External Factors Research Articles

Academic resilience in nusing students: a concept analysis

BackgroundAcademic resilience is a crucial concept for nursing students to cope with academic challenges. Currently, there is significant variation in the description of the concept attributes of academic resilience among nursing students, which impedes the advancement of academic research. Therefore, it is essential to establish a clear definition of the concept of academic resilience for nursing students.PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report the results of concept analysis of academic resilience of nursing students.MethodsThe Rodgers evolutionary concept analysis was employed to test the attributes, antecedents, consequences and related concepts of academic resilience of nursing students. Walker and Avant’s method was utilized to construct a model case and provide empirical referents.ResultsThe findings indicate that the attributes of nursing students’ academic resilience include self-efficacy, self-regulation and recovery, and the antecedents include internal factors and external environmental factors. The consequences include adaptability, career maturity, adversity quotient level, probability of academic success, a sense of belonging to school and low levels of psychological distress.ConclusionThe systematic understanding of academic resilience among nursing students provides a pathway for nursing educators and students to enhance academic resilience, promote academic success, and establish a foundation for the training of more qualified nurses.

Strategic Dimensions of Eco-Innovation Adoption in Manufacturing SMEs in the Context of Mexico City

This paper investigates the strategic dimensions influencing the adoption of environmental innovations (EIs) in small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in Mexico City. The study aims to understand the fundamental strategic dimensions defining eco-innovation and examine how SMEs manage the complexities of incorporating these practices. Employing a mixed-methods approach with documentary analysis and expert interviews, the study identifies key factors influencing EI adoption through causal maps and the viable system model. Findings highlight the significance of external and internal factors such as competitive pressure, economic constraints, technological capabilities, political support, and social influence. This integrative approach emphasizes the importance of adaptability and responsiveness, presenting eco-innovation as a source of sustainable competitive advantage for SMEs.

Academic resilience in nusing students: a concept analysis

BackgroundAcademic resilience is a crucial concept for nursing students to cope with academic challenges. Currently, there is significant variation in the description of the concept attributes of academic resilience among nursing students, which impedes the advancement of academic research. Therefore, it is essential to establish a clear definition of the concept of academic resilience for nursing students.PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report the results of concept analysis of academic resilience of nursing students.MethodsThe Rodgers evolutionary concept analysis was employed to test the attributes, antecedents, consequences and related concepts of academic resilience of nursing students. Walker and Avant’s method was utilized to construct a model case and provide empirical referents.ResultsThe findings indicate that the attributes of nursing students’ academic resilience include self-efficacy, self-regulation and recovery, and the antecedents include internal factors and external environmental factors. The consequences include adaptability, career maturity, adversity quotient level, probability of academic success, a sense of belonging to school and low levels of psychological distress.ConclusionThe systematic understanding of academic resilience among nursing students provides a pathway for nursing educators and students to enhance academic resilience, promote academic success, and establish a foundation for the training of more qualified nurses.

Agency and structure in the age of European disintegration

This article analyses the causal factors behind the Brexit vote, aiming to contribute to the literature on European disintegration. It addresses how, amidst external factors such as the EU debt crisis and the 2015 refugee crisis, pre-existing ideological forces deeply ingrained in a society can surface and steer a country's trajectory in relation to European integration. Employing a rigorous process-tracing design, it highlights the forces that led to the referendum and its outcome, identifying key patterns that can be extrapolated to comparable cases within the field of EU integration theory. The analysis operates at two levels: it scrutinizes the constraints faced by Cameron's government in the lead-up to the vote, and it probes the British electorate's attitude toward EU and how it was influenced by the Leave campaign. The study draws from an empirical case to identify some of the patterns of this ongoing political process.

“Bamboos taught me to bend, but not to break”: a poetic narrative of teacher identity negotiations

This poetic narrative aims to explore lived experiences of a language school teacher in a poor remote island in Vietnam. This article gives insights into how teacher identity was shaped through the eyes of a school teacher and how she struggled to rise to the challenge to become a better teacher version of herself. The self-portraits of how her identity was constructed and reconstructed unveil a sketch of bamboos embracing the aspiration of overcoming external factors to thrive and bloom in barren rocky soil and the harsh environmental conditions.

Research on the production of sorbent based on bentonite clay for wastewater treatment from chemical industries

In our country, the problem of water purification remains urgent, with the growth of external factors contributing to this, which can include an increase in the number of industrial enterprises, the development of agriculture, urban growth and others. To solve the problem of water purification it is economically advantageous to create new sorbents, with the available resources in our country.For the processing of of bentonite clay under experimental conditions, instrumental test methods were chosen using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) of the Jeol JSM-6490l V brand, a multi-parameter portable cyberscanner (PCD 650 Eutech) and a Q-1500 Derivatograph. In this article, we studied the bentonite of the Darbaza deposit. For physico-chemical analysis of clay from the Darbaza deposit, a specially selected sample was crushed, and sieved and its chemical composition was determined. Results. Based on the results of instrumental studies, the elemental and mineralogical composition of bentonite clay from the Darbazinsky deposit was determined using a scanning electron microscope JSM-6490l V (Jeol, Japan) using the energy-dispersive method. The resulting sorbent based on bentonite clay has a high sorption capacity and is recommended for use in the treatment of wastewater from chemical industries. The resulting sorbent based on bentonite clay from the Darbaza deposit makes it possible to purify wastewater from phosphate production from phosphate and other ions up to 60%. The developed sorbent based on bentonite clay has environmental and economic efficiency and connections with the use of local natural resources. Thus, it should be noted that for adsorption treatment of wastewater from chemical industries with a high degree, it is possible to use effective sorbents based on bentonine clays from the Darbaza deposit. It should also be noted that the use of bentonite clays for water purification by the sorption process is an effective and affordable alternative to adsorbents that show high adsorption capacity for various compounds.

DLSW-YOLOv8n: A Novel Small Maritime Search and Rescue Object Detection Framework for UAV Images with Deformable Large Kernel Net

Unmanned aerial vehicle maritime search and rescue target detection is susceptible to external factors, which can seriously reduce detection accuracy. To address these challenges, the DLSW-YOLOv8n algorithm is proposed combining Deformable Large Kernel Net (DL-Net), SPD-Conv, and WIOU. Firstly, to refine the contextual understanding ability of the model, the DL-Net is integrated into the C2f module of the backbone network. Secondly, to enhance the small target characterization representation, a spatial-depth layer is used instead of pooling in the convolution module, and an additional detection head is integrated into the low-level feature map. The loss function is improved to enhance small target localization performance. Finally, a UAV maritime target detection dataset is employed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, whose results show that DLSW-YOLOv8n achieves a detection accuracy of 79.5%, which represents an improvement of 13.1% compared to YOLOv8n.

Reliability of an "At-Home" Method for Monitoring Resting and Reactive Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Children: A Pilot Study.

Heart rate variability (HRV), an index of the functional status of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), provides an opportunity for early detection of ANS dysfunction. Lower resting, vagally related HRV parameters are associated with increased risk of physical and mental illness. External factors influencing the ANS, such as the testing environment, may impact the interpretation of HRV. This study's main aim was to determine the reliability of HRV resting and reactivity tests performed at home with children aged 4-9 years. Fourteen healthy children (female n = 8) aged 6.8 ± 1.5 years participated. Two HRV tests were performed at home via online supervision 7 days apart using a Polar H10 heart rate monitor. The absolute and relative reliability of the pre-exercise resting (5 min) and sub-maximal exercise step test recovery (4 × 30 s segments) HRV time and frequency domains were calculated. The Pearson correlation coefficients for day 1 versus day 7 for the vagal activity HRV domains (RMSSD log) at rest and in the first 30 s and 30-60 s of recovery indicated good-to-excellent relative reliability (r > 0.8, p < 0.01). Absolute reliability was moderate for the resting RMSSD log, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 5.2% (90% CI: 3.9, 7.8%), high for the first 30 s of standing recovery, with a CV of 10.7% (90% CI: 8.2, 15.7%), and moderate for 30-60 s of recovery, with a CV of 8.7% (90% CI: 6.6, 12.9%). The findings of this pilot study indicate that the resting and exercise recovery HRV measures of vagal activity can be measured reliably at home in children. This represents a novel "at-home" protocol for monitoring ANS health and development in children.

Exploring the determinants of fashion clothing rental consumption among young Indians using the extended theory of reasoned action

Purpose This study aims to explore the influence of external factors and the characteristics of young Indian consumers on their behavioral intention toward fashion clothing rental (FCR), using the theory of reasoned action (TRA) as a theoretical framework. Design/methodology/approach This study used quantitative research methods, collecting data from 396 Indian participants, and tested the proposed hypotheses using PLS-structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicated that young Indian consumers' favorable attitudes toward FCR are mainly driven by perceived usefulness, novelty-seeking, fashion orientation, narcissism and environmental consciousness. These drivers, together with subjective norms, further lead to their intention to rent fashion clothing. This study also found that perceived risk has a negative impact on consumers' attitudes toward FCR, but minimalism does not significantly affect consumer attitudes. Originality/value By integrating additional constructs into traditional TRA, this study contributes to existing literature and provides insight for fashion retailers on the role of consumer characteristics in the adoption of FCR in emerging markets.

DLSW-YOLOv8n: A Novel Small Maritime Search and Rescue Object Detection Framework for UAV Images with Deformable Large Kernel Net

Unmanned aerial vehicle maritime search and rescue target detection is susceptible to external factors, which can seriously reduce detection accuracy. To address these challenges, the DLSW-YOLOv8n algorithm is proposed combining Deformable Large Kernel Net (DL-Net), SPD-Conv, and WIOU. Firstly, to refine the contextual understanding ability of the model, the DL-Net is integrated into the C2f module of the backbone network. Secondly, to enhance the small target characterization representation, a spatial-depth layer is used instead of pooling in the convolution module, and an additional detection head is integrated into the low-level feature map. The loss function is improved to enhance small target localization performance. Finally, a UAV maritime target detection dataset is employed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, whose results show that DLSW-YOLOv8n achieves a detection accuracy of 79.5%, which represents an improvement of 13.1% compared to YOLOv8n.

Research on the production of sorbent based on bentonite clay for wastewater treatment from chemical industries

In our country, the problem of water purification remains urgent, with the growth of external factors contributing to this, which can include an increase in the number of industrial enterprises, the development of agriculture, urban growth and others. To solve the problem of water purification it is economically advantageous to create new sorbents, with the available resources in our country.For the processing of of bentonite clay under experimental conditions, instrumental test methods were chosen using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) of the Jeol JSM-6490l V brand, a multi-parameter portable cyberscanner (PCD 650 Eutech) and a Q-1500 Derivatograph. In this article, we studied the bentonite of the Darbaza deposit. For physico-chemical analysis of clay from the Darbaza deposit, a specially selected sample was crushed, and sieved and its chemical composition was determined. Results. Based on the results of instrumental studies, the elemental and mineralogical composition of bentonite clay from the Darbazinsky deposit was determined using a scanning electron microscope JSM-6490l V (Jeol, Japan) using the energy-dispersive method. The resulting sorbent based on bentonite clay has a high sorption capacity and is recommended for use in the treatment of wastewater from chemical industries. The resulting sorbent based on bentonite clay from the Darbaza deposit makes it possible to purify wastewater from phosphate production from phosphate and other ions up to 60%. The developed sorbent based on bentonite clay has environmental and economic efficiency and connections with the use of local natural resources. Thus, it should be noted that for adsorption treatment of wastewater from chemical industries with a high degree, it is possible to use effective sorbents based on bentonine clays from the Darbaza deposit. It should also be noted that the use of bentonite clays for water purification by the sorption process is an effective and affordable alternative to adsorbents that show high adsorption capacity for various compounds.

Relationship of psychological capital, transformational leadership, and internal communication to work engagement in organizations

Organization A, which represents the country in the oil and gas industry and is tasked with managing oil and gas activities in Indonesia to ensure national energy security, requires employees with high work engagement. This requires enthusiasm, dedication, and perseverance to contribute fully to their work. However, human resource management surveys and several phenomena analyzed show that work engagement in Organization A is low. This research consists of two studies: a research study and an intervention study. This research aims to analyze the relationship between psychological capital (individual internal factors), transformational leadership (individual external factors), and internal communication (organizational factors) on work engagement using a sample of 267 employees of Organization A. Using a quantitative design supported by qualitative data, and found that individual psychological capital, transformational leadership style, and internal communication in the organization significantly predicted work engagement. Among these factors, internal communication predicted work engagement beyond psychological capital and transformational leadership. An intervention study involving 23 participants was designed to determine the effectiveness of an internal communication strategy training program in increasing work engagement. Results from the intervention study showed significant improvements in participants' pre-test and post-test scores, indicating the effectiveness of the program in increasing work engagement.

Management strengthening strategies for transport cooperatives: a case study in Riobamba

Transport cooperatives face administrative challenges that affect their efficiency and competitiveness. This study focuses on the Interprovincial Transport Cooperative "Transvencedores" of Riobamba, Ecuador, with the objective of designing an administrative strengthening plan to improve its management and service. The research, with a qualitative and descriptive approach, used surveys and interviews with 25 staff members and 384 users, applying tools such as the SWOT matrix and the internal (EFI) and external factor evaluation (EFE) matrices to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The results revealed significant administrative problems, such as the lack of process automation, poor internal communication and the absence of a clear organizational philosophy. It was concluded that the cooperative requires ongoing staff training strategies, implementation of new technologies to control activities, and improved internal communication. These measures are essential to improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, positioning the cooperative as a leader in interprovincial transportation in Riobamba.

Investigation into the Factors Affecting the Green Consumption Behavior of China Rural Residents in the Context of Dual Carbon

The achievement of the dual-carbon objective and China’s green and sustainable development are both heavily reliant on green consumption. This research paper employs the Likert scale method to construct a questionnaire encompassing internal and external factors that influence green consumption behavior, as well as various types of consumption behavior. It then administers the questionnaire to 1004 rural residents residing in the eastern, central, western, and northeastern regions of China, with the objective of gathering pertinent data on green consumption behavior. Drawing from the aforementioned, structural equation modeling was employed to investigate the impact of three external factors—market incentives, social pressure, and information boost—and two internal factors—environmental awareness and psychological factors—on diverse forms of green consumption behavior. The objective was to identify the most influential factors of various green consumption behaviors to facilitate the effective promotion of green consumption. The research findings indicate that internal factors exert a more substantial influence on green consumption behaviors compared to external factors. Specifically, market incentives ranks highest among the external determinants of green consumption behavior, and environmental protection cognition rank highest among the internal determinants of green consumption behavior.

Investigation into the Factors Affecting the Green Consumption Behavior of China Rural Residents in the Context of Dual Carbon

The achievement of the dual-carbon objective and China’s green and sustainable development are both heavily reliant on green consumption. This research paper employs the Likert scale method to construct a questionnaire encompassing internal and external factors that influence green consumption behavior, as well as various types of consumption behavior. It then administers the questionnaire to 1004 rural residents residing in the eastern, central, western, and northeastern regions of China, with the objective of gathering pertinent data on green consumption behavior. Drawing from the aforementioned, structural equation modeling was employed to investigate the impact of three external factors—market incentives, social pressure, and information boost—and two internal factors—environmental awareness and psychological factors—on diverse forms of green consumption behavior. The objective was to identify the most influential factors of various green consumption behaviors to facilitate the effective promotion of green consumption. The research findings indicate that internal factors exert a more substantial influence on green consumption behaviors compared to external factors. Specifically, market incentives ranks highest among the external determinants of green consumption behavior, and environmental protection cognition rank highest among the internal determinants of green consumption behavior.

On the Analysis of Coverage Feedback in a Fuzzing Proprietary System

Coverage feedback is one of the key mechanisms for improving the effectiveness of fuzzers by measuring and comparing the executed code regions while processing input data. In general, such guidance should always improve the performance of fuzzers to better find unexplored code regions. However, proprietary systems with uncommon I/O interfaces (e.g., UAV system, IoT devices, satellite firmware) require extensive engineering/porting efforts to apply coverage feedback support in developing their fuzzing platform. In this paper, we evaluate the detailed efficacy of coverage feedback in fuzzing based on 44 real-world bugs we found using OSS-Fuzz. Our analysis uncovered when and how code coverage information can be helpful, and our experiment demonstrates that although coverage guidance is always helpful to some extent, its effectiveness depends on various external factors. Therefore, such factors should be carefully considered for optimizing the cost and efficiency in designing the fuzzing architecture of proprietary systems.

Post-hazard supply chain disruption: Predicting firm-level sales using graph neural network

Evaluating the damage caused by supply chain disruptions triggered by natural hazards has an important role in supply chain risk management. This study proposes a novel approach to predict annual sales change rates for firms post-hazard. The approach employs graph neural networks, a machine learning technique that considers both internal factors such as sales and number of employees and external factors such as inter-firm relations and damages incurred from hazards. The model was trained on firm and flood data from previous floods in Japan and was found to outperform baseline models that did not consider inter-firm relations. To address the model's explainability problem, we employed Explainable Artificial Intelligence techniques to identify the factors influencing sales post-disruption and analysed the importance of firms and trades in the supply chain from a spatial perspective. The findings highlight the crucial role of business partners in a firm's supply chain and the impact of distance between suppliers on a firm's sales. The study contributes to improved supply chain risk management practices in industry as well as government, ultimately enhancing supply chain resilience.

HOW HUMAN THINKING IS INFLUENCED BY THE SPOKEN LANGUAGE

This paper aims to prove a deep connection between language and thought and confirm that language is a powerful tool that humans possess. It is not just a collection of words, but rather a medium of communication that has far-reaching impacts. Effective communication heavily relies on language, which serves as a vital tool for communicating with others. Although it may not determine our thought patterns, language is universally recognized as an essential component of human interaction. With over 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, each one boasts a unique vocabulary, sound, and structure. Humans possess an incredible ability to convey complex ideas and thoughts through language. Language can also impact our perception of time and color. Different languages have varying words to describe colors, with some having only a few, such as dark and light. This article explores these various aspects of language. The connection between language and thought is intricate and multi-dimensional. Language is an essential aspect of human interaction, and its structure is linked to brain processes and external factors in nature. This article intends to discuss the varying meanings of language expressions and their significance.

Mechanism of action of miR-15a-5p and miR-152-3p in paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis through Wnt/β-catenin signaling mediation.

miRNAs are small, conserved, single-stranded non-coding RNA that are typically transported by exosomes for their functional roles. The therapeutic potential of exosomal miRNAs has been explored in various diseases including breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, skin diseases, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and glioma. Pathophysiological processes such as cellular inflammation, apoptosis, necrosis, immune dysfunction, and oxidative stress are closely associated with miRNAs. Internal and external factors such as tissue ischemia, hypoxia, pathogen infection, and endotoxin exposure can trigger these reactions and are linked to miRNAs. Paraquat-induced fibrosis is a protracted process that may not manifest immediately after injury but develops during bodily recovery, providing insights into potential miRNA intervention treatments. These findings could potentially be applied for further pharmaceutical research and clinical therapy of paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and are likely to be of great interest to clinicians involved in lung fibrosis research. Through a literature review, we identified an association between miR-15a-5p and miR-152-3p and their involvement in the Wnt signaling pathway. This allowed us to deduce the molecular mechanisms underlying regulatory interactions involved in paraquat-induced lung fibrosis. miR-15a-5p and miR-152-3p play roles in body repair processes, and pulmonary fibrosis can be considered a form of reparative response by the body. Although the initial purpose of fibrotic repair is to restore normal body function, excessive tissue fibrosis, unlike scar formation following external skin trauma, can significantly and adversely affect the body. Modulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is beneficial in alleviating tissue fibrosis in various diseases. In this study, we delineate the association between miR-15a-5p and miR-152-3p and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, presenting a novel concept for addressing paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Internal and external factors affecting the performance score of surgical trainees doing laparoscopic appendectomy: a prospective, observational cohort study in a structured training programme.

Laparoscopic appendectomy is a common procedure and introduced early in general surgical training. How internal (i.e. surgeon's experience) or external (i.e. disease severity) may affect procedure performance is not well-studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate factors that may have an influence on the performance scores for surgical trainees. A prospective, observational cohort study of laparoscopic appendectomies performed by surgical trainees (experience < 4years) operating under supervision. Trainers evaluated trainees' overall performance on a 6-point scale for proficiency. Perioperative data were recorded, including appendicitis severity, operating time and the overall difficulty of the procedure as assessed by the trainer. A "Challenging" procedure was defined as a combination of either/or "perforation" and "difficult". Trainees who had performed > 30 appendectomies were defined as "experienced". The trainees were asked if they had used simulation or web-based tools the week prior to surgery. 142 procedure evaluation forms were included of which 19 (13%) were "perforated", 14 (10%) "difficult" and 24 (17%) "Challenging". Perforated appendicitis was strongly associated with procedure difficulty (OR 21.2, 95% CI 6.0-75.6). Experienced trainees performed "proficient" more often than non-experienced (OR 34.5, 95% CI 6.8-176.5). "Difficult" procedures were inversely associated with proficiency (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.0-0.9). In "Challenging" procedures, identifying the appendix had lowest proficiency (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.1-0.9). The procedures assessed as "difficult" had significantly longer operating time with a median (IQR) of 90 (75-100) min compared to 59 (25-120)min for the non-difficult (p < 0.001). Both internal and external factors contribute to the performance score. Perforated appendicitis, technical difficult procedures and trainee experience all play a role, but a "difficult" procedure had most overall impact on proficiency evaluation.