bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust pushing: Exploiting quasi-static belief dynamics and contact-informed optimization
Authors: Jankowski Julius , Brudermüller Lara , Hawes Nick , Calinon Sylvain
Published: February 2025

Non-prehensile manipulation such as pushing is typically subject to uncertain, non-smooth dynamics. However, modeling the uncertainty of the dynamics typically results in intractable belief dynamics, making data-efficient planning under uncertainty difficult. This article focuses on the problem of efficiently generating robust open-loop pushing plans. First, we investigate how the belief over object configurations propagates through quasi-static contact dynamics. We exploit the simplified dynamics to predict the variance of the object configuration without sampling from a perturbation distribution. In a sampling-based trajectory optimization algorithm, the gain of the variance is constrained in order to enforce robustness of the plan. Second, we propose an informed trajectory sampling mechanism for drawing robot trajectories that are likely to make contact with the object. This sampling mechanism is shown to significantly improve chances of finding robust solutions, especially when making-and-breaking contacts is required. We demonstrate that the proposed approach is able to synthesize bi-manual pushing trajectories, resulting in successful long-horizon pushing maneuvers without exteroceptive feedback such as vision or tactile feedback. We furthermore deploy the proposed approach in a model-predictive control scheme, demonstrating additional robustness against unmodeled perturbations.
Cincinnati Soul
Authors: Schwirck Samantha
Published: February 2025

At last, the details of City Hall's 127-year-old stonework are visible after dark
LED Performance under Tough Conditions
Authors: Brodrick James
Published: February 2025

Three DOE Gateway applications show how LED luminaires respond to rigorous outdoor environments
A Dimmer-Per-Circuit Approach to Stage Lighting
Authors: Miller Kenneth H. , Wittman Leonard J.
Published: February 2025

Advances in solid-state electronics have made this concept an attractive alternative to the cross-connection of loads
The Electric Circus comes to town
Authors: Jankowski Wanda
Published: February 2025

The lighting and interior design create an elegant and colorful circus environment in this multilevel New York City disco
The color of the surgeon's task light
Authors: Beck William C. , Schreckendgust Jay , Geffert John
Published: February 2025

A correlated color temperature in the vicinity of noon sunlight or 5000 °K is preferred by the group of surgeons involved in this study
Machine Learning Approach for Ex-Post Evaluation of Road Traffic Collision Severity Trends
Authors: Bae Junseo , Pani Agnivesh , Balla Sai Naveen , Oh Simon
Published: February 2025

Road traffic collisions (RTCs) have been a key concern because of their negative impact on road users’ safety and social aspects. To address this issue, many research efforts have been made, yet there is still very little known about the various key factors affecting RTC severity and the ability to feasibly provide the overall RTC severity classification trends. This study aimed to quantify the factors affecting the severity of RTCs using neural network search and sensitivity analysis. To this end, an ex-post evaluation framework that could systematically classify RTC severity trends in two stages was developed: stage 1 involved RTC severity classification based on a radial basis-function-driven machine learning model, and stage 2 utilized global sensitivity analysis to identify critical factors affecting RTC severity trends. It was shown that the radial basis function network models accurately predicted the RTC severity (with 77% accuracy) based on multi-contextual inputs and derived three key factors (road classification, number of vehicles involved, and speed limit) associated with the severity based on more than 12,000 RTC records collected over 6 years in the county of Cambridgeshire, UK. Generalized RTC severity trends associated with the results were also proposed and discussed as an ex-post evaluation. The outcomes of this study will help transportation authorities and engineers by serving as a benchmark and predictable reference to minimize the negative impact of potential RTCs on road users’ safety as well as social costs.
Effect of FLRT3 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Wang Jiongming , Xie Zhouzhou , Peng Shansen , Huang Yueting , Chen Baitong , Chen Nanhui
Published: February 2025

Objective:

FLRT3 is a member of the fibronectin leucine-rich transmembrane protein family, which regulates cell-cell adhesion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the role of FLRT3 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unknown; therefore, we explored the potential role of FLRT3 in ccRCC.

Methods:

We analyzed FLRT3 expression levels in ccRCC tissues across multiple databases. We examined the relationship between FLRT3 expression and EMT through single-cell data and transcriptional regulatory network analyses. Additionally, we investigated the association between FLRT3 expression levels and various clinicopathological indicators, compared the impact of FLRT3 expression on patient prognosis, and constructed a nomogram prognostic model. Furthermore, we performed enrichment analyses on differentially expressed genes to reveal potential biological functions and mechanisms.

Results:

FLRT3 expression levels were significantly lower in ccRCC tissues compared to normal kidney tissues and progressively decreased with advancing pathological stages and grades. FLRT3 mediated the promotion of EMT by transcription factor ATF4; survival analysis indicated that patients with high FLRT3 expression had significantly better overall survival compared to those with low FLRT3 expression. Enrichment analysis revealed that FLRT3 was associated with epithelial cell differentiation, retinol metabolic processes, and collagen-containing extracellular matrix.

Conclusion:

FLRT3 expression is downregulated in ccRCC and may promote EMT through transcription factor ATF4. Downregulation of FLRT3 is associated with poor prognosis.
Exploring the Validity of Measures of Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults at Increased Risk of Falls and/or Fractures in Exercise Clinical Trials
Authors: Ng Carrie-Anne , Mulhern Brendan , Akanksha Akanksha , Bahrampour Mina , Jansons Paul , Mesinovic Jakub , Gandham Anoohya , Glavas Costas , Ebeling Peter R. , Viney Rosalie , Scott David
Published: February 2025

Exercise targeting physical function and body composition may mitigate falls and fracture risk among older adults. This study aimed to identify the most valid instrument(s) to assess quality of life (QoL) in this context by comparing the psychometric properties of the EQ-5D-3L, EQ-5D-5L, CDC Healthy Days measure, Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES), and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire. Data from four exercise trials ( n = 210, mean age 64.8 ± 7.4, 79.0% female) were analyzed. Construct validity and responsiveness were compared. There was moderate to strong convergence between the EQ-5D (-3L and -5L) and MFES, and EQ-5D-3L and CDC index (correlation: 0.45–0.61). Only the EQ-5D-3L demonstrated good known-group validity (effect size: 0.98–3.7). Responsiveness was low across all instruments (standardized response mean: −0.33–0.49). The instruments are valid for assessing QoL in older adults at risk of falls and/or fractures. However, variation in their psychometric properties should be considered when selecting instruments for exercise trials.
Beyond the Digital Divide: Factors Associated With Adoption of Technologies Related to Aging in Place
Authors: Lin Xin Yao , Moxley Jerad , Sharit Joseph , Czaja Sara J.
Published: February 2025

While technology holds great promise for promoting independent living, older adults still encounter challenges with technology adoption. The current study identified classes of technology users among older adults and examined associations between technology user class and individual characteristics. The Technology Assessment Procedure method was utilized. Participants ( N = 187, ages 65–92) were presented with technologies spanning domains of transportation, leisure, health, and new learning, and rated various measures related to technology adoption. Two user groups, “open to technology” and “reluctant to technology,” were identified. The “reluctant to technology” group, indicated needing more help with new technologies, had less confidence using technology, perceived greater losses associated with aging, and reported less technology experience. In contrast, the “open to technology” group showed higher levels of crystallized intelligence, greater openness to experience, and lower perceptions of aging-related loss. Interventions promoting technology adoption should focus on boosting technology-efficacy, confidence, and accessibility of technology applications.
Implementation Barriers and Program Effectiveness: A Quasi-Experimental Study on an Extended School Week
Authors: Custers Gijs
Published: February 2025

This study investigates the impact of an extended school week in 30 primary schools on track recommendations, an achievement-related outcome, at the school level. The intervention is part of a major urban policy in one of the most disadvantaged areas in the Netherlands. Register data are used to examine changes in track recommendations between 2010 and 2020. Control schools are selected through genetic matching based on educational and demographic variables, after which comparative interrupted time series estimate the causal effect. The findings show that, on average, track recommendations in the intervention schools did not structurally increase compared to the control schools. We critically discuss how these results might relate to implementation barriers such as the partial top-down design, program quality and coordination, and teacher shortages. We contribute to the literature by showing how difficulties with program implementation are likely to produce null findings.
Counting-Focused Intervention Effects for Students With Mathematics Difficulty: A Research Synthesis
Authors: Akther Syeda Sharjina , Powell Sarah R. , Lariviere Danielle O.
Published: February 2025

Counting is foundational to success with mathematics. In this synthesis, we analyzed 17 studies about counting-focused interventions for preschool and kindergarten students with mathematics difficulty or at-risk of mathematics difficulty. All interventions addressed several components of counting, including stable order, one-to-one correspondence, and cardinality. After students participated in a counting-focused intervention, results indicated moderate-to-strong proximal effects and positive transfer effects. Computer game-based counting interventions without instructional strategies had no significant effects on preschool students. Modeling, guided practice, feedback, and multiple representations (i.e., hands-on or virtual) were the most common instructional strategies used within the interventions.
Combined lateral and longitudinal trajectory tracking control of intelligent vehicle based on adaptive RMPC algorithm
Authors: Tang Bin , Tian Ning , Jiang Haobin , Wang Chunhong
Published: February 2025

In order to improve accuracy and adaptability of intelligent vehicle trajectory tracking under the condition of severe environment and time-variant parameters, the combined lateral and longitudinal trajectory tracking control strategy based on adaptive robust model predictive control (RMPC) algorithm is proposed. Firstly, the vehicle dynamics model with lateral and longitudinal coupling characteristics is established. Secondly, the robustness optimization function is constructed in min-max form according to the lateral and longitudinal tracking error as well as yaw angle error corresponding to the reference trajectory. Linear matrix inequality (LMI) theory is used to solve the optimization problem. Then, the dynamic adjustment strategy of the weight coefficient matrix by the fuzzy controller is proposed according to the trajectory tracking error, so as to improve the adaptability of controller and the accuracy of trajectory tracking. Finally, the effectiveness of controller is verified by Simulink/CarSim co-simulation and hardware-in-loop (HiL) test under different speeds and parameters perturbation. The results show that the combined lateral and longitudinal trajectory tracking control strategy proposed in this paper reduces the lateral error by 0.4 m and the heading error by 7° compared with the decentralized control, which can achieve more accurate and robust tracking of the target trajectory.
Extension of Fisher’s least significant difference method to multi-armed group-sequential response-adaptive designs
Authors: Liu Wenyu , Coad D Stephen
Published: February 2025

Multi-armed multi-stage designs evaluate experimental treatments using a control arm at interim analyses. Incorporating response-adaptive randomisation in these designs allows early stopping, faster treatment selection and more patients to be assigned to the more promising treatments. Existing frequentist multi-armed multi-stage designs demonstrate that the family-wise error rate is strongly controlled, but they may be too conservative and lack power when the experimental treatments are very different therapies rather than doses of the same drug. Moreover, the designs use a fixed allocation ratio. In this article, Fisher’s least significant difference method extended to group-sequential response-adaptive designs is investigated. It is shown mathematically that the information time continues after dropping inferior arms, and hence the error-spending approach can be used to control the family-wise error rate. Two optimal allocations were considered. One ensures efficient estimation of the treatment effects and the other maximises the power subject to a fixed total sample size. Operating characteristics of the group-sequential response-adaptive design for normal and censored survival outcomes based on simulation and redesigning the NeoSphere trial were compared with those of a fixed-sample design. Results show that the adaptive design attains efficient and ethical advantages, and that the family-wise error rate is well controlled.
Are M&As with IT Firms More Value Additive than Non-IT Firms? A Paradigm Shift of M&A Puzzle
Authors: Hossain Mohammed Sawkat , Bishwas Prodip Chandra
Published: February 2025

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are common investment tactics for corporate restructuring. They serve as dynamic strategies to improve firm performances by leveraging synergy benefits, economies of scale, acquisition premiums, market strength, positioning of new markets, risk reduction, and management integration, among other factors. Prior scholarly works present inadequate empirical evidence and analysis to examine if firms with strong IT capabilities should be the targets of M&As. To address this fundamental issue, we provide global evidence based on cross-country panel data between January 2002 and December 2021 for M&As with IT and non-IT specialized firms, along with an in-depth meta-analysis. Our results document that the market-based and accounting-based performances of M&As with IT firms are significantly higher than those of M&As with non-IT firms. M&As with IT firms have comparatively better financial stability, creditworthiness, and exposure to higher market value than corresponding M&As with non-IT firms. The study results and inferences are mostly consistent across all possible subsample analyses of cross-countries, group sizes, and crisis periods. Hence, M&As with IT affiliation possess comparatively higher value than M&As with non-IT sectors. This research study explores our understanding of dynamic corporate strategy and investment tactics in international business.

JEL Classification

G34
Passengers’ seat vibration exposure on turboprop aircraft flights
Authors: Mansfield Neil J , Vink Peter , Vledder Gerbera , Yao Xinhe , Herbig Britta , Reichherzer Anna S , Bellmann Michael
Published: February 2025

Background

Turboprop aircraft offer the possibility of lower emissions for regional travel in comparison to jets. Future low-carbon aircraft concepts include propeller-generated thrust powered from fuel cells, hydrogen, biofuel, battery or hybrid power. The noise and vibration experienced in a turboprop cabin is different to that experienced in a jet, with signals characterised by tonal components related to the propeller blade pass frequency. These components have been associated with noise and vibration discomfort. There are few published studies of aircraft cabin vibration measured on the seat surface according to ISO2631-1; none report data for the whole flight.

Objective

The objective was to measure and evaluate the vibration experienced by passengers for complete turboprop flights and compare vibration data with standards associated with vibration comfort.

Methods

Vibration data was measured on the surface of three occupied seats during two turboprop aircraft flights. Measurements were made on full flights, and covered the entire duration from gate-to-gate.

Results

Data showed that the vibration is highly tonal, and is affected by position and flight phase. Frequency-weighted vibration showed magnitudes below thresholds for health risk. The highest magnitudes of vibration occurred at the blade pass frequency and its harmonics. These frequencies are rejected by standard comfort assessment methods that use frequency weightings.

Conclusions

Whole-body vibration exposure in the turboprop tested in this study did not approach health risk thresholds using ISO2631-1. Analysis of the vibrational comfort requires use of band-limited vibration assessment methods to include the dominant vibration components in analysis.
Assistive technology provision at mainstream schools—Experiences of Serbian resource centers
Authors: Glumbić Nenad , Đorđević Mirjana , Slavković Sanela , Schembri Sharon Borg , Agius May , Magni Riccardo , Mavrou Katerina , Theodorou Eleni , Mouka Maria , Hoogerwerf Evert-Jan , Desideri Lorenzo
Published: February 2025

Background

Over the last 15 years, inclusive education has been formally established in Serbia as a mandatory approach for all students, ensuring equal rights and access to education without discrimination on any grounds. In addition to mainstream schools, Serbia also has special schools for students with developmental challenges and disabilities. Although some special schools in Serbia have been functioning as resource centers (RCs) for a long time now, 13 RCs have only recently been officially established, aiming to support inclusive education through assistive technology (AT) among other things.

Objective

The research reported in this study was conducted within a project that aims to address challenges in implementing and improving inclusive education in the Republic of Serbia, focusing on the existing capacities and difficulties in how RCs provide AT services to mainstream schools to offer a set of recommendations to inform the development of RCs in the country.

Method

A SWOT analysis involving 80 respondents was conducted. Fifty-three respondents completed a questionnaire online, while further 27 respondents participated in five focus groups. Groups involved experts working in the RCs, suppliers and manufacturers of AT, parents of persons with disabilities, and expert associates from mainstream schools. The data was analyzed using a SWOT framework.

Results

The respondents reported that human capacities (e.g., motivation and experience) were the main strength. Weaknesses included lack of specific and modern knowledge about working with children with different conditions, as well as specific knowledge about the AT itself. Intersectoral cooperation was pointed out as the main opportunity, while obstacles were recognized in almost all work segments (lack of finances, lack of staff, lack of adequate legal regulations and communication and cooperation).

Conclusion

Based on the results achieved, potential solutions for overcoming the existing obstacles in resource centers were proposed.
Integrated Bioinformatic Analyses Reveal Thioredoxin as a Putative Marker of Cancer Stem Cells and Prognosis in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Sugiki Shigeru , Horie Tetsuhiro , Kunii Kenshiro , Sakamoto Takuya , Nakamura Yuka , Chikazawa Ippei , Morita Nobuyo , Ishigaki Yasuhito , Miyazawa Katsuhito
Published: February 2025

Objectives:

Prostate cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in cancer cell survival, proliferation, metastasis, and recurrence; thus, removing CSCs is important for complete cancer removal. However, the mechanisms underlying CSC functions remain largely unknown, making it difficult to develop new anticancer drugs targeting CSCs. Herein, we aimed to identify novel factors that regulate stemness and predict prognosis.

Methods:

We reanalyzed 2 single-cell RNA sequencing data of prostate cancer (PCa) tissues using Seurat. We used gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to estimate CSCs and identified common upregulated genes in CSCs between these datasets. To investigate whether its expression levels change over CSC differentiation, we performed a trajectory analysis using monocle 3. In addition, GSEA helped us understand how the identified genes regulate stemness. Finally, to assess their clinical significance, we used the Cancer Genome Atlas database to evaluate their impact on prognosis.

Results:

The expression of thioredoxin ( TXN), a redox enzyme, was approximately 1.2 times higher in prostate CSCs than in PCa cells ( P < 1 × 10−10), and TXN expression decreased over CSC differentiation. In addition, GSEA suggested that intracellular signaling pathways, including MYC, may be involved in stemness regulation by TXN. Furthermore, TXN expression correlated with poor prognosis (P < .05) in PCa patients with high stemness.

Conclusions:

Despite the limited sample size in our study and the need for further in vitro and in vivo experiments to demonstrate whether TXN functionally regulates prostate CSCs, our findings suggest that TXN may serve as a novel therapeutic target against CSCs. Moreover, TXN expression in CSCs could be a useful marker for predicting the prognosis of PCa patients.
Single-cell Analysis Highlights Anti-apoptotic Subpopulation Promoting Malignant Progression and Predicting Prognosis in Bladder Cancer
Authors: Chen Linhuan , Hao Yangyang , Zhai Tianzhang , Yang Fan , Chen Shuqiu , Lin Xue , Li Jian
Published: February 2025

Backgrounds:

Bladder cancer (BLCA) has a high degree of intratumor heterogeneity, which significantly affects patient prognosis. We performed single-cell analysis of BLCA tumors and organoids to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Methods:

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of BLCA samples were analyzed using Seurat, harmony, and infercnv for quality control, batch correction, and identification of malignant epithelial cells. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), cell trajectory analysis, cell cycle analysis, and single-cell regulatory network inference and clustering (SCENIC) analysis explored the functional heterogeneity between malignant epithelial cell subpopulations. Cellchat was used to infer intercellular communication patterns. Co-expression analysis identified co-expression modules of the anti-apoptotic subpopulation. A prognostic model was constructed using hub genes and Cox regression, and nomogram analysis was performed. The tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) algorithm was applied to predict immunotherapy response.

Results:

Organoids recapitulated the cellular and mutational landscape of the parent tumor. BLCA progression was characterized by mesenchymal features, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), immune microenvironment remodeling, and metabolic reprograming. An anti-apoptotic tumor subpopulation was identified, characterized by aberrant gene expression, transcriptional instability, and a high mutational burden. Key regulators of this subpopulation included CEBPB, EGR1, ELF3, and EZH2. This subpopulation interacted with immune and stromal cells through signaling pathways such as FGF, CXCL, and VEGF to promote tumor progression. Myofibroblast cancer-associated fibroblasts (mCAFs) and inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts (iCAFs) differentially contributed to metastasis. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis identified functional modules related to apoptosis, proliferation, and metabolism in the anti-apoptotic subpopulation. A 5-gene risk model was developed to predict patient prognosis, which was significantly associated with immune checkpoint gene expression, suggesting potential implications for immunotherapy.

Conclusions:

We identified a distinct anti-apoptotic tumor subpopulation as a key driver of tumor progression with prognostic significance, laying the foundation for the development of new therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.
Downregulation of DNAJC12 Expression Predicts Worse Survival for ER-Positive Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Gatti Pedro Henrique Fernandes , Mangone Flavia Regina Rotea , Pavanelli Ana Carolina , Nonogaki Suely , Osorio Cynthia Aparecida Bueno de Toledo , Capelozzi Vera Luiza , Nagai Maria Aparecida
Published: February 2025

Background:

DNAJC12 (DnaJ heat shock protein family (Hsp40) member C12) encodes a member of the molecular chaperone Hsp40/DnaJ family, which are important protein folding and proteostasis regulators. Its role as a biomarker has been studied for a limited number of cancer types. Objectives: Here, we sought to investigate the potential of DNAJC12 mRNA and protein expression as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for breast cancer (BC).

Methods:

Using in silico analysis and data from immunohistochemistry analysis (IHC) of 292 samples from patients with primary BC, we determined the expression pattern and prognostic value of DNAJC12 mRNA and protein expression.

Results:

From online publicly available data, we were able to identify the transcripts of DNAJC12 as differentially expressed in patients with different clinicopathological characteristics, such as ER status ( P < .001), PR status ( P < .001), HER2 status ( P < .010) and molecular subtype ( P ⩽ .001). We also found DNAJC12 to be a potential prognostic predictor for overall survival, disease-free survival, and responsiveness to treatment; a low DNAJC12 mRNA expression is commonly associated with a worse prognosis. Using IHC analysis, we showed that low DNAJC12 protein-level expression is also associated with a worse prognosis in patients with all subtypes of BC and patients with Luminal BC, and its expression is significantly different between patients with different tumor size classifications (T1/T2 vs T3/T4; P = .013) or with different lymph node involvement (N0 vs N+; P = .005).

Conclusion:

Our findings suggested a potential role for DNAJC12 as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for BC.
Predicting TF–Target Gene Association Using a Heterogeneous Network and Enhanced Negative Sampling
Authors: Le Thanh Tuoi , Dang Xuan Tho
Published: February 2025

Identifying interactions between transcription factors (TFs) and target genes is crucial for understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in biological processes and diseases. Traditional biological experiments used to determine these interactions are often time-consuming, costly, and limited in scale. Current computational methods mainly predict binding sites rather than direct interactions. Although recent studies have achieved high performance in predicting TF–target gene associations, they still face a significant challenge related to constructing a robust dataset of positive and negative samples. Currently, methods do not adequately focus on selecting negative samples, resulting in incomplete coverage of potential TF–target gene relationships. This article proposes a method to select enhanced negative samples to improve the prediction performance of TF–target gene interactions. Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves an average area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.9024 ± 0.0008 through 5-fold cross-validation. These results demonstrate the model’s high efficiency and accuracy, confirming its potential application in predicting TF–target gene interactions across various datasets and paving the way for large-scale biomedical research.
A National Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) Program to Address the Healthcare Needs of Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: An Evaluation Protocol
Authors: J Weber Jillian , Kinney Rebecca L , Roncarati Jill S , Bruemmer Kenneth , Diaz Monica , Albanese Jill
Published: February 2025

Background:

Homelessness remains a public health concern in the United States (U.S.) and ending veteran homelessness has been a significant priority for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for over a decade. However, veterans experiencing homelessness (VEH) have unmet healthcare needs and face numerous barriers to accessing and engaging in healthcare.

Objectives:

The Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) Homeless Programs Office (HPO) implemented mobile medical units (MMUs) within the tailored primary care model established in 2011 called the Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team (HPACT) program to expand access to care for hard-to-reach VEH. This article outlines the evaluation protocol for the HPACT MMU program to examine the impact of MMUs on engaging and retaining homeless veterans in VA primary care and other supportive services.

Design:

Using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework, we will assess how mobile services engage VEH in VA primary care and preventive care. This 4-year program evaluation includes a plan to collect individual and organizational level quantitative and qualitative data.

Discussion:

The first stages of program adoption and implementation have been completed resulting in 25 MMUs being deployed across the U.S. that are fully operational and ready to serve VEH. Early outcomes demonstrate the significant impact of the ability MMUs in reducing barriers such as transportation for VEH, while increasing positive veteran health outcomes.

Conclusion:

This evaluation will provide insight on the innovative ways in which mobile medical units (MMUs) may expand the boundaries of the VA and external health care systems in efforts to improve health equity and access among our most vulnerable populations. Preliminary outcomes show significant engagement with VEH in the community and interest in the model of care. The program has the potential to play an essential role in achieving VA’s goal of ending veteran homelessness.
Brittany Higgins' story or the Brittany Higgins story? Journalism, politics and narrative rhetoric
Authors: Dawson Paul
Published: February 2025

This article investigates the high-profile, years-long, media coverage of former federal government staffer, Brittany Higgins, in the wake of a 2021 television interview in which she recounted her experience of sexual assault in Parliament House. Higgins' story can foremost be understood as an example of the ‘speaking out’ genre of feminist politics, but it must also be approached in terms of the journalistic genre of the news story that mediated it. Employing the Factiva database to track two key phrases – ‘share your story’ and ‘control the narrative’ – in ongoing coverage, the article analyses how these phrases operated as metajournalistic narrative rhetoric in an intramedial struggle for moral and epistemic authority between Australian news organisations. In doing so, the article draws upon socio-linguistic research into ‘small stories’ to redefine breaking news as a recursive narrative phenomenon involving multiple tellers and iterations across platforms.
Social motor synchrony and interactive rapport in autistic, non-autistic, and mixed-neurotype dyads
Authors: Efthimiou Themis N , Wilks Charlotte EH , Foster Sarah , Dodd Michelle , Sasson Noah J , Ropar Danielle , Lages Martin , Fletcher-Watson Sue , Crompton Catherine J
Published: February 2025

In non-autistic populations, social motor synchrony during interactions is linked to increased interpersonal rapport – a friendly connection marked by mutual understanding and ease of communication. Previous research indicates autistic individuals show lower social motor synchrony in interactions with both autistic and non-autistic partners. However, it is unclear if this affects rapport, as synchrony’s role in social communication may differ for autistic individuals. The study had three aims: to replicate and extend previous findings of reduced social motor synchrony in dyads with at least one autistic person; second, to examine the relationship between synchrony and rapport in autistic ( n = 12), non-autistic ( n = 17), and mixed dyads ( n = 14); and third, to investigate reliance on motor synchrony for achieving rapport among autistic and non-autistic participants. We found no evidence that dyads with at least one autistic person have less social motor synchrony than dyads without an autistic person. However, we found that social motor synchrony positively affects rapport more in non-autistic dyads than in autistic dyads. Participant-level analysis indicated that non-autistic individuals require higher social motor synchrony levels to achieve high rapport levels than autistic individuals. These results suggest that non-autistic individuals may emphasise movement synchrony as a key component of successful social interaction.

Lay abstract

During social interactions, people often mirror each other’s movements and gestures, a process called synchrony. This synchrony helps foster a sense of connection, understanding, and ease in communication. While research suggests that autistic people may show less synchrony in their movements compared to non-autistic people, the implications of this difference for building rapport remain unclear. Specifically, it is unknown whether synchrony plays a similar role in rapport-building for autistic individuals as it does for non-autistic individuals, particularly in interactions with autistic versus non-autistic partners. This study had three goals to investigate whether synchrony is lower in conversations involving at least one autistic person; to explore the relationship between synchrony and rapport; and to compare how much autistic and non-autistic people rely on synchrony to feel connected. The findings suggest that while synchrony positively influences rapport more strongly in non-autistic interactions, autistic individuals may rely less on synchrony for rapport. These results highlight differences in how social connection is built, offering deeper insight into social interactions for autistic and non-autistic people.
Time-domain virtual tapping machine method for numerical evaluation of transient acoustic performance in cruise cabins
Authors: Zuo Yingying , Yang Deqing , Xiao Jian
Published: February 2025

The transient vibration and noise of cabins are crucial contents in cruise comfort design. At present, there is no general calculation method or evaluation standard for transient acoustic performance of cruise cabins. The frequency response analysis method, based on harmonic unit force excitation, cannot sufficiently consider the initial state and damping effect stage of various transient problems, making it difficult to evaluate the performance of transient vibration and noise. In this paper, a general time-domain virtual tapping machine method for numerical evaluation of transient acoustic performance in cruise cabins is proposed. Firstly, a rigid-flexible coupling numerical model between the virtual tapping machine and cruise cabins is established, and the time-domain virtual transient force with a broadband spectrum is obtained. Secondly, the transient vibration and noise of typical cruise cabins are numerically analyzed based on the coupled time-domain finite element method and boundary element method (TDFEM/BEM) and virtual mode synthesis and simulation (VMSS). The low-frequency results are obtained based on the coupled TDFEM/BEM, while the high-frequency results are obtained using the VMSS. Finally, a standard based on single-number quantities (SNQs) is proposed to evaluate the transient acoustic performance of cruise cabins. The effectiveness of the time-domain virtual tapping machine method is verified by real ship tests. The numerical results are consistent with the trend of the test results, and the total level error of the cabin transient noise is within 3 dB. The results demonstrate that the time-domain virtual tapping machine method can accurately calculate the transient response of cabins and quickly evaluate their transient acoustic performance. This paper presents a method for predicting the transient vibration and noise performance in the cabin of cruise ships during the design stage. This approach addresses the gap in the prediction and evaluation of transient noise performance in large cruise ships and provides essential technical support for the acoustic comfort design of luxury cruise ships.
Experimental and numerical investigation of the impact of hemp particle addition on the bending rate-dependent behavior and damage parameters of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene
Authors: Dundar Mehmet Akif , Ozenc Osman , Sahin Davut Erdem
Published: February 2025

This study explores a relatively under-researched area concerning the influence of loading rate on the flexural properties of particulate-filled bio-composites and the effects of incorporating natural particles on their damage parameters. To investigate these aspects, three-point flexural tests were conducted across a range of bending speeds from 0.1 mm/s to 10 mm/s. The material under study consisted of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) reinforced with hemp particles at varying contents (1–10 wt%). Additionally, the impact of hemp particle incorporation on the damage parameters of ABS was evaluated through cyclic loading-unloading tension tests. The flexural test results demonstrated a consistent increase in the flexural modulus of ABS with rising strain rates, irrespective of the hemp particle content. In contrast, the percentage reduction in flexural strength exhibited a diminishing trend as the bending rate increased. Findings from the cyclic loading-unloading tension tests further revealed that the addition of hemp particles intensifies the degradation of ABS's elastic modulus, with this effect becoming more pronounced at higher particle contents. Finite element simulations incorporating the experimentally determined damage parameters successfully reproduced the flexural load-displacement curves of the materials at different strain rates. These simulations corroborated the experimental findings and offered insights for optimizing material performance.
Russian invasion as a European issue: Vertical Europeanisation of national political debates and the war in Ukraine
Authors: Sojka Aleksandra , Terraza Javier , Caravaca Crespo Francisco , Cuevas Rumín Ángel
Published: February 2025

This article examines political discourse in the European Union (EU) in the aftermath of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. While prior studies have explored the policy and public opinion effects of this recent crisis, we complement them by investigating its potential to Europeanise national political debates across the EU. We hypothesise that the war, an external security threat, which was met with a unified response from the bloc and significant protagonism from EU leaders, became a ‘European issue’, triggering vertical Europeanisation of national political debates. We test this hypothesis through a novel big data approach: we analyse Facebook posts from political parties across all 27 EU member states from 2019 to early 2023. This dataset allows us to track mentions of European institutions and leaders in national political discourse for the whole of the EU. Our analysis reveals a significant increase in the vertical Europeanisation of domestic political debates in the year after the Russian invasion, strongly associated with discussions of the conflict. We also find that the increase in Europeanisation in the context of military threat is driven primarily by pro-European parties and occurs to a greater extent in countries with weaker institutions and those geographically more distant from Ukraine. These findings have significant implications for understanding how external security threats can prompt the Europeanisation of national political debates, offering new avenues for understanding the role of crises in shaping EU integration dynamics.
Contextual cognition of agricultural education peda-andragogical praxis in the South African higher education institutions: A systematic review
Authors: Teele Tshepo
Published: February 2025

Agricultural education in South Africa is defined entirely in the context of applied and natural sciences and has not yet positioned itself in the frame of educational sciences. Many agricultural graduates without an educational background pursue educational careers. The absence of dedicated agricultural education research centres perpetuates the dependency on applied and natural sciences alone. This dependency has allowed neglect of the rigorous teaching and learning research and development of agricultural education. This mispositioning has led to neglect in the investigation of pedagogic and andragogic praxis in higher education institutions. To understand the status quo of academia as it relates to agricultural education, a systemic analysis of the past decade’s agricultural education research conclusions was conducted. The study exposes the reality of teaching and learning from agricultural research in South African academia and how agricultural education has progressed over the past decade. This intellectual piece validates the need to rethink agricultural education as it relates to teaching and learning in basic education, higher education, and adult learning in research discourse. Consequently, it legitimises the need for agricultural educators and trainers who are grounded in the more current and humanised methods of teaching agriculture while understanding how children and adults learn.
It’s a Dangerous Job! A Systematic Review of the Predictors of Correctional Officer Victimization by Incarcerated Individuals in U.S. Prisons and Jails
Authors: Ferraresso Riccardo , Elling Peterson Bryce
Published: February 2025

Supervising people behind bars is inherently dangerous work, yet there is limited understanding of the risk and protective factors for correctional officer victimization. This study provides a systematic review of the predictors of violence perpetrated against U.S. prison and jail staff by incarcerated people. We identified 21 studies by searching six major academic databases (Criminal Justice Abstracts, Google Scholar, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science). Most studies investigated staff assaults in state prisons with male populations, while fewer studies focused on staff in jails, female prisons, federal institutions, or juvenile detention facilities. All studies’ outcomes included physical altercations, though four studies also included separate measures of verbal assaults. Two studies collected data through correctional officer surveys, with the others relying on surveys of incarcerated individuals or administrative data. Though studies often yielded mixed or contradictory evidence, our review identified some correctional officer characteristics that increased the risk of victimization (e.g., being young, male, White, and working certain assignments). Likewise, incarcerated individuals who were young, male, non-White, gang-affiliated, and had behavioral health issues were generally more likely to engage in assaultive behavior. Facility factors like security level and programming were also associated with staff assaults. This review is the first attempt to summarize all empirical evidence on the predictors of correctional officer victimization and serves as a useful tool for researchers and practitioners alike to identify gaps in current carceral research and practices and develop interventions aimed at decreasing institutional violence.
Embedding Physical Activity Training in State Child Care Systems: An Evaluation of the Physical Activity Learning Sessions
Authors: Duchette Rebekah , Payes Roshelle , Botsko Christopher , Dooyema Carrie , West Margaret , Dahl Kelly
Published: February 2025

Child care programs can be one setting for promoting physical activity (PA). To support technical assistance providers in promoting PA best practices, Nemours Children’s Health with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed a set of trainings known as Physical Activity Learning Sessions (PALS). PALS centers on PA best practices, and state partners are encouraged to embed the program into early care and education (ECE) systems, such as training and TA networks. From 2019 to 2023, 22 states and 802 individuals completed a PALS train-the-trainer (TTT) course. This brief highlights findings from the 2022–2023 PALS evaluation, examining the extent to which PALS provided ECE trainers with effective training materials, affected trainer confidence in providing PA trainings to ECE providers, and was integrated into state systems. The PALS evaluation included a mixed-methods design consisting of pre-, post-, and 6-month post-TTT surveys of trainers. Among trainers, 87% of 125 respondents said they were confident training ECE providers on PA practices after completing the PALS TTT. Nearly 67% of participants planned to deliver a PALS training to ECE providers within 6 months of completing the TTT. Surveys from 16 of 18 PALS state leads suggested PALS has been embedded in state ECE systems. PALS counts for training credit of some type in 10 states, including licensing, provider credentials, and Quality Rating and Improvement Systems. Additional evaluation efforts could determine the impact of PALS on PA practices and policies among ECE providers and programs.
Enhancing Youth Engagement in Health Promotion: Evaluating the Impact and Strategies of a Teen Consultant Program
Authors: Motley Haley Strouf , Aeschbach Chelsea J.
Published: February 2025

Youth engagement in health promotion and disease prevention is mutually beneficial but often challenging to achieve. The Providers and Teens Communicating for Health (PATCH) Teen Consultant Program addresses these challenges by connecting youth, ages 13–19 years, with youth-serving professionals seeking input on health-related projects, programs, and practices. This mixed-method evaluation, using program records and key informant interviews, assessed the effectiveness of PATCH’s youth consulting sessions and identified areas for improvement. Findings indicate that PATCH successfully facilitated meaningful youth engagement. Clients highly valued the creative and impactful feedback from Teen Consultants, which led to improvements in their projects and strategies for engaging youth. Teen Consultants reported significant personal growth, including increased confidence, leadership skills, and a greater understanding of their influence. The evaluation highlights PATCH’s effectiveness in overcoming barriers to youth engagement and suggests that similar models could enhance adolescent involvement in health promotion efforts.