bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
E‐cigarettes in Nigeria: A scoping review of evidence
Authors: Adegbile Oluwatobi E. , Adeniji Oluwatomilayo D. , Amzat Jimoh , Kanmodi Kehinde K. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackground and AimsE‐cigarettes will continue to be a public health issue in Nigeria. To curb the growing menace of the e‐cigarette use in Nigeria through evidence‐based approach, it is crucial to first map the empirical research landscape of e‐cigarettes in Nigeria. No known study has mapped the existing empirical evidence and gaps concerning e‐cigarettes in Nigeria; hence, this scoping review was conducted.MethodsThis scoping review adopted the research design by Arksey and O'Malley. Four databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL Complete, and APA PsycINFO) were searched to retrieve literature on e‐cigarettes in Nigeria. With the aid of Rayyan web application, all retrieved literature were deduplicated and screened based on the review's eligibility criteria. Only those peer‐reviewed journal papers meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the review. Relevant data from the included papers were charted, collated, and summarized.ResultsA total of six papers were included in this review. The reviewed papers reported a lifetime prevalence of e‐cigarette use (or vaping) ranging from 5.8% to 19.8%, with a current e‐cigarette use prevalence of 11.8%, among different population groups in Nigeria. The major determinants of e‐cigarette use, as reported in these articles, include being a youth, having a health condition, severe anxiety, tobacco use, peer influence, and current alcohol use. Dry mouth and oral lesions (gingival inflammation and oral ulcers) were also identified to be the medical conditions associated with e‐cigarette use in Nigeria. Lastly, one of the included papers identified a lack of clear regulation on e‐cigarettes in Nigeria.ConclusionThere is an urgent need for more scientific investigations on the sociodemographic, economic, health, and regulatory landscape of e‐cigarettes in Nigeria, as robust empirical evidence is needed for the effective planning, implementation, and evaluation of evidence‐based policies and interventions on e‐cigarettes control and regulation in Nigeria.
Middle power plays: How and when Mach middle managers use downward abuse and upward guanxi to gain and maintain power
Authors: Keng‐Highberger Fong , Feng Zhiyu , Yam Kai Chi , Chen Xiao‐Ping , Li Hu 
Published: April 2024

SummaryGiven Machiavellianism's strong historical and theoretical roots in power and politics, there are surprisingly few empirical studies, if any, that directly examine how Machiavellians attain and maintain power in organizations. Understanding this is important because Machiavellian employees have managed to effectively gain power to reach managerial positions of influence in organizations despite their negative reputation. Further, there are contradictory theories and peripheral empirical findings that suggest they gain power either by strategically forging important connections or through coercive force. We propose that a Mach middle manager perspective can help illuminate which power‐gaining strategy is used. Drawing from the Machiavellianism literature and power dependence theory, we theorize how Mach middle managers gain coercive power through abusive supervision on those with less power (their subordinates), while building close guanxi with those with more power (their senior manager) to obtain relational empowerment. Moreover, we theorize that they maintain power by increasing both power‐gaining strategies when Mach middle managers perceive a high threat to hierarchy from subordinates, suggesting these parallel relations are positively connected. We found support for our theoretical model using data from a multi‐confederate experimental lab study and two multi‐wave field studies. The theoretical and empirical implications of our findings are discussed.
Stratigraphy and OSL chronology of the Middle–Upper Pleistocene sedimentary sequence and vegetation history during Late MIS6–MIS5e in the Neva Lowland (St. Petersburg region, Russia)
Authors: Ruchkin Maksim V. , Nosevich Ekaterina S. , Sheetov Mikhail V. , Brill Dominik 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACTThe quarry of the Sverdlov (Etalon) Factory stands out as a unique site in the northwest of the East European Plain since it exposes an almost complete Upper Pleistocene stratigraphic succession. Previous investigations have revealed a sequence of marine sediments deposited during the whole Mikulino Interglacial [Eemian, Marine Isotope Stage (MIS)5e], but the chronology of the Late Pleistocene deposits remains incomplete and requires further update. We present a study of the Middle–Upper Pleistocene units exposed in the Sverdlov Factory quarry by using geological methods, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and pollen analysis. The lower part of the Sverdlov Factory section comprises glaciomarine/glaciolacustrine varves, which accumulated during degradation of the Late Moscow (Late Saalian, Late MIS6) glaciation and correspond to pollen zone M1 (lower peak of Picea). They are covered by interglacial marine clayey silt that includes all Mikulino regional pollen zones M2–M8. According to a Bayesian model based on K‐rich feldspar luminescence ages, the interglacial marine deposition started 133 ± 8 ka ago and ended 109 ± 7 ka ago. The marine sediments are overlain by lacustrine silt with a K‐rich feldspar age of 119 ± 7 ka, lacustrine/alluvial sand with plant detritus formed 47–41 ka ago, and lacustrine sand and silt without organic matter accumulated ~39 ka ago. The upper part of the section is composed of subglacial till formed during the Late Valdai (Late Weichselian, MIS2) under the Scandinavian Ice Sheet and glaciolacustrine varved deposits of the Baltic Ice Lake. Two ages were acquired using quartz OSL from these varves, 16.9 ± 1.6 and 15.7 ± 1.0 ka, which are assumed to slightly overestimate the true age.
The complexity of the care pathway for a patient with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis seeking a new treatment: Data from a qualitative anthropological study
Authors: Nicogossian Judith , Héas Stéphane , Thénié Claire , Noel Margaux , Misery Laurent , Barbarot Sébastien , Juchat Fabienne Martin 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundA considerable number of patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) are undertreated and have inadequate control of their symptoms leading to a hight patient dissatisfaction during their care. The VECUDA study, was conducted by anthropologists in cooperation with dermatologists, aimed to better understand the complexity of the care pathway and the physician‐patient relationship by questioning patients with moderate to severe AD.ObjectivesThe aim was to identify patient's needs and to propose concrete ways of improving the doctor‐patient relationship by focusing on the narrative of their affects. Co‐designed easy‐to‐use tools were proposed by these patients.MethodsThe exploratory qualitative study involved 24 patients with moderate‐to‐severe AD. The study was conducted in two stages: a co‐design phase with 4 patients, and a deepening phase with all patients (24), supported by a multidisciplinary scientific committee. During group interviews, conducted using creativity tools, patients' stories related to their experiences of the disease and its management were collected.ResultsThe VECUDA study, conducted by anthropologists in collaboration with dermatologists and focusing on the experiences of these patients and their journey, described mechanisms of dissatisfaction related to therapeutic management from the point of view of patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. Factors that could generate dissatisfaction included the complexity of the care pathway. During this exploratory study emerged an unexpected patient figure, who had a “feeling of a being chosen” in access to a new treatment, the first biologic in the treatment of AD. We are interested here in the experience of the patient's care pathway.ConclusionsThe VECUDA study confirms the value of considering patients' perspective as a lever for improving the doctor‐patient relationship. The overall conclusion is based on the observation of a gap between patient expectations and treatment decisions made by some HCPs, which may lead to unsatisfactory scenarios. Analysing these data opens up a promising research avenue, showing that patients not only confer a therapeutic function to their care pathway, but also a symbolic value. The description of the complexity of the care pathway can be compared to a true “initiatory journey”. The symbolic value analysis given by patients to their care pathway when they are seeking a new treatment is an innovative approach that deserves to be further explored through qualitative and quantitative study.
Methodology of a thermal injection mold design with locally applied heating coatings on the cavity wall
Authors: Hopmann C. , Fritsche D. C. , Kahve C. E. , Bobzin K. , Heinemann H. , Erck M. , Vogels C. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe thermal balance of injection molds is defined by the cooling channel layout. However, the fluid tempering of injection molds underlies certain restrictions concerning the thermal dynamic and the local limitation of the zone of influence. The optimal heat balance within the mold to minimize warpage cannot be solely achieved with conformal cooling channels. Ceramic heating coating systems applied by Thermal Spraying on the cavity wall are a novel tempering method for high heating rates and offer the possibility of a more local heat input. In terms of the thermal mold design, the position and size of local heating coating systems need to be determined. A methodology is proposed, which connects the optimization of part warpage by defining the necessary local heat flux within the mold with the determination of the heating coating placement. Due to the dependence of the coating placement on the heating time and the power, different decision criteria of these parameters are discussed with regard to the process efficiency. The developed methodology can calculate the necessary heating power distribution to homogenize the surface temperature and freeze time. A second step discretizes the heating power distribution to certain manufacturable heating zones.
Influence of titanium carbide and titanium diboride on microstructure and mechanical properties of laser metal deposition nickel‐titanium alloys
Authors: Deng L. , Zhang K. , Lin M. , Huang C. , Huang H. Z. , Wang H. , Zhan Z. , Chang X. , Tu J. , Zhou Z. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractNickel‐titanium alloys are produced via laser metal deposition using titanium carbide and titanium diboride as nucleating agents to refine the grain structure. The optimal process parameters are determined by analyzing the quality of the alloy formation. X‐ray diffraction confirms the simultaneous presence of the B19′ martensitic phase and B2 austenitic phase in the nickel‐titanium alloy fabricated by laser metal deposition. Tensile testing is performed on the samples at room temperature. The results show that adding mass fractions 0.9 % titanium carbide and titanium diboride effectively refines the grain size of the nickel‐titanium alloy fabricated by laser metal deposition, leading to improved tensile properties. Specifically, the addition increases the tensile strength by 40 % and 70 %, and the elongation by 50 % and 60 %.
Influence of arterial transit time delays on the differentiation between tumor progression and pseudoprogression in glioblastoma by arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: van Dorth Daniëlle , Jiang Feng Yan , Schmitz‐Abecassis Bárbara , Croese Robert J. I. , Taphoorn Martin J. B. , Smits Marion , Koekkoek Johan A. F. , Dirven Linda , de Bresser Jeroen , van Osch Matthias J. P. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractArterial spin labeling (ASL) and dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have shown potential for differentiating tumor progression from pseudoprogression. For pseudocontinuous ASL with a single postlabeling delay, the presence of delayed arterial transit times (ATTs) could affect the evaluation of ASL‐MRI perfusion data. In this study, the influence of ATT artifacts on the perfusion assessment and differentiation between tumor progression and pseudoprogression were studied. This study comprised 66 adult patients (mean age 60 ± 13 years; 40 males) with a histologically confirmed glioblastoma who received postoperative radio (chemo)therapy. ASL‐MRI and DSC‐MRI scans were acquired at 3 months postradiotherapy as part of the standard clinical routine. These scans were visually scored regarding (i) the severity of ATT artifacts (%) on the ASL‐MRI scans only, scored by two neuroradiologists; (ii) perfusion of the enhancing tumor lesion; and (iii) radiological evaluation of tumor progression versus pseudoprogression by one neuroradiologist. The final outcome was based on combined clinical and radiological follow‐up until 9 months postradiotherapy. ATT artifacts were identified in all patients based on the mean scores of two raters. A significant difference between the radiological evaluation of ASL‐MRI and DSC‐MRI was observed only for ASL images with moderate ATT severity (30%–65%). The perfusion assessment showed ASL‐MRI tending more towards hyperperfusion than DSC‐MRI in the case of moderate ATT artifacts. In addition, there was a significant difference between the prediction of tumor progression with ASL‐MRI and the final outcome in the case of severe ATT artifacts (McNemar test, p = 0.041). Despite using ASL imaging parameters close to the recommended settings, ATT artifacts frequently occur in patients with treated brain tumors. Those artifacts could hinder the radiological evaluation of ASL‐MRI data and the detection of true disease progression, potentially affecting treatment decisions for patients with glioblastoma.
Emotional states elicited by wolf videos are diverse and explain general attitudes towards wolves
Authors: Arbieu Ugo , Taysse Laura , Gimenez Olivier , Lehnen Lisa , Mueller Thomas 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Emotions are short, intuitive mental processes that are important components of people's cognitions. They can influence attitudes (i.e. positive or negative evaluations of objects), and they are involved in decision‐making processes. In the context of human‐wildlife coexistence, mostly emotional dispositions have been studied (i.e. people's decontextualized, stable tendencies to react in a certain way towards wildlife), in contrast to emotional states (i.e. quick reactions elicited in specific contexts), which have been overlooked. This limits our understanding of emotional states and the role of emotional diversity in shaping attitudes towards wildlife species.

Here, we quantified emotional states elicited by context‐specific wolf encounters featured in a set of YouTube videos. We conducted a social survey in rural populations of 24 randomly selected cities in France (n = 795) to (i) quantify emotional diversity and (ii) test the relationship between emotional states and attitudes towards wolves, accounting for individual and regional factors.

We found that emotional states that were most expressed across the six contexts of encounter were surprise, interest and fear, in this order. Emotional diversity was highly context‐specific, with significantly different emotional identity, dispersion and extremization across the six contexts of encounters. Most variance in attitudes was explained by emotional factors alone (28%) and the best model including all three groups of predictors (emotional, individual and regional factors) explained 57% of the variance. The strongest effects of emotional states on attitudes were those of anger and joy. Fear had only half the effect of joy on attitudes.

Synthesis and applications: Our results highlight the importance and context‐specificity of emotional diversity for human‐carnivore coexistence. Complementary to previous studies focusing on single emotions and on decontextualized emotional dispositions, quantifying diverse, context‐dependent emotional states can be helpful to improve decision‐making in three different ways: (i) address relevant contexts triggering anger, which is a feeling rooted in perceived injustice, (ii) reduce emotional biases involving fear of carnivores given the extremely low probability of risks to human life and (iii) promote positive emotions like joy to better reflect costs and benefits of sharing landscapes with large carnivores.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Fabrication and characterization of PZT/PVDF composite films for force sensor applications
Authors: Suprapto  , Ting Yung , Gunawan Hariyanto , Yazid Edwar , Nugraha Aditya Sukma , Azhari Budi , Ramadiansyah M Luthfi , Hikmawan M Fathul , Jubaidah  
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis study explored the impact of hot press parameters on lead zirconate titanate (PZT)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) composite films designed for force‐sensing applications. The systematic fraction (PZT/PVDF), pressure, temperature, and time during hot pressing processes are subject to variation. The focus is on the resulting composite film thickness and its subsequent influence on the piezoelectric properties, which are essential for the performance of force sensors. The present study investigated the characteristics and performance of PZT/PVDF composite films with fraction ratios 2/5, 5/5, and 7/3 and hot pressure of 10, 40, and 60 MPa and temperature at 150 °C for 2 h. The characterization of these films was conducted using X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The piezoelectric properties (d33 and d31) were measured using impact and extraction tests to evaluate the performance of films with applied forces. The results show that the highest piezoelectric coefficients (d33 and d31) were determined to be 35.8 and 12.60 pC N−1, with fraction ratios of 7/3 and 2/5. The study revealed a positive correlation between the PZT/PVDF ratio and sensitivity, indicating that an increase in the ratio leads to an increase in sensitivity. Conversely, a negative relationship was observed between the impact load and the sensor sensitivity, suggesting that an increase in the impact load results in a sensitivity decrease. The results of this work demonstrate the great potential of piezoelectric PZT/PVDF composite films in force sensors for small load applications. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Crucial roles of specialized chitinases in elytral and hindwing cuticles construction in Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Authors: Shi Ji‐Feng , Cheng Man‐hong , Zhou Wei , Zeng Mu‐zi , Chen Yu , Yang Jia‐xin , Wu Hao , Ye Qiu‐hong , Tang Hong , Zhang Qing , Fu Kai‐Yun , Guo Wen‐Chao 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata, is a major potato (Solanum tuberosum) pest, infesting over 16 million km2 and causing substantial economic losses. The insect cuticle forms an apical extracellular matrix (ECM) envelope covering exposed organs to direct morphogenesis and confer structural protection. While select chitinase (Cht) genes have proven essential for larval development, their potential activities directing ECM remodeling underlying adult wing maturation remain undefined.RESULTSWe investigated the expression patterns and performed an oral RNA interference (RNAi) screen targeting 19 LdChts in late‐instar L. decemlineata larvae. Subsequently, we assessed their effects on adult eclosion and wing characteristics. Knockdown of LdCht5, LdCht7, LdCht10, LdIDGF2, and LdIDGF4, as well as others from Group IV (LdCht15, LdCht12, LdCht17, and LdCht13) and Groups VII–X (LdCht2, LdCht11, LdCht1, and LdCht3), resulting in shrunken, misshapen elytra with reduced areal density, as well as transverse wrinkling and impaired wing‐tip folding in hindwings. Scanning electron micrographs revealed eroded elytral ridges alongside thinned, ruptured hindwing veins, indicative of mechanical fragility post‐LdCht suppression. Spectroscopic analysis uncovered biomolecular alterations underlying the elytral anomalies, including decreases in peaks representing chitin, proteins, and lipids. This loss of essential ECM components provides evidence for the fragility, wrinkling, and shrinkage observed in the RNAi groups.CONCLUSIONOur findings elucidate the crucial role of chitinases in the turnover of chitinous cuticles on beetle wings, offering insights into RNAi‐based control strategies against this invasive pest. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
The reality of environment reimagined: Niklas Luhmann and the new ecological paradigm
Authors: Kaczmarczyk Michal 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis article delves into the underpinnings of environmental sociology, with a specific focus on the influential contributions of Dunlap and Catton. While acknowledging the increasing societal detachment from the environment, the article questions the projection of this phenomenon onto the structure of social thought. The author contends against dismissing theoretical exemptionalism, advocating for its potential to provide a nuanced understanding of the complex relationship between society and nature. Illustrating this perspective through the lens of Niklas Luhmann's sociological theory, the article demonstrates how theoretical exemptionalism can furnish valuable tools for grappling with environmental issues. Furthermore, it challenges Dunlap and Catton's critique of constructivism, proposing that a moderate form of the latter can shed light on interactions between society and nature. Throughout the discussion, a crucial emphasis is placed on the fundamental distinction between society and its environment, laying the groundwork for a deeper exploration of Luhmann's ontology.
Nanomedicine‐encouraged cellular autophagy promoters favor liver fibrosis progression reversal
Authors: Qian Cheng , Zhang Yan , Chen Xiaoyang , Zhu Chunyan , Dong Xiulin , Chen Weiwei , Ni Xuejun , Zhang Kun , Yin Yifei 
Published: April 2024

AbstractLiver fibrosis is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma origin, and its progression not only correlates with oxidative stress and inflammation, but also is encouraged by autophagy hold‐up. Therefore, new solutions to effectively attenuate oxidative stress and inflammation and coincidently favor autophagy are highly demanded to reverse liver fibrosis, and even hamper its escalation into hepatocellular carcinoma. Herein, the porous manganese‐substituted Prussian blue (PMPB) analogs are harnessed to activate autophagy, scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), and suppress inflammation for liver fibrosis therapy. PMPB can effectively inhibit macrophage activation, facilitate macrophage autophagy, eradicate ROS, and blockade cellular cross‐talk, thus impeding further inflammation progression. Moreover, the favorable spontaneous capture of PMPB by Kupffer cells allows more PMPB accumulation in liver to significantly attenuate liver injury and collagen deposition, thereby inhibiting the progression of liver fibrosis. PMPB‐based nanomedicine shows great potentials in promoting autophagy activation, eliminating ROS, inhibiting inflammation, and protecting hepatocytes from oxidative stress‐arised damages, which eventually attenuate the extent of liver fibrosis, holding great promise in clinical translation for treating liver fibrosis.