bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Postdoctoral scholars’ perceptions of a university teaching certificate program
Authors: Nowell Lorelli , Laventure Audrey , Räisänen Anu , Strzalkowski Nicholas , Kenny Natasha
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore postdoctoral scholars’ experiences and perceptions of a teaching certificate program and identify how they use the knowledge and skills developed through the certificate program to improve their teaching practices.

Design/methodology/approach

In this case study, the authors explored postdoctoral scholars’ experiences and perceptions of a teaching certificate using a multiple methods and data sources including documents, course evaluations, interviews and surveys.

Findings

The teaching certificate program helped postdocs learn the language and theory of teaching and learning in post-secondary education; practice specific strategies and develop confidence in how to teach; network with colleagues about teaching and learning; develop a reflective teaching practice; and contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Practical implications

The findings from this study will inform efforts to develop new or refine existing approaches to promote teaching and learning professional development opportunities for postdoctoral scholars.

Originality/value

This paper fulfills an identified need to study teaching and learning development for postdoctoral scholars.
Core – competencies – a key to future – oriented and sustainable e-governance implementation: a mixed method research
Authors: Hooda Apeksha , Singla M.L.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the themes of core-competencies required for future-oriented and sustainable e-governance practices, especially across the developing nations.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study has been conducted using the sequential mixed method research wherein the exploratory qualitative study is first carried out with the government officials involved in e-governance implementation across India to identify the themes of core-competencies. The findings of this exploratory study are then empirically tested with the 359 respondents from Group A and Group B officers of the two government departments in India using partial least square technique.

Findings

The findings suggested that to ensure the implementation of future-oriented and sustainable e-governance, it is required to develop the core-competencies. The significant core-competencies explored are, namely, process management, employee engagement, internal service quality, external service quality, citizen satisfaction, leadership, culture and technology.

Research limitations/implications

As strategic implementation of e-governance is a relatively new area of study, the present study has used the learning from core-competencies studies in the non-government sector.

Practical implications

The findings of this study underscore the need for strategic implementation of e-governance to have long-term success of e-governance. The requirement is to develop the core-competencies. These core-competencies are the key to making the government departments proactive in dealing with any future contingency without compromising on the departmental performance.

Originality/value

The present research is one of the few research studies focusing on the implementation of sustainable and future-oriented e-governance. The current study has laid the stepping stone for investigating the role of core-competencies to ensure the implementation of sustainable and future-oriented e-governance.
Unfolding Chinese tourist shopping practices: an observational study
Authors: Jin Haipeng , Moscardo Gianna , Murphy Laurie
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to draw upon the notion of practice as performance from social practice theory to unravel the onsite process of Chinese outbound tourist shopping.

Design/methodology/approach

The study took a mixed methods approach. Qualitative data were collected via 110 participant observations conducted in Australia, and quantitative techniques were used to analyse the data in Leximancer.

Findings

Chinese tourist shopping practices are performed on site through a range of intra-personal and inter-personal embodied actions, with the patterns these actions constitute being different across shopping settings. The frequency of inter-personal actions also reflects the importance of social interactions and communications in the shopping performances of Chinese tourists, some of which are conducted with people not present in the settings via social media.

Originality/value

This study uses a social practice framework from sociology to examine in detail how Chinese outbound tourists shop on site. The embodied actions identified in the study present a rich and detailed picture of the flow of Chinese tourist shopping performances. This allows for improved understanding of the forces for change in this aspect of Chinese outbound tourism.
Chinese traditional village residents’ behavioural intention to support tourism: an extended model of the theory of planned behaviour
Authors: Shen Ke , Shen Huawen
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this paper aims to investigate the effects of residents’ place attachment (PA), subjective norms (SNs) and perceived behavioural control (PBC) on their attitudes towards behaviour (AB) and behavioural intention to support tourism (BI). This paper aims to examine whether residents’ AB mediate the relationships between BI and PA, SNs and PBC.

Design/methodology/approach

The results are obtained using a quantitative method based on data gathered from self-administered questionnaires completed by 406 residents of Hongcun, a Chinese traditional village.

Findings

The TPB is successfully used to explain Chinese traditional village residents BI. The findings extend the extant research and render the TPB more widely applicable. This study confirms that the inclusion of PA within the framework of the TPB is valid and satisfactory, demonstrating continued support for the coupling of complementary theories to explain tourism development from a resident perspective. Finally, this study extends the literature on residents’ PA and demonstrates its impact on their attitudes and consequent reactions, thus supplementing the limited evidence on PA as a direct predictor of residents’ BI. Specifically, SNs are the critical factor affecting residents’ AB and their BI. Residents’ AB only mediate the relationship between SNs and their BI.

Research limitations/implications

This paper only includes PA within the framework of the TPB. More constructs should be incorporated to deepen the understanding of residents’ BI. In addition, the data were only collected in a traditional village.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the first studies to combine PA with the TPB in research on residents’ BI in a developing country – in this instance, China.
The quality of information about elective oocyte cryopreservation (EOC) on Australian fertility clinic websites
Authors: Beilby Kiri , Dudink Ingrid , Kablar Deanna , Kaynak Megan , Rodrigo Sanduni , Hammarberg Karin
Published: July 2020

Background

The number of women who undergo elective oocyte cryopreservation (EOC) in the hope of preserving their fertility is increasing. Fertility clinic websites often serve as the first point of contact for women contemplating EOC. There are no guidelines for Australian fertility clinics regarding how information about procedures should be presented.

Aim

To assess the quality of information presented on EOC on Australian fertility clinic websites.

Materials and Methods

A desktop audit was conducted of the websites of Australian fertility clinics offering EOC (n = 21) and the information provided about EOC was recorded. To allow comparison, a scoring matrix used in a study of the quality of EOC information on clinic websites in the USA was used to assess the quality of the information. The possible range of scores on this measure is 0–13.

Results

The mean information quality score for all clinic websites was 4.3 (range 2–8). More than half of the clinic websites (57%) had scores classified as ‘poor’, indicating that women are not receiving the information they need to make well‐informed choices.

Conclusion

Providing information on clinic websites that is transparent and scientifically accurate, that states the risks involved in the procedure, and its full cost is essential to allow women to make informed decisions. The scoring matrix used in this study to assess the quality of information relating to EOC can guide best practice for clinics in advertising EOC to prospective customers.
We’re All Strangers Here
Authors: Williams Gemma L.
Published: July 2020

This piece forms part of my linguistic ethnographic doctoral thesis, investigating the ways in which mutual understanding does and does not break down between autistic and non‐autistic people. As an autistic researcher researching autistic language use, it became increasingly apparent throughout my research that I could not separate myself and my ”insider perspective” from my work. Autoethnographic creative writing offers a way to reflect on my inter‐relation with the subject matter as well as ”giving voice” to those [autistic people more generally] who are often overlooked. Autism is heterogeneous in its nature and autistic people are diverse in ways that popular conventions and stereotypes don’t often afford. In this piece I represent three very different characters—each autistic—to give some insight into the breadth of what ”autistic‐ness” can be. The first character is based on myself, exploring the tensions found in being an autist within the academy. The two fictionalized characters are composites of my research participants, based on my ethnographic observations.
Reallocating budgets among ongoing and emerging conservation projects
Authors: Wu Chung‐Huey , Dodd Aaron J. , Hauser Cindy E. , McCarthy Michael A.
Published: July 2020

Conserving biodiversity and combating ecological hazards require cost‐effective allocation of limited resources among potential management projects. Project priorities, however, can change over time as underlying social‐ecological systems progress, novel priorities emerge, and management capabilities evolve. Thus, reallocation of ongoing investments in response to shifting priorities could improve management outcomes and address urgent demands, especially when additional funding is not available immediately. Resource reallocation, however, could incur transaction costs, require additional monitoring and reassessment, and be constrained by ongoing project commitments. Such complexities may prevent managers from considering potentially beneficial reallocation strategies, reducing long‐term effectiveness. We propose an iterative project prioritization approach, based on marginal return‐on‐investment estimation and portfolio optimization, that guides resource reallocation among ongoing and new projects. Using simulation experiments in 2 case studies, we explored how this approach can improve efficacy under varying reallocation constraints, frequencies, costs, and rates of project portfolio change. Periodic budget reallocation could enhance the management of stochastically emerging invasive weeds in Australia and thus reduce the overall risk by up to 50% compared with a static budget. Reallocation frequency and the rate of new weed incursion synergistically increased the conservation gains achieved by allowing unconstrained reallocation. Conversely, budget reallocation would not improve the International Union for Conservation of Nature conservation status of threatened Australian birds due to slow rates of transition among conservation states; extinction risk could increase if portfolio reassessment is costly. Although other project prioritization studies may recommend periodic reassessment and reallocation, our findings revealed conditions when reallocation is valuable and demonstrated a structured approach that can help conservation agencies schedule and implement iterative budget‐allocation decisions cost‐effectively.
GoDental! Enhancing flipped classroom experience with game‐based learning
Authors: Borit Melania , Stangvaltaite‐Mouhat Lina
Published: July 2020

Aim

To investigate the use of game‐based learning (GBL) to enhance students’ experience of the flipped classroom (FC) in dental education.

Materials and Methods

Students participated in three sessions organised as FC, implemented either as conventional FC or FC augmented with the GoDental! game. In the pre‐class phase, sessions 1 and 2 were organised as instructor‐made video lectures, plus a questionnaire. These activities were supplemented with the individual development of questions and answers for the game in session 3. In the in‐class phase, group and plenary discussions were used during sessions 1 and 2 and were replaced by game activities in session 3. Perceptions of session 3 compared to that of sessions 1 and 2 were explored via a questionnaire with both open‐ended and Likert‐scale items.

Results

Most students (29, 97%) perceived the FC session augmented with the GoDental! game as enjoyable. The game augmented session was perceived as more enjoyable compared to the conventional FC sessions. Students agreed that GBL augmented FC compared to conventional FC increased engagement (25, 83%), motivation (24, 83%), their integration in the social environment (23, 77%) and concentration (22, 73%), helped them learn more about the topic (24, 80%) and was a good learning method (25, 83%). There was a positive correlation between the degree of enjoyment and concentration and the feeling that the game helped them learn more about the topic.

Conclusion

Game‐based learning augmented FC proved to enhance students’ experience, resulting in increased enjoyment compared to the conventional FC setup. Future studies should explore whether the use of GBL in FC has the potential to increase examination performance.
Exploring the gender difference in multiple job holding
Authors: Preston Alison , Wright Robert E.
Published: July 2020

This article examines the determinants of the gender gap in multiple job holding in Australia using all 18 waves (2001–2018) of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. In Australia, like most high‐income countries, the multiple job holding rate is higher for women compared with men. The empirical analysis focuses on the role played by factors such as wage rates, hours worked, household wealth, job security, education, demographics and demand conditions. Probit regressions point to a large, negative and highly statistically significant effect of hours worked in the primary job on the probability of holding a secondary job. This effect is larger (more negative) for women. A decomposition analysis suggests that a large share of gender gap in multiple job holding (c. 90 per cent) may be attributed to the gender gap in the hours worked in the primary job. Regulation concerning working time can be expected to affect multiple job holding rates.
Factors Associated With Resilience Among Primary Caregivers of Patients With Advanced Cancer Within the First 6 Months Post‐Treatment in Taiwan: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Chen Shu‐Ching , Huang Bing‐Shen , Hung Tsung‐Min , Lin Chien‐Yu , Chang Ya‐Lan , Chung Ching‐Fang
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To identify factors associated with resilience in primary caregivers of patients with advanced oral cavity cancer within the first 6 months post‐treatment.

Design

A cross‐sectional study.

Methods

We recruited patient–primary caregiver dyads from the outpatient radiation department of a medical center in Northern Taiwan. Patients were assessed using a set of structured questionnaires to measure performance status and demographic and clinical characteristics. Primary caregivers were measured in their social support, resilience, and care characteristics.

Results

Of the 148 dyads surveyed, 33.8% of primary caregivers reported moderately low to moderate resilience, and 61.5% reported low resilience. Greater resilience of primary caregivers was associated with the primary caregiver factors of younger age, lower educational level, and more affectionate social support; and greater resilience was associated with the patient factors of better performance status and older age. These factors explained 40.4% of the variance in resilience.

Conclusions

Patients’ performance status and primary caregivers’ affectionate social support strongly influence overall resilience and each domain of resilience.

Clinical Relevance

Providing primary caregivers with sufficient social resources and a support group can help them cope with the demands of caregiving for loved ones with oral cavity cancer.
Topical sodium alendronate combined or not with photodynamic therapy as an adjunct to scaling and root planing: Histochemical and immunohistochemical study in rats
Authors: Santinoni Carolina S. , Silveira Felipe M. , Caldeira Marcela L. , Genaro Vítor , Martins Thiago M. , do Amaral Caril C. F. , Maia Luciana P. , Mori Graziela G. , Ervolino Edilson , Pola Natália M.
Published: July 2020

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate influence of topical sodium alendronate (ALN), photodynamic therapy (aPDT), or a combination thereof as adjuvant to scaling and root planing (SRP) in the treatment of experimental periodontitis in rats.

Background

Therapeutic protocols to control periodontitis progression that aim to equalize bacterial action and load with tissue immune response are well addressed in current scientific research.

Methods

Experimental periodontitis was induced in 96 rats with a ligature around the mandibular left first molar. After 7 days, ligature was removed and animals were treated according to the following experimental groups (n = 8): control—SRP plus saline solution; ALN—SRP plus ALN; aPDT—SRP plus methylene blue irrigation, followed by low‐level laser therapy (LLLT); and ALN/aPDT—SRP plus ALN and methylene blue irrigation followed by LLLT. The animals were euthanized at 7, 15, and 30 days after treatments. Collagen maturation (picrosirius red staining) and immunohistochemical analyses (TRAP, RANKL and osteoprotegerin [OPG]) were performed. Data were submitted to statistical analysis (P < .05).

Results

At 7 days, group ALN presented a significantly higher number of TRAP‐positive cells and percentage of immature collagen fibers than group ALN/aPDT, while group ALN/aPDT presented a significantly higher percentage of mature collagen fibers than group ALN. At 30 days, group ALN presented significantly lower percentage of immature collagen fibers and higher percentage of mature collagen fibers than control.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that topical use of ALN coadjutant to SRP, alone or combined with aPDT, enhanced collagen maturation and reduced osteoclastogenesis during the healing of experimental periodontitis.
Evaluation of nutrient content and caloric density in commercially available foods formulated for senior cats
Authors: Summers Stacie C. , Stockman Jonathan , Larsen Jennifer A. , Sanchez Rodriguez Anais , Zhang Lei
Published: July 2020

Background

Cat foods marketed for senior cats (≥7 years) are available to owners. The variability in the nutritional content of these foods is unknown.

Objectives

To measure the caloric density and caloric distribution of crude protein, crude fiber, crude fat, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and vitamin D3 in commercially available foods for senior cats and to compare nutrient content with foods for adult cats.

Samples

Thirty‐one senior and 59 adult commercial nontherapeutic cat food products.

Methods

Descriptive study. Crude protein, crude fiber, and crude fat were measured using Dumas nitrogen combustion, Ankom filter bag technique, and acid hydrolysis, respectively. Mineral concentrations were measured using inductively coupled argon plasma‐optical emission spectroscopy. Vitamin D3 was determined by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Caloric density was calculated using modified Atwater values.

Results

The evaluated nutrient concentrations in all foods for senior cats met the values of the Association of American Feed Control Officials Cat Food Nutrient Profile for adult maintenance. Foods for senior cats had significantly higher crude fiber content when compared to foods for adult cats (P < .0001). No significant difference in crude protein, crude fat and mineral concentrations was found between foods for senior and adult cats.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Foods marketed for senior cats are highly variable in their caloric density and nutrient content and, except for crude fiber, are similar to foods for adult cats. Veterinarians should avoid broad recommendations regarding commercially available foods for senior cats, and dietary recommendations should reflect the patient's individual needs.
Shared Mental Models: Insights and Perspectives on Ideologies and Institutions
Authors: Roy Ravi K. , Denzau Arthur T.
Published: July 2020

This article leads off a special symposium comprised of a select group of public choice economists and political scientists that assembled to reflect on the important contribution that Arthur T. Denzau and Douglass C. North’s seminal piece on Shared Mental Models (1993) has made over the last quarter of a century. Relatedly, we apply concepts from Denzau and North’s Shared Mental Models to suggest a modified model of the Nash equilibrium used in non‐cooperative game theory to help us operationalize the “learning path” by which we can move from “siloed” thinking to a wider “systems” view of organizations, our environment, and indeed, the world. Our model has implications for the way we respond to economic crises, financial meltdowns, and global health epidemics, such as the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Rituals, ghosts and glorified babysitters: A narrative analysis of stories nurses shared about working the night shift
Authors: McAllister Margaret , Ryan Colleen , Simes Tracey , Bond Sue , Ford Abigail , Lee Brien Donna
Published: July 2020

Working the night shift can be fraught and experienced as demanding and, yet, is often dismissed as babysitting. Few researchers have explored the social and cultural meanings of night nursing, including storytelling rituals. In 2019, a narrative study was undertaken. The aim was to explore the stories recalled by nurses about working night shifts. Thirteen Australian nurses participated. Data were gathered using the Biographical Narrative Interview Method, and narrative analysis produced forty stories and three themes: strange and challenging experiences; colleagues can be mentors (or not); and textbook knowledge is only part of what is needed on night shift. Nursing students who engage with these stories may come to understand the challenges of the night shift, and the valuable work that nurses engage in throughout a 24‐hr period, work that involves adept psychosocial and interpersonal skills alongside technical and physical competence.
Mixed Causal–Noncausal Autoregressions: Bimodality Issues in Estimation and Unit Root Testing1
Authors: Bec Frédérique , Nielsen Heino Bohn , Saïdi Sarra
Published: July 2020

This paper stresses the bimodality of the likelihood function of the Mixed causal–noncausal AutoRegressions (MAR), and it is shown that the bimodality issue becomes more salient as the causal root approaches unity from below. The consequences are important as the roots of the local maxima are typically interchanged, attributing the noncausal component to the causal one and vice‐versa. This severely changes the interpretation of the results, and the properties of unit root tests of the backward root are adversely affected. To circumvent the bimodality issue, this paper proposes an estimation strategy which (i) increases noticeably the probability of attaining the global MLE; and (ii) selects carefully the maximum used for the unit root test against a MAR stationary alternative.
Bier anemic spots, cyanosis, and urticaria‐like eruption (BASCULE) syndrome: Report of two new cases and literature review
Authors: El Nemnom Pamela , Lauwerys Bernard , Marot Liliane , Tennstedt Dominique , Dekeuleneer Valérie
Published: July 2020

We herein report two new adolescent cases of Bier anemic spots, cyanosis, and urticaria‐like eruption (BASCULE) syndrome. This rare, recently described condition may be associated with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and other forms of orthostatic intolerance. This report provides details on two cases and a literature review.
Advances of intra‐species molecular typing analysis of aquatic probiotics approved by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture
Authors: Hu Juan , Yao Yuanyuan , Yang Yalin , Gao Chenchen , Zhang Fengli , Xia Rui , Ran Chao , Zhang Zhen , Liu Clarke Jihong , Zhou Zhigang
Published: July 2020

Probiotics confer a health benefit on the host and could be used as a good alternative to antibiotics. Probiotics are strain‐specific when exerting their function, so it is necessary to identify them to strain level. In recent years, intra‐species molecular typing and identification methods have developed rapidly, which commonly are used for typing the main pathogenic bacteria and rare for studies on probiotic typing, whilst it is imperative. This article describes molecular typing methods including AFLP, RAPD, PFGE, ribotyping, MLST, rep‐PCR and whole‐genome sequencing to identity some aquatic probiotics approved by the Ministry of Agriculture of China, which are Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Aspergillus, Bacillus, Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Streptococcus thermophilus. In addition, the principles, applications, advantages and disadvantages of these typing methods are also discussed.
Diagnosing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Has the time for surgical lung biopsy passed?
Authors: Glenn Laura M. , Corte Tamera J.
Published: July 2020

See related article
Neighborhood context and racial/ethnic disparities in judicial processing
Authors: Donnelly Ellen A. , Asiedu Christen O.
Published: July 2020

This article examines the importance of neighborhoods in shaping judicial processing and racial/ethnic disparities in court outcomes. Scholarship instructs that court actors—prosecutors, defense counsel, and judges—make legal decisions with local communities in mind. With the rise of geographic information in arrest records and mapping techniques, greater opportunities exist to evaluate the role of neighborhood context in the juvenile and criminal courts. This article synthesizes research on how the characteristics of neighborhoods where defendants live and/or offend influence judicial processing. Attention is given to how scholars define neighborhoods, identify key neighborhood conditions, and analyze the relationships among places and judicial decisions. Emphasis is also placed on unpacking debates on whether neighborhood conditions diminish or aggravate racial/ethnic disparities in court outcomes, such as incarceration decisions. Its analysis reveals findings of neighborhood effects as well as evidence of neighborhood characteristics widening racial/ethnic differences in judicial processing. This article thus encourages the consideration of community context in disparity studies and policy efforts to improve citizens' access to justice.
Online Discovery and Classification of Operational Regimes From an Ensemble of Time Series Data
Authors: Bhattacharya Chandrachur , Ray Asok
Published: July 2020

One of the pertinent problems in decision and control of dynamical systems is to identify the current operational regime of the physical process under consideration. To this end, there has been an upsurge in (data-driven) machine learning methods, such as symbolic time series analysis, hidden Markov modeling, and artificial neural networks, which often rely on some form of supervised learning based on preclassified data to construct the classifier. However, this approach may not be adequate for dynamical systems with a variety of operational regimes and possible anomalous/failure conditions. To address this issue, the technical brief proposes a methodology, built upon the concept of symbolic time series analysis, wherein the classifier learns to discover the patterns so that the algorithms can train themselves online while simultaneously functioning as a classifier. The efficacy of the methodology is demonstrated on time series of: (i) synthetic data from an unforced Van der Pol equation and (ii) pressure oscillation data from an experimental Rijke tube apparatus that emulates the thermoacoustics in real-life combustors where the process dynamics undergoes changes from the stable regime to an unstable regime and vice versa via transition to transient regimes. The underlying algorithms are capable of accurately learning and capturing the various regimes online in a (primarily) unsupervised manner.
Machine learning meets quantum foundations: A brief survey
Authors: Bharti Kishor , Haug Tobias , Vedral Vlatko , Kwek Leong-Chuan
Published: July 2020

The goal of machine learning is to facilitate a computer to execute a specific task without explicit instruction by an external party. Quantum foundations seek to explain the conceptual and mathematical edifice of quantum theory. Recently, ideas from machine learning have successfully been applied to different problems in quantum foundations. Here, the authors compile the representative works done so far at the interface of machine learning and quantum foundations. The authors conclude the survey with potential future directions.
Observation of light and secondary ion emissions from surfaces irradiated with highly charged ions
Authors: Nishida Naofumi , Sakurai Makoto , Kato Daiji , Sakaue Hiroyuki A.
Published: July 2020

Visible light and secondary ions emitted from various sample surfaces (Si, HOPG, Cu, and Teflon) were observed after irradiation with highly charged ions (HCIs). HCIs were produced using an electron beam ion source (Kobe EBIS) at Kobe University. Visible emissions were detected using a liquid nitrogen cooled CCD detector. The mass spectrum of secondary ions was obtained using a quadrupole mass analyzer. The major constituent in both light and secondary ion emissions was hydrogen. Balmer lines were the dominant form of light emission as observed from spectra, and proton signals were the most intense peaks in SIMS spectra. The emission intensity of Balmer light and the proton signal intensity (as observed from the SIMS spectrum) both increased as the charge state of the incident HCI increased. Both intensities were roughly proportional to the third to fourth power of the charge state. Spatial distribution of Balmer light was measured and the kinetic energy of hydrogen sputtered from the surface was estimated to be ∼20 eV. The SIMS measurement results for the Teflon sample demonstrate the advantage of using SIMS with an HCI probe for detecting electronegative elements.
Structure, stress, and mechanical properties of Mo-Al-N thin films deposited by dc reactive magnetron cosputtering: Role of point defects
Authors: Anğay Fırat , Löfler Lukas , Tetard Florent , Eyidi Dominique , Djemia Philippe , Holec David , Abadias Gregory
Published: July 2020

In this work, the structural and mechanical properties of ternary Mo-Al-N alloys are investigated by combining thin film growth experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Mo1−xAlxNy thin films (∼300 nm thick), with various Al fractions ranging from x = 0 to 0.5 and nitrogen-to-metal (Al + Mo) ratio ranging from y = 0.78 to 1.38, were deposited by direct-current reactive magnetron cosputtering technique from elemental Mo and Al targets under Ar + N2 plasma discharges. The Al content was varied by changing the respective Mo and Al target powers, at a fixed N2 (20 SCCM) and Ar (25 SCCM) flow rate, and using two different substrate temperatures Ts = 350 and 500 °C. The elemental composition, mass density, crystal structure, residual stress state, and intrinsic (growth) stress were examined by wavelength dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray reflectivity, x-ray diffraction, including pole figure and sin2ψ measurements, and real-time in situ wafer curvature. Nanoindentation tests were carried out to determine film hardness H and elastic modulus EIT, while the shear elastic constant C44 was measured selectively by surface Brillouin light spectroscopy. All deposited Mo1−xAlxNy films have a cubic rock-salt crystal structure and exhibit a fiber-texture with a [001] preferred orientation. The incorporation of Al is accompanied by a rise in nitrogen content from 44 to 58 at. %, resulting in a significant increase (2%) in the lattice parameter when x increases from 0 to 0.27. This trend is opposite to what DFT calculations predict for cubic defect-free stoichiometric Mo1−xAlxN compounds and is attributed to variation in point defect concentration (nitrogen and metal vacancies) when Al substitutes for Mo. Increasing Ts from 350 to 500 °C has a minimal effect on the structural properties and phase composition of the ternary alloys but concurs to an appreciable reduction of the compressive stress from −5 to −4 GPa. A continuous increase and decrease in transverse sound velocity and mass density, respectively, lead to a moderate stiffening of the shear elastic constant from 130 to 144 GPa with increasing Al fraction up to x = 0.50, and a complex and nonmonotonous variation of H and EIT is observed. The maximum hardness of ∼33 GPa is found for the Mo0.81Al0.19N1.13 film, with nitrogen content close to the stoichiometric composition. The experimental findings are explained based on structural and elastic constant values computed from DFT for defect-free and metal- or nitrogen-deficient rock-salt MoAlN compounds.
ChIA-PIPE: A fully automated pipeline for comprehensive ChIA-PET data analysis and visualization
Authors: Lee Byoungkoo , Wang Jiahui , Cai Liuyang , Kim Minji , Namburi Sandeep , Tjong Harianto , Feng Yuliang , Wang Ping , Tang Zhonghui , Abbas Ahmed , Wei Chia-Lin , Ruan Yijun , Li Sheng
Published: July 2020

New genome pipeline enables seamless execution of processing, analyzing, and visualizing of ChIA-PET data.
Prolate and oblate chiral liquid crystal spheroids
Authors: Sadati Monirosadat , Martinez-Gonzalez Jose A. , Zhou Ye , Qazvini Nader Taheri , Kurtenbach Khia , Li Xiao , Bukusoglu Emre , Zhang Rui , Abbott Nicholas L. , Hernandez-Ortiz Juan Pablo , de Pablo Juan J.
Published: July 2020

Mechanical strain, curvature, and elasticity lead to the emergence of exotic molecular configurations in chiral liquid crystals.
Ecosystem stability and Native American oyster harvesting along the Atlantic Coast of the United States
Authors: Thompson Victor D. , Rick Torben , Garland Carey J. , Thomas David Hurst , Smith Karen Y. , Bergh Sarah , Sanger Matt , Tucker Bryan , Lulewicz Isabelle , Semon Anna M. , Schalles John , Hladik Christine , Alexander Clark , Ritchison Brandon T.
Published: July 2020

Five thousand–year history of Native American oyster harvesting practices provides insight into modern oyster reef restoration.
Extensive morphological variability in asexually produced planktic foraminifera
Authors: Davis Catherine V. , Livsey Caitlin M. , Palmer Hannah M. , Hull Pincelli M. , Thomas Ellen , Hill Tessa M. , Benitez-Nelson Claudia R.
Published: July 2020

Planktic foraminifera reproduce sexually and asexually, overturning assumptions of heritability and dispersal.
Manogepix (APX001A)
In Vitro
Activity against Candida auris: Head-to-Head Comparison of EUCAST and CLSI MICs
Authors: Arendrup Maiken Cavling , Chowdhary Anuradha , Jørgensen Karin Meinike , Meletiadis Joseph
Published: July 2020

Fosmanogepix is a novel prodrug in a new class of antifungal agents. Manogepix is the active moiety. We evaluated the CLSI and EUCAST MICs of manogepix and eight comparators against
Candida auris
. CLSI M27-A3 susceptibility testing of manogepix was performed for 122
C. auris
isolates and compared to CLSI and EUCAST MICs for manogepix and eight comparators. Differences and agreement were calculated for each compound. Wild-type upper limits (WT-ULs; the upper MIC where the wild-type distribution ends) for manogepix and correlations with other drugs’ MICs were determined.
Explanatory style in youth self-harm: an Indian qualitative study to inform intervention design
Authors: Aggarwal Shilpa , Patton George , Bahl Deepika , Shah Nilesh , Berk Michael , Patel Vikram
Published: July 2020

Background

There are very few studies that have examined the effectiveness of psychological interventions (PIs) that have been developed and tested in high-income countries to reduce self-harm in low and middle-income countries.

Objective

To evaluate the perspectives and explanatory styles of youth with self-harm and their caregivers to inform the design of an evidence based PI in a non-Western cultural setting. An additional objective was to suggest ways of integrating local practices and traditions to enhance its acceptability.

Methods

We conducted 15 in-depth qualitative interviews with youth with self-harm and four interviews with the caregivers in the psychiatry department of a tertiary hospital located in Mumbai, India. Data were analysed using phenomenological thematic analysis.

Findings

Five themes were uncovered: (i) contextual factors related to self-harm including interpersonal factors, intrapersonal factors and socio-cultural factors; (ii) formulation and current feelings about the attempt (iii) family members and friends as the perceived supports and deterrents for future self-harm attempts; (iv) treatment related experiences with counselling, in-patient and outpatient treatment and barriers to treatment; and (v) coping strategies. Recommendations for key areas of adaptation include therapist adaptation, content adaptation to accommodate for cultural considerations and broader social context. Gender based socio-cultural norms, beliefs and stigma attached to self-harm need to be specifically addressed in South Asian setting. Interpersonal conflicts are the most common triggers.

Conclusion and clinical implications

To our knowledge this is the first study in the South Asian context evaluating explanatory styles of youth with self-harm and their caregivers to inform the design of an intervention to ensure its cultural congruence. Cultural adaptation of an evidence based PI results in competent delivery and ensures best results in diverse ethno-cultural populations.
Need to establish a new adolescent suicide prevention programme in South Korea
Authors: Liu Jiacheng
Published: July 2020

Adolescent suicide is the leading cause of death among South Korean (Korean) youth. Despite great efforts being made towards suicide prevention in Korea, the suicide rate has not decreased significantly. There is an urgent need for a new adolescent suicide prevention strategy. This paper describes the seriousness of the issue of adolescent suicide in Korea, evaluates its current management by the SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and further recommends a new suicide prevention programme that integrates national/social involvement (State Suicide Intervention Committee, suicide posts’ monitoring, parental divorce information sharing and Adolescence Mental Health Promotion Foundation), school-based programmes (continuous monitoring system, psychology consultation team and mental health educational curricula) and family-based programmes (parental education and family-school communication). In addition, genetic analysis, biochemical tests and psychological disease registration are the indispensable elements that aid in suicidal behaviour prevention and prediction.
Paternal exposure to antiepileptic drugs and offspring outcomes: a nationwide population-based cohort study in Sweden
Authors: Tomson Torbjörn , Muraca Giulia , Razaz Neda
Published: July 2020

Objectives

To investigate the association between paternal use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes and major congenital malformations (MCM) in the offspring.

Methods

Using nationwide Swedish registries, we included 1 144 795 births to 741 726 fathers without epilepsy and 4544 births to 2955 fathers with epilepsy. Of these, 2087 (45.9%) were born to fathers with epilepsy who had dispensed an AED during the conception period. Children who had both parents with epilepsy were excluded. The incidence rate of MCM, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and intellectual disability in offspring was analysed.

Results

Offspring of fathers exposed to AEDs did not show an increased risk of MCM (adjusted OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.7 to 1.2), autism (adjusted HR (aHR) 0.9, 95% CI 0.5 to 1.7), ADHD (aHR 1.1, 95% CI 0.7 to 1.9) or intellectual disability (aHR 1.3, 95% CI 0.6 to 2.8) compared with offspring of fathers with epilepsy not exposed to AEDs. Among offspring of fathers with epilepsy who used valproate in monotherapy during conception, rates of autism (2.9/1000 child-years) and intellectual disability (1.4/1000 child-years) were slightly higher compared with the offspring of fathers with epilepsy who did not use AEDs during conception (2.1/1000 child-years autism, 0.9/1000 child-years intellectual disability), but in the propensity-score adjusted analyses, no statistically significant increased risk of adverse outcomes was found.

Conclusions

Paternal AED use during conception is not associated with adverse outcomes in the offspring.
Performance validity test failure in clinical populations—a systematic review
Authors: McWhirter Laura , Ritchie Craig W , Stone Jon , Carson Alan
Published: July 2020

Performance validity tests (PVTs) are widely used in attempts to quantify effort and/or detect negative response bias during neuropsychological testing. However, it can be challenging to interpret the meaning of poor PVT performance in a clinical context. Compensation-seeking populations predominate in the PVT literature. We aimed to establish base rates of PVT failure in clinical populations without known external motivation to underperform. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO for studies reporting PVT failure rates in adults with defined clinical diagnoses, excluding studies of active or veteran military personnel, forensic populations or studies of participants known to be litigating or seeking disability benefits. Results were summarised by diagnostic group and implications discussed. Our review identified 69 studies, and 45 different PVTs or indices, in clinical populations with intellectual disability, degenerative brain disease, brain injury, psychiatric disorders, functional disorders and epilepsy. Various pass/fail cut-off scores were described. PVT failure was common in all clinical groups described, with failure rates for some groups and tests exceeding 25%. PVT failure is common across a range of clinical conditions, even in the absence of obvious incentive to underperform. Failure rates are no higher in functional disorders than in other clinical conditions. As PVT failure indicates invalidity of other attempted neuropsychological tests, the finding of frequent and unexpected failure in a range of clinical conditions raises important questions about the degree of objectivity afforded to neuropsychological tests in clinical practice and research.
When patients refuse COVID-19 testing, quarantine, and social distancing in inpatient psychiatry: clinical and ethical challenges
Authors: Russ Mark J , Sisti Dominic , Wilner Philip J
Published: July 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new ethical challenges in the care of patients with serious psychiatric illness who require inpatient treatment and who may have beeen exposed to COVID-19 or have mild to moderate COVID-19 but refuse testing and adherence to infection prevention protocols. Such situations increase the risk of infection to other patients and staff on psychiatric inpatient units. We discuss medical and ethical considerations for navigating this dilemma and offer a set of policy recommendations.
Efficiency of the Bond Graph Approach for Robust Diagnosis Micro Electro Mechanic System
Authors: Sellami Abderrahmene , Mzoughi Dhia , Mami Abdelkader
Published: July 2020

Improving the operational safety of systems is essentially based on fault detection and isolation algorithms, these algorithms mainly consist in deriving the different kinds of faults while minimizing false alarms, nondetections and delays in fault detection. The choice of robust diagnosis by the bond graph approach (BG) is based on the use of a robust analytical relations redundant (ARR) generation algorithm from linear fractional transformation models (LFT), where the uncertain part of the ARR is used to generate the adaptive residue thresholds. These relationships not only allow the detection and isolation of defects on the various elements of the system, but also the location since the industrial system is modeled element by element.

The BG-LFT modeling and the robust diagnosis of an accelerometer using micro-electromechanical are presented in this paper. The interaction of the various phenomena is taken into account, thanks to the energy properties of the bond graph tool. The residuals and the adaptive thresholds for normal operation and in abnormal operation are determined. The results suggest that the use of the Bond Graph model for normal operation, the evolutions of the residuals converge towards zero, whereas a fault caused by an element (for example, the stiffness springs [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] are modeled, respectively, by capacitive elements [Formula: see text]and [Formula: see text] shows that the residues [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] become different from zero. These variations explain that these residues are sensitive to these elements, which are confirmed by results presented in Table 2. The analysis of the sensitivity of the residuals to parametric and structural faults is carried out to determine the detectable values of the faults and therefore to monitor the performance of the diagnosis.
ℋolographic 𝒩aturalness
Authors: Addazi Andrea
Published: July 2020

The [Formula: see text]olographic [Formula: see text]aturalness ([Formula: see text]) is a new paradigm towards an explanation of the Cosmological Constant (CC) and the Higgs Hierarchy (HH) in the Universe. Motivated by the Holographic Principle, and inspired by the (A)dS/CFT correspondence, we elaborate on the possibility and on the cosmological consequences of a fundamental intrinsic disorder and temperature in vacuo. We postulate that the zero vacuum entropy is provided by a large number of quantum hair fields, the hairons. The quantum hairon gas in spacetime induces an effective decoherence effect to the Standard Model (SM) particle sector. This is leading to an entropic reinterpretation of UV divergent contributions to CC and HH: we will show that, in both the cases, the large number of re-scatterings on the hairon ensamble suppresses any radiative instabilities. The CC and HH problems are illusions envisaged by a conscious observer, having access on the limited amount of information from SM tests: both the issues are originated from our ignorance of the hidden entropy intrinsically stored in the spacetime. The [Formula: see text] suggests to search for effective decoherence effects in particle physics observables such as effective CPT, Unitarity and Energy violations. Regarding the HH, the [Formula: see text] does not introduce any new particles or interactions around the TeV-scale: we do not expect for any signatures, at LHC and any future high energy colliders, related to the Higgs UV completion in a Wilsonian sense.