Concrete Support Research Articles

Fire Resistance Analysis of Two-Way Reinforced Concrete Slabs

This paper presents a fire resistance analysis of two-way reinforced concrete (RC) slabs. The study analyzes the effect of specific parameters—concrete cover thickness, span, and support conditions—on the fire resistance of the slabs. To that end, the slabs were exposed to Standard Fire ISO 834, and the 3D nonlinear numerical analyses were conducted in SAFIR2016. The results of the numerical analyses were evaluated against experimental results reported in the literature. The agreement between the two sets of results was satisfactory throughout the fire test. Nonetheless, to verify the obtained numerical results, all testing-related parameters must comply with the numerical simulation results. This comparison demonstrated the usefulness of numerical simulations in predicting the behavior of structures in fire conditions. In addition to the nonlinear numerical analysis, the fire resistance was calculated using the simplified method and tabulated data described in Eurocode 2 (Part 1.2) to assess the accuracy and reliability of fire safety regulations in the design of two-way slabs and identify significant differences between the design code and numerical analysis. The comparison showed that SAFIR2016 provides more accurate results by considering additional factors, such as tensile membrane forces, which increase the fire resistance of two-way slabs. According to the load-bearing criteria, the two-way slabs have high fire resistance, considerably higher than prescribed in the fire safety regulations, which ignore the positive effect of tensile membrane forces. According to the numerical analysis, the upper reinforcement in the compression areas of the slab's span was considered, which increased the fire resistance of the slabs. In contrast, according to the design codes, the contribution of this reinforcement is neglected. It was indicated that the increased concrete cover improves the fire resistance of the slabs. The vertical displacements increase by increasing the slab span, but according to the load-bearing criteria, all the slabs show fire resistance of over ten hours. In terms of bearing capacity, slabs with various support conditions show fire resistance of longer than ten hours. In terms of deflections, the supporting conditions of the slabs have a significant influence on their behavior. This study provides valuable insights into the fire resistance of two-way RC slabs and highlights the importance of considering specific parameters in the analysis. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-05-05 Full Text: PDF

교육실습학기제 도입에 따른 예비 화학교사들의 인식 및 요구

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions and demands of pre-servicechemistry teachers about the teaching practicum semester system. Methods: Based on previous studies, an open-ended questionnaire consisting of four items for threecategories was developed. The survey was conducted with 75 students enrolled in the departmentof C education at K university (prior to the teaching practicum: 41, after the teaching practicum:34). The collected responses were categorized for each question, with semantic key words extracted,and the frequency of each semantic key word was analyzed and then cross-validation was conducted. Results: There were positive opinions that the teaching practicum allowed students to experiencethe activities of the semester and enhance their competence as teachers, but there were also negativeopinions, with some individuals noting that it was a burden on academics and there were restrictionson classes. There was a demand for class demonstrations with feedback reflected, and it was recognizedthat a program related to class expertise was needed before the teaching practicum. Regarding theintroduction of the practicum, the needs for a platform related to practice guidance and class-relatedmaterials were the areas most requested. Conclusion: For the stable introduction of the teaching practicum semester system, concrete methodsto support pre-service teachers were deduced from this research.

The cocreation of care pathways for patients treated with oral anticancer drugs: From assessment data to an actual care pathway.

Due to the emergence of oral anticancer therapies, existing care processes in oncology - that are mainly focused on in-hospital treatments - must be rethought. The development of a care pathway is a well-known methodology to reorganise and standardise care for a specific patient group. However, care pathway development might be complex and burdensome for healthcare teams, requiring a well-thought-out methodology that provides guidance to the teams. In 10 Belgian oncology departments, multidisciplinary teams developed a tailored care pathway, aimed to offer high-quality patient-centred care. Each department followed a cocreation methodology, consisting of a current practice assessment, a priority setting, and the actual development of the care pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate how and to which extent underperformed evidence-based key elements (KEs), identified in the current practice assessment, guided the development of the care pathway, and how compliant the final care pathways are with the list of evidence-based KEs. A qualitative content analysis was conducted to describe and compare the results of each phase of the cocreation methodology. This study shows that much of the evidence and feedback on current practice that was used as a starting point, got lost throughout the cocreation process. Only a limited proportion of the (seriously) underperformed KEs were prioritised by the multidisciplinary teams. Furthermore, several prioritised KEs could not be retrieved in the care pathway documents. Also, the final care pathways were not fully compliant with existing evidence. Based on the findings, a more rigorous cocreation methodology seems needed, offering very concrete support for multidisciplinary teams to integrate the prioritised KEs in the care process (e.g., by using a model care pathway). Next to the selfreported performance data from healthcare professionals and patients, more objective data (e.g., walkthrough, medical records) and more extensive patient involvement should be considered in the priority setting.

Electric locomotive electrical control training based on virtual reality technology

AbstractThe recent rapid development of the computer‐aided design technologies has provided concrete support for the education and research in the field of railway transportation. Virtual reality (VR) technology is becoming particularly important in the field of experimental teaching due to its low cost, low restriction and immersion. In this work, we have designed a virtual simulation untried system of the electric joint control in electric locomotives based on VR technology. Based on the user's understanding of the three circuit principles in the experiment, together with the recognition and operation ability to control appliances and equipment, the system assessment system has been scored and evaluated accordingly. The tests of the virtual simulation system have shown the experimental teaching can reduce the cost while effectively improving the learning effect.

Blasting Demolition Technology of Reinforced Concrete Support for High-Rise Buildings

Blasting Demolition Technology of Reinforced Concrete Support for High-Rise Buildings

Sentinel-2 time series analysis for monitoring multi-taxon biodiversity in mountain beech forests

Biodiversity monitoring represents a major challenge to supporting proper forest ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation. The latter is indeed shifting in recent years from single-species to multi-taxon approaches. However, multi-taxonomic studies are quite rare due to the effort required for performing field surveys. In this context, remote sensing is a powerful tool, continuously providing consistent and open access data at a different range of spatial and temporal scales. In particular, the Sentinel-2 (S2) mission has great potential to produce reliable proxies for biological diversity. In beech forests of two Italian National Parks, we sampled the beetle fauna, breeding birds, and epiphytic lichens. First, we calculated Shannon’s entropy and Simpson’s diversity. Then, to produce variables for biodiversity assessment, we exploited S2 data acquired in the 4 years 2017–2021. S2 images were used to construct spectral bands and photosynthetic indices time series, from which 91 harmonic metrics were derived. For each taxon and multi-taxon community, we assessed the correlation with S2 harmonic metrics, biodiversity indices, and forest structural variables. Then, to assess the potential of the harmonic metrics in predicting species diversity in terms of Shannon’s and Simpson’s biodiversity indices, we also fit a random forests model between each diversity index and the best 10 harmonic metrics (in terms of absolute correlation, that is, the magnitude of the correlation) for each taxon. The models’ performance was evaluated via the relative root mean squared error (RMSE%). Overall, 241 beetle, 27 bird, and 59 lichen species were recorded. The diversity indices were higher for the multi-taxon community than for the single taxa. They were generally higher in the CVDA site than in GSML, except for the bird community. The highest correlation values between S2 data and biodiversity indices were recorded in CVDA for multi-taxon and beetle communities (| r| = 0.52 and 0.38, respectively), and in GSML for lichen and beetle communities (| r| = 0.34 and 0.26, respectively). RMSE% ranged between 2.53 and 9.99, and between 8.1 and 16.8 for the Simpson and Shannon index, respectively. The most important variables are phase and RMSE of red-Edge bands for bird and lichen communities, while RMSE and time of tassel cap and from EVI indices for beetles and multi-taxon diversity. Our results demonstrate that S2 data can be used for identifying potential biodiversity hotspots, showing that the herein presented harmonic metrics are informative for several taxa inhabiting wood, giving concrete support to cost-effective biodiversity monitoring and nature-based forest management in complex mountain systems.

Identification of Cartilaginous Fish Endogenous Foamy Virus Rooting to Vertebrate Counterparts.

Foamy viruses (FVs) are ideal models for studying the long-term evolutionary history between viruses and their hosts. Currently, FVs have been documented in nearly all major taxa of vertebrates, but evidence is lacking for true FV infiltration in cartilaginous fish, the most basal living vertebrates with jaws. Here, we screened 11 available genomes and 10 transcriptome sequence assemblies of cartilaginous fish and revealed a novel endogenous foamy virus, termed cartilaginous fish endogenous foamy virus (CFEFV), in the genomes of sharks and rays. Genomic analysis of CFEFVs revealed feature motifs that were retained among canonical FVs. Phylogenetic analysis using polymerase sequences revealed the rooting nature of CFEFVs to vertebrate FVs, indicating their deep origin. Interestingly, three viral lineages were found in a shark (Scyliorhinus torazame), one of which was clustered with ray-finned fish foamy-like viruses, indicating that multiple episodes of viral infiltrations had occurred in this species. These findings fill a major gap in the Spumaretrovirinae taxon and reveal the aquatic origin of FVs found in terrestrial vertebrates. IMPORTANCE Although foamy viruses (FVs) have been found in major branches of vertebrates, the presence of these viruses in cartilaginous fish, the most basal living vertebrates with jaws, remains to be explored. This study revealed a collection of cartilaginous endogenous FVs in sharks and rays through in silico genomic mining. These viruses were rooted in the polymerase (POL) phylogeny, indicating the ancient aquatic origin of FVs. However, their envelope (ENV) protein grouped with those of amphibian FVs, suggesting different evolutionary histories of different FV genes. Overall, we provide the last missing gap for the taxonomic investigation of Spumaretrovirinae and provide concrete support for the aquatic origin of FVs.

De novo genome assembly and analyses of 12 founder inbred lines provide insights into maize heterosis.

Hybrid maize displays superior heterosis and contributes over 30% of total worldwide cereal production. However, the molecular mechanisms of heterosis remain obscure. Here we show that structural variants (SVs) between the parental lines have a predominant role underpinning maize heterosis. De novo assembly and analyses of 12 maize founder inbred lines (FILs) reveal abundant genetic variations among these FILs and, through expression quantitative trait loci and association analyses, we identify several SVs contributing to genomic and phenotypic differentiations of various heterotic groups. Using a set of 91 diallel-cross F1 hybrids, we found strong positive correlations between better-parent heterosis of the F1 hybrids and the numbers of SVs between the parental lines, providing concrete genomic support for a prevalent role of genetic complementation underlying heterosis. Further, we document evidence that SVs in both ZAR1 and ZmACO2 contribute to yield heterosis in an overdominance fashion. Our results should promote genomics-based breeding of hybrid maize.

Working Towards Prevention for Families At-Risk of Child Maltreatment—Meeting Families’ Needs through Community Response in Colorado

In the USA, there is a growing emphasis in child protective services (CPS) on prevention for families deemed at-risk of child maltreatment. The Colorado Community Response (CCR) program is one such effort in Colorado to support families to prevent future involvement with CPS. The CCR program is designed to meet family needs, with an explicit focus on economic self-sufficiency and stability. The pilot CCR program was implemented from 2014 through 2017 and evaluated to determine the effectiveness of CCR in preventing child welfare reinvolvement for participating families. By utilizing a pre-post design, it was found that for participating families, the short-term outcomes of protective factors and family functioning across 13 domains were enhanced. Using a matched comparison group, quasi-experimental design and long-term measures of child welfare re-involvement were found to be similarly impacted such that likelihood of subsequently founded assessments and out-of-home placements was significantly less for families who completed CCR services than their matched comparison counterparts. This study adds to a body of evidence that suggests programs and services that provide concrete and economic supports for families can be effective in preventing child welfare (re)involvement.

Calculation of parameters of anchor-sprayed concrete support vertical mining operations

The issues of assessing the stability and fastening of horizontal and vertical mine workings, considering various mining and geological conditions, are relevant. The study of scientific papers related to this problem has shown that a fairly large number of works are devoted to developing methods for calculating and applying anchor-sprayed concrete support for the walls of horizontal mine workings. At the same time, there is no design model for using such a support for the trunks of vertical mine workings. In the proposed work, the method proposed in the previous work of the authors [1] is used to calculate the parameters of the anchor support of the trunks of vertical workings. To develop a methodology for calculating the thickness of the sprayed concrete coating, a model of a quadrangular plate was adopted, and methods of the theory of elasticity were applied, similar to the problem of calculating boiler walls reinforced with anchor bolts, first solved by academician A.S.Leibenzon. As a result, a new formula for determining the thickness of sprayed concrete for vertical shafts is proposed, taking into account the steps of installing anchors horizontally and vertically and the influence of the lateral rebound coefficient under the action of a gravitational stress field. The problem of determining the strength limit of anchors on a slice interacting with a sprayed concrete coating is solved. An expression is obtained for determining the minimum value of the shear stress for the applied anchors at depth in rocks with a density; a formula is derived that allows determining the upper limit of permissible distances between anchor belts vertically, different from previously known similar formulas in that it takes into account the effects of the radius of the zone of destroyed rocks, the thickness of the sprayed concrete and the ultimate strength of the sprayed concrete. In addition, in its structure, there is a factor of the angle of inclination to the horizon of the most dangerous sliding plane. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that a technique has been developed that allows the calculation of a combined anchor-sprayed concrete support for small vertical shafts, optimize the values of the parameters of such support and create a corresponding mathematical model.

Asymmetric Damage Mechanisms and Prevention Technology in Large-Section Gob-Side Entry Retaining

Based on the deformation and damage characteristics of the surrounding rock in a large-section gob-side entry retaining and combined with field observations and an analysis of the dominant factors, an overall deformation control plan is formulated. The plan mainly includes a structure of high strength, high stiffness and high ductility for roadside support; the reinforcement of the roadway-in support; and the setup entry hydraulic fracturing pressure release mechanism and advanced long, horizontal borehole “fracturing-jet” pressure relief technology. Industrial field tests were completed taking Tangan coal mine as the engineering background. The research shows that the large-section gob-side entry retaining has the typical “asymmetric” overall deformation and damage characteristics, including top coal sinking along the inner side of the roadside support, the whole roadside support structure skewing, and even splitting damage; floor heaving; and the coal-side bolt support structure basically losing support ability and bulging out from the coal side. The dominant factors of deformation damage are disintegration of the floor mudstone by water and deflection deformation under horizontal stress, splitting damage in the concrete roadside support under asymmetric load, damage and expansion due to the insufficient strength of the coal side support, strong dynamic pressure on the roof, and the mutual influence of support and pressure relief. The industrial test shows that the deformation control scheme optimizes the stress environment of the gob-side entry retaining space, the deformation control effect is remarkable, and the roadside fully meets the reuse requirements.

Removal of natural organic matter fractions by adsorptive asymmetric ceramic membrane functionalized with in situ phytogenic nanoscale zero valent iron: Performance and Fenton cleaning strategy

AbstractExtant literature has demonstrated that conventional water treatment processes especially in developing countries struggle in completely removing detrimental organic loads. Emerging research delineates nanomaterials such as nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) to have excellent performance in organic matter removal from aqueous media. In this work, nZVI particles were prepared from the liquor of commercially available green tea and supported on kaolin (K‐nZVI) and investigated as an adsorbent for natural organic matter (NOM) sequestration from aquatic media. Further, the asymmetric ceramic membrane was prepared by incorporating the developed adsorbent on a concrete support for the removal of NOM. A Fenton cleaning strategy was developed to mitigate fouling. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) results revealed the developed adsorbent surface area was greater compared to raw kaolin (27.07 and 11.64 m3 g−1, respectively). The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imagery of the developed adsorbent showed the particle staking was presented as paper slices of varying sizes, an indication of dispersed particles with characteristic plate‐like fragments. The synthesized membrane exhibited a pHZPC value of 4.79 ± 0.03. This meant at pH above 4.79 ± 0.03, the membrane would be negatively charged, and conversely at pH below the pHZPC value. Membrane fouling due to bovine serum albumin (BSA) deposition showed a 50% flux decline in the first 60 min, coinciding with the rapid adsorption capacity within the same time frame. The optimal cleaning parameters of pH (4.5) and H2O2 (5 mM) gave the best flux recovery rates. This work demonstrated an efficient Fenton cleaning strategy to regenerate the developed membrane.

Finite element modeling of plastic hinges based on ductility demand‐capacity method using nonlinear material for dynamic analysis

AbstractThe article discusses modeling plastic hinges in reinforced concrete intermediate supports using finite elements methods. The ductility demand‐capacity method was used to determine the geometrical parameters of cross‐section plasticization zones, their ability to move and rotate, as well as their ductility. Due to the varied geometry and stiffness of the supports and their nonlinear behavior under dynamic load, this method was concluded to be imperfect. Therefore, an improved algorithm was proposed by determining the main parameters of plastic hinges depending on the degree of concrete degradation according to Lubliner's assumptions. The new algorithm has been implemented in the form of mathematical equations. It was subsequently used, at the structure design stage, to perform numerical calculations based on the finite element method.

We Deserve to Thrive

The summer of 2020 saw a racial justice awakening among predominantly white scholars. While this “awakening” or reckoning regarding the long-standing racism in society is welcomed and necessary, we must recognize the stark differences in how this work is felt and ultimately in how the work needs to be done by different groups in society. While BIPOC scholars worked to balance the need to process and recover, self-preserve, and advocate, white peers formed book clubs and posted black squares to their social media sites. This distinction describes the frustrating reality that many BIPOC scholars experience in the work of undoing racism. We bear the unrelenting burdens of being oppressed, fighting racism, and trying to survive in a society that does not value our inherent dignity and worth. For BIPOC doctoral students who simultaneously navigate the roles of being a student, peer, and instructor, these burdens are threefold. We are expected to do the invisible work of mentoring and holding space for fellow BIPOC students while also educating white students and faculty/administrators on racial justice issues and contending with faculty expectations. These burdens are exacerbated as we see anti-racism quickly go in vogue and then fall out of favor soon after. The aftermath: unfulfilled promises and commitments by self-proclaimed anti-racists, leaving BIPOC scholars to pick up the pieces and solely shoulder the never-ending work of anti-racism. There is a continued lack of sustained commitment to achieving racial equity across the board. The steps that have been taken are often characterized by quick fixes that fall short of the real work that will lead to a racially just, equitable and inclusive community. The purpose of this paper is to bring attention to the challenges within the academy experienced by BIPOC social work doctoral students. Drawing upon our experience with creating a BIPOC-centered support group at a predominantly white institution (PWI), we provide insight and recommendations on how colleagues and administrators alike can take action to hold space, bolster, and better support BIPOC doctoral student scholars by creating inclusive educational environments, offering tailored, concrete, and formal supports, and ultimately creating an anti-racist academic culture free from all forms of oppression.

TECHNOLOGY OF INDEPENDENT ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE BY STUDENTS IN CONDITIONS OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

The article is devoted to the justification and clarification of the theoretical and methodological aspects of the development and implementation of the technology of independent acquisition of knowledge by students in the conditions of distance education, which is the purpose of this article. The main research methods used in this article are: analysis, synthesis and generalization of the theoretical and methodological foundations of the process of developing the technology of independent acquisition of knowledge by students in the conditions of distance education and the results of the analysis of the methods of implementing this technology in pedagogical practice. It has been proven that the effectiveness of the implementation of this technology depends on the level of students’ ability to independently acquire knowledge and affects the formation of their educational competence. The effectiveness of the organization of the process of independent acquisition of knowledge by students is ensured by the combination at various stages of educational technology of such teaching methods that contribute to the activation of the conceptual, practical and visual components of students’ thinking. Solving the problem is facilitated by practical actions, manipulation of images, use of visualization, concrete supports. Such supports can be tables, diagrams, graphs and other types of symbolic visualization. They are used to model the content of problems, which is reproduced in the student’s mind. Important here is also the issue of organizing the pedagogical interaction of participants in the educational process in the conditions of distance learning. The organization of remote interaction of remote learning subjects should be aimed at creating favorable conditions for their productive activities, solving problems of mutual understanding, step-by-step development of the necessary communication skills, adequate assessment of learning results. The planning and organization of pedagogical interaction during the application of the technology of independent acquisition of knowledge in the conditions of distance learning should include: the active inclusion of all participants in the educational process in the discussion and implementation of actions when making decisions at various stages of the organization of interaction; formation of the research position of all subjects of education; objectification of behavior, which involves receiving constant feedback; building partnership communication, which means recognizing and accepting the value of everyone’s personality, their thoughts, interests, features, aspirations, and prospects for personal growth.

Promotion of Parenting and Mental Health Needs among Chinese Women Living in Japan: A Qualitative Study.

Chinese women raising children in Japan tend to experience high parenting stress and poor mental well-being. However, their specific parenting and mental health promotion needs remain unknown. This study aimed to explore the parenting and mental health promotion needs of Chinese women living in Japan and provide recommendations to guide interventions. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted. Participants included 15 women aged 28–39 years who were pregnant or rearing a child younger than six years old. Thematic analysis was performed for data analysis. More than half of the participants experienced mental health problems, such as depressive symptoms and child-rearing stress. Four themes relating to their needs were identified: concrete support, information provision, caring and understanding, and social network building. Information provision and social network building should be emphasized as practical social support mechanisms to improve these women’s mental health. Furthermore, a mental health promotion intervention should be developed to address this vulnerable population’s needs. Healthcare providers and public health workers should help improve the social support systems of Chinese women in Japan to prevent mental health problems. Potential transcultural education can, arguably, help healthcare providers better understand transcultural care.

The Role of Explainability in Assuring Safety of Machine Learning in Healthcare

Established approaches to assuring safety-critical systems and software are difficult to apply to systems employing ML where there is no clear, pre-defined specification against which to assess validity. This problem is exacerbated by the “opaque” nature of ML where the learnt model is not amenable to human scrutiny. Explainable AI (XAI) methods have been proposed to tackle this issue by producing human-interpretable representations of ML models which can help users to gain confidence and build trust in the ML system. However, little work explicitly investigates the role of explainability for safety assurance in the context of ML development. This paper identifies ways in which XAI methods can contribute to safety assurance of ML-based systems. It then uses a concrete ML-based clinical decision support system, concerning weaning of patients from mechanical ventilation, to demonstrate how XAI methods can be employed to produce evidence to support safety assurance. The results are also represented in a safety argument to show where, and in what way, XAI methods can contribute to a safety case. Overall, we conclude that XAI methods have a valuable role in safety assurance of ML-based systems in healthcare but that they are not sufficient in themselves to assure safety.

A narrative review of the effect of parent-child shared reading in preterm infants.

The benefits of book-reading interventions on language development in full-term infants have been well investigated. Because children born preterm face a greater risk of cognitive, language and emotional impairments, this narrative review examines the theoretical evidence, empirical findings, and practical challenges for introducing such intervention to this population. The effect of shared book interventions on typically developing infants is mediated by three components: a linguistic aspect (i.e., exposure to enriched linguistic input), an interactive aspect (i.e., eliciting more synchronous and contingent communication), and a parental aspect (i.e., reducing parental stress and increasing sense of control). Parental shared book reading in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) was found to be feasible and well accepted. It provides concrete support for positive parenting in a highly stressful context. Preliminary evidence supports a positive effect of shared reading sessions in physiological parameters of preterm infants in NICU. One study showed that parental shared book reading in an NICU is associated with lower decline in language development during the first 24 months compared to a historical control group. Findings from a community-based birth cohort confirm the positive effect of this intervention on cognitive development with a 2-year-follow up. More structured clinical trials are now needed to confirm these preliminary findings. Questions remain about possible moderators of these interventions, in particular cultural features.

Characteristics of compressive stress around dowel joint in concrete pavement system

ABSTRACT Although Friberg’s theoretical analysis is frequently used to analyse the dowel bar-concrete interaction in jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP) system, the compressive stress concentration at top and bottom of the dowel slot cannot be explained with this theory. In this paper, two modifications including the elastic deformation of concrete support and the stress distribution factor considering the sinusoidal contact stress distribution are proposed to improve the Friberg’s theoretical analysis. Modifications are then validated against elastic finite element analysis (FEA) results in terms of the contact stress distribution, the maximum compressive stress as well as the range of compression zone. To further investigate the maximum compressive stress at the joint surface, relevant parameters including the dowel bar diameter, the modulus of elasticity of concrete as well as the joint width are studied through elastic finite element analysis (FEA). Apart from proposing referenced moduli of dowel support, a close relationship between the modified modulus of dowel support and dowel bar diameter is also found and verified. Finally, differences between the Friberg’s theoretical analysis and the modified method are summarised in a flow chart at the end of the paper.

Integrating women's voices in quality improvement for maternity care: A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTIONImproving the quality of maternity care is high on the national agenda in the Netherlands. One aspect gaining significant attention is integrating women’s experiences – as users of maternity care – in this quality improvement. The aim of this study was to gain deeper insights into how maternity care professionals in Dutch Maternity Care Collaborations integrate women’s voices into quality improvement as part of integrated maternity care and what role midwives can have in this.METHODSThis was a descriptive qualitative study, using semi-structured individual interviews and content analysis for an in-depth exploration of maternity care professionals’ experiences and opinions on integrating women’s voices in quality improvement. Participants were twelve maternity care professionals involved in quality improvement activities from eight Dutch Maternity Care Collaborations.RESULTSFour themes emerged: ‘Quality improvement based on women's voices is still in its infancy’ and was experienced as an important but challenging topic; ‘Collecting women's voices’ was conducted, but needed more facilitation; Using women's voices’ was hindered by a lack of expertise and a structured feedback and feedforward system; and ‘Ensuring listening to women's voices’ and integrating them in quality improvement required further facilitation.CONCLUSIONSCare professionals emphasized that listening to women’s voices for quality improvement is important but challenging due to the lack of expertise, organizational structure, time, and financial resources. A feasible implementation strategy including concrete support is recommended by maternity care professionals to boost action.