bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technology integration needs empowered instructional coaches: accompanying in-service teachers in school digitalization
Authors: Caneva Christiane , Monnier Emilie , Pulfrey Caroline , El-Hamamsy Laila , Avry Sunny , Delher Zufferey Jessica
Published: March 2023

Purpose

In digital education curricular initiatives, some teachers are taking on key roles when appointed as instructional coaches (ICs) and become crucial in the sustainability of the initiative by coaching teachers. This study aimed to find out the difficulties ICs are facing when mentoring teachers in the development of the digital skills and to identify the coaching activities the coaches offer.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a mixed-methods research design focusing on a qualitative approach, the research team conducted 6 focus groups with 38 ICs from 12 primary schools in Switzerland. Quantitative descriptive data were collected through a survey submitted before and after the focus group.

Findings

The results indicate that (1) the professional development (PD) activities offered to teachers vary greatly depending on the instructional coach characteristics and the school to which the teachers belong, (2) the in-service training of ICs should include coaching and leadership skills and (3) distributed leadership to ICs could facilitate the adoption of technologies by teachers and support change in the school.

Practical implications

Some ICs offer activities with a low involvement of the teacher. ICs' training programs should provide strategies to better take advantage of PD activities. The authors suggest training ICs in PD activities, aligned with Gibbons and Cobb's (2017) such as analyzing classroom video or lesson study involving a group of teachers working together with an expert to improve a lesson. District and school leaders should provide ICs with explicit guidance and more resources to achieve systemic change. ICs should also be empowered by being involved in the development of the school's continuing education training plans.

Originality/value

This study presents a new perspective about understanding and applying in-service teacher PD in the context of a digital education curricular initiative.
The role of university instructor’s narrative in students’ sustained attention, emotional involvement and cognitive learning
Authors: Ghanizadeh Afsaneh , Tabeie Mahtab , Pourtousi Zahra
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Storytelling is a method for training essential life issues as storytelling can assist learners to consider the story not just as a source of entertainment but as a practical lesson. In fact, teachers can encourage even the most unwilling students by engaging the students in storytelling while maintaining students' attention through narration using sounds and gestures. The present study aims to examine the effect of the university instructor’s narrative on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) student’s sustained attention, emotional involvement and cognitive learning.

Design/methodology/approach

To do so, the study adopted a quasi-experimental research design with the aim of focusing on the students’ performance within two different virtual classes. University students’ sustained attention, emotional involvement and cognitive learning were assessed in control and experimental groups before and after the treatment. To measure students’ sustained attention, Weiet al.’s (2012) scale, which comprises six items, was used. Besides, emotional involvement was assessed through Golestani’s (2017) engagement questionnaire. To check students’ cognitive learning, the scale designed by Richmondet al.(1987) was utilized. The summaries and conclusions in the experimental class were ingrained in instructors’ pedagogical repertoires, as the repertoires offer students an alternative way to understand course material beyond a straight lecture. Students in the experimental group were also asked to ponder over the materials presented to the students each session, and the students were supposed to present a one to two-paragraph note on the possible implications of the materials instructed at each session.

Findings

The results of independent samplest-test indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the degree of their sustained attention, emotional involvement and cognitive learning. The findings of the present study can raise instructors’ awareness toward the application of narratives in their instructional methodologies, as well as putting forth significant strategies to enhance students’ sustained attention, emotional involvement and cognitive learning through narratives.

Originality/value

The theoretical framework of the study derives from Kromka and Goodboys (2018) conceptualization of instructor narrative (IN), defined as the explicit presentation of the lessons conclusion at the end of each session. Previous studies on narrative have primarily focused on learners’ narrative as an educational tool. Later studies on teacher narratives conceive this as the teachers’ personal anecdotes and story-like accounts of others’ experiences; nonetheless, the position which is taken in this study is more academically laden and is based on the information instructed in each session.
An investigation on the cyclic deformation and service life of a reusable liquid rocket engine thrust chamber wall
Authors: Gao Yushan , Zhang Ping , Huo Shihui
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Regeneratively cooled thrust chamber is a key component of reusable liquid rocket engines. Subjected to cyclic thermal-mechanical loadings, its failure can seriously affect the service life of engines. QCr0.8 copper alloy is widely used in thrust chamber walls due to its excellent thermal conductivity, and its mechanical and fatigue properties are essential for the evaluation of thrust chamber life. This paper contributes to the understanding of the damage mechanism and material selection of regeneratively cooled thrust chambers for reusable liquid rocket engines.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, tensile and low-cycle fatigue (LCF) tests were conducted for QCr0.8 alloy, and a Chaboche combined hardening model was established to describe the elastic-plastic behavior of QCr0.8 at different temperatures and strain levels. In addition, an LCF life prediction model was established based on the Manson–Coffin formula. The reliability and accuracy of models were then verified by simulations in ABAQUS. Finally, the service life was evaluated for a regenerative cooling thrust chamber, under the condition of cyclic startup and shutdown.

Findings

In this paper, a Chaboche combined hardening model was established to describe the elastoplastic behavior of QCr0.8 alloy at different temperatures and strain levels through LCF experiments. The parameters of the fitted Chaboche model were simulated in ABAQUS, and the simulation results were compared with the experimental results. The results show that the model has high reliability and accuracy in characterizing the viscoplastic behavior of QCr0.8 alloy.

Originality/value

(1)The parameters of a Chaboche combined hardening constitutive model and LCF life equation were optimized by tensile and strain-controlled fatigue tests of QCr0.8 copper alloy. (2) Based on the Manson–Coffin formula, the reliability and accuracy of constitutive model were then verified by simulations in ABAQUS. (3)Thermal-mechanical analysis was carried out for regeneratively cooled thrust chamber wall of a reusable liquid rocket engine, and the service life considering LCF, creep and ratcheting damage was analyzed.
Towards a model of service excellence at a community college in Trinidad and Tobago
Authors: Persad Doodnath , Farrell Permilla , Alonzo-Williams Carla , Sargeant Roxanne
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Unless higher education institutions ensure that first-rate academic programme offerings are supported with the provision of high-quality services, student satisfaction, retention, enrolment and ultimately, viability of the institutions will be adversely affected (Canic and McCarthy, 2000). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the quality of selected administrative and academic support services by a community college in Trinidad and Tobago using a performance-only model of service quality (SERVPERF). This also informed the development of a service quality construct unique to the particular educational setting.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi-method approach was adopted where qualitative data from focus groups and two routine institutional surveys were triangulated with quantitative data from a slightly modified SERVPERF survey administered to separate random samples of students. Principal component analysis was also used to examine the unique service quality dimensions in this setting.

Findings

Results indicated that students had major issues with the timeliness of responses and staff not taking time to understand their needs. They also placed a high value on knowledge and courtesy of staff. Three separable dimensions of service quality (effectiveness and efficiency; professional and personal touch; and tangibles) emerged from the analysis.

Originality/value

This research demonstrated an appropriate approach which could be used to evaluate overall service quality as well as develop an instrument to routinely monitor, assess and inform improvements to service quality at similar types of tertiary-level educational institutions.
Competition and firm performance: evidence from Vietnam
Authors: Tuyet Nguyen Le Hoa , Ninh Le Khuong
Published: March 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of competition on firm performance using a data set of 352 firms listed on Vietnam’s stock exchanges from 2015 to 2019.

Design/methodology/approach

The two-step system generalized method of moments is used to estimate this impact.

Findings

The findings reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between competition and firm performance. Competition improves firm performance if its intensity is moderate. However, if the competition intensity exceeds the optimal level, the performance deteriorates accordingly.

Research limitations/implications

The authors only studied Vietnamese firms due to the limited ability in data collection. It would be better to validate the findings using data from other transition economies.

Practical implications

The non-linear relationship between competition and performance implies that government should pay more attention to retaining competition at an appropriate level.

Social implications

Firms contribute a lot to the prosperity of Vietnam. Therefore, the findings have a meaningful implication for Vietnam’s government to moderate competition to improve its firms’ performance.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the extant literature by providing firsthand evidence of the impact of competition on firm performance in Vietnam – a transition economy.
Linking trait network parameters with plant growth across light gradients and seasons
Authors: Rao Qingyang , Chen Jianfeng , Chou Qingchuan , Ren Wenjing , Cao Te , Zhang Meng , Xiao Huoqing , Liu Zugen , Chen Jun , Su Haojie , Xie Ping
Published: March 2023

Reduced light availability induced by eutrophication has dramatically affected the growth of submerged macrophytes and caused their rapid decline globally in lakes. Functional traits have usually been used to predict ecological processes and explain plant adaptation. Trait networks, which are constructed from a series of nodes (traits) and edges (trait–trait correlations), can reveal complex relationships among traits. Plant traits belonging to different organs are considered relevant for overall plant performance. Therefore, variation in trait network topology at the whole plant level can better reflect plant adaptation and response to environments than traditional methods, but the mechanisms underlying the decline of plants from a trait network perspective are not well understood.

In this study, based on a 1‐year manipulation experiment for Potamogeton maackianus cultured with four levels of light intensity, we constructed trait networks from 20 traits belonging to different organs.

Our results showed that trait network connectivity decreases in harsh environments, probably due to increased trait modules responding independently to stress. Network connectivity was positively related to the plant relative growth rate (RGR), as high trait connectivity and coordination should be beneficial for plants to acquire and transport resources efficiently across the whole plant. Additionally, we found that specific stem length, leaf: root mass ratios and leaf total non‐structural carbohydrates were hub traits with high connectivity. Hub traits expressed high phenotypic plasticity, had close links with plant growth and consistently held their higher importance within the network across light gradients or seasons.

We found that low phenotypic integration in stressful environments may constrain plant growth, which can provide important implications for understanding plant adaptation strategies to low‐light stress and even predicting community dynamics in the context of global environmental change.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
A life‐history spectrum of population responses to simultaneous change in climate and land use
Authors: Buderman Frances E. , Devries James H. , Koons David N.
Published: March 2023

Climate and land use change are two of the primary threats to global biodiversity; however, each species within a community may respond differently to these facets of global change. Although it is typically assumed that species use the habitat that is advantageous for survival and reproduction, anthropogenic changes to the environment can create ecological traps, making it critical to assess both habitat selection (e.g. where species congregate on the landscape) and the influence of selected habitats on the demographic processes that govern population dynamics.

We used a long‐term (1958–2011), large‐scale, multi‐species dataset for waterfowl that spans the United States and Canada to estimate species‐specific responses to climate and land use variables in a landscape that has undergone significant environmental change across space and time. We first estimated the effects of change in climate and land use variables on habitat selection and population dynamics for nine species. We then hypothesized that species‐specific responses to environmental change would scale with life‐history traits, specifically: longevity, nesting phenology and female breeding site fidelity.

We observed species‐level heterogeneity in the demographic and habitat selection responses to climate and land use change, which would complicate community‐level habitat management. Our work highlights the importance of multi‐species monitoring and community‐level analysis, even among closely related species.

We detected several relationships between life‐history traits, particularly nesting phenology, and species' responses to environmental change. One species, the early‐nesting northern pintail (Anas acuta), was consistently at the extreme end of responses to land use and climate predictors and has been a species of conservation concern since their population began to decline in the 1980s. They, and the blue‐winged teal, also demonstrated a positive habitat selection response to the proportion of cropland on the landscape that simultaneously reduced abundance the following year, indicative of susceptibility to ecological traps.

By distilling the diversity of species' responses to environmental change within a community, our methodological approach and findings will help improve predictions of community responses to global change and can inform multi‐species management and conservation plans in dynamic landscapes that are based on simple tenets of life‐history theory.
Large‐scale impacts of selective logging on canopy tree beta‐diversity in the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Bousfield Christopher G. , Massam Mike R. , Peres Carlos A. , Edwards David P.
Published: March 2023

Selective logging is one of the largest drivers of tropical forest degradation. While logged forests often retain high alpha‐diversity of tropical trees at local spatial scales, understanding how selective logging impacts tree beta‐diversity and community composition across far larger spatial scales remains a key unresolved question.

We leverage large datasets of more than 155,000 adult trees over 35 cm DBH covering 3100 ha of Amazonian rainforest to inform simulations of selective logging harvests across a gradient of logging intensity (0–40 m3 ha−1). These simulations incorporate real world price data, account for all forest damage throughout the harvest process and assume preferential harvest of the most valuable stems. We use the simulations to assess how selective logging affects canopy tree beta‐diversity and composition across large spatial scales, whether nestedness or turnover of species best explains variation in communities across space, and how the spatial scale of sampling influences observed beta‐diversity effects.

Selective logging had minimal impacts on beta‐diversity across the canopy tree community, but caused substantial subtractive heterogenization in community composition for larger trees, in particular very large trees over 110 cm DBH. Turnover is the dominant component of tree beta‐diversity in unlogged and logged forests. Increasing the spatial grain of sampling reduced the observed importance of logging in explaining patterns of beta‐diversity in very large tree communities.

Synthesis and applications. Minimal impacts on tree beta‐diversity across large spatial scales points towards the retention of substantial conservation value in logged tropical forests. Strong subtractive heterogenization in very large trees indicates the breakdown of broad scale patterns of composition with potential negative consequences for recruitment processes, fauna reliant upon emergent trees, and other ecosystem functions and services. Avoiding large‐scale erosion of very large tree community composition in the Amazon requires stronger conservation policies, including enforced retention or maximum cutting diameters.
GOVERNING MIGRATION THROUGH SMALL TOWNS: Dispersal and the Production of Spaces of Transit
Authors: Kreichauf Rene
Published: March 2023

Based on qualitative long‐term fieldwork conducted in a peripherally located small town in East Germany, this article compares the dispersal of repatriates from the former Soviet Union with that of recent refugee arrivals. It shows that in this small town the dispersal and local governance of refugees builds on previous approaches to dealing with repatriates. Such approaches repeatedly result in cycles of localized distribution and subsequent small‐scale segregation, short‐term integration activities, the detachment of both groups from the town and, finally, migrants’ subsequent outmigration and relocation to other (mostly larger) cities. To make sense of this path dependency in terms of its specific patterns and characteristics, and to explore the relationships between dispersal, local policy framings, and in‐ and outmigration to and from small towns, I apply a studying through dispersal approach. This approach reveals that dispersal is an important factor in making and unmaking local migration policies. It can turn small towns into productive sites for migration governance, often transforming them into mere waiting zones and transit spaces. This not only continues migrants’ experiences of displacement but also impacts on the image of the small town, where migrants themselves may not want to reside permanently.
The self in selfies—Conceptualizing the selfie‐coordination of marginalized youth with sociology of engagements
Authors: Meriluoto Taina
Published: March 2023

This article develops a theory of selfies as reflexive practices of self‐coordination. Building on pragmatist sociology of engagements, I conceptualize selfies as digital practices of coordinating with the self in formats that are recognizable for others. This framework allows approaching the self as an act of coordination, simultaneously shaped by, and equipped to subvert the cultural conditions of how we ought to be. As these conditions are increasingly enforced and negotiated in the socio‐technological arrangements of digital platforms, the article proposes an approach for making sense of selfies as key contemporary tools of self‐making. Based on ethnographic work among activists with marginalizing experiences, I ask how the self is coordinated in the activists' selfies. I identify four ways of coordinating with the self in selfies: the self in a plan, the self in exploration, the affirmed self, and the self as public critique. The article contributes to our understanding on how practices of self‐making evolve in an increasingly visual‐digital society, and provides an approach for conceptualising the self as plural. By approaching the selfie as different formats of relating to the self, the framework proposed accounts for the possibility of multiple selves now afforded by digital technologies and enables analysing their politicizing potential.
Legume byproducts as ingredients for food applications: Preparation, nutrition, bioactivity, and techno‐functional properties
Authors: Nartea Ancuta , Kuhalskaya Anastasiya , Fanesi Benedetta , Orhotohwo Oghenetega Lois , Susek Karolina , Rocchetti Lorenzo , Di Vittori Valerio , Bitocchi Elena , Pacetti Deborah , Papa Roberto
Published: March 2023

The demand for high‐quality alternative food proteins has increased over the last few decades due to nutritional and environmental concerns, leading to the growing consumption of legumes such as common bean, chickpea, lentil, lupin, and pea. However, this has also increased the quantity of non‐utilized byproducts (such as seed coats, pods, broken seeds, and wastewaters) that could be exploited as sources of ingredients and bioactive compounds in a circular economy. This review focuses on the incorporation of legume byproducts into foods when they are formulated as flours, protein/fiber or solid/liquid fractions, or biological extracts and uses an analytical approach to identify their nutritional, health‐promoting, and techno‐functional properties. Correlation‐based network analysis of nutritional, technological, and sensory characteristics was used to explore the potential of legume byproducts in food products in a systematic manner. Flour is the most widely used legume‐based food ingredient and is present at levels of 2%–30% in bakery products, but purified fractions and extracts should be investigated in more detail. Health beverages and vegan dressings with an extended shelf‐life are promising applications thanks to the techno‐functional features of legume byproducts (e.g., foaming and emulsifying behaviors) and the presence of polyphenols. A deeper exploration of eco‐friendly processing techniques (e.g., fermentation and ohmic treatment) is necessary to improve the techno‐functional properties of ingredients and the sensory characteristics of foods in a sustainable manner. The processing of legume byproducts combined with improved legume genetic resources could enhance the nutritional, functional, and technological properties of ingredients to ensure that legume‐based foods achieve wider industrial and consumer acceptance.
Ultrasound‐assisted extraction of oilseeds—sustainability processes to obtain traditional and non‐traditional food ingredients: A review
Authors: Chalapud Mayra C. , Carrín María Elena
Published: March 2023

Oilseeds are sources of not only major compounds such as oil and meal but also of bioactive compounds. Their conventional extraction is related to long extraction time, large non‐renewable solvent consumption, high temperature, and therefore, high energy consumption. Ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE) has emerged as a new and green technology, which can accelerate and/or improve the extraction process of these compounds. Moreover, the possibility of using renewable solvents in the UAE enhances its application and allows obtaining both extracted and remaining products more compatible with current human consumption requirements. This article examines the mechanisms, concepts, and factors that impact oilseeds' UAE with an emphasis on the extraction yield and quality of oil, meal, and bioactive compounds. Furthermore, the effects of combining UAE with other technologies are addressed. Gaps detected in the analyzed literature about oilseed treatment and quality and properties of products, in addition to perspectives about their uses as food ingredients, are also included. Moreover, it highlights the need for increasing research on process scalability, on environmental and economic impacts of the whole process, and on the phenomenological description about the effect of process variables on extraction performances, which will be a key tool for process design, optimization, and control. Understanding ultrasound processing techniques for the extraction of different compounds from oilseeds will serve as useful information for fats and oils and meal scientists in academia and industry to explore the possibility of employing this sustainable approach during the extraction treatment of various crops.
Estimating temporally variable selection intensity from ancient DNA data with the flexibility of modelling linkage and epistasis
Authors: He Zhangyi , Dai Xiaoyang , Lyu Wenyang , Beaumont Mark , Yu Feng
Published: March 2023

Innovations in ancient DNA (aDNA) preparation and sequencing technologies have exponentially increased the quality and quantity of aDNA data extracted from ancient biological materials. The additional temporal component from the incoming aDNA data can provide improved power to address fundamental evolutionary questions like characterizing selection processes that shape the phenotypes and genotypes of contemporary populations or species. However, utilizing aDNA to study past selection processes still involves considerable hurdles like how to eliminate the confounding factor of genetic interactions in the inference of selection. To address this issue, we extend the approach of He et al., 2023 to infer temporally variable selection from the aDNA data in the form of genotype likelihoods with the flexibility of modelling linkage and epistasis in this work. Our posterior computation is carried out by a robust adaptive version of the particle marginal Metropolis‐Hastings algorithm with a coerced acceptance rate. Our extension inherits the desirable features of He et al., 2023 such as modelling sample uncertainty resulting from the damage and fragmentation of aDNA molecules and reconstructing underlying gamete frequency trajectories of the population. We evaluate its performance through extensive simulations and show its utility with an application to the aDNA data from pigmentation loci in horses.
Biogenic silica accumulation in picoeukaryotes: Novel players in the marine silica cycle
Authors: Churakova Yelena , Aguilera Anabella , Charalampous Evangelia , Conley Daniel J. , Lundin Daniel , Pinhassi Jarone , Farnelid Hanna
Published: March 2023

It is well known that the biological control of oceanic silica cycling is dominated by diatoms, with sponges and radiolarians playing additional roles. Recent studies have revealed that some smaller marine organisms (e.g. the picocyanobacterium Synechococcus) also take up silicic acid (dissolved silica, dSi) and accumulate silica, despite not exhibiting silicon dependent cellular structures. Here, we show biogenic silica (bSi) accumulation in five strains of picoeukaryotes (<2–3 μm), including three novel isolates from the Baltic Sea, and two marine species (Ostreococcus tauri and Micromonas commoda), in cultures grown with added dSi (100 μM). Average bSi accumulation in these novel biosilicifiers was between 30 and 92 amol Si cell−1. Growth rate and cell size of the picoeukaryotes were not affected by dSi addition. Still, the purpose of bSi accumulation in these smaller eukaryotic organisms lacking silicon dependent structures remains unclear. In line with the increasing recognition of picoeukaryotes in biogeochemical cycling, our findings suggest that they can also play a significant role in silica cycling.
Lymphocytopenia and survival after whole‐brain radiotherapy in patients with small‐cell lung cancer
Authors: Lin Yu‐Jung , Kang Yu‐Mei , Wu Yuan‐Hung , Chen Yi‐Wei , Hu Yu‐Wen
Published: March 2023

Background

To investigate whether whole‐brain radiotherapy (WBRT) decreases lymphocyte counts and evaluate the impact of treatment‐related lymphopenia on survival in patients with brain metastasis.

Methods

Medical records from 60 small‐cell lung cancer patients treated with WBRT from January 2010 to December 2018 were included in the study. Total lymphocyte count (TLC) was obtained pre and post treatment (within 1 month). We performed linear and logistic regression analyses to identify predictors of lymphopenia. The association between lymphopenia and survival was analyzed using Cox regression analysis.

Results

Thirty‐nine patients (65%) developed treatment‐related lymphopenia. The median TLC decrease was −374 cells/μL (interquartile range −50 to −722, p < 0.001). Baseline lymphocyte count was a significant predictor of TLC difference and percentage change in TLC. Logistic regression analysis found male sex (odds ratio [OR] 0.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00–0.79, p = 0.033) and higher baseline lymphocyte count (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.82–0.99, p = 0.005) were associated with a lower risk of developing ≥grade 2 treatment‐related lymphopenia. Cox regression analysis showed that age at brain metastasis (hazard ratio [HR] 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05, p = 0.013), ≥grade 2 treatment‐related lymphopenia, and percentage change in TLC (per 10%, HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.89–0.99, p = 0.032) were prognostic factors of survival.

Conclusions

WBRT decreases TLC and the magnitude of treatment‐related lymphopenia is an independent predictor of survival in small‐cell lung cancer patients.
Protecting Earth and Space Industries from Orbital Debris: Implementing the Outer Space Treaty to Fill the Regulatory Vacuum in the FCC's Orbital Debris Guidelines
Authors: Runnels Michael B.
Published: March 2023

The Outer Space Treaty (OST) is the foundation of all international space regulation. It establishes space as the province of all humankind and promotes its peaceful use and exploration for the benefit and in the interests of all countries. In 2020, the FCC released its “Mitigation of Orbital Debris in the New Space Age” guidelines for commercial satellite applicants. While these guidelines appear to substantively address the risks posed by orbital debris to Earth and space industries, they fail to do so in two key areas: (1) by not adopting specific requirements for applicants to share data needed to effectively establish space situational awareness (SSA); and (2) by not requiring applicants to prepare an Environmental Assessment on low Earth orbits (LEO). This article exposes fatal flaws in how the FCC regulates satellite operator access to LEO by examining how the regulation of satellite constellations enables the creation of orbital debris and occupation of orbital shells in a manner that may compromise Earth's satellite‐based information infrastructure and violate the OST, and it recommends legislative language that will ensure FCC regulations are in compliance with the OST and are sufficient for establishing SSA. Given the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in West Virginia v. EPA, adopting such language constitutes a clear congressional authorization to protect Earth's orbital environment and helps operationalize the OST's proclamation that spacefaring activities be for the benefit and in the interests of all countries.
Blockchain technology adoption and accounting information quality
Authors: Fang Bin , Liu Xinming , Ma Chen , Zhuo Yusang
Published: March 2023

The study investigates the implications of companies' adoption of blockchain technology on accounting information quality. Based on a sample of 33,242 firm‐year observations from A‐share companies listed on China's stock exchanges in 2007–2019, we find evidence that blockchain technology adoption significantly improves accounting information quality. Further, additional tests demonstrate that the mechanism of blockchain exerting its positive effect include strengthening corporate governance and realising synergies with large audit firms, while cross‐sectional tests show that its positive effect on accounting information quality is attenuated if the company is in an industry with high IT development or has experienced an audit firm change. Economic consequence tests show that the adoption of blockchain is conducive to companies' financing behaviour, as well as to overall firm value. Consequently, our results suggest the positive effect of blockchain technology on accounting information quality.
Imaginaries and problematisations: A heuristic lens in the age of artificial intelligence in education
Authors: Rahm Lina , Rahm‐Skågeby Jörgen
Published: March 2023

This paper suggests that artificial intelligence in education (AIEd) can be fruitfully analysed as ‘policies frozen in silicon’. This means that they exist as both materialised and proposed problematisations (problem representations with corresponding solutions). As a theoretical and analytical response, this paper puts forward a heuristic lens that can provide insights into how AI technologies (or advocated AI technologies) function as proposed solutions to certain problematisations based on various imaginaries about how education and learning are best performed or supported. The combined reading of imaginaries and problematisations can thereby aid in our understanding of why and how visions of learning and education are framed in relation to AIEd developments. The overall ambition is to advance theoretical and analytical approaches towards an educational system which is (anticipated as) increasingly permeated by AI systems—systems that also support and implement, more or less, invisible models, standards and assessments of learning, as well as more grand visions of (technology‐augmented) education in society.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

Artificial intelligence in education (AIEd) is repeatedly presented as a solution for a range of educational ‘problems’.

This means that such ‘solutions’ must also frame certain aspects as ‘problems’.

Such problems and ‘solutions’ (problematisations) also exist within certain imaginaries of the present times and of the future, where these problematisations are presented as particularly significant and acute, and promoting specific anticipations of learning and ideals of education.

What this paper adds

An exposition of problematisations in educational settings.

An exposition of educational imaginaries.

A heuristic lens for understanding the ‘present’ and ‘future’ in a particular imaginary as entangled in, and dependent on, a certain ‘past’.

Implications for practice and/or policy

The approach presented in this paper provides a heuristic lens for examining how AI technologies (or advocated AI technologies) function as proposed solutions to problematisations based on imaginaries about how education and learning are best performed or supported.

This aids our understanding of how and why certain visions of learning and education are framed in relation to AIEd developments (real or imagined).

It also advances theoretical and analytical approaches towards an educational system, which is (anticipated as) increasingly permeated by AI systems—systems that also support and implement, more or less, invisible models, standards and assessments of learning, as well as more grand visions of (technology‐augmented) education in society.
Neocortical and medial temporal seizures have distinct impacts on brain responsiveness
Authors: Russo Simone , Mikulan Ezequiel , Zauli Flavia Maria , Sartori Ivana , Solbiati Michela , Furregoni Giulia , Porro Marta , Revay Martina , Rosanova Mario , David Olivier , Massimini Marcello , Tassi Laura , Pigorini Andrea
Published: March 2023

Focal epileptic seizures are characterized by abnormal neuronal discharges that can spread to other cortical areas and interfere with brain activity, thereby altering the patient's experience and behavior. The origin of these pathological neuronal discharges encompasses various mechanisms that converge toward similar clinical manifestations. Recent studies have suggested that medial temporal lobe (MTL) and neocortical (NC) seizures are often underpinned by two characteristic onset patterns, which, respectively, affect and spare synaptic transmission in cortical slices. However, these synaptic alterations and their effects have never been confirmed or studied in intact human brains. To fill this gap, we here evaluate whether responsiveness of MTL and NC are differentially affected by focal seizures, using a unique data set of cortico‐cortical evoked potentials (CCEPs) collected during seizures triggered by single‐pulse electrical stimulation (SPES). We find that responsiveness is abruptly reduced by the onset of MTL seizures, despite increased spontaneous activity, whereas it is preserved in the case of NC seizures. The present results provide an extreme example of dissociation between responsiveness and activity and show that brain networks are diversely affected by the onset of MTL and NC seizures, thus extending at the whole brain level the evidence of synaptic alteration found in vitro.
Comparative activity of the enantiomers of fenfluramine and norfenfluramine in rodent seizure models, and relationship with their concentrations in plasma and brain
Authors: Erenburg Natalia , Hamed Roa’a , Shaul Chanan , Perucca Emilio , Bialer Meir
Published: March 2023

Objectives

To investigate the comparative antiseizure activity of the individual enantiomers of fenfluramine and its major active primary metabolite norfenfluramine in rodent seizure models, and its relationship with the pharmacokinetics of these compounds in plasma and brain.

Methods

The antiseizure potency ofd,l‐fenfluramine (racemic fenfluramine) was compared with the respective potencies of its individual enantiomers and the individual enantiomers of norfenfluramine using the maximal electroshock (MES) test in rats and mice, and the 6‐Hz 44 mA test in mice. Minimal motor impairment was assessed simultaneously. The time course of seizure protection in rats was compared with the concentration profiles ofd‐fenfluramine,l‐fenfluramine, and their primary active metabolites in plasma and brain.

Results

All compounds tested were active against MES‐induced seizures in rats and mice after acute (single‐dose) administration, but no activity against 6‐Hz seizures was found even at doses up to 30 mg/kg. Estimates of median effective doses (ED50) in the rat‐MES test were obtained for all compounds except ford‐norfenfluramine, which caused dose‐limiting neurotoxicity. Racemic fenfluramine had approximately the same antiseizure potency as its individual enantiomers. Bothd‐andl‐fenfluramine were absorbed and distributed rapidly to the brain, suggesting that seizure protection at early time points (≤2 h) was related mainly to the parent compound. Concentrations of all enantiomers in brain tissue were >15‐fold higher than those in plasma.

Significance

Although there are differences in antiseizure activity and pharmacokinetics among the enantiomers of fenfluramine and norfenfluramine, all compounds tested are effective in protecting against MES‐induced seizures in rodents. In light of the evidence linking thed‐enantiomers to cardiovascular and metabolic adverse effects, these data suggest thatl‐fenfluramine andl‐norfenfluramine are potentially attractive candidates for a chiral switch approach leading to development of a novel, enantiomerically‐pure antiseizure medication.
Assessing the effects of the large‐scale road construction on the ethnic disparities of accessibility in Tibet from 2010 to 2020
Authors: Miao Yi , Dai Teqi , Song Jinping
Published: March 2023

Tibet is the main consist of the Tibetan Plateau and also inhabited by minorities in China. How to promote its road accessibility and narrow the gap between different ethnic groups should draw more attention. This study analyzes both territorial accessibility (At) and potential accessibility (Ap) in Tibet from 2010 to 2020, as well as the disparities within and between main ethnic groups, exploring whether ethnic minorities undertook the accessibility disparity or loss. The findings are as follows: (1) At and Ap are characterized by a center‐periphery structure with a remarkably improvement and spatial difference from 2010 to 2020. The disparity between counties tends to widen slightly, whereas the increment of At shows the opposite feature. (2) The Hui and Han ethnic groups enjoy better accessibility than Tibetans, and the other ethnic minorities have insufficient accessibility, though with prominent improvement. The disparity in At within ethnic groups is smaller but tends to widen; by contrast, that of Ap is larger but tends to narrow. The Hui ethnic group enjoys relative equal accessibility, which tends to be more so, while Tibetans face unequal accessibility with no obvious improvement. (3) The proportion of Tibetans is negatively correlated with the improved accessibility, but those of the other ethnic minorities are positively correlated with the increment of At, indicating that the accessibility improvement in Tibet tilts to the ethnic minorities in remote areas. The overall spatial disparities in accessibility in Tibet tend to widen, but this does not totally apply to those between and within ethnic groups. Nonetheless, the construction of transport infrastructure alone may not be able to achieve equality. Above results may provide reference for related research and policy making for remote and minority areas in China and other similar regions.
Hemosiderosis in chronic dialysis patients: Monitoring the response to deferasirox by quantitative hepatic magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Bekhechi Wafae , Chiali Hakim , Khelil Latifa , Sari‐Hamidou Rawda , Benmansour Mustapha
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Hemosiderosis of chronic dialysis has always been a frequent phenomenon in dialysis; formerly related to blood transfusions before the advent of Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents (ESA), it is currently in connection with the use of massive doses of injectable iron, to ensure the full therapeutic efficacy of ESA. Few studies have looked at the therapeutic aspect of iron chelators in the dialysis population.

Methods

We followed 31 dialysis patients treated for secondary hemosiderosis with deferasirox (DFX) at the dose 10 mg/kg/day, by hepatic MRI from September 2017 to September 2021, in order to evaluate the efficacy of iron chelators on the reduction of liver iron concentration (LIC). The diagnosis of hemosiderosis was carried for a value of the LIC > 50 μmol/g of dry liver.

Results

Chelation resulted in a significant reduction in liver iron burden as measured by liver MRI: (201.4 ± 179.9 vs. 122.6 ± 154.3 μmol/g liver) (p = 0.000) and in mean ferritin level: (2058.8 ± 2004.9 vs. 644.2 ± 456.6 ng/mL) (p = 0.002). A gain of 1.1 g/dL in mean hemoglobin level: (10.5 ± 1.6 vs. 11.6 ± 2.0 g/dL) (p = 0.006). A significant increase in mean albumin level: (43 ± 5.5 to 46.2 ± 6.1 g/L) (p = 0.04). The therapeutic response was clearly influenced by the cause of overload, longer in polytransfused patients (p = 0.023) and the degree of overload assessed by MRI (p = 0.003) and ferritin level (p = 0.04).

Conclusion

DFX, prescribed at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day, resulted in a significant reduction in hepatic iron burden as measured by liver MRI and ferritin. The therapeutic response was clearly influenced by blood transfusions and the degree of iron overload.
Lithium‐ion battery cell production in Europe: Scenarios for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions until 2030
Authors: Degen Florian
Published: March 2023

The market for electric vehicles is growing rapidly, and there is a large demand for lithium‐ion batteries (LIB). Studies have predicted a growth of 600% in LIB demand by 2030. However, the production of LIBs is energy intensive, thus contradicting the goal set by Europe to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and become GHG emission free by 2040. Therefore, in this study, it was analyzed how the energy consumption and corresponding GHG emissions from LIB cell production may develop until 2030. Economic, technological, and political measures were considered and applied to market forecasts and to a model of a state‐of‐the art LIB cell factory. Notably, different scenarios with trend assumptions and above/below‐trend assumptions were considered. It could be deduced that, if no measures are taken and if the status quo is extrapolated to the future, by 2030, ∼5.86 Mt CO2‐eq will be emitted due to energy consumption from European LIB cell production. However, by applying a combination of economic, technological, and political measures, energy consumption and GHG emissions could be decreased by 46% and 56% by 2030, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that political measures, such as improving the electricity mix, are important but less dominant than improving the production technology and infrastructure. In this study, it could be deduced that, by 2030, through industrialization and application of novel production technologies, the energy consumption and GHG emissions from LIB cell production in Europe can be reduced by 24%.
Pharmacokinetics of aminocaproic acid in thoroughbred horses
Authors: Maxwell Lara , McCarrel Taralyn M. , Hay Scott , Cole Cynthia
Published: March 2023

The antifibrinolytic agent aminocaproic acid (ACA) is occasionally used prior to episodes of intense training in racehorses suffering from exercise‐induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Although a previous study indicated that the drug is cleared rapidly in horses, some racetrack practitioners claim that recent adverse analytical findings for ACA in postrace samples were from ACA administrations 5–7 days before the race. The purpose of this study was to re‐examine the pharmacokinetics of ACA in horses to address this apparent conundrum. Eight exercise‐conditioned thoroughbred horses were administered 5 g of ACA IV, and blood and urine samples were collected at pre‐determined time points prior to drug administration and for up to 168 h after dosing. Concentrations of ACA in the serum and urine samples were determined by LC–MS/MS. The pharmacokinetics of ACA in serum were best described by a three‐compartment model with a terminal elimination half‐life of 24.2 ± 2.9 h. After dosing, ACA was above the lower limit of detection (1 ng/mL for serum and 10 ng/mL for urine) in all serum and urine samples at all time points. In a similar manner, ACA was above the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ; 10 ng/mL for serum and 100 ng/mL for urine) in all serum and urine samples collected from all horses from 0.5 to 120 h post dosing. In six of the eight horses, ACA was above the LLOQ 168 h after dosing in serum and urine samples. LC–MS/MS methodology is the industry standard for testing of samples collected from racehorses with the purpose of controlling the use of medications and performance altering substances. The improved sensitivity of the analytical procedure used in the present study allowed the detection of a prolonged terminal elimination phase of ACA in horses that had not previously been described. Currently, most racing jurisdictions have not adopted a permitted concentration or threshold for ACA in postrace samples, and therefore veterinarians need to allow for an extended withdrawal time of a minimum of 11 days after the administration of ACA to racehorses to substantially reduce the risk of adverse analytical findings of ACA in postrace samples.