“You Feel Like You Kind of Walk Between the Two Worlds”: A Participatory Study Exploring How Technology Can Support Emotion Regulation for Autistic People

An increasing amount of technological solutions aiming to support emotion regulation are being developed for Autistic people. However, there remains a lack of understanding of user needs, and design factors which has led to poor usability and varied success. Furthermore, studies assessing the feasibility of emotion regulation technology via physiological signals for autistic people are increasingly showing promise, yet to date there has been no exploration of views from the autistic community on the benefits/challenges such technology may present in practice. Focus groups with autistic people and their allies were conducted to gain insight into experiences and expectations of technological supports aimed at supporting emotion regulation. Reflexive thematic analysis generated three themes: (1) communication challenges (2) views on emotion regulation technology (3) ‘how’ technology is implemented. Results provide meaningful insight into the socio-emotional communication challenges faced by autistic people, and explore the expectations of technology aimed at supporting emotion regulation.

Testing the Performance of Level-Specific Fit Evaluation in MCFA Models With Different Factor Structures Across Levels

A Monte Carlo study was conducted to compare the performance of a level-specific (LS) fit evaluation with that of a simultaneous (SI) fit evaluation in multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) models. We extended previous studies by examining their performance under MCFA models with different factor structures across levels. In addition, various design factors and interaction effects between intraclass correlation (ICC) and misspecification type (MT) on their performance were considered. The simulation results demonstrate that the LS outperformed the SI in detecting model misspecification at the between-group level even in the MCFA model with different factor structures across levels. Especially, the performance of LS fit indices depended on the ICC, group size (GS), or MT. More specifically, the results are as follows. First, the performance of root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) was more promising in detecting misspecified between-level models as GS or ICC increased. Second, the effect of ICC on the performance of comparative fit index (CFI) or Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) depended on the MT. Third, the performance of standardized root mean squared residual (SRMR) improved as ICC increased and this pattern was more clear in structure misspecification than in measurement misspecification. Finally, the summary and implications of the results are discussed.

Computerized cognitive training in people with depression: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background People with depression often present with concurrent cognitive impairment. Computerized cognitive training (CCT) is a safe and efficacious strategy to maintain or enhance cognitive performance in a range of clinical populations. However, its efficacy in people with depression and how it varies across populations and design factors are currently unclear. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO from inception to 13 July 2021 for randomised controlled trials examining the efficacy of CCT vs any control condition on cognitive, mood, psychiatric symptoms, psychosocial, and daily functioning in adults with depression. Eligible samples include studies specifically targeting people with major depressive disorder as well as those with other diagnoses where at least 50% of the sample meets the clinical criteria for depression, with the exception of major psychiatric disorders or dementia. The primary outcome is change in the overall cognitive performance. Multivariate analyses will be used to examine the effect sizes on each outcome category as well as possible effect modifiers and correlations between categories. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool version 2. Discussion To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first systematic review and meta-analysis of narrowly defined CCT across clinical populations with depression. We aim to investigate not only whether CCT is efficacious for cognition, but also how such effects vary across design factors, what other clinically relevant outcomes might respond to CCT, and the extent to which they differ across populations. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42020204209

Bearing capacity of damaged reinforced concrete beams strengthened with metal casing

Experimental data on the bearing capacity of damaged reinforced concrete beams with the dimensions of 2000×200×100 mm, reinforced with prestressed metal casings, are presented. Damaging in the form of through normal and crossing inclined cracks, as well as excessive vertical moving of the beam were obtained during previous tests for the effect of high-level transverse alternating loads.The authors of the article have developed a method and equipment for restoring and strengthening damaged reinforced concrete beams using a casing. Beams are manufactured and tested in accordance with the three-level design of an experiment.Previously damaged and reduced to the ultimate (pre-emergency) state, the beams were strengthened with the declared method and equipment, and then retested. New data on the bearing capacity of ordinary and damaged beams, as well as reinforced concrete elements strengthened with casings and tested for the action of transverse forces and bending moments were obtained. The research results are presented in the form of experimental-statistical dependences of the bearing capacity of the support areas, deformability and crack resistance of the investigated elements on the ratio of the most significant design factors and external factors. A comparative analysis of the influence of these factors on the main parameters of the bearing capacity of ordinary as well as previously damaged and then strengthened test beams is carried out.The possibility and appropriateness of using the proposed method of strengthening reinforced concrete beams damaged by through normal and cross-inclined force cracks in the conditions of an existing production has been experimentally proved.

A meta-analysis of task-based differences in bilingual L1 and L2 language networks

The functional organization of first (L1) and second (L2) language processing in bilinguals remains a topic of great interest to the neurolinguistics community. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies report meaningful differences in the location and extent of hemodynamic changes between tasks performed in the L1 and L2, yet there is no consensus on whether these networks can be considered truly distinct. In part, this may be due to the multiplicity of task designs implemented in such studies, which complicates the interpretation of their findings. This paper compares the results of previous bilingual meta-analyses to a new ALE meta-analysis that categorizes neuroimaging studies by task design. Factors such as the age of L2 acquisition (AoA) and the L2 language proficiency level of participants are also considered. The findings support previous accounts of the effect of participant characteristics on linguistic processing, while at the same time revealing dissociable differences in fMRI activation for L1 and L2 networks within and across tasks that appear independent of these external factors.

Factors influencing trajectories of performance-program budgets: survey in municipalities of the middle Euphrates provinces of Iraq

The paper presents the analysis and determines factors effecting the budget program implementation, which leads to decrease the efficiency and effectiveness for budget outcomes provided to public. The importance of a municipality budget program is related to the standards of population living, thus obstructing the implementation of programs cause a direct negative impact upon people’s life. Municipalities seek to optimize the use of resources and allocate them to the planned programs in order to obtain the best results in terms of quantity. Distribution of financial allocations to the planned projects is one of the most important steps in preparing the budget. A negative impact of some factors on the budget programs implementation is proved. There was used a questionnaire to investigate the managers and employees from the related department as accountants, administrators, engineers, and auditors in municipalities of the middle Euphrates of Iraq. Basically, there were interviewed the department managers to design factors affecting the implementation of budget programs and preparing questioners for their employees. There was suggested the hypothesis for the research and determined the factors influencing budget programs trajectories rather than quality or quantity. Among the most important recommendations are emphasized the protection of municipal departments from political parties’ interference, increasing coordination between the municipal departments and the central and local governments, and rehabilitating the controlling system.

Maximum automobile acceleration

Problem. The disadvantage of current dependences for determining the acceleration indicators at engine maximum brake power and driving tire-to-surface friction coefficients is that they are adequate only if the engine and transmission parameters provide power input to the drive wheels rolling without slipping regardless to speed. To eliminate this drawback, it is necessary to take into account that the power input to the drive wheels depends on the engine shaft speed, and therefore on the speed of the vehicle when accelerating. Goal. The purpose of the work is to further develop the theory of the automobile by improving the dependencies that allow determining the automobile acceleration rates and assessing the nature of its acceleration process from the design factors. Methodology. The approaches taken to achieve this goal are based on laws of physics, theoretical mechanics and the theory of automobile. Results. Analytic dependences for determining maximum and limiting automobile acceleration when speeding up depending on its design factors and speed have been improved. Dependences for determining the range of drive wheel slipping on the automobile speed when accelerating and the limiting automobile acceleration under the condition of its pitch stability have been obtained. When studying the automobile acceleration process theoretically it was found that the developed dependences allow determining the nature of automobile movement and assessing the influence of its design factors on the acceleration indicators. Originality. The obtained dependences for determining the maximum and limiting acceleration, the range of driving speeds with wheel slip when automobile accelerating allowed us to clarify the idea of the nature of movement during acceleration and the influence of automobile design factors on the acceleration indicators. Practical value. The obtained dependences can be used in designing new and improving racing cars such as dragsters, and analysing the dynamics of the vehicle when accelerating with full fuel delivery and determining the nature of driving tire-to-surface friction depending on the driving speed.

Preservation Method of Rumen Fluid Collected From Harvested Cattle Alters in vitro Digestibility of Reference Feedstuffs

The objective of our experiment was to evaluate preservation and revitalization strategies for rumen inoculum anticipating research and veterinary applications. Rumen fluid samples were collected from 12 harvested cattle. Liquid samples were divided into five 500-mL aliquots which were randomly allocated to one of five treatments in a 2 × 2 + 1 augmented factorial design. Factors included preservation method [freezing (FZN) or lyophilization (LYO)] and preservative (glycerol; + or –). A fresh control (CON) was maintained from each sample. Feedstuffs used in this experiment were alfalfa hay, Coastal bermudagrass hay, cracked maize, rice bran, and soybean meal. Reference feedstuffs were subjected to batch culture in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) and in vitro NDF digestibility (IVNDFD) assays using inoculum from each of the five treatments. There was an effect (P < 0.05) of preservation method, preservative, and their interaction for both IVTD and IVNDFD of each of the five references feedstuffs. Freezing or lyophilization of rumen inoculum reduced (P < 0.05) IVTD and IVNDFD of reference feeds relative to the CON. Despite lower degradation of feeds when frozen or lyophilized rumen fluid was used rather than fresh, differences between them in IVTD and IVNDFD suggest that, in the absence of fresh inoculum, preserved rumen fluid may be a viable option for veterinary applications, such as transfaunation, but likely will not be viable for research applications.

The Strategy of Universal-Design Thinking in Architecturally Innovative Product Development

Universal design, as an important concept in product development, has been gradually implemented in various industries and firms, but most of the applications are aimed at the incremental innovation of product design. However, considering the differentiation of product types, the design factors are varied and not precise, which makes it difficult to effectively implement the existing universal-design principles in specific product designs when facing architecturally innovative product development, which leads to an increasing amount of time and resources. This study, with an umbrella stand as an example, proposes to design a new universal-design scale by combining the attributes of the umbrella stand, the existing universal-design principles and the usability principles at the beginning of the design. Then, through interviews and user surveys, cluster analysis is used to screen the products and refine the design factors. In addition, with the Quantification Type I, the universal-design principles and design factors are matched effectively in order to obtain the weight differences of the product design factors and eliminate unsuitable design factors, in order to guide product design. Finally, the universal umbrella-stand-design case is completed for verification. The results show that the universal umbrella stand has been significantly improved in the evaluation of universal-design principles. In the future design, architecturally innovative products with inaccurate design factors can also use this process to complete the design and development of the target product, and to significantly enhance the universal-design evaluation of the product.

Analisis Tata Kelola Pusat Data dan Informasi Kementerian XYZ Menggunakan COBIT 2019

The Ministry of XYZ's Data and Information Center is a supporting element that is under and responsible to the Minister through the Secretary General with the task of preparing governance and information technology management infrastructure, developing, and implementing information system innovations and data management and information presentation. Information technology management is carried out to facilitate the management, monitoring and evaluation of every business process and information technology to achieve organizational goals. COBIT 2019 is used to assist organizations in managing and optimizing existing information technology by examining the 10 existing design factors and then analyzing the level of capability in each of the top three domains. The result of this research is the capability level of the domains BAI02, BAI03, and BAI07, which is then made recommendations from the domains that have gaps.