Search

Attention, working memory, and executive control are commonly considered distinct cognitive functions with important reciprocal interactions. Yet, longstanding evidence from lesion studies demonstrated both overlap and dissociation in their behavioural expression and anatomical underpinnings, suggesting that a lower dimensional framework could be employed to further identify processes supporting goal-directed behaviour. Here, we describe the anatomical and functional correspondence between attention, working memory, and executive control by providing an overview of cognitive models as well as recent data from lesion studies and both invasive and noninvasive multimodal neuroimaging and brain stimulation. We emphasize the benefits of considering converging evidence from multiple methodologies centred on the identification of brain mechanisms supporting goal-driven behaviour. We propose that expanding on this approach should enable the construction of a comprehensive anatomo-functional framework with testable new hypotheses, and aid clinical neuroscience to understand and treat neuropathologies of executive functions.

Background The full potential of eHealth technologies to support self-management and disease management for patients with chronic diseases is not being reached. A possible explanation for these lacking results is that during the development process, insufficient attention is paid to the needs, wishes, and context of the prospective end users. To overcome such issues, the user-centered design practice of creating personas is widely accepted to ensure the fit between a technology and the target group or end users throughout all phases of development. Objective In this study, we integrate several approaches to persona development into the Persona Approach Twente to attain a more holistic and structured approach that aligns with the iterative process of eHealth development. Methods In 3 steps, a secondary analysis was carried out on different parts of the data set using the Partitioning Around Medoids clustering method. First, we used health-related electronic patient record data only. Second, we added person-related data that were gathered through interviews and questionnaires. Third, we added log data. Results In the first step, 2 clusters were found, with average silhouette widths of 0.12 and 0.27. In the second step, again 2 clusters were found, with average silhouette widths of 0.08 and 0.12. In the third step, 3 clusters were identified, with average silhouette widths of 0.09, 0.12, and 0.04. Conclusions The Persona Approach Twente is applicable for mixed types of data and allows alignment of this user-centered design method to the iterative approach of eHealth development. A variety of characteristics can be used that stretches beyond (standardized) medical and demographic measurements. Challenges lie in data quality and fitness for (quantitative) clustering.

Objective Group Well-Child Care (GWCC) has been described as providing an opportunity to enhance well-being for vulnerable families experiencing psychosocial challenges. We sought to explore benefits and challenges to the identification and management of psychosocial concerns in Group Well-Child Care (GWCC) with immigrant Latino families. Methods We conducted a case study of GWCC at an urban academic general pediatric clinic serving predominantly Limited English Proficiency Latino families, combining visit observations, interviews, and surveys with Spanish-speaking mothers participating in GWCC, and interviews with providers delivering GWCC. We used an adapted framework approach to qualitative data analysis. Results A total of 42 mothers and 9 providers participated in the study; a purposefully selected subset of 17 mothers was interviewed, all providers were interviewed. Mothers and providers identified both benefits and drawbacks to the structure and care processes in GWCC. The longer total visit time facilitated screening and education around psychosocial topics such as postpartum depression but made participation challenging for some families. Providers expressed concerns about the effects of shorter one-on-one time on rapport-building; most mothers did not express similar concerns. Mothers valued the opportunity to make social connections and to learn from the lived experiences of their peers. Discussions about psychosocial topics were seen as valuable but required careful navigation in the group setting, especially when fathers were present. Conclusions Participants identified unique benefits and barriers to addressing psychosocial topics in GWCC. Future research should explore the effects of GWCC on psychosocial disclosures and examine ways to enhance benefits while addressing the challenges identified.

Abstract. Parent behaviors strongly predict child responses to acute pain; less studied are the factors shaping parent behaviors. Heart rate variability (HRV) is considered a physiological correlate of emotional responding. Resting or “trait” HRV is indicative of the capacity for emotion regulation, while momentary changes or “state” HRV is reflective of current emotion regulatory efforts. This study aimed to examine: (1) parent state HRV as a contributor to parent verbal behaviors before and during child pain and (2) parent trait HRV as a moderator between parent emotional states (anxiety, catastrophizing) and parent behaviors. Children 7–12 years of age completed the cold pressor task (CPT) in the presence of a primary caregiver. Parents rated their state anxiety and catastrophizing about child pain. Parent HRV was examined at 30-second epochs at rest (“trait HRV”), before (“state HRV-warm”), and during their child’s CPT (“state HRV-cold”). Parent behaviors were video recorded and coded as coping-promoting or distress-promoting. Thirty-one parents had complete cardiac, observational, and self-report data. A small to moderate negative correlation emerged between state HRV-cold and CP behaviors during CPT. Trait HRV moderated the association between parent state catastrophizing and distress-promoting behaviors. Parents experiencing state catastrophizing were more likely to engage in distress-promoting behavior if they had low trait HRV. This novel work suggests parents who generally have a low (vs. high) HRV, reflective of low capacity for emotion regulation, may be at risk of engaging in behaviors that increase child distress when catastrophizing about their child’s pain.

Software project management (SPM) is a discipline that comprises of different topics, practice and theories. There are two dimensions in the knowledge of SPM, theoretical or concepts of SPM and; practical or experience of SPM. These two dimensions although grow separately but come across at one point that is experiential knowledge of SPM. To present these dimensions through a proper training, a practitioner needs to have a proper view on SPM process. In this paper we present a new framework for practicing SPM through a distinct simulation technique to bring on an in-process decision support system, supporting the proper training approach. The framework developed based on three different methods of simulation technique, discrete event simulation (DES), system dynamics (SD) and partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP).1

To address deficiencies in STEM and sustainability in business management and intra-university curricula, we developed and implemented an interdisciplinary STEM-based sustainability curriculum at a university in the Western United States. Six classes participated in curricular efforts including in-person and online sections of a business management course, in-person and online sections of a general elective STEM course, and a matched control course for each ( n = 214). We systematically designed, developed, and implemented curricular interventions—multi-week STEM-based business sustainability modules—using the case teaching method. A comprehensive evaluation with pre- and post-tests was conducted to assess student sustainability cognition and affect. Significant results emerged for sustainability cognition including the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability. Counterintuitively, student sustainability affect did not improve. However, sustainability cognition and affect were significantly correlated on the post-test for treatment students, an indication that cognitive and affective changes share the same directionality. Discussion, implications, limitations, and future research directions are provided.

This article is a plain language summary of a Master’s thesis, completed in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Saskatchewan in 2020, that aimed to re-asso­ciate fragmented and commingled human remains from an Early Neolithic, about 7560–6660 years before present (HPD cal. BP; Weber et al., 2021; Bronk Ramsey et al. 2021), cemetery in Siberia, Russia. This thesis addressed the inability of existing osteological sorting methods to identify the remains of individuals from a collection that was largely broken and completely mixed. By devel­oping a new multi-method approach, this project was able to identify the remains of seven people through the re-association process, and re-associate five of them. This was fairly close to the minimum number of nine individuals that were confirmed in this collection by counting non-repeating bones. This research has implications for the understanding of the culture-history in this area, the applicability of re-association methods to fragmented and commingled human remains, and efforts of reconciliation and repatriation.

Models of perfectionism and stress have become increasingly complex, yet perseverative cognition has been largely absent from these models and remains under-represented in the perfectionism and stress literature. This research makes several key advances by testing the perseverative cognition hypothesis in relation to perfectionism and daily stress in a community sample of 100 working professionals. We collected data over a 7-day period using a multi-method daily diary design including self-report measures of daily experiences and daily heart rate variability (HRV), which is thought to reflect physiological adaptation to stress. HRV was measured daily using 15-min samples at the end of each day. Data were aggregated across days and analyzed using path analysis. Results showed self-critical perfectionism predicted poorer adaptation to stress directly and indirectly through perseverative cognition pathways (i.e., the combined effect of daily stress and event-focused rumination). However, considering the impact of daily stress alone did not show detrimental effects on HRV. Perfectionistic strivings was not related to perseverative cognition pathways, but it showed a small positive direct effect on HRV. Findings highlight perseverative cognition as a useful framework for understanding perfectionism and physiological adaptation to stress, and this research points toward the development of an integrative bio-psycho-social model of perfectionism and stress vulnerability.

This paper explores curiosity of Further Education (FE) lecturers in the United Kingdom through personal narratives and focused group discussions. The paper identifies how curiosity is viewed by FE...

Recycling reinjection of CO2 captured and purified from the produced gas of CO2 flooding can not only enhance oil recovery, but also realize the geological storage of CO2, so as to provide good social and economic benefit. With the operation and advancement of CO2 flooding development mode, one single CO2 capture and purification process can hardly deal with the yearly increase and large-scale variation of CO2 content in the produced gas. In order to provide support for the promotion of CO2-EOR technology oil and gas fields, to this end, this paper puts forward four schemes of multi-method CO2 capture and purification process. It includes two-stage hydramine method, one-stage membrane separation + one-stage hydramine method, two-stage membrane separation + one-stage hydramine method, one-stage membrane separation + two-stage hydramine method. And based on the working condition data of CO2 flooding in one certain oilfield, simulation was carried out by using HYSYS software. In addition, the enrichment degree of the CO2 captured and purified by means of different schemes and its energy consumption and economy were analyzed mainly. And the following research results were obtained. First, when the CO2 concentration of the produced gas is low, it is necessary to put the two-stage alcohol amine circulation process into production firstly to realize the deacidification of natural gas while purchasing some pure CO2 to mix at a certain proportion, so as to reach the required CO2 purity of reinjected gas. Second, as the CO2 concentration of the produced gas increases, it is better to use the membrane separation technology before the two-stage alcohol amine circulation process, so that the enriched and purified gas can reach the required CO2 purity of direction reinjection. In conclusion, the research results can provide engineering practical guidance for the formulation of the scheme to enrich and purify CO2 from the produced gas of CO2 flooding.

Hell Bourg landslide (Salazie, Reunion Island) is a large, inhabited, slow-moving landslide (>200 Mm3). This landslide covers and remobilizes debris from former volcanic flank collapses. The volume, lithology, structure and evolution through time of these ancient deposits make the Hell Bourg landslide particularly complex. To understand the dynamics and improve the hazard related to its displacements, geodetic, geomorpho-logic, and geologic investigations have been undertaken on this landslide for more than 20 years. Complementary investigations have been required to acquire a precise definition of this large landslide’s subsurface geometry and hydrogeology, necessary for a better understanding of its dynamics. In the present study, we combine different geophysical approaches (airborne electromagnetics, passive and active seismic data) to investigate the internal structure of the landslide. This method delivers accurate 3D images that provide useful additional information about the subsurface of the landslide. The models obtained of the subsurface are consistent with geomorphological and geological observations and allow the derivation of a new conceptual model of the 3D structure of the landslide. Thanks to this approach, new insights into the origin and mechanisms of the Hell Bourg landslide have been gained. This study shows the relevance of the multi-method approach for understanding large complex landslides. The work carried out on the Hell Bourg landslide opens up new avenues of research into large landslide mechanisms in a volcanic tropical environment.

As mechanical simulations play an increasingly role in engineering projects, an appropriate integration of simulations into design-oriented product development processes is essential for efficient collaboration. To identify and overcome barriers between design and simulation departments, the BRIDGES approach was elaborated for barrier reduction in design engineering and simulation. This paper shows the industrial evaluation of the approach using a multi-method study of an online survey and focus group workshops. The experts' assessments were statistically analysed to build a connection matrix of barriers and recommendations. 59 participants from multiple industries with practical experience in the field contributed to the online survey, while 24 experts could be acquired for the focus group workshops. As a result of the workshops, both the data-based and the workshop-based part of the BRIDGES approach were assessed as beneficial to raise the efficiency of collaboration and practically applicable. This provides an empirically secured connection of barriers and suitable recommendations, allowing companies to identify and overcome collaboration barriers between design and simulation.

Shortage of nurses negatively influences the working environment in hospitals, by placing extra burden on newly graduated nurses. Thus, it is important to improve the knowledge and skills of nurses to increase their confidence levels. Experienced nurses serve as role models for junior nurses. This study aimed to describe and analyze a project with a nursing preceptorship in an internal medicine ward in the eastern region of Sweden. Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE 2.0) were used in the multi-method approach. Quality indicators, staff turnover, short-term absence, and annual survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Moreover, two focus group interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results showed marginal improvements due to quality indicators and working environment, and decreased staff turnover and short-term absenteeism. Two factors, ‘supportive working environment’ and ‘improvement in nursing’, were identified. The study concluded that selection of nurse preceptors with expertise and interest in supportive and reflective approaches is significant for promoting a healthy working environment. Moreover, interventions such as nursing preceptorship facilitate implementation (

This report presents results of re-excavation and reanalysis of unit 5276N 4790E, located on Ridge West 3 (RW3) at the Poverty Point site. Jon Gibson excavated this unit and others in 1991 and argu...

Among European democracies, Italian elections have usually seen high levels of protest voting. Then in the 2006 election the number of blank ballots suddenly dropped by one million following the ad...

Prior work suggests that individuals with an eating disorder demonstrate task-based and overall differences in sociocognitive functioning. However, the majority of studies assessed specifically anorexia nervosa and often employed a single experimental paradigm, providing a piecemeal understanding of the applicability of various lab tasks in denoting meaningful differences across diverse individuals. The current study was designed to address these outstanding issues. Participants were undergraduate females who self-identified as having an official (n = 18) eating disorder diagnosis or disordered eating behaviours with no diagnosis (n = 18), along with a control group (n = 32). Participants completed three social tasks of increasing complexity with different outcome measures, namely a gaze cueing task, passive video-watching using eyetracking, and a task to measure preferred social distance. Results diverged as a function of group across tasks; only the control group produced typical social attention effects, the disordered eating group looked significantly more at faces, and the eating disorder group demonstrated a significantly larger preferred social distance. These results suggest variations in task efficacy and demonstrate that altered sociocognitive functioning extends beyond official eating disorder diagnosis.

The aim of this paper is to document and compare the 2D qualitative and semi-quantitative methods currently used to describe the shape of gold grains in fluvial environments with the 3D quantitative methods using X-ray microtomography and SEM photogrammetry. These 3D methods are used to compute flatness, roundness, convexity, sphericity and ellipticity shape descriptors of 13 gold grains from the Rivière du Moulin (Québec, Canada) in order to quantify the morphological change along 9 km of fluvial transport. Gold grains have moderate to high values of flatness, compactness, sphericity and ellipticity indices that do not change significantly with distance of transport, whereas the roundness increases during transport. Gold grains are used to compare 2D and 3D methods, and the results show small differences (

Past years have seen rising engagement among caregivers in online health communities. Although studies indicate that this caregiver-generated online health information benefits patients, how such information can be perceived easily and correctly remains unclear. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring mechanisms to improve the perceived helpfulness of online health information. We propose a multi-method framework, including a novel Medical-Enriched DEep Learning (MEDEL) feature extraction method, econometric analyses, and a randomized experiment. The results show that when the medical language of health information is informal, the senior care information is more helpful. Our findings provide a theoretical foundation to understand the influence of language formality on many other business communications. Our proposed multi-method approach can also be generalized to investigate research questions involving complex textual features. Forum sites could leverage our proposed approach to improve the helpfulness of online health information and user satisfaction.

Objective: Treatment selection could improve outcomes by helping individuals select their optimal intervention. We refine the Personalized Advantage Index approach to generate individual treatment recommendations based on pre-treatment characteristics for adults with depression deciding between cognitive behavioral (CBT) versus psychodynamic therapy (PDT). Method: Data were drawn from a randomized comparison of CBT versus PDT in a sample of 167 individuals with depression. We introduce a novel method combining four different statistical techniques to identify consistent patient characteristics associated with treatment outcome. We combined these variables to generate predictions indicating the optimal treatment for each patient. We assessed retrospectively the effectiveness of our model by comparing the average treatment outcomes for the patients who received their indicated treatment versus those who did not. Results: Depression severity, anxiety sensitivity, extraversion, and psychological treatment needs were found to predict differential treatment efficacy. The average post-treatment Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores was 1.6 points lower (95%CI=[0.5:2.8]; d=0.21) for those who received their indicated treatment compared to non-indicated. Among the 60% of patients with the strongest treatment recommendations, that advantage grew to 2.6 points (95%CI=[1.4:3.7]; d=0.37). Treatment recommendations were improved by combining different statistical techniques to identify moderators of treatment response rather than relying on one method. Conclusions: Patient characteristics could help individuals choose between CBT and PDT. The small sample and lack of a separate validation sample indicate the need for prospective tests before using this model for treatment selection. These findings contribute to a growing literature on model-guided treatment recommendations in depression.

Our paper bridges psychological contract and recruitment literatures, examining the relationship between diversity messages on recruitment websites and internship outcomes, through the lens of anti...

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection and its treatment still remain a challenge for human health worldwide. A variety of antibiotics and combination therapies are currently used to treat H. pylori induced ulcers and carcinoma; however, no effective treatment is available to eliminate the pathogen from the body. Additionally, antibiotic resistance is also one of the main reasons for prolonged and persistent infection. Aims: Until new drugs are available for this infection, vaccinology seems the only alternative opportunity to exploit against H. pylori induced diseases. Methods: Multiple epitopes prioritized in our previous study have been tested for their possible antigenic combinations, resulting in 169-mer and 183-mer peptide vaccines containing the amino acid sequences of 3 and 4 epitopes respectively, along with adjuvant (Cholera Toxin Subunit B adjuvant at 5’ end) and linkers (GPGPG and EAAAK). Results: Poly-epitope proteins proposed as potential vaccine candidates against H. pylori include SabA-HP0289-Omp16-VacA (SHOV), VacA-Omp16-HP0289-FecA (VOHF), VacA-Omp16-HP0289- SabA (VOHS), VacA-Omp16-HP0289-BabA (VOHB), VacA-Omp16-HP0289-SabA-FecA (VOHSF), VacA-Omp16-HP0289-SabA-BabA (VOHSB) and VacA-Omp16-HP0289-BabA-SabA (VOHBS). Structures of these poly-epitope peptide vaccines have been modeled and checked for their affinity with HLA alleles and receptors. These proposed poly-epitope vaccine candidates bind efficiently with A2, A3, B7 and DR1 superfamilies of HLA alleles. They can also form stable and significant interactions with Toll-like receptor 2 and Toll-like receptor 4. Conclusion: Results suggest that these multi-epitopic vaccines can elicit a significant immune response against H. pylori and can be tested further for efficient vaccine development.

Several countries insert statutory warnings about the adverse effects of smoking in movie and television (TV) content. This study tests the effectiveness of anti-smoking warnings as a prevention-based stimulus for non-smokers in TV programs. Study 1 (a qualitative study) finds that on-screen smoking can induce viewers to take up smoking. Study 2 tested anti-smoking warnings’ efficacy based on viewers’ smoking habits and finds that warnings are most effective in enabling viewers to resist persuasion when they are non-smokers. Study 3, using an eye-tracking device, examines the role of visual attention in the underlying processes. The proposed model compared four warning timings: no warning, warning prior to the content (PW), warning concurrent with the content (CW), and both warnings (both), which lead viewers to pay attention to the on-screen smoking, influencing critical processing (CP) and attitude toward smoking (ASM). Findings indicate that warning timing has a significant indirect effect on ASM, mediated by attention to the warning and on-screen smoking, and CP. There were no direct effects between warning timings and CP or ASM. Additionally, PW and both demonstrated a significantly higher indirect effect on CP and ASM than CW. As compared to CW, PW and both are more effective at countering the persuasion attempt of on-screen smoking. This study contributes to the literature on statutory warning timings, persuasion knowledge models, and healthcare policy.

Attractive self-interaction processes in antibody formulations increase the risk of aggregation and extraordinarily elevated viscosity at high protein concentrations. These challenges affect manufacturing and application. This study aimed to understand the self-interaction process of Infliximab as a model system with pronounced attractive self-interaction. The association mechanism was studied by a multi-method approach comprising analytical ultracentrifugation, dynamic light scattering, small angle X-ray scattering, self-interaction bio-layer interferometry and hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry. Based on our results, both Fab and Fc regions of Infliximab are involved in self-interaction. We hypothesize a mechanism based on electrostatic interactions of polar and charged residues within the identified areas of the heavy and the light chain of the mAb. The combination of fast and reliable screening methods and low throughput but high resolution methods can contribute to detailed characterization and deeper understanding of specific self-interaction processes.

We investigated early-childhood teachers’ emotion socialization practices via a multi-method study that combined self-report measures and structured observational situations at day care centre. Eighty-nine teachers (Mage = 38.29 years; SD = 11.06) completed two questionnaires about their emotion socialization style and beliefs about emotions, respectively. A subsample of 40 teachers also participated in two experimental situations designed for observing their responses to children’s emotional distress. We developed an innovative coding system for classifying teachers’ reactions in terms of focus (problem, emotion, solution, time) and style (coaching, dismissing, and amplifying, a new style we detected). All teachers deployed a variety of emotion socialization practices. Coaching reactions (especially emotion-focused) were the most frequent, followed by dismissing (problem- and emotion-focused responses) and, to a lesser extent, amplifying responses (mainly problem-focused). There were significant associations between the self-report scores and the responses observed in the experimental situations. We discuss the educational implications of these findings.

Parental responses to negative emotion, one key component of emotion socialization, may function to increase (or decrease) reactive aggression over time via indirect effects on emotion dysregulation. However, despite its transdiagnostic relevance, very little research has examined this developmental risk pathway, and no studies have done so during the volatile and vulnerable transition to adolescence. The current study uses a sample of clinically referred youth (N = 162; mean age = 12.03 years; 47% female) and their parents to examine supportive and non-supportive parental responses to negative emotion using a multi-method (questionnaire, ecological momentary assessment [EMA], observation), multi-informant approach (child-, parent-, clinician-rated). Emotion dysregulation and reactive aggression were assessed via child report during a 4-day EMA protocol completed concurrently and 9 months later. Multivariate structural equation modeling was used to examine direct and indirect paths from parental responses to emotion to daily reports of emotion dysregulation and reactive aggression. Consistent with hypotheses, parental responses to emotion predicted reactive aggression via effects on emotion dysregulation. This indirect effect was present for supportive and non-supportive parental responses to emotion, such that supportive parental responses decreased risk, and non-supportive responses increased risk. Moreover, findings indicated differential prediction by informant, and this was specific to supportive parental responses to emotion, whereby child-reported support was protective, while parent-reported support, unexpectedly, had the opposite effect. The clinical significance of integrating supportive and non-supportive parental responses to negative emotion into etiological and intervention models of reactive aggression is discussed.

Site characterization is a crucial component in assessing seismic hazard, typically involving in situ shear-wave velocity ( VS) depth profiling, and measurement of site amplification including site period. Noninvasive methods are ideal for soil sites and become challenging in terms of field logistics and interpretation in more complex geologic settings including rock sites. Multiple noninvasive active- and passive-seismic techniques are applied at 25 seismograph stations across Eastern Canada. It is typically assumed that these stations are installed on hard rock. We investigate which site characterization methods are suitable at rock sites as well as confirm the hard rock assumption by providing VS profiles. Active-source compression-wave refraction and surface wave array techniques consistently provide velocity measurements at rock sites; passive-source array testing is less consistent but it is our most suitable method in constraining the rock VS. Bayesian inversion of Rayleigh wave dispersion curves provides quantitative uncertainty in the rock VS. We succeed in estimating rock VS at 16 stations, with constrained rock VS estimates at 7 stations that are consistent with previous estimates for Precambrian and Paleozoic rock types. The National Building Code of Canada uses solely the time-averaged shear-wave velocity of the upper 30 m ( VS30) to classify rock sites. We determine a mean VS30 of ∼ 1600 m/s for 16 Eastern Canada stations; the hard rock assumption is correct (>1500 m/s) but not as hard as often assumed (∼2000 m/s). Mean variability in VS30 is ∼400 m/s and can lead to softer rock classifications, in particular, for Paleozoic rock types with lower average rock VS near the hard/soft rock boundary. Microtremor and earthquake horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios are obtained and provide site period classifications as an alternative to VS30.

Weak macromolecular interactions assume a dominant role in the behavior of highly concentrated solutions, and are at the center of a variety of fields ranging from colloidal chemistry to cell biology, neurodegenerative diseases, and manufacturing of protein drugs. They are frequently measured in different biophysical techniques in the form of second virial coefficients, and nonideality coefficients of sedimentation and diffusion, which may be related mechanistically to macromolecular distance distributions in solution and interparticle potentials. A problem arises for proteins where reversible self-association often complicates the concentration-dependent behavior, such that grossly inconsistent coefficients are measured in experiments based on different techniques, confounding quantitative conclusions. Here we present a global multi-method analysis that synergistically bridges gaps in resolution and sensitivity of orthogonal techniques. We demonstrate the method with a panel of monoclonal antibodies exhibiting different degrees of self-association. We show how their concentration-dependent behavior, examined by static and dynamic light scattering and sedimentation velocity, can be jointly described in a self-consistent framework that separates nonideality coefficients from self-association properties, and thereby extends the quantitative interpretation of nonideality coefficients to probe dynamics in highly concentrated protein solutions.

There has been limited research into the individual, social, and environmental factors for infection risk among patients in the home healthcare (HHC) setting, where the infection is a leading cause of hospitalisation. The aims of this study were to (1) explore nurse perceptions of individual, social, and environmental factors for infection risk among HHC patients; and (2) identify the frequency of environmental barriers to infection prevention and control in HHC. Data were collected in 2017-2018 and included qualitative interviews with HHC nurses (n = 50) and structured observations of nurse visits to patients' homes (n = 400). Thematic analyses of interviews with nurses suggested they perceived infection risk among patients as being influenced by knowledge of and attitudes towards infection prevention and engagement in hygiene practices, receipt of support from informal caregivers and nurse interventions aimed at cultivating infection control knowledge and practices, and the home environment. Statistical analyses of observation checklists revealed nurses encountered an average of 1.7 environmental barriers upon each home visit. Frequent environmental barriers observed during visits to HHC patients included clutter (39.5%), poor lighting (38.8%), dirtiness (28.5%), and pets (17.2%). Additional research is needed to clarify inter-relationships among these factors and identify strategies for addressing each as part of a comprehensive infection control program in HHC.

This multimethod study develops a context-sensitive approach to subsistence consumer segmentation as advocated in the international market segmentation literature. Building on the theory of consumption values, the authors conduct multisited rapid ethnography research to collect primary data from urban subsistence consumers in South Africa and India who were presented with a simulated product choice situation. The authors convert the data into quantifiable segmentation variables for further analysis. This approach is particularly useful in subsistence consumer markets that are characterized by a dearth of quantifiable consumer data. The study reveals four distinct subsegments—Family-Oriented Workers, Low-Skilled Price-Sensitives, Young Performers, and Conscious Conservatives—that differ significantly in education level, number of children, age, consumption values, and purchase behavior. A detailed discussion of the context-sensitive segmentation approach applied in this study enables scholars and practitioners to deploy and adapt it to different environments and requirements.

A robust knowledge of biodiversity distribution is essential for designing and developing effective conservation actions. The choice of a suitable sampling method is key to obtaining sufficiently accurate information of species distribution and consequently to improve biodiversity conservation. This study applies multi-method occupancy models to 36 common bird species associated with small ponds in the province of Murcia (south-eastern Spain), one of the most arid regions of Europe, in order to compare their effectiveness for detecting different bird species: direct observation, combined observation and video monitoring and mist netting captures. The results showed that the combined method and direct observation were similar and most effective than mist netting for detecting species occupancy, although detection rates ranged widely among bird groups, while some large species were poorly detected by all the methods used. Average detectability did not increase during the breeding period. The chosen approach is particularly applicable to both single- and multi-species bird monitoring programmes. However, we recommend evaluating the cost-effectiveness of all the available methods in order to reduce costs and improve the success of sampling designs.

At the eastern tip of Anjihai anticline on the northern piedmont of Tian Shan (northwest China), deformed fluvial deposits have recorded active folding since the Pleistocene, but the absence of accurate ages makes it difficult to evaluate the anticline's shortening rate. Geological studies ascribed the fluvial strata to the early Pleistocene, which poses potential challenges for luminescence dating. In this study, multi-methods luminescence dating was applied to a fluvial sand sample taken from the sandy bed of the deformed basal strata. Single grain post-Infrared Infrared Stimulated Luminescence (pIRIR) and multiple-aliquot-regenerative (MAR) dose along with multiple-elevated-temperature pIRIR (MET-pIRIR) procedures were applied to determine the paleodose of the sample. The methodological uncertainties, such as thermal transfer and initial sensitivity change, were treated by increasing the test dose and performing dose recovery test. With consideration of the potential partial bleaching and anomalous fading, various statistical metrics were applied to the De values determined by using the single grain pIRIR225, single grain pIRIR290 and MAR-MET-pIRIR290 signals. The minimum age model (MAM) De values are 11% – 17% lower than the central age model (CAM) De values in general, and the MAM De values determined by the single grain pIRIR procedures are underestimated by more than 40% when compared with those determined by MAR-MET-pIRIR290 procedure. The MAM MAR-MET-pIRIR290 De of 811 ± 44 Gy results in a burial age of 284 ka for the basal deformed fluvial strata, which is much younger than the proposed early Pleistocene age.

Low information exchange in global production networks results in long response time to disruption and negative performance impact. Digitalization enables a more intensive information exchange. This paper analyses the performance of order management, quality problem resolution and engineering change management in production networks with respect to different disruptions and information flows. Cause-effect relationships are revealed based on a multi-method simulation model and statistical experiments. Using surrogate modelling and robust optimization, a target picture for information exchange is determined. The benefits of the approach are demonstrated using a case study for the production of metal-plastic parts for the automotive supplier industry.

This paper examines chronological methods for reoccupied archaeological sites with surface arrangements of stone features in the alpine tundra. It is challenging to interpret feature dates in the t...

The aim of our study was to explore young children’s social and learning environments in contexts that are different from the predominant Western lifestyle. We expected different cultural groups, both living in Costa Rica, to provide their 6- to 18-months old children with different learning environments. Our sample consisted of 26 Bribri families and 24 Guanacastecan families. To test the impact of formal education we additionally divided the whole sample into a higher schooling sample (18 families; at least one parent had completed secondary school) and a lower schooling sample (32 families). We used a multi method design including interviews, questionnaires and spot observations and analyzed the data following the qualitative approach of thematic analysis. Additional chi-square tests showed that Guanacastecan caregivers and caregivers from families with higher formal education provide their children with a more distal socialization style (verbal and object-centered behavior). Caregivers from families with lower formal education engage more in proximal behavior (primary care, body contact, and stimulation). Bribri families also put more emphasis on interdependence-oriented socialization goals. Guanacastecan caregivers highlighted independence-oriented socialization goals. Our study confirms socialization strategies and children’s learning environments respectively emphasizing more distal or more proximal experiences and indicates that sociodemographic profiles (especially formal schooling) must be taken into account when studying children’s development across different cultures.

Wonder, a fictional story told both in print (2/2012) and movie (11/2017) formats, depicts a middle-school student, Auggie, who struggles with social exclusion and being the target of school based relational bullying due to his genetically based facial deformity. Internationally popular, abundant everyday reviews by non-professional commenter are easily accessible on-line, e.g., on Douban (Chinese) and Common-Sense Media (English). Access to these comments enables the investigation of what perspectives (knowledge and understanding, beliefs and opinions, etc.) reviewers draw upon in sharing their thoughts about the protagonist’s struggles. In this study we undertook two analyses. In analysis 1, we asked, how do Chinese -/English -speaking reviewers comment on Auggie’s struggles to be accepted by his peers at school, both the causes of his social problem and the ways Auggie dealt (or might deal) with his situation. In analysis 2, we explored comments that reviewers made about Auggie’s only sibling, his elder sister, Via, a first-year high school students who, in the story, struggles to find a balance between meeting her own need for her parents’ love and attention, and fulfilling her familial role and obligations, given Auggie’s special needs. Based on data from open-source “every day” books/movies review websites, we compared, culturally, the perspectives on the story expressed by Chinese and English commenters through emic (both thematic and discursive) exploratory analyses. Analysis 1 suggests that comparatively, Chinese-speaking reviewers tend to more often focus on the value of solving the problem, and in doing so, articulating the corresponding ways a victim of bullying or neglect can be or become both strong and interdependent, whereas English-speaking reviewers more often tend to emphasize exploring and understanding the causes of the relational problems and tend to suggest independence-oriented ways of solving the social problem by changing the actions of others. Analysis 2 suggests differences across Chinese- and English-speaking reviewers in perceptions of and judgements about the fundamental “culture based” determinants and ways for Via to deal with her relational struggle within the family.

One of the most challenging tasks for a deterrence planner is assessing a leader's intent, which requires having an in-depth level of subject-matter expertise. This article investigates this challe...

Developing appropriate and functional coatings for Mg alloys, such as WE43, in view of controlling the degradation rate in biodegradable applications, requires a realistic understanding of the corrosion processes. While conventional methods, such as electrochemical measurements, can already give a good estimation about the protectiveness of coatings, immersion tests are also required to simulate a more realistic corrosion scenario (i.e., open-circuit dissolution as a function of time). In the current study, immersion tests at pH 5 were performed in a solution composed of the inorganic Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium constituents. For four different types of coatings on WE43, a combined experimental approach was introduced that compares the corrosion rates obtained by the different methods. The strengths and drawbacks of the methods, such as hydrogen evolution and ion release measurements, mass loss, and electrochemical tests, will be discussed. The different monitoring methods all have their advantages; thus, for a profound examination, multiple methods should be used in a complementary manner. For the evaluation of the corrosion protection ability of coated samples, the hydrogen evolution measurements may offer the most advantages.

This study sought to address an important gap in the contemporary literature on intra-European return migration and examines the factors shaping Romanian returnees’ support for return policies base...

Audiences’ TV series entertainment experiences are increasingly shaped not only by the events on the ‘first screen’ but also by discussions on social media. While an extensive body of research has examined practices of ‘second screening,’ especially on Twitter, online discussions before and after the live broadcast and on other platforms have received less attention. On Reddit—one of the most important platforms for Social TV—discussions often take place in temporally structured threads that allow users to discuss an episode before (pre-premiere thread), during (live premiere thread), and after (post-premiere thread) it airs. In this project, we examine whether these spaces mainly indicate temporal preferences among users or are associated with different usage practices and motives. To do so, we conducted two case studies of the Reddit community r/gameofthrones: a survey about usage motives (n = 417) and an automated content analysis of approximately 1.2 million comments left on the episode discussion threads in which we examined thread use over time, interactions between users, and discussion content. The results revealed differing usage motives and practices for the three thread types, illustrating the distinct function that these communication spaces fulfil for users.