bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of light intensities on the photosynthesis, growth and physiological performances of two maple species
Authors: Zhang Jinfeng , Ge Jingru , Dayananda Buddhi , Li Junqing
Published: October 2022

Photoinhibition decreases photosynthetic capacity and can therefore affect the plant survival, growth, and distribution, but little is known about how it affects on kindred tree species. We conducted field experiments to measure the photosynthetic, growth and physiological performances of two maple species (Acer mono and A. pseudosieboldianum) seedlings at four light intensities (100%, 75%, 55%, and 20% of full light) and evaluated the adaptability of seedlings. We found that: (1) A. mono seedlings have larger light saturated photosynthetic rates (Amax), the light saturation point (LSP), and lower light compensation point (LCP) than A. pseudosieboldianum seedlings, thus indicating that the former has a stronger light utilization ability. (2) A. mono seedlings under 75% light intensity and had higher seedling height (SH), basal stem diameter (BSD), leaf number (LN), leaf area per plant (LAPP) and total dry weight (TDW), while A. pseudosieboldianum seedling at 55% light intensity displayed greater growth advantages, which agreed with their response of light saturated photosynthetic rate. Morphological plasticity adjustments such as decreased root shoot ratio (RSR) and increased specific leaf area (SLA) showed how seedlings adapt to weak light environments. (3) 100% and 20% light intensities increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content of two maple seedlings, indicating that very strong or very weak light could lead to the imbalance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism. The regulation of antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), as well as the content of osmoregulation substances such as free proline and soluble protein, are the main mechanisms of plant adaptation to light stress. Although both A. mono and A. pseudosieboldianum are highly shade tolerant, subtle differences in the photosynthetic, morphological and physiological traits underpinning their shade tolerance suggest A. pseudosieboldianum has the advantage to deal with the light threat. Future studies should focus on the expression level of photosynthesis-related genes and cell, to better understand the adaptation mechanism of plants to light variation which facilitates forest development, either natural or via silvicultural practices. This information expands our understanding of the light-regulating mechanism of trees, which contributes to develop management practices to support natural forest regeneration.
The impact of subjective social class and social mentality on public attitude in the Third Distribution
Authors: Li Minrui , Zhou Runan , Chen Yuhou , Zhong Yilin
Published: October 2022

The public's social mentality has an essential influence on the attitude toward participating in the Third Distribution and the implementation of the policy. From the perspective of subjective social class and prosocial behavior, based on social cognition theory and existing literature, we established the citizen class-society mentality and attitude model in China. The model mechanism is verified by a questionnaire survey of citizens' subjective social class, sense of social fairness, and subjective well-being. The results showed that subjective social class positively influenced individuals' attitudes toward participation in the Third Distribution, but expected social class negatively moderated the relationship between citizens' participation experiences and attitudes. In addition, the subjective social class in the past influenced individuals' attitudes to participation in the third distribution through subjective well-being and the sense of social fairness, and the effect of the intermediary path of subjective well-being was stronger than the sense of social justice.
Second-language phoneme learning positively relates to voice recognition abilities in the native language: Evidence from behavior and brain potentials
Authors: Díaz Begoña , Cordero Gaël , Hoogendoorn Joyce , Sebastian-Galles Nuria
Published: October 2022

Previous studies suggest a relationship between second-language learning and voice recognition processes, but the nature of such relation remains poorly understood. The present study investigates whether phoneme learning relates to voice recognition. A group of bilinguals that varied in their discrimination of a second-language phoneme contrast participated in this study. We assessed participants’ voice recognition skills in their native language at the behavioral and brain electrophysiological levels during a voice-avatar learning paradigm. Second-language phoneme discrimination positively correlated with behavioral and brain measures of voice recognition. At the electrophysiological level, correlations were present at two time windows and are interpreted within the dual-process model of recognition memory. The results are relevant to understanding the processes involved in language learning as they show a common variability for second-language phoneme and voice recognition processes.
Preparing for the “black swan”: Reducing employee burnout in the hospitality sector through ethical leadership
Authors: Ali Anis , Hamid Tasawar Abdul , Naveed Rana Tahir , Siddique Irfan , Ryu Hyungseo Bobby , Han Heesup
Published: October 2022

Hospitality is at a crossroads. While the growth and developmental indicators in this sector show economic potential, the rising employee burnout rate is a serious challenge to hospitality management. Literature suggests that an ethical leader can reduce employee burnout significantly. Although hospitality employees face a higher risk of burnout than other service segments, shockingly, past leadership studies did not focus on how ethical leaders in a hospitality organization may reduce the risk of burnout. Therefore, we conducted this research to explore ethical leadership-burnout relationships in the hospitality sector with the mediating effects of subjective wellbeing and employee resilience. A questionnaire was provided to employees in different hotel organizations (n = 346). Structural equation modeling was employed for hypothesis testing. The statistical evidence supported the theoretical assumptions that ethical leadership negatively predicts employee burnout, and subjective wellbeing and resilience mediate this relationship. The outcomes of this study suggest different theoretical and social implications. For example, the findings indicate the effectiveness of ethical leadership in reducing employee burnout in the hospitality sector. Several other implications have been discussed in detail.
Is participatory leadership conducive to the construction of virtual teams? Based on multi-agent simulation model
Authors: Liu Ruonan , Huang Zhenyu
Published: October 2022

In the Post-COVID-19 Era, with the continuous improvement of the technical level, virtual teams are constantly evolving, and the relationship between leadership and the construction of virtual teams has received more and more attention. It is of great significance to explore the influence of participatory leadership on the construction of virtual teams from a psychological perspective by building a multi-agent simulation model. Based on a simulation platform of NetLogo, the results showed that (1) Participatory leadership is conducive to the expansion of the scale of virtual teams by providing greater space for the development of the members of virtual teams and meeting the team members’ requirements of planning and promotion in the environment, which is decentralized and non-authoritative. (2) However, losing management is not conducive to building a reasonable structure of team members under participatory leadership. (3) The scale of virtual teams and the efficiency of the virtual teams all depend on the relationship between participatory leadership, organizational trust, incentive mode, and the balance between cooperation and competition.
The influence of ideological education on students’ mental health during the pandemic: An empirical analysis based on big data and intelligent model
Authors: Liu Lianxiang
Published: October 2022

Ideological education is an important part of students’ education. Good ideological education can greatly reduce students’ mental health problems. Based on relevant theories of psychology, this study analyzes how psychological crises can be warned against through continuous observation of emotions. Further, a psychological crisis warning model is built based on education big data, providing innovative observation methods and ideas for warning college students about psychological crises. The core idea of the model is that stress events are the external cause and personality and mood changes are the internal causes. The calculation, based on the evaluation of stress events and personality, can draw on different types of emotions and emotional threshold intensities to judge emotions. At the same time, the evaluation is based on time sequences of mood changes to judge the psychological crises that college students face by the level of risk. Combining psychological knowledge and machine learning methods, this study proposes a psychological crisis warning algorithm based on educational data, which predicts the duration and intensity of emotions by calculating stressful events and emotional attenuation. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can reflect the emotional changes of college students when they are subjected to stress events, and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is preliminarily verified. We conducted timely psychological intervention for the students who received negative stimuli, and the results show that timely psychological intervention and ideological education support are necessary and helpful.
Does the digital economy promote “innovation and entrepreneurship” in rural tourism in China?
Authors: Tang Gen Nian , Ren Fei , Zhou Jie
Published: October 2022

This paper focuses on the impact of the “Digital Economy” on rural entrepreneurship. Unlike previous literature, the perspective of this paper focuses on a specific industry—tourism—and identifies a new mediating mechanism by which the “Digital Economy” affects rural tourism entrepreneurship—the promotion of innovation. The paper further clarifies the fact that the “Rural Digital Economy Index,” which is a dimension of the Digital Economy Indicator System, is the key to the mechanism of action. Theoretically, first, through a literature review, this paper provides a rationale for the “Digital Economy” to promote innovation behavior by reducing the cost of innovation. Second, using a product matching model, this paper argues that a rural tourism market characterized by innovation can stimulate more entrepreneurship. Empirically, using a sample of 150 counties in the Yangtze River Delta region of China, this paper argues that the higher the digitalization index of a county’s rural economy, the more national model villages and towns this county has (all of which include product innovation in the selection criteria) and more tourism entrepreneurial activities. Econometric methods such as endogeneity, spatial econometric regression, and sensitivity analysis proved the findings robust. Our recommendation is that the Chinese government could focus on improving the innovation environment for rural residents in the future, so that entrepreneurial activities will be spontaneously stimulated by market mechanisms.
Refusing to tolerate ongoing prejudicial behavior toward immigrants: Together we can object to prejudicial flag displays
Authors: Gausel Nicolay , Berndsen Mariëtte
Published: October 2022

Over recent years, immigrants have been met with unjust prejudiced behavior instead of warm welcome. However, not all citizens of a nation endorse such behavior, instead they try to oppose it through social mobilization. In the context of an ongoing situation where the national flag is used as a prejudiced means to exclude immigrants, individuals who felt attached with all members of the nation felt significantly more shame for the unjust than individuals who glorify their nation. Consequently, attached identifiers expressed a significantly greater motivation than glorified identifiers to start thinking about social mobilization to reclaim the meaning of the flag as a symbol of inclusion, not exclusion. The current study contributes to the growing debate on how immigrants are received, and it helps explain how national identification and feelings such as shame motivate individuals to start thinking about objecting to prejudicial flag displays.
A systematic and theoretical approach to the marketing of higher education
Authors: Rabenu Edna , Shkoler Or
Published: October 2022

The aim of this article was to open a hatch to the consumer psychology research through the eyes of Facet Theory. The Facet Theory enables to delve into a concept or an issue under investigation and define it formally, systematically, and comprehensively, but still parsimoniously. In order to better explain its philosophical basis and the principles of this theory, we apply and demonstrate it on the domain of marketing of higher education to students. There are four distinct facets identified in this regard, namely, (A) Achieving Personal Goals, (B) Institution’s Marketing Orientation, (C) Secondary Decision Criteria, and (D) Level of Education. Based on those facets and their related respective elements, a suggested definitional directive for the marketing of higher education to students is construed.
The matching effect in persuasive communication about lockdown
Authors: Giammusso Isabella , Aquino Antonio , Alparone Francesca Romana , Mirisola Alberto
Published: October 2022

Scientific literature about persuasion has shown that the effectiveness of persuasive communication may depend on the match between the affective or cognitive contents of the message and the affective [(Need for Affect (NFA)] or cognitive [Need for Cognition (NFC)] orientation of the recipient. The present work aims to contribute to studying this effect by considering the context of health-related communication during the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Specifically, we aim to demonstrate that, when the message is characterized by affective and cognitive contents having the same (congruent message) or different valence (incongruent message), the attitude toward the target (i.e., a new lockdown) will be guided by the valence of the contents matching the individual affective/cognitive orientation. A total of 1,003 participants took part in a 2 (Cognitive content message: Positive vs. Negative) × 2 (Affective content message: Positive vs. Negative) factorial design and answered an online questionnaire. Results show that people with high levels of NFA and low levels of NFC report attitudes toward lockdown consistent with the valence of the affective contents. Conversely, attitudes of people with high levels of NFC and low levels of NFA were not influenced by contents that matched their orientation (i.e., cognitive).
What breaks the flow of reading? A study on characteristics of attentional disruption during digital reading
Authors: Chevet Guillaume , Baccino Thierry , Vinter Annie , Drai-Zerbib Véronique
Published: October 2022

Reading is increasingly taking place on digital media, which are vectors of attentional disruption. This manuscript aims to characterize attentional disruption during reading on a computer screen in an ecological environment. To this end, we collected information relating to reader interruptions (number, type, duration, position, mental effort, and valence) and self-caught mind wandering (occurrence, position) throughout the reading session for high and low media multitaskers in their own specific ecological environment, at home. Comprehension of the narrative text was assessed both with surface and inferential questions. In total, 74 participants (M = 22.16, SD = 2.35) took part in the experiment. They reported attentional disruptions on average every 4 mins during reading. Moreover, there were more attentional disruptions during the first half of the text. Most interruptions were short and little mental effort was required to process them. We made a distinction between media-related and media-unrelated related interruptions. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that media-unrelated interruptions were actually related to better performance for both inferential and surface level questions. Furthermore, media-related interruptions were more frequent for high than low media multitaskers. Pleasure experienced when reading the text was also a significant predictor of comprehension. The results are discussed with regard to Long-Term Working Memory and strategies that the readers could have implemented to recover the thread of their reading.
Analysis and research on the influence of music on students’ mental health under the background of deep learning
Authors: Wang Tianying , Zhao Ying , Yin Maoyuan
Published: October 2022

This paper makes a detailed analysis and discussion on the impact of music appreciation on college students’ mental health and the influence of music appreciation on students’ mental health, mental energy and mental structure. There has long been the idea of music promoting people’s mental health, as well as related research in the field of music psychology. For this specific group of primary and secondary school students, it should be said that it is relatively rare to consider using music education to promote their mental health. This paper summarizes the advantages of deep learning over shallow learning, explains the necessity of introducing deep learning, and describes the data representation of deep learning and several typical deep learning models. This study adopts the method of multi-evidence to conduct in-depth research and analysis. On the basis of in-depth study and research, this paper analyzes and studies the impact of music on students’ mental health, so as to lay a foundation for future research on students’ mental health. In terms of influencing factors and strategies to promote students’ in-depth learning, we should apply the research results to specific teaching situations with the help of advanced digital technology, and strive to combine theory with practice. The research shows that college students’ mental health is an important part of quality education in Colleges and universities, and music education plays an important role in the implementation of quality education.
Efficiency of attentional processes in attention network theory and autistic symptoms in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Pudło Monika , Pisula Ewa
Published: October 2022

Background

Attentional impairments in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been studied extensively, particularly in toddlers and young children. Attentional processes in teenagers with ASD are not fully understood, nor are the relationships between attentional deficits and ASD symptoms in this group.

Method

The aim of this study was to measure the attentional characteristics that attention network theory posits as being related to attention processes: alerting, orientating, and executive attention. We included 37 adolescents (aged 12–20) with ASD and Wechsler IQ in the normal range (≥70) and 37 neurotypical counterparts (NT) matched in terms of age, gender, and IQ. Symptoms of ASD were measured using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Second Edition (ADOS-2) and Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R).

Results

The adolescents with ASD reacted more slowly in all task conditions of the Attention Network Test and committed more errors in six of seven task conditions of this test. There were no group differences in the effects of alerting, orienting, and executive attention. We found moderate correlations of the effect of executive attention with three scales of ADOS-2 (communication, social functioning, and restricted behavior), as well as with the social scale and restricted behavior of ADI-R.

Conclusion

The results indicate that adolescents with ASD performed tasks requiring alerting and orienting attention less efficiently than their counterparts in terms of correctness and reaction time. The relationships between executive attention measures and communication and social affect is discussed.
A proposed mechanism for the MDMA-mediated extinction of traumatic memories in PTSD patients treated with MDMA-assisted therapy
Authors: Sottile Robert J. , Vida Thomas
Published: October 2022

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a devastating psychiatric disorder afflicting millions of people around the world. Characterized by severe anxiety, intrusive thoughts, pervasive nightmares, an assortment of somatic symptoms, associations with severe long-term health problems, and an elevated risk of suicide, as much as 40–70% of patients suffer from refractory disease. 3,4-Methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), like classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, have been used to enhance the efficacy of psychotherapy almost since their discovery, but due to their perceived potential for abuse and inclusion on USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) schedule 1, research into the mechanism by which they produce improvements in PTSD symptomology has been limited. Nevertheless, several compelling rationales have been explored, with the pro-social effects of MDMA thought to enhance therapeutic alliance and thus facilitate therapist-assisted trauma processing. This may be insufficient to fully explain the efficacy of MDMA in the treatment of psychiatric illness. Molecular mechanisms such as the MDMA mediated increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) availability in the fear memory learning pathways combined with MDMA's pro-social effects may provide a more nuanced explanation for the therapeutic actions of MDMA.
Post-traumatic growth experience of first-line emergency nurses infected with COVID-19 during the epidemic period—A qualitative study in Shanghai, China
Authors: Jiang Jinxia , Han Peng , Huang Xiangdong , Liu Yue , Shao Haiyan , Zeng Li , Duan Xia
Published: October 2022

Background

In March 2022, Shanghai, China, was hit by a severe wave of SARS-CoV-2 transmission caused by the Omicron variant strain. The medical staff was greatly infected during this period, which posed a traumatic event for them. Meanwhile, they also experience post-traumatic growth under introspection and positive change. However, the psychological coping and growth after infection with COVID-19 among medical staff have rarely been investigated.

Objectives

To explore the process and influencing factors of post-traumatic growth among emergency nurses infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) so as to provide a new perspective and theoretical basis for psychological rehabilitation or intervention for medical staff who experienced traumatic events.

Methods

The study used a qualitative design based on the phenomenological approach. A purposive sampling method was used to explore the subjective feelings and post-traumatic growth among 13 first-line emergency nurses infected with COVID-19 in Shanghai, China. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted in June 2022. A Seven-step Colaizzi process was used for data analysis.

Results

Themes were described and extracted from the experience and insights at different stages during the fight against the virus. Three main themes, i.e., stress period, adjustment period, and growth period, as well as several sub-themes, were identified.

Conclusion

First-line emergency nurses infected with COVID-19 are a sensitive group that should be given more attention. Investigating how they achieve psychological adjustment and growth in the case of severe trauma can provide valuable references for nursing management and education in the future. Society, hospital and nursing managers should pay more attention to the PTG of nurses and establish supportive PTG strategies, which will benefit the retention rate and career development of nurses.
The three-step persuasion model on YouTube: A grounded theory study on persuasion in the protein supplements industry
Authors: Tripathi Jayanshi , de Vries Roelof A. J. , Lemke Mailin
Published: October 2022

Persuasion can be defined as an active attempt by a person to change the behavior and attitudes of others. The purposive attempt to influence one's behavior can originate from different areas, and people who are able to do so are often referred to as influencers. Social media platforms such as Instagram or YouTube have become crucial platforms for influencers who generate their income by recommending products and services to their followers, including cosmetics, multimedia articles or clothing. Studies indicate that influencers actively try to persuade the viewer to adopt specific desirable behavior by strategically altering their displayed behavior on social media. Such strategies have mainly been explored in the context of beauty products, where lack of expertise and misinformation might have few negative consequences. Less is known about strategies used in a health-sensitive context, such as nutritional supplements. This research addresses this gap and aims to understand persuasive techniques used by health professionals on YouTube to promote the use of protein supplements. This study is based on an interpretive paradigm using interpretive grounded theory to analyze 60 YouTube videos. We developed a three-step model of persuasion for YouTube videos consisting of the steps: reaching the message, staying on the message, and performing the action that the persuader desires. Our analysis resulted in five core themes that contributed to the persuasiveness of the analyzed YouTube videos. These themes included: Quality, curiosity, engagement, concretization, and genuineness. We conclude the paper with reflections on our model's theoretical and practical implications.
Post-concussive symptoms mediate the relationship between sleep problems and participation restrictions among veterans with mild traumatic brain injury
Authors: Kinney Adam R. , Yan Xiang-Dong , Schneider Alexandra L. , King Samuel , Forster Jeri E. , Bahraini Nazanin , Brenner Lisa A.
Published: October 2022

Background

Sleep problems are common among Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and may contribute to participation restrictions. However, explanatory mechanisms underlying this relationship are poorly understood. Sleep problems are associated with post-concussive symptoms (e.g., headaches). In turn, post-concussive symptoms contribute to participation restrictions. We hypothesized that post-concussive symptom severity mediates the purported relationship between sleep problems and participation restrictions among Veterans with mTBI.

Materials and Methods

This study was a retrospective analysis of clinical data among 8,733 Veterans with mTBI receiving Veterans Health Administration outpatient care. Sleep problems (yes/no) were identified using the sleep-related item from the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI). Post-concussive symptoms were measured using remaining NSI items. Participation restrictions were measured using the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory Participation Index. We specified a latent variable path model to estimate relationships between: (1) sleep problems and three latent indicators of post-concussive symptoms [vestibular-sensory (e.g., headache)]; mood-behavioral [e.g., anxiety]; cognitive [e.g., forgetfulness]); and, (2) the three latent indicators of post-concussive symptoms and two latent indicators of participation restrictions (social and community participation [e.g., leisure activities]; productivity [e.g., financial management]). We examined the indirect effects of sleep problems upon participation restrictions, as mediated by post-concussive symptoms. Estimates were adjusted for sociodemographic factors (e.g., age), injury characteristics (e.g., blast), and co-morbid conditions (e.g., depression).

Results

87% of Veterans reported sleep problems. Sleep problems were associated with greater social and community participation restrictions, as mediated by mood-behavioral (β = 0.41, p < 0.001) and cognitive symptoms (β = 0.13, p < 0.001). There was no evidence that vestibular-sensory symptoms mediated this relationship (β = -0.01, p = 0.48). Sleep problems were associated with greater productivity restrictions, as mediated by vestibular-sensory (β = 0.16, p < 0.001) and cognitive symptoms (β = 0.14, p < 0.001). There was no evidence that mood-behavioral symptoms mediated this relationship (β = 0.02, p = 0.37).

Discussion

Findings suggest that evidence-based sleep treatment should occupy a prominent role in the rehabilitation of Veterans with mTBI. Indirect effects of sleep problems differed when considering impact on social and community participation vs. productivity, informing individualized rehabilitative care for Veterans with mTBI.
LVAC: Learned volumetric attribute compression for point clouds using coordinate based networks
Authors: Isik Berivan , Chou Philip A. , Hwang Sung Jin , Johnston Nick , Toderici George
Published: October 2022

We consider the attributes of a point cloud as samples of a vector-valued volumetric function at discrete positions. To compress the attributes given the positions, we compress the parameters of the volumetric function. We model the volumetric function by tiling space into blocks, and representing the function over each block by shifts of a coordinate-based, or implicit, neural network. Inputs to the network include both spatial coordinates and a latent vector per block. We represent the latent vectors using coefficients of the region-adaptive hierarchical transform (RAHT) used in the MPEG geometry-based point cloud codec G-PCC. The coefficients, which are highly compressible, are rate-distortion optimized by back-propagation through a rate-distortion Lagrangian loss in an auto-decoder configuration. The result outperforms the transform in the current standard, RAHT, by 2–4 dB and a recent non-volumetric method, Deep-PCAC, by 2–5 dB at the same bit rate. This is the first work to compress volumetric functions represented by local coordinate-based neural networks. As such, we expect it to be applicable beyond point clouds, for example to compression of high-resolution neural radiance fields.
The Mysterious Case of the Missing Razor Clams
Authors: Coletti Heather , Bowen Lizabeth , Ballachey Brenda , Wilson Tammy L. , Waters Shannon , Booz Michael , Counihan Katrina L. , Hollmen Tuula , Pister Benjamin
Published: October 2022

Oceans are changing and these changes are affecting the animals that live there. Animals respond differently to changes in water temperature, food availability, and contaminants. Those responses can be seen in their genes. A technique called transcriptomics allows scientists to see the response of an animal’s genes to its environment. We used transcriptomics to compare two populations of Pacific razor clams in Alaska (United States): one that has lots of clams and one that used to have lots but does not anymore. We were surprised when we did not find any differences in their gene responses! So, we had to think about what else might be influencing the number of clams in these two populations. As we “dug” for answers, we found out that there are differences between the populations that do not influence their genes but may impact their numbers, such as being eaten by predators.
Where Land and Sea Meet: Brown Bears and Sea Otters
Authors: Coletti Heather , Hilderbrand Grant , Bodkin James , Ballachey Brenda , Erlenbach Joy , Esslinger George , Hannam Michael , Kloecker Kimberly , Mangipane Buck , Miller Amy , Monson Daniel , Pister Benjamin , Griffin Kelsey , Bodkin Kelly , Smith Tom
Published: October 2022

In Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA, we have seen changes in the number of brown bears and sea otters. The number of animals of a species a habitat can support is called carrying capacity. Even though bears live on land and sea otters live in the ocean, these two mammals share coastal habitats. Bears eat salmon, other fish, plants, clams, and beached whales. Sea otters feed on clams and other marine invertebrates. All these foods are influenced by the ocean. Recently, we have seen fewer bears but more sea otters! What changed? Many things, but several observations point to the ocean. There are fewer salmon, whales, and clams, so bears rely more on plants for food. Fewer clams mean sea otters must work harder to find food. Our studies are helping us to understand how and why carrying capacity for a given species may change over time.
Public policies, sustainability, and smallholder producers' access to the market. The Productive Alliance Programme in Chile: A case study
Authors: Castillo Mayarí , Pérez-Silva Rodrigo , Chamorro Catalina , Sepúlveda Macarena
Published: October 2022

This study analyses the role of Chile's Productive Alliance Programme (PAP) in increasing welfare and improving access to the market for smallholder producers, by developing a sustainable agriculture in both social and environmental terms. This programme started in 2007 under the Ministry of Agriculture and now serves 3,600 smallholders in Chile. It seeks to create commercial partnerships between these smallholders and large companies, providing subsidies to establish conditions that allow the farmers to build new capabilities and skills. This case study used qualitative methodology and carried out 36 semi-structured interviews over July and August 2020. Interviewees included companies and smallholder producers within different productive chains, as well as public officials. The purpose of this analysis is to discuss the opportunities family farmers have to become a fundamental link in the supply chain of competitive companies at the national and international level. By providing targeted training on market requirements, agricultural management, risk management and sustainable use of resources, the programme enables smallholder producers to establish stable commercial alliances, improving their productive and management capacity. Although the programme's main outcome is not related to a significant increase in smallholders' income, participants perceive more stable earnings, reduced uncertainty, and improve their productive skills, mainly in terms of management and sustainable farming practices.
Factors influencing treatment decisions in HIFU treatment of adenomyosis: A retrospective study
Authors: Zhong Qiao , Yang Mei-Jie , Hu Yan , Jiang Li , Yu Jing-Wen , Chen Jin-Yun , Chen Wen-Zhi
Published: October 2022

Objective

To explore the influencing factors of decision-making in patients with adenomyosis, who are receiving high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment.

Methods

A total of 776 patients with adenomyosis were enrolled into HIFU group (241 cases) and hysterectomy group (535 cases) according to the treatment methods. The general data, clinical symptoms, marital and childbearing history, and economic status were compared between the two groups, and factors with P < 0.05 were introduced into multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the determinants of patients choosing HIFU.

Results

The average age of the patients in the HIFU group was 39.1 ± 5.2 years, which was lower than that in the hysterectomy group, which was 45.1 ± 3.9 years (P < 0.05). The basic medical insurance for urban workers in the HIFU group was more than the hysterectomy group (P < 0.05). 95.9% of the hysterectomy group had no desire to have children, compared to 60.6% of the HIFU group, the difference was significant (P < 0.05). The treatment costs of HIFU group were significantly lower than that of hysterectomy group (P < 0.05). The main symptoms of the two groups were dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, and secondary anemia. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that 31–40 years old, fertility desire, dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, anemia and dizziness and fatigue were the influencing factors for the decision-making of HIFU for patients with adenomyosis.

Conclusion

31–40 years old, fertility desire, dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, anemia and dizziness and fatigue were the influencing factors for patients to choose HIFU treatment. HIFU therapy has emerged as a new option for patients with adenomyosis as an alternative to hysterectomy.
Novel monoclonal antibodies against Fiber-1 of duck adenovirus 3 and their B cell epitopes
Authors: Shao Hongxia , Zhang Wenyuan , Lin Yun , Xie Jing , Ren Dan , Xie Quan , Li Tuofan , Wan Zhimin , Qin Aijian , Ye Jianqiang
Published: October 2022

Recently, the outbreak of the infection of Duck adenovirus 3 (DAdV-3) characterized by swelling and hemorrhagic liver and kidney has caused huge economic losses to duck industry since 2014 in China. To date, the B cell epitopes in the Fiber-1 protein and the underlying infection mechanism of DAdV-3 have not been investigated. In this study, the recombinant Fiber-1 protein was first expressed in E. coli and six novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Fiber-1 were generated, designated as 1D8, 1E6, 3G6, 4G1, 4G2, and 6F10, respectively. Moreover, mAbs 3G6 and 6F10 could efficiently immunoprecipitate the Fiber-1 in LMH cells infected with DAdV-3 or transfected with pcDNA3.1-Fiber-1. Notably, mAbs 3G6 and 4G2 also showed certain neutralizing activity against DAdV-3 infection in vitro. Epitopes mapping revealed that the B cell epitope recognized by 6F10, 3G6, 4G1, 1D8, 4G2, and 1E6 was located in 34-66aa, 67-99aa, 64-296aa, 297-329aa, 330-362aa, and 363-395aa, respectively. Sequence alignments further found that the six epitopes recognized by these mAbs were highly conserved among different DAdV-3 isolates. The generated mAbs specific to Fiber-1 and their defined epitopes provide powerful tools for establishing rapid and efficient diagnostics for the detection of DAdV-3 and pave the way for further studying on the critical role of Fiber-1 in mediating the infection of DAdV-3.
Using Nitrogen for the Control of Stored Product Insects: One Single Application for Multiple Purposes
Authors: Athanassiou Christos G. , Sakka Maria K.
Published: October 2022

Nitrogen treatment can be used as an alternative method to chemical control. Most of the research on nitrogen treatment mainly investigated the optimum concentration of oxygen level as well as duration as a means of insect control. Other parameters such as temperature and different insect species have been extensively studied and recent research focus on the modelling of nitrogen concentration and the efficacy on commodity. In this paper, we briefly review the major parameters (temperature, oxygen level, relative humidity, exposure time) using nitrogen treatment against stored product insects. Exposure to different oxygen levels or different exposure times can remarkably change pest control mortality. Moreover, different insect species and life stages have differing susceptibility to nitrogen treatment. Finally, these studies are reviewed in this paper to illustrate that nitrogen treatment can be used as a part of an IPM strategy.
On Sense Making and the Generation of Knowledge in Visual Analytics
Authors: Vuckovic Milena , Schmidt Johanna
Published: October 2022

Interactive visual tools and related visualization technologies, built to support explorative data analysis, ultimately lead to sense making and knowledge discovery from large volumes of raw data. These processes namely rely on human visual perception and cognition, in which human analysts perceive external representations (system structure, dataset, integral data visualizations) and form respective internal representations (internal cognitive imprints of external systems) that enable deeper comprehension of the employed system and the underlying data features. These internal representations further evolve through continuous interaction with external representations. They also depend on the individual’s own cognitive pathways. Currently, there has been insufficient work on understanding how these internal cognitive mechanisms form and function. Hence, we aim to offer our own interpretations of such processes observed through our daily data exploration workflows. This is accomplished by following specific explorative data science tasks while working with diverse interactive visual systems and related notebook style environments that have different organizational structures and thus may entail different approaches to thinking and shaping sense making and knowledge generation. In this paper, we deliberate on the cognitive implications for human analysists when interacting with such a diverse organizational structure of tools and approaches when performing the essential steps of an explorative visual analysis.
Design and Analysis of Microchannels for Heat Dissipation of High-Energy VCSELs Based on Laser 3D Printing
Authors: Yan Anru , Liu Xu , Wang Xiaobo , Wang Zhiyong
Published: October 2022

For the problem of high waste heat in the active area of high-power VCSEL arrays and the difficulty of heat dissipation, we took advantage of laser 3D printing technology and combined it with the relevant principles of fluid-structure coupling, three kinds of microchannel heat sink with different structures of pin-fin, honeycomb, and double-layer reflow were designed. The heat dissipation capacity of three kinds of heat sinks to the heat flux density 200 W/cm2 VCSEL array and the influence of the key characteristics of the microchannel on the heat dissipation capacity was studied. The results show that the double-layer reflow microchannel heat sink has the strongest heat dissipation capability, with the minimum thermal resistance value of 0.258 °C/W when the microchannel diameter and the cooling mass flow rate were 0.5 mm and 24 L/h, respectively. The inner wall roughness of the pure copper microchannel prepared by 3D printing technology was 7.08 μm, and the heat sink thermal resistance was reduced by 0.7% compared with the smooth channel wall. The deviation of the microchannel diameter from the design size (500 μm) was −10 μm, and the heat sink thermal resistance was reduced by 0.8% compared to the theoretical value, which shows that the surface roughness and size deviation of the 3D printed microchannel had beneficial effect on enhancing heat dissipation. The actual thermal conductivity of the 3D printed pure copper after heat treatment was 310.4 W/m-K, at which point the thermal resistance was 0.306 °C/W, and the maximum temperature was 35.3 °C, which satisfied the operating temperature range of the chip. This study provides a theoretical basis and implementation method for the fabrication of heat sinks for high-energy VCSEL arrays using laser 3D printing technology.
An Adaptive Dynamic Multi-Template Correlation Filter for Robust Object Tracking
Authors: Hung Kuo-Ching , Lin Sheng-Fuu
Published: October 2022

In the field of computer vision and robotics, scholars use object tracking technology to track objects of interest in various video streams and extend practical applications, such as unmanned vehicles, self-driving cars, robotics, drones, and security surveillance. Object tracking is a mature technology in the field of computer vision and robotics; however, there is still no one object tracking algorithm that can comprehensively and simultaneously solve the four problems encountered by tracking objects, namely deformation, illumination variation, motion blur, and occlusion. We propose an algorithm called an adaptive dynamic multi-template correlation filter (ADMTCF) which can simultaneously solve the above four difficulties encountered in tracking moving objects. The ADMTCF encodes local binary pattern (LBP) features in the HSV color space, so the encoded features can resist the pollution of the tracking image caused by illumination variation. The ADMTCF has four templates that can be adaptively and dynamically resized to maintain tracking accuracy to combat tracking problems such as deformation, motion blur, and occlusion. In this paper, we experimented with our ADMTCF algorithm and various state-of-the-art tracking algorithms in scenarios such as deformation, illumination variation, motion blur, and occlusion. Experimental results show that our proposed ADMTCF exhibits excellent performance, stability, and robustness in various scenarios.
Enzymatic Synthesis of Galacto-Oligosaccharides from Concentrated Sweet Whey Permeate and Its Application in a Dairy Product
Authors: Orrego David , Klotz-Ceberio Bernadette
Published: October 2022

Valorization of by-products in the dairy industry as a strategy to promote circular economies has become a priority around the globe. Cheese whey and its derivates from filtration technologies offer a source of valuable molecules such as proteins, fat, lactose, and minerals. For this study, after protein concentration and recovery through ultrafiltration, lactose remaining in the permeate was furtherly concentrated with nanofiltration, resulting in a retentate used as substrate for the enzymatic production of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). The kinetics of GOS generation with a commercial β-galactosidase, was carried out, quantifying the carbohydrate composition by HPAEC-PAD. Results showed that at 0.5 h, GOS yield reached a maximum of 74% (g GOS/g lactose) with a lactose utilization of 63%. Under these conditions, a GOS syrup (75% soluble solids) was generated and applied in a porridge for blind paired comparison test, including a control without the syrup. No differences were identified in color and odor between porridges; however, flavor and mouthfeel of the GOS-added sample improved according to the comments of panelists. This study presents an alternative process for the valorization of whey permeate to produce GOS ingredients that can be used directly in day-to-day dairy products.
Effects of Home Office Order on Ambient Particulate Matters Assessed by Interrupted-Time-Series Analysis: Evidence from Shanghai, China
Authors: Tong Ling , Liu Yongping , Ren Yangyang , Xu Huihui , Han Fengchan , Qian Hailei , Sui Shaofeng
Published: October 2022

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a pandemic globally since its outbreak in 2019. As an important port city with prosperous foreign trade, Shanghai has been under severe pressure to prevent the input of COVID-19. With this in mind, solid policies and measures have always been taken in Shanghai to control the input of COVID-19 strictly. In March 2022, the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant swept Shanghai, and then the home office order was rapidly carried out in most of the districts. This article focuses on quantifying the changes in concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 in Shanghai after implementing the home office order and exploring the spatial-distribution characteristics and time trend of the impact of the home office order on airborne particulate matters (PMs) through an interrupted-time-series (ITS) analysis. This study found that PM10 and PM2.5 decreased by 31.40 μg/m3 (p = 0.028) and 10.33 μg/m3 (p = 0.276), respectively, with the fastest decrease speed in the first 10 days of the home office order. Meanwhile, the changes in PM concentrations in eastern areas such as Fengxian District and Chongming District are less than those in central and western areas of Shanghai. Therefore, it can be concluded that implementing the home office order for 10 days could effectively cut down PM concentrations, and the reduction values can be affected by spatial difference and time factor.