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Bringing together 150+ scholars and practitioners from 50+ countries, and funded by the European Commission, COST Action LeverAge (https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA22120/) is the first network-building project of its kind in the work and organizational psychology and human resource management (WOP/HRM) aspects of work and aging. Focused on the aging workforce, the Action aims to foster interdisciplinary and multinational scientific excellence and the translation of science to practical and societal impact across 4 years. Based on a research synthesis, we identify five broad research directions for work and aging science including work and organizational practices for a multi-age workforce, successful aging at work, the integration of age-diverse workers and knowledge transfer, aging and technology at work, and career development in later life and retirement. We provide key research questions to guide scientific inquiry along these five research directions alongside best practice recommendations to expand scholarly impact in WOP/HRM.

Game-Based Learning (GBL) and its subset, Board Game-Based Learning (bGBL), are dynamic pedagogical approaches leveraging the immersive power of games to enrich the learning experience. bGBL is distinguished by its tactile and social dimensions, fostering interactive exploration, collaboration, and strategic thinking; however, its adoption is limited due to lack of preparation by teachers and educators and of pedagogical and instructional frameworks in scientific literature. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have the potential to automate or assist instructional design, but carry significant open questions, including bias, lack of context sensitivity, privacy issues, and limited evidence. This study investigates ChatGPT as a tool for selecting board games for educational purposes, testing its reliability, accuracy, and context-sensitivity through comparison with human experts evaluation. Results show high internal consistency, whereas correlation analyses reveal moderate to high agreement with expert ratings. Contextual factors are shown to influence rankings, emphasizing the need to better understand both bGBL expert decision-making processes and AI limitations. This research provides a novel approach to bGBL, provides empirical evidence of the benefits of integrating AI into instructional design, and highlights current challenges and limitations in both AI and bGBL theory, paving the way for more effective and personalized educational experiences.

This work presents an accurate low-cost smart measurement system capable of simultaneously monitoring the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) series resonant frequency and dissipation factor with high accuracy, optimally adapting its settings to the operating conditions. The designed system is based on a microcontroller and is fully programmable and it exploits an ad hoc signal processing technique. The performance of the proposed measurement system was assessed experimentally using a prototype coupled with the quartz via an antenna pair, allowing noncontact measurements. Experimental results were obtained under different measurement conditions. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the system, which is able to guarantee high-frequency accuracy even in the case of large mechanical loads, such as those that occur in in-liquid measurements. In liquid-loaded conditions, when working with transient response signals characterized by time constants as low as $60 ~\mu \text{s}$ , a resolution of 10 Hz is found.

•CZA plus ATM was effective against the 44 selected carbapenemase-producing isolates.•The FICI was <0.5 even in KPC-2 or KPC-3 producing microorganisms.•The synergy was demonstrable in strains producing double carbapenemase KPC-2/NDM-1.

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Risk assessment models (RAMs) are relevant approaches to identify cancer outpatients at high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Among the proposed RAMs, the Khorana (KRS) and the new-Vienna CATS risk scores have been externally validated in ambulatory patients with cancer.

Fluid-filled cavities within the brain are well-recognized in human and veterinary medicine. Congenital or acquired brain cystic lesions could be isolated or associated with other diseases. Clinical signs related to cysts depend on their size and the mass effect they exert on surrounding neuroanatomical structures. We present a case of a 5-month-old Belgian Malinois dog with cervical pain and right head tilt. The dog had a normal haematochemical profile and negative infectious disease tests. A contrast enhancement Computed Tomography scan revealed the presence of a thin-walled cystic lesion in the caudal cranial fossa at the level of the right pontine-cerebellar junction. A cerebrospinal fluid tap was performed by lumbar puncture, revealing a monocytic pleocytosis. After initial improvement following corticosteroid and antibiotic therapy, clinical signs worsened, and the dog underwent a second clinical evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging examination. After euthanasia a complete postmortem examination was performed. Histological and immunohistochemical findings were suggestive of an ependymal cyst.

This study aimed to describe the intellectual profile based on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children 4th edition (WISC‐IV) in children with self‐limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS), with an attempt to define possible predictive epilepsy‐related variables of cognitive performance. The WISC‐IV was assessed in 161 children with SeLECTS and their cognitive profiles were compared to a matched sample of healthy control children. Children with SeLECTS performed within normal range across all indices, demonstrating particular strength based on the Perceptual Reasoning Index. Compared to healthy control children, we observed a significant difference in performance based on the Full Scale Intelligence Quotient, Verbal Comprehension Index and Processing Speed Index. Regarding epilepsy‐related variables, earlier onset of epilepsy, use of anti‐seizure medications, the presence of neurodevelopmental disorders, a higher frequency of seizures, and a longer treatment duration were associated with an overall lower level of performance. Children with SeLECTS performed within the average range for cognitive assessment based on the WISC‐IV, demonstrating that children had normal levels of global intelligence. However, compared to healthy control children, children with SeLECTS showed a slightly lower level of performance. Reasoning skills represented the relative strengths in children with SeLECTS. Predictors of intellectual performance in patients with SeLECTS include epilepsy‐related variables and neurodevelopmental comorbidities.

We argue that media-conveyed economic narratives are crucial for understanding contemporary fertility dynamics, net of objective economic constraints. Individuals use these narratives to project themselves into an actionable imagined future and make decisions that may be relatively independent from their actual economic situation. We test this hypothesis for Italy by combining individual-level data from the 2009 and 2016 releases of the nationally representative Family and Social Subjects Survey with Media Tenor data on the coverage of the economy in the evening newscast of Italian TV's most-viewed channel (Rai 1). Our findings reveal that both the incidence and tone of news reports on the state of the economy are associated with fertility behavior. An increase in the number of negative economic news items is negatively associated with fertility, whereas an increase in positive items is positively correlated with fertility. Interestingly, when positive news items outnumber negative ones, an increase in the share of economic reports is positively associated with fertility. These associations are statistically significant and substantially relevant, net of traditional individual and contextual socioeconomic fertility correlates. Overall, our findings bolster the claim that media-conveyed narratives of the economy influence fertility behaviors.

Safety training of migrant workers in construction has focused on technical skills with limited attention to non-technical skills, which support safety training transfer to the worksite, both immediately after training and in the long term. Using realist evaluation as our theoretical framework, this study explores the transfer of two key non-technical skills to construction sites: communication and decision-making. Trained workers completed questionnaires post-training and after six months. A moderated mediation model found an indirect link through training transfer between communication and decision-making skills immediately post-training and six months later. The results also revealed that high levels of safety self-efficacy moderated the relationship between communication, but not decision-making, safety skills post-training and the extent to which trained workers reported transferring these skills. The study has important practical implications, showing the significance of training transfer of non-technical skills, such as communication and decision-making, to the worksite.

This article presents a robust visible light localization (VLL) technique for wireless sensor networks, with 2-D indoor positioning (IP) capabilities, based on embedded machine learning (ML) running on low-cost low-power microcontrollers. The implemented VLL technique uses four optical sources (i.e., LEDs), modulated at different frequencies. In particular, the received signal strengths (RSSs) of optical signals are evaluated by a microcontroller on board the sensor nodes via fast Fourier transform (FFT). RSSs are fed to four embedded ML regressors, aiming at estimating the target position within the workspace. The four neural networks (NNs), one per each possible triplet of LEDs, are trained by exploiting a novel technique to generate the training datasets. This method, called optimized fingerprinting (OF), allows for creating arbitrarily ample datasets by performing only few measurements in the field, avoiding time-consuming steps for collecting experimental data. The NNs are devised to be accurate yet lightweight facilitating their implementation and execution by the microcontroller. Furthermore, due to the presence of four NNs, four position estimates are obtained. This redundancy is exploited to detect and effectively manage situations of total or partial shading of one light source and to enhance the positioning accuracy under normal operating conditions (i.e., no obstacles), by averaging the four positions. Test results performed in a $1\times1$ m workspace show an overall mean accuracy of about 1 cm with standard deviation below the centimeter and maximum error around 3 cm.

This work proposes the feasibility of an ultraviolet (UV) photoacoustic (PA) gas sensing system based on an innovative resonant PA cell structure. The system design exploits the resonant characteristics of a ring-shaped cell whose design has been optimized through analytical and finite element method (FEM) analysis to meet the requirements of the target application. In particular, the device characteristics in terms of size, frequency response, limit of detection (LOD), and related metrological characteristics were taken into account. The overall designed sensing system is made up of low-cost and commercially available components and it represents a scalable solution for monitoring different gas species. The performance of the sensing system toward NO2 was experimentally assessed, showing a relative sensitivity of 0.38%/ppm NO2 and a LOD of 500 ppb with response and recovery times in the order of a few seconds. Moreover, the cross-sensitivity of the PA sensor toward CO, CH4, and NH3 was evaluated.

In this article, a low-cost, low-complexity photoacoustic (PA) sensing system for the simultaneous detection of CO2 and NO2 in exhaust gas is presented. The proposed system is designed as part of a continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS) for gas turbine emissions. The system exploits the amplification of the PA signal provided by an acoustic ring resonator, which is characterized by a simple and robust structure and is suitable for in- field measurements. The dual gas detection is obtained by exploiting two measurement principles; the first one, dedicated to the detection of NO2, which is present in the target mixture in the ppm range, is the classical PA effect. In fact, the optical source is a light-emitting diode (LED) with a center wavelength of 405 nm matched on an adsorption peak of NO2. This allows for deriving the NO2 concentration measurement directly from the amplitude of the PA signal. The other mechanism is used to measure the concentration of one of the major components of the exhaust gas, with a concentration in the range of some percentage. The quantity of CO2 is sensed, exploiting its effect on the sound speed, and consequently on the resonance frequency of the resonator. To measure the CO2 concentration, the system automatically tracks the acoustic resonance shift. The detection of the two gases is realized simultaneously by a unique sensor with real-time measurements. A laboratory characterization of the proposed systems showed its feasibility. Experimental results show the possibility to detect NO2 with a resolution lower than 1 ppm, whereas CO2 resolution is about 0.2%.

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) have a complex thermomechanical behavior due to the variety of strong nonlinear phenomena involved. In this regard, the SMA constitutive modeling is still a challenging topic even after several relevant research efforts related to that. Among these possibilities, there is a class of constitutive model that assumes the phase transformation kinetics, combining simplicity with good results. This work proposes a novel constitutive model with polynomial phase transformation kinetics where the main advantage is to explicitly evaluate either stress-driven or strain-driven cases avoiding iterative algorithms. This approach is of special interest for several situations, including dynamical applications and finite element analysis. Numerical simulations are carried out showing the model capabilities to describe the thermomechanical behavior of SMAs. Initially, the model is compared with quasi-static experimental tests showing a good agreement. Afterward, dynamical analysis is developed considering a single-degree of freedom oscillator indicating the model ability to capture the main features of the SMA nonlinear dynamics .

AbstractSince the Lisbon Treaty, the European Parliament (EP) has considerably increased its competencies in European Union (EU) trade policy. At the same time, a ‘new generation’ of free trade agreements (FTAs), including the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the United States, Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada, and the agreement with Japan, have been negotiated by the European Commission. Although existing literature has tackled the process of the EP's institutional self-empowerment in this policy area, there is no systematic research investigating the lines of conflict within the EP over FTAs. Through a newly collected dataset of all EP plenary debates between 2009 and 2019 on six relevant FTAs, we extract EP Members’ (MEPs) preferences by means of a manual textual analysis. We then test the explanatory power of the two traditional lines of cleavages within the EP over MEPs stated preferences: position on the left-right axis and support for EU integration. We find that both these dimensions fundamentally shape the conflict in the EP over FTAs. The impact of these two ideological cleavages is magnified in the context of politicized FTAs, namely the TTIP and CETA. Through these findings, the paper significantly contributes to the research on competition in the EP and, more broadly, to the understanding of EU trade policy and its emerging politicization dynamics.

Food addiction is associated with dysfunctions in the reward circuit, such as hyperresponsiveness during the exposure to high-calorie flavors in overweight and obese individuals. Similar to drug addiction, there is also impaired self-regulatory control supported by deregulation of the frontostriatal circuit. The inclusion of validated measures of food addiction in clinical research, such as the Yale Food Addiction Scale, has increased the understanding of the clinical utility of this concept. Furthermore, food addiction, eating disorders, and obesity are interrelated. Thus, it is important to recognize food addiction among individuals affected by obesity and candidates for bariatric surgery (ie, preoperative and postoperative assessment). In this context, it has been reported that food addiction may impede weight loss and increase the likelihood of regaining weight when associated with personality traits such as neuroticism and impulsiveness, which are also related to mood disorders, anxiety, and addictive behaviors.

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of 21 cats that underwent coxofemoral toggle stabilization using the Mini TightRope® Fixation System (mTR®). Data were compiled from client-owned cats with traumatic hip luxation. Each cat underwent the same protocol including orthopedic assessment, preoperative radiographic evaluation, surgical procedure, postoperative management and clinical re-examination at 14 days, 8 weeks and 12 months following surgery. Age, body weight, implants and osteoarthritis progression were recorded. A lameness score 0-4 was assigned to each cat. Pain upon hip extension was not quantified but as pain reaction or no pain reaction. Major complications and osteoarthritic (OA) changes were recorded. Osteoarthritic changes were classified on a 0-4 scale. Twenty-one cats were included in the study. Coxofemoral luxations were stabilized using a mTR®. At 8 weeks, weight bearing was considered normal (grade 0) in all cats and no pain reaction was elicited during hip extension. One year after surgery, orthopedic examination was within the normal limits and according to the owners, all animals exhibited a normal physical activity. No complications were recorded. Evidence of slight OA changes were observed in 5 out of 21 cats. The final outcome was considered excellent in 16/21 patients and good in 5/21 cats. The application of the mTR® system can be considered a suitable surgical treatment in cats affected by traumatic hip luxation.

Mature workers’ aging experiences are central in transforming the self and as such can shape career‐related outcomes, such as late career work engagement and motivation to continue working. We therefore investigate the relations between aging experiences (i.e., personal growth, gaining self‐knowledge, social loss, and physical loss) and career‐related outcomes. Moreover, we explore psychological capital as an adaptive set of resources that can explain how aging experiences are linked to mature workers’ motivation to continue working and late career work engagement. We test our hypotheses using structural equation modeling based on two‐wave data from a sample of 346 Spanish mature workers. Results showed that psychological capital mediated the positive effects of personal growth and gaining self‐knowledge as well as the negative effect of social loss on career‐related outcomes. By highlighting the links between mature workers’ experiences, resources, and career‐related outcomes, we contribute to a more profound understanding of late career development.

Blood derivatives are the biofluids of choice for metabolomic clinical studies since blood can be collected with low invasiveness and is rich in biological information. However, the choice of the blood collection tubes has an undeniable impact on the plasma and serum metabolic content. Here, we compared the metabolomic and lipoprotein profiles of blood samples collected at the same time and place from six healthy volunteers but using different collection tubes (each enrolled volunteer provided multiple blood samples at a distance of a few weeks/months): citrate plasma, EDTA plasma, and serum tubes. All samples were analyzed via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Several metabolites showed statistically significant alterations among the three blood matrices, and also metabolites’ correlations were shown to be affected. The effects of blood collection tubes on the lipoproteins’ profiles are relevant too, but less marked. Overcoming the issue associated with different blood collection tubes is pivotal to scale metabolomics and lipoprotein analysis at the level of epidemiological studies based on samples from multicenter cohorts. We propose a statistical solution, based on regression, that is shown to be efficient in reducing the alterations induced by the different collection tubes for both the metabolomic and lipoprotein profiles.

The shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora.

BackgroundRett syndrome is a complex genetic disorder with age-specific manifestations and over half of the patients surviving into middle age. However, little information about the phenotype of adult individuals with Rett syndrome is available, and mainly relies on questionnaires completed by caregivers. Here, we assess the clinical manifestations and management of adult patients with Rett syndrome and present our experience in transitioning from the paediatric to the adult clinic.MethodsWe analysed the medical records and molecular data of women aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of classic Rett syndrome and/or pathogenic variants in MECP2, CDKL5and FOXG1, who were in charge of our clinic.ResultsOf the 50 women with classic Rett syndrome, 94% had epilepsy (26% drug-resistant), 20% showed extrapyramidal signs, 40% sleep problems and 36% behavioural disorders. Eighty-six % patients exhibited gastrointestinal problems; 70% had scoliosis and 90% low bone density. Breathing irregularities were diagnosed in 60%. None of the patients had cardiac issues. CDKL5 patients experienced fewer breathing abnormalities than women with classic Rett syndrome.ConclusionThe delineation of an adult phenotype in Rett syndrome demonstrates the importance of a transitional programme and the need of a dedicated multidisciplinary team to optimise the clinical management of these patients.

Feline pulmonary capillariosis is a significant disorder due to its distribution and clinical impact. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of two administrations 28 days apart of a topical solution containing esafoxolaner, eprinomectin and praziquantel (NexGard®Combo) in treating Eucoleus aerophilus(syn. Capillaria aerophila) infection in naturally infected cats. Cats were allocated to two groups: G1 cats (n= 23) received two treatments at study days (SDs) 0 and 28 (±2) and were evaluated for 6 weeks, and G2 cats (n= 17) served as a negative control for 6 weeks and were then treated twice on SDs 42 (±2) and 70 (±2), allowing for an additional 6-week assessment of efficacy. Each cat was subjected to McMaster coproscopy at SDs −7/0, 28 (±2) and 42 (±2) for both groups, 70 (±2) and 84 (±2) only for G2. Clinical examination and chest radiographic images were performed at SDs 0, 28 (±2) and 42 (±2) for G1 and G2, 70 (±2) and 84 (±2) only for G2. The comparison of EPG (eggs per gram of feces), clinical (CS), and radiographic scores (RS) at each time-point was used as a criterion. The efficacy based on the EPG reduction was 99.5% (G1) and 100% (G2) after two administrations of NexGard®Combo 2 weeks apart. At SD 0, no significant differences for CS and RS were recorded between G1 and G2, while a significant reduction (p< 0.05) was observed post-treatment for CS, RS, oculo-nasal discharge, auscultation noises, and cough. Two doses of NexGard®Combo 28 days apart stopped egg shedding and significantly improved clinical alterations in cats infected by E. aerophilus.

The literature suggests a positive link between homeownership and the transition to parenthood. However, in recent decades, couples' preference for becoming homeowners before having their first child has been undermined by rising housing unaffordability and housing uncertainty. An archetypal example is Britain, where homeownership rates among young adults have fallen substantially as a result of low wages, unemployment, reductions in the availability of mortgage credit, and rising house prices. This situation has produced a housing crisis. Using longitudinal data from the British Household Panel Survey (1991–2008) and the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study (2009–2016), we apply multilevel, discrete-time event-history techniques to a sample of women aged 18–42. We investigate whether and how the link between homeownership and entering parenthood has changed in Britain in recent decades. Our findings reveal that in comparison with the 1990s, the likelihood of becoming a parent has declined among homeowners, whereas childbearing rates among private renters have remained stable. Thus, owner-occupiers and private renters have become more similar in terms of their likelihood of entering parenthood. Overall, our findings question the classical micro-level assumption of a positive link between homeownership and transition to parenthood, at least among Britain's “Generation Rent.” These findings are subsequently interpreted in terms of increased housing uncertainty.

OverviewThe Hybrid Model Matrix supports managers’ decision-making regarding which new product development (NPD) processes to activate for a specific project. Stage-Gate is the backbone process of the matrix, and design thinking, Lean Startup, and Agile are plugged in to create three different hybrid models. The matrix also provides guidance regarding when R&D managers might use each model. The Hybrid Model Matrix outlines four approaches––linear Stage-Gate and the three hybrid models—that R&D managers may activate selectively based on company knowledge of users and categories. R&D managers can use the Hybrid Model Matrix to guide NPD projects better since they can determine the most suitable model given each opportunity’s specific context.

The relationship between employment instability and fertility is a major topic in demographic research, with a proliferation of published papers on this matter, especially since the Great Recession. Employment instability, which most often manifests in unemployment or time-limited employment, is usually deemed to have a negative effect on fertility, although different fertility reactions are hypothesized by sociological theories, and micro-level evidence is fragmented and contradictory. We used meta-analytic techniques to synthesize European research findings, offer general conclusions about the effects of employment instability on fertility (in terms of direction and size), and rank different sources of employment instability. Our results suggest that employment instability has a nonnegligible negative effect on fertility. Men's unemployment is more detrimental for fertility than men's time-limited employment; conversely, a woman having a fixed-term contract is least likely to have a child. Next, the negative effect of employment instability on fertility has become stronger over time, and is more severe in Southern European countries, where social protection for families and the unemployed is least generous. Finally, meta-regression estimates demonstrate that failing to account for income and partner characteristics leads to an overestimation of the negative effect of employment instability on fertility. We advance the role of these two factors as potential mechanisms by which employment instability affects fertility. Overall, this meta-analysis provides the empirical foundation for new studies on the topic.