bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ETFE: Efficient transformer with feature enhancement for semantic segmentation
Authors: Liu Meilin , Li Tianping
Published: October 2024

Despite the powerful capabilities of Transformers in relation to modeling, their effectiveness in capturing multi-scale object features in image-based tasks is often limited. This limitation arises from the diverse shapes and distances between objects in natural scenes, which pose challenges for Transformers to accurately capture object sizes and distances. To overcome this problem, we propose an effective Transformer which extracts multi-scale features at different resolutions. First, we leverage a multi-head attention mechanism to extract richer semantic features at various resolutions. The semantic features are then passed through the Feature Gate to aggregate multi-scale semantic features. Finally, Attentional Feature Enhancement further strengthens the semantic information of target features, enabling the modeling of dependencies among multi-scale features. Comprehensive experiments conducted on the Cityscapes and ADE20K datasets have shown that our model outperforms competing methods in both performance and accuracy.
Identification of complex system radar emitter source based on one-dimensional convolutional neural network
Authors: Fu Yiyang , Guo Linqing , Yi Gaohao
Published: October 2024

With the continuous innovation of radar technology, the signal modulation of radar emitter sources has become more complex, which makes their identification face more challenges. We propose a method based on a one-dimensional convolutional neural network for the identification of complex system radar emitter sources and conduct an experiment on eight radar emitter sources with similar parameters and complex inter-pulse modulation. The identification accuracy reaches 88.24%.
LPBFuzz: Binary program fuzzing with enhanced coverage of low-frequency program branches
Authors: Shen Yuhui , Zhang Haoran , Shao Siyuan , Zhang Zhao
Published: October 2024

Fuzzing detects hidden defects and vulnerabilities in software by generating a large amount of malformed input data and monitoring program anomalies. The existing fuzzing methods suffer from data imbalance when modeling program branching behaviors, making it difficult to accurately locate data fields that are strongly correlated with low-frequency program branching decisions. In addition, the existing methods do not determine variation direction when mutating the test data and do not distinguish between valid/invalid data fields, resulting in duplicate testing of certain program branches. In this paper, we propose a fuzzing method to enhance the coverage of low-frequency program branches. A low-frequency perception network and a forward gradient-guided mutating strategy are proposed to clarify the magnitude and sign when mutating key data fields. Experiments show that the proposed method effectively improves code coverage by increasing low-frequency branch coverage.
Emergency control methods for power systems based on improved deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Zhang Jie , Zhu Yihua , Liang Zhuohang , Ma Qinfeng , Zhang Qingqing , Liu Mingshun , An Su , Pu Qingxin , Dai Jiang
Published: October 2024

In order to achieve fast and accurate transient stability analysis and emergency control, this paper proposes a transient stability emergency control method based on improved deep reinforcement learning. In order to fully explore the temporal and spatial variation trend of transient response, a multi-dimensional feature containing information such as transient situation energy is constructed, and the deep reinforcement learning model is transformed based on the time-space graph neural network. On this basis, an emergency control model is constructed, and the power grid knowledge is integrated into the emergency control decision-making scheme to reduce the exploration of invalid decision-making and improve the performance of the model. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified in the IEEE-39 system.
Research on the influence of multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm key parameters in typical scenarios
Authors: Lu Junsong , Wang Zongsheng , Pan Kang , Zhang Hanshuo
Published: October 2024

The MADDPG algorithm is widely used and relatively complete, but there is no intuitive data support for the values of some key parameters. Therefore, the influence law of key parameters on MADDPG in typical scenarios has been studied in this paper. Firstly, three typical experimental scenarios were identified, including collaborative cooperation, collaborative opposition, and collaborative pursuit with basic parameters and hyperparameters. Then, a research plan was formulated by using the control variable method to study the influence of learning rate, reward discount coefficient, and reward function coefficient on algorithm performance. Based on a large number of experimental data comparisons, the optimal values of each parameter under three experimental scenarios were obtained. The results showed that the optimal reward discount coefficient for all three scenarios was the same, indicating that its impact on scene complexity was relatively small. For the optimal learning rate, there was a general trend that the lower complexity collaborative cooperation scenario had an optimal value lower than that of the higher complexity collaborative pursuit and collaborative opposition scenarios. As for the reward coefficient, it could be concluded that when the reward coefficient was large in collaborative cooperation and collaborative opposition scenarios, the convergence and speed of the reward curve became poorer. The reward coefficient in the collaborative pursuit scenario had a less significant impact on the performance of the algorithm.
A low-dose CT image denoising method based on state space model
Authors: Peng Kuankuan , Gong Shihua
Published: October 2024

Low-dose CT medical imaging techniques introduce noise while reducing radiation risks, necessitating denoising processing. However, existing mainstream denoising methods face a difficult trade-off between preserving image detail information and accurately removing noise. To address this issue, we propose a low-dose CT image denoising method based on a state space model. Firstly, a dynamic edge information enhancement module is introduced to automatically extract edge information from images using a learnable LoG operator and fuse it into feature layers at different scales to suppress edge information loss caused by denoising processes. Secondly, a U-net encoder based on state space estimation is designed to dynamically model spatial relationships between pixels through neighborhood filtering, enabling consideration of local differences in pixel values during denoising and better preservation of edges and textures. Compared to existing denoising methods, our approach achieves stable noise removal in low-dose CT images while preserving the original texture structure.
Rule-based fine-grained vocabulary for enhanced Chinese pre-training
Authors: Zhang Yu , Gao Yang
Published: October 2024

Chinese pre-training is an essential direction in Chinese natural language processing, and vocabulary constitutes the foundation of pre-trained models. Existing methods for constructing vocabularies for Chinese pre-trained models typically treat each Chinese character as an indivisible token, overlooking the additional information embedded in the intrinsic structure of Chinese characters and its impact on model performance. To leverage this information, we propose a method of training with rule-based fine-grained vocabularies to directly learn the sequence of intrinsic structures of Chinese characters in Chinese pre-training. Specifically, we first construct a mapping rule-based fine-grained vocabulary based on the glyph and radical splitting mapping relationship of Chinese characters. Subsequently, we employ a whole char masking strategy to train Chinese pre-trained models based on this new vocabulary. Experimental results demonstrate that compared to the BERT baseline model, our model achieves promising performance on multiple downstream tasks, with fewer model parameters and stronger robustness. The proposed Chinese pre-training method exploits the intrinsic structural information of Chinese characters, providing a novel method for subsequent research in Chinese natural language processing.
Density clustering method based on k-nearest neighbor propagation
Authors: Hou Pengfei , Zhou Lichan , Yang Yuqing
Published: October 2024

Density clustering, an effective data analysis tool, performs well on arbitrary shapes and non-convex datasets. However, it still has some limitations in identifying the cluster structures of datasets with irregular shapes and uneven density distribution. Aiming at the above problem, this paper proposes a density clustering method based on k-nearest neighbor propagation. Firstly, based on the theory of k-nearest neighbor, the nearest hub points are defined to replace the sample points within their k-nearest neighbors, and the cluster boundary is ascertained relying on the propagation of the nearest hub points with density gradient trend so as to divide the nearest hub points into multiple groups; secondly, a group merging method of the nearest hub points based on the set similarity is given to obtain the set of nearest hub points; and finally, the remaining sample points are assigned to the set of their nearest hub points to obtain the final clusters. The correctness and effectiveness of the algorithm are verified by experiments on synthetic and UCI datasets, and the results show that the algorithm can better cope with the clustering needs of multiple complex data distributions compared with other comparative algorithms.
Research on the application technology of expert knowledge graph based on genetic search algorithm
Authors: Song Yukun , Yang Wei , Kong Weizheng
Published: October 2024

The present study investigates the application of a genetic search algorithm on an expert knowledge graph. By employing binary coding for candidate experts in the expert database, the matching evaluation function is utilized to define the environmental fitness index, thereby optimizing the selection of expert groups. Experimental results demonstrate that the GES algorithm exhibits a superior matching degree and reduced time consumption when addressing science and technology item-matching requirements in review work. In comparison with the traditional BFS algorithm and GIS algorithm, the GES algorithm showcases enhanced potential for application and stability when confronted with large datasets. This paper further analyzes the impact of factors such as the total number of experts, number of fields, and number of scientific and technological projects on algorithm performance, confirming that adjustment of algorithm parameters can effectively enhance matching degree while reducing time consumption, thus providing technical support for practical implementation.
Assessment of the impact of ethnic minorities’ capacity in Binh Dinh province, Vietnam, to access land and exercise land use rights by application of linear structure model (PLS-SEM)
Authors: Hang P T , Hai N T , LThuy P T , Huyen N T , Ngu N H
Published: October 2024

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of ethnic minority people’s capacity on land access and exercise of land use rights. The research model and hypotheses were tested using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and PLS-SEM methods with 70 preliminary quantitative survey samples and 273 official quantitative survey samples of ethnic minorities. The research results revealed that strengthening the capacity of ethnic minorities is the key to improving their effectiveness in accessing land and exercising land use rights. The research findings demonstrate a robust and affirmative correlation between the capacity of ethnic minorities to acquire land access and the implementation of land use rights (βCO→LA = 0.325; βCO→LUR = 0.736; estimated path coefficients close to +1 represent strong positive relationships). The research model attains a significance level of 1% (tCO→LA = 8.412; tCO→LUR = 42.643). The outcomes of this research can serve as a foundation for the People’s Committee of Binh Dinh Province, Committee for Ethnic Minority, to further establish policies, support programs, and training to enhance the capacity of ethnic minorities, and to provide guidance on improving the effectiveness of land access and exercise of land use rights for this community.
The Environmental Perception and Vegetarian Motivation of People in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Authors: Nho T T N
Published: October 2024

Studies have previously shown that there were many vegetarian movements in the world, using many different models to indicate vegetarian food choice behavior. Among the factors affecting the motivation to become a vegetarian, perception and attitude are considered important factors influencing the decision to switch from using foods of animal origin to plant-based ones. There are many measured aspects of perception ranging from health, religion, love of animals, or animal rights. Among these, environmental perception increasingly shows a clear influence on vegetarian motivation, especially for young people. This current study aims to find out whether factors relating to perception including environmental perception, influence people’s motivation to become vegetarian in Ho Chi Minh City. To achieve this goal, the research surveyed 360 people living in Ho Chi Minh City (divided into three groups (students, office workers, and manual workers) using a direct questionnaire. Research results show that among the four independent variables (perception, ability, opportunity, barriers), there are three variables (1) perception; (2) opportunity; and (3) barriers having a significant relationship with the vegetarian motivation of people in Ho Chi Minh City. From the findings, this study points out key highlights in people’s current vegetarian food choices in this area, including environmental perception.
One-dimensional components in the K-moduli of smooth Fano 3-folds
Authors: Abban Hamid , Cheltsov Ivan , Denisova Elena , Etxabarri-Alberdi Erroxe , Kaloghiros Anne-Sophie , Jiao Dongchen , Martinez-Garcia Jesus , Papazachariou Theodoros
Published: October 2024

By identifying K-polystable limits in 4 specific deformations families of smooth Fano 3-folds, we complete the classification of one-dimensional components in the K-moduli space of smoothable Fano 3-folds.
ElectrApp: Deep learning framework to enhance cardiac arrhythmia detection
Authors: L  Echeverry Ana María , Lopez Flórez Sebastián , Guapacha Jovanny B , Gutiérrez Jonatan , de la Prieta Fernando
Published: October 2024

Medical specialists who diagnose patients with cardiovascular arrhythmias are not promptly available in rural areas. The proposed information system provides access to upload the data to a cloud-based processing module in which different arrhythmias are classified, allowing the classification of various arrhythmias to solve the scarcity of physicians in remote areas through an automatic system that helps with the diagnosis. This information system has a controller module for the operation that manages data collection, processing, beautification and visualization tasks. We used the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database during the training and validation of the classification module. The module uses deep learning to identify five different types of heartbeats according to standards, reporting 98.9% accuracy. The information system will improve health coverage in the prediagnosis of cardiovascular diseases.
Imaging Features Differentiating Between Cardiac Sarcomas and Hematologic Neoplasms
Authors: Singh Aparna , Hammer Mark M.
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The aim of the study is to assess the efficacy of computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT findings in differentiating between cardiac sarcoma and cardiac hematologic neoplasms, which are rare but potentially lethal primary cardiac malignancies.

Materials and Methods

We searched the electronic medical record for pathology-proven cases from 2012 to 2023, finding 69 patients (46 sarcomas, 23 cardiac hematologic neoplasms). Imaging features including tumor size, atrioventricular (AV) groove involvement, right coronary artery (RCA) encasement by 180°, pericardial effusion, lymphadenopathy, and metabolic activity on fluorodeoxyglucose PET were reviewed by a radiology fellow. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher exact test and Wilcoxon test.

Results

Cardiac sarcoma patients were younger (median age 49 years) compared to patients with cardiac hematologic malignancies (66 years, P = 0.006). While tumor size and chamber involvement were similar between the 2 categories, hematologic malignancies exhibited a notable predilection for AV groove involvement (70% vs 43%, P = 0.04) and RCA encasement (52% vs 26%, P = 0.02). Pulmonary metastases were more frequent in sarcoma cases (33% vs 4%, P = 0.006). There was no significant difference in fluorodeoxyglucose uptake. Lymphadenopathy was similar between the 2 disease groups. A decision tree constructed using AV groove involvement and patient age achieved 75% accuracy in predicting the diagnosis of the mass.

Conclusions

Overall, there is a substantial overlap in imaging features of cardiac sarcomas and hematologic malignancies involving the heart. Involvement of the AV groove and RCA encasement can allow a radiologist to favor hematologic malignancy. Ultimately, biopsy is required to establish a diagnosis.
Prevention of radial artery occlusion after transradial angiography and intervention: a best practice implementation project
Authors: Xia Biyun , Song Pinfang , McArthur Alexa , Bai Jiaojiao
Published: October 2024

Introduction:

Among the complications associated with transradial artery access, radial artery occlusion (RAO) is the most frequent and serious, limiting the reuse of the same radial artery for subsequent procedures and as a graft for coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objective:

The objective of this project was to implement best practices to reduce the incidence of RAO, thereby enhancing the quality of patient care after transradial coronary angiography or intervention.

Methods:

The project was conducted in cardiology department of the Huadong Hospital, Shanghai, China. The seven-phase JBI Evidence Implementation Framework was used to guide the project. Eight audit criteria were developed and a baseline audit was conducted to compare current practice with best practices for RAO prevention. Following the implementation of improvement strategies, a follow-up audit was conducted to evaluate the success of the strategies.

Results:

The implementation of best practices led to significant improvements in reducing the sheath/catheter size and systematically assessing radial artery patency before discharge, with both criteria reaching 100% compliance. The use of prophylactic ulnar compression increased from 0% to 90%, and the adoption of a minimal pressure strategy improved from 0% to 70%. The use of pre-puncture and post-procedural pre-hemostasis nitrates also increased from 23% to 93%. Barriers to implementation included the lack of dedicated devices for prophylactic ulnar artery compression, the possibility of bleeding after removal of the compression device, absence of an evidence-based care workflow, and absence of nursing assessment record forms for RAO prevention.

Conclusions:

This project promoted evidence-based practices among nurses for the care of RAO patients following transradial angiography and intervention. Efforts should be made to sustain the best practices in the future.

Spanish abstract:

http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A261
The principal components of electoral regimes: separating autocracies from pseudo-democracies
Authors: Wiesner Karoline , Bien Samuel , Wilson Matthew C.
Published: October 2024

A critical issue for society today is the emergence and decline of democracy worldwide. It is unclear, however, how democratic features, such as elections and civil liberties, influence this change. Democracy indices, which are the standard tool to study this question, are based on the
a priori
assumption that improvement in any individual feature strengthens democracy overall. We show that this assumption does not always hold. We use the V-Dem dataset for a quantitative study of electoral regimes worldwide during the twentieth century. We find a so-far overlooked trade-off between election capability and civil liberties. In particular, we identify a threshold in the democratization process at which the correlation between election capability and civil liberties flips from negative to positive. Below this threshold, we can thus clearly separate two kinds of non-democratic regimes: autocracies that govern through tightly controlled elections and regimes in which citizens are free but under less certainty—a distinction that existing democracy indices cannot make.
Integrative Proximal-Ubiquitomics Profiling for Deubiquitinase and E3 Ligase Substrate Discovery Applied to USP30
Authors: Damianou Andreas , Jones Hannah B.L. , Grigoriou Athina , Vendrell Iolanda , Davis Simon , Kessler Benedikt M.
Published: October 2024

Increasing interest in deubiquitinases (DUBs) and ubiquitin E3 ligases as drug targets to modulate critical molecular pathways in disease is driven by the discovery of specific cellular roles of these enzymes. Key to this is the identification of DUB or E3 ligase substrates. While global cellular ubiquitination changes upon perturbation of DUB/E3 ligase activity can be studied using mass spectrometry-based proteomic methods, these datasets include indirect and downstream ubiquitination events. To enrich for direct substrates of DUB/E3 ligase enzymes, we have combined proximity-labelling methodology (APEX2) and subsequent ubiquitination enrichment (based on the K-ε-GG motif) to form a proximal-ubiquitome workflow. We have applied this technology to identify altered ubiquitination events in the proximity of the DUB ubiquitin specific protease 30 (USP30) upon its inhibition. We show ubiquitination events previously linked to USP30 on TOMM20 and FKBP8 and the previously undescribed candidate substrate LETM1, which is deubiquitinated in a USP30-dependent manner.
Electrophysiological decoding captures the temporal trajectory of face categorization in infants
Authors: Kessler Roman , Skeide Michael A.
Published: October 2024

The adult human brain rapidly distinguishes between faces at around 170 milliseconds after stimulus onset. In the developing brain, however, the time course of face discrimination is poorly understood. To shed light on this issue, we presented human and nonhuman primate faces to five to thirteen-month-old infants in an event-related electroencephalography experiment. Using time-resolved decoding based on logistic regression we detected above-chance discrimination of human faces from nonhuman faces in a time window starting at around 200 milliseconds, originating from occipito-temporal electrodes. There was no evidence, however, for above-chance discrimination of individual human or individual nonhuman faces. Moreover, using neural network-based decoding, we delivered the proof of principle that face categorization but not individuation can be detected even at the level of single participants. These results indicate that rapid face categorization emerges already in preverbal infants.
Proteomic and transcriptomic host biomarkers for detection of pleural tuberculosis
Authors: Almeida Matheus Rogerio , van Hooij Anouk , Musch Nina , Verhard Els , van Veen Suzanne , Pierneef Louise , de Jong Danielle , da Silva Corrêa Raquel , Mafort Thiago Thomaz , Rufino Rogério , de Macedo Cristiana Santos , Kiełbasa Szymon M. , Corstjens Paul L.A.M. , Rodrigues Luciana Silva , Geluk Annemieke
Published: October 2024

Current diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis (PLTB) is based on highly invasive procedures. Therefore, blood-based host biomarkers could represent a low-invasive diagnostic alternative. Plasma and pleural effusion, as well as blood-and pleural fluid mononuclear cells (PBMCs and PFMCs), were sampled from patients with PLTB and other pleural diseases (OPLDs). In pleural effusion, ApoA1, C1q, CRP, IL-6, IFN-γ, IP-10, MIG, S100A12, SAA1/A2, and serpin-A3 were significantly higher in PLTB compared to OPLD, whereas only SAA1/A2 showed discriminatory potential in plasma. Increased mRNA levels were observed in PFMCs of PLTB forCD8A,GBP5,SLAMF7,CXCL10,IL2,GNLY,IL23A,PDCD1andBCMA, whereasHMOX1,CD163,DUSP3,IGF1,GUSBandMARCOwere decreased. In PBMCs of PLTB, onlyCCL22expression was decreased.GBP5was significantly higher expressed in PLTB for both cell types.

This study shows the potential of transcriptomic and proteomic host biomarkers to differentiate PLTB from OPLDs also when applying low-invasive methods.
IntegratingN-glycan and CODEX imaging reveal cell-specific protein glycosylation in healthy human lung
Authors: Veličković Dušan , Purkerson Jeffrey , Bhotika Harsh , Huyck Heidie , Clair Geremy , Pryhuber Gloria S. , Anderton Christopher
Published: October 2024

N-linked glycosylation, the major post-translational modification of cellular proteins, is important for proper lung functioning, serving to fold, traffic, and stabilize protein structures and to mediate various cell-cell recognition events. Identifying cell-specificN-glycan structures in human lungs is critical for understanding the chemistry and mechanisms that guide cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and determining nuanced functions of specificN-glycosylation. Our study, which used matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) combined with co-detection by indexing (CODEX) to reveal the cellular origin ofN-glycans, is a significant step in this direction. This innovative technological combination enabled us to detect and differentiateN-glycans located in the vicinity of cells surrounding airways and blood vessels, parenchyma, submucosal glands, cartilage, and smooth muscles. The potential impact of our findings on future research is immense. For instance, our algorithm for groupingN-glycans based on their functional chemical features, combined with identifying group niches, paves the way for targeted studies. We found that fucosylatedN-glycans are dominant around immune cells, tetra antennaryN-glycans in the cartilage, high-mannoseN-glycans surrounding the bronchus originate from associated collagenous structures, complex fucosylated-tetra antennary-polylactosamineN-glycans are spread over smooth muscle structures and in epithelial cells surrounding arteries, andN-glycans with Hex:6 HexNAc:6 compositions, which, according to our algorithm, can be ascribed to either tetra antennary or bisectingN-glycan, are highly abundant in the parenchyma. The findings suggest cell or region-specific functions for these localized glycan structures.
Finance–growth nexus and sustainable development in West Africa
Authors: AbdulKareem Hauwah K.K. , Jimoh Sodiq Olaiwola , Akande Rashidat Sumbola
Published: October 2024

Purpose

With the rising global emphasis on sustainable development (SD) and the attendant race to attain the sustainable development goals (SDGs), this study empirically examines the effect of the finance–economic growth nexus on SD in West Africa for the period 1970 to 2020.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted the panel autoregressive distributive lag (PARDL) and rests on the estimates of the pooled mean group (PMG) model in line with the outcome of the Hausman test.

Findings

The result indicates that financial development reinforces the positive influence of economic growth on SD in addition to the direct incremental impact they wield on SD. This suggests that financial development is one of the “influencing factors” and is positioned to potentially improve the relationship between economic growth and SD in West Africa. Findings further reveal that foreign direct investment (FDI) enhances the achievement of SD in West Africa whereas carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and natural resource rent (NRR) are found to exert a deteriorating impact.

Practical implications

Since financial development is found to enhance the growth–SD relationship, it is crucial to pursue domesticated, inclusive and self-sustaining growth policies as well as promote financial inclusion, remove bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the financial system and adopt the principles of the 3 Rs - “reduce, reuse and recycle.”

Originality/value

Compared to previous studies that examined the effect of financial development and growth on SD separately, the present study interacted both to see how financial development can influence the economic growth–SD nexus.
Safety-risk assessment system for prefabricated building construction in China
Authors: Li Xiaojuan , Chen Rixin , Chen Weibin , Jim C.Y.
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Prefabricated building (PB) uses factory production and onsite assembly, which differs from traditional construction methods. This special construction approach may lead to dissimilar safety risks and challenges. Traditional safety assessment methods may not adequately and accurately assess the safety risks of PB construction. This paper aims to develop a new concept and methodology for targeted improvement in assessing PB safety risks.

Design/methodology/approach

Risk factors and indicators were established based on literature review and expert inputs. A structural equation model (SEM) was developed to investigate the relationships among three main risk categories: objects, workers and management. SEM analyzed the intricate associations between indicators and deepened understanding of safety risks. The model was tailored for China’s PB construction projects to enhance safety-risk management.

Findings

The cloud model evaluation validated the SEM model. A PB case study project tested and verified the model, evaluated its efficacy and quantified its safety performance and grade. We identified significant safety risk impacts across the three risk categories, safety-control level and specific areas that require improvement. The SEM model established a robust safety evaluation indicator system for comprehensive safety assessment of PB construction.

Practical implications

Practical recommendations provide valuable insights for decision-makers to enhance construction efficiency without compromising safety. This study contributed to the conceptual foundation and devised a novel method for evaluating safety performance in PB construction for safer and more efficient practices.

Originality/value

This study departed from the traditional method of calculating weights, opting instead for the SEM method to determine the weights of individual risk indicators. Additionally, we leveraged the cloud model to mitigate the influence of subjective factors in analyzing questionnaire survey responses. The feasibility and reliability of our proposed method were rigorously tested and verified by applying it to the PB case.
Exploring influences shaping university students’ attitudes toward green buildings
Authors: Reams Margaret , Awolesi Oluwafemi
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate university students’ awareness of green residences and the factors influencing their willingness to pay for living in such accommodations.

Design/methodology/approach

This mixed-methods research involved 493 participants from Louisiana State University, USA. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire distributed via departmental and collegiate administrators. Both descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used to analyze the data.

Findings

Moderate familiarity with green building concepts, alongside a high degree of interest in residing in a green building prevailed among participants. A substantial majority of the students, 79.8%, excluding homeowners (n = 63), would consider investing at least double their current rent. Influencing factors encompassed peer influence, alignment with personal values, proximity to campus, energy efficiency, cost savings, sustainable materials, a reduced environmental impact and comfort. Despite initial concerns about high costs, optimism was expressed concerning the normalization of green buildings in university housing in the future.

Practical implications

The findings are beneficial to housing administrators and real estate developers when applied to other university communities, guiding them in marketing strategies for sustainability initiatives.

Originality/value

The survey instrument served as a primer on green building literacy while also eliciting nuanced responses from participants. Questions regarding financial considerations offer unique insights for decision-makers, and the study design lays the foundation for future comprehensive investigations in this relatively underexplored area.
Donating or collecting? Differential impact mechanisms of knowledge sharing through enterprise social media on employees' innovative work behavior
Authors: Wang Changyu , Chen Kexin , Feng Jiaojiao , Chen Jianyu
Published: October 2024

Purpose

In the digital age, enterprise social media (ESM) has been broadly used to break the barrier of space and time for knowledge sharing involving two activities—knowledge donating and knowledge collecting. Yet, hardly any study has thus far explored how and when knowledge donating and knowledge collecting through ESM impact employees’ innovative work behavior (IWB). Therefore, drawing on the social exchange theory, this study aims to introduce relational social capital as a mediator and performance climate as a moderator to examine differential impact mechanisms of knowledge donating and knowledge collecting through ESM on employee IWB.

Design/methodology/approach

First, we collected 225 survey data from employees who used ESM at work. Then, according to the two-stage procedure of the partial least square structural equation modeling method, we established and analyzed a moderated mediation model based on the context of ESM.

Findings

Results demonstrate that knowledge donating through ESM has a positive relationship with IWB, but knowledge collecting through ESM has no such relationship. Through the mediation of relational social capital, both knowledge donating and knowledge collecting through ESM have indirect positive relationships with IWB, but knowledge collecting through ESM has a greater one. Moreover, when employees perceived a relatively high-performance climate, the positive relationships of knowledge donating and knowledge collecting through ESM with IWB via relational social capital would be stronger.

Practical implications

On the one hand, organizational managers should not only focus on different innovation benefits caused by knowledge donating and knowledge collecting through ESM but also should realize differences in the direct/indirect effect of knowledge donating and knowledge collecting through ESM on IWB. On the other hand, employees need to proactively enhance their innovative ability by considering knowledge donating/collecting channels (e.g. ESM), gaining successful competitiveness. Moreover, both managers and employees should realize that different innovation benefits of knowledge sharing activities through ESM can be further strengthened when establishing a high-performance climate.

Originality/value

Different from prior literature on knowledge sharing or ESM, this study contributes to analyzing the differential effects of two dimensions (i.e. knowledge donating and knowledge collecting) of knowledge sharing on employees' IWB in the context of ESM.
The recipe to sweet success: competitive advantages for a Spanish chocolatier, 1874–1910
Authors: Jou-Badal Xavier
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to unravel the success story of a family business, while engaging with debates in business and management research through the application of corporate strategy frameworks. Implement a structured methodology to evaluate a company’s strategic efforts and explore how businesses historically achieved competitive advantages over time.

Design/methodology/approach

This company analysis adopts a longitudinal approach on competitive advantages, moving beyond traditional cross-sectional business to transform static models into dynamic ones. It adheres to Michael Porter’s Value Chain model (1985) and his subsequent revisions (1996, 2001) to explore how competitive advantages emerge and are sustained. Data exploration leverages an extensive archival corporate collection comprising approximately 100,000 documents, enabling a thorough examination of value chain activities through primary and secondary sources.

Findings

Chocolates Amatller effectively channelled its competitive advantages through strategic operational areas, including purchasing cocoa at prices below market value, using strong marketing tools such as illustrative collectible cards and posters and implementing skilful financial strategies.

Originality/value

Examine why, when and how a Spanish chocolatier achieved a position of prominence among Spain’s foremost industrial figures by constructing Barcelona’s iconic Casa Amatller.
Weighing user's privacy calculus on personal information disclosure: the moderating effect of social media identification
Authors: Chen Xi , Wu Maomao , Cheng Chen , Mou Jian
Published: October 2024

Purpose

With the widespread collection and utilization of user data, privacy security has become a crucial factor influencing online engagement. In response to the growing concern about privacy security issues on social media, this research aims to examine the key causes of social media users' privacy calculus and how the balance between perceived privacy risks and benefits affects users' privacy concerns and their subsequent willingness to disclose personal information.

Design/methodology/approach

The characteristics of the privacy calculus were extracted through partially structured interviews. A research model derived from privacy calculus theory was constructed, and latent variable modeling was employed to validate the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

Information sensitivity, experiences of privacy violations, social influence and the effectiveness of privacy policies influence users' privacy calculus. Privacy risk positively influences privacy concerns. Personal information disclosure willingness is positively influenced by privacy benefits and negatively influenced by privacy concerns, with both paths moderated by social media identification.

Originality/value

This study explores the key antecedents of users' privacy calculus and how these factors influence privacy concerns and subsequent willingness to disclose information on social media. It offers new insights into the privacy paradox observed within social media by validating the moderating role of social media identification on users' information disclosure willingness.
Imprisoned at Work: The Impact of Employee Monitoring on Physical Privacy and Individual Liberty
Authors: Hariharan Jeevan , Noorda Hadassa
Published: October 2024

There are now a wide range of tools available to monitor employees, boasting sophisticated features like keystroke logging, geolocational tracking and video surveillance. From a legal perspective, employee monitoring is most commonly analysed in terms of the impact it has on an employee's control over their information and data, ie their ‘informational privacy’. This article argues that monitoring is a more complex and layered issue, requiring the consideration of other values as well. Specifically, we argue that there are two (by no means exhaustive) reasons why employee monitoring is concerning which go beyond the use of information and data. First, monitoring affects physical and spatial, not just informational, components of privacy. Second, monitoring can be so severe in extreme cases that it curtails individual liberty and constitutes a form of imprisonment. The article draws out the significant legal implications of each of these claims, while addressing counterarguments to our position based on employee consent and the idea that work has always involved constraints on individual freedom.
Conserved fungal effector NLS1 suppresses Lepidoptera insect immunity by targeting the host defense protein Hdd11
Authors: Wang Yulong , Dong Ying , Liu Kexin , Li Gen , Cheng Jing , Cao Yin , Yang Yang , Qin Li , Huang Bo
Published: October 2024

Entomopathogenic fungi have been widely used as the main mycoinsecticide for controlling agricultural and forest pests. The effector molecules of these mycopathogens have evolved to adapt to their hosts. The role of fungal effectors in evading the host immune system in insects remains mainly unclear. We characterized the widely distributed fungal effector necrosis‐inducing‐like secreted protein 1 (NLS1) in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii. Our findings revealed the presence of M. robertsii NLS1 (MrNLS1) in host hemocytes during the early stage of hemocoel infection. MrNLS1 knock down (ΔMrNLS1) reduced fungal pathogenicity during infection and altered the expression of host immune genes. The molecular docking results and the yeast 2‐hybrid assay confirmed that MrNLS1 interacts with the host defense protein Hdd11. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that Hdd11 is conserved across a broad range of Lepidoptera species. Knock down of hdd11 in Helicoverpa armigera, Bombyx mori, and Galleria mellonella markedly suppressed their immune responses against M. robertsii. However, no significant difference was observed in the mean lethal time between hdd11‐knockdown Lepidoptera species infected with ΔMrNLS1 and those infected with wild‐type M. robertsii. Therefore, in Lepidoptera insects, Hdd11 is essential for fungal defense. In conclusion, M. robertsii infects Lepidoptera insects by targeting host Hdd11 through its protein MrNLS1, thereby suppressing the host immune response. Our findings clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying fungal infection pathogenesis.
Serotonin suppresses intraspecific aggression in an agrobiont spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata, without affecting predation on insects
Authors: Dong Shuchen , Chen Tao , Chen Yunru , Wang Yilin , Yan Yihao , Liu Xuerui , Liu Zewen , Yu Na
Published: October 2024

Spiders are an abundant group of natural enemies preying on insect pests in agroecosystem. But their potential in biological control has not been fully realized due to difficult mass production. One hindrance is the intense intraspecific aggression in spiders. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin play important roles in modulating aggression. Here, we investigated the regulatory function of serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine [5‐HT]) signaling in the intraspecific aggression in a wandering spider Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae, Lycosidae). The aggression was quantified with 5 escalated aggression behaviors as approach, chasing, lunging, boxing, and biting. Virgin (VG) females exhibited higher aggression levels but less 5‐HT content than post‐reproductive (PR) females. Systemic increase of 5‐HT via 5‐HT injection decreased aggression, while decrease of 5‐HT via RNA interference (RNAi) of the tryptophan hydroxylase gene, increased aggression. The involvement of the four 5‐HT receptors were determined via individual or combined RNAi. Co‐RNAi of the three 5‐HT1 genes increased overall aggression with decreased incidents of approach, chasing, lunging, and increased biting. RNAi of 5‐HT1B decreased approach and increased biting, whereas RNAi of 5‐HT1A or 5‐HT1C did not affect aggression. RNAi of 5‐HT7 decreased approach only. Therefore, different 5‐HT receptor types contribute to different aspects of the inhibitory effects of 5‐HT on aggression and provide several pharmacological targets for manipulating spider aggression. 5‐HT injection did not affect spiders’ predation on their insect prey, the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens. The findings reveal 1 neuronal mechanism regulating intraspecific aggression in spiders and provide an insight in developing aggression suppression strategies for spider mass rearing.
Three‐dimensional assessment of root canal morphology of primary dentition using cone beam computed tomography
Authors: Sahoo Subhashree , Sriram Swetha , Muthu Murugan Satta , Haridoss Selvakumar , Lee Justin J. C. , Swaminathan Kavitha , C Krithika , Sung Young Jae , Musale Prasad
Published: October 2024

Background

Root canal therapy in primary teeth is exceedingly complex due to the unique internal geometry of the pulp cavity.

Aim

The purpose of this study was to evaluate variations in primary teeth root canal morphology and applicability of the Ahmed et al. (Int Endod J, 50, 2017, 761) alphanumeric system for classifying them.

Design

A retrospective analysis of 2024 primary teeth from an existing CBCT database was performed for assessing variations in root canal morphology. Descriptive statistics and the chi‐squared test were used for data analysis.

Results

The maxillary canines exhibited splitting levels of 5.9% (right) and 6.6% (left), and merging levels of 1% (both sides); maxillary lateral incisors showed splitting levels of 2.6% (right) and 0.8% (left), with no merging observed; mandibular second molars had splitting levels of 1.5% (right) and 0.8% (left), with no merging observed; and mandibular lateral incisors exhibited a merging level of 0.9% (right), with no splitting observed.

Conclusion

This study provides new insights into the variations in root canal morphology of primary teeth, particularly highlighting the variations found in primary canines. The Ahmed et al. (Int Endod J, 50, 2017, 761) classification system was found to be a useful tool for categorizing these variations.
Women's Experience and Management of Cancer‐Related Fatigue and Psychological Distress During Treatment for Gynaecological Cancer: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Ma Xing , Wang Qian , Chan Dorothy Ngo Sheung
Published: October 2024

Aim

To explore women's experience and management of cancer‐related fatigue and psychological distress during treatment for gynaecological cancer.

Design

Qualitative descriptive study.

Methods

Face‐to‐face semistructured individual interviews were conducted with 23 women in mainland China undergoing treatment for gynaecological cancer between July and October 2023. Data were analysed using content analysis.

Results

Three categories were identified: overwhelming experience of cancer‐related fatigue, diverse experiences of psychological distress and strategies for managing cancer‐related fatigue and psychological distress. Participants reported physical exhaustion and emotional fatigue, disrupting their normal lives. Psychological distress included distress due to cancer treatment, psychological burden associated with social relationships, frustration with being ill and worries about disease progression and recurrence. Strategies for managing symptoms were mainly nonpharmacological, with some unable to find suitable methods.

Conclusion

This study found that participants had a complex experience of cancer‐related fatigue and psychological distress, influenced by social expectations regarding women's roles and treatment impacts on reproductive health and femininity. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive interventions involving family members or fellow patients to reduce both symptoms.

Implications for Patient Care

Nurses should focus on addressing cancer‐related fatigue and psychological distress in women receiving treatment for gynaecological cancer, particularly in adolescents and young adults. It is essential to provide comprehensive care to improve their physical and psychological well‐being.

Impact

This study explored how women with gynaecological cancer experience and manage cancer‐related fatigue and psychological distress. The findings highlight the need for holistic care that addresses physical and psychological symptoms. Nurses should consider the impact of reproductive health and femininity on symptom experiences and management. Furthermore, the findings could inform the development of evidence‐based interventions to improve the physical and psychological well‐being of women with gynaecological cancer.

Reporting Method

Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.