bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical relationships of building partnership competency: the use of nominal group technique and interpretive structural modelling
Authors: Abdul Latiff Noraini , Hoque Kazi Enamul , A. Ghani Muhammad Faizal
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to determine the hierarchical relationship between building partnership competencies for public sector educational leaders (ELs) administering and running the education system.

Design/methodology/approach

An interpretive structural modelling (ISM) technique was used to develop a hierarchical structural model for building partnership competencies. Nominal group technique (NGT) was used with the help of experts’ suggestions and opinions at the beginning of ISM to identify building partnership competencies. Also, the NGT was used to rank the competencies. A structural self-integration matrix was developed based on experts’ voting and agreement. Cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis was used to analyse the relationship among the building partnership competencies. A total of 11 experts were chosen for NGT and ISM sessions.

Findings

A total of 16 building partnership competencies were identified for this study. The competencies were compartmentalised into four domains: creative collaboration, create network, develop collective culture and encouraging constructive dialogue. MICMAC analysis shows each domain of the model of its key competencies ranked at the highest level in the ISM model and dependent competencies.

Research limitations/implications

ISM is a modelling approach that is based solely on expert opinions and responses. Its limitation can be overcome with the help of empirical analysis.

Practical implications

This study supports the public sector ELs’ professional development and upskilling. In addition, the model developed in the study will be helpful for stakeholders, human resources division and policymakers to incorporate building partnership competencies in the training and development of ELs.

Originality/value

This study helps to identify and prioritise building partnership competencies using NGT and ISM. Literature shows that numerous authors have used the ISM approach. Still, the combination of NGT approach is limited. Therefore, the model developed in the study was based solely on experts’ opinions and suggestion based on their experiences and knowledge.
Does corporate sustainability mitigate firm risk? An empirical analysis on S&P 500 controversial companies
Authors: Sciarelli Mauro , Landi Giovanni , Turriziani Lorenzo , Prisco Anna
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This study aims to explore the impact of controversial firms’ corporate sustainability assessments on their risk exposure according to the environmental, social and governance (ESG) paradigm.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducts a cross-sectional study using the ordinary least squares approach to test how corporate social responsibility practices affect firms’ risk exposure, testing the three single impacts of ESG components and the impact of an overall ESG assessment. This study considers the largest Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 stock market index companies and focus on a double-risk measurement – systematic and idiosyncratic – developing an empirical study on 132 controversial companies listed on the S&P index.

Findings

Empirical findings indicate that the overall ESG assessment and the environmental and social sub-dimensions decrease idiosyncratic firm risk. At the same time, no significant results are found according to the systematic risk component.

Originality/value

This study fits into the domain of risk management research, investigating whether additional and non-financial disclosures regarding sustainability issues decrease information asymmetries, improving investors’ decision-making and stakeholders’ relations. Prior literature has shown limited evidence on the relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and firm risk based on controversial companies. The main contribution is to consider the controversy as an independent factor from the industry sector, given that the implications of CSP actions and practices are mainly firm-specific.
Environmental sustainability: An exploratory study of the perceived knowledge, attitudes, and skills of occupational therapists practicing in Australia
Authors: Seville Roseanna , Hodson Tenelle , Di Tommaso Amelia
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The threat of climate change to the health and wellbeing of the Australian population is well documented. Literature is emerging to support the role of occupational therapy in environmental sustainability. To date, the perspectives of occupational therapists practicing in Australia are yet to be explored. This study aimed to explore these perspectives, specifically occupational therapists' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding environmental sustainability.

Methods

A mixed methods study using a cross‐sectional survey design and convergence model was undertaken. A survey was developed using closed‐ and open‐ended questions drawn from the World Federation of Occupational Therapists Guiding Principles for Sustainability. The online survey remained open from March to September 2021. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, and inductive content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. Merged integration was used to identify convergence and divergence between data sets and enable conclusions to be drawn.

Results

Responses were received from 37 participants. For occupational therapists practicing in Australia there appeared to be an incongruence between the importance of environmental sustainability in daily life compared to professional practice. In professional practice, there are several perceived barriers that are outside of the locus of control of the therapist. Therapists are motivated to engage in this concept but are unsure how to do so.

Conclusion

Findings provide an initial understanding about environmental sustainability from the current perspectives of occupational therapists practicing in Australia. More structured guidance is required to integrate environmental sustainability considerations into professional practice. Future research should focus on developing a more in‐depth understanding of the concepts preliminarily explored in this study.
Developing and validating a novel staff questionnaire to identify barriers and enablers to nutrition and mealtime care on hospital wards
Authors: Young Adrienne , Kozica‐Olenski Samantha , Mallan Kimberley , McRae Prue , Treleaven Elise , Walsh Zoe , Mudge Alison
Published: May 2023

Aims

Improving hospital nutrition and mealtime care is complex and often requires multifaceted interventions and implementation strategies to change how staff, wards and systems operate. This study aimed to develop and validate a staff questionnaire to identify multilevel barriers and enablers to optimal nutrition and mealtime care on hospital wards, to inform and evaluate local quality improvement.

Methods

Literature review, multidisciplinary focus groups and end‐user testing informed questionnaire development and establishment of content and face validity. To determine the construct validity, the questionnaire was administered to ward staff working in five wards across two facilities (acute hospital, rehabilitation unit). Exploratory factor analysis was used to estimate the number of factors and to guide decisions about whether to retain or reject individual items. Scale reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha.

Results

The questionnaire was completed by 138 staff, with most respondents being nurses (57%) and working in the acute care facility (76%). Exploratory factor analysis supported construct validity of four of the original seven subscales. The final questionnaire consisted of 17 items and 4 sub sub‐scales related to (1) Personal Staff Role; (2) Food Service; (3) Organisational Support, and (4) Family Involvement; each sub‐scale demonstrated good reliability with Cronbach's alpha values all >0.70.

Conclusion

This novel and brief questionnaire shows good reliability and preliminary evidence of construct validity in this small sample. It provides a potentially useful instrument to identify barriers and enablers to nutrition and mealtime care from the staff perspective and inform where improvement efforts should be focused.
Pharmacokinetic drug–drug interactions with direct anticoagulants in the management of cancer‐associated thrombosis
Authors: Van der Linden Lorenz , Vanassche Thomas , Van Cutsem Eric , Van Aelst Lucas , Verhamme Peter
Published: May 2023

Drug–drug interactions (DDIs) are common in cancer management and complicate the choice of anticoagulation in cancer‐associated thrombosis. Cancer confers an increased risk of thrombotic events. Also, more bleeding events are observed in those who receive anticoagulation compared to those without cancer. In the treatment of cancer‐associated thrombosis, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been found to be at least as effective as low‐molecular weight heparins, which became the standard of care after several trials demonstrated superiority over vitamin K antagonists. Non‐inferiority compared to low‐molecular weight heparins has been shown for rivaroxaban, edoxaban and apixaban with a signal of fewer recurrent thrombotic events, albeit with an increase in bleeding events. Yet, potentially major pharmacokinetic drug–drug interactions have been identified as a reason to withhold DOACs and to rather choose an alternative. Practical guidance on what constitutes a major pharmacokinetic interaction and/or how to deal with these interactions in clinical practice is limited. Hence, here we have provided a framework to allow clinicians to better deal with pharmacokinetic drug–drug interactions between DOACs and cancer therapies in the management of cancer‐associated thrombosis. In this review we have discussed the current literature, how the pharmacokinetic profile links to the label information on DDI, and have provided a practical proposal, applied to a clinical case.
CD30 as a therapeutic target in adult haematological malignancies: Where are we now?
Authors: Veyri M. , Spano J. P. , Le Bras F. , Marcelin A. G. , Todesco E.
Published: May 2023

CD30 is a transmembrane protein from the tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily. It is expressed on a small subset of activated T and B lymphocytes, and various lymphoid neoplasms. CD30 is a particularly interesting treatment target because its levels are high in tumours but low in healthy tissues. Several therapeutic strategies targeting CD30 have been developed, including monoclonal antibodies, conjugated antibodies (combination of brentuximab vedotin with chemotherapy or immunotherapy), bispecific antibodies and cell and gene therapies, such as anti‐CD30 CAR‐T cells in particular. We briefly review the biology of CD30 which makes it a good therapeutic target, and we describe all of the anti‐CD30 therapies that have emerged to date.
Use of the endometrial histopathology to improve diagnosis of donkeys with endometritis
Authors: Wu Rongzheng , Yu Feng , Holyoak Gilbert Reed , Gao Yu , Zhu Yiping , Li Jing
Published: May 2023

Endometritis in donkeys is increasingly being recognised in China because of its impact on reproductive performance. Histopathological examination of the endometrial biopsy is the gold standard method for equine endometritis diagnosis, but so far, its application to diagnose donkey endometritis has been limited. In this study, 48 jennies at donkey farms in Hebei province, China, diagnosed with endometritis had an endometrial biopsy performed from 2019 to 2021 for histopathological examination and were categorised into grade I (2/48), IIA (24/48), IIB (15/48) and III (7/48). Selected typical endometrial biopsy samples of each category along with cytology from four jennies with endometritis were described more specifically.
Metformin exerts antileukemic effects by modulating lactate metabolism and overcomes imatinib resistance in chronic myelogenous leukemia
Authors: Gayatri Meher Bolisetti , Kancha Rama Krishna , Patchva Dorababu , Velugonda Nagaraj , Gundeti Sadashivudu , Reddy Aramati B. M.
Published: May 2023

Imatinib is the frontline treatment option in treating chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Hitherto, some patients relapse following treatment. Biochemical analysis of a panel of clonally derived imatinib‐resistant cells revealed enhanced glucose uptake and ATP production, suggesting increased rates of glycolysis. Interestingly, increased lactate export was also observed in imatinib‐resistant cell lines. Here, we show that metformin inhibits the growth of imatinib‐resistant cell lines as well as peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from patients who relapsed following imatinib treatment. Metformin exerted these antiproliferative effects by inhibiting MCT1 and MCT4, leading to the inhibition of lactate export. Furthermore, glucose uptake and ATP production were also inhibited following metformin treatment due to the inhibition of GLUT1 and HK‐II in an AMPK‐dependent manner. Our results also confirmed that metformin‐mediated inhibition of lactate export and glucose uptake occurs through the regulation of mTORC1 and HIF‐1α. These results delineate the molecular mechanisms underlying metabolic reprogramming leading to secondary imatinib resistance and the potential of metformin as a therapeutic option in CML.
Functions of avian elongated tails, with suggestions for future studies
Authors: Zhou (周文仪) Wenyi , Kimball Rebecca T. , Liu (刘阳) Yang , Robinson Scott K.
Published: May 2023

Elongated tails are elaborate plumage traits possessed by a variety of bird species. Sexual selection has long been the dominant hypothesis for explaining why certain species possess such long tails. During the past three decades, however, alternative hypotheses have been proposed and tested. Here, we review evidence, and the lack thereof, for four hypothesised functions of elongated tails in birds: sexual selection, aerodynamic enhancement, anti‐predation signalling and perch balancing. Sexual selection has received the most attention, though with inconsistent support. The other three hypothesised functions, in contrast, have gained less attention, with perch balancing remaining largely speculative. After reviewing and synthesizing information about these functions, we show that our current knowledge of avian elongated tails is not comprehensive. To advance our understanding of this topic, we suggest (1) devising a uniform definition of elongated tails that can be applied to a wide variety of bird species, (2) further investigation of less‐studied functions of such tails, (3) conducting meta‐analyses to discover the origins and trait correlates of elongated tails, (4) considering the possibility that elongated tails serve multiple functions simultaneously, and (5) testing unexplored functions of elongated tails.
Modulation of Piezo1 influences human skin architecture and oxytocin expression
Authors: Labarrade Florian , Perrin Armelle , Ferreira Yolène , Botto Jean‐Marie , Imbert Isabelle
Published: May 2023

Objective

Throughout our existence, the skin senses and analyses the mechanical forces imposed by the environment. In response to these environmental forces, skin can deform itself and achieve a biological response. The subsequent cutaneous plasticity emerges from mechanical properties arising from the collective action of the skin cells, particularly keratinocytes, that govern the tensile strength via cell‐to‐cell adhesions and via cell–matrix adhesion structures. In addition to serving as force‐bearing entities, keratinocytes respond to forces by activating signalling pathways to control their own fate and function. To detect and adapt to mechanical signals, keratinocytes possess a panel of sensory receptors and junctional intercellular structures. Mechanically activated ion channel Piezo1 has been described as a force sensor and as being involved in pleasant touch perception. In this study, relationships between Piezo1 modulation and oxytocin synthesis were investigated.

Methods

The expression of Piezo1 in the skin was studied and compared with the expression of TRPV1. Dooku1 antagonist and Jedi1 agonist were used to modulate Piezo1. The level of E‐cadherin and oxytocin was monitored in ex vivo skin biopsies by immunodetection.

Results

Taken together, our results illustrate the major role of mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 in skin barrier integrity, and in peripheral oxytocin synthesis in the skin.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study highlights the relationships between pleasant touch, soft touch and local oxytocin synthesis.
Waste‐merit management: How adapting Buddhist environmental ethics can help – A qualitative case study of Buddhist temples in Khon Kaen, Thailand
Authors: Prabnok Puttharak , Chamaratana Thanapauge , Sirisuwilai Watcharapon , Jirasatthumb Norachit , Sutheejariyawat Phrakhru
Published: May 2023

Thailand needs to manage trash disposal due to the country's growing urban community. This study argues that waste management in the city of Khon Kaen can benefit from adopting Buddhist environmental ethics. We conducted a qualitative case study with purposive sampling of 24 key informants for in‐depth interviews. We used the ATLAS.ti programme to apply content analysis techniques (theme, coding and quotation). Our case study argues for an optimistic practice of waste management in temples by integrating the Buddhist principle of merit‐making. This approach shapes waste management, such as donating waste, garbage‐free funerals and waste disposal. The waste merit‐making in the temples reinforces application of 3Rs (reuse, reduce and recycle). The study suggests that waste‐merit management model could be replicated in other communities but its success is not guaranteed due to variations in the level of support and collaboration between community and temple.
Structural characterization, energy transfer, and Judd–Ofelt analysis of pure and the Eu3+‐doped Ca2LiMg2V3O12 phosphors
Authors: Princy A , Annie Rathnakumari E , Masilla Moses Kennedy S
Published: May 2023

A novel vanadate host Ca2LiMg2V3O12 (CLMV) and the Eu3+‐doped samples were synthesized via a solid‐state reaction method. The phase formation and the morphological analysis were studied in detail. The Rietveld refinement result shows that the host belongs to cubic space group Ia‐3d (230) with lattice parameter, a = 12.3948 Å, V = 1904.23 Å3, and Z = 8. The diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurement estimated the bandgap of the host and the CLMV:0.05Eu3+ phosphors. The host exhibits a broad absorption band (peak at 345 nm) ranging from 240 to 380 nm, which is attributed to the charge transfer in the O2−–V5+ complex. Under near UV excitation (λexc = 345 nm), the host gives a broad emission band covering the visible region from 400 to 730 nm and the emission is in the bluish–green region of the CIE diagram. When the host is doped with the Eu3+ ions and excited at 345 nm, the emission spectrum depicts the superimposition of the characteristic emission bands (red emission) of the Eu3+ ions corresponding to the f–f transitions over the broad emission band of the host. The calculated color coordinates (9600 to 2280 K) demonstrated the color tuning ability of the phosphor as the dopant concentration is increased in the host. This is because the VO43− group plays the sensitiser role and partially transfers energy with the Eu3+ ions. When the same set of phosphors were excited at the dominant characteristic excitation band (λexc = 394 nm) of the Eu3+, the characteristic emission bands of the Eu3+ in the orange–red region were observed. As the electric dipole transition of the Eu3+ was found to be dominant, the prepared phosphors possessed high color purity (CP). The energy transfer mechanism and the lifetime values were also presented. The temperature‐dependent PL studies showed good thermal stability of the optimum sample. Various radiative transition properties were analyzed by the Judd–Ofelt theory. The photometric results reveal the color tuning ability and CP of the CLMV:xEu3+ phosphors.
Percutaneous epicardial pacing in infants using direct visualization: A feasibility animal study
Authors: Kumthekar Rohan N. , Opfermann Justin D. , Mass Paige , Contento Jacqueline M. , Berul Charles I.
Published: May 2023

Background

Pacemaker implantation in infants and small children is limited to epicardial lead placement via open chest surgery. We propose a minimally invasive solution using a novel percutaneous access kit.

Objective

To evaluate the acute safety and feasibility of a novel percutaneous pericardial access tool kit to implant pacemaker leads on the epicardium under direct visualization.

Methods

A custom sheath with optical fiber lining the inside wall was built to provide intrathoracic illumination. A Veress needle inside the illumination sheath was inserted through a skin nick just to the left of the xiphoid process and angled toward the thorax. A needle containing a fiberscope within the lumen was inserted through the sheath and used to access the pericardium under direct visualization. A custom dilator and peel‐away sheath with pre‐tunneled fiberscope was passed over a guidewire into the pericardial space via modified Seldinger technique. A side‐biting multipolar pacemaker lead was inserted through the sheath and affixed against the epicardium.

Results

Six piglets (weight 3.7–4.0 kg) had successful lead implantation. The pericardial space could be visualized and entered in all animals. Median time from skin nick to sheath access of the pericardium was 9.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 8–11) min. Median total procedure time was 16 (IQR 14–19) min. Median R wave sensing was 5.4 (IQR 4.0–7.3) mV. Median capture threshold was 2.1 (IQR 1.7–2.4) V at 0.4 ms and 1.3 (IQR 1.2–2.0) V at 1.0 ms. There were no complications.

Conclusion

Percutaneous epicardial lead implantation under direct visualization was successful in six piglets of neonatal size and weight with clinically acceptable acute pacing parameters.
A new species of spiny eel of the genus Notacanthus Bloch 1788 (Notacanthiformes: Notacanthidae) from the Indian Ocean
Authors: Konhamkakkada Idreesbabu , Kinattumkara Bineesh , Raghavan Rajeev , Sivanpillai Sureshkumar
Published: May 2023

The deep‐sea spiny eels of the genus Notacanthus Bloch 1788 are currently represented by six valid species, of which only one, Notacanthus indicus, has been described so far from the Arabian Sea, part of the Western Indian Ocean. This paper reports the discovery of a new species, described herein as Notacanthus laccadiviensis, from the outer reef drop‐off, off the Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep Archipelago, Arabian Sea. The new species differs from its congeners in the shape of the head; morphology of dorsal, pectoral and anal fins; number of gill rakers; number of vertebrae; and body colour, and specifically from N. indicus (the only known congener from the Indian Ocean) in the unusual morphology of the dorsal fin, and number of rays in the dorsal and pectoral fins.
Efficacy of reconstituted intravenous fentanyl to sublingual solution versus oral morphine syrup for breakthrough pain among patients with chronic gynecologic cancer pain: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Thantiprechapong Thitirath , Tilagul Thanvarat , Vasikasin Vasin
Published: May 2023

Rapid‐acting fentanyl formulations are superior to oral morphine (OM) syrup in controlling breakthrough pain among patients with cancer, but they are expensive and unavailable in many countries.

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of reconstituted intravenous fentanyl to sublingual solution (IFS) in relieving breakthrough pain as compared with OM.

Methods

In this randomized, double‐blind, double‐dummy, placebo‐controlled trial, patients with gynecologic cancer aged ≥18 years experiencing chronic cancer pain with breakthrough pain were enrolled. Patients were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive either 50 μg IFS or 5 mg OM. Pain intensity level was assessed at 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 120 min after treatment. The primary outcome was the reduction in pain intensity at 15 min in the intention‐to‐treat population (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05037539).

Results

Between June 15, 2021 and December 30, 2021, 40 participants were equally and randomly assigned to receive IFS or OM. The primary outcome was significantly higher in the IFS group (4.25 vs. 1.05, p < 0.0001). The secondary outcomes also showed higher reduction in pain intensity at 5 min in the IFS group. Subsequent breakthrough pain did not differ between the two groups. However, the reduction in pain was lower in the IFS group at 45, 60, and 120 min, where pain was classified as mild. No severe adverse effects were observed in both groups. Burning sensation without noticeable lesion was found in 20% of the IFS group.

Conclusion

IFS can reduce early breakthrough pain. IFS may be considered for breakthrough pain when rapid‐acting fentanyl formulations are unavailable.
L‐theanine combination therapy with fluvoxamine in moderate‐to‐severe obsessive–compulsive disorder: A placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, randomized trial
Authors: Nematizadeh Mehran , Ghorbanzadeh Hossein , Moghaddam Hossein Sanjari , Shalbafan Mohammadreza , Boroon Mahsa , Keshavarz‐Akhlaghi Amir‐Abbas , Akhondzadeh Shahin
Published: May 2023

Aim

The main aim of this study was to investigate the additional effects of L‐theanine, an amino acid in tea and an analog of glutamate with neuroprotective and anti‐depressant properties, on obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms in combination with fluvoxamine.

Methods

Patients from either sex aged between 18 and 60 years diagnosed with OCD, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM‐5), who had a Yale‐Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y‐BOCS) score of more than 21 were enrolled in a double‐blinded, parallel‐group, placebo‐controlled, clinical trial of 10 weeks to receive either L‐theanine (100 mg twice daily) and fluvoxamine (100 mg daily initially followed by 200 mg daily after week 5) or placebo and fluvoxamine. The primary outcome of interest in this study was the Y‐BOCS total score decrease from baseline.

Results

From a total of 95 evaluated patients, 50 completed our study; 30 were randomly assigned to each group. Multivariate analysis (ANOVA) showed a significant effect of time treatment for L‐theanine in obsession subscale (F = 5.51, P = 0.008) of the Y‐BOCS score but not in the total and compulsion scores. Our results showed significantly more improvement in obsession subscale scores in L‐theanine compared to placebo group (P = 0.007, Cohen's d = 0.82). Also, total Y‐BOCS scores were lower in L‐theanine compared to placebo group at week 5 (P = 0.039, Cohen's d = 0.60) and 10 (P = 0.008, Cohen's d = 0.80). However, there was no significant between‐group differences in compulsion subscale scores. Complete response was also more frequent in the L‐theanine group (P = 0.0001).

Conclusion

Findings in this study suggest L‐theanine as a relatively safe and effective adjuvant therapy for moderate to severe OCD.
“Property rights are human rights”: Bureaucratization and the logics of rule of law interventionism in postwar Kosovo
Authors: Mora Agathe
Published: May 2023

What makes property restitution “successful” in postwar Kosovo? How are multiple, overlapping, and conflicting property regimes folded into the process of postwar transition? And what can the implementation of rule of law illuminate about international interventionism? Daily practices at the Kosovo Property Agency (KPA, the administrative, quasi‐judicial institution that the United Nations tasked with postwar property restitution) reveal the runaway effect of the growing bureaucratization of international human rights: institutional success is measured through neoliberal “technologies of accountability,” and the project itself becomes the key outcome. This is the result of a paradigm shift in global development that saw the legalization of property rights as a cornerstone of post‐conflict state‐building. A parallel shift towards managerialism and auditability in public sector management has given rise to demands for efficiency and accountability in transnational institutions. Together, these moves, which found fertile ground in Kosovo's reconstruction process and determined the mandate and institutional setup of property restitution, transform rule of law from an idealized public good to a shortsighted, box‐ticking exercise chiefly concerned with the production of measurable returns. These benchmarks sidestep the complicated historical legacies of property relations and entitlements and generate new forms of rights inequality.
Neural correlates of value‐driven spatial orienting
Authors: Liao Ming‐Ray , Kim Andy J. , Anderson Brian A.
Published: May 2023

Reward learning has been shown to habitually guide overt spatial attention to specific regions of a scene. However, the neural mechanisms that support this bias are unknown. In the present study, participants learned to orient themselves to a particular quadrant of a scene (a high‐value quadrant) to maximize monetary gains. This learning was scene‐specific, with the high‐value quadrant varying across different scenes. During a subsequent test phase, participants were faster at identifying a target if it appeared in the high‐value quadrant (valid), and initial saccades were more likely to be made to the high‐value quadrant. fMRI analyses during the test phase revealed learning‐dependent priority signals in the caudate tail, superior colliculus, frontal eye field, anterior cingulate cortex, and insula, paralleling findings concerning feature‐based, value‐driven attention. In addition, ventral regions typically associated with scene selection and spatial information processing, including the hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, and temporo‐occipital cortex, were also implicated. Taken together, our findings offer new insights into the neural architecture subserving value‐driven attention, both extending our understanding of nodes in the attention network previously implicated in feature‐based, value‐driven attention and identifying a ventral network of brain regions implicated in reward's influence on scene‐dependent spatial orienting.
Deep learning on independent spatial EEG activity patterns delineates time windows relevant for response inhibition
Authors: Gholamipourbarogh Negin , Vahid Amirali , Mückschel Moritz , Beste Christian
Published: May 2023

Inhibitory control processes are an important aspect of executive functions and goal‐directed behavior. However, the mostly correlative nature of neurophysiological studies was not able to provide insights which aspects of neural dynamics can best predict whether an individual is confronted with a situation requiring the inhibition of a response. This is particularly the case when considering the complex spatio‐temporal nature of neural processes captured by EEG data. In the current study, we ask whether independent spatial activity profiles in the EEG data are useful to predict whether an individual is confronted with a situation requiring response inhibition. We combine independent component analysis (ICA) with explainable artificial intelligence approaches (EEG‐based deep learning) using data from a Go/Nogo task (N = 255 participants). We show that there are four dissociable spatial activity profiles important to classify Go and Nogo trials as revealed by deep learning. Of note, for all of these four independent activity profiles, neural activity in the time period between 300 and 550 ms after stimulus presentation was most informative. Source localization analyses further revealed regions in the pre‐central gyrus (BA6), the middle frontal gyrus (BA10), the inferior frontal gyrus (BA46), and the insular cortex (BA13) were associated with the isolated spatial activity profiles. The data suggest concomitant processes being reflected in the identified time window. This has implications for the ongoing debate on the functional significance of event‐related potential correlates of inhibitory control.
Lower‐Class Reading in Late Imperial Russia
Authors: Badcock Sarah , Cowan Felix
Published: May 2023

This article demonstrates widespread engagement of lower‐class people with the written word in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Russian Empire, in rural and urban locales, in homes, workplaces, and social spaces. We explore how lower‐class people read: the daily habits, personal relationships, and social spaces that shaped engagement with texts, and especially collective reading, a widespread phenomenon that extended the reach of the written word to less‐ or non‐literate audiences. Many lower‐class Russians experienced reading as a collective, public, aural activity, not a solitary, private, internal one. Reading was entwined with the rhythms of everyday social life and provoked critical thought and active engagement within countless lower‐class reading groups, as evidenced by collective letter‐writing and observations of post‐reading discussions. This article therefore contributes to scholarship exploring lower‐class Russians’ conscious and meaningful engagement with the textual world, and by association with late imperial Russia’s transforming social and political spheres.
School, Empire, and the Provincial Roots of Civil Activism in Late Nineteenth‐Century Russia
Authors: Valdman Alex
Published: May 2023

In spring 1879, news reached the Russian Ministry of Education that students from several Real Schools in the Russian Empire’s western provinces were planning to send a coordinated petition to the Minister of Education, asking for permission to enroll in university. The petition initiative was arranged in secrecy and involved more than a dozen schools from Odessa in the south to St. Petersburg in the north. Drawing on materials from several archives, this article traces the evolution of the petition initiative and addresses three main questions. First, the article demonstrates that the petition initiative was understood by students and officials alike as a severe breach of school discipline, but not a political crime, and it explains how and why the initiative is representative of the limited yet distinctive space of legitimation created by the authorities for non‐radical student activism. Second, it contextualizes the petition initiative against the backdrop of the discussion on civil activism in Russia, highlighting how secondary students were influenced and inspired by the contemporary public discourse and the idea of public activism. Finally, the article analyzes the internal social mechanisms of the petition initiative, demonstrating how it combined local self‐organization with imperial networking, mobility, and imagination.
THE CUMULATIVE QUALITY OF CULTURE EXPLAINS HUMAN UNIQUENESS
Authors: Legare Cristine
Published: May 2023

What explains the unique features of human culture? Culture is not uniquely human, but human culture is uniquely cumulative. Cumulative culture is a product of our collective intelligence and is supported by cognitive processes and learning strategies that enable people to acquire, transform, and transmit information and technologies within and across generations. Technological and social innovations are currently driving unprecedented changes in cultural complexity and diversity. Innovation is a cognitively and socially complex, multistep process that typically requires (cumulative) cultural learning to achieve. I argue that the technological solutions that characterize twenty‐first‐century innovation can only be explained by understanding both the capacity to learn from and build upon the insights of others and the transmission systems that store the knowledge and technologies of previous generations. Human uniqueness is a product of cumulative cultural learning, transmission, and innovation.
Multi-Objective Optimization and Tradespace Analysis of a Mechanical Clock Movement Design
Authors: Xu Yifan , Turner Cameron , Wagner John
Published: May 2023

Pendulum clocks were the prevalent time keeping standard for centuries to regulate commerce and public activities. These mechanical movements were the most accurate timekeepers globally until replaced by electric clocks. Although mainly used for decorative purposes today, the pendulum clock's working principles and mechanical behavior can serve to demonstrate fundamental science and engineering concepts. The tradeoff between a clock's quality factor, pendulum properties, and period can best be explored with multiple objective optimization and tradespace analysis methods. In this project, a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA-II) and a Multi-Objective Simulated Annealing (MOSA) optimization approaches are applied to evaluate a Graham escapement street clock for pendulum mass and time accuracy with a range of the period. These clock designs vary the pendulum length, pendulum bob radius, and bob thickness. Horological concepts are used to calculate the overall performance and general utility. The numerical results show a 0.7% increase in the quality factor, and a 0.56% reduction in the mass, while maintaining the designed period by modifying the clock parameters. More importantly, these changes can provide material cost savings in a mass production scenario. Overall, the study highlights the tradeoff designer engineers have considered for decades which can now be visualized using computer tools for greater insight.
Correlating elemental compositions and charge carrier profiles in ultra-pure GaN/AlGaN stacks grown by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Schmult Stefan , Appelt Pascal , Silva Claudia , Wirth Steffen , Wachowiak Andre , Großer Andreas , Mikolajick Thomas
Published: May 2023

Inconsistencies in the concentrations of unintentional donor impurities and free charge carriers in GaN/AlGaN layer stacks hosting a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) can be attributed to the measurement procedure and solely depend on the way in which the free charge carrier concentration is extracted. Particularly, when the 2DEG acts as the bottom electrode in capacitance versus voltage measurements, unphysically low concentrations of free charges are calculated. This originates from the depletion of the 2DEG and the accompanying disappearance of the bottom electrode. It is shown that, for the case of a defined (non-vanishing) bottom electrode, the levels of donor impurities and resulting free charges consistently match.
Absence of edge reconstruction for quantum Hall edge channels in graphene devices
Authors: Coissard Alexis , Grushin Adolfo G. , Repellin Cécile , Veyrat Louis , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Gay Frédéric , Courtois Hervé , Sellier Hermann , Sacépé Benjamin
Published: May 2023

Quantum Hall (QH) edge channels propagating along the periphery of two-dimensional (2D) electron gases under perpendicular magnetic field are a major paradigm in physics. However, groundbreaking experiments that could use them in graphene are hampered by the conjecture that QH edge channels undergo a reconstruction with additional nontopological upstream modes. By performing scanning tunneling spectroscopy up to the edge of a graphene flake on hexagonal boron nitride, we show that QH edge channels are confined to a few magnetic lengths at the crystal edges. This implies that they are ideal 1D chiral channels defined by boundary conditions of vanishing electronic wave functions at the crystal edges, hence free of electrostatic reconstruction. We further evidence a uniform charge carrier density at the edges, incompatible with the existence of upstream modes. This work has profound implications for electron and heat transport experiments in graphene-based systems and other 2D crystalline materials.
Requirements for implementing a ‘just culture’ within healthcare organisations: an integrative review
Authors: Murray John S , Lee Jonathan , Larson Stacey , Range Amy , Scott Donald , Clifford Joan
Published: May 2023

Purpose

To identify requirements for implementing a ‘just culture’ within healthcare organisations.

Methods

Using Whittemore and Knafl’s methodology for integrative reviews, we searched PubMed, PsychInfo, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Publications were considered eligible when reporting requirements for implementing a ‘just culture’ within healthcare organisations.

Results

After screening for inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 publications were included in the final review. Four main themes were identified: leadership commitment, education and training, accountability and open communication.

Conclusion

The themes identified in this integrative review provide some insight into the requirements for implementing a ‘just culture’ within healthcare organisations. To date, most of the published literature on ‘just culture’ is theoretical in nature. Additional efforts are needed to conduct research to explore further what requirements must be addressed in order to successfully implement a ‘just culture’ which is needed to promote and sustain a culture of safety.
Synthetic nicotine descriptors: awareness and impact on perceptions of e-cigarettes among US youth
Authors: Kowitt Sarah D , Seidenberg Andrew B , Gottfredson O’Shea Nisha C , Ritchie Caroline , Galper Emily F , Sutfin Erin L , Sheeran Paschal , Noar Seth M
Published: May 2023

Background

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are being advertised and sold with synthetic nicotine. Little research has examined youth awareness of synthetic nicotine or the impact of synthetic nicotine descriptors on perceptions of e-cigarettes.

Methods

Participants were a sample of 1603 US adolescents (aged 13–17 years) from a probability-based panel. The survey assessed knowledge of nicotine source in e-cigarettes (from ‘tobacco plants’ or ‘other sources besides tobacco plants’) and awareness of e-cigarettes containing synthetic nicotine. Then, in a between-subjects experiment with a 2×3 factorial design, we manipulated descriptors on e-cigarette products: (1) nicotine label (inclusion of the word ‘nicotine’: present or absent) and (2) source label (inclusion of a source: ‘tobacco-free’, ‘synthetic’ or absent).

Results

Most youth were either unsure (48.1%) or did not think (20.2%) that nicotine in e-cigarettes comes from tobacco plants; similarly, most were unsure (48.2%) or did not think (8.1%) that nicotine in e-cigarettes comes from other sources. There was low-to-moderate awareness of e-cigarettes containing synthetic nicotine (28.7%), with higher awareness among youth who use e-cigarettes (48.0%). While no main effects were observed, there was a significant three-way interaction between e-cigarette status and the experimental manipulations. The ‘tobacco-free nicotine’ descriptor increased purchase intentions relative to ‘synthetic nicotine’ (simple slope: 1.20, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.75) and ‘nicotine’ (simple slope: 1.20, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.73) for youth who use e-cigarettes.

Conclusions

Most US youth do not know or have incorrect beliefs about the sources of nicotine in e-cigarettes and describing synthetic nicotine as ‘tobacco-free nicotine’ increases purchase intentions among youth who use e-cigarettes.
Accelerated Verifiable Fair Digital Exchange
Authors: Banerjee Prabal , Behl Dushyant , Kodeswaran Palanivel , Kumar Chaitanya , Ruj Sushmita , Sen Sayandeep , Vinayagamurthy Dhinakaran
Published: May 2023

A Fair Digital Exchange is defined as either all or none of the participants achieving a (predetermined) desirable outcome. This work addresses third party mediated systems for digital content where mutually unknown, and hence non-trusting, buyers, sellers and the mediator (third party) take part in an exchange protocol. We address the lack of guaranteed fairness, as defined above, in the existing platforms for this setting. We present TEDX, a decentralized solution for guaranteed three party fair exchange of digital goods with scalability and support for incremental deployment over the existing (non-fair) platforms. TEDX combines carefully crafted message exchanges with incentive schemes designed to deter malicious behavior. TEDX also leverages ideas from blockchain anchored state-channels to provide trusted execution while minimizing the operational overheads of blockchain.

We present the design and a security analysis of TEDX to validate the claimed fairness properties. We also present the details of a prototype implementation of TEDX leveraging Hyperledger Fabric and performance evaluation of the same on a realistic testbed spanning five public cloud zones. Our results indicate that TEDX adds only a minimal overhead of 16% while being 46x faster than a naive blockchain solution, thereby demonstrating that TEDX is scalable.
Electrochemical Pressure Impedance Spectroscopy for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells: Signal Interpretation
Authors: Schiffer Lutz , Bessler Wolfgang G.
Published: May 2023

Electrochemical pressure impedance spectroscopy (EPIS) is an emerging tool for the diagnosis of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). It is based on analyzing the frequency response of the cell voltage with respect to an excitation of the gas-phase pressure. Several experimental studies in the past decade have shown the complexity of EPIS signals, and so far there is no agreement on the interpretation of EPIS features. The present study contributes to shed light into the physicochemical origin of EPIS features, by using a combination of pseudo-two-dimensional modeling and analytical interpretation. Using static simulations, the contributions of cathode equilibrium potential, cathode overpotential, and membrane resistance on the quasi-static EPIS response are quantified. Using model reduction, the EPIS responses of individual dynamic processes are predicted and compared to the response of the full model. We show that the EPIS signal of the PEMFC studied here is dominated by the humidifier. The signal is further analyzed by using transfer functions between various internal cell states and the outlet pressure excitation. We show that the EPIS response of the humidifier is caused by an oscillating oxygen molar fraction due to an oscillating mass flow rate.
High Throughput Preparation of Bi-Sb Alloy Films for the Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to Formate
Authors: Sun Jiameng , Yu Bin , Wang Jianfeng , Tan Fuquan , Yang Wanfeng , Cheng Guanhua , Zhang Zhonghua
Published: May 2023

Bi is considered as a highly active and selective electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), and Sb has great development potential. In this study, we fabricated a series of Bi-Sb alloy films by magnetron co-sputtering and further explored their electrocatalytic performances in CO2 reduction. In contrast to pure Sb catalyst, the Bi-Sb alloys substantially suppress HER and promote the pathway of CO2-to-formate. The formate selectivity increases with the increase of Bi content. When the content of Bi reaches about 40 at%, the Bi-Sb alloy exhibits the highest ability to convert CO2 to formate, and even shows a higher formate activity than that of pure Bi. Especially, the Bi45Sb55 catalyst exhibits a partial current density of formate formation of 58.0 mA cm−2 and a formate selectivity of 76.7% at −1.0 V vs RHE. A remarkable formate selectivity reaches up to over 95% in the flow cell, and a formate current density of 500 mA cm−2 is achieved at a moderate overpotential of 859 mV, exhibiting great potential for CO2RR process to practical applications. The present work could provide guidelines for the design of Bi-Sb alloy catalysts for efficient CO2RR.