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This study aims to investigate the fabrication of solid ankle foot orthoses (SAFOs) using fused deposition modeling (FDM) printing technology. It emphasizes cost-effective 3D scanning with the Kinect sensor and conducts a comparative analysis of SAFO durability with varying thicknesses and materials, including polylactic acid (PLA) and carbon fiber-reinforced (PLA-C), to address research gaps from prior studies.

In this study, the methodology comprises key components: data capture using a cost-effective Microsoft Kinect® Xbox 360 scanner to obtain precise leg dimensions for SAFOs. SAFOs are designed using CAD tools with varying thicknesses (3, 4, and 5 mm) while maintaining consistent geometry, allowing controlled thickness impact investigation. Fabrication uses PLA and PLA-C materials via FDM 3D printing, providing insights into material suitability. Mechanical analysis uses dual finite element analysis to assess force–displacement curves and fracture behavior, which were validated through experimental testing.

The results indicate that the precision of the scanned leg dimensions, compared to actual anthropometric data, exhibits a deviation of less than 5%, confirming the accuracy of the cost-effective scanning approach. Additionally, the research identifies optimal thicknesses for SAFOs, recommending a 4 and 5 mm thickness for PLA-C-based SAFOs and an only 5 mm thickness for PLA-based SAFOs. This optimization enhances the overall performance and effectiveness of these orthotic solutions.

This study’s innovation lies in its holistic approach, combining low-cost 3D scanning, 3D printing and computational simulations to optimize SAFO materials and thickness. These findings advance the creation of cost-effective and efficient orthotic solutions.

Misunderstanding and harmful stereotyping have become commonplace amongst people in the United States and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region since 2001, if not earlier. If universities are the locus of transformative education, work remains towards remedying these issues.One non-profit organisation, “Natafaham (pseudonym, Arabic for « we understand each other”), works to undo this negativity student by student. It brings participants from the MENA and Europe/North America into dialogue via Zoom each week. The inter-cultural dialogue availed to participants is empowering to actors, including the dialogue facilitator. This narrative is an autoethnographic exploration of my experience as an intercultural dialogue facilitator. Yet reviewing contemporaneous notes and reflections revealed structural aspects of this programme that empower voices from the MENA region, while facilitating learning amongst participants on both sides of the Atlantic. Such aspects include the format and the location of the programme, its focus on individuals rather than institutions or groups, its mixed top-down and bottom-up approach, and the opportunities it avails for ascension to positions of authority. This narrative analyses these aspects through several lenses and academic traditions, including those of global citizenship, critical internationalisation, (reciprocal) global service learning, and socio-cultural frameworks of second language acquisition. The chapter urges that these aspects are recognised as key catalysts of (more) equal relationships between youth in the MENA region and the United States, which merit widespread replication. It concludes by envisioning a still more equal relationship predicated upon more equitable language usage.

This paper aims to explore the lived experience of people with a chronic non-healing wound and to explore what it means to live with a chronic wound.

A descriptive phenomenological study design was adopted to explore the living experience of person with chronic wound. A sample of 15 individuals of both genders was selected using a purposive sampling technique. To collect data, in-depth interviews were conducted, and all the interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using the seven-step process described by Colaizzi (1978).

The findings were organized into 6 themes clusters and 12 themes. The six themes clusters were limiting mobility; receiving care; explaining causes of wounds; contending with chronic illnesses; adapting and mal-adapting; and economic burden of the wound.

Chronic wound had a profound impact on participants’ lives by affecting their activities of daily living, their mobility, their income and their personal relationships.

Understanding the lived experiences of people with chronic wounds is crucial for health-care providers, including nurses. Investigating the chronic wound experience has become even more pressing given the projected increase in the number of elderly individuals and those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus. In Jordan, for example, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus is 17.1%, and it is projected to increase by 2050.

This paper aims to investigate an autonomous obstacle-surmounting method based on a hybrid gait for the problem of crossing low-height obstacles autonomously by a six wheel-legged robot. The autonomy of obstacle-surmounting is reflected in obstacle recognition based on multi-frame point cloud fusion.

In this paper, first, for the problem that the lidar on the robot cannot scan the point cloud of low-height obstacles, the lidar is driven to rotate by a 2D turntable to obtain the point cloud of low-height obstacles under the robot. Tightly-coupled Lidar Inertial Odometry via Smoothing and Mapping algorithm, fast ground segmentation algorithm and Euclidean clustering algorithm are used to recognize the point cloud of low-height obstacles and obtain low-height obstacle in-formation. Then, combined with the structural characteristics of the robot, the obstacle-surmounting action planning is carried out for two types of obstacle scenes. A segmented approach is used for action planning. Gait units are designed to describe each segment of the action. A gait matrix is used to describe the overall action. The paper also analyzes the stability and surmounting capability of the robot’s key pose and determines the robot’s surmounting capability and the value scheme of the surmounting control variables.

The experimental verification is carried out on the robot laboratory platform (BIT-6NAZA). The obstacle recognition method can accurately detect low-height obstacles. The robot can maintain a smooth posture to cross low-height obstacles, which verifies the feasibility of the adaptive obstacle-surmounting method.

The study can provide the theory and engineering foundation for the environmental perception of the unmanned platform. It provides environmental information to support follow-up work, for example, on the planning of obstacles and obstacles.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global tourism, with international travel bearing the burden of restrictions. Domestic tourism has also faced substantial challenges. This paper aims to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on domestic tourism in Spain, focusing on travel from Madrid (the country’s capital) to other tourist destinations.

Mobile phone data has been used to study the evolution of tourist trips over the summers of 2019, 2020 and 2021. Regression models are used to explain the number of visitors at destinations.

The pandemic not only caused a drastic drop in tourist flows but also disrupted the overall pattern of the domestic flow system. Winning destinations were typically areas in proximity to Madrid and less densely populated destinations, while urban destinations were major losers. The preferences of domestic tourists varied notably by income group, but the decrease in trip volumes showed only marginal differences.

The paper demonstrates the potential of mobile phone data analysis to study the uneven impact of external shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on tourist destinations. This approach considers spatial resilience heterogeneity within regions or provinces. By incorporating income information, the analysis introduces a social dimension to highly detailed spatial data, surpassing traditional studies conducted at the regional or national levels.

COVID-19大流行对全球旅游业产生了重大影响，国际旅行受到了限制的影响最为严重。国内旅游也面临着重大挑战。本文分析了COVID-19大流行对西班牙国内旅游的影响，重点关注从马德里（该国首都）到其他旅游目的地的旅行。

本研究使用移动电话数据研究了2019年、2020年和2021年夏季旅游出行的演变。采用回归模型解释了各目的地游客数量。

大流行不仅导致了旅游流量急剧下降，还扰乱了国内流动系统的总体模式。获胜的目的地通常是马德里附近的地区和人口较稀少的目的地，而城市目的地是主要的输家。国内游客的偏好在收入群体之间有明显差异，但旅行量的减少只显示出边际差异。

本文展示了使用移动电话数据分析研究外部冲击（如COVID-19大流行）对旅游目的地的不均匀影响的潜力。该方法考虑了区域或省份内的空间弹性异质性。通过整合收入信息，该分析为高度详细的空间数据引入了社会维度，超越了传统在区域或国家水平进行的研究。

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, a case study on applying lean principles in manufacturing operations to redesign and optimize an electronic device assembly process and its impact on performance and second, introducing cardboard prototyping as a Kaizen tool offering a novel approach to testing and simulating improvement scenarios.

The study employs value stream mapping, root cause analysis, and brainstorming tools to identify root causes of poor performance, followed by deploying a Kaizen event to redesign and optimize an electronic device assembly process. Using physical models, bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement were identified by the Kaizen approach at the workstations and assembly lines, enabling the testing of various scenarios and ideas. Changes in lead times, throughput, work in process inventory and assembly performance were analyzed and documented.

Pre- and post-improvement measures are provided to demonstrate the impact of the Kaizen event on the performance of the assembly cell. The study reveals that implementing lean tools and techniques reduced costs and increased throughput by reducing assembly cycle times, manufacturing lead time, space utilization, labor overtime and work-in-process inventory requirements.

This paper adds a new dimension to applying the Kaizen methodology in manufacturing processes by introducing cardboard prototyping, which offers a novel way of testing and simulating different scenarios for improvement. The paper describes the process implementation in detail, including the techniques and data utilized to improve the process.

Perspiration and heat are produced by the body and must be eliminated to maintain a stable body temperature. Sweat, heat and air must pass through the fabric to be comfortable. The cloth absorbs sweat and then releases it, allowing the body to chill down. By capillary action, moisture is driven away from fabric pores or sucked out of yarns. Convectional air movement improves sweat drainage, which may aid in body temperature reduction. Clothing reduces the skin's ability to transport heat and moisture to the outside. Excessive moisture makes clothing stick to the skin, whereas excessive heat induces heat stress, making the user uncomfortable. Wet heat loss is significantly more difficult to understand than dry heat loss. The purpose of this study is to provided a good compilation of complete information on wet thermal comfort of textile and technological elements to be consider while constructing protective apparel.

This paper aims to critically review studies on the thermal comfort of textiles in wet conditions and assess the results to guide future research.

Several recent studies focused on wet textiles' impact on comfort. Moisture reduces the fabric's thermal insulation value while also altering its moisture characteristics. Moisture and heat conductivity were linked. Sweat and other factors impact fabric comfort. So, while evaluating a fabric's comfort, consider both external and inside moisture.

The systematic literature review in this research focuses on wet thermal comfort and technological elements to consider while constructing protective apparel.

The search for top executives is fraught with pitfalls. Understanding them will set the process off on a strong footing and maximize the chances of a sustainable hire. This chapter examines three aspects of the search dynamic: “stakeout,” “trust-building” and the search consultant’s “ambassador role.” We reveal nine important insights. Has digitization made headhunting any easier? We correct common misconceptions and reveal the difficulty of approaching top executives with role propositions, the building of trusted relationships with clients, and the ambassador role of the executive search consultant. We examine the need for empathy and deep discernment in reading candidates. We next go more deeply into the full search process: the selection of the search firm, the search itself, the presentation of the chosen candidate and onboarding. We reveal points of attention for clients and candidates that underpin best practice.

An earlier form of this chapter by the author was published in Dutch in “Bestemming Boardroom: over zoeken en gevonden worden” (Boom, Amsterdam, 2018).