Screening Mechanism Research Articles

Ras3 in Bombyx mori with antiviral function against B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus

Bombyx mori ras protein3 (BmRas3) is a small molecular protein in the GTPase superfamily, which has the activity of binding guanosine nucleotides and GTP enzymes. It acts as a molecular switch by coupling extracellular signal to different cellular response through the conversion between Ras-GTP conformation and Ras-GDP conformation, thus regulating signal pathways responsible for cell growth, migration, adhesion, survival and differentiation. However, few studies have been done on Ras3 in silkworm, and its function and mechanism are unclear. In this study, we found that the overexpression of BmRas3 inhibited the infection of BmNPV(B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus), while knockdown of BmRas3 could promote the infection of BmNPV. In addition, after the BmRas3 in silkworm larvae was knockdown, the anti-BmNPV ability of silkworm decreased and the survival rate of silkworm was affected. Additionly in the cells with BmRas3 overexpression, the transcription level of BmMapkk6 、BmP38、BmJNK、BmERK1/2 and BmERK5 were significantly increased after BmNPV infection, and the transcript levels of BmMapkk6、BmP38、BmJNK、BmERK1/2 and BmERK5 were also inhibited to varying degrees This is the first report on the antiviral effect of BmRas3 in silkworm, which provides a new direction for further study on the anti-BmNPV mechanism of silkworm and screening and cultivation of anti-BmNPV silkworm strain.

Allegations, Abuse and Discrimination: Using Student Evaluation of Teaching Surveys to Support Student and Educator Wellbeing

Student Evaluation of Teaching surveys (SETs) are used at universities to inform teaching practice and subject design. However, there is increasing concern about the impact of allegations, abuse, and discrimination in survey open text components. Here we discuss the implementation of an automated screening mechanism using a combination of dictionary and machine learning approaches. We present both a process diagram detailing how the screening is performed, as well as a form of categorisation for comments that are unacceptable or indicate a potential risk of harm. Examples of real comments in each of these categories are presented to demonstrate the depth of the challenge and potential cause for concern. Ultimately, we argue that student and educator wellbeing are inextricably connected and exposing staff to abusive and discriminatory comments causes harm. Furthermore, SETs are an important channel for students to raise concerns about their own wellbeing and potentially unsafe experiences in the learning environment.

Multi-criteria refrigerant screening and performance optimization comparison of a basic and composition-adjustable dual cooling source system

Climate variability and staff mobility have exacerbated the vulnerability of the indoor environment, which calls for air-conditioning units capable of adapting to the active regulation demand of the changing heat and humidity loads. The identification of the refrigerant constitutes an essential sector of the air-conditioning system design. A composition-adjustable dual cooling source (CADCS) chiller has been proposed utilizing the characteristics of inefficient condensation of the non-azeotropic mixture. Separated flows of the working fluid with flexible mass fraction and flow rate respectively treat the waste heat and moisture. Multi-criteria screening mechanism for the working fluid is established involving: i) application field. The critical temperature is better restricted within 300 K to 400 K for application in air-conditioning. ii) environmental impact. The GWP of the candidate cannot exceed 800. iii) cycle architecture adaptability. The boiling point difference preferably exceeds 20 K. iv) liquid separation potential. The obvious temperature glide and substantial separation range allow for the integration of liquid separation technology. Thermodynamic performance optimization indicates that propane/isobutane outperforms all the candidates at a mass fraction of 0.5:0.5 characterized by obvious temperature glide and close to temperature change of the heat transfer medium. The maximum coefficient of performance (COP) is found to be up to 5.2 for the BDCS cycle and 4.42 during separation at vapor quality 0.436 for the CADCS cycle. The exergy loss of the evaporator is reduced by 17.1 %-73.7 % while the exergy efficiency is improved by 3 %-59.7 % due to temperature match refinement in the CADCS cycle. The refrigerant charge in the CADCS cycle can be saved by 5.54 %-15 %. The accumulating waste heat demands a lower vapor quality during separation, while the moisture load barely exerts an effect. Moreover, the effect of the subcooling degree on the cycle performance is analyzed and suggested at 1 °C. The CADCS cycle constitutes a promising prospect of dynamic treatment for thermal and humidity load in the air-conditioning room due to its flexible function and improved heat transfer match.

The interdependence between the choice of fixed-term professional workers and the control environment

Many organizations have professional employees on fixed-term and ongoing employment contracts. While hiring employees on fixed-term contracts offers organizations operational flexibility and other benefits, it also brings about challenges in the form of relatively lower goal alignment and ability of these employees, thus creating the need for management controls. At the same time, given the costs and constraints of designing and implementing a control system, we expect that the planned use of fixed-term workers would be affected by the type of control environment that organizations are willing or able to create. Hence, this study investigates whether an organization's choice of its control environment and its use of fixed-term professional employees are interdependent (i.e., made jointly). Using surveys from different sources and archival data from the education sector, we find that some types of controls (i.e., action controls and organizational culture) and the organization's choice of using fixed-term employees are interdependent, while other controls (i.e., employee selection practices and results control) are independent of this choice. We also find that the interdependence between the choice of using fixed-term employees and the control environment is generally weaker when organizations use fixed-term contracts as an implicit screening mechanism for ongoing employment. Finally, in additional analysis, we find evidence that the interdependence between controls and the use of fixed-term employees is primarily due to concerns related to goal alignment rather than ability.

Prevalence of maternal mortality causes based on ICD-MM: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundMaternal mortality is a universal public health challenge. ICD-Maternal Mortality (ICD-MM) was introduced in 2012 to facilitate the gathering, analysis, and interpretation of data on maternal deaths worldwide. The present study aimed to estimate the global prevalence of maternal death causes through a systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted using various databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, as well as Persian databases such as MagIran and Scientific Information Database (SID). The search encompassed articles published until August 21, 2022. Thirty-four eligible articles were included in the final analysis. Analysis was performed using a meta-analysis approach. The exact Clopper-Pearson confidence intervals, heterogeneity assessment, and random effects models with Mantel-Haenszel methods were employed using the STATA software version 14.2.ResultsThe most prevalent causes of maternal deaths, listed in descending order from highest to lowest prevalence, were non-obstetric complications (48.32%), obstetric hemorrhage (17.63%), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (14.01%), other obstetric complications (7.11%), pregnancy with abortive outcome (5.41%), pregnancy-related infection (5.26%), unanticipated complications of management (2.25%), unknown/undetermined causes (2.01%), and coincidental causes (1.59%), respectively.ConclusionNon-obstetric complications, obstetric hemorrhage, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, childbirth, and puerperium were the most common causes of maternal deaths. To reduce the burden of maternal mortality causes, increasing awareness and promoting self-care management among women of reproductive age, and implementing effective screening mechanisms for high-risk mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium can play a significant role. ICD-MM enables the uniform collection and comparison of maternal death information at different levels (local, national, and international) by facilitating the consistent collection, analysis, and interpretation of data on maternal deaths. Our findings can be utilized by policymakers and managers at various levels to facilitate necessary planning aimed at reducing the burden of maternal mortality causes.

An adaptive damage monitoring method based on transfer features mapped for advanced composite structures

Monitoring damage in advanced composite structures proves challenging due to insufficient transfer and reuse of diagnostic models. Such limitations fail to meet practical monitoring requirements.This paper proposes an innovative method to monitoring damage via Lamb waves based on transfer learning. Firstly, the proposed method utilizes algorithm-centric transfer learning to extract transferable features from the source domain and a limited amount of data from the target domain, using the domain adaptive feature mapping. The aim of this method is to achieve feature adaptation in both the source and target domains by obtaining approximate distribution patterns in the feature space. Subsequently, a fine-tuning method is presented based on data-centric transfer learning for adaptive damage identification. A screening mechanism utilizing a coarse-to-fine strategy is employed to select suitable samples for diagnosing and evaluating damage in the target domain. The proposed method is verified by targeted monitoring cases of advanced composite structures under four monitoring stages, namely, detection of the damage existence, identification of damage types, damage localization and quantification. The results show that the proposed method can present higher monitoring accuracy in general damages for advanced composite structures than nine state-of-the-art methods.

Variety-Driven Effect of Rhizosphere Microbial-Specific Recruitment on Drought Tolerance of Medicago ruthenica (L.).

As one of the environmental factors that seriously affect plant growth and crop production, drought requires an efficient but environmentally neutral approach to mitigate its harm to plants. Soil microbiomes can interact with plants and soil to improve the adverse effects of drought. Medicago ruthenica (L.) is an excellent legume forage with strong drought tolerance, but the key role of microbes in fighting drought stress remains unclear. What kind of flora plays a key role? Is the recruitment of such flora related to its genotype? Therefore, we selected three varieties of M. ruthenica (L.) for drought treatment, analyzed their growth and development as well as their physiological and biochemical characteristics, and performed 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing analysis on their rhizosphere soils to clarify the variety-mediated response of rhizosphere bacteria to drought stress. It was found that among the three varieties of M. ruthenica (L.), Mengnong No.2, Mengnong No.1 and Zhilixing were subjected to drought stress and showed a reduction in plant height increment of 24.86%, 34.37%, and 31.97% and in fresh weight of 39.19%, 50.22%, and 41.12%, respectively, whereas dry weight was reduced by 23.26%, 26.10%, and 24.49%, respectively. At the same time, we found that the rhizosphere microbial community of Mengnong No. 2 was also less affected by drought, and it was able to maintain the diversity of rhizosphere soil microflora stable after drought stress, while Mennong No. 1 and Zhilixing were affected by drought stress, resulting in a decrease in rhizosphere soil bacterial community diversity indices to 92.92% and 82.27%, respectively. Moreover, the rhizosphere of Mengnon No. 2 was enriched with more nitrogen-fixing bacteria Rhizobium than the other two varieties of M. ruthenica (L.), which made it still have a good ability to accumulate aboveground biomass after drought stress. In conclusion, this study proves that the enrichment process of bacteria is closely related to plant genotype, and different varieties enrich different types of bacteria in the rhizosphere to help them adapt to drought stress, and the respective effects are quite different. Our results provide new evidence for the study of bacteria to improve the tolerance of plants to drought stress and lay a foundation for the screening and study mechanism of drought-tolerant bacteria in the future.

A hybrid denoising method for gyroscopes based on multiple screening

To reduce the random error of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope, a hybrid method combining improved empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and least squares algorithm (LS) is proposed. Firstly, based on the multiple screening mechanism, intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) from the first decomposition are divided into noise IMFs, strong noise mixed IMFs, weak noise mixed IMFs and signal IMFs. Secondly, according to their characteristics, they are processed again. IMFs from the second decomposition are divided into noise IMFs and signal IMFs. Finally, useful signal is gathered to obtain the final denoising signal. Compared with some other denoising methods proposed in recent years, the experimental results show that the proposed method has obvious advantages in suppressing random error, greatly improving the signal quality and improving the accuracy of inertial navigation.

Screening and Regulatory Mechanisms of Inter-Root Soil Nematicidal Bacteria of Pinus massoniana

Pine Wilt Disease (PWD), caused by the pathogenic nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is a systemic infectious disease commonly referred to as the “cancer” of pine trees. This devastating disease has gained this analogy due to its ability to rapidly spread within pine populations, leading to substantial losses in forest resources. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the bioprotective potential and underlying mechanisms of action exhibited by rhizosphere microorganisms associated with Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) in the context of controlling the pine wilt nematode. In this experiment, using high-throughput sequencing, significant differences were observed in the rhizosphere soil microbial communities among healthy Masson pine, standing dead trees, and diseased Masson pine. Furthermore, it was found that these microbial communities exhibited distinct community structures at different levels. This study successfully isolated and screened three strains of highly effective nematophagous bacteria from the rhizosphere soil. The identified strains were Lysinibacillus capsici, Bacillus Paramycoides, and Delftia tsuruhatensis. After applying the bacterial suspensions and fermentation extracts of these three strains to the roots of two-year-old Masson pine seedlings, followed by inoculation with pine wilt nematodes after a four-day period, distinct defense responses were observed in the Masson pine. Notably, the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and peroxidase (POD) were significantly increased, leading to a substantial reduction in the incidence of pine wilt disease. Based on the changes in defense enzyme activities, it can be concluded that the fermentation extract of the Lysinibacillus capsici strain exhibits effective nematocidal effects and induces resistance. The significant biological control efficacy and induction of host defense activity indicate the potential application value of this strain and its metabolites as a biocontrol agent for pine wilt disease.

Molecular mechanism of colorectal cancer and screening of molecular markers based on bioinformatics analysis.

Genomics and bioinformatics methods were used to screen genes and molecular markers correlated with colorectal cancer incidence and progression, and their biological functions were analyzed. Differentially expressed genes were obtained using the GEO2R program following colorectal cancer chip data GSE44076 retrieval from the Gene Expression Omnibus gene expression comprehensive database. An online database (David) that combines annotation, visualization, and gene discovery was utilized for investigating genes. Pathway and protein analyses were performed via resources from the Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Visual analysis of the KEGG pathway was carried out according to ClueGO and CluePedia to establish the PPI network of gene interaction between pathways; the genes with the highest connectivity were screened by the molecular complex detection analysis method as Hub genes in this study; gene expression was verified by GEPIA online analysis tool, and Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn for prognosis analysis. By analyzing GSE44076 microarray data, 86 genes were selected, and colorectal cancer tissues' upregulation was observed in 27 genes and downregulation in 59 ones. GO assessment revealed that the differentially expressed genes were basically correlated with retinol dehydrogenase activity, carbon dehydrogenase activity, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, anchored component of memory, and cellular hormone metabolic process. Moreover, the KEGG assessment revealed that the differential genes contained various signal pathways such as retinol metabolism, chemical carotenogenesis, and nitrogen metabolism. Through further analysis of the PPI protein network, 4 clusters were obtained, and 16 Hub genes were screened out by combining the degree of each gene. Through the analysis of each gene on the prognosis of colon cancer through the GEPIA online analysis website, it was found that the expression levels of AQP8, CXCL8, and ZG16 genes were remarkably associated with colon cancer prognosis (P < 0.05). Genomics and bioinformatics methods can effectively analyze the genes and molecular markers correlated with colorectal cancer incidence and progression, help to systematically clarify the molecular mechanism of 16 key genes in colorectal cancer development and progression, and provide a theoretically valid insight for the screening of diagnostic markers of colorectal cancer and the selection of accurate targets for drug therapy.

Conversation starters: Understanding the facilitators and barriers to physician-initiated secure firearm storage conversations

ObjectiveThis paper aims to understand what general practice physicians (GPs) perceive as facilitators and barriers to initiating anticipatory guidance around firearm safety. MethodsWe employ qualitative interviewing to have in-depth conversations with 18 GPs. Participants were randomly selected from a national panel of physicians and screened for specialty (general practice or internist), practice setting (not hospital-based), and time spent on direct patient care (80% +). The sample was stratified at the state level by the presence of safe storage or child access protection laws, with half of the participants selected from each stratum. ResultsWe identify five physician-perceived barriers to providing secure firearm storage counseling, including inadequate screening mechanisms to trigger conversations, physician perceptions of who is at risk for firearm injury, time pressures, concerns about patient receptivity, and a need for training. ConclusionPrior to focusing on how to have conversations about firearm safety, interventions designed to increase the incidence of physician-initiated guidance need to address the structural issues of why those conversations typically do not occur. Practice implicationsFindings indicate the need for revised screening tools and improved physician education as to who is at risk for gun injury and how to best approach firearm safety conversations.

A highly stable XOR APUF based on deviation signal screening mechanism

A highly stable XOR APUF based on deviation signal screening mechanism

Anticancer activity and other biomedical properties of β-sitosterol: Bridging phytochemistry and current pharmacological evidence for future translational approaches.

Sterols, including β-sitosterol, are essential components of cellular membranes in both plant and animal cells. Despite being a major phytosterol in various plant materials, comprehensive scientific knowledge regarding the properties of β-sitosterol and its potential applications is essential for scholarly pursuits and utilization purposes. β-sitosterol shares similar chemical characteristics with cholesterol and exhibits several pharmacological activities without major toxicity. This study aims to bridge the gap between phytochemistry and current pharmacological evidence of β-sitosterol, focusing on its anticancer activity and other biomedical properties. The goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of β-sitosterol's potential for future translational approaches. A thorough examination of the literature was conducted to gather relevant information on the biological properties of β-sitosterol, particularly its anticancer therapeutic potential. Various databases were searched, including PubMed/MedLine, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science using appropriate keywords. Studies investigating the effects of β-sitosterol on different types of cancer were analyzed, focusing on mechanisms of action, pharmacological screening, and chemosensitizing properties. Modern pharmacological screening studies have revealed the potential anticancer therapeutic properties of β-sitosterol against various types of cancer, including leukemia, lung, stomach, breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancer. β-sitosterol has demonstrated chemosensitizing effects on cancer cells, interfering with multiple cell signaling pathways involved in proliferation, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, survival, metastasis invasion, angiogenesis, and inflammation. Structural derivatives of β-sitosterol have also shown anti-cancer effects. However, research in the field of drug delivery and the detailed mode of action of β-sitosterol-mediated anticancer activities remains limited. β-sitosterol, as a non-toxic compound with significant pharmacological potential, exhibits promising anticancer effects against various cancer types. Despite being relatively less potent than conventional cancer chemotherapeutics, β-sitosterol holds potential as a safe and effective nutraceutical against cancer. Further comprehensive studies are recommended to explore the biological properties of β-sitosterol, including its mode of action, and develop novel formulations for its potential use in cancer treatment. This review provides a foundation for future investigations and highlights the need for further research on β-sitosterol as a potent superfood in combating cancer.

Reconciling absence of vDVZ discontinuity with absence of ghosts in nonlocal linearized gravity

The modern massive gravity theories resolve a historical tension between the absence of the so called vDVZ mass discontinuity and the absence of ghosts via a fine tuned gravitational potential and a sophisticated screening mechanism. Those theories have originated the modern covariant bimetric models which are local, ghost free and cosmologically viable apparently, they contain a massive plus a massless graviton in the spectrum. It seems hard to solve the mentioned tension if we do insist in a model with a minimal number of degrees of freedom, with only one massive spin-2 particle in the spectrum, even if we allow nonlocal theories. Here we show that this problem can be circumvented in linearized nonlocal theories by the introduction of exponential terms with infinite derivatives. The model admits non linear completions via nonlocal quadratic terms in curvatures. We also investigate the role of the exponential factors in linearized models where the graviton remains massless and a mass scale is introduced via nonlocal terms, they are also ghost free and approach the Einstein–Hilbert theory as we go much above the introduced mass scale.

Study of screening, transport pathway, and vasodilation mechanisms on angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibitory peptide from Ulva prolifera proteins

Study of screening, transport pathway, and vasodilation mechanisms on angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibitory peptide from Ulva prolifera proteins

BIT·FTA상 외국인투자심사 실행에 관한 연구

Countries with foreign investment screening mechanism have developed practices to avoid international investment disputes. These practices include using security exceptions, exceptions to dispute settlement provisions, and schedules to Annex regarding non-conforming measures in investment agreements. These practices do not specify specific national security requirements and are subject to full self-judgment. Countries with a long history of foreign investment screening, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, actively use these practices to exclude foreign investment screening from international agreement obligations. These countries interpret the national security exception jurisprudence as applying to foreign investment screening, meaning that foreign investment screening is entirely self-judged.&#x0D; However, South Korea does not have a consistent approach to foreign investment screening in its Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The security exception clause in these agreements is different in each agreement, and the contents of the reservations are not uniform. However, it can be interpreted that Korea has decided to treat foreign investment screening as an exception to international law, since it joined the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which stipulates that the screening regime shall not be subject to the dispute settlement provisions.&#x0D; Foreign investment screening is likely to become more important as a policy tool in the era of expanding national security. The concept of national security has evolved from being applied only in exceptional emergencies such as war to encompassing more permanent situations such as economic security, high-tech protection, supply chain crisis response, and climate change. State measures to protect national security have also become more permanent. Given these circumstances, it is important to reconsider whether it is appropriate to treat foreign investment screening as an exception to international law. Allowing foreign investment screening as an exception to international law could lead to a crisis in the international legal system due to potential abuse of this exception. However, from the government's perspective, securing policy space for foreign investment screening can be advantageous in effectively addressing the growing threat to national security. Therefore, it is crucial to contemplate the stance and standards that should be established for the foreign investment screening practice in Korea moving forward.

How Anions and Cations Impact the Viscosity and Viscoelasticity of High-Viscosity Friction Reducers

Summary High viscosity friction reducers (HVFRs) have been used extensively as agents to reduce friction and transport proppants during hydraulic fracturing. Meanwhile, the recycling of produced water has gained traction due to its environmental and economic advantages. Presently, the predominant friction reducers utilized in the fields are categorized as anionic and cationic HVFRs. Anionic HVFRs are frequently injected with fresh water, while cationic HVFRs are typically used in conjunction with high-total dissolved solids (TDS) produced water. It is believed that cationic friction reducers have better TDS tolerance, friction reduction performance, and proppant transport capabilities than their anionic counterparts under high-TDS conditions due to their better viscous and viscoelastic properties. Moreover, different cations’ effects on anionic HVFR have been studied extensively, and the reduction of viscosity and viscoelasticity is mostly concluded as the result of the charge screening mechanism. However, anions’ effects on cationic HVFRs still remain to be investigated. Besides, in some previous experimental studies, there may have been a lack of specificity indefining the experimental procedures or effectively controlling the experimental variables. Therefore, the ultimate objective of this experimental study is to analyze various cations’ and anions’ effects on the viscosity and viscoelasticity of anionic and cationic HVFRs comparably and precisely with well-controlled experimental variables. For the viscosity of HVFRs, two hypotheses based on the charge screening mechanism are proposed and will be tested in this study. The first hypothesis is that the viscosity reduction of anionic HVFRs is due to cations, whereas the viscosity reduction of cationic HVFRs is due to anions. The second hypothesis is that the viscosity reduction of HVFRs is mainly due to ions’ valence instead of their types. To demonstrate both hypotheses, an anionic (FLOJET DRP 2340X) and a cationic (FLOJET DRP 419X) HVFR at 4 gallons per thousand gallons (GPT) were selected and analyzed. The rheology measurements of both anionic and cationic HVFRs were conducted with deionized (DI) water and various salts, respectively. Fe3+ and H+ (or pH) effects were specifically investigated. The results showed both hypotheses failed. First, the viscosity reduction of the cationic HVFR is mainly due to anions. However, Fe3+ also has pronounced effects on the viscosity reduction of the cationic HVFR. Second, the charge shielding mechanism is only one of the viscosity reduction mechanisms of anions and cations for HVFRs. Cations from the same group on the periodic table seem to have similar effects on the viscosity of the anionic HVFR. For the viscoelasticity of HVFRs, cations’ and anions’ effects remain to be further investigated. For the cationic HVFR, results showed a similar trend to the effects on viscosity. For the anionic HVFR, monovalent cations from alkali metals had similar effects on viscoelasticity reduction. Overall, this study provided very precise and specific procedures by using molarity (M) instead of weight concentration [parts per million (ppm) or weight percent (wt%)] as a standard protocol to investigate various ions’ effects on the viscosity and viscoelasticity of HVFRs and the mechanisms behind them, which may also be applied to other polyelectrolytes (i.e., Xanthan gum).

How adults with suspected depressive disorder experience online depression screening: A qualitative interview study

BackgroundWhile evidence on the effects and mechanisms of online depression screening is inconclusive, publicly available ‘online depression tests’ are already frequently used. To further a comprehensive understanding of online depression screening and evince the perspectives of those affected, we aimed to qualitatively explore how adults with undiagnosed but suspected depressive disorder experience the screening process. MethodsThis study is a qualitative follow-up of a German-wide, 3-arm, randomised controlled trial on feedback after online depression screening conducted between Jan 2021 and Sep 2022. A subsample of 26 participants with undiagnosed but suspected depressive disorder (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 ≥ 10; no depression diagnosis/treatment within the last year) were purposefully selected based on maximum variation in gender, age, and study arm. In-depth semi-structured telephone interviews (mean = 37 min) were conducted approximately six months after screening. Data were analysed within a contextualist theoretical framework using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. ResultsParticipants were balanced in terms of gender (female/male, n = 15/11), age (range = 22 to 61 years), and study arm (no feedback/standard feedback/tailored feedback, n = 7/11/8). Reported experiences of online depression screening can be described as a two-step process: Step 1 is the initial reaction to the screening procedure and comprises the theme recognition of depressive symptoms: from denial to awareness. Step 2 describes a subsequent self-explorative process encompassing the themes cognitive positioning: rejection vs. acceptance, emotional reaction: between overload and empowerment, and personal activation: from reflection to action. ConclusionsFindings indicate that online depression screening with and without feedback of results is experienced as a two-step process promoting symptom recognition and subsequent self-exploration. While few participants reported negative effects, the majority described the screening process as insightful, empowering, and activating. Future research should determine to what extent online depression screening may pose a standalone form of low-threshold support for individuals with undiagnosed depressive disorder, while focusing as well on potential negative effects.

Research on the screening mechanisms of composite vibrating screens based on discrete elements.

To strengthen the screening efficiency of traditional vibrating screens, a new type of vibrating screen, namely the composite vibrating screen, has been proposed based on the Lissajous vibration synthesis theory. The working principles of composite vibrating screens have been explained. Numerical simulations of the sieving processes for such composite vibrating screens were carried out using the discrete element method. Compared with traditional linear vibrating screens, the force, stratification mechanisms, and throwing principles of the material on the screen's surface were studied, and the vibrating screens' material transportation and screening efficiency were analyzed. The results showed that with the existence of xyz three directions sub-vibrations of the composite vibrating screens, the material particle group is more diversified by the forces, the particle system is loose, the stratification effects are adequate, and the material is evenly distributed on the screen surfaces. Under the same vibration parameters, the composite vibrating screens' screening efficiencies and material transportation capacities were better than those of linear vibrating screens. This work provides a necessary reference for the development and application of new composite vibrating screens.

Varieties of Anti‐Globalism: The Italian Government’s Evolving Stance on the EU’s Investment Screening Mechanism

In 2017, Italy, France, and Germany jointly supported the setting up of an EU-wide investment screening mechanism to strengthen the EU’s capacity to screen and eventually block foreign investments. In a few months, however, the Italian government changed position dramatically, shifting from leading supporter to staunchest opposer of this pol-icy initiative. Such a change of positioning was decisive in both watering down the initial proposal and moving for-ward with the idea of a looser mechanism coordinating national investment screening activities. This article develops an explanation of the Italian government’s changing negotiating stance. We develop an argument that stresses how two factors combined to produce this puzzling outcome. First, we stress the role of political parties as drivers of governments’ foreign economic policy choices. More specifically, we show that the preferences of the parties form-ing the Italian government after the 2018 general elections (the Lega Nord and the Five Star Movement) were crucial in shaping Italy’s evolving stance on this important issue. Second, we highlight the implications of the tension that exists between two different “varieties” of anti-globalism. While “self-proclaimed” anti-globalist political parties usu-ally combine a traditional critique of globalization and opposition to further political integration in the EU, they may be forced to prioritize one over the other when they prove incompatible. In this context, we show how Italian anti-globalist parties’ choice to prioritize anti-Europeanism over anti-globalism led them to prefer strengthening domes-tic-level institutions to screen FDIs rather than allowing the EU to acquire new powers.