58622 research outputs found
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On the dynamics of intersectional (in)visibility:Women early career researchers negotiating authenticity at work
Full text linkHow do women negotiate and express authenticity in professional contexts where their presence and identities are largely rendered (in)visible? We draw on intersectional invisibility as our conceptual lens to explore how women early career researchers subjectively negotiate authenticity given prevailing conditions of visibility, invisibility and hypervisibility at work. Based on semi-structured interviews with recipients of the Organisation for Women in Science from Developing Countries (OWSD)-Elsevier award, we illuminate how (in)visible conditions shape the subjective negotiation of authenticity, informing the agentic capacity of women researchers to express themselves authentically in professional settings. Our findings reveal the negotiation of authenticity is closely tied to gender performance in a manner that aligns with perceived professionalism. This entails compartmentalising personal values when feeling invisible, experiencing a heightened awareness of context-specific boundaries when visibility increases and enacting adaptive agency when hypervisible. We thus posit authenticity as a continuous process of ongoing identity construction and negotiation rather than a static ideal.</p
Book review of the book “The Affective Dimension in English-medium instruction in higher education” by D. Lasagabaster, A. Fernández-Costales & F. de Lis González-Mujico (Ed)
Full text linkEnglish-medium instruction (EMI) has become a defining feature of the internationalisation of higher education, yet research in this area has long privileged cognitive, linguistic, and achievement-oriented perspectives (Curle et al., 2025). Despite the rapid expansion of EMI scholarship, affective dimensions such as emotion, identity, wellbeing, motivation, and belief systems have frequently been treated as peripheral rather than constitutive elements of teaching and learning (Rose et al., 2026). The Affective Dimension in English-Medium Instruction in Higher Education addresses this imbalance directly. The edited volume offers a sustained and empirically grounded examination of affect as a central lens through which EMI practices, experiences, and outcomes can be more fully understood
Fabrication and characterization of taste-masked core-shell nanofibre mats for dual drug delivery of antihypertensives in pediatrics
Full text linkDrug adherence in pediatrics can be challenging due to bitter drug taste, dysphagia and polypharmacy. With pediatric hypertension on the rise worldwide, this study investigated the use of electrospinning to create a novel taste-masked, fixed-dose combination of lisinopril dihydrate (LIS) and amlodipine besylate (AML) for paediatric use. Electrospun nanofibres of the antihypertensives were formulated as core–shell fibres with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and Eudragit® EPO (EEPO) by applying an electrical charge to a viscous mixture of the drugs, polymers and solvents. The drug loading, release kinetics, morphology, thermal analysis, physical and solid-state characterization of the fibre mats were evaluated. Taste-masking was investigated in vitro by electronic-tongue analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses showed smooth, non-beaded core–shell fibres with diameters in the nanorange. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed the drugs were amorphously dispersed within the fibres and thermal analysis studies showed acceptable stability profile of the formulations. Both drugs were over 90 % released in 15 mins consistent with immediate release formulations. The e-tongue mean sensor response plot showed the nanofibre mats achieved a statistically significant enhanced taste-masking (p < 0.0001) compared to raw amlodipine which registered a high bitterness reading of 87 mV. This study therefore indicates that coaxial electrospinning may be used to produce a fixed-dose taste masked nanofibre mat of LIS and AML that can potentially be used to improve adherence in children.</p
An agent-based modelling approach to investigate the impact of gender on tuberculosis transmission in Uganda
Full text linkTuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease caused by the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In 2023, it returned to being the leading cause of death from an infectious agent globally, replacing COVID-19; in the nineteenth century, one in seven of all humans died of tuberculosis. More than 10 million people are diagnosed with TB every year. The majority of cases in adults occur in males (62.5% of all global adult cases in 2023, compared to 37.5% in females). The main reasons for males suffering from a higher burden of global TB cases, compared to females, may be in large part due to population-scale factors, such as employment type, the quantity and type of social contacts they make, and their health-seeking behaviours (e.g. differences in diagnostic and treatment delays between genders). To investigate which population-scale factors are most important in determining this higher TB burden in males, we have developed an age- and gender-stratified, spatially heterogeneous epidemiological agent-based model. We have focused specifically on Kampala, the capital of Uganda, which is a high-burden TB country. We considered counterfactual scenarios to elucidate the impact of gender on the epidemiology of TB. Setting disease progression parameters equal between the genders leads to a reduction in both male-to-female case ratio and total case numbers
From Intention to Action:Understanding Youth Electoral Participation Across Countries through Civic Education
Full text linkDeclining youth electoral participation threatens the long-term legitimacy of representative democracy. However, timely cross-national indicators of early disengagement remain scarce. This study draws on data from the IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) to examine (a) whether eighth-grade students’ stated voting intentions [are associated with] their cohort’s eventual electoral participation, and (b) which individual-level factors best explain those intentions after controlling for country-level characteristics. First, we align students’ voting intentions from IEA ICCS 2009 and 2016 with [corresponding] official age-specific turnout rates in each cohort’s first national election. The analysis reveals a moderate, statistically significant association, indicating that higher proportions of “likely future voters” in grade eight are associated with higher turnout once these cohorts reach voting age. Second, to identify the drivers of voting intentions, we pool microdata from all three IEA ICCS cycles (2009, 2016, 2022; N ≈ 316 000 students) and estimate fixed-effects models to account for time-invariant national confounders. Results show that students’ political interest emerges as the strongest predictor, followed by civic knowledge, self-efficacy, trust in the political system and its institutions, and parental political interest. Student background characteristics (e.g., gender or language at home) lose statistical significance once these factors are accounted for. The findings validate adolescent voting intentions as an early-warning indicator and highlight malleable psychological levers (i.e., interest, knowledge, efficacy) that civic-education policy can target
Tertiary phosphane-modified Ni(II) 1,3-Benzothiazol-2-ylacetonitriledithiolates:Tuning heterogeneous OER electrocatalysis through phosphane denticity, steric modulation, and chelate ring-size variation
Full text linkDeveloping robust and active transition metal-based electrocatalysts for the generation of oxygen is crucial for enhancing the performance of numerous energy conversion systems. In this study, syntheses and characterization of three new heteroleptic Ni(II) dithiolate complexes: [(Bzdt)Ni(PPh3)2] (NiBz1), [(Bzdt)Ni(dppe)] (NiBz2), and [(Bzdt)Ni(dppf)] (NiBz3), (where Bzdt2-, PPh3, dppe, and dppf represents 1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylacetonitriledithiolate, triphenylphosphine, 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, and 1,1ʹ-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene, respectively) have been presented. These complexes have been characterized using several spectroscopic techniques, FESEM-EDX, and for NiBz2 using single crystal X-ray diffraction. Structural investigations reveal that Ni(II) center in NiBz2 is coordinated to two S atoms from dithiolate ligand and two P atoms from dppe ligand forming a distorted square planar geometry. Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates the presence of key non-covalent interactions, including C-H···S, C-H···C, C-H···Ni, and C-H···N, which support the stability of the supramolecular framework. Electrochemical investigations of these complexes as OER electrocatalysts in alkaline media reveal that all three show notable activity (j > 46.11 mA.cm-2 at 10 mV·s-1), with NiBz2 standing out due to its lowest overpotential (η = 354 mV at j = 10 mA.cm-2) and Tafel slope (53 mV.dec‑1). This performance places NiBz2 among the best heterogeneous Ni(II)-dithiolate based OER electrocatalysts so far reported. Its outstanding activity is attributed to a combination of favorable electronic properties, such as a reduced charge-transfer gap and charge transfer resistance, which facilitate efficient electron transfer during catalysis. Overall, this study showcases that phosphine-derived steric and electronic tuning enables charge-transfer gap engineering within Ni(II)-dithiolate frameworks, and establishes a clear correlation between ligand-dependent electronic structure and OER performance.</p
ESG Risk, Political Ideology, and the Syndicated Lending Relationship
Full text linkPurpose – This study examines how Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) scores affect both the matching process between borrowers and lenders and the terms of syndicated loans. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis concentrates on a comprehensive sample of syndicated loans to US firms. We estimate a set of linear models relating the borrower's ESG ratings to the bank's ESG ratings and to the loan conditions. Findings – We find that firms with higher ESG scores are more likely to secure loans from banks that also have strong ESG ratings, especially in politically liberal states. Such firms also benefit from more favorable loan terms, including lower interest rates and a reduced number covenants. Originality/value – This study highlights the dual role of ESG in influencing both borrower–lender matching and loan contracting outcomes. It also demonstrates that local political ideology amplifies the alignment between borrowers and lenders in terms of ESG, as well as the pricing of ESG ratings in loan contracting.</p
Supporting Complex Educational Transformation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: A Digital Literacy PBL Case Study
Full text linkThis research investigated educators undergoing simultaneous changes to their disciplinary and pedagogical knowledge to explore supports for teachers undergoing complex transformations to education. This topic is relevant within the context of increasingly rapid educational change. The research fills a gap in the literature in providing detailed accounts of the transformation process, particularly within the context of mainland China. The primary objective was to investigate a job-embedded teacher training in which teachers used action research for the design, implementation and evaluation of a project-based digital literacy programme. The participating teachers did not have previous training in digital literacy and did not typically teach using a project-based approach. The research used a case study methodology. Data sources included researcher field notes, artefact analysis and post-programme semi-structured interviews. Analysis indicated that the teachers’ use of a modified action-research protocol with job-embedded training provided effective support in applying new pedagogical and content knowledge as well as team management and collaborative processes. Implementation of the target programme for students still faced constraints from systemic pressures, such as conflicting assessment and leadership priorities. The research findings offer insight into practical considerations when helping teachers transition from traditional pedagogy to Project-Based Learning (PBL) or from teaching traditional literacy to digital literacy. The research also generated theoretical implications such as the need for educational leaders to plan tailored support for complex teaching and technological innovations. For this purpose, the Training Support for Educational Transformation (TSET) action-research model is proposed
Performance Improvement of a High-Speed On/Off Valve-Piloted Proportional Valve via Nonlinear Modeling and Load-Adaptive Sliding Mode Control
Full text linkHigh-speed on/off valves (HSVs) are recognized for their rapid response and high reliability, and are widely employed as pilot elements in proportional valves. However, their inherent switching behavior intensifies the nonlinear characteristics of the control system, thereby limiting fluid delivery precision. In addition, the main spool of the proportional valve is subjected to significantly time-varying load forces. To address these challenges, a nonlinear flow model of the HSV is established, and the dynamics of pressure pulsation propagation are systematically analyzed. Meanwhile, a dynamic model of the proportional valve main spool is developed, explicitly incorporating the effects of time-varying load forces. Based on these models, a load-adaptive sliding mode control (LASMC) strategy is proposed to improve the motion control performance of a high-speed on/off valve-piloted proportional valve (HSVPPV). Motion control experiments conducted on the HSVPPV and its valve-controlled system validated the proposed approach. Compared to conventional PI control, LASMC reduced the main spool's maximum displacement error from 0.696 mm to 0.312 mm (a 55.2% reduction) and standard deviation from 0.213 mm to 0.127 mm (a 40.4% reduction). At the actuator level, the cylinder's maximum error decreased from 14.996 mm to 11.527 mm (a 23.1% reduction) and standard deviation from 11.347 mm to 10.323 mm (a 9.0% reduction). These results demonstrate that the proposed controller significantly enhances both valve positioning accuracy and overall system tracking stability. Note to Practitioners - This study addresses the practical challenges associated with achieving high-precision motion control in HSVPPV-based hydraulic systems, such as those used in construction machinery, industrial automation, and aerospace actuation. Although HSVPPV offers fast response and high reliability, the switching operation of the pilot valves introduces significant nonlinearities and pressure pulsations. In addition, the main spool is often subjected to highly variable load forces. These factors collectively lead to notable performance degradation in conventional control methods such as PID. To address these challenges, an LASMC strategy is proposed to automatically compensate for load variations and suppress pressure pulsation disturbances. The approach employs a practical nonlinear model that accurately captures the dynamic coupling among PWM duty cycle, pressure drop, and flow rate in the HSV. A continuous saturation function is incorporated to smooth the control signals and reduce oscillation. Experimental results demonstrate that this method can reduce main spool displacement error by up to 55.2% and significantly improve trajectory tracking accuracy of the hydraulic cylinder under various operating conditions. The proposed controller can be implemented on real-time digital control platforms and is suitable for modern electro-hydraulic systems. Future work will focus on observer-based methods for main spool motion estimation and will extend the control framework to multi-actuator systems to support more complex industrial applications.</p
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