bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Understanding learners' intention toward Metaverse in higher education institutions from a developing country perspective: UTAUT and ISS integrated model
Authors: Alkhwaldi Abeer F. 
Published: September 2023

PurposeThe Metaverse is an immersive virtual world where individuals interact with each other using an avatar. The Metaverse is promised to offer several potentials for different sectors. While the Metaverse promotes innovative interaction between individuals (e.g. learners), there is a scarcity of knowledge on what influences its acceptance and use in higher educational institutions (HEIs), particularly in developing countries. Thus, this paper aims to identify the factors that affect the users' intentions toward Metaverse technology for educational purposes in the HEIs in Jordan.Design/methodology/approachA study model was created by incorporating variables from the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) (performance expectancy, PE; effort expectancy, EE; social influence, SI; and facilitating conditions, FC) and information system success (ISS) model (user satisfaction, SAT; system quality, SQ; service quality, SVQ and information quality, IQ) with perceived curiosity (PC) and hedonic gratification (HG) constructs. Both PC and HG were added as context-related factors that could contribute to improving the applicability of UTAUT and ISS to a wide range of technology use contexts. Data were gathered from 441 Jordanian university students using an online questionnaire.FindingsThe analysis of the structural model revealed that users' behavioural intentions toward using Metaverse were significantly affected by user satisfaction (SAT), performance expectancy (PE), facilitating conditions (FC) and hedonic gratification (HG). Also, information quality (IQ) and services quality (SVQ) were revealed to have a significant influence on user satisfaction. Likewise, the results illustrated a significant impact of systems quality (SQ), information quality (IQ) and service quality (SVQ) on PE. Lastly, a significant effect of PC on the EE factor was found.Practical implicationsThis study will shed light on a number of practical implications for developers, designers, service providers and decision-makers supporting the acceptance and adoption of the Metaverse technology in the educational context. Also, it will contribute to developing the right strategies, and Metaverse content which will draw the attention of learners.Originality/valueAs per the surveyed literature and the researcher's prior knowledge, this is one of the first studies that integrate the UTAUT model, ISS model and two contextual factors (PC and HG) besides testing the proposed model in a developing country (Jordan). This paper is one of the few in which the individuals' acceptance behaviour of Metaverse technology was examined in the HEIs context.
Patterns of artificial intelligence policies in China: a nationwide perspective
Authors: Wang Kaili , Dong Ke , Wu Jiachun , Wu Jiang 
Published: September 2023

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the historical trends and status of the national development of artificial intelligence (AI) from a nationwide perspective and to enable governments at different administrative levels to promote AI development through policymaking.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyzed 248 Chinese AI policies (36 issued by the state agencies and 212 by the regional agencies). Policy bibliometrics, policy instruments and network analysis were used to reveal the AI policy patterns. Three aspects were analyzed: the spatiotemporal distribution of issued policies, the policy foci and instruments of policy contents and the cooperation and citation among policy-issuing agencies.FindingsResults indicate that Chinese AI development is still in the initial phase. During the policymaking processes, the state and regional policy foci have strong consistency; however, the coordination among state and regional agencies is supposed to be strengthened. According to the issuing time of AI policies, Chinese AI development is in accordance with the global situation and has witnessed unprecedented growth in the last five years. And the coastal provinces have issued more targeted policies than the middle and western provinces. Governments at the state and regional levels have emphasized familiar policy foci and played the role of policymakers, along with regional governments that also functioned as policy executors as well. According to the three-dimension instruments coding, the authors found an uneven structure of policy instruments at both levels. Furthermore, weak cooperation appears at the state level, while little cooperation is found among regional agencies. Regional governments cite state policies, thus leading to the formation of top-down diffusion, lacking bottom-up diffusion.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the literature by characterizing policy patterns from both external attributes and semantic contents, thus revealing features of policy distribution, contents and agencies. What is more, this research analyzes Chinese AI policies from a nationwide perspective, which contributes to clarifying the overall status and multi-level relationships of policies. The findings also benefit the coordinated development of governments during further policymaking processes.
Role of intra-ply hybridization and nano reinforcement on crack growth of epoxy
Authors: Ahmed Payman Sahbah 
Published: September 2023

Purpose
Epoxy resins are widely used in a variety of engineering applications, including composite wind turbine blades used in the renewable energy industry, highly complex structural components for aircraft, paints, coatings, industrial tooling, biomedical systems, adhesives, electronics and automotive. Epoxies' low fracture toughness is one of the key obstacles preventing its adoption in a wider range of applications. To address epoxy's low fracture toughness, this paper aims to examine the roles of intra-ply hybridization and nano reinforcing.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper investigates the role of intra-ply hybridization of glass-carbon woven fibers and adding 0.8 wt.% of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nano reinforcement to overcome the low fracture toughness of epoxy. A bending test is used to calculate the composites elastic parameters, and a notched sample three-point bending test is used to show crack behavior in addition to using materials characterization methods to reveal the effect of the MWCNT on structure, bonding, glass transition temperature (Tg) and dispersion of MWCNT in the matrix. Furthermore, this paper suggests using the finite element method to overcome the difficulty in calculating the crack extension.

Findings
Intra-ply hybridization and MWCNT reinforcement decrease the crack extension of epoxy with time. The inclusion of high-strength carbon fiber increased the fracture toughness of glass composite. Furthermore, the existence of MWCNT in the surrounding area of the notch in epoxy composites hinders crack propagation and provides stiffness at the interface by bridging the crack and eventually enhancing its fracture toughness.

Originality/value
Studying the role of intra-ply hybridization of glass-carbon woven fibers and adding 0.8 wt.% of MWCNT nano reinforcement to overcome the low fracture toughness of epoxy. Additionally, this research recommends using the finite element method to overcome the challenge of computing the crack extension.
Comparative analysis of E-Government Development Index: a case study of South Asian countries
Authors: Younus Muhammad , Pribadi Ulung , Nurmandi Achmad , Rahmawati Imelda Zamjanah 
Published: September 2023

Purpose
This paper aims to check the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) of South Asian countries and then highlight the main challenges they are facing right now, which are causing South Asian countries to do good in the e-government sector.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors will be getting the EGDI data for South Asian countries through the United Nations website, and to visualize it for understanding, the authors will be taking the help of an Online Business intelligence tool. After successfully fetching data and presenting it in a proper format, the authors will be doing an analysis of the South Asian country’s EGDI score overall and also will check on individual indicator levels of EGDI.

Findings
Finally, the authors will be sharing the common improvement points which South Asian countries’ governments need to focus on to make their EGDI score better and get included in the list of top E-Government. With its help, countries will progress and get hand-in-hand with the world by providing the best governance practices to their citizens.

Originality/value
It is important to understand for South Asian countries that the e-government initiative is not just about transforming governance or providing quality services to citizens but also it is about being in sync with the world and competing with other countries in the development progress. So, they have to follow the e-government trends to get their country aligned with the world and attain progress country in a faster speed.
Genome‐wide association study identifies variants associated with semen volume in white‐feathered broilers
Authors: Zhang G. M. , Liu P. H. , Chen L. , Zheng J. M. , Zhao G. P. , Xing W. H. , Wen J. , Li Q. H. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractSemen is a measure of the reproductive efficiency of roosters, which affects the economic benefits of white‐feathered broilers. Over the years, research in this field has mainly focused on hens, while there have been fewer studies on the reproductive traits of roosters. To identify the genes related to the semen traits of roosters, we used a chicken 55 K SNP chip to genetically type the white‐feathered population (220) and performed imputation with resequencing data from 97 roosters. In total, 1 048 576 SNPs were obtained and used for genome‐wide association analysis of semen volume, from which 197 genome‐wide significant markers were identified, all within the interval of 13.82–16.12 Mb on chromosome 7. By combining our results with the biological functions of genes in the interval, four candidate genes were identified that potentially relate to semen volume: FAPP1, OSBPL6, SESTD1 and SSFA2. Our findings may provide a basis for further research on the genetic mechanism and marker‐assisted selection of semen volume in white‐feathered broilers.
Costs and benefits of community water fluoridation in remote Aboriginal communities of the Northern Territory
Authors: Zhao Yuejen , Raymond Kate , Chondur Ramakrishna , Sharp Wayne , Gadd Elizabeth , Bailie Ross , Skinner John , Burgess Paul 
Published: September 2023

AbstractObjectiveTo undertake an economic evaluation of community water fluoridation (CWF) in remote communities of the Northern Territory (NT).DesignDental caries experiences were compared between CWF and non‐CWF communities before and after intervention. Costs and benefits of CWF are ascertained from the health sector perspective using water quality, accounting, oral health, dental care and hospitalisation datasets.Setting and ParticipantsRemote Aboriginal population in the NT between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2020.InterventionCWF.Main Outcome MeasuresPotential economic benefits were estimated by changes in caries scores valued at the NT average dental service costs.ResultsGiven the total 20‐year life span of a fluoridation plant ($1.77 million), the net present benefit of introducing CWF in a typical community of 300–499 population was $3.79 million. For each $1 invested in CWF by government, the estimated long‐term economic value of savings to health services ranged from $1.1 (population ≤300) to $16 (population ≥2000) due to reductions in treating dental caries and associated hospitalisations. The payback period ranged from 15 years (population ≤300) to 2.2 years (population ≥2000).ConclusionsThe economic benefits of expanding CWF in remote Aboriginal communities of NT outweigh the costs of installation, operation and maintenance of fluoridation plants over the lifespan of CWF infrastructure for population of 300 or more.
The invisible other: Rituals and Egyptian perception of the unknowable
Authors: el‐Aswad el‐Sayed 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThis paper is positioned within broader scholarly debates about ritual‐religious and psychological elements underlying the phenomenon of altered states of mind in Egyptian Muslim contexts. This research examines the intricate relationships between ritual, consciousness, and the unseen/unknowable world reflected in the imagination and practices of urban and rural communities belonging administratively to the city of Tanta in Egypt. This comparative study proposes that the image of the embodied invisible Other, in both benevolent and malevolent forms, impacts the state of consciousness of persons participating in two different rituals, thezikr(remembrance of God) and thezār(the exorcism of spirits). This inquiry concentrates on the transformation of the states of people's consciousness, namely themajzūb(those mystically attracted to God) and themalbūs(those possessed by spirits), through embodied engagement with the invisible Other that is made visible through participation in the ritual performances of thezikrand/or thezār. Rituals performed by Egyptians, particularly those who experience altered states of consciousness, display both a psychic (emotional) experience and an encounter with the invisible Other that may be depicted as divine or otherwise non‐divine. Each case of thezikrritual andzārcult relates to its participants' perception of reality.
Beliefs about emotions predict psychological stress related to somatic symptoms
Authors: Reininger Klaus Michael , Biel Hannah Marie , Hennig Timo , Zitzmann Steffen , Weigel Angelika , Spitzer Carsten , Toussaint Anne , Löwe Bernd 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackgroundPrevious research has shown that the more people believe their emotions are controllable and useful (BECU), the less they generally report psychological distress. Psychological distress, in turn, impacts health outcomes, and is among the most frequently reported complaints in psychotherapeutic and psychosomatic practice.ObjectiveWe aimed to examine how BECU predicts psychological distress related to somatic symptoms in a prospective sample from the general population and to replicate this association in two cross‐sectional samples of psychosomatic patients.MethodsWe applied a panel design with an interval of 2 weeks between T1 and T2 in general‐population panel‐participants (N = 310), assessing BECU and psychological distress related to somatic symptoms via validated self‐report measures. Moreover, we cross‐sectionally replicated the relationship between BECU and psychological distress in a clinical sample of psychosomatic outpatients diagnosed with somatoform disorders (n = 101) or without somatoform disorders (n = 628).ResultsBECU predicted over and above the lagged criterion panel‐participants' psychological distress related to somatic symptoms, β = −.18, p < .001. BECU was also cross‐sectionally related to psychological distress in our clinical replication‐sample of psychosomatic outpatients diagnosed with somatoform disorders, rS(87) = −.33, p = .002 and in those without, rS(557) = ‐.21, p < .001.ConclusionsBECU as a malleable way of thinking about emotions predicted psychological distress related to somatic symptoms in general‐population panel‐participants and correlated with the same in two clinical replication samples. BECU thus becomes a promising treatment target in psychotherapeutic approaches.
Glutamine deficiency drives transforming growth factor‐β signaling activation that gives rise to myofibroblastic carcinoma‐associated fibroblasts
Authors: Mezawa Yoshihiro , Wang Tingwei , Daigo Yataro , Takano Atsushi , Miyagi Yohei , Yokose Tomoyuki , Yamashita Toshinari , Yang Liying , Maruyama Reo , Seimiya Hiroyuki , Orimo Akira 
Published: September 2023

AbstractTumor‐promoting carcinoma‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs), abundant in the mammary tumor microenvironment (TME), maintain transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β)‐Smad2/3 signaling activation and the myofibroblastic state, the hallmark of activated fibroblasts. How myofibroblastic CAFs (myCAFs) arise in the TME and which epigenetic and metabolic alterations underlie activated fibroblastic phenotypes remain, however, poorly understood. We herein show global histone deacetylation in myCAFs present in tumors to be significantly associated with poorer outcomes in breast cancer patients. As the TME is subject to glutamine (Gln) deficiency, human mammary fibroblasts (HMFs) were cultured in Gln‐starved medium. Global histone deacetylation and TGF‐β‐Smad2/3 signaling activation are induced in these cells, largely mediated by class I histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity. Additionally, mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling is attenuated in Gln‐starved HMFs, and mTORC1 inhibition in Gln‐supplemented HMFs with rapamycin treatment boosts TGF‐β‐Smad2/3 signaling activation. These data indicate that mTORC1 suppression mediates TGF‐β‐Smad2/3 signaling activation in Gln‐starved HMFs. Global histone deacetylation, class I HDAC activation, and mTORC1 suppression are also observed in cultured human breast CAFs. Class I HDAC inhibition or mTORC1 activation by high‐dose Gln supplementation significantly attenuates TGF‐β‐Smad2/3 signaling and the myofibroblastic state in these cells. These data indicate class I HDAC activation and mTORC1 suppression to be required for maintenance of myCAF traits. Taken together, these findings indicate that Gln starvation triggers TGF‐β signaling activation in HMFs through class I HDAC activity and mTORC1 suppression, presumably inducing myCAF conversion.
‘They feel like another child in care has their back’: An exploration of peer support between looked after children in Scotland
Authors: Irvine Sheena , Emond Ruth 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe Independent Care Review in Scotland has encouraged a policy shift towards recognizing young people's potential to contribute to their own and others' experiences of care. This paper makes an important contribution to debates around the role of children in the social support systems of others who have experienced loss and trauma. It reports on a research project which explored young people's views on peer support in care and their experiences of it. It highlights the crucial role that ‘peers’ play in looked after children's social support systems at both an individual and systemic level. Friendships, in this context of a social support system based on a shared set of experiences, were regarded as transformative. Barriers to the formation of such social support systems also emerged, for example, limited understanding within the ‘adult’ support system of the significance and benefits of relationships among children. Young people experienced their peer social support systems as overlooked, downplayed or misunderstood by adults. As a result, decisions and actions were often taken which disrupted or, in some cases, destroyed effective social support systems. The paper argues for changes in practice to support the friendships looked after children have whilst in care.
Assessing shorebird mortalities due to razor clam aquaculture at key migratory stopover sites in southeastern China
Authors: Liang Dan , Mu Tong , Yang Ziyou , Giam Xingli , Wang Yudi , Li Jing , Cai Shangxiao , Zhang Xuelian , Wang Yixiao , Liu Yang , Wilcove David S. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractAquaculture can provide foraging habitat for birds, but it can also result in intentional and accidental mortality. We examined an overlooked conflict between razor clam (Sinonovacula spp.) aquaculture and declining shorebirds in southeastern China's Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. We surveyed 6 out of 11 internationally important stopover sites for these shorebirds and monitored shorebird mortality in 2 sites (Xinghua Bay, Yueqing Bay) with razor clam aquaculture. We visited an additional 32 sites in these 2 provinces to determine if there was netting in other razor clam farms. Approximately 8–9 km2 of intertidal foraging habitat was covered by horizontal nets to prevent birds from feeding on young razor clams at Xinghua Bay and Yueqing Bay. We conservatively estimated that 13,676 (2.5th–97.5th percentile 8,330–21,285) individual shorebirds were entangled in the nets at the 2 monitored sites in April and May 2021, including 2 endangered and 7 near‐threatened species. Mortality of 5 species for which we had sufficient data accounted for 0.76% (black‐tailed godwit [Limosa limosa]) to 4.27% (terek sandpiper [Xenus cinereus]) of their total flyway populations. This level of mortality could strongly affect their populations. We found netting at 17 additional razor clam farms, indicating a widespread threat to shorebirds. Although razor clams are typically harvested in late March to early April, nets are left on the mudflats throughout the spring and summer, including when the bulk of shorebird migration takes place. Immediately removing these nets after the clam harvest could prevent most of the spring mortality of shorebirds, although this is unlikely to happen without government regulations or economic incentives. To better assess and mitigate the impacts of this conflict, future research should quantify shorebird mortality at other razor clam farms, including during winter, explore less harmful deterrence methods, and assess the socioeconomic factors driving the conflict.
Effect of itraconazole and fluconazole on the pharmacokinetics of valemetostat: An open‐label, phase I study in healthy subjects
Authors: Tachibana Masaya , Matsuki Shunji , Maekawa Yutaro , Kuroda Kana , Shimizu Takako , Tsutsumi Junko , Ishizuka Hitoshi 
Published: September 2023

AbstractValemetostat tosylate (valemetostat) is an oral, potent, dual inhibitor of enhancer of zeste homolog (EZH) 2 and EZH1 under investigation for the treatment of cancer, including non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas and solid tumors. Itraconazole and fluconazole are antifungal medications often used as typical inhibitors of cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A [itraconazole and fluconazole]) and P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp [itraconazole]) in drug–drug interaction studies. Valemetostat is a substrate of CYP3A and P‐gp in vitro. This phase I, open‐label, single‐sequence crossover study (JapicCTI‐183902) assessed the pharmacokinetics (PK) of valemetostat when co‐administered with itraconazole (a strong CYP3A inhibitor and P‐gp inhibitor) or fluconazole (a moderate CYP3A inhibitor) in healthy Japanese male participants 20–45 years of age. Participants were equally allocated to receive two doses of valemetostat 25 mg, once alone and once with either itraconazole or fluconazole (400‐mg induction and 200‐mg once daily maintenance). Valemetostat PK parameters with versus without itraconazole or fluconazole were compared using analysis of variance models. Overall, 32 participants were enrolled. Co‐administration with itraconazole increased valemetostat peak concentration (Cmax) by 2.9‐fold and area under the plasma concentration–time curve extrapolated to infinity (AUCinf) by 4.2‐fold compared with valemetostat alone. When co‐administered with fluconazole, the Cmax and AUCinf of valemetostat were each increased by 1.6‐fold. No treatment‐related or grade ≥3 adverse events were reported. Appropriate valemetostat dose reductions are warranted when used concomitantly with strong CYP3A and P‐gp dual inhibitors.