Placement Options Research Articles

Perspectives from the frontline: Exploring the implementation of legislative change into social work practice for brothers and sisters in care in Scotland

Abstract Legislative changes aiming to protect and support relationships between brothers and sisters in Scotland’s care system came into force in July 2021. These changes strengthened existing duties on local authorities to ensure siblings live together if they are in care, and to support them to keep in touch if they cannot live together. Drawing on literature and theory concerning policy implementation in a social work practice context, particularly the concept of ‘street-level bureaucracy’, this small-scale qualitative study used focus groups with social workers (n = 7) from three Scottish local authority areas one year after the enactment of the legislative changes, and thematic analysis of the findings, to explore the implementation of legislative change into practice. The findings highlight a range of factors facilitating implementation, including increased momentum from broader care system reform in Scotland and enhanced focus on sibling relationships in care planning and review processes. Limited resources were seen to constrain implementation, particularly a lack of suitable placement options for larger sibling groups and limited time for social workers to spend supporting children to have contact with their siblings. The findings inform recommendations in relation to resources, training and learning, and assessment and planning, necessary to facilitate successful implementation efforts.

Co-Teaching: Are We There Yet?

ABSTRACT Over the past three decades, states, districts, and schools have introduced co-teaching as a means of educating students with disabilities, even though it is not included as a placement option in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the law governing special education. Cultivated by evolving federal legislation, regulation, and policy, co-teaching can address the intersection of the least restrictive environment, general curriculum access, and improved school outcomes. In this systematic review of co-teaching research published between 2010 and 2024, we found that empirical studies remain sparse and inconclusive. Confounding factors include ill-defined and uneven implementation likely affecting the fidelity of the model, lack of evidence regarding the amount and impact of administrative support, and inattention to contextual differences across elementary and secondary school settings. Looking to the future, research on co-teaching is likely to focus on specially designed instruction (SDI) and student outcomes. We suggest the use of the co-teaching framework to ensure fidelity in future research and encourage the use of mixed methods to clarify ambiguous results. Further, co-teaching applications are likely to expand, suggested by its nascent use as a model for an inclusive approach for educating multilingual learners (MLs) and those from other marginalized groups.

Features of radiography of the scaphoid bone of the wrist

Background: Fractures of the scaphoid are common. Difficulties and errors in diagnosing injuries seriously affect the timeliness of treatment and its effectiveness. Routine radiographs of the wrist joint do not provide complete information, and in some cases fractures may remain unrecognized. The shape and position of the scaphoid bone in the wrist joint are special, therefore, when using standard placement on radiographs, the fracture line may not be visualized, and the scaphoid bone itself may appear shortened. To see the scaphoid bone “in full length”, the American surgeon W.R.Stecher proposed special placements that improve the quality of diagnosis of pathology of the scaphoid bone of the wrist. Aim: To compare the standard X-ray positions and three options for radiograph according to Stecher, to determine which method eliminates distortion (shortening) of the image of the scaphoid as much as possible. Materials and methods: 13volunteers aged from 23 to 66years were examined. All volunteers underwent radiography of the wrist joint in standard positioning and three variants of positioning according to Stecher. The length of the scaphoid bone was measured. To process the results, we used an analysis package in MS Excel (descriptive statistics) and the nonparametric Friedman test for repeated measurements. Results: The length of the scaphoid bone was found to be heterogeneous when using different X-ray positions. For all volunteers, the minimum length of the scaphoid was determined using the standard posterior anterior radiohgrahp, the maximum length was determined using the modified Stecher radiograph. The difference in measurements between the mentioned positions from 2 to 8mm, which is significant for a small anatomical object. Conclusion: The most optimal way to perform radiography of the scaphoid in a posterior anterior projection in our study turned out to be the placement option “fingers in a fist+ulnar deviation”. This method (Stecher modified) allows to obtain an image of the scaphoid bone under study with minimal distortion, which is important for diagnosis, preoperative planning, treatment and evaluation of its results.

The impact of offshore energy hub and hydrogen integration on the Faroe Island’s energy system

This study explores the integration of offshore wind energy and hydrogen production into the Faroe Islands’ energy system to support decarbonisation efforts, particularly focusing on the maritime sector. The EnergyPLAN model is used to simulate the impact of incorporating green hydrogen, produced via electrolysis, within a closed energy system. The study evaluates different configurations of hydrogen production and their feasibility focusing on electrolyser technologies and placement options (in-turbine, platform-based, and shoreline). The hydrogen produced is intended for ammonia production, replacing 11% of the fossil fuels used in maritime transport by 2030. Results indicate that integrating hydrogen with offshore wind energy can reduce fossil fuel reliance and carbon dioxide emissions. The in-turbine electrolyser setup offers the cost-effective placement option, while the platform setup is the most expensive. Among the three electrolyser technologies evaluated (alkaline, solid oxide and proton exchange membrane), the alkaline electrolyser results in the lowest overall system cost. The findings provide insights into the potential for renewable energy systems in a small island context and contribute to a broader understanding of green hydrogen’s role in energy transitions.

Improving bone-conducted speech quality: a novel approach based on speech production principles

Bone conduction microphone (BCM) which records speech that travels through at least one human tissue, demonstrates a significant advantage in capturing voice in noisy environments. The ergonomic design and versatile placement options of BCMs further enhance their utility, allowing integration with various head equipment such as earplugs, glasses, helmets, or NRBC masks. Despite these advantages, ensuring the quality and intelligibility of recorded speech remains a challenge. Past efforts have involved various post-treatments uniformly applied to all signals, to address these drawbacks, with limited success. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach aimed at enhancing BC speech quality by implementing a select number of filters grounded in speech production principles. In this study, treatments both dependent and independent of phonemes are applied. Subjective tests are conducted to assess the efficacy of these filters and compare their effects.

School placement trajectories of students with special educational needs—A longitudinal analysis of administrative data

AbstractSchool transfers may be particularly challenging for students with special educational needs (SEN), and may negatively impact academic and social outcomes for these students. In countries with multiple placement options for students with SEN, although transfers between different types of placements are plausible, studies on this phenomenon are rare. The current study investigates individual placement trajectories over 11 years of compulsory education, using administrative data from a Swiss canton (i.e. federal state) about students with intensive SEN support. We employed sequence analysis to describe individual characteristics of placement trajectories (type of placements attended, number and timing of transfers), and to identify typical placement trajectories. Findings indicate that students with SEN experience frequent placement transfers, however, high variability between individual placement trajectories exists. Four clusters representing typical placement trajectories emerged. The clusters differed in the placements predominately attended by students, the number of transfers experienced, as well as in the distribution of students' age, gender and first language. These differences may reflect variations between clusters in the type and severity of students' SEN. Our study results underscore the importance of understanding the dynamics of placement trajectories for students with SEN, contributing valuable insights into the complexities of their educational journeys.

“This should be a compulsory placement for all nursing students”: An evaluation of pre-registration nursing students’ perceptions of learning on a mental health clinical placement

AimTo conduct a longitudinal exploration of pre-registration nursing students’ perceptions of their learning on an immersive mental health clinical placement grounded in learning from people with a lived experience of mental illness (otherwise known as consumers). BackgroundEnriching mental health clinical learning environments are crucial for positive mental health nursing outcomes. Though non-traditional clinical placement (i.e. non-hospital-based) models effectively increase student learning in a range of domains, little is known about the specific features of contemporary non-traditional placement settings that may be supporting student learning over time. DesignA survey design in the form of a standardised evaluation tool with additional qualitative response questions was used to examine nursing students’ perceptions of learning whilst on a non-traditional clinical placement over a 5-year period. Non-traditional placement settings are alternative placement options to traditional inpatient/community mental health settings. The TREND Statement Checklist was adhered to. MethodsSecond- and third-year students studying a Bachelor of Nursing (N = 753) from eight Australian Universities completed a Student Placement Feedback Survey between 2019 and 2023. Data were collected via an evaluation survey including 7-items (rated on a 5-point agreement scale) and three free-response questions. Quantitative and qualitative responses were analysed over all observations and compared between the five years of student evaluations. ResultsAcross five years, the immersive mental health placement was consistently rated by students as a highly valuable learning experience. Utilizing a Multivariate Analysis-of-variance (MANOVA) for the quantitative component revealed that student ‘learning from lived experience’ remained uniformly high and steady throughout 2020–2023. This was despite disrupted learning that ceased face-to-face tuition caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. An increase in ‘student enthusiasm for nursing’ was identified after the return to face-to-face learning. Qualitative analysis identified a greater need for preparedness prior to attending the placement and wellbeing support amongst students. ConclusionsOver the five years, pre-registration nursing students report clinical skill improvement and enhanced knowledge following the immersive mental health placement alongside an increased desire for further skill development. Learning from people’s lived experience of mental illness and specialised facilitators was valuable for student learning outcomes. Increased support is needed for student mental health vulnerabilities and wellbeing ahead of clinical placements. Further research is recommended on the aspects of non-traditional clinical placements that may be protective for student learning.

Development of a mobile wind power plant for power supply to troops

The study examined the feasibility of using wind energy to supply energy to field military shooting ranges of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The object of study is a mobile wind turbine with a vertical axis of rotation. Theoretical studies have identified key factors influencing turbine modes and performance, which has led to the selection of optimal placement options. The proposed system took into account the power supply needs of troops in the field, with special attention to the energy-consuming equipment of field military shooting ranges as the main consumers. A comparative analysis has established the superiority of a mobile wind turbine with a vertical axis over traditional wind generators with a horizontal axis. The developed turbine design provides full coverage of the airflow regardless of direction, with an optimal blade angle of 60°. Theoretical studies included studying the airflow around the blade at different angles of attack, which provides insight into drag and lift. The basis for the development was the designed model of a mobile wind turbine, protected by a patent, characterized by mobility, sectionality and the ability to adapt to various environmental conditions. Its simple and compact design, combined with a vertical axis of rotation, ensures an uninterrupted power supply, especially at remote military installations and border areas. This research led to the development of a model for calculating the parameters of a mobile wind turbine suitable for powering troops in the field. The study demonstrates the potential of mobile wind power plants to significantly enhance energy reliability at military shooting ranges. The calculated results confirm the viability of mobile wind turbines in providing power support for shooting activities at these ranges

Maximizing solar energy generation: guidelines for optimizing photovoltaic panel placement on building facades

PurposeThis purpose of this paper is to address the research problem of optimizing photovoltaic (PV) panel placement on building facades to maximize solar energy generation.Design/methodology/approachThe study examines the significance of various design configurations and their implications for PV system performance. The research involves analysis of relevant literature and energy simulations. An exemplary case study is conducted in a hot climate zone to quantify the impacts of PV panel placement on energy generation. Various application scenarios are developed, resulting in 28 scenarios for PV on building facades. Energy simulations using Grasshopper Rhino software and Ladybug plugin components are performed.FindingsThe paper identifies key factors influencing PV panel placement and energy generation through qualitative analysis. It introduces an appropriateness matrix as a decision-making framework to evaluate placement options. The study identifies design configurations and external features impacting PV location selection and performs a qualitative classification to determine their impact on energy generation.Practical implicationsThe results and decision-making framework enable informed choices based on solar radiation levels, shading conditions, and building requirements. Optimizing PV panel placement enhances solar energy harvesting in buildings, benefiting architects and engineers.Originality/valueThe novel contributions of this paper include practical insights and guidance for strategically placing PV panels on building facades.

Placement Option Influence on Education Participation for Learners with Hearing Impairments in Special Public Primary Schools in Meru and Isiolo Counties- Kenya

Globally need for education, as a measure of one's ability to function fully in today's society, is an important motivator for efforts to achieve the highest level of education in the world. The persistence underachieving of deaf students in Kenyan schools is of great concern as evidenced by final average scores in their formative and summative scores in their assessments. This study aimed to find out how placement options influence education participation for learners with hearing impairment. The study was guided by Maslows theory of motivation in learning. A phenomenological research design was utilized. The study targeted three primary schools handling learners with hearing impairments in Meru and Isiolo counties that is Kaaga, Njia, and Isiolo school for learners with hearing impairment. A thematic approach was used to analyze the qualitative data. The study revealed that the assessment of learners for placement was not effectively done. The following were some recommendations made. Parents should be made aware of the existence of EARC and its role. Learners should be assessed early enough to avoid the placement of overage learners in lower grades. The EARC should be staffed with the right and adequate personnel for effective assessment. The government should fund EARC so that the staff can effectively carry its role of sensitization and mobilization in a wide area thus helping in early identification, assessment, and placement.

Clinical Advantages of Implant Osteotomy through the Remaining Root in Mandibular Premolar Region.

The placement of a dental implant by creating the osteotomy through the remaining root can serve as a placement option that offers various advantages. These benefits include more precise drilling with reduced vibration in cases with limited available bone or with anatomical structures such as the mental foramen and inferior alveolar nerve in close proximity to the planned osteotomy, and facilitating the extraction of an ankylosed tooth following root canal treatment. This case report presents a detailed description of the surgical and restorative procedures involved in placing an implant in a mandibular premolar area.

Transferable multi-objective factory layout planning using simulation-based deep reinforcement learning

Factory layout planning aims at finding an optimized layout configuration under consideration of varying influences such as the material flow characteristics. Manual layout planning can be characterized as a complex decision-making process due to a large number of possible placement options. Automated planning approaches aim at reducing the manual planning effort by generating optimized layout variants in the early stages of layout planning. Recent developments have introduced deep Reinforcement Learning (RL) based planning approaches that allow to optimize a layout under consideration of a single optimization criterion. However, within layout planning, multiple partially conflicting planning objectives have to be considered. Such multiple objectives are not considered by existing RL-based approaches. This paper addresses this research gap by presenting a novel deep RL-based layout planning approach that allows consideration of multiple objectives for optimization. Furthermore, existing RL-based planning approaches only consider analytically formulated objectives such as the transportation distance. Consequently, dynamic influences in the material flow are neglected which can result in higher operational costs of the future factory. To address this issue, a discrete event simulation module is developed that allows simulating manufacturing and material flow processes simultaneously for any layout configuration generated by the RL approach. Consequently, the presented approach considers material flow simulation results for multi-objective optimization. To investigate the capabilities of RL-based factory layout planning, different RL architectures are compared based on a simplified application scenario. Throughput time, media supply, and material flow clarity are considered as optimization objectives. The best performing architecture is then applied to an exemplary application scenario and compared with the results obtained by a combined version of the genetic algorithm and tabu search, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm, and the optimal solution. Finally, two industrial planning scenarios, one focusing on brownfield and one on greenfield planning, are considered. The results show that the performance of RL compared to meta-heuristics depends on the considered computation time. With time the results generated by the RL approach exceed the quality of the best conventional solution by up to 11%. Finally, the potential of applying transfer learning is investigated for three different application scenarios. It is observed that RL can learn generalized patterns for factory layout planning, which allows to significantly reduce the required training time and can lead to improved solution quality. Thus, the use of pre-trained RL models shows a substantial performance potential for automated factory layout planning which cannot be achieved with conventional automated planning approaches.

DETERMINATION OF GRAVITY COAL SHOOT GEOMETRICS FOR A COAL MINE

This article presents the results of scientific research carried out by the authors in the field of transportation technology in industrial transport. The application of a gravity coal intake device designed to lower coal from the upper horizon to the averaging warehouse of the lower horizon of a coal mine is considered. The velocities of the uniform movement of the load along the gravitational angle are determined depending on the angle of inclination. The numerical integration algorithm is implemented in the software environment of the Scilab application program. The results of calculating the speed of movement from the current value of the descent depth, for the required descent depth of 40 meters and for placement options in various sections of the section at the angles of inclination of the acceleration sections of 30, 40 and 45 degrees are presented. The main geometric parameters of the gravitational coal intake device for a coal mine are determined from the condition of limiting the speeds of coal movement. The design of the gravitational coal intake must be performed based on the condition at the beginning of accelerated movement, then movement at a steady speed and then slow motion to the required speed of coal exit from the coal intake at the required speed of 2 m/sec. The presented research results allowed us to determine the main parameters of the gravitational device (coal intake) proposed for use in the cyclic flow scheme of the «Molodezhny» coal mine of «Kazakhmys Corporation» LLP. Keywords: coal mine, cyclic flow technology, coal transportation, gravity device, coal intake.

Peroneal artery injury potential due to different syndesmosis screw placement options: a simulation study with lower extremity computed tomography angiography.

The aim of this study is to assess the risk of peroneal artery injury of hardware placement at the fixation of syndesmotic injuries. The lower extremity computed tomography angiography was used to design the study. The syndesmosis screw placement range was simulated every 0.5cm, from 0.5 to 5cm proximal to the ankle joint. The screw axes were drawn as 20°, 30° or individual angle according to the femoral epicondylar axis. The proximity between the screw axis and the peroneal artery was measured in millimeters. Potential peroneal artery injury was noted if the distance between the peroneal artery to the axis of the simulated screw was within the outer shaft radius of the simulated screw. The Pearson chi-square test was used and a p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. The potential for injury to the peroneal artery increased as the syndesmosis screw level rose proximally from the ankle joint level or as the diameter of the syndesmosis screw increasds. In terms of syndesmosis screw trajection, the lowest risk of injury was observed with the syndesmosis screw angle of 20°. Simulations with a screw diameter of 3.5mm exhibited the least potential for peroneal artery injury. Thanks to this radiological anatomy simulation study, we believe that we have increased the awareness of the peroneal artery potential in syndesmosis screw application. Each syndesmosis screw placement option may have different potential for injury to the peroneal artery. To decrease the peroneal artery injury potential, we recommend the followings. If individual syndesmosis screw angle trajection can be measured, place the screw 1.5cm proximal to the ankle joint using a 3.5mm screw shaft. If not, fix it with 30° trajection regardless of the screw diameter at the same level. If the most important issue is the peroneal artery circulation, use the screw level up to 1cm proximal to the ankle joint regardless of the screw angle trajection and screw diameter.

Experiences of Workplace Violence in Graduate Nursing Clinical Education.

Exposure to workplace violence (WPV) is common in health care, and little is known about nurse practitioner (NP) students' experiences during graduate nursing clinical education. This study described experiences of WPV among NP students during their clinical education. We conducted a cross-sectional, quantitative survey of a random sample of NPs licensed in Texas examining graduate nursing education experiences. A total of 334 NPs responded, a 12% response rate. More than a quarter (27%) experienced WPV during their graduate nursing clinical experience. Preceptors were the most reported perpetrators (44%). Most NPs remained in their clinical site after their WPV experience (55%); a majority felt they had no alternative clinical placement option. Nurse practitioner students experience WPV, and there may be implications for educational persistence and their careers. Future work should attempt to reduce the frequency of student WPV experiences and examine implications for NP careers.

Myomectomy with ArtiSential fully articulating laparoscopic instruments: A prospective multicenter study.

ArtiSential, a class of innovative laparoscopic instrument, has been developed to overcome the limitations of conventional laparoscopic surgery by enabling free, 360°-unrestricted movement of the wrist joint, as in robotic surgery. The aim of the present study was to describe the initial experiences with these devices in myomectomy and to report the surgical outcomes. A total of 77 women undergoing laparoscopic or robotic myomectomy between January 2021 and June 2022 were included in this multicenter prospective study. The ArtiSential instruments used by the surgeons were those chosen according to their respective preferences. The baseline characteristics, surgical outcomes, trocar placement options, and operator survey results were scrutinized. The mean age of the patients was 39.9 ± 6.3, and the mean body mass index (BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) was 22.4 ± 3.4 kg/m2; 46.8% of the patients underwent robotic surgery, while 53.2% underwent laparoscopic surgery. The number of removed myomas was 3.3 ± 3.0, the size of the largest myoma was 7.1 ± 2.3 cm, and the operative time was 130.0 ± 54.0 min. No transfusions or laparotomy conversions were required. Other than one case of ileus, there were no postoperative complications. In most cases, the instruments were inserted through the umbilicus trocar, and the fenestrated forceps, needle holder, and bipolar fenestrated forceps, in that order, were frequently employed. According to a surgeon survey, 29.9% moderately or strongly agreed that the ArtiSential devices utilized were more convenient than conventional laparoscopic instruments, while only 9.7% moderately or strongly agreed that they were more convenient than robotic instruments. Myomectomy as performed with an ArtiSential instrument seems to be feasible and safe. Further studies are necessary in order to comparatively assess the outcomes and potential benefits of ArtiSential, robotic, and conventional laparoscopic myomectomy.

Защита человека от ударных волн средствами инженерно-технической укреплённости

Purpose. Protective screens (barriers) are used in areas with large crowds of people to reduce the likelihood of human injury from explosive devices used in terrorist acts. To assess the effectiveness of protective screens, it is necessary to determine the following initial data in advance: the weight of the explosive device in TNT equivalent; the area being protected, and the acceptable probability of human injury within it. The article presents a general methodology for determining the effectiveness of protective barriers against terrorist-directed explosive devices. An example is given of using the developed methodology to determine the most optimal solution for protective barriers for a specific object. Methods. Various numerical simulation methods are used to solve gas dynamics problems. When modeling explosions accompanied by shock impacts, the Godunov’s scheme – solving the breakdown of an arbitrary discontinuity problem – is used. The problem of the breakdown of an arbitrary discontinuity in numerical schemes is reduced to a system of nonlinear equations related to the pressure and velocity of the medium at the discontinuity point, which determine the mass and momentum fluxes exchanged between adjacent computational cells. Findings. The author's experimental research methodology allows obtaining all the necessary information about the parameters of explosive loads formed during internal accidental explosions. Research application field. The research results can be used in the design of anti-terrorist protective structures. Conclusions. Blast loads are presented for the placement of anti-terrorist protective structures. Reduction in blast loads is shown for three different placement options of protective structures. The conditional probability of human injury by an air shock wave is determined. Based on the found parameters, the effectiveness of anti-terrorist protective structures is assessed for three different placement options.

Thermal-based gender recognition using drones: advancing biometric recognition in challenging outdoor environments

While biometric recognition typically uses features such as face, fingerprint, and iris to identify individuals, this study focuses on utilising specific characteristics to identify gender. The aim of this article is to propose a procedure for gender recognition under specific conditions. The specific condition addressed is outdoor area monitoring, which presents challenges such as varying lighting conditions and limited camera placement options. To tackle this, a proposed procedure utilises thermal images captured by the drone equipped with a thermal camera. The advantage of thermal images is their independence from ambient light conditions. The captured images are resized and processed using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) (AlexNet, VGG-16, VGG-19) for feature extraction and binary classification. A freely available database of thermal face images is used for training the CNNs, while a own created dataset of thermal images obtained by the drone is used for testing. The findings indicate that the optimised CNNs achieve classification accuracies of 82.4% (VGG-16), 82.9% (AlexNet), and 85.5% (VGG-19). The original contribution of this study lies in demonstrating the suitability of face thermal images obtained through drones for gender recognition purposes.

Where do We Go from Here? School–To–Work Transition Experiences of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

This qualitative study explored the school-to-work transition experiences among persons with ID in a special school. Fifteen participants, including parents, teachers, and artisans were selected through purposive sampling. Data was collected through focus group discussions. Participants’ responses were tape-recorded and transcribed for analysis. The data was analysed using deductive thematic analysis. The findings revealed that although formal transitional plans exist, persons with ID do not go into employment after completing their primary education and vocational training. Instead, they often pursue further training outside the school in batik tie-and- dye, doormat weaving, bead-making, and basketry before their subsequent employment. The study identified several challenges hindering school-to-work transition among such persons, including inadequate skill training, poor transition planning, limited job placement options, lack of parental involvement, and poor societal attitudes toward them. The findings suggest that effective transition programmes require effective policy formulation and implementation, adequate financial and material resources for their training, advocacy, and awareness creation for social acceptance to improve their skill development and employment prospects.

The Regulation of Foster Care: Using Federal Rulemaking to Update Foster Care Licensing Standards

The US foster care system is stretched far beyond its capacity due to a lack of funding, limited permanent foster child placement options, and outdated foster care guidelines. To address several of these issues, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) enacted a rule in November 2023 to change the legal definition of “foster family home” in the Social Security Act to more closely align the foster care system with best practices. This paper explores how the ACF used federal rulemaking to modify foster family licensing standards, the implications for the foster care system, and additional recommendations that the ACF may consider to maximize the rule’s impact.