bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Documenting trends in blockchain technology adoption: a systematic review
Authors: Isiaku Labaran , Muhammad Abubakar Sadiq , Kefas Hyelda Ibrahim , Isiaku Hamza Haruna
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study aims to critically analyze existing research on blockchain technology adoption, examining the dominant models and methodologies used, the primary domains where blockchain is applied and the emerging opportunities across various sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a methodical systematic review approach, the authors meticulously examined a pool of 1,322 collected articles, subjecting 38 studies to rigorous assessment. Through this comprehensive analysis, the authors unveiled the key models and influential factors that intricately shape the trajectory of blockchain adoption.

Findings

The primary models identified for investigating blockchain adoption were the technology acceptance model and technology–organization–environment. Apart from the core variables within these models, the pivotal determinants influencing various blockchain applications include perceived trust, perceived cost and social influence. In addition, this study highlights supply chain management as a prominent domain for blockchain application adoption.

Practical implications

Understanding these influential factors and models can guide practical decisions and aid stakeholders in formulating effective strategies for blockchain adoption in diverse sectors.

Originality/value

This study contributes to advancing the understanding of blockchain adoption dynamics by unveiling the prevalent models and determinants shaping adoption. This study offers valuable insights into the factors influencing the use and adoption of blockchain technologies across diverse sectors.
Lean readiness factors for higher education
Authors: Kakouris Andreas , Sfakianaki Eleni , Kapaj Matilda
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the readiness factors (RFs) required for the deployment of lean initiatives within the context of higher education (HE), a field not yet significantly explored.

Design/methodology/approach

This research employed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to thoroughly identify and consolidate all relevant scholarly literature concerning lean practices and readiness in the context of HE. Subsequently, a three-phase Delphi study was conducted to evaluate and enhance the findings of the SLR.

Findings

The results indicate the following seven RFs for use in HE: leadership/top management, changing environment and organisational culture, lean initiatives linked with the strategic agenda of the educational institute, employee empowerment and engagement, student value, supplier relations and continuous improvement.

Practical implications

By identifying such factors, the present study acknowledges the strategic nature of lean and recognises that its full strategic benefits can only be realised when properly implemented at a macro-level.

Originality/value

The authors believe that this is the first attempt to provide a consolidated list of RFs in the context of HE validated by a group of experts. This study expands the knowledge of lean in HE contexts, benefiting both researchers and professionals. For researchers, it provides a valuable foundation for further study of the implementation of lean programs. For professionals and practitioners, it offers insights for better preparation that are crucial for the sustainability of lean initiatives leading to overall improved performance.
Environmental knowledge influencing pro-environmental behavior among university students: a serial mediation and MGA approach
Authors: Mago Monita , Yadav Mandeep , Sharma Sukriti , Kaur Harshdeep
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The study aims to investigate the mediating role played by environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity in the influence of environmental knowledge on pro-environmental behavior. Specifically, the study examined whether both environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity act as serial mediators between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior. This study also explored whether there are gender differences in how environmental knowledge affects pro-environmental behavior through environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey tool was distributed to university students in the northern region of India who had studied environmental studies as a compulsory subject during one of their semesters in their higher education program. A total of 558 responses were analyzed through nonparametric partial least squares multigroup analysis using PLS-SEM.

Findings

The results indicated that environmental knowledge significantly affected pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity played significant mediating roles between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior. Additionally, the results showed that the serial mediation effect of environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity in the relationship between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior was significant. However, the findings did not show any significant gender difference in how environmental knowledge influences pro-environmental behavior, mediated serially by environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity.

Originality/value

Although vast literature is available on the relationship between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior, a few studies have shown environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity as mediators. In addition, this study fills the gap in the existing research by exploring how environmental attitude and sensitivity serially mediate the nexus between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior, particularly across genders.
Digital transformation capability and employee turnover intentions: the role of knowledge management capability and digital leadership
Authors: Mohammad Al Montaser , Awain Ali Mohsin Salim Ba , Jaboob Ali Said , Mkheimer Ibrahim , Menhat Masha
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The primary objective of this research is to examine the effects of digital transformation capability (DTC) on employee turnover intention (ETI) in Jordanian universities. Based on the social cognitive theory (SCT). The study also investigates the mediated moderation role of knowledge management capability (KMC) and digital leadership (DL) in the relationship between DTC and ETI.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire was used to obtain data from 384 faculty members at Jordanian universities in Jordan, and the SmartPLS4 and SPSS software were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results reveal that DTC significantly mitigates ETI through providing a favourable environment for knowledge sharing and innovation. Using DL as a moderator, the results show that the relationship between DTC and ETI becomes stronger in the presence of high DL.

Originality/value

This research uniquely integrates SCT to explore the combined impact of DTC, KMC and DL on faculty turnover intentions at Jordanian universities. It offers novel viewpoints on retaining academic staff by implementing smart digital attempts.
Driving a motor vehicle and living with a mental health condition: The personal and professional experiences of consumer lived experience staff
Authors: Dun Carolyn , Palmer Catherine , Turville Megan
Published: November 2024

Introduction

Driving a motor vehicle is an important activity for people living with a mental health condition, as it can support engagement in the community as part of recovery. There is little research exploring mental health consumers' experiences with driving and no found research on the role of mental health lived experience staff in assisting consumers with safe driving. It is essential to learn about consumers' experiences of driving to know the supports they find useful in understanding their driver responsibilities and self‐regulating their driving through periods of changing health and wellness. This study explored the personal and professional experiences of lived experience consumer staff related to driving a motor vehicle while also living with a mental health condition.

Method

The research was guided by the interpretive paradigm and codesign principles. Qualitative data were derived from semi‐structured interviews with (n = 9) lived experience consumers working in a public mental health service. Data were thematically analysed.

Consumer and community involvement

Our research team involved consumer and occupational therapy coresearchers.

Findings

Five main themes were identified: (1) Driving means freedom and independence, (2) A nuanced understanding about the impact of mental health on driving, (3) I/we can manage: A range of strategies, (4) Driving is not something mental health staff tend to discuss, and (5) Do not beat around the bush, just talk about it.

Conclusion

Consumers want support and direct conversations about driving and their mental health, medication side effects, and strategies to gain their licence, maintain, or return to driving. Alongside mental health clinicians, consumer lived experience staff could play a vital role in supporting safe driving.
Knowledge co‐production praxis in sustainability science: Insights from three contexts
Authors: Ligtermoet Emma
Published: November 2024

Knowledge co‐production is needed as never before to support social change in the face of climate, water, biodiversity, and other sustainability crises. Co‐production brings together diverse groups and their ways of knowing to generate new knowledges and practices that reconfigure or generate transformative social changes and that invite reflexivity. Within sustainability sciences, tensions exist between descriptive, analytical framings of co‐production used to interrogate knowledge‐power relations and instrumental or normative framings used to build such relations. The former has been criticised for being overly descriptive and difficult to translate into policy outcomes and the latter for failing to sufficiently interrogate power dynamics and for perpetuating existing inequities. As researchers, how are we to navigate this tension? Co‐production praxis involves reconfiguring knowledge‐power relations for just and transformative social changes. I suggest what is needed is a critical lens on those relations to underpin and guide feasible and action‐oriented processes and outcomes for such changes. In three ways, I present and reflect on co‐production contexts with different temporal, spatial and epistemological characteristics. These contexts are analysing historical co‐production of knowledge of coastal freshwater floodplain Country of the Northern Territory, facilitating the Kunwinjku Seasons calendar and enabling reflexive co‐production praxis with sustainability science researchers at a national science institution. I demonstrate the need within each context to weave analytical, practical, and reflexive work to reconfigure fairer societal outcomes and to pay greater attention to socio‐institutional changes arising from our engaged work.
Molecular identification of Fusarium species in commercial vanilla and crop wild relatives in Colombia
Authors: Rodríguez‐Bastidas Jayerlin , Manrique‐Barros Santiago , Riascos‐Ortiz Donald , Mosquera‐Espinosa Ana T. , Flanagan Nicola S.
Published: November 2024

Vanilla is an economically important crop for low‐lying humid tropical regions, but cultivated plants face serious phytosanitary problems. Fusarium wilt is a devastating disease affecting vanilla crops, caused by the fungal pathogens Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vanillae (Fov) and F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis‐vanillae (Forv), part of the F. oxysporum species complex (FOSC). We characterized 29 fungal isolates from a vanilla crop and crop wild relatives (CWR) using molecular (EF1‐α and ITS‐rRNA loci) and morphological traits. Fusarium was the predominant genus, followed by Colletotrichum and Clonostachys. Four Fusarium species were identified: F. oxysporum (37.9%), Fusarium solani (20.7%), Fusarium pseudocircinatum (13.8%) and Fusarium concentricum (10.3%). The latter three species were isolated only from CWR and may represent latent pathogens. Fov was isolated from both the crop and CWR, while a Forv‐affiliated isolate was also found in a vanilla crop, marking the first report in the neotropical region. The EF1‐α locus provided greater genotype resolution, as well as having reference sequences for Forv. However, the fungal barcode ITS locus is widely applied. We recommend the continued use of both loci for Fusarium diagnosis in vanilla to facilitate early detection and the development of effective integrated crop management strategies.
Online public response to emergency department diagnostic error report: A qualitative study
Authors: Sanford Timothy J. , Kaul Pranav , McCarthy Danielle M.
Published: November 2024

Background

The 2022 study on diagnostic error in the emergency department (ED) published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reported that one in every 18 ED patients is misdiagnosed. The report was methodologically critiqued by emergency physicians and researchers. However, little is known about public perception of error in the ED. We sought to characterize public response to AHRQ's publication.

Methods

A search was conducted for online news articles published December 2022 reporting the AHRQ study and containing “public comment” sections. Verbatim comments and relevant characteristics were collected. Three coders completed content analysis and resolved any differences. Descriptive statistics and themes are reported.

Results

Fifteen online articles were reviewed; three had public comment sections (New York Times, DailyMail, and Boston Globe). There were 553 unique user comments; 293 were original comments (53%) and 260 were replies to comments (47%). The 260 replies were in response to 113 original comments, with the remaining original comments having 0 replies (n = 180). Of the 202 commenters who identified a personal role in a health care encounter, 70 (35%) identified as patients and 68 (34%) identified as physicians. Comments centered on seven major themes: (1) negative personal experiences, (2) reframing study conclusions, (3) sense of decline in training standards, (4) internal stressors impeding ED diagnostic accuracy, (5) external stressors impeding ED diagnostic accuracy, (6) suggested solutions, and (7) role of the ED in diagnosis.

Conclusions

The news coverage of AHRQ's report provided individuals a platform to share their perspectives. Many comments reflected a nuanced understanding of the role of emergency care and the stressors of the ED environment. Despite questions about the report's accuracy, there were many individuals who shared personal negative experiences suggesting that the public may feel directly impacted by error in the ED.
Self‐monitoring of the intraocular pressure with ICARE® HOME2 and a smartphone application: Feasibility and acceptability
Authors: Quérat Laurence , Chen Enping
Published: November 2024

Purpose

To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of self‐tonometry by glaucoma patients using iCare® Home2 (ICH2) and a smartphone application, without healthcare personnel supervision.

Methods

After downloading a smartphone application, participants learned to handle the ICH2 via an instruction film, measured their intraocular pressure (IOP) and transferred the data to the caregiver via the application. Participants' measurements were compared to healthcare personnel measurements using Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT). Participants answered questionnaires about their experience of self‐tonometry.

Results

Twenty‐eight participants were included in the study and three of them dropped off. There was no statistically significant difference between the last measurements obtained with ICH2 by the participants and the GAT measurements for the right and the left eye, p = 0.781 and p = 0.888 respectively. The inter‐user agreement was good to excellent between the last measurements obtained with ICH2 by the participants and the GAT measurements for the right and the left eye (ICC 0.907 and 0.830 respectively). The overall impression of the participants was very positive, with 92% happy (a lot or completely) with the instruction film and 88% happy (a lot or completely) with the smartphone application. Thirty‐six percent would have preferred to have an instructor by their side.

Conclusion

Our study showed the feasibility and acceptability of self‐tonometry with iCare® Home2 and a smartphone application without the supervision of a healthcare provider in a group of motivated glaucoma patients.
Sowing the seeds of love: Cultivating perceptions of culture of companionate love through listening and its effects on organizational outcomes
Authors: Itzchakov Guy , Barsade Sigal , Cheshin Arik
Published: November 2024

Fostering a culture of companionate love in the workplace offers numerous benefits for employees, yet the methods for achieving this remain unclear. We propose that high‐quality listening, characterized by undivided attention, understanding, and a positive and non‐judgmental intention toward the speaker, could be a key facilitator. We hypothesized that such listening could enhance employees' perceptions of companionate love. Additionally, we hypothesized that an enhanced perception of companionate love would increase employees' subjective well‐being, resilience, affective commitment, and willingness to cooperate at work. To examine these hypotheses, we conducted four studies. Study 1 was a preregistered and highly‐powered field study (N = 752) involving employees from various organizations. Study 2 (N = 37), was a longitudinal research that included a listening training of 16 hours for teachers in a single school. Study 3 was a quasi‐field experiment within a risk‐management company, with employees receiving 12 hours of listening education while a waitlist served as a control group (N = 67). Study 4 was a quasi‐experiment that served as a conceptual replication and extension of Studies 2 and 3. The study involved listening training for employees in a global communications company, providing 14 hours of online listening training. An active control group (N = 60) was included. Across all studies, we found that feeling listened to by colleagues led to increased perceptions of companionate love in the organization, which, in turn, increased employees' subjective well‐being, resilience, affective organizational commitment, and willingness to collaborate. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Dual effects of DLG5 (disks large homolog 5 gene) modulation on chemotherapy‐induced thrombocytopenia and nausea/vomiting via the hippo signalling pathway
Authors: Li Mingming , Wang Rong , Yan Tao , Tao Xia , Gao Shouhong , Wang Zhipeng , Chai Yunsheng , Qiu Shi , Chen Wansheng
Published: November 2024

Background and Purpose

The CAPEOX (combination of oxaliplatin and capecitabine) chemotherapy protocol is widely used for colorectal cancer treatment, but it can lead to chemotherapy‐induced adverse effects (CRAEs).

Experimental Approach

To uncover the mechanisms and potential biomarkers for CRAE susceptibility, we performed whole‐genome sequencing on normal colorectal tissue (CRT) before adjuvant chemotherapy. This is followed by in vivo and in vitro verifications for selected gene and CRAE pair.

Key Results

Our analysis revealed specific germline mutations linked to Grade 2 (or higher) chemotherapy‐induced thrombocytopenia (CIT) and nausea/vomiting (CINV). Notably, both CRAEs were associated with mutations in the DLG5 gene. We found that DLG5 mutations related to CIT were associated with increased gene expression, while those associated with CINV were linked to suppressed gene expression, as indicated by the Genotype‐Tissue Expression (GTEX) database. In megakaryocytes, overexpression of human DLG5 suppressed the hippo signalling pathway and induced YAP expression. In zebrafish, overexpression of human DLG5 not only reduced platelet production but also inhibited thrombus formation. Subsequent qPCR analysis revealed that DLG5 overexpression affected genes involved in cytoskeleton formation and alpha‐granule formation, which could impact the normal generation of proplatelets.

Conclusion and Implications

We identified a series of germline mutations associated with susceptibility to CIT and CINV. Of particular interest, we demonstrated that induced and suppressed DLG5 expression is respectively related to CIT and CINV. These findings shed light on the involvement of the hippo signalling pathway and DLG5 in the development of CRAEs, providing valuable insights into potential targets for therapeutic interventions.
Audio description for all? The benefits and concerns of extending access provision to sighted people
Authors: Adams Ellen
Published: November 2024

Audio description (AD) is an established part of museums' access programs for blind and partially blind (BPB) people. This paper explores the merits and caveats regarding “AD for all”, rolling out the provision for sighted people as well. It draws from four separate Access All Senses (AAS) events in three different London museums, each conducted under slightly different conditions. In addition to collecting nearly 100 audience feedback forms, this study has involved museum access staff, audio describers, and BPB art lovers. These events demonstrate that there is a demand among sighted people to include AD in museum tours as “guided looking”. The main concern regards the unintended consequences that could threaten the specific provision that BPB people need. A brief survey at the end offers examples of museum initiatives where AD is being rolled out while protecting these interests.
Engagement in Extracurricular Activities: Does It Matter to Consider Students' Sense of School Belonging?
Authors: Hoang Le Nguyen
Published: November 2024

This research aims to analyse the complex connections between students' engagement in extracurricular activities (ECAs), their sense of school belonging, and the cumulative effects on their psychological well‐being and academic performance. The results based on a sample of 892 students reveal that active engagement in ECAs does not influence students' academic outcomes directly. Instead, the benefits derived from ECAs primarily manifest in non‐academic spheres, particularly in enhancing well‐being. Moreover, ECAs yield positive psychological well‐being and academic performance only when students have a low sense of school belonging. At higher levels, the positive impact of ECAs diminishes, and it may even detrimentally affect academic performance. This study offers a different viewpoint to address the dilemma surrounding ECAs and practical implications in the development of institutional policies.
“Discover your potential to raise your children”: A psychoeducational infancy parenting intervention in Spain
Authors: Arranz‐Freijo Enrique B. , Barreto‐Zarza Florencia , de Lahidalga Aitziber Martínez , Tomás‐Llerena Clementina , Macía‐Guerrero Patricia , Garcia‐Elburgo Susana , Sánchez‐Pinedo Silvia
Published: November 2024

Background

The quality of parenting has a significant impact on healthy development across the life cycle. Recent research has highlighted the financial return of evidence‐based parenting programs that are well designed and implemented.

Objective

To analyze the impact of a psychoeducational guidance intervention program aimed at improving parenting skills.

Method

Thirty‐five families with children aged between 0 and 3.5 years referred from the educational, social, and health departments of the Vitoria‐Gasteiz City Council (Spain) participated in the study. Using a longitudinal approach, the intervention took place over the course of three home visits: initial pretest assessment visit, feedback and orientation visit, and a final posttest assessment visit.

Results

Statistically significant pretest–posttest differences were observed in parenting skills, including cognitive and socio‐emotional development scaffolding, parental self‐efficacy, parental adaptive stress, and diversity of experiences.

Conclusions

Several areas for improvement were detected in the context of an intervention based on customized guidance for individual families. The implementation process indicated issues to be improved in future program editions.

Implications

Our findings provide family and public health policy makers with empirical support for the implementation of parenting programs designed to help families to acquire and improve parenting competencies to foster their children's comprehensive development, focused on the period between 0 and 3.5 years of life. Results of the study favor the propagation among Spanish professionals who work with families of the use of quality standards of the evidence‐based approach related to quality of implementation and assessment of the impact of parenting programs.
Viscosity regulates cell spreading and cell‐extracellular matrix interactions
Authors: Xiao Hugh , Gong Xiangyu , Jordan Seyma Nayir , Liang Zixie , Mak Michael
Published: November 2024

Fluid viscosity and osmolarity are among some of the underappreciated mechanical stimuli that cells can detect. Abnormal changes of multiple fluidic factors such as viscosity and osmolarity have been linked with diseases such as cystic fibrosis, cancer, and coronary heart disease. Changes in viscosity have been recently suggested as a regulator of cell locomotion. These novel studies focus on cell migration and spreading on glass substrates and through microchannels, and it remains a question whether viscosity impacts the cellular remodeling of extracellular matrices (ECMs). Here, we demonstrate that elevated viscosity induces cellular remodeling of collagen substrates and enhances cell spreading on ECM‐mimetic substrates. Our results expand on recent work showing that viscosity induces increased cellular forces and demonstrates that viscosity can drive local ECM densification. Our data further show that microtubules, Ras‐related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1), actin‐related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex, Rho‐associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK), and myosin are important regulators of viscosity‐induced ECM remodeling. In the context of viscosity‐induced cell spreading, cells cultured on glass and collagen substrates exhibit markedly different responses to pharmacological treatments, indicating that microtubules, Rac1, and Arp2/3 play distinct roles in regulating cellular spreading depending on the substrate. In addition, our results demonstrate that high osmotic pressures override viscosity‐induced cell spreading by suppressing membrane ruffling. Our results demonstrate viscosity as a regulator of ECM remodeling and cell spreading in a fibrillar microenvironment. We also reveal a complex interplay between viscosity and osmolarity. We anticipate that our research can pave the way for future investigations into the crucial roles played by viscosity in both physiological and pathological conditions.
Dental Hygienists' Influence on Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavioural of Patients and Effectiveness on Improving Patients' Periodontal Status—Evaluations of a Hospital Based Oral Hygiene Training Program in China
Authors: Yang Aijuan , Yuan Wenlin , Yang Lili , Lei Lihong , Cao Zheng , Chen Lili
Published: November 2024

Objectives

To evaluate the possibility of integrating dental hygienists (DHs) into the dental field in China, and investigate its effectiveness on improving patients' knowledge, attitudes, self‐care behaviours as well as their periodontal status.

Methods

A hospital‐based oral hygiene training program was developed at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital's (SRRSH) Dental Clinic with the support of two registered DHs from Loma Linda University in California. A questionnaire evaluating oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours was conducted in patients who visited SRRSH's Dental Clinic. Scores of oral health knowledge and proportions of positive oral health attitudes and favourable self‐care behaviours were estimated between patients treated and not treated by DHs (DH group and NDH group). The improvements in patients' periodontal conditions following non‐surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) administered by DHs at the Dental Clinic of SRRSH, as assessed through the measurement of periodontal pocket depths and the incidence of bleeding upon probing.

Results

Patients in DH group exhibited relatively better results in several aspects of oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours, compared to those in NDH group. Moreover, NPST performed by DHs significantly improved the periodontal status of the patients, with a remarkably reduction in periodontal pocket depth and bleeding on probing.

Conclusions

Integrating DHs into SRRSH's Dental Clinic showed effectiveness in enhancing patients' oral health knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and succeeded in improving patients' periodontal status. This program demonstrated that incorporating DHs into dental care team is not only practical but also enhances the value of the dental workforce in China.
Effect of Different Concentrations of Chlorhexidine on Anti‐Plaque in Oral Care Practice: A Systematic Review and Network Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Liang Shiqi , He Yirong , Chen Xinrong , Wu Menghang , Li Ka
Published: November 2024

Objectives

The aim of this network meta‐analysis was to compare the anti‐plaque effects and adverse effects of different concentrations of chlorhexidine (CHX).

Methods

PubMed, OVID Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to October 2023 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of different concentrations of CHX in healthy populations. Random‐effects network meta‐analyses were performed to summarise the evidence, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework was used to rate the certainty of evidence. Cohen's d standardised mean differences were calculated as the measure of effect size.

Results

Thirty‐eight RCTs involving 2011 participants and six concentrations of CHX (0.2%, 0.12%, 0.1%, 0.3%, 1% and 0.06%) were included. The anti‐plaque effects of CHX at all concentrations were compared with placebo. Moderate to very low certainty evidence established 0.2% CHX as the most effective on anti‐plaque. 0.12% and 0.1% CHX also showed significant anti‐plaque effects. However, the ranking probabilities showed that the adverse effects of 0.12% and 0.1% CHX were < 0.2% CHX.

Conclusions

Compared with placebo, 0.2%, 0.12% and 0.1% CHX had significant anti‐plaque effects, with moderate to very low certainty evidence that 0.2% CHX was most effective on anti‐plaque. However, 0.2% CHX had larger adverse effects than 0.12% and 0.1% CHX.

Trial Registration

PROSPERO: Number CRD: 42022327083
Immobilization of arsenic wastes and retardation effect on cement hydration: Experimental and molecular dynamic analysis
Authors: Chen Yuting , Yuan Qiang , Zhu Zheyu , Xu Linglin , Sun Zixuan , Xue Lingli , Wu Kai
Published: November 2024

This work was designed to investigate the influence of arsenic dosage, variety on the mechanical properties, hydration, and solidification from the perspective of Portland cement (PC) performance evolution. The results demonstrate that using PC could solidify the arsenic wastes effectively, with arsenic leaching concentrations consistently below 5 mg/L. Arsenic wastes retard cement hydration, leading to a slower rate of hydrates formation, disrupting the calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) stacking structure, and thus detrimental to strength development especially at early age. The adverse effect is highly dependent on the arsenic variety. The insoluble calcium arsenate exhibits the least impact, while the arsenates show the largest challenging to immobilization due to the instability of hydrates. Molecular dynamic simulation indicates that arsenic can be chemically immobilized with Ca2+, and be physically adsorbed onto the positively charged C–S–H by forming As‐O···Ca···Si‐O units, accompanied by a significant reduction in adsorption energy by 46.5%. The arsenic solidification behavior provides a basis for the resource utilization of arsenic wastes in cementitious materials.
The Relationship Between Social Media Addiction and Perceived Stress in Adolescents
Authors: Sarialioğlu Arzu , Oluç Tuğba
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The study was conducted to determine the relationship between social media addiction and perceived stress in adolescents.

Method

The study was conducted in a descriptive and cross‐sectional design between September and December 2022 in secondary education institutions of the Provincial Directorate of National Education in a city center in eastern Turkey. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 716 adolescents who were studying in the ninth grade (145), 10th grade (198), 11th grade (216), and 12th grade (157) who met the inclusion criteria of the study at the time the study was conducted. The sample comprised individuals with diverse sociodemographic characteristics, including ages, genders, school success levels, parents’ education levels, parents’ job status, socioeconomic status, time spent on daily social media, and purposes of social media use of the adolescents. The “Sociodemographic Characteristics Form,” “Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents (SMASA),” and “Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)” were used as the data collection tools. Ethical principles were fulfilled in the study.

Results

It was found that the average age of the adolescents who participated in the study was 15.71 ± 1.22, 58.1% were females, 41.1% had good school success, 90.5% had a mobile phone, 90.2% used WhatsApp, 56.8% said that their daily social media use time was between 1 and 3 h, and 64% said that their purpose of using social media was for entertainment and leisure. The mean SMASA score was 18.49 ± 6.98, and the mean PSS score was 42.11 ± 7.54. It was found in the study that the mother's employment status, phone ownership status, use of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn accounts, daily social media use, time and purposes of using social media affected the mean SMASA score. Age, gender, school success, use of Instagram and Snapchat accounts, daily social media use time, and purposes of using social media affected the mean PSS score (p < 0.05). As a result of the study, a positive and low‐level significant relationship was detected between social media addiction and perceived stress levels (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

As the levels of social media addiction increase in adolescents, the perceived stress levels also increase. It was also found that some variables affected the social media addiction and perceived stress levels of adolescents.
A sensitivity analysis of the Earth for all model: Getting the giant leap scenario with fewer policies
Authors: Crescenzi Pierluigi , Gambosi Giorgio , Nasti Lucia , Rossi Aurora , Natale Emanuele
Published: November 2024

Integrated assessment models (IAMs) are popular tools used to predict the evolution of human society, a challenging question that science has long tried to address. The World3 model is a popular IAM, designed in the seventies by several scientists convened by the Club of Rome and mostly known for its usage to analyze the so‐called limits to growth. The recent Earth for all (E4A) model has been initiated by one of the major co‐authors of the World3 model, Jørgen Randers. It is substantially more complicated than the relatively simple World3 model, and it has been used to compare two different and opposite world development scenarios: the too little too late scenario, in which current policies are assumed to continue, and the giant leap (GL) scenario, in which 21 policies related to five turnarounds are identified to produce significant improvements in six indicators of human well‐being. By using global and local sensitivity analyses of the E4A model, we suggest that the evolution of the six indicators in the GL scenario can be approximately reached by focusing on just six policies and three turnarounds (namely, the energy, the inequality, and the poverty turnarounds). The evolution of the six indicators can be even improved by investing “reasonably” more on three of these six policies and by keeping unchanged the remaining three. From a methodological point of view, we exploit both global (Sobol) and local sensitivity analyses to identify the policies that most influence the six indicators, and we subsequently execute a scenario analysis of the identified policies to confirm that they can produce a similar (or even a better) evolution of the indicators themselves.
The scale effects of symbiotic relationships under complex driving factors: An empirical study in China
Authors: Chen Hongjia , Zhang Zimeng , Ioppolo Giuseppe , Shi Lei , Wang Zhen , Liu Gang
Published: November 2024

Symbiotic relationships between enterprises help mitigate resource and environmental impacts of industrial activities via exchanging waste or by‐products as material inputs among each other. However, the emergence of such symbiotic relationships under complex driving factors across different geographical scales remains hitherto not well understood. Here, we provide an analytic framework including a random forest model and Shannon index, to systematically describe and explain the scale effects of driving factors underlying the symbiotic relationships. Based on a questionnaire survey for 324 enterprises in Chun'an, a typical industrial city in eastern China, we applied this analytical framework. The results show that, first, the quantity of symbiotic relationships exhibits an inversely proportional function across various geographical scales. Second, there exist significant differences in the dominant factors at different scales. Finally, the diversity of importance of factors and the emergence of symbiotic relationships exhibit a consistent trend of fluctuation, providing evidence for the explanatory potential of our proposed analytical framework for the driving mechanisms of emergence. We find that when enterprises are simultaneously affected by multiple driving factors with potent forces (referred to as the diversity of importance), symbiotic behaviors are more likely to occur. Moreover, our results suggest that fostering symbiotic relationships necessitates considering the variations in driving factors across different scales comprehensively and formulating targeted promotional measures tailored to the specific driving factors of different enterprise types. Our proposed framework would help to maximize industrial symbiosis potentials in a specific region.
Perinatal Care Provider Perspectives on Integrating Clinical Research Into the Clinical Infrastructure
Authors: Li Yanqiao , Liese Kylea L. , Pezley Lacey , Sawatpanich Arissara , Elam Gloria , Erbe Katherine , Tussing‐Humphreys Lisa , Koenig Mary Dawn
Published: November 2024

Introduction

This study explored perinatal health care providers’ perspectives on the recruitment of pregnant participants and integrating clinical research into their practice, with a particular emphasis on the complexities introduced by the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods

From May to September 2021, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 perinatal health care providers from an urban US health center. The interview transcripts were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis framework, a rigorous method for analyzing qualitative data by identifying, coding, and reporting themes. This approach allowed us to systematically code the data and identify key themes related to recruitment strategies and integration of clinical trials during prenatal care.

Results

Barriers to integrating clinical trials into the perinatal infrastructure included pandemic‐related restrictions, heavy workloads, time constraints, ineffective communication and coordination, and maintaining the relevance of the research among providers. Facilitators included the use of communication tools, collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders, creation of detailed study information for clinic staff, and fostering commitment to supporting research among providers.

Discussion

The perspectives of perinatal health care providers uncover barriers and facilitators regarding the recruitment of pregnant individuals for clinical trials and shed light on the unprecedented challenges of research in this population during the COVID‐19 pandemic and lessons learned postpandemic. This information can support the development of evidence‐based solutions and strategies to improve the recruitment of pregnant individuals, as well as enhance clinical research integration into infrastructure in perinatal health clinics.
Habitual Dietary Patterns of Maintenance Haemodialysis Patients and the Relationship Between Malnutrition Risk—A Multicentre Cross‐Sectional Diet Survey
Authors: Wu Xiaxin , Li Jiyue , Fan Yaru , Wang Ying , Cheng Dan , Su Chunyan , Shi Yuexian
Published: November 2024

Aims

To identify habitual dietary patterns in maintenance haemodialysis patients and analyse their association with malnutrition.

Design and Methods

A multicentre cross‐sectional dietary survey was conducted among 232 maintenance haemodialysis patients from three centres. A 3‐day 24‐h diet recall and demographic, clinical and therapeutic information were collected. Factor analysis was used to identify the major dietary patterns among haemodialysis patients. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between dietary patterns and malnutrition risk.

Results

Three dietary patterns were identified in this study and differed in age, gender and diabetes. An ‘animal foods and refined grains’ dietary pattern meets guideline requirements. A ‘fresh fruits and nuts’ dietary pattern had insufficient daily energy and protein intake with the lowest carbohydrates, lipids and minerals intake among haemodialysis patients. A ‘dairy products’ dietary pattern characterised by low calorie and moderate protein was found to be associated with malnutrition.

Conclusions

Habitual dietary patterns of maintenance haemodialysis patients were associated with personal characteristics, specifically age, gender and diabetes. Patients with habitual ‘dairy products’ dietary patterns may have poor nutritional status.

Practical Applications

Educating haemodialysis patients about their daily diet pattern, rather than focusing on nutrients, is crucial and will help them to understand it better. Clinical staff can recognise patients at risk of malnutrition by a dietary pattern of lower intake of certain foods. They can recommend a balanced nutritional pattern that increases calories in the total diet and meets protein requirements.
The Experience of Reflexive Hospice Care for Patients With Advanced Cancer: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Zhang Xi , Zeng Tieying , Chen Ye
Published: November 2024

Background

Hospice care for patients with advanced cancer mainly takes the family members and healthcare professionals as the main body and the patients as the object. There is a lack of relevant research on reflexive hospice care that considers patients as subjects.

Aim

To explore the experience of reflexive hospice care for patients with advanced cancer.

Design

An empirical phenomenological approach to research was conducted.

Methods

Data were collected using face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews between April 3, 2024 and May 27, 2024 in the oncology wards of two comprehensive hospitals. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 18 patients with advanced cancer receiving hospice care. Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis method was used to analyse the data. We followed the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ).

Results

Four themes were identified as being relevant to the experience of reflexive hospice care for patients with advanced cancer: the absence of prior awareness, reconciling with self and others, care and concern for others, and pursuing the meaning of life.

Conclusion

This study provides new insights into hospice care for patients with advanced cancer. It emphasises the importance of patients' participation as subjects in hospice care. In reflexive hospice care, patients can actively participate and express their care for others and their understanding of life, thus gaining more respect and care in the end‐of‐life stage. Therefore, placing patients as the subjects of hospice care and fully respecting and listening to their wishes and needs is one of the most important ways to promote the development of hospice care quality.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.
Welfare‐Increasing Monopolization*
Authors: Cowan Simon
Published: November 2024

The conditions for monopolization to be good for social welfare are examined. Social welfare can be higher when a monopoly sells to a monopoly, with double margins, than when a competitive industry sells to a downstream Cournot oligopoly with differing efficiency levels. This requires inverse demand to be sufficiently concave, and cannot hold when demand is convex. When there are no vertical issues conditions are found for elimination of an inefficient firm to raise welfare, building on Lahiri and Ono (1988). In general greater demand concavity increases the relative importance of the benefit of redistributing output to the efficient firm.
An Empirical Analysis of Invalid Voting in Municipal Elections
Authors: Castro Vítor , Martins Rodrigo , Sakurai Sergio Naruhiko
Published: November 2024

This paper examines blank and null voting in Brazilian mayoral elections using a large dataset covering 5570 municipalities between 2000 and 2020. The study finds that more competitive elections reduce blank and null percentages, with re‐election scenarios leading to more valid votes. Blank and particularly null voting are found to be more prevalent in municipalities where a second round is possible. Economic factors and age categories also contribute to determine unconventional voting patterns. The results also highlight important differences between blank and null voting patterns and between urban and rural areas, the later suggesting that more sophisticated voters tend to be less prone to invalidate the vote.