Original Dimensions Research Articles

Anxious Thoughts Inventory (AnTI). Psychometric characteristics of an adaptation to the Spanish clinical population

ObjectiveThis study shows the psychometric characteristics and factor structure of the Spanish adaptation to a clinical population of an instrument for measuring anxious worry, the Anxious Thought Inventory (AnTI). MethodParticipants were 731 adults treated at a community mental Health Center in Spain with different clinical diagnoses. ResultsThe adaptation of the AnTI scale to the Spanish clinical population confirms the three original dimensions, social worry, health worry and meta-worry, with adequate fit. High internal consistency (from .83 to .86) was found for the three subscales, and test–retest reliability after a period of 8–10 weeks was high (r=.71). Furthermore, significant correlations were found with other worry, anxiety and general psychopathology scales. ConclusionsThis Spanish adaptation of the AnTI in a clinical population is a reliable, valid measure of anxious worry. Therefore, it is a useful instrument for use in care contexts.

Vector Separability Measurement Based Fast Feature Selection for Detecting Images Information Hiding

After careful consideration, we have revised the abstract to “Images are adopted as information hiding carries in recent years, which has brought challenges to multimedia forensics and security. In order to improve the feature selection speed while maintaining the detection accuracy and reducing the feature dimension, this paper proposes a fast feature selection method for detecting stego image with hiding information. First, a feature component separability criterion is proposed based on the inter-distance and inner-distance difference to measure the separability of steganalysis feature components, providing a basis for constructing candidate feature components. Second, the high-dimensional steganalysis feature is extracted from the training set containing the cover images and corresponding stego images. Then the separability value of each feature component is measured based on the above criterion. And candidate feature vectors are constructed based on the separability values of feature components. Third, a feature vector separability measurement, providing a direct basis for the feature component selection to measure the contribution of the candidate feature vector to the classified image classification. The candidate feature vector with the largest value is chosen as the final selection feature. The dimension of the feature selected by this method is exceedingly smaller than the original feature dimension, so the time cost of the subsequent classification training can be significantly reduced. A series of experiments based on the Bossbase image database have shown that: compared with the recent steganalysis-α method and the FSSG method, the proposed method can significantly improve the feature selection speed while maintaining the detection accuracy and reducing the feature dimension.”

Guest satisfaction in East and West: evidence from online reviews of the influence of cultural origin in two major gambling cities, Las Vegas and Macau

ABSTRACT We assess how cultural differences between guests and host destination affect the TripAdvisor score granted on hotel units. We selected two gambling destinations, Las Vegas and Macau, to enable a comparison between a Western and an Eastern destination. The six Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long term orientation, indulgence) were adopted. A total of 109,309 and 28,957 useful reviews for Las Vegas and Macau, respectively, were collected from TripAdvisor. Then, for each online reviewer, the difference between the reviewer’s country of origin and the destination for each dimension were computed. Finally, two data mining models (one per destination) of TripAdvisor score were computed using as inputs the differences for each dimension. We conclude that the difference between guest origin and destination cultural dimension influences the scores granted on TripAdvisor. We also found that the relevance of each dimension is different for both destinations analysed.

Three-Dimensional Extrusion Printing of Porous Scaffolds Using Storable Ceramic Inks.

In this study, we describe the additive manufacturing of porous three-dimensionally (3D) printed ceramic scaffolds prepared with hydroxyapatite (HA), β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), or the combination of both with an extrusion-based process. The scaffolds were printed using a novel ceramic-based ink with reproducible printability and storability properties. After sintering at 1200°C, the scaffolds were characterized in terms of structure, mechanical properties, and dissolution in aqueous medium. Microcomputed tomography and scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed that the structure of the scaffolds, and more specifically, pore size, porosity, and isotropic dimensions were not significantly affected by the sintering process, resulting in scaffolds that closely replicate the original dimensions of the 3D model design. The mechanical properties of the sintered scaffolds were in the range of human trabecular bone for all compositions. All ceramic bioinks showed consistent printability over a span of 14 days, demonstrating the short-term storability of the formulations. Finally, the mass loss did not vary among the evaluated compositions over a period of 28 days except in the case of β-TCP scaffolds, in which the structural integrity was significantly affected after 28 days of incubation in phosphate-buffered saline. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the development of storable ceramic inks for the 3D printing of scaffolds of HA, β-TCP, and mixtures thereof with high fidelity and low shrinkage following sintering that could potentially be used for bone tissue engineering in load-bearing applications.

Facile and Efficient Patterning Method for Silver Nanowires and Its Application to Stretchable Electroluminescent Displays.

The patterning of silver nanowires (AgNWs) is subject to critical challenges, which have seriously limited their practical applications. This work describes a simple and efficient method combining screen printing with vacuum filtration for patterning AgNW networks. The screen-printed poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) mask layer was shown to be strongly adhered to the filtration membrane, which resulted in well-defined sharp edges of the deposited AgNW patterns, and a 50 μm patterning resolution was achieved. The patterned films with low densities of AgNWs (≤15 μg/cm2) were transferred to the surface of PDMS to make patterned stretchable transparent conductive films (TCFs). The low sheet resistance of 7.3 Ω/sq was achieved at an optical transmittance of 79.6% (at 550 nm wavelength) with a AgNW deposition density of only 12.5 μg/cm2. As an application example, the patterned TCFs were used as the top electrodes to fabricate stretchable alternating current electroluminescent (ACEL) displays with stretchability up to 70% of their original dimension, which were applied to a smart system for simulating heart beats together with a digitally operated flexible circuit. The ACEL device exhibited a bright and uniform emission with a clear and smooth edge even with a pattern width as narrow as 100 μm, as well as exceptional elasticity and durability in spite of bending, stretching, and twisting. The present work provides a new way of patterning AgNWs and can be extended to a variety of applications.

Self-expanding stents based on shape memory alloys and shape memory polymers

Stents are nets which open a stenotic vessel, therefore allowing restoration of the blood stream to peripheral tissues. The advantage of the self-expandable stent with respect to the stainless steel one is that it does not need balloon expansion which possess the risks of further damage of the vascular tissue due to its inflation, it does not require an overexpansion to account for the elastic recoil, and, when positioned, it exerts on the artery a constant force (due to the plateau) unless the artery does not try to occlude the device. The disadvantage, in case of calcified plaques, is that the stent is not able to bring the vessel lumen to the original healthy dimensions. Self-expandable stents are used to treat atherosclerotic lesions in the coronary arteries, the carotid arteries, and in the peripheral arteries. Shape memory alloys, mainly NiTi, are used in numerous applications of the self-expandable vascular stents. Ni-Ti is widely implemented for implants and medical devices because of its excellent biocompatibility, mechanical characteristics, and fatigue performance that make it particularly indicated for long-term installations. Another material for cardiovascular stents are shape memory polymers (SMPs). They provide protection of small blood vessels from collapse, thanks to SME triggered by temperature change or polymer’s hydration. This review has focused on the mechanisms and properties of SMAs and SMPs as promising materials for stent application.

Original Research Article Psycho-Social Dimensions of Stigmatisation of Albinos in Rivers State and the Challenges of Learning among Students with Albinism (Swa)

Original Research Article Psycho-Social Dimensions of Stigmatisation of Albinos in Rivers State and the Challenges of Learning among Students with Albinism (Swa)

Two-Session Radiosurgery for Large Primary Tumors Affecting the Brain

IntroductionSurgery is an option for patients with large, symptomatic primary tumors affecting the brain. However, surgery might not be suitable for all tumors, especially those located in sensitive areas such as the pineal region and the hypothalamus. Single-session stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) might not provide an adequate dose for long-term local control due to the initial tumor volume and the involvement of radiation sensitive organs at risk (OARs). Two-session radiosurgery has been described as a feasible strategy for dose escalation in large secondary brain tumors. This report describes a series of patients treated upfront with two-session radiosurgery for primary tumors affecting the brain.Materials and methodsFrom May 2017 to January 2020, eight patients with primary tumors affecting the brain were treated with two-session radiosurgery due to either an initial large tumor volume or tumor localization and the involvement of OARs. The response was assessed by imaging and clinical evaluations.ResultsA total of eight patients were treated, nine tumors were treated with two-session radiosurgery, four patients had tumors in the pineal region (50%), and the rest were in the hypothalamic region (25%) or elsewhere. The mean tumor volume for the first SRS session was 15 mL (range 5.2 to 51.6 mL), the mean prescription dose was 13 Gy, and the timespan between both sessions was 30 days (range, 30 to 42 days). During the second session, tumor volume was reduced to 73.6% (range, -20% to 98.7%) of the original dimension, mean tumor volume was 5 mL (range, 0.1 to 17.8 ml), mean prescription dose for the second session was 16.2 Gy estimated by time, dose, and fractionation and by bioequivalent dose under alpha-beta values often to be equivalent to a single dose of 15.8 Gy. Doses to the OARs for the optic pathway were equivalent to a single maximum dose of 9.75 Gy (range, 7.12 to 10.92), and to the brainstem, the equivalent was a maximum dose of 12.3 Gy (range, 5.6 to 15.07).At last follow-up, at a mean of 336.5 days (range, 65 to 962 days), seven patients were alive, five tumors had a partial response (PR), and three had stable disease in accordance to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. One patient died 435 days after treatment, the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) was 90 at the first session, 90 at the second session, and was maintained at last follow-up. No adverse radiation effects were reported.ConclusionsTwo-stage SRS proved to be a safe method to escalate dose in proportionately large volume primary brain tumors whose histology is expected to have a quick biological response to radiation. Longer follow-up is needed to determine the long-term effectiveness by tumor subtypes of two-stage SRS in the same manner as it has been proven in single session SRS series in smaller tumor volumes.

Geometric model to predict improvement after lingual frenulectomy for ankyloglossia

ObjectivesFrenulectomy for ankyloglossia is an intervention that often improves breastfeeding quality for both the mother and infant. Current classification systems assess and identify patients with ankyloglossia, but they do not predict the degree of improvement after lingual frenulectomy. We propose an idealized geometric model to quantify the potential effect of frenulectomy for ankyloglossia. MethodsOur geometric model depicts the intact lingual frenulum as a triangular pyramid of mucosa on the floor of mouth. After incising one edge of the pyramid, as is performed during a frenulectomy, the structure unfolds to a two-dimensional diamond whose dimensions can be calculated. Utilizing this calculation, we can predict percent improvement in tongue extension after frenulectomy based off the original dimensions of the pyramid. ResultsOur multivariable equation that allows for the calculation of the percent increase in tongue extension is based on the frenulum thickness, frenulum length, tongue length, and insertion point of the frenulum on the tongue. The initial height of the frenulum and the proximity of the frenulum insertion to the tip of the tongue had the largest impact on tongue extension, whereas frenulum width had the smallest impact. ConclusionLingual frenulectomy has subjectively been reported to improve lingual tongue movement. Our mathematical model identifies multiple anatomic variables that lead to an increase in tongue extension after frenulectomy. Our model is the first step in supporting this subjective improvement with quantifiable measurements, and can allow for future validation studies.

The dynamics of resting-state alpha oscillations predict individual differences in creativity

The neuronal mechanisms underlying creativity are poorly understood. Arguably, the brain's ability to switch states would contribute to achieving novel ideas, and thus to creativity. Faster brain-state switching is reflected in the temporal dynamics of functional brain activity. Stronger autocorrelations in brain activity measures can make a brain stay in a certain state for longer periods, whereas low temporal autocorrelations reflect faster state switching. We established the brain's inherent tendency to switch or stay in a resting, no-task condition using 128 channel electroencephalography (EEG). We assessed temporal autocorrelations of the amplitude modulation of the dominant alpha oscillations (8–13 Hz). Creativity was measured by a self-rating, an examiner-rating and the alternative uses task in 40 healthy young adults, which was scored on dimensions of verbal fluency, originality, elaboration, usefulness, and flexibility. For each dimension, the total number of subject-reported alternative uses that matched the criterion was noted (the quantity measure), as well as the proportion of uses that matched the dimensional criterion. A principal components analysis confirmed the two-component structure of quantity and quality. Partial correlation analysis was used controlling for gender and age, and a cluster permutation test was performed to correct for multiple testing. A significant cluster over right central/temporal brain areas was found with a negative correlation between creativity and temporal autocorrelations were observed (p = 0.028). To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that individual variation in the dynamically changing activity in the brain may offer a neuronal explanation for individual variation in creative ideation.

Age as the Most Prominent Predictor of Young Children’s Creativity Performance and Challenges at Critical Turning Points Early in Life

ABSTRACT This study investigated the relationship among gender, sibling constellation, age, and young children’s creativity performance in the Fluency, Imagination, Originality dimensions of creativity, as well as the developmental trajectory of their creativity performance. In total, 493 young children took the Torrance’s Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement tests (TCAM), Chinese version – Taiwan. Statistical results of independent samples t-tests and correlational analyses showed that amongst gender, sibling constellation, and age, the predictive power on the three dimensions of creativity in TCAM all increased with age, regardless of gender and sibling constellation. More specifically, across age, boys performed better than girls in all three dimensions while children without siblings were more creative than those with siblings in Fluency and Originality, but not in Imagination. Regression analyses results confirmed that taking gender and sibling constellation into consideration, the developmental trajectory of these age 4 to 8 children had an overall upward trend in all three dimensions; yet, there was a period of stagnation and even a gentle decrement for boys’ and girls’ Originality between age 5 and 7. Possible social and environmental factors such as curriculum and pedagogy changes these children experienced during ages 5 to 7 were discussed.

Megaboulder Movement by Superstorms: A Geomorphological Approach

Scheffers, A. and Kelletat, D., 2020. Megaboulder movement by superstorms: A geomorphological approach. Journal of Coastal Research, 36(4), 844–856. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.A longstanding geomorphological debate exists on the capability of high-intensity hurricanes to transport megaboulders. This article considers this debate, with a focus on the Bahamas during the Eemian period when sea levels have been higher. The superstorm hypothesis implies that during a warmer interglacial period, storms of unprecedented intensity would have the ability to dislodge megaboulders, against gravity, and then transport them inland to their current place of deposition, and modelling resulted in strong storms during higher sea levels as the most probable process. In this study, geomorphological arguments are tested that consider the reconstruction of the Eemian coastal landscape, focussing on original dimensions of the boulders and the position of the Eemian cliff more accurately, not excluding tsunamis as a driving force.

Development of the Mexican Version of the Empathy Quotient

Introduction. Empathy is defined as the ability or process to identify and understand other person’s situation, feelings, and motives. These responses are essential for relationships and social behavior. Baron-Cohen et al. created the Empathy Quotient (EQ), a scale explicitly designed to have a clinical application. The instrument evaluates three constructs of empathy and several studies around worldwide, but not in Mexico. Objective. To examine the psychometric properties and the factor congruence of the EQ in a community sample from Mexico City. Method. Cronbach´s alpha coefficient and a correspondence factorial analysis was performed to test the relation between response options and factors from the Exploratory Factor Analysis 200 adults without Axis I disorders through the MINI, filled out the Spanish version of the short version (28-items) of the EQ. An exploratory factor analysis was performed while reliability was tested with Cronbach’s alpha. In addition, correspondence factorial analysis and the factor congruence coefficient were determined. Results. Five items were eliminated from the original 28-item EQ. From the 23 remaining items, only 16 were grouped in the three original proposed dimensions (cognitive empathy: 8 items, emotional reactivity: 4 items and social skills: 3 items), while one item showed communality with a different domain from the one originally proposed. Reliability was adequate (.82) as well as the congruence coefficients (.76 to .99). Discussion and conclusion. The EQ Mexican 16-item version is a good tool to assess empathy in a Mexican population.

RESEARCH OF THE TECHNICAL AND FUNCTIONAL DIMENSION TO THE PERCEPTION OF TOTAL QUALITY OF SERVICES IN HEALTH / ISTRAŽIVANJE UTICAJA TEHNIČKE I FUNKCIONALNE DIMENZIJE NA PERCEPCIJU UKUPNOG KVALITETA USLUGA U ZDRAVSTVU

The study subject of this paper is to examine and measure the difference in the level of perception and expectation of the technical and functional dimension of the quality of services of different groups of patients in order to determine the importance of the perceived level of quality of health services and the impact of expectations on the level of perceived quality. The study was conducted at the University Clinical Center Tuzla with the applied sample, which has the characteristic of a suitable sample, since the selected patients are on active treatment. Of the total number of respondents, 28.95% were men and 71.05% were women, aged 25 to 76 years, 58 or 69.00% are with high school graduation, 14 or 16.70% with high school graduation and 12 or 14.34% with primary school education.The paper presents the results of research conducted among health care users and the measurement of the impact of their previous expectations on the perception of the overall quality of different types of services using a weighted SERVQUAL model based on the difference between perceived and expected quality. It should be emphasized that the selected model measures five standard and original SERVQUAL dimensions: tangibility, reliability, friendliness, security and empathy. The choice of model is due to the fact that the weighted SERVQUAL model has been used in previous studies of quality and perception levels, where multiple studies have shown that there are differences in patient expectation levels.Test results confirm that there is a difference in patients’ perceptions and expectations regarding the functional dimension of services between rehabilitation and surgery services, which partly confirms our claim that patients’ expectations and perceptions differ depending on the type of service and the fact that services are provided within rehabilitation and/or surgical branches. At the same time, the test results indicate that patients do not have the knowledge to evaluate the individual sub-dimensions of the technical dimension of service quality and form an opinion on the quality of the health care process based on the sub-dimensions of the functional dimension of quality, that is, non-technical dimensions of quality.However, the situation in the overall gap analysis is more favorable after the inclusion of weights, which means that the mismatches between perception and expectations are generally far greater in those sub-dimensions of the services to which patients attach the greatest importance. This confirms the fact that, in addition to the perception of individual dimensions, sub-dimensions must include user priorities in the analysis of the perception of quality.

Technology-Enhanced Learning for Graduate Students: Exploring the Correlation of Media Richness and Creativity of Computer-Mediated Communication and Face-to-Face Communication

The objective of the research was to explore and compare the differences in potential creative thinking that media richness had on learners in creativity training through two different types of communication formats; computer-mediated communication, and face-to-face communication. The results indicated that the computer-mediated communication format performed better than the face-to-face in terms of the fluency, flexibility, and originality dimensions of creative thinking. The computer-mediated communication format also had a greater level of media richness perception (i.e., use of multiple cues, language diversity, and personal focus of the medium) than the face-to-face format. In terms of the combined effectiveness of computer-mediated communication, and face-to-face formats, the use of multiple cues, language variety of perception of media richness had direct effects on the fluency of creativity. There was also a positive correlation between the elaboration of creativity and the use of multiple cues, language variety, and personal focus of the medium in the perception of media richness. Furthermore, language variety was correlated with creativity and flexibility. The research findings highlighted the importance of the availability of immediate feedback on media richness, whereas creativity cognition should focus on the breadth and depth of the information, which contributes to enhancing the creativity of individuals or a group of employees.

Weld Overlay Technique using Different Filler Rod Size to Overcome Internal Corrosion of Low Carbon Steel Base Metal

Overlay welding is commonly used to repair and replace the affected corroded surface of the base metal of a component. In other words, it is used to restore the original dimensions of the component. Weld overlay usually applies a corrosion resistant or hard facing layer onto the base metal. This experiment is to determine the suitable filler rod size in repairing corroded low carbon steel (LCS) base metal, respectively to the affected area and to identify the type of distortion occurring on the weldment. It is also to examine the microstructure of the joint between the overlay weld and corroded low carbon steel base metal using SEM/EDX. The overlay welding process was conducted on the corroded samples using SMAW process at defined attacked corroded areas. Filler electrode E-7018 with two diameter sizes of 3.2mm and 2.6mm were selected. It was found that the bigger electrode size produced higher degree of distortion angle compared to smaller electrode size. Resulting from the metallographic and SEM/EDX analysis, the joint between weld overlay and corroded LCS were fused well without any sign of oxides or other impurities present. Overlay welding also remove the sign of chloride ions that cause the LCS base metal to corrode. Thus, the repairing technique using overlay welding was found successful in repairing corroded LCS base metal. Therefore, the most suitable electrode size to do overlay welding on corroded low carbon steel base metal is 2.6 mm diameter electrode.

Using machine learning and feature engineering to characterize limited material datasets of high-entropy alloys

The prediction of the phase formation of high entropy alloys (HEAs) has attracted great research interest recent years due to their superior structure and mechanical properties of single phase. However, the identification of these single phase solid solution alloys is still a challenge. Previous studies mainly focus on trial-and-error experiments or thermodynamic criteria, the previous is time consuming while the latter depends on the descriptors quality, both provide unreliable prediction. In this study, we attempted to predict the phase formation based on feature engineering and machine learning (ML) with a small dataset. The descriptor dimensionality is augmented from original small dimension to high dimension by non-linear combinations to characterize HEAs. The results showed that this method could achieve higher accuracy in predicting the phase formation of HEAs than traditional methods. Except the prediction of HEAs, this method also can be applied to other materials with limited dataset.

Structural reversibility of Cu doped NU-1000 MOFs under hydrogenation conditions.

The metal-organic framework (MOF), NU-1000, and its metalated counterparts have found proof-of-concept application in heterogeneous catalysis and hydrogen storage among others. A vapor-phase technique, akin to atomic layer deposition (ALD), is used to selectively deposit divalent Cu ions on oxo, hydroxo-bridged hexa-zirconium(IV) nodes capped with terminal -OH and -OH2 ligands. The subsequent reaction with steam yields node-anchored, CuII-oxo, hydroxo clusters. We find that cluster installation via AIM (ALD in MOFs) is accompanied by an expansion of the MOF mesopore (channel) diameter. We investigated the behavior of the cluster-modified material, termed Cu-AIM-NU-1000, to heat treatment up to 325 °C at atmospheric pressure with a low flow of H2 into the reaction cell. The response under these conditions revealed two important results: (1) Above 200 °C, the initially installed few-metal-ion clusters reduce to neutral Cu atoms. The neutral atoms migrate from the nodes and aggregate into Cu nanoparticles. While the size of particles formed in the MOF interior is constrained by the width of mesopores (∼3 nm), the size of those formed on the exterior surface of the MOF can grow as large as ∼8 nm. (2) Reduction and release of Cu atoms from the MOFs nodes is accompanied by the dynamic structural transformation of NU-1000 as it reverts back to its original dimension following the release. These results show that while the MOF framework itself remains intact at 325 °C in an H2 atmosphere, the small, AIM-installed CuII-oxo, hydroxo clusters are stable with respect to reduction and conversion to metallic nanoparticles only up to ∼200 °C.

Target Recognition in SAR Images Based on Multiresolution Representations with 2D Canonical Correlation Analysis

This study proposes a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) target-recognition method based on the fused features from the multiresolution representations by 2D canonical correlation analysis (2DCCA). The multiresolution representations were demonstrated to be more discriminative than the solely original image. So, the joint classification of the multiresolution representations is beneficial to the enhancement of SAR target recognition performance. 2DCCA is capable of exploiting the inner correlations of the multiresolution representations while significantly reducing the redundancy. Therefore, the fused features can effectively convey the discrimination capability of the multiresolution representations while relieving the storage and computational burdens caused by the original high dimension. In the classification stage, the sparse representation-based classification (SRC) is employed to classify the fused features. SRC is an effective and robust classifier, which has been extensively validated in the previous works. The moving and stationary target acquisition and recognition (MSTAR) data set is employed to evaluate the proposed method. According to the experimental results, the proposed method could achieve a high recognition rate of 97.63% for the 10 classes of targets under the standard operating condition (SOC). Under the extended operating conditions (EOC) like configuration variance, depression angle variance, and the robustness of the proposed method are also quantitively validated. In comparison with some other SAR target recognition methods, the superiority of the proposed method can be effectively demonstrated.

A WOOD BIOPLASTIC COMPOSITE FROM SOY FLOUR AND SAWDUST

The influence of the processing conditions and composition on the properties of biocomposites made of a bioplastic matrix from soybean protein, crosslinked with glutaraldehyde, reinforced with lignocellulosic material from wood sawdust (Wood Bio-Plastic Composite, WBPC) was investigated. The WBPCs were obtained by thermocompression applying a pressure of 70 bar at 100 and 120 °C for 30 or 60 minutes. Several test pieces were prepared varying the crosslinker/protein and protein/sawdust ratios. The samples obtained were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), flexural and hardness tests, and water absorption and swelling, according to international ASTM standards. The crosslinking of the protein improves the mechanical properties of the biocomposites, especially when contents of bioplastic matrix and crosslinker are low. It was also verified that the WBPCs prepared in this work recover their original shape and dimensions after immersion in water and subsequent drying. The results were explained considering crosslinker-protein and protein-sawdust interactions.