Context Effects Research Articles

Porphyrin-engineered nanoscale metal-organic frameworks: enhancing photodynamic therapy and ferroptosis in oncology.

Photodynamic therapy and ferroptosis induction have risen as vanguard oncological interventions, distinguished by their precision and ability to target vulnerabilities in cancer cells. Photodynamic therapy's non-invasive profile and selective cytotoxicity complement ferroptosis' unique mode of action, which exploits iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, offering a pathway to overcome chemoresistance with lower systemic impact. The synergism between photodynamic therapy and ferroptosis is underscored by the depletion of glutathione and glutathione peroxidase four inhibitions by photodynamic therapy-induced reactive oxygen species, amplifying lipid peroxidation and enhancing ferroptotic cell death. This synergy presents an opportunity to refine cancer treatment by modulating redox homeostasis. Porphyrin-based nanoscale metal-organic frameworks have unique hybrid structures and exceptional properties. These frameworks can serve as a platform for integrating photodynamic therapy and ferroptosis through carefully designed structures and functions. These nanostructures can be engineered to deliver multiple therapeutic modalities simultaneously, marking a pivotal advance in multimodal cancer therapy. This review synthesizes recent progress in porphyrin-modified nanoscale metal-organic frameworks for combined photodynamic therapy and ferroptosis, delineating the mechanisms that underlie their synergistic effects in a multimodal context. It underscores the potential of porphyrin-based nanoscale metal-organic frameworks as advanced nanocarriers in oncology, propelling the field toward more efficacious and tailored cancer treatments.

Context Effects on Human Milk Oligosaccharide Linkage Conformation and Dynamics Revealed by MA'AT Analysis.

An emerging NMR method, MA'AT analysis, has been applied to investigate context effects on the conformational properties of several human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). The MA'AT model of the β-(1→4) linkage in the disaccharide, methyl β-lactoside (MeL), was compared to those obtained for the same linkage in the HMO trisaccharides, methyl 2'-fucosyllactoside (Me2'FL) and methyl 3-fucosyllactoside (Me3FL), and in the tetrasaccharide, methyl 2',3-difucosyllactoside (Me2',3DFL). MA'AT analysis revealed significant context effects on the mean values and circular standard deviations (CSDs) of the psi (ψ) torsion angles in these linkages. α-Fucosylation at both O2'Gal and O3Glc of MeL to give Me2',3DFL significantly constrained librational motion about ψ (70% reduction in the CSD) and shifted its mean value by ∼18°. α-Fucosylation at the O3Glc of MeL to give Me3FL constrained ψ more than α-fucosylation at the O2Gal to give Me2'FL. These effects can be explained by the expected solution conformation of Me3FL, which closely resembles the Lewisx trisaccharide. Comparisons of MA'AT models of ψ to those obtained by 1 μs aqueous molecular dynamics simulation (GLYCAM06) revealed identical trends, that is, MA'AT analysis was able to recapitulate molecular behavior in solution that was heretofore only available from MD simulation. The results highlight the capabilities of MA'AT analysis to determine probability distributions of molecular torsion angles in solution as well as degrees of librational averaging of these angles.

Examining differences in the effects and contexts of naturalistic psilocybin use for White participants vs. Participants of Color: A longitudinal online survey study

BackgroundPsilocybin (a psychoactive compound found in “magic mushrooms” or “shrooms”) has been gaining increased attention in research and popular culture as a number of clinical and observational studies have demonstrated that it may have potential for improving mental wellbeing. Relatedly, there has been a substantial uptick in naturalistic (e.g., real-world, non-clinical) psilocybin use in the United States. While a number of longitudinal studies have demonstrated that naturalistic psilocybin use is linked to positive mental health outcomes on average, few studies have examined how the effects of psilocybin and contexts for psilocybin use may differ for White populations compared to Populations of Color. ObjectiveTo examine differences in health outcomes, subjective effects, and contexts of naturalistic psilocybin use in White participants compared to Participants of Color. MethodsThis study used data from a large, online longitudinal study of individuals who planned to engage in naturalistic psilocybin use (N = 2833). We used mixed-effects models to assess whether race/ethnicity (White vs. Participant of Color) moderated associations between time (Time 2 [initial assessment point for longitudinal measures], Time 5 [2–4 weeks post-psilocybin experience, and Time 6 [2–3 months post-experience]) and outcomes related to mental health (depression, anxiety, spiritual wellbeing, cognitive flexibility, emotion regulation [expressive suppression + cognitive reappraisal]). We also used exploratory chi-squared tests to examine differences in contexts for psilocybin use as well as differences in subjective effects related to the psilocybin experience. ResultsRace/ethnicity moderated the associations between time for predicting spiritual wellbeing (beta = −1.8; 95 % CI [−3.4, −0.17]; p < 0.05), cognitive flexibility (beta = −1.5 [−2.7, −0.26]; p < 0.05), and emotion regulation – expressive suppression (beta = 0.25 [0.06, 0.44]; p < 0.05) at Time 6 (but not Time 5). Additionally, Participants of Color reported minor differences in subjective effects and context for use compared to White participants (e.g., more likely to have set an intention prior to use, report time speeding up during the experience, etc.). We found reductions in anxiety and depression for both Participants of Color and White participants, and our moderation tests for these outcomes were not significant. ConclusionRace/ethnicity impacts the associations between psilocybin use and various markers of mental wellbeing. Future longitudinal studies and experimental studies with larger samples of color can further elucidate the preliminary findings from this study.

Impression Management and Employee Commitment in Akwa-Ibom Tertiary Institutions

General background: Employee commitment is crucial for organizational success, and impression management techniques may significantly influence this commitment. Specific background: Previous studies have examined the effects of impression management in organizational contexts, yet the specific dynamics in Nigerian tertiary institutions remain underexplored. Knowledge gap: The influence of exemplification, ingratiation, and self-promotion on different dimensions of employee commitment (affective, continuance, and normative) in Nigerian institutions has not been fully examined. Aims: This study aims to determine how these dimensions of impression management influence employee commitment and the moderating role of organizational culture. Results: Findings reveal a positive and significant relationship between impression management and employee commitment. Specifically, exemplification enhances affective commitment, ingratiation promotes continuance commitment, and self-promotion influences normative commitment. Organizational culture was found to strongly moderate these relationships. Novelty: This study provides new insights into the contextual effects of impression management on employee commitment in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Implications: The findings suggest that management should employ strategic impression management techniques to enhance employee commitment, fostering improved organizational performance and reduced turnover. Highlights: Impression management positively influences employee commitment in tertiary institutions. Exemplification enhances affective commitment, ingratiation promotes continuance commitment. Organizational culture strongly moderates the relationship between impression management and employee commitment. Keywords: Impression Management, Employment Commitment, Exemplification, Ingratiation, Self-Promotion

Human Resource Management Strategies for Engagement and Talent Attraction in Hybrid Work Models

The aim of this paper is to explore HR strategies for enhancing employee engagement and attracting talent within hybrid environments. By reviewing existing literature, the study evaluates the effective communication tools, career development opportunities, and the role of transparent feedback mechanisms in hybrid work settings. The finding of the study emphasizes the necessity of flexible work arrangements, strategic use of digital tools, and fostering a supportive virtual culture to preserve high levels of engagement. Although advancement follows, studies show considerable gaps regarding the specific HR mechanism and their effectiveness in hybrid contexts. Future studies should address these gaps by considering the impact of these strategies across diverse cultural contexts and organizational settings.

A caution on sibling comparisons in studying effects of the rearing environment

Abstract Recent studies use sibling fixed effects to estimate the influence of the family environment on children, a practice we call the ‘discordant family design’. These studies suffer from a disconnect between the use of within-family variation, on the one hand, and relevant theories which mostly refer to variation between families on the other. In addition, reverse causality, within-family confounding, selection into identification, and measurement error complicate their interpretation further. We discuss three applied examples—the effects of parenting, family income, and neighbourhood context—and provide some general guidance. To avoid misinterpretation, researchers should have a strong grasp of the variance that enters into estimation, and not just the potential confounders a given strategy is designed to deal with.

Effects of outlier and familiar context in trend-line estimates in scatterplots.

Lately, there has been a growing fascination with blending research on visualizing data and understanding how our basic visual perception works. Taking this path, this research delved into the connection between ensemble perception, which involves quickly and accurately grasping essential information from sets of visually similar objects, and how we process scatterplots. Across two experiments, we aimed to answer a couple of connected questions. First, we investigated whether having an outlier in a scatterplot affects how people draw trend-line estimates. Second, we explored whether what we are familiar with and the presence of outliers that match the trend affect how we draw trend-line estimates in scatterplots. In both experiments, we showed participants scatterplots for a short time, manipulating whether there were outliers or not. Then, using a computer mouse, participants drew their trend-line estimates. By comparing what they drew with possible trend-line solutions, we discovered that when there is no context, the outlier and the other points in a scatterplot are seen as equally important in drawing the trend-line estimate. But when the scatterplot depicted a familiar context and the outlier fitted the trend, people tended to give more weight to those outlier points in their drawings. This suggested that what we already believe can sway how we draw trend-line estimates even from quickly shown scatterplots.

Temporal recall in the shadow of emotion: separate emotional contexts during encoding enhance the temporal source memory retrieval.

Episodic memory, with its emphasis on temporal-spatial contexts, has been a longstanding focus in memory research. While previous studies have investigated the role of emotion in temporal source memory using emotionally charged stimuli, such as emotional words or images, the influence of a separated emotional context remains less explored. This study sought to understand the impact of separate emotional contexts on temporal source memory. Participants were shown Chinese characters alongside separate emotional contexts (i.e. a neutral or negative picture) and then engaged in either a retrieval practice or a control condition. Finally, they were tested for recognition, temporal source memory, and emotional source memory for all the learned characters. Results revealed that a negative emotional context, unlike a neutral setting, enhanced the accuracy of temporal memory for adjacent neutral characters. However, this negative context reduced the accuracy of recalling the associated emotion. Importantly, the boost in temporal memory due to the emotional context remained even when participants were unsure or mistaken about the associated emotion. This study demonstrates the complex interplay between emotion and temporal memory, underscoring the enhancement effect of separated emotional contexts on temporal recall, irrespective of explicit emotional memory retrieval.

Advancements in Natural Language Understanding- Driven Machine Translation: Focus on English and the Low Resource Dialectal Lusoga

This review explores recent advancements in Natural Language Understanding-driven Machine Translation (NLU-MT) with a focus on English and the low-resource dialectal Lusoga. A Low-resource language, such as Lusoga, faces significant challenges in Machine Translation (MT) due to the scarcity of high-quality parallel corpora, the complex morphology inherent in Bantu languages, and the dialectal variations within Lusoga itself, particularly between Lutenga and Lupakoyo. This paper examines the role of NLU-based MT systems in overcoming these challenges by shifting from word-for-word mapping to meaning-based translations, enabling better handling of these dialectal differences. We highlight the success of leveraging linguistic similarities between Lusoga and related languages, such as Luganda, to improve translation performance through multilingual transfer learning techniques. Key advancements include the use of transformer-based architectures such as Multilingual Bidirectional and Auto-Regressive Transformer (mBART) and Multilingual Text-To-Text Transfer Transformer (mT5), specifically selected for their effectiveness in NLU-driven contexts, which have shown promise in enhancing translation accuracy for African low-resource languages. However, the review also identifies ongoing obstacles, including historical low demand and the lack of well-developed corpora, which hinder scalability. The paper concludes by emphasizing the potential of hybrid approaches that combine community-driven corpus-building initiatives with improved model architectures to drive further progress in low-resource MT. Ultimately, NLU-MT is positioned as a crucial tool not only for bridging communication gaps but also for preserving linguistic diversity and cultural heritage.

Designing Personalized Learning Paths for Foreign Language Acquisition Using Big Data: Theoretical and Empirical Analysis

This study introduces the Data-Driven Personalized Learning Model (DDPLM), a sophisticated framework designed to enhance foreign language acquisition through the integration of big data analytics. Implemented within the educational platforms Edmodo and Duolingo, DDPLM utilizes real-time data processing to tailor learning paths and content dynamically to individual learner needs. Our findings indicate significant improvements in language learning efficiency, engagement, and retention. The model’s adaptability across different digital environments showcases its potential scalability and effectiveness in various educational contexts. Additionally, the research addresses the critical role of personalized feedback and adaptive challenges in maintaining learner motivation and promoting deeper linguistic comprehension. The outcomes suggest that DDPLM significantly transforms traditional language education, making it more personalized, efficient, and aligned with individual learning preferences.

Cascading Effects of the Family Context in Adolescence: Implications for Young Adult Antisocial Behavior and Intergenerational Transmission of Risk.

Inspired by the tremendous impact of Robert McMahon's career, this study evaluated an intergenerational cascade model in which young adult conduct problems may serve as a risk pathway linking generation 1 (G1) parenting and family climate in adolescence with generation 2 parenting quality and family climate with their children (G2-G3). Our sample included 396 parents (Mage = 28.3; 70% women; child Mage = 3.96, 48% girls) who have participated in the PROSPER study since they were in 6th grade. Our developmental model included a random intercept cross-lagged panel model assessing bidirectional relations between family climate and effective discipline, assessed over six measurement occasions from 6th through 10th grade (G1). In turn, random intercepts for family climate and effective discipline in adolescence predicted distal outcomes: young adult antisocial behavior (assessed at ages 20, 23, and 25) and G2-G3 parenting quality (warm, lax, harsh, and abusive parenting) and family-level (cohesion, conflict, routines) functioning. Cross-lagged analyses revealed a bidirectional relation between G1 family processes: in early adolescence, higher levels of a positive family climate were associated with increases in effective discipline; in middle adolescence, the direction of effects reversed, with effective discipline predicting increases in positive family climate. In terms of cascading effects, a more positive G1 family climate was associated with reduced risk for young adult antisocial behavior, but no effect was evident for G1 effective discipline. Antisocial behavior was linked with all three aspects of G2-G3 family climate and with lower levels of parental warmth. Direct, domain-specific intergenerational links were found for G1 family climate with G2-G3 family-level functioning and G1 effective discipline with more effective G2-G3 parenting.

Correlation of SNHG7 and BGL3 expression in patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia; novel insights into lncRNA effect in PI3K signaling context in AML pathogenesis

BackgroundAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been identified as a top priority for discovering a reliable biomarker for treatment improvement and patient outcome prediction due to the heterogeneous nature of AML and the obstacle to find an appropriate treatment strategy for this malignancy. Considering the involvement of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) SNHG7 and BGL3 found in various cancers, the exact expression pattern of these lncRNAs and their clinical implications in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) continue to be elusive. In order to demonstrate a possible mechanism underlying AML pathogenesis, our goal was to examine BGL3 and SNHG7 lncRNA expressions in PI3K pathway. MethodsThis case-control cross-sectional study were conducted on RNA extracted from blood samples of 30 patients diagnosed with AML (Ayatollah-Khansari hospital, Arak, Iran) and 30 (age and gender matched) healthy controls. The expression levels of SNHG7 and BGL3 lncRNAs and their target genes Akt and PTEN, were measured using qRT-PCR. Subsequently, by means of statistical analysis, we determined the plausible correlation between the expressions of the aforementioned genes and lncRNA respectively. ResultsIn AML samples, a considerable increase in the expression levels of SNHG7 lncRNA and Akr gene was accompanied by a marked reduction in the expression levels of BGL3 lncRNA and PTEN gene. Nevertheless, No significant relationship between the expression level of the indicated genes/lncRNAs and age and sex was found. The remarkable correlation between the expression of genes/lncRNAs and the blast percentage in patients was the notable point in the result of this study. ConclusionsAs the most straightforward interpretation of our results, we propose that perhaps the association between SNHG7 and BGL3 built through the interaction between Akt and PTEN may play a crucial role in the AML pathogenesis and any element of this axis could be a potential novel target for further profound treatment strategies. Nonetheless, in the context of Hematological Malignancies, particularly AML, more detailed studies are needed in this area to elucidate the precise role played by this interesting testis-specific pathway.

Ownership structure and capital structure dynamics in South African firms

Background: The ownership structure can impact capital structure decisions as owners are an influential group that govern the financial decisions of firms. Hence, the ownership structure and the categories of its owners have important implications for the capital structure of firms.Aim: This study investigates the linear and non-linear effects of different ownership types (managerial, foreign, institutional, government, and family) on the debt ratios of firms.Setting: This study includes 267 non-financial firms listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) from 2004 to 2021, accounting for fluctuation in listings during this period.Method: The fixed effects model is used to estimate the impact of ownership structure on capital structure, while the Sasabuchi-Lind-Mehlum test evaluates non-linearity. Additionally, the Durbin-Wu-Hausman test is employed to detect whether endogeneity is present in this study.Results: The findings indicate that government ownership has a positive linear relation with the total debt and long-term debt ratio, while a non-linear inverse U-shaped relationship is found between institutional ownership and long-term debt, with an optimal level of 34.3%.Conclusion: The study concludes that the ownership structure is an important factor driving capital structure decisions, with government and institutional ownership directly impacting the debt ratios of firms.Contribution: This article expands the limited knowledge of the impact of ownership structure on capital structure and is the first to explore non-linear effects in the South African context. The findings offer valuable insights for boards and management that may aid them in strategically configuring ownership structures that optimise their capital structures.

The effect of tokenized rewards on customer loyalty programs

This work investigates customer responses to the tokenization of hotel loyalty programs. Drawing on self-enhancement theory, Study 1 investigates the effect of reward type (i.e. control vs tokenized reward) on customers' perceptions of the reward (i.e. economic value, program attractiveness) and their behavioral intentions towards the hotel (i.e. switching intentions, recommendation intentions). Findings highlight reward novelty and psychological ownership as two mediators of the above relationships. Study 2 replicates these effects in a cryptocurrency owner context. Study 3 examines the effect of the hotel's type (i.e. luxury vs budget) on the reward type-customer responses relationship. We showcase that tokenized rewards generate a more favourable attitude towards loyalty programs and that they remain an effective customer acquisition strategy for high-end hotels.

Comparative Analysis of the Response Accuracies of Large Language Models in the Korean National Dental Hygienist Examination Across Korean and English Questions.

Large language models such as Gemini, GPT-3.5, and GPT-4 have demonstrated significant potential in the medical field. Their performance in medical licensing examinations globally has highlighted their capabilities in understanding and processing specialized medical knowledge. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the performance of Gemini, GPT-3.5, and GPT-4 in the Korean National Dental Hygienist Examination. The accuracy of answering the examination questions in both Korean and English was assessed. This study used a dataset comprising questions from the Korean National Dental Hygienist Examination over 5 years (2019-2023). A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was employed to investigate the impacts of model type and language on the accuracy of the responses. Questions were input into each model under standardized conditions, and responses were classified as correct or incorrect based on predefined criteria. GPT-4 consistently outperformed the other models, achieving the highest accuracy rates across both language versions annually. In particular, it showed superior performance in English, suggesting advancements in its training algorithms for language processing. However, all models demonstrated variable accuracies in subjects with localized characteristics, such as health and medical law. These findings indicate that GPT-4 holds significant promise for application in medical education and standardized testing, especially in English. However, the variability in performance across different subjects and languages underscores the need for ongoing improvements and the inclusion of more diverse and localized training datasets to enhance the models' effectiveness in multilingual and multicultural contexts.

Exploring relationships between L1 and L2 writing strategy use and integrated writing performance: A cross-linguistic perspective

Abstract The ability to produce a well-written text in English using multiple material resources, such as integrated writing (IW), is widely recognised as a crucial literacy skill for tertiary students. While previous researchers have extensively examined the factors contributing to second language (L2) English integrated writing, the impact of students’ first-language (L1) Chinese writing strategic knowledge and skills on L2 writing performance has received limited empirical attention. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the simultaneous relationship between L1 and L2 writing strategy use, L1 writing skills, and L2 IW performance among 239 Chinese university students. Results from structural equation modelling revealed that L1 IW strategy use could predict L2 IW strategy use. Furthermore, the use of L1 IW strategies indirectly predicted L2 IW performance through the use of L2 IW strategies. This study contributes to the existing literature by extending research on cross-language effects in the IW context. Additionally, based on the findings, pedagogical implications for teaching IW across two languages are proposed.

Childhood Vaccination Decisions during the Pandemic: Tradition, Generational Influence, and Spiritual Perspectives

Background: Vaccination is an attempt to form active immunity in an individual. Vaccination is carried out as a preventive measure against infection, both in adults and children. This study aims to determine the effect of parental attitudes, generational influenced, and spiritual contexts on children's vaccination decisions, in this case, the COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional online survey method, with parents who have children aged 6–11 and willing to take part in this study as respondents. Data collection was carried out from November 2022 to April 2023. There were 66 participants who met the criteria, and then an analysis was carried out using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) method, which was processed using Partial Least squares (PLS). Results: According to research findings, parents' points of view play an important role in deciding whether to vaccinate their child or not. Up to 58% of respondents said they support vaccinating their children, in this case with the COVID-19 vaccination. Conclussion: Parental attitudes of vaccination in children in this research is strongly influenced by parents' views, so the right approach is needed for parents for the successful implementation of vaccination in children. Other influential factors are spiritual context and generational influence from family regarding COVID-19.

Does social capital enhance political participation in older adults? Multi-level evidence from the European Quality of Life Survey

This study explored the role of social capital for non-institutionalised and institutionalised political participation among older adults compared to younger age groups using European Quality of Life Survey data (EQLS) from 2016 and 33 countries (n = 36,908). Multilevel logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the association between individual- and country-level social capital and political participation. Findings revealed that, at the individual level, active associational engagement was positively related to both forms of political participation, while social trust and political trust were linked only to non-institutionalised participation—higher social trust and lower political trust were associated with a greater likelihood of participation. Country-level associational engagement was related to non-institutionalised political participation and country-level political trust with institutionalised participation. For older adults, active associational engagement had stronger individual and contextual effects on non-institutionalised political participation. These results enrich our understanding of political engagement in later life and highlight the unexplored potential for civic involvement among older adults.

Unraveling the global economic and mortality effects of rising urban heat island intensity

The increasing severity of urban heat island (UHI) effects poses a significant concern in cities, where to over half of the world's population lives. We examine the pattern of surface UHI intensity (SUHII) and its effect on urban economic productivity and mortality across 171 countries from 2003 to 2018. Countries with heavy industrial/manufacturing bases and higher income levels face more significant economic repercussions from SUHII. Males experience higher mortality rates under comparable SUHII conditions. A unit increase in GNI correlates to a 23.2 % rise in SUHII's effect on GDP and a 5.5 % increase in its effect on mortality rate. A higher Socio-Demographic Index mitigates SUHII's impact on urban GDP. Moreover, the Gini index directly impacts SUHII more than it affects SUHII-related mortality through inequality. Reducing income inequality by one unit will increase the enhancing effect of SUHII on the mortality rate by 11.8 %. Our findings reveal a significant link between wealth disparity and amplified health risks associated with SUHII, potentially leading to new forms of urban inequality. The study highlights the importance of development status and economic composition in facing UHI-related challenges and recommends equitable strategies for policymakers and urban planners to mitigate UHI effects in diverse developmental contexts.

A Shift in Approach to Addressing Public Health Inequities and the Effect of Societal Structural and Systemic Drivers on Social Determinants of Health.

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that influence health outcomes, and structural and systemic drivers of health (SSD) are the social, cultural, political, and economic contexts that create and shape SDOH. With the integration of constructs from previous examples, we propose an SSD model that broadens the contextual effect of these driving forces or factors rooted in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's SDOH framework. Our SSD model (1) presents systems and structures as multidimensional, (2) considers 10 dimensions as discrete and intersectional, and (3) acknowledges health-related effects over time at different life stages and across generations. We also present an application of this SSD model to the housing domain and describe how SSD affect SDOH through multiple mechanisms that may lead to unequal resources, opportunities, and consequences contributing to a disproportionate burden of disease, illness, and death in the US population. Our enhanced SDOH framework offers an innovative and promising model for multidimensional, collaborative public health approaches toward achieving health equity and eliminating health disparities.