4D printing roadmap

Four-dimensional (4D) printing is an advanced manufacturing technology that has rapidly emerged as a transformative tool with the capacity to reshape various research domains and industries. Distinguished by its integration of time as a dimension, 4D printing allows objects to dynamically respond to external stimuli, setting it apart from conventional 3D printing. This roadmap has been devised, by contributions of 44 active researchers in this field from 32 affiliations world-wide, to navigate the swiftly evolving landscape of 4D printing, consolidating recent advancements and making them accessible to experts across diverse fields, ranging from biomedicine to aerospace, textiles to electronics. The roadmap’s goal is to empower both experts and enthusiasts, facilitating the exploitation of 4D printing’s transformative potential to create intelligent, adaptive objects that are not only feasible but readily attainable. By addressing current and future challenges and proposing advancements in science and technology, it sets the stage for revolutionary progress in numerous industries, positioning 4D printing as a transformative tool for the future

Exploring the behavioral indicators of resilience in professional academy youth soccer

The capacity to demonstrate resilience is important for performance and development outcomes in youth soccer. A key feature of resilience is the demonstration of positive behavioral responses to pressures or setbacks, yet little research exists on the specific behaviors that characterize resilience in the youth soccer literature. This study aimed to explore the behavioral indicators of resilience through focus groups and interviews with 60 participants from six professional soccer academies and one National Soccer Governing Body. The data was collected in two phases, the first involved a discussion of the observable behaviors associated with resilience in youth soccer. In the second phase, participants reflected on examples of resilience behaviors alongside video clips. These acted as a stimulus to contextualize the behaviors arising from the first phase. Content analysis was used to analyze the data and 36 behaviors were identified across six themes: (a) teammate support-focused (e.g., verbal support following mistakes), (b) emotion-focused (e.g., displaying emotional regulation), (c) effort-focused (e.g., physical efforts to overcome challenge), (d) rebound (e.g., positive reactions to a mistake), (e) robust (e.g., showing composure when under pressure), and (f) learning-focused (e.g., willingness to accept feedback). The results offer an insight into a multifaceted range of resilience behaviors in the context of youth soccer. With this knowledge, practitioners can make informed decisions around player development by assessing specific behavioral metrics related to resilience, players can engage in structured self-reflection practices pertaining to resilience development, and researchers can work toward the development of validated observational tools for resilience assessment

A diplomatic conduit: the role of science diplomacy in Africa

The link between science, technology, and innovation (STI) and diplomacy is not new. Examples of formal diplomatic relations between states focused on science date back to the 1800s. Research in understanding these relations has, however, been playing catchup. This has seen concepts such as science diplomacy, digital diplomacy, and cyber diplomacy gaining traction in Diplomatic Studies. While work continues in unpacking the value of these typologies, STI continues to be singled out for its role in supporting peace and security, development, and integration across Africa. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), vaccination development, information and communication technology, play an increasing role in addressing the transnational challenges facing the continent. The problem is that technology transfer and scientific engagement retains a hierarchical structure between developed and developing countries, bringing criticism of limited scope and lack of recipient ownership, rather than promoting partnerships. Through exploratory analysis this chapter considers developments in science diplomacy and its role in Africa’s inter- and intra-national relations, arguing that while there has been increased cooperation in science, technology and innovation this has not translated into a significant role for science diplomacy in addressing inequalities in the global structure. This discussion aims to move analysis beyond merely addressing the meaning of science diplomacy, to considering questions of capacity, application, and role of science diplomacy in practice

Problematic Internet use among adults: a longitudinal European study

There are few cross-cultural studies utilizing longitudinal analysis to explore problematic internet use (PIU), and almost none among adults. The present follow-up study compared three waves across 12-month period every six months and observed the natural course and trajectory of PIU in a European multi-country sample of adults from 11 countries (Finland, Belgium). A total of 139 participants (45.5% females) provided data across all three waves with an average age of 26.14 years (SD = 5.92). There were longitudinal effects in PIU, with statistical differences between at-risk users compared to healthy users in Waves 1 and 2, and Waves 1 and 3. The analyses of variance showed a longitudinal effect of waves on the PIU symptoms. PIU was significantly affected by time and type of user, with those classed as at-risk having higher scores than healthy users, although PIU decreased over time. In addition, the type of PIU detected in adults contained mild addictive symptoms. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that PIU was generally low among European adult population and tended to decrease over the one-year period, what contrasts with adolescent population findings

Theory of Constraints and Bitcoin: introducing a new fulcrum

Much of the attention on bitcoin relates to its ability to store value over time or whether you will one day by able to buy a cup of coffee with it. Much less attention is given to bitcoin’s potential role as a unit of account. This opinion piece proposes that bitcoin has potential to provide a consistent unit of account for organisations to adopt, but also to assist them in making and measuring meaningful business developments. The paper draws from the business improvement philosophy of Theory of Constraints to propose that unit of account, particularly within high inflation environments, is critical to consider. An illustrative case of a well-known publicly traded company, Microstrategy, provides an example and logic for a company choosing to integrate bitcoin into a business. The paper also gives attention to how the adoption of bitcoin can promote the development of renewable energy infrastructure and provide staff with opportunities for personal development to support their well-being. Opportunities for further research are identified to explore the integration of bitcoin within a business as well as with Theory of Constraints

Feasibilty data for MAST (Movement and storytelling) trial

Data includes: Quantitative: Child outcome data from 214 four-five year olds. Data includes language, fundamental movement skills and self-regulation scores as well as binary data on gender and pupil premium status. School is denoted numerically. These data are presented in a csv file with sheet 2 defining the variables. Qualitative: This includes transcripts of interviews with five teachers who delivered MAST about how feasible it is, quotes from the thematic analysis of the interviews, and field notes from observations of each teacher. All data is anonymised. These data are presented in word documents with schools and teachers denoted numerically (e.g. teacher from site 1)