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Midwifery students and preceptors shared experiences of practice assessment: A qualitative descriptive study
No full textBackground: Practice placement is a vital part of midwifery programs, enabling students to develop competence in caring for women and their babies under the supervision of preceptor midwives, who assess clinical skills while managing complex caseloads. Midwifery students and preceptor midwives are however contending with significant changes within the practice environment. These include changes to routes of entry to midwifery programmes, a move to a competency-based approach to assessment and increasing complexity of care required for women and their babies. Aim: To examine the experiences of midwifery students and preceptor midwives with clinical assessment in an Irish university during a period of significant transformation in midwifery education and practice. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used to interview students (n = 32) and preceptors (n = 29). Data were analysed using content analysis. Results: Within an overarching theme of ‘the context of assessment in practice’, students and preceptors reported some commonalities in their experiences of practice assessment. A clear process of assessment was valued by participants, however, lack of continuity of preceptor and resource deficits, including inadequate staffing levels, affected this process. Preceptors and students highlighted the importance of support for practice assessment. Conclusion: The findings emphasise the critical importance of the context of the practice environment in shaping stakeholders’ experiences and is unique in eliciting the views of preceptors and students simultaneously. While resourcing midwifery services is essential, it must also encompass the resourcing of preceptorship, as safe practice depends on robust student assessment. Preceptors and students are supported in assessment by an explicit assessment process yet there are opportunities to further bolster supports, contributing to a quality practice learning environment for all. These insights hold significance for midwifery education and other practice-based professions.</p
Human murmuration: Group polarisation as compression in interaction-language dynamics captured by large language models
No full textNew technologies enable a social psychology that sees individuals and society as co-constitutive elements of a complex system. Using the metaphor of a murmuration—a loosely organized, locally responsive flock—this paper proposes a “science of movement” focused on trajectories of individual activity within evolving social interactions and language. We illustrate human murmuration by reviewing research on group polarization, showing how conversational joint action shapes opinion and identity. Language evolves in this process, becoming a tool for differentiation through strategic bias articulation. Polarization is understood as compression in the social information system— the medium of human murmuration. We explore how compression, bias and identity appear in large language models, reflecting the dynamic process of human thinking and activity. The paper concludes with a manifesto for social psychology, outlining directions for research that can leverage emerging meth?ods to realize the discipline’s potential in the age of complex systems and computational tools.</p
Investigation of mechanical and physical properties of chemically foamed Polylactic acid for the purpose of plant growth
No full textThis study was to investigate the mechanical and physical properties of chemically foamed Polylactic acid (PLA) for the purpose of plant growth in horticulture. PLA is a biodegradable polymer that shows promising suitability in varied fields by incorporating certain chemical foaming agents (CFA). For this study, we blended PLA with varied CFA concentrations using hot melt extrusion (HME) and then characterized the batches of PLA/CFA blends to optimize plant growth. The conducted studies (i.e., density, water holding content (WHC), foam expansion, porosity, and air-filled porosity (AFP) demonstrated that the addition of CFAcould improve the structural properties of PLAand support plant growth by enhancing water retention based on the porous structure in the finalized blends. In addition, a saturation point can be observed beyond which the additional CFA has no significant effect on the density, porosity, or water-holding capacity of the PLA matrix. Regarding the mechanical performance, a negative impact of CFA concentration can be seen, where the tensile strength reduced from 32.61 MPa to 15 MPa, and Young’s modulus decreased from 0.792 GPa to 0.365 GPa for the finalized blends. In addition, an elevated potential of Hydrogen (pH) value can be seen based on the increasing CFA concentrations, where a pH7 can be found in the 0 wt% and a pH8.4 can be found in the 50 wt% CFA. This high pH value decreases the mineral nutrients and, therefore, a growth inhibition can be seen. Overall, this study advances the understanding of foamed PLA as a potential alternative to peat as a growing media and lays a foundation in sustainable plant growth substrate, including a substituted foaming agent such as critical CO2 extrusion and an addition of a controlled-release fertilizer to promote the effectiveness of PLA matrix.</p
Dense Coconut oil-in-water (CO-Water) emulsification via a vortex-based cavitation device
No full textIn this study, a vortex-based hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) device was used to produce coconut oil-in-water (CO-water) emulsions. Emulsions were produced at 200 kPa and 25 °C with coconut oil (CO) volume fractions (αo) of 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, and 0.60. The influence of the CO volume fraction on the droplet size distribution (DSD), Sauter mean diameter (d32), other characteristic diameters, and droplet breakage efficiency (η) was investigated. To examine the influence of dispersed-phase properties, the DSD profiles of CO-water were compared with rapeseed oil-in-water (RO-water) emulsions. This study validates the application of a turbidity-based method for estimating droplet size (d32) in CO-water emulsions, demonstrating its potential for real-time process monitoring.</p
Advances in leaf plant bioactive compounds: modulation of chronic inflammation related to obesity
No full textOver the years, there has been a tendency for an increase in global obesity. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2024 report states that in 2019, more than one billion people were obese, and this condition was responsible for five million deaths, being that obesity is more prevalent among adults compared to adolescents and children. Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by alterations in adipose tissue. When excessive food is consumed and energy expenditure is low, adipose tissue undergoes hypertrophy and hyperplasia. This process activates B cells and induces the transition of anti-inflammatory M2-like macrophages into pro-inflammatory M1-like macrophages. B cells, acting as inflammatory mediators, stimulate pro-inflammatory CD8+ T cells, and promote macrophage infiltration into tissues. This condition triggers inflammation, increases oxidative stress, and ultimately leads to cellular death. During inflammation, an increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines occurs along with a decrease of anti-inflammatory cytokines. By contrast, the increase of oxidative stress is related to an increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidation of biomolecules, and a decrease in antioxidants. This mechanism for obesity can be mitigated through several healthy lifestyle changes, primarily including regular physical activity and healthy eating. These factors help reduce pro-inflammatory mediators and ROS, lowering inflammation and oxidative stress. There-fore, this review article focuses on studying the bioactive compounds present in the edible leaves of Annona cherimola Mill., Ipomoea batata (L.) Poir., Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, Eriobotrya japonica, Cymbopogon citratus, Psidium guajava (L.), and Smallanthus sonchifolius to evaluate their effects on the mechanisms involved in obesity.</p
Early athletic identity formation and development: perceptions of elite Gaelic athletes
No full textBackground/Objectives: Athletic identity (AI) is an important part of an elite athlete’s self-concept and can positively impact sports performance, but over-emphasis can lead to potentially negative outcomes. Identity theory suggests that identity is shaped by individuals’ roles, group affiliations, self-perceptions, and important changes in personal circumstances. Athlete transitions are changes that occur in an athletes’ athletic and/or non-athletic circumstances, which can impact identity development. Using identity theory, this study aimed to explore the athletic transitions important in early AI formation and development in elite Gaelic athletes. Methods: Nine athletes were purposively sampled and participated in semi-structured interviews that were analysed using a six-step thematic analysis. Results: Findings indicate that the initiation, development, and mastery transitions in sport influence AI formation and align with the identity theory precepts of roles, groups, and persons in identity development. AI formation and development is individualised and shaped by perceived athlete competence, associated external validation, and the increased professionalism and personal commitment associated with higher levels of performance. Conclusion: We call for a greater emphasis to be placed on the development of multi-faceted identity profiles in elite Gaelic athletes.</p
The impact of dual-career support systems on perceived barriers among European student-athletes with disabilities
No full textThe aim of this study was to compare the socio-demographic, sporting characteristics and perceptions of student-athletes with disabilities of perceived barriers according to the state system of dual career support. Two hundred and twelve student-athletes with disabilities from two European countries with state centralisation in dual career-related education competences (n = 97) and three European countries with a laissez-faire system (n = 115) participated in this research. The perceptions of dual-career student-athletes (EST?PORT) questionnaire, the exercise benefits/barriers scale (EBBS), and the athletic identity measurement scale (AIMS) were used for data collection. Student-athletes in countries with laissez-faire systems perceived the difficulty of combining family care (p = 0.024; ES = 0.31), the time required to practice sport (p = 0.005; ES = 0.38), as well as the limitation of timetables (p < 0.001; ES = 0.52) and places that make sport practice possible (p < 0.001; ES = 0.73) as barriers. In conclusion, when a country’s educational system does not have structured support systems for dual careers, student-athletes perceive more barriers, regardless of their sporting level.</p
How can physical activity promotion be optimised in general practice: a narrative review of the literature
No full textBackground Physical inactivity is a significant contributor to preventable chronic health conditions worldwide. General practice has been identified as a setting to improve physical activity levels through exercise promotion during consultations. However, physical activity promotion in general practice is unstructured and suboptimal. Aims The aim of this study is to review the literature pertaining to factors that influence physical activity promotion in general practice and to answer the research question: what are the experiences of patients and GPs with physical activity promotion in consultations? Methods Online databases were searched for relevant papers using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Papers retrieved were original research only, involving patients, general practitioners or practice nurses. A PRISMA approach to study selection was followed. Results Of 464 papers retrieved, 20 were included in the review. Physical activity promotion is acceptable to patients but some do not appreciate its health benefits. A personalised approach is important to patients, including tailored advice and setting meaningful goals. Studies involving general practitioners and practice nurses report that they are aware of the importance of physical activity and their role in its promotion, but time is the primary barrier. Strategies identified include demedicalisation of physical activity, resources such as patient handouts as well as signposting to community initiatives, social prescribers and collaboration with exercise professionals. Conclusion General practice has the potential to effectively promote physical activity but system- and practitioner-level changes are necessary to achieve meaningful change.</p
Advanced machine learning techniques for State-of-Health estimation in lithium-ion batteries: A comparative study
No full textThe accurate modeling and prediction of the State-of-Health (SOH) of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are crucial for extending their lifespan, ensuring reliability, and minimizing the costs associated with extensive laboratory testing. This paper investigates the SOH estimation of Li-ion batteries utilizing advanced machine learning (ML) techniques. Specifically, 600 cycles were performed on Samsung INR18650–35E cells using the Constant Current Constant Voltage (CCCV) protocol. The input data for the ML methods were extracted from both charging and discharging cycles to achieve the best possible results. Data-driven models with different methodological foundations were used to predict SOH: Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and from the field of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Feed-Forward Neural Network (FFNN) and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), which utilizes fuzzy logic. The input features for the ML methods were analyzed using Pearson Correlation Analysis (PCA), and additional inputs for the ANFIS method were selected using Exhaustive Search (ES) to identify the optimal combination of inputs with the lowest Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The individual ML methods were evaluated on datasets of various sizes using the features with the highest correlation to SOH and the full set of features to detect overfitting. Further experiments explored the dependency of RMSE on the amount of training data, and SOH estimation of one battery was performed using training data from another. Overall, experiments show that nearly all methods achieved RMSE below 0.5% for SOH estimation, with SVR proving the most stable technique and ANFIS excelling with meticulously optimized configurations.</p
Bibliometric analyses of climate psychology: critical psychology and climate justice perspectives
No full textThe psychology of climate change has become a critical area of research, exploring the intersection between human behavior, psychological wellbeing, and environmental sustainability. This paper presents a bibliometric analysis to explore the interdisciplinary field of psychology and climate change, covering research from 01 January 1995 to 15 August 2024. Using 3,087 academic publications from the Web of Science and employing VOSviewer and BiblioMatrix for network analysis, we dissect the evolution, key contributors, and central themes within this domain. Our analysis identifies leading authors, institutions, and nations, alongside the collaboration networks underlying the field’s growth. Thematic clustering of these networks highlights dominant topics such as pro-environmental behavior, sustainability, mental health, eco-anxiety, and risk perception. We utilize visual mappings of co-authorship and bibliographic relationships to illustrate the dynamic interaction among researchers and their topics. By framing our findings through the lens of climate justice and critical psychology, we advocate for a research paradigm that challenges systemic barriers to climate justice, emphasizing the necessity for equitable and action-oriented psychological research to guide climate-related policy and public engagement.</p