Tenneco (Belgium)

Understanding young people’s and professionals’ attitudes towards ways to deal with mental health problems is important to overcome barriers to care. We investigated the short- and long-term perceived helpfulness of a list of coping strategies and help-seeking behaviors in a vignette study. Differences between stakeholder groups were also assessed. Belgian youth (N = 919), aged 16–24 years, and professionals (N = 569) in youth work, social welfare services, and mental health services took part in the study. Young people were either recruited from a random community sample (N = 5000), a school/university setting or via social media. For professionals convenience sampling was used (mailing list, informing relevant services in the sector). Each participant read one out of six vignettes describing a young person with mental health complaints and the help that young person had received. Descriptive statistics were used to assess consensus about perceived helpfulness. Expectations of the impact of mental health interventions were also assessed. Regression analyses were performed to examine differences between stakeholder groups. Young people showed positive attitudes towards the helpfulness of professional resources. For the short term, they slightly preferred some personal coping strategies and informal sources of help over professional resources. Performing a hobby and talking to a confidant were found the most helpful coping strategy and help-seeking behavior, respectively, by young people both for the short and the long term. Professionals’ views were mostly consistent with those of young people. Nevertheless, and somewhat counterintuitive, young people had more positive expectations of the impact of professional help than professionals themselves. Whilst informal strategies still play an important role when dealing with mental health complaints, young people showed generally favorable attitudes towards helpfulness and particularly the impact of professional resources. The list of helpful personal coping strategies identified in this study may provide a focus for implementation in first-line care and for future empirical studies. We highlight the need for educating young people about where to find professional help, and what treatment involves to set realistic expectations.

In this paper an electro-mechanical levelling system based on wide band-gap power electronics is proposed. The system is currently under development. Therefore, this document aims at introducing the reasons behind the choice of an electro-mechanical actuator operating at high voltage. High-level simulation models for the different parts have been developed to study the system response and to guide the design and the optimization of the various components. Preliminary results extracted from the simulating model are also provided.

Hybrid vehicles are a fundamental step towards clean mobility, especially for countries that lack adequate fast charging infrastructure, access to green electricity and battery recycling technology. Full hybrid vehicles are modular and can be offered with or without external charging options. Without external charging, hybrids deliver exceptional fuel economy via regenerative braking and engine efficiency optimization. Adding an external charger extends the pure electric range to cover daily commute without having the range anxiety for longer drives. Within the available concepts, a single electric motor hybrid is the best solution for emerging markets as it can be cost-effective due to high level of localization and deliver comparable level of efficiency to the 2 motor hybrid solutions available in Japanese and European markets.

Although youth-friendly service characteristics have been previously identified, consensus amonga representative group of stakeholders about which of these characteristics are truly relevant to the youth-friendliness of services is currently lacking. In our study, young adults, parentsand professionals were consulted on this topic to reveal existing (dis)agreement. In addition, (dis)agreement on feasibility for implementation in clinical practice was also assessed. A mixed-method Delphi approach was used with three online questionnaire rounds and a physical meeting. Young adults (18-26 years) and parents were part of a public panel and professionals were allocated to the professional panel. In the rounds, participants were asked to rate the importance and feasibility of each item. Subsequently, the percentage agreement (% of participants giving a score of 7or above on a 9-point Likert scale) within and across panels was calculated. Consensus was assumed to have been reached when at least 70% agreement was achieved. A thematic analysis of the qualitative data, obtained in the rounds and the physical meeting, was performed to identify overarching themes and characteristics of relevance to the youth-friendliness of services. For 65% of the items included in the Delphi questionnaire, consensus on importance was reached within both panels. Participants showed more insecurity about the feasibility of these items, however. Our thematic analysis revealed reasons for disagreement between and within the panels. Our study revealed substantial between- and within-panel agreement on youth-friendly service characteristics. We recommend that the items for which consensus was reached should be used as a checklist in terms of youth mental health service development, designand delivery. The characteristics for which there was disagreement between and within the panels should inspire an ongoing trialogue between young adults, parentsand professionals both on the individual level and the service level. In this study, (parents of) young adults with lived experience were included as experts, including one of the coauthors. This coauthor contributed to the manuscript by having a final say about the included quotes.

With vehicle electrification and employment of X-by-wire technology, mechanical systems are being replaced by motor drives which improve the efficiency and performance of vehicular systems. However, motor drives have a lower power density and reliability compared to mechanical solutions. Multi-motor drives have the potential of mitigating both these drawbacks. In this paper, a state-of-the-art review of multi-motor drives and their application to vehicular systems is carried out. Firstly, the case of multi-motor systems in automotive applications is laid out by presenting the different vehicular systems comprising multiple motors. Secondly, multi-motor drive topologies with improved power density, reliability and fault tolerance capabilities are thoroughly analyzed. Finally, the topologies are assessed and compared in the context of automotive applications. The assessment verifies that multi-motor drives allow for fault tolerant and cost-effective solutions that are suitable for automotive applications.

This study applies nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) to the torque-vectoring (TV) and front-to-total anti-roll moment distribution control of a four-wheel-drive electric vehicle with in-wheel-motors, a brake-by-wire system, and active suspension actuators. The NMPC cost function formulation is based on energy efficiency criteria, and strives to minimize the power losses caused by the longitudinal and lateral tire slips, friction brakes, and electric powertrains, while enhancing the vehicle cornering response in steady-state and transient conditions. The controller is assessed through simulations using an experimentally validated high-fidelity vehicle model, along ramp steer and multiple step steer maneuvers, including and excluding the direct yaw moment and active anti-roll moment distribution actuations. The results show: 1) the substantial enhancement of energy saving and vehicle stabilization performance brought by the integration of the active suspension contribution and TV; 2) the significance of the power loss terms of the NMPC formulation on the results; and 3) the effectiveness of the NMPC with respect to the benchmarking feedback and rule based controllers.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a popular material for posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) cages, although osseointegration remains limited. To optimize PEEK cage characteristics, titanium (Ti) and calcium phosphate (CaP) nanocoatings have been developed with proven mechanical safety. This multicenter randomized controlled trial compared the clinical and radiological outcome parameters of nanocoated and uncoated PEEK cages, up to 1 year after surgery. Standard open PLIF surgery was performed on 127 patients, randomized in 3 groups: Ti-nanocoated (n = 44), CaP-nanocoated (n = 46), and uncoated PEEK cages (n = 37). Clinical assessments up to 1 year after surgery included visual analogue scales (VASs), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Primary radiological outcome parameters were implant stability and fusion status, assessed by x-ray and computed tomography (CT) scans. Patients, surgeons, and postsurgery analysts were blinded. PLIF surgery with all cage types resulted in significant improvements of clinical outcome parameters, exceeding the minimum clinically important differences. No significant differences in VAS, ODI, or SF-36 scores were found among the 3 groups. One year after the surgery, 65.6% of patients with uncoated PEEK cages achieved definite fusion. Significantly more patients with nanocoated PEEK cages achieved definite fusion: 93.9% for Ti nanocoating (P = .0034) and 88.0% for CaP nanocoating (P = .032). No significant differences in fusion were found between the nanocoated cage types (P = .4318). The similar clinical outcome improvements after 1 year suggest that nanocoated PEEK cages have the same safety and efficacy as the clinically accepted uncoated PEEK cages. Furthermore, nanocoated PEEK cages achieved a better fusion rate than uncoated PEEK cages at the 1-year follow-up. A 5-year follow-up study is warranted to revisit the findings. The safety, efficacy, and enhanced osseointegration of nanocoated PEEK cages were demonstrated. Osseointegration is a significant predictor of positive long-term clinical outcomes and improved implant longevity, implying a clinical added value of nanocoatings. Enhanced osseointegration becomes even more important in minimally invasive spine surgery and in patients at risk for incomplete fusion.