Technical Areas Research Articles

Company-university intersections through service-learning (SL): a systematic review

The most relevant intersections in society include the relationship between universities and companies for a projection toward the sustainable employability of future graduates. Among the possible intersections, Service-learning (SL) is an educational proposition that may help university students to develop their personal skills, offering them opportunities to learn and practice civic commitment, improving their sense of social and citizen responsibility, and combining academic and community-service learning in a constructed programme where participants train by working on real needs of the environment to optimize and transform the latter. The development of SL programmes in university departments related to technical areas is posing a challenge to faculty members and students, thus it is important to explore this lack of programmes. The main aim of the present study was to identify SL projects and their topics through a systematic review, following the guidelines of the «Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses» (PRISMA) declaration in the knowledge areas of Architecture, Computer Science, Environmental Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Computer Languages and Systems, from the year 2008 to the year 2023. This review includes 128 articles, which were analyzed with ATLAS. Ti 22. The categorical system employed in this work emerged from the topics of the programmes identified in the selected articles, which were verified by experts in the mentioned fields of knowledge. The agreed categories were: accessibility, learning, social groups, courses, devices, infrastructure, games, environment, landscaping, heritage, software and web. The most relevant conclusions highlight that most of the articles refer to theoretical aspects of SL, showing a lack of data on the practical development of SL programmes and their impact on employability. The largest number of SL programmes are developed in the areas of Architecture, Computer Science and Software Engineering. Regarding the topics that are addressed in research, most of the articles refer to social groups, software, learning and accessibility.

Study Explores Sustainable Solutions for Managing Contaminants in Produced Water

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 221002, “Sustainable Solutions for Contaminant Management in Produced Water,” by Nick Nicholas, Genesis Water Technologies, and Andrea Bautista-Gomez, SPE, UniXporter. The paper has not been peer reviewed. _ The primary objectives of this paper include identifying key challenges in managing produced water, assessing current produced-water treatment practices, identifying areas for improvement, and establishing an approach focusing on innovative sustainable solutions that benefit both the industry and the environment. In the case-studies section of the complete paper, the authors include detailed application case studies from Colombia and India (the latter is included in this synopsis). Key Challenges in Managing Produced Water Produced-water management presents a complex set of challenges that spans environmental, technical, economic, and regulatory areas, often requiring multifaceted treatment solutions. The following primary impediments faced in produced-water management are detailed in the complete paper: - Variability in water composition - High treatment costs - Large flow volumes - Environmental risks - Regulatory compliance - Limited disposal options - Technological limitations - Beneficial reuse obstacles - Climate change considerations Current treatment technologies include physical separation, chemical treatment, membrane filtration, thermal technologies, and biological treatment. Current disposal methods for produced water management in the US are diversified, with 46% of the water being disposed of, 41% reinjected, and 13% recycled. Various disposal and recycling methods, detailed in the complete paper, include deep well injection, surface discharge, evaporation ponds, and reuse and recycling. Transportation and storage methods include pipeline networks, trucking, and storage facilities, while monitoring and compliance methods include water-quality testing and reporting systems. Waste minimization strategies include downhole water separation and various water-shutoff techniques.

Survey of Bariatric Surgeon Calibration Tube Use in Sleeve Gastrectomy.

The study objective was to identify variations in calibration tube use during sleeve gastrectomy and understand elements of ideal calibration tube performance. A survey was distributed via email and social media to bariatric surgeons, who were asked to rate the performance of their current calibration tube and an ideal calibration tube for five technical milestones involving visualization, positioning, suction capability, and sleeve sizing. Data was analyzed using descriptive and bivariate analyses including chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. After eliminating incorrect screening question responses, 552 of 585 responses were analyzed. Demographics included 82% practicing in the USA, 64% in community practice, performing an average of 114 (SD = 94.5) sleeves annually. Calibration tubes used were most commonly reusable (54.2%) versus disposable (27.4%), endoscope (5.3%), or other (13.2%). Ninety-six percent of calibration tube sizes were 32 to 44 French. The reusable calibration tube had the lowest mean scores in all five technical areas, while the endoscope performed the best. When comparing surgeon current to ideal calibration tube performance, the endoscope performed closest to an ideal device, with significant p-values for technical milestones (i-iv). Despite the endoscope having the highest ratings for technical performance, surgeons rated higher satisfaction using disposable calibration tubes. Significant variation exists among the size and type of calibration tubes used for sleeve gastrectomy. Calibration tubes incorporating the visualization of an endoscope with the workflow of a disposable device could bridge technical performance and satisfaction goals for surgeons.

How much digital public health is taught in German public health programs? A qualitative analysis

Abstract Background Digital public health (DiPH) professionals are crucial for a successful digital transformation in social and health care. However, the extent to which academic professionals are taught DiPH-related content in their public health studies in Germany remains unclear. Methods We used a systematic module handbook analysis to assess accredited full-time public health-oriented degree programs at German Universities for DiPH-related modules. Programs were identified through the Hochschulkompass platform and among the German Public Health Association member programs. We used MAXQDA for the content analysis of the included module handbooks. Results We identified 79 public health programs. Of these, 10 Bachelor’s and 6 Master’s offered at least one DiPH module, all being highly heterogeneous in their overall addressed public health subfields. Regarding DiPH, 6 programs lectured on the ethics of digitalizing health and data protection, 5 programs each offered modules on DiPH in health policy, on data science in healthcare and software used for eHealth, or on the digital determinants of health. 4 programs each included modules on digital health promotion and alternative evaluation methods. 3 programs each addressed digital science communication and health technology assessment. Finally, 2 programs had modules on digital epidemiology. We found differences between the common understanding of DiPH in academia and the content in the module handbooks. The content identified in the analysis focused mainly on technical areas. Social and health science content was only marginally present. Conclusions The diverse DiPH study programs allow academic public health specialists in Germany to develop specific profiles. There is a need for further development of modules with relevance to the respective degree program to achieve comprehensive competencies in DiPH. We encourage the uptake of our analysis to develop a core curriculum in DiPH among European public health programs. Key messages • Digitalization affects all areas of life, including healthcare systems and public health. Preparing the future workforce already during their training is crucial to enable them to lead the change. • German public health programs are not fit to prepare students for their professions. Developing DiPH curricula with pre-defined and updated competencies will strengthen programs in Germany and beyond.

Centro Integrado de Educación de Adultos (CINDEA): An educational modality that achieves goals in technical instruction in Costa Rica

This essay discusses how the Centros Integrados de Educación de Adultos (CINDEA) collaborate to break educational barriers in technical training in Costa Rica and how these institutions are a bridge between formal education and the labor market, by providing people with the possibility of developing skills valued in the professional environment. The objective of this essay is to socialize the work dynamics employed in this modality and to expose how it promotes equal opportunities by allowing all people over 15 years of age, without exception, to develop knowledge related to a technical area. It also discusses the challenges they face that, in many cases, hinder their important work in Costa Rican education.

Smartphone Privacy and Cyber Safety among Australian Adolescents: Gender Differences

While existing studies explore smartphone privacy setting risks for adolescents, they provide limited insight into the role of gender in these dynamics. This study aims to enhance adolescents’ awareness of the security risks associated with smartphone privacy leakage by focusing on how a cyber safety intervention lesson can affect knowledge of smartphone privacy settings, attitudes toward smartphone settings, and concerns about smartphone privacy. This study surveyed 376 high school students before and after a cyber safety lesson. Our study found that before the cyber safety intervention, females reported lower knowledge of smartphone settings than males. After the lesson, this gap narrowed, with both genders demonstrating more consistent understanding. Both genders showed lower attitudes towards smartphone privacy compared to knowledge, with males displaying the largest gap, reflecting the privacy paradox. Females expressed greater concern regarding location privacy, especially when tracked by unknown individuals, indicating that while both genders are aware of risks, females perceive them more acutely. The results suggest that targeted educational programs can effectively enhance adolescents’ knowledge, attitudes, and concerns about smartphone privacy, particularly in technical areas where gender gaps exist.

Потенциальные угрозы, связанные с применением искусственного интеллекта в преступных действиях

The article is devoted to the issues of assessing the threats associated with the use of artificial intelligence in the implementation of criminal actions, taking into account the rapid development of technical capabilities and areas of application of modern neural networks, since the degree of readiness for counteraction directly affects the effectiveness of such counteraction and the efficiency of its application.

CLASSIFIERS OF DESTRUCTIVE IMPACTS IN DIGITAL SPACE

The digital format of public relations actualizes the issues of information security and information security. The article analyzes the normative acts containing the concepts of "destructive event" and "destructive action". They describe the sources of information threats emanating from man-made and anthropogenic sources and are associated with violations of confidentiality, accessibility and reliability of information, stability and reliability of information systems. The author came to the conclusion, as a result of the analysis conducted in the article, that the concept of "destructive actions" is more universal and defines the requirement not to take actions aimed at violating the information security of an information system and information. The concept of "destructive events" is used in a narrow technical area related to the disruption of the functioning of information systems at two levels of the OSI model - determining the route and addressing of data and communication between the endpoints of the transmitted data.

Modeling and Analyzing the Availability of Technical Professional Profiles for the Success of Smart Cities Projects in Europe.

The success of developing and implementing Smart Cities (SC) projects depends on a varied set of factors, where the availability of a qualified technical workforce is a critical one. The combination of ICT requirements, like the effectiveness and quality of solutions merging IoT, cloud computing, sensors, and communications with the work from many varied disciplines (e.g., civil engineering, architecture, etc.), mixed with aspects of environmental and business sustainability, makes the management of these projects really challenging. Reports forecast a scarcity of qualified candidates, given this complexity and the growth of activity in SC projects. The European project SMACITE has addressed the requirements of the qualification of an ICT workforce with an analysis of multiples sources of information from the labor market, feedback from involved stakeholders, and the literature. The goal was the development of two occupational ICT profiles as a reference for training and for the availability of candidates for job vacancies. The result is two ICT role profiles for engineers and technicians, mapped with the European skills frameworks ESCO and EN16234. The profiles determined the whole set of requirements, including not only the technical areas and soft skills, but also additional technical areas and sustainability and managerial skills and the analysis of different sources of information. Our work has also determined which existing ESCO occupations are similar to the two reference profiles, so they are better adapted to SC projects. The training activities of SMACITE have also suggested the amount of training expected for a varied sample of candidates who want to be qualified for SC projects.

On improving the efficiency of providing budgetary places in Russian universities (on the example of engineering and technical areas of study)

Relevance. In the current economic and political conditions in Russia, there is an acute shortage of welltrained engineers, and not only in the IT field. In order to overcome this problem, the state annually raises the admission target numbers (CAP) for technical educational programs. This increases the amount of public funding for universities (both per capita and for general development); it is measured in hundreds of billions of rubles, which requires studying the efficiency of resource use. The purpose of the article is, based on the results of a comprehensive empirical analysis, to identify the key problems that reduce the effectiveness of state financing of state-funded places in engineering and technical areas, and to substantiate proposals for minimizing them. Methodology and methods. The methodological basis is a systematic approach, within which general scientific methods (deduction, induction, generalization, comparative analysis, etc.) were used, as well as special economic and statistical research methods. Results and scientific novelty. It was revealed that the use of the current methodology for the distribution of CSC by the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia leads to the fact that a significant part of budget places in engineering and technical areas of study are occupied by students with low (18.2% excluding IT areas) and extremely low (at least 14.5 %) by the level of incoming knowledge. In a number of areas, the proportion of such students reaches 87%, despite the fact that ¾ of the applicants have an extremely weak physical and mathematical base (within the framework of the school course). The actual scale of the problems turned out to be greater due to the non-linear scale of the Unified State Examination, “tuned” by the Ministry of Education of Russia to overestimate the score for “C” students. Taken together, this naturally leads to the training of engineers of the appropriate level at the state expense. A set of measures is substantiated to change the methodology for distributing budgetary places, aimed at improving the efficiency of the use of public funding. Practical significance. The results of the study can be used by the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, as well as by the administrations of technical universities to improve the quality of applicants for engineering education programs.

Abortion, Full Faith and Credit, and the "Judicial Power" Under Article III

Interstate judgments enforcement is governed by the Full Faith and Credit Clause of Article IV of the Constitution, together with its implementing statute, 28 U.S.C. 1738. Although a highly technical area of the law, interstate judgments enforcement has important social repercussions for some very modern problems of great cultural significance. One of the currently significant applications is the interstate enforcement of judgments rendered in civil suits based on state anti-abortion laws. For example, Texas statute S.B. 8 gives anyone who wishes to sue a civil cause of action against persons who facilitate abortions. Even complete strangers to the abortion can decide to become a plaintiff in such an action and can sue for money “damages” despite having suffered no injury. Non-experts seem to have the impression that the Full Faith and Credit Clause presents an ironclad requirement that judgments of sister states must always be enforced. If thatwere the case, states that recognize reproductive freedom would be obliged to enforce judgments entered into in states like Texas, despite their strong public policy against such actions. This Article shows why this impression is mistaken. First, the full faith and credit principle has for centuries been subject to exceptions,several of which are potentially relevant in the reproductive freedom context. Theseinclude lack of subject matter jurisdiction, the public policy exception, and the penallaw exception. In addition, a uniform law adopted in forty-eight states (the UniformEnforcement of Foreign Judgments Act) permits the state enforcing the judgment to applyits own judgments law to an interstate enforcement proceeding. The enforcing state will therefore apply to foreign state judgments any exceptions to judgments enforcement lawthat it has as a general matter for its own domestic judgments. Second, and more importantly, the Clause and statute both contain an important qualification: they apply only to “judicial” actions. This exception prevents a state from requiring sister-state enforcement of decisions that do not meet the usual tests for a judicial “case or controversy” (as defined in Article III of the Constitution). Article III and Article IV both use the word “judicial” to specify the standard necessary for the exercise of federal power. These two neighboring constitutional provisions are supported by a common historical origin (they were drafted at the same time and by some of the same people at the constitutional drafting convention) and fulfill comparable functions. If the two constitutional provisions are treated the same, judgments under statutes like Texas S.B. 8 would not be given mandatory force in other states because such cases would not meet the standing requirement imposed by Article III.

Implementation of a telemedical urgency assessment procedure in the pediatric emergency room: evaluation results.

In rural areas in Germany, the number of emergency departments with pediatric expertise decreases. Telemedicine solutions are used sporadically, but they lack certain parameters for assessing a child's health status, such as touch and smell. We tested and evaluated the implementation of a telemedical, cross-hospital urgency assessment in pediatric emergency rooms. The telemedical urgency assessments were carried out via video conferences and were compared to the usual on-site procedure. Primary results of the concordance analysis have been published elsewhere. This work describes the results of the evaluation of the implementation. The telemedical urgency assessment was carried out in 5 pediatric emergency departments during the years 2015-2019. Various methods were used to evaluate the implementation. The following reports are based on (a) a parent questionnaire with two statements to be evaluated (entire project duration), (b) a survey of the physicians using telemedicine after each case (entire project duration) and (c) detailed process documentation (July 2017 until end of the project). A total of 266 patients under 18 years old, recruited from four hospitals, were included in the study. (a) 210 parents completed the questionnaire. 78% of the parents felt adequately cared for and 70% could imagine telemedicine becoming established as a future supplementary care procedure. (b) The physicians' questionnaires for the telemedicine site were completed in 232 cases (87%). The average satisfaction rating was 1.8 on a 6-point-likert-scale (95% confidence interval: 1.64; 1.95). (c) The most frequent implementation problem concerned the technical implementation of the video conference. The evaluation of the accompanying documentation revealed in particular implementation barriers in the technical area (e. g. limited video and/or audio quality) and in the provision of human resources. Despite implementation barriers, the project showed that telemedical urgency assessment in acute pediatric care is a promising option for supporting care. Most of the participating clinicians needed a high level of support, which in some cases indicated a rather low level of digital competence. Increasing acceptance of telemedicine functionalities requires changes in society as a whole with improved framework conditions.

Demand for AI Computing will Shape FA Community

Abstract The electronic device failure analysis community will be instrumental in successfully guiding the industry's transformation in reponse to demand for artificial intelligence capabilities. This editorial outlines the challenge and how the FA community can help address growing needs in this technical area.

On the influence of sorbents on the static stiffness of Air Springs

Air Springs are deployed in many technical areas today. In the premium segment of the automotive industry in particular, they are being used more and more frequently. The load-independent spring rate results in a better ride comfort. Since the stiffness of the Air Spring is significantly influenced by the enclosed air volume, this usually leads to a conflict of objectives between the available installation space and the stiffness optimum. To reduce the spring stiffness while maintaining the same design space, Coackley and Elliot describe in their patent the use of adsorbents such as activated carbon in the enclosed air volume of the spring. By binding air molecules to the adsorbent, more air molecules fit into the enclosed Air Spring volume, while the size and pressure of the Air Spring remain the same.This paper describes how the so-called “virtual volume” is created by adsorption and how it can be determined by simplified measurements using a gas pycnometer. Furthermore, it is shown how these measurements are related to the static stiffness of an Air Spring, so that a prediction of the static stiffness of an Air Spring filled with sorbent, in this case activated carbon, is possible by simple pycnometric measurements.

Identification of characteristics of Russian students’ professional identity in the humanitarian, technical, and economic areas of training

Identification of characteristics of Russian students’ professional identity in the humanitarian, technical, and economic areas of training

Formation of Value Orientations Among University Students

The role of communication, the specifics and flow of communication processes and, accordingly, the requirements for their participants, is increasing in modern society and in all spheres of professional activity. In this connection, the problem of the formation of the communicative creativity of students at the stage of professional training at the university is actualized. At present, this aspect of the vocational training of students in technical areas lacks attention both in theory and in the practice of vocational education. The article examines the theoretical foundations of the theory of the formation of the communicative creativity of university students, interpreted as a set of interrelated and interdependent components that represent a certain integrity based on the use of a set of scientific approaches: systemic, participatory and discursive, implemented on the basis of the principles: transformation of cognitive content into emotional, freedom choice of communications, social reinforcement of creative behavior. The scientific approaches considered in the article were the theoretical foundations for the development of the theory of the formation of the communicative creativity of university students. The materials of the article are of practical value for organizing the process of vocational training in the context of the development of the communicative creativity of students.

Огляд і бібліометричне дослідження надкритичних енергетичних циклів CO2. Поточний стан досліджень і розробок

Recent decades have been characterized by growing interest in research into improving the efficiency of these cycles. The purpose of this work is a bibliometric analysis based on Scopus data (2001-2024) and an overview of the main trends associated with supercritical cycles operating in the region of the carbon dioxide critical point. The objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of research productivity, impact, and trends in supercritical carbon dioxide cycling research over the past two decades, providing useful information for strategic research planning. The methods used were from the Scopus database due to its extensive collection of documents. The review of work lasted from 2001 to 2024, covering a significant time in this area. The literature search was conducted for the following specific keywords: “Supercritical”, “Cycle”, “Carbon dioxide”, “Equation of State”, “Energy Cycle”. The results show growing research interest in this area, which is mainly led by the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, and Germany. Covering a variety of industries such as engineering, energy, and the environment, this research delves into technical areas such as supercritical carbon dioxide cycles and the real gas equation of state, which allow modeling of the flow of a working fluid in a compression loop. Conclusions. The bibliometric analysis presented in this work offers information on the evolution of research on supercritical carbon dioxide cycles and the equations of state of real gas in the metastable region of carbon dioxide from both academic and industrial viewpoints. By exploring the industry context and the relationships between the findings and the scope of key journals, this analysis illuminates the significance of the findings and their practical implications. New topics identified through keyword analysis can stimulate research planning in the scientific sector. Thus, this comprehensive bibliometric study serves as an independent reference for technology forecasting and monitoring.

Next generation fatigue crack growth experiments of aerospace materials

Today’s societal challenges require rapid response and smart materials solutions in almost all technical areas. Driven by these needs, data-driven research has emerged as an enabler for faster innovation cycles. In fields such as chemistry, materials science and life sciences, automatic and even autonomous data generation and processing is already accelerating knowledge discovery. In contrast, in experimental mechanics, complex investigations like studying fatigue crack growth in structural materials have traditionally adhered to standardized procedures with limited adoption of the digital transformation. In this work, we present a novel infrastructure for data-centric experimental mechanics in the field of fatigue crack growth. Our methodology incorporates a robust code base that complements a multi-scale digital image correlation and robot-assisted test rig. Using this approach, the information-to-cost ratio of fatigue crack growth experiments in aerospace materials is significantly higher compared to traditional experiments. Thus, serves as a catalyst for discovering new scientific knowledge in the field of structural materials and structures.

Formation of Students' Readiness for Professional Design and Construction Activities Based on an Integrative Approach

The approach, stages, criteria and levels of development of design and engineering competencies among bachelors in technical areas of study are presented as an integral, multi-level dynamic system, as well as didactic components of the educational process. The proposed approach is based on the continuity of the process of preparing students for design and engineering activities throughout the entire period of study at the university, on the use of problem-oriented and designed teaching principles, along with the interdisciplinary nature of education and leading independent work.

Supporting Ontario public health units to address adverse childhood experiences in pandemic recovery planning: A priority-setting exercise

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic exposures experienced during childhood, for example, neglect. There is growing evidence that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and related socioeconomic conditions contributed to an increased risk of ACEs. As public health programs/services are re-evaluated and restored following the state of emergency, it is important to plan using an ACEs-informed lens. The aim of this study was to identify and prioritize initiatives or activities that Public Health Ontario (PHO) could undertake to support Ontario public health units’ work towards ACEs-informed pandemic recovery plans.MethodsThe Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method was adapted to conduct a priority-setting exercise (May–October 2022). Two online surveys were administered with members of the Healthy Growth and Development (HGD) Evidence Network, comprised of public health unit staff working in child and family health/HGD from Ontario’s 34 public health units. In the first survey, participants were asked to propose activities or initiatives that PHO could undertake to support Ontario public health units’ work towards ACEs-informed planning. In the second survey, participants were asked to score the final list of options against pre-determined prioritization criteria (for example, relevance). Responses were numerically coded and used to calculate prioritization scores, which were used to rank the options.ResultsIn all, 76% of public health units (n = 26) responded to the first survey to identify options. The 168 proposed ideas were consolidated into a final list of 13 options, which fall under PHO’s scientific and technical support mandate areas (data and surveillance, evidence synthesis, collaboration and networking, knowledge exchange and research). A total of 79% of public health units (n = 27) responded to the follow-up survey to prioritize options. Prioritization scores ranged from 76.4% to 88.6%. The top-ranked option was the establishment of a new provincial ACEs community of practice.ConclusionsOver three quarters of public health units contributed to identifying and ranking 13 options for PHO to support public health units in considering and addressing ACEs through pandemic recovery planning. In consultation with the ACEs and Resilience Community of Practice, recently formed on the basis of this exercise, PHO will continue to use the ranked list of options to inform work-planning activities/priorities.