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Goal: for large gas transportation companies, it is of strategic relevance to be compliant with ISO 9001, ISO 45001, and ISO 14001 certifications, acknowledging their Integrated Management System (IMS). Based on this context, the purpose of this study was to propose an action plan to obtain triple certification for a Brazilian natural gas transportation company. Design / Methodology / Approach: the methodology comprised research of applied nature, exploratory and descriptive objectives, qualitative approach, with a single case study investigation strategy, and data collected through triangulation, combining documents, interviews, and field observation. Results: First, an action plan, which enabled the company to achieve triple certification in ISO 9001, ISO 45001, and ISO 14001 standards. Second, a table correlating seventeen IMS elements with technical and academic literature, and guidance documents of the studied company, making it easier to visualize interdependencies. Limitations of the investigation: The main one is the generalization limit of the conclusions, models or theories developed from a single case study, used in this work. These limitations do not reduce the importance of the results found, since the proposed action plan enabled the natural gas transportation company to obtain the desired triple certification. Practical implications: the proposed action plan may support other companies to achieve triple certification. Originality / Value: no research has been identified in the international literature that deals with triple certification for companies operating in the natural gas transportation market, specifically, the correlation of IMS elements with literature references and guidance documents of the studied company.

Puberphonia refers to a vocal disorder that involves the persistence of a high-pitched voice beyond the age at which vocal maturation is expected to have occurred. We considered the romantic signaling function of the voice by examining whether puberphonia impacted the romantic desirability and perceived attractiveness of the target for short-term and long-term relationships ratings that female raters provided for male targets. We also wanted to examine whether perceptions of these targets (e.g., low levels of masculinity, high levels of femininity) would play a role in the association that puberphonia had with perceived romantic desirability and attractiveness for relationships. Participants were 1,732 heterosexual women who listened to an audio recording of a male target reading a neutral passage either before (pre-treatment) or after (post-treatment) receiving voice therapy to correct his puberphonia. Female raters provided their perceptions of the target after listening to the audio recording. The results revealed that compared with post-treatment targets, pre-treatment targets were rated as being lower in their levels of masculinity, self-esteem, extraversion, and emotional stability but higher in their levels of femininity and agreeableness. In addition, participants rated the pre-treatment targets to be less romantically desirable than post-treatment targets. Perceptions of the targets (e.g., masculinity, self-esteem) mediated the association that puberphonia treatment had with romantic desirability and attractiveness for relationships. Results provide further evidence that vocal characteristics such as pitch may serve as important signals in interpersonal interactions and that men with puberphonia were viewed as less romantically desirable than other individuals, in part, because they are perceived as possessing relatively low levels of masculinity and self-esteem., Author(s): Avi Besser [sup.1] , Virgil Zeigler-Hill [sup.2] [sup.3] , Sari Lotem [sup.1] [sup.2] , Yuval Besser [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.443085.e, 0000 0004 0366 7759, Department of Communication Disorders, [...]

Flipped classroom, which is also known as "inverted classroom", is an instructional strategy and a type of blended learning. It reverses the traditional teaching and learning approach by delivering the instructional content, often by video, outside the classroom and filling the in-class with different activities such as discussion. Since it has been coined in the late 1990s, its effect on students' learning outcomes has been fallen into a debate. Inconsistency of the use of in-class activities is one of the main reasons for the difficulties in making comparisons. This study systematically reviewed the current articles (n=12) of flipped classroom in mathematics to investigate the effect of flipped classroom (and their in-class activities adopted) on mathematics learning. Results indicated that the effect of flipped classroom in mathematics is still ambiguous in terms of students' academic performance and perceptions. Further investigation showed that effective flipped classroom, which yielded a better academic result than the traditional approach, always consists of discussion, teachers' feedbacks and peer-collaborative work. A framework of effective flipped classroom in mathematics is then suggested.

IntroductionThe burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD) is increasing nationally and globally, with disproportionate impacts on lower-income, lower education and systematically marginalised older adults. Presence of inequalities in neighbourhood factors (eg, social context, physical and built environments) may affect risk of cognitive decline and be key for intervening on AD/ADRD disparities at the population level. However, existing studies are limited by a dearth of longitudinal, detailed neighbourhood measures linked to rich, prospective cohort data. Our main objective is to identify patterns of neighbourhood change related to prevalence of-and disparities in-cognitive decline and dementia.Methods and analysesWe describe the process of collecting, processing and linking extensive neighbourhood data to the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), creating a 25+ years dataset. Within the MESA parent study, the MESA Neighborhoods and Aging cohort study will characterise dynamic, longitudinal neighbourhood social and built environment variables relevant to cognition for residential addresses of MESA participants. This includes administering new surveys, expanding residential address histories, calculating new measures derived from spatial data and implementing novel deep learning algorithms on street-level imagery. Applying novel statistical techniques, we will examine associations of neighbourhood environmental characteristics with cognition and clinically relevant AD/ADRD outcomes. We will investigate determinants of disparities in outcomes by socioeconomic position and race/ethnicity and assess the contribution of neighbourhood environments to these disparities. This project will provide new evidence about pathways between neighbourhood environments and cognitive outcomes, with implications for policies to support healthy ageing.Ethics and disseminationThis project was approved by the University of Washington and Drexel University Institutional Review Boards (protocols #00009029 and #00014523, and #180900605). Data will be distributed through the MESA Coordinating Center. Findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed scientific journals, briefs, presentations and on the participant website.

Cultural traditions in Israel’s Bedouin-Arab community encourage and permit men to take up to four wives, a practice supported by Islamic teachings. Despite legal prohibitions against polygyny in Israel, such marriages remain common and have profound effects on women, children, and broader society. This study explores how traditional notions of masculinity and positive attitudes toward polygyny influence young Bedouin men’s reactions to a hypothetical scenario in which their wife refuses to accept a polygynous marriage as a threat to men’s ego and pride. The sample consisted of 459 young, unmarried Israeli Bedouin-Arab men, aged 16 to 25, a demographic frequently under family pressure to marry, making the issue of marriage highly relevant. We hypothesized that traditional masculinity and favorable attitudes toward polygyny would be positively associated with heightened perceptions of ego and pride threats in response to a wife’s refusal. Participants were randomly assigned to imagine either their wife refusing a polygynous arrangement (n = 228) or accepting a polygynous arrangement (n = 231) and then reporting their anticipated emotional responses. The results showed that traditional masculinity was linked to positive attitudes toward polygyny, and both were significantly associated with increased perceptions of ego and pride threats in the refusal scenario but not in the acceptance scenario. The findings suggest that men with strong masculine identities and favorable views of polygyny are especially vulnerable to feeling threatened by a wife’s refusal. This supports social construction theory and underscores the role of cultural norms in shaping emotional responses. The discussion highlights the psychological impacts of polygyny in patriarchal societies and calls for culturally sensitive interventions that challenge traditional norms while fostering psychological resilience and gender equality.

Bismuth (Bi) can be considered for use as a green substitute for lead in bearing applications. However, accelerated Bi oxidation can occur during operation, creating a brittle surface and resulting in premature seizure failure. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of engine oil degradation, especially nitration processes, on the oxidation of Bi. Tailor-made artificially aged oils with different degrees of nitration were produced and utilized in static bearing oxidation tests. By means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the Bi surfaces were analyzed regarding their chemical compositions after the tests. The results were correlated with the respective oil conditions determined via conventional parameters as well as high-resolution mass spectrometry. The findings obtained revealed a direct correlation between the amount of Bi-oxide and the nitration values of the oil, proving there was a positive impact of nitration products on the oxidation of the Bi surfaces. A comparison with the Bi content in the oils demonstrated a protective effect of the oxide layer as the Bi content declined with an increase in nitration. Overall, valuable insight into understanding the impact of oil condition on engine parts is given, and the importance of testing engine parts with aged lubricants is emphasized.

A recent educational trend has been the increasing focus on validating and credentialing learning taking place outside of traditional academic settings. Digital badges have the potential to address various concerns within formal education settings. Digital badges have been heralded for having the ability to show mastery of content, and more accurately reflect the actual knowledge and skills of learners (Mehta, Hull, Young, & Stoller, 2013). Digital badges have been shown to increase motivation (Light & Pierson, 2014; Lin et al., 2013), increased student learning outcomes (Newby & Cheng, 2019; Wonder-McDowell et al., 2011), and overall comprehensiveness of learning (Mettler, Massey, & Kellman, 2011). Formative assessment through instructor feedback is crucial to mastering content and displaying achievement. Feedback delivers important information regarding desired learning and perceived learning and affords opportunities to decrease that gap. A common misconception is that all digital badges are automated, however, in many teaching and learning settings, feedback is provided by instructors. The authors provide a set of optimal feedback suggestions to aid in Mastery Learning and digital badge instruction and consider the implications these actions in education.

Diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) offers a potential adjunct to dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI to discriminate benign from malignant breast lesions by yielding quantitative information about tissue microstructure. Multi-component modeling of the DW-MRI signal over an extended b-value range (up to 3000 s/mm2) theoretically isolates the slowly diffusing (restricted) water component in tissues. Previously, a three-component restriction spectrum imaging (RSI) model demonstrated the ability to distinguish malignant lesions from healthy breast tissue. We further evaluated the utility of this three-component model to differentiate malignant from benign lesions and healthy tissue in 12 patients with known malignancy and synchronous pathology-proven benign lesions. The signal contributions from three distinct diffusion compartments were measured to generate parametric maps corresponding to diffusivity on a voxel-wise basis. The three-component model discriminated malignant from benign and healthy tissue, particularly using the restricted diffusion C1 compartment and product of the restricted and intermediate diffusion compartments (C1 and C2). However, benign lesions and healthy tissue did not significantly differ in diffusion characteristics. Quantitative discrimination of these three tissue types (malignant, benign, and healthy) in non-pre-defined lesions may enhance the clinical utility of DW-MRI in reducing excessive biopsies and aiding in surveillance and surgical evaluation without repeated exposure to gadolinium contrast.

While podcasting has been around for over a decade, this popular format is experiencing a resurgence. This phenomenon has led many educators to return to this medium and ask questions regarding the meaningful integration for teaching and learning. Podcasting lends itself to the idea of learning anywhere and at any time. The benefits of using audio, but specifically integrating podcasting, are well established in the literature. Student-created podcasts have been shown to improve reading, writing, and listening skills (Smythe and Neufeld 53:488-496, 2010) and promote student engagement and collaboration and lead to gains in literacy development (Morgan 91:71-73, 2015). Podcasts offer students opportunities to revisit classroom content and instruction while providing greater critical thinking opportunities (Shumack and Gilchrist 1:5-9, 2009). According to Vandenberg ((2):54, 2018), podcasting aids students in storytelling techniques that feature the importance of logical and coherent thinking. Additionally, incorporating either audio or video podcasts allows for a greater ability to personalize and accommodate learners (O'Bannon et al. 57:1885-1892, 2011). As educators begin to explore opportunities for podcasting within the classroom, this article presents three real-world case studies of implementation in various educational contexts: elementary, high school, and higher education. These cases provide insight into how these educators diversely implemented podcasting while minimizing challenges. Additionally, the authors offer a set of recommendations that can potentially guide the process towards successful implementation. Within this section, various technical tools and podcasting content are included to provide a practical starting point to jumpstart implementation.