bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kant’s Fantasy
Authors: Russell Francey
Published: April 2024

Throughout his lectures and published writings on anthropology, Kant describes a form of unintentional, unstructured, obscure, and pleasurable imaginative mental activity, which he calls fantasy (Phantasie), where we ‘take pleasure in letting our mind wander about in obscurity’ (LA 25:480). In the context of his pragmatic anthropology, Kant is concerned not only to describe this form of mental activity as a fact of human psychology, but more importantly, to criticize and discourage it. But must we share Kant’s negative evaluation? Could fantasy play a positive role in some kinds of experience? In this paper I first reconstruct Kant’s conception of fantasy, and then consider what role fantasy might play in aesthetic experience. Precisely because of his anxieties about fantasy, Kant is careful to distinguish between the lawless freedom of the imagination in fantasy and the ‘free lawfulness’ of the imagination in aesthetic judgment. Departing from Kant, and with help from Susan Sontag, I argue that certain aesthetic objects, especially certain works of modernist art, positively invite fantasy, making fantasy part of proper aesthetic appreciation. I conclude by suggesting that while fantasy can indeed play a positive role in aesthetic appreciation, there is still reason to regard fantasy as ‘normatively ambiguous’.
CONGRuENTS (COsmic-ray, Neutrino, Gamma-ray and Radio Non-Thermal Spectra) – II. Population-level correlations between galactic infrared, radio, and γ-ray emission
Authors: Roth Matt A , Krumholz Mark R , Crocker Roland M , Thompson Todd A
Published: April 2024

Galaxies obey a number of empirical correlations between their radio, γ-ray, and infrared emission, but the physical origins of these correlations remain uncertain. Here, we use the CONGRuENTS model for broad-band non-thermal emission from star-forming galaxies, which self-consistently calculates energy-dependent transport and non-thermal emission from cosmic ray hadrons and leptons, to predict radio and γ-ray emission for a synthetic galaxy population with properties drawn from a large deep-field survey. We show that our synthetic galaxies reproduce observed relations such as the far infrared (FIR)–radio correlation, the FIR–γ correlation, and the distribution of radio spectral indices, and we use the model to explain the physical origins of these relations. Our results show that the FIR–radio correlation arises because the amount of cosmic ray electron power ultimately radiated as synchrotron emission varies only weakly with galaxy star formation rate as a result of the constraints imposed on gas properties by hydrostatic balance and turbulent dynamo action; the same physics dictates the extent of proton calorimetry in different galaxies, and thus sets the FIR–γ–ray correlation. We further show that galactic radio spectral indices result primarily from competition between thermal free–free emission and energy-dependent loss of cosmic ray electrons to bremsstrahlung and escape into galactic haloes, with shaping of the spectrum by inverse Compton, synchrotron, and ionization processes typically playing a subdominant role. In addition to explaining existing observations, we use our analysis to predict a heretofore unseen correlation between the curvature of galaxies’ radio spectra and their pion-driven γ-ray emission, a prediction that will be testable with upcoming facilities.
Avacopan’s potential to decrease MPO-ANCA titres concurrent with ameliorated activity in ANCA-associated vasculitis
Authors: Taniguchi Tomoki , Hiwa Ryosuke , Shoji Mikihito , Yamaguchi Eriho , Shirakashi Mirei , Onizawa Hideo , Tsuji Hideaki , Kitagori Koji , Nakashima Ran , Akizuki Shuji , Onishi Akira , Yoshifuji Hajime , Tanaka Masao , Morinobu Akio
Published: April 2024

Avacopan, an orally administered C5a receptor antagonist, is effective in microscopic polyangiitis via the inhibition of neutrophil priming induced by C5a. However, the exact effect of avacopan on the production of myeloperoxidase antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA) is yet to be clearly established. This report presents a microscopic polyangiitis patient without major organ damage where high levels of MPO-ANCA persisted with high-dose steroid therapy and azathioprine, but the addition of avacopan led to a reduction in MPO-ANCA titres. The present case implies that avacopan-mediated inhibition of C5a may lead to a reduction in MPO-ANCA levels, thereby potentially ameliorating the pathophysiology of ANCA-associated vasculitis. Nevertheless, the impact of avacopan on MPO-ANCA production cannot be asserted solely based on this report; therefore, further examination is necessary through subgroup analysis using data from larger-scale studies.
Key transcription factors regulate fruit ripening and metabolite accumulation in tomato
Authors: Jia Huimin , Xu Yaping , Deng Yuanwei , Xie Yinhuan , Gao Zhongshan , Lang Zhaobo , Niu Qingfeng
Published: April 2024

Fruit ripening is a complex process involving dynamic changes to metabolites and is controlled by multiple factors, including transcription factors (TFs). Several TFs are reportedly essential regulators of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit ripening. To evaluate the effects of specific TFs on metabolite accumulation during fruit ripening, we combined CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis with metabolome and transcriptome analyses to explore regulatory mechanisms. Specifically, we generated various genetically engineered tomato lines that differed regarding metabolite contents and fruit colors. The metabolite and transcript profiles indicated that the selected TFs have distinct functions that control fruit metabolite contents, especially carotenoids and sugars. Moreover, a mutation to ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5) increased tomato fruit fructose and glucose contents by approximately 20% (relative to the wild-type levels). Our in vitro assay showed that HY5 can bind directly to the G-box cis-element in the Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporter (SWEET12c) promoter to activate expression, thereby modulating sugar transport. Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms regulating tomato fruit ripening and metabolic networks, providing the theoretical basis for breeding horticultural crops that produce fruit with diverse flavors and colors.
Effect of chronic cyclic heat stress and supplemented inorganic and organic zinc source levels on grow-finish pig growth performance and estimated body composition
Authors: Mills Kayla M , Mahoney Julie A , Duttlinger Alan W , Elefson Sarah K , Radcliffe John S , Rambo Zachary J , Richert Brian T
Published: April 2024

Zinc (Zn) supplementation has proved to mitigate the effects of heat stress with varying effects evident with Zn source during acute heat events. However, the effects of Zn supplementation during long-term summer weather patterns have yet to be explored. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the effects of supplementation source and level of Zn to mitigate the negative effects of long-term, cyclic heat stress in finishing swine. Six hundred cross-bred pigs were housed under thermoneutral (TN) or cyclic heat (HS) conditions simulating summer heat with acute 3-d heat waves for a 70-d study. Thermoneutral conditions were 16.7 to 18.9 °C throughout the study. HS pigs were housed at the same temperature as TN from days 0 to 18, then 28 °C/24 °C for 12 h/12 h on days 18 to 21, followed by 30 °C/26.7 °C for 12 h/12 h on days 24 to 70, except during acute heat (32 to 33 °C/29 to 30 °C, 12 h/12 h) on days 21 to 24, 42 to 45, and 63 to 66. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 6 factorial with main effects of environment (HS vs. TN) and dietary available Zn supplementation: (1) 50 mg/kg zinc oxide (ZnO), (2) 130 mg/kg ZnO, (3) 50 mg/kg of organic Zn (Availa Zn), (4) 50 mg/kg ZnO + 40 mg/kg organic Zn, (5) 50 mg/kg ZnO + 60 mg/kg organic Zn, and (6) 50 mg/kg ZnO + 80 mg/kg organic Zn. Pigs (5 pigs/pen) were blocked by initial body weight (72.2 kg) and randomly allotted to 1 of 12 temperature and diet treatment combinations across 10 replicates. Body weight and feed intake were determined at the beginning and end of each acute heat event. All pigs were ultrasonically scanned at the 10th rib (TR) to predict loin muscle area (LMA), backfat (BF), and percent lean. Data were analyzed by the MIXED procedure in SAS with pen as the experimental unit. At day 63, HS pigs were lighter (P < 0.05), had lower overall average daily gain (ADG; P < 0.05) and average daily feed intake (P < 0.05). A diet-by-environment interaction was observed for overall ADG (P < 0.05) with diet 5 HS pigs having a 3.9% reduction in ADG whereas diet 6 had 14.4% reduction in ADG, while under TN temperatures diet 6 had the greatest overall ADG of all treatments. Other diets were intermediate in their ADG under both HS and TN conditions. Pigs under HS had less BF at the TR (P < 0.05) and a smaller LMA (P < 0.05), and a greater calculated percent lean (P < 0.05). Our results indicate that a blend of supplemental Zn sources at 50/60 mg/kg may mitigate the reduction in growth performance due to HS. While not directly contrasted, the NRC requirement of 50 mg/kg Zn may be too low to optimize finishing pig growth performance under both TN and HS conditions.
Assessing melanoma prognosis: the interplay between patient profiles, survival, and BRAF, NRAS, KIT, and TWT mutations in a retrospective multi-study analysis
Authors: Kodali Nilesh , Bhattaru Abhijit , Blanchard Isabella , Sharma Yash , Lipner Shari R.
Published: April 2024

The incidence and prevalence of melanoma are increasing globally, presenting a significant public health concern. The main genetic drivers of melanoma include BRAF, NRAS, KIT and triple wild-type (TWT) mutations. Little is known about the effects of these mutations on outcomes in terms of demographics and patient characteristics. We examined differences in melanoma mortality risk and mutation count across mutation type and patient disease profile. We extrapolated primary melanoma patient data from 14 studies via the cBioportal database. Patients were divided into demographic groups and classified according to BRAF, NRAS, KIT and TWT mutation status. Analyses included two-sample Student t-test and two-way analysis of variance tests analysis with Tukey’s post hoc test. Survival outcomes were compared via Kaplan–Meier curve and Cox regression. NRAS-mutated patients exhibited decreased overall survival compared to BRAF-mutated patients. Male patients had higher mutation counts across all gene groups than females, with the fewest TWT mutations in comparison to BRAF, NRAS and KIT mutations. Males also exhibited increased mortality risk for NRAS, KIT and TWT mutations compared to BRAF mutations. An unknown primary melanoma was associated with increased mortality risk across all gene groups. NRAS-mutated acral melanoma patients had an increased mortality risk compared to NRAS-mutated cutaneous melanoma patients. Older patients had a higher mortality risk than younger patients. Patients with heavier versus lower weights had lower mortality risk, which was more pronounced for BRAF-mutated patients. These relationships highlight the importance of demographic and pathologic relationships to aid in risk assessment and personalize treatment plans.
A Systematic Review of Oral Pre-exposure Prophylaxis HIV Adherence Interventions
Authors: Haines Marlene , Vandyk Amanda , Skidmore Becky , Orser Lauren , O'Byrne Patrick
Published: April 2024

Clinical trials of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection have established its efficacy as upwards of 99%. Despite this, the effectiveness of this medication has been shown to be diminished by individual factors, such as medication adherence. We completed a systematic review to identify and describe interventions to improve oral PrEP adherence. Overall, 16 articles were located. Two of the articles reported on results from the same trial and were collapsed for analysis, bringing the total to 15 studies. Twelve unique PrEP adherence interventions were tested, with the most common intervention being the use of mobile phone technology, which was used in 7 (46%) of the studies. Ten (67%) studies found that medication adherence improved when participants received an intervention to support adherence. Adherence intervention strategies effectively improved PrEP adherence. Further research into PrEP adherence interventions is warranted, particularly among diverse groups.
American Association of Nurse Practitioners Research Agenda, 2023–2028
Authors: Arends Robin , Austin-Ketch Tammy , Covelli Asefeh Faraz , Davis Leslie , Hallas Donna , Kalmakis Karen , Kirkland-Kyhn Holly , Melillo Karen Devereaux , O'Reilly-Jacob Monica , Parish Abby , Rawlett Kristen , Ricciardi Richard , Tracy Christine , Winkelman Chris , Whitehouse Christina
Published: April 2024

This report highlights the 2023–2028 American Association of Nurse Practitioners Research Agenda (AANP-RA), which focuses on the research goals of AANP as an organization and is based on its mission and strategic plan. The purpose of the AANP Research Agenda is to outline research priorities that advance the AANP Strategic Plan and concurrently address gaps in nursing science. American Association of Nurse Practitioners supports research studies that are rigorously designed and conducted using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches, as well as implementation science with the potential to positively impact both NP practice and patient health outcomes. The AANP-RA strategy is guided by the PEARL acronym: examining NP Practice, Education, policy Advocacy, Research, and Leadership. A discussion of each area is presented along with suggested topics.
Workforce Engagement for Compassionate Advocacy, Resilience, and Empowerment (WE CARE)
Authors: Patrician Patricia A. , Travis Joseph R. , Blackburn Cindy , Carter Ja-Lin , Hall Allyson G. , Meese Katherine A. , Miltner Rebecca S. , Montgomery Aoyjai P. , Stewart Jill , Ruffin Asiah , Morson Dana M. , Polancich Shea
Published: April 2024

Poor well-being and burnout among the nursing workforce were heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to deliver, spread, and sustain an evidence-based wellness program, Workforce Engagement for Compassionate Advocacy, Resilience, and Empowerment (WE CARE), for nurse leaders, staff registered nurses (RNs), and patient care technicians (PCTs) to ameliorate or prevent burnout, promote resilience, and improve the work environment. The program included Community Resiliency Model (CRM) training provided by a certified 6-member wellness team. A baseline and 6-month follow-up survey included measures of well-being, moral distress, burnout, resilience, perceived organizational support (POS), job satisfaction, intent to leave (ITL), and work environment. A total of 4900 inpatient RNs, PCTs, and leaders of a 1207-bed academic medical center in the southeastern United States were analyzed. From baseline (n = 1533) to 6-month follow-up (n = 1457), well-being, moral distress, burnout, job satisfaction, and work environment improved; however, resilience, POS, and ITL did not. Although we have seen some improvements in well-being and mental health indicators, it is still early in the intervention period to have reached a critical mass with the training and other interventions. The mental health and work environment issues among nurses are so complex, no one-size-fits-all intervention can resolve.
Droplet evaporation on curved surfaces: transients of internal and external transport phenomena
Authors: Paul Arnov , Mondal Subhadeep , Dhar Purbarun
Published: April 2024

We explore the transient evolution of thermo-fluid-dynamics of evaporating sessile droplets over curved substrates in the liquid and gaseous domains. A computational model using the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian framework is adopted. The governing equations in both liquid and gaseous domains are solved in a fully coupled manner, considering coupled effects of evaporative cooling and heat advection due to bulk fluid motion. This bulk motion in the liquid domain is caused by natural advection due to thermal actuations such as thermal Marangoni flow and buoyancy-driven convection. For the gaseous domain, the additional effects of solutal convection (due to vapour-concentration variation), Stefan flow and interfacial viscous stresses are also considered. To depict a generalized role of substrate curvature, both concave and convex surfaces with curvatures over a wide range are studied. The surface wettability effects are also explored by varying the true contact angle of the droplets. Computational predictions on evaporation rate and internal flow field are validated against experimental results from literature. The interplay of wetting state and substrate curvature is noted to substantially affect the evaporation process and its thermo-fluidics. The convex curvature significantly augments internal advection while the same is weakened over concave substrates due to altered mass loss rate. Consequently, the duration of multi-vortex Marangoni flows in the development stages of evaporation and the advection in the external gaseous domain is markedly different for different curvatures. Further, on superhydrophobic curved surfaces, the effects of re-distributed evaporative fluxes play a major role. In such cases, the reduced mass flux over a large interfacial area near the periphery expedites the stable state Marangoni and external flow features.
Group mating in Cretaceous water striders
Authors: Fu Yanzhe , Cai Chenyang , Chen Pingping , Xuan Qiang , Myint Tin Aung , Huang Diying
Published: April 2024

Fossilized mating insects are irreplaceable material for comprehending the evolution of the mating behaviours and life-history traits in the deep-time record of insects as well as the potential sexual conflict. However, cases of mating pairs are particularly rare in fossil insects, especially aquatic or semi-aquatic species. Here, we report the first fossil record of a group of water striders in copulation (including three pairs and a single adult male) based on fossils from the mid-Cretaceous of northern Myanmar. The new taxon,
Burmogerris
gen. nov., likely represents one of the oldest cases of insects related to the marine environment, such as billabongs formed by the tides. It exhibits conspicuous dimorphism associated with sexual conflict: the male is equipped with a specialized protibial comb as a grasping apparatus, likely representing an adaptation to overcome female resistance during struggles. The paired
Burmogerris
show smaller males riding on the backs of the females, seemingly recording a scene of copulatory struggles between the sexes. Our discovery reveals a mating system dominated by males and sheds light on the potential sexual conflicts of
Burmogerris
in the Cretaceous. It indicates the mating behaviour remained stable over long-term geological time in these water-walking insects.
Ecosystem effects of intraspecific variation in a colour polymorphic amphibian
Authors: Giery Sean T. , Sloan Reese K. , Watson James , Groesbeck Autumn , Davenport Jon M.
Published: April 2024

An emerging consensus suggests that evolved intraspecific variation can be ecologically important. However, evidence that evolved trait variation within vertebrates can influence fundamental ecosystem-level processes remains sparse. In this study, we sought to assess the potential for evolved variation in the spotted salamander (
Ambystoma maculatum
) to affect aquatic ecosystem properties. Spotted salamanders exhibit a conspicuous polymorphism in the colour of jelly encasing their eggs—some females produce clear jelly, while others produce white jelly. Although the functional significance of jelly colour variation remains largely speculative, evidence for differences in fecundity and the morphology of larvae suggests that the colour morphs might differ in the strength or identity of ecological effects. Here, we assessed the potential for frequency variation in spotted salamander colour morphs to influence fundamental physiochemical and ecosystem properties—dissolved organic carbon, conductivity, acidity and primary production—with a mesocosm experiment. By manipulating colour morph frequency across a range of larval densities, we were able to demonstrate that larva density and colour morph variation were ecologically relevant: population density reduced dissolved organic carbon and increased primary production while mesocosms stocked with white morph larvae tended to have higher dissolved organic carbon and conductivity. Thus, while an adaptive significance of jelly coloration remains hypothetical, our results show that colour morphs differentially influence key ecosystem properties—dissolved organic carbon and conductivity.
Flavobacterium psychraquaticum sp. nov., isolated from water system of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts cultured in Chile
Authors: Avendaño-Herrera Ruben , Saldarriga-Córdoba Mónica , Poblete-Morales Matías , Irgang Rute
Published: April 2024

Strain LB-N7T, a novel Gram-negative, orange, translucent, gliding, rod-shaped bacterium, was isolated from water samples collected from an open system of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts in a fish farm in Chile during a flavobacterial infection outbreak in 2015. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequences (1337 bp) revealed that strain LB-N7T belongs to the genus Flavobacterium and is closely related to the type strains Flavobacterium ardleyense A2-1T (98.8 %) and Flavobacterium cucumis R2A45-3T (96.75 %). The genome size of strain LB-N7T was 2.93 Mb with a DNA G+C content 32.6 mol%. Genome comparisons grouped strain LB-N7T with Flavobacterium cheniae NJ-26T, Flavobacterium odoriferum HXWNR29T, Flavobacterium lacisediminis TH16-21T and Flavobacterium celericrescens TWA-26T. The calculated digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain LB-N7T and the closest related Flavobacterium strains were 23.3 % and the average nucleotide identity values ranged from 71.52 to 79.39 %. Menaquinone MK-6 was the predominant respiratory quinone, followed by MK-7. The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0. The primary polar lipids detected included nine unidentified lipids, two amounts of aminopospholipid and phospholipids, and a smaller amount of aminolipid. Phenotypic, genomic, and chemotaxonomic data suggest that strain LB-N7T (=CECT 30406T=RGM 3221T) represents as a novel bacterial species, for which the name Flavobacterium psychraquaticum sp. nov. is proposed.
ViRNN: A Deep Learning Model for Viral Host Prediction
Authors: Sphabmixay Pierre , Lash Blake
Published: April 2024

Viral outbreaks are on the rise in the world, with the current outbreak of COVID-19 being among one of the worst thus far. Many of these outbreaks were the result of zoonotic transfer between species, and thus understanding and predicting the host of a virus is very important. With the rise of sequencing technologies it is becoming increasingly easy to sequence the full genomes of viruses, databases of publicly available viral genomes are widely available. We utilize a convolutional and recurrent neural network architecture (ViRNN) to predict the hosts for theCoronaviridaefamily (Coronaviruses) amongst the eleven most common hosts of this family. Our architecture performed with an overall accuracy of 90.55% on our test dataset, with a micro-average AUC-PR of 0.97. Performance was variable per host. ViRNN outperformed previously published methods like k-nearest neighbors and support vector machines, as well as previously published deep learning based methods. Saliency maps based on integrated gradients revealed a number of proteins in the viral genome that may be important interactions determining viral infection in hosts. Overall, this method provides an adaptable classifier capable of predicting host species from viral genomic sequence with high accuracy.
A germline point mutation in the MYC-FBW7 phosphodegron initiates hematopoietic malignancies
Authors: Freie Brian , Carroll Patrick A. , Varnum-Finney Barbara J. , Ramsey Erin L. , Ramani Vijay , Bernstein Irwin , Eisenman Robert N.
Published: April 2024

Oncogenic activation of MYC in cancers predominantly involves increased transcription rather than coding region mutations. However, MYC-dependent lymphomas frequently acquire point mutations in the MYC phosphodegron, including at threonine 58 (T58), where phosphorylation permits binding via the FBW7 ubiquitin ligase triggering MYC degradation. To understand how T58 phosphorylation functions in normal cell physiology, we introduced an alanine mutation at T58 (T58A) into the endogenousc-Myclocus in the mouse germline. While MYC-T58A mice develop normally, lymphomas and myeloid leukemias emerge in ∼60% of adult homozygous T58A mice. We found that primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells from MYC-T58A mice exhibit aberrant self-renewal normally associated with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and up-regulate a subset of MYC target genes important in maintaining stem/progenitor cell balance. In lymphocytes, genomic occupancy by MYC-T58A was increased at all promoters compared with WT MYC, while genes differentially expressed in a T58A-dependent manner were significantly more proximal to MYC-bound enhancers. MYC-T58A lymphocyte progenitors exhibited metabolic alterations and decreased activation of inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. Our data demonstrate that a single point mutation stabilizing MYC is sufficient to skew target gene expression, producing a profound gain of function in multipotential hematopoietic progenitors associated with self-renewal and initiation of lymphomas and leukemias.
New basis for Hamiltonian SU(2) simulations
Authors: D’Andrea Irian , Bauer Christian W. , Grabowska Dorota M. , Freytsis Marat
Published: April 2024

Due to rapidly improving quantum computing hardware, Hamiltonian simulations of relativistic lattice field theories have seen a resurgence of attention. This computational tool requires turning the formally infinite-dimensional Hilbert space of the full theory into a finite-dimensional one. For gauge theories, a widely used basis for the Hilbert space relies on the representations induced by the underlying gauge group, with a truncation that keeps only a set of the lowest dimensional representations. This works well at large bare gauge coupling, but becomes less efficient at small coupling, which is required for the continuum limit of the lattice theory. In this work, we develop a new basis suitable for the simulation of an SU(2) lattice gauge theory in the maximal tree gauge. In particular, we show how to perform a Hamiltonian truncation so that the eigenvalues of both the magnetic and electric gauge-fixed Hamiltonian are mostly preserved, which allows for this basis to be used at all values of the coupling. Little prior knowledge is assumed, so this may also be used as an introduction to the subject of Hamiltonian formulations of lattice gauge theories.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Physics instructors’ knowledge and use of active learning has increased over the last decade but most still lecture too much
Authors: Dancy Melissa , Henderson Charles , Apkarian Naneh , Johnson Estrella , Stains Marilyne , Raker Jeffrey R. , Lau Alexandra
Published: April 2024

A survey of 722 physics faculty conducted in 2008 found that many physics instructors had knowledge of research-based instructional strategies (RBISs), were interested in using more, but often discontinued use after trying. Considerable effort has been made during the decade following 2008 to develop and disseminate RBISs in physics as well as change the culture within the physics community to value RBIS use and other forms of student-centered instruction. This paper uses data from a 2019 survey of 1176 physics instructors to understand the current state of RBIS use in college-level introductory physics, thus allowing us to better understand some of the impacts of these efforts on physics instruction. Results show that self-reported knowledge and use of RBISs has increased considerably and discontinuation is now relatively low. However, although the percentage of time lecturing is less than 10 years ago, many instructors still engage in substantial lecturing (i.e., more than one-third of class time). Relatedly, we find that the majority of RBIS use centers on pedagogies designed to supplement a primarily lecture-based classroom rather than pedagogies designed to support a primarily active learning classroom. This suggests that the physics education research community and beyond has done well promoting knowledge about RBISs and inspiring instructors to try RBISs in their courses. But, there is still room to improve. Based on available evidence about effective instructional practices, we recommend that change agents focus on supporting instructors to increase the percent of class time in active learning and to implement higher impact strategies.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Variational quantum eigensolver with embedded entanglement using a tensor-network ansatz
Authors: Watanabe Ryo , Fujii Keisuke , Ueda Hiroshi
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we introduce a tensor network (TN) scheme into the entanglement augmentation process of the synergistic optimization framework by Rudolph [] to build its process systematically for inhomogeneous systems. Our synergistic approach first embeds the variational optimal solution of the TN state with the entropic area law, which can be perfectly optimized in conventional (classical) computers, in a quantum variational circuit ansatz inspired by the TN state with the entropic volume law. Next, the framework performs a variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) process with embedded states as the initial state. We applied the synergistic to the ground-state analysis of the all-to-all coupled random transverse-field Ising, XYZ, Heisenberg model, employing the binary multiscale entanglement renormalization ansatz (MERA) state and branching MERA states as TN states with entropic area law and volume law, respectively. We then show that the synergistic accelerates VQE calculations in the three models without an initial parameter guess of the branching-MERA-inspired ansatz and can avoid a local solution trapped by a standard VQE with the ansatz in the Ising model. The improvement of optimizers for MERA in all-to-all coupled inhomogeneous systems, enhancement, and potential synergistic applications are also discussed.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Current Fluctuations in Open Quantum Systems: Bridging the Gap Between Quantum Continuous Measurements and Full Counting Statistics
Authors: Landi Gabriel T. , Kewming Michael J. , Mitchison Mark T. , Potts Patrick P.
Published: April 2024

Continuously measured quantum systems are characterized by an output current, in the form of a stochastic and correlated time series, which conveys crucial information about the underlying quantum system. The many tools used to describe current fluctuations are scattered across different communities: quantum opticians often use stochastic master equations, while a prevalent approach in condensed-matter physics is provided by full counting statistics. These, however, are simply different sides of the same coin. Our goal with this tutorial is to provide a unified toolkit for describing current fluctuations. This not only provides novel insights, by bringing together different fields in physics, but also yields various analytical and numerical tools for computing quantities of interest. We illustrate our results with various pedagogical examples and connect them with topical fields of research, such as waiting-time statistics, quantum metrology, thermodynamic uncertainty relations, quantum point contacts, and Maxwell’s demons.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Public investment, infrastructure and private investment in Brazil: is there a crowding-in effect?
Authors: Iasco-Pereira Hugo , Duregger Rafael
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Our study aims to evaluate the impact of infrastructure and public investment on private investment in machinery and equipment in Brazil from 1947 to 2017. The contribution of our article to the existing literature lies in providing a more comprehensive understanding of the presence or absence of the crowding effect in the Brazilian economy by leveraging an extensive historical database. Our central argument posits that the recent decline in private capital accumulation over the last few decades can be attributed to shifts in economic policies – moving from a developmentalist orientation to nondevelopmental guidance since the early 1990s, which is reflected in the diminished levels of public investment and infrastructure since the 1980s.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted a series of econometric regressions utilizing the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model as our chosen econometric methodology.

Findings

Employing two different variables to measure public investment and infrastructure, our results – robust across various specifications – have substantiated the existence of a crowding-in effect in Brazil over the examined period. Thus, we have empirical evidence indicating that the state has influenced private capital accumulation in the Brazilian economy over the past decades.

Originality/value

Our article contributes to the existing literature by offering a more comprehensive understanding of the crowding effect in the Brazilian economy, utilizing an extensive historical database.
The impact of customer misbehavior on frontline employees’ work–family conflict and withdrawal behaviors
Authors: Zhao Xinyuan (Roy) , Wang Fujin , Mattila Anna S. , Leong Aliana Man Wai , Cui Zhenzhen , Yang Huan
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Customer misbehavior has a negative impact on frontline employees. However, the underlying mechanisms from customer misbehavior to employees’ negative outcomes need to be further unfolded and examined. This study aims to propose that employees’ affective rumination and problem-solving pondering could be the explanatory processes of customer misbehavior influencing employee attitudes in which coworker support could be a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-method approach was designed to test this study’s predictions. Study 1 conducted a scenario-based experiment among 215 full-time hospitality employees, and Study 2 used a two-wave, longitudinal survey of 305 participants.

Findings

The results demonstrate the impact of customer misbehavior on work–family conflict and withdrawal behaviors. The mediating role of affective rumination is supported and coworker support moderates the processes.

Practical implications

Customer misbehavior leads to negative outcomes among frontline employees both at work and family domains. Hotel managers should help frontline employees to cope with customer misbehavior by avoiding negative affective spillover and providing support properly.

Originality/value

The studies have unfolded the processes of affective rumination and problem-solving pondering through which customer misbehavior influences work–family conflict and withdrawal behaviors among frontline employees. The surprising findings that coworker support magnified the negative effects have also been discussed.
A long-term study of sport event volunteers: Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon Weekend in 2012 and 2022
Authors: Olberding Julie Cencula , Olberding Douglas J.
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This study examined the characteristics, motivations and satisfaction of volunteers for the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon Weekend across a 10-year period. The purpose was to enhance our understanding of sport event volunteers, especially in the long term. This information and insight may be useful in light of ongoing challenges with volunteer recruitment and retention, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors developed and implemented an online survey, based primarily on the Special Event Volunteer Motivation Scale (SEVMS) and the Volunteer Motivations Scale for International Sporting Events (VMS-ISE). The sample included a total of 2,038 respondents – 1,086 in 2012 and 952 in 2022. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests; qualitative data provided additional insight.

Findings

About two-thirds of 2022 survey respondents were “repeat volunteers.” Volunteer characteristics, motivations and satisfaction remained relatively consistent across the 10-year period. These volunteers were motivated by a set of multiple, interrelated factors which the authors call “community-based altruism” – that is, the desire to help others driven by a sense of community involvement and pride. In both years, more than 90% were satisfied with their volunteer experience. Satisfaction was higher for individuals with certain characteristics such as being a repeat volunteer and volunteering with a group.

Originality/value

This may be the first scholarly article to assess volunteer characteristics, motivations and satisfaction for a major sport event in the same location across multiple years. While it focused on a three-day running event in a midwestern city in the United States, the approach and findings may be applicable to sport event volunteers in other contexts.
Why would consumers risk taking purchase recommendations from voice assistants?
Authors: Bawack Ransome Epie , Bonhoure Emilie , Mallek Sabrine
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This study aims to identify and explore different risk typologies associated with consumer acceptance of purchase recommendations from voice assistants (VAs).

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on components of perceived risk, consumer trust theory, and consumption value theory, a research model was proposed and tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) with data from 482 voice shoppers.

Findings

The results reveal that, unlike risks associated with physical harm, privacy breaches, and security threats, a variety of other concerns—including financial, psychological, social, performance-related risks, time loss, and the overall perceived risks—significantly influence consumers' willingness to accept VAs purchase recommendations. The effect is mediated by trust in VA purchase recommendations and their perceived value. Different types of risk affect various consumption values, with functional value being the most influential. The model explains 58.6% of the variance in purchase recommendation acceptance and significantly elucidates the variance in all consumption values.

Originality/value

This study contributes crucial knowledge to understanding consumer decision-making processes as they increasingly leverage AI-powered voice-based dialogue platforms for online purchasing. It emphasizes recognizing diverse risk typologies associated with VA purchase recommendations and their impact on consumer purchase behavior. The findings offer insights for marketing managers seeking to navigate the challenges posed by consumers' perceived risks while leveraging VAs as an integral component of modern shopping environments.
Religiosity-based behavioral study, Islamic finance users’ approach and selection standard: empirical evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Nazir Muhammad , Saqib Shahab E.
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Considering the speedy growth of Islamic finance and limited research work on Muslim behavior regarding Islamic Banking, this study aims to investigate to comprehend the stimulus of religiosity on customer’s behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model is developed on existing literature. The key dimensions of religiosity in the model include practice, knowledge, experience and consequences to capture the whole religiosity of customers. Model of the study investigates the impact of customer’s religiosity on their behavior in decision-making about selection of Islamic bank. Analysis of the study is based on the sample of 370 customers of Islamic banks from District Nowshera Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The data for the study collected through random sampling by a comprehensive survey questionnaire. Binary logistic model is used to test the data for statistical analysis.

Findings

The key findings of the study suggest that religiosity influence customer behavior positively in decision-making regarding Islamic finance. Service standards of Islamic banking has also significant impact on customer perception, while the financial education of the customers has insignificant impact on customer behavior.

Research limitations/implications

This study mainly focused on the curiosity of the customer religious commitment, so religiosity is a vast phenomenon; there are deep sections in each dimension of religiosity, so further study is suggested for the comprehensive capture of each dimension of religiosity.

Practical implications

The results of the study have a great importance for the managers of Islamic finance industry to identify and detect the potential customers and divide the target market of banking industry on the base of religiosity. Furthermore, the study may bring significant managerial suggestions for marketing planners and can help them in market segmentation strategies.

Originality/value

The study examined the association between Muslim religiosity and Islamic banking customer’s selection behavior. This study spread the understanding of religiosity and its impact on Islamic banking customer’s behavior. Furthermore, the study is valuable to discover the level to which religiosity determines the inclinations of customers. This study helps marketing practitioners and researchers to grow their knowledge about customer’s motives in terms of religious commitment.
Does spiritual leadership promote employees’ green creativity? The mediating effect of green work engagement
Authors: Abualigah Ahmad , Badar Kamal
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Anchored in the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this research aims to examine the effect of spiritual leadership on green creativity via the mediating role of green work engagement (GWEN).

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from 254 frontline hotel employees in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the hypothesized relationships were assessed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS SEM).

Findings

The findings suggest that spiritual leadership boosts GWEN and green creativity, and GWEN positively affects green creativity and mediates the nexus between spiritual leadership and green creativity.

Practical implications

Top management in the hospitality industry should focus on building spirituality and spiritual practices among their managers to accomplish organizational green goals. The hospitality industry is a highly competitive service sector that contains several unique challenges for workers, such as growing customer demands and asking for employee creativity while concurrently producing and delivering high-quality, differentiated services. In such tense and demanding professional settings, employees require intrinsic motivation to achieve something “out of the box.” Organizations should understand that intrinsic motivation implanted by spiritual leaders can encourage individuals to engage in green tasks and ultimately go beyond the script to achieve green creativity.

Originality/value

This study advances the extant literature by highlighting the role of spiritual leadership, as an emerging leadership style, in fostering GWEN and green creativity. It also adds to the existing research by examining the underlying mechanism through which spiritual leadership nurtures green creativity.
Multilevel thermoplastic waste segregation and classification with AHGSO using federated learning framework
Authors: Vignesh R.S. , Monica Subashini M.
Published: April 2024

Purpose

An abundance of techniques has been presented so forth for waste classification but, they deliver inefficient results with low accuracy. Their achievement on various repositories is different and also, there is insufficiency of high-scale databases for training. The purpose of the study is to provide high security.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, optimization-assisted federated learning (FL) is introduced for thermoplastic waste segregation and classification. The deep learning (DL) network trained by Archimedes Henry gas solubility optimization (AHGSO) is used for the classification of plastic and resin types. The deep quantum neural networks (DQNN) is used for first-level classification and the deep max-out network (DMN) is employed for second-level classification. This developed AHGSO is obtained by blending the features of Archimedes optimization algorithm (AOA) and Henry gas solubility optimization (HGSO). The entities included in this approach are nodes and servers. Local training is carried out depending on local data and updations to the server are performed. Then, the model is aggregated at the server. Thereafter, each node downloads the global model and the update training is executed depending on the downloaded global and the local model till it achieves the satisfied condition. Finally, local update and aggregation at the server is altered based on the average method. The Data tag suite (DATS_2022) dataset is used for multilevel thermoplastic waste segregation and classification.

Findings

By using the DQNN in first-level classification the designed optimization-assisted FL has gained an accuracy of 0.930, mean average precision (MAP) of 0.933, false positive rate (FPR) of 0.213, loss function of 0.211, mean square error (MSE) of 0.328 and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.572. In the second level classification, by using DMN the accuracy, MAP, FPR, loss function, MSE and RMSE are 0.932, 0.935, 0.093, 0.068, 0.303 and 0.551.

Originality/value

The multilevel thermoplastic waste segregation and classification using the proposed model is accurate and improves the effectiveness of the classification.
Research on the continued intention to use fitness games based on user experience
Authors: Wang Zheng , Deng Rong
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Fitness games, as a medium that combines playfulness and usefulness for exercise, face challenges in sustaining long-term user engagement. Currently, there is limited research exploring factors influencing users' continued intention to use from the perspective of user experience. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the priority of various user experience attributes of fitness games in promoting users' sustained engagement and to construct a user behavior model, offering theoretical guidance for designers and businesses.

Design/methodology/approach

This study distributed 441 survey questionnaires and, based on the fundamental characteristics of external games, established a model for users' continued intention to use external games. It explores the impact of various gaming elements on users' continued intention to use fitness games and the relationships between these elements.

Findings

The study indicates that usefulness, functional quality, and ease of use directly influence players' intention to continue playing external games. Social interactions, technical quality, and playfulness do not have an impact on the continued intention to use.

Originality/value

This research breaks away from the bias of previous studies overly focusing on playfulness in games. It fills the research gap regarding the continued intention to use fitness games and provides insights into the design and operation of fitness games.