bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From feeling depressed to getting diagnosed: Determinants of a diagnosis of depression after experiencing symptoms
Authors: Stacherl Barbara , Entringer Theresa M
Published: December 2024

Background:

Receiving a formal diagnosis for a depressive disorder is a prerequisite for getting treatment, yet the illness inherently complicates care-seeking. Thus, understanding the process from depression symptoms to diagnosis is crucial.

Aims:

This study aims to disentangle (1) risk factors for depression symptoms from (2) facilitators and barriers to receiving a diagnosis after experiencing depression symptoms.

Method:

We used data from the German Socio-Economic Panel. Within a sample of 40,238 individuals, we investigated factors predicting depression symptoms, assessed with the SF-12 Mental Component Summary score. Additionally, within a subsample of 3,444 individuals with depression symptoms, we analyzed factors associated with receiving a first-ever diagnosis in the subsequent year. These factors included health status, demographics, socioeconomic characteristics, personality traits, and health infrastructure.

Results:

Depression symptoms were associated with chronic physical conditions, female gender, middle age, living alone, fewer close friends, being unemployed or not working, lower income, lower agreeableness, conscientiousness, or extraversion, and higher neuroticism. Additionally, poorer overall mental and physical health, female gender, older age, unemployment, and neuroticism were positively associated with receiving a formal diagnosis. Access to general practitioners and psychotherapists was not associated with receiving a formal diagnosis.

Conclusions:

Our results replicated previous research on risk factors for depression symptoms. Moreover, some risk factors for experiencing symptoms (female gender, middle age, unemployment, and higher neuroticism) subsequently also facilitated receiving a formal depression diagnosis. Thus, this study underscores the importance of considering the chronological sequence in the process from depression symptoms to diagnosis.
Pilot cluster randomised controlled trial of Stepping Stones and Creating Futures Plus to reduce emotional dysregulation among young men in rural areas and urban informal settlements in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
Authors: Nyoni Princess , Tomita Andrew , Mkhwanazi Smanga , Gibbs Andrew
Published: December 2024

Aim:

Emotional dysregulation (ED) – the difficulty to control emotional responses to stressors – is a potential driver of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among young men in HIV endemic resource-limited settings. This two-armed pilot cluster randomised controlled trial investigated the effectiveness of Stepping Stones and Creating Futures Plus (SSCF+), a participatory gender transformative and livelihood strengthening intervention, on the emotional dysregulation (ED) among young men in South Africa (SA).

Methods:

A total of 163 young men ages 18 to 30 years were recruited in 30 clusters (friendship groups) in urban informal settlements and rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal, SA. Clusters were randomly allocated (1:1) to either the experimental SSCF+ or control arm, stratified urban/rural and participants were followed-up at 5 months. Intention-to-treat analysis based on generalised estimating equations (GEE) were fitted to quantify the impact of SSCF+ on the men’s ED using the culturally tested short version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale with 16 items (DERS-16).

Results:

At 5 months SSCF+ did not significantly reduce ED in the overall sample. However, SSCF+ had a significant impact on ED among the men at risk of depression at baseline (adjusted odds ratio = 0.12, 95% CI [0.03, 0.46], p = .002).

Conclusion:

SSCF+, a gender transformative and livelihoods strengthening intervention designed to address poverty and other socio-economic challenges, reduced ED among youth with depression challenges in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.
The Sophistication of Vietnamese Exports: Role of FDI Inflows
Authors: Nguyen Anh Thu , Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai , Nguyen Xuan Dong
Published: December 2024

This paper aims to empirically examine the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Vietnam on the sophistication levels of Vietnamese exports to its FDI source countries. Using Vietnamese FDI data from 2005 to 2022, following the unification of Vietnam’s multiple laws on investment in 2005, which extended non-discriminatory treatment to all investors, this paper computes the sophistication levels of Vietnamese exports and employs Panel Corrected Standard Error (PSCE) models for analysis. The findings reveal a positive impact of FDI inflows on the sophistication of Vietnamese exports. In addition, the paper explores the underlying causes, particularly focusing on free trade agreement (FTA) and regional trade agreement (RTA) partners. The results indicate that the strongest positive impact comes from FDI inflows originating from high-income economies that are FTA or RTA partner countries.
Impact of oxygen content on debinding of binder jetted 17-4 PH stainless steel: Part II – Sintering
Authors: Zissel Kai , Bernardo Elena , Forêt Pierre , Hryha Eduard
Published: December 2024

Binder jetting requires the sintering of green parts to reach the properties of a metallic component. The sintering activity and sintered material properties of stainless steels are sensitive to powder oxidation and binder contamination, which are introduced by improper debinding. Air is often used during thermal debinding as oxygen aids binder removal, but the metal powder is oxidised being detrimental to sintering densification and final material properties. Hence, the impact of decreasing oxygen content in the debinding atmosphere on the sintering of 17-4 PH at 1300°C for 2 h in an inert argon atmosphere was investigated. Debinding in oxygen-containing atmospheres revealed the presence of δ-ferrite in the sintered microstructure, enhancing densification during sintering. Debinding in an inert Ar atmosphere resulted in low densification that was correlated to the absence of δ-ferrite due to the high amount of carbon in the sintered part. The high carbon content after debinding in Ar resulted in nearly complete oxygen removal by carbothermal reduction during sintering. Debinding in Ar + 1 vol.% O2 achieved the best combination of reducing final oxygen content by 46% via carbothermal reduction and the absence of carbon pickup during debinding and sintering. Debinding in processing atmospheres containing 3 vol.% O2 up to 20 vol.% O2, in contrast, led to a significant oxygen increase of 53 to 74% after sintering compared to the virgin powder.
Working Memory and Inhibition as Mediators in the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Emotional Eating
Authors: Çakır Resul , Topuz Arzu Gül , Alpay Emre Han
Published: December 2024

Objective: Previous studies have focused on the dual relationship among adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), cognitive abilities, and emotional eating. The current study aims to test the mediating role of executive functioning (working memory and inhibition) between ACEs and emotional eating. Methods: A total of 1105 community-based participants, aged 18–45 (Mean = 26.28, SD = 7.09), were included in the study. Among the participants, 698 (63.16%) were female, and 407 (36.84%) were male. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; the Adult Executive Functioning Inventory; the Dutch Eating Behaviour Scale; the Life Events Checklist; and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale Short Form. Multiple mediation analyses were employed using MPlus 8.3. Results: Multiple mediation analysis results showed that working memory and inhibition mediate the relationship between ACEs and emotional eating. Furthermore, working memory and inhibition were positively correlated with emotional eating. Discussion: Our findings indicate that difficulties in working memory and inhibition may increase the risk of emotional eating. Early intervention targeting executive functions may prevent emotional eating. Public Significance: Our findings highlight the relationship among ACEs, executive functioning, and emotional eating. Intervening in executive function may have clinical benefits for individuals with ACEs.
TAIL: A deep learning framework enhancing fabric hand evaluation through multimodal data fusion
Authors: Xing Bo , Shao Qingqing , Zeng Xianyi , Koehl Ludovic , Wang Jun
Published: December 2024

Fabric hand, or the tactile properties of fabric, is a vital consideration in textile quality assessment. Traditional evaluation methods, including sensory tests and instrumental assessments, reflect either human perception or objective data, but each has its own limitations. This study introduces Textile Attribute Integration and Learning (TAIL), a deep learning framework that combines numerical data, images, and videos of fabric to evaluate fabric hand comprehensively. TAIL enhances hand scoring prediction, classification, and decision-making by leveraging multimodal data fusion, capturing both human expertise and AI-driven features. Addressing the need for remote fabric evaluation in international trade and virtual environments, TAIL outperforms traditional methods, providing a robust tool for the textile industry. Experimental results confirm its superior accuracy and reliability in fabric quality assessment and decision-making.
Scientific imperialism and the American Equatorial Islands Colonization Project, 1935–1942
Authors: Tunc Tanfer Emin
Published: December 2024

Between 1935 and 1942, a total of 130 men, aged seventeen to twenty-four, mostly of indigenous Hawaiian heritage, colonized Howland, Baker, and Jarvis Islands for the United States, in rotation, over the course of twenty-six expeditions. As part of the American Equatorial Islands Colonization Project (AEICP), they compiled meteorological data, observed and recorded the natural life of their surroundings, collected specimens for the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, mapped the islands, and built a landing strip on Howland for Amelia Earhart. In doing so, they confirmed U.S. possession of the islands, its imperial and military power in the Pacific, and helped establish aviation routes in the South Seas, all of which assisted American efforts during World War II. At the time, the AEICP colonists did not know the role they were playing in this larger project. While some thought they were recruited as part of the museum’s scientific research, others were under the impression that they were stationed on the islands to contribute to commercial air travel. This article will examine the AEICP’s scientific framework, how it was deployed as a pretext for larger military and imperial goals, and the ways in which it is an example of the hidden or invisible labor of science that dominated the interwar years, World War II, and the Cold War era. Moreover, it will also expose the underlying scientific racist hierarchy of the AEICP wherein the colonists themselves were classified as “types” and “specimens” to be studied.
Completing the Deficit Model of Psychopathy: The Critical Role of Rule Governance
Authors: Curtis Shelby R. , Jacobs W. Jake , Jones Daniel N.
Published: December 2024

Psychopathy has traditionally been defined through the presence of antisocial traits but could be defined through the deficit of prosocial traits. In a deficit model, honesty is the inverse of interpersonal manipulation, empathy is the inverse of callous affect, and conscientiousness is the inverse of erratic lifestyle. However, there is no theoretical inverse of antisocial behavior (ASB). We propose that this inverse is rule governance (RG). After defining the psychopathy deficit model, we introduce RG as the inverse of ASB. Because psychopathic individuals ignore socially defined prescriptive rules (social norms) and focus on short-term (impulsive) gains, variations in RG are theoretically responsible for the observed integration of ASB within psychopathy. Thus, a lack of RG theoretically drives ASB. From a practical standpoint, the measurement of deficits in RG should be able to capture nuanced characteristics of psychopathy, especially subclinical psychopathy, that traditional models may lack.
Capital Accumulation Through Labor Exploitation as Determinant of Health: CKDnT in Guanacaste
Authors: Villalón Isabel María , Sánchez Moreno Roberto
Published: December 2024

Employing the dialectical method Marx developed in his critique of political economy, this work seeks to advance beyond an understanding of the proliferation of chronic kidney disease of nontraditional etiology (CKDnT) in Guanacaste, Costa Rica as a purely epidemiological development and towards its understanding as a concrete manifestation of capitalist accumulation. This research aims to display the form determinations of a material process such as CKDnT through a critical, descriptive analysis of the production and reproduction of the temporary migrant labor force at the El Viejo, Taboga and CATSA mills. This is contextualized through an analysis of the transformations suffered by Costa Rica’s national sphere of accumulation between 1970–2022. We conclude that, despite expanding the minimum scale of production–a condition necessary to displace small capitals in the sector and thus the brutalized forms of exploitation that they promote–the sugarcane sector still requires a seasonally exploited and overall degraded workforce: a need that posits the conditions for CKDnT proliferation.
An improved adaptive particle swarm optimization algorithm with interactions between particles for path planning of underwater vehicles
Authors: Jia Hongli , Liu Yuanhong , Jia Shifeng , Liu Qiang
Published: December 2024

Path planning for underwater vehicles in complex underwater environments has become one of the key research areas. However, there are many drawbacks, such as slow convergence rates, poor real-time performance, and local optima, which lead to not being able to find the optimal path. Based on the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, a new adaptive PSO algorithm with interaction evidence (IEAPSO) is proposed. Firstly, we design the control strategy with a dynamic inertia weight and adaptive learning factor to update the velocity and position of particles. Secondly, considering the influence of neighboring particles on their own velocity and position during the spatial search process, we put forward an improved strategy with interaction evidence between particles to adjust their own velocity and position. Finally, the IEAPSO algorithm is applied to path planning for underwater vehicles and corresponding simulation experiments are accomplished. Simulation results show that the IEAPSO algorithm on three-dimensional trajectories in complex environments has better performances than other algorithms.
NCTQ Rankings in a Tenuous, Post-COVID Teacher Preparatory Landscape: Help or Harm?
Authors: Paul Dierdre Glenn
Published: December 2024

This was the first time in my recollection that the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) (in its 2023 report entitled “Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction”) tried to explicitly tie literacy-specific teacher preparatory programs’ lack of adherence to their debatable standard with the programs doing an actual disservice to Black and Brown schoolchildren nationally. As an educator devoting much of my scholarly work and research to the education and schooling of children of African descent, that was the proverbial “bridge too far.” So, I set out to get answers to the following questions:

• What does NCTQ do, and why should we take heed?

• How were program quality determinations ascertained?

• Could NCTQ rankings potentially impact our teacher education programs?
Children’s and adolescents’ reasoning about distributive fairness and educational inequalities
Authors: Grütter Jeanine , Barth Carmen , Karki Iren , Sims Riley N. , Killen Melanie
Published: December 2024

To investigate children’s and adolescents’ reasoning about distributive fairness in a rural area of Nepal, we asked participants (53% girls, N = 706, Mage = 13.48; SDage = 1.79) to distribute educational resources to schools that varied by social class (SC) and to justify their allocation. Most participants allocated equally or equitably; only a minority rewarded the higher-SC school with extra resources. Novel results revealed multiple forms of reasoning coexisting in children’s and adolescents’ explanations about distributive fairness; participants’ reasoning did not just mirror their numeric allocation. Those who allocated equally were primarily concerned with nondiscrimination, whereby some participants focused on social equality and emphasized removing structural barriers. Furthermore, participants’ allocation and reasoning depended on their SC and positive experiences at school.
The integration of musical contents in the classroom of the second cycle of early childhood education
Authors: Curbelo-González Oliver , Hernández-Dionis Paula , Martín Sanz Cristina , Pérez-Jorge David
Published: December 2024

Numerous studies have demonstrated the substantial advantages of integrating music education into the overall development of students, particularly in early childhood education. This integration allows for combining music education with various curriculum areas, utilizing its playful and motivating nature as a practical methodological tool for developing a wide range of skills. This study examines the implementation of music education in the second cycle of early childhood education in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, analyzing practices in 82 educational centers. The findings reveal that specialized music teachers are responsible for teaching this content in almost half of the centers, with variations in the frequency of teaching specific specialized topics, with musical instruments being the most common. The study emphasizes the significance of incorporating musical activities involving voice and body in early childhood education, highlighting the importance of fostering auditory perception and using musical instruments to achieve a comprehensive and well-rounded integration in the curriculum.
Crystallographic texture before and after post weld heat treatment of high-frequency electric resistance welded API X65 linepipe
Authors: Ravikiran Kopparthi , Li Leijun , Lehnhoff Greg , Wang Yiyu
Published: December 2024

The microstructure and crystallographic textures of API X65 grade linepipe steel were studied in the base metal, the weld interface after high-frequency electric resistance welding (HF-ERW), and the weld interface following post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron-backscattered diffraction (EBSD) were used to study the microstructure and texture evolution and correlated with Charpy V-notch impact toughness. The Charpy values were 172.9 ± 5.2 J for the base metal, 7.5 ± 1.6 J for the as-welded weld interface, and 69 ± 24 J after PWHT, with the latter still significantly lower than the base metal. Base metal showed a low fraction of low-indexed cleavage planes at about 9% and major texture components were (113)[110], (112)[110], and (332)[113]. In the as-welded condition, major intensities of rotated Cube (001)[110] and Goss (110)[001] texture components were observed near the weld interface. Although PWHT reduced the texture intensities, rotated Cube and Goss components were still observed. The fraction of cleavage planes was about 44% for the as-welded and about 30% for the PWHT-ed weld interface. Clearly, PWHT has reduced but not eliminated the detrimental rotated Cube and Goss textures at the weld interface. These detrimental textures likely have contributed to the low Charpy toughness after welding and continuing after PWHT.
Physics-Informed Neural Network Model for Predictive Risk Assessment and Safety Analysis
Authors: Lee Jooyong , Chang Justin S.
Published: December 2024

This paper presents a physics-informed neural network (PINN) designed to predict the future locations of both vehicles and pedestrians, providing critical insights into road safety risks. By forecasting potential trajectories of road users, the proposed model informs preemptive strategies to avoid accidents. The physics model incorporates the intelligent driver model for vehicles and the social force model for pedestrians. The stochastic nature of risk evaluation is addressed by probabilistically predicting future locations based on the expected distribution in a two-dimensional open space. The framework accurately assesses the risk by predicting the future locations of vehicles and pedestrians within a 2- to 4-s time frame with approximately 2% error rates. The risk evaluation performance of the proposed framework was tested by calculating the time to collision (TTC) between vehicles and pedestrians and analyzing traffic conflicts. Leveraging the probabilistic predictions, the TTC was evaluated stochastically using Monte Carlo simulations and the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, enabling a more granular and effective traffic conflict analysis. The developed method demonstrated over 95% accuracy when evaluating potentially dangerous events occurring within 3 s or less, providing actionable insights for improving road safety. The framework was deployed in a real-world setting, demonstrating reliable and robust test results. This comprehensive approach is expected to pave the way for more effective risk evaluation and mitigation at intersections and on roads.
Comparing mental health and substance use disorders in patients receiving durable VADs versus transplants: A TriNetX database analysis
Authors: Grzyb Chloe , Du Dongping , Mahesh Balakrishnan , Nair Nandini
Published: December 2024

Ventricular assist device (VAD) and cardiac transplant patients experience significant strain on their physical and mental wellbeing postoperatively. Mental health and substance use disorders (MHDs and SUDs) have substantial effects on the quality of life and compliance of transplant and VAD patients. In this study, we compare and characterize MHDs and SUDs between VAD and cardiac allograft patients and transplant list patients with and without VADs. This study compares the incidence of MHDs and SUDs between VAD and cardiac transplant patients. Cohorts were defined using ICD-10 codes in TriNetX, a large public database. Patient characteristics were matched by using propensity score matching. Incidence was analyzed using the log-rank test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Survival analysis showed a statistically significant impact of adjustment disorder, nicotine dependence, and mood disorder in VAD patients as compared to cardiac allograft recipients. Depression and opioid use disorder had a significantly higher incidence in post-transplant patients compared to their VAD counterparts. Survival analysis showed that PTSD and mood disorder had a statistically significant effect on the patients waiting on transplant wait list without VADs as compared to those with VADs. MHDs and SUDs have profound implications on quality of life, survival, and medication compliance. The incidence of MHDs and SUDs differed between VAD versus cardiac transplant patients as well as the patients on the transplant waitlist with and without VADs. Mental health resources should be tailored to address risk factors that may be unique to each group of patients.
Influence of material–material interactions and wear on coarse waste shredders
Authors: Lasch Tatjana , Khodier Karim , Feyerer Christoph , Lehner Markus , Sarc Renato
Published: December 2024

This article uses model materials to introduce a controlled, location- and manufacturer-independent internationally accepted method for assessing shredding machines based on large-scale tests. Furthermore, a better understanding of the comminution behaviour of shredders with fixed settings (gap width, shaft speed, cutting tool geometry) is in the focus of the present investigation and assessed, using the statistical analyses for particle size distribution in certain screen sections. Conclusions have been drawn on the comminution behaviour in general and the material–material interactions of different fractions in the grinding chamber of the shredder by showing significant differences in the pure fraction’s comminution behaviour against the mixture’s comminution behaviour. In addition, the effect of the wear condition of the cutting tools on the particle size distribution has been investigated using statistical tests. As a result, interactions of the materials in the shredder grinding chamber can be demonstrated. The null hypothesis of the statistical test can be rejected due to the p-values, which are around 0.01 and therefore less than the predetermined alpha, which is 0.05, meaning that the shredding behaviour of pure fractions and those in a mixture is different. Additional investigations of waste wood only have shown that the wear condition of the cutting tools does not exhibit any effect on the particle size distribution of waste wood, as seen in the p-value (0.29), which is higher than the used alpha value. This could mean that the cutting tools need to be changed less frequently, which could have a positive effect on plant operation.
Work-Family Conflict in the Federal Workforce: How Race and Gender Impacts Elder-Care Responsibilities
Authors: Yu Helen H. , Viswanath Shilpa
Published: December 2024

Decades of scholarship have highlighted the impact of work-family conflict. While most of the literature has focused on child-care responsibilities, very little research in public administration has explored elder-care responsibilities. Using a sub-sample of civil servants employed by a large federal organization who responded “yes” to having elder-care responsibilities ( n = 491), this study identifies employees who are most impacted by providing elder care. Findings suggest that individual characteristics such as age, marital status, gender, and race/ethnicity, as well as occupational variables such as tenure duration, satisfaction with family-friendly policies, and turnover intentions, significantly impacted those civil servants with elder-care responsibilities.
Farewell
Authors: Seidman Robert
Published: December 2024

With this issue, I am retiring after 40 years as the founding Executive Editor of the Journal of Educational Computing Research.
Optimal head design for preloaded bolts
Authors: Pedersen Niels Leergaard
Published: December 2024

Bolt head or general t-head design is investigated in the present paper. For a preloaded bolted connection, the filet under the head is one of three major failing points, the other points of failure are related to the thread. The design of a bolt is typically specified by the standard ISO design. The strength of a preloaded bolted connection is given by the stress concentration factor together with the stiffness ratio between bolt and the compressed parts, both factors are important. The smallest design modification can be made directly at the bolt head filet by going away from the circular design, the found improvement in strength is there in the order of [Formula: see text]. Introducing a washer (with same modulus of elasticity as bolt and plates) gives more design freedom. Modifying the standard washer still with contact area perpendicular to the axial direction a reduction in the stress concentration factor of [Formula: see text] is found and an improvement in strength of [Formula: see text]. For the final washer design a contact area inclination is introduced. With increased inclination angle the strength is improved even further, with an inclination angle of [Formula: see text] the stress concentration is reduced by [Formula: see text] and an improvement in strength of [Formula: see text], both significant improvements.
Vibration characteristics analysis of liquid hydrogen lubricating herringbone spiral-grooved thrust bearing considering cavitation
Authors: Yan Shaohang , Zhao Qi , Lai Tianwei , Hou Yu
Published: December 2024

The liquid-lubricated spiral-grooved thrust bearing is widely applied in rotational devices with high speed. In the bearing, hydrodynamic effect induced cavitation and axial clearance undulation interact with each other. The load capacity, friction torque, stiffness, and other bearing parameters oscillate with the periodic undulation of clearance. The oscillation of bearing performance induces instability of high rotational speed devices, which can lead to serious mechanical failure. In this investigation, the coupling effect of cavitation and sinusoidal oscillating clearance on high-speed spiral-grooved thrust bearing performance is numerically researched. The influence of vibration period, clearance amplitude, and equilibrium clearance height on bearing performance is acquired by comparison. The load capacity, friction torque, and other parameters are dealt with by fast Fourier transform, wavelet transform, and Hilbert-Huang transform. The transient, frequency, and time-frequency characteristics of bearing performances are analyzed and compared. According to the analytical results of the load capacity, the influence extent of these three vibration factors on the bearing performance is evaluated. The structure of herringbone spiral grooved thrust bearing should be optimized to acquire better load and cavitation performances under vibration conditions.
Comprehensive parametric investigation of hot air erosion behavior in 3D-printed Scalmalloy
Authors: Arun Prakash Jagadeesan , Senthil Kumar Shanmugakani , Rathinavel Subbiah , Senthilkumar Thangarajan Sivasankaran
Published: December 2024

This study explores the erosion characteristics of 3D-printed Scalmalloy, an advanced aluminum–magnesium–scandium alloy, through a comprehensive investigation of varied process parameters. The erosion behavior was quantified through careful measurement of material loss, while the morphological changes on the surface were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. As the discharge of erodent increases, the kinetic energy of the particles is heightened, leading to augmented material removal and subsequently causing elevated erosion rates on the workpiece. An increase in the nozzle angle, the perpendicular force exerted by the particles, known as the normal force, decreases, while the parallel force, referred to as the tangential force, increases. The erosion rate increased from 30° to 45° due to increasing sliding wear, although it plateaued at 45° and 60° before falling at higher angles. According to the connection, the rate of erosion rose rapidly up to 60 m/s, plateaued between 60 and 120 m/s, and then increased marginally over 120 m/s. The rise in erosion rate from 6.33E-05 to 7.97E-05 (6.3–8%) with increased discharge is attributed to stronger impact forces and more particle interactions, resulting in greater material removal. The drop-in erosion rate between 325 and 350 °C indicates that higher ductility at elevated temperatures reduces adhesion and improves fracture resistance. At 25 m/s velocity and 60° angle, alumina particles likely strike with sufficient force to exceed the fracture toughness of Scalmalloy at 325 °C.
Distributed synchronous control of multiple electrohydraulic actuators with lumped uncertainty and communication delay
Authors: Guo Qing , Ren Xing , Kou Jiange , Jiang Dan , Shi Yan
Published: December 2024

This study presents a distributed synchronous control in multiple electrohydraulic actuators (MEHAs), which ensures the motion consensus between the leader and the follower under a directed topology. Since the MEHAs system has many unknown uncertainties and communication delays, a terminal sliding mode observer (TSMO) is used to address hydraulic parametric uncertainties and load disturbance. Furthermore, one synchronized controller is designed by Lyapunov-Krasovskii method with backstepping iteration to ensure the synchronized errors of the MEHAs system converging to a zero neighborhood. Since some follower EHAs cannot directly acquire the position signal from the leader node, a demand estimation law is used to degrade the negative effect of unknown communication delay existed in the network topology. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed synchronized controller is verified by a MEHAs platform with finite hydraulic nodes under constant and random communication delays.
“We haven’t agreed on that, and you’ll never get people to agree on that.” Contestation within the Canadian sport coaching professional project
Authors: Safai Parissa , Krahn Alixandra Nastassia
Published: December 2024

Drawing on the findings from a larger institutional ethnographic study exploring gender, work, and professionalization in sport coaching in the Canadian university sport system, this paper brings to light the contested nature of the sport coaching professional project in Canada. We specifically focus on the efforts of the Coaching Association of Canada to advance its Chartered Professional Coach designation as the preeminent coaching credential and mechanism by which to progress its vision of the sport coaching professional project. However, key findings demonstrate that the Coaching Association of Canada and Chartered Professional Coach are met by university sport practitioners with an ambivalence that complicates, if not works against, the Coaching Association of Canada's efforts to professionalize sport coaching. This paper concludes by focusing on how the intraprofessional tensions within the sport coaching professional project, specifically the ambivalence around the Chartered Professional Coach, add to the challenges faced by women sport coaches in Canadian university sport.
Implementing Developmental Bibliotherapy to Manage Anger in Students With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Kaymaz Çiğdem , Bayhan Pinar
Published: December 2024

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) sometimes experience anger, which can negatively affect their academic performance and social relationships if not managed properly. Prevention and intervention programs are beneficial in addressing this issue. Bibliotherapy is an effective method for anger management and is categorized into institutional, clinical, and developmental types, with developmental bibliotherapy being the most used in educational settings. The article outlines the implementation steps in developmental bibliotherapy and offers practical guidance on structuring sessions to address anger in early elementary-aged children with learning disabilities. In addition, a curated list of picture books, especially for the first grade, is included to facilitate the implementation of bibliotherapy sessions focused on anger management.
Electoral Democracy and Local Finances: Fiscal Populism in Mexico
Authors: Unda-Gutierrez Monica
Published: December 2024

This article explains variation in the composition of municipal spending, focusing on Mexican urban municipalities. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that electoral competition produces more responsive governance, I uncover strong evidence that competitive elections drive municipal governments to underinvest in infrastructure and overspend on current expenditure. I explain this puzzling finding with the concept of fiscal populism—a set of budgetary policies meant to be electorally popular in the short run, despite their long-run detrimental welfare effects. Fiscal populism leads to underinvestment through two mechanisms: (1) excessive spending on patronage hiring to reward electoral allies and (2) neglecting to increase own revenue—especially taxes—for fear of electoral costs. This argument is supported through a multi-method research design. A large- n statistical analysis establishes the positive correlation between electoral competition and current expenditure. A qualitative comparison of eight municipalities uncovers the mechanisms by which electoral competition drives municipal fiscal decisions.
Pointe Assessment Screen Shah Edison (PASSE) for Pointe Readiness: A Pilot Study
Authors: Shah Selina , Valenzuela-Moss Jacquelyn , Sheng Dana , Wren Tishya A. L. , Zaslow Tracy , Edison Bianca
Published: December 2024

Introduction: As demanding as dancing en pointe is, no universal standard exists to determine when a ballet dancer is ready to advance to this next level. The goal of this study was to provide preliminarily tested and reliable guidelines for a screening tool that can be used to determine (1) if a dancer is ready for pointe, (2) reasons why a dancer may not be ready, and (3) areas for improvement to guide training and preparation. Methods: Participants: Seventeen dancers aged 9 to 17 years with a minimum 4 years of ballet and who were either possibly ready for pointe or had been in pointe class less than 3 months participated in this study. Study Design: Dancers were prospectively assessed by two physicians using the Pointe Assessment Screening Shah Edison (PASSÉ) tool for assessing pointe readiness. Interrater reliability and the relationship of individual tests to overall pointe readiness were evaluated using descriptive statistics, kappa, diagnostic metrics, and logistic regression. Setting: Private practice office; ballet studios. Results: There was 94% agreement among raters in determining overall pointe readiness, and individual tests all had significant interrater agreement ranging from 62% to 97% ( P ≤ .04). Ankle plantarflexion >90° (100%), stability in grand plié (100%), and holding relevé (96%) had the highest sensitivity for overall readiness, indicating their necessity to advance to pointe. The tests with greatest specificity for identifying lack of readiness were relevé passé (72%), sauté (72%), and airplane (69%). Conclusions: This study provides preliminary testing of a reliable screening tool, the PASSÉ screen, which can be utilized to determine pointe readiness with excellent interrater agreement for the overall pass/fail and significant agreement for tests that contribute to readiness. At minimum, dancers must be able to pass the grand plié, ankle plantar flexion, and relevé tests. Also passing the sauté, relevé passé, and airplane tests indicates high likelihood of readiness.
A machine learning approach for identification of vascular access patency in hemodialysis patients using photoplethysmography: A pilot study
Authors: Yang Po-Kai , Shahmirzadi Danyal , Zhuo Hong-Xu , Chang Chuan-Yu , Tseng Chin-Chung , Yeh Ming-Long , Wang Wen-Fong
Published: December 2024

Introduction:

Vascular access (VA) is essential for patients with hemodialysis, and its dysfunction is a major complication that can reduce quality of life or even threaten life. VA patency is not only difficult to predict on an individual basis, but also challenging to predict in real-time. To overcome this challenge, this study aimed to develop a machine learning approach to predict 6-month primary patency (PP) using photoplethysmography (PPG) signals acquired from the tips of both index fingers.

Materials and methods:

PPG signals were obtained from hemodialysis patients who received an arteriovenous fistula or an arteriovenous graft as primary VA in a single center from April 2023 to December 2023. With PPG wearables, we propose a method that can efficiently and quickly generate the morphological features of the PPG signal to recognize different groups of patients. For the generated features, an independent sample t-test was used to evaluate their effectiveness for machine learning. Then, two supervised learning algorithms, k-nearest neighbors (kNN) and support vector machine (SVM), are used further to identify VA patency in advance.

Results:

The study involved 31 patients, of whom 14 had 6-month PP, while 17 did not. Using the kNN algorithm, machine learning classified patients into two groups with 82% precision based on PPG signals, while the SVM algorithm showed a precision of 82%.

Conclusions:

Our approach can provide reliable classifications for VA patency. It is effective to use the proposed PPG signal features to predict 6-month PP of VA.
Indigenous women’s evaluation of anti-Indigenous violence: an intersectional analysis
Authors: Nayak (Lohariya) Kumari Vibhuti
Published: December 2024

This study examines how Indigenous women evaluate their experiences regarding inequality, discrimination, and violence using an intersectionality approach. The contributions of ethnicity, class, and gender as robust systems have been mainly overlooked in traditional studies on anti-Indigenous violence. However, this study shows significant disparities in perception and experience based on gender and ethnic identities through 33 in-depth semi-structured interviews. Participants experienced inequality, discrimination, and violence rooted in gender and Indigenous identity. Indigenous women also implied that they were misrepresented or negatively represented due to ethnicity and being culturally distinct historically by non-Indigenous scholars. Such negative representation leads Indigenous women to experience various kinds of formal, informal, physical, and verbal discrimination and violence at the workplace, where non-Indigenous people often defamed the participants using Indigenous slurs. In addition, findings suggest multiple layers of oppression because of their social position oppressed Indigenous women; this should be examined through intersectional lens.
Trigeminal neuralgia within the disease course of MS: Diagnostic and therapeutic implications from a multicenter cohort
Authors: Laakso Sini M , Oh Jiwon , Raufdeen Fasna , Jones Ashley , Reiskanen Henri , Feb Ken , Levit Elle , Solomon Andrew J
Published: December 2024

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is commonly associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Whether TN should be considered a clinical relapse or evidence of active disease lacks consensus. TN was diagnosed in 0.9%–1.9% ( n = 171) of people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) at three international sites. In 9.9%, TN was their first potential demyelinating symptom. In 86%, TN onset occurred a median of 13–16 years after MS diagnosis. A clinical relapse occurred within 6 months of TN onset in 20% of pwMS. These data suggest TN onset should be evaluated as active disease and incorporated in diagnostic and therapeutic decisions in MS.
Caring remotely through ‘fitting’: Video consultation use in Danish general practice
Authors: Lüchau Elle Christine , Olesen Finn , Atherton Helen , Søndergaard Jens , Assing Hvidt Elisabeth
Published: December 2024

In this study, we examine how Danish general practitioners (GPs) and general practice staff have fitted their use of video consultation to align with their conceptualisations of good care. Political stakeholders are repeatedly encouraging the use of video consultation in the healthcare sector, discursively referring to optimised use of healthcare resources, increased efficiency and flexibility for and geographical equality among patients. By the end of 2024, it will be mandatory for GPs to offer video consultations to patients in Danish general practice. This raises important questions about the implications of video consultation on the care provided in general practice. Our data consists of 30 semi-structured interviews with GPs and 132 hours of fieldwork conducted across seven clinics from August 2021 to August 2022. We analysed the data following the principles of reflexive thematic analysis and inspired by an abductive approach. Drawing on Annemarie Mol’s and Jeanette Pols’ conceptualisations of care and fitting, we identified common rationalisations articulated and observed in practice that highlight how fitting video consultation into the care provided in a general practice setting can enable (1) optimised use of busy patients’ time), (2) optimised use of clinician and clinic resources, (3) enhanced connection of ‘harder to reach’ patients and (4) better work experiences for GPs and staff. Our findings demonstrate the variety of video consultation use potentials, contributing to our understanding of the implications of video consultation on the provision of care.
Crossing borders and moving frontiers: Coordinating European social security for modern cases of global mobility
Authors: Rewucha Adam
Published: December 2024

Modern cases of global mobility cause legal ambiguities as to which conflict rules to apply to govern the applicable social security legislation. Relevant to this end is the question of whether the situation is governed by the lex loci laboris principle, the posting provision, or the rules on normal work in two or more Member States under EC Regulation 883/2004. Each of these three legal mechanisms must be distinguished from each other. First, this article proposes a structure for handling such distinctions. Secondly, it discusses how these distinctions are made. It is concluded that the posting provision has a wide scope of applicability whereas the scope of applicability of the rules on normal work in two or more Member States has been narrowed. On the basis of the legal description, this article analyses a catalogue of standard cases of modern mobility for which it is not clear whether the posting rules or the rules on normal work in two or more Member States apply. As the tendency drives towards temporary global mobility setups, a starting point is that the posting rule applies. The article concludes that the current EU rules on the applicable social security legislation have substantial flexibility for managing new cases of global mobility.
A novel data-driven bridge monitoring data prediction framework using improved intelligent optimization-assisted deep learning
Authors: Zhou Zhenwei , Ding Kaiqing , Zhang Guangcai , Wu Bitao , Wan Chunfeng , Deng Yangchen
Published: December 2024

Bridge monitoring data prediction plays a crucial role in maintaining the serviceability and safety of bridges. To assess the performance of bridge structures in advance, an accurate and robust prediction model for measurement data prediction is needed. In this context, this paper presents a novel hybrid prediction model called IGWO-VMD-IGWO-LSTM, which aims to improve the accuracy and generalization ability of bridge monitoring data prediction. First, the proposed model incorporates variational mode decomposition (VMD) and an improved gray wolf optimization (IGWO) algorithm to decompose the measured data into several intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) to capture the signal’s features comprehensively. Then, long short-term memory (LSTM) models are established individually for each IMF, with hyperparameters optimization using the IGWO algorithm. Finally, the integrated reconstructed subsequences yield the prediction results of the proposed IGWO-VMD-IGWO-LSTM model. Thus, the proposed framework avoids exploring the complex internal mechanism of bridge behavior evolution. The measurement data collected from a real bridge demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed prediction method, and different deep learning models are used for comparison. The results demonstrate a significant improvement in prediction performance comparison with the other concerned models, highlighting the strong generalization ability and robustness of the proposed IGWO-VMD-IGWO-LSTM model.
POWR+ Intervention Results: An Online Communication Partner Training Program for Educational Teams
Authors: Douglas Sarah N. , Dunkel-Jackson Sarah M. , Bowles Ryan , Plavnick Joshua , Sun Tiantian , Bagawan Atikah
Published: December 2024

Paraeducators are primary communication partners for children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), but often have limited training. The POWR+ intervention is designed to help paraeducators support their student’s communication using AAC. Importantly, POWR+ includes training for supervising teachers, who help implement the intervention through observation, feedback, and coaching. In this study, we report the results from a multiple-probe single-case design study involving five teacher/paraeducator/child triads. Results indicate a functional relationship for two triads between the POWR+ intervention and the two primary outcomes: communication opportunities and AAC modeling. These triads implemented the POWR+ intervention with high fidelity. Results were mixed for the other triads with lower fidelity. Results highlight the efficacy of the POWR+ intervention when it is implemented with high fidelity but identifies a need for further adjustments to increase implementation fidelity, including additional resources for aspects outside the scope of the intervention such as behavioral support.