Multinuclear (1H, 31P, and 7Li) NMR was applied to understand the ion dynamics in silica-based iongels with a fluorine-free ionic liquid (IL), tetrabutylphosphonium 2-2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy acetate, [P4,4,4,4][MEEA], doped with 10 and 30 mol % of LiMEEA. The results were compared with bulk [P4,4,4,4][MEEA]/LiMEEA electrolytes and those confined in the “hard” silica matrix of a porous glass. It was found that lithium ion (Li+) local dynamics and Li+ diffusion coefficients are strongly affected by confinements in an iongel and in the porous glass, as was revealed from the analysis of NMR parameters, such as diffusion decays (DDs) in 7Li PFG NMR spectra, broadening of the 7Li NMR resonance lines and variations in the 31P and 7Li chemical shifts. However, NMR diffusometry data does suggest that the studied electrolytes in the iongel confinement yet have properties like bulk electrolytes: (i) high ion diffusivities, (ii) weak alterations of Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) parameters for diffusion; and (iii) high transport numbers of ions. The diffusion coefficients of the [MEEA]- anion and the [P4,4,4,4]+ cation are comparable in the bulk, while they are significantly different in the iongels: The specific interactions of the [P4,4,4,4]+ cations with the negatively charged silica matrix slowed down diffusivities of the cations, while almost no effect of the matrix on diffusivities of the [MEEA]- anions was noticed. It was also found that the tortuosity of the iongel channels has a negligible effect on diffusivities of ions. The lithium complexation or/and solvation shells of Li+ ions remained unaffected. Thus, the ionic liquid-based iongel electrolyte acquired the advantages of a semi-solid phase and offered transport properties of a liquid electrolyte. 

Driven by the potential applications of ionic liquid (IL) flow for charging graphene-based surfaces in many emerging technologies, recent research efforts have focused on understanding ion dynamics and structuring at IL–graphene interfaces. Here, graphene colloid probe (GrP) atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to probe the dynamics and ion structuring of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate at graphene surfaces under various bias voltages. In particular, the AFM-measured nanofriction provides a good measure of the dynamic properties of the ILs at graphene surfaces. Compared with the IL at the unbiased graphene surface (0 V), the charged graphene surfaces with either negative (–1, –2 V) or positive (+1, +2 V) voltages favor a reduction in the friction coefficient by the IL. A higher magnitude of the bias voltage applied on the graphene surface with either sign (–2 or +2 V) results in a smaller friction coefficient than that at –1 and +1 V. In combination with the AFM-probed contact stiffness, adhesion forces, and ion structuring force curves with an ion orientational distribution according to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we discovered that the unbiased graphene surface (0 V) possesses randomly structured IL ions and that the graphene colloid probe is more likely to become stuck, resulting in more energy dissipation to contribute to a larger friction coefficient. Biasing of the graphene surface under either negative or positive voltages resulted in uniformly arranged ions, which produced a more ordered ion structure and, thus, a smoother sliding plane to reduce the friction coefficient. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for the IL with graphene as an electrode demonstrated a greater ionic conductivity in the IL paired with the biased graphene than in the unbiased one, implying faster ion movement at the charged graphene, which is beneficial for reducing the friction coefficient.

The escalating global concern about the expansion of CO2 emissions and its profound consequences on climate change underscores the critical need for robust CO2 capture materials. The core objective of this review was to conduct a comprehensive survey of recent advancements in CO2 capture, with a focus on porous materials, including metal-organic frameworks, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks, zeolites, metal oxides/metalloids, porous polymers, derived carbons, and (biochar, sludge, ash), as documented in the reported studies from 2017 onwards. By considering the CO2 adsorption capacity as the most important property, an up-to-date database of CO2 capture capacities in various porous adsorbents was provided, and other properties, such as selectivity, surface area, pore size/volume, recyclability, etc., for the promising adsorbents were further discussed. Furthermore, the issues on the mechanism, commercial viability (adsorbents cost and upscaling), environmental concerns and future directions (3D printing, artificial intelligence) were discussed. This review serves as an invaluable resource, guiding future investigations in this field and contributing to ongoing efforts to mitigate CO2 emissions.

Commercial zeolites are crystalline aluminosilicate materials with high surface area and porosity which can be used in several applications. This study aims at adding luminescent functionality to the zeolite network, either enabling optical monitoring of the capturing process or towards the development of efficient light-emitting materials. Two representative commercial zeolites were chosen: 5A and 13X, adding europium (Eu³⁺) by an ion-exchange process. The effects of different solvents (water and ethanol) and thermal treatments on the structural and optical properties of the doped zeolites were investigated. The results demonstrate that 13X zeolites have superior Eu uptake and luminescent properties compared to 5A. XRD analysis suggests that Eu exchange can stress and disorder the network, which is recovered by annealing up to 600 °C. Instead, a higher temperature of 800 °C induces the collapsing of the porosity, with partial amorphization and significant reduction of the surface area of the material. The optical analysis showed that the PL intensities for 13X samples can be 60 times higher than those obtained for 5A samples. Moreover, ethanol emerged as a superior solvent to water, avoiding the presence of -OH vibrational energies detrimental to the luminescence of rare earth ions.

Typical recycling processes of electrode materials of spent lithium-ion batteries are complicated, energy-consuming, have limited separation efficiency, and cause environmental issues. Therefore, examining various environmental approaches, such as physical pretreatments, would be essential to enhance recycling efficiency. As a novel approach in this study, the ultrasonic treatment and mechanical stirring were examined to explore the potential of selective stripping of cathode and anode materials of spent lithium-ion batteries. The effects of various factors on the stripping efficiency and selectivity were assessed (ultrasonic power, mechanical stirring speed, processing time, and temperature). Outcomes indicated that the cavitation generated by ultrasound and mechanical stirring could impact the diffusion process of the aqueous medium. This phenomenon could lead to a high peeling performance of electrode materials, while this effect would be more evident as the intensity of the corresponding parameter was increased. Generally, the overall peeling efficiency for anode materials was higher than for cathode ones in various conditions. Mechanical stirring speed could improve the peeling efficiency of cathode materials. Experimental outcomes demonstrated that the corrosion of metal foils would appear by increasing the intensity of corresponding parameters. Combining ultrasound and mechanical stirring could markedly enhance the peeling efficiency of both cathode and anode materials. In other words, combining these treatments would decrease the peeling selectivity. Various characterizations, such as scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray fluorescence, were applied to verify the experimental outcomes.

The manufacturing industry is undergoing rapid transformation driven by modern technologies, with a focus on producing high-quality products efficiently. In line with increasing sustainability concerns, researchers are actively exploring various green machining methods. Machining of aerospace alloys and subsequent process optimization remains challenging for their poor thermal conductivity and high chemical affinity at elevated temperatures. This study investigates the machinability of Ti6Al4V alloy under an MQL environment for sustainability. A total of 27 experiments were conducted, with the SVR model predicting surface roughness (Ra) with a mean absolute percentage error of 4.68 %. Parametric analysis revealed feed has the highest significant influence on Ra, followed by cutting speed and depth of cut. Finally, Jaya algorithm was used to optimize surface roughness, resulting in an optimal solution with a Ra value of 0.4812 µm at 120 m/min, feed of 0.05 mm/rev, and depth of cut of 0.2 mm.

The tendency to put heavier loads on trucks can seriously affects the condition of roads,especially older ones. This paper aims to identify a more detailed but easily applicablemethod of estimating the effects of high cyclic loading generated by truck traffic onroads. Truck traffic can be considered high cyclic loading due to a large number of cycles with small strain amplitudes. The High-Cycle Accumulation (HCA) model has beensimplified and implemented into a Matlab code following a laminar structure. Stressesand strains are calculated with Boussinesq solution for a point load in order to estimatedeformations on roads due to traffic load. The accumulated strain and deformation foreach soil discretization layer are calculated and added together to obtain the total deformation. Several truck types were regarded and a more detailed study, varying tireload and wheel spacing was done. The soil profile chosen for those cases was a homogeneous layer of sand, sometimes with a soft layer on top of the sand with differentdepths of stabilization.

This paper explores the integration of Pierre Bourdieu’s “thinking tools” – habitus, field, capital, and practice – into design interventions aimed at fostering social and cultural transformation, particularly in the context of youth engagement. By applying a “Bourdieusian” framework, the paper aims to inspire to a more reflexive and inclusive design practice that addresses power dynamics, social inequalities, and sustainability issues. The study involves exploring the design approaches personas and future scenarios to understand how they can be utilized to address factors such as gender, functional abilities, ethnicity, and social class. The findings suggest that using Bourdieu’s framework in design helps to create more inclusive and relevant solutions by recognizing and valuing diversity. This can enable designers to move beyond superficial user engagement, ensuring that design solutions are both innovative and socially equitable. This paper concludes that a reflexive design culture, informed by “Bourdieusian” concepts, can bridge boundaries and support plurality in social and cultural transformations. By involving young people in exploring critical current and future scenarios, the research highlights the potential of design to dismantle existing inequalities and promote an inclusive and sustainable future. 

The adsorption equilibrium isotherms of the common components of natural gas and biogas, CO2, CH4, N2, and He were experimentally measured over wide temperature ranges on all-silica MFI, CHA, and DDR zeolite crystals. First, large zeolite crystals, suitable for adsorption measurements, were synthesized and characterized by XRD and SEM. In the next step, gas adsorption data was recorded and the Toth equation was fitted to the measured adsorption data, and the adsorption capacity at saturation (Csat), affinity constant (b), and Toth heterogeneity parameter (t) were estimated. Finally, the van't Hoff equation was used to calculate the isosteric enthalpy of adsorption and adsorption entropy for all gases on each zeolite. The results reveal that the Toth equation can accurately predict the adsorption of gases on the studied microporous zeolite crystals in the investigated temperature range. To the best of our knowledge, the saturation adsorption capacity and adsorption enthalpy for helium on CHA and DDR zeolites have been determined experimentally for the first time in the present work. The estimated adsorption parameters presented in this work are accurate, primarily due to the large crystals used for the adsorption measurements and the recording of low-temperature adsorption equilibrium isotherms over broad temperature ranges. These factors are crucial for the reliability of our results, which are invaluable for understanding adsorption and mass transfer in zeolite materials, as well as for advancing the development of zeolite materials for gas separation.

Al-15 wt% Cu binary alloys were isothermally annealed in a semisolid state with and without a 10 T magnetic field. The influence of the magnetic field on the 2D morphology and 3D distribution of α-Al grains was investigated. The coarsening mechanism under a high magnetic field was proposed based on microstructural analysis, coarsening kinetics calculations, and interfacial energy calculations. The size of the α-Al grains was increased, and the coarsening rate was significantly accelerated by the magnetic field. Meanwhile, more α-Al grains contacted each other and started coalescing. The grain size distribution revealed that the coarsening mechanism shifted from Ostwald ripening at 0 T to a combination of the Ostwald ripening and migration-coalescence at 10 T. The accelerated coarsening rate may be attributed to an increase in interfacial energy from 0.143 to 0.213 J m−2 under the high magnetic field. Significant Cu clustering was observed between coalesced grains at 10 T, which could further demonstrate the accelerated coarsening rate. Additionally, the magnetic field induced the rotation of adjacent grains via magnetic torque, reducing their misorientation and subsequently enhancing their coalescence. This study elucidated the mechanism of orientation-induced grains coarsening under a high magnetic field, providing a novel methodology for controlling metallic materials fabrication processes which undergo grains coarsening using magnetic fields.

Combat pilots are responsible for ensuring the best they can towards their service and mission accomplishment. The operation of key cognitive determinants mediates between antecedent processes including actual abilities and anticipated fulfilment of future outcomes. In assessing the vocational development construct of combat pilots, we have underlined the limitations of their perceived abilities and belief enacting self-efficacy and response to relevant task information from the environment, both spatial and temporal. The appraised cognitive determinants engaged in information processing were essentially tied for expressing subjective states of knowledge, feelings, emotions and health threat perceived with a conscious experience. We externalized their subjective states by showing mental health difficulties in the demanding high-stakes environment of air combat.

Aim: This study aimed to describe supervisors' reasoning about conditions for nursing students' learning and development of clinical competence during their clinical education.

Design: A qualitative design with an inductive approach.

Methods: This study used a focus group methodology. A total of 21 supervisors from various hospital wards in northern Sweden participated in six focus groups. The data were analysed according to Krueger and Casey's description of focus groups.

Results: The analysis resulted in one overarching theme with six subthemes that described the conditions during the final year of clinical education. Students' learning and development of clinical competence was seen as an ‘interplay developed over time’ between the supervisor and the student, a mutual give-and-take in the supervisory relationship where both parties were responsible for ensuring that it became a growth opportunity.

Conclusion: The major finding was that the learning and development of clinical competence in students was a result of a dynamic interplay between the student and supervisor. This process is time-dependent, and both the student and supervisor share responsibility for this progression.

Implications for the Profession and Patient Care: Active and conscious reflection is a crucial component in achieving clinical competence. Students should be taught and encouraged to apply and develop reflective skills throughout their education.

Reporting Method: The study adhered to the COREQ checklist for qualitative studies.

Patient or Public Contribution: Registered nurses contributed data for this study.

Laser materials processing includes rapid heating to possibly high temperatures and rapid cooling of the illuminated materials. The material reactions can show significant deviations from equilibrium processing. During processing of complex materials and material combinations, it is mainly unknown how the materials react and mix. However, it is important to know which chemical elements or compounds are present in the material to define the alloy. In addition, their distribution after rapid cooling needs to be better understood. Therefore, such alloy changes at rapid heating induced by laser illumination were created as pre-placed and pre-mixed powder nuggets. The energy input and the material ratio between the powder components were varied to identify characteristic responses. For the detection of reaction durations and mixing characteristics, the vapor plume content was assumed to contain the necessary information. Spectral measurements of the plume were used to identify indicators about process behaviors. It was seen that the spectral data give indications about the chemical reactions in the melt pool. The reactions of iron ore components with aluminum seem to require laser illumination to finish completely, although the thermite reaction should maintain the chemical reaction, likely due to the required melt mixing that enables the interaction of the reacting partners at all.

Bioflex is a biodegradable polymer blend combining poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and bio-based poly(lactic acid) (PLA), offering properties comparable to polyethylene. However, challenges like limited processability and low mechanical properties restrict its use to agricultural films. In this study, fibers from end-of-life textiles (polyester, viscose, cotton, and silk) are used to address these limitations, demonstrating a resource-efficient approach to reducing landfill deposits. Adding fibers to the polymer blend (30 wt%) visibly improves the melt strength. The end-of-life fibers affect the mechanical properties in different ways: polyester fibers almost double the tensile strength, viscose fibers triples flexural strength, and silk fibers lead to the highest compressive strength. The retained colors of the fibers further contribute to vibrant composites, making them ideal for cosmetics packaging, household goods, fashion accessories, and toys. Additionally, the composting test revealed varied disintegration behaviors. Cotton and silk began disintegrating first, viscose followed, while polyester showed no disintegration, extending the composite's durability in use. This study highlights the potential of end-of-life textiles as an excellent reinforcement for Bioflex copolymer blends, promoting efficient resource use, reducing environmental waste, and unlocking new application areas for biodegradable polymers.

Stormwater can have environmental impacts because it causes various pollutants to be released into the environment during precipitation events. This study quantifies the flow of different metals through an ultrafiltration membrane unit during stormwater treatment and investigates the possibility of reusing treated stormwater both as non-potable and potable purposes and of metal recovery from the backwash water obtained from membrane cleaning. The stormwater used for the ultrafiltration experiments was sampled in three catchments during different rain events. The results indicate that the permeate quality complied with most of the parameters for potable water as stipulated by the Swedish Food Agency, except in respect of manganese, nitrate and ammonia concentrations from permeate from stormwater samples originating from road runoff. The backwash water from the membrane cleaning contained metals in high concentrations, e.g. average copper concentrations were 5.2 times higher in the backwash than in the feed. Recovering metals like Cu, Ni, and Zn from backwash water could be a sustainable process, as stormwater transports 0.03 %, 0.01 %, and 0.04 % of their annual production in high-extraction countries, provided operational costs and logistics are feasible.

Pyrometallurgical copper extraction generates between 2.2 and 3.0 tons of slag per ton of copper. Copper smelting slag usually contains between 1 and 2 wt pct Cu, resulting in a substantial amount. Effective slag cleaning is critical to enhance copper recovery, often achieved through settling where entrained droplets separate from the slag. Controlling slag viscosity is vital, directly influencing the settling rate and overall efficiency. The literature has limited data on the correlation between viscosity, ionic structure, and the molar ratio of (Al2O3 + SiO2)/MO (MO represents basic oxides) of iron silicate melts. This study investigates how FeO/SiO2 ratio (1.08 and 1.25 at pct/at pct), CaO content (1.2 and 12 at pct), and Al2O3 content (1.4 or 5 at pct) affect the viscosity and melt structure in a FeO–SiO2–Al2O3–CaO–MgO–Cr2O3 system. The study was done by synthesizing the melts, followed by water granulation. The ionic structure was analyzed using Raman spectroscopy, and the viscosity was measured using a high-temperature rheometer. The findings reveal a correlation between melt structure and viscosity, where the viscosity increased when the slag was more polymerized, having a higher content of SiO2 and Al2O3. The study offers insights for optimizing slag properties in industrial settings.

In cross-country skiing, athletes expend large amounts of energy to overcome friction as their skis interact with snow. Even minor reductions in the friction can significantly influence race outcomes. Over the years, researchers have found many ways of quantifying ski–snow friction, but there are only a few methods that consider the glide of real-sized skis under natural conditions during both accelerating and decelerating movements. This study introduces a novel experimental setup, consisting of a sled equipped with authentic cross-country skis and a base station that uses satellite receivers to communicate via radio, constituting a real-time kinematic positioning system with centimetre accuracy. While the sled was running on a classic ski track with natural height variations, altitude and velocity data were recorded for quantification of the coefficient of friction (COF), both for accelerating and decelerating motion, employing a model based on Newton’s second law. The results show that the COF during acceleration was more than 20% higher than during deceleration, demonstrating dynamic changes in the frictional behaviour between these phases. This finding is crucial for the execution of all types of cross-country skiing techniques, where the athlete either accelerates or decelerates while moving forward. The ability of the current experimental set-up to distinguish between the COF during acceleration and deceleration has considerable implications for further developments.

Al-Adhaim River is one of the main tributaries of the Tigris River, it has three main tributaries: Khassa Soo, Aq Soo, and Tuz Chia, all of which are seasonal streams. The course of Al-Adhaim River and its three tributaries flow in a very rugged topography, especially in the upper courses with high gradients. The exposed rocks in the catchment area are mainly soft claystone rocks with coarse conglomerate and sandstone, which are very easily eroded by the running water, especially during floods. We have used SRTM images of ground resolution of 3-arc-second (90 m) and a vertical resolution of approximately 10 m to divide the catchment area into 14 sub-basins using ArcGIS (Arc map). Moreover, many factors concerning soil erosion were calculated, such as drainage density, erosion intensity, erosion rates, and soil erodibility. We have found that the drainage density ranges between (0.26 - 0.39) km/km2 with class Poor, the Erosion Intensity ranges between (264 - 387) m/km2 with Very poor zone, the Erosion rates (Kk) ranges from (0.01 - 0.325), and the Erosion Coefficient ranges from (0.7 - 1.0).

Background

Destructive leadership has been linked to negative consequences for both organizations and followers. Research has also shown that leader gender affects follower perceptions of leadership behavior and follower outcomes [1,2,3]. However, knowledge is limited as to whether this also applies to destructive leadership [4]. This study aims to combine gendered organization theory with destructive leadership research to investigate the role that gender plays in the relation between destructive leadership behavior and follower outcomes.

Methods

The data were collected in collaboration with Statistic Sweden. It is a representative sample from the working population in Sweden. We used a two-wave survey design and included 1,121 participants in the analysis.

Results

The results from structural equation models indicated that destructive leadership has negative consequences for follower burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover intention 6 months later. The results also showed that followers reported a greater intention to leave the organization if the leader was the same gender and used destructive leadership.

Conclusions

Our study contributes to destructive leadership research by showing that the gender of both the leader and follower matters for the relation between destructive leadership behavior and follower outcomes. Additionally, our study makes a theoretical contribution by integrating a gender research perspective into destructive leadership research.

Creep behaviour in rocks is a typical mechanical property that is directly linked to the stability of underground engineering. The deformations and rate of rocks creep are not only influenced by time but also by the loading and unloading history. To more accurately predict creep mechanical behaviour of salt rocks, the rocks hardening is described by introducing a state variable. A new three-dimensional creep constitutive model of salt rocks was established to describe the loading and unloading history effect of the rheological properties. In this paper, salt rocks creep tests under various loading and unloading histories were conducted to investigate how different loading routes affect the creep behaviour of salt rocks. The effects of the model state variables were analysed through different indicators. An example verification was carried out with the results of plastic deformation tests performed at different loading paths. The findings indicated the creep rate of stepped loading and the stepped unloading under the same stress level were significantly affected by the loading history. The proposed constitutive model can accurately fit the creep test curves of different loading paths, indicate that it can provided a prediction of the historical effect of the creep behaviour of salt rocks. Different parameters affect the different phases of the creep curve. The parameter k primarily affects the overall shape of the creep curves. Parameters m and c primarily influence the steady-state creep length and creep rates, excluding the initial cycle.

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood was modified using maleic anhydride (MA) and sodium hypophosphite (SHP) to improve its durability against wood-deteriorating fungi, mechanical strength, and fire retardancy (thermal stability). The modification significantly reduced mass loss caused by wood-decaying fungi (Trametes versicolor, Rhodonia placenta, and soft rot fungi) due to the formation of cross-links between wood, MA, and SHP, which limited the moisture uptake and altered the chemical structure of wood. On the other hand, the modification did not provide improved resistance to fungi growth on the wood surface, which indicated that the modification had little impact on the accessibility of nutrients on the surface. A bending test showed that the modulus of elasticity (MOE) was not affected by the treatment, whilst the modulus of rupture (MOR) decreased to half the value of untreated wood. Thermal resistance was improved, as demonstrated by micro-scale combustion calorimeter testing, where the total heat release was halved, and the residue percentage nearly doubled. These results indicate that phosphonate protects the modified wood via the formation of a protective char layer on the surface and the formation of radical moieties. Based on the results, wood modified with MA and SHP shows potential for possible use in outdoor, non-loadbearing structures.

As industrial sustainability concerns mount, manufacturers engaged in digital servitization grapple with the twin transition of configuring and implementing digital solutions to meet their customers' sustainability objectives. To address this challenge, a socio-technical systems theory-based framework is proposed. Drawing on case studies with three manufacturers undertaking digital servitization and on the sustainability, digital servitization, and socio-technical systems theory research, our framework highlights key processes in navigating the twin transition. It emphasizes the importance of contextual factors in defining a customer twin-transition roadmap, outlines key steps in reconfiguring technical and social subsystems, and stresses the joint optimization processes based on feedback and metrics. This systematic approach guides manufacturers in supporting their customers through the twin transition, emphasizing socio-technical systems and iterative processes for sustained success. Our findings contribute to the growing digital servitization and sustainability research by conceptualizing underlying processes in the twin transition and offering manufacturers practical insights. 

In today's era of technological evolution, programming education is crucial for shaping the future workforce and fostering innovation. However, access to quality computer science education remains a significant challenge with Sub-Saharan Africa nations experiencing a pronounced digital divide. Despite growing interest in technology, these countries struggle with unequal access to educational resources. AI-driven tools like ChatGPT, Codey, and GitHub Copilot offer personalized learning experiences that could democratize access to knowledge and reshape programming education. This quantitative study examines the impact of these AI tools on fostering inclusive education in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. It involves 322 university students, using purposive sampling and online questionnaires. Various quantitative analyzes, including descriptive statistics, country-wise comparisons, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis tests, and correlation analysis, were conducted. The study reveals students’ motivations for programming, their attitudes towards AI-driven educational tools, and the perceived impact on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Significant variations were found in attitudes based on educational level and country of residence, highlighting the need for tailored strategies to enhance the inclusivity and effectiveness of AI-driven programming education tools.

This article introduces a novel Multi-agent path planning scheme based on Conflict Based Search (CBS) for heterogeneous holonomic and non-holonomic agents, designated as Heterogeneous CBS (HCBS). The proposed methodology employs a hybrid A∗ algorithm for non-holonomic car-like robots and a conventional A∗ algorithm for holonomic robots. Following this, a body conflict detection strategy is utilized to construct the conflict tree, bridging the initial path planning with the resolution of conflicts among agents. Moreover, we present two variants of HCBS: the Enhanced Conflict-Based Search (EHCBS) and the Depth-First Conflict-Based Search (DFHCBS). We evaluate the efficacy of our proposed algorithms—HCBS, EHCBS, and DFHCBS—against a standard prioritized planning algorithm, focusing on success rates and computational efficiency in environments with varying numbers of agents and obstacles. The empirical results demonstrate that EHCBS exhibits superior computational efficiency in small, dense environments, while DFHCBS performs well in larger-scale environments. This highlights the adaptability of our proposed approaches in various settings, proving the computational advantage of EHCBS and DFHCBS over traditional methods.

This study investigate the effects of temperature on the tribological properties of Titanium-zirconium-molybdenum (TZM). TZM alloy was subjected to sliding contact against AISI 430 steel counterparts at varying temperatures. The results shows, the coefficients of friction (COF) at interface were 0.77, 0.75, 0.71, and 0.69, in the case of 25 °C, 300 °C, 600 °C, and 900 °C test temperatures. The presence of MoO3 and Mo9O26 phases suggested the wear resistance and decreasing COF at high temperature. Temperature is a critical factor influencing material transfer between TZM and AISI 430 steel. The primary TZM wear mechanism at 25 °C involved scratching, surface deformation, and local cracks, while elevated temperatures near 900 °C intensified material adhesion phenomena with a surface shearing effect on the TZM surface after the trotest.

This study aims to examine the social, economic, and cultural transformations that occur in a small local community following significant industrial investment. The research focuses on shifts in social cohesion, status hierarchies, and behavioral patterns, investigating how attitudes, values, and perceptions of the future have evolved because of the mining industry’s establishment. The empirical analysis covers the period from 2008 to 2026. The study seeks to answer the following key research questions:

1. How have demographic trends, economic conditions, and local welfare—along with recreational habits and public health—been influenced by the establishment of the mining industry?

2. In what ways have value systems and status relationships between different social groups been affected by the mining investment?

3. How has the mining industry shaped young people’s perceptions of career opportunities and their prospects?

4. What new social challenges, if any, have emerged as a result of the rapid economic growth?

5. What are the anticipated long-term implications for the future of Pajala Municipality?

Syfet med föreliggande projekt är att studera vad som händer med social sammanhållning, statussystem och beteendemönster när omfattande ekonomiska investeringar genomförs i ett mindre lokalsamhälle. Projektet uppmärksammar hur attityder, värderingar och beteenden förändras, vilka statusmässiga förändringar som har ägt rum avseende synen på arbetsliv och fritid, hur tidsanvändandet har förändrats samt om det har skett förskjutningar i människors framtidssyner som en effekt av gruvetableringen? Empiriskt kommer projektet att behandla effekterna av gruvetableringen i Pajala kommun under perioden 2008–2026. Följande frågeställningar ska besvaras:

1. På vilket sätt har lokalsamhällets demografi, ekonomi samt människors välfärd, fritidsanvändning och hälsa förändrats som en konsekvens av gruvetableringen?

2. På vilket sätt har värderings- och statusmässiga förändringar ägt rum mellan olika grupper som resultat av gruvetableringen?

3. Vilken betydelse har etableringen av gruvnäringen för ungdomars föreställningar om framtida yrkesvägar?

4. Vilka eventuella "nya" sociala problem har uppkommit som en konsekvens av den snabba lokala tillväxten?

5. Vilken ny framtid ser man i Pajala kommun?

Passive treatment of acid rock drainage (ARD) is a sustainable approach to control ARD, with sulfide inhibition by silica being a promising alternative. In a small-scale column leaching, a total of four cells loaded with pyritic waste rock (11 wt% S) from an operating Cu mine in Sweden were kept in a climatic chamber at a controlled temperature and humidity. The waste rock was leached for 11 weeks before treatment using alkaline silicate solution was applied, without pH buffer and adjuster. One cell was left untreated, whereas the others were treated with silicate solution as a source of dissolved silica, with and without H2O2 pre-oxidation. The pH in silica-treated cells generated leachate with circumneutral pH until the end of the leaching cycle, whereas sulfide oxidation accelerated in the absence of treatment. Leachate quality in all Si-treated cells improved, as evidenced by the suppressed release of sulfur and other metals (e.g., Al, Fe, Cu, Co, Mn, and Ni). Upon treatment with a longer contact time, silica (SiO2) layer developed on waste rock and inhibited pyrite. The layer remained stable upon extended exposure to air and water for up to 10 weeks after treatment. Despite forming a siliceous Fe–O phase, H2O2 pre-oxidation resulted in indirect oxidation of sulfides and other phases. With an excess of silicate solution and at alkaline pH, pyrite surfaces are devoid of coating and metal ions were mobilized. Finally, this study suggested that treatment of pyritic waste rock using silica can attenuate ARD formation and prevent metal leaching by pyrite inhibition and maintaining a circumneutral pH environment or both.

This study presents a metaheuristic approach to coverage path planning for ground-based forest operations, focusing on minimizing path lengths for forest vehicles while considering terrain characteristics and vehicle parameters. Forest vehicles can usually tolerate higher pitch than roll angles, which makes them vulnerable to rollover. To mitigate that, this method utilizes a genetic algorithm to optimize the sequence of nodes, which are scattered over the site with equal spacing. The coverage path planner then calculates the Dubins path distance between every node in the fitness function, together with penalties for exceeding pitch, roll and soil moisture constraints for the vehicle. This ensures that the path planner tries to make the most traversable path as possible, while trying to minimize the driving distance. Two synthetic test sites resembling primitive challenging terrains, and one real site were utilized to theoretically evaluate the proposed method. The results show that aligning the node patterns with the critical slope headings, instead of having a straight pattern, had little effect on the path length. However, square grids can yield shorter paths across multiple runs, while triangular grids ensure consistent results in single runs. A two-hectare site took 43 minutes to calculate on average. This suggests that further development of the path planner could lead to significant improvements, enabling the management of sites larger than a few hundred nodes. However, the calculation time is justified for the reduced path length during deployment. The study presents a methodology that supports manual operators and establishes foundations for full autonomy.

In this study, unmodified and graphene (G)-modified TiO2–CuO mixed oxide thin films were synthesized via spray pyrolysis, incorporating varying graphene content (y = 2, 4, 6, and 8 at. %). The modified samples were subjected to photocatalytic (Rhodamine B (RhB), Malachite green (MG), Methylene Blue, and Methyl Orange) and photovoltaic performance evaluations. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of well-crystalline thin films, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) (XPS) provided insights into the electronic states of Cu, Ti, C, and O elements. After graphene modification, the Cu 2p and Ti 2p spectra exhibited a negative and positive shift, respectively, indicating Cu reduction and Ti oxidation. Optical absorption analysis revealed an increase in band gap energy with higher graphene concentrations, reaching 1.78 eV at 6 at. % graphene content. The as-prepared samples were tested for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes in polluted water, including Rhodamine B (RhB), Malachite Green (MG), Methylene Blue (MB), and Methyl Orange (MO). The film dropped at 8 at. % graphene demonstrated remarkable photocatalytic efficiency, achieving degradation rates of 90 %, 85 %, 96 %, and 87 % for RhB, MG, MB, and MO, respectively, within 2 h of solar illumination. Furthermore, the application of G-TiO2-CuO as a secondary absorber layer in CZTS solar cells was optimized using Silvaco TCAD software, resulting in an efficiency enhancement from 10.25 % to 15.31 %. These findings highlight the crucial role of graphene modification in enhancing the physical properties of semiconductor materials, making them promising candidates for advanced optoelectronic applications.

An integral part of autonomous forestry is the ability of the vehicles, e.g., forwarders and harvesters, to perceive their environment. At Luleå University of Technology, object detectors have previously been developed, allowing forestry vehicles to detect and position important objects in forestry, such as tree stumps, stones, and logs. These detectors have been developed by training on physical manually annotated data, which is both time-consuming and costly. Training on virtual data allows for significant time- and cost reductions. Since the ground truth in the virtual model is known, the training data can be auto-annotated, allowing for the creation of larger training datasets, at a lower cost. In this work, a virtual environment in Unity is used in co-simulation with a real-time digital twin of a physical forestry vehicle, to generate auto-annotated training data, as captured by an onboard stereo camera. A detailed emulation of the stereo camera is used to achieve realistic results. First, a log detector trained on physical manually annotated data, is evaluated on virtually created data. It is shown that the log detector trained on physical data can detect logs in the virtual environment. Second, new detectors are trained, using different shares of physical and virtual data. It is shown that a detector trained using only virtual data, can learn to detect logs in the physical world. Moreover, virtual pre-training is shown to improve the performance of physically trained and tested detectors, both at low availability of physical training data, and in terms of domain generalization. Furthermore, the real-time capable virtual models also enable future machine learning tasks utilizing different levels of Hardware-in-the-Loop.

Background: Understanding factors influencing the use of coercive practices in clinical psychiatry is necessary to develop strategies to reduce their use. However, there is little evidence regarding staff perceptions of such factors, particularly in inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP).

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with nurses, senior consultants and heads of units in inpatient CAP in Sweden 2021 (N = 9). The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Data on informal coercion were analysed separately using a deductive approach based on previously proposed hierarchies for informal coercion.

Results: We identified one overarching theme of factors reported to influence the use of coercive practices: “Trust and distrust in coercive and non-coercive approaches”, in turn encompassing the two subthemes “Ward culture” and “Available resources and strain”. Our findings suggest a risk of a negative spiral of coercion emerging when there is low professional trust in non-coercive approaches and high trust in coercive methods. Informal coercion was used frequently and observed to occur in two distinct processes: one concerning continuous coercive escalation, and the other involving sustained efforts at the same coercion level.

Conclusions: Trusting the efficacy of non-coercive approaches in inpatient CAP care appears critical for their success; a finding that may inform strategies to reduce coercion and address frequent use with individual patients.

Background To enable people with stroke to achieve an active everyday life under altered conditions, the development of self-management programs is essential to facilitate the process of change that individuals must undergo. To improve access to self-management, internet-based solutions have been proposed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a novel internet-based intervention, “Strategies for Empowering activities in Everyday Life” (SEE, version 1.0), for clients with stroke.

Methods This feasibility study had a preposttest design without a control group and utilized a mixed-method approach. Data were collected through study-specific forms, outcome assessments, interviews, and field notes. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were subsequently applied.

Results The study involved fifteen clients and staff at clinics in a hospital-based open-care rehabilitation setting. The results indicate that SEE is feasible for clients with stroke. When adopted as expected, SEE has the potential to empower self-management and enhance engagement, balance, and values in everyday activities. The study also indicates that SEE is feasible in terms of adherent delivery of dosage, acceptability, and value, as perceived by clients, occupational therapists, and clinic managers. However, adjustments are needed in the study design, in terms of recruitment strategies, the selection of assessor-based outcome assessment, and the evaluation of adherence. Additionally, the educational program for professionals should be enhanced to better support the implementation of SEE.

Conclusion After the study design, intervention, and educational program are refined, SEE can be prepared for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

In this work, we proposed a novel approach for identifying quantum phase transitions in one-dimensional quantum many-body systems using AutoEncoder (AE), an unsupervised machine learning technique, with minimal prior knowledge. The training of the AEs is done with reduced density matrix (RDM) data obtained by Exact Diagonalization (ED) across the entire range of the driving parameter and thus no prior knowledge of the phase diagram is required. With this method, we successfully detect the phase transitions in a wide range of models with multiple phase transitions of different types, including the topological and the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transitions by tracking the changes in the reconstruction loss of the AE. The learned representation of the AE is used to characterize the physical phenomena underlying different quantum phases. Our methodology demonstrates a new approach to studying quantum phase transitions with minimal knowledge, small amount of needed data, and produces compressed representations of the quantum states.

The literature on circular business models (CBMs) has generated barrier categories and taxonomies but provides an incomplete understanding of how firms develop and scale CBMs in practice. We challenge prior literature by relating barriers directly to the CBM dimensions of value creation, value delivery, and value capture. Following this approach, we analyze the Swedish manufacturing industry using qualitative content analysis and arrive at three key contributions. First, there is a distinct set of barriers affecting value creation, value delivery, and value capture. Second, the barriers are underpinned by a unique set of problems, many of which are nondecomposable. Third, most barriers inhibit the scaling of CBMs rather than their initial development. Altogether, this has major implications for understanding the nature of CBMs, productively addressing CBM barriers and problems, and scaling CBMs. We conceptualize these insights into a framework with implications for both the CBM literature and for managers innovating CBMs.

Grouting is widely used in tunnel construction as a measure to reduce water seepage through rock fractures. Fresh cement-based grout often comes into contact with flowing water after being injected into rock fractures, especially in post-excavation grouting scenarios in rock tunnels or pre-excavation grouting in deep tunnels and remedial grouting in dam foundations. The flowing water can cause erosion of the fresh grout and viscous fingering in the grout, which reduces the efficiency of the grouting. In the present study, experimental tests using a simulated fracture were carried out to investigate grout erosion and viscous fingering in the time period after the injection stops until the grout has gained sufficient strength. The aim of the tests was to evaluate the validity of the existing criteria used to determine grout erosion and viscous fingering. The test results showed significant grout erosion and viscous fingering caused by the flowing water despite these behaviors not being expected according to the existing criteria. The reduction in the grouted area was up to 50% after 10 min and up to 64% after 60 min. Based on these results, the mechanism of grout erosion and viscous fingering between water and grout is discussed with respect to grouting design strategy. The present study provides a deeper understanding of grout erosion and viscous fingering after the grouting is completed, indicating complex mechanisms of these behaviors and oversimplification in the existing criteria. The results are useful for the design of grouting in fractures with flowing water.

Interfacial solar desalination using plasmonic metal semiconductors is a valuable process for freshwater production. However, the design of a sustainable and efficient photothermal evaporator is still challenging. In the present research, polyethylene terephthalate waste bottles were upcycled into carbon foam (CF) and further functionalized with CuS nanoflakes as a photothermal layer. Analytical characterizations (X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy–high-angle annular dark field) demonstrated the successful decoration of two-dimensional Covellite CuS nanoflakes on graphitic CF having microporous channels. UV/vis spectroscopy measurements show enhanced optical absorption with CuS/CF of up to 95% compared to bare CF (72%). The photothermal desalination experiment displayed an improved evaporation rate of 1.90 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ for the CuS–CF compared to 1.58 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ for the bare CF and CuS 1.41 kg m⁻² h¹, reveling the excellent water evaporation efficiency of 91%. The obtained results suggested that the design of CuS-functionalized CF derived from waste plastic for solar desalination is a useful strategy to produce fresh water from the upcycling of waste materials and a good example of circular economy through the development of engineered composite systems.

The urea oxidation reaction (UOR), with its low thermodynamic potential, offers a promising alternative to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for efficient hydrogen production. However, its sluggish kinetics still demand the development of an efficient electrocatalyst. In this study, the critical role of Ru doping in Fe₂TiO₅ is demonstrated to accelerate UOR kinetics. The computational finding confirmed the feasibility of this approach, guiding the experimental synthesis of Fe_2−xRu_xTiO₅. Benefitting from surface properties and electronic structure, the synthesized material exhibits superior performance with a potential of 1.30 V at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² for UOR, compared to undoped Fe2TiO5 (1.40 V). Moreover, it demonstrates a favourable Tafel slope of 52 mV dec⁻¹ and maintains robust durability for 72 h. As confirmed from experimental and computational findings, the enhanced activity can be attributed to the Ru doping resulting in structural distortion at the Fe site and creation of a favourable adsorption site thereby enhancing UOR via dual active center. This study not only broadens the potential applications of Fe2TiO5-based materials beyond their traditional role as photocatalysts but also establishes them as promising electrocatalysts underscoring the versatility and improved performance of Fe_2−xRu_xTiO₅.

The incorporation of 2D materials into memristive devices has boosted advancements in non-volatile memory (NVM), and other related applications including brain inspired neuromorphic systems, artificial intelligence (AI)-machine learning (ML), optoelectronics, photonics, implementing arithmetic operations, and hybrid CMOS architectures. These advancements have taken place among limitations on silicon-based flash and surging data demands, stimulating the research of innovative materials and architectures, particularly for the next generation memory devices. This comprehensive review expands upon the cutting-edge developments in 2D material-based memristors, including their fabrication techniques, performance evaluation, fundamental properties, diverse applications, further challenges in their modernization, and future road map. By emphasizing the distinct characteristics of 2D materials, we reviewed their memristive behavior and highlighted the major contributions by leading researchers over the years. Focus of this review is on the incorporation of graphene (derivatives of graphene), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and other 2D materials (like MXenes and nanocomposites) in various memristive architectures. The review paper systematically explored the specific roles of graphene and other 2D materials in memristor devices including their use as electrodes, active layers, barrier layers, interfacial layers, and tunnel layers. The major challenges faced by the 2D material based memristor technology hindering their advancement have been critically reviewed including the scalability, yield, hardware implementation, performance enhancement, fabrication techniques, material/device engineering, and commercialization of these devices. Workable solutions to those problems along with the clear and comprehensive road map of future directions for addressing these hurdles have been recommended to unlock the full potential of this transitional technology. This review provides an authoritative resource and compelling rationale for researchers working towards metamorphic memristor solutions by emphasizing the imperative role of 2D materials.

Harmonic emissions cause power quality issues in electrical systems, making source identification necessary to determine the best way of remedying them. Existing methods rely on measuring variations in harmonic amplitude, angle, and phase which require multiple measurement points or extensive system knowledge. We identified a methodological research gap because Discrete Harmonic Cycle Time (DHCT) has not been evaluated as a measuring principle for harmonic source identification. We propose a method using DHCT to enable single point measurements to profile harmonic sources. To determine the cycle length, we used a combination of sifting, a filter bank of cascaded high-pass and notch filters, and zero-crossing detection. For comparing the devices, we extracted motifs from the time series of discrete cycle lengths and applied principal component analysis. While it has previously been known in other contexts that harmonics can have varying cycle lengths, our laboratory results show that this is also true for the emissions of power electronic devices and that the differentiation can be used to identify the devices, thus bridging this knowledge gap. This method is independent of system impedance and topology. While further validation in more complex environments is needed, our results suggest that devices can be identified using this measurement principle. Since the measuring principle is orthogonal to other methods, it has potential as a complementary tool in harmonic source identification.

Traditional humidity sensors frequently face challenges, especially in environments with fluctuating temperatures, which can compromise their efficiency, stability, and reliability. Therefore, there is an urgent demand to fabricate low-cost and high-performance temperature-independent humidity sensors. In this work, for the first time, highly stable and reliable temperature-independent humidity sensors have been proposed based on a PEO/PVA polymer composite. Four sensors were fabricated containing weight ratios of PEO/PVA as 50:50%, 40:60%, 60:40%, and 70:30%, respectively. All of the fabricated sensors were electrically characterized at three different temperatures, 30 °C, 35 °C, and 40 °C, to investigate the impedance response. The proposed sensor based on a PEO/PVA (40:60%) composite presents a remarkable and optimized temperature-independent performance in the range of 0–60%RH. Apart from this, the response and recovery time (9 s/16 s) of the temperature-independent humidity sensor based on PEO/PVA (40:60%) were investigated. Finally, the sensor showed long-term stability for 90 days, ensuring the reliability of the proposed device. These remarkable performances of the proposed sensor based on PEO/PVA with a weight ratio of (40:60)% can open a new gateway for low-range temperature-independent humidity sensors for various real-time applications.

In various structural applications polymer composites are exposed to sub-zero and even cryogenic temperatures which may initiate of microstructural damage. To anticipate these events, one needs to understand the behavior of composites in a sub-zero environment. This study focuses on damage initiation and accumulation, and its influence on the properties of cross-ply glass fibers epoxy composites at sub-zero temperatures. The effect of bromine modification of epoxy, and the dissolution in an organic solvent on the mechanical performance of the produced composite is also investigated. To evaluate the influence of a sub-zero environment on the mechanical performance of glass fiber epoxy laminates, tensile tests in a sub-zero environment of unconditioned specimens were carried out. The quasi-static tensile tests were performed to measure the elastic modulus of the composites while loading-unloading experiments were performed to monitor the initiation (and accumulation) of microstructural damage and its influence on the stiffness of glass fiber epoxy laminates. The results of cryogenic damage and fracture in the laminates are discussed with a focus on the degradation of properties of glass fiber crucial for their use in structural applications: strength and stiffness.

Rice husks were combusted in a 150 kW pilot-scale powder burner connected to a horizontal ceramic-lined furnace to investigate the ash transformation processes, including deposit formation at high surface temperatures. Residual coarse ash samples (>1 μm) were collected from different positions along the furnace and heat exchanger path. Fine fly ash samples (<1 μm) were collected from the furnace outside the flame, and high-temperature deposits were collected on deposition probes having different surface temperatures. The collected samples were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Additionally, thermodynamic equilibrium calculations were employed to interpret experimental results. The results showed different ash transformation processes occurring at the outer surface and inner part of the rice husks. A high share of minor ash-forming elements (i.e., K, P, Ca, and Mg) together with Si was retained in the residual coarse ash particles. The retained minor ash-forming elements were mainly incorporated in the spherical Si-rich particles with moderate amounts of K, Ca, Mg, and P that were partially molten and originated from the inner part of the rice husks. The outer surface of the rice husks primarily formed skeleton-like coarse ash particles dominated by Si. The high surface temperature deposits only contained skeleton-like coarse ash particles that were partially molten.

Sulphide-rich soil, a prevalent soft alluvial type along the Baltic Sea coast, is characterised by its sulfur content, low strength, high compressibility and significant organic components. Common practice involves replacing this soil with more resilient subgrade materials; however, excavated sulphur-rich soil necessitates to be treated as environmentally hazardous, due to its oxidation potential, leading to increased construction expenses. If instead, sulphide-rich soil is going to be used as subgrade, it becomes crucial to define its cyclic mechanical properties. This requires representative samples, which may not always be available through conventional undisturbed sampling methods. In this paper, the slurry deposition method was adopted to generate reconstituted samples of sulphide-rich soil for static triaxial testing. The method provided consistent samples and captured the characteristics of the natural soil. The triaxial results are the first step towards the understanding and definition of the cyclic behaviour of sulphide-rich soil.

In this chapter, we describe a series of studies related to our research on using gestural sonic objects in music analysis. These include developing a method for annotating the qualities of gestural sonic objects on multimodal recordings; ranking which features in a multimodal dataset are good predictors of basic qualities of gestural sonic objects using the Random Forests algorithm; and a supervised learning method for automated spotting designed to assist human annotators. The subject of our analyses is a performance of Fragmente2, a choreomusical composition based on the Japanese composer Makoto Shinohara’s solo piece for tenor recorder Fragmente (1968). To obtain the dataset, we carried out a multimodal recording of a full performance of the piece and obtained synchronised audio, video, motion, and electromyogram (EMG) data describing the body movements of the performers. We then added annotations on gestural sonic objects through dedicated qualitative analysis sessions. The task of annotating gestural sonic objects on the recordings of this performance has led to a meticulous examination of related theoretical concepts to establish a method applicable beyond this case study. This process of gestural sonic object annotation—like other qualitative approaches involving manual labelling of data—has proven to be very time-consuming. This motivated the exploration of data-driven, automated approaches to assist expert annotators.

Noise barriers play a crucial role in mitigating railway noise, with the aerodynamic pressure exerted by passing trains being a key factor in their structural design, particularly for those installed along high-speed railways. While previous studies have focused on the effects of train speed, geometry, and distance from the track centre, and have developed models incorporating these factors, limited attention has been given to the impact of bilateral layouts and barrier height on this pressure. Quantitative assessments of these two factors remain scarce, and existing pressure calculation models inadequately address their influence. This study addressed these gaps by employing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, validated by field test data, to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the effects of barrier layout and height on the aerodynamic pressure acting on vertical noise barriers. The results demonstrate that two distinct transient pressure fluctuations over time are generated by the train’s nose and tail, in agreement with the findings of the field tests. A bilateral layout increases peak pressure by up to 8.5%, particularly as the distance to the train centreline decreases. Moreover, increasing barrier height from 2 to 4 m resulted in a maximum pressure amplification of 13.23%, though the amplification rate diminished with further height increases. To address the limitations of existing pressure calculation models, an exponential model was developed to account for the amplification effect of bilateral layouts, while a logarithmic correction factor was introduced to account for barrier height. These models were integrated into a comprehensive aerodynamic pressure calculation framework, effectively capturing the combined impacts of barrier layout and height. Validated through simulations, the proposed model offers a more accurate and practical approach for predicting train-induced aerodynamic pressure on noise barriers, providing valuable insights to inform their structural design.

Background

Nurse migration impacts global healthcare, which has a shortage of nurses, as many nurses move from lower-income to higher-income countries for better opportunities, working conditions, and salaries. Internationally educated nurses (IENs) have often been seen as a crucial solution to this issue. However, policies and regulations have been set in place to protect the public, including the recertification process and training to ensure educational comparability and competence. IENs’ contributions to the nursing workforce are significant, underscoring the importance of these policies and regulations.

Aim

The aim was to describe the demographic and social characteristics of IENs who had completed recertification for nurses’ licenses in Sweden and to compare these characteristics among those who completed recertification through the National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) or bridging programs.

Methods

A cross-sectional design using a survey and 818 questionnaires was sent to IENs with an identified postal address who had undergone the recertification process in Sweden. Of them, 296 (38%) were completed. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Fischer's exact tests, and independent sample t-tests.

Results

Most IENs who had participated in a bridging program were women, commonly aged between 31 and 40 years of age who had immigrated mainly from Asian or Middle Eastern countries for family-related reasons. The average time to obtain a nursing license was 5.9 years, starting from the year they immigrated until recertification. IENs who received recertification by the NBHW were significantly younger (p < .001), had been in Sweden for a shorter time (p < .001), and the time to license was shorter (p < .001). Significant differences were also shown for origin (p < .001) and reason for immigration (p < .001).

Conclusions

The findings can be used by decision-makers and authorities when developing higher education strategies for legalization and immigration policy to contribute to IENs’ career advancement opportunities.

It is well recognized in the literature that the fracture process of thin metal sheets involves three energy dissipation mechanisms i.e., plasticity, necking and surface separation. However, the complex stress state in thin structures hinders the experimental assessment of these quantities and, consequently, the failure modelling. This work evaluates the contribution of these mechanisms to the ductile damage of a thin advanced high strength steel sheet under different stress triaxiality ranges. The essential work of fracture test was carried out on a set of different notch geometry specimens that cover a wide range of stress states. The experimental trend of these specimens was simulated in ABAQUS/Explicit using a VUSDFLD subroutine. Bai and Wierzbicki uncoupled fracture model, which is a function of fracture plastic strain to stress triaxiality (η) and normalized Lode angle (, was selected as damage initiation criterion. A quantitative relationship of the fracture energy (G0) as a function of (η) was proposed in this work and implemented in the model as a damage evolution law. The model captures well the experimental response and the influence of (η) on the softening behavior of the material. It was found that the sensitivity of G0 to η is significant between 0.7 and 1.5. Above this rage, it seems that (η) has no influence on G0. The model showed also the relationship between the two local damage parameters (G0) and the necking (Gn) with respect to the stress state. G0 represents less than 10% of the total work of fracture, while the largest contribution comes from (Gn).

Purpose: This study serves a dual purpose. First, it aims to explore the phase-wise progression that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups must undertake to become successful ecosystem partners, supporting large industrial firms in their circular transition. Second, it seeks to examine how these small firms manage change and foster collaborative cultures through strategies enabled by positive organizational scholarship (POS) during their phased evolution.

Design/methodology/approach: This study provides empirical evidence through a multiple case study-based approach involving 12 born-circular SMEs/startups from 5 diverse Indian industrial sectors. Insights were gathered by conducting two rounds of semi-structured interviews with 24 participants and one validatory seminar with eight participants.

Findings: This research identified three distinct and complementary phases – compare, compete and collaborate – that SMEs/startups can undergo to emerge as successful ecosystem partners. Each phase encompasses specific business practices, including various circular activities. These activities serve as clear indicators of the smaller firms’ potential competence in aiding larger firms during their circular transitions.

Originality/value: This paper contributes to the theoretical understanding of the circular economy by outlining a trajectory for SMEs/startups to establish successful partnerships. Another contribution is the application of POS as a positive change management paradigm to facilitate circularity. Additionally, the study highlights the context of developing nations, which remain underexplored compared to their developed counterparts in circularity initiatives.