Professional Beef Services

Purpose The purpose of this article is to provide a definition of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS), developed by a group of practitioners of PBS, in the United Kingdom (UK). Design/methodology/approach The definition was developed through a series of online meetings with a group of practitioners, and through reference to the existing research. Findings A definition is presented in the form of 9 defining characteristics. These include a specific underpinning philosophy (functional contextualism), a focus on promoting quality of life, rights, relationships, the use of Applied Behaviour Analysis, functional assessment to inform function-based strategies, the provision of multielement support, collaborative working and implementation support. Originality/value There are numerous pre-existing definitions of PBS. However, this article seeks to present a definition specifically from the perspective of practitioners in the United Kingdom.

Purpose Staff supporting individuals who engage in “challenging behaviour” have been identified as at risk of burnout. Despite direct support staff playing a fundamental role in the delivery of preventative approaches such as positive behaviour support, relatively little is known about factors which reduce the likelihood of stress and burnout in this population. The purpose of this study was to investigate several factors which may play a preventative role with respect to stress and burnout. Design/methodology/approach This study investigated the relationships between perceived organisational support (POS) and trait mindfulness, with emotional exhaustion. Eighty-four staff members completed the survey of perceived organisation support, the mindful attention awareness scale and the emotional exhaustion scale from the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Findings A multiple regression identified that POS, trait mindfulness and working with adults, negatively predicted emotional exhaustion. The strongest predictor of emotional exhaustion was POS. These findings provide evidence that POS and mindfulness could play a preventative role in the development of burnout. As POS was the strongest predictor, it is recommended that organisations in this field do not underestimate the importance of their staff feeling valued. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study conducted in intellectual and developmental disability services within the UK, investigating the relationship between either POS or trait mindfulness with emotional exhaustion.

Maritime transport faces increasing pressure to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, yet vessel performance under variable sea states remains difficult to bound reliably. Traditional stochastic and data-driven models provide probabilistic forecasts but lack strict guarantees in extreme or out-of-sample conditions. This study develops a deterministic arithmetic-interval framework that replaces uncertain hydrodynamic parameters and wave forcing with bounded intervals. The vessel’s single-degree-of-freedom heave equation is reformulated as an interval differential equation, and existence and uniqueness of the resulting solution tube are established. Validated numerical techniques-interval Taylor expansions, Picard iteration, and adaptive subdivision-are used to compute tight heave envelopes. An interval energy metric integrates worst-case power demand over a voyage, and a branch-and-bound global optimizer selects control parameters (e.g., speed schedules) that minimize the upper-bound energy while satisfying seakeeping constraints. Two hypothetical Karnataka-coast scenarios (“calm” and “rough” seas) demonstrate the rigor and efficiency of the approach. Computed energy-consumption intervals exactly enclose corresponding Monte-Carlo extremes, confirming tightness without large sample sizes. Rough-sea conditions increase worst-case energy demand by approximately 75% despite negligible heave amplitudes at the micron scale. Sensitivity analysis shows that wave-amplitude uncertainty dominates energy variability, while vessel stiffness and damping have minimal influence. The proposed interval framework eliminates under-coverage of worst-case energy (0% missed extremes) and remains within 3–6% of the tightest Monte-Carlo 99% confidence bands, achieving comparable bound tightness with two orders of magnitude fewer model evaluations than CNN–BiLSTM–Attention and kernel-density-based predictors. Benchmarking against linear heave RAO predictions confirms hydrodynamic consistency. The approach provides decision-makers with mathematically guaranteed bounds, supporting targeted measurement, control, and sustainable maritime operations.

In this study, an alternative modelling approach for absorbed hydrogen stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is proposed, with hydrogen-enhanced decohesion (HEDE) identified as the key failure mechanism. All analyses have been performed by utilising only ABAQUS standard elements, COH2D4T and CPE4T, already available within the software and without the need to develop external subroutines. The study also tends to highlight the criticality of implementing a correct Traction Separation Law (TSL) curve to simulate the hydrogen diffusion within the specimen and using the concept of dynamic hydrogen penetration by continuously updating the hydrogen concentration boundary conditions as the crack propagates. In conclusion, this study successfully demonstrated that standard software elements (COH2D4T and CPE4T) can effectively model physical problems and crack velocity propagation without custom subroutines. It emphasized that while the specific shape of the Traction-Separation Law (TSL) is less critical, its correct implementation is vital for simulating dynamic hydrogen coverage. Crucially, excluding this dynamic coverage—a common practice—risks significantly underestimating crack propagation speed. Although results incorporating dynamic coverage aligned well with experimental data, minor discrepancies are likely due to unmodeled factors like material property variations, hydrogen trapping, temperature, and granular microstructure, which are proposed for future research.

In an era where digital innovation reshapes the very fabric of education, the teaching of vocabulary in monolingual African classrooms remains one of the least transformed dimensions of language learning. This study investigates the pedagogical potential of digital technologies in enhancing vocabulary acquisition within English First Additional Language (EFAL) classrooms in the Dzindi circuit, a context characterised by minimal exposure to English beyond formal schooling. Grounded in Vygotsky' s Sociocultural Theory, which conceptualises learning as a socially mediated process facilitated by cultural tools and interaction, the study employed a mixed-methods design involving 180 Grade 10 learners and six English teachers across three schools representing diverse resource levels. Data were generated through pre- and post-vocabulary assessments, digital usage logs, questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations. Quantitative data were analysed using t-tests, regression, and correlational analysis, while qualitative data were thematically interpreted within a dual-axis framework linking vocabulary acquisition to digital pedagogy. The findings reveal that offline-capable digital tools—such as flashcards, gamified quizzes, and multimedia integration—significantly enhanced vocabulary retention, engagement, and learner autonomy. However, outcomes were mediated by teachers' digital competence, infrastructural constraints, and institutional support. The study concludes that sustainable transformation requires contextually responsive tool design, capacity building, and institutional commitment to equity-oriented digital pedagogy that redefines vocabulary learning as an interactive, multimodal, and socially situated process.

Introduction. The article is devo­ted to the comparative analysis of plot motifs of the Altai and Oirat epic texts belonging to two epic traditions, each of which has both common features and characteristic features inherent in each of them. The purpose of the study is to update the tradition of comparative-contrastive study of the Turkic-Mongolian epic. The relevance of the study is dictated by the need to analyze the common and specific features of two different epic traditions that developed and existed for a long period in neighboring regions of Central Asia. Materials and me­thods. The material for the study was the epic “Maadai-Kara” from the repertoire of the Altai storyteller A.G. Kalkin (1973) and the epic “Bum-Erdeni” of the Oirat storyteller Parchen (1923). To identify common features of the Turkic-Mongolian epic tradition during the period of dominance of shamanic practices, the synchronic method of research was used. To highlight the features characteristic of each epic tradition, the diachronic method was used, which made it possible to trace the changes that occurred in a specific ethnocultural situation. Results. The main plot motifs (miraculous birth, hero’s initiation, overcoming obstacles, participation in marriage competitions, wedding feast, etc.), which formed the plot-content model of each of the two texts, are evidence of the common sources of their formation in archaic times. The characteristic features inherent in one or another epic tradition are already associated with different cultural and historical circumstances in which the further development of the epic tradition continued in later stages. In the structural and content model of the legends, it is necessary to note the obvious mythological component of the Altai epic, preserved in the motif of the hero’s departure to the other world and the final part of the legend, according to which the hero and his betrothed, having turned into stars, ascend to the heavens. The Oirat legend is characterized by the saturation of the content with Buddhist elements and a noticeable departure from mythological ideas.

The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic quality of deep learning (DL) reconstructed balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) single-shot (SSH) cine images with standard, multishot (also: segmented) bSSFP cine (standard cine) in cardiac MRI. This prospective study was performed in a cohort of participants with clinical indication for cardiac MRI. SSH compressed-sensing bSSFP cine and standard multishot cine were acquired with breath-holding and electrocardiogram-gating in short-axis view at 1.5 Tesla. SSH cine images were reconstructed using an industry-developed DL super-resolution algorithm (DL-SSH cine). Two readers evaluated diagnostic quality (endocardial edge definition, blood pool to myocardium contrast and artifact burden) from 1 (nondiagnostic) to 5 (excellent). Functional left ventricular (LV) parameters were assessed in both sequences. Edge rise distance, apparent signal-to-noise ratio (aSNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio were calculated. Statistical analysis for the comparison of DL-SSH cine and standard cine included the Student's t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Bland-Altman analysis, and Pearson correlation. Forty-five participants (mean age: 50 years ±18; 30 men) were included. Mean total scan time was 65% lower for DL-SSH cine compared to standard cine (92 ± 8 s vs 265 ± 33 s; P < 0.0001). DL-SSH cine showed high ratings for subjective image quality (eg, contrast: 5 [interquartile range {IQR}, 5-5] vs 5 [IQR, 5-5], P = 0.01; artifacts: 4.5 [IQR, 4-5] vs 5 [IQR, 4-5], P = 0.26), with superior values for sharpness parameters (endocardial edge definition: 5 [IQR, 5-5] vs 5 [IQR, 4-5], P < 0.0001; edge rise distance: 1.9 [IQR, 1.8-2.3] vs 2.5 [IQR, 2.3-2.6], P < 0.0001) compared to standard cine. No significant differences were found in the comparison of objective metrics between DL-SSH and standard cine (eg, aSNR: 49 [IQR, 38.5-70] vs 52 [IQR, 38-66.5], P = 0.74). Strong correlation was found between DL-SSH cine and standard cine for the assessment of functional LV parameters (eg, ejection fraction: r = 0.95). Subgroup analysis of participants with arrhythmia or unreliable breath-holding (n = 14/45, 31%) showed better image quality ratings for DL-SSH cine compared to standard cine (eg, artifacts: 4 [IQR, 4-5] vs 4 [IQR, 3-5], P = 0.04). DL reconstruction of SSH cine sequence in cardiac MRI enabled accelerated acquisition times and noninferior diagnostic quality compared to standard cine imaging, with even superior diagnostic quality in participants with arrhythmia or unreliable breath-holding.

(Abstracted from JAMA Network Open 2024;7:e2427604) Umbilical cord pH (UC-pH) is a measure used to identify infants with intrapartum hypoxia leading to acidosis. Severe acidosis can lead to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, and severe intrapartum hypoxia can result in multiorgan injury.