Joining Forces Research Articles

MixNet: Joining Force of Classical and Modern Approaches Toward the Comprehensive Pipeline in Motor Imagery EEG Classification

MixNet: Joining Force of Classical and Modern Approaches Toward the Comprehensive Pipeline in Motor Imagery EEG Classification

Institutional change and ecological structural change

The paper presents a model discussing the political economy dimension of the green transition. There are brown sectors whose share in value-added and employment should contract and green sectors whose share should increase. Green technological changes require more skilled workers, potentially exacerbating inequalities between them and unskilled workers. Trade unions advocate for a “Just Transition”, ensuring income protection and creating new “green jobs”. However, the green restructuring of the economy demands highly subsidized investments in the short run. A political economy problem arises: how to regulate brown capitalists, support green capitalists, and prevent unskilled workers from joining forces with brown capitalists to block the green transition. The solution can be positive feedback between green technical change, non-price competitiveness, and employment. The BOPCG model allows for highlighting the role of catching up in green technologies in non-price competitiveness and endogenous institutional change to give rise to a growth path consistent with the idea of a “just green transition”.

Knowledge, Attitudes, Confidence, and comfort of Nurses and Nursing Students Caring for Military Veterans and Their Families

BackgroundNational initiatives such as ‘Joining Forces’ and the ‘Have you ever served in the military?’ campaign increased awareness of the needs of the military and veteran population. Yet, empirical evidence suggests that nurses and other healthcare providers continue to report insufficient cultural competency, as well as knowledge and awareness of unique healthcare needs to provide optimal care to this population. PurposesThe study purposes were to explore nurses' and nursing students' knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and comfort levels to care for veterans and their family, identify potential factors associated with these outcome measures, and examine the relationships between knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and comfort. MethodA quantitative, cross-sectional study design guided an online survey of 153 respondents. The military and veteran family cultural competency model provided a theoretical foundation. FindingsOverall, the confidence in skills and abilities, and comfort levels on addressing military culture, providing care, and discussing health issues increases as participants' gain knowledge and awareness of the military. Having an immediate family member(s) who served in the military was a significant factor related to confidence. ImplicationsNursing students and nurses in practice need education aimed at addressing the veteran care competencies, specifically military/veteran culture.

Joint management strategy of carbon allowance in the supply chain under free carbon allowance

Substantial reductions in carbon emissions are necessary to control global warming. However, the low capacity of individual companies to reduce emissions can constrain the capacity of the entire supply chain. This paper investigates how the supply chain manages carbon allowances to rationalize the allocation of carbon allowances and improve supply chain profits. Firstly, the supply chain alone manages the management of carbon quotas and then proposes new management of carbon quotas, including joint management of carbon allowances by manufacturer-led supply chains and co-management of carbon allowances by supplier-led supply chains. The Stackelberg game model aims to find the optimal price, wholesale product price, and carbon reduction level. Then, the paper compares profits under different management models, and the study results show that the supply chain joint management carbon allowance strategy is related to the number of carbon allowances and the price. The results of the study suggest that joint management of carbon allowances by supply chains can promote both environmental benefits and supply chain profitability, but from the perspective of individual benefits, there are not always opportunities for manufacturers and suppliers to join forces; it is also related to the number of carbon allowances and the price of carbon trading, and in some cases, supply chain joining forces will result in the lowest profitability of the whole supply chain. Finally, many numerical experimental validations further show that the joint management of carbon quotas in the supply chain can improve corporate profits and reduce carbon emissions, which provides essential insights for enterprises to manage carbon quotas.

Joining forces: Combining police and external expertise for cold case reviews

Cold case reviews within police and law enforcement agencies are challenging, not the least owing to the amount of time required to carefully review documentation, forensic exhibit holdings and various other casefile information. Most federal and state agencies are time poor, meaning there are very few dedicated cold case teams fortunate enough to have an abundance of police and expert staff resources. Universities and education organisations, however, have large troves of various expertise, alongside expansive human resources, by way of their academic and student body. In certain circumstances, the academic expertise and course offerings of a university may be well suited to assisting law enforcement in reviewing cold cases.There is growing desire for university courses to generate job ready graduates. In the field of law enforcement and policing this is difficult, as safety and the security of sensitive material and evidence is paramount. Educators strive to create workplace simulations, and with the correct mix of academic expertise, course offerings and industry linkages, the emerging opportunity for real cold case collaboration is possible. One such example is the Cold Case Review @ Murdoch (CCR) initiative. Since 2020, CCR has worked with the Lower Saxony Police Academy in Germany to develop the novel International Cold Case Analysis Project (ICCAP), now incorporating over 25 member institutions, to assist in solving real cases from both Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) and federal police jurisdictions. One case, known as “The North Sea Man” has shown great success and demonstrates the power of joining forces between law enforcement and external agencies to help advance cold cases.

Adventure in the Tropics: Joining Forces to Heal the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Imagine a magical place with tall trees and amazing animals—the tropical forest. But these forests are disappearing, and we want to make the world better by bringing back their beauty. Restoring forests also helps fight climate change and keeps plants and animals safe. However, we cannot do everything at once, so we need a plan. Planting trees costs money, but some scientists have found that certain forests can grow back all on their own! This is excellent news, but we must also be careful to help other very important places that cannot regrow alone. We need a plan to bring back the forests that can regrow on their own and those that cannot. Ideally, if everyone joins, the cost will be minimal. By working together with nature, we can make the forest healthy again!

Cross-process chain influence of process variations in self-piercing riveting with regard to semi-finished product dimensions

Semitubular self-piercing riveting is an important and well-established mechanical joining process. A new approach, which involves the use of high strain hardening rivet materials, has the potential advantage of increasing resource efficiency in rivet production by eliminating the normally necessary post-treatment of the rivets by means of heat treatment and coating. However, as the high strain hardening of the rivet materials leads to extraordinarily high tool loads during rivet forming, process fluctuations can be particularly critical. For example, fluctuations in the dimensions of the semi-finished products used can influence the forming process itself, but also the quality of the formed rivets, which in turn can affect the subsequent joining process and the joint formation. An increased reject rate or premature tool failure caused by this is detrimental to the resource efficiency of the entire process chain. Therefore, a fundamental knowledge of the cross-process chain cause-and-effect relationships in conjunction with fluctuating billet dimensions is needed and is acquired within this research work. The investigations show that the forming and the joining process as well as the manufactured components themselves are influenced by the billet dimensions. The forming forces and tool stresses rise with increasing billet volume. Tool failure due to excessive or uneven stress can be the result. As the billet volume increases, the head diameter and the head thickness of the rivets increase. Consequently, the joining process and the joint are also indirectly influenced by the billet volume. With increasing volume, the joining force rises and, due to the increase in the head diameter, so does the joint strength. Knowledge of the detailed relationships is therefore highly relevant for the successful use of high strain hardening rivet materials.

QIM24-181: Joining Forces to Minimize Hypomagnesemia in Patients Receiving Cisplatin and Cetuximab Infusions.

QIM24-181: Joining Forces to Minimize Hypomagnesemia in Patients Receiving Cisplatin and Cetuximab Infusions.

United in Promoting Diversity, Transparency, Innovation, and Expansion: Five Scholarly Associations Join Forces in Relaunching Personality Science

United in Promoting Diversity, Transparency, Innovation, and Expansion: Five Scholarly Associations Join Forces in Relaunching Personality Science

Influence of a Modified Procedure of Joining Ceramic Head and Adapter Sleeve on the Stem Taper in Revision: An Experimental Study.

In revision operations, ceramic heads of modular hip implants can be replaced. As the surface of the stem taper can be damaged, additional adapter sleeves are applied. The components are usually connected manually by the surgeon in a one-step procedure by hammer impacts. In this study, we investigated a two-step joining procedure with reproducible impaction force. First, the adapter sleeve and head were joined quasi-statically with a force of 2 kN using an assembly device. In the second step, these components were applied to the stem taper using a pulse-controlled instrument. For reference, the joints were assembled according to standard conditions using a tensile testing machine. An average pull-off force of 1309 ± 201 N was achieved for the components joined by the instrument, and the average measured values for the components joined by the testing machine were 1290 ± 140 N. All specimens achieved a force >350 N when released and therefore met the acceptance criterion defined for this study. This study showed that a modified procedure in two steps with a defined force has a positive effect on the reproducibility of the measured joining forces compared to previous studies.

By the 50th anniversary of the International Association for the Study of Pain: proclaiming a multidisciplinary approach and joining forces for its implementation

By the 50th anniversary of the International Association for the Study of Pain: proclaiming a multidisciplinary approach and joining forces for its implementation

Comprehensive influence of silane layer and interfacial thermo-mechanical effect on joining mechanism of silane pretreated Al/CFRP FSLW joint: FEA and experiment

Al/CFRP composite structure has the advantage of lightweight and high specific strength, making it a promising material for aviation, railway, and automotive applications. Silane coupling pretreatment is a chemical surface pretreatment method that can improve the mechanical properties of the Al/CFRP friction stir lap welding (FSLW) joint. To further investigate the strengthening mechanism of silane-treated Al/CFRP FSLW joint, a 6061-T6 Al/CF-PA66 FSLW experiment was carried out and the finite element analysis (FEA) was used. The thermophysical properties of semi-crystalline resin during the welding process were also considered. The joining mechanism of silane surface pretreated Al/CFRP FSLW joints was further revealed by comparing the changes in interface morphology, temperature, stress, and mechanical properties. The results indicated that the silane coupling agent forms a silane film by an Al-O-Si chemical bond at the interface. The silane film can enhance the Al/CFRP interface's tightness and reduce interfacial defects. The FSLW process affected the joint morphology and mechanical properties through interfacial temperature and stress, which were decided by welding parameters and thermophysical properties of the resin. By adjusting the thermal-mechanical effect of the Al/CFRP interface, defects can be reduced and the joining force can be improved. According to the analysis of interfacial chemical bonds and mechanical properties, the introduction of silane film enhances the hydrogen bond between Al and resin and thus enhances the mechanical properties of the interface. This study provides a new method for revealing the strengthening mechanism of silane-pretreated FSLW Al/CFRP joint.

Research on ultrasonic assisted press-fit assembly of small interference fits

Interference fits are widely used in aerospace, precision instruments and other fields. Press-fit assembly is one of the traditional assembly methods for interference fitting parts. Wear during assembly will affect the performance of interference components and the service life of marine equipment. Ultrasonic assisted press-fit can significantly reduce the press-mounting force of an interference fit. However, its effect on connection quality is rarely studied. The mechanism of ultrasonic assisted press-fit is unclear. In this paper, ultrasonic assisted press-fit was simulated and experimentally studied. The effects of ultrasonic vibration on heat generation, press-mounting force, connection strength, and interface wear were analyzed and discussed. Through analogy analysis with similar ultrasonic assisted machining processes, the mechanism of ultrasonic assisted press-fit was revealed. The results show that the superimposed ultrasonic vibration can effectively reduce the joining force (up to 33.5%), and increase the connection coefficient from 10% to 40%. This is due to stress superposition, friction reduction and acoustic softening that reduces interface wear. The increase of the interface roughness Rz from 3.681 to 4.586 μm confirms this analysis. Furthermore, the ultrasonic vibration can effectively reduce the material plastic flow of contact interface. This study reveals the significant advantages of ultrasonic assisted press-fit assembly (UAPA) method and provided a basis to understand the underlying mechanisms of UAPA.

ACSM and IDEA Health & Fitness Association Join Forces for A Game-Changing Winter 2024 Fitness Professional Conference

ACSM and IDEA Health & Fitness Association Join Forces for A Game-Changing Winter 2024 Fitness Professional Conference

Evaluating the Feasibility and Reproducibility of a Novel Insertion Method for Modular Acetabular Ceramic Liners.

Modern hip implants have a modular design. In case of wear or other damage it allows surgeons to change the tribological partners, i.e., the acetabular liner and femoral ball. In both revision and primary surgery, the secure joining of the implant components is important for the success of the operation. The two components, namely the ceramic liner and hip cup, are connected via a conical press connection and should be concentrically aligned to avoid chipping. Malseated liners can reduce the life span in situ. The amount of the joining force, which is usually applied via a hammer, depends on the surgeon. In this study, an alternative joining method for acetabular ceramic liners in hip cups was investigated, which intends to make the process more reproducible and thus safer. For this purpose, a handpiece was used to apply a defined force impulse of 4 kN. For the concentric alignment of a ceramic liner in the hip cup, an adapter was developed based on findings via a qualitative finite element (FE) analysis. Insertion and pushout tests of the acetabular cup-liner connection were performed in the laboratory with the new instrument (handpiece with the connected adapter) to evaluate the functionality of the instrument and the reproducibility of the new insertion method. For comparison, liners and acetabular cups were joined using a testing machine according to the standard. The presented results demonstrate the technical proof-of-concept of the new joining method under laboratory conditions. They meet the acceptance criteria of established manufacturers, which proves the equivalency to proven methods for joining modular implant components. To verify the improvement of the new joining method compared to the conventionally used joining method, an application-oriented study with different surgeons and the new joining instrument under clinical conditions is necessary.

Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of in-home decluttering augmentation of group cognitive-behavioral therapy for hoarding disorder: the Joining Forces Trial

BackgroundCognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a moderately efficacious treatment for hoarding disorder (HD), with most individuals remaining symptomatic after treatment. The Joining Forces Trial will evaluate whether 10 weeks of in-home decluttering can significantly augment the outcomes of group CBT.MethodsA randomized controlled trial of in-home decluttering augmentation of group CBT for HD. Adult participants with HD (N = 90) will receive 12 weeks of protocol-based group CBT for HD. After group CBT, participants will be randomized to either 10 weeks of in-home decluttering led by a social services team or a waitlist. The primary endpoint is 10 weeks post-randomization. The primary outcome measures are the self-reported Saving Inventory-Revised and the blind assessor-rated Clutter Image Rating. Participants on the waitlist will cross over to receive the in-home decluttering intervention after the primary endpoint. Data will be analyzed according to intention-to-treat principles. We will also evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this intervention from both healthcare and societal perspectives.DiscussionHD is challenging to treat with conventional psychological treatments. We hypothesize that in-home decluttering sessions carried out by personnel in social services will be an efficacious and cost-effective augmentation strategy of group CBT for HD. Recruitment started in January 2021, and the final participant is expected to reach the primary endpoint in December 2024.Trail registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04712474. Registered on 15 January 2021

Feminism in the Middle East: An analysis into Western, Islamic, and Secular Feminism

This article showcases the diversity of feminism in the Middle East and its effects on Middle Eastern women, particularly Muslim women. I argue that though Western feminism has provided important conceptual tools for understanding and fighting patriarchal systems, it has ultimately supported the othering of Middle Eastern women. As such, Islamic feminism and secular feminism have played an important role in discrediting Western generalizations. In this paper, I first explain how the logic of Western feminism is inherently rooted in Orientalism, promoting an inaccurate and oppressive image of the Middle East. I then illustrate how Islamic feminism has been used significantly to conceptualize feminism within Islamic traditions and religious beliefs. Lastly, I showcase the prominent discourse between Islamic and secular feminism to prove movements are important to women’s liberation and can benefit from joining forces.

“Not what we signed up for”: Nurse shortages, physician scarcity, and time for collective bargaining?

AbstractThe amount of distress and disengagement among many nurses and physicians has reached concerning levels in recent years. The result has been acute nurse shortages, significant increases in travel nursing, more physicians working fewer hours and retiring early, and urgent calls for change and reform. This analysis surveys many of the leading systemic contributors to nurse and physician demoralization. As the healthcare sector continues to experience more consolidation and increased investment by private equity and other corporate interests, physicians are increasingly becoming employees with similar forms of employment arrangements and pressures that nurses have had for decades. They are also becoming employees of the same larger health systems, hospitals, and corporate employers. These trends are leading to a convergence in the kind and intensity of pressures and problems that nurses and physicians face. As more medical residents and fellows increasingly turn to unionization and as growing numbers of nurses have gone on strike, both professions should consider the potential benefits of joining forces for the purposes of maintaining the autonomy they have left and to push for better conditions both for themselves and the patients for whom they care.

Biocatalysis and Photocatalysis Joining Forces in a Stereoselective Method for Synthesis of Sulfones

Biocatalysis and Photocatalysis Joining Forces in a Stereoselective Method for Synthesis of Sulfones

Robert Heller’s Magical Mystery Tours

Robert Heller, a virtually unknown figure in music-historical accounts, trained in the 1840s at the Royal Academy of Music in London and gave the American premieres of Beethoven’s Fourth and Fifth Piano Concertos with the Germania Musical Society. But he also pursued a parallel career in theatrical magic, using his musical virtuosity to elevate his social and artistic stature as a conjurer. Between 1852 and 1878, his magic act was seen by millions in Europe, East Asia, and the United States, including states and territories in the American West never visited by contemporary piano virtuosos like Thalberg and De Meyer. While magicians routinely incorporated music in their acts, Heller’s virtuosity set him apart from his conjuring peers, including those who were themselves musicians. Using his musical expertise, he blended the magic show with other popular forms of spectacle, including minstrelsy, burlesque, and the piano recital, framing the latter as an extraordinary attraction. Advertisements and accounts of his performances reveal the marketing strategies Heller employed to negotiate the crowded landscape of consumer culture and American popular entertainment, especially during the tumultuous years of the Civil War. These strategies included co-branding, altering the titles and descriptions of musical compositions (particularly “Dixie”), and joining forces with “Blind Tom” (Thomas Greene) Wiggins, the Black, enslaved musical prodigy whom Heller had briefly tutored; they performed together in Louisville during one of the magician’s last appearances in the South. Throughout the 1860s, Heller was influenced by gendered musical practices and regional attitudes toward race and politics, leading him to market his act specifically toward middle-class women, music lovers, Unionists, and those seeking postwar reconciliation.