Preliminary Examination Research Articles

Fin-tech indicators, mineral resources and green productivity: Role of human development and globalization in BRICS region

Fin-tech facilitates capital allocation for sustainable mineral extraction, fostering green productivity. Fin-tech platforms empower communities to invest in renewable, driving eco-friendly practices in mineral-rich areas. Despite its significant importance, the influence of fin-tech and mineral resources is relatively under-explored, particularly in the BRICS region, mainly due to the unavailability of inclusive fintech indicators. This study initially constructs fintech index based on financial development and digitalization indicators. Although it does not purely reflect fintech, however, it is a good proxy for the readiness of fintech. Later, this study explores the nonlinear dynamics of fintech and mineral resources after controlling the impact of human development and globalisation on the green productivity of the BRICS countries from 1990 to 2021. Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) model is employed after the preliminary examination of the data series. The bound test of the cointegration approach is used to establish the long-run equilibrium relationship between the variables. Wald test affirms the asymmetries/non-linearities in financial technology and mineral resources. The long-run outcomes of NARDL reveal positive and negative shocks in financial technology and mineral resources cause to influence green productivity differently. Positive shock in fin-tech (mineral rent) leads to a 0.251% (0.437) increase (decreased) in green productivity, while negative shows a reduction (increases) by 0.308% (114%). Human development and globalisation positively impact green productivity in the long and short run. The error correction term is negative and significant, implying that the applied model settles 46.1% of asymmetric discrepancies annually. The study emphasises enhancing the financial technology sector in the BRICS countries.

Diagnostic value of measuring the talofibular space using stress sonography in chronic lateral ankle instability

ObjectivesTo investigate the diagnostic value of measuring the talofibular space using stress sonography for chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI). Materials & methodsWe recruited patients who were clinically diagnosed with CLAI between October 2018 and December 2019 (CLAI group). A control group of healthy volunteers was also included for this study. Both groups underwent a preliminary stress sonographic examination. First, the ultrasonic characteristics of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), including length, thickness, relaxation, calcification, and rupture, were observed using conventional sonography. Second, the talofibular space at the passive neutral position (D1) and maximum varus position (D2) was measured (by stress sonographic images), and the difference (ΔD = D1-D2) between them was determined. Third, the parameters of the two groups were statistically compared. Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC) analyses were performed for parameters with significant differences. ResultsThe CLAI group comprised 60 patients, yielding data on 60 ankles, whereas the control group comprised 35 participants, yielding data for 70 ankles. Differences in D1, D2, and ΔD of the talofibular space between the two groups were significant, with ΔD proving to be the best diagnostic indicator (P < 0.001). Its AUC, optimal cutoff value, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.922, 0.11 cm, 73 %, and 94 %, respectively, followed by D2 (0.850, 0.47 cm, 67 %, and 94 %, respectively; P < 0.001) and D1 (0.635, 0.47 cm, 67 %, and 94 %, respectively; P = 0.006). ConclusionMeasurement of talofibular space in stress sonography is a valuable diagnostic indicator for CLAI, especially the ΔD between the neutral and stress position.

Investigating the impact of x‐ray computed tomography imaging on soluble organic matter in the Murchison meteorite: Implications for Bennu sample analyses

AbstractX‐ray computed tomography (XCT) is a valuable reconnaissance tool for three‐dimensional imaging and identification of distinct lithologies in extraterrestrial samples. It will be used as part of the preliminary examination of samples returned from asteroid (101955) Bennu by the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS‐REx) mission. However, it must first be established whether x‐rays generated during XCT could degrade or alter the organic composition of the returned samples by radiolysis. To test this, we split a crushed sample of the Murchison CM2 meteorite, kept one portion as a control, and irradiated the other portion up to the maximum x‐ray dosage (~180 Gy) that a Bennu sample would experience during an XCT imaging experiment. We then extracted organic compounds from both splits and conducted (i) nontargeted soluble organic analyses to compare the chemical distributions of C‐, H‐, O‐, N‐, and S‐bearing species and (ii) targeted measurements to quantify the abundances of 96 individual soluble organic molecules that included protein amino acids, amines, carboxylic acids, hydroxy acids, carbonyl compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, sugars, and N‐heterocycles. We found that XCT imaging of the Murchison meteorite had no measurable impact on the relative abundances or enantiomeric compositions of most of the soluble organic compounds targeted in this study. Elevated total abundances of several soluble organic compound classes were observed in the XCT‐scanned Murchison sample relative to the control. This is likely related to particle size heterogeneity and specific surface area differences between the sample aliquots used for the extractions, rather than a result of the x‐ray exposure. Assuming the samples returned from asteroid Bennu by OSIRIS‐REx have a similar composition to carbonaceous chondrites, these data provide confidence that XCT will not significantly alter their soluble organic compositions.

Comparative Analysis of the Mechanical Exploitation Properties of the Steel Sheet Welded Joint of New and Old Materials

The rehabilitation process of the war-damaged vertical cylindrical tank with a volume of 5.000 m3 located at the oil terminal for liquid cargo TTT S-105 Ribić in Bihać, included a preliminary experimental examination of the mechanical exploitation properties of the steel sheet welded joints. A new steel sheet Č.0361 was acquired for this purpose. In addition, a sample of an old sheet of the same quality was taken from the construction of the devastated tank, which had been in use for more than 35 years. The experimental testing should determine the mechanical exploitation properties of the new material, examine the same properties of the old used material, compare the obtained results and confirm their mutual acceptability in the joint construction. The tank in question was damaged as a result of direct or indirect missile hits during the war period. Following the more economically acceptable rehabilitation, compared to demolition and complete reconstruction, the tank should be returned to a safe and usable condition.

Analysis of the Effectiveness of Alpha Strategy for Optimized Multi-Factor Models

The emergence of ChatGPT signifies the advent of a new artificial intelligence revolution. Generative AI technologies, represented by ChatGPT, will profoundly afferct the research paradigm in finance and the systemic ecosystem of the financial industry. This study primarily focuses on the stocks within the ChatGPT concept sector of China's A-share market and investigates the effectiveness of a multi-factor Alpha stock selection strategy in this sector. Firstly, the research optimizes the Fama-French three-factor model and establishes a four-factor model. Using this optimized four-factor model, stock selection is performed within the ChatGPT concept sector, resulting in the formation of an investment portfolio. Based on backtesting, the strategy is found to be highly effective, though it requires a certain level of risk tolerance from investors. These results represent a proactive attempt to apply the Alpha strategy to the ChatGPT concept sector of China's A-share market, providing a preliminary examination of its performance characteristics and offering valuable insights for further research by subsequent scholars.

Top 10 academic progress on traditional Chinese medicine in 2022

Background To implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Opinions on Promoting the Inheritance, Innovation, and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), regularly summarize the research results of TCM, present the academic progress on TCM dynamically, and fully leverage the academic leadership of academic groups, the China Association of Chinese Medicine organized the selection of the top 10 academic progress on TCM in 2022. The selection process adhered to 4 orientations, eliminated any biases, highlighted the solutions to clinical problems, answered scientific questions, and led the industry’s development. It reflected an exploratory and forward-looking approach, emphasizing innovation and breakthroughs. The selection focused on new laws, new discoveries, new methods, new products, and new theories in the field of basic research and applied basic research in TCM. Through a process of dynamic collection, preliminary examination, review, and final judgment, the top 10 academic progress of TCM in 2022 were determined.

Preliminary examination of the perceptions of sustainable horse feeding practices in the Netherlands

The purpose of this study was to determine the perception of sustainability among horse owners in the Netherlands and their willingness to switch to more sustainable feeding practices. A survey was distributed to a target group of horse owners in the Netherlands via social media channels. Data (n = 338 valid responses) were stratified based on yard type and size (small (<20), medium (20-50), and large (>50 horses). Most of the yards were livery yards (68 %) and they were small in size (66 %). The term most commonly associated with sustainability was low environmental impact (61.8 %). All participants (338/338) indicated that they were willing to switch to more sustainable feeding practices. Of the six options offered, the most popular was the use of plastic-free packaging products (60.5 %). This study identified that numerically the greatest change in behavior for the Dutch equestrian community would be achieved by small livery yards (P < 0.001). The potential to modify certain practices might be limited by the size of the equestrian operation, such as the available land for altering pasture management, and the financial aspects of the enterprise. Future research should investigate how the scale and economic considerations of the equestrian business influence its capacity and willingness to adopt more sustainable feeding practices.

Coping with racial discrimination: a preliminary examination of coping strategies in college students at a University in Northeastern U.S

Objective We examined the associations between coping strategies in response to racism and distress symptoms. Sample One hundred forty-four racially minoritized students at a northeastern university completed an online survey. Methods Participants completed self-report active and emotion-focused coping and distress symptom (i.e., depression and anxiety) measures. Hierarchical regressions were conducted to test: 1) correlations between coping strategies in response to racism and distress symptoms, and 2) whether emotional acceptance moderates the association between active coping in response to racism and distress symptoms. Results Students’ self-compassionate responses to their emotional reactions to discrimination uniquely predicted less distress. In contrast, reports of using resistance and education in response to discrimination were positively correlated with distress symptoms; however, these associations were no longer significant when accounting for emotional acceptance. Conclusions Our findings suggest that emotional acceptance coping may be associated with lower distress symptoms. Active coping was associated with increased distress symptoms, except when accounting for emotional acceptance coping.

Artificial intelligence-assisted examination of cardiac health status through electrocardiogram

Abstract Background Cardiac diseases are the main causes of death. Echocardiogram is the standard testing tool of heart diseases but it is inconvenient and expensive. This study aims at developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted method to interpret electrocardiograms (ECG) for cardiac health status. Method A total of 70757 subjects undergoing concomitant ECG and echocardiography were enrolled. ECG was analyzed by using Philips DXL algorithm to obtain 512 parameters, and a healthy heart is defined by normal cardiac chamber size, myocardial thickness, systolic function, diastolic function, and valvular function. A multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and Long short term memory (LSTM) were developed with hold-out validation (training dataset 80% and testing dataset 20%). Three categories of input data are made based on the percentage of healthy data of 30.6%. Death of the participants were confirmed via linking database to the National Death Registry A Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis was conducted in the testing dataset stratified by AI-determined cardiac health status. Results The testing results of the proposed methods on an independent dataset are shown in Table 1. It is interesting that using MLP has similar performance as the LSTM model. Furthermore, the 30-layer MLP model has a F1 value of 83.8% and the 50-layer MLP model has a F1 value of 83.8, while the F1 value of 2-layer LSTM_0.2 is 85.2% and 2-layer LSTM_0.2 is 84.6%. In addition, AI-determined healthy hearts were associated with better long-term survival. Conclusion An AI-assisted analysis on ECG can act as a preliminary examination of cardiac diseases to facilitate the arrangement of echocardiograms for early detections.

Are cooks more disgust sensitive? Preliminary examination of the food preparation hypothesis

According to the food preparation hypothesis, sex differences in disgust sensitivity may stem from different sex roles that males and females played in our ancestral times. In current times, these differences may be reflected in varying levels of disgust sensitivity between people who frequently versus rarely engage in meal preparation, or who are versus are not professionally responsible for providing meals for others. To test this reasoning, we conducted a preregistered study with 493 individuals (55% female), with 280 of them working in the restaurant industry. Participants reported their weekly time spent on cooking-related activities and completed the Food Disgust Scale and pathogen subscale of Three Domain Disgust Scale. These measures capture specific, food-related disgust sensitivity, and generalised pathogen disgust sensitivity, respectively. We found that while time spent on cooking was not associated with disgust sensitivity, people professionally engaged in food preparation displayed higher levels of food-related disgust sensitivity. There was no effect of cooking on the generalised pathogen disgust sensitivity. Additionally, we observed sex differences in both types of disgust sensitivity and found that vegetarians exhibited lower disgust sensitivity than meat-eaters. Overall, our findings offer preliminary support for the food preparation hypothesis, and point out that the mechanisms adjusting our disgust sensitivity levels are category-specific, even within the broader pathogen disgust domain.

Exploring the Potential for Extended Investigation: A Preliminary Examination of Liriomyza trifolii and its Bibliometric Foundation for Analytical Pursuits

Exploring the Potential for Extended Investigation: A Preliminary Examination of Liriomyza trifolii and its Bibliometric Foundation for Analytical Pursuits

A SEM-ANN analysis to examine sustainable performance in SMEs: The moderating role of transformational leadership

The central aim of this research study is to investigate the interconnections and dynamics within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by examining Fintech adoption, competitiveness, circular economy practices, transformational leadership, and sustainable performance. The study's theoretical framework is grounded in the Practice-Based View, integrating Fintech adoption, competitiveness, circular economy practices, transformational leadership, and sustainable performance into the proposed model. To validate this model, the research employs the SEM-ANN analysis method. The study focuses on workers within SMEs in Pakistan, with a sample of 473 participants collected using a simple random sampling technique and 442 samples were deemed suitable for analysis. Preliminary data examination and hypothesis testing were conducted using Smart-PLS 4.0 and SPSS-23. A two-fold SEM-ANN approach was employed to validate the study's proposed model. The research findings indicate a direct and significant impact of Fintech adoption and transformational leadership on the sustainable performance of SMEs. Circular economy practices and competitiveness play vital intermediary roles, connecting Fintech adoption and sustainable performance. Furthermore, transformational leadership acts to moderate the relationships between Fintech adoption and both circular economy practices and competitiveness. The ANN approach complements the SEM analysis, providing additional insights and expanding our understanding of the subject. This study illuminates the interplay between Fintech, circular economy practices, and transformational leadership in enhancing SMEs' competitiveness and sustainable performance. It underscores the pivotal role of integrating Fintech and sustainable practices for SMEs and provides insightful directives for policymakers and scholars aiming to bolster SMEs in a competitive business environment.

IMPLEMENTATION OF A JUDGE'S DECISION REGARDING THE EVIDENCE STATUS IN CRIMINAL CASES RELATED TO BANKRUPTCY CONFISCATION

This article discusses criminal acts with the characteristics of a large number of victims and losses, one of which is the case of PT First Travel and Abu Tour with the same motive and article being charged. For the purposes of examining criminal cases since the preliminary examination stage, the process of confiscating evidence has been carried out, including goods which are the object of a crime, proceeds of a crime and other goods related to a crime, including goods in bankruptcy confiscation. The issues discussed are the application of the status of evidence in criminal cases related to bankruptcy confiscated goods in a judge's decision and efforts to return evidence in meeting the victim's loss due to a crime. Using the normative juridical research method, it was concluded that the consideration of judges, which is one of the most important aspects in determining the realization of the value of a judge's decision, was not carried out carefully and thoroughly, one of which was in decisions 3096 K/Pid.Sus/2018 and 3127 K/PID.SUS/2019 which makes no sense at all. Efforts are needed to return the confiscated evidence from the victim to overcome the losses suffered, in several ways, namely improving the search and filing administration system for evidence subject to confiscation from the investigation stage so that the case files at the prosecutor's office are included if there is already a bankruptcy confiscation.

Gut Microbiome Links to Disease Stage and Immune Microenvironment in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Background Recent studies have shown extensive crosstalk between our immune system and the gut microbiome (GM). The host immune system plays a vital role in the maintenance of GM homeostasis by establishing a balance between eliminating invading pathogens and promoting the growth of beneficial microbes, whereas GM can modulate the immune system by cytokine production. As chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by a high rate of infectious complications and an altered immune microenvironment, it is warranted to uncover the link between microbiome composition and immune dysregulation in CLL patients. Thus, we investigated the microbiome pattern and potential connections to disease characteristics and phenotypes and distribution within the immune microenvironment in CLL patients requiring treatment. Methods Blood and feces samples were collected from 17 patients with CLL prior to targeted treatment with acalabrutinib or ibrutinib+venetoclax in clinical trials. T-cell maturation subsets, Treg/Th17 subsets, and activation- and exhaustion profiles were assessed in fresh blood samples by an 8-tube, 10 color flow cytometry panel (DuraClone), including one tube containing beads for calculating absolute concentrations. Fecal samples were subjected to shotgun sequencing using Illumina HiSeq and taxonomical profiling was done using an in-house bioinformatics pipeline. The bioinformatics analysis involved microbial species abundances comparison and co-occurrence identification across patient clusters. Electronic health records provided data on clinical baseline characteristics. Case report forms and data on use of antimicrobial drugs will be assessed at a later stage to investigate potential associations with infections or toxicity related adverse events. All patients provided written informed consent and the study was approved by the National Ethics Committee and the Data Protections Agency. Results Unsupervised clustering analyses based on GM composition data revealed two GM clusters, where we found an overlap constituting approximately 40% of the cohort between Binet stage C (7/10 patients) and GM cluster 2 (7/10 patients) (Figure 1A). GM cluster 2 was characterized by differentially abundant species such as Bacteroides fragilis and Eggerthela lenta, demonstrating the two highest fold change and elevated relative abundances (Figure 1B). Closer examination of the taxonomic composition characteristic for the 7 patients revealed a small set of indicator microbiome species, where Clostridium innocuum together with Clostridiales sp., Bacteroides fragilis and Escherichia coli, were the most significantly abundant co-occurring species for CLL patients with Binet C. Preliminary examination of T-cell subset data showed generally lower concentrations of T-cells in patients from GM cluster 2 compared to GM cluster 1, where the 7 patients overlapping with Binet C furthermore had decreased levels of Th17 CD4+ and Tc17 CD8+ cells compared to both the normal reference level and the rest of the cohort (Figure 1C). Conclusion Our preliminary results suggest a link between CLL stage at time of needing treatment, gut microbiome composition, represented by a subset of highly abundant bacterial species, and T-cell distribution with reduced Th17 and Tc17 subsets, to be further investigated. To our knowledge, we are thus among the first to present data connecting the gut microbiome to tumor microenvironmental changes in patients with CLL. Moving forward we will further explore microbiome-microenvironment interactions with focus on the production of short-chain fatty acids (bacterial metabolites which play crucial roles as immunomodulatory molecules) to investigate connections between microbiome, immune phenotypes, and clinical outcomes including infections, treatment-related toxicity, and disease progression, to light on novel avenues for therapeutic interventions in CLL.

Enhanced electrochemical performance of HC/NiCo@ 800 C//HC using redox-active electrolytes showing increased energy density

Supercapacitors are regarded as a promising energy storage devices, in which the energy storage mechanism is based on both electrical double layer capacitance (EDLC) and pseudo-capacitance. Herein, we fabricated an innovative hybrid system that combines two different energy storage processes, viz., electrophysically (EDLC) and electrochemically (pseudo-capacitance). The pseudo-capacitance is brought about in two ways, i.e., both in electrode [using hetero-atom doped carbon along with bimetallic oxide (NiCo oxide)] and electrolyte (using redox-active electrolytes). The redox-active electrolytes containing iodide ions i.e., KI and RbI promote the Faradaic reactions and improves the capacitance of the prepared material. The hetero-atom doped carbon (HC) containing ‘O′ and ‘N′ atoms in the carbon framework is prepared from polybenzoxazine source. The calcination temperature of 800 ℃ is efficient in forming the activated porous carbon i.e., HC/NiCo@ 800 C. From the preliminary examination of HC/NiCo@ 800 C, it is found that the spinel oxide was successfully prepared at 800 ℃, as evidenced by (311) (111) (220) and (440) planes of cubic NiCo from XRD and it is well incorporated into the porous carbon framework, indicated by increased intensity of ‘D′ band (degree of disorder) in the Raman spectrum. The electrochemical characterizations of the prepared electrode in redox-active electrolytes (i.e., KI and RbI) and aqueous electrolyte (i.e., KOH) are performed using CV, GCD and EIS studies. The promising effect of iodide ion is observed, showing an increased specific capacitance of 2334 and 2076 F g–1 @ 1 A g–1 for RbI and KI electrolytes, respectively. Further, an asymmetric two-electrode device is fabricated [HC/NiCo@ 800 C//HC], exhibiting a specific capacitance of 232 F g–1 with an increased energy density of 96.57 W-h kg–1, using RbI as an electrolyte.

84 Preliminary Psychometric Examination of a Short Questionnaire of Executive Functions

Objective:The behavioral assessment of executive functions has become increasingly common in clinical practice, with a self-report measure of executive functions becoming one of the most commonly administered assessment instruments of the construct in clinical practice. These subjective measurements serve as an alternative to objective tests of executive functions, which have been criticized for poor ecological validity. Many behavioral measures of executive functions are now available, but there are some issues with those currently in use, in that many are lengthy, proprietary, and/or do not measure executive functions that align with a theoretical framework of the multidimensional construct. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of a new short questionnaire of executive functions designed to be concise, theoretically based, and ultimately freely available for use in research and clinical practice.Participants and Methods:Participants included 575 college undergraduate students who completed an online questionnaire to earn credit in psychology courses. They were, on average, 18.9 years-old (SD=1.0, range: 18-22), 82.4% female, and 78.8% White. All participants completed 20 self-report items on a four-point ordinal scale measuring five theorized executive function constructs of Planning, Inhibition, Working Memory, Shifting, and Emotional Control. The 20 items were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and factor reliabilities were estimated using omega. As a validity analysis, correlations between the total score with measures of subjective cognition and ADHD symptoms were compared to correlations between the total score with measures of anxiety and depression, hypothesizing stronger correlations of executive functions with cognition and ADHD than negative affect.Results:The initial 20-item model did not fit well, x2=1560.10, df=160, p&lt;.0001, CFI=0.822, TLI=0.788, RMSEA=0.130 (90% CI: 0.1240.136). The polychoric inter-item correlations were examined for high cross-factor correlations and low intra-factor correlations. This process resulted in the removal of one item from each factor, The modified model, inclusive of 15 items, presented with adequate fit to the data, X2=470.56, df=80, p&lt;.0001, CFI=0.936, TLI=0.916, RMSEA=0.097 (90% CI: 0.0890.106). The total score has good reliability (Q=.82), whereas estimates for each factor ranged from .56 to .79. The total score showed a stronger correlation with ADHD symptoms (r=-.59) and subjective cognition (r=.59) than depression (r=.46, z=4.05, p&lt;.001) and anxiety symptoms (r=.38, z=6.29, p&lt;.001).Conclusions:These preliminary findings provided modest psychometric support for this short 15-item self-report questionnaire of executive functions. The questionnaire had acceptable fit and evidence for validity, in that the total executive function score had a stronger correlation with subjective cognitive complaints and ADHD symptoms than negative affect. The reliability of some individual factors fell below conventional cutoffs for acceptable reliability, indicating a need for further refinement of this new questionnaire.

The application of conditional release before the term - reaction to the criminal phenomenon

Conditional release from punishment before the term is an alternative to detention for the convicted person, if he is flexible to follow the path of correction and re-education, thus being examined in this sense by the employees of the penitentiary institution in whose custody the convict is held , before going to court. This existing extrajudicial way and the grounds for conditional release, are beneficial both for making a qualification in the sense of meeting the conditions for the possible conditional release of the convicted and, considering the predominant volume in the increase in the number of files brought to the table in the cases concerning detainees in the courts of national judgment, an easing of the judge’s work. At the same time, the preliminary examination of the convict’s personality should be carried out from the beginning of the execution of the custodial sentence, in order not to admit the proposal for the conditional release of the sentence before the term of a convict who in fact does not meet the conditions provided by the law.

A Quantitative Examination of Servant Leadership in Occupational Therapy

The tenets of servant leadership are in alignment with those driving occupational therapy practice, though little research exists to quantify this fit. This study presents a preliminary examination of servant leadership utilization by occupational therapy academic leaders. A quantitative survey-based design collected demographic information and scores on the Servant Leadership Behavior Scale. There were 370 responses which met inclusionary criteria. The findings provided initial support for the intentional use of a servant leadership model by leaders in the profession, and points to future research on the subject to further strengthen the findings presented.

Why Haven’t You Texted Me Back? Adolescents’ Digital Entrapment, Friendship Conflict, and Perceived General Health

ABSTRACT Objective Many adolescents feel pressure to be constantly available and responsive to others via their smartphones and social media. This phenomenon has been understudied using quantitative methods, and no prior study has examined adolescents’ specific stress about meeting digital availability expectations within a best friendship, or entrapment. The present study offers an important preliminary examination of this unique digital stressor in a developmental context by examining prospective associations between digital entrapment, psychosocial adjustment, and health in adolescence. Method Students in a rural, lower-income school district in the southeastern US (n = 714; 53.8% female; 45.9% White, 22.7% Black, 24.0% Hispanic/Latino) completed self-report measures of digital entrapment, perceived general health, friendship conflict, and depressive symptoms at two timepoints, one year apart. Results Digital entrapment, which 76.3% of the sample reported experiencing, was associated prospectively with higher levels of friendship conflict and worse perceived general health one year later among boys, but not girls. Findings suggest that digital entrapment is an extremely common experience for adolescents that may disproportionally affect boys. Entrapment was not prospectively associated with depressive symptoms. Conclusions Results offer insight into how boys may have different social media experiences significant to their development and health, while much work exploring gender differences in social media use thus far has elucidated negative effects for girls. Boys may perceive and respond to novel social norms of digital environments differently such that digital entrapment has the potential to be detrimental to their friendships and health.

A large-scale comparison of two voice synthesis techniques on intelligibility, naturalness, preferences, and attitudes toward voices banked by individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) commonly results in the inability to produce natural speech, making speech-generating devices (SGDs) important. Historically, synthetic voices generated by SGDs were neither unique, nor age- or dialect-appropriate, which depersonalized SGD use. Voices generated by SGDs can now be customized via voice banking and should ideally sound uniquely like the individual’s natural speech, be intelligible, and elicit positive reactions from communication partners. This large-scale 2 x 2 mixed between- and within-participants design examined perceptions of 831 adult listeners regarding custom synthetic voices created for two individuals diagnosed with ALS via two synthesis systems in common clinical use (waveform concatenation and statistical parametric synthesis). The study explored relationships among synthesis system, dysarthria severity, synthetic speech intelligibility, naturalness, and preferences, and also provided a preliminary examination of attitudes regarding the custom synthetic voices. Synthetic voices generated via statistical parametric synthesis trained on deep neural networks were more intelligible, natural, and preferred than voices produced via waveform concatenation, and were associated with more positive attitudes. The custom synthetic voice created from moderately dysarthric speech was more intelligible than the voice created from mildly dysarthric speech. Clinical implications and factors that may have contributed to the relative intelligibilities are discussed.