Support Structure Research Articles

Roles of Divinylbenzene Co‐Cross‐Linker in a Threefold Cross‐Linked Polystyrene–Phosphine Hybrid Monolith: Impact of Cross‐linking Degree on Catalytic Performance

AbstractContinuous‐flow organic transformations using immobilized catalysts are crucial for green and sustainable chemistry. Cross‐linked polymer ligands offer high stability, ease of recovery through filtration, and thus enhance performance in continuous‐flow reactions via transition‐metal catalysis. Additionally, the cross‐linking structure of the polymer support creates a unique reaction platform that controls the coordination behavior of the supported ligands and stabilizes the metal catalysts. However, insights into the material‐based design for preparing highly active and durable immobilized metal catalysts are still limited. In this report, we propose a straightforward approach to boost both selective mono‐coordination and effective stabilization of metal complexes. We developed threefold cross‐linked polystyrene‐triphenylphosphine hybrid monoliths with cross‐linking structures adjusted by varying the content of divinylbenzene as co‐cross‐linker. The coordination behaviors and metal‐support interactions of these monoliths were evaluated, highlighting the importance of co‐cross‐linker content in site‐isolating phosphine units and stabilizing metal centers via arene‐metal interactions on the polystyrene network. By optimizing the cross‐linking structure, the monolith catalysts demonstrated exceptionally high catalytic activity and durability in Pd‐catalyzed C−Cl transformations, such as Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐couplings and Buchwald‐Hartwig aminations in continuous flow. This underscores the utility of our monolith system in challenging transition‐metal catalysis.

A INEFICIÊNCIA DAS MEDIDAS PROTETIVAS: UM ESTUDO DA REALIDADE VIVENCIADA NO MUNICÍPIO DE JARU

The article aims to analyze the effectiveness of emergency protective measures, as provided for in Brazilian legislation, and to understand the reasons for their possible ineffectiveness in the specific context of the municipality of Jaru. The focus is to evaluate how these measures are applied and what are the main challenges faced by victims. The methodology used in the study is a bibliographic review. The article carries out a critical analysis of the existing literature on protective measures, including legislation, works of authors and analysis of real cases. In addition, the research includes the collection and analysis of secondary data on the application of these measures in the municipality of Jaru, focusing on testimonies of women victims of violence. The expected results include the identification of gaps and difficulties in the implementation of protective measures in Jaru. It is expected to discover what are the main obstacles faced by victims, such as lack of resources, excessive bureaucracy and insufficient institutional support. The study also aims to highlight the need for reforms and improvements in the protection system to ensure greater effectiveness and safety for victims. The conclusion of the article should reflect on the main causes of the ineffectiveness of protective measures in the municipality of Jaru and propose recommendations to improve the situation. The analysis should suggest strategies to overcome the challenges identified, such as improvements in the support structure for victims and reforms in legislation. The conclusion reaffirms the importance of an effective protection system to ensure the safety and well-being of victims of domestic violence and recommends practical actions for the effective implementation of protective measures.

The experiences of rural generalist occupational therapists in provision of palliative care in rural, regional, and remote Australia: A phenomenological inquiry.

Access to specialist palliative care in rural and remote Australia is limited, resulting in a reliance on generalist health professionals to provide these services. Although literature exists concerning the experiences of some health professions in providing rural generalist palliative care, little is known about the experiences of occupational therapists who fill these roles. This paper aims to address this gap in knowledge by exploring the experiences of rural generalist occupational therapists in the provision of palliative care in rural, regional, and remote Australia. An interpretive phenomenological approach guided this research. Data were collected from eight rural generalist occupational therapists across Australia, using semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Data were thematically analysed to develop a nuanced understanding of lived experience in provision of palliative care. Due to the focus of this research on the practice experiences of occupational therapists, consumer and/or community involvement was not undertaken in its design or implementation. Three key themes were identified: 'community connections - a double-edged sword'; 'frustrations with structural and contextual factors limiting quality palliative care service provision'; and 'education and support as enablers of professional preparedness for palliative care service provision.' Taken collectively, these findings shed light on a variety of challenges and opportunities associated with rural generalist palliative care occupational therapy practice, as well as clues to their effective management. Knowledge of rural generalist occupational therapists' experiences can inform workforce development, promote retention of rural occupational therapists, and improve outcomes for dying persons, their families and caregivers. This study offers new insights into challenges and opportunities for rural generalist occupational therapy practice in palliative care and highlights the way in which both, new and existing support structures may be of value in promoting practice capacity and therapist wellbeing. It can be hard to get expert support for dying people in areas outside of cities in Australia. Health workers in these areas should be helped to provide good care. In this study, we spoke with some health workers in rural and remote areas who occasionally work with people who are dying. They told us that people in these areas were often helpful in supporting people who are dying because they felt close to them. But they also said that this made caring sadder for health workers because, sometimes, they were close to the people who were dying too. Having too much work, not enough experience and long distances made providing good care extra difficult. The health workers said that getting expert advice or using online teaching could help them improve their practice, but finding the time to do this is hard.

A Systematic Review of the Trends, Effects, and Deterrents of Collective Marketing Participation Among Smallholder Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa

Smallholder farmers’ participation in collective marketing is essential for the growth of smallholder farming businesses and the sustainability of their livelihoods. Collective marketing provides smallholder farmers with increased opportunities to scale up market access and participation. Given the challenges that the majority of smallholder farmers still face regarding market access and participation, this review was conducted to explore the trends and effects of collective marketing participation, as well as the barriers to participation among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The results show that collective marketing has a high potential to give smallholder farmers access to both formal and informal market participation, as well as recognition by public and private support structures. To improve collective marketing participation among SSA countries, more focused and content-specific strategies and interventions are needed to address the complex socio-economic and structural barriers that limit smallholder farmers’ ability to fully benefit from collective marketing initiatives across the region.

A silent pandemic of violence against providers in obstetrics and gynecology: A mixed-methods study based on a global survey.

To quantify and qualify the experience of workplace violence (WPV) in a global sample of providers in obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN). We performed a mixed-methods analysis on data from a global survey. Survey content was designed around categorical and open-ended questions in relation to WPV; the occurrence and character, the physical and psychological consequences, training and support structures, and perceived triggers of the experience of WPV. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and text data using mixed deductive-inductive content analysis. These data were integrated using convergent joint display. Between October 2023 and January 2024, survey responses were collected from 77 individual countries. Among the final sample, 764/1016 (75.2%) had experienced WPV, 699/1016 (68.8%) verbal, and 123/1016 (12.1%) physical violence. The violence affected physical health, psychological health, or job satisfaction for 106/764 (13.9%), 36/7642 (47.4%), and 222/764 (29.1%) of individuals respectively; 216/764 (28.3%) received support. Main WPV triggers were staff shortages, lack of security personnel, and long waiting times, identified by 38.8%, 37.5%, and 37.3% of respondents respectively. Qualitative data indicated that violence caused severe and long-lasting suffering. Catalysts for WPV were often reported as complex interplays between unmet or unrealistic expectations and insufficient resources. Lack of support for WPV was explained as violence being "part of the job" and a culture of assumed resilience among providers. WPV against OBGYN providers seems to be ubiquitous, arises from a complex interplay of factors, and causes significant injury while receiving insufficient mitigation and support.

Second victim in veterinary anaesthesia: support structures – Part 2

Second victim in veterinary anaesthesia: support structures – Part 2

Socio-Economic Characteristics of Women Entrepreneurs in Botswana

The present study offers a comprehensive examination of the socio-economic attributes of female entrepreneurs in Botswana, specifically emphasizing the convergence of demographic profiles, educational backgrounds, and entrepreneurial performance. Employing a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative and qualitative research, the study rigorously analyses the elements influencing entrepreneurial outcomes for women in the region. The findings emphasize a robust positive association between increased levels of education and the achievement of business success. Specifically, women with higher education qualifications exhibit better business results in revenue growth, market expansion, and operational profitability. Nevertheless, the research also reveals enduring obstacles female entrepreneurs encounter, namely in obtaining financial access, managing socio-cultural limitations, and harmonizing family responsibilities with business requirements. The results emphasize the necessity of implementing focused policy measures, educational changes, and support structures that specifically tackle the distinct obstacles that women encounter in entrepreneurship.

Unveiling the perspectives of Swedish homeowners on embracing space sufficiency within the context of energy renovation

Buildings significantly impact environmental sustainability and resource consumption, highlighting the urgent need for holistic and sustainable approaches within the built environment. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining focus groups and online surveys to examine the willingness of Single-Family Housing (SFH) owners in Sweden’s Kronoberg Region to adopt space sufficiency interventions during energy renovations and using the Attitude-Behavior-Context (ABC) theoretical framework to identify the factors influencing these decisions. The interventions studied include downsizing, optimizing space use, and converting underutilized areas into smaller living units, aiming to reduce per-capita energy consumption, and decrease both operational and embodied carbon emissions.The findings reveal low interest among SFH owners in adopting these measures, primarily due to concerns about lifestyle changes, loss of comfort, privacy, status, and property value depreciation. While personal and psychological factors play a role in adoption, external factors—such as regulatory policies, economic incentives, social norms, and technical solutions—are often more critical, either facilitating or hindering the implementation of sufficiency measures. The study also highlights that homeowners with larger, child-free properties are more receptive to sufficiency interventions, suggesting that life stage significantly influences readiness for change.The study calls for a systemic approach that promotes behavioral, normative, and cultural shifts through comprehensive regulations, policies, and incentives, creating the necessary conditions for broad adoption. Tailored design proposals and support structures, such as One-Stop Shop (OSS) models, are crucial in guiding homeowners through the transition. Government involvement is essential in establishing the frameworks needed to drive sufficiency, transforming homes from static to dynamic structures that evolve with changing household needs. Promoting flexible design, innovative policies, and financial incentives is vital for increasing adoption, with early adopters playing a pivotal role in accelerating market acceptance.

Why Capable People Are Reluctant to Lead

This article explores reasons why capable individuals hesitate to step into formal leadership roles, despite having the skills and abilities to lead effectively. Through a review and synthesis of relevant psychological and organizational behavior literature, common factors contributing to reluctance are identified. Key psychological reasons include concerns about work-life balance under increased demands, as well as fears of failure or criticism in leadership positions. Social barriers include a lack of encouragement from senior leaders, ambiguity about leadership expectations, and politicized organizational cultures. To overcome reluctance, the article recommends practical strategies for organizations, such as providing leaders with support structures, coaching, and role modeling. Communicating realistic expectations and definitions of leadership, as well as fostering collaborative cultures, are posited to help motivate capable individuals to accept leadership potential. An industry case study example from Aflac illustrates how addressing work-life concerns can successfully tap new leadership potential.

Proton direct transport channels incorporated with protonated porphyrin hyper-crosslinked structures for high proton conductivity HT-PEMs

The trade-off between the mechanical properties and proton conductivity of phosphoric acid (PA)-doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes presents a significant challenge to their development and practical application as high-temperature proton exchange membranes (HT-PEMs). In this study, we prepared hyper-crosslinked poly[2,2′-(p-oxydiphenylene)-5,5′-benzimidazole] (OPBI) membranes with porphyrins (TBPP) containing a substantial amount of halogen. The combination of the protonation effect of porphyrin and the support of the hyper-crosslinked structure results in TBPP-OPBI crosslinked membranes exhibiting excellent mechanical strength and proton conductivity at high PA doping levels (ADLs). In particular, the TBPP-15-OPBI crosslinked membrane exhibits high proton conductivity of 244 mS cm−1 at 180 °C, which is 3.64 times greater than that observed in the OPBI membrane. The H2/air fuel cells based on the TBPP-15-OPBI crosslinked membranes exhibit a peak power density of 521.1 mW cm−2 at 160 °C without humidification and back pressure, as well as excellent durability (over 100 h). Thus, this work provides a straightforward and feasible structural design approach to comprehensively enhance the performance of PA-PBI proton exchange membranes.

Rational design of nitrogen-doped carbon for palladium catalysts in hydrogenation of hydrazo compounds

We synthesized CN11, a carbon nitride material rich in sp3 hybrid graphitic nitrogen (sp3-N), employing a facile oxalic acid-assisted melamine molecular assembly strategy. CN11 promoted the formation of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) predominantly exposing {200} facets, termed Pd/CN11-2. This facet-specific configuration significantly boosted hydrogen adsorption, leading to notable improvements in catalytic activity. Compared to Pd/XC-72-2 and Pd/g-C3N4-2, Pd/CN11-2 exhibited a remarkable two-fold and nineteen-fold increase in catalytic yield for hydrazo compound hydrogenation, respectively. Pd/CN11-2 also demonstrated robust performance across a range of reaction conditions, maintaining excellent yield. This study emphasizes the critical role of tailored support structures in controlling Pd NPs facets, thereby enhancing hydrogenation efficiency. It provides valuable insights for advancing the industrial application of Pd-based catalysts, underscoring the importance of strategic support modulation for optimizing catalytic performance.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion in a polarized world: Navigating challenges and opportunities in STEMM.

As anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) legislation continues to gain traction, it is essential for those in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) to grasp its implications and explore ways to preserve inclusive environments. Anti-DEI measures can result in the dismantling of support structures, such as DEI centers and peer counseling groups, leading to a decline in vital support programs on college campuses and beyond. In this Voices article, we examine these emerging challenges and underscore the critical need to reframe DEI as a tool for fostering inclusion and benefits all individuals.

A cosmic ray muons telescope based on bar plastic scintillator detectors

A cosmic ray muons telescope (CORMT) was designed to monitor the distribution of cosmic ray muons in the environment. CORMT is made of three main components: the mechanical structure, the detector, and the readout electronics. The mechanical structure consists of a support structure and a rotating moving platform that ensures the stability and accuracy of the test. The detector consists of four bar-shaped plastic scintillators each coupled with a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM). The readout electronics design uses Xilinx Artix 7 series field-programmable gate array (FPGA), combined with peripheral circuit design, to complete the readout of detector cosmic ray muons hit information. CORMT has the advantage of adjustable thresholds, real-time output, and the use of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to record events. The CORMT test results show that the detection efficiency can reach over 90%, the accidental compliance count rate is around 0.02, and the muon flux conforms to the distribution law. This article will discuss the design and performance of the CORMT.

Methodology for Automatically Detecting Pan–Tilt–Zoom CCTV Camera Drift in Advanced Traffic Management System Networks

Many transportation agencies have deployed pan–tilt–zoom (PTZ) closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to monitor roadway conditions and coordinate traffic incident management (TIM), particularly in urbanized areas. Pre-programmed “presets” provide the ability to rapidly position a camera on regions of highways. However, camera views occasionally develop systematic deviations from their original presets due to a variety of factors, such as camera change-outs, routine maintenance, drive belt slippage, bracket movements, and even minor vehicle crashes into the camera support structures. Scheduled manual calibration is one way to systematically eliminate these positioning problems, but it is more desirable to develop automated techniques to detect and alert agencies of potential drift. This is particularly useful for agencies with large camera networks, often numbering in the 1000’s. This paper proposes a methodology using the mean Structured Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) to compare images for a current observation to a stored original image with identical PTZ coordinates. Analyzing images using the mean SSIM generates a single value, which is then aggregated every week to generate potential drift alerts. This methodology was applied to 2200 images from 49 cameras over a 12-month period, which generated less than 30 alerts that required manual validation to determine the confirmed drift detection rate. Approximately 57% of those alerts were confirmed to be camera drift. This paper concludes with the limitations of the methodology and future research opportunities to possibly increase alert accuracy in an active deployment.

The two ends of the tertiary education spectrum

Tertiary education over the past ten years has seen a significant increase in learner diversity and the variability. Learners today are not a homogeneous group, instead they bring a variety of rich cultures, abilities, multiple and intersectional identities, varied lived experiences, and educational backgrounds. What was once known as the non-traditional or under-represented learner, today it is more common experience with the increase in international learners, refugees, asylum seekers, neurodiverse learners, carers, vulnerable learners, widening participation and access learners. We know this variability exists with the increase in learners registered with the disability or wellbeing services, a targeted approach to recruiting international learners and the widening access and participation efforts. While variability and diversity should be celebrated it does require adequate resources and funding, inclusive support structures and systems to be put in place, as well providing staff professional development. With this change there is an opportunity through enhancement that involves ‘doing new things or doing established things in different ways’ (QAA Scotland 2022, p.6). Inclusive education, “understood as equal access and opportunities, has become a guiding principle of higher education agendas” (Timus et al. 2024, 473). Across institutions there is a plethora of inclusion allies, advocates, initiatives, strategies, polices and professional development supports, so why are so many learners leaving courses, not engaging, not attending and certainly not seeing the value of education. Is it the pendulum shift toward marketisation, commercialisation and privatisation that learners are not seeing institutions as spaces and places of equity and justice but factories where money needs to cross hands? Where on this spectrum is the balance for enhancement and could universal design and universal design for learning be at least the starting point?

Mechanical Analysis of Support Structure for CFETR TF Magnet

Mechanical Analysis of Support Structure for CFETR TF Magnet

Assessing the impact of systemic conditions on periodontal health in Malaysian population: a retrospective study

BackgroundPeriodontal diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis, are among the most prevalent oral health issues globally. They compromise the supportive structures of teeth and are influenced by both local and systemic factors. This study aimed to systematically assess the impact of systemic conditions on periodontal health in Malaysian population, addressing the gap in understanding these factors as potential risk factors.MethodsA retrospective, non-interventional study was conducted using medical records from Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, from September 2019 to December 2022. The study included patients with periodontitis and systemic conditions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, Fisher’s exact tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Spearman’s correlation, and logistic regression.ResultsOut of 600 records, 274 patients were included. The cohort was 51.8% male, with a median age of 51 years. Malays accounted for 92.3% of the sample. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the most common comorbid conditions. Severe periodontitis was significantly associated with age (45–64 years, p = 0.018) and Malay ethnicity (p = 0.011). Logistic regression revealed that age and ethnicity were significant predictors of periodontitis severity, with Malays being 12.5 times more likely to develop severe periodontitis.ConclusionSystemic conditions significantly influence periodontitis development and progression. Age and ethnicity are crucial predictors of periodontitis severity in the Malaysian population. Comprehensive risk assessment tools are necessary to incorporate a broader spectrum of risk factors for better management and prevention.

Novel Application of a Swift-Assembled Support Method with Prefabricated Corrugated Steel for Vertical Shaft Excavation in a Metro Station

For the construction of a subway station, temporary vertical shafts were commonly used to facilitate machine operation. In densely urban areas, the requirement of settlement control and environmental impact called for a novel construction method of vertical shafts. In this paper, a novel swift-assembled support (SAS) structure and construction method for vertical shafts of a metro station was proposed, using prefabricated steel components. A comprehensive scheme of full-time monitoring was conducted to evaluate the performance of this novel support structure and ground response. Field monitoring results indicated that the SAS method was able to control the settlement of ground and adjacent buildings. Based on the field measurements, the calculation theory for design parameters were discussed. The active earth pressure yield from the method considering wall movement was closer to the field measurements. All of the local buckling values were both overestimated based on the technical standards’ methods. The calculation methods were thereby adopted carefully to determine the designed loading share ratio of structure components. The advantage of the SAS method, including rapid construction, safety, and lower environmental impacts, were obviously clear.

Student Readiness and Acceptance of eLearning Platforms: The Case of UDOM eClassroom of the University of Dodoma

Objectives: To identify factors influencing students' acceptance of the UDOM eClassroom system at the University of Dodoma, focusing on the pandemic situation during and after the COVID-19 impacts in Tanzania. Methods: This study used the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) as the theoretical framework and extended it by incorporating constructs such as Management support, Facilitating conditions, and Subjective norms from the other models. The model was tested using survey responses from 101 students (n=101) taking diplomas and bachelor's degrees from various programs at the College of Informatics and Virtual Education (CIVE). Findings: Quantitative analysis revealed that perceived usefulness (p-value=0.000), ease of use (p-value=0.000), management support(p-value=0.000), facilitating condition (p-value=0.000), and student attitude (p-value=0.000) have significantly influenced the students' UDOM eClassroom acceptance. The subjective norm (p-value=0.224) did not influence the acceptance of students' UDOM eClassroom. The study's findings will support educational institutions in identifying the strategies needed to boost learning platform usage and achieve the intended outcomes in educational institutions. Novelity: This study has focused on locally developed eLearning systems by the higher education institution specifically UDOM eClassroom which has different support structures, user experience, and resource constraints compared to the available open-source eLearning platforms such as Moodle and Blackboard. Keywords: Student acceptance, eLearning system, UDOM eClassroom, Digital learning, Educational institutions

CUIDADOS DE ENFERMAGEM EM SITUAÇÕES TRAUMÁTICAS

In Brazil, nursing care in traumatic situations was based on the North American models adopted by the Fire Departments and the Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU). Due to issues related to legal aspects, in our country, one of the greatest challenges encountered in emergency care units, and one of the reasons that contributed to the support of several structures. METHODOLOGY: This is a descriptive epidemiological narrative review with a qualitative approach. It is a narrative review of the literature, a method that consists of a syntactic analysis of publications, enabling a synthesis of published studies and eliminating gaps that need to be filled by knowledge, through new bibliographic research. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: Nursing professionals, equipped with solid scientific knowledge, play a crucial role in improving the quality of health services, especially in the care of patients in critical situations. This expertise contributes significantly to a better prognosis for patients, demonstrating that evidence-based practice is essential for positive results. CONCLUSION: With the development of this work, it was possible to evaluate the evidence found from literature on nursing care in traumatic situations and their complications. In addition, during this study, we saw the awareness of the nursing team about the importance of medical record notes, which, when well prepared, present valuable elements for the diagnosis of the patient’s needs and for the planning and evaluation of the assistance provided within the scope of nursing care.