bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Varietas Delectat: Exploring Natural Variations in Nitrogen-Fixing Symbiosis Research
Authors: Wang Ting , Balla Benedikta , Kovács Szilárd , Kereszt Attila
Published: April 2022

The nitrogen-fixing symbiosis between leguminous plants and soil bacteria collectively called rhizobia plays an important role in the global nitrogen cycle and is an essential component of sustainable agriculture. Genetic determinants directing the development and functioning of the interaction have been identified with the help of a very limited number of model plants and bacterial strains. Most of the information obtained from the study of model systems could be validated on crop plants and their partners. The investigation of soybean cultivars and different rhizobia, however, has revealed the existence of ineffective interactions between otherwise effective partners that resemble gene-for-gene interactions described for pathogenic systems. Since then, incompatible interactions between natural isolates of model plants, called ecotypes, and different bacterial partner strains have been reported. Moreover, diverse phenotypes of both bacterial mutants on different host plants and plant mutants with different bacterial strains have been described. Identification of the genetic factors behind the phenotypic differences did already and will reveal novel functions of known genes/proteins, the role of certain proteins in some interactions, and the fine regulation of the steps during nodule development.
Research on the Impact of Challenge-Hindrance Stress on Employees’ Innovation Performance: A Chain Mediation Model
Authors: Cai Wei , Xu Chao , Yu Shengxian , Gong Xiaoxiao
Published: April 2022

Based on the transaction theory of stress and the theory of resource conservation, which introduces knowledge acquisition and intrinsic motivation as mediating variables, a chain mediating model for the influence of challenge-hindrance stress on innovation performance is constructed. Data of 295 samples collected in three stages were used to testify hypothesis. The results confirmed a positive relationship between challenge stress and innovation performance, and a negative relationship between hindrance stress and innovation performance. Intrinsic motivation and knowledge acquisition play a parallel and chain mediating role in the relationship between challenge-hindrance stress and innovation performance. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how challenge -hindrance stress affects innovation performance and provide important practical guidance for improving innovation performance.
Meditation in the Workplace: Does Mindfulness Reduce Bias and Increase Organisational Citizenship Behaviours?
Authors: Williams Emma Constance , Polito Vince
Published: April 2022

Mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular in the workplace. This likely relates to a growing body of research linking mindfulness to a range of psychological outcomes such as reduced anxiety, depression and increased subjective wellbeing. However, while mindfulness has received a great deal of attention in clinical research, the evidence for workplace relevant benefits is less established. Additionally, outside of clinical research, mindfulness studies have rarely been replicated. Recent evidence suggests that the cognitive skills cultivated during meditation may be instrumental in reducing biased thinking and increasing prosocial behaviour, but these findings have not been previously tested in a workplace setting. Specifically, mindfulness has been linked to reductions in implicit age bias, sunk-cost decision-making bias and increases in organisational citizenship behaviours (OCB). In two experiments using a workplace and laboratory sample, the present investigation aimed to test the reliability and generalisability of previous findings that a brief mindfulness meditation can reduce age and sunk-cost decision-making biases. To more directly test the potential positive benefits of mindfulness in a workplace setting, this study also investigated the impact of a mindfulness intervention on intention to perform OCB. While meditation significantly increased OCB intent, predictions relating to bias were not supported. Considerations for the degree to which empirical evidence aligns with claims in popular culture, along with implications for the practical uses of mindfulness in the workplace are explored.
The Impact of Intrusive Rumination on College Students’ Creativity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Effect of Post-traumatic Growth and the Moderating Role of Psychological Resilience
Authors: Xu Yanhua , Wu Jiamin , Li Qian , Zeng Wei , Wu Chujin , Yang Yuhao , Chen Zhihao , Xu Ziying
Published: April 2022

Purpose

College students in the pandemic area are experiencing the problems caused by COVID-19 by themselves or people around them, how to cope with the sudden changes and adjust the psychological stress response, and get experience and grow in the fight against the pandemic is a question worth in-depth discussion. The researchers constructed a mediated regulation model to examine the effects of intrusive rumination on the creativity of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the mediating effect of post-traumatic growth and the moderating role of psychological resilience.

Methods

A sample of 475 university students from Guangdong Province, China, were surveyed with the Runco Ideational Behavior Scale, the Event Related Rumination Inventory, the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and the Psychological Resilience Scale. SPSS (version 23) and PROCESS (version 3.3) were used for correlation analysis, mediation analysis, and mediated moderation analysis.

Results

(1) Intrusive rumination was positively correlated with post-traumatic growth and creativity but negatively correlated with psychological resilience. Psychological resilience was positively correlated with post-traumatic growth and creativity. Post-traumatic growth and creativity were positively correlated. (2) Post-traumatic growth played a mediating role in the relationship between intrusive rumination and creativity. (3) Psychological resilience moderated the first half of the pathway “intrusive rumination → post-traumatic growth → creativity.”

Conclusion

Intrusive rumination affected creativity directly and also indirectly through post-traumatic growth. At the same time, psychological resilience played a moderating role between intrusive rumination and creativity. The correlation between intrusive rumination and post-traumatic growth was stronger when levels of psychological resilience levels were higher.
The Influence of Form-Focused Instruction on the L2 Chinese Oral Production of Korean Native Speakers
Authors: Chen Mo , Li Wenya
Published: April 2022

Form-focused instruction (FFI) can help second language (L2) learners notice the forms of language, which is conducive to the acquisition of linguistic forms. Two types of FFIs had been proposed, including focus-on-formS (FonFs) and focus-on-form (FonF). Previously, studies on FFI in L2 classroom teaching have focused mainly on the influence of two types of FFIs on the L2 acquisition of grammar and vocabulary. The influence of FonFs and FonF on L2 oral production, however, has been addressed less often. The advantages and disadvantages of different teaching methods in FonFs and FonF have not been well investigated. On the basis of Schmidt’s noticing hypothesis, VanPatten’s input processing hypothesis, and Long’s interactive hypothesis, we investigated the effects of teaching goals, teaching steps, and interactive activities in FonFs and FonF on the complexity, accuracy, and fluency of 32 native Korean speakers’ L2 Chinese oral production. We found that FFI significantly improved the performance of L2 Chinese oral production, although different FFIs had different effects on complexity, accuracy, and fluency. FonF and FonFs could improve both complexity and accuracy, whereas FonF also significantly improved fluency, which was not observed in FonFs. Furthermore, we found that the level of L2 proficiency could modulate the interaction between instruction methods and learning outcomes. For low-proficiency learners, FonF was more helpful for the improvement of fluency. For high-proficiency learners, FonFs was more helpful for the improvement of accuracy. These results demonstrated that teachers should pay attention to the interaction between specific teaching conditions with different L2 proficiency and learning outcomes when implementing FFI. The findings of this study have important implications for the design of procedures and interactive activities of L2 spoken Chinese teaching.
The Influence of Self-Serving Leadership on Deviant Behaviors in the Workplace: A Moderated Mediation Model
Authors: Liu Liangcan , Wan Zhitao , Lin Yanping , Wang Xu
Published: April 2022

Self-serving leadership is a typical example of destructive leadership that has negative effects on its subordinates and organization. According to social identity theory, we propose a theoretical model that self-serving leadership induces employee interpersonal deviance and organizational deviance through organization identification, and we explore the moderating role of moral identity in this relationship. Based on survey data collected from 377 questionnaires by using a three-wave time lagged design, structural equation modeling results showed that (1) there was a significant positive correlation between self-serving leadership and employees’ deviant behavior, (2) organizational identification partially mediates the relationship between self-serving leadership and employees’ deviant behavior, and (3) employees’ moral identity negatively moderates the relationship between self-serving leadership and employees’ organizational identification. The findings further extend the research on the influence of self-serving leadership on employee workplace deviance. They also reveal the mechanisms and boundary conditions of the effect of self-serving leadership on employee workplace deviance.
Available Virtual Reality-Based Tools for Executive Functions: A Systematic Review
Authors: Borgnis Francesca , Baglio Francesca , Pedroli Elisa , Rossetto Federica , Uccellatore Lidia , Oliveira Jorge Alexandre Gaspar , Riva Giuseppe , Cipresso Pietro
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Executive dysfunctions constitute a significant public health problem: their high impact on everyday life makes it a priority to identify early strategies for evaluating and rehabilitating these disorders in a real-life context. The ecological limitation of traditional neuropsychological tests and several difficulties in administering tests or training in real-life scenarios have paved the way to use Virtual Reality-based tools to evaluate and rehabilitate Executive Functions (EFs) in real-life.

Objective

This work aims to conduct a systematic review to provide a detailed description of the VR-based tools currently developed for the evaluation and rehabilitation of EFs.

Methods

We systematically searched for original manuscripts regarding VR tools and EFs by looking for titles and abstracts in the PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, and Web of Science databases up to November 2021 that contained the following keywords “Virtual Reality” AND “Executive function*.”

Results and Conclusion

We analyzed 301 articles, of which 100 were included. Our work shows that available VR-based tools appear promising solutions for an ecological assessment and treatment of EFs in healthy subjects and several clinical populations.
One Size Does Not Fit All: Examining the Effects of Working Memory Capacity on Spoken Word Recognition in Older Adults Using Eye Tracking
Authors: Nitsan Gal , Banai Karen , Ben-David Boaz M.
Published: April 2022

Difficulties understanding speech form one of the most prevalent complaints among older adults. Successful speech perception depends on top-down linguistic and cognitive processes that interact with the bottom-up sensory processing of the incoming acoustic information. The relative roles of these processes in age-related difficulties in speech perception, especially when listening conditions are not ideal, are still unclear. In the current study, we asked whether older adults with a larger working memory capacity process speech more efficiently than peers with lower capacity when speech is presented in noise, with another task performed in tandem. Using the Eye-tracking of Word Identification in Noise Under Memory Increased Load (E-WINDMIL) an adapted version of the “visual world” paradigm, 36 older listeners were asked to follow spoken instructions presented in background noise, while retaining digits for later recall under low (single-digit) or high (four-digits) memory load. In critical trials, instructions (e.g., “point at the candle”) directed listeners’ gaze to pictures of objects whose names shared onset or offset sounds with the name of a competitor that was displayed on the screen at the same time (e.g., candy or sandal). We compared listeners with different memory capacities on the time course for spoken word recognition under the two memory loads by testing eye-fixations on a named object, relative to fixations on an object whose name shared phonology with the named object. Results indicated two trends. (1) For older adults with lower working memory capacity, increased memory load did not affect online speech processing, however, it impaired offline word recognition accuracy. (2) The reverse pattern was observed for older adults with higher working memory capacity: increased task difficulty significantly decreases online speech processing efficiency but had no effect on offline word recognition accuracy. Results suggest that in older adults, adaptation to adverse listening conditions is at least partially supported by cognitive reserve. Therefore, additional cognitive capacity may lead to greater resilience of older listeners to adverse listening conditions. The differential effects documented by eye movements and accuracy highlight the importance of using both online and offline measures of speech processing to explore age-related changes in speech perception.
Anxiety, Depression, and Concern About Employment Status of Hotel Housekeepers in the Balearic Islands During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Chela-Alvarez Xenia , Leiva Alfonso , Gallardo-Alfaro Laura , Bulilete Oana , Vidal-Thomas MClara , Llobera Joan
Published: April 2022

Tourism is a crucial economic sector in the Balearic Islands (Spain). COVID-19 pandemic might severely impact hotel housekeepers (HHs) due to their already precarious employment situation. The purpose is to assess the evolution of the concern about employment status, anxiety, and depression of HHs. This is a longitudinal study conducted with a subset of participants from a primary care, health promotion intervention study. Two additional visits were added (March–April and October–December 2020) for the purpose of this study. We recruited 290 HHs in March–April 2020; 237 were again interviewed during October–December 2020. In the first visit, high level of concern about employment was associated with age under 50, temporary contracts and external locus of control (LOC). Moderate–severe anxiety was associated with low social support and external LOC; moderate–severe depression was associated with low social support. Regarding the second visit, age, years working as HH, type of contract, social support, and LOC were not associated with concern about employment status, anxiety, and depression. There was a larger proportion of HHs with moderate–severe anxiety and depression among HHs with high degree of concern. Concern increased significantly among HHs: over 50 years of age; with more than 15 years in the job, a recurring seasonal contract and normal social support. After adjusting by age, type of contract, LOC, and social support, we found a statistically significant increase (12.0%) of HHs highly concerned about their job situation: compared to the first visit, HHs were 2.3 more likely to have a high degree of concern in December 2020. In contrast, increases in moderate–severe anxiety (0.3%) and depression (4.3%) between the two periods were not significant. In HHs, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant concern about employment status and symptoms of depression and anxiety. In the uncertain times of the pandemic, mental wellbeing benefits from variables that confer stability, such as internal LOC, perception of social support, and a stable job. Longitudinal results point at long lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. It is crucial to allocate additional resources in primary care to adequately address the anticipated influx of needs.
Criteria A and B of the Alternative DSM-5 Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) Capture Borderline Personality Features Among Adolescents
Authors: Barkauskienė Rasa , Gaudiešiūtė Elena , Adler Asta , Gervinskaitė-Paulaitienė Lina , Laurinavičius Alfredas , Skabeikytė-Norkienė Gabrielė
Published: April 2022

The recent development of a dimensional view toward personality disorder opens up the field of personality research based on the constructs of personality functioning (Criterion A) and maladaptive personality traits (Criterion B) as core components of personality pathology. However, little is known about the roles of these aspects in relation to borderline personality features during adolescence. The current study aimed at exploring the associations of Criterion A and B and their contribution in predicting borderline personality features in adolescence. A sample of 568 adolescents aged 11–17 (M = 14.38, SD = 1.57; 42.4% males) from different backgrounds (community-based, psychiatric inpatients, and youth forensic care) completed a set of questionnaires among which were measures of personality functioning, maladaptive personality traits, and borderline personality features. The findings reveal that Criterion A and B are strongly interrelated and both are significant in predicting borderline personality features in adolescents. Further, the results showed the incremental value of Criterion A beyond the level of underlying psychopathology and maladaptive personality traits suggesting the distinctive function of Criterion A to capture the features of borderline personality. These findings extend the knowledge about the dimensional aspects of personality pathology in adolescence. The implications in relation to the new personality disorder model in the ICD-11 are highlighted.
Beliefs About Causes and Cures of Prolonged Grief Disorder Among Arab and Sub-Saharan African Refugees
Authors: Lechner-Meichsner Franziska , Comtesse Hannah
Published: April 2022

Background

Many refugees have experienced the death of a loved one under traumatic circumstances. Accordingly, the prevalence of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) among refugees is high. Culture-specific symptoms of PGD have been described previously, but beliefs about causes and cures of PGD among refugees remain unknown. We therefore aimed at identifying illness beliefs and treatment expectations regarding PGD among refugees.

Method

We focused on refugees from Arab countries (n = 14) and from Sub-Sahara Africa (n = 9) and applied qualitative and quantitative methods. In a semi-structured interview, participants first answered questions about assumed causes and potential cures for prototypical PGD symptoms according to ICD-11 that were presented in a vignette as representatives of their own culture. In the quantitative part, they completed the Cause Subscale of the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) that included additional culture-specific items. Interviews were analyzed with Qualitative Content Analysis.

Results

In both groups of refugees, PGD symptoms were predominantly attributed to a close relationship to the deceased, lack of social support, personal vulnerabilities, and circumstances of the death. Participants also named a number of flight-related causes (e.g., inability to perform or participate in rituals, feeling isolated in the host country). None of the participants attributed PGD symptoms to supernatural causes. Descriptive analyses of responses on the IPQ-R indicated that participants predominantly attributed PGD symptoms to psychological causes. Participants believed that PGD can be cured and predominantly mentioned social and religious support. Psychological help was only mentioned by a minority of participants. In both groups, participants emphasized that a therapist must be familiar with the patient's culture and rituals. Participants also mentioned stigma associated with seeking psychological help.

Conclusion

Results suggest specific beliefs of refugees regarding causes and cures of PGD as well as similarities with Western conceptualizations. A culture-sensitive approach to the treatment of PGD in refugees that can include knowledge of culture-specific rituals and incorporating religious beliefs as well as decreasing stigma and increasing mental health literacy seem important. The study is limited by its focus on only two groups of refugees and its small sample size.
Perception of School Committee Members (SCMs) on Factors Contributing to Overweight and Obesity Among High School Students in Kiribati: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Tong Tanebu J. , Mohammadnezhad Masoud , Alqahtani Nasser Salem , Salusalu Mosese
Published: April 2022

Background

Schools are vital settings for overweight and obesity prevention among children and adolescents. School Committee Members (SCMs) are crucial assets to engaging students with overweight and obesity prevention programs. This study aimed to determine factors contributing to overweight and obesity among high school students in Kiribati through the perception of SCMs.

Methods

This prospective qualitative study was conducted in four randomly selected senior high schools in South Tarawa, Kiribati, from August to November 2020. With a purposive selection of 20 SCMs employed at the four high schools, both male and female participants consented to participate in the study. A semi-structured open-ended questionnaire was used for data collection using focus group discussions (FGDs). Data were transcribed and analyzed using the thematic analysis method.

Results

Twenty participants were involved in FGDs with equal number of SCMs (n = 5) who attended FGDs for each school and 45% of them were female participants. Six themes were identified, namely, knowledge, behaviors, perceived status toward overweight and obesity, perceived action benefits, perceived barriers to practices, and proposed strategies to overweight and obesity prevention. These themes reveal that SCMs have a broad understanding and skill set for overweight and obesity causes and effects. However, the aptitude alone is not enough to prevent the occurrence, and thus, proposed feasible plans were voiced for responsible stakeholders to include in policy developments for overweight and obesity prevention.

Conclusion

This study recognized that the knowledge-behavior gap is the main reason behind the failure in preventative strategic approaches among adolescents. As role models to students, SCMs and their schools should team up in implementing the public health policies and building mutual awareness and understanding with students and other specialist stakeholders for a more momentous and viable impact.
Association Between Loneliness and Sleep-Related Problems Among Japanese Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Tesen Hirofumi , Konno Yusuke , Tateishi Seiichiro , Hino Ayako , Tsuji Mayumi , Ogami Akira , Nagata Masako , Muramatsu Keiji , Yoshimura Reiji , Fujino Yoshihisa
Published: April 2022

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been linked to a rise in loneliness. Loneliness is associated with sleep-related problems, which in turn can be a risk factor for various psychiatric disorders. However, it is unclear whether loneliness is linked to sleep-related problems during the pandemic. Here, we studied the association between loneliness and sleep-related problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

Methods

A total of 33,302 individuals who indicated they were employed were surveyed online. The survey responses of 27,036 participants were analyzed. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses.

Results

Of those analyzed, 2,750 (10.2%) experienced feelings of loneliness. Further, sleep-related problems were significantly more common among those who felt lonely both in the short term (more than 3 days) and the long term (more than 3 months). The ORs were much weaker after adjusting for factors related to interpersonal connections, such as family and friendships, than after adjusting for factors related to socioeconomic status.

Conclusion

Loneliness may be a risk factor for sleep-related problems in the COVID-19 pandemic. Having connections with family and friends may have a moderating effect on the occurrence of sleep-related problems.
Non-pharmacologic Approaches in Preoperative Anxiety, a Comprehensive Review
Authors: Wang Rulin , Huang Xin , Wang Yuan , Akbari Masod
Published: April 2022

During the pre-operation period, surgical candidates experience situations that stimulate psychological anxiety leading to stress during and after surgery which is known as preoperative anxiety. This condition can cause psychological and physiological adverse effects on both children and adults. Due to the high prevalence and adverse effects of preoperative anxiety, different treatments have been evaluated including pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. As pharmacological treatments may cause adverse effects such as breathing problems, drowsiness, interfering with anesthetic drugs, and prolonged recovery, non-pharmacological interventions are becoming more popular. These methods include cognitive-behavioral therapy, music therapy, pre-op preparation video, aromatherapy, hypnosis, guided imagery relaxation therapy, and massage. In this study, the most popular non-pharmacological approaches to preoperative anxiety are reviewed focusing on more recent evidence provided by clinical studies. The reviewed clinical evidence on the mentioned methods shows the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for the treatment of preoperative anxiety, so they can be used in patients of different ages and types of disease and surgery.
Relationship Between High Organ Donation Rates and COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage
Authors: Inoue Yusuke
Published: April 2022

Background

Besides attaining the goal of self-protection, the rollout of vaccination programs also encourages altruistic practices. Therefore, the progress in vaccination against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in each country may be related to the prevalence of cooperative and altruistic practices in health care. I hypothesized that in countries where organ donation is popular, individuals would exhibit a greater tendency to become vaccinated.

Methods

I examined the correlation between the level of progress of COVID-19 vaccination and the status of organ donation just before the pandemic in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Publicly available statistical information on the progress of immunization and organ donation was used. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine common drivers of immunization and organ donation.

Results

In OECD countries, progress in vaccination was found to be significantly correlated with the status of organ donation in each country. This relationship was stable after the summer (September 1: Pearson's r = 0.442, October 1: 0.457, November 1: 0.366). The results of the univariate and multivariate analyses showed that high trust in medical professionals was significantly correlated with both the “progress of vaccinations” and “organ donations.”

Conclusions

Progress in COVID-19 vaccination and organ donation status for transplantation have similar trends, and both may involve people's trust in medical personnel and public health systems. Similar to the efforts to obtain organ donors, governments around the world need to take further steps to ensure that vaccination programs are supported by people's trust and sense of solidarity.
Development and Validation of a Risk Assessment Tool for Gaming Disorder in China: The Gaming Hazard Assessment Scale
Authors: Tang Ying , Liao Zhenjiang , Huang Shucai , Hao Jingyue , Huang Qiuping , Chen Xinxin , Lin Shuhong , Li YiFan , Qi Jing , Shen Hongxian
Published: April 2022

Despite the growing research interest in gaming disorder, risk screening tools developed specifically for the Chinese population are still lacking. This study aimed to construct a screening tool to evaluate the risk of gaming disorder (GD) development, by assessing the severity of GD symptoms among Chinese gamers, based on clinical expert interviews, structured interviews with GD patients, a background literature review, and IGD/GD criteria proposed by the DSM-5 and ICD-11. It introduced the Gaming Hazard Assessment Scale—a multidimensional GD risk screening tool—and evaluated the dimension structure, reliability, and validity of the scale among 959 Chinese gamers. A three-level structure, consisting of 18 items scored from 0 to 54, ultimately indicated satisfactory reliability, good validity, and acceptable model fit. The scale will help large-scale initial screening and early identification of patients with a high risk of GD. Further evaluation of the Gaming Hazard Assessment Scale in clinical settings is highly recommended.
Theory of Mind and Preference Learning at the Interface of Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, and AI: A Review
Authors: Langley Christelle , Cirstea Bogdan Ionut , Cuzzolin Fabio , Sahakian Barbara J.
Published: April 2022

Theory of Mind (ToM)—the ability of the human mind to attribute mental states to others—is a key component of human cognition. In order to understand other people's mental states or viewpoint and to have successful interactions with others within social and occupational environments, this form of social cognition is essential. The same capability of inferring human mental states is a prerequisite for artificial intelligence (AI) to be integrated into society, for example in healthcare and the motoring industry. Autonomous cars will need to be able to infer the mental states of human drivers and pedestrians to predict their behavior. In the literature, there has been an increasing understanding of ToM, specifically with increasing cognitive science studies in children and in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Similarly, with neuroimaging studies there is now a better understanding of the neural mechanisms that underlie ToM. In addition, new AI algorithms for inferring human mental states have been proposed with more complex applications and better generalisability. In this review, we synthesize the existing understanding of ToM in cognitive and neurosciences and the AI computational models that have been proposed. We focus on preference learning as an area of particular interest and the most recent neurocognitive and computational ToM models. We also discuss the limitations of existing models and hint at potential approaches to allow ToM models to fully express the complexity of the human mind in all its aspects, including values and preferences.
The Impact of Hypermobile “Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome” and Hypermobile Spectrum Disorder on Interpersonal Interactions and Relationships
Authors: De Baets Stijn , De Temmerman Marieke , Calders Patrick , Malfait Fransiska , Van Hove Geert , Vanderstraeten Guy , De Wandele Inge , Van de Velde Dominique
Published: April 2022

Background

People with Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders are hampered in their social participation, especially in the social relationships they have.

Objective

The aim of this study is to research the impact of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) and Hypermobile Spectrum Disorders (HSD) on interpersonal interactions and relationships.

Methods

A phenomenological hermeneutic study was performed. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the experiences of 11 participants.

Results

Four themes emerged from the data analysis. (1) people with hEDS or HSD can no longer do what they want to do and that affects their identity, (2) people with hEDS or HSD have to find a balance in the amount of activities they participate in, (3) having hEDS or HSD influences how to ask for, accept and give help, and (4) Relationships are affected in persons with hEDS or HSD. As well as changes in the social network, different types of relationships are influenced by the disease, including relationship with their partner, their children, their friends, strangers, fellow-sufferers and health care professionals.
Robots and AI as Legal Subjects? Disentangling the Ontological and Functional Perspective
Authors: Bertolini Andrea , Episcopo Francesca
Published: April 2022

Robotics and AI-based applications (RAI) are often said to be so technologically advanced that they should be held responsible for their actions, instead of the human who designs or operates them. The paper aims to prove that this thesis (“the exceptionalist claim”)—as it stands—is both theoretically incorrect and practically inadequate. Indeed, the paper argues that such claim is based on a series of misunderstanding over the very notion and functions of “legal responsibility”, which it then seeks to clarify by developing and interdisciplinary conceptual taxonomy. In doing so, it aims to set the premises for a more constructive debate over the feasibility of granting legal standing to robotic application. After a short Introduction setting the stage of the debate, the paper addresses the ontological claim, distinguishing the philosophical from the legal debate on the notion of i) subjectivity and ii) agency, with their respective implications. The analysis allows us to conclude that the attribution of legal subjectivity and agency are purely fictional and technical solutions to facilitate legal interactions, and is not dependent upon the intrinsic nature of the RAI. A similar structure is maintained with respect to the notion of responsibility, addressed first in a philosophical and then legal perspective, to demonstrate how the latter is often utilized to both pursue ex ante deterrence and ex post compensation. The focus on the second objective allows us to bridge the analysis towards functional (law and economics based) considerations, to discuss how even the attribution of legal personhood may be conceived as an attempt to simplify certain legal interactions and relations. Within such a framework, the discussion whether to attribute legal subjectivity to the machine needs to be kept entirely within the legal domain, and grounded on technical (legal) considerations, to be argued on a functional, bottom-up analysis of specific classes of RAI. That does not entail the attribution of animacy or the ascription of a moral status to the entity itself.
Multivariate Lipschitz Analysis of the Stability of Neural Networks
Authors: Gupta Kavya , Kaakai Fateh , Pesquet-Popescu Beatrice , Pesquet Jean-Christophe , Malliaros Fragkiskos D.
Published: April 2022

The stability of neural networks with respect to adversarial perturbations has been extensively studied. One of the main strategies consist of quantifying the Lipschitz regularity of neural networks. In this paper, we introduce a multivariate Lipschitz constant-based stability analysis of fully connected neural networks allowing us to capture the influence of each input or group of inputs on the neural network stability. Our approach relies on a suitable re-normalization of the input space, with the objective to perform a more precise analysis than the one provided by a global Lipschitz constant. We investigate the mathematical properties of the proposed multivariate Lipschitz analysis and show its usefulness in better understanding the sensitivity of the neural network with regard to groups of inputs. We display the results of this analysis by a new representation designed for machine learning practitioners and safety engineers termed as a Lipschitz star. The Lipschitz star is a graphical and practical tool to analyze the sensitivity of a neural network model during its development, with regard to different combinations of inputs. By leveraging this tool, we show that it is possible to build robust-by-design models using spectral normalization techniques for controlling the stability of a neural network, given a safety Lipschitz target. Thanks to our multivariate Lipschitz analysis, we can also measure the efficiency of adversarial training in inference tasks. We perform experiments on various open access tabular datasets, and also on a real Thales Air Mobility industrial application subject to certification requirements.
Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Disaster Management Technology: A Literature Review of the Past 11 years
Authors: Khanal Shishir , Medasetti Uma Shankar , Mashal Mustafa , Savage Bruce , Khadka Rajiv
Published: April 2022

This study presents a systematic review of the literature on virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) used in disaster management. We consider the factors such as publication type, publication year, application domain, and technology used. We surveyed papers from 2009 to 2019 available in the Web of Science and Google Scholar database, and 84 research articles were selected for the review study. After an extensive review of the literature, it was found that the XR technology is applied extensively in computer simulation modeling, interaction techniques, training, infrastructure assessment and reconnaissance, and public awareness areas of disaster management. We found diverse advantages, opportunities, and challenges of XR usage for disaster management, which are discussed in detail. Furthermore, current research gaps in the field of XR technology for disaster management technology, which are needed to better support disaster management, are identified and discussed in an effort to provide direction to the future research.
Genotoxicity and Trace Elements Contents Analysis in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Indicated the Levels of Aquatic Contamination at Three Egyptian Areas
Authors: El-Sappah Ahmed H. , Seif Mohamed M. , Abdel-Kader Heba H. , Soaud Salma A. , Elhamid Mohamed A. Abd , Abdelghaffar Ahmed M. , El-Sappah Hamza H. , Sarwar Huda , Yadav Vivek , Maitra Pulak , Zhao Xianming , Yan Kuan , Li Jia , Abbas Manzar
Published: April 2022

The toxic waste and pollutants of heavy metals continuously pollute freshwater aquatic reservoirs, which have severe implications on aquatic life and human health. The present work aims to evaluate trace elements (Zn, Mn, Cu, Cd, and Pb) along with three sites, Mariout Lake, Abbassa, and River Nile Aswan in Egypt, using Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) as bioindicator. The quality assurance, health-risk assessment, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and micronucleus test were performed to investigate the effect of different trace elements on Hsp70 gene level and micronuclei formation. We observed the highest expression of Hsp70 protein band of 70 KD and stress-responsive Hsp70 gene in the liver followed by gills of Nile tilapia caught from Mariout and Abbassa, but the lowest expression was in Nile tilapia caught from Aswan. Obvious micronuclei were observed under the microscope in erythrocytes, and their number was gradually decreased in the following manner: Mariout > Abbassa > Aswan. Noticeably, Cu, Zn, and Mn contents were low. Still, Pb and Cd contents were higher than the toxicity level recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), The World Health Organization (WHO), and the European Commission (EC). These results showed that Hsp70's appearance at the two levels of mRNA and protein is an effective indicator for aquatic pollution besides the aberration at the chromosome level represented in the micronucleus test. Furthermore, these results showed that Nile tilapia of the Aswan region had comparatively low trace elements contamination and were suitable for consumption.
Weed Management in Ridge Tillage Systems—A Review
Authors: Alagbo Oyebanji , Spaeth Michael , Saile Marcus , Schumacher Matthias , Gerhards Roland
Published: April 2022

Although different modifications of ridge tillage (RT) systems exist in different regions around the world, the positive impacts of RT on crop yields and weed management are quite similar. This review gives a comprehensive summary of different forms of RT and highlights the benefits of RT for crop growth, mainly due to better access to soil moisture, nutrients and light. In temperate areas, RT can accelerate crop emergence because soil temperature is usually higher on the ridge. These stimulating effects increase crop competitiveness against weeds especially in the early period of crop development until canopy closure. RT with crops placed on the top of ridges can also be used for automatically guiding inter-row hoes and intra-row band sprayers. The ridges can replace automatic vision control systems for hoeing and band spraying, which are needed for precise weeding in conventional flat seedbeds. Therefore, RT can be considered a possible platform for smart/robotic weeding. This paper introduces a new RT system using real-time kinematic (RTK) global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) for the ridging and seeding of maize and soybean on top of recompacted ridges. Straight ridges with precise positioning data were used to guide mechanical weeding elements precisely along the crop rows. Simultaneously, weeds in the valleys were suppressed by living mulches. Field experiments with this new technology in maize showed 85.5% weed dry biomass suppression compared to an untreated control and a slightly higher weed control efficacy than mechanical weeding in flat seedbeds.
Ageing Significantly Alters the Physicochemical Properties and Associated Cytotoxicity Profiles of Ultrafine Particulate Matters towards Macrophages
Authors: Yan Xu , Chen Yucai , Ma Li , Liu Yongchun , Qi Yu , Liu Sijin
Published: April 2022

There are still significant concerns about the detrimental effects and health risks of particulate matters (PMs) on the respiratory system. Notably, a largely overlooked knowledge gap is whether the environmental ageing process would change the physicochemical properties of PMs as well as the toxic influences of PMs on macrophages. Here, we applied ambient treatment of model PMs to mimic the real O3-induced ageing process and investigated ageing-determined cytotoxicity profile changes of PMs towards macrophages. The consequent distinct bioreactivity and toxicity towards macrophages are largely attributed to the changes of species of surface O-functional groups. Importantly, we unveiled the specific interactions between aged PMs and macrophages due to the variant contents of the surface carboxyl group, resulting in the divergent inflammatory activations and immune balance in the lung. Collectively, this study unearths the significance of ageing in altering particle cytotoxicity, and also provides additional understandings for consecutive investigations on the adverse effects of air pollution on the respiratory system.
Design and Analysis on Decoupling Techniques for MIMO Wireless Systems in 5G Applications
Authors: Du Kaiwen , Wang Yongshun , Hu Yao
Published: April 2022

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless system is a hot research topic in 5th generation mobile communication technology (5G), which can increase the channel capacity of the antenna system to meet new communication demands without changing the bandwidth and transmission power. However, adding the number of antenna elements in a limited space size can lead to mutual coupling effects and impair the communication quality. Therefore, it is significant to design a compact MIMO wireless system using decoupling techniques. Several studies on the reduction of mutual coupling effects have been proposed. However, a concrete overview of the features and resemblances of these decoupling techniques is lacking. In this review, we provide a brief description of the research background on the mutual coupling effect of MIMO. Then, various decoupling techniques worthy of reference are classified and outlined. We further summarize the additional impacts due to the existence of different decoupling structures, and the possible usability and defects of these techniques are revealed clearly in this paper. Finally, a future outlook on the development direction of decoupling techniques for MIMO wireless systems is also concluded and discussed.
Application of the Digital Workflow in Orofacial Orthopedics and Orthodontics: Printed Appliances with Skeletal Anchorage
Authors: Küffer Maximilian , Drescher Dieter , Becker Kathrin
Published: April 2022

As digital workflows are gaining popularity, novel treatment options have also arisen in orthodontics. By using selective laser melting (SLM), highly customized 3D-printed appliances can be manufactured and combined with preformed components. When combined with temporary anchorage devices (TADs), the advantages of the two approaches can be merged, which might improve treatment efficacy, versatility, and patient comfort. This article summarizes state-of-the-art technologies and digital workflows to design and install 3D-printed skeletally anchored orthodontic appliances. The advantages and disadvantages of digital workflows are critically discussed, and examples for the clinical application of mini-implant and mini-plate borne appliances are demonstrated.
An Overview of Terahertz Imaging with Resonant Tunneling Diodes
Authors: Wang Jue , Naftaly Mira , Wasige Edward
Published: April 2022

Terahertz (THz) imaging is a rapidly growing application motivated by industrial demands including harmless (non-ionizing) security imaging, multilayer paint quality control within the automotive industry, insulating foam non-invasive testing in aerospace, and biomedical diagnostics. One of the key components in the imaging system is the source and detector. This paper gives a brief overview of room temperature THz transceiver technology for imaging applications based on the emerging resonant tunneling diode (RTD) devices. The reported results demonstrate that RTD technology is a very promising candidate to realize compact, low-cost THz imaging systems.
Building Unmanned Store Identification Systems Using YOLOv4 and Siamese Network
Authors: Horng Shi-Jinn , Huang Pin-Siang
Published: April 2022

Labor is the most expensive in retail stores. In order to increase the profit of retail stores, unmanned stores could be a solution for reducing labor cost. Deep learning is a good way for recognition, classification, and so on; in particular, it has high accuracy and can be implemented in real time. Based on deep learning, in this paper, we use multiple deep learning models to solve the problems often encountered in unmanned stores. Instead of using multiple different sensors, only five cameras are used as sensors to build a high-accuracy, low-cost unmanned store; for the full use of space, we then propose a method for calculating stacked goods, so that the space can be effectively used. For checkout, without a checking counter, we use a Siamese network combined with the deep learning model to directly identify products instantly purchased. As for protecting the store from theft, a new architecture was proposed, which can detect possible theft from any angle of the store and prevent unnecessary financial losses in unmanned stores. As all the customers’ buying records are identified and recorded in the server, it can be used to identify the popularity of the product. In particular, it can reduce the stock of unpopular products and reduce inventory.