Joint Work Research Articles

Surface, but Not Age, Impacts Lower Limb Joint Work during Walking and Stair Ascent.

Older adults often suffer an accidental fall when navigating challenging surfaces during common locomotor tasks, such as walking and ascending stairs. This study examined the effect of slick and uneven surfaces on lower limb joint work in older and younger adults while walking and ascending stairs. Fifteen young (18-25 years) and 12 older (>65 years) adults had stance phase positive limb and joint work quantified during walking and stair ascent tasks on a normal, slick, and uneven surface, which was then submitted to a two-way mixed model ANOVA for analysis. The stair ascent required greater limb, and hip, knee, and ankle work than walking (all p < 0.001), with participants producing greater hip and knee work during both the walk and stair ascent (both p < 0.001). Surface, but not age, impacted positive limb work. Participants increased limb (p < 0.001), hip (p = 0.010), and knee (p < 0.001) positive work when walking over the challenging surfaces, and increased hip (p = 0.015), knee (p < 0.001), and ankle (p = 0.010) work when ascending stairs with challenging surfaces. Traversing a challenging surface during both walking and stair ascent tasks required greater work production from the large proximal hip and knee musculature, which may increase the likelihood of an accidental fall in older adults.

Punching shear performance of star-shaped steel plates reinforced RC slab-column connections

The progressive collapse of flat plate structures due to brittle punching shear failure of reinforced concrete (RC) slab-column connections is a major concern in structural engineering. This paper proposed an innovative star-shaped steel plates (SSPs) system to achieve an effective yet practical enhancement of the punching and post-punching performance of RC slab-column connections. SSPs were fabricated from thin steel plates, welded together, and placed in the centre of the joint. Engineering cementitious composite (ECC) was also adopted to replace the joint core concrete and work with the SSPs further to improve the punching shear behaviour of the joint. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed system, five large-scale RC slab-column connections with different SSPs configurations and concrete materials were tested under monotonic load. The results showed that the initial stiffness of the joint was minimally affected by the presence of SSPs, but the system significantly improved the punching shear strength, post-punching load-bearing capacity, and deformation capacity of the joint. Specimens with ECC and SSPs exhibited an even higher punching shear strength and more ductile post-punching behaviour. The study also found that the optimum enhancement of the punching shear behaviour of the slab-column joint can be realised when the SSPs yield just before the joint experiences punching shear damage. Finally, formulas were developed to reasonably predict the punching shear strength and post-punching load-carrying capacity of the SSPs reinforced slab-column connections.

How do speech and language therapists enact aphasia psychosocial support in Ireland? A cross-sectional online survey informed by normalization process theory.

Supporting psychosocial well-being in aphasia is necessarily person-centred, interdisciplinary and coordinated. Shortcomings in such support are described in Ireland and elsewhere. Speech and language therapists (SLTs) are integral; and describing current practice and barriers they experience is important for enhancing service delivery. To understand how SLTs enact, and are supported to enact, aphasia psychosocial care in Ireland. This is a cross-sectional, online, self-administered clinician survey targeting SLTs working minimally 1 year post-qualification with persons with aphasia of any aetiology in Ireland. The survey questions were charted against key constructs of the implementation science framework, normalization process theory (NPT), and descriptive statistics were applied. A total of 54 eligible datasets were included. SLTs believed psychosocial support to be part of their role, but perceived multiple barriers in enacting it. These included a lack of training, clinical supervision, management support, role recognition, and access to and joint working with mental health professionals and services. SLTs in Ireland face a range of individual and structural barriers, including care coordination and resourcing. There is a clear need not only for training, upskilling and mentorship, but also for wider changes around access to mental health professionals and clarity around the processes of referral, coordination and integration of aphasia care across settings. These findings comprise preliminary insights into current practices. Further research is needed as well as clarity on best-practice pathways for different aetiologies of aphasia. Articulating current practices using NPT may have utility for developing empirically informed and principled interventions to improve service delivery. What is already known on this subject People with aphasia of all aetiologies are at risk of psychosocial problems. Shortcomings in access and the availability of appropriate support have been documented both internationally and in Ireland. To address this issue, an important first step is to understand how SLTs in Ireland currently enact and are supported to enact aphasia psychosocial care. What this study adds to the existing knowledge The findings describe the potential levers and barriers to progressing aphasia psychosocial care in Ireland. A range of individual, team and structural factors were identified. These were locally contextualized but similar issues are reported in other countries. Linking attitudes with NPT constructs provides a first step for further principled implementation projects. What are the practical and clinical implications of this study? Addressing psychosocial problems is perceived as a legitimate part of the speech and language therapy role. SLTs in Ireland enact a range of therapeutic approaches but may need opportunities for formal training and supervision, and for better coordination and integration with other mental health services and disciplines. Understanding differences in care pathways across the range of aphasia aetiologies is additionally important given the emphasis on post-stroke aphasia in the literature.

Exploring clinicians’ experiences of engaging in collaborative music therapy and speech and language therapy for children with an acquired brain injury

Music therapy and speech and language therapy are extensively used in the rehabilitation of communication and social interaction skills following acquired brain injury (ABI). Increasing evidence suggests that collaboration between the two disciplines may yield positive outcomes for the paediatric population. However, little is known about clinicians’ experiences of engaging in collaborative music therapy and speech and language therapy within paediatric rehabilitation settings, and there is a need to further explore and understand collaborative therapy to identify strategies for improving client outcomes as well as clinicians’ experiences. This study aimed to explore music therapists’ and speech and language therapists’ experiences of working collaboratively to develop communication and social interaction skills in children with ABI. The study also intended to gain further insights into collaborative practices as well as strategies and interventions used in joint sessions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three clinicians (two music therapists and one speech and language therapist) who have previously engaged in collaborative practices with this population. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the data: (a) benefits of a collaborative approach, (b) limitations of conjoint work (c) collaborative practices, and (d) need for further research. Key findings suggested that conjoint working between music therapy and speech and language therapy facilitates increased attention and motivation which enables the client to engage in interpersonal interactions and develop communication skills. Joint working is a crucial component of music therapy practice within paediatric ABI. Larger studies are warranted to further explore its complexities and to advocate for this valuable yet demanding approach.

Dietary Sugar Intake Associated with a Higher Risk of Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

We have limited evidence for the relationship of high sugar intake with dementia risk. To determine whether high sugar intake is associated with an increased risk of dementia in community-dwelling older adultsMethods:This study included 789 participants of the Rush Memory and Aging Project (community-based longitudinal cohort study of older adults free of known dementia at enrollment), with annual clinical assessments and complete nutrient data (obtained by validated food frequency questionnaire). Clinical diagnosis of dementia is based on the criteria of the joint working group of the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association. We used Cox proportional hazard models. 118 participants developed dementia during 7.3±3.8 years of follow-up. Those in the highest quintile of total sugar intake were twice as likely to develop dementia than those in the lowest quintile (Q5 versus Q1:HR=2.10 (95% CI: 1.05, 4.19) when adjusted for age, sex, education, APOEɛ4 allele, calories from sources other than sugar, physical activity, and diet score. Higher percent calories from sugar were positively associated with dementia risk (β=0.042, p = 0.0009). In exploratory analyses, the highest versus lowest quintile of fructose and sucrose in the diet had higher dementia risk by 2.8 (95% CI: 1.38, 5.67) and 1.93 (95% CI: 1.05, 3.54) times, respectively. A higher intake of total sugar or total calories from sugar is associated with increased dementia risk in older adults. Among simple sugars, fructose (e.g., sweetened beverages, snacks, packaged desserts) and sucrose (table sugar in juices, desserts, candies, and commercial cereals) are associated with higher dementia risk.

Methodology Improvement of Common Data Environment Organization to Design the Section 'Land Plot Layout Scheme'

The article deals with current issues of the introduction of building information model technologies, which are a tool for digitalization of the construction industry, into the workflow of design organizations. The problems and disadvantages of the existing system in organization of joint work are revealed based on the analysis of the current state, assessment of internal and external factors that affect the management of the working environment within the organization. The general principles of the formation of a unified environment based on the use of information modeling technologies - the common data environment (CDE) are analyzed. The concepts of forming a common data environment with their subsequent analysis in order to identify advantages and disadvantages are considered. The article concludes that it is necessary to organize a common data environment through the use of specialized software that has significant advantages over other methods, the main of which is the ability to work with a consolidated model. A step-by-step plan for the implementation of the common data environment in the activities of project organizations is proposed. The plan is divided into four stages: the preparatory stage, the analytical stage, the testing stage and the stage of full implementation of the common data environment. Taking into account the identified problems, an improved methodology for organizing the common data environment in the design of the section 'Land plot layout scheme' has been developed. The methodology makes it possible to use the resources of the project company (through the use of building information model technologies) and ensure high quality and speed in the implementation of the project (due to the possibility of checking the model for collisions and creating conditions for data exchange) effectively, and, consequently, increase the competitiveness of the company in the market.

Propulsive fractions of joint work during maximal sprint running

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to determine which of the ankle, knee or hip joint is the most important contributor to horizontal velocity during maximal sprint running. Furthermore, it was undertaken to quantify the fraction of propulsive power and work produced at each of the three joints.MethodsSeven athletes of national class served as subjects for the study. One running cycle of each subject was recorded by four video cameras (240 f/s) and a recessed force platform. Inverse dynamics in 3D was calculated as well as an angle between joint moment and angular velocity to express propulsive power and propulsive joint work.ResultsPrevious studies indicating the hip joint being the most important joint could not be confirmed by the present results due to large inter-individual differences for the hip joint. Averaged across all subjects, 64% of the normalized positive ankle joint work and 71% of the knee joint work were propulsive, while for the hip joint, four athletes showed 0%, one athlete 8%, and two athletes 96% and 97% propulsive work, respectively. For the whole leg, the propulsive fraction was 70% of the total positive work (range 40–87%). Normalized propulsive work was significantly correlated with maximal running velocity.ConclusionThe whole leg should be considered as one functional unit in which one or more of the joints may dominate generation of propulsive joint work.

Semi-continuity of conductors, and ramification bound of nearby cycles

Abstract For a constructible étale sheaf on a smooth variety of positive characteristic ramified along an effective divisor, the largest slope in Abbes and Saito’s ramification theory of the sheaf gives a divisor with rational coefficients called the conductor divisor. In this article, we prove decreasing properties of the conductor divisor after pull-backs. The main ingredient behind is the construction of étale sheaves with pure ramifications. As applications, we first prove a lower semi-continuity property for conductors of étale sheaves on relative curves in the equal characteristic case, which supplement Deligne and Laumon’s lower semi-continuity property of Swan conductors ([33]) and is also an ℓ {\ell} -adic analogue of André’s semi-continuity result of Poincaré–Katz ranks for meromorphic connections on complex relative curves. ([6]). Secondly, we give a ramification bound for the nearby cycle complex of an étale sheaf ramified along the special fiber of a regular scheme semi-stable over an equal characteristic henselian trait, which extends a main result in a joint work with Teyssier ([20]) and answers a conjecture of Leal ([35]) in a geometric situation.

Logopedic Technologies in Work with Children with Special Educational Needs

The scientific substantiation of motor sphere examination as one of the important components of complex pedagogical examination of children with speech disorders is considered. The article considers the problem of application of speech therapy technologies for preschool children with special educational needs. On the basis of theoretical analysis of sources of the problem, as well as practical experience of work with such children the necessity of multidisciplinary approach to the organization of their speech therapy support. Algorithms of variant technologies of speech therapy support of preschool children with delayed speech development and developmental disorders are given. The importance of involving parents of preschool children with special educational needs in joint activities with a speech therapist is given. Particular attention is paid to the need for diagnostics of the child's speech development. The problem of organization of joint work of a speech therapist and parents bringing up a child with special educational needs is revealed. The ways of solving problems arising in such families are shown. The necessity of timely and systematic correctional and speech therapy work is pointed out.

Professional self-development of a person as the evolution of his subject potential

In the article, professional self-development is considered as a human activity during which subject potential changes. This allows you to see the logic of the formation of the personality of the profession in a new way. Data from sociological research served as the basis for revealing the specifics of work motivation of young people at the stage of professional self-determination, professional self-actualization, and professional self-realization. The contradiction between external and internal motivational and value factors of professional self-development is revealed. The dynamism of the socio-economic situation of modern Ukrainian society requires professional flexibility from a person. Professional self-actualization today does not look like a linear process of achievements within the once chosen profession. Motivation for constant growth and self-improvement ensures professional mobility: professional development, development of related specialties, and, if necessary, a change of profession. A person realizes his vocation to be himself in various fields of activity - industrial, scientific, artistic, managerial, pedagogical and others, the basis of which is work. For the professional self-actualization of an individual, labor activity is fundamental. The understanding of work as a sphere of human self-actualization leads to the need to create such a quality of working life that would contribute to a person's disclosure of his subjects. A person is not simply "integrated" into the system of labor relations as an object, a kind of "screw", but reveals himself as a subject of a specific professional activity, with certain requirements for work, aimed at satisfying a wide range of needs and actualizing abilities. A person's labor activity, which is especially characterized by joint work with other people, allows meeting various social needs of a person in cognition, communication, developing cognitive, communicative and other abilities. The proposed approach is of great importance not only for the theory of professional self-development of the individual, but also for solving practical tasks of increasing the effectiveness of professional education.

The Effectiveness of Mobile Learning Technology in the Educational Process

The article discusses the importance of mobile learning technologies in comparison with traditional teaching methods, which make it possible to organize effective interaction of all participants in the educational process, plan joint work, correctly allocate resources, provide the necessary means to solve educational tasks. The authors of the article present their views on the structure of the organization of the educational process in a technical university. It is established that the possibilities of using mobile learning technologies in the educational process allow us to focus attention on the sphere of formation of an educational virtual environment in which self-development and training of students in the activities of a teacher takes place. The article considers mobile learning as a prospect for the development of digital learning, describes a number of advantages and disadvantages of mobile learning in the organization of the educational process and reveals the content of mobile applications in the educational process. The directions of application of mobile learning in modern education are also provided. Despite the widespread availability of mobile phones among students, mobile education in domestic universities is less common. An explanation of the term «mobile learning» and addresses the problems of using mobile learning in education and its research. In order to analyze the technical and psychological readiness of students to use mobile technologies in teaching students, a survey of students of the educational program «Information Technologies» of the Zhangir Khan West Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University on the use of mobile devices in the educational process was conducted and the result was analyzed. Most of the students came to the conclusion that they are technically and psychologically ready to use mobile technologies in education and need further study of new university opportunities for more effective use of mobile learning technologies in the educational process

Migration Atlas of the Russian Federation: A View from Argentina

The review of the Migration Atlas of the Russian Federation, prepared by a group of authors of the Institute for Demographic Research and the North Caucasus Federal University, analyzes the joint work of demographers, sociologists, geographers and cartographers of two scientific organizations. The authors analyze the historical and modern statistics of migration processes in the Russian Federation, its main directions, countries connected with the Russian Federation in migration channels, communities of Russian-speaking migrants formed abroad and their economic interaction. The authors pay considerable attention to several aspects that often dropped out of sight of researchers. Among them are the ethnic composition of migration processes, features of spatial settlement, processes of pendulum migration, the impact of migration infrastructure on the processes under study, features of international migration management.

Classification of momentum proper exact Hamiltonian group actions and the equivariant Eliashberg cotangent bundle conjecture

Let G be a compact and connected Lie group. The Hamiltonian G-model functor maps the category of symplectic representations of closed subgroups of G to the category of exact Hamiltonian G-actions. Based on previous joint work with Y. Karshon, the restriction of this functor to the momentum proper subcategory on either side induces a bijection between the sets of isomorphism classes. This classifies all momentum proper exact Hamiltonian G-actions (of arbitrary complexity). As an extreme case, we obtain a version of the Eliashberg cotangent bundle conjecture for transitive smooth actions. As another extreme case, the momentum proper Hamiltonian G-actions on contractible manifolds are exactly the symplectic G-representations, up to isomorphism.

Countermovement Rebound Jump: A Comparison of Joint Work and Joint Contribution to the Countermovement and Drop Jump Tests

The kinetic analysis of joint work and joint contribution provides practitioners with information regarding movement characteristics and strategies of any jump test that is undertaken. This study aimed to compare joint works and contributions, and performance metrics in the countermovement jump (CMJ), drop jump (DJ), and countermovement rebound jump CMRJ. Thirty-three participants completed 18 jumps across two testing sessions. Jump height and strategy-based metrics (time to take-off [TTTO], countermovement depth [CM depth], and ground contact time [GCT]) were measured. Two-way analysis of variance assessed systematic bias between jump types and test sessions (α = 0.05). Reliability was evaluated via intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] and coefficient of variation [CV]. Jump height and strategy-based metrics demonstrated good to excellent reliability (ICC = 0.82–0.98) with moderate CV (≤8.64%). Kinetic variables exhibited moderate to excellent reliability (ICC = 0.64–0.93) with poor to moderate CV (≤25.04%). Moreover, apart from TTTO (p ≤ 0.027, effect size [ES] = 0.49–0.62) that revealed significant differences between jump types, CM depth (p ≤ 0.304, ES = 0.27–0.32) and GCT (p ≤ 0.324, ES = 0.24) revealed nonsignificant trivial to small differences between three jumps in both sessions. Finally, the negative and positive hip and knee works, and positive ankle contribution measured in the CMRJ showed significant differences from the CMJ and DJ (p ≤ 0.048, g ≤ 0.71), with no significant difference observed in other kinetic variables between the three jump actions (p ≥ 0.086). Given the consistent joint works and joint contributions between jump types, the findings suggest that practitioners can utilize the CMRJ as a viable alternative to CMJ and DJ tests, and the CMRJ test offers valuable insights into movement characteristics and training suggestions.

Моделирование изменения прочностных параметров монолитной связи слоёв в трехслойных железобетонных конструкциях при эксплуатационных воздействиях

In industrial housing construction, the improvement of enclosing structures is aimed at improving their operational characteristics in order to create a durable shell of buildings that requires the least cost of repairs and creates comfortable conditions for people to live. To ensure high thermal protection characteristics of buildings, three-layer structures made of materials with various physical and mechanical characteristics of layers and ways of connecting them to each other, ensuring their joint work, have been widely used. One of such methods is the creation of a monolithic-bonded cement matrix, which during operation changes its strength and deformation characteristics and affects the stress-strain state of a multilayer reinforced concrete structure as a whole. Temperature fluctuations were carried out under simulated conditions of exposure from different sides of the tested structure when testing models of multilayer enclosing structures of monolithic cross-section, the strength parameters of the concrete of the middle layer and the contact zone of the layers were compared, as a result of which a decrease in the strength of the layers after exposure was established, not exceeding regulatory requirements.

The psychology of interoperability: A systematic review of joint working between the UK emergency services

AbstractEmergency responding requires effective interoperability, whereby different emergency teams combine efforts and expertise to contain and reduce the impact of an emergency. Within the United Kingdom, the capacity for the Emergency Services to be interoperable has been criticized by public enquiries. This systematic review had three goals to: (i) define interoperability; (ii) identify the structural principles that underpin interoperability and (iii) identify the psychological principles that outline how interoperability can be achieved. A PRISMA framework was used to identify 137 articles, including 94 articles from the systematic review, 15 articles from grey literature and 28 articles based on author expertise. We identified two structural principles of interoperability: (i) being able to communicate and exchange information effectively; and (ii) having a decentralized and flexible team network. We identified three psychological principles that informed how interoperability might be embedded in the team: (i) establishing trust between team members; (ii) developing secure team identities and (iii) building cohesive goals. We defined interoperability as a shared system of technology and teamwork built upon trust, identification, goals, communication and flexibility. Regular psychologically immersive training that targets these psychological principles will help to embed interoperability into the social fabric of multi‐team systems operating in high‐reliability organizations.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it: When collaborative public management becomes collaborative excess

AbstractCollaboration is a commonly prescribed method of public service improvement. If collaboration fails, blame is typically ascribed to transaction costs, organizational inertia, or premature evaluation. However, drawing on a notable case of collaborative failure in England, we show that misdiagnosing public service problems as being of a type likely to be cured by joint working can also generate poor results, and belongs conceptually prior to many “go‐to” explanations of failure. Using stacked difference‐in‐difference estimators on 11 years of performance data relating to subnational tax administration, we show that inter‐municipal cooperation produced no cost or quality improvements in the administration of this public service, contrary to reformer expectations. Supplementary testing attributes this failure less to governance problems, inertia, or precipitate evaluation than to a basic lack of interdependence—the specific “problem” to which collaboration is the “solution”—between partnering councils. Having already exhausted scale economies internally, partners experienced no mutual reliance warranting their attempt to further economize through collaborative tax administration.

Translated article] Consensus recommendations on the preventive treatment of migraine

ObjectiveThe objectives are to know the opinion of neurologists and hospital pharmacists on those aspects still under debate regarding the role of anti-Calcitonin Gene-related Peptide monoclonal antibodies in the preventive treatment of migraine. To identify those controversies that still exist. To propose agreed recommendations for improvement of care. And to promote access of clinicians and patients to these new treatments in the prevention of migraine with biological drugs, in order to improve patient care and follow-up. MethodologyRecommendations for the use of biological drugs in the prevention of migraine were identified and evaluated through the Delphi consensus methodology, proposing 88 statements grouped into 3 themes: a clinical module that deals with the management of biological treatments in migraine; a patient module that discusses patient education and adherence improvement strategies; and a coordination module that includes statements related to strategies to improve joint work between the two groups. The 9-point Likert ordinal scale was used to score these recommendations and, subsequently, the data was statistically analysed through different metrics. ResultsAfter both rounds of voting, consensus was reached in agreement on 71 of the 88 statements (80.7%), leaving 1 statement (1.1%) with consensus in disagreement and 16 remaining as indeterminate (18.2%). ConclusionsThe high degree of consensus indicates that the opinion of neurologists and hospital pharmacists on the role of anti-Calcitonin Gene-related Peptide monoclonal antibodies in the preventive treatment of migraine is very similar and allows identifying those controversies that still exist, to improve the care and follow-up of patients with migraine.

“Holding Families in Uncertainty”: A Framework Analysis of the Role and Impact of Children's Hospices in the Provision of Perinatal Palliative Care

There is growing international evidence of the benefits of early perinatal palliative care for babies and their families. Despite this, inconsistency remains in ways care is provided by services including fetal medicine, maternity and neonatal services, and children's hospices. The aim of this study was to answer the question “ What are the benefits and barriers to family-centered perinatal advance care planning from the perspective of professionals involved in the care of neonates and infants with life-limiting conditions?” Three focus groups comprising hospice practitioners were held across the UK. A lack of awareness of the role of hospices was described as the biggest barrier to referral to hospice services. Practitioners unanimously described having a physical presence alongside teams, as being the biggest contributor to improved multiagency working, facilitated through joint working and education provision. Early referral to hospice services, in parallel with curative services led to better outcomes and experiences of families, according to participants.

The Effects of Fatigue on the Lower Limb Biomechanics of Amateur Athletes during a Y-Balance Test.

The Y-Balance Test (YBT) is a reliable tool for assessing the dynamic balance of athletes' lower limbs. This study aimed to compare the effects of the YBT on lower limb biomechanics before and after fatigue. Sixteen adult male recreational athletes were recruited for the study, and motion capture in combination with a force plate was used to collect kinematic, dynamics, and center of pressure (COP) data of the dominant leg during YBT testing before and after fatigue. Based on the research findings, there were significant statistical differences in the distances reached during the YBT in three directions before and after fatigue. After fatigue, there is a significant decrease in the ROM of the hip and knee joints in all three directions. Also, there is a significant increase in hip joint torque in the anterior- and posterior-lateral directions, while a significant decrease in hip and ankle joint torque is observed in the posterior-medial direction. Moreover, there is an increasing trend in positive and negative joint work for the hip, knee, and ankle joints in all three directions after fatigue. The range of COP displacement also increases following fatigue. The decline in YBT scores demonstrates the detrimental impact of fatigue on the dynamic balance of the lower limbs of adult male amateur athletes. We hope that these results can provide information for athletes and coaches to better understand the effects of fatigue on the dynamic balance of lower limbs, so as to carry out targeted lower limb balance training and prevent sports injuries.