Concurrent Approach Research Articles

Refining code-line-level bugginess identification: Getting the best of both worlds by fusing syntactic and semantic features

Background: Code-line-level bugginess identification (CLBI) is an important area within software quality assurance, aiming to pinpoint potential buggy source code lines in a given software product. Recently, two concurrent approaches, GLANCE and DeepLineDP, have showcased impressive performance by respectively leveraging syntactic and semantic features compared with existing state-of-the-art (SOTA) approaches in this field. Problem: Yet, the literature lacks a thorough investigation that fuses these two types of features to enhance CLBI. Such fusion holds the promise of significantly improving the efficacy of identifying defective lines. Objective: We aim to advance CLBI by fusing syntactic and semantic features, thereby harnessing their respective strengths. Method: We propose to build a CLBI approach, SPLICE (boo S ting dee P Linedp w I th synta C tic f E atures), by fusing syntactic features from GLANCE and semantic features from DeepLineDP. SPLICE comprises three variants—SPLICE-S, SPLICE-G, and SPLICE-F—each utilizing a unique line-level sorting approach. We make a comprehensive comparison with existing SOTA approaches using six performance metrics. Result: Through an analysis of nine open-source projects, our experimental results reveal that SPLICE is competitive with current SOTA CLBI approaches. Notably, SPLICE-F demonstrates superiority over all SOTA CLBI approaches, including GLANCE and DeepLineDP, across all six metrics, indicating a substantial improvement. Conclusion: This discovery underscores the critical importance of future CLBI research in fusing syntactic and semantic features to construct more effective bugginess identification approaches. It is worth noting that the analysis was conducted within the context of Java programs, which highlights the potential for exploring similar methods in other programming languages in future research.

Exploring commercial sex work among transgender women in Nepal: Contributors and stigma-A mixed-method study.

Transgender women are considered as one of the most vulnerable populations for commercial sex work and sexually transmitted infections. This mixed-method study aimed to explore the factors associated with commercial sex work among transgender women of Nepal along with their experience and the stigma associated with it. A concurrent mixed-methods approach was employed in this cross-sectional study conducted from July to December 2022 in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. A total of 152 transgender women participated in the quantitative survey, and 17 of them were selected for in-depth interviews (IDIs). The chi-square test was employed at a 5% level of significance to identify factors associated with commercial sex work. Qualitative data from the IDIs were thematically analyzed, with key themes emerging around reasons for engaging in sex work and the stigma associated with it including the Silence, Shame, and Dignity & Treatment domains under sex work stigma. Out of 152 transgender women, 104 (64%; 95% CI: 60.5-75.0%) were found to be currently working as a commercial sex worker. Factors such as education, household wealth, homelessness, history of sexual and verbal abuse, including rape and physical attacks, and socialization with others were found to have a statistically significant relation with commercial sex work at p<0.05. Despite engagement in commercial sex work, a higher proportion experienced sex work stigma under the Sex Work Stigma Scale. The findings, derived from both quantitative and qualitative studies, emphasize the urgency of targeted interventions to alleviate the challenges faced by this marginalized population. The observed higher proportion of commercial sex work and sex work stigma underscores the pervasive social challenges of transgender women. A comprehensive and coordinated effort is essential, bringing together governmental, private sector, and public awareness initiatives to effectively manage stigma and address the underlying causes of commercial sex work.

Research Progress on Concurrent Surgical Approaches in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Research Progress on Concurrent Surgical Approaches in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

A concurrent approach for determining binary isotherm and optimizing moving bed adsorber for solid amine adsorbent in the coexistence of CO2 and H2O

A concurrent approach, which allows for determining multi-component equilibrium isotherms and designing a multi-component adsorption process within a realistic amount of time and effort, is demonstrated for the first time in a moving bed process using an amine-impregnated solid adsorbent in the presence of CO2 and H2O. The proposed approach extracts measurement points for the binary isotherms from the temperature and partial pressure regions that exist in the optimized process from all potential combinations of CO2 partial pressure, H2O partial pressure, and temperature. At the extracted points, the equilibrium adsorption amounts were measured experimentally to obtain multi-component adsorption amount data, with which the binary isotherm parameters were determined by the Tikhonov regularization. The accuracy of the equilibrium isotherm was further improved iteratively by repeating the steps described above. The proposed approach enables us to determine the binary interactions parameters in the isotherm model reducing the multi-component measurement points only to 12, while obtaining the optimized process operation at the same time.

Investigating the resilience and challenges of informal street traders in South Africa's tourism sector: a focus on migrant entrepreneurship

ABSTRACT Selling products and services to tourists is often the main or sole source of income for local and migrant informal traders participating in the tourism sector in developing countries. However, they are vulnerable to exogenous shocks, with the COVID-19 pandemic a recent example. During COVID-19, international travel and domestic movement bans affected the livelihoods of many local and migrant informal traders, with the absence of government support exacerbating the plight of migrant traders in particular. This study provides valuable insights into the challenges faced by informal traders in three of South Africa’s main tourist cities against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a concurrent mixed-methods approach, the study explores how migrant and non-migrant entrepreneurs navigated the crisis. This research not only highlights the critical role of resilience and other survival strategies for especially migrant traders but also offers practical implications for the recognition of their resilience and the contribution of both local and migrant traders to job creation withing the realms of the informal tourism sector. This study extends resilience theory by applying it within the socio-economic context of the tourism sector of an important migration destination on the African continent.

Multi-scale concurrent design of a 100 kW wave energy converter

Wave energy converters (WEC) are complex systems comprising multiple subsystems including wave capture structure and station keeping, power takeoff (PTO), and control. Designing the whole WEC system requires an effective design approach that considers mutual couplings among them throughout the entire design process. Moreover, the traditional serial design approach, transitioning from small-scale to full-scale designs incrementally, often overlooks issues related to scaling factors. This can lead to unexpected challenges and delays towards real ocean deployment. To address system-level considerations and scaling challenges in WEC design, this study introduces a novel multi-scale concurrent design approach. It facilitates full-scale WEC design from the early concept to ocean test planning. This approach ensures a holistic and effective design process that considers interactions among subsystems at each design stage and incorporates control co-design starting with early concept development. To demonstrate the presented approach, we introduce a case study focused on the design of a 100 kW floating oscillating surge wave energy converter (FOSWEC) for PacWave South ocean test site. This includes the design of wave capture structure and station keeping, PTO, control, ocean test planning, and techno-economic analysis. The case study showcases the effectiveness of the proposed approach, offering invaluable guidance and insights for future WEC development and support efficient, cost-effective collaboration in WEC design and testing.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Effectiveness of a Reflective Supervision Professional Development Series Within Early Care and Education

ABSTRACT The positive impacts of Reflective Supervision (RS) are becoming increasingly evident. This approach may be especially important for early childhood teachers, who must deliver academic curricula and attend to children’s social-emotional development while maintaining high-quality program standards in increasingly challenging environmental contexts. However, to effectively provide RS to early childhood teachers, supervisors must first be trained in this approach. This paper describes the results of one such innovative training effort using data from a statewide, community-based program evaluation and a pilot open trial in the United States. Participants (N = 83 supervisors) were offered foundational training in RS followed by monthly skill-building sessions. We used a concurrent mixed methods approach, integrating observational, survey, and interview data collected simultaneously to assess feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of the RS professional development series. Data integration was achieved through contiguous narrative and joint display approaches. Research Findings: The RS series was feasible to implement, acceptable to participants, and led to improved reflective supervisory competencies. Practice or Policy: The RS series may represent an opportunity to effectively support the early care and education workforce, and in turn, benefit children. We discuss some differences between samples that may be useful for future implementation efforts across early care and education settings.

Physical Literacy and Physical Activity in Early Years Education: What's Known, What's Done, and What's Needed?

Background: Physical literacy (PL) is increasingly recognised as essential for fostering lifelong engagement in physical activity (PA), particularly when nurtured in early childhood. Yet there remains limited understanding of how stakeholders in early years (EY) education perceive, value, and implement a PL-informed approach. This study aims to explore knowledge and beliefs regarding PL and PA in relation to 3-5-year-olds, investigating key questions around perceived importance, current practices, and barriers to implementation. Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods approach was used, incorporating semi-structured expert interviews (n = 11), focus groups (n = 22), and a survey (n = 210). Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes from qualitative data, and survey data were analysed to complement and triangulate the qualitative findings. Results: The findings revealed variation in stakeholders' awareness of PA recommendations and confusion over terminology. Whilst stakeholders acknowledged the importance of PL, there remains uncertainty about the connection between theory and practical application. Identified barriers included resource limitations, conflicting priorities, and insufficient training and policy support. Feedback on an educational PL-EY model was generally positive, suggesting strong potential as a tool to support PL understanding and application in early childhood contexts. Conclusions: Given the pivotal role of EY education in shaping children's behaviours, health, and wellbeing, this study highlights the necessity of a holistic approach to interventions, strong stakeholder involvement, and evidence-based practices to foster PL in EY children. The PL-EY model presents a promising direction for future resources and education and raises critical questions about what effective interventions to develop PL in this age group should consider and look like.

An affine formulation of eigenstrain-based homogenization method and its application to polycrystal plasticity

Abstract Reduced order models (ROMs) are typically incorporated into concurrent multiscale approaches to allow for efficient nonlinear multiscale simulations and to alleviate high cost of direct nonlinear computational homogenization schemes. ROMs based on the ideas of transformation field analysis are among the most popular in the literature since they only require linear elastic simulations for model construction and typically have low number of degrees of freedom. However, these models have been shown to deliver overly stiff response in simulating wide range of materials. The present study focuses on mitigating this problem in the context of eigenstrain-based homogenization method (EHM) using instantaneous moduli information for polycrystal elastoviscoplasticity. For this purpose, a new EHM model is developed with the intention of using affine moduli for recomputation of the instantaneous localization tensors. The accuracy of the method is compared to the original EHM and direct crystal plasticity finite element simulations for several synthetic polycrystal microstructures, loading conditions and varying phase contrast. We show that the affine model delivers consistently softer response compared to the original EHM model. In particular, the affine model delivers notably more accurate response in the presence of high phase contrast. The affine EHM is able to capture local load redistribution through recomputation of the localization tensors.

Knowledge on adolescent and reproductive health among secondary school students in Khulna City, Bangladesh

The main objective of this study was to investigate the depth and breadth of knowledge and ideas about adolescent health among secondary-level students. A concurrent mixed method approach, both quantitative and qualitative methods, was followed to carry out the study. Students enrolled in tenth grade under the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) in Khulna City, Bangladesh, were chosen as the respondents of the study. Kotwali and Khanjahan Ali Thana of Khulna City were rationally chosen as the areas of the study. A total of 40 schools were randomly chosen, and 400 surveys, 10 surveys from each school, ideally 05 boys and 05 girls, were carried out, including 10 in-depth case studies. Findings indicated that, on average, more than half of the adolescents have knowledge gaps about adolescents and reproductive health, for example, misconceptions about the adolescent period and age range of puberty, vague understanding of the first sign(s) of physical appearances, and face critical emotional and social challenges. Both qualitative and quantitative data further showed that they hardly get sufficient cooperation and support from family and social environments in dealing with their challenges, display risky health behaviour, and make major decisions based on their self-discretionary assumptions to deal with crises. The findings of this study would provide important guidelines to parents and guardians, local and district and regional and national level GOs and NGOs health professionals who work with adolescent and reproductive health services, policymakers, academics, and researchers to create an adolescent-friendly environment.

Validity and reliability of the physical fitness test instrument for retired martial art athletes

Background and Study Aim. Developing exercise programs to maintain the fitness and health of retired athletes is crucial as a preventive measure against common health problems in this population. Equally important is the creation of an exercise evaluation tool to assess the effectiveness of these programs. This study aims to test the validity and reliability of a physical fitness test instrument for retired martial arts athletes. Material and Methods. This study used an evaluation approach with data collected through tests and measurements. A total of 147 subjects participated. For validity testing, there were 35 retired male martial arts athletes and 37 retired female athletes. For reliability testing, there were 36 retired male and 39 retired female martial arts athletes. The instruments used included body mass index (BMI) measurements with digital scales, flexibility measurements with the sit-and-reach test, muscle strength measurements with a leg and back dynamometer, and cardiovascular endurance measurements with the Cooper test. Validity was assessed using a concurrent validity approach. Reliability was tested using the test-retest method. The Pearson product-moment correlation was used for validity analysis, while Cronbach's alpha was used to assess reliability. The JASP software was used for the analysis. Results. For male athletes, the r-values for each test item exceeded the r-table value of 0.275, confirming the validity of the body mass index (BMI), sit-and-reach test, leg and back dynamometers, and the Cooper test. Similarly, female athletes demonstrated r-values above the r-table value of 0.267, confirming the validity of all test items. The reliability of each item was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha values, which were above the 0.7 threshold for both male and female athletes. The Cronbach's alpha value for BMI was 0.998 for both male and female athletes, indicating excellent reliability. Other test items, such as flexibility and muscle strength, also showed strong reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.742 to 0.985. Conclusions. The study highlights the importance of developing valid and reliable instruments to assess the physical fitness of retired martial arts athletes. Such instruments are essential for monitoring the effectiveness of training programs aimed at maintaining the health and fitness of retired athletes. The findings of this research confirm the value of structured fitness tests. These tests effectively evaluate key physical components such as body composition, flexibility, muscle strength, and cardiovascular endurance.

Game On: A Journey into Computational Thinking with Modern Board Games in Portuguese Primary Education

Recent studies highlight the potential of modern board games (MBGs) to foster computational thinking (CT) skills in students. This research explored the impact of integrating MBGs into a primary education classroom through an embedded concurrent mixed-methods approach, with a pre-experimental design in its quantitative aspect and content analysis in its qualitative dimension, with 20 fourth-grade students from a school in Portugal. The students participated in 10 game sessions, each lasting 50 min, and their CT skills were assessed using Bebras tasks in both the pre-test and post-test phases. Statistical analysis, including the Shapiro–Wilk test for normality and paired sample t-tests, revealed significant improvements in key CT areas, particularly abstraction, algorithmic thinking, and decomposition. Descriptive statistics were also calculated, and content analysis using Nvivo software was conducted on field notes, corroborating the quantitative data. The results suggest that MBGs can serve as a valuable educational tool for developing CT skills in young learners. This study not only highlights the effectiveness of MBGs but also emphasises the need for further research using more robust experimental designs to enhance CT development in educational settings.

A concurrent learning approach to monocular vision range regulation of leader/follower systems

This paper explores range and bearing angle regulation of a leader–follower using monocular vision. The main challenge is that monocular vision does not directly provide a range measurement. The contribution is a novel concurrent learning (CL) approach, called CL Subtended Angle and Bearing Estimator for Relative pose (CL-SABER), which achieves range regulation without communication, persistency of excitation or known geometry and is demonstrated on a physical, robot platform. A history stack estimates target size which augments the Kalman filter (KF) with a range pseudomeasurement. The target is followed to scale without drift, persistency of excitation requirements, prior knowledge, or additional measurements. Finite excitation is required to achieve parameter convergence and perform steady-state regulation using CL-SABER. Evaluation using simulation and mobile robot experiments in special Euclidean planar space (SE(2)) show that the new method provides stable and consistent range regulation, as demonstrated by the inter-rater reliability, including in noisy and high leader acceleration environments.

β,β‐Disubstituted Alkan‐2‐ones from Propargylic Alcohols Combining a Meyer‐Schuster Rearrangement and Asymmetric Alkene Bioreduction

AbstractThe combination of a gold(I) N‐heterocyclic carbene complex and an ene‐reductase (ERED) has made possible the synthesis of enantiopure β,β‐disubstituted ketones in a one‐pot concurrent approach. The protocol consists of the Meyer‐Schuster rearrangement of racemic propargylic tertiary alcohols using [1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene]‐[bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)‐imide]gold(I) (IPrAuNTf2), followed by an asymmetric alkene reduction of the α,β‐unsaturated ketone intermediate using the Zymomonas mobilis ERED (NCR‐ERED). The chemoenzymatic cascade was optimised with a model substrate, where E/Z‐isomers both generated the (R)‐ketone, which was rationalised using in silico molecular docking experiments. The cascade was then applied towards the production of a series of (R)‐4‐substituted‐alkan‐2‐ones in enantiopure form in a straightforward manner.

Mixed methods research on reflective writing in teacher education.

In this paper, mixed methods research is presented and discussed in the context of research on reflective writing for the professional development of pre-service teachers. First, we present prominent theoretical frameworks to analyze reflective writings. Second, we review relevant methodological approaches of research on reflective writings in teacher education, such as qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Third, we present a study from our research lab combining qualitative content analysis and linguistic analyses as an example for a concurrent mixed method approach. The results of the qualitative content analysis indicated that 198 reflective writings of pre-service teachers were primarily descriptive and on a low level. Computational linguistic analyses revealed that affective and cognitive terminology utilization in reflective writing differed significantly across the different levels of reflection, with a higher frequency of such terms correlating with deeper levels of reflection. Thus, essential challenges and opportunities of implementing such a mixed method study to analyze reflective writings are illustrated and discussed. Finally, we conclude the paper by discussing on how mixed methods approaches might be further advanced in the field of reflective writing research in teacher education.

Prospects and Challenges that Teachers and Learners Face when using Field Study in Teaching and Learning Biology Subject at Ordinary Level of Secondary Education: A Case Study of Public Secondary Schools in Morogoro Municipality

Learning that occurs in a field setting is widely recognized as a very effective approach to connect science content to the real world. It is also a powerful experience that promotes the development of learners’ scientific skills, enhances active learning and promotes enthusiasm to biology subject among students. However, teaching biology through field study encounters several challenges that impedes effective implementation in public secondary schools. Thus, this study seeks to investigate the Prospects and Challenges that Teachers and Learners Face when using field study in teaching and learning biology at ordinary level of secondary education and to establish remedial measures to address these challenges. The study uses purposive sampling to select 56 respondents from 107 population including 10 heads of public secondary schools and 46 biology teachers. The study also adopted a concurrent transformative mixed approach. Data were collected by using interview guide and questionnaire. The reliability of the instruments was tested by computing Cronbach’s coefficient alpha (α) during pilot study where inter-item correlation was proved to be r = 0.872. The qualitative data was confirmed to be credible, transferable, confirmable and dependable through trustworthiness. The quantitative data analysis was done through Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25 computer, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The study identifies institutional barriers to field study such as inadequate resources, overcrowded classes and fear of risk. Teachers face barriers such as traditional teaching styles, shortage of biology teachers, inadequate training, lack of experience, and fear of student risks. To address these challenges, the study recommends that the collaboration between school administrators, and field site management ad teacher’s training may foster a positive school culture, resource mobilization, employing more teachers, formulating supportive policies and utilizing school surroundings for study.

Training Needs of Ward Education Officers for Ensuring Quality Education a Study of Primary Schools in Mkuranga District, Tanzania.

This study was set to find out the training needs of Ward Education Officers` in ensuring Quality Education in Tanzania. It mainly focuses on determining WEO`s supervisory training needs that will enable them to ensure quality education provisions in schools in Mkuranga District, highlighting the challenges that WEO's face while carrying out supervision of schools and establish the remedial measures to the identified challenges WEO's face in Mkuranga District. The study sample comprised of 26 informants made up of 25 WEO`s and 1 District Education Officer (DEO). A concurrent transformative mixed method approach was applied because each method of data collection complements each other. Questionnaires and interview guide questions were used to collect data from the respondents. The reliability of quantitative data was established through Cronbach- Alpha where by (r=0.828 for WEO`s questionnaire) while reliability for qualitative data was established through trustworthiness. Quantitative data was analyzed by using descriptive analysis to generate frequency, means and percentages by using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25 Computer while Qualitative data was analyzed thematically and presented in words by verbatim quotations. The study concluded that, WEOs are facing the challenges that hinder their ability to provide effective supervision for ensuring quality education in schools. Such major challenges include lack of training, inadequate resources and lack of cooperation from the community in which they work. WEOs are in dire need for training in order to enable them supervises school for ensuring quality education. The study therefore recommends that, the program designers plan for supervising training to the WEOs either before being appointed or the inset training if they want WEOs to fit into there jobs. Also WEOs should only be selected among teachers who have the knowledge of education management and supervision.

Mapping the electric field of high-definition transcranial electrical stimulation across the lifespan

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is a non-invasive technique widely used in modulating brain activity and behavior, but its effects differ across individuals and are influenced by head anatomy. In this study, we investigated how the electric field (EF) generated by high-definition tES varies across the lifespan among different demographic groups and its relationship with neural responses measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We employed an MRI-guided finite element method to simulate the EF for the two most common tES montages (i.e., targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and motor cortex, respectively) in two large cohorts of white and Asian participants aged 12 to 100 years. We found that the EF intensity decreased with age, particularly in individuals under 25 years of age, and was influenced by gender and ethnicity. We identified skull thickness, scalp thickness, and epidural cerebrospinal fluid thickness, as the primary anatomical factors accounting for the inter-individual EF variability. Using a concurrent tES-fMRI approach, we observed a spatial consistency between the simulated EF and the brain activity changes induced by tES in the target region. Finally, we developed an open-source toolbox incorporating age-stratified head models to facilitate efficient EF calculations. These findings characterize and quantify the individual differences in tES-induced EF, offering a reference for implementing personalized neuromodulation strategies.

A review of multiscale numerical modeling of rock mechanics and rock engineering

AbstractRock is geometrically and mechanically multiscale in nature, and the traditional phenomenological laws at the macroscale cannot render a quantitative relationship between microscopic damage of rocks and overall rock structural degradation. This may lead to problems in the evaluation of rock structure stability and safe life. Multiscale numerical modeling is regarded as an effective way to gain insight into factors affecting rock properties from a cross‐scale view. This study compiles the history of theoretical developments and numerical techniques related to rock multiscale issues according to different modeling architectures, that is, the homogenization theory, the hierarchical approach, and the concurrent approach. For these approaches, their benefits, drawbacks, and application scope are underlined. Despite the considerable attempts that have been made, some key issues still result in multiple challenges. Therefore, this study points out the perspectives of rock multiscale issues so as to provide a research direction for the future. The review results show that, in addition to numerical techniques, for example, high‐performance computing, more attention should be paid to the development of an advanced constitutive model with consideration of fine geometrical descriptions of rock to facilitate solutions to multiscale problems in rock mechanics and rock engineering.

Zoom Improv is accessible and enhances medical student empathy

BackgroundEmpathy declines during medical training, despite its importance.MethodologyIn this randomized controlled trial, we assessed the impact of Zoom improv on medical student empathy using a concurrent mixed-methods approach. Quantitative assessment with three survey tools and qualitative assessment by content analysis of Zoom session field notes were conducted.ResultsZoom improv participants had higher empathy scores in perspective-taking and fantasy and lower scores in personal distress compared with the control group. Medical students who participated in Zoom improv exercised emotional expression, active listening, and giving “gifts,” which apply to healthcare settings in which affirming team members with empathic concern can advance communication, patient rapport, and teamwork.DiscussionThis pilot study highlights promising findings for the incorporation of Zoom improv in medical education, including enhanced empathy, self-reflection, and understanding how these skills impact work in healthcare. Future studies may expand on the optimal timing to teach improv. Future studies conducted on virtual platforms may also further investigate our finding that the fantasy domain of empathy increases after Zoom improv sessions, whereas this increase in fantasy was absent from previous in-person studies. Given the increase in telehealth and virtual medical visits, exercising empathy skills through a screen during training may be an important addition to medical curricula.