bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mobile Payment Adoption: An Empirical Investigation of Alipay
Authors: Xu Yuqian , Ghose Anindya , Xiao Binqing
Published: July 2023

The rapid growth in the adoption of mobile payments has already begun to reshape bank payment practices. Utilizing a unique data set from a leading bank in Asia that records credit card transactions of its customers before and after the launch of Alipay mobile payment, the largest mobile payment platform in the world, this study aims to understand the impact of mobile payment adoption on bank customer credit card activities and the change of this impact after the mobile payment expansion. To do so, we employ the difference-in-differences method coupled with matching to estimate the effects. We find that mobile payment adoption not only increases customer credit card activities at the focal bank through both off-line and online channels, but also enhances customer loyalty to the bank by reducing churn. Specifically, the total credit card transaction amount and frequency of our focal bank increased by 9.4% and 10.7%, respectively. Moreover, we examine the change in the treatment effect after the mobile payment expansion and find an increase in adopters’ credit card activities and a reduction in their churn after the expansion. Next, we discuss the underlying mechanisms and show that mobile payment acts as a substitute for physical card payment in the off-line channel, and this supports the key underlying mechanism of the reduced transaction cost. However, a certain complementary effect exists between personal computer and mobile payments, likely driven by the coadoption of the two. Finally, we provide empirical evidence on conditions that facilitate the use of mobile payments, following the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology.

History: Yong Tan, Senior Editor; Tianshu Sun, Associate Editor.

Funding: This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants U1811462, 72071102].

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2021.0156 .
Continuous glucose monitoring: key points for healthcare managers
Authors: Ramadan Francesca
Published: July 2023

Health writer Francesca Ramadan provides an overview of the implications of continuous glucose monitoring and ‘flash’ monitoring for patient care and costs, ahead of the upcoming National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
First Steps for ‘Chemputer’
Authors: Nathan Stuart
Published: July 2023

System aims to digitise pharmaceuticals
Making Parking Painless
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: July 2023

A US company is bringing a new mobile-first parking platform to the UK.
Loose Threads
Authors: Edwards Chris
Published: July 2023

As IoT and distributed cyber-physical systems become more sophisticated, timing is proving increasingly difficult to manage.
A Quantum Step
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: July 2023

TESTS SHOW INTEGRATED QUANTUM CHIP OPERATIONS POSSIBLE.
A Crucial Step
Authors: Grylls Bethan
Published: July 2023

WORLD’S FIRST TPM FOR CYBERSECURITY IN THE CONNECTED CAR.
Package Deal
Authors: Edwards Chris
Published: July 2023

Why is system-in-package (SIP) becoming a more viable option for system design engineers?
Evaluation of Acetylcholinesterase and Acetylcholine Levels in Children with Idiopathic Epilepsy
Authors: M. Zaki Moushira , Moustafa Rehab S.I. , Shady Mones M. Abu , El Sayed Ahmed Helal , Youness Eman R.
Published: July 2023

Objective of this work was to assess whether acetylcholinesterase and acetylcholine, levels that can be used as biomarkers for drug-resistant epilepsy in children with idiopathic epilepsy. Acetylcholinesterase and acetylcholine levels were measured in three groups of children, 30 children with drug resistant epilepsy,30 with seizures free and30 age and sex matched healthy children. Significant lower acetylcholinesterase was found in drug resistant epilepsy compared to seizure free epilepsy and healthy controls. Higher acetylcholine levels was found in seizure free epilepsy compared to drug resistant epilepsy and healthy controls. Stepwise linear regression analysis showed that low ACHE, high ACH, high severity score are significant independent factors associated with idiopathic epilepsy. Moreover, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that severity score at cutoff of Chalfont score>60 had the highest sensitivity 86.7% and specificity 80% followed by serum ACHE at cutoff <3.212(ng/ml) with sensitivity 70% and specificity 100% and then serum ACH at cutoff >18.410(ng/ml)with sensitivity 70% and specificity 83.3% as predictors for idiopathic epilepsy. Increased circulating level of ACHand decreased ACHE may predict idiopathic epilepsy suggesting their role in the childhood idiopathic epilepsy’spathogenesis.
Histological Study of the Possible Protective Effect of Spirulina platensis on Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)-induced Pulmonary Alveolar Changes in Adult Male Albino Rats
Authors: Al-Maathidy Aiman Q. , Karawya ,Fardous , Al-Qaraleh Samer Y. , Qtaitat Aiman Al-
Published: July 2023

Background: Phthalates are known to be major environmental hazards. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a commonly used phthalate ester, is present in a variety of products. Humans can be exposed to DBP from various sources, which can release it into biological fluids and cause various health problems by penetrating different tissues in the body. Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of DBP on pulmonary alveoli in rats and to assess the mitigating influence of S. platensis. Methods: The study involved 30 young adult male albino rats, which were divided into 3 groups (n = 10 each): control, group II (rats treated with phthalate ester (DBP; 50 mg/kg body weight/day)), and group III (Spirulina-protected animals given phthalate ester (DBP; 50 mg/kg body weight + Spirulina (200 mg/kg body weight/day)). Results: The study revealed that alveolar tissues in the groups treated with DBP showed significant increases in collagen deposition and inflammatory cellular infiltration. Furthermore, the numbers of type-II pneumocytes and alveolar macrophages were significantly increased. However, most of these effects were ameliorated by Spirulina platensis. Conclusion: These findings suggest that Spirulina may have potentially beneficial effects on pulmonary alveoli by mitigating the toxic effects of DBP.
Applicability and Sensitivity of Field Hydrology Modeling by the Soil Plant Air Water (SPAW) Model Under Changes in Soil Properties
Authors: Saha Ajoy Kumar , McMaine John
Published: July 2023

Highlights

Changes to soil properties and precipitation scenarios significantly affect the water balance in agro-hydrology.

SPAW model is sensitive to simulated runoff and infiltration, but it has limitations in responding to soil compaction and organic matter change.

Increasing organic matter (1% to 5%) did not significantly affect runoff or infiltration in silty and sandy loam soil.

Low precipitation generates significantly lower runoff (%) and higher infiltration.

Abstract. Agricultural practices can change soil properties and the amount of runoff generated from a landscape. Modeling results could be significantly different than expected if the web soil survey or other commonly used remote sensing applications are used as model inputs without site verification. This study assessed the applicability and sensitivity of the Soil-Plant-Air-Water (SPAW) Model for simulating the runoff (%) and infiltration (%) components of the water balance for various soil physical properties, cover crop, and weather variables. Soil profiles in 135 combinations were developed with three soil classes (sandy loam, silt loam, and clay), five organic matter levels (1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5%), three levels of compaction (low, medium, and high), and three topsoil layer thicknesses (7.6 cm, 11.4 cm, and 15 cm). Also, three cover crop treatments were simulated by modifying surface cover and evapotranspiration during the non-growing season. Finally, two precipitation regimes were considered (Iowa City, IA, as high precipitation and Brookings, SD, as low precipitation) to simulate runoff and infiltration. In total, 810 scenarios were run, resulting in over 300 million data points. This study confirmed that soil texture, bulk density, and topsoil thickness significantly (p<0.01) influence runoff generation and infiltration percentage based on the water balance criterion. Interestingly, the SPAW model had no significant response on runoff (%) and infiltration (%) to organic matter levels changing from 1% to 5%. This simulation demonstrates that runoff estimations can be significantly influenced by soil properties that can change due to agricultural conservation practices (ACPs) or, conversely, by compaction events. Inputs to models must account for these changes rather than relying only on historical or remote sensing inputs. Keywords: Agricultural conservation practices, Conservation agriculture, Field hydrology, Infiltration, Runoff, SPAW.
A Multimodal Optical Sensing System for Automated and Intelligent Food Safety Inspection
Authors: Qin Jianwei , Hong Jeehwa , Cho Hyunjeong , Van Kessel Jo Ann S. , Baek Insuck , Chao Kuanglin , Kim Moon Sung
Published: July 2023

Highlights

A multimodal optical sensing system was developed for food safety applications.

The prototype system can conduct dual-band Raman spectroscopy at 785 and 1064 nm.

The system can automatically measure samples in Petri dishes or well plates.

The system with AI software is promising for identifying species of foodborne bacteria.

Abstract. A novel multimodal optical sensing system was developed for automated and intelligent food safety inspection. The system uses two pairs of compact point lasers and dispersive spectrometers at 785 and 1064 nm to realize dual-band Raman spectroscopy and imaging, which is suitable to measure samples generating low- and high-fluorescence interference signals, respectively. Automated spectral acquisition can be performed using a direct-drive XY moving stage for solid, powder, and liquid samples placed in customized well plates or randomly scattered in standard Petri dishes (e.g., bacterial colonies). Three LED lights (white backlight, UV ring light, and white ring light) and two miniature color cameras are used for machine vision measurements of samples in the Petri dishes using different combinations of illuminations and imaging modalities (e.g., transmission, fluorescence, and color). Real-time image processing and motion control techniques are used to implement automated sample counting, positioning, sampling, and synchronization functions. System software was developed using LabVIEW with integrated artificial intelligence functions able to identify and label interesting targets instantly. The system capability was demonstrated by an example application for rapid identification of five common foodborne bacteria, including Bacillus cereus, E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp.. Using a machine learning model based on a linear support vector machine, a classification accuracy of 98.6% was achieved using Raman spectra automatically collected from 222 bacterial colonies of the five species grown on nutrient nonselective agar in 90 mm Petri dishes. The entire system was built on a 30×45 cm2 breadboard, enabling it compact and portable and its use for field and on-site biological and chemical food safety inspection in regulatory and industrial applications. Keywords: Artificial intelligence, Automated sampling, Bacteria, Food safety, Machine learning, Machine vision, Raman, Sensing.
CFD Simulation of Porous Canopy Heat Transfer in Apple Orchard-Based Frost Protection
Authors: Hua Weiyun , Heinemann Paul , He Long , Yuan Wenan
Published: July 2023

Highlights

Convective heat transfer in an apple orchard was simulated by Ansys Fluent.

The various heating patterns and convective heat transfer coefficients under different heating schemes were obtained.

The heating effects of heater output intensity, output velocity, and heating angle were simulated.

The heating duration and heat dissipation time were critical for mobile heating.

Abstract. Frost events cause high economic losses in agriculture. Frost protection methods, particularly heating, have been implemented in cold-sensitive crops for millennia. Although often effective, traditional heating strategies can be insufficient or wasteful due to a lack of spatial temperature information, resulting in inadequate protection or uneven heating problems. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling has been widely used to simulate fluid flow, heat, and mass transfer by predicting various processes such as spatial flow velocity, pressure, and temperature distribution within a simulated environment. A three-dimensional CFD model for simulating airflow and heat transfer in an apple orchard was developed and validated, with the effects of heater output intensity and output velocity, heating angle, and heating duration analyzed. The validated model effectively predicted the spatial temperature changes over time inside the canopy for three representative heating schemes (heaters angled 0°, 45°, and 90° toward a tree row) with an average root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.6 °C. The simulated results show that the heating scheme of heaters angled 45° was the most effective, resulting in the largest average percentage of the protected canopy (72.3%), compared with heaters angled 0° (33.1%) and 90° (56.5%). The average percentage of the protected canopy increased by 108.2% when the heater output intensity increased to 477,000 KJ·h-1 and 46.0% when the heater output velocity increased to 15 m·s-1. However, the percentage of the protected canopy showed diminishing returns as the heater output intensity and velocity increased. The simulated heat dissipation time was linearly related to the heating duration, which can be utilized to determine the reheating time for mobile heating. The outcome of the study can be beneficial for making effective frost protection decisions in apple orchards. Keywords: Canopy, Computational fluid dynamics, Frost protection, Heat transfer, Porous media modeling.
DIFICULDADES NA APRENDIZAGEM DE LÍNGUAS E MEIOS DE INTERVENÇÃO
Authors: Brun Milenna
Published: July 2023

Este trabalho examina as manifestações psíquicas que dificultam a aprendizagem de língua estrangeira por adultos e análisa as possibilidades de intervenção eficaz a fim de auxiliar e facilitar o processo de aquisição lingüística. Tentamos compreender quem são esses aprendizes, suas dificuldades para aprender uma língua estrangeira  e as relações que eles mantêm com a língua e a cultura estrangeiras, com o professor  e com a situação educativa. Refletimos ainda sobre as ações   viáveis   no   quadro   atual   do ensino de línguas para adultos tais como a utilização de estratégias de aprendizagem  e de   atividades   lúdicas.   O   artigo   apresenta   um   programa de intervenção – o projeto de escuta sistemática  – que considera  os aspectos subjetivos da aprendizagem.
TECNOLOGIA ASSISTIVA: CONTRIBUIÇÕES PARA A INCLUSÃO EDUCACIONAL DE ALUNOS COM DEFICIÊNCIA
Authors: Lucas Ribeiro Emilia , Alves Galvão Filho Teófilo
Published: July 2023

Na contemporaneidade, vivencia-se um movimento em prol da inclusão educacional e social de pessoas com deficiências, que podem apresentar dificuldades para realizar diversas atividades no seu cotidiano, precisando, dessa forma, da mediação de outras pessoas ou de ferramentas para realizá-las. Diante disso, este artigo busca analisar as contribuições da Tecnologia Assistiva para a inclusão educacional de pessoas com deficiência, tomando como viés os produtos de Tecnologia Assistiva não relacionados às Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação, os quais poderão contribuir para a autonomia, a independência e a inserção das pessoas com deficiência na educação e na sociedade.
Test-retest reliability of fNIRS in resting-state cortical activity and brain network assessment in stroke patients
Authors: Xu Gongcheng , Huo Congcong , Yin Jiahui , Zhong Yanbiao , Sun Guoyu , Fan Yubo , Wang Daifa , Li Zengyong
Published: July 2023

Resting-state functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) scanning has attracted considerable attention in stroke rehabilitation research in recent years. The aim of this study was to quantify the reliability of fNIRS in cortical activity intensity and brain network metrics among resting-state stroke patients, and to comprehensively evaluate the effects of frequency selection, scanning duration, analysis and preprocessing strategies on test-retest reliability. Nineteen patients with stroke underwent two resting fNIRS scanning sessions with an interval of 24 hours. The haemoglobin signals were preprocessed by principal component analysis, common average reference and haemodynamic modality separation (HMS) algorithm respectively. The cortical activity, functional connectivity level, local network metrics (degree, betweenness and local efficiency) and global network metrics were calculated at 25 frequency scales × 16 time windows. The test-retest reliability of each fNIRS metric was quantified by the intraclass correlation coefficient. The results show that (1) the high-frequency band has higher ICC values than the low-frequency band, and the fNIRS metric is more reliable than at the individual channel level when averaged within the brain region channel, (2) the ICC values of the low-frequency band above the 4-minute scan time are generally higher than 0.5, the local efficiency and global network metrics reach high and excellent reliability levels after 4 min (0.5 < ICC < 0.9), with moderate or even poor reliability for degree and betweenness (ICC < 0.5), (3) HMS algorithm performs best in improving the low-frequency band ICC values. The results indicate that a scanning duration of more than 4 minutes can lead to high reliability of most fNIRS metrics when assessing low-frequency resting brain function in stroke patients. It is recommended to use the global correction method of HMS, and the reporting of degree, betweenness and single channel level should be performed with caution. This paper provides the first comprehensive reference for resting-state experimental design and analysis strategies for fNIRS in stroke rehabilitation.
Near-infrared speckle wavemeter based on nonlinear frequency conversion
Authors: Sun Yiwei , Ni Fengchao , Huang Yiwen , Liu Haigang , Chen Xianfeng
Published: July 2023

The wavemeter is an important instrument for spectrum analysis, widely used in spectral calibration, remote sensing, atomic physics, and high-precision metrology. However, near-infrared (NIR) wavemeters require infrared-sensitive detectors that are expensive and less sensitive compared to silicon-based visible light detectors. To circumvent these limitations, we propose an NIR speckle wavemeter based on nonlinear frequency conversion. We combine a scattering medium and the deep learning technique to invert the nonlinear mapping of the NIR wavelength and speckles in the visible wave band. With the outstanding performance of deep learning, a high-precision wavelength resolution of 1 pm is achievable in our experiment. We further demonstrate the robustness of our system and show that the recognition of power parameters and multi-spectral lines is also feasible. The proposed method offers a convenient and flexible way to measure NIR light, and it offers the possibility of cost reduction in miniaturized wavemeter systems.
Explainable multi-task learning improves the parallel estimation of polygenic risk scores for many diseases through shared genetic basis
Authors: Badré Adrien , Pan Chongle
Published: July 2023

Many complex diseases share common genetic determinants and are comorbid in a population. We hypothesized that the co-occurrences of diseases and their overlapping genetic etiology can be exploited to simultaneously improve multiple diseases’ polygenic risk scores (PRS). This hypothesis was tested using a multi-task learning (MTL) approach based on an explainable neural network architecture. We found that parallel estimations of the PRS for 17 prevalent cancers in a pan-cancer MTL model were generally more accurate than independent estimations for individual cancers in comparable single-task learning (STL) models. Such performance improvement conferred by positive transfer learning was also observed consistently for 60 prevalent non-cancer diseases in a pan-disease MTL model. Interpretation of the MTL models revealed significant genetic correlations between the important sets of single nucleotide polymorphisms used by the neural network for PRS estimation. This suggested a well-connected network of diseases with shared genetic basis.
Perturbation of protein homeostasis brings plastids at the crossroad between repair and dismantling
Authors: Tadini Luca , Jeran Nicolaj , Domingo Guido , Zambelli Federico , Masiero Simona , Calabritto Anna , Costantini Elena , Forlani Sara , Marsoni Milena , Briani Federica , Vannini Candida , Pesaresi Paolo
Published: July 2023

The chloroplast proteome is a dynamic mosaic of plastid- and nuclear-encoded proteins. Plastid protein homeostasis is maintained through the balance between de novo synthesis and proteolysis. Intracellular communication pathways, including the plastid-to-nucleus signalling and the protein homeostasis machinery, made of stromal chaperones and proteases, shape chloroplast proteome based on developmental and physiological needs. However, the maintenance of fully functional chloroplasts is costly and under specific stress conditions the degradation of damaged chloroplasts is essential to the maintenance of a healthy population of photosynthesising organelles while promoting nutrient redistribution to sink tissues. In this work, we have addressed this complex regulatory chloroplast-quality-control pathway by modulating the expression of two nuclear genes encoding plastid ribosomal proteins PRPS1 and PRPL4. By transcriptomics, proteomics and transmission electron microscopy analyses, we show that the increased expression of PRPS1 gene leads to chloroplast degradation and early flowering, as an escape strategy from stress. On the contrary, the overaccumulation of PRPL4 protein is kept under control by increasing the amount of plastid chaperones and components of the unfolded protein response (cpUPR) regulatory mechanism. This study advances our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying chloroplast retrograde communication and provides new insights into cellular responses to impaired plastid protein homeostasis.
A flexible empirical Bayes approach to multivariate multiple regression, and its improved accuracy in predicting multi-tissue gene expression from genotypes
Authors: Morgante Fabio , Carbonetto Peter , Wang Gao , Zou Yuxin , Sarkar Abhishek , Stephens Matthew
Published: July 2023

Predicting phenotypes from genotypes is a fundamental task in quantitative genetics. With technological advances, it is now possible to measure multiple phenotypes in large samples. Multiple phenotypes can share their genetic component; therefore, modeling these phenotypes jointly may improve prediction accuracy by leveragingeffects that are shared across phenotypes. However, effects can be shared across phenotypes in a variety of ways, so computationally efficient statistical methods are needed that can accurately and flexibly capture patterns of effect sharing. Here, we describe new Bayesian multivariate, multiple regression methods that, by using flexible priors, are able to model and adapt to different patterns of effect sharing and specificity across phenotypes. Simulation results show that these new methods are fast and improve prediction accuracy compared with existing methods in a wide range of settings where effects are shared. Further, in settings where effects are not shared, our methods still perform competitively with state-of-the-art methods. In real data analyses of expression data in the Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, our methods improve prediction performance on average for all tissues, with the greatest gains in tissues where effects are strongly shared, and in the tissues with smaller sample sizes. While we use gene expression prediction to illustrate our methods, the methods are generally applicable to any multi-phenotype applications, including prediction of polygenic scores and breeding values. Thus, our methods have the potential to provide improvements across fields and organisms.
Adverse birth outcomes and associated factors among newborns delivered in Sao Tome & Principe: A case‒control study
Authors: Vasconcelos Alexandra , Sousa Swasilanne , Bandeira Nelson , Alves Marta , Papoila Ana Luísa , Pereira Filomena , Machado Maria Céu
Published: July 2023

Background

Newborns with one-or-more adverse birth outcomes (ABOs) are at greater risk of mortality or long-term morbidity with health impacts into adulthood. Hence, identifying ABO-associated factors is crucial for devising relevant interventions. For this study, ABOs were defined as prematurity (PTB) for gestational age <37 weeks, low birth weight (LBW) <2.5 kg, macrosomia >4 kg, asphyxia for a 5-minute Apgar score <7, congenital anomalies, and neonatal sepsis. This study aimed to assess factors associated with ABOs among babies delivered at the only hospital of Sao Tome & Principe (STP), a resource-constrained sub-Saharan-Central African country.

Methods

A hospital-based unmatched case‒control study was conducted among newborns from randomly selected mothers. Newborns with one-or-more ABO were the cases (ABO group), while healthy newborns were the controls (no-ABO group). Data were collected by a face-to-face interview and abstracted from antenatal care (ANC) pregnancy cards and medical records. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify ABO-associated factors considering a level of significance of α = 0.05.

Results

A total of 519 newborns (176 with ABO and 343 no-ABO) were enrolled. The mean gestational age and birthweight of cases and controls were 36 (SD = 3.7) weeks with 2659 (SD = 881.44) g and 39.6 (SD = 1.0) weeks with 3256 (SD = 345.83) g, respectively. In the multivariable analysis, twin pregnancy [aOR 4.92, 95% CI 2.25–10.74], prolonged rupture of membranes [aOR 3.43, 95% CI 1.69–6.95], and meconium- fluid [aOR 1.59, 95% CI 0.97–2.62] were significantly associated with ABOs. Eight or more ANC contacts were found to be protective [aOR 0.33, 95% CI 0.18–0.60, p<0.001].

Conclusion

Modifiable factors were associated with ABOs in this study and should be considered in cost-effective interventions. The provision of high-quality ANC should be a priority. Twin pregnancies and intrapartum factors such as prolonged rupture of membranes and meconium-stained amniotic fluid are red flags for ABOs that should receive prompt intervention and follow-up.
Phenotypic quantification of root spatial distribution along circumferential direction for field paddy-wheat
Authors: Chen Xinxin , Tang Yongli , Duan Qingfei , Hu Jianping
Published: July 2023

Plant roots are essential for water and nutrient absorption, anchoring, mechanical support, metabolite storage and interaction with the surrounding soil environment. A comprehensive understanding of root traits provides an opportunity to build ideal roots architectural system that provides improved stability and yield advantage in adverse target environments caused by soil quality degradation, climate change, etc. However, we hypothesize that quantitative indicators characterizing root system are still need to be supplemented. Features describing root growth and distribution, until now, belong mostly to 2D indicators or reflect changes in the root system with a depth of soil layers but are rarely considered in a spatial region along the circumferential direction. We proposed five new indicators to quantify the dynamics of the root system architecture (RSA) along its eight-part circumferential orientations with visualization technology which consists of in-situ field root samplings, RSA digitization, and reconstruction according to previous research based on field experiments that conducted on paddy-wheat cultivation land with three fertilization rates. The experimental results showed that the growth space of paddy-wheat root is mainly restricted to a cylinder with a diameter of 180 mm and height of 200 mm at the seedlings stage. There were slow fluctuating trends in growth by the mean values of five new indicators within a single volume of soil. The fluctuation of five new indicators was indicated in each sampling time, which decreased gradually with time. Furthermore, treatment of N70 and N130 could similarly impact root spatial heterogeneity. Therefore, we concluded that the five new indicators could quantify the spatial dynamics of the root system of paddy-wheat at the seedling stage of cultivation. It is of great significance to the comprehensive quantification of crop roots in targeted breeding programs and the methods innovation of field crop root research.
Trends in self-reported cost barriers to dental care in Ontario
Authors: Abdelrehim Mona , Ravaghi Vahid , Quiñonez Carlos , Singhal Sonica
Published: July 2023

Background

The affordability of dental care continues to receive attention in Canada. Since most dental care is privately financed, the use of dental care is largely influenced by insurance coverage and the ability to pay-out-of pocket.

Objectives

i) to explore trends in self-reported cost barriers to dental care in Ontario; ii) to assess trends in the socio-demographic characteristics of Ontarians reporting cost barriers to dental care; and iii) to identify the trend in what attributes predicts reporting cost barriers to dental care in Ontario.

Methods

A secondary data analysis of five cycles (2003, 2005, 2009–10, 2013–14 and 2017–18) of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) was undertaken. The CCHS is a cross-sectional survey that collects information related to health status, health care utilization, and health determinants for the Canadian population. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted to determine the characteristics of Ontarians who reported cost barriers to dental care. Poisson regression was used to calculate unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios to determine the predictors of reporting a cost barrier to dental care.

Results

In 2014, 34% of Ontarians avoided visiting a dental professional in the past three years due to cost, up from 22% in 2003. Having no insurance was the strongest predictor for reporting cost barriers to dental care, followed by being 20–39 years of age and having a lower income.

Conclusion

Self-reported cost barriers to dental care have generally increased in Ontario but more so for those with no insurance, low income, and aged 20–39 years.
Can red tourism lead to spiritual transformation? Evidence from tourists visiting the Red Army Long March Xiangjiang Battle Memorial Park
Authors: Zhou Huiling , Zhang Qianru , Jiang Yajun , Wang Fuyuan
Published: July 2023

The mechanism of spiritual transformation in red tourism plays a key role in facilitating the inheritance of red culture. A survey of 385 tourists of Chinese nationality was conducted to explore the path of red tourism’s influence on tourists’ spiritual transformation. Based on the stimulus–organism–response theory, this paper explores tourists’ environmental perceptions of red tourism activities as special external stimuli, introduces a positive emotion factor, and constructs a path model of red tourism for tourists’ positive emotions based on educational function and cultural identity, which ultimately leads to their spiritual transformation. The results of the empirical tests using structural equation modelling indicated that environmental perceptions had a significantly positive effect on the stimulation of positive emotions, while positive emotions had an indirect effect on spiritual transformation. The research results enhance people’s understanding of the spiritual transformation brought by red tourism and provide management significance for red tourism planning.
Developing and validating the Japanese version of the Referential Thinking Scale: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Sasaki Jun , Muranaka Seiji , Arahata Kotomi , Sato Atsushi
Published: July 2023

It has been shown that ideas of reference in the context of paranoia (IoR-P) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (IoR-S) are caused by different psychological constructs. Although it is well known that both IoR-P and IoR-S are frequently evoked during the same period of life, how they interact with each other is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to develop the Japanese version of the Referential Thinking Scale (J-REF) to assess IoR-S, examine its validity and reliability, and explore the predictors of IoR-P and IoR-S. In this study, several subgroups of Japanese individuals in their 20s were included in the analysis. The J-REF had high internal consistency, high test-retest reliability, good convergent, and discriminant validity. Two hierarchical regression analyses showed that public self-consciousness predicted the manifestation of IoR-P, while the dimensions of schizotypy predicted that of IoR-S. Moreover, social anxiety and negative moods could cause IoR-P and IoR-S. This study directly showed the existence of two different types of ideas of reference in terms of their predictors. It is also significant in that it first examined referential thinking using the REF scale in the context of Asia and showed that there may not be much difference in the frequency of ideas of reference from other cultures. Future research directions are also discussed.
Robust performance comparison of PMSM for flight control applications in more electric aircraft
Authors: Karboua Djaloul , Belgacem Toual , Khan Zeashan Hameed , Kellal Cherif
Published: July 2023

This paper describes a robust performance comparison of flight control actuation controllers based on a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) in more electric aircraft (MEA). Recently, the PMSM has become a favorite for the flight control applications of more electric aircraft (MEA) due to their improved efficiency, higher torque, less noise, and higher reliability as compared to their counterparts. Thus, advanced nonlinear control techniques offer even better performance for the control of PMSM as noticed in this research. In this paper, three nonlinear approaches i.e. Feedback Linearization Control (FBL) through the cancellation of the non-linearity of the system, the stabilization of the system via Backstepping Control (BSC) using the Lyapunov candidate function as well as the robust performance with chattering minimization by applying the continuous approximation based Sliding Mode Control (SMC) are compared with generalized Field-Oriented Controller (FOC). The comparison of FOC, FBL, BSC and SMC shows that the nonlinear controllers perform well under varying aerodynamic loads during flight. However, the performance of the sliding mode control is found superior as compared to the other three controllers in terms of better performance characteristics e.g. response time, steady-state error etc. as well as the control robustness in the presence of the uncertain parameters of the PMSM model and variable load torque acting as a disturbance. In essence, the peak of the tolerance band is less than 20% for all nonlinear and FOC controller, while it is less than 5% for SMC. Steady state error for the SMC is least (0.01%) as compared to other three controllers. Moreover, the SMC controller is able to withstand 50% parameter variation and loading torque of 10 N.m without significant changes in performance. Six simulation scenarios are used to analyze the performance and robustness which depict that the sliding mode controller performs well in terms of the desired performance for MEA application.
Cite-seeing and reviewing: A study on citation bias in peer review
Authors: Stelmakh Ivan , Rastogi Charvi , Liu Ryan , Chawla Shuchi , Echenique Federico , Shah Nihar B.
Published: July 2023

Citations play an important role in researchers’ careers as a key factor in evaluation of scientific impact. Many anecdotes advice authors to exploit this fact and cite prospective reviewers to try obtaining a more positive evaluation for their submission. In this work, we investigate if such a citation bias actually exists: Does the citation of a reviewer’s own work in a submission cause them to be positively biased towards the submission? In conjunction with the review process of two flagship conferences in machine learning and algorithmic economics, we execute an observational study to test for citation bias in peer review. In our analysis, we carefully account for various confounding factors such as paper quality and reviewer expertise, and apply different modeling techniques to alleviate concerns regarding the model mismatch. Overall, our analysis involves 1,314 papers and 1,717 reviewers and detects citation bias in both venues we consider. In terms of the effect size, by citing a reviewer’s work, a submission has a non-trivial chance of getting a higher score from the reviewer: an expected increase in the score is approximately 0.23 on a 5-point Likert item. For reference, a one-point increase of a score by a single reviewer improves the position of a submission by 11% on average.
Comparative study of multiple approaches for identifying cultivable microalgae population diversity from freshwater samples
Authors: Badr Amal A. , Fouad Walid M.
Published: July 2023

The vast diversity of microalgae imposes the challenge of identifying them through the most common and economical identification method, morphological identification, or through using the more recent molecular-level identification tools. Here we report an approach combining enrichment and metagenomic molecular techniques to enhance microalgae identification and identify microalgae diversity from environmental water samples. From this perspective, we aimed to identify the most suitable culturing media and molecular approach (using different primer sets and reference databases) for detecting microalgae diversity. Using this approach, we have analyzed three water samples collected from the River Nile on several enrichment media. A total of 37 microalgae were identified morphologically to the genus level. While sequencing the three-primer sets (16S rRNA V1-V3 and V4-V5 and 18S rRNA V4 region) and aligning them to three reference databases (GG, SILVA, and PR2), a total of 87 microalgae were identified to the genus level. The highest eukaryotic microalgae diversity was identified using the 18S rRNA V4 region and alignment to the SILVA database (43 genera). The two 16S rRNA regions sequenced added to the eukaryotic microalgae identification, 26 eukaryotic microalgae. Cyanobacteria were identified through the two sequenced 16S rRNA regions. Alignment to the SILVA database served to identify 14 cyanobacteria to the genera level, followed by Greengenes, 11 cyanobacteria genera. Our multiple-media, primer, and reference database approach revealed a high microalgae diversity that would have been overlooked if a single approach had been used over the other.
Predatory journals: Perception, impact and use of Beall’s list by the scientific community–A bibliometric big data study
Authors: Richtig Georg , Berger Marina , Koeller Max , Richtig Markus , Richtig Erika , Scheffel Jörg , Maurer Marcus , Siebenhaar Frank
Published: July 2023

Beall’s list is widely used to identify potentially predatory journals. With this study, we aim to investigate the impact of Beall’s list on the perception of listed journals as well as on the publication and citation behavior of the scientific community. We performed comprehensive bibliometric analyses of data extracted from the ISSN database, PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), Crossref, Scopus and Web of Science. Citation analysis was performed by data extracted from the Crossref Cited-by database. At the time of analysis, Beall’s list consisted of 1,289 standalone journals and 1,162 publishers, which corresponds to 21,735 individual journals. Of these, 3,206 (38.8%) were located in the United States, 2,484 in India (30.0%), and 585 in United Kingdom (7.1%). The majority of journals were listed in the ISSN database (n = 8,266), Crossref (n = 5,155), PubMed (n = 1,139), Scopus (n = 570), DOAJ (n = 224), PMC (n = 135) or Web of Science (n = 50). The number of articles published by journals on Beall’s list as well as on the DOAJ continuously increased from 2011 to 2017. In 2018, the number of articles published by journals on Beall’s list decreased. Journals on Beall’s list were more often cited when listed in Web of Science (CI 95% 5.5 to 21.5; OR = 10.7) and PMC (CI 95% 6.3 to 14.1; OR = 9.4). It seems that the importance of Beall’s list for the scientific community is overestimated. In contrast, journals are more likely to be selected for publication or citation when indexed by commonly used and renowned databases. Thus, the providers of these databases must be aware of their impact and verify that good publication practice standards are being applied by the journals listed.
Gene regulatory network inference in soybean upon infection by Phytophthora sojae
Authors: Hale Brett , Ratnayake Sandaruwan , Flory Ashley , Wijeratne Ravindu , Schmidt Clarice , Robertson Alison E. , Wijeratne Asela J.
Published: July 2023

Phytophthora sojaeis a soil-borne oomycete and the causal agent of Phytophthora root and stem rot (PRR) in soybean (Glycine max[L.] Merrill). Yield losses attributed toP.sojaeare devastating in disease-conducive environments, with global estimates surpassing 1.1 million tonnes annually. Historically, management of PRR has entailed host genetic resistance (both vertical and horizontal) complemented by disease-suppressive cultural practices (e.g., oomicide application). However, the vast expansion of complex and/or diverseP.sojaepathotypes necessitates developing novel technologies to attenuate PRR in field environments. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to couple high-throughput sequencing data and deep learning to elucidate molecular features in soybean following infection byP.sojae. In doing so, we generated transcriptomes to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during compatible and incompatible interactions withP.sojaeand a mock inoculation. The expression data were then used to select two defense-related transcription factors (TFs) belonging to WRKY and RAV families. DNA Affinity Purification and sequencing (DAP-seq) data were obtained for each TF, providing putative DNA binding sites in the soybean genome. These bound sites were used to train Deep Neural Networks with convolutional and recurrent layers to predict new target sites of WRKY and RAV family members in the DEG set. Moreover, we leveraged publicly available Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) DAP-seq data for five TF families enriched in our transcriptome analysis to train similar models. These Arabidopsis data-based models were used for cross-species TF binding site prediction on soybean. Finally, we created a gene regulatory network depicting TF-target gene interactions that orchestrate an immune response againstP.sojae. Information herein provides novel insight into molecular plant-pathogen interaction and may prove useful in developing soybean cultivars with more durable resistance toP.sojae.
Homocysteine levels in patients with coronary slow flow phenomenon: A meta-analysis
Authors: Yu Hong , Wang Bei-Bei , Zhao Meng , Feng Feng , Li Hua-Dong
Published: July 2023

Background

With the development of coronary angiography, more and more attention has been paid to coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP). Recent studies have found that the correlation between homocysteine (Hcy) levels and CSFP was contradictory, so we conducted this meta-analysis to investigate the correlation.

Methods

By March 2022, studies that meet the research requirements were identified by searching multiple databases including Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed. We included studies evaluating the correlation between Hcy levels and CSFP. Random or fixed effect meta-analyses were performed according to heterogeneity among included studies. A leave-out method and subgroup analyses were conducted to determine the source of heterogeneity.

Results

Thirteen studies involving 625 CSFP and 550 subjects were included. After pooling data from each study, Hcy levels were higher in the CSFP groups (standard mean difference [SMD], 1.45; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.96, P < .00001) than in the control group. In the meta-analysis, there was significant heterogeneity (I2 = 93%), which was further explored through leave-out method and and subgroup analyses. Specifically, pooling data from studies with a mean thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count ≥ 46 (SMD, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.63, P < .00001) resulted in no heterogeneity (0%), indicating that the TIMI frame count ≥ 46 was the source of heterogeneity.

Conclusions

Our study found that elevated Hcy levels are strongly associated with CSFP. More importantly, the association was stronger in CSFP patients with mean TIMI frame count ≥ 46.
Simulation of supply chain disruptions considering establishments and power outages
Authors: Inoue Hiroyasu , Okumura Yoshihiro , Torayashiki Tetsuya , Todo Yasuyuki
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we simulate the economic loss resulting from supply chain disruptions triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) in 2011, applying data from firm-level supply chains and establishment-level attributes to an agent-based model. To enhance the accuracy of the simulation, we extend data and models in previous studies in four ways. First, we identify the damage to production facilities in the disaster-hit regions more accurately by using establishment-level census and survey data and geographic information system (GIS) data on the damages caused by the GEJE and subsequent tsunami. Second, the use of establishment-level data enables us to capture supply chains between non-headquarter establishments in disaster-hit regions and establishments in other regions. Third, we incorporate the effect of power outages after the GEJE on production reduction, which exacerbated the effect of the supply chain disruption, particularly in the weeks immediately after the GEJE. Finally, our model incorporates sectoral heterogeneity by employing sector-specific parameters. Our findings indicate that the extended method can significantly improve the accuracy of predicting the domestic production after the GEJE, particularly due to the first three improvements utilizing various data sources, not because of the use of more sector-specific parameters. Our method can be applied to predict the economic effect of future disasters, such as the Nankai Trough earthquake, on each region more precisely.
What mechanisms mediate prior probability effects on rapid-choice decision-making?
Authors: Puri Rohan , Hinder Mark R. , Heathcote Andrew
Published: July 2023

Rapid-choice decision-making is biased by prior probability of response alternatives. Conventionally, prior probability effects are assumed to selectively affect, response threshold, which determines the amount of evidence required to trigger a decision. However, there may also be effects on the rate at which evidence is accumulated and the time required for non-decision processes (e.g., response production). Healthy young (n = 21) and older (n = 20) adults completed a choice response-time task requiring left- or right-hand responses to imperative stimuli. Prior probability was manipulated using a warning stimulus that informed participants that a particular response was 70% likely (i.e., the imperative stimulus was either congruent or incongruent with the warning stimulus). In addition, prior probability was either fixed for blocks of trials (block-wise bias) or varied from trial-to-trial (trial-wise bias). Response time and accuracy data were analysed using the racing diffusion evidence-accumulation model to test the selective influence assumption. Response times for correct responses were slower on incongruent than congruent trials, and older adults’ responses were slower, but more accurate, than young adults. Evidence-accumulation modelling favoured an effect of prior probability on both response thresholds and nondecision time. Overall, the current results cast doubt on the selective threshold influence assumption in the racing diffusion model.