bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intentional model of MSMEs growth: a tripod-based view and evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Utama Satria , Yusfiarto Rizaldi , Pertiwi Ruspita Rani , Khoirunnisa Annes Nisrina
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore growth models based on “industry-based capabilities”, “resources-based capabilities” and “institution-based capabilities” in the context of the determinants of micro, small and medium enterprises’ (MSMEs) actors’ intention to grow.

Design/methodology/approach

This study involved 188 owners/managers of MSMEs. The analysis was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Moreover, the importance-performance map analysis package is used to complement the study findings.

Findings

This study uses the framework of the resource-based view (entrepreneurial knowledge), industrial-based view (industrial linkage) and institutional-based view (government support and access to finance) as proxies of the tripod-based view framework. The findings show that entrepreneurial knowledge (skills, competencies and functional), government support, access to finance and industrial linkage (vertical and horizontal) significantly encourage MSMEs’ owner/manager growth intention.

Practical implications

Firstly, this study suggests that MSMEs actors focus on developing entrepreneurial knowledge to boost the skills, competencies and functionalities needed to improve their business capabilities, directly affecting their growth intention. Secondly, this study indicates that the growth intention of MSME players, besides increasing internal capacity, must also be supported by the external environment, such as financial institutions, government and industrial linkage.

Originality/value

This study offers a tripod-based view as a framework for MSMEs’ actors’ intention to grow, where the constructs in the model used so far have not been explored comprehensively in the context of MSMEs. So, the built model brings more relevant factors to explain this topic from various perspectives.
Status of agribusiness enterprises in Nigeria: evidence from World Bank Enterprise Survey data
Authors: Chukwuma-Ume Nice , Ume Chukwuma Otum
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study aims to focus on assessing the status of agribusiness enterprises in Nigeria. The specific goals were to ascertain the level of performance of different categories of agribusiness enterprises, and determine the institutional and firm-level characteristics that influence agribusiness performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on secondary data. These data were sourced from the World Bank business enterprise survey. The World Bank Enterprise survey employed a purposive sampling technique to select major staple agribusiness categories in Nigeria. The categories selected were those included in the World Bank's categorization of agribusiness enterprises. These categories include tobacco, food, textiles, leather, garments, paper industries and wood. The individual firms included in the survey were randomly selected from the selected agribusiness categories. In total, 721 agribusiness firms were selected. Data were analyzed with multiple linear regression at a 5% probability level.

Findings

The result of the analysis showed that small-scale agribusiness enterprises have the best performance based on an average of the five performance indicators considered in this study. The determinants of agribusiness performance showed that the credit constraint, size of enterprise, bureaucracy and corruption negatively and significantly affected the performance of agribusiness enterprises in the country, while the gender and educational status of the top manager were positively significant.

Research limitations/implications

The findings imply that small agribusinesses are instrumental in the development of the agribusiness sector and by extension the economy of the nation.

Originality/value

This study enhances the understanding of how best to deliver improved system-level performance policy and wealth creation, especially within the agribusiness subsector.
Validation and testing of a measurement model for the assessment of agripreneurial competencies
Authors: Thomas K.V. , Murali Saran
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This article aims to develop a measurement scale for assessing agripreneurial competencies relevant to emerging economies in alignment with the SDG2 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Design/methodology/approach

The scale development procedure includes item development and refinement, data collection, reliability and validity tests and scale purification with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

Findings

The validated scale carries eight dimensions of competencies: Agreeableness (AG), Technological Competency (TC), Competitive Spirit (CS), Innovativeness (IN), Self-Confidence (SC), Social Responsibility (SR), Conscientiousness (CO) and Leadership (LS). The analysis puts forth a good and fit model, and the new scale reports sufficient convergent and discriminant validity.

Research limitations/implications

This study is focused on the agripreneurial competencies of individual agripreneurs; institutional agripreneurs are excluded from the study.

Social implications

Identifying prominent agripreneurs using the scale developed from this study will aid in allocating various government and non-governmental organisations' assistance to agripreneurs. Since developing economies rely heavily on agriculture, any positive contribution can help alleviate poor economic growth, end hunger, and promote sustainable agriculture (SDG 2 of 2030).

Originality/value

Though several scales for measuring entrepreneurial competencies are available, there is no standard scale to measure agripreneurial competencies. This article presents the development and validation of a measurement scale to assess the major competencies of agripreneurs that influence agripreneurship performance.
Socio-economic governance and economic growth in Nigeria
Authors: Okunlola Olalekan Charles , Sani Imran Usman , Ayetigbo Olumide Abiodun
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The study examines the impact of socio-economic governance on economic growth in Nigeria. It measures socio-economic governance from the perspective of fiscal policy, using indicators such as investment in education, research and development (R&D) and health.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs the Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) Bound Testing method to achieve its objective.

Findings

The study finds that socio-economic policies aimed at increasing investment in education are crucial for Nigeria’s long-term economic growth. Additionally, investment in R&D positively impacts economic growth. However, the study reveals that investment in health negatively affects economic growth in Nigeria in the long run. This suggests that if a country overinvests in health, it may divert resources from other vital sectors such as education, infrastructure and R&D, which can hinder overall economic growth. The short-run parameter is, however, not statistically significant in this study.

Originality/value

The study’s originality lies in its exploration of the relationship between socio-economic governance and economic growth in Nigeria, specifically from a fiscal policy perspective. It highlights the importance of investing in education and R&D for long-term economic growth. Additionally, the finding that overinvestment in health may have a negative impact on long-term economic growth provides valuable insight for policymakers in Nigeria and other developing countries. Overall, this study’s findings can be beneficial for policymakers and researchers interested in the intersection between socio-economic governance and economic growth in developing countries.
Entrepreneurial leadership and employee creativity: a multilevel mediation model of entrepreneurial self-efficacy
Authors: Yang Jin , Bentein Kathleen
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The current study, which is based on social learning theory and social cognitive theory, intends to investigate the impact of entrepreneurial leadership on employee creativity at both the individual and team levels. In particular, the authors predict a mediating mechanism at both levels: employees’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Further, the authors consider whether the climate of support for innovation is a contextual element affecting the relationship between employees’ perceptions of entrepreneurial leadership and their own entrepreneurial self-efficacy.

Design/methodology/approach

The research hypotheses were tested using multilevel structural equation modeling on 191 employees nested in 49 entrepreneurial ventures in China.

Findings

The results indicated that entrepreneurial leadership positively correlates with employee creativity at individual level. Moreover, this study found that individual followers’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy partially mediates the association between individual perceptions of entrepreneurial leadership and employee creativity, whereas team members’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy fully mediates the association between team members’ perceptions of supervisors’ entrepreneurial leadership and employee creativity. Further, this research demonstrates the role of team-level climate of support for innovation as a boundary condition that strengthens the effect of entrepreneurial leadership on individual entrepreneurial self-efficacy.

Originality/value

Considering entrepreneurial self-efficacy to be a type of entrepreneurial context-specific self-efficacy, this study presents one of the first empirical examples of the mediating function of entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the association between entrepreneurial leadership and employee creativity. Additionally, this research demonstrates the role of team-level climate of support for innovation as a boundary condition that strengthens the effect of entrepreneurial leadership on individual entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Further, this study provides a methodological contribution by simultaneously assessing all three variables of the mediation process at the individual and team levels: entrepreneurial leadership, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and employee creativity.
A numerical investigation on the influence of full vs perimeter arrays on the mechanical reliability of electronic assemblies under vibration
Authors: Gharaibeh Mohammad A.
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to compare and evaluate the influence of package designs and characteristics on the mechanical reliability of electronic assemblies when subjected to harmonic vibrations.

Design/methodology/approach

Using finite element analysis (FEA), the effect of package design-related parameters, including the interconnect array configuration, i.e. full vs perimeter, and package size, on solder mechanical stresses are fully addressed.

Findings

The results of FEA simulations revealed that the number of solder rows or columns available in the array, could significantly affect solder stresses. In addition, smaller packages result in lower solder stresses and differing distributions.

Originality/value

In literature, there are no papers that discuss the effect of solder array layout on electronic packages vibration reliability. In addition, general rules for designing electronic assemblies subjected to harmonic vibration loadings are proposed in this paper.
Quality of housing services in the student residential areas of Osun State University, Osogbo campus, Nigeria
Authors: Olanrewaju Samson , Garba Grace , Ogunwale Testimony
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the quality of housing services in the students’ residential areas (SRAs) of Osun State University, Osogbo campus.

Design/methodology/approach

Eighty-eight hostels were systematically sampled and questionnaires were administered to students' representatives from each of the sampled hostels. Also utilized was a physical observation of the hostels. Data obtained include the socioeconomic characteristics of the students, characteristics of housing units in the SRAs and condition of housing services in the SRAs.

Findings

About 40% of the residents are fresh students with no previous knowledge of the housing condition of their hostels. Also, about 50% of the accommodation in the SRAs is within the range of #51,000 – #100,000 per annum (about 200–400 US Dollars). With this high price, about 65% of the hostels are occupied with not less than two squatters. While housing services such as electricity are reportedly high, the quality of hostel services in the study area depends on the housing unit's cost.

Social implications

In the social context, the paper identifies the implications of the quality of housing services on students' health and associated risks. The study, among others, recommends the development of a regulatory framework for the control of the rental value of hostels, basic facilities in the hostels and the number of students in a room.

Originality/value

This research, unlike previous researches, gives an insight into quality of housing services in tertiary institutions in the country.
Liquidity, interbank network topology and bank capital
Authors: Ardekani Aref Mahdavi
Published: July 2023

Purpose

While previous literature has emphasized the causal relationship from liquidity to capital, the impact of interbank network characteristics on this relationship remains unclear. By applying the interbank network simulation, this paper aims to examine whether the causal relationship between capital and liquidity is influenced by bank positions in the interbank network.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the sample of 506 commercial banks established in 28 European countries from 2001 to 2013, the author adopts the generalized method of moments simultaneous equations approach to investigate whether interbank network characteristics influence the causal relationship between bank capital and liquidity.

Findings

Drawing on a sample of commercial banks from 28 European countries, this study suggests that the interconnectedness of banks within interbank loan and deposit networks shapes their decisions to establish higher or lower regulatory capital ratios in the face of increased illiquidity. These findings support the implementation of minimum liquidity ratios alongside capital ratios, as advocated by the Basel Committee on Banking Regulation and Supervision. In addition, the paper underscores the importance of regulatory authorities considering the network characteristics of banks in their oversight and decision-making processes.

Originality/value

This paper makes a valuable contribution to the current body of research by examining the influence of interbank network characteristics on the relationship between a bank’s capital and liquidity. The findings provide insights that add to the ongoing discourse on regulatory frameworks and emphasize the necessity of customized approaches that consider the varied interbank network positions of banks.
Determinants of online-reporting on sustainable development goals: the case of Portuguese Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Monteiro Sónia , Ribeiro Verónica , Vilhena Estela , Lemos Kátia , Molho Cristiana
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Some studies investigate the determinants of sustainability/integrated reporting in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). However, empirical research is still very embryonic in the scope of sustainable development goals (SDGs). As far as the authors are aware, previous research related to reporting in HEIs has not considered the linkage with the SDGs. Thus, this paper aims to analyse the disclosure on the websites of the Portuguese HEIs regarding the SDGs and their determinant factors.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on content analysis of the information disclosed on the websites of all Portuguese HEIs. Through bivariate and multivariate statistics analysis, the authors also aim to identify the explanatory factors for the SDGs reporting (such as geographical location – coast/inland, HEIs’ size, educational system – Universities and polytechnics, institutional status – public and private).

Findings

The results indicate that 63.6% of Portuguese HEIs disclose information on SDGs in their websites. Findings of bivariate analysis revealed that public and larger HEIs are those that disclose more information about SDG on their websites. However, the logit regression result found that size is the only determinant factor of SDGs reporting.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first Portuguese approach to SDGs reporting in the Portuguese higher education sector. The results will be of interest to policymakers and regulators who decide to implement and standardize SDGs reporting at higher education, as well as of HEIs’ managers who wish to follow these new trends in their reporting cycle.
Evaluating policy changes on council waste generation and diversion: Evidence from South Australia
Authors: Xu Ying , Wheeler Sarah Ann , Doko Tchatoka Firmin
Published: July 2023

Australia, like most countries worldwide, faces increasing issues with burgeoning waste generation and its appropriate disposal. Hence, effective policies and programmes are needed to change household waste generation and recycling behaviour, thereby reducing waste into landfill. To date, however, there has been little academic research on the potential effects of various policies on waste generation. We employ a rare data set and the fixed‐effects linear regression model with autoregressive disturbances to investigate how a variety of public policies (namely education campaigns, roll‐out of food diversion systems and provision of food caddies) influence monthly waste generation and diversion in Adelaide, South Australia, from 2006 to 2020. The results show that the introduction of food waste caddies and diversion systems was associated with increased diversion rates, saving local councils the gross equivalent of AUD$4.67 million in reduced solid waste landfill levies. However, education campaigns regarding food waste and recycling alone were found to have no significant association with reduced waste or increased recycling.
Allogenic umbilical cord‐derived mesenchymal stromal cells improve motor function in prenatal surgical repair of myelomeningocele: An ovine model study
Authors: Athiel Yoann , Jouannic Jean‐Marie , Mauffré Vincent , Dehan Coralie , Adam Clovis , Blot Stéphane , Lallemant Pauline , De Saint Denis Timothé , Larghero Jérôme , Nasone Justine , Guilbaud Lucie
Published: July 2023

Objective

To investigate the effects of an adjuvant allogenic umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cell (UC‐MSC) patch applied during fetal surgery on motor and sphincter function in the ovine MMC model.

Design

MMC defects were surgically created at 75 days of gestation and repaired 14 days later.

Population

Ovine MMC model: fetal lambs.

Methods

We compared lambs that received a UC‐MSC patch with a control group of lambs that received an acellular patch.

Main Outcome Measures

Clinical neurological assessment was performed at 2 and 24 hours of life and included determination of the Sheep Locomotor Rating scale (SLR), which has been validated in the ovine MMC model. Electrophysical examinations, spine scans and histological analyses were also performed.

Results

Of the 13 operated lambs, nine were born alive: five had of these had received a UC‐MSC patch and four an acellular patch. At 24 hours of life, lambs in the UC‐MSC group had a significantly higher score (14 versus 5, P = 0.04). Amyotrophy was significantly more common in the control group (75% versus 0%, P = 0.02). All the lambs in the control group and none of those in the UC‐MSC group were incontinent. No significant differences were observed between the UC‐MSC and control groups in terms of the presence of spontaneous EMG activity, nerve conduction or spinal evoked potentials. In the microscopic examination, lambs in the UC‐MSC group had less fibrosis between the spinal cord and the dermis (mean thickness, 453 versus 3921 μm, P = 0.03) and around the spinal cord (mean thickness, 47 versus 158 μm, P < 0.001). Examination of the spinal cord in the area of the MMC defect showed a higher large neuron density in the UC‐MSC group (14.5 versus 5.6 neurons/mm2, P < 0.001). No tumours were observed.

Conclusions

Fetal repair of MMC using UC‐MSC patches improves motor and sphincter function as well as spinal preservation and reduction of fibrosis.
Bergamot juice powder with high bioactive properties: Spray‐drying for the preservation of antioxidant activity and ultrasound‐assisted extraction for enhanced phenolic compound extraction
Authors: Demircan Bahar , Velioglu Yakup Sedat , Giuffrè Angelo Maria
Published: July 2023

The spray‐drying process yielded functional bergamot juice powder with high antioxidant activity, phenolic content, and vitamin C content. Optimal drying conditions were determined as 10% maltodextrin concentration, 146.02°C inlet temperature, and 39.99% pump rate, preserving powder's bioactive properties. Under these drying conditions, bergamot juice powder exhibited an antioxidant activity of 62.2% DPPH scavenging activity, a total phenolic content of 3862.1 ppm, and a vitamin C content of 1385.9 ppm. The bergamot juice powder, with a water activity of 0.2, bulk density of 0.4 g/mL, tapped density of 0.5 g/mL, porosity of 89.6%, hygroscopicity of 8.6%, and cohesiveness of 37.2%, is highly suitable for further processing. High‐pressure liquid chromatography analysis revealed the presence of major phenolic compounds in both fresh bergamot juice and spray‐dried powder, although their concentrations were lower in the powder form. The major phenolics identified in the fruit juice were naringin (197.5 ppm), eriocitrin (105.9 ppm), neoeriocitrin (53.4 ppm), neohesperidin (68.8 ppm), and naringenin (119.8 ppm). However, in the powder form, the bitterness‐associated compounds, naringin and neohesperidin, exhibited a significant reduction of 85.0% and 90.3%, respectively. Compared to dimethyl sulfoxide (48.4%), ethanol (37.9%), and distilled water (17.3%), ultrasound‐assisted extraction with acetone solvent demonstrated the highest efficiency (61.7%) in obtaining phenolic compounds from bergamot juice powder. In conclusion, spray‐drying is an effective method for obtaining functional bergamot juice powder, and ultrasound‐assisted extraction can further enhance phenolic compound extraction efficiency. These findings have potential applications in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, with opportunities for further research in functional foods or nutraceuticals.

Practical Application

Spray‐drying yields functional bergamot juice powder with high bioactive properties. Optimal drying conditions can be applied in industrial settings. Ultrasound‐assisted extraction enhances phenolic compound extraction efficiency. Potential applications in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.
Subseasonal to seasonal streamflow forecasting in a semiarid watershed
Authors: Broxton Patrick D. , van Leeuwen Willem J. D. , Svoma Bohumil M. , Walter James , Biederman Joel A.
Published: July 2023

Operational streamflow forecasting is critically important to managers of river basins that supply water, hydropower, and flood protection. While seasonal water supply forecasts (WSFs) are important for long‐term water resources planning operations, shorter term (e.g., 1–5 weeks) streamflow forecasts are critical for balancing water conservation with flood risk during wet periods. In this study, we designed a streamflow forecasting system with the water resources group at the Salt River Project (SRP), a provider of water and power to millions of customers in central Arizona (AZ), to provide streamflow forecasts for a diverse and operationally important set of watersheds in AZ. The forecast system uses machine learning to make seasonal WSFs, a rainfall–runoff model driven by ensemble meteorological forecasts to make 35‐day streamflow forecasts, and an innovative approach to improve the WSFs based on the 35‐day streamflow forecasts. This model integration allows for an assessment of the impact of different meteorological forecasts on WSFs, helping SRP to balance water conservation goals with shorter term flood risks. In addition, seasonal WSFs are improved in the early winter when they incorporate the 35‐day streamflow predictions. Furthermore, these improvements are larger than when they incorporate 7‐day streamflow predictions, demonstrating the value of using subseasonal to seasonal (S2S, >1–2 weeks) forecasts to improve seasonal WSFs in these watersheds.
Safety and feasibility of a novel chest tube placement in uniportal video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery for non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Xu Yang , Luo Jing , Ge Qi‐Yue , Cong Zhuang‐Zhuang , Jiang Zhi‐Sheng , Diao Yi‐Fei , Huang Hai‐Rong , Wei Wei , Shen Yi
Published: July 2023

Background

The type and placement of chest tube for patients undergoing uniportal video‐assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy remains controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of a novel technique in which a pigtail catheter was used alone as the chest tube and placed near the incision for chest drainage after uniportal video‐assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy and extended lymphadenectomy.

Methods

A total of 217 patients undergoing uniportal video‐assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy were retrospectively reviewed and divided into two groups. In group A, a 12‐Fr pigtail catheter with several side ports was placed next to the uniportal wound. In group B, a conventional 20‐Fr chest tube was placed through the uniportal wound itself. Postoperative complications related to chest tube placement and patients' subjective satisfaction were compared between the two groups. Postoperative pain management effect and other clinical outcomes such as duration of chest drainage and postoperative stay were also compared.

Results

There were 112 patients in group A and 105 patients in group B. A significantly lower incidence of wound complications was found in group A postoperatively (p = 0.034). The pain score on coughing in group A was significantly lower than that in group B on postoperative day two (POD2) (p = 0.021). There was no significant difference of other clinical outcomes such as duration of chest drainage and postoperative stay as well as major complications between the two groups.

Conclusion

Placing a 12‐Fr pigtail catheter alone next to the uniportal wound for chest drainage might be effective and safe after uniportal video‐assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy and extended lymphadenectomy.
Pregestational maternal risk factors for preterm and term preeclampsia: A population‐based cohort study
Authors: Sande Anne Kvie , Dalen Ingvild , Torkildsen Erik Andreas , Sande Ragnar Kvie , Morken Nils‐Halvdan
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Most studies on factors affecting the risk of preeclampsia have not separated preterm from term preeclampsia, and we still know little about whether the predisposing conditions have a differentiated effect on the risk of preterm and term preeclampsia. Our aim was to assess whether diabetes type 1 and 2, chronic kidney disease, asthma, epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic hypertension were differentially associated with preterm and term preeclampsia.

Material and methods

This is a nationwide, population‐based cohort study containing all births registered in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway from 1999 to 2016. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to estimate relative risk ratios (RRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), adjusting for maternal age, parity, multiple gestation and all other studied maternal risk factors.

Results

We registered 1 044 860 deliveries, of which 9533 (0.9%) women had preterm preeclampsia (<37 weeks) and 26 504 (2.5%) women had term preeclampsia (>37 weeks). Most of the assessed maternal risk factors were associated with increased risk for both preterm and term preeclampsia, with adjusted RRRs ranging from 1.2 to 10.5 (preterm vs no preeclampsia) and 0.9–5.7 (term vs no preeclampsia). Diabetes type 1 and 2 (RRR preterm vs term preeclampsia 2.89, 95% CI 2.46–3.39 and RRR 1.68, 95% CI 1.25–2.25, respectively), chronic kidney disease (RRR 1.55, 95% CI 1.11–2.17) and chronic hypertension (RRR 1.85, 95% CI 1.63–2.10) were more strongly associated with preterm than term preeclampsia in adjusted analyses. For asthma, epilepsy and rheumatoid arthritis, RRRs were closer to one and not significant when comparing risk of preterm and term preeclampsia. Main results were similar when using a diagnosis at <34 weeks to define preterm preeclampsia.

Conclusions

Diabetes type 1 and 2, chronic kidney disease and chronic hypertension were more strongly associated with preterm than term preeclampsia.
Challenges and opportunities for proton therapy during pregnancy
Authors: Blommaert Jeroen , De Saint‐Hubert Marijke , Depuydt Tom , Oldehinkel Edwin , Poortmans Philip , Amant Frederic , Lambrecht Maarten
Published: July 2023

During pregnancy, the use of radiation therapy for cancer treatment is often considered impossible due to the assumed associated fetal risks. However, suboptimal treatment of pregnant cancer patients and unjustifiable delay in radiation therapy until after delivery can be harmful for both patient and child. In non‐pregnant patients, proton‐radiation therapy is increasingly administered because of its favorable dosimetric properties compared with photon‐radiation therapy. Although data on the use of pencil beam scanning proton‐radiation therapy during pregnancy are scarce, different case reports and dosimetric studies have indicated a more than 10‐fold reduction in fetal radiation exposure compared with photon‐radiation therapy. Nonetheless, the implementation of proton‐radiation therapy during pregnancy requires complex fetal dosimetry for the neutron‐dominated out‐of‐field radiation dose and faces a lack of clinical guidelines. Further exploration and standardization of proton‐radiation therapy during pregnancy will be necessary to improve radiotherapeutic management of pregnant women with cancer and further reduce risks for their offspring.
Trait variation in juvenile plants from the soil seed bank of temperate forests in relation to macro‐ and microclimate
Authors: Gasperini Cristina , Carrari Elisa , Govaert Sanne , Meeussen Camille , De Pauw Karen , Plue Jan , Sanczuk Pieter , Vanneste Thomas , Vangansbeke Pieter , Iacopetti Giovanni , De Frenne Pieter , Selvi Federico
Published: July 2023

Aim

The soil seed bank is a key component of the biodiversity of plant communities, but various aspects of its functioning in temperate forest ecosystems are still unknown. We here adopted a trait‐based approach to investigate the effects of macro‐ and microclimatic gradients on the juvenile plant communities from the realized seed bank of two types of European temperate forest.

Location

Oak‐dominated forests in Italy and Belgium.

Methods

We analysed the variation of key functional traits (plant height, leaf area, leaf dry weight, specific leaf area and leaf number) of juvenile plants from the realised soil seed bank in relation to elevation (from 0 to 800 m a.s.l.), forest type (thinned and unthinned forest) and distance to the forest edge. We translocated soil samples from the forest core to the edge (and vice versa) and from high‐ to low‐elevation forests to test the effects of edge and warming respectively.

Results

Taller communities developed at the forest edge due to higher light availability and warmer temperatures. The translocation from the core to the edge did not significantly modify mean trait values. Instead, the shadier and cooler microclimate of the forest core reduced the mean leaf area, mean dry weight, height and leaf number in the communities realised from the edge soil. The translocation from high‐ to lowland forests led to increased values for all traits (except specific leaf area). Edge vs core trait variation was more driven by intraspecific variability, whereas the translocation from high‐ to low‐elevation forests caused trait changes mostly due to species turnover.

Conclusions

Global warming might result in a functional shift of the understorey due to both an early filtering effect on the seedlings from soil seed banks and their adaptive trait adjustments to temperature increase. Furthermore, our study underpins the importance of edge vs core microclimate in driving the functional composition of the realised soil seed bank.
Co‐designing teacher support technology for problem‐based learning in middle school science
Authors: Hutchins Nicole M. , Biswas Gautam
Published: July 2023

This paper provides an experience report on a co‐design approach with teachers to co‐create learning analytics‐based technology to support problem‐based learning in middle school science classrooms. We have mapped out a workflow for such applications and developed design narratives to investigate the implementation, modifications and temporal roles of the participants in the design process. Our results provide precedent knowledge on co‐designing with experienced and novice teachers and co‐constructing actionable insight that can help teachers engage more effectively with their students' learning and problem‐solving processes during classroom PBL implementations.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

Success of educational technology depends in large part on the technology's alignment with teachers' goals for their students, teaching strategies and classroom context.

Teacher and researcher co‐design of educational technology and supporting curricula has proven to be an effective way for integrating teacher insight and supporting their implementation needs.

Co‐designing learning analytics and support technologies with teachers is difficult due to differences in design and development goals, workplace norms, and AI‐literacy and learning analytics background of teachers.

What this paper adds

We provide a co‐design workflow for middle school teachers that centres on co‐designing and developing actionable insights to support problem‐based learning (PBL) by systematic development of responsive teaching practices using AI‐generated learning analytics.

We adapt established human‐computer interaction (HCI) methods to tackle the complex task of classroom PBL implementation, working with experienced and novice teachers to create a learning analytics dashboard for a PBL curriculum.

We demonstrate researcher and teacher roles and needs in ensuring co‐design collaboration and the co‐construction of actionable insight to support middle school PBL.

Implications for practice and/or policy

Learning analytics researchers will be able to use the workflow as a tool to support their PBL co‐design processes.

Learning analytics researchers will be able to apply adapted HCI methods for effective co‐design processes.

Co‐design teams will be able to pre‐emptively prepare for the difficulties and needs of teachers when integrating middle school teacher feedback during the co‐design process in support of PBL technologies.
Radioiodine versus no radioiodine outcomes in low‐risk differentiated thyroid cancers: A propensity‐score matched analysis
Authors: Satapathy Swayamjeet , Tupalli Avinash , Chandekar Kunal Ramesh , Ballal Sanjana , Bal Chandrasekhar
Published: July 2023

Objective

The 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines recommend against radioiodine (RAI) ablation for patients with low‐risk papillary microcarcinoma. However, its role in other low‐risk differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients remains controversial. Here, we compare long‐term outcomes with RAI versus no‐RAI in a large cohort comprising all low‐risk DTCs.

Methods

Patients with low‐risk, histologically‐proven DTC post‐thyroidectomy, treated with RAI or kept on follow‐up without RAI, between 1990 and 2019 were included. The main outcomes included recurrence rate and recurrence‐free survival (RFS), and were validated by propensity‐score matching analysis.

Results

Of the 2074 low‐risk DTC patients (median age: 35 years), 1686 patients underwent RAI‐ablation (RAI group), while 388 patients underwent no‐RAI follow‐up (NOI group). Over a median follow‐up of 8 years (range: 3–29), the recurrence rates were similar between the RAI and NOI groups (2.0% vs. 3.3%, p = .161). The 5‐ and 10‐year RFS probabilities were 99.2% and 97.4%, respectively in RAI group versus 98.4% and 96.2%, respectively, in NOI group (p = .055). Subgroup regression analyses showed that patients with age <55 years (p = .044), male sex (p = .015), papillary histology (p = .043), pT3a tumours (p = .049) and postoperative thyroglobulin ≥5 ng/mL (p = .002) had significantly better RFS with RAI compared to NOI follow‐up. Propensity‐score matching generated 776 matched pairs with no significantly different outcomes between the two groups.

Conclusions

In low‐risk DTC patients post‐thyroidectomy, RAI ablation does not confer significant survival advantage over no‐RAI follow‐up. Further studies are required to demonstrate any long‐term benefit with RAI, specifically in patients with tumour size >4 cm and elevated postoperative thyroglobulin.
Markov Chain Mixture Models for Real‐Time Direct Illumination
Authors: Dittebrandt Addis , Schüßler Vincent , Hanika Johannes , Herholz Sebastian , Dachsbacher Carsten
Published: July 2023

We present a novel technique to efficiently render complex direct illumination in real‐time. It is based on a spatio‐temporal randomized mixture model of von Mises‐Fisher (vMF) distributions in screen space. For every pixel we determine the vMF distribution to sample from using a Markov chain process which is targeted to capture important features of the integrand. By this we avoid the storage overhead of finite‐component deterministic mixture models, for which, in addition, determining the optimal component count is challenging. We use stochastic multiple importance sampling (SMIS) to be independent of the equilibrium distribution of our Markov chain process, since it cancels out in the estimator. Further, we use the same sample to advance the Markov chain and to construct the SMIS estimator and local Markov chain state permutations avoid the resulting bias due to dependent sampling. As a consequence we require one ray per sample and pixel only. We evaluate our technique using implementations in a research renderer as well as a classic game engine with highly dynamic content. Our results show that it is efficient and quickly readapts to dynamic conditions. We compare to spatio‐temporal resampling (ReSTIR), which can suffer from correlation artifacts due to its non‐adapting candidate distributions that can deviate strongly from the integrand. While we focus on direct illumination, our approach is more widely applicable and we exemplarily show the rendering of caustics.
Ray‐aligned Occupancy Map Array for Fast Approximate Ray Tracing
Authors: Zeng Z. , Xu Z. , Wang L. , Wu L. , Yan L.
Published: July 2023

We present a new software ray tracing solution that efficiently computes visibilities in dynamic scenes. We first introduce a novel scene representation: ray‐aligned occupancy map array (ROMA) that is generated by rasterizing the dynamic scene once per frame. Our key contribution is a fast and low‐divergence tracing method computing visibilities in constant time, without constructing and traversing the traditional intersection acceleration data structures such as BVH. To further improve accuracy and alleviate aliasing, we use a spatiotemporal scheme to stochastically distribute the candidate ray samples. We demonstrate the practicality of our method by integrating it into a modern real‐time renderer and showing better performance compared to existing techniques based on distance fields (DFs). Our method is free of the typical artifacts caused by incomplete scene information, and is about 2.5×–10× faster than generating and tracing DFs at the same resolution and equal storage.
Efficient Path‐Space Differentiable Volume Rendering With Respect To Shapes
Authors: Yu Z. , Zhang C. , Maury O. , Hery C. , Dong Z. , Zhao S.
Published: July 2023

Differentiable rendering of translucent objects with respect to their shapes has been a long‐standing problem. State‐of‐the‐art methods require detecting object silhouettes or specifying change rates inside translucent objects—both of which can be expensive for translucent objects with complex shapes.

In this paper, we address this problem for translucent objects with no refractive or reflective boundaries. By reparameterizing interior components of differential path integrals, our new formulation does not require change rates to be specified in the interior of objects. Further, we introduce new Monte Carlo estimators based on this formulation that do not require explicit detection of object silhouettes.
Practical Acquisition of Shape and Plausible Appearance of Reflective and Translucent Objects
Authors: Lin A. , Lin Y. , Ghosh A.
Published: July 2023

We present a practical method for acquisition of shape and plausible appearance of reflective and translucent objects for realistic rendering and relighting applications. Such objects are extremely challenging to scan with existing capture setups, and have previously required complex lightstage hardware emitting continuous illumination. We instead employ a practical capture setup consisting of a set of desktop LCD screens to illuminate such objects with piece‐wise continuous illumination for acquisition. We employ phase‐shifted sinusoidal illumination for novel estimation of high quality photometric normals and transmission vector along with diffuse‐specular separated reflectance/transmission maps for realistic relighting. We further employ neural in‐painting to fill gaps in our measurements caused by gaps in screen illumination, and a novel NeuS‐based neural rendering that combines these shape and reflectance maps acquired from multiple viewpoints for high‐quality 3D surface geometry reconstruction along with plausible realistic rendering of complex light transport in such objects.
PVP: Personalized Video Prior for Editable Dynamic Portraits using StyleGAN
Authors: Lin K.‐E. , Trevithick A. , Cheng K. , Sarkis M. , Ghafoorian M. , Bi N. , Reitmayr G. , Ramamoorthi R.
Published: July 2023

Portrait synthesis creates realistic digital avatars which enable users to interact with others in a compelling way. Recent advances in StyleGAN and its extensions have shown promising results in synthesizing photorealistic and accurate reconstruction of human faces. However, previous methods often focus on frontal face synthesis and most methods are not able to handle large head rotations due to the training data distribution of StyleGAN. In this work, our goal is to take as input a monocular video of a face, and create an editable dynamic portrait able to handle extreme head poses. The user can create novel viewpoints, edit the appearance, and animate the face. Our method utilizes pivotal tuning inversion (PTI) to learn a personalized video prior from a monocular video sequence. Then we can input pose and expression coefficients to MLPs and manipulate the latent vectors to synthesize different viewpoints and expressions of the subject. We also propose novel loss functions to further disentangle pose and expression in the latent space. Our algorithm shows much better performance over previous approaches on monocular video datasets, and it is also capable of running in real‐time at 54 FPS on an RTX 3080.
Colonization and coexistence of non‐native ants on a model Atlantic island
Authors: Sharp Adam , Tawatao Noel
Published: July 2023

Aims

Colonization by non‐native ants represents one of the gravest potential threats to island ecosystems. It is necessary to identify general mechanisms by which non‐native species are able to colonize and persist in order to inform future prevention and management. We studied a model‐island assemblage of 17 non‐native ant species with aim of identifying the spatial source of introductions and assessing how such a diversity of species are able to coexist.

Location

Data were collected on Ascension Island: an ideal study system for its intermediate area, compact shape, spatial heterogeneity, lack of native ant species, and availability of non‐native ant records dating back to the 1800s.

Methods

We collected over 47,000 individual ants from 73 sites using a range of baited traps and survey techniques. We combined this novel data with past occurrence records in order to determine whether human settlements have historically been the source of ant introductions and to quantify the mean rate at which species have dispersed across the island. Analysis of standardized field data revealed the extent to which ants were partitioning ecological niche space via (1) habitat separation, (2) fine‐scale resource partitioning and (3) climatic heterogeneity.

Results

Ants were radiating at a linear rate of approximately 0.5 km2 per year from human settlements on this island, with the most widespread species having been introduced earliest. After accounting for incomplete colonization, we found no evidence to suggest habitat separation between species. Instead, we found significant niche separation through resource partitioning and weather‐dependent activity patterns.

Main Conclusions

Our results indicate that non‐native ants can coexist in very close proximity and are therefore capable of existing at great diversity on even small islands. It is inevitable that ant colonization will continue without increased biosecurity measures, habitat restoration around settlements and conservation of native species populations.
Pharmacological activation of insulin‐degrading enzyme improves insulin secretion and glucose tolerance in diet‐induced obese mice
Authors: Sanz‐González Alba , Cózar‐Castellano Irene , Broca Christophe , Sabatier Julia , Acosta Gerardo A. , Royo Miriam , Hernándo‐Muñoz Carla , Torroba Tomás , Perdomo Germán , Merino Beatriz
Published: July 2023

Aim

To investigate the use of synthetic preimplantation factor (sPIF) as a potential therapeutic tool for improving glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in the setting of diabetes.

Materials and Methods

We used a preclinical murine model of type 2 diabetes (T2D) induced by high‐fat diet (HFD) feeding for 12 weeks. Saline or sPIF (1 mg/kg/day) was administered to mice by subcutaneously implanted osmotic mini‐pumps for 25 days. Glucose tolerance, circulating insulin and C‐peptide levels, and GSIS were assessed. In addition, β‐cells (Min‐6) were used to test the effects of sPIF on GSIS and insulin‐degrading enzyme (IDE) activity in vitro. The effect of sPIF on GSIS was also tested in human islets.

Results

GSIS was enhanced 2‐fold by sPIF in human islets ex vivo. Furthermore, continuous administration of sPIF to HFD mice increased circulating levels of insulin and improved glucose tolerance, independently of hepatic insulin clearance. Of note, islets isolated from mice treated with sPIF exhibited restored β‐cell function. Finally, genetic (shRNA‐IDE) or pharmacological (6bK) inactivation of IDE in Min‐6 abolished sPIF‐mediated effects on GSIS, showing that both the protein and its protease activity are required for its action.

Conclusions

We conclude that sPIF is a promising secretagogue for the treatment of T2D.