee Elizabeth M. , King Colby R. , Brady David , Francis Robert D. , Delaney Kevin J. , Vitullo Margaret Weigers
Published: December 2023

Sociological research has long been interested in inequalities generated by and within educational institutions. Although relatively rich as a literature, less analytic focus has centered on educational mobility and inequality experiences within graduate training specifically. In this article, we draw on a combination of survey and open-ended qualitative data from approximately 450 graduate students in the discipline of sociology to analyze graduate school pipeline divergences for first-generation and working-class students and the implications for inequalities in tangible resources, advising and support, and a sense of isolation. Our results point to an important connection between private undergraduate institutional enrollment and higher-status graduate program attendance—a pattern that undercuts social-class mobility in graduate training and creates notable precarities in debt, advising, and sense of belonging for first-generation and working-class graduate students. We conclude by discussing the unequal pathways revealed and their implications for merit and mobility, graduate training, and opportunity within our and other disciplines.
Learning in an Immersive VR Environment: Role of Learner Characteristics and Relations Between Learning and Psychological Outcomes
Authors: Huang Xiaoxia , Zhao Qin , Liu Yang , Harris Desmond , Shawler Melissa
Published: December 2023

In an immersive virtual reality (IVR) environment, this study investigated: (1) the role of learner characteristics in various learning and psychological outcomes, including knowledge retention, perceived learning, cognitive load, self-efficacy, enjoyment, presence, and usefulness; and (2) the relationship among these intended outcomes. Forty adult participants experienced an IVR nature trail tour involving science learning topics, followed by a knowledge test and multiple surveys. Multivariate analysis of covariance results indicated age by gender interaction effects on perceived presence and usefulness as well as an age by IVR prior experience interaction effect on perceived presence. Additionally, multiple correlational relationships were detected among the intended outcomes. This study contributes to the limited research on the role of learner characteristics in STEM learning and psychological outcomes in IVR environments.
Burnout, moral injury, and suicidal/self-harm ideation among healthcare professionals in Mainland China: Insights from an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Liu Guangtian , Tong Yan , Li Jinghong , Sun Xiaoya , Chen Linlin , Zheng Xiwei , Zhang Xinhui , Lv Jufen , Wang Jinyan , Wei Bingfen , Wei Jianhua , Cheng Ruixia , Wang Zhizhong
Published: December 2023

Objective

This survey explored the relationships between burnout, moral injury, and suicidal/self-harm ideation among Chinese health professionals in mainland China.

Methods

Health professionals were surveyed online using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Moral Injury Symptom Scale-Health Professional version.

Results

A total of 6,146 health professionals participated in the study. The average age of participants was 34.9 ± 8.5 years, and suicidal/self-harm ideation was present in 2,338 participants (38.0%). The prevalence of suicidal/self-harm ideation was more common among those with severe burnout (vs. mild burnout), particularly in the dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased personal accomplishment. The prevalence of suicidal/self-harm ideation among those with significant moral injury symptoms was higher than in those without moral injury. Unconditional logistic regression analysis demonstrated that those with moderate or severe emotional exhaustion, moderate or severe reduced sense of professional accomplishment, and moderate or severe depersonalization were at increased risk of suicidal/self-harm ideation. Structural equation modelling demonstrated that burnout significantly mediated the relationship between moral injury and suicidal/self-harm ideation. The proportion of mediation (PM) by burnout was 43.0%.

Conclusions

This study found that burnout and moral injury were significant predictors of suicidal/self-harm ideation among health professionals in China. Both moral injury and burnout had positive and direct effects on suicidal/self-harm ideation, and burnout mediated the relationship between moral injury and suicidal/self-harm ideation. Interventions to address moral injury and subsequent burnout in Chinese healthcare workers may enhance the mental health of these healthcare professionals and increase the quality of care that they provide.
Improving Information Literacy in Introductory Psychology Through Short, Adaptive Interventions
Authors: Cross Holly , Downey Alison , Thompson Abbie
Published: December 2023

Background

The American Psychological Association has identified information literacy as a crucial component to undergraduate education. One major barrier to comprehensive information literacy instruction has been a lack of guidance integrating this into survey courses, particularly with reduced pedagogical resources available.

Objective

This research evaluates the effectiveness of a scaffolded information literacy curriculum that may be integrated into psychology courses.

Method

Students in introductory psychology courses were taught with either an information literacy curriculum or the typical science-focused curriculum. Information literacy knowledge was evaluated using a multiple-choice test.

Results

Students who received the specialized curriculum demonstrated significant improvements on an objective information literacy test by the end of the course, while students in the control group did not.

Conclusion

Evidence suggests that this easily adaptable information literacy curriculum is effective in meeting psychology information literacy goals, more so than the traditional science-focused curriculum taught in introductory psychology classes.

Teaching Implications

Instructors and faculty should be encouraged to utilize this adaptive curriculum, available on Open Science Framework, as a way of improving information literacy. Other implications, including feasibility and content, are discussed.
A Case of Subglottic Marginal B-Cell Lymphoma With Laryngeal Amyloidosis
Authors: Zhao Xin , Yu Yanli , Sun Wenchao , Li Yanwen , Zhang Shanshan
Published: December 2023

Laryngeal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) is an extra-nodal margin zone B-cell lymphoma (MALT lymphoma) and a low-grade malignant lymphoma with a low incidence, the etiology of the condition remains obscure, and the process of differential diagnosis poses a significant challenge, so it is easy to miss diagnosis and misdiagnosis clinically. The present article presents a clinical case study of a patient who was diagnosed with subglottic MALT lymphoma, which was associated with laryngeal amyloidosis. The patient underwent a successful treatment regimen comprising carbon dioxide laser and radiotherapy. In addition, the article provides an overview of relevant literature that can aid in the diagnosis and management of this rare disease. The study is expected to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on the treatment of subglottic MALT lymphoma and laryngeal amyloidosis.
Development and Validation of Nomograms to Predict Risk and Prognosis in Salivary Gland Carcinoma Patient with Distant Metastases
Authors: Shi Jiayu , Fan Yunjian , Long Jiazhen , Zhang Shuqi , Zhang Zhen , Tang Jin , Chen Wenyue , Liu Shuguang
Published: December 2023

Background: Salivary gland carcinoma (SGC) patients with distant metastasis (DM) are rare, and understanding this disease is insufficient. Nomograms can predict the prognostic probability of patients, while few studies have examined diagnostic and prognostic factors in SGC patients with DM. The purpose of this study was to establish and validate the risk and prognostic nomograms of SGC patients with DM. Methods: Based on the SEER database, we analyzed the data of SGC patients between 2004 and 2015. Logistic regression analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to identify risk and prognostic factors for DM in SGC patients. Based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC) value and likelihood ratio test, the best-fitting model was selected to build risk and prognostic nomograms, and the results were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and Kaplan–Meier (K–M) survival curves. ROC curves were also used to compare the nomograms with the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system. Results: 7418 SGC patients were included in the study, and 307 (4.14%) of them were diagnosed with DM. This study identified that there are variables (age ≥ 80, no-parotid gland primary site, histologic type of mucoepidermoid carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, T stage ≥ T2, N staged ≥ N1, histologic grade ≥ III, and tumor size ≥ 41 mm) associated with the occurrence of DM in SGC patients. Therefore, we constructed diagnostic and prognostic nomograms after incorporating these variables. ROC curves illustrated the better predictive efficacy of 2 nomograms over the AJCC staging system. DCA curves, calibration curves, and K-M survival curves showed that 2 nomograms can accurately predict the occurrence and prognosis of DM among SGC patients in training and validation sets. Conclusion: It was shown that the nomograms were highly discriminative in predicting the diagnosis and prognosis of SGC patients with DM, and could identify high-risk patients, thereby providing SGC patients with individualized treatment plans.
Motivated Knowledge Acquisition: Implicit Self-Theories and the Preference for Knowledge Breadth or Depth
Authors: Crolic Cammy , Clarkson Joshua J. , Otto Ashley S. , Murphy Mary C.
Published: December 2023

Implicit self-theories posit that individuals ascribe to one of two beliefs regarding the self: an incremental theory motivated by learning goals and an entity theory motivated by performance goals. This work proposes that these theories—and their underlying motivations—reflect individuals’ preferences for different knowledge types. Specifically, we propose that incremental theorists prefer knowledge that expands their understanding of diverse experiences within a category (i.e., knowledge breadth), whereas entity theorists prefer knowledge that refines their understanding of a preferred experience within a category (i.e., knowledge depth). Five studies show the effect of implicit self-theories on individuals’ preferences for knowledge breadth and depth and the role of learning and performance goals in motivating these knowledge preferences. We address alternative explanations related to general openness, risk-seeking, and perceived quality differences, and we demonstrate the role of negative feedback in reversing these knowledge preferences.
Scientific and Regulatory Policy Committee Technical Review: Biology and Pathology of Ganglia in Animal Species Used for Nonclinical Safety Testing
Authors: Bennet Bindu M. , Pardo Ingrid D. , Assaf Basel T. , Buza Elizabeth , Cramer Sarah D. , Crawford LaTasha K. , Engelhardt Jeffery A. , Galbreath Elizabeth J. , Grubor Branka , Morrison James P. , Osborne Tanasa S. , Sharma Alok K. , Bolon Brad
Published: December 2023

Dorsal root ganglia (DRG), trigeminal ganglia (TG), other sensory ganglia, and autonomic ganglia may be injured by some test article classes, including anti-neoplastic chemotherapeutics, adeno-associated virus-based gene therapies, antisense oligonucleotides, nerve growth factor inhibitors, and aminoglycoside antibiotics. This article reviews ganglion anatomy, cytology, and pathology (emphasizing sensory ganglia) among common nonclinical species used in assessing product safety for such test articles (TAs). Principal histopathologic findings associated with sensory ganglion injury include neuron degeneration, necrosis, and/or loss; increased satellite glial cell and/or Schwann cell numbers; and leukocyte infiltration and/or inflammation. Secondary nerve fiber degeneration and/or glial reactions may occur in nerves, dorsal spinal nerve roots, spinal cord (dorsal and occasionally lateral funiculi), and sometimes the brainstem. Ganglion findings related to TA administration may result from TA exposure and/or trauma related to direct TA delivery into the central nervous system or ganglia. In some cases, TA-related effects may need to be differentiated from a spectrum of artifactual and/or spontaneous background changes.
The Sociology of the Tomb and Temple Robbers of the Late 20thDynasty: Part I, Who Were the Robbers, What Did They Rob and Why?
Authors: Antoine Jean-Christophe
Published: December 2023

Tomb and temple robberies were an endemic concern throughout ancient Egyptian history. With the exception of the thefts recorded in the so-called Great Tomb Robbery Papyri of the 20thDynasty, we have almost no direct information on those who committed them. These texts provide important details on the sociology of robbers that, thus far, has not been fully explored. For this article, a database containing the almost 400 individuals involved in temple and tomb robberies was created. This article is the first half of this study and addresses the questions of who the robbers were, what they robbed, and why.

[Formula: see text]
The Scribe of The Contendings between the Body and the Head (tTurin CGT 58004 – Cat. 6238): Evidence for Innovative Pedagogical Techniques from Ancient Egypt
Authors: Di Biase-Dyson Camilla
Published: December 2023

This study of the Contendings between the Body and the Head presents a new edition and the first English translation of the Turin tablet CGT 58004. Closer analysis of the manuscript suggests a more precise date of the text and facilitates engagement with issues raised, but not expanded upon, by other scholars relating to its composition. Evidence will be considered as to firstly, whether the text was written by a student and secondly, whether the Contendings are extracted from a lengthier, no longer extant, composition. Lastly, it will be argued that an as yet unattested pedagogical method, that of abridgement, was being employed.

[Formula: see text]
Does the Hebrew Bible construct a social trauma? Three case studies
Authors: Li Xi
Published: December 2023

With the rise of a trend to reread biblical texts through the lens of trauma, some scholars have begun to apply Jeffrey Alexander’s definition of social trauma to reading biblical texts in the Hebrew Bible, such as Jeremiah and Lamentations. This reading assumes that the Hebrew Bible constructs a social trauma to shape ancient Israelites’ national identity. However, this article points out that Alexander’s theory does not fit well with the narratives of the Hebrew Bible. The main argument consists of three case studies concerning the book of Jeremiah, Lamentations, and communal psalms of lament; the author argues that none of these writings answers the four questions crucial for the construction of a socially mediated trauma in Alexander’s theory.
The accountability paradigm post-NCLB: Policy Ideas and Moral Narratives
Authors: Heys Erin J.
Published: December 2023

For decades, policymakers in the U.S. have leveraged accountability policy as a governing tool to lift school performance and close the achievement gap. Accountability become so widespread that it arguably became a “policy paradigm” with the passage of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in 2002. Yet after just 13 years of implementation, policymakers replaced NCLB with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which gave states more control over the policy tools and mechanisms to regulate school improvement. This qualitative project captured the evolution of the accountability paradigm by studying the policy ideas and moral narratives of policy elites in California and Tennessee during the transition period between NCLB and ESSA. The study finds that interview participants legitimized the core design features of ESSA, but attached their underlying worldviews and beliefs to the flexible design features, which created unique accountability models with different institutional arrangements.
Certainty in an Uncertain World: Toward A Critical Theory of Opinion
Authors: Russell Eric-John
Published: December 2023

Terms such as ‘fake news’ and ‘post-truth’ circulate freely today within the popular lexicon. It is an environment where objective facts have ‘become less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’ (OED). Central here is to understand the conceptual grounding of subjective opinion as a historically specific epistemological structure of social communication. My paper will draw on the Hegelian tradition of critical theory that has in unique ways unified an analysis of the nexus between socio-economic structures and epistemological frameworks. Here I name opinion as a historically specific epistemological structure of self-certainty, which receives validation within what Adorno called the Halbbildung of industrial culture, a form of social consciousness cultivated by the spread of information and economic imperative. It will be argued that the concept of opinion becomes a vital question for understanding, in this ‘post-truth’ landscape, current standards of instantaneous communication and cultural transmission.
University business students as charity trustees: A win-win for all?
Authors: Evans Carl , Jackson Nigel
Published: December 2023

Charities are facing a crisis in recruiting board trustees. Additionally, boards have been criticised for lacking diversity and being unrepresentative of society. The purpose of this paper is to propose a solution to the problem of trustee recruitment, by considering university business students as trustees. Through an analysis of advertised trustee jobs, the proposal is evaluated against degree subject benchmark statements. The findings identify some key person characteristics specified by charities when recruiting trustees. The generic criteria could be met by most students and many of the personal skills are developed by students while at university. However, to address some of the experience criteria, may require additional training and some yielding by charities. The paper offers originality in its proposition of appointing university business students as trustees and in its approach to examining the feasibility of that proposition through an analysis of trustee jobs.
Study on dynamic prediction method for degradation state of electric drive system based on deep learning and uncertainty quantification
Authors: Wang Zhen , Zhao Lihui , Zhang Dongdong , Yan Chuliang
Published: December 2023

Accurate prediction of degradation state (DS) in electric drive system (EDS) under time-varying conditions is of great importance for its reliability assessment and health monitoring. To address the complex degradation trajectories and the difficulty of dynamically evaluating the degradation state of EDS under user conditions, this paper proposes a dynamic prediction method for the DS of multiple components in EDS based on deep learning and uncertainty quantification. The method utilizes actual operating data spanning 350,000 km and constructs operating condition characteristics by combining physical models of component failure. A deep clustering algorithm is proposed to achieve clustering of operating conditions with similar degradation rates. Based on the resulting six clusters, linear degradation models for different components are established. The 42-dimensional features characterizing the operating conditions are constructed from time domain, frequency domain and load counting perspectives. An integrated approach combining autoencoders, multi-layer convolutional neural networks, and weight optimization algorithms is utilized to achieve accurate recognition of operating conditions, resulting in an average recognition accuracy of 94.5%, outperforming traditional methods. Considering the uncertainty in degradation rate and the errors in operating condition recognition, dynamic prediction of DS under varying operating conditions is achieved. The effectiveness of the prediction results is verified through constructed performance metrics such as the coefficient of determination, root mean square error, and average reproducibility ratio. The proposed method provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the dynamic assessment of system reliability.
Considering cut-in behavior in mixed traffic: A longitudinal potential field-based car-following model for autonomous vehicles
Authors: Zhang Qian , Kong Huifang , Zhang Xiaoxue , Liu Tiankuo
Published: December 2023

To assure safety and comfort for autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the mixed traffic environment, a longitudinal potential field-based car-following model considering the cut-in behavior from an adjacent vehicle is established in this study. The longitudinal potential field (LPF), which includes the cut-in potential field, the hazard potential field and the velocity potential field, is constructed to quantitatively characterize the influence of the surrounding environment on the AVs. The cut-in potential field is created to indicate the possibility of cut-in behavior from the adjacent vehicle, the hazard potential field is intended to depict the risk of colliding with the preceding vehicle, and the velocity potential field is created to show how velocity impacts the following behavior. The proposed model is obtained by calculating the field force in the LPF, and its parameters are calibrated using the genetic algorithm. Comparative simulations are executed to verify the remarkable performance of the proposed model, in terms of acceleration, velocity, and headway tracking as well as responding to the cut-in behavior under three different driving conditions.
A holistic solution to virtual coupling based urban rail train control system
Authors: Zhang Qihe , Wang Haifeng , Zhang Yong , Chai Ming
Published: December 2023

Virtual coupling (VC) is an emerging concept that is gaining popularity in railway control systems. It has the potential to significantly enhance railway capacity and flexibility, and has attracted considerable research attention. This study explores several key aspects of VC research in the context of urban rail transit systems, including system structure, train platoon control method, scenario definition, and train scheduling. The paper presents three main contributions: Firstly, it proposes a potential system structure for VC and discusses infrastructure occupancy procedures within typical operational scenarios. Secondly, a VC platoon controller based on the adaptive back-stepping method is designed to realize the function of the operation layer. Thirdly, combining operational scenario definition and control methods, we propose a VC train scheduling method based on mixed integer linear programming (MILP). A case study demonstrated that the proposed solution could effectively achieve the primary functions of VC.
Safety profiles of homologous and heterologous regimens containing three major types of COVID-19 vaccine among people living with HIV
Authors: Khawcharoenporn Thana , Hanvivattanakul Sirashat
Published: December 2023

Background

Existing data on adverse effects (AEs) of homologous and heterologous COVID-19 vaccine regimens among people living with HIV (PLHIV) are limited.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted among Thai PLHIV during 2021–2022. Vaccine types and AEs were collected using an online survey.

Results

Of the 398 vaccinated PLHIV, 92% had CD4 count ≥200 cells/µL and 96% were virologically suppressed at enrolment; 38% received two doses and 62% received three doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Inactivated, viral vector and mRNA were the most common vaccine types received as the first, second, and booster doses, respectively. For the first and second vaccine doses, the most common AEs were fever (15% and 11%) and injection site pain (11% and 11%). The mRNA vaccine significantly caused more overall AEs, injection pain, fatigue, and rashes than the other two types. For a booster dose, viral vector vaccine significantly caused more injection site pain and headache than the other two types. The majority of AEs of the first, second and booster doses spontaneously recovered without treatment. By multivariable analysis, receipt of viral vector or mRNA vaccine and age less than 40 years were independently associated with AEs of the primary series vaccines, while having AEs from the previous dose and female sex were independent factors associated with AEs of a booster vaccine.

Conclusions

Our study suggested the safety of homologous and heterologous regimens containing the three types of COVID-19 vaccines among PLHIV and identified those who required close monitoring for vaccine AEs.
Retinogenesis in a Dish: Bibliometric Analysis and Visualization of Retinal Organoids From 2011 to 2022
Authors: Shen Wenyue , Shao An , Zhou Wuyuan , Lou Lixia , Grzybowski Andrzej , Jin Kai , Ye Juan
Published: December 2023

Retinal organoid (RO) is the three-dimensional (3D) retinal culture derived from pluripotent or embryonic stem cells which recapitulates organ functions, which was a revolutionary milestone in stem cell technology. The purpose of this study is to explore the hotspots and future directions on ROs, as well as to better understand the fields of greatest research opportunities. Eligible publications related to RO from 2011 to 2022 were acquired from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database. Bibliometric analysis was performed by using software including VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and ArcGIS. A total of 520 articles were included, and the number of annual publications showed a rapid increase with an average rate of 40.86%. The United States published the most articles (241/520, 46.35%) with highest total citation frequencies (5,344). University College London (UK) contributed the largest publication output (40/520, 7.69%) and received highest total citation frequencies. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science was the most productive journal with 129 articles. Majlinda Lako contributed the most research with 32 articles, while Olivier Goureau has the strongest collaboration work. Research could be subdivided into four keyword clusters: “culture and differentiation,” “morphogenesis and modeling,” “gene therapy,” and “transplantation and visual restoration,” and evolution of keywords was identified. Last decade has witnessed the huge progress in the field of RO, which is a young and promising research area with extensive and in-depth studies. More attention should be paid to RO-related models and therapies based on specific retinal diseases, especially inherited retinopathies.
Enhancing Accessibility, Functionality and Meditation Design in a Suburban Activity Centre: A Case Study at Mawson Lakes Campus
Authors: Luo Li , Meng Li , Yan Ziyue , Millcock Simon , Li Rita Yi Man , Chow Christopher
Published: December 2023

Incorporating the user’s and the broader community’s values in the built environment design for placemaking is becoming essential. The proposed method applies a quality function deployment framework to assess campus accessibility and functionality to meet the users’ needs. The results showed the improvements required to the current campus design, including quiet places, more meditation places, improved public transport from home to and on campus and increased social activities and accessibility. We concluded that access to meditation places was essential for enhancing people’s well-being. The study results could be extended from suburban campuses to suburban town centres and prominent industrial places. There is a significant need to connect with the built environment by ensuring that people’s desires and needs are integrated into a place-making approach.
Digital Payments in Urban Odisha: Insights from a Primary Survey
Authors: Behera Rasmi Ranjan , Saroy Rajas , Dhal Sarat
Published: December 2023

This study discusses the insights derived from a primary survey conducted in urban centres in the Indian state of Odisha located in the eastern region of India, which is generally perceived as less developed than other regions of the country. There is evidence that Odisha is catching up with the digital revolution, and the survey reveals significant achievements in terms of people’s general awareness of various digital payment systems and access to smartphones. The use of digital payments has increased with increasing education and income levels, and the proportion of cash transactions has declined post-COVID-19. Major barriers to the wider adoption of digital payments in the state include network issues such as poor internet connectivity, low internet speed and lack of acceptability. The empirical findings of this study establish that receiving incomes into bank accounts instead of in cash increases the affinity towards paying digitally.
Neoliberalism, Compulsory Education and Compulsion to Pay: Magnitude, Patterns and Determinants of Household Expenditure in Indian Punjab
Authors: Gill Angrej Singh , Narwana Kamlesh , Choudhury Pradeep Kumar
Published: December 2023

Based on a recent primary survey, this study aims to examine the magnitude, patterns and determinants of household expenditure on compulsory schooling in Punjab. Our findings suggest that the increasing presence of private schools in the education marketplace, particularly in the contemporary era of neoliberalism, has commodified the education in the state, and these education providers offer compulsory schooling in diverse forms, with varying costs depending on the demand of their student clientele. Parents who enroll their children in elite private schools pay approximately seven times more than those choosing low-fee private schools. Private schools exert undue financial burden on their parent clientele (particularly those from low- and middle-income groups). This situation highlights the concept of ‘compulsion to pay’, especially in the absence of an acceptable quality of service provided by state-owned schools. Our regression analysis results on determinants of household expenditure reveal that households from socially and economically marginalised sections (for example, scheduled castes and the poor) spend significantly less than their more affluent counterparts. We recommend that the state take a more stringent approach to regulating these non-state education providers, particularly in terms of exorbitant fees, which would prevent further widening of the existing socio-economic inequality in the state.
India’s Export Potential to Southern African Customs Union
Authors: Yadav Jai Prakash , Singh Bimlesh
Published: December 2023

The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) is a prominent economic association of the African continent. SACU comprises five southern African countries: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini. The overall value of India’s trade with SACU increased from $1,477.52 million in 2001 to $1,0941.24 million in 2020, an almost sixfold increase. The export increased almost tenfold between 2001 and 2020, from US$ 343.49 million to US$ 3,760.94 million. In order to increase India’s trade with SACU, the Indian-SACU PTA negotiations are now ongoing. This article examines India’s export potential to SACU nations using the revealed comparative advantage index, the revealed import dependency index, and the Potential bilateral trade equation. The study shows India has trade potential with all SACU member states. Still, it has only utilised this potential with South Africa. India has not taken advantage of the vast potential of exporting its goods to SACU countries except South Africa. The trade intensity index indicates that India’s export and import intensities with SACU have increased over time.
Circular Economy from a Consumer Perspective: Malaysia Versus Pakistan
Authors: Jan Muhammad Tahir
Published: December 2023

The industrial revolution has fuelled excessive production and consumption of products to the extent that is decimating the environment. To mitigate this issue, the newly discovered procedure of ‘The Circular Economy’ is entrenched. This concept encourages new and innovative systems of production, consumption and disposal with less to no adverse effects on the environment. The topic of circular economy, however, has been hardly researched by marketing scholars. The present research, therefore, attempts to consider the consumer stance in the circular economy, while reflecting on 757 consumers in two developing circular nations. Analysis was performed to test the proposed model and the hypotheses. Results evince that circular economy accelerates resource regeneration for both nations such that individual social norms, attitude and concern for the ecosystem are more relatively important than appropriacy and the right to control how consumer perceived their intention which aligned with sustainability and circular economy initiatives.
Governance Assessment of Local Restorative Justice System: A Case Study of Village Court in Bangladesh
Authors: Uddin Nasir , Ara Ismat
Published: December 2023

Access to local justice resolutions is significant not only for the rule of law but also for human rights, democratic governance, poverty reduction and security. Since many rural residents do not have access to formal courts, local justice resolution, namely village court (VC), is the only restorative mechanism in Bangladesh that is accessible and convenient for the grassroots community. This study investigates the management of restorative justice in Bangladesh and evaluates its effectiveness in terms of participation, accountability and transparency. Using key informant interviews and focus group discussions with Union Parishad officials and locals, the study collected empirical data from 60 respondents, who were purposefully selected from four unions covering two districts in Bangladesh. To understand judicial proceedings and interpret the data accordingly, the research team also observed the hearing procedures of the VC with the permission of the proper authorities. Since the local justice resolution system only handles minor and petty cases related to civil and criminal matters, the study indicates that the VC allows a great deal of popular participation in adjudication processes and ensures partial transparency through an open hearing system without incorporating formal mechanisms of accountability. This analysis also shows that ensuring good governance practices in the VC becomes imperative for impartial and credible justice for the local community. Despite having several gaps in the governance framework and drawbacks, the study concludes that a strengthened restorative justice mechanism might contribute to the performance of the formal judiciary, provide a feasible option for locals, and empower them. Therefore, ensuring good governance requires a comprehensive approach that looks beyond legal and judicial reforms and tackles broader structural, social and economic factors. By exploring governance performance and gaps in the local justice system, the article significantly contributes to the government’s and policymakers’ efforts to measure progress and reduce weaknesses. Although the VC system is still relatively new in many countries, it could be an excellent resource for restorative justice systems across the globe.
Determination of the Mental Adjustment Status of Refugee Children in Primary School Age: The Case of Turkey
Authors: Pehlivan Melike , Eker Fatma
Published: December 2023

Introduction:

This research was conducted as a descriptive study to determine the mental adjustment status of refugee children aged 6 to 14 in Duzce.

Method:

The sample of the study consisted of 163 refugee children. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with primary caregivers of children using the Hacettepe Mental Adjustment Scale. The collected data were analyzed in the SPSS 22.0 database using percentages, Mann Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis H, and chi-square tests.

Results:

Adjustment problems were detected in 25.8% of the children participating and behavioral problems were detected in over half (52.4%).

Discussion:

In line with the findings obtained from the research, it has been suggested to form a team of mental health experts, including psychiatric nurses, who have adopted the principles of transcultural care to make early diagnosis and effective treatment of psychiatric diseases of refugee children.
Promoting a Contemporary Image of Entrepreneurial Careers: A Course Concept to Address Gender Role Stereotypes Through Entrepreneurship Education
Authors: Sundermeier Janina , Steenblock Conny
Published: December 2023

Students who seemingly do not fit the masculine ideal of an entrepreneur rarely consider entrepreneurship as a suitable career path due to a lack of identification and perceived feasibility. To challenge the masculinization of entrepreneurship, we drew from contemporary literature on gender role stereotypes to design a course that enables business and management educators to foster entrepreneurial aspirations among all genders. To that end, we introduce and evaluate a variety of pedagogical nudges that help raise awareness of and dismantle the stereotypical beliefs that deem masculine characteristics necessary to succeed in an entrepreneurial career. Results from 122 students and scientists who participated in the course show that these nudges, including the androgynous representation of entrepreneurship and the creation of safe spaces, help participants transform their views on who and what is involved in entrepreneurship. Our discussion underscores the importance of addressing gender role stereotypes in entrepreneurship education as a means to increase the pool of individuals who can identify with the role of a startup founder and to de-bias the allocation of resources in venture creation processes.