bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soluble Antimicrobial Peptide (AMP) Screening to Rationally Design AMP-Hydrogels that Selectively Prevent Biofilm Formation
Authors: Recktenwald Matthias , Kaur Muskanjot , Benmassaoud Mohammed M. , Copling Aryanna , Khanna Tulika , Curry Michael , Cortes Denise , Fleischer Gilbert , Carabetta Valerie J. , Vega Sebastian L.
Published: December 2024

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that lives on surfaces and skin and can cause serious infections once inside the body. While antibiotics effectively kill bacteria, there are a growing number of infections with antibiotic-resistant strains. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are part of the innate immune system and can eliminate pathogens including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and are a promising alternative to antibiotics. Although studies have reported that AMP-functionalized hydrogels can prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, these materials generally consist of one AMP at an arbitrary concentration, and AMP dosing and the combined effects of multiple AMPs are not well understood. Here, three AMPs with different antibacterial properties were synthesized and the soluble minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of each AMP against methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) determined. Hydrogels with immobilized AMPs at their MIC (DD13RIP 27.5 µM; indolicidin 43.8 µM; P10 120 µM) were effective in preventing MRSA adhesion and biofilm formation. Checkerboard array screens identified synergy between indolicidin (3.125 µM) and P10 (12.5 µM) based on soluble fractional inhibitory concentrations (FICs) against MRSA, and hydrogels formed with these AMPs at half of their synergistic FICs (total peptide concentration, 8.5 µM) were highly efficacious in killing MRSA. Mammalian cells cultured atop these hydrogels are also highly viable, demonstrating that the AMP hydrogels developed are biocompatible and selectively eradicate bacteria based on soluble checkerboard screening data.
A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Comparing the Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy to Pulsed Radio Frequency in Reducing Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain in Post-Stroke Patients
Authors: Gamboa Christian , Elias Jonathan
Published: December 2024

Background: Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States with 162,553 deaths per year in 2023 alone. Despite technological advances, pain management post-stroke remains limited. To date, hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) has an 80-84% prevalence in the United States in post-stroke patients. Non-invasive treatments such as extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and pulsed radio frequency (PRF) are commonly used modalities to manage HSP. Given this information, it is important to assess the efficacy of different interventions in order to efficiently manage pain in this patient population. To date there are no systematic reviews or meta-analyses comparing the efficacy of ESWT to PFR on hemiplegic shoulder pain in post-stroke patients.

Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses the efficacy of ESWT or PRF in reducing hemiplegic shoulder pain post-stroke, 1 month post-treatment.

Methods: The systematic review and meta-analysis followed the 2020 PRISMA guidelines. Five online databases (Pubmed, Embase, Web Of Science, Scopus, Cochrane) were screened. The analysis included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective studies that reported 4-week visual analogue scale (VAS) or numerical rating scale (NRS) scores of hemiplegic shoulder pain in stroke patients. 7 studies were included in the final analysis, yielding a total of 84 distinct patient evaluations.

Results: VAS scores between the two groups revealed that ESWT is more efficient at decreasing hemiplegic shoulder pain than PRF at 4 weeks post-treatment. The results analyzed are both statistically significant (p = 0.03) and clinically significant (difference of Cohen’s d = 2.78, 95% CI 1.33 - 4.24).

Conclusion: ESWT is more successful at treating hemiplegic shoulder pain in post-stroke patients, at the 4-week time point assessed in this analysis. Although PRF still portrays a benefit in pain reduction in this population of patients, ESWT showed larger improvements in pain perception as measured using the VAS/NRS scales. Future RCTs comparing the use of ESWT to a placebo in larger sample sizes over a greater time period would be beneficial in solidifying our findings for clinical use.
Social Media Addiction Affecting Mental Health of College Women
Authors: Rajkumar Praneetha , Shamilov Don D. , Lo David F.
Published: December 2024

In our digital society, many teenagers and young adults use the many forms of social media, which are applications that enable users to create, share, and view content. Addiction to sites such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat is a rising concern due to the impact it has on the mental health of young women, particularly those aged 18-25. Addiction can result in spending an unreasonable amount of time on social media, being overly preoccupied with social media content, or having day-to-day activities that revolve around social media usage. Different sources of data were reviewed to understand why mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem are common among those who are heavy social media users. Gaining a better understanding of why addiction to social media creates issues for college women allows for the opportunity to develop possible solutions that could improve the well-being of those affected.
Inclusão social e políticas públicas na relação catadores de recicláveis e reutilizáveis e administração pública
Authors: Galdino Larissa , Lisie Cláudio Ribeiro Victoria , Carneiro de Moraes Bárbara , Dutra Franco Loren , Alvarez Saraiva Marize
Published: December 2024

Este estudo tem como escopo abordar a inclusão social e as políticas públicas na relação entre catadores de recicláveis e a administração pública, analisando o papel do poder público no incentivo à reciclagem e apoio aos catadores. Destacou-se o meio ambiente como uma garantia constitucional e a responsabilidade do Estado em desenvolver políticas públicas que garantam esse direito. A metodologia utilizada foi pesquisa bibliográfica, legislativa, análise de artigos, dados técnicos e matérias jornalísticas, onde se analisou a importância da coleta seletiva na proteção ambiental e o papel da administração pública em criar mecanismos de apoio aos catadores, como infraestrutura apropriada e subsídios para cooperativas. Averiguou-se parcerias municipais entre catadores e prefeituras para efetivar políticas públicas nacionais. O objetivo geral é identificar ações estatais no intuito de implementar, efetivamente, a legislação existente e promover os direitos dos catadores, visando superar obstáculos e melhorar a qualidade de trabalho. Dentre as principais conclusões, constatou-se que a aplicação prática da legislação ainda é parcialmente insuficiente, com os catadores, não raras vezes, em estágio de vulnerabilidade. Conclui-se que uma ação integrada entre os diferentes níveis de governo é essencial, incluindo a realização de um censo demográfico para avaliar as condições dos catadores e promover estruturas de trabalho adequadas. Outrossim, a conscientização sobre a importância da reciclagem é crucial para facilitar o trabalho dos catadores e aumentar a oferta de materiais recicláveis, bem como, o incentivo à associação dos catadores em cooperativas, centralizando e fortalecendo suas atividades, para viabilizar as parcerias com empresas privadas e otimizar a gestão dos resíduos sólidos.
РАЗРАБОТКА КОНСТРУКЦИИ МНОГОДИАПАЗОННОЙ ДИСКОНУСНОЙ АНТЕННЫ
Authors: Қойшыбай С. , Мейрамбекұлы Н. , Кулакаева А. , Кожахметова Б. , Булин А.
Published: December 2024

В данной статье представлена разработка дисконусной антенны, работающей в диапазоне частот от 90 до 500 МГц. Дисконусные антенны представляют собой особый тип антенн, который может обеспечивать работу в широкой полосе частот, что является одним из важных требований, предъявляемых к современным антенным системам. В работе представлены результаты исследований по разработке различных конструкций дисконусных антенн, направленных на улучшение широкополосных характеристик, коэффициента стоячей волны по напряжению и их применения в различных областях, включая системы связи и радары. Разработанная конструкция антенны модифицирована, в которой дисковая и конусообразная части выполнены из тонких медных проволок. Кроме того, конструкция данной дисконусной антенны выполнена из биметалла (медь и сталь), которая сочетает в себе высокую проводимость и механическую прочность, повышая надежность и долговечность антенны. Также в работе приведены необходимые материалы для изготовления антенны и результаты экспериментальных измерений основных параметров дисконусной антенны, такие как коэффициент стоячей волны, коэффициент отражения S11, диаграмма Смитта. Для проведения экспериментальных измерений использовался анализатор спектра Rohde & Schwarz FPC1500. Работоспособность антенны продемонстрирована на коллективной радиостанции UN9GWA АО «Международного университета информационных технологий» в реальных условиях радиосвязи.
Samofinansowanie się Kościoła z majątku własnego i asygnaty podatkowej
Authors: Kaleta Paweł
Published: December 2024

Celem prezentowanych badań była próba odpowiedzi na pytanie, czy Kościół oraz inne związki wyznaniowe są zdolne do samofinansowania się. Analiza norm prawa polskiego wskazuje na samofinansowanie z majątku własnego. Natomiast literatura prawa wyznaniowego wskazuje odmienną jej interpretację – na zdolności do samofinansowania się Kościoła z desygnacji podatkowej. Zagadnienie to wpisuje się w dyskusję na temat szukania nowych form finansowania się Kościoła i związków wyznaniowych we współczesnym świecie. Nie oznacza to jednak, że terminem tym można posługiwać się arbitralnie, jedynie w celu dostosowania do z góry przyjętych zamierzeń. Wartością zrealizowanych badań jest identyfikacja czynników warunkujących samofinansowanie w odniesieniu własnego majątku i desygnaty podatkowej. Jednakże żadna z tych przesłanek nie daje Kościołowi niezależności finansowej w pełnieniu swej misji.
The Role of Interior and Exterior Design Quality in Public Acceptance of Shared Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Chen Han , Kuo Jo-Yu
Published: December 2024

Shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) present a new challenge for design engineers and policymakers aiming to enhance urban mobility and achieve sustainability. Despite the growing interest in SAVs, the role of vehicle design in their adoption remains understudied. This study adopts a transdisciplinary approach, viewing vehicle design as a complex system influenced by various factors such as societal needs and market acceptance. By applying structural equation modelling within the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework, we assess how interior and exterior design elements influence user adoption. A total of 313 valid survey responses were collected for analysis. The results show that both interior and exterior design elements positively influence users’ hedonic motivation, effort expectancy, performance expectancy, and price value. However, safety risks act as barriers to SAV usage, with no clear correlation with perceived design quality. This study also conducted a comparative analysis across gender, driving experience, transportation mode, and anticipated scenarios. Overall, this study provides valuable empirical insights into the role vehicle design plays in shaping user acceptance of SAV services, providing a fresh viewpoint advocating the integration of strategic design elements to expand the potential of urban transportation systems.
Multi-Layered Integration of System Models and Roadmaps for the Implementation of Autonomous Ships
Authors: Nakashima Takuya , Murayama Hideaki , Wada Ryota , Moser Bryan
Published: December 2024

Maritime transport is critical for global and Japanese transportation infrastructure, facing crew and driver limits. Although autonomous ships are expected as a solution to tackle these limitations, the enabling environment, such as regulations, governance, and social acceptance is essential for their implementation along with technology. Industrial roadmaps can guide the design of autonomous ships, aligning user needs with technology. This study proposes a multi-layered approach to clarify the relationship among industrial systems, navigation systems, and component system performance and to design the concept of autonomous vessels and industrial policies in an integrated manner. The industrial model explores the appropriate decision-making set for maritime stakeholders and presents possible introduction roadmaps. The navigation model evaluates the performance of subsystems to achieve safety goals. This comprehensive approach defines the necessary steps for technology realization and supports achieving broader social goals. Future work will focus on validating these models through interactive workshops with decision-makers and expanding simulation scenarios to enhance the realism and practicality of the simulations.
Distributed Additive Manufacturing: A Social Change in Manufacturing
Authors: Gopsill James
Published: December 2024

COVID was an unprecedented event requiring an extreme global response to stem the rate of infection. There was a drastic change in product demand with many nations requesting Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs). The change in demand coupled with lockdown measures exposed the fragility and unresponsiveness of global supply chains resulting in nations competing with one another for supply. Supply was often delayed and insufficient in quantity. Accounts reported it took nearly six months for supply to stabilise. In contrast, Additive Manufacturing (AM) and the ‘Maker’ community thrived in designing and producing products to support society. Through a reflective study analysing COVID test data, this paper shows that the UK’s distributed AM capacity (an estimated 168,000 AM machines distributed across homes, educational settings, offices, and industrial facilities) could have provided the nation with the devices it needed with day-ahead demand forecasting. Government funds would have supported UK AM, reduced the carbon footprint of shipping LFD tests from other nations, manufactured only what was required (25% of PPE was not used) and prevented an estimated 25 swimming pools worth of single use plastic waste. The paper discusses the Social Change and platform required to realise distributed AM as a global supply chain that can support nations in being more resilient, responsive, and sustainable.
XR-CISE: Towards Promoting Physical Activity with Inclusive Virtual Reality Exergaming
Authors: Küntzer Lucas , Rock Georg
Published: December 2024

The metaverse, building on recent advancements in Virtual Reality (VR) technology, will be a significant driver of social change. Impacting how people live their lives and fostering new applications across fields such as entertainment, fitness, and rehabilitation, these technological advancements facilitate higher engagement of users through immersive experiences. In the short-term, this helps users to overcome barriers to physical activity and it promotes lifelong retention of physical and cognitive skills, a fundamental part of healthy ageing. To fulfil this potential, VR technology needs to be able to empower individuals regardless of age, capabilities, and prior VR experience. However, current fitness applications largely target younger users, often overlooking the needs and limitations of older or vulnerable groups. This work, the result of a transdisciplinary collaboration between therapy science, health psychology, and software engineering, introduces a user-centred approach to utilize VR exergaming for promoting physical activity, tailored to individual capabilities and preferences. Our inclusive approach incorporates a comprehensive user model based on static and dynamic ability attributes. These are assessed through questionnaires, sensor data, and a platform for gamified VR fitness tests, such as the presented prototype for reach and mobility. This model allows for personalized recommendations of VR exergames. We showcase several adaptive exergame prototypes that can dynamically adjust challenges based on real-time sensor data, such as heart rate. Addressing inequality in current VR fitness experiences, this work contributes to the broader understanding of VR exergaming to facilitate the development of VR interventions for promoting physical activity among older or vulnerable communities.
The Digital Transformation Competences for Brazilian Automotive Managers: A Transdisciplinary Engineering Approach
Authors: Ribeiro Vagner Batista , Muniz Jr. Jorge , Mosconi Elaine , Nakano Davi
Published: December 2024

New technologies related to Digital Transformation (DT) and the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) modify the way business and productive processes are carried out, generating complex changes for industry and engineering, establishing new tasks and human roles, and interacting with the characteristics of Transdisciplinary. Digital engineering managers play an integrative role by relating and using the organisation’s digital technological knowledge to generate better business results. The characterization of managers’ competences to guide and stimulate value creation in industrial sectors is still not sufficiently investigated and emerges as a critical element for industrial development in the digital age. This research fulfils this gap and aims to rank four types of necessary competences for engineering managers facing the DT/I4.0 in the automotive sector. The methodological approach adopted is quantitative, based on the judgement of engineering managers from the Brazilian automotive sector, which is globally representative in terms of productivity. An Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is applied in the data treatment. Results are based on a sample of 35 interviews from six automotive companies with different levels of complexity in production operations and formal programs for DT/I4.0 implementation. Findings indicate the relative priority for the digital technical, managerial, social, and motivational competences, presenting insights with implications to guide the development of the digital engineering managers.
Supporting Transdisciplinary Research: Combining Design Research with Interactive Research
Authors: Säfsten Kristina , Elgh Fredrik , Stolt Roland , Linneusson Gary , Johansson Joel
Published: December 2024

In this paper, a work procedure developed to support the collaboration and progress in the research project IDEAL – Integrated product and production platforms supporting agile and demand-driven industrial product realisation – is presented and its functionality discussed. The research project involved in total 13 researchers, five manufacturing companies and one software supplier. The research project was organised in four sub-projects, covering various aspects of a joint research question. The project started in April 2020 and ended in January 2024. The work procedure, called the ‘IDEAL work procedure’, was developed based on the overall principles from interactive research combined with the framework for design research methodology (DRM). The developed work procedure provided a structure for the project, connecting the four subprojects, and thereby supported fulfilment of the joint research question. During the research project, the functionality of the ‘IDEAL work procedure’ has been assessed in different ways, both in terms of how it was perceived and to what extent the planned results have been achieved. During the project we have carried out workshops to follow-up on the progress and the work procedure. In addition, follow-up interviews have been conducted with participants from involved companies. The results from the different assessment activities are synthesised and presented in this paper. To expand the applicability of the ‘IDEAL work procedure’, the potential of the procedure to support transdisciplinary research is elaborated on in this paper.
The First Rule of Transition Engineering Is Define the Wicked Problem
Authors: Ahrens Florian , Cherubini Paolo , Boulton Jack , Bartholomew Margaret , Krumdieck Susan
Published: December 2024

Wicked problem refers to a situation with general agreement that change is needed, but with no apparent solutions. Housing affordability, energy poverty, air travel, GDP as a measure of economic prosperity, urban sprawl, landfilling municipal solid waste, fossil fuel and economic growth are wicked problems in most countries. Wicked problems are often neglected in preference for seeking solutions that do not change the unsustainable situation, but rather by making incremental improvements. Transition Engineering research has identified three key reasons why wicked problems defy solutions. Firstly, scientists focus on the harms to people and nature. Warnings of doom take up much of the attention and it is believed that becoming aware is an action. Secondly, the incumbent system resists change, as it is profitable, operating, and a sunk cost. Thirdly, wicked problems are overwhelming, and stifle creative problem solving. The Transition Engineering Wicked Problem Investigation works through a series of discussions focused on a specific place and human need, while considering whole systems and stakeholders. The outcome is the actionable definition of an underlying core issue causing the wicked problem, thus creating the possibility for engineering the transition through net positive initiatives and shift projects. This paper presents the practice-derived Wicked Problem Investigation method and a use case of an investigation workshop with stakeholders. The results show that the Wicked Problem Investigation method can be picked up by transdisciplinary engineers working on engineering the transitions of socio-technological systems, and that stakeholders with wicked problems gain actionable expression of problems.
How to Prevent Short-Term Usage: Clarifying Wearer Requirements Through Model-Based Systems Approach and the Mind-Only School Perspective
Authors: Lung Ka Yi , Niitsuma Masahiro
Published: December 2024

Recent short-term usage-driven consumer behavior in the fashion industry continues to exacerbate environmental challenges. Existing sustainable strategies by brands tend to alleviate the consequences of this behavior rather than address the behavior itself. Therefore, understanding the underlying interactions in consumer decision-making is imperative. However, previous studies on sustainable fashion seem to overlook the mechanisms of the wearer’s non-consciousness and the interconnectedness between wearer and clothing. Broadening this perspective is crucial for a holistic understanding of sustainable consumption. To achieve this, the paper employs a Buddhist Mind-Only school perspective and model-based systems engineering to enable the clarification of the wearer’s genuine requirements for clothing system by analyzing the interactions between clothing, wearer, and the public in the consumer decision-making process. The findings reveal that all perceptions of clothing are processed by wearer’s past experiences and interpreted by themselves rather than seen as they are. Additionally, this paper identifies three wearer requirements, providing long-term value related to self-understanding across past, present, and future. By understanding themselves, wearers can recognize their needs and choose clothing that fulfills their long-term value, thereby extending the lifespan of clothing. Therefore, using mindful clothing education to teach people how to understand their needs when selecting clothing can reduce the environmental burden at the motivational level, serving as a key factor in preventing short-term usage. This paper provides insights for understanding the wearer’s role in driving sustainable consumer behavior, emphasizing that a deeper self-understanding leads to more mindful purchasing decisions, ultimately reducing the environmental impact of consumption.
Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Navigating Digital Twin Adoption
Authors: Tooth James , Tuptuk Nilufer , Watson Jeremy D.M.
Published: December 2024

Digital Twins (DTws) can enhance simulation, modelling, design and decision-making capabilities across (and between) transdisciplinary teams of various engineering disciplines, throughout lifecycles of products or assets of interest. Yet, effective stakeholder collaboration may depend on interoperable models and data, which could be hampered by deviating user requirements or interpretations. Furthermore, security or resilience failures of certain DTws and the assets they represent, such as Critical National Infrastructure, can have severe implications for safety and privacy for users and the wider public. Given the multiplicity of DTws arising from these variations, collation of key sources of commonality, disagreement and uncertainty between stakeholders could support a more coordinated approach. Therefore, this research uses semi-structured interviews to understand the on-the-ground practical context of DTw adoption, gathering views of 23 participants from various disciplines across the public sector, industry and academia. These interviews discuss existing DTw approaches and identify areas for future investigation, relating to: 1) implementation, sectoral needs and user expectations; 2) future trends and emerging synergistic or antagonistic technologies; and 3) context and impacts of IP and liability concerns.
Platform-Enabled Product Realisation Supporting the Green Transition: On the Development of a Research Agenda
Authors: Säfsten Kristina , Elgh Fredrik , Johansen Kerstin , Stolt Roland
Published: December 2024

To achieve relevant research results, collaborative research is deemed essential in several engineering and management disciplines. When the addressed research questions are associated with larger societal challenges the need for collaboration between various actors and disciplines becomes even more urgent. In this paper, the development of a transdisciplinary research initiative aiming at supporting long-term ability for the manufacturing industry to succeed with the green transition, is described. The transdisciplinary research programme ‘GRACE - Green acceleration through integrated and platform-enabled product realisation’ is an eight-year project (4+4 years), involving eleven manufacturing industries and four industrial networks. The research programme GRACE is the result of a close collaboration between industrial partners and academic researcher for almost one year. We have through workshops and various meetings jointly formulated a research agenda, based on eight research issues: (1) requirement specification and management, (2) platform principles and lifecycle strategies on different system levels, (3,4) product design and production solutions supporting circular strategies, (5,6) product and production information management, (7) shared understanding and visions, and (8) knowledge integration, operationalisation and implementation. Based on these research issues, and the priorities among the industrial partners, three initial research projects have been developed. The development of the research programme applied a co-production process, including a distinct pre-project phase. The creation of the transdisciplinary programme GRACE required trust among the involved partners, an open atmosphere, structure, joint understanding among the participants, time to read and think, and some stubbornness.
Inventory Management Model Compromising the Three Trade-Offs in Ordering: Capital Efficiency, Opportunity Cost, and Transportation Cost
Authors: Akashi Kazuma , Sagawa Daishi , Tanaka Kenji
Published: December 2024

With the recent surge in e-commerce, logistics demand has soared, causing driver shortages and reduced transport efficiency. Addressing these challenges requires proactive measures not only from delivery services but also from shippers. Traditionally, shippers have balanced capital efficiency with inventory management opportunity cost. However, escalating transportation costs and increasing environmental regulations are compelling shippers to prioritize transport efficiency. This research introduces comprehensive methodologies comprising three key components: firstly, risk calculation based on demand forecasting with machine learning; secondly, the development of strategies focused on balancing opportunity loss, capital efficiency, and transportation efficiency; and thirdly, the implementation of transportation bundling to optimize transportation efficiency. A case study was conducted involving an e-commerce company to validate these methods. The case study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach in reducing total costs and the importance of aligning strategies with product characteristics. It also shows how transportation bundling increases load efficiency. The study introduces a risk calculation methodology linked to demand forecasting. It also suggests transportation bundling to increase efficiency. Furthermore, it shows that these methods can effectively balance the trade-offs that shippers face in inventory management, specifically between opportunity cost, capital efficiency, and transport efficiency.
Practical Experiment of Inventory Decision Support System for Apparel Practitioners Based on New-Released Product Sales Forecast
Authors: Kanagaki Hinako , Tanaka Kenji
Published: December 2024

Inventory disposal has become a significant global issue, highlighting the critical role of inventory management, sales forecasting, and subsequent production decisions. In practice, determining the order timing is crucial, considering lead time and the order process. Additionally, feedback from the person responsible for ordering is essential for improving the forecasting method. This study conducted a practical experiment testing a sales forecasting method for new-released products, incorporating practitioner knowledge into variables, and utilizing actual order timings. A decision support system for additional production was also implemented. For about nine months, apparel brand order managers utilized the system, providing feedback that suggested directions to improve the model. The forecasting method used pre-clustering and a regression model. Results from the practical experiment confirmed that the proposed method significantly reduced unnecessary additional production compared to decisions solely reliant on the person in charge. The primary contribution of this study lies in its practical demonstration within a real-world industrial setting, with key stakeholders including actual brand order managers, actively engaged with the system and provided valuable feedback, guiding further improvements using a transdisciplinary approach.
Interface Design Through Cultural Substrate—A Transdisciplinary Method
Authors: Méhat Yann , Sagot Sylvain , Deuff Dominique , Ostrosi Egon
Published: December 2024

While the design of user interfaces is a field driven by people of Western origin and culture, most users of IT tools come from much more diverse backgrounds and cultures. This gap can give rise to ergonomic problems in the way interfaces are used. Therefore, numerous studies have highlighted a definite interest in designing a user interface adapted to the specificities of users in low-income countries. Among other things, these specificities are low literacy rates or the high prevalence of local languages. However, while the field of interface design adapted for users in low-income countries has been extensively studied, few studies exist regarding the methodologies behind designing interfaces for low-income contexts, despite the acknowledgment of their potential value. This paper introduces a transdisciplinary framework that strongly focuses on the culture of the end-user and considers the physical and cultural distance, which can be very high, between the persons who develop the product and the target users. The related methodology has been built from learnings gathered by analyzing 173 papers on user computer interface literature for low-income countries. The proposed methodology is highly iterative and allows a thorough study of the culture of the end user before diving into the design work, per se. This proposed methodology will be applied to a money transfer application in Senegal to validate its relevance.
Measures of Diffusion of Innovations: 4GLTE & 5G Telecom Technology
Authors: Tang Victor
Published: December 2024

We tackle the measurement research question of transdisciplinary diffusion of innovations. We use 4GLTE and 5G telecom technologies as specific examples. We present a quantitative framework, methods, and tools to measure and improve the diffusion of innovations. Innovation and creativity are distinct concepts. Creativity remains as mental abstractions before they are transformed into artifacts, viz., innovations. Whereas drawings and models are only proofs of concept, innovations are specific artifacts derived from creative ideas. Innovations diffuse if and only if widely adopted to occupy new places and spaces. Demand-pull and supply-push interactions determine the speed, scale, scope, and extent of diffusion. Though these kinds of synergistic interactions characterize transdisciplinary systems, the literature is conspicuously silent on quantitative tools and measures for the diffusion of innovations. Our Quantitative Innovation Scores (QIS) method can quantitatively measure the intensity of innovation diffusion into new spaces and more places. We do so for 4GLTE and 5G telecom technologies. This case highlights the generalizability of this research.
On the Assessment of People-Related Opportunities in Digitalisation
Authors: Borsato Milton , Lattanzio Susan , Newnes Linda
Published: December 2024

Digitalisation in manufacturing refers to integrating digital technologies and solutions into various aspects of the manufacturing industry. It involves digital tools, data, and automation in projects to optimise and enhance processes, improve productivity, increase efficiency, and enable better decision-making. Effective project risk management encompasses identifying risk factors, analysing their potential impact, and implementing strategies to mitigate, avoid, transfer, or accept risks as appropriate. While risk factors are typically associated with possible negative impacts on a project, they can also present opportunities or advantages that, if properly managed, can lead to positive outcomes or benefits. In this sense, risk factors can be viewed as opportunities rather than solely as threats. Risk factors associated with people in organisations refer to potential issues, challenges, or uncertainties arising from the organisation’s human aspect. Understanding and effectively managing these risk factors are essential for maintaining a productive and positive work environment and achieving organisational goals. The main objective of the present study has been to systematically identify, analyse, and leverage the opportunities arising from the human aspect of the digital transformation process in an organisation. For that, a literature review has been conducted, investigating digitalisation challenges with a transdisciplinary mindset, ultimately leading to recommendations for industrial partners. This assessment aims to proactively create awareness of opportunities associated with the workforce during digitalisation initiatives. Identifying and addressing these factors will enable organisations to maximise the benefits of digitalisation and foster a positive and empowered workforce.
Corporate Organic Growth, Sustainability and Fulfilment of Climate Goals: A Transdisciplinary Approach
Authors: Wollenberg Alexander , Cabrera Lazarini Juan Jose , Cabrera-Lazarini Jose Guadalupe Octavio , Olivares-Rodriguez Gizela Nicol
Published: December 2024

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change establishes guidelines for the performance of companies in relation to emissions reduction, governance, and disclosure through the Climate Action 100+ Net Zero Company Benchmark. As a result, companies in all signatory countries are obliged to reduce their emissions and consumption of non-renewable forms of energy by 2050. Since this agreement affects all industries globally, every company needs to establish their own internal procedures to achieve the established targets. Securing new forms of sustainable energy supply results is a new challenge for companies and additional transaction costs with potential effects on profitability and thus shareholder value. As a method to maintain shareholder value, companies have therefore sought to offset resulting higher costs with organic sales growth. The contribution of this paper is to investigate the link between organic sales growth in a large publicly traded multinational and its implementation of renewable energy policies prioritizing best practices in sustainable value chains, while fulfilling climate goals and the correspondent social impact helping to reduce environmental burden. The stakeholders involved include consumers, companies, government and NGOs. This paper aligns with historical topics of interest to the Transdisciplinary Engineering community, including research and systems analysis, product and process design, decision support tools, and management. In conclusion, this article proposes a transdisciplinary exploration that highlights the shift towards renewable energies in the manufacturing and supply chain processes of consumer goods.
Trade-Offs for a Balanced Smart City: A Transdisciplinary Approach for Quality of Life and Sustainability
Authors: Kulkarni Aparna , Hecht Bruce Allen
Published: December 2024

The world’s urban population is growing and increasing the demand for a more balanced and sustainable city life. According to UN Habitat (United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development), more than half a billion people have been added to the world’s population since the 2015 introduction of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations Agenda 2030. The urgency is rising to take a deeper dive into the characteristics that define a Smart City and how they could be traded-off to ultimately achieve balance in the quality of life and sustainability. Components of a city comprising buildings, transportation, services such as hospitals, educational institutes, economy and commerce - in short, it is the city and its various features that people interact with in a day and the environment that they live in. Experiencing a Smart City and its features for a better quality of life could differ from person to person, for a person from one city to another and from one country to another. This paper builds on standards and models for evaluating characteristics of cities in social, economic and environmental dimensions. The transdisciplinary approach to these trade-offs of a Smart City emphasizes the three factors of well-being, sustainability, and the importance of infrastructure in supporting both for the quality of life. Transdisciplinary trade-offs are considered in the context of the solutions for future cities, making sure that the figures of merit of quality of life are achievable without adversely affecting the sustainability of the environment.
Systems-Theoretic Concept Design: Synchronizing Transdisciplinary Mental Models Across Disparate Stakeholder Views
Authors: Hillman Alexander P. , Leveson Nancy G.
Published: December 2024

The rapid pace of technological change, particularly for engineered systems in the last several decades, has resulted in an explosion in complexity for control-oriented novel, aerospace systems. Traditional approaches to engineering design tend to focus on the inclusion of specific technologies, tacitly ignoring the inherently transdisciplinary nature of the engineering design process. These legacy techniques worked well when the semantic distance between an early concept and its eventual instantiation was much shorter; but the design of today’s aerospace systems demand expertise across multiple engineering disciplines. Systems-Theoretic Concept Design is a new framework for generating early concepts for new aerospace systems for defense and national security applications. Rooted in Systems Theory, STCD extends the principles of Systems-Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP) and the concepts of control and feedback to produce early design artifacts that are both technology- and architecture-agnostic. Through the effective application of abstraction and a novel view of defense systems as contributors to a higher-level portfolio-of-systems policy, a major milestone in STCD is its second phase Synchronization Across Stakeholder Views. This work presents a set of heuristics and feedback elicitation techniques to manage complexity for new systems within an existing portfolio-of-systems with disparate stakeholders from varying engineering disciplines and operational domains. The primary tool for feedback elicitation is a set of transformational black boxes, a set of models that treat each system within the portfolio as a transformation on its operating environment that can be understood purely through its inputs and outputs.
Boundary Objects Supporting Knowledge Integration in Product Realisation – An Assessment Process
Authors: Säfsten Kristina , Wlazlak Paraskeva , Hussmo Daniel
Published: December 2024

A challenge in product realisation, involving several functions and individuals with various specialisation, is knowledge integration. The purpose of this paper is to advance the understanding of how and when boundary objects can enable knowledge integration in a product realisation contex. Examples of possible boundary objects in the context of product realisation are engineering drawings and prototypes. Boundary objects are situational, meaning that an object may function as boundary object in one situation, but not in another. It is therefore essential to understand under what circumstances you can expect an object to function as a boundary object. Based on literature and the results from empirical studies, a four-step process assessing the potential of an object to function as a boundary object in a specific situation was developed. The suggested t’boundary object assessment processt’ can be a way for manufacturing companies to achieve awareness of how, for example, engineering drawings or prototypes can be used to their full potential as boundary objects. Furthermore the ‘boundary object assessment process’ contributes to theory on knowledge integration in product realisation, through the compilation of existing but fragmented evidence on boundary object applications. In addition, boundary objects have the potential to integrate knowledge between disciplines, i.e., supporting transdisciplinary work, and through the suggested t’boundary object assessment processt’ the possibility to succeed with this may increase.
Extended Reality Methods for Transdisciplinary Asynchronous Engineering
Authors: Mayer Anjela , Ovtcharova Jivka , Chardonnet Jean-Rémy , Amann Sebastian , Beisheim Nicolai , Jiang Xianbiao
Published: December 2024

In the evolving landscape of engineering collaboration, Extended Reality (XR) demonstrates transformative potential for transdisciplinary work. XR approaches are promising in enhancing flexibility and efficiency in diverse, global work settings by facilitating remote and asynchronous collaboration. This paper introduces XR methods designed to address challenges such as communication gaps and project misalignment in asynchronous collaboration. Building upon our previous work, which introduced Avatar Replay for non-present users, this paper presents an extension that enables interaction with these users through their avatars. This development promotes a more dynamic and responsive approach to asynchronous collaboration. Additionally, the paper shares insights from a test scenario using a Head-Mounted Display (HMD) with an improved prototype in a transdisciplinary guidance scenario. The findings of this research highlight the significant potential of XR in enhancing collaboration and understanding across disciplines, particularly in asynchronous collaboration between experts and non- experts in the engineering domain. This enhanced interaction across realities not only promises increased societal acceptance of immersive technologies but also signifies a transformative shift in the way we work together, seamlessly blending virtual and real-life interactions.
Lessons Learned from International Business to Benefit the Practice of Transdisciplinary Engineering
Authors: Trigos Federico , Armando Eduardo
Published: December 2024

The transdisciplinary approach revolutionises engineering by re-framing its work to include stakeholders’ needs and requirements to solve complex problems. Solution teams often benefit from quantitative and non-quantitative disciplines in the process. They face challenges, including different thinking processes, notation, and professional culture. International businesspeople are used to dealing with other political systems, laws, cultures, and languages. This paper describes how such practitioners deal with these challenges and compares their practice with the needs of transdisciplinary engineering work. The contribution of this paper is twofold: a) a literature review of international business executive skills proven necessary for successful practitioners, and b) a transdisciplinary framework to aid engineers in identifying skills required to carry out successful transdisciplinary projects. This research aims to focus transdisciplinary engineering teams on the executive skills required to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their work.
Integrated preservice pediatric team education: The Transteam	experience
Authors: Vogtle Laura K.
Published: December 2024

The need for interdisciplinary preservice educational programs for professionals serving infants and young children has been well-established. Physical and occupational therapy education, however, provides entry-level education to prepare clinicians for practice as generalists. Requirements of accrediting agencies and focus on licensure examination pass rates as evidence of program efficacy support this generalist focus, in spite of the fact that significant numbers of both disciplines practice in pediatric settings. In addition, education to develop skills as a member of a professional team is lacking from most curricula.

This paper describes an interdisciplinary preservice education program funded by the Department of Education. Professions included were nursing, early childhood education, early childhood special education, and occupational and physical therapy. The program consisted of a two semester course sequence plus fieldwork experiences in team-based settings for children. The curriculum was based on competencies in early intervention and inclusive education practices, transdisciplinary team skills, and evidence-based practice. Outcome asssessment demonstrated significant changes in students' knowledge related to program objectives from the start of the program to the end. Such programs demonstrate it is feasible to integrate specialty knowledge into the entry level curriculum for occupational and physical therapists.
The role of pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in the	national Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND)	program: The Virginia experience
Authors: Wunderlich Colleen A. , Pariseau Crystal , Willis Janet H. , Reddy Madhavi , Bodurtha Joann
Published: December 2024

This article describes the role of pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (pediatric PM&R) in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program. It provides an overview of the LEND program and the field of pediatric rehabilitation, details the scope and resources of the national LEND network, and describes the role of pediatric PM&R within the Virginia LEND (Va-LEND) program. Emphasis is placed on the natural fit of pediatric rehabilitation within the LEND program in order to encourage others in the field to become involved in their own state or regional LEND program.