Pyramid Model Research Articles

Sustainable Dietary Patterns and Alternative Food Sources

Sustainable nutrition ensures optimal dietary intake by evaluating the life cycle of foods and their environmental impacts, aiming to meet current needs without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to do the same. It is characterized by low greenhouse gas emissions, minimal water footprint, efficient energy and land use, and reduced food waste. Sustainable dietary models, which have become increasingly important in the face of rising food demand and climate change challenges, include the Mediterranean Diet, Nordic Diet, DASH Diet, Double Pyramid Model, Flexitarian Diet, EAT-Lancet Commission Reference Diet, and Vegetarian and Vegan diets. Alternative protein sources such as algae, insects, and cultured meat are also significant. Algae offer sustainability through ocean use but have unclear metabolic impacts. Insects are efficient and environmentally friendly but require safety assessments. Cultured meat promises environmental benefits but faces cost and acceptance hurdles. Promoting sustainable eating habits requires a collective effort and is a shared responsibility towards our planet and ourselves.

Effects of polarized and pyramidal training, with or without mindfulness, on race time and performance in amateur runners: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Problem: Road races in athletics has increased worldwide in recent years, leading to a growth in amateur runners (AR). Despite this growth, research aimed at this population is scarce and has methodological weaknesses. One topic of recent interest in AR is the effects of training intensity distribution (TID) and mindfulness on race time (RT); however, there is not enough evidence to establish a consensus among scientists, trainers, and athletes. Objective: To compare the effects of four training programs with polarized and pyramidal TID models on 10 km RT, ventilatory thresholds one and two, maximum aerobic speed, maximum oxygen consumption and body composition in AR. Method: A randomized controlled clinical trial with four parallel arms. The study groups include two with a polarized TID model and two with a pyramidal TID model, both combined with and without a mindfulness program over 12 weeks. Mindfulness practice will consist of 65 minutes per week through individual sessions and group workshops. Discussion: The practice of recreational athletics is increasing; however, the effect of TID and mindfulness on RT in this population have not been extensively studied. Keywords: Training intensity distribution, mindfulness, amateur runners, race time, body composition, polarized training, pyramidal training.

Modeling the elastic–plastic contact forces and deformations of nonrotationally symmetric lunar dust particles

The sharp morphological features of lunar dust particles generate significant elastic–plastic contact forces and deformations upon contact with material surfaces, which considerably affect the mechanical properties of lunar dust particles, including their contact, collision, adhesion, transport, and wear characteristics. Despite these severe effects, valid models considering the contact characteristics of typical sharp-featured lunar dust particles are currently lacking. This study proposes an elastic–plastic contact model for nonrotationally symmetric lunar dust particles showing typical sharp features. Detailed derivations of the expressions for various physical responses observed when lunar dust particles establish normal contacts with elastic and elastic–plastic half-spaces under adhesive conditions are also provided. These include derivations for elastic forces, elastic–plastic forces, contact areas, pull-off forces, residual displacements, and plastic deformation areas. Furthermore, the tangential pull-off force during the tangential loading of lunar dust particles is derived, and the tangential contact characteristics are explored. Comparisons of the results of the proposed model with those of previous experiments reveal that the proposed model shows errors of only 6.06 % and 1.03 % in the maximum indentation depth and residual displacement, respectively. These errors are substantially lower than those of conventional spherical models (60.30 % and 60.13 %, respectively), confirming the superior accuracy of the proposed model. Furthermore, the discrete element method is employed to analyze the effects of normal and tangential contacts, dynamic characteristics, and plastic deformations on the considered lunar dust particles. The results are then compared with those of existing contact models. They reveal that maximum elastic–plastic forces under normal contact conditions are positively correlated with the initial velocity but negatively correlated with the lateral angle. Furthermore, the tangential pull-off force is positively correlated with the normal force and surface energy. In addition, the contact duration of lunar dust particles is positively correlated with their initial velocities, while the residual displacement is negatively correlation. For instance, as the initial velocity increases from 10 to 50 m/s, the maximum elastic–plastic force increases from 37.64 to 321.72 mN. Comparisons of the proposed model with other contact models reveal that the maximum elastic–plastic force of the elastic–plastic triangular pyramid model is only 14.93 % that of the cylindrical model, 34.23 % that of the spherical model, and 76.27 % that of the conical model, indicating significant reductions in the maximum elastic–plastic force owing to the plastic deformations of particles with typical sharp features. Overall, the results of this study offer crucial insights into the mechanical characteristics of nonspherical lunar dust particles under various contact conditions, such as elastic–plastic and adhesive contacts, and can guide in situ resource utilization on the lunar surface and for craft landings.

Towards Regional Population Health Management: A Prospective Analysis Using the Adjusted Clinical Groups Classification.

This research seeks to assess the potential of regionally integrated health management for specific sub-populations, including the incorporation of self-management initiatives. It will achieve this by conducting a thorough stratification analysis of hospital data, utilizing the Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACG) classification system. The approach involves a retrospective review of healthcare data spanning five years, which includes patient demographics, health outcomes, and healthcare utilization metrics. We intend to use the ACG method to classify the patient population into pertinent groups that mirror their health requirements and resource use. The insights obtained from this analysis will be used to create a localized adaptation of the Kaiser Permanente Pyramid Model of Care. This adaptation aims to identify the distribution of costs among patients treated in the Rivierenland Hospital. We anticipate that stratifying data with the ACG method will identify distinct multimorbid subgroups. These subgroups will have unique healthcare requirements. Early interventions and customized health management strategies, based on these insights, could enhance health outcomes and resource efficiency for high-risk patients. This analysis will serve as a foundation for constructive discussions with hospital management and clinical staff, fostering a deeper comprehension of the patients' burden of disease. It might also foster multidisciplinary collaboration opportunities between medical specialties as with regional healthcare partners such as general practitioners (GPs), mental health and other long-term care organizations. Moreover, we anticipate that self-care initiatives, supported by customized health information, will encourage increased patient engagement and strategies for enhancing lifestyle improvements. This strategy is expected to enable the personalization of advanced care planning based on individual needs profiles, thereby improving the management of complex and chronic conditions, and encouraging self-care practices. Our anticipated findings highlight the potential benefits of a data-informed approach to advancing healthcare outcomes and present opportunities for future investigations to refine and implement such integrated care models across the region.

Coaching Coaches to Guide Classroom Implementation of Pyramid Model Practices

Coaching Coaches to Guide Classroom Implementation of Pyramid Model Practices

Gamified Teaching Design and Practice for the Elderly within the Framework of Proactive Health

This paper adopts the DMC pyramid model as the theoretical foundation for gamification design. By considering the gaming capabilities of the elderly, a coherent game logic is developed. This logic serves as the basis for designing or adapting physical games tailored to the elderly, integrating health knowledge into the game content. The games are interconnected through a reward system, culminating in a comprehensive and actionable community health communication activity. This approach outlines a gamification-based pathway for elder-friendly health communication, ultimately enhancing health literacy and promoting proactive health among the elderly.

Myelin dystrophy impairs signal transmission and working memory in a multiscale model of the aging prefrontal cortex.

Normal aging leads to myelin alterations in the rhesus monkey dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), which are positively correlated with degree of cognitive impairment. It is hypothesized that remyelination with shorter and thinner myelin sheaths partially compensates for myelin degradation, but computational modeling has not yet explored these two phenomena together systematically. Here, we used a two-pronged modeling approach to determine how age-related myelin changes affect a core cognitive function: spatial working memory. First, we built a multicompartment pyramidal neuron model fit to monkey dlPFC empirical data, with an axon including myelinated segments having paranodes, juxtaparanodes, internodes, and tight junctions. This model was used to quantify conduction velocity (CV) changes and action potential (AP) failures after demyelination and subsequent remyelination. Next, we incorporated the single neuron results into a spiking neural network model of working memory. While complete remyelination nearly recovered axonal transmission and network function to unperturbed levels, our models predict that biologically plausible levels of myelin dystrophy, if uncompensated by other factors, can account for substantial working memory impairment with aging. The present computational study unites empirical data from ultrastructure up to behavior during normal aging, and has broader implications for many demyelinating conditions, such as multiple sclerosis or schizophrenia.

Design Like an Egyptian: Using the ‘Pyramid Model’ Design “Tailor-Made” Games for Student-Centered Physical Education Classes

Student-centered pedagogical models (e.g., games-based approaches) have been encouraging physical education teachers to teach team and individual sports with game forms (small-sided and modified games) that promote play time for all students. These teaching methodologies promote students’ motivation and engagement and enable an easier transition between practice and application. Nevertheless, designing games that allow students to participate regardless of their diverse needs and skill levels while meeting specific learning objectives may not be an easy task. This article presents the pyramid model as a set of guidelines and principles to support teachers in designing games and activities that are exciting, engaging, and pedagogical.

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) and Early Childhood Intervention: Intentional Integration.

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) is a multidisciplinary field of inquiry, practice, and policy concerned with enhancing the social-emotional competence of infants and young children. Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) is a system of services that supports infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. ECI providers promote a child's development in all domains, including social-emotional. The purpose of this paper is to describe how two systems, Early Childhood Intervention and Infant Early Childhood Mental Health, collaborate when serving children who have developmental delays or disabilities and their families and other caregivers. We will discuss two models used to promote social-emotional development, the Pyramid Model and IECMH Consultation, and provide three examples that demonstrate how ECI and IECMH intersect at both the family, classroom, and system levels.

Exploration of Transitional Community Resilience Governance: A Case Study of Community S in Suzhou City, China

With the vigorous development of urban construction in China at the end of the 20th century, transitional communities have emerged as an important driver of urban economic development. Currently, the drawbacks of transitional communities in the process of modernization are constantly being exposed, prompting numerous reflections from urban leaders, and the transformation and upgrading of transitional communities has become a vital issue. Taking S community in Suzhou City as an example, this article elaborates on its current development status and theoretical basis. Leveraging resilience governance theory and using the pyramid model, the S community is thoroughly analyzed from three levels and six aspects, identifying various problems and proposing countermeasures and suggestions relying on theories of collaborative governance, digital sharing, and diverse stakeholders. By coordinating planning and empowering data to enhance physical resilience, promoting institutional resilience through collaborative governance and institutional innovation, and enhancing cultural resilience through community culture and inclusive communities, this research explores a unique transformation path for the S community, identifying common experiences and providing empirical insights for resilient governance of transitional communities.

Introduction of RCA pyramid model: a problem solving tool to achieve business excellence

Introduction of RCA pyramid model: a problem solving tool to achieve business excellence

Penggunaan Bagian Stek Umbi Tanaman Gembili (Dioscorea esculenta) dan Model Lanjaran Terhadap Produksinya

Lesser yam (Dioscorea esculenta) is a root crop which grows and spreads in various parts of Indonesia, from Papua to Sumatra. Plant support technique using stakes is a way to support physical plant growth to control shape, size, and direction of plants. This study aimed to obtain the tuber parts as propagules of lesser yam plant (Dioscorea esculenta) and the of stakes as plant support on lesser yam yield. The research experiment was carried out using a randomized block design (RBD) which consisted of 2 treatment factors; the first factor being the plant support techniques consisted of no support, single support, and pyramidal support model, and the second factor tuber parts as propagules consisted of root, middle, and tip root cuttings. The results showed that the interaction between the tuber cuttings and the plant support model was not significant or there was no synergistic in supporting the growth and yield in the form tubers, whereas the effect of tuber cutting treatments was significant on number of tubers (12 planted tubers) and highly significant on tuber weight (1864.9 g), tuber diameter (5.84 cm) and tuber length (6.11 cm). The effect of plant support models was not significant on number and weight of tubers, however was significant on the tuber diameter (5,54cm), and highly significant on the tuber length (6.05 cm).

Enhancing Preschool Teachers' Use of Pyramid Model Practices Through Coaching Intervention

AbstractThe social-emotional development of young children has been shown to have a significant impact on their long-term success in life. The Pyramid Model is a widely recognized framework that preschool teachers can use to support socio-emotional development. The present study investigated the effects of a professional development program, including teacher training and coaching, on preschool teachers' utilization of social-emotional teaching practices associated with the Pyramid Model. Three preschool teachers and three children participated in this study, which employed a multiple baseline across behaviors design, implemented across participants. The combined training and coaching intervention had a positive impact on all participating teachers' implementation of social-emotional teaching practices. Moreover, the study established a clear correlation between increased implementation of these practices and a gradual reduction in challenging behaviors displayed by the children. The participating teachers expressed high acceptability and perceived relevance of the professional development intervention and Pyramid Model practices. The study contributes to the existing literature on supporting social-emotional development in early childhood settings and highlights the potential of professional development interventions to enhance teacher practices. Recommendations for future research and implications for practice are discussed.

Convolutional neural network models applied to neuronal responses in macaque V1 reveal limited nonlinear processing.

Computational models of the primary visual cortex (V1) have suggested that V1 neurons behave like Gabor filters followed by simple nonlinearities. However, recent work employing convolutional neural network (CNN) models has suggested that V1 relies on far more nonlinear computations than previously thought. Specifically, unit responses in an intermediate layer of VGG-19 were found to best predict macaque V1 responses to thousands of natural and synthetic images. Here, we evaluated the hypothesis that the poor performance of lower layer units in VGG-19 might be attributable to their small receptive field size rather than to their lack of complexity per se. We compared VGG-19 with AlexNet, which has much larger receptive fields in its lower layers. Whereas the best-performing layer of VGG-19 occurred after seven nonlinear steps, the first convolutional layer of AlexNet best predicted V1 responses. Although the predictive accuracy of VGG-19 was somewhat better than that of standard AlexNet, we found that a modified version of AlexNet could match the performance of VGG-19 after only a few nonlinear computations. Control analyses revealed that decreasing the size of the input images caused the best-performing layer of VGG-19 to shift to a lower layer, consistent with the hypothesis that the relationship between image size and receptive field size can strongly affect model performance. We conducted additional analyses using a Gabor pyramid model to test for nonlinear contributions of normalization and contrast saturation. Overall, our findings suggest that the feedforward responses of V1 neurons can be well explained by assuming only a few nonlinear processing stages.

Using a golf specific functional movement screen to predict golf performance in collegiate golfers.

This study aims to examine the relationship between functional movements and golf performance using the Golf Specific Functional Movement Screen (GSFMS). This cross-sectional study included a total of 56 collegiate golfers (aged 20.89 ± 0.99 years, height of 174.55 ± 7.76 cm, and weight 68.48 ± 9.30 kg) who met the criteria, and were recruited from Hainan Normal University in June 2022. The participants' golf motor skills (1-yard putt, 10-yard putt, 25-yard chip, 130/100-yard set shot, driver, and 9-hole stroke play) were tested and the GSFMS (e.g., pelvic tilt, pelvic rotation, and torso rotation) was used. There were significant weak or moderate correlations between the variables. Furthermore, a multiple linear regression analysis found that pelvic rotation and lower-body rotation abilities can significantly predict golf skill levels, which collectively explain 31.2% of the variance in golf skill levels among collegiate golfers (Adjusted R2 = 0.312, F = 2.663, p < 0.05). Standardised β values indicate that pelvic rotation (β = 0.398) has a more substantial impact on golf skill levels than lower-body rotation (β = 0.315). This study found the weak to moderate correlations between the GSFMS and golf performance, and pelvic rotation and lower-body rotation abilities, thus predicting golf skills. Our findings provide novel insights into the relationship between functional abilities and comprehensive skill performance within the context of the Gray Cook's Movement Pyramid model, and provide theoretical support and practical reference for collegiate golf motor-skill learning and sports injury prevention.

Embedding Assessment Literacy Can Enhance Graduate Attribute Development in a Biomedical Sciences Curriculum

This paper describes the successful implementation of an assessment literacy strategy within a Biomedical Sciences degree. Teaching was aligned with an assessment literacy framework and aimed to prepare undergraduates for a literature comprehension assessment. Students were introduced to the assessment purpose and an adapted Miller’s pyramid model illustrated how the assessment contributed to competency development during their degree. Students read primary research papers and answered questions relating to the publications. They were then introduced to the processes of assessment and collaboratively graded answers of different standards. Finally, student and faculty grades were compared, differences considered, and key characteristics of answers discussed. Most students reported that they understood more about assessment standards than prior to the intervention [139/159 (87.4%)] and felt it had helped prepare them for their exam [138/159 (86.8%)]. The majority also reported they had increased confidence in evaluating data [118/159 (74%)], communicating their reasoning [113/159 (71%)] and considering what a reader needs to know [127/159 (79.9%)]. Students were asked to state the most important thing they had learned from the assessment literacy teaching. Notably, no responses referred to domain-specific knowledge. 129 free text responses were mapped to the University of Edinburgh graduate attribute framework. 93 (72%) statements mapped to the graduate attribute category “Research and Enquiry,” 66 (51.16%) mapped to “Communication” and 21 (16.27%) mapped to “Personal and Intellectual Autonomy.” To explore any longer-term impact of the assessment literacy teaching, a focus group was held with students from the same cohort, 2 years after the original intervention. Themes from this part of the study included that teaching had provided insights into standards and expectations for the assessment and the benefits of domain specific knowledge. A variety of aspects related to graduate attributes were also identified. Here, assessment literacy as a vehicle for graduate attribute development was an unexpected outcome. We propose that by explicitly engaging students with purpose, process, standards, and expectations, assessment literacy strategies may be used to successfully raise awareness of developmental progression, and enhance skills, aptitudes, and dispositions beneficial to Biomedical Sciences academic achievement and life after university.

Mastering Participatory Living Labs

This paper presents the concept and implementation of participatory living labs in the context of the unIT-e² project, which aims to integrate electromobility into the energy system efficiently. The article focuses on two field trials involving private and corporate users of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. The paper describes the theoretical foundations of participatory aspects in living labs and proposes a participation pyramid model to structure the different levels and methods of participation. The paper also reports on the practical experiences and lessons from applying the participation pyramid model in the context unIT-e². The paper offers general recommendations for future participatory living labs in the energy and mobility transition context, such as developing an interaction strategy before participant acquisition, ensuring early onboarding and continuous information provision, balancing online and offline events, and gathering and listening to participant feedback. The paper concludes that professional, proactive, and regular interaction with the participants is crucial for the success of living labs and the knowledge gained for civil society and science.

A pyramidal residual attention model of short‐term wind power forecasting for wind farm safety

AbstractWind power fluctuation significantly impacts the safe and stable operation of the wind farm power grid. As the installed capacity of grid‐connected wind power expands to a certain threshold, these fluctuations can detrimentally affect the wind farm's operations. Consequently, wind power prediction emerges as a critical technology for ensuring safe, stable and efficient wind power generation. To optimize power grid dispatching and enhance wind farm operation and maintenance, precise wind power prediction is essential. In this context, we introduce a joint deep learning model that integrates a compact pyramid structure with a residual attention encoder, aiming to bolster wind farm operational safety and reliability. The model employs a compact pyramid architecture to extract multi‐time scale features from the input sequence, facilitating effective information exchange across different scales and enhancing the capture of long‐term sequence dependencies. To mitigate vanishing gradients, the residual transformer encoder is applied, augmenting the original attention mechanism with a global dot product attention pathway. This approach improves the gradient descent process, making it more accessible without introducing additional hyperparameters. The model's efficacy is validated using a dataset from an actual wind farm in China. Experimental outcomes reveal a notable enhancement in wind power prediction accuracy, thereby contributing to the operational safety of wind farms.

MODELS OF INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

MODELS OF INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Kampanye Semarang Wegah Nyampah dan Engagement Publik

This research discusses the "Semarang Wegah Nyampah" campaign conducted by the Communication Division of the Regional Secretariat of Semarang City. The campaign aims to promote an environmentally friendly lifestyle and public awareness of the impact of waste, especially single-use plastic waste. However, the campaign has not been effective due to its limited reach and lack of high interaction on Instagram and TikTok social media platforms. The purpose of this research is to describe the process of forming public engagement in the Semarang Wegah Nyampah campaign, using concepts such as Persuasive Communication, Types of Campaigns, Public Policy, Social Psychology, and the Pyramid Model of PR Research. The research methodology employed is qualitative-descriptive, involving direct observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis. The findings of this research indicate that the Semarang Wegah Nyampah campaign has had a positive impact on waste management in Semarang City. Despite facing challenges, the campaign has successfully increased awareness and changed behaviors related to waste management. However, the campaign's message has not been effectively disseminated, and public participation needs improvement. To achieve larger goals and create a greater impact on the public, further efforts are required to widely disseminate the campaign's message, enhance public knowledge, and integrate public policies. Therefore, the Semarang Wegah Nyampah campaign can continue to play a significant role in creating a clean and sustainable environment in Semarang City.