AFTDC 2024 Welcome and opening remarks

Our primary focus is to discuss the effective establishment, nurturing, and expansion of chapters within the American Association for Trans-Disciplinary Communication (AFTDC)

The role of users’ emotions and associated quality goals on appropriation of systems: two case studies

In this paper, we examine the role of emotions and associated system qualities in encouraging adoption and effective use of systems. In two different contexts, we examine the use of a learning management system in an educational setting and a personal emergency alarm system in an aged care setting. This study reveals that technology appropriation is driven by different emotions depending on whether users are in the adoption decision-making stage or during actual use as a part of their everyday routine. Findings from this study suggest that social factors influence peoples’ emotions in the decision to adopt a system. However, as people use a system, it is the non-functional system qualities, based on personal experiences with the look, feel, functionality and features that trigger positive and negative emotional responses. Our findings therefore propose that these emotional responses should be considered during system design and implementation to encourage appropriation and avoid rejection of systems

Freeze-Thaw Resistance of Concrete: Insight from Microstructural Properties

Composite cements offer low carbon alternatives to conventional CEM I. These binders also generally tend to perform better than CEM I in aggressive chemical environments. However, their freeze-thaw resistance, evident through surface scaling and internal damage is usually impaired. Postulated theories on freeze-thaw induced damage do not fully explain the origin of this weakness in composite cement concretes. This paper systematically presents the phase assemblage changes associated with the freeze-thaw of concrete specimen made from composite cements with and without limestone. The freeze-thaw test was performed on concrete according to CIF method based on CEN/TR 15177 and the corresponding cement pastes characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In all investigated composite cements, portlandite was already depleted after the 7d capillary suction. The implications of this and other modified assemblages during the conditioning and the freeze-thaw test are consequently discussed

Sport Psychology

Exam paper for first semester: Sport Psycholog

Just Bust a Move; Relating Subjective Evaluation to Objective Measurements in Hip – Hop Dance

Being globally recognized as a performance art and mode of expression, Hip - hop dance is becoming more prevalent in today’s modern dance and popular culture. With multiple renditions across the globe on what encompasses Hip - hop dance on various social media platforms and the different sub styles of hip-hop dance that currently exist, there are a limited number of ways to assess a dancer and their ability without relying on a high amount of subjectivity from those that are watching it. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between common dance moves (like the Arm Wave & Inverted Happy Feet) implemented into Hip - hop dance choreography and whether certain biomechanical aspects of those moves can predict how well a dancer may be evaluated in a competition. METHODS: Participants learned a brief Hip - hop dance routine, incorporating the aforementioned dance moves, for one week before data collection. After a brief warm up, the participants performed the learned dance choreography in a lab space while under a 3D motion capture system with force plates collecting kinematic and kinetic data. Video footage of each participant was also collected at this time. Videos of each participant’s performance footage was then sent out to judges for scoring, and a series of regression models were run to determine how well judge’s scores predicted discrete biomechanical variables related to performance of dance moves. RESULTS: Preliminary results suggest that displacement of the arm wave, propagation velocity of the arm wave, shape deviation of the arm wave, and ground reaction force symmetry during foot work have a significant role in predicting how a judge may score a dancer. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the mechanical aspects of performing certain hip-hop dance moves are significant predictors of judges’ scoring, lending insight into the degree to which scoring is related to the mechanics of Hip – hop dance itself. Thus, a certain level of objectivity in judges’ scoring of hip-hop dance exists. Future work should consider how subjective factors such as age, sex/gender, and clothing choice may also influence judges’ scoring

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis with coexistant aspergilloma: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The coexistence of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and aspergilloma is rare.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present the case of a 56-year-old Caucasian man who worked as a farmer, with infiltrates in the right lower and middle lung lobes, partial consolidation of the middle lobe and with previous diagnosis of chronic obstructive bronchitis. Evaluation of our patient led to the diagnosis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis with coexistent aspergilloma in the right lower lobe. He was treated with oral methylprednisolone and itraconazole. At the five-year follow-up he is without any sign of recurrence.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Aspergillus infection after the inhalation of spores in the form of a hypersensitivity reaction and saprophytic colonization can be coexistent.</p

Do Interventions Designed to Support Shared Decision-Making Reduce Health Inequalities? : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Copyright: © 2014 Durand et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Background: Increasing patient engagement in healthcare has become a health policy priority. However, there has been concern that promoting supported shared decision-making could increase health inequalities. Objective: To evaluate the impact of SDM interventions on disadvantaged groups and health inequalities. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and observational studies.Peer reviewe