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NextSpace Testrig – Certification of In-Space Manufactured Materials & Processes for an Enhanced Space Segment
Get PDFAn abstract Application Programming Interface (API) for Transport Services
Get PDFThis document describes an abstract Application Programming Interface (API) to the transport
layer that enables the selection of transport protocols and network paths dynamically at
runtime. This API enables faster deployment of new protocols and protocol features without
requiring changes to the applications. The specifed API follows the Transport Services
Architecture by providing asynchronous, atomic transmission of Messages. It is intended to
replace the BSD Socket API as the common interface to the transport layer, in an environment
where endpoints could select from multiple network paths and potential transport protocols
Do final-year medical students in Scotland have the knowledge and confidence to deliver the physical activity guidelines? A cross-sectional online survey to evaluate changes over a decade
Get PDFObjectives: This study assessed knowledge of physical activity (PA) guidelines and confidence to deliver PA advice, across current final-year medical students in Scotland. This follows a 2013 survey finding that this cohort lacked this knowledge and confidence; thus, authors recommended improvements to undergraduate medical PA education and re-evaluation of these measures thereafter. Design: A cross-sectional online survey. Setting: The survey was distributed across four Scottish universities. Participants: Final-year undergraduate medical students; n=166 completed the survey. 69% women, 23.3±1.8 years old and 69% met the PA guidelines. Results: 27% correctly identified the UK PA guidelines, despite 52% stating awareness of these. While 80% reported receiving PA education, only 20% felt adequately trained to give PA advice to the general population. This study highlights that compared with 2013, more students were aware of PA guidelines and had received training, but fewer could identify the guidelines, and they felt less adequately trained to give PA advice. Conclusion: This study highlights the ongoing need to improve PA in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Future studies should continue to evaluate students' confidence and ability to deliver PA advice to patients as PA training is implemented across UK universities
Exploring web-based support for suicidal ideation in the Scottish population: usability study
Get PDFBackground:
Suicide is a global health concern. In the United Kingdom, Scotland has the highest suicide rate. Lived experience and suicide prevention stakeholders in Scotland have identified a key gap in suicide prevention activities: the lack of 24-hour peer-driven web-based support for people who are suicidal.
Objective:
This usability study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, utility, and reach of a suicide prevention website (Surviving Suicidal Thoughts) specifically designed to support residents in Scotland who are experiencing suicidal thoughts themselves or suspect or know someone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts. Intended support was delivered through the provision of personal testimony videos of individuals with lived experience.
Methods:
A peer-driven website was developed specifically to support residents of Scotland experiencing suicidal thoughts. The website included resources (eg, videos from lived experience and written guidance about how to respond to someone who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts) to help reduce distress, normalize experiences, and challenge distressing thoughts. The website was promoted via leading web-based social media channels and Google Ads. Evaluation of the website was based on website engagement, marketing strategy, and direct web user feedback via a cross-sectional survey.
Results:
Data were collected for 41 weeks (June 2022 to February 2023) spanning the launch of the website and the conclusion of the second marketing campaign. On average, the website received 99.9 visitors per day. A total of 56% (n=14,439) of visitors were female, ages ranged from younger than 18 years to older than 70 years (commonly between 25 and 34 years) and originated from all regions of Scotland. According to Google Search terms of Scottish residents, of the individuals indicated to be experiencing suicidal thoughts but not looking for help, 5.3% (n=920) engaged with the website compared to 10.5% (n=2898) who were indicated to be looking for help for themselves. Based on participant responses to the evaluation survey (n=101), the website was associated with a significant reduction in suicidal thoughts (P=.03). Reasons for visiting the website varied. Marketing data implied that people were more likely to engage with advertisements, which they felt were more personal, and visitors to the website were more likely to engage with videos, which corresponded to their age.
Conclusions:
A peer-led website may help residents of Scotland who are experiencing suicidal thoughts. Web-based interventions may have considerable reach in Scotland both in terms of age and geographic area. Engagement with the website was similar to other self-help websites for suicidal ideation; however, more nuanced methods of analyzing website engagement for help-seeking behavior are recommended. Future work would benefit from exploring the effectiveness of this website based on a larger participant sample with website modifications guided by the principles of social learning theory
Reading comprehension resiliency in adolescents with and without dyslexia relates to vocabulary, listening comprehension and socioeconomic status
No full textBackground:
Individuals with dyslexia are at risk of poorer reading comprehension levels due to their reading fluency impairment. However, some of such individuals exhibit a resilient profile, achieving appropriate reading comprehension levels despite their impairment.
Aims:
This study aimed to investigate how key cognitive skills, specifically vocabulary and listening comprehension, may contribute to reading comprehension resiliency (RCR) in adolescents with dyslexia, especially in the face of disadvantaged socioeconomic status (SES).
Sample:
Adolescents with dyslexia (n = 56) and without dyslexia (n = 39) averaging 16 years old were recruited.
Methods:
Participants were assessed on their phonological skills, oral reading fluency, reading and listening comprehension, vocabulary skills, and SES. These variables were analysed using double mediation modelling.
Results:
Individuals with dyslexia exhibited higher reading comprehension resiliency (RCR) index scores, indicating stronger resilience in reading comprehension development in relation to their poor reading fluency. RCR was associated with semantic abilities, including vocabulary skills and listening comprehension. A double mediation model was consistent with the idea that vocabulary skills might influence listening comprehension ability, which in turn may influence RCR. SES was also indirectly associated with listening comprehension ability through vocabulary.
Conclusions:
Firstly, the results suggest that in the face of reading fluency impairments, semantic abilities might contribute to appropriate reading comprehension levels. This is a promising hypothesis for understanding RCR in dyslexia. Second, low SES should be considered as a possible indirect risk factor for RCR due to an association found with weaker vocabulary. Third, considering the total indirect influence of SES on RCR and its particular prominence for individuals with dyslexia, SES may be a more critical factor in managing and understanding dyslexia
Social motor synchrony and interactive rapport in autistic, non-autistic, and mixed-neurotype dyads
Get PDFIn 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
Shaping the space: a role for the hippocampus in mental imagery formation
Get PDFMental imagery is claimed to underlie a host of abilities, such as episodic memory, working memory, and decision-making. A popular view holds that mental imagery relies on the perceptual system and that it can be said to be ‘vision in reverse’. Whereas vision exploits the bottom-up neural pathways of the visual system, mental imagery exploits the top-down neural pathways. But the contribution of some other neural areas remains overlooked. In this article, I explore important contributions of the hippocampus, a neural area traditionally associated with episodic memory, to mental imagery formation. I highlight evidence which supports the view that the hippocampus contributes to the spatial model used for mental imagery and argue that we can distinguish different hippocampal circuits which contribute to different kinds of imagery, such as object imagery, scene imagery, and imagery with a temporal aspect. This has significant upshots for mental imagery research, as it opens a new avenue for further research into the role of the hippocampus in a variety of imagery tasks
Global buckling and residual capacities of circular recycled aggregate concrete-filled stainless steel tube (RACFSST) columns after exposure to fire
No full textThe post-fire flexural buckling behaviour and capacities of circular recycled aggregate concrete-filled stainless steel tube (RACFSST) columns are studied in this paper, underpinned by testing and numerical modelling. A testing programme was firstly conducted on twelve column specimens designed with three recycled coarse aggregate replacement ratios (0%, 35% and 70%), including nine column specimens after exposure to the ISO 834 standard fire for 15 min, 30 min and 45 min and three reference column specimens at ambient temperature. The test failure modes, load–mid-height lateral deflection curves and failure loads were reported in detail. The influences of heating durations and recycled coarse aggregate replacement ratios on failure loads and mid-height lateral deflections at failure loads of circular RACFSST column specimens were discussed and their lateral deflection distributions were analysed. The testing programme was followed by a numerical modelling programme, where thermal and mechanical finite element models were developed to repeat the experimental results and afterwards used to carry out parametric studies to generate a numerical data pool over a wide range of cross-section dimensions and member lengths. Based on the test and numerical data, the relevant design rules for circular natural aggregate concrete-filled carbon steel tube columns at ambient temperature, as specified in the European code, Australian/New Zealand standard and American specification, were evaluated, using post-fire material properties, for their applicability to circular RACFSST columns after exposure to fire. It was revealed from the evaluation results that the three design codes led to overall acceptable levels of accuracy and consistency in predicting post-fire flexural buckling capacities of circular RACFSST columns, but with some unsafe predictions
Using generative AI for reading question creation based on PIRLS 2011 framework
Get PDFThis study examined the use of ChatGPT 3.5 for reading questions generation based on four processes of comprehension of PIRLS 2011 assessment framework. Using an instrumental case study approach and a usability testing method, we employed an input story text to assess ChatGPT 3.5’s effectiveness. A total of twenty questions were generated and evaluated using specific criteria. We analyzed the content of the obtained questions and the quality of revised questions after further adjustment instructions. Findings reveal that ChatGPT 3.5 excels at generating factual questions, leveraging explicit details from text, and demonstrates improvement in interpret-and-integrate questions when detailed instructions are provided. However, it shows significant limitations with higher-order questions requiring inference and evaluation, where contextual accuracy and deeper comprehension are critical. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between question types (p = 0.004). Thematic analysis highlighted recurring challenges, such as content misalignment, oversimplification, and difficulty processing complex or nuanced user requirements. Tips for users on potential issues and ethical concerns were also discussed. Despite limitations, ChatGPT 3.5 remains a valuable tool for educators and students to enhance question creation productivity. These findings contribute to understanding generative AI’s role in education and provide actionable insights for improving question generation efficiency
Experimental investigation and analysis of full-scale steel–recyclable aggregate concrete composite beams with bolted shear connectors
No full textThis paper proposes a new beam system - steel–recycled aggregate concrete composite beam with bolted shear connectors, to achieve sustainable practices. Bolted shear connectors present a promising solution to improve construction efficiency, while recycled aggregate concrete exemplifies the eco-friendly trend by using recycled construction and demolition aggregates. Four-point bending tests were conducted on a total of five full-scale steel–recycled aggregate concrete composite beam specimens, which were designed with the same dimensions of steel beam, profiled steel decking and concrete slab, but various bolt connector sizes and spacings. Moreover, concretes were carefully mixed so that all specimens had roughly the same strength but different recycled coarse aggregate replacement ratios (0%, 30% and 100%). The test setup and procedures as well as the key test results, including failure modes, load–mid-span deflection curves, slips between steel beams and composite slabs and strain distributions at the mid-span cross-sections, were reported and discussed in detail. It was found that the specimens with higher recycled coarse aggregate replacement ratios or higher degrees of shear connection exhibited improved flexural strengths, lower ultimate mid-span deflections and smaller horizontal slips. Given that there are no established design codes for steel–recycled aggregate concrete composite beams with bolted shear connectors, the applicability of relevant design rules in the European code and American specification for steel–natural aggregate concrete composite beams with welded shear connectors was evaluated, based on the test data. The evaluation results revealed that both design codes generally provided an acceptable level of design accuracy for steel–recycled aggregate concrete composite beams with bolted shear connectors
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