bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact Fracture Behaviour of Powder Metallurgy Steels Sintered at Different Temperatures
Authors: Hojati Milad , Gierl-Mayer Christian , Danninger Herbert 
Published: January 2024

AbstractFor powder metallurgy steels prepared through the press-and-sinter route, interparticle bonding is the most decisive feature defining the mechanical properties. It depends on the compacting pressure, but predominantly on the sintering conditions, mainly the sintering temperature. In the present contribution, the progressive strengthening of the sintering necks with increasing temperature is shown by fractography for plain carbon steels as well as alloyed grades. For sintered steels, in contrast to wrought steels, the appearance of cleavage fracture is rather a positive sign, indicating pronounced interparticle strength as attained at high sintering temperatures. At lower temperatures, in contrast, localised failure of the sintering necks typically occurs as ductile rupture, but with rather low consumed energy. Alloy elements with a high oxygen affinity introduced by prealloying retard formation of sound sintering bridges up to temperatures at which carbothermal reduction of the surface oxides becomes possible, while admixing such elements through suitable masteralloys yields attractive interparticle strength already at standard belt furnace temperatures of 1120 °C.
The impact of visual and auditory distractions on the performance of neurodiverse students in virtual reality (VR) environments
Authors: Dahlstrom-Hakki Ibrahim , Alstad Zachary , Asbell-Clarke Jodi , Edwards Teon 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAmbient environmental stimuli may impact how a student is or is not able to apply themselves in cognitive and educational tasks. For neurodivergent learners, these barriers can be compounded as they may be more likely to attend to task-irrelevant ambient noise. The affordances of new systems, such as virtual reality (VR), could be useful for allowing neurodivergent students more deliberate control over what information they experience and what information they do not. This study seeks to explore the dynamics of attention in VR environments. To address this, participants were asked to perform a number of visual search tasks in VR to assess the impact of both visual and auditory distractions on speed and accuracy markers. Results indicate a differential impact of background noise on the performance of neurotypical and neurodivergent participants. Potential benefits to neurodiverse populations and design recommendations in this emerging space are discussed.
Using Spielraum for a Normative Definition of Politics: Obama’s Play Politics and Trump’s Asceticism
Authors: Chouraqui Frank , Korsten Frans-Willem 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe terms “politics” and “political” have become so overdetermined that it is difficult to use them in any effective manner. We argue that this has dangerous political consequences, and that this could be addressed by providing a new, sounder, notion of politics. This paper argues that defining politics in relation to the notion of play can provide a notion both intuitively appealing and able to withstand the problematic overdeterminations. We argue that politics is the set of practices through which the indeterminate of Spielraum is made more determinate. This suggests that politics is always partly a matter of play: it is about instituting values without making any claims about the legitimacy of this instituting act. With reference to Huizinga and Nietzsche’s analyses of play, we define play as the living unity of seriousness and frivolity, and non-play as either seriousness without frivolity or frivolity without seriousness. In order to illustrate this, we comparatively analyse the attitudes of Barack Obama and Donald Trump in the single context of the well-known yearly White House Correspondent’s Dinner. There, we see two opposed attitudes to playfulness. Our analysis allows us to apply our Spielraum model of politics to show that the thrust of Obama’s attitude involves an embrace of the non-foundational nature of politics as play, whereas Trump’s attitude is politicidal: it is animated by a refusal to acknowledge its own lack of foundation, leading to an oscillation between over-seriousness and over-frivolity.
Reference Correlations for the Density and Thermal Conductivity, and Review of the Viscosity Measurements, of Liquid Titanium, Zirconium, Hafnium, Vanadium, Niobium, Tantalum, Chromium, Molybdenum, and Tungsten
Authors: Ntonti Eleftheria , Sotiriadou Sofia , Assael Marc J. , Huber Marcia L. , Wilthan Boris , Watanabe Manabu 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe available experimental data for the density, thermal conductivity, and viscosity of liquid titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten have been critically examined with the intention of establishing reference correlations. All experimental data have been categorized into primary and secondary data according to the quality of measurement, the technique employed, and the presentation of the data, as specified by a series of criteria. In the case of the density, new reference correlations are proposed for liquid titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten, characterized by an expanded uncertainty (95 %) of 2.0 %, 2.1 %, 1.9 %, 2.2 %, 2.4 %, 2.6 %, 3.2 %, 2.1 %, and 4.1 %, respectively. The thermal conductivity reference correlations for the aforementioned liquid metals, except liquid chromium, are characterized by an expanded uncertainty (95 %) of 14.3 %, 8.4 %, 6.1 %, 11.4 %, 7.6 %, 4.0 %, 4.6 %, and 5.1 %, respectively. Finally, in the case of the viscosity, a review of the available literature shows very large deviations between data from authors for liquid titanium and zirconium, as well as a lack of measurements for the remaining melts. Hence, it is not justified to propose any kind of correlation for those cases.
Translation and Psychometric Evaluation of the University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging Scale (UJACAS) for Use in Sweden
Authors: Nordeström Frida , Slaug Björn , Zingmark Magnus , Granbom Marianne , Rantanen Taina , Iwarsson Susanne 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe objectives were to translate the University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging Scale (UJACAS) to Swedish, to establish semantic equivalence and evaluate psychometric properties for use among persons 55 years and older in Sweden. The UJACAS contains 17 items to be self-assessed regarding goals, abilities, opportunity, and activity. Psychometric properties content validity, data quality including floor and ceiling effects, test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity were evaluated with different samples in three phases, using state-of-the-art statistics. After translating and establishing semantic equivalence, content validity was assessed as high. With ICC = 0.88 (95% CI 0.80–0.93) test-retest reliability was moderate. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach alpha = 0.84–0.91), and 84% of the questions reached the cut-off value of 0.3 for corrected item-total correlation. Construct validity hypotheses were confirmed. Results indicate that the UJACAS is reliable and valid for use among persons 55 and older in Sweden.
Military Perspectives on the Provision of Spiritual Care in the Australian Defence Force: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Best Megan C. , Leach Katie Tunks , Layson Mark , Carey Lindsay B. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractA module to explore perspectives on chaplaincy services was included in an online enterprise survey randomly distributed to members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) during 2021. Up to eight questions were answered by 2783 active military personnel relating to their perception of chaplain activities and the impact of chaplaincy services. Of those military participants answering the question on religious status (n = 1116), a total of 71.6% (n = 799) of respondents identified as non-religious while 28.4% (n = 317) identified as holding a religious affiliation. Approximately 44.2% (n = 1230) of participants had sought support from a chaplain, of which 85.3% (n = 1049) found chaplaincy care to be satisfactory or very satisfactory. While the data suggest there is a lack of clarity around the multiple roles undertaken by chaplaincy, nevertheless respondents were just as likely to prefer chaplains for personal support (24.0%), as they were to seek help from non-chaplaincy personnel such as a non-ADF counsellor (23.2%), their workplace supervisor (23.1%) or a psychologist (21.8%). This evidence affirms that the spiritual care provided by military chaplaincy remains one of several preferred choices and thus a valued part of the holistic care provided by the ADF to support the health and wellbeing of its members.
The Cross-Border Change of Legal form as an Alternative to Transnational Mergers? A Comparative Study
Authors: Kollruss Thomas 
Published: January 2024

AbstractIn the area of business law and enterprises, the internationalization of business activities and the transnational choice of legal form is playing an increasingly important role. This is especially true in times of globalization and a common internal market within the European Union (EU). Consequently, companies are increasingly confronted with legal questions of cross-border choice of legal form and transformations. Here, the cross-border change of legal form can offer an alternative to a merger. Compared to mergers, the cross-border change of legal form of corporations within the EU/EEA is easier to carry out and more flexible. This study introduces the concept and the functioning of the cross-border change of legal form, and elaborates its potential and its limitations in comparison to transnational mergers. The cross-border change of legal form offers a new possibility of transnational reorganization. This article provides the theoretical and legal basis and supports the decision-making in transnational conversions, in which cases a cross-border change of legal form and in which cases a transnational merger should be carried out.
An Exploration into People with Disabilities’ Access to Sex, Sexuality, and Sex Education in South Africa
Authors: Neille Joanne , McEwen Haley , de Andrade Victor 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Introduction
The needs of people living with disabilities regarding sex and sexual health remain largely neglected. Knowledge and resources about disabled sexuality have emerged mainly from the global north and have centered on heteronormative ideas about sex, gender, and sexuality.

Methods
An affirmative, sex positive, queer, and intersectional exploration was undertaken of the experiences and needs a group of adults with disabilities living in Gauteng, South Africa in relation to accessing information about sex, sexuality, and sexual health. Interviews were conducted with people of diverse disabilities, language groups, and cultural backgrounds. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results
The participants revealed that sexual encounters, relationships, and dating were infused with negative experiences related to lack of understanding about sex, internalized ableism, exploitation, and physical, sexual, and emotional abuse resulting from societal stigma and ignorance regarding disability. Participants offered suggestions for how their needs could be addressed.

Conclusion
Our study concludes that the denial of sexual rights is a central element of the broader forms of social exclusion that people with disabilities. In South Africa, many of these forms of exclusion have been compounded by the legacy of apartheid, and the persistence of racial inequality, taboos about sex, and stigmas associated with disability.
The sparse dynamic factor model: a regularised quasi-maximum likelihood approach
Authors: Mosley Luke , Chan Tak-Shing T. , Gibberd Alex 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe concepts of sparsity, and regularised estimation, have proven useful in many high-dimensional statistical applications. Dynamic factor models (DFMs) provide a parsimonious approach to modelling high-dimensional time series, however, it is often hard to interpret the meaning of the latent factors. This paper formally introduces a class of sparse DFMs whereby the loading matrices are constrained to have few non-zero entries, thus increasing interpretability of factors. We present a regularised M-estimator for the model parameters, and construct an efficient expectation maximisation algorithm to enable estimation. Synthetic experiments demonstrate consistency in terms of estimating the loading structure, and superior predictive performance where a low-rank factor structure may be appropriate. The utility of the method is further illustrated in an application forecasting electricity consumption across a large set of smart meters.
Ureterocalicostomy for complex upper ureteral stricture: a narrative review of the current literature
Authors: Xie Bin , Wang Xuefeng , Zeng Xin , Xie Lingyu , Zeng Zhicheng , Xu Hui 
Published: January 2024

AbstractUpper ureteral stricture is a relatively rare but increasingly encountered condition in clinical practice. While simple stricture can often be addressed through endoluminal treatment or surgical reconstruction, complex upper ureteral stricture poses challenges, particularly in patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) or perirenal pelvic fibrosis and scarring resulting from previous surgeries. These cases present difficulties for traditional endoluminal and ureteral reconstruction treatments, posing a significant problem for many clinical surgeons. Our study involved a thorough search and comprehensive analysis of the existing literature on Ureterocalicostomy (UC). The literature indicates that UC is a safe and effective treatment for ureteral stenosis. By resecting the renal lower pole parenchyma, it is possible to achieve mucosal anastomosis between the calyceal and ureteral mucosa, leading to the restoration of normal urinary excretion. This technique has emerged as an alternative for treating complex upper ureteral strictures. However, there is a lack of direct comparative studies between open surgery and minimally invasive surgery. Our findings revealed a scarcity of relevant review documents, with most being case reports or retrospective studies conducted in single centers with small sample sizes. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct large-scale, multicenter prospective studies and long-term follow-up to validate the long-term efficacy of UC. This article reviews the development history of UC and focuses on a comprehensive discussion of its indications, surgical techniques, and complications.
MNCs’ Intermediate Units and Their Choice of Control Mechanisms
Authors: Dasí Àngels , Pedersen Torben , Pla-Barber José 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThis paper analyzes how MNCs’ intermediate units—those that exercise authority over other subsidiaries—apply specific control mechanisms: centralization, formalization, outcome control, and socialization. We combine agency and network theory to explain how intermediate units’ dual agency role—as both principal and agent— and their network embeddedness form the choice of control mechanisms. More specifically, we propose hypotheses on how the intermediate units’ internal and external relationships determine their choice of control mechanism. We study this issue in the context of Spanish intermediate units —owned by European MNCs— that exercise authority over subsidiaries in Latin America.
Characteristics of Veterans Experiencing Homelessness using Telehealth for Primary Care Before and After COVID-19 Pandemic Onset
Authors: Leung Lucinda B. , Zhang Eunice , Chu Karen , Yoo Caroline , Gabrielian Sonya , Der-Martirosian Claudia 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic expanded telehealth use across healthcare systems, including the Veterans Health Administration (VA). Little is known about how large-scale telehealth rollout affected access to primary care for patients experiencing homelessness.

Objective
To examine the extent to which homeless-experienced veterans used telehealth services in primary care and to characterize users before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design
Retrospective cohort study, 3/16/2019–3/15/2022.

Participants
394,731 veterans with homelessness diagnoses nationally using 4,068,109 primary care visits.

Main Measures
The outcomes were use of 1 + telehealth visits (video, phone, secure messaging) for primary care during each year. Through multivariable regression models, we examined associations between telehealth use, patient characteristics (e.g., age, sex, race-ethnicity, comorbidity), and VA homeless services use (e.g., homeless-tailored primary care (HPACT), permanent supportive housing).

Key Results
Compared to pre-pandemic, telehealth in primary care among homeless-experienced veterans increased substantially 2 years post-pandemic (video: 1.37% versus 20.56%, phone: 60.74% versus 76.58%). Secure messaging was low over time (1.57–2.63%). In adjusted models, video users were more likely to be young (65 + years: OR = 0.43, CI: 0.42–0.44), women (OR = 1.74, CI: 1.70–1.78), Black (OR = 1.14, CI: 1.12–1.16), Hispanic (OR = 1.34, CI: 1.30–1.38), and with more comorbidities (2 + on the Charlson Comorbidity Index; OR = 1.16, CI: 1.14–1.19), compared to video non-users. HPACT patients were less likely to use video (OR = 0.68, CI: 0.66–0.71) than other primary care patients. This was not observed among users of other VA homeless services.

Conclusions
Despite decreased access to health information technology and low pre-pandemic telehealth use, veterans experiencing homelessness still sustained high use of telehealth in primary care post-pandemic. Women and racial-ethnic minorities had higher video uptake proportionately, suggesting that telehealth may address access disparities among these homeless-experienced patient groups. Identifying and targeting organizational characteristics (e.g., HPACT users) that predict telehealth use for improvement may be key to increasing adoption among VA primary care patients experiencing homelessness.
Subtleties and differences of managing ICU patients across South Africa, Australia and UK
Authors: Wise Robert , Whittaker Rebecca , Garside Tessa 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Purpose of Review
Sepsis remains one of the greatest global healthcare burdens, with an estimated greater mortality rate from sepsis in Africa. The increasing global financial, social, and political strain of the twenty-first century has created new challenges when trying to tackle this problem. We aim to compare the differences in the management of sepsis in three countries (Australia, the UK, and South Africa) that face distinctly different challenges.

Recent Findings
The Surviving Sepsis Guidelines attempted to provide a good standard of care with bundles to help initiate early appropriate treatment. These bundles of care appear to improve outcomes when implemented early; however, data from Africa is lacking. There are several barriers to the implementation of guidelines, and resource-limited environments face additional challenges of staff shortages, lack of equipment and medication, and clinical pressure with increased strain capacity.

Summary
Australia, the UK, and South Africa have both shared and different obstacles when addressing the burden of sepsis. Solutions for the African environment may differ from more well-resourced environments, and global cooperation and innovation will be necessary to tackle sepsis across these continents. There is an urgent need for data from the African continent to understand the burden of sepsis and to help plan and strategize potential solutions.
Phase Separation through Screen Channel Liquid Acquisition Devices in Microgravity
Authors: Shukla Prithvi , Dreyer Michael E. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractTo enable future deep space exploration, orbital refueling of spacecraft is essential. However, transferring liquid in a microgravity environment is a complex process dependent on various factors. One of the basic and critical tasks is to separate phases to allow the supply of gas-free liquid from one tank to another. For this purpose, a liquid acquisition device is essential. In this work, a screen channel liquid acquisition device was designed and used to investigate phase separation and liquid removal from an experiment tank in a microgravity environment. The experiments were performed using the drop tower facility at the University of Bremen, with HFE-7500 as the test liquid under isothermal conditions. This investigation explored the interdependent effects of various phenomena, including the reorientation of liquid in the tank, capillary rise between parallel plates, flow through screen pressure variation, and bubble point breakthrough. Under subcritical conditions, the SC-LAD was found to supply gas-free liquid at the outlet, as long as the pressure drop across the screen was lower than the bubble point threshold. At the critical point, the screen started to ingest bubbles, resulting in a sharp peak in the differential pressure signal. The wetted area of the screen was obtained by analyzing images captured with a high-speed camera and used to calculate the analytical pressure drop. The experimental results were compared with the analytical solution and discussed in detail.
A qualitative exploration of young female Muslims’ perspectives of abortion and belonging following the 2018 Irish Abortion Referendum
Authors: Agha Yumna , Gaynor Keith 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Introduction
In 2018, Ireland conducted a referendum, ultimately supporting the legalisation of abortion. The views of religious minority groups can go unheard ‘by an insensitive majority’ in national cultural debates. This study explores female Muslim Irish university students’ perspectives on abortion and the impact of the 2018 Irish abortion debate on their sense of belonging within Ireland.

Methods
Ten female Muslim university students completed semi-structured interviews. The interview comprised seven open-ended questions examining perspectives on abortion and a sense of national belonging. A thematic analysis was carried out on the data.

Results
Six major themes emerged: (1) specific circumstances, (2) Islam, (3) family, (4) misuse of new laws, (5) stable sense of national belonging, (6) consequences of historical abortion legislation. Participants were largely supportive of the legal changes. Participants indicated that their sense of national belonging might have been affected if their religious beliefs had conflicted with the referendum outcome.

Conclusions
Participants largely supported the legalisation of abortion in Ireland, provided that the new laws aligned with their Islamic beliefs. The research indicated the referendum did not affect young Muslim women’s sense of belonging in Ireland.

Policy Implications
Many national debates on social issues focus on winning majority support. This research highlighted the importance of canvasing and reflecting on the perspectives of people from minorities in order to reinforce a sense of larger political belonging.