bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A preliminary analysis of the effect of individual differences on cognitive performance in young companion dogs
Authors: Smith Jordan G. , Krichbaum Sarah , Montgomery Lane , Cox Emma , Katz Jeffrey S.
Published: April 2024

Many factors influence cognitive performance in dogs, including breed, temperament, rearing history, and training. Studies in working dog populations have demonstrated age-related improvements in cognitive task performance across the first years of development. However, the effect of certain factors, such as age, sex, and temperament, on cognitive performance in puppies has yet to be evaluated in a more diverse population of companion dogs. In this study, companion dogs under 12 months of age were tested once on two tasks purported to measure aspects of executive function: the delayed-search task (DST) and the detour reversal task (DRT). Owners also filled out the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) to evaluate how temperament influenced task performance. Contrary to prior research, performance did not improve with age on either task. However, the lack of age effects was likely the result of small sample sizes and individual differences across other factors influencing performance. Specifically, temperament differences as measured by the C-BARQ subscales for nonsocial fear and excitability predicted task performance on the DST, but the effect of temperament on task performance differed between males and females. Excitability also predicted performance on the DRT, but the effect depended on the age of the dog. In addition, no correlations were observed between task measures, indicating a lack of construct validity. Overall, these findings provide a preliminary analysis of factors that appear to influence cognitive task performance in young companion dogs and highlight suggestions for future research evaluating the impact of individual differences on cognitive performance.
Cattle, conflict, and climate variability: explaining pastoralist conflict intensity in the Karamoja region of Uganda
Authors: Wennström Patrick
Published: April 2024

Conflicts between pastoralist groups in Africa are rampant and cause numerous deaths each year, but their intensity exhibits significant spatial and temporal variations. Under what conditions do some pastoralist conflicts turn more violent than others? Previous research has shown that climate variability may be a relevant explanatory factor under certain conditions, yet little is known about how specific combinations of conditions jointly affect pastoralist conflict intensity. Moreover, many studies have investigated the link between resource scarcity and conflict, but few have examined how asymmetrical distribution of resources between groups affects levels of violence. This article contributes to filling these gaps through a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) of pastoralist conflicts in Karamoja, Uganda—a region characterized by cattle husbandry, communal conflict, and a highly variable climate. Five conditions that are related either to incentives for taking to violence or to opportunity structures are examined and three pathways to high-intensity conflict are identified. The results show that an asymmetrical distribution of resources between pastoralist groups during a drought incentivizes conflict, particularly in remote areas with nearby armed conflicts. The article highlights some implications for future research and policy. First, it shows that this type of conflict cannot be reduced to simple “resource scarcity conflicts” since climate variability only has an effect in combination with other conditions. Second, it emphasizes the need for policy approaches that consider both environmental variability and political contexts in addressing pastoralist violence.
Assessing inconsistencies in historical land-use reconstructions for Africa at 1800
Authors: Kabora Tabitha K. , Stump Daryl , Thomas Chris D. , Beale Colin M.
Published: April 2024

Reconstructing historical land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) inevitably involves interpolation across regions for which there is limited data to support reconstructions. Here, we evaluate the extent to which the global land-use model HYDE v3.2.1 reflects historical land use in sub-Saharan Africa (including Madagascar) when compared to archaeological and historical reconstructions. Both the HYDE models and Widgren’s archaeological and historical reconstructions estimate that agriculture was widely scattered across sub-Saharan Africa in 1800 CE. However, in steep terrain, at slopes greater than 10°, the HYDE model estimated 0% cropland allocation while archaeological and historical observations suggest intensive, mixed and extensive farming was common in these areas. In addition, while HYDE allocates farmland primarily into high-quality soils, archaeological reconstructions suggest that intensive farming occurred across a wide range of soil qualities. Gaps in our knowledge of cropland distribution have significant impacts on models of biodiversity change since understanding biodiversity in the Anthropocene is reliant on our understanding of past land-use changes. While HYDE’s mismatches are known, the research presented here provides an important resource in identifying where these allocation rules fail. These mismatches in global land-use models such as HYDE might also be replicated for other regions of the world, such as South America. These mismatches also need to be accounted for when generating model projections that use historical land-use models to impute present and future trends in land-use, climate and biodiversity change. Localised archaeological and historical data can therefore be used to support historical global land-use reconstructions for Africa and other regions across the world.
Convolutional neural network deep learning model accurately detects rectal cancer in endoanal ultrasounds
Authors: Carter D. , Bykhovsky D. , Hasky A. , Mamistvalov I. , Zimmer Y. , Ram E. , Hoffer O.
Published: April 2024

Background

Imaging is vital for assessing rectal cancer, with endoanal ultrasound (EAUS) being highly accurate in large tertiary medical centers. However, EAUS accuracy drops outside such settings, possibly due to varied examiner experience and fewer examinations. This underscores the need for an AI-based system to enhance accuracy in non-specialized centers. This study aimed to develop and validate deep learning (DL) models to differentiate rectal cancer in standard EAUS images.

Methods

A transfer learning approach with fine-tuned DL architectures was employed, utilizing a dataset of 294 images. The performance of DL models was assessed through a tenfold cross-validation.

Results

The DL diagnostics model exhibited a sensitivity and accuracy of 0.78 each. In the identification phase, the automatic diagnostic platform achieved an area under the curve performance of 0.85 for diagnosing rectal cancer.

Conclusions

This research demonstrates the potential of DL models in enhancing rectal cancer detection during EAUS, especially in settings with lower examiner experience. The achieved sensitivity and accuracy suggest the viability of incorporating AI support for improved diagnostic outcomes in non-specialized medical centers.
A Guideline for Open-Source Tools to Make Medical Imaging Data Ready for Artificial Intelligence Applications: A Society of Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) Survey
Authors: Vahdati Sanaz , Khosravi Bardia , Mahmoudi Elham , Zhang Kuan , Rouzrokh Pouria , Faghani Shahriar , Moassefi Mana , Tahmasebi Aylin , Andriole Katherine P. , Chang Peter , Farahani Keyvan , Flores Mona G. , Folio Les , Houshmand Sina , Giger Maryellen L. , Gichoya Judy W. , Erickson Bradley J.
Published: April 2024

In recent years, the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medical imaging has become increasingly prominent, with the majority of AI applications approved by the FDA being in imaging and radiology in 2023. The surge in AI model development to tackle clinical challenges underscores the necessity for preparing high-quality medical imaging data. Proper data preparation is crucial as it fosters the creation of standardized and reproducible AI models while minimizing biases. Data curation transforms raw data into a valuable, organized, and dependable resource and is a fundamental process to the success of machine learning and analytical projects. Considering the plethora of available tools for data curation in different stages, it is crucial to stay informed about the most relevant tools within specific research areas. In the current work, we propose a descriptive outline for different steps of data curation while we furnish compilations of tools collected from a survey applied among members of the Society of Imaging Informatics (SIIM) for each of these stages. This collection has the potential to enhance the decision-making process for researchers as they select the most appropriate tool for their specific tasks.
The 24th International Seaweed Symposium - ‘Seaweeds in a changing world’
Authors: Robledo Daniel
Published: April 2024

The 24th edition of the International Seaweed Symposium (ISS), an academic-industry event that dates back to 1952, was held for the first time in Oceania. The local organizing committee chaired by Professor Catriona Hurd, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, and Professor Michael A. Borowitzka, Murdoch University, Western Australia worked tirelessly to curate a program that balanced scientific rigor with engaging discussions, providing ample opportunities for networking and collaboration. “Seaweeds in a changing world” was the theme of this symposium, participants from 48 countries from all over the world attended this symposium from 19-24 February 2023. More than 576 on-site and 207 virtual participants registered for the Symposium who contributed to the success of this event. The International Seaweed Association (ISA) ensures the continued development of seaweed and its benefits and serves as a bridge between research academia and industry. The ISA is ready to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the ISS and is also proud to announce that the 25th International Seaweed Symposium (ISS) will be held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 4-9 May, 2025 with the Local support of Ocean Networks Canada, Cascadia Seaweed, and the Pacific Seaweed Industry Association (https://iss25.com).
Efficient Stacking and Grasping in Unstructured Environments
Authors: Wang Fei , Liu Yue , Shi Manyi , Chen Chao , Liu Shangdong , Zhu Jinbiao
Published: April 2024

Robotics has been booming in recent years. Especially with the development of artificial intelligence, more and more researchers have devoted themselves to the field of robotics, but there are still many shortcomings in the multi-task operation of robots. Reinforcement learning has achieved good performance in manipulator manipulation, especially in grasping, but grasping is only the first step for the robot to perform actions, and it often ignores the stacking, assembly, placement, and other tasks to be carried out later. Such long-horizon tasks still face the problems of expensive time, dead-end exploration, and process reversal. Hierarchical reinforcement learning has some advantages in solving the above problems, but not all tasks can be learned hierarchically. This paper mainly solves the complex manipulation task of continuous multi-action of the manipulator by improving the method of hierarchical reinforcement learning, aiming to solve the task of long sequences such as stacking and alignment by proposing a framework. Our framework completes simulation experiments on various tasks and improves the success rate from 78.3% to 94.8% when cleaning cluttered toys. In the stacking toy experiment, the training speed is nearly three times faster than the baseline method. And our method can be generalized to other long-horizon tasks. Experiments show that the more complex the task, the greater the advantage of our framework.
Novel pH-sensitive triptolide-loaded micelles: a potential approach to increase anti-tumor activity of the diterpenoid epoxide
Authors: Lu Zhimeng , Yan Kun , Liu Chunlei , Wang Jiapeng , Yu Guiping , Zhang Hao
Published: April 2024

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, a traditional medicine in China has bioactive but toxic triptolide (TP, a diterpenoid triepoxide) as its main active constituents. The applications of TP are hampered by its prominent toxicity and low solubility in water. In this study, a safe pH-sensitive material [methoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG)- adipic dihydrazide (ADH)] was synthesized and loaded with TP to form pH-sensitive polymeric micelles, thereby improving the safety and solubility of TP, as well as providing a theoretical basis for the wide application of TP. The mPEG-ADH/TP micelles were characterized by a series of indicators [namely entrapment efficiency (EE), critical micellar concentration (CMC), electrokinetic potential, stability, polydispersed index (PDI), and particle size]. Also, we ascertained the in vitro release of TP from mPEG-ADH/TP micelles along with pharmacokinetic investigations in vivo. Besides, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of mPEG-ADH/TP micelles against A549 cells, HCT116 cells, and HaCat cells and further conducted in vivo toxicity studies in rats. The TP-loaded mPEG-ADH micelles had smaller sized particles (48.3 nm), excellent PDI (0.142), stable property and higher EE (89.87%). Importantly, the TP in the mPEG-ADH/TP micelles was almost completely released at acidic pH (pH 5.0), while the drug was released slowly and sparingly at physiological pH (pH 7.4). The results suggest the release of TP from mPEG-ADH/TP micelles was sensitive to pH, which could facilitate targeting of the drug into intra-cellularly low pH endosomes and lysosomes as well as enhance cytotoxicity in cancer tissues. Moreover, mPEG-ADH/TP micelles exhibited excellent proliferation inhibition on tumor cells. In addition, the liver injury of rats in the 1 mg/kg dose of mPEG-ADH/TP micelles group was significantly reduced by Hematoxylin–eosin (HE) staining. Taken together, mPEG-ADH/TP micelles could act as a promising alternative to enhance the efficacy of oncologic treatments.
Self-Enhanced Attention for Image Captioning
Authors: Sun Qingyu , Zhang Juan , Fang Zhijun , Gao Yongbin
Published: April 2024

Image captioning, which involves automatically generating textual descriptions based on the content of images, has garnered increasing attention from researchers. Recently, Transformers have emerged as the preferred choice for the language model in image captioning models. Transformers leverage self-attention mechanisms to address gradient accumulation issues and eliminate the risk of gradient explosion commonly associated with RNN networks. However, a challenge arises when the input features of the self-attention mechanism belong to different categories, as it may result in ineffective highlighting of important features. To address this issue, our paper proposes a novel attention mechanism called Self-Enhanced Attention (SEA), which replaces the self-attention mechanism in the decoder part of the Transformer model. In our proposed SEA, after generating the attention weight matrix, it further adjusts the matrix based on its own distribution to effectively highlight important features. To evaluate the effectiveness of SEA, we conducted experiments on the COCO dataset, comparing the results with different visual models and training strategies. The experimental results demonstrate that when using SEA, the CIDEr score is significantly higher compared to the scores obtained without using SEA. This indicates the successful addressing of the challenge of effectively highlighting important features with our proposed mechanism.
Enhancing the Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication and Vibration Behavior of Rolling Bearings Using a Hybrid Bio-Grease Blended with Activated Carbon Nanoparticles
Authors: Abouelkasem Zeyad A. , Nassef Galal A. , Abdelnaeem Mohamed , Nassef Mohamed G. A.
Published: April 2024

In recent years, bio-lubricants have received a growing interest for industrial applications. Still, a full-scale implementation in machinery lubrication requires a thorough evaluation of their performance through tribological and operational tests to stand upon their performance. Additionally, the promising outcomes achieved by nanoadditives in improving the performance of synthetic lubricants have prompted research efforts to identify suitable nanoadditives for bio-grease. This paper introduces a bio-grease from a hybrid vegetable oil and glycerol monostearate as a thickener for the lubrication of rolling bearings. Activated carbon nanoparticles (ACNPs) as nanoadditives were synthesized, characterized, and incorporated into the bio-grease at concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 2% by weight. Tribo-tests were conducted on these bio-grease blends, and running tests were carried out using 6006 ball bearings on a custom test rig. Throughout a 30-min test run under a radial load of 10% of the bearing’s dynamic load rating, mechanical vibrations and power consumption were measured and analyzed for each bearing. The bio-grease with ACNPs exhibited a substantial reduction in wear scar diameter (WSD) and coefficient of friction (COF), achieving improvements of up to 73.6 and 65%, respectively, in comparison to lithium grease. Furthermore, the load carrying capacity was enhanced by 200%. The study revealed a strong correlation between measured vibration amplitudes and the viscosity of the bio-grease. The absence of high frequency resonant bands in vibration spectra indicated that the test grease samples satisfied the conditions of elastohydrodynamic lubrication, and these findings were corroborated through calculations of the minimum oil film thickness.
Efficient Corrections for Standardized Person-Fit Statistics
Authors: Gorney Kylie , Sinharay Sandip , Eckerly Carol
Published: April 2024

Many popular person-fit statistics belong to the class of standardized person-fit statistics, T, and are assumed to have a standard normal null distribution. However, in practice, this assumption is incorrect since T is computed using (a) an estimated ability parameter and (b) a finite number of items. Snijders (Psychometrika 66(3):331–342, 2001) developed mean and variance corrections for T to account for the use of an estimated ability parameter. Bedrick (Psychometrika 62(2):191–199, 1997) and Molenaar and Hoijtink (Psychometrika 55(1):75–106, 1990) developed skewness corrections for T to account for the use of a finite number of items. In this paper, we combine these two lines of research and propose three new corrections for T that simultaneously account for the use of an estimated ability parameter and the use of a finite number of items. The new corrections are efficient in that they only require the analysis of the original data set and do not require the simulation or analysis of any additional data sets. We conducted a detailed simulation study and found that the new corrections are able to control the Type I error rate while also maintaining reasonable levels of power. A real data example is also included.
Removal of chromium(III) from contaminated waters using cobalt ferrite: how safe is remediated water to aquatic wildlife?
Authors: Almeida Joana C. , Cardoso Celso E. D. , Tavares Daniela S. , Trindade Tito , Vale Carlos , Freitas Rosa , Pereira Eduarda
Published: April 2024

The release of hazardous elements by industrial effluents to aquatic ecosystems is a potential threat to the environment. Chromium (Cr) is one of the elements whose levels in several freshwater ecosystems should be reduced to promote water reuse. In recent years, magnetic materials have gained increasing interest as sorbents because of their easy removal from treated water through magnetic separation. In this study, colloidal cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) particles were investigated as magnetic sorbents for chromium-aqueous chemical species. The oxidative stress responses of Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels exposed to 200 μg/L of Cr, resembling remediated water, were evaluated. More than 95% of Cr was removed from contaminated solutions by CoFe2O4 aqueous suspensions at pH 6 and pH 10. The kinetics of sorption experiments were examined using pseudo-1st order, pseudo-2nd order and Elovich models to evaluate which mathematical model has a better adjustment to the experimental data. The present study revealed that the levels of Cr that remained in remediated water induced limited biochemical changes in mussels, being considered safe for aquatic systems. Overall, the use of cobalt ferrite–based sorbents may constitute a promising approach to remediate contaminated water.
Green hydrogen generation in alkaline solution using electrodeposited Ni-Co-nano-graphene thin film cathode
Authors: Shaarawy Hassan H. , Hussein Hala S. , Attia Adel , Hawash Salwa I.
Published: April 2024

Green hydrogen generation technologies are currently the most pressing worldwide issues, offering promising alternatives to existing fossil fuels that endanger the globe with growing global warming. The current research focuses on the creation of green hydrogen in alkaline electrolytes utilizing a Ni-Co-nano-graphene thin film cathode with a low overvoltage. The recommended conditions for creating the target cathode were studied by electrodepositing a thin Ni-Co-nano-graphene film in a glycinate bath over an iron surface coated with a thin copper interlayer. Using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping analysis, the obtained electrode is physically and chemically characterized. These tests confirm that Ni, Co, and nano-graphene are homogeneously dispersed, resulting in a lower electrolysis voltage in green hydrogen generation. Tafel plots obtained to analyze electrode stability revealed that the Ni-Co-nano-graphene cathode was directed to the noble direction, with the lowest corrosion rate. The Ni-Co-nano-graphene generated was used to generate green hydrogen in a 25% KOH solution. For the production of 1 kg of green hydrogen utilizing Ni-Co-nano-graphene electrode, the electrolysis efficiency was 95.6% with a power consumption of 52 kwt h−1, whereas it was 56.212. kwt h−1 for pure nickel thin film cathode and 54. kwt h−1 for nickel cobalt thin film cathode, respectively.
Influence of pH and temperature on the performance and microbial community during the production of medium-chain carboxylic acids using winery effluents as substrate
Authors: Villegas-Rodríguez Sharon B. , Arreola-Vargas Jorge , Buitrón Germán
Published: April 2024

Winery effluents containing high ethanol concentrations and diverse organic matter are ideal substrates for producing medium-chain carboxylic acids via fermentation and chain elongation. However, the process needs to be better understood. This study presents novel insights into the bioconversion mechanisms of medium-chain carboxylic acids by correlating fermentation and chain elongation kinetic profiles with the study of microbial communities at different pH (5 to 7) conditions and temperatures (30 to 40 °C). It was found that high productivities of MCCA were obtained using a native culture and winery effluents as a natural substrate. Minor pH variations significantly affected the metabolic pathway of the microorganisms for MCCA production. The maximal productivities of hexanoic (715 mg/L/d) and octanoic (350 mg/L/d) acids were found at pH 6 and 35 °C. Results evidence that the presence of Clostridium, Bacteroides, and Negativicutes promotes the high productions of MCCA. The formation of heptanoic acid was favor when Mogibacterium and Burkholderia were present.

Graphical Abstract
Neurobehavioral dysfunction in a mouse model of Down syndrome: upregulation of cystathionine β-synthase, H2S overproduction, altered protein persulfidation, synaptic dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and autophagy
Authors: Panagaki Theodora , Janickova Lucia , Petrovic Dunja , Zuhra Karim , Ditrói Tamás , Jurányi Eszter P. , Bremer Olivier , Ascenção Kelly , Philipp Thilo M. , Nagy Péter , Filipovic Milos R. , Szabo Csaba
Published: April 2024

Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic condition where the person is born with an extra chromosome 21. DS is associated with accelerated aging; people with DS are prone to age-related neurological conditions including an early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Using the Dp(17)3Yey/ + mice, which overexpresses a portion of mouse chromosome 17, which encodes for the transsulfuration enzyme cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), we investigated the functional role of the CBS/hydrogen sulfide (H2S) pathway in the pathogenesis of neurobehavioral dysfunction in DS. The data demonstrate that CBS is higher in the brain of the DS mice than in the brain of wild-type mice, with primary localization in astrocytes. DS mice exhibited impaired recognition memory and spatial learning, loss of synaptosomal function, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and autophagy. Treatment of mice with aminooxyacetate, a prototypical CBS inhibitor, improved neurobehavioral function, reduced the degree of reactive gliosis in the DS brain, increased the ability of the synaptosomes to generate ATP, and reduced endoplasmic reticulum stress. H2S levels in the brain of DS mice were higher than in wild-type mice, but, unexpectedly, protein persulfidation was decreased. Many of the above alterations were more pronounced in the female DS mice. There was a significant dysregulation of metabolism in the brain of DS mice, which affected amino acid, carbohydrate, lipid, endocannabinoid, and nucleotide metabolites; some of these alterations were reversed by treatment of the mice with the CBS inhibitor. Thus, the CBS/H2S pathway contributes to the pathogenesis of neurological dysfunction in DS in the current animal model.
Age and entrepreneurship: Mapping the scientific coverage and future research directions
Authors: Syed Raihan Taqui , Singh Dharmendra , Ahmad Nisar , Butt Irfan
Published: April 2024

Researchers’ interest in studying the relationship between age and entrepreneurship has mushroomed in the last decade. While over a hundred articles are published and indexed in the Scopus database alone with varying and fragmented results, there has been a lack of effort in reviewing, integrating, and classifying the literature. This article offers a framework-based systematic review of 174 articles to comprehend the relationship and influencing factors related to an individual's age and entrepreneurship. Bibliographic coupling is used to identify the prominent clusters in the literature on this topic and the most influential articles. Also, the TCCM review framework is adopted to provide a comprehensive insight into dominant theories applied, contexts (geographic regions and industries) incorporated, characteristics (antecedents, consequences, mediating and moderating variables, and their relationships) investigated, and research methods employed in age and entrepreneurship research over the last fifteen (2007–2022). Though the literature covers an array of industries, to better understand the age-entrepreneurship correlation, we need to investigate the new-age technologically driven business sectors further to expand our knowledge. Furthermore, we detect that the Theory of Planned Behavior mostly dominates the literature, with other theories trivially employed. Finally, we apply the TCCM framework to suggest fertile areas for future research.
Neuroentrepreneurship: state of the art and future lines of work
Authors: Juárez-Varón David , Zuluaga Juan Camilo Serna , Recuerda Ana Mengual
Published: April 2024

This study aims to conduct a literature review and examine key research topics within the field of neuroentrepreneurship, categorizing works based on this classification and specifying different directions of research lines. Additionally, it seeks to compile definitions and their evolution regarding the concept of neuroentrepreneurship, contributing a new proposal. The methodology involves identifying keywords related to main themes and their direct relation to all research works encompassed in the entrepreneurship spectrum. Research articles matching the query are extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases, as they provide a comprehensive citation search and access to multidisciplinary research, adhering to established inclusion-exclusion criteria. Findings allow the classification of contributions to the literature into four themes: Neuroscience and entrepreneurship, the use of neurotechnologies in entrepreneurship research, the neurological profile of the entrepreneur, and ethics in neuroentrepreneurship. Lastly, this study emphasizes its originality by presenting a set of works directly related to neuroentrepreneurship, establishing a classification based on four thematic research lines in neuroentrepreneurship. This allows extracting a limited set of definitions for the concept, classifying them based on themes incorporated in the definition. Finally, the authors provide a comprehensive definition of neuroentrepreneurship, tailored to the four major research blocks in this discipline.
Financial stress and quit intention: the mediating role of entrepreneurs’ affective commitment
Authors: Kleine Anne-Kathrin , Schmitt Antje , Wisse Barbara M.
Published: April 2024

One primary reason why entrepreneurs abandon their entrepreneurial goals is due to pressing financial difficulties. In one experimental and two field studies, we investigated the relationship between entrepreneurs’ financial stress and their intention to quit their businesses. In line with the challenge–hindrance stressor (CHS) framework, all three studies showed a positive link between financial stress and quit intention, both concurrently and over time. Furthermore, drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), we found support for affective commitment (but not continuance commitment) to the entrepreneurial endeavors as a mediator of the relationship. The findings provide novel insights into financial stress as a relevant entrepreneurial hindrance stressor and the role of the emotional bond formed (and dissolved) between entrepreneurs and their jobs as the mediating mechanism. Practical suggestions include considering the affective commitment levels of entrepreneurs to enhance consultancy and decision-making in entrepreneurship.
Development of an LC–MS/MS method for the determination of five psychoactive drugs in postmortem urine by optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis of glucuronide conjugates
Authors: Matsuo Tomohito , Ogawa Tadashi , Iwai Masae , Kubo Katsutoshi , Kondo Fumio , Seno Hiroshi
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Toxicological analyses of biological samples play important roles in forensic and clinical investigations. Ingested drugs are excreted in urine as conjugates with endogenous substances such as glucuronic acid; hydrolyzing these conjugates improves the determination of target drugs by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). In this study, we sought to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of glucuronide conjugates of five psychoactive drugs (11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, oxazepam, lorazepam, temazepam, and amitriptyline).

Methods

The efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of glucuronide conjugates in urine was optimized by varying temperature, enzyme volume, and reaction time. The hydrolysis was performed directly on extraction columns. This analysis method using LC–MS/MS was applied to forensic autopsy samples after thorough validation.

Results

We found that the recombinant β-glucuronidase B-One® quantitatively hydrolyzed these conjugates within 3 min at room temperature directly on extraction columns. This on-column method saved time and eliminated the loss of valuable samples during transfer to the extraction column. LC–MS/MS-based calibration curves processed with this method showed good linearity, with r2 values exceeding 0.998. The intra- and inter-day accuracies and precisions of the method were 93.0–109.7% and 0.8–8.8%, respectively. The recovery efficiencies were in the range of 56.1–104.5%. Matrix effects were between 78.9 and 126.9%.

Conclusions

We have established an LC–MS/MS method for five psychoactive drugs in urine after enzymatic hydrolysis of glucuronide conjugates directly on extraction columns. The method was successfully applied to forensic autopsy samples. The established method will have broad applications, including forensic and clinical toxicological investigations.
Use of industrial wastes for stabilizing expansive clays in pavement applications: durability and microlevel investigation
Authors: Zimar Z. , Robert D. , Giustozzi F. , Zhou A. , Setunge S. , Kodikara J.
Published: April 2024

Expansive clays feature high compressibility and large swelling-shrinkage potential, which may cause significant damage to the infrastructures, including pavements. This study investigates the potential use of industrial waste ash generated from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) as a more sustainable treatment method to treat expansive soils compared to the use of conventional coal fly ash. A series of tests was conducted to study the mechanical, durability, and environmental performance of the MSWI fly ash in comparison with the coal fly ash. The study reveals that the compressive strength and resilient modulus of 20% MSWI fly ash treated sample increased to 0.86 MPa and 213 MPa respectively, depicting an increase of 150% and 240% of the control clay specimen. Results also indicate that MSWI treated expansive clay shows better performance during the soaked California bearing ratio (CBR) testings, moisture susceptibility and cyclic wetting–drying tests compared to coal fly ash treated samples. Microlevel investigations reveal that the influence of cation exchange is more decisive in the MSWI-treated clays due to the presence of higher Ca2+ ions, during the early stages, and the influence of hydration is stronger at the later stage of stabilisation. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that gismondine, albite, calcite, portlandite, andradite, and ettringite are the main crystalline phases formed during the stabilization. Heavy metal concentrations after the stabilisation are within the allowable limit defined by state regulations. Applying MSWI fly ash as a ground treatment for expansive clays can reduce the consumption of natural resources, promoting a “zero landfill” policy.
Particle size distribution (PSD) estimation using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry for rockfill shear strength characterization
Authors: Arrieta Marco , Zhang Zong-Xian
Published: April 2024

The strength of rockfills and waste materials is significantly influenced by their particle size distribution (PSD). For large waste rockfills, PSD is fundamental to determine the shear behavior. Traditionally, PSD for rockfill, used in materials like coarse-grained aggregates, has been obtained through physical sieving. However, the particle sizes in hard rockfills can vary significantly from small particles (< 20 cm diameter) to large blocks or boulders over 100 cm, with the maximum size limited by the in situ ground conditions and blasting performance. Essentially, the sieving process is impractical, considering the scale of the mine waste dumps and the time required. Therefore, in this study, a workflow using digital detection to estimate the PSD is presented, aiming to quantify the waste dump shear strength using Barton–Kjaernsli empirical criterion. PSD from UAV is validated using manual field measurements of individual boulders. The error for coarse characteristic size prediction ranges within ± 4 mm, and the increase in the data collection frequency, area covered, and resolution of fragmentation measurement for rockfills and waste dumps using UAV allows to improve the statistical reliability of the PSD and fragmentation measurement.
Comparing patient-reported outcomes and lifestyle factors before and after the COVID-19 pandemic among Black and Hispanic breast cancer survivors in New Jersey
Authors: Sánchez-Díaz Carola T. , Zeinomar Nur , Iyer Hari S. , Perlstein Marley , Gonzalez Brian D. , Hong Chi-Chen , Bandera Elisa V. , Qin Bo
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in the US since March 2020 on cancer survivorship among Black and Hispanic breast cancer (BC) survivors remains largely unknown. We aimed to evaluate associations of the pandemic with participant characteristics, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and lifestyle factors among Black and Hispanic BC survivors in the Women’s Circle of Health Follow-Up Study and the New Jersey BC Survivors Study.

Methods

We included 447 Black (npre = 364 and npost = 83) and 182 Hispanic (npre = 102 and npost = 80) BC survivors who completed a home interview approximately 24 months post-diagnosis between 2017 and 2023. The onset of the pandemic was defined as March 2020. The association of the pandemic with binary outcomes was estimated using robust Poisson regression models.

Results

Hispanic and Black BC survivors recruited after the onset of the pandemic reported higher socioeconomic status and fewer comorbidities. Black women in the post-pandemic group reported a higher prevalence of clinically significant sleep disturbance (prevalence ratio (PR) 1.43, 95% CI 1.23, 1.68), lower sleep efficiency, and lower functional well-being, compared to the pre-pandemic group. Hispanic women were less likely to report low health-related quality of life (vs. high; PR 0.62, 95% CI 0.45, 0.85) after the onset of the pandemic.

Conclusions

Ongoing research is crucial to untangle the impact of the pandemic on racial and ethnic minorities participating in cancer survivorship research, as well as PROs and lifestyle factors.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

This study highlights the importance of considering the impact of the pandemic in all aspects of research, including the interpretation of findings.
Operationalization of coopetition performance: challenge accepted
Authors: Klimas Patrycja , Gadomska-Lila Katarzyna , Sachpazidu Karina
Published: April 2024

It is indisputable that coopetition exerts an influence on firm performance. However, a critical question persists: How should we comprehensively measure the performance of coopetition itself?. This paper addresses the inconsistencies in understanding coopetition performance by proposing a comprehensive and multi-dimensional approach to its operationalization. The methodology employed to develop an operationalization framework covered field and desk research implemented sequentially. The first stage used a meta-systematic literature review to identify how coopetition performance has been operationalized and measured in quantitative studies to date. The second stage used online focus group interviews to verify and develop the findings from the desk research. This stage aimed to gain a shared approach to the understanding and operationalization of coopetition performance based on discussion and confrontation of the literature with the (consistent, inconsistent, but also contradictory) opinions of experienced coopetition researchers. This study offers a noteworthy contribution by presenting a definition and five specific recommendations for the operationalization of coopetition performance, and highlighting approaches to be avoided. These findings enhance our comprehension of the coopetition performance construct, thereby advancing the knowledge in the field.
Application of Cold Plasma Technology on the Postharvest Preservation of In-Packaged Fresh Fruit and Vegetables: Recent Challenges and Development
Authors: Nikzadfar Mehrad , Kazemi Amirali , Abooei Reyhane , Abbaszadeh Rouzbeh , Firouz Mahmoud Soltani , Akbarnia Abbas , Rashvand Mahdi
Published: April 2024

Cold plasma, an emerging and versatile non-thermal technology, has gained substantial attention, particularly in the domain of surface modification, specifically within the context of packaging films. Recent developments in cold plasma technology have unveiled its potential to improve various aspects of packaged films, including chemical composition, physical attributes, structural characteristics, and overall functionality. These enhancements encompass surface roughness, contact angles, flexibility, thermal stability, barrier properties, and antimicrobial efficacy. The imperative for the advancement and expansion of decay-control technologies is crucial, not only for preserving the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables but also for mitigating biological risks throughout postharvest, processing, and storage. This, in turn, extends the shelf life of these products. This review aims to comprehensively outline the various systems utilized in in-package cold plasma (CP) treatments and their interactions with key parameters that significantly influence the efficacy of the process on fruits and vegetables. In this order, the review furnishes a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms through which cold plasma impacts the quality characteristics of diverse fruits and vegetables. The review paper examines the potential of cold plasma technology in inhibiting spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, deactivating enzymes, and altering the physical, mechanical, and chemical characteristics of fresh fruits and vegetables during packaging. Furthermore, It deals with the effect of cold plasma technology on increasing the quality and characteristics of edible films, alongside its utilization as an antimicrobial agent in food packaging.
Enhanced Biocompatibility by Evaluating the Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Effects of Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Chitosan on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells (HCC)
Authors: Fahmy Heba M. , Shekewy Samar , Elhusseiny Fathi A. , Elmekawy Ahmed
Published: April 2024

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the fifth most prevalent cancer worldwide, is influenced by a myriad of clinic-pathological factors, including viral infections and genetic abnormalities. This study delineates the synthesis, characterization, and the biological efficacy of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4) and chitosan-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4-CS) against HCC. Analytical methods confirmed the successful synthesis of both nanoparticles, with Fe3O4-CS demonstrating a smaller, uniform spherical morphology and distinct surface and magnetic properties attributable to its chitosan coating. The prepared materials were analyzed using various techniques, and their potential cytotoxic effects on HepG2 cancer cells line for HCC were investigated. In biological evaluations against HepG2 cells, a notable distinction in cytotoxicity was observed. Fe3O4 showed modest anticancer activity with an IC50 of 383.71 ± 23.9 µg/mL, whereas Fe3O4 exhibited a significantly enhanced cytotoxic effect, with a much lower IC50 of 39.15 ± 39.2 µg/mL. The Comet assay further evidenced Fe3O4-CS potent DNA damaging effect, showcasing its superior ability to induce apoptosis through extensive DNA fragmentation. Biochemical analyses integrated into our results reveal that Fe3O4-CS not only induces significant DNA damage but also markedly alters oxidative stress markers. Compared to control and Fe3O4-treated cells, Fe3O4-CS exposure significantly elevated levels of oxidative stress markers: superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased to 192.07 U/ml, catalase (CAT) decreased to 0.03 U/L, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) rose dramatically to 18.76 U/gT, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels heightened to 30.33 nmol/gT. These results underscore the potential of Fe3O4-CS nanoparticles not only in inducing significant DNA damage conducive to cancer cell apoptosis but also in altering enzymatic activities and oxidative stress markers, suggesting a dual mechanism of action that may underpin their therapeutic advantage in cancer treatment. Our findings advocate for the further exploration of Fe3O4-CS nanoparticles in the development of anticancer drugs, emphasizing their capability to trigger oxidative stress and enhance antioxidant defense mechanisms.
Identification of a gene expression signature associated with brain metastasis in colorectal cancer
Authors: Michl Marlies , Taverna Francesco , Woischke Christine , Li Pan , Klauschen Frederick , Kirchner Thomas , Heinemann Volker , von Bergwelt-Baildon Michael , Stahler Arndt , Herold Tobias Marcus , Jurinovic Vindi , Engel Jutta , Kumbrink Jörg , Neumann Jens
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Brain metastasis (BM) in colorectal cancer (CRC) is a rare event with poor prognosis. Apart from (K)RAS status and lung and bone metastasis no biomarkers exist to identify patients at risk. This study aimed to identify a gene expression signature associated with colorectal BM.

Methods

Three patient groups were formed: 1. CRC with brain metastasis (BRA), 2. exclusive liver metastasis (HEP) and, 3. non-metastatic disease (M0). RNA was extracted from primary tumors and mRNA expression was measured using a NanoString Panel (770 genes). Expression was confirmed by qPCR in a validation cohort. Statistical analyses including multivariate logistic regression followed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were performed.

Results

EMILIN3, MTA1, SV2B, TMPRSS6, ACVR1C, NFAT5 and SMC3 were differentially expressed in BRA and HEP/M0 groups. In the validation cohort, differential NFAT5, ACVR1C and SMC3 expressions were confirmed. BRA patients showed highest NFAT5 levels compared to HEP/M0 groups (global p = 0.02). High ACVR1C expression was observed more frequently in the BRA group (42.9%) than in HEP (0%) and M0 (7.1%) groups (global p = 0.01). High SMC3 expressions were only detectable in the BRA group (global p = 0.003). Only patients with BM showed a combined high expression of NFAT5, ACVR1C or SMC3 as well as of all three genes. ROC analysis revealed a good prediction of brain metastasis by the three genes (area under the curve (AUC)  = 0.78).

Conclusions

The NFAT5, ACVR1C and SMC3 gene expression signature is associated with colorectal BM. Future studies should further investigate the importance of this biomarker signature.
Swedish Boys’ Narratives on Sexual Harassment and their Ways of Doing Masculinity
Authors: Lundin Mattias , Eek-Karlsson Liselotte
Published: April 2024

When #MeToo was the most intensive, many girls, women and non-binary people’s voices were heard about being exposed. Knowledge on boys’ perspectives is important as they need to be involved to provide change. In research, boys’ and men’s voices are missing unless accounted for in settings associated with violence or harassment. This project contributes knowledge about schoolboys’ positionings with respect to masculine hegemony and sexual harassment. The analysis of pair interviews with 22 participating boys, aged 14–16, suggests three ways in which they relate to the topic. With respect to the discursive patterns labelled equal boy and let-go boy, gender issues are competently expressed and these two patterns convey knowledge about the power that the gender culture exercises. These two discursive patterns also suggest a proficient way of taking the gender order into account to fit in with the peer group. Nevertheless, the third pattern, labelled the dominant boy, suggests settings when a traditional masculinity culture exercises power. We conclude that discussions on situations where different discursive patterns are overt would facilitate a shift towards gender equal discourses with less risk of sexual harassment.