bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Review of Recent Advances in Microbial Fuel Cells: Preparation, Operation, and Application
Authors: Wang Jianfei , Ren Kexin , Zhu Yan , Huang Jiaqi , Liu Shijie
Published: October 2022

The microbial fuel cell has been considered a promising alternative to traditional fossil energy. It has great potential in energy production, waste management, and biomass valorization. However, it has several technical issues, such as low power generation efficiency and operational stability. These issues limit the scale-up and commercialization of MFC systems. This review presents the latest progress in microbial community selection and genetic engineering techniques for enhancing microbial electricity production. The summary of substrate selection covers defined substrates and some inexpensive complex substrates, such as wastewater and lignocellulosic biomass materials. In addition, it also includes electrode modification, electron transfer mediator selection, and optimization of operating conditions. The applications of MFC systems introduced in this review involve wastewater treatment, production of value-added products, and biosensors. This review focuses on the crucial process of microbial fuel cells from preparation to application and provides an outlook for their future development.
Adaptive Hybrid Surgery Experiences in Benign Skull Base Tumors
Authors: Kienzler Jenny Christine , Fandino Javier
Published: October 2022

Background: The treatment of benign skull base tumors remains challenging. These tumors are often located in close relationship to critical structures. Therefore, radical resection of these tumors can be associated with high morbidity. Multimodal treatment concepts, including controlled partial tumor resection followed by radiosurgery, should be considered. Methods: Adaptive hybrid surgery analysis (AHSA) is an intraoperative tool that has been introduced for the automatic assessment of tumor properties, and virtual real-time radiosurgical treatment simulation and continuous feasibility analysis of adjuvant radiosurgery. The AHSA method (Brainlab®, Munich, Germany) was applied to five patients who underwent partial resection of a benign skull base tumor. Tumor volumetry was obtained on pre- and postoperative MR scans. Organs at risk were, preoperative, automatically delineated with atlas mapping software (Elements® Segmentation Cranial), and adaptations were made if necessary. Results: Five patients with benign skull base lesions underwent planned partial tumor resection in a multimodal therapeutic surgery followed by radiosurgery. The preoperative tumor volumes ranged between 8.52 and 25.2 cm3. The intraoperative residual tumor volume measured with the AHSA® software ranged between 2.13–12.17 cm3 (25–52% of the preoperative tumor volume). The intraoperative automatic AHSA plans of the remaining tumor volume suggested, in all five patients, that safe hypofractionated radiation was feasible. Patients were followed for 69.6 ± 1.04 months, and no complications occurred after the patients were treated with radiation. Conclusions: Intraoperative SRS planning based on volumetric assessments during resection of skull base tumors using AHSA® is feasible and safe. The AHSA method allows the neurosurgeon to continuously evaluate the feasibility of adjuvant radiosurgery while planning and performing a surgical resection. This method supports the treatment strategy of a complementary approach during surgical resection of complex skull base tumors and might contribute to preventing surgical and radiosurgical complications.
A Nomogram for Predicting the Possibility of Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Zhang Wanli , Chen Lingli
Published: October 2022

Background and Purpose: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) leads to ulceration, noninvasive amputation, and long-term disability. This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for forecasting the probability of DPN in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Methods: From February 2017 to May 2021, 778 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were included in this study. We confirmed the diagnosis of DPN according to the Toronto Expert Consensus. Patients were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 519) and a validation cohort (n = 259). In the training cohort, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, and a simple nomogram was built using the stepwise method. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis were computed in order to validate the discrimination and clinical value of the nomogram model. Results: About 65.7% and 72.2% of patients were diagnosed with DPN in the training and validation cohorts. We developed a novel nomogram to predict the probability of DPN based on the parameters of age, gender, duration of diabetes, body mass index, uric acid, hemoglobin A1c, and free triiodothyronine. The areas under the curves (AUCs) of the nomogram model were 0.763 in the training cohort and 0.755 in the validation cohort. The calibration plots revealed well-fitted accuracy between the predicted and actual probability in the training and validation cohorts. Decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical value of the nomogram. In subgroup analysis, the predictive ability of the nomogram model was strong. Conclusions: The nomogram of age, gender, duration of diabetes, body mass index, uric acid, hemoglobin A1c, and free triiodothyronine may assist clinicians with the early identification of DPN in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Targeting NMDA Receptors in Emotional Disorders: Their Role in Neuroprotection
Authors: Wang Siqi , Bian Lihua , Yin Yi , Guo Jianyou
Published: October 2022

Excitatory glutamatergic neurotransmission mediated through N-methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs) is essential for synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival. While under pathological states, abnormal NMDAR activation is involved in the occurrence and development of psychiatric disorders, which suggests a directional modulation of NMDAR activity that contributes to the remission and treatment of psychiatric disorders. This review thus focuses on the involvement of NMDARs in the pathophysiological processes of psychiatric mood disorders and analyzes the neuroprotective mechanisms of NMDARs. Firstly, we introduce NMDAR-mediated neural signaling pathways in brain function and mood regulation as well as the pathophysiological mechanisms of NMDARs in emotion-related mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. Then, we provide an in-depth summary of current NMDAR modulators that have the potential to be developed into clinical drugs and their pharmacological research achievements in the treatment of anxiety and depression. Based on these findings, drug-targeting for NMDARs might open up novel territory for the development of therapeutic agents for refractory anxiety and depression.
“My Hand Is Different”: Altered Body Perception in Stroke Survivors with Chronic Pain
Authors: Haslam Brendon S. , Butler David S. , Moseley G. Lorimer , Kim Anthony S. , Carey Leeanne M.
Published: October 2022

Background: Chronic pain and body perception disturbance are common following stroke. It is possible that an interaction exists between pain and body perception disturbance, and that a change in one may influence the other. We therefore investigated the presence of body perception disturbance in individuals with stroke, aiming to determine if a perceived change in hand size contralateral to the stroke lesion is more common in those with chronic pain than in those without. Methods: Stroke survivors (N = 523) completed an online survey that included: stroke details, pain features, and any difference in perceived hand size post-stroke. Results: Individuals with stroke who experienced chronic pain were almost three times as likely as those without chronic pain to perceive their hand as now being a different size (OR = 2.895; 95%CI 1.844, 4.547). Further, those with chronic pain whose pain included the hand were almost twice as likely to perceive altered hand size than those whose pain did not include the hand (OR = 1.862; 95%CI 1.170, 2.962). This was not influenced by hemisphere of lesion (p = 0.190). Conclusions: The results point to a new characteristic of chronic pain in stroke, raising the possibility of body perception disturbance being a rehabilitation target to improve function and pain-related outcomes for stroke survivors.
The Influence of Unlimited Sucrose Intake on Body Weight and Behavior—Findings from a Mouse Model
Authors: Dubljević Olga , Ković Vanja , Pavković Željko , Mitić Miloš , Pešić Vesna
Published: October 2022

A potential relationship between unrestricted sucrose intake (USI), overweight, and emotional/behavioral control has not been well documented. We examined the influence of USI and having less sweetness than expected on body weight (BW), motor/exploratory, anxiety-like, and social dominant behavior in adult C57BL/6J male mice. Animals had free access to water (group 1) or 32% sucrose and water (sucrose groups 2–5) for 10 days. Then, group 2 remained with 32% sucrose while groups 3–5 were subjected to the downshift (24 h access to 4%, 8%, or 16% sucrose). All experimental groups were weighed and tested in the novel-open arena (NA), elevated plus maze (EPM), and tube tests to assess BW, motor/exploratory, anxiety-like, and social dominance behavior, respectively. USI did not influence animals’ BW but produced hyperactivity and anxiolytic-like behavior, which was evident in EPM but not in NA; the outcomes of the downshift were comparable. USI did not influence successes/wins in the tube test but altered emotions that drive the winning, favoring a less anxious behavioral phenotype; this was not evident in the downshifted groups. Observed findings suggest that USI promotes sensation-seeking and motivates dominance, without changing BW, while blunted emotional base of social dominance might be an early mark of the downshift.
Effects of Insular Cortex on Post-Stroke Dysphagia: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis
Authors: Qiao Jia , Wu Zhimin , Cheng Xue , Ye Qiuping , Dai Meng , Dai Yong , Dou Zulin
Published: October 2022

Objective: To investigate the relationship of lobar and deep brain regions with post-stroke dysphagia (PSD). Method: The databases of Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched from the establishment to May 2022. Studies that investigated the effects of lesions in lobar and deep brain regions on swallowing function after stroke were screened. The primary outcomes were PSD-related brain regions (including aspiration-related and oral transit time-related brain regions). The secondary outcomes were the incidence rate of PSD. The brain regions with the most overlap in the included studies were considered to be most relevant to PSD, and were presented as percentages. Data were compared utilizing the t-tests for continuous variables and χ2 for frequency-based variables. Result: A total of 24 studies and 2306 patients were included. The PSD-related lobar and deep brain regions included the insular cortex, frontal lobe, temporal gyrus, basal ganglia, postcentral, precentral, precuneus, corona radiate, etc. Among these brain regions, the insular cortex was most frequently reported (taking up 54.2%) in the included studies. Furthermore, the total incidence rate of PSD was around 40.4%, and the incidence of male was nearly 2.57 times as much as that of female (χ2 = 196.17, p < 0.001). Conclusions: In lobar and deep brain regions, the insular cortex may be most relevant to PSD and aspiration, which may be a potentially promising target in the treatment of PSD.
Executive Functions in Decision Making under Ambiguity and Risk in Healthy Adults: A Scoping Review Adopting the Hot and Cold Executive Functions Perspective
Authors: Colautti Laura , Antonietti Alessandro , Iannello Paola
Published: October 2022

Decision making (DM) has a pivotal role in supporting individual autonomy and well-being. It is considered a complex ability exploiting many cognitive functions, among which executive functions (EFs) are crucial. Few studies analyzed the role played by EFs in DM in healthy adults under ambiguity and risk, which are common conditions for most decisions in daily life. This scoping review aims to analyze the relationships between two individual tasks widely used to assess DM under these conditions (Iowa Gambling Task and Game of Dice Task) and EFs. According to the organizing principle that conceptualizes hot and cold EFs, DM under such conditions mainly implies hot EFs, but the relationship with cold EFs is still unclear. Using such an approach, a comprehensive framework is provided, highlighting main findings and identifying possible gaps in the literature. The results suggest different roles played by cold EFs in DM under ambiguity and risk, according to the characteristics of the tasks. The findings can offer guidance to further studies and to design interventions to support DM in healthy adults.
The Role of Bypass Surgery for the Management of Complex Intracranial Aneurysms in the Anterior Circulation in the Flow-Diverter Era: A Single-Center Series
Authors: Acerbi Francesco , Mazzapicchi Elio , Falco Jacopo , Vetrano Ignazio Gaspare , Restelli Francesco , Faragò Giuseppe , La Corte Emanuele , Bonomo Giulio , Bersano Anna , Canavero Isabella , Gemma Marco , Broggi Morgan , Schiariti Marco , Ziliani Vanessa , Raccuia Gabriella , Mangiafico Salvatore , Ganci Giuseppe , Ciceri Elisa , Ferroli Paolo
Published: October 2022

Despite the increasing popularity of flow diverters (FDs) as an endovascular option for intracranial aneurysms, the treatment of complex aneurysms still represents a challenge. Combined strategies using a flow-preservation bypass could be considered in selected cases. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed our series of patients with complex intracranial aneurysms submitted to bypass. From January 2015 to May 2022, 23 patients were selected. We identified 11 cases (47.8%) of MCA, 6 cases (26.1%) of ACA and 6 cases (26.1%) of ICA aneurysms. The mean maximal diameter was 22.73 ± 12.16 mm, 8 were considered as giant, 9 were fusiform, 8 presented intraluminal thrombosis, 10 presented wall calcification, and 18 involved major branches or perforating arteries. Twenty-five bypass procedures were performed in 23 patients (two EC–IC bypasses with radial artery graft, seventeen single- or double-barrel STA–MCA bypasses and six IC–IC bypasses in anterior cerebral arteries). The long-term bypass patency rate was 94.5%, and the total aneurysm exclusion was 95.6%, with a mean follow-up of 28 months. Median KPS values at last follow-up was 90, and a favorable outcome (KPS ≥ 70 and mRS ≤ 2) was obtained in 87% of the cases. The use of bypass techniques represents, in selected cases, a valid therapeutic option in the management of complex anterior circulation aneurysms when a simpler direct approach, including the use of FD, is considered not feasible.
Mediating Effect of Loneliness in the Relationship between Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Frailty in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Hou Ping , Xue Huiping , Zhang Yu , Ping Yujie , Zheng Yijiang , Wang Yan , Yao Zhenshuai , Xie Xinyi , Dai Hua , Liu Yongbing
Published: October 2022

Background: This study aims to explore the mediating role of loneliness between depressive symptoms and cognitive frailty among older adults in the community. Methods: A total of 527 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 60 years were included in this cross-sectional study. A five-item geriatric depression scale was used to assess depression symptoms. Then, an eight-item University of California at Los Angeles Loneliness Scale was used to assess loneliness. Moreover, the FRAIL scale and Mini-Mental State Examination were used to assess cognitive frailty. Furthermore, regression and bootstrap analyses were used to explore the mediating role of loneliness in depression symptoms and cognitive frailty. Results: Loneliness mediates the association between depression symptoms and cognitive frailty (95% CI = 0.164~0.615), and after adjusting for loneliness, the direct effect is no longer significant (95% CI = −0.113~1.318, p = 0.099). Conclusions: Results show that the effect of cognitive frailty is not depression symptoms but loneliness. All levels of society (the government, medical institutions, and communities) need to pay more attention to the mental health of the older adults, screen for loneliness, and take timely intervention and treatment measures. They should also build an age-friendly society and promote active aging.
The Effect of Menopause on Antipsychotic Response
Authors: González-Rodríguez Alexandre , Monreal José A. , Seeman Mary V.
Published: October 2022

Background: It has been hypothesized that, whenever estrogen levels decline, psychosis symptoms in women increase. At menopause, this can happen in two main ways: (a) the loss of estrogen (mainly estradiol) can directly affect central neurotransmission, leading to increase in schizophrenia-related symptoms, and (b) the loss of estrogen can decrease the synthesis of enzymes that metabolize antipsychotic drugs, thus weakening their efficacy. Aims and Methods: The aim of this narrative review was to investigate the second possibility by searching PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov for studies over the last two decades that investigated the metabolism of antipsychotics and their efficacy before and after menopause in women or that studied systemic and local estrogen level effects on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of individual antipsychotic drugs. Results: The evidence suggests that symptom level in women with schizophrenia rises after menopause for many reasons beyond hormones but, importantly, there is an estrogen-dependent loss of efficacy related to antipsychotic treatment. Conclusion: Effective clinical intervention is challenging; nevertheless, several promising routes forward are suggested.
A Case Report of Hemifacial Spasm Caused by Vestibular Schwannoma and Literature Review
Authors: Cai Xiaomin , Tang Yinda , Zhao Hua , Chen Zheng , Wang Haopeng , Zhu Wanchun , Li Shiting
Published: October 2022

Background: Most cases of hemifacial spasm result from mechanical compression at the root exit zone of the facial nerve by vascular loops, and only a few cases are caused by vestibular schwannoma. Case presentation: We report a case of symptomatic hemifacial spasm induced by a small vestibular schwannoma that was totally resected. A 64-year-old man was admitted to our department with a 14-month history of symptomatic right-sided hemifacial spasm. During the process of microvascular decompression, no definite vessel was found to compress the facial nerve. By further exploration of regions other than root exit zone, a small vestibular schwannoma compressing the internal auditory canal portion of facial nerve from the ventral side was discovered. Resection of the tumor was then conducted. The symptoms of hemifacial spasm disappeared immediately after surgery. Conclusions: We should be aware that magnetic resonance imaging is not always precise and perhaps misses some miniature lesions due to present image technique limitations. A small vestibular schwannoma might be the reason for HFS, although preoperative magnetic resonance tomography angiography showed possible vascular compression at the facial nerve root. More importantly, a full-length exploration of the facial nerve is in urgent need to find potential compression while performing microvascular decompression for HFS patients.
Multi-Perspective Feature Extraction and Fusion Based on Deep Latent Space for Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Diseases
Authors: Gao Libin , Hu Zhongyi , Li Rui , Lu Xingjin , Li Zuoyong , Zhang Xiabin , Xu Shiwei
Published: October 2022

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has been used to construct functional connectivity (FC) in the brain for the diagnosis and analysis of brain disease. Current studies typically use the Pearson correlation coefficient to construct dynamic FC (dFC) networks, and then use this as a network metric to obtain the necessary features for brain disease diagnosis and analysis. This simple observational approach makes it difficult to extract potential high-level FC features from the representations, and also ignores the rich information on spatial and temporal variability in FC. In this paper, we construct the Latent Space Representation Network (LSRNet) and use two stages to train the network. In the first stage, an autoencoder is used to extract potential high-level features and inner connections in the dFC representations. In the second stage, high-level features are extracted using two perspective feature parses. Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks are used to extract spatial and temporal features from the local perspective. Convolutional neural networks extract global high-level features from the global perspective. Finally, the fusion of spatial and temporal features with global high-level features is used to diagnose brain disease. In this paper, the proposed method is applied to the ANDI rs-fMRI dataset, and the classification accuracy reaches 84.6% for NC/eMCI, 95.1% for NC/AD, 80.6% for eMCI/lMCI, 84.2% for lMCI/AD and 57.3% for NC/eMCI/lMCI/AD. The experimental results show that the method has a good classification performance and provides a new approach to the diagnosis of other brain diseases.
The Mediation Effects of Social Media Usage and Sharing Fake News about Companies
Authors: Obadă Daniel-Rareș , Dabija Dan-Cristian
Published: October 2022

Trust in social media information is gaining in importance and relevance for both companies and individuals as nowadays contemporary society is confronted with a wave of fake news about daily life situations, brands, organizations, etc. As it becomes more difficult to accurately assess social media information and to determine its origin or source, as well as to be able to double-check information spread across different Social Networking Sites (SNS), businesses must understand how individuals’ perceived control, concentration, and time distortion enhances the social media usage, thus allowing them to correctly assess online information. Therefore, the scope of the paper is to assess, based on a conceptual model, the antecedents of trust in online information about companies by considering users’ perceived control, concentration, and time distortion, while browsing social media networks and sharing fake news about companies in SNS. With the help of an online survey, data was collected from social media users, later being analysed with SmartPLS. The findings suggest that social media usage and sharing of fake news mediate the relationship between users’ perceived control, concentration, and time distortion (i.e., flow characteristics) and trust in online information about companies.
Service Orientation and Customer Performance: Triad Perspectives of Sales Managers, Sales Employees, and Customers
Authors: Yi Ho-Taek , Lee MinKyung , Park Kyungdo
Published: October 2022

This study examines how shop managers’ attitudes toward customers are transferred to sales employees, and thus affect customer performance. We surveyed shop managers, sales employees, and customers in five department stores in Seoul, South Korea, in June 2021 to determine the relationships among service orientation, customer orientation, customers’ perceptions of sales employees’ authenticity, and customer performance. We found that sales managers’ service orientation positively influences sales employees’ service and customer orientation. Furthermore, this orientation positively correlates with customers’ perceptions of sales employees’ authenticity, thereby improving service performance and customer loyalty. Few studies have examined how institutional-level capacity and attitudes influence employees within organizations and how this, in turn, affects service performance. Thus, this study theoretically and empirically explores how sales managers’ attitudes and sales behaviors are transferred to sales employees and how this affects customer performance. The research findings fill a gap in the current understanding of customer performance in the service industry.
Reproductive Intentions Affected by Perceptions of Climate Change and Attitudes toward Death
Authors: Bielawska-Batorowicz Eleonora , Zagaj Klaudia , Kossakowska Karolina
Published: October 2022

Adverse climate change poses a threat to the health of pregnant women and unborn children and has a negative impact on the quality of life. Additionally, individuals with a high awareness of the consequences of climate change may be accompanied by a fear of the inevitable end, such as a fear of death. This, in turn, may discourage planning for offspring. Thus, both the perception of climate change and fear of death can have implications for reproductive intentions. Only a few studies to date indicate that concerns about climate change, especially when combined with attitudes towards death, may influence the formation of attitudes and reproductive plans. Thus, current research is aimed at looking at reproductive intentions from the perspective of both climate change concerns and the fear of death. This study was conducted from December 2020 to February 2021. A total of 177 childless males and females (58.8%) took part in the study. The Death Anxiety and Fascination Scale (DAFS) and Climate Change Perception Questionnaire (CCPQ) were completed online. Overall, 63.8% of respondents displayed a positive reproductive intention. Multivariable logistic regression analysis found that, in addition to the young age of respondents, the likelihood of positive reproductive intentions increases with death anxiety and decreases with death fascination and with climate health concerns. The results indicate that both climate change concerns and the fear of death are relevant to reproductive plans—positive reproductive intentions increase with death anxiety and decrease with death fascination and with climate health concerns. The results fill the gap in the existing research on predictors of reproductive intentions and can be used for further scientific exploration and practical activities addressing the issues of the determinants of decisions about having children. The individual consequences of climate change are clearly taken into account in the context of offspring planning and, therefore, should be considered in the design of social and environmental actions.
Applying the Reasoned Action Approach and Planning to Understand Diabetes Self-Management Behaviors
Authors: St Quinton Tom
Published: October 2022

Individuals managing diabetes are required to adhere to self-management behaviors to ensure the optimal regulation of their blood glucose levels. This study examined the psychological determinants underlying three important diabetes self-management behaviors (e.g., physical activity, diet, and blood glucose monitoring) using the reasoned action approach (RAA) and planning. A cross-sectional design was used, with participants (N = 273) completing measures of RAA constructs (e.g., experiential and instrumental attitude, descriptive and injunctive norm, and capacity and autonomy) and planning (e.g., action and control planning) at time 1 and participation in the behaviors one week later at time 2. Regressions showed that RAA constructs accounted for good variance in intention and behavior in all behaviors. Intention towards diet and blood glucose monitoring was significantly predicted by instrumental attitude, injunctive norm, and capacity. Intention towards physical activity was significantly predicted by instrumental attitude, experiential attitude, injunctive norm, capacity, and autonomy. All behaviors were significantly predicted by intention, action planning, and coping planning. Additionally, capacity significantly predicted physical activity and autonomy significantly predicted diet and blood glucose monitoring. Successfully intervening in the influential psychological constructs identified in the study could ensure optimal blood glucose regulation in those managing diabetes.
Development and Validation of a Health Behaviour Scale: Exploratory Factor Analysis on Data from a Multicentre Study in Female Primary Care Patients
Authors: Chawłowska Ewelina , Staszewski Rafał , Jóźwiak Paulina , Lipiak Agnieszka , Zawiejska Agnieszka
Published: October 2022

Health behaviours are the most important proximal determinants of health that can be either promoting or detrimental to the health of individuals. To assess and compare health behaviours in different socioeconomic groups within the population, a comprehensive, valid, reliable, and culturally appropriate measure is needed. This study aimed to develop a health behaviour questionnaire and validate it in a sample of female patients over 45 years of age with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The development procedure encompassed the following stages: literature search and item generation, content validity testing (focus group and expert evaluation), and field testing. A preliminary 38-item Health Behaviour Scale (HBS) was developed and tested in a group of 487 female primary care patients over 45 years of age. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) yielded a four-factor structure. Factors jointly accounted for 47% of the variance observed. The results confirmed very good internal consistency of the questionnaire. The Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients for the entire scale were 0.82 and 0.84, respectively. The factor and item structure of the final 16-item HBS reflects the specificity of the studied sample. This measure can be a useful tool for primary care practitioners and public health researchers by helping them to develop interventions and strategies to reinforce health-promoting behaviours.
People Cheat on Task Performance When They Feel Bored: The Mediating Role of State Self-Efficacy
Authors: Feng Chun , Liu Chuanjun , Zhong Min
Published: October 2022

It is unclear whether the state of boredom is related to morality. The present study investigated how state boredom influenced cheating behaviors on task performance. In Study 1 (N = 104), participants were induced to feel bored, and then reported whether they had finished an anagram task (two sentences in the task were unsolvable). The results found that people with higher boredom showed more cheating behaviors than those with lower boredom on task performance. In Study 2 (N = 139), participants completed the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale, and then completed the same anagram task as in Study 1, as well as a state self-efficacy scale. The results revealed that state self-efficacy mediated the effect of state boredom on cheating behaviors on task performance. In other words, a higher level of state boredom leads to a lower level of state self-efficacy, and the lower state self-efficacy then results in more cheating behaviors. The present study provides empirical evidence that state boredom has its moral function through state self-efficacy.
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges of Comorbid ASD, ADHD and Psychosis: A Case Report
Authors: Scarselli Veronica , Martucci Melania , Novelli Maria , Galosi Serena , Romani Maria , Sogos Carla
Published: October 2022

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) comorbidity is common in clinical practice and it seems to be related to shared etiological mechanisms and genetic susceptibility. Moreover, occurrence of psychosis can further complicate these complex clinical pictures. Here, we discuss the case of a nine-years-old boy presenting with an episode of abnormal sustained posture of the upper limbs, resembling dystonia, at the age of 3. At this time, auditory and visual hallucinations, as well as obsessive thoughts and attentional lability were also present and a diagnosis of “Early onset psychosis” was initially made. Due to the worsening of clinical picture, several hospitalizations were necessary and pharmacological treatment with carbamazepine, risperidone and aripiprazole was carried out. Extensive clinic evaluation revealed a past medical and personal history of toe walking, weak social skills and stereotyped behavior observed and ADOS-2 Module 2 administration revealed severe Autism scores. Moreover, signs of attention and hyperactivity were consistent with ADHD diagnosis. This work highlights the importance of a complete diagnostic assessment in patients with complex presentation, suggesting the possible overlap diagnosis of ADHD and Autism even in presence of psychotic-like symptoms.
Resilience and Self-Esteem Mediated Associations between Childhood Emotional Maltreatment and Aggression in Chinese College Students
Authors: Chen Chen , Jiang Juan , Ji Shengkai , Hai Ying
Published: October 2022

Although associations between physical or sexual abuse and aggression have been mainly explored, relationships and pathways between childhood emotional maltreatment and aggression need further exploration, particularly in the Chinese cultural context. This study aimed to explore the associations between childhood emotional maltreatment and aggression and to examine the mediating effects of resilience and self-esteem on those associations. Data were obtained from a convenience sampling of 809 (aged 17–23) college students from three Chinese universities in December 2021, which was approved by the ethics committee of Beijing Normal University, China. All participants completed measures of childhood emotional maltreatment, aggression, resilience, and self-esteem. The results showed that childhood emotional maltreatment was positively associated with aggression (r = 0.41, p < 0.01), and it was negatively associated with resilience (r = −0.56, p < 0.01) and self-esteem (r = −0.10, p < 0.01). Regarding the mediation processes, resilience and self-esteem partially mediated the relationships between childhood emotional maltreatment and aggression. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing levels of resilience and self-esteem in interventions designed to reduce aggression of college students who were emotionally maltreated in childhood.
Why So Serious? An Attempt to Mitigate the Short-Term Harmful Effects of the Film Joker on Prejudice toward People with Mental Illness
Authors: Poulgrain John William , Bremner Niquaila May , Zimmerman Hannah , Jao Chia-Wei , Winter Taylor , Riordan Benjamin Charles , Bizumic Boris , Hunter John , Scarf Damian
Published: October 2022

The media perpetuates many harmful stereotypes about people with mental illness. In two studies, we demonstrate the impact of negative media portrayals of mental illness on prejudice and attempt to mitigate these negative effects. Specifically, in Study 1, participants watched the movie Joker, a recent film which associates mental illness with violent behavior, or a control film (Terminator). Participants completed the Prejudice towards People with Mental Illness (PPMI) scale before and after viewing their respective films. The PPMI consists of four dimensions: fear/avoidance (i.e., wanting to avoid people with mental illness), malevolence (i.e., viewing people with mental illness as inferior), authoritarianism (i.e., preference for control over people with mental illness), and unpredictability (i.e., the behavior of people with mental illness is unreliable). We hypothesized that participants who watched the film Joker would display an increase in their fear/avoidance of people with mental illness and their support for authoritarian approaches to their treatment. Consistent with these hypotheses, participants who viewed Joker displayed a significant increase in the fear/avoidance and authoritarian subscales of the PPMI, relative to participants that watched Terminator. In Study 2, in an attempt to mitigate the impact of Joker on prejudice towards people with mental illness, directly after the film we displayed educational and counter-stereotypical statements on-screen that challenged the view that people with mental illness are violent. A control group viewed Joker without these statements. Identical to Study 1, all participants completed the PPMI scale before and after viewing the film. We hypothesized that participants who viewed Joker with the statements would display lower prejudice relative to the control condition. Unfortunately, participants in the experimental and control conditions displayed a comparable increase in prejudice. Together, these studies confirm the negative effect of media portrayals of mental illness (as depicted in Joker) and demonstrate that these effects are not easily mitigated.
Towards Effective Implementation of Carbon Reduction Strategies in Construction Procurement: A Case Study of New Zealand
Authors: He Philip , Bui Thao Thi Phuong , Shahzad Wajiha , Wilkinson Suzanne , Domingo Niluka
Published: October 2022

In light of climate change, the construction industry plays a crucial part in alleviating carbon emissions and other environmental impacts. The focus on improving the public procurement process poses an important opportunity for the successful implementation of carbon reduction strategies in construction projects. There is a growing body of literature mapping green and sustainable procurement practices in construction. However, previous studies have not treated the implementation of procurement in a particular area, such as carbon reduction, in much detail. This study aims to investigate the implementation of construction procurement incorporating carbon reduction strategies, with a specific focus on the public sector in New Zealand. The research was conducted through 13 semi-structured interviews with construction procurement experts in New Zealand. The results shed light on the current implementation of carbon reduction strategies in construction procurement and its challenges, such as a lack of knowledge and ambiguous procurement guidelines and documents. It also emphasises the importance of (1) well-developed carbon reduction evaluation criteria, (2) specifying a budget for carbon-related initiatives, and (3) the prerequisite of a high level of innovation in the procurement document. The study adds to the rapidly expanding field of carbon reduction construction procurement by providing a deeper insight into the way carbon reduction strategies are effectively implemented in the procurement process.
Forensic Analysis of the Disputes Typology of the NSW Construction Industry Using PLS-SEM and Prospective Trend Analysis
Authors: Rahnamayiezekavat Payam , Sorooshnia Ehsan , Rashidi Maria , Faraji Amir , Mostafa Sherif , Moon Sungkon
Published: October 2022

Project claim management is the central pillar of the overlapping areas of contract administration, contract law and building regulations. Delays caused by inefficiency of the procedures designed to avoid disputes emerge at the pre-project phase and continue during construction. The quantum of research addressing this issue is not immediately transferrable between jurisdictions, mainly due to local specificity of construction practices, contract and construction laws, as well as clients’ preferences. The primary aim of this study is to identify the underlying causes of disputes that have arisen in the NSW construction industry in the past two decades and to analyze the inter-relationships between the causes. To achieve this purpose, PLS-SEM quantitative models were utilized to study different factors influencing disputes. Through a detailed quantitative analysis of 230 cases, based on dispute frequencies, causes and effect analysis and the resultant loop cause diagrams, the dispute triggers, types, and root causes have been analyzed as the basis for developing a model to predict the future likelihood of disputes. Finally, 13 causes of disputes have been recognized as the main causal factors in the construction projects in NSW. This study also has shown that payment and reimbursement-related disputes are the most frequent in NSW construction, except for the last two years.
A New General Formulation for the PMV Thermal Comfort Index
Authors: Laouadi Abdelaziz
Published: October 2022

The PMV index forms the basis of international thermal comfort standards. PMV was developed based on empirical relationships between the metabolic rate of activity and the body mean skin temperature and evaporative heat loss under the comfort conditions. However, many recent studies have questioned the accuracy and reliability of the PMV predictions, particularly for the discomfort range. This paper develops a general formulation of PMV that does not involve the mean skin temperature and evaporative heat loss. The new metabolic-based predicted mean vote (MPMV) index is expressed as the difference between the metabolic rate of activity and the metabolic rate required to achieve a comfort state under the imposed environment conditions. The comfort metabolic rate is found to vary linearly with the metabolic rate required to maintain the body core and mean skin temperatures at the resting thermo-neutral state. The model constants are determined using public experimental data on thermal sensation votes of young and older people. The new formulation accounts for body core cooling to achieve comfort under hot exposures; it also addresses the overlooked non-shivering thermogenesis in the body heat balance at the comfort state and covers comfort requirements for young and older people in wakeful and sleep states.
Is the Shortest Path Always the Best? Analysis of General Demands of Indoor Navigation System for Shopping Malls
Authors: Deng Hui , Xu Yiwen , Deng Yichuan
Published: October 2022

Indoor navigation systems are basic services for shopping malls. However, the design and implementation of such systems are seldom studied, with most current indoor navigation systems showing the static route for the shortest distance, which causes confusion or even danger for users. Therefore, this paper analyzes the general demand for indoor navigation systems for shopping malls based on 498 questionnaires and the Kano model. The results of the study unveil three important functions, as outlined by “Congestion/emergency section avoidance”, “Vertical elevator first”, and “Passing by a particular type of store”. The relationship between users’ characteristics and shopping behavior is also discovered. Comparing this with the existing literature in terms of user demands research for indoor navigation, the general demand analysis method based on the Kano model of this paper is able to reveal the user accreditation degree towards different functions of indoor navigation systems in shopping malls. The findings of this paper provide insight into users’ behaviors and preferences, which will benefit further studies on indoor navigation systems for shopping malls.
Design of Quasi-Rectangular Tunnel Built in the Rock Masses Following Hoek–Brown Failure Criterion
Authors: Du Dianchun , Lei Di , Liu Keqi , Dias Daniel
Published: October 2022

Although quasi-rectangular tunnels have been widely used in underground projects, there is no related research work that was carried out to design this kind of tunnel excavated in the rock masses that followed the Hoek–Brown (HB) criterion. By transforming the strength parameters of the rocks that obey the HB failure criterion into equivalent strength parameters of the Mohr–Coulomb (MC) criterion, the lining internal forces of a quasi-rectangular tunnel are investigated in this manuscript in light of bending moments and normal forces using the Hyperstatic Reaction Method (HRM). After comparing with the values of a model test and verifying the present method, the influence of different tunnel depths, H, different rock unconfined compressive strengths, σci, and the geological strength parameter GSI on the lining internal forces of the quasi-rectangular tunnel is then investigated. The obtained results indicate that the parameters H, σci, and GSI have a significant effect on the lining internal forces of the quasi-rectangular tunnel. The work presented in this paper provides a theoretical reference for designing the quasi-rectangular tunnel support structure built in the rock masses following the Hoek–Brown criterion.
CFD Simulation Supported Development of Wind Catcher Shape Topology in a Passive Air Conduction System (PACS)
Authors: Katona Ádám László , Háber István Ervin , Kistelegdi István
Published: October 2022

New studies and reports are published on a daily basis about the dangers of climate change and its main causes: humanity’s constantly growing population, the built environment and resource consumption. The built environment is responsible for approx. 40% of the total energy consumption, and a significant part comes from maintaining an appropriate indoor comfort environment by heating ventilation and air conditioning. Though contemporary studies have achieved a wide knowledge about natural ventilation and passive air conducting systems (PACS) and their applicability, further investigations are necessary to deepen the aerodynamic topology of air conducting building structures’ shape properties. Hence, in our current research we conducted a series of tests applying different wind catcher geometries. The methodology of this work is based on the authors’ previous work, where passive air conduction systems were compared with different airflow directions via computational fluid dynamic simulations (CFD). After finding the better performing PACS (a downdraught system), this research evaluates whether further improvements in ventilation efficiency are possible due to the aerodynamic shaping of the roof integrated inlet structures. Four different wind catcher geometries were examined to determine the most advantageous dimensional settings in the natural ventilation system’s given boundaries. After multiple series of basic and developed calculation runs, diverse shape designs of the passive air conduction inlet (PACI) were examined, including wind deflector geometries. The initial reference wind catcher’s air change rate was increased by approx. 11%. The results deliver the potential measure of improvements achievable in the aerodynamic shape design of structures under identic conditions of the same building domain. As a consequence, more sophisticated natural ventilation structural solutions will be possible in more operation cost- and performance-effective ways.
Coastal Waterfront Vibrancy: An Exploration from the Perspective of Quantitative Urban Morphology
Authors: Huang Lung Shih , Han Yun , Ye Yu
Published: October 2022

Contemporary urban design, requiring a deep understanding of urban form and its performance, has recently shifted its focus on the vibrancy of waterfronts in coastal cities. Based on analytical methods of quantitative urban morphology, this study aims to explore the common morphological features of waterfronts with high urban vibrancy. We selected vibrant waterfront cases from different countries as the benchmark and collected the multi-sourced urban data. The quantitative analysis extracts the common morphological characteristics of vibrant waterfront by calculating the range of those indicators in different cases. The results indicate that those successful waterfronts comprise compact street networks and are mostly dominated by building types favorable for urban vibrancy. They possess high development intensity and mixed functions. Consequently, the compact urban form and dense-mixed land use are recommended for developing vital waterfronts. Moreover, considering the problematic waterfront area of the Jinshatan area in Yantai, quantitative urban morphology methods can be adopted to develop precise urban design guidance for vibrancy-oriented design practice. This study, thus, provides comprehensive insights for shaping the vibrancy of the waterfronts in coastal cities.