Search Results (548)

The intersection of religion and education in the United States dates to colonial times, as do attempts by religious institutions and individuals to regulate educational content. After a prominent retreat by religious fundamentalists following the Scopes Monkey Trial, conservative Christians have once again entered political debates about educational content in the form of modern culture wars issues. Both conservatives and liberals have attempted to punish educators for political comments made in class, but the influence of religion on individual attitudes has yet to be examined. In this article, we use an original survey experiment to examine individuals’ propensity to punish a professor who makes politically charged comments in class. We also assess whether religious individuals are more likely to punish professors for comments disparaging conservatives or liberals. We find that high-attending religious individuals, including both Evangelicals and Catholics, are more likely to support punishing the professor. However, we find that the propensity to punish is not related to the target of the professor’s comments. These findings suggest a resurgence of religious interest in education as a cultural issue at the individual, and not just institutional, level and a coalition between Evangelicals and Catholics on this issue. Full article

Addressing lateral-directional control challenges during unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) landing in complex wind fields, this study proposes a drift angle control strategy that integrates coordinated heading and trajectory regulation. An adaptive radius optimization method for the Dubins approach path is designed using wind speed estimation. By developing a wind-coupled flight dynamics model, we establish a roll angle control loop combining the $L_1$ nonlinear guidance law with Linear Active Disturbance Rejection Control (LADRC). Simulation tests against conventional sideslip approach and crab approach, along with flight tests, confirm that the proposed autonomous landing system achieves smoother attitude transitions during landing while meeting all touchdown performance requirements. This solution provides a theoretically rigorous and practically viable approach for safe UAV landings in challenging wind conditions. Full article

Background: Kidney transplantation from a living donor is considered the most beneficial form of treatment for end-stage renal failure, which, in addition to providing patients with better treatment results, significantly improves their quality of life. Understanding factors that influence the willingness to donate kidneys to strangers is critical in promoting and expanding the living donor pool. When considering the decision to become an altruistic kidney donor, individuals must evaluate multiple factors, including the identity of the recipient and their own perceived level of safety. This study aimed to assess the willingness of dialysis center employees to act as living kidney donors for a stranger. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study from February 2023 to June 2024 among dialysis specialists across Poland. The study involved 1093 people (doctors and nurses). The study used our survey questionnaire and standardized tools. Results: Nurses (vs. physicians) and those who advocated the regulation of unspecified living kidney donation in Poland, did not believe in the risk of organ trafficking, and would donate a kidney to a husband/wife or friend and accept kidney transplantation from a husband/wife were more likely to donate a kidney to a stranger. Furthermore, respondents who accepted a loved one’s decision to donate a kidney to a stranger were significantly more willing to donate a kidney to such a person themselves. Perceived self-efficacy was positively associated with the willingness to donate a kidney to a stranger. Conclusions: Less than half of healthcare professionals supported unspecific living organ donation in Poland, and nurses were more willing to donate than physicians. The factors supporting the decision generally included knowledge about organ donation and transplantation, a lack of fear of organ trafficking, and attitudes towards donation. Full article

Background/objective: Tailoring involves adapting research findings and evidence to suit specific contexts and audiences. This study examines how international stroke guidelines can be tailored to address gait issues after a stroke. Methods: A three-phase consensus method approach was used. A 10-member health experts panel extracted recommendations from three national clinical guidelines in the first phase. In the second phase, 362 physiotherapists completed an online questionnaire to assess the feasibility of adopting the extracted recommendations. In the third phase, a 15-physical therapist consensus workshop was convened to clarify factors that might affect the tailoring process of the extracted recommendations of gait disorder rehabilitation. Results: In phase one, 21 recommendations reached consensus. In the second phase, 362 stroke physiotherapists rated the applicability of these recommendations: 14 rated high, 7 rated low, and none were rejected. The third phase, a nominal group meeting (NGM), explored four themes related to tailoring. The first theme, “organizational factors”, includes elements such as clinical setting, culture, and regulations. The second theme, “individual clinician factors”, assesses aspects like clinical experience, expertise, abilities, knowledge, and attitudes toward tailoring. The third theme, “patient factors”, addresses issues related to multimorbidity, comorbidities, patient engagement, and shared decision-making. The final theme, “other factors”, examines the impact of research design on tailoring. Conclusions: Tailoring international clinical guidelines involves multiple factors. This situation brings home the importance of a systematic strategy for tailoring that incorporates various assessment criteria to enhance the use of clinical evidence. Future research should investigate additional implementation theories to enhance the translation of evidence into practice. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the effects of augmented reality (AR) treadmill walking training on cognitive function, body composition, physiological responses, and acceptance among older adults. Additionally, it analyzed the relationships between body composition, physiological responses, and the acceptance of AR technology. A randomized controlled trial was conducted, recruiting 60 healthy older adults, who were assigned to either the experimental group (AR treadmill walking training) or the control group (traditional treadmill walking training). The assessments included cognitive function evaluation (stride length, walking speed, and balance test), body composition (BMI, skeletal muscle mass, fat mass, and body fat percentage), and physiological responses (heart rate, calorie expenditure, exercise duration, and distance covered). Furthermore, the AR Acceptance Scale was used to assess perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. The results indicated that AR treadmill walking training had significant positive effects on improving cognitive function, optimizing body composition, and enhancing physiological responses among older adults. Compared with the traditional training group, the experimental group demonstrated better performance in stride length, walking speed, and balance tests, with increased skeletal muscle mass and reduced body fat percentage. Additionally, improvements were observed in heart rate regulation, calorie expenditure, exercise duration, and distance covered, reflecting enhanced exercise tolerance. Moreover, older adults exhibited a high level of acceptance toward AR technology, particularly in terms of attitudes and behavioral intentions, as well as perceived usefulness. This study provides empirical support for the application of AR technology in promoting elderly health and suggests that future research should explore personalized adaptation strategies and long-term effects to further expand the potential value of AR technology in elderly exercise. Full article

Addressing climate change requires not only knowledge but also psychological resilience. This study examined whether integrating Mental Mode Management (MMM) self-regulation training with climate education improves pro-environmental outcomes and emotional responses to climate change. In a randomised 2 × 2 design, 44 participants were assigned to either a control group (CG; n = 21), which received a six-week climate education programme, or an experimental group (MMM; n = 23), which received the same education plus MMM training. Pro-environmental attitudes, behaviours, carbon emissions, climate change anxiety, mindfulness, and executive functions were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. A follow-up was also conducted six months later. Both groups showed increased pro-environmental attitudes post-intervention (η² = 0.3) and reduced food-related emissions (η² = 0.107). No changes were observed in pro-environmental behaviour scores or global carbon footprint. While neither intervention affected overall climate anxiety or cognitive impairment, functional impairment increased in the CG and decreased in the MMM group (η² = 0.177), with mindfulness facet acting with awareness moderating this effect. These findings contribute to sustainability research by showing that integrating climate education with psychological training enhances environmental awareness and fosters emotionally resilient engagement with climate challenges, supporting individual-level contributions to broader sustainability goals. Full article

Expatriates and missionaries in China played a significant role in the development and transformation of Chinese architecture in the Late Qing period. However, a systematic comparison of their discourses and proposals on Chinese architecture has been hindered by a lack of historical literature and the complexities of fragmented data and methodologies. This article examines and compares the two most influential non-native newspapers: The North-China Daily News in English, edited by expatriates, and The Review of the Times in Chinese, founded by missionaries. By analyzing these two groups’ discourses and narratives on Chinese architecture, the study explores their similarities and distinctions, revealing the characteristics, strategies, attitudes, interests, and opinions of expatriates, missionaries, and non-missionaries in China on the transmission and transformation of architecture knowledge. The research highlights differences in their preferences for specific text types, subjects, and themes on Chinese architecture, as well as their attitudes toward native and foreign architecture, professional education, and architecture regulations in individual and official spheres. Despite these differences, overlapping characteristics and proposals existed among the three groups. The study further investigates the underlying reasons and mechanisms for their similar or divergent mindsets and behavioral patterns, drawing on human responsive psychology rather than relying on postcolonial or cultural theories. Full article

Intuitive eating is an adaptive eating style that could help explain part of the relation between affect and eating behaviors. However, research in this area remains limited. The objectives of this study are twofold. First, we examine the relation between affect, disordered eating attitudes and behaviors (DEABs), and orthorexia nervosa (ON). Second, we investigate the mediating role of intuitive eating regarding these relations. A sample of 197 French-speaking Canadian women, aged from 18 to 69, participated in the study. The results showed that negative affect was related to DEABs and ON, but not positive affect. Statistically significant associations were also found between affect (negative and positive) and the four dimensions of intuitive eating. Additionally, negative relations were found between intuitive eating dimensions and most types of eating behaviors (encompassing DEABs and ON), except for dieting. Finally, our results revealed that the relations between affect (positive and negative) and most types of eating behaviors were indirect (i.e., suggesting mediation) via intuitive eating. Based on these results, it seems that interventions addressing affect regulation and eating behaviors could benefit from including a focus on intuitive eating. Full article

Active suspension can improve vehicle vibrations caused by road excitation. For trucks, the vehicle mass change is usually large, and changes in vehicle mass will affect the control performance of the active suspension. In order to solve the problem of active suspension control performance decreasing due to large changes in vehicle mass, this paper proposes an active suspension control method integrating online mass estimation. This control method is designed based on the mass estimation algorithm of the recursive least squares method with a forgetting factor (FFRLS) and the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) algorithm. A set of feedback control matrices $K$ is obtained according to different vehicle masses. Then, the mass estimation algorithm can estimate the actual vehicle mass in real-time during the vehicle acceleration process. According to the mass estimation value, a corresponding feedback control matrix $K$ is selected from the control matrix set, and $K$ is used as the actual control gain matrix of the current active suspension. With specific simulation cases, the vehicle vibration response is studied by the numerical simulation method. The results of the simulation process have shown that when the vehicle mass changes largely, the suspension dynamic deflection and tire dynamic deformation are significantly reduced while keeping a good vehicle body attitude control effect by using an active suspension controller integrated with online mass estimation. In the random road simulation, suspension dynamic deflection is reduced by 3.26%, and tire dynamic deformation is reduced by 5.91% compared with the original active suspension controller. In the road bump simulation, suspension dynamic deflection and tire dynamic deformation are also significantly reduced. As a consequence, the stability and comfort of the vehicle have been greatly enhanced. Full article

This paper addresses the problem of controlling quadcopters operating in an environment characterized by unpredictable disturbances such as wind gusts. From a control point of view, this is a nonstandard, highly challenging problem. Fundamentally, these quadcopters are high-order dynamical systems characterized by an under-actuated and highly nonlinear model with coupling between several state variables. The main objective of this work is to achieve a trajectory by tracking desired altitude and attitude. The problem was tackled using a robust control approach with a multi-loop nonlinear controller combined with extended Kalman filtering (EKF). Specifically, the flight control system consists of two regulation loops. The first one is an outer loop based on the backstepping approach and allows for control of the elevation as well as the yaw of the quadcopter, while the second one is the inner loop, which allows the maintenance of the desired attitude by adjusting the roll and pitch, whose references are generated by the outer loop through a standard PID, to limit the 2D trajectory to a desired set path. The investigation integrates EKF technique for sensor signal processing to increase measurements accuracy, hence improving robustness of the flight. The proposed control system was formally developed and experimentally validated through indoor tests using the well-known Parrot Mambo unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The obtained results show that the proposed flight control system is efficient and robust, making it suitable for advanced UAV navigation in dynamic scenarios with disturbances. Full article

Police officers work in high-stress environments that demand emotional resilience, interpersonal skills, and effective communication. Occupational stress can negatively impact their motivation, conflict resolution abilities, and professional effectiveness. Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM), a mindfulness-based intervention focused on cultivating compassion and empathy, has shown promise in enhancing prosocial attitudes and emotional regulation. With the rise of short video platforms, digital interventions like video-guided LKM may offer accessible mental health support for law enforcement. This study examines the effects of short video app-guided LKM on police officers’ mindfulness, public service motivation (PSM), conflict resolution skills (CRSs), and communication skills (CSSs). It aims to determine whether LKM can enhance these psychological and professional competencies. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with 110 active-duty police officers from a metropolitan police department in China, with 92 completing the study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the LKM group (n = 46) or the waitlist control group (n = 46). The intervention consisted of a 6-week short video app-guided LKM program with daily 10 min meditation sessions. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted using several validated scales: the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Public Service Motivation Scale (PSM), the Conflict Resolution Styles Inventory (CRSI), and the Communication Competence Scale (CCS). A 2 (Group: LKM vs. Control) × 2 (Time: Pre vs. Post) mixed-design MANOVA was conducted to analyze the effects. Statistical analyses revealed significant group-by-time interaction effects for PSM (F(4,177) = 21.793, p < 0.001, η² = 0.108), CRS (F(4,177) = 20.920, p < 0.001, η² = 0.104), and CSS (F(4,177) = 49.095, p < 0.001, η² = 0.214), indicating improvements in these areas for LKM participants. However, no significant improvement was observed for mindfulness (F(4,177) = 2.850, p = 0.930, η² = 0.016). Short video app-guided LKM improves public service motivation, conflict resolution skills, and communication skills among police officers but does not significantly enhance mindfulness. These findings suggest that brief, digitally delivered compassion-focused programs can be seamlessly incorporated into routine in-service training to strengthen officers’ prosocial motivation, de-escalation competence, and public-facing communication, thereby fostering more constructive police–community interactions. Full article

Emotional difficulties are increasingly prevalent amongst young people, yet the use of AI technology for emotion regulation remains limited. This study aimed to identify young people’s attitudes toward AI technology for emotion regulation and to analyse the factors influencing their decision to use or not use AI technology. Forty participants from China, comprising twenty males and twenty females, with a mean age of twenty-five, took part in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews and were analysed using NVivo 11 software. Grounded theory techniques and a three-stage coding approach were used to categorise the data. The grounded theory model demonstrated that user behaviours are influenced by three contextual factors: personal, technological and environmental contexts. Key influencing factors for user behaviours include fulfilling utilitarian, hedonic and social value needs such as perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust, positive emotions, interest, social perception, high value, convenience and privacy protection. This study offered theoretical insights and practical recommendations for designing and developing AI technology aimed at emotion regulation in youth populations. Full article

The rapid development of autonomous driving technology has been a key driver for the emergence of driverless delivery vehicles. To promote wider adoption, it is essential to address consumers’ concerns about safety and reliability, leverage psychological factors, and implement supportive policies that encourage technology adoption while ensuring public safety and privacy. Therefore, it is necessary to explain and predict consumers’ behavior and intention to adopt driverless delivery vehicles. To this end, this study extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to include technological complexity and perceived trust. This study evaluates the model by applying necessary condition analysis (NCA) and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze data from 579 respondents from Jiangsu Province, China. This study explores the sustainability implications of autonomous delivery vehicles, highlighting their potential to reduce environmental impact and promote a more sustainable transportation system. The outcomes indicate that perceived ease of use (PEU), attitude, perceived trust, technological complexity (TECOM), and perceived usefulness (PU) are significant determinants and necessary conditions of consumers’ intention to adopt driverless delivery vehicles. Perceived trust and TECOM had a significant and indirect influence on consumers’ intention to adopt driverless delivery vehicles via PU and PEU. Perceived trust and technological complexity had a substantial impact on consumers’ adoption intention of driverless delivery vehicles. The study recommends that managers work closely with regulators to ensure their technologies meet all local standards and regulations. It also recommends its potential to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and contribute to a more sustainable transportation system. Full article

Advances in pharmaceutical technology have positioned 3D printing and bioprinting as promising tools for developing personalized drug therapies. These innovations may redefine compounding practices by enabling precise, patient-specific drug formulations. Evaluating pharmacists’ readiness to adopt such technologies is therefore becoming increasingly important. Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers regarding the application of 3D printing and bioprinting technologies, as well as their perspectives on the regulation and implementation of these technologies in the context of personalized pharmacy. Materials and Methods: A custom-designed questionnaire was developed for the purposes of this pilot study, based on a review of the existing literature and informed by expert consultation to ensure conceptual relevance and clarity. The survey was conducted between September and December 2024. The data collection instrument comprises three main sections: (1) sociodemographic and professional characteristics, (2) knowledge regarding the applications of 3D printing and bioprinting in pharmacy, and (3) attitudes toward the regulatory framework and implementation of these technologies. Results: A total of 353 respondents participated, and 65.5% of them (n = 231) correctly distinguished between the concepts of “3D printing” and “bioprinting.” More than 25% (n = 88) were uncertain, and 8.5% (n = 30) were unable to differentiate between the two. Regarding the perceived benefits of personalized pharmacy, 83% (n = 293) of participants identified “the creation of personalized medications tailored to individual needs” as the main advantage, while 66% (n = 233) highlighted the “optimization of drug concentration to enhance therapeutic efficacy and minimize toxicity and adverse effects.” Approximately 60% (n = 210) of the pharmacists surveyed believed that the introduction of 3D-bioprinted pharmaceuticals would have a positive impact on the on-site preparation of customized drug formulations in community and hospital pharmacies. Lack of regulatory guidance and unresolved ethical concerns were identified as primary barriers. Notably, over 40% (n = 142) of respondents expressed concern that patients could be subjected to treatment approaches resembling “laboratory experimentation.” Nearly 90% (n = 317) of participants recognized the need for specialized training and expressed a willingness to engage in such educational initiatives. Conclusions: Three-dimensional printing and bioprinting technologies are considered cutting-edge instruments that may contribute to the advancement of pharmaceutical practice and industry, particularly in the field of personalized medicine. However, respondents’ views suggest that successful integration may require improved pharmacist awareness and targeted educational initiatives, along with the development and adaptation of appropriate regulatory frameworks to accommodate these novel technologies in drug design and compounding. Full article

The aim of this work is to develop a discrete-time control algorithm that allows the attitude angle of a satellite with an attached solar panel to track a prescribed periodically changing reference signal with zero asymptotic error. Using the concept of the general regulation theory for the state space setup, combined with a time discretization procedure based on the Cayley–Tustin transformation, we derive an error feedback controller. In our control analysis, we prove and explore several system-theoretic properties that are preserved under this continuous-to-discrete time transformation. The obtained discrete-time controller is then applied as a digital control system, demonstrating zero asymptotic tracking error. The theoretical results are tested on a numerical example and computations are performed within the MATLAB R2024b environment, confirming the highly useful nature of the developed approach. The controller also shows some robustness with respect to parametric uncertainty in the satellite model. Full article