bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determining biomolecular structures near room temperature using X-ray crystallography: concepts, methods and future optimization
Authors: Thorne Robert E.
Published: December 2022

For roughly two decades, cryocrystallography has been the overwhelmingly dominant method for determining high-resolution biomolecular structures. Competition from single-particle cryo-electron microscopy and micro-electron diffraction, increased interest in functionally relevant information that may be missing or corrupted in structures determined at cryogenic temperature, and interest in time-resolved studies of the biomolecular response to chemical and optical stimuli have driven renewed interest in data collection at room temperature and, more generally, at temperatures from the protein–solvent glass transition near 200 K to ∼350 K. Fischer has recently reviewed practical methods for room-temperature data collection and analysis [Fischer (2021), Q. Rev. Biophys.
54, e1]. Here, the key advantages and physical principles of, and methods for, crystallographic data collection at noncryogenic temperatures and some factors relevant to interpreting the resulting data are discussed. For room-temperature data collection to realize its potential within the structural biology toolkit, streamlined and standardized methods for delivering crystals prepared in the home laboratory to the synchrotron and for automated handling and data collection, similar to those for cryocrystallography, should be implemented.
Topic optimization–incorporated collaborative recommendation for social tagging
Authors: Pan Xuwei , Zeng Xuemei , Ding Ling
Published: December 2022

Purpose

With the continuous increase of users, resources and tags, social tagging systems gradually present the characteristics of “big data” such as large number, fast growth, complexity and unreliable quality, which greatly increases the complexity of recommendation. The contradiction between the efficiency and effectiveness of recommendation service in social tagging is increasingly becoming prominent. The purpose of this study is to incorporate topic optimization into collaborative filtering to enhance both the effectiveness and the efficiency of personalized recommendations for social tagging.

Design/methodology/approach

Combining the idea of optimization before service, this paper presents an approach that incorporates topic optimization into collaborative recommendations for social tagging. In the proposed approach, the recommendation process is divided into two phases of offline topic optimization and online recommendation service to achieve high-quality and efficient personalized recommendation services. In the offline phase, the tags' topic model is constructed and then used to optimize the latent preference of users and the latent affiliation of resources on topics.

Findings

Experimental evaluation shows that the proposed approach improves both precision and recall of recommendations, as well as enhances the efficiency of online recommendations compared with the three baseline approaches. The proposed topic optimization–incorporated collaborative recommendation approach can achieve the improvement of both effectiveness and efficiency for the recommendation in social tagging.

Originality/value

With the support of the proposed approach, personalized recommendation in social tagging with high quality and efficiency can be achieved.
Work from home connection: a cluster analysis based on the Internet service attributes towards subscribers profile
Authors: Paulino Emmanuel Posadas , Esteban Gladys Cuenca
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to discover clusters or homogenous groups of work-from-home (WFH) Internet subscribers in the Philippines based on the attributes of speed, network quality, customer service, after-sales support, price, contract and value for money. Another objective is to determine if the formed clusters are related to the demographic profile.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 275 internet subscribers from Metro Manila were surveyed. K-means cluster analysis using the Hartigan-Wong algorithm was performed on the data to generate the clusters.

Findings

Results generated four significant clusters, which were named service value expecters, average expecters, low expecters and high expecters. Most of the subscribers are under the high expecters, followed by the service value expecters. The age and income of the subscribers are the profile that can affect the formulation of clusters in the Internet service industry. Those people in the younger age groups can be seen as more demanding, while older people tend to be content with the Internet service. Counter-intuitively, people with higher income seem to be more easily satisfied with Internet service features, while those people with lower income seem to be more demanding. Educational attainment and the number of household members do not have a direct effect on the formulation of clusters of Internet subscribers.

Originality/value

This is the first study to use cluster analysis in identifying possible segments of WFH Internet subscribers based on Internet service attributes. Its value is the provision of market segments based on which can be the basis for formulating marketing strategies and policies for the telecommunications industry.
Inclusive policies for health financing towards universal health coverage in Pakistan: direct or indirect taxes
Authors: Kazemikhasragh Amirreza , Buoni Pineda Marianna Vanessa
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The unresolved crisis scenario and a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic increased social inequalities, mainly affecting the most vulnerable groups to access health services. The data in Pakistan show that health coverage benefits less than half of the population and a weak health system forces households to finance their health with out-of-pocket expenses. Therefore, it is a pending task to guarantee universal health coverage and design sustainable and inclusive policies to finance and provide health services. This study aims to offer a unique solution for health financing to Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the VECM model by employing the data from Pakistan to indicate sustainable policies for health financing.

Findings

The results of this research show that direct taxes have a positive impact on public health expenditure; on the contrary, indirect taxes have a negative impact; it also confirms the importance of considering the direct tax based on high-income quintiles to guarantee equality and Access to health for all that contributes to human development.

Practical implications

This article leads to the design of a new health system that will be useful for improving the health of Pakistan by presenting a solution to enhance health financing. Meanwhile, Pakistan will experience better conditions in the face of health crises.

Social implications

Improving health financing through the equality approach can provide public access to the health system and strengthen the positive effects of the health system on socio-economic relations.

Originality/value

This paper provides a unique solution for the ministry of health of Pakistan, International organisations and national authorities to reach a high level of health coverage without any cost to the financial system and increase the cost of living of the Pakistani people.

Highlights

Increase efficient health financing by integrating health coverage programmes.

Implementing direct taxes based on income quintiles improves health equality.

Indirect tax policies will not positively contribute to health financing.

Improving health financing efficiency decreases health inequality.
Influence of social media marketing efforts, e-reputation and destination image on intention to visit among tourists: application of S-O-R model
Authors: Baber Ruturaj , Baber Prerana
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the influence of e-reputation, destination image and social media marketing efforts (SMME) on the intention to visit among tourists. The relationships are examined through the lens of the stimuli-organism-response (S-O-R) theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The responses were recorded from 209 domestic and international tourists who stayed in five-star hotels at Khajuraho, a UNESCO world heritage site in India. PLS-SEM was used to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between SMME, e-reputation and destination image. The results also indicated that destination image fully mediated the relationship between e-reputation, destination image, SMME and visit intention.

Practical implications

The research would enables tourism organizations to develop strategies and reap benefit from the information posted and shared by tourists on various social media platforms and gain a competitive edge over competitors.

Originality/value

Testing the relationship between e-reputation and destination image as a mediator between SMME and intention to visit is a relatively novel idea. Previously, no attempt had been made to measure the influence of e-reputation related to destination image and intention to visit as supported by the S-O-R theory. This study provides empirical information on destination image and e-reputation building and the role of social media. It helps tourism managers create social media marketing strategies.
Quantitative risk assessment for type A staphylococcal enterotoxin poisoning due to consumption of Minas Frescal cheese in Brazil
Authors: Ramos Gustavo Luis P A , Nascimento Janaína S , Margalho Larissa P , Cruz Adriano G , Sant'Ana Anderson S
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to estimate the risk of staphylococcal toxin type A (SEA) poisoning from consuming Minas Frescal cheese (MFC) in Brazil. A Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment model was developed, focussing on the production of SEA while still in the raw material. The baseline scenario yielded a simulated mean concentration of SEA in the MFC portion of 16.20 ng. The concentration ofStaphylococcus aureusin raw milk is proved to be the most influential parameter for the risk, followed by the serving size and the prevalence of toxin genes.
The first Chinese National Union of Real‐world Gynaecological Oncology Research and Patient Management Platform: A retrospective study
Authors: Zeng Shaoqing , Chi Jianhua , Liu Jiahao , Jiao Xiaofei , Liu Xingyu , Yu Yang , Li Ruyuan , Huo Yabing , Ma Guanchen , Zhao Yingjun , Wang Li , Zhou Qi , Zou Dongling , Cheng Xiaodong , Li Qingshui , Wang Jing , Yao Shuzhong , Zhao Weidong , Xia Bairong , Chen Youguo , Fan Jiangtao , Wang Wei , Hong Li , Guo Ruixia , Liu Ziling , Gao Yunong , Li Jundong , Zhang Bei , Yu Jinjin , Hu Ting , Zhang Wei , Shan Wanying , Peng Zikun , Li Ming , Xie Xing , Ma Ding , Gao Qinglei
Published: December 2022

Objective

To produce high‐quality, real‐world evidence for oncologists by collating scattered gynaecologic oncology (GO) medical records in China.

Design

Retrospective study.

Setting

The National Union of Real‐world Gynaecological Oncology Research and Patient Management Platform (NUWA platform).

Sample

Patient‐centred data pool.

Methods

The NUWA platform integrated inpatient/outpatient clinical, gene and follow‐up data. Data of 11 456 patients with ovarian cancer (OC) were collected and processed using 91 345 electronic medical records. Structured and unstructured data were de‐identified and re‐collated into a patient‐centred data pool using a predefined GO data model by technology‐aided abstraction.

Main Outcome Measures

Recent treatment pattern shifts towards precision medicine for OC in China.

Results

Thirteen first‐tier hospitals across China participated in the NUWA platform up to 7 December 2021. In total, 3504 (30.59%) patients were followed up by a stand‐alone patient management centre. The percentage of patients undergoing breast cancer gene (BRCA) mutation tests increased by approximately six‐fold between 2017 and 2018. A similar trend was observed in the administration rate of poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase inhibitors as first‐line treatment and second‐line treatment after September 2018, when olaparib was approved for clinical use in China.

Conclusion

The NUWA platform has great potential to facilitate clinical studies and support drug development, regulatory reviews and healthcare decision‐making.
Updates on fluorescent probes and open‐field imaging methods for fluorescence‐guided cytoreductive surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer: A review
Authors: Sun Chongen , Huang Yue , Jiang Caixia , Li Zhengyu
Published: December 2022

Fluorescence‐guided surgery has emerged as a promising imaging technique for real‐time intraoperative tumour delineation and visualisation of submillimetre tumour masses in cytoreductive surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Researchers have developed several EOC‐targeted fluorescent probes, most of which are currently in the preclinical stage. Interestingly, imaging devices designed for open surgery are proof of concept. This review summarises the recent advances in EOC‐targeted fluorescent probes and open‐field fluorescence imaging strategies and discusses the challenges and potential solutions for clinical translation.
Does competitive climate at work lead to problems at home? Examination of mediating pathways
Authors: Rai Arpana , Kim Minseo , Beehr Terry A.
Published: December 2022

Drawing from Conservation of Resources theory, the present study examines a serial mediation model in which competitive climate predicts work‐to‐family conflict via two mediators – first, excessive and compulsive workaholism, and then emotional exhaustion. As organizations may differ in terms of their competitive climate, we test our model based on data collected from public (Study 1) and private (Study 2) sector organizations. In study 1 (n = 282), two waves of data with a 2‐week interval were obtained from full‐time Indian managerial employees working in the public sector organizations. Results supported our hypothesized mediation model. In Study 2 (n = 250), we replicated the finding of Study 1 with private sector‐based organizations. Across two field studies, we found general support for our hypotheses. The present study contributes to understanding of the underlying mechanisms explaining the negative spillover effect of competitive climate on work‐to‐family interface.
Tofacitinib treatment in anti‐glycyl‐tRNA synthetase antibody interstitial lung disease – A case report
Authors: Tseng Chih‐Wei
Published: December 2022

Anti‐aminoacyl‐transfer‐RNA synthetase syndrome (ASS) related interstitial lung disease (ILD) is rarely presented initially alongside acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which in and of itself is a severe condition with a high mortality rate. Additionally, rapidly progressive change is not a common feature in ASS. Numerous case reports have described the efficacy which tofacitinib has on rapidly progressive ILD (RP‐ILD). However, none have mentioned the use of tofacitinib in patients with impaired renal function. Herein, a case of ASS involving ILD is reported with the initial presentation of RP‐ILD to ARDS being complicated by acute renal failure with an initial complete response to tofacitinib. Patients experiencing unexplained rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonia should be examined thoroughly for the diagnosis of ASS. Furthermore, tofacitinib can also be considered as a choice of treatment even in patients with impaired renal function.
The ‘conflict paradox’: humanitarian access, localisation, and (dis)empowerment in Myanmar, Somalia, and Somaliland
Authors: Barter Dustin , Sumlut Gun Mai
Published: December 2022

Since the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, debates about the localisation of humanitarian aid have intensified. Dominant discourse focuses on reform, although calls for the broader decolonisation of aid are mounting. This paper examines the impact of neoliberal‐inspired competition that incentivises institutional expansion and clashes with localisation. It introduces the concept of the ‘conflict paradox’ to illustrate how armed conflict and restricted humanitarian access for international actors can both empower and disempower local and national humanitarian actors (LNHAs). These themes are then demonstrated using case studies of Myanmar, Somalia, and Somaliland, revealing the potential for LNHAs to demand humanitarian system change, as well as the challenges to doing so. The paper concludes that for localisation to progress towards decolonisation, fundamental ideological shifts away from the neoliberal competitive mindset are essential. Notably, there is a need to move from low‐quality localisation (subcontracting) to high‐quality localisation grounded in solidarity and an emancipatory agenda.
Reduction of cardiac adipose tissue volume with short‐term empagliflozin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes: A substudy from the SIMPLE randomized clinical trial
Authors: Brandt‐Jacobsen Niels H. , Jürgens Mikkel , Hasbak Philip , Gæde Peter , Rossing Peter , Rasmussen Jon J. , Andersen Camillla Fuchs , Forman Julie L. , Faber Jens , Inzucchi Silvio E. , Gustafsson Finn , Schou Morten , Kistorp Caroline
Published: December 2022

Objective

Ectopic accumulation of cardiac adipose tissue volume (CAT) has been associated with cardiac remodelling and cardiac dysfunction in type 2 diabetes and may be a future therapeutic target. In this substudy from the SIMPLE‐trial, we investigated short‐term empagliflozin therapy's effects on CAT in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Research design and Methods

Between 4 April 2017 and 11 May 2020, we randomized 90 patients with type 2 diabetes and established or high risk of cardiovascular disease to 25 mg empagliflozin or placebo for 13 weeks. The substudy focused on change in CAT evaluated by images acquired during 82Rubidium‐positron emissions tomography/computed tomography. The analysis included 78 patients who had at least one scan. Furthermore, we report on the relation to the concurrent effects on left ventricular mass, end‐diastolic volume and end‐systolic volume, body composition and glucometabolic status.

Results

Mean ± SD baseline CAT was 258.5 ± 117.9 ml. Empagliflozin reduced CAT after 13 weeks by 12.41 ml [95% CI (−23.83 to −0.99), p = .034] as compared with placebo. Similarly, left ventricular mass [−5.16 g, 95% CI (−8.80 to −1.52), p = .006], end‐diastolic volume and end‐systolic volume decreased with empagliflozin. In addition, significant improvements were observed in body composition, with reduced total fat mass, and in measures of glucose and lipid metabolism. However, no correlation was observed between changes in CAT and changes in cardiac parameters and change in CAT appeared mediated primarily by concurrent change in weight.

Conclusions

Empagliflozin provides an early reduction of CAT; however, no association was observed with concurrent changes in cardiac volumetrics.
Study of the use in autonomy of intraoral scanning systems to optimise dental students' performances in fixed prosthodontics practical learning in second year
Authors: Corne Pascale , Joseph David , Hirtz Pierre , Durand Jean‐Cédric , Fages Michel , Vincent Marin , Balthazard Remy
Published: December 2022

Aim

The purpose of this study was to evaluate if the use of intraoral scanner analysis could help students to optimise their performance and their self‐assessment abilities in prosthetic preparation without the teacher's assistance in the preclinical course.

Materials and Methods

Ninety‐five second‐year dental students were randomly divided into three groups: Control group (C), CeRec group (CR) and PrepCheck group (PC). Group C only use silicon keys to control the preparation thickness. The students in Group CR analysed their work with Cerec™ software. The Group PC use a pedagogic software (PrepCheck™) which allowed comparison with the “master” preparation. They used control tools preparations for three consecutive training sessions. Then a final assessment session without control tool to evaluate their performance was organised. All preparations were objectively evaluated thanks to stl. analysis software (Geomagic® Control X). Each preparation was compared with the master preparation by defining tolerance ranges. An objective overall score out of 20 was assigned to each preparation according to their degree of correspondence. In addition, a questionnaire was performed to analyse the students' perceptions regarding the use of intraoral camera.

Results

During the assessment session, no significant difference was revealed between the different groups with respect to the students' performance. The comparative analysis between the self‐assessment scores and the objective scores using Geomagic® software showed that digital control tools did not help the student to improve their self‐assessment abilities without the teacher's assistance.

Conclusions

The intraoral cameras and specific pedagogic software in autonomy could not improve students' performance for teeth preparation and self‐assessment abilities in second year. These digital tools facilitate objective feedback on preparation defects, but constructive criticism needs human reflection. The teacher's opinions and advice remain essential to develop their students' performance and self‐assessment skills. The use of digital tools must be integrated in dentistry course to develop the interpret of the results and optimise feedback.
Marginalization or risk aversion? Using big data to examine why women are found to be less corrupt in court judgments
Authors: Yu Yi‐Ming , Wu Yung‐Ming , Chiu Pao‐Lung , Chen Kun‐Huang
Published: December 2022

Previous studies have argued that women are less corrupt because they are marginalized or because they are risk averse. However, because of the insidious and hidden nature of corruption, the subjects of theoretical reasoning in previous studies were individuals who were not involved in corruption. This produces a lack of observations and analyses of individuals who are actually corrupt. For this reason, the present study used text mining of Taiwanese district court judgments to examine why women are less corrupt. The results reveal that, following the rise of gender equality in Taiwanese society, women are now less marginalized and are as likely as to be as corrupt as men. Furthermore, the level of corruption (reflected by the prosecution and conviction rates) among women who are less marginalized (elected civil servants) is higher than among those who are more marginalized (typical civil servants). These findings suggest that women are less corrupt because they are marginalized rather than because they are risk averse.
Service‐user experiences of an integrated psychological intervention for depression or anxiety and tobacco smoking in improving access to psychological therapies services: A qualitative investigation into mechanisms of change in quitting smoking
Authors: Fredman Stein Kim , Sawyer Katherine , Daryan Shadi , Allen Jennifer , Taylor Gemma
Published: December 2022

Introduction

High smoking prevalence leads to increased morbidity and mortality in individuals with depression/anxiety. Integrated interventions targeting both smoking and mood have been found to be more effective than those targeting smoking alone, but the mechanisms of change of these interventions have not been investigated. This qualitative study aimed to understand participants' experiences of the mechanisms underlying change in smoking behaviour following an integrated cognitive behavioural technique‐based intervention for smoking cessation and depression/anxiety.

Methods

This study was embedded within an ongoing randomized‐controlled acceptability and feasibility trial (http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN99531779). Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 IAPT service users. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. During the interviews, participants were asked open‐ended questions about their quitting experience and perception of how the intervention aided their behaviour change.

Results

Five themes were identified. Acquiring an increased awareness of smoking patterns: participants described an increased understanding of how smoking was contributing towards their mental health difficulty. Developing individualized strategies: participants described acquiring ‘a couple of tricks up your sleeve’ that were helpful in making smoking cessation feel more ‘manageable’. Practitioner style as ‘supportive but not lecture‐y’: participants expressed how important the therapeutic alliance was in helping change their smoking behaviour. Importance of regular sessions: participants expressed the importance of ‘having someone that's checking in on you’. Having the opportunity to access the intervention at ‘the right time’: participants described the intervention as the ‘push’ that they ‘needed’.

Conclusions

Participants identified key factors towards smoking behaviour change. Perceived increased awareness of how smoking negatively impacted participants' mental health, and the opportunity to be offered smoking cessation treatment in a ‘non‐judgemental’, ‘supportive’ environment, with regular sessions and individualized strategies contributed to successful smoking cessation outcomes. If similar results are found in more diverse samples, these aspects should be embedded within integrated interventions for smoking cessation and depression/anxiety.

Patient or Public Contribution

Persons with lived experience of depression, anxiety and tobacco addiction contributed towards the design of the interview schedule, participant information sheets and the debriefing process. This was to ensure that interview questions were relevant, nonjudgemental and acceptable for those who did not manage to quit smoking.
Preferences of patients with chronic low back pain about nonsurgical treatments: Results of a discrete choice experiment
Authors: Morillon Gabin F. , Benkhalti Maria , Dagenais Pierre , Poder Thomas G.
Published: December 2022

Introduction

This study aimed to assess patients' preferences of nonsurgical treatments for chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Method

We conducted a discrete choice experiment (DCE) in Quebec, Canada, in 2018. Seven attributes were included: treatment modality, pain reduction, the onset of treatment efficacy, duration effectiveness, difficulties with daily activities, sleep problems, and knowledge of the patient's body and pain location. Treatment modalities were corticosteroid injections, supervised body‐mind physical activities, supervised sports physical activities, physical manipulations, self‐management courses, and psychotherapy. Utility levels were estimated using a logit model, a latent class model and a Bayesian hierarchical model.

Results

Analyses were conducted on individuals. According to the Bayesian hierarchical model, the conditional relative importance weights of attributes were as follows: (1) treatment modality (34.79%), (2) pain reduction (18.73%), (3) difficulties with daily activities (11.71%), (4) duration effectiveness (10.06%), (5) sleep problems (10.05%), (6) onset of treatment efficacy (8.60%) and (7) knowledge of the patient's body and pain location (6.06%). According to the latent class model that found six classes of respondents with different behaviours (using Akaike and Bayesian criteria), the treatment modality was the most important attribute for all classes, except for class 4 for which pain reduction was the most important. In addition, classes 2 and 5 refused corticosteroid injections, while psychotherapy was preferred only in class 3.

Conclusion

Given the preference heterogeneity found in the analysis, it is important that patient preferences are discussed and considered by the physicians. This will help to improve the patient care pathway in a context of a patient‐centred model for a disease with growing prevalence.

Patient or Public Contribution

A small group of patients was involved in the conception, design and interpretation of data. Participants in the DCE were all CLBP patients.
An addiction‐based digital weight loss intervention: A multi‐centre randomized controlled trial
Authors: Vidmar Alaina P. , Salvy Sarah J. , Wee Choo Phei , Pretlow Robert , Fox D. Steven , Yee Jennifer K. , Garell Cambria , Glasner Suzette , Mittelman Steven D.
Published: December 2022

Objective

This randomized clinical trial tested the effectiveness of an addiction‐based digital weight‐loss intervention, focusing on withdrawal/abstinence from self‐identified problem foods, snacking and excessive amounts at meals, and discomfort displacement, with and without coaching, compared to an in‐person, multi‐disciplinary, care model among adolescents with obesity. We hypothesized that the digital intervention with coaching would yield greater weight loss and lower delivery burden than the standard clinical arm, and greater participant engagement than the digital arm without coaching.

Methods

Adolescents were randomized to app intervention, with or without coaching, or in‐person multidisciplinary obesity intervention for 6 months. The primary outcome was change in %BMIp95 at weeks 12 and 24. A mixed‐effects linear regression model was used to assess the association between change in %BMIp95 and intervention arm. We were also interested in assessing delivery burden, participant engagement and evaluating the relationships between weight change and demographic characteristics, mood, executive function and eating behaviours.

Results

All adolescents (n = 161; BMI ≥95th%, age 16 ± 2.5 year; 47% Hispanic, 65% female, 59% publicly insured) lost weight over 24‐weeks (−1.29%, [−1.82, −0.76], p < 0.0001), with no significant weight loss difference between groups (p = 0.3). Girls lost more weight than boys, whereas binge eating behaviour at baseline was associated with increase in %BMIp95 when controlling for other covariates. There was no association between ethnicity, mood, timing of intervention in relation to the pandemic, or executive function and change in %BMIp95.

Conclusions

Contrary with our hypothesis, our results showed no difference in the change in BMI status between treatment arms. Since efficacy of this digital intervention was not inferior to in‐person, multi‐disciplinary care, this could offer a reasonable weight management option for clinicians, based on youth and family specific characteristics, such as accessibility, resources, and communication styles.

Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT035008353
Yttrium incorporation in Cr2AlC: On the metastable phase formation and decomposition of (Cr,Y)2AlC MAX phase thin films
Authors: Azina Clio , Bartsch Tim , Holzapfel Damian M. , Dahlqvist Martin , Rosen Johanna , Löfler Lukas , Mendez Alba San Jose , Hans Marcus , Primetzhofer Daniel , Schneider Jochen M.
Published: December 2022

Herein we report on the synthesis of a metastable (Cr,Y)2AlC MAX phase solid solution by co‐sputtering from a composite Cr–Al–C and elemental Y target, at room temperature, followed by annealing. However, direct high‐temperature synthesis resulted in multiphase films, as evidenced by X‐ray diffraction analyses, room‐temperature depositions, followed by annealing to 760°C led to the formation of phase pure (Cr,Y)2AlC by diffusion. Higher annealing temperatures caused a decomposition of the metastable phase into Cr2AlC, Y5Al3, and Cr‐carbides. In contrast to pure Cr2AlC, the Y‐containing phase crystallizes directly in the MAX phase structure instead of first forming a disordered solid solution. Furthermore, the crystallization temperature was shown to be Y‐content dependent and was increased by ∼200°C for 5 at.% Y compared to Cr2AlC. Calculations predicting the metastable phase formation of (Cr,Y)2AlC and its decomposition are in excellent agreement with the experimental findings.
Incidental vocabulary learning from captioned videos: Learners' prior vocabulary knowledge and working memory
Authors: Teng Mark Feng
Published: December 2022

Background

Despite the potential of captioned videos, limited attention has been paid to the role of vocabulary knowledge (VK) and working memory (WM) in incidental vocabulary learning under different captioning conditions.

Objectives

The present study aimed to bridge this gap by assessing VK and WM in incidental vocabulary learning under different captioning conditions.

Methods

A total of 101 Chinese primary school students were assigned to one of the three conditions: watch fully captioned videos (n = 33), watch keyword captioned videos (n = 35), and watch videos without captions (n = 33). A vocabulary test measuring recognition and recall of form and meaning served as a pretest, posttest and delayed posttest. The learners also completed tests for VK and WM.

Results and Conclusions

The findings supported that both full captions and keyword captions made significant contributions to the incidental learning of form recognition and initial meaning recall and to the retention of form recognition but not of delayed meaning recall. The parameters of breadth and depth of VK and phonological WM impacted incidental vocabulary learning outcomes. The findings emphasized the important role of full captioning and keyword captioning for incidental vocabulary learning and the need to consider the role of VK and WM in incidental vocabulary learning from captioned videos.

Takeaways

Captioning is a promising tool for vocabulary learning, but individual differences in VK and WM should be considered to maximize the benefits of captioning on vocabulary learning.
Can students evaluate scientificYouTubevideos? Examining students' strategies and criteria for evaluating videos versus webpages on climate change
Authors: Abed Fayez , Barzilai Sarit
Published: December 2022

Background

YouTube is widely used for learning about scientific issues in and out of school. However, much of the scientific information on YouTube is inaccurate. Prior studies have mostly focused on how students evaluate textual online information sources and have not yet systematically examined how they evaluate authentic scientific YouTube videos.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to examine how students evaluate authentic scientific YouTube videos in comparison to scientific webpages.

Methods

Eighth grade students ranked six YouTube videos on the topic of climate change, justified their rankings, and responded to metacognitive prompts designed to elicit their evaluation criteria and strategies. Students also responded to a parallel webpage evaluation measure. We analysed and compared students' evaluation strategies and criteria. We also examined which evaluation criteria predict students' judgments of YouTube video quality.

Results and Conclusions

Students predominantly relied on evaluation of video content, focusing mainly on criteria of communicative quality and explanation quality. Students tended to neglect source expertise and information validity criteria. Students evaluated videos mostly similarly to how they evaluated webpages. However, affective experiences played a greater role in video evaluation; whereas task relevance and verbal quality played a smaller role. Students' evaluation criteria predicted their judgments of video quality.

Implications

The findings suggest that students are unprepared for critically evaluating scientific YouTube videos and that digital information literacy instruction should address this gap. The study also identifies some unique challenges of video evaluation that educators should attend to.
Diverse strategies that animals use to deter intraspecific predation
Authors: Vijendravarma Roshan Kumar
Published: December 2022

Intraspecific predation is a special case of prey–predator system that is taxonomically widespread. While a heterospecific predator's main goal is to achieve nutrition, intraspecific predation provides conspecifics with other benefits including elimination of competitors for resources and mates. Traditionally intraspecific predation is termed based on the context they occur within, for example egg cannibalism, infanticide and sexual cannibalism. These diverse forms of intraspecific predation and the strategies by which animals are known to deter them are summarized categorically in this review. The diversity of defence strategies animals deploy against conspecific predators is appreciable and raises interesting questions on their evolution for future research.

Abstract

Antipredatory strategies against different kinds of intraspecific predation.
Different, but the same: Inferring the hunting behaviour of the hypercarnivorous bush dog (Speothos venaticus) through finite element analysis
Authors: Ruiz Juan V. , Ferreira Gabriel S. , Lautenschlager Stephan , de Castro Mariela C. , Montefeltro Felipe C.
Published: December 2022

Cerdocyonina is a clade composed by the South‐American canids in which the bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is one of the most elusive species. Known for its unique morphology within the group, this small, bear‐like faced canid is the only member of the clade adapted to hypercarnivory, an almost exclusively meat‐based diet currently present only in usually large, pack‐hunting canids such as the grey wolf (Canis lupus). However, much of the biology of the bush dog is poorly understood, and inferences about its ecology, hunting strategies and diet are usually based on observation of captive individuals and anecdotal records, with reduced quantitative data to offer support. Here, we investigated the craniomandibular functional morphology of the bush dog through finite element analysis (FEA). FEA was employed to model the biting behaviour and to create extrinsic and intrinsic functional scenarios with different loads, corresponding to different bites used to subdue and process the prey. For comparison, the same modelling was applied to the skull of a grey wolf and a grey fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). Our analysis showed that the bush dog's responses to loading are more similar to the wolf's than to the fox's in most scenarios, suggesting a convergent craniomandibular functional morphology between these two hypercarnivorous species, despite their distinct phylogenetic positions and body sizes. Differences between the three taxa are noteworthy and suggested to be related to the size of the usual prey. The modelled bite force for the bush dog is relatively strong, about half of that estimated for the wolf and about 40% stronger than the fox's bite. The results strengthen with quantitative data the inferences of the bush dog as a pack‐hunting predator with prey size similar to its own, such as large rodents and armadillos, being specialised in subduing and killing its prey using multiple bites. Its similarity to the wolf also confirms anecdotal accounts of predation on mammals that are much larger than itself, such as peccaries and tapirs. These data highlight the ecological specialisation of this small canid in a continent where large, pack‐hunting canids are absent.
Can behavioral nudges and incentives help lower‐income households build emergency savings with tax refunds? Evidence from field and survey experiments
Authors: Despard Mathieu , Roll Stephen , Grinstein‐Weiss Michal , Hardy Bradley , Oliphant Jane
Published: December 2022

Tax refunds are an opportunity for lower‐income households to accumulate emergency savings so they have cash on hand to cover expenses when income is insufficient. Our field experiments testing different behavioral interventions to encourage refund saving via online tax filing show small effect sizes (0.12–0.14) and a low aggregate savings rate (12%) that might be increased were filers to receive financial incentives. We test a key provision of the Refund to Rainy Day Saving and Financial Security Credit Acts using a survey experiment, finding that hypothetical refund saving jumps from 16% with no financial incentive, to 71% and 80% with 25% and 50% matches, respectively, findings which are mostly insensitive to refund size. Our results suggest that public policies to provide greater financial support—including stronger income supports—will better prepare lower‐income households for financial emergencies than behavioral interventions to nudge refund saving.
Engaging men in maternal, infant and young child nutrition in rural Tanzania: Outcomes from a cluster randomized control trial and qualitative study
Authors: Rothstein Jessica D. , Klemm Rolf D. W. , Kang Yunhee , Niyeha Debora , Smith Erin , Nordhagen Stella
Published: December 2022

There is growing recognition that engaging men in maternal, infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN) interventions can benefit child health and disrupt harmful gender norms. We conducted a cluster‐randomized controlled trial in Tanzania, which engaged men and women in behaviour change via mobile messaging (short message service [SMS]) and traditional interpersonal communication (IPC), separately and in combination. Here, we evaluate intervention effects on individual‐level men's MIYCN knowledge and discuss barriers to male engagement. Eligible clusters were dispensary catchment areas with >3000 residents. Forty clusters were stratified by population size and randomly allocated to the four study arms, with 10 clusters per arm. Data on knowledge and intervention exposure were collected from 1394 men through baseline and endline surveys (March–April 2018 and July–September 2019). A process evaluation conducted partway through the 15–18‐month intervention period included focus group discussions and interviews. Data were analysed for key trends and themes using Stata and ATLAS.ti software. Male participants in the short message service + interpersonal communication (SMS + IPC) group reported higher exposure to IPC discussions than IPC‐only men (43.8% and 21.9%, respectively). Knowledge scores increased significantly across all three intervention groups, with the greatest impact in the SMS + IPC group. Qualitative findings indicated that the main barriers to male participation were a lack of interest in health/nutrition and perceptions that these topics were a woman's responsibility. Other challenges included meeting logistics, prioritizing income‐earning activities and insufficient efforts to engage men. The use of a combined approach fusing IPC with SMS is promising, yet countering gender norms and encouraging stronger male engagement may require additional strategies.
What we talk about when we talk about the long‐term carbon cycle
Authors: Boyce C. Kevin , Ibarra Daniel E. , D'Antonio Michael P.
Published: December 2022

The terrestrial biota is a crucial part of the long‐term carbon cycle via the deposition of biomass as coal and other sedimentary organic matter and the impact of plants, fungi, and microbial life on the weathering of silicate minerals. Understanding these processes and their changes through time requires both geochemical modeling of the system as well as expertise in the living and fossil biotas and their ecological interactions, but details of these components are often lost in translation between disciplines. Here, we highlight misconceptions of the long‐term carbon cycle that most frequently infiltrate the literature and hamper progress: mass balance requirements, the nature and duration of perturbations, opposing timescale constraints on biological and geological processes, and the role of models.
Three‐dimensional analysis of membrane structures associated with tomato spotted wilt virus infection
Authors: Guo Jiansheng , Wang Guan , Xie Li , Wang Xinqiu , Feng Lingchong , Guo Wangbiao , Tao Xiaorong , Humbel Bruno M. , Zhang Zhongkai , Hong Jian
Published: December 2022

To study viral infection, the direct structural visualization of the viral life cycle consisting of virus attachment, entry, replication, assembly and transport is essential. Although conventional electron microscopy (EM) has been extremely helpful in the investigation of virus–host cell interactions, three‐dimensional (3D) EM not only provides important information at the nanometer resolution, but can also create 3D maps of large volumes, even entire virus‐infected cells. Here, we determined the ultrastructural details of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV)‐infected plant cells using focused ion beam scanning EM (FIB‐SEM). The viral morphogenesis and dynamic transformation of paired parallel membranes (PPMs) were analyzed. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane network consisting of tubules and sheets was related to viral intracellular trafficking and virion storage. Abundant lipid‐like bodies, clustering mitochondria, cell membrane tubules, and myelin‐like bodies were likely associated with viral infection. Additionally, connecting structures between neighboring cells were found only in infected plant tissues and showed the characteristics of tubular structure. These novel connections that formed continuously in the cell wall or were wrapped by the cell membranes of neighboring cells appeared frequently in the large‐scale 3D model, suggesting additional strategies for viral trafficking that were difficult to distinguish using conventional EM.
Prognostic significance of p16, p21, and Ki67 expression at the invasive front of colorectal cancers
Authors: Kin Ryosuke , Hoshi Daisuke , Fujita Hideto , Kosaka Takeo , Takamura Hiroyuki , Kiyokawa Etsuko
Published: December 2022

Cancer cells at the invasive front are believed to be responsible for invasion/metastasis. This has led to examining various morphological features and protein expressions at the invasive front. However, accurate assessment of the pathological section requires long‐time training, and inter‐observer disagreement is problematic. Immunohistochemistry and digital imaging analysis may mitigate these problems; however, the choice of which proteins to stain and the best analysis method remains controversial. We used the “go‐or‐grow” hypothesis to select markers with the greatest prognostic relevance. Importantly, nonproliferating cells can migrate. We used Ki67 as a proliferation marker, with p16 and p21 designating nonproliferating cells. We established a semi‐automated quantification workflow to study protein expression in serial pathological sections. A total of 51 patients with completely resected colorectal cancer (stages I–IV) were analyzed, and 44 patients were followed up. Patients with cancer cells with p16‐high/p21‐low or p21‐low/Ki67‐low at the deepest invasive front demonstrated a significantly worse prognosis than those who did not display these characteristics. These results suggest that the nonproliferating cancer cells at the invasion front possess invasion/metastatic property with heterogeneity of senescence.
Assessment of ductile dike behavior as a novel flood risk reduction measure
Authors: den Heijer F. , Kok M.
Published: December 2022

Dikes are an effective flood risk reduction measure in deltaic areas. Present risk analyses consist often of decoupled calculations of probabilities of dike failure and calculation of consequences of flooding given dike failure. However, the flood defense design determines not only the probability of failure, but influences the consequences of flooding as well. Especially when the dike has a ductile failure and breach growth behavior, due to a structural robust design, the consequences of flooding reduce. In this article, we present a novel assessment of risks and investments, valuing structural robustness of a construction type, represented by its ductile behavior during high loads. Therefore, the consecutive occurrence of initial dike failure mechanisms, failure path development, breach growth, and consequences is modeled integral and time‐dependent. The investments consist of the costs to reinforce or reconstruct the flood defense to behave relatively ductile. This integral assessment enables to compare flood impacts of different construction types and different dimensions of designs. We applied it on a case in a riverine area in the Netherlands. The results show that the total societal costs and the individual risks on victims are very dependent on the construction type. The risk profile of a polder protected by a brittle or a ductile dike differs significantly. The brittle sand dike in the case requires larger dimensions than the more ductile dike with a clay core.