bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Understanding the mediating effect of switching costs on service value, quality, satisfaction, and loyalty
Authors: Ha Minh-Tri , Nguyen Giang-Do , Doan Bao-Son 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThis work examines the connections between service quality (SQ), service value (SV), customer satisfaction (CS), and customer loyalty (CL) within the healthcare industry. In addition, we seek to provide empirical evidence regarding the impact of different types of switching barriers, including procedural, financial, and relational costs, on these relationships. This is because switching costs are the key factors for maintaining and developing the relationship with the customer. The paper uses the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method for assessing the structure of - and examining - the valid data sample of 300 people, who have all experienced service from private healthcare in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. This paper is the first to study the three-dimensional switching costs (SC) (procedural, financial, and relational) as mediators of the CS-CL, and SV-CL relationships together in the private healthcare sector. The significant contributions of this paper include: (1) procedural, financial, and relational switching costs which have a determinant impact on customer loyalty (CL). Moreover, loyalty is also achieved through value given, and the pleasure of clients in the healthcare sector, (2) while customer satisfaction (CS) is a mediator of service value (SV) and CL, SV intervenes between the SQ and CS, (3) procedural/financial switching costs partially mediate the effects of the SV, CS, and CL relationships. Both academic contributions and managerial recommendations are provided by the results of this research in order to enrich the literature, and also to suggest that companies build stronger relationships with their customers and thus retain them.
The worldview and interculturality in the training of entrepreneurs: a model of participatory edu-communication in Ecuador
Authors: Ruiz Chagna Claudia A. , Iglesias Rodríguez Ana 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThe education system in Ecuador has historically been structured in a way that excludes women, especially those living in the urban-marginal and rural sectors, where access and permanence are hindered by socio-economic and cultural factors. The objective of the study is the design of an Intercultural Edu-communication Model for the Training of Women Entrepreneurs (MEIFE), which recognizes and legitimizes intersectionality, Interculturality and the gender approach, as a sustainable path towards Good Living or “sumak kawsay”. The methodology used is based on participatory research that includes a qualitative-quantitative method, in which direct observation, interviews and surveys were used as techniques. The design was elaborated considering sources of indigenous, Afro-Ecuadorian and mestizo thought. The study shows that the education system for women in Imbabura widens the gap in the rural sector: only 33% of the women surveyed have completed six years of basic education, and 15%, although they passed one or more courses, did not finish. Regarding secondary education, 14% of women have completed all years of secondary education, and 17.85% have attended one year of study. Seven per cent of the women surveyed had not attended formal education. In response, MEIFE is a non-formal education tool aimed at women entrepreneurs, developed taking into account the indigenous worldview, who form part of a community where it is necessary to create opportunities and encourage initiatives that allow them to generate income and guarantee their autonomy in coherence with their ancestral culture.
Acoustic plate-valve resonator for low-frequency sound absorption
Authors: Hossain Md Robiul , Ross Eoghan P. , Bennett Gareth J. 
Published: June 2023

An acoustic plate-valve resonator is developed and optimized to maximize absorption by enhancing the Helmholtz resonance with coincident structural vibrations of the plate-valve. The current research initially examines the concept experimentally with a 3D printed valve. Then with the use of analytical and numerical modeling, a structural analysis is performed, which allows the eigenmodes and eigenfrequencies of the plate-valve to be determined. When the resonator properties are modified by changing either the depth of the backing cavity or the thickness of the plate-valve, the system can be designed in such a way that the Helmholtz resonance can be coincident with a particular eigenfrequency, leading to absorption higher than that achieved in the absence of such a flexible plate-valve. In addition, absorption also occurs at frequencies other than the Helmholtz frequency due to the vibration of the plate at additional eigenfrequencies. Both of these aspects of the technology advance the state-of-the-art in Helmholtz resonator design. Good agreement has been found between the modeling and experimental results. Near-perfect absorption was achieved experimentally, e.g., up to α = 0.995 below 1 kHz; in addition, given that the thickness of the technology can be a very small percentage of the acoustic wavelength that it is absorbing, deep sub-wavelength ratio absorbers can be designed, e.g., a ratio of up to 58 was achieved in this study with a 5 mm deep technology at 1.18 kHz.
Exploring the water capture efficiency of covalently attached liquid-like surfaces
Authors: Katselas Anthony , Gresham Isaac J. , Nelson Andrew R. J. , Neto Chiara 
Published: June 2023

The capture of moisture from the atmosphere through condensation has the potential to provide a sustainable source of water. Here, we investigate the condensation of humid air at low subcooling condition (11 °C), similar to conditions for natural dew capture, and explore how water contact angle and contact angle hysteresis affect the rates of water capture. We compare water collection on three families of surfaces: (i) hydrophilic (polyethylene oxide, MPEO) and hydrophobic (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) molecularly thin coatings grafted on smooth silicon wafers, which produce slippery covalently attached liquid surfaces (SCALSs), with low contact angle hysteresis (CAH = 6°); (ii) the same coatings grafted on rougher glass, with high CAH (20°–25°); (iii) hydrophilic polymer surfaces [poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone), PNVP] with high CAH (30°). Upon exposure to water, the MPEO SCALS swell, which likely further increases their droplet shedding ability. MPEO and PDMS coatings collect similar volume of water (around 5 l m−2 day−1), both when they are SCALS and non-slippery. Both MPEO and PDMS layers collect about 20% more water than PNVP surfaces. We present a basic model showing that, under low heat flux conditions, on all MPEO and PDMS layers, the droplets are so small (600–2000 µm) that there is no/low heat conduction resistance across the droplets, irrespective of the exact value of contact angle and CAH. As the time to first droplet departure is much faster on MPEO SCALS (28 min) than on PDMS SCALS (90 min), slippery hydrophilic surfaces are preferable in dew collection applications where the collection time frame is limited.
High-efficiency oxygen electrocatalyst for Zn-air batteries on CoMn alloy encapsulated in N-doped carbon architectures
Authors: Zhou Wenshu , Liu Yanyan , Wu Dichao , Liu Shuling , Zhang Pengxiang , Zhang Gaoyue , Sun Kang , Jiang Jianchun 
Published: June 2023

A low-cost efficient electrocatalyst for both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is urgently required for the commercialization of Zn-air batteries. Herein, CoMn nanoalloys encapsulated in nitrogen-doped hollow carbon architectures (CoMn@NHC) as dual electrocatalysts for Zn-air batteries were developed successfully. The obtained CoMn@NHC nanohybrid expresses excellent electrocatalytic performances for ORR (E1/2 = 0.87 V) and OER (Ei=10 = 1.51 V). More encouragingly, a homemade aqueous Zn-air battery using CoMn@NHC catalyst delivers a larger peak power density of 92.3 mW cm−2 and excellent stability of nearly 300 h, outperforming the commercial Pt/C + RuO2. The remarkable electrocatalytic performances are owing to the unique microstructure and the synergistic effect between CoMn alloy and N-doped carbon substrate. This study opens a new way for designing high-efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for application in renewable energy facilities.
Investigation of the significance of excited species in wave-heated dense non-ideal microplasmas using particle-in-cell Monte Carlo-collision modeling
Authors: Solmaz Evrim , Levko Dmitry , Raja Laxminarayan L. 
Published: June 2023

A computational model for the interaction of a high-pressure microplasma with an electromagnetic wave is presented. A one-dimensional particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision model is used to investigate the plasma non-ideality effects in a second-stage laser-heated xenon plasma with a comprehensive chemistry mechanism, including excited species. A xenon microplasma at a temperature of 300 K and pressure of 10 bar becomes non-ideal after the laser heating stage with lower ionization and electronic excitation barriers, which makes the presence of excited species important to the plasma generation process. For these conditions, two-step ionization via excited species becomes a major contributor to plasma ionization. We find that full ionization of the plasma is obtained in ∼2 ps when excited species are included in the chemistry model, as opposed to ∼2.5 ps for a chemistry mechanism that does not consider their effect. With excited species, the ionization mode transitions from direct ionization via electron-neutral collisions to direct and stepwise ionization as the plasma generation progresses.
Selection for yearling growth rate in Angus cattle results in bigger cows that eat more
Authors: Herd R. M. , Oddy V. H. 
Published: June 2023

Context Measurement of weight provides the basis of most performance-recording schemes for beef cattle around the world. The limitation of faster growth rate as a breeding objective, without considering changes in mature-cow weight, is the expected increase in cow size and, hence, feed requirements. Aims To measure the correlated changes in feed intake and efficiency of cows, calves and the cow–calf unit following divergent selection for growth rate. Methods The cows and their calves came from three lines of Angus cattle selected for either fast weight gain to yearling age (the High-line), slow weight gain (the Low-line), or from an unselected Control-line. Efficiency was evaluated over an annual production cycle. Individual cow weights and feed intakes, and calf growth and feed intake (including milk), were recorded. Milk production, milk composition and body composition were also measured so that correlated changes in efficiency of use of energy and nitrogen could be determined. Key results The High-line cows were 18% (P < 0.05) heavier than the Low-line cows at the start and consumed 7% (P < 0.05) more feed than did the Low-line cows. Feed efficiency of the cow–calf unit was 12% higher (P < 0.05) in the High-line cows and calves than in the Low-line cows and calves. When compared on the basis of feed used relative to their weight and weight gain there was no difference (P > 0.05) between the selection lines. Divergent selection was accompanied by a change in body composition, with the High-line cows containing proportionally less protein and more fat in their bodies than did the Low-line cows. There was no evidence for change in the efficiency of feed energy use, but there was a 10% (P < 0.05) improvement in nitrogen efficiency of the cow–calf unit in the High-line compared with the Low-line. Conclusions Divergent selection for weight gain led to a correlated change in cow size and cow feed requirements. Implications This experiment supported the consensus among earlier reviews that there is little evidence that selection for growth rate or size, without moderating change in mature-cow weight, is associated with improved efficiency of feed energy use in maternal beef breeds.
FBXO11 constitutes a major negative regulator of MHC class II through ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of CIITA
Authors: Kasuga Yusuke , Ouda Ryota , Watanabe Masashi , Sun Xin , Kimura Miki , Hatakeyama Shigetsugu , Kobayashi Koichi S. 
Published: June 2023

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II molecules play critical roles in the activation and regulation of adaptive immunity through antigen presentation to CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, respectively. Strict regulation of MHC expression is critical for proper immune responses. CIITA (MHC class II transactivator), an NLR (nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-repeat containing) protein, is a master regulator of MHC class II (MHC-II) gene transcription. Although it has been known that CIITA activity is regulated at the transcriptional and protein levels, the mechanism to determine CIITA protein level has not been elucidated. Here, we show that FBXO11 is a bona fide E3 ligase of CIITA and regulates CIITA protein level through ubiquitination-mediated degradation. A nonbiased proteomic approach for CIITA-binding protein identified FBXO11, a member of the Skp1–Cullin-1–F-box E3 ligase complex, as a binding partner of CIITA but not MHC class I transactivator, NLRC5. The cycloheximide chase assay showed that the half-life of CIITA is mainly regulated by FBXO11 via the ubiquitin–proteasome system. The expression of FBXO11 led to the reduced MHC-II at the promoter activity level, transcriptional level, and surface expression level through downregulation of CIITA. Moreover, human and mouse
FBXO11
–deficient cells display increased levels of MHC-II and related genes. In normal and cancer tissues,
FBXO11
expression level is negatively correlated with MHC-II. Interestingly, the expression of
FBXO11
, along with
CIITA
, is associated with prognosis of cancer patients. Therefore, FBXO11 is a critical regulator to determine the level of MHC-II, and its expression may serve as a biomarker for cancer.
Gene expression detection in developing mouse tissue using in situ hybridization and µCT imaging
Authors: Väänänen Vilma , Christensen Mona M. , Suhonen Heikki , Jernvall Jukka 
Published: June 2023

High resolution and noninvasiveness have made soft-tissue X-ray microtomography (µCT) a widely applicable three-dimensional (3D) imaging method in studies of morphology and development. However, scarcity of molecular probes to visualize gene activity with µCT has remained a challenge. Here, we apply horseradish peroxidase–assisted reduction of silver and catalytic gold enhancement of the silver deposit to in situ hybridization in order to detect gene expression in developing tissues with µCT (here called GECT, gene expression CT). We show that GECT detects expression patterns of collagen type II alpha 1 and sonic hedgehog in developing mouse tissues comparably with an alkaline phosphatase–based detection method. After detection, expression patterns are visualized with laboratory µCT, demonstrating that GECT is compatible with varying levels of gene expression and varying sizes of expression regions. Additionally, we show that the method is compatible with prior phosphotungstic acid staining, a conventional contrast staining approach in µCT imaging of soft tissues. Overall, GECT is a method that can be integrated with existing laboratory routines to obtain spatially accurate 3D detection of gene expression.
Mid-Pleistocene links between Asian dust, Tibetan glaciers, and Pacific iron fertilization
Authors: Zan Jinbo , Maher Barbara A. , Yamazaki Toshitsugu , Fang Xiaomin , Han Wenxia , Kang Jian , Hu Zhe 
Published: June 2023

Increasing Asian dust fluxes, associated with late Cenozoic cooling and intensified glaciations, are conventionally thought to drive iron fertilization of phytoplankton productivity in the North Pacific, contributing to ocean carbon storage and drawdown of atmospheric CO
2
. During the early Pleistocene glaciations, however, productivity remained low despite higher Asian dust fluxes, only displaying glacial stage increases after the mid-Pleistocene climate transition (~800 ka B.P.). We solve this paradox by analyzing an Asian dust sequence, spanning the last 3.6 My, from the Tarim Basin, identifying a major switch in the iron composition of the dust at ~800 ka, associated with expansion of Tibetan glaciers and enhanced production of freshly ground rock minerals. This compositional shift in the Asian dust was recorded synchronously in the downwind, deep sea sediments of the central North Pacific. The switch from desert dust, containing stable, highly oxidized iron, to glacial dust, richer in reactive reduced iron, coincided with increased populations of silica-producing phytoplankton in the equatorial North Pacific and increased primary productivity in more northerly locations, such as the South China Sea. We calculate that potentially bioavailable Fe
2+
flux to the North Pacific was more than doubled after the switch to glacially- sourced dust. These findings indicate a positive feedback between Tibetan glaciations, glaciogenic production of dust with enhanced iron bioavailability, and changes in North Pacific iron fertilization. Notably, this strengthened link between climate and eolian dust coincided with the mid-Pleistocene transition to increased storage of C in the glacial North Pacific and more intense northern hemisphere glaciations.
Text-production tasks at the keyboard
Authors: Puerini Sara 
Published: June 2023

AbstractOne of the main process features under study in Cognitive Translation & Interpreting Studies (CTIS) is the chronological unfolding of writing tasks. This exploratory, pilot study combines pause- and text-analysis to seek tendencies and contrasts in informants’ mental processes when performing different writing tasks, analyzing their behaviors, as keylogged. The study tasks were retyping, monolingual writing, translation, revision and a multimodal task—monolingual text production based on an infographic leaflet. Task logs were chunked with the Task Segment Framework (Muñoz & Apfelthaler 2022).Several previous results were confirmed, and some others were surprising. Time spans in free writing were longer between paragraphs and sentences and, in translation, much more frequent between and within words, suggesting cognitive activities at these levels. The infographic was expected to facilitate the writing process, but most time spans were longer than in both free writing and translation. These results suggest venues for further research.
Mechanical and microstructure behaviour of WSC/SiC/Al composites synthesized with and without ultrasonic treatment
Authors: Pragathi P. , Elansezhian R. , Sundaram P. , Subramania A. , Prabakaran R. , Kim Sung Chul 
Published: June 2023

In this research, aluminium composites were fabricated using two alternative casting methods namely, traditional stir casting and ultrasonic-aided stir casting technique. The aluminium composites were manufactured by reinforcing them with three different concentrations of waste spent catalyst and silicon carbide (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 wt-%), respectively. The microstructural and mechanical behaviour of aluminium composites synthesised using both methods were studied and compared. The microstructure of the aluminium composite obtained by the stir casting technique with ultrasonic treatment resulted in a homogeneous dispersion of reinforcement particles and grain size refinement. Moreover, the overall test results showed that the ultrasonic-aided stir-casting technique improves the microstructure and mechanical behaviour of the composites when compared to the traditional stir-casting approach.
Clipping losses from a piecewise coated mirror
Authors: Kontos Antonios , Loglia Balthazar 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
The properties of optical coatings play an important role in precision experiments. Gravitational-wave detectors not only require the highest quality coatings but also ones with relatively large diameters. Coatings made with amorphous material can be scaled up easily but for now exhibit relatively high thermal noise characteristics. Crystalline coatings show great promise in terms of their thermal noise properties but cannot easily scale up to the needed sizes. In this paper we explore the possibility of a piecewise coating that includes both amorphous and crystalline material. Specifically, we estimate the scattering losses of such a piecewise coating as a function of the mismatch in the interface between the two coatings. The calculation should be taken as a lower limit to the total losses, as other surface imperfections will play an important role in the final result, but are not considered here. Finally, we present a measurement of the scattering losses from a piecewise coating, to showcase the challenges of realizing such a design.
An innovative gas inlet design in a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition chamber for high-quality, high-speed, and high-efficiency diamond growth
Authors: Zhao Weikang , Teng Yan , Tang Kun , Zhu Shunming , Liu Dongyang , Yang Kai , Duan Jingjing , Huang Yingmeng , Chen Ziang , Ye Jiandong , Gu Shulin 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
A novel design of the gas inlet system in a diamond microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition growth chamber has been reported in this paper. The design is targeting for high-quality, high-speed, and high-efficiency diamond material fabrication. By introducing a gas inlet hole into the susceptor, we expand the ways of gas introduction for diamond growth. After extensive numerical and experimental investigation, we have found that the introduction of methane and doping gas inlet from the hole of below while the hydrogen from the top is feasible for realizing the target. The growth and doping species could be confined around the substrate, making efficient usage of the precursors. The plasma state change caused by the difference of the gas inlet modes has been ascribed to the resulted gas distribution in the chamber. The measured growth rate has been increased to 32 μm h−1, which is 16 times higher than traditional gas inlet configuration. Meanwhile, a large improvement of the nitrogen doping concentration has been achieved. Besides, with the increase of growth rate and nitrogen incorporation efficiency, the crystal quality and surface morphology keep in an acceptable degree. In this mode, the dual gas flow system can perfectly solve the contradiction among the crystal quality, growth rate, and doping efficiency, commonly existing during the material fabrication process, the chamber contamination could be significantly suppressed due to the constrained distribution of methyl and doping species, making the fabrication cost much lower. The results of repetitive experiments indicate that other residual impurities present in the chamber of microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition could likely regulate the threshold concentration of nitrogen required for accelerating the growth rate during the nitrogen doped diamond growth, which have a significant effect on the diamond growth.