Relative Influence Research Articles

예비 영유아교사의 모의수업 불안에 관한 연구

Objectives This study examines how the general characteristics major satisfaction, and positive psychological capital of pre-service early childhood teacher are related to simulated instruction anxiety, and confirms their rela-tive influence on simulated instruction anxiety. Methods The subjects of this study are 190 university student enrolled in departments related to childcare and early childhood education. Descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis were performed using SPSS program, and the relatiove influence of variables affecting simulated instruction anxiety was conformed through hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results First, all sub-factors of the general characteristics, major satisfaction, and positive psychological capital of pre-service teachers’ showed a negative correlation with simulated instruction anxiety. Second, as a result of examining the relative influence on pre-service teacher’s simulated instruction anxiety, it was found that the in-fluence was in the order of self-efficacy, number of simulated instruction participation, and satisfaction with major subjects. Conclusions This study is significant in that it identified variables that affect pre-service teachers’ simulated in-struction anxiety in an academic reality where there is little actual research on simulated instruction anxiety. This study can be used as basic data for developing early childhood teacher training curriculum and programs.

Bumble bee diet breadth increases with local abundance and phenophase duration, not intraspecific variation in body size.

Patterns of abundance across space and time, and intraspecific variation in body size, are two species attributes known to influence diet breadth and the structure of interaction networks. Yet, the relative influence of these attributes on diet breadth is often assumed to be equal among taxonomic groups, and the relationship between intraspecific variation in body size on interaction patterns is frequently neglected. We observed bee-flower interactions in multiple locations across Montana, USA, for two growing seasons and measured spatial and temporal patterns of abundance, along with interspecific and intraspecific variation in body size for prevalent species. We predicted that the association between spatial and temporal patterns of abundance and intraspecific variation in body size, and diet breadth, would be stronger for bumble bee compared to non-bumble bee species, because species with flexible diets and long activity periods can interact with more food items. Bumble bees had higher local abundance, occurred in many local communities, more intraspecific variation in body size, and longer phenophases compared to non-bumble bee species, but only local abundance and phenophase duration had a stronger positive association with the diet breadth of bumble bee compared to non-bumble bee species. Communities with a higher proportion of bumble bees also had higher intraspecific variation in body size at the network-level, and network-level intraspecific variation in body size was positively correlated with diet generalization. Our findings highlight that the association between species attributes and diet breadth changes depending on the taxonomic group, with implications for the structure of interaction networks.

Factors influencing air passengers' intention to purchase voluntary carbon offsetting programs: The moderating role of environmental knowledge

BackgroundThis paper aims to investigate the factors that influence air passengers' intention to purchase the VCO program by applying the extended Theory of Planned Behavior. Furthermore, we examine how the influence of these factors on purchasing intention varies according to passengers' levels of environmental knowledge. MethodsWe surveyed 319 individuals in Korea who have had air travel experience within the past three years and are planning future air travel. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 25.0. To verify validity and reliability, we conducted confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis. Hypotheses were tested using a structural equation model, and the moderating effect of environmental knowledge was verified through multi-group analysis. FindingsOur findings revealed that personal norms, subjective norms, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control influence customers' intentions to purchase VCO program, in that order. Additionally, a critical aspect of our research is the multigroup analysis that demonstrates how environmental knowledge moderates the effects of attitudes and personal norms on purchase intentions. This indicates that the level of environmental awareness significantly shapes the decision-making process for participating in VCO program. Our study provides valuable insights for developing effective communication strategies to promote VCO program, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches based on individuals’ environmental knowledge. OriginalityThis study is the first to analyze the intention to purchase voluntary carbon offset (VCO) program among Korean passengers. We conducted a comprehensive analysis based on the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and investigated how the relative influence of each factor varies depending on the level of environmental knowledge.

The impact of leadership strategies in enhancing product creativity: an exploratory study in the General Company for the Manufacture of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies/Samarra

The current research aims to determine the correlation and influence between entrepreneurial strategies and enhancing product innovation in the General Company for the Manufacture of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies in Samarra. Entrepreneurship strategies are among the important strategies for any organization and have a prominent role in reaching the goals that the organization seeks to achieve,Among them is the goal of enhancing product creativity. Due to the limited studies that included the influential relationship between these variables in general and in the Iraqi environment in particular, the researchers sought to include in their current study these dimensions and their variables within a comprehensive framework in an attempt to study the relationship and influence between them. In general, this study attempts to answer the following question: What is the nature of the correlations and influence between entrepreneurial strategies and enhancing product creativity in the General Company for the Manufacture of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies in Samarra?To answer this question, a hypothetical chart was prepared that reflects the relationships of correlation and influence between the research variables. Specific hypotheses were formulated that were tested and verified. The descriptive and analytical approaches were used to complete the research, in addition to adopting a questionnaire form according to a five-point Likert scale as a main tool for collecting data and related informationSearch

The association between family dynamics and Positive Youth Development in secondary education students.

The Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework is a strengths-based approach to adolescence that states that adolescents will thrive if nurtured by the right developmental assets. The family is one of the most important developmental assets, but studies about the relationship between family dynamics and the overall PYD of adolescents are scarce. The present study aims to examine the associations between five family dynamics indicators and PYD, while taking into account the role of gender. A cross-sectional study was carried out with a representative sample of adolescents from the city of Huelva, Spain (n = 1,036). Data were collected in 14 randomly selected secondary education schools. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was tested to determine the effect of family dynamics on PYD, both for the whole sample and within each gender. The SEM for the whole sample showed a positive effect of the family dynamics factor on the PYD factor, explaining 51.8% of its variance. The indicators of satisfaction with the relationship with the mother, satisfaction with the relationship with the father, frequency of engaging in joint family activities on weekends, and frequency of sharing daily occurrences at home showed factor loadings over 0.50, while the indicator of frequency of contribution to household chores had the lowest loading. The family dynamics factor in the model with the subsample of girls explained 54.8% of the variance in PYD, while in the SEM with the subsample of boys this factor explained 47.6% of it. Additionally, among girls, the relative influence of satisfaction in the relationship with the parents, as well as of frequently discussing the day at home, is higher than among boys. These results highlight a strong association between family dynamics indicators and PYD among adolescents and indicate that this relationship is stronger for girls than for boys. Intersectoral policies enhancing improvements in family dynamics (e.g., facilitating the practice of joint family activities on weekends) may have a relevant impact on PYD.

Effects of Lexical Properties in L2 Chinese Compound Processing: A Multivariate Approach.

Previous studies on L2 (i.e., second language) Chinese compound processing have focused on the relative efficiency of two routes: holistic processing versus combinatorial processing. However, it is still unclear whether Chinese compounds are processed with multilevel representations among L2 learners due to the hierarchical structure of the characters. Therefore, taking a multivariate approach, the present study evaluated the relative influence and importance of different grain sizes of lexical information in an L2 Chinese two-character compound decision task. Results of supervised component generalized linear regression models with random forests analysis revealed that the orthographic, phonological and semantic information all contributed to L2 compound processing, but the L2 learners used more orthographic processing strategies and fewer phonological processing strategies compared to the native speakers. Specifically, the orthographic information was activated at the whole-word, the character and the radical levels in orthographic processing, and the phonological information at the whole-word, the syllable, and the phoneme levels all exerted contributions in phonological processing. Furthermore, the semantic information of the whole words and the constituents was accessed in semantic processing. These findings together suggest that the L2 learners are able to use cues at all levels simultaneously to process Chinese compound words, supporting a multi-route model with a hierarchical morphological structure in such processing.

Interplay between greenspace interactions and sense of place in Seoul City

The intricate connection between urban residents and their surrounding greenspaces highlights the multifaceted relationship shaping individuals’ sense of place within urban environment. This study explores the influential relationship between greenspace interactions (GI) and the resultant greenspace sense of place (GSP) while considering four types of greenspaces (GT) as moderators. Employing partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), data was gathered from 400 participants, encompassing different GT within Seoul City, South Korea, to investigate the nuanced associations among psychological, physical, social, and environmental dimensions of GI and their impacts on place attachment (PA), sense of community (SoC), and utilitarian sense of place (USoP) in the GSP framework. Findings confirm a significant relationship between GI and GSP, emphasizing the role of environmental consciousness as a predominant factor influencing individuals’ overall perception on urban nature. Notably, despite conceptual expectations, the study revealed no moderation effect of different GT on the GI-GSP relationship, underscoring the universal relevance of urban greenspaces in fostering residents’ GSP. The result emphasizes the intrinsic value of urban greenspaces in shaping the preference of urban residents regarding urban nature.

Desvendando a influência das heterogeneidades e da extração no fluxo de água subterrânea e no transporte de soluto em um aquífero de carbonato fraturado, na Sicília, Itália

AbstractThe migration of a groundwater contaminant plume consisting of light nonaqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) along the Ionian coastline of Sicily, Italy, has been reported to follow a trajectory that is inconsistent with the regional hydraulic gradient. The influence of several faults affecting the fractured carbonate bedrock aquifer, and groundwater abstraction from a well, were hypothesized to be responsible for the anomalous trajectory of the contaminant plume. A conceptual hydrogeological model was developed for the study area that incorporated structural information derived from geophysical surveys and the mapping of fractures in bedrock outcrops. This conceptual model was incorporated into numerical groundwater flow and solute transport models to simulate the groundwater transport of the light nonaqueous phase liquids. Four model scenarios representing different levels of complexity were tested to assess the relative influence of geological heterogeneity and groundwater abstraction on the migration of the contaminant plume. Results show that underground major discontinuity systems, invoking the presence of the faults in the model domain accounted for the observed migration of the contaminant plume, act as conduits for groundwater flow. Conversely, groundwater abstraction from a well was found to result in relatively minor, localized impacts to the migration of the contamination plume. This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating geological heterogeneity into groundwater modelling and environmental risk assessments associated with the storage of LNAPLs.

Culture and international innovation: a theoretical approach

PurposeThe rapidly changing international business landscape, driven by dynamic factors such as technology, emerging markets, and unpredictable crises, demands that organizations innovate to survive while gaining and sustaining competitive advantages. Culture, an intricate multilevel construct, presents challenges for transnational enterprises and international business as a key “soft” element of organizational strategy.Design/methodology/approachThis paper employs a triangulated method combining a systematic literature search, machine learning, and qualitative thematic content analysis to explore the relationship between culture and innovation within the context of international business. The analysis involved scrutinizing 697 journal articles indexed in the Web of Science database.FindingsUsing k-means, which is an unsupervised machine-learning tool in Python, and hypertext preprocessor language scripting, we identified seven topic clusters and 94 keywords. Qualitative thematic content analysis facilitated the recognition of prevailing patterns in researchers' conceptualizations of the interplay between innovation and culture. We identified influential relationships between cultural configurations and innovation.Research limitations/implicationsOur analysis contributes to developing a comprehensive research field map encompassing international business, innovation, and culture.Originality/valueThis study significantly enhances our knowledge of culture and international innovation. Future research that recognizes culture as a dynamic configuration at multiple levels (e.g. national, organizational, professional, and individual) and employs more comprehensive measures of innovation and culture could substantially advance our understanding of the intersection of culture and innovation in international business.

The influence of service strategies and business relations on the growth of starup businesses in medium digital marketing

The lack of business land to foster the growth of new firms is the issue facing South Sulawesi's startup community. Getting funding is one of the biggest problems that companies have. Even with the abundance of public and private financing initiatives, getting funding is frequently a challenging and drawn-out procedure. There are still a number of places in South Sulawesi with restricted access to digital technology and the internet, despite the country's ongoing technical growth. This could be a barrier for new business, particularly those are in the technology industry. An industrial ecology is therefore required. The purpose of this study is to examine how digital marketing, business partnerships, and service initiatives affect the expansion of startup companies. additionally, to examine the ways in which digital marketing-related service tactics adopted by startups can impact the expansion of their enterprises. This may entail evaluating the ways in which service personalization, speed, and quality may affect client happiness and, eventually, company expansion. A sample of 225 startups was used in this study, and questionnaires and focus group discussions were used to collect data. To evaluate the data, the Smart-PLS application was used. The study's findings demonstrate the importance of service plans and commercial partnerships for both digital marketing in startup companies and digital marketing itself. Digital marketing, meanwhile, is powerless to mitigate the impact of commercial partnerships and service plans on fledgling companies.

3,6‐Divinyl‐N‐arylcarbazoles‐bridged diruthenium complexes bearing two Ru(CO)Cl(PiPr3)2 moieties: Polyelectrochromism and electronic coupling

A series of five 3,6‐divinyl‐N‐arylcarbazoles‐bridged diruthenium complexes with a general formula of [{Ru(CO)Cl(PiPr3)2}2(μ‐(CH=CH)2‐(N‐arylcarbazole)‐3,6); aryl = 4‐anisyl; [1a], 4‐tolyl; [1b], phenyl; [1c], 4‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl; [1d], and 4‐nitrophenyl; [1e]] were successfully synthesized. These new square‐pyramidal bis(ruthenium‐vinyl)‐type complexes were characterized in their neutral state via classical NMR, UV/Vis, and IR spectroscopic techniques and in their three various accessible oxidized states via electrochemical techniques and ESR spectroscopy along with UV/Vis/NIR and IR spectroelectrochemistry as well as with DFT calculations. Our obtained results were compared with the closely related bis(ruthenium‐vinyl)‐appended N‐(4‐anisyl)diphenylamine TAARu2 counterpart of [1a]. Electrochemical studies on complexes [1a]–[1e] revealed three consecutive, chemically and electrochemically, well‐separated, reversible one‐electron oxidation processes at low and well‐accessible potentials. Their half‐wave potential separations ΔE½ between the individual redox waves and the derived comproportionation constants Kc1–Kc3 attribute to noteworthy stability of every oxidized intermediate state. The concert electrochemical and UV/Vis/NIR/IR spectro(electro)scopic results on these rotationally restricted N‐arylcarbazoles‐bridged bis(ruthenium‐alkenyl)‐type complexes [1a]–[1e] confirmed the relative weakness influence of altering the para‐substituent on the peripheral aryl ring. This is most probably due to the sizable torsion with nearly 55° between the co‐planarity of the carbazole heterocycle core and the peripheral N‐bound aryl ring. In their mixed‐valent (MV) radical states [1a]+–[1e]+, the observed pattern of two well‐separated Ru(C≡O) bands mirrors the uneven distribution of the uni‐positive charge over the two chemically equivalent bis(ruthenium‐vinyl) moieties as indicated by classical class II of Robin–Day classification of MV states.

On the Chemical Effect of Steam Addition to Premixed Hydrogen Flames with Respect to $$\text {NO}_\text {x}$$ Emissions and Flame Speed

AbstractThe present work analyses the effect of water vapour addition on $${\text {NO}_\text {x}}$$ NO x emissions of premixed hydrogen flames. In doing so, the adiabatic flame temperature is maintained by increasing the equivalence ratio, or alternatively increasing the unburned gas temperature, for increasing levels of water loading. Thus, it is possible to elucidate the changes in $${\text {NO}_\text {x}}$$ NO x production at constant-temperature conditions when the mixture is diluted with water. A consistent reduction of $${\text {NO}_\text {x}}$$ NO x emissions for increasing water dilution can be observed from 1-D premixed freely propagating flame simulations. Regarding the chemical kinetics effect of water vapour, the relative importance of different third-body reactions is examined by modifying the corresponding water collision efficiencies individually. For the chemical mechanism adopted, three reactions directly affect the nitrogen chemistry and the remaining relevant reactions are important for the flame structure and radicals concentration. The analysis stresses the importance of indirect effects like the formation and consumption of $$\text {O}$$ O and $$\text {H}$$ H radicals in the pre-heat zone, which enhance the subsequent formation of $${\text {NO}_\text {x}}$$ NO x within the flame. The presence of steam can lead to a reduction of approximately $$50\%$$ 50 % in $${\text {NO}_\text {x}}$$ NO x emissions under conditions close to stoichiometry and high water loading ($$10\%$$ 10 % by mass), compared to scenarios without water addition. Furthermore, the efficiency of water in third-body reactions significantly contributes to an emission reduction, and half of $$\text {NO}$$ NO emissions under the same water loading conditions at high equivalence ratio are observed when the third-body reaction efficiency is activated with respect to the case with zero efficiency. This reduction is primarily attributed to effects on radical concentrations. Finally, the chemical effect via the third-body efficiency of water is examined with respect to flame speed. It turns out that the adiabatic flame temperature plays a key role for the relative influence of the chemical kinetics effect of water dilution. A cross-over temperature is found, below which the chemical effect of water reduces the flame speed, whereas the flame speed is increased above it.

EOR simulation of polymer flooding

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques, such as polymer flooding, have gained significant attention as a means to maximise hydrocarbon extraction from reservoirs. The success of polymer flooding is intricately tied to the complex interplay between fluid properties, reservoir heterogeneity, and injection strategies. It is admitted in classical modelling methodologies, to account for the mobility ratio in polymer flooding by scaling it with the help of the shear rate in situ. The accuracy of shear assessment therefore rules the mobility of oil and the global process efficiency. It is assumed to depend not solely on pore radius, rate, and porosity, but also on a dimensional parameter known as the shape factor, which varies according to the specifications of several authors. When lab measurement is available, it is possible to adjust this value to match the shear rate recorded from a rheometer at feeding stage, ahead of the core. In the present paper the consequence of not performing this stage in the case of a core flood, then in the simulation of a polymer flood pilot is investigated. An alteration of the recovery factor is then expected. The amplitude shall result from the coupling between pore-scale effects and reservoir-scale response, induced by geological constraints such as reservoir layers productivity, aquifer response, and multiphase dynamics. Relative effect and influence on reservoir parameters will be quantified, commented, and discussed.

Influence of resource gradients and habitat edges on density variation in tiger populations in a multi-use landscape

Spatial heterogeneity in the local densities of terrestrial carnivores is driven by multiple interacting biotic and abiotic factors. Space-use patterns of large carnivores reflect the competing demands of resource selection (e.g., exploitation of habitats with abundant prey) and minimization of risks arising from human interactions. Estimating the relative strength of these drivers is essential to understand spatial variation in densities of large carnivores and there are still key knowledge gaps for many large carnivore populations. To better understand the relative roles of environmental and human drivers of spatial variation in tiger (Panthera tigris) densities, we surveyed a 3000 km2 landscape in North India using camera trap data. Over two years, we photo-captured 92 unique adult tigers. Associating spatial covariates with patterns of detection allowed us to test hypotheses about the relative influence of prey abundance, habitat structure and extent, and proximity to habitat edges on spatial variation in tiger densities across a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance. We documented extensive variation in tiger density within and across management units and protected areas. Spatial variation in prey abundance and proximity to grassland habitats, rather than human use (e.g. extent of human-dominated edge habitat and protection status), explained most of the spatial variation in tiger density in two of the five surveyed sites. The region’s largest tiger population occurred in a multi-use forest beyond protected area boundaries, where wild ungulates were abundant. Our results suggest that tigers can occur at high densities in areas with extensive human use, provided sufficiently high prey densities, and tracts of refuge habitats (eg. areas with dense vegetation with low human use). We argue that tiger conservation portfolio can be expanded across multi-use landscapes with a focus on areas that are adaptively managed as “zones of coexistence” and “refuge habitats”. Advancing this conservation strategy is contingent on greatly strengthening systems to effectively and equitably redress human–wildlife conflict and leveraging existing policies to strengthen local participation in conservation planning and forest stewardship. Our insights into the environmental drivers of spatial heterogeneity in tiger populations can inform both local management and guide to species recovery in working landscapes.

Contact acoustic nonlinearity and damping properties of completely free vibrating curved and delaminated CFRP plates

This study reports an experimental investigation on the effect of plate curvature and circular inter-ply delamination on the completely free vibration properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates. Impact tests on wire suspended plates were performed and variations in measured natural frequencies and modal damping are reported. Delamination clapping type contact acoustic nonlinearity (CAN) was observed in the presence of a series of higher harmonics in the vibration spectrum. These higher harmonics consisted of five to seven equally distanced peaks grouped in a frequency range of around the double of odd mode M (5,0). Modal damping was highly sensitive to delamination which caused a 33% average increase in damping loss factors. Odd mode M (3,0) was the most affected with an average increase of 51% in damping loss factor, explained by the delamination location relative to the wavelength of that mode shape. Natural frequencies were less sensitive to delamination, on average decreasing 1.0% in flat plates and increasing 3.1% in curved plates. The modal frequencies calculated from embedded fiber optic sensor (FOS) or electrical resistance strain gauge signals agreed with finite element modeling (FEM) to within a 3.1% difference for all modes considered. The damping loss factors deducted from suspended plate tests were consistent with complementary results from dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The measured delamination clapping CAN and its related influence on damping can serve to enhance structural health monitoring (SHM) methods.

The Influence of Parasocial Relations on Contemporary Chinese Young Women's Idol Worship: A Study on Fan Culture

With the booming development of socio-economic and Internet technology, social culture has also continued to improve and enrich the times. Fan culture is given a new cultural connotation, and the fans cover the coverage of all sectors of society, which has attracted widespread attention. This study explores the correlation between parasocial relationships and celebrity worship among young Chinese women, utilizing questionnaires to examine how social connections influence celebrity worship behavior and its impact on well-being. The findings reveal a significant association between parasocial connections with celebrities and the level of celebrity worship. Despite potential adverse effects, celebrity worship provides emotional support and fosters a positive outlook on the future through parasocial relationships. The research also delves into the psychological mechanisms underlying the formation of these relationships, emphasizing the role of social media and celebrity culture. Understanding celebrity worship among young Chinese women contributes to our understanding of fan behavior, personal identity development, and the broader socio-cultural context of media and celebrity in contemporary society.

Causal factors and time in formation of areas of endemism for land planarians in the Atlantic Forest

AbstractHere, we discovered areas of endemism (AoE) for land planarians (Geoplaninae) and tested the influence of the past climate in the formation of AoEs in the southeastern AF in Brazil.LocationSoutheastern Atlantic Forest, Brazil.Materials and MethodsWe used 1888 records of 371 species in Endemicity Analysis and Geographic Interpolation of Endemism to uncover AoEs. We also carried out a species distribution modelling (SDM) of three genera to see the suitability regions where they were distributed during Mid‐Pliocene, Last Interglacial Maximum, Last Glacial Maximum and present time. Finally, we inferred a molecular phylogeny of Geoplaninae aiming to estimate divergence times of the taxa to test the relative influence of more recent climatic fluctuations in the speciations.ResultsWe delimited 15 robust AoEs. SDM corroborates past climate altered some genera distribution. However, results of the phylogenetic analysis resulted in time estimation older than Pleistocene climatic fluctuations for more recent speciations. These endemic patterns could be explained through processes of reduction and expansion of suitability areas but in older times as generally reported in the literature. Geological events that formed mountains, sedimentary basins and major rivers are integrated with climate to explain high endemism and diversification.Main ConclusionsPlanarians have shown to be an optimal model for fine‐scale studies of AoE and diversification in AF. Pleistocene climatic fluctuations seem to have not been responsible for their diversification, but older climatic changes with geological events seem to have influenced their speciations and the present‐day high levels of endemism. In the future, robust phylogenies with more comprehensive sampling integrated with palaeoecological models will help to understand the diversification of the AF.

Identification of diffusion, kurtosis, and propagator MRI markers of Alzheimer’s disease pathology in post-mortem human tissue

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible degenerative brain disease affecting 6.7 million Americans and while the hallmark AD pathologies of plaques and tangles follow a stereotyped progression during the course of the disease, clinical markers for early diagnosis are lacking and approximately 20% of all AD cases are ultimately misdiagnosed. Conventional clinical MRI is capable of reporting severe brain atrophy, but fails to recognize earlier biomarkers associated with more subtle cellular and molecular changes. Microstructural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques are promising to address this challenge and may sensitively detect and distinguish tissue degeneration, tauopathies, and beta amyloid plaques to improve accuracy of diagnosis and enable early detection. The objective of this study was to identify and compare the most promising microstructural markers of AD pathology over a range of diffusion and relaxometry-based MRI techniques from conventional to advanced. To accomplish this, we performed MRI microscopy of post-mortem human temporal lobe specimens (n = 14) at high resolution and image quality and evaluated the relative influence of metrics across multiple microstructural MRI frameworks using principal component analysis (PCA). We performed additional correlation analysis between metrics identified by PCA and clinical neuropathology scores of Braak stage and plaque and tangle load. Hippocampal diffusion and restriction metrics contributed most to the first principal component, and the correlation with Braak score was positive for diffusivity and negative for restriction metrics. Additionally, the MAP-MRI propagator anisotropy (PA) metric of microscale anisotropy was strongly and negatively correlated with AD pathology while the conventional fractional anisotropy (FA) metric showed little or no correspondence and there was not a strong association between FA and PA by PCA. Entorhinal cortex findings were minimal except for reported increases in restriction due to plaque content. Taken together, our findings suggest that microstructural MRI metrics of restriction and diffusion are most prominent and may reflect degenerative processes in AD brain tissue and that microscale anisotropy may be more advantageous than conventional FA for the detection of subtle and earlier cellular changes in AD.

Impacts of socioeconomic and environmental factors on neoplasms incidence rates using machine learning and GIS: a cross-sectional study in Iran

Neoplasm is an umbrella term used to describe either benign or malignant conditions. The correlations between socioeconomic and environmental factors and the occurrence of new-onset of neoplasms have already been demonstrated in a body of research. Nevertheless, few studies have specifically dealt with the nature of relationship, significance of risk factors, and geographic variation of them, particularly in low- and middle-income communities. This study, thus, set out to (1) analyze spatiotemporal variations of the age-adjusted incidence rate (AAIR) of neoplasms in Iran throughout five time periods, (2) investigate relationships between a collection of environmental and socioeconomic indicators and the AAIR of neoplasms all over the country, and (3) evaluate geographical alterations in their relative importance. Our cross-sectional study design was based on county-level data from 2010 to 2020. AAIR of neoplasms data was acquired from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). HotSpot analyses and Anselin Local Moran's I indices were deployed to precisely identify AAIR of neoplasms high- and low-risk clusters. Multi-scale geographically weight regression (MGWR) analysis was worked out to evaluate the association between each explanatory variable and the AAIR of neoplasms. Utilizing random forests (RF), we also examined the relationships between environmental (e.g., UV index and PM2.5 concentration) and socioeconomic (e.g., Gini coefficient and literacy rate) factors and AAIR of neoplasms. AAIR of neoplasms displayed a significant increasing trend over the study period. According to the MGWR, the only factor that significantly varied spatially and was associated with the AAIR of neoplasms in Iran was the UV index. A good accuracy RF model was confirmed for both training and testing data with correlation coefficients R2 greater than 0.91 and 0.92, respectively. UV index and Gini coefficient ranked the highest variables in the prediction of AAIR of neoplasms, based on the relative influence of each variable. More research using machine learning approaches taking the advantages of considering all possible determinants is required to assess health strategies outcomes and properly formulate policy planning.

Investigating the causes and consequences of controlled rest on the flight deck

IntroductionFatigue is a known issue in aviation due to long and irregular working hours. In some regions, pilots are permitted to sleep during a controlled rest period on the flight deck to manage unexpected sleepiness. We aimed to determine: (1) the relative influence of pre-flight sleep-wake history and time of day on the likelihood to take controlled rest; (2) whether neurobehavioral measures taken pre-flight are predictive of controlled rest use in-flight; and (3) the impact of controlled rest on neurobehavioral measures at top-of-descent.MethodsData from 120 long (>6 h flight duration), unaugmented (two-pilot) flights were analyzed (n = 31 pilots). Pilots wore actiwatches and completed sleep logs before and during trips. At pre-flight and top-of-descent, pilots completed a 5-min psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) and Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). A series of mixed-effects models with relevant covariates were conducted to assess the likelihood of controlled rest based on several predictors and the impact of controlled rest on outcome measures at top-of-descent.ResultsPilots were more likely to take controlled rest on night flights [p = .01, η2p = .13, OR = 13.81, 95% CI: (1.99, 95.80)] and when pre-flight sleepiness ratings were higher [p = .01, η2p = .14, OR = 4.14, 95% CI: (1.48, 11.57)]. Pilots who took controlled rest had faster response speeds [1000/reaction time (ms)] [p = .03, η2p = 0.07; estimated marginal mean (EMM) = 4.19, standard error (SE) = 0.07, 95% CI: (4.08, 4.29)] than those who did not [EMM = 4.00, SE = 0.05, 95% CI: (3.86, 4.14)].DiscussionOur results suggest that taking controlled rest may improve vigilant attention at critical phases of flight and may be a useful fatigue management tool, particularly during unaugmented night flights. Further research is needed to determine the impact of psychological and cultural influences on controlled rest and to understand how the policy is applied in practice.