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Gaze cues (repeatedly) fail to influence person evaluation
Get PDFEye gaze is an important social signal that people generally cannot help but follow, leading to joint attention. Joint attention has been shown to speed basic processing of objects, enhance memory for them, and even affect immediate value-based appraisal by increasing object likability. Here, across 8 experiments, we investigate for the first time whether jointly attending to other faces positively affects their longer-term social value (liking, trust) and attentional value (attention allocation and prioritisation). Emanating the basic gaze cuing paradigm, a central cue face looked towards or away from a ‘target’ face, which the participant had to respond to. Unbeknownst to participants, some target faces were always looked at (jointly attended – high value) and others were never looked at (‘ignored’ – low value). In studies 1 to 6, we investigated how these gaze-induced value conditions positively affected subsequent liking and trust social judgements of a person. Then, in studies 7 and 8, we additionally investigated whether effects of gaze on others may occur implicitly, affecting subsequent attentional engagement with others by using the target faces as gaze cues, or attentional targets in a dot probe task. Confirmed through mini meta-analysis, we found no significant effect of being jointly attended versus ignored on either the social ( N = 214) or attentional ( N = 77) value of faces. We discuss whether faces are different from objects in this context
Complementing underwater visual surveys with eDNA metabarcoding to detect Mediterranean non-indigenous fishes
Get PDFNon-indigenous species (NIS) are among the main drivers of native biodiversity loss, habitat alteration, and degradation of ecosystem services, with some NIS posing risks to human health. Efficient monitoring strategies are necessary to assess the distribution and impacts of NIS. In this study, we compared the performance of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding and visual surveys with SCUBA diving to detect marine fish NIS in Greek waters. We collected water samples from 20 coastal sites across the Aegean, Ionian, and Levantine Seas in both warm and cold periods, targeting the 12S rRNA region. A reference 12S Mediterranean NIS sequence database was created to improve regional monitoring. Underwater visual surveys were performed at the same sites to visually detect fish NIS. Overall, 15 non-indigenous fishes were detected, five with both eDNA and visual surveys, seven exclusively by eDNA, and three by visual surveys alone. The southern stations yielded more NIS detections than the northern stations in both periods. Our findings demonstrate that eDNA can provide a rapid, low-cost, and effective tool, advocating for its integration into systematic NIS monitoring in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. A comprehensive barcode reference database is essential in enhancing the effectiveness of eDNA approaches. Thus, the combination of eDNA metabarcoding and traditional underwater visual surveys is recommended for comprehensive monitoring of NIS in marine environments
Utilizing nano zero-valent iron impregnated biochar for removal of hexavalent chromium from water: An assessment through Box-Behnken optimization, kinetics, and isotherm studies
No full textThe current study focuses on synthesizing an ecofriendly biochar-supported nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) and evaluating its efficacy in removing hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] from aquatic systems under different experimental conditions. The study identifies the optimal conditions that have a substantial impact on Cr(VI) removal efficiency under different experimental sets including adsorbent dose (0.5 g L-1 to 2 g L-1), Cr(VI) concentration (20 mg L-1 to 100 mg L-1) and pH (2 to 8). The interactive impacts of important variables like pH, initial chromium concentration, composite doses, temperature, and time was assessed through response surface methodology (RSM) based on box-behnken design (BBD). The nZVI–biochar composite demonstrates superior performance compared to nZVI and biochar individually and highest removal efficiency was observed at pH 2. The second-order polynomial model for biosorption validated through ANOVA, have a high coefficient of determination (R2≥ 0.98). Temkin and Sips models fit well with equilibrium data, suggesting multi-molecular layer adsorption, while pseudo-second order rate kinetics indicated chemisorption as the rate-limiting step. Furthermore, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the presence of Cr(VI) on the adsorbent surface, and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated the contribution of functional groups in the binding mechanism
Enhanced performance of hierarchical porous HKUST-1/g-C3N4 heterostructure in the degradation of antibiotics with and without light
Get PDFCurrently, the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for water treatment are limited by the demand on externally supplied oxidants or illumination. To overcome these constraints, a series of micro-nano-composites composed of a copper-based metal–organic framework 'HKUST-1' and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets, were designed and synthesized via electrostatic self-assembly, hydrothermal treatment and decarboxylation. These hierarchical porous catalysts (HP-HKUST-1/g-C3N4) exhibit outstanding characteristics, particularly, in the degradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride (TCH) under either total darkness or visible illumination. Experimental results demonstrate that TCH can be effectively degraded without externally supplied oxidant. Under dark conditions, 30 mg of the catalyst removed 99.92% of 50 mL 50 mg·L−1 TCH in 30 min; under visible light, 99.95% degradation was achieved in just 20 min. The exceptional performance is attributed to high Cu(I) content which offer strong reducing power to activate O2 to generate H2O2. Additionally, photoexcited electrons in g-C3N4 transfer to HKUST-1 via heterojunctions, which suppresses the recombination of electron-hole pairs in g-C3N4 and supplies extra electrons for the O2 reduction in HKUST-1. This study not only presents ideas for designing highly efficient catalysts with self-produced H2O2 by activating O2, but also proposes a practical pathway towards the development of AOPs for wastewater treatment
Determining Management Strategies to Control Ash Dieback Disease Through the Study of Molecular and Environmental Interactions
Get PDFAsh dieback (ADB) disease, caused by the devastating fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus Baral, Queloz & Hosoya, currently poses a significant threat to forest health by decreasing the ash population across the UK and Europe. In our study, we evaluated how environmental conditions, silvicultural management, and genetic factors influence the spread and severity of ash dieback. We combined these factors in a statistical model for susceptibility. Leaves were collected from twenty-two stands across a large semi-natural woodland in Southern England, encompassing a range of disease symptoms. We conducted gene expression assays of tolerance genes previously identified by Associative Transcriptomics and evaluated how stand structure, tree vigour, and individual tree characteristics affected the disease progression. Our results demonstrated that the severity of symptoms is significantly impacted by tree vitality, genetics, and tree size. We identified a diameter at breast height (DBH) group with the highest explained variation (42%) in the disease susceptibility model, with the tree vitality and genetic markers emerging as key determinants. Our findings highlight that lower susceptibility to ash dieback results from a combination of moderate to high genetic tolerance, good individual tree vitality, and appropriate stand management
How to take a wound swab
Get PDFWound swabbing is a widespread practice undertaken by nurses and other healthcare professionals in various healthcare environments and involves collecting a sample from the wound surface using a sterile swab. The sample acquired from the wound swab is sent for laboratory analysis to assess the level of bioburden present in a wound and to guide treatment decisions. Before undertaking this procedure, the nurse should perform a structured wound assessment and use their clinical judgement to identify the presence of infection and determine if a wound swab is necessary. This How to article details the procedure for obtaining a wound swab safely. Nurses undertaking this activity must have the knowledge and skills required to do so safely, follow local policy, and must work within their level of competence.• Wound infection is challenging for patients, their families and healthcare professionals, as it can result in delayed wound healing leading to increased hospital admissions and can adversely affect patients’ quality of life.• Obtaining and preparing the equipment required to obtain a wound swab, and to cleanse the wound if necessary, prevents excessive exposure of the wound to the environment.• There is ongoing debate regarding the optimal method for obtaining a wound swab sample, therefore nurses should follow local guidelines and policies.• Understanding the clinical objectives of wound swabbing and adhering to the best available evidence on the identification of wound infection can support nurses to confidently make decisions about the need for a wound swab
Chronotype Predicts Body Mass Index via Emotion Regulation Strategy Use and Emotional Eating
Get PDFIntroduction: Rates of obesity are increasing across all regions representing a critical public health concern. An evening chronotype has been associated with elevated body mass index and a less nutritious diet. However, the mechanisms underpinning the relationship between chronotype and body mass index remain unclear. The aim of the current study was to investigate if chronotype is indirectly associated with body mass index via emotion regulation strategy use and emotional eating. Method: Participants completed the Morningness‐Eveningness Questionnaire to assess chronotype, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire to assess habitual emotion regulation strategy use, the Warwick‐Edinburgh Mental Well‐being Scale to assess mental well‐being, and the Three‐Factor Eating Questionnaire to provide a measure of emotional eating. Participants reported their weight and height to allow body mass index to be calculated. Structural equation modeling tested the predicted indirect association between chronotype and body mass index via emotion regulation strategy use and emotional eating. Results: Chronotype was indirectly associated with body mass index via emotion regulation strategy use and emotional eating. As predicted, individuals with an evening chronotype tended to report greater use of expressive suppression, which was associated with a greater tendency to emotionally eat and a higher body mass index (p = 0.008). In contrast, individuals with a morning chronotype reported more frequent use of cognitive reappraisal, which was associated with reduced emotional eating and a lower body mass index (p = 0.003). The direct pathway between chronotype and body mass index was non‐significant (p = 0.821). Conclusion: These findings suggest a clear pathway through which chronotype might be associated with body mass index, with evening chronotypes at a greater risk of weight gain. Our results suggest that it is not the independent influence of emotion regulation strategy use or emotional eating on its own that is important in the association between chronotype and body mass index, but the combined sequential effect of a general tendency towards an emotion regulation strategy and then the impact this has upon emotional eating that is important. The findings highlight the importance of considering emotion regulation strategy use and emotional eating when designing interventions or therapies aimed at reducing obesity
An approach based on multiquadric radial basis functions for smooth trajectory planning of robotic manipulators with kinematic constraints
Get PDFThis paper introduces a novel approach for planning smooth trajectories of robotic manipulators byleveraging multiquadric radial basis functions (MQRBFs). The proposed approach aims to achieve optimal trajectories by minimizing a multi-objective function that accounts for both time and jerk optimization. The MQ-RBF interpolation technique ensures that the trajectory meets velocity, acceleration, and jerk limits, while ensuring jerk continuity. Comparative evaluations are conducted in two cases: with and without optimization. In the first case, the MQ-RBF interpolation approach is compared with various RBF interpolation models.In the second case,the MQ-RBFtrajectory approach is compared with alternative state-of-the-art trajectory planning techniques, such as fifth-order Bsplines and trigonometric spline functions, for generating optimal time-jerk trajectories for 6-joint robotic manipulators using optimization algorithms. Numerical and experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed technique in efficiently planning smooth trajectories compared to existing trajectory planning approaches and validate its effectiveness across various scenarios
Advanced Three‐Level Characteristic of Overcurrent Relays Based on Non‐Standard Characteristic for Enhanced Microgrid Protection
Get PDFThe growing integration of distributed generations (DGs) and the islanding capabilities of microgrids (MGs) have fundamentally changed the configuration of power distribution networks (DNs), significantly impacting short-circuit current levels and thereby, challenging the reliability of conventional protection systems. The increasing complexity of modern power networks necessitates the adoption of more than two setting groups to manage various network scenarios and multiple fault levels effectively. This research introduces an advanced three-level overcurrent relay (OCR) protection scheme, based on a non-standard characteristic, for MGs and comprehensively evaluates it across different grid operation modes. The study specifically examines the following power grid configurations: A 33-IEEE grid without DGs (PV or wind), a grid incorporating a photovoltaic (PV) unit, and a grid featuring a wind unit. Experimental results from the 33-IEEE grid demonstrate that the proposed three-level OCR scheme reduces total tripping time by over 40%, thereby, enhancing fault sensitivity and enabling faster fault isolation. This, in turn, minimises disturbance duration and the risk of faults that could lead to significant system damage. For instance, in the case involving a PV unit at fault location F6, the three-level scheme decreased the tripping time of OCR 6 from 1.52 to 0.97 s, underscoring the scheme’s high performance in fault management. Furthermore, experimental testing is utilised to evaluate the three-level OCR scheme in real-time, employing the OMICRON-256 and SIPROTEC 7SJ631 protection relay. The findings suggest that the proposed OCR protection scheme represents a significant advancement in MG protection, offering a scalable and robust solution for future power distribution systems
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