The Devil is in The Details: Measuring Sensory Processing Sensitivity Using Natural Language Processing

Personality traits play a strong role in our perceptions, attitudes, and decision-making behaviors in our daily lives, including our choices of words and writing patterns. While prior Information Systems (IS) research on personality typically used the Big Five personality traits as a theoretical framework, we look into measuring a comparatively new inherent personality trait, sensory processing sensitivity, using natural language processing. We collect data on twenty general essay questions from along with self-reported sensory processing sensitivity survey questions from 241 participants. We categorize participants based on survey questions with multiple methods and derive different features from the textual data. Our results show almost perfect agreement among the different methods categorizing a highly sensitive person versus a non-highly sensitive person. The initial analysis demonstrates that certain features can be of great potential in measuring sensory processing sensitivity in written text

VENTURE CAPITAL AND CORPORATE INNOVATION INPUT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SYNDICATED INVESTMENT

Using data for 341 enterprises listed on the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and taking R&D expenditure as an indicator of innovation investment, this paper implements multiple linear regression to test whether venture capital promotes corporate innovation input. It also considers the relationship between the syndicated investment of venture capital and innovation input. The results showthat venture capital indeed promotes R&D in the invested enterprises. The innovation input of syndicated investment enterprises is significantly higher than that of sole investment enterprises. Under syndicated investment, the higher the number of syndicated investment members and the greater the heterogeneity of the shareholding ratio among the members, the higher is the innovation input. The reputation of the syndicated investment team, however, has no significant impact on innovation input.Using data for 341 enterprises listed on the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and taking R&D expenditure as an indicator of innovation investment, this paper implements multiple linear regression to test whether venture capital promotes corporate innovation input. It also considers the relationship between the syndicated investment of venture capital and innovation input. The results showthat venture capital indeed promotes R&D in the invested enterprises. The innovation input of syndicated investment enterprises is significantly higher than that of sole investment enterprises. Under syndicated investment, the higher the number of syndicated investment members and the greater the heterogeneity of the shareholding ratio among the members, the higher is the innovation input. The reputation of the syndicated investment team, however, has no significant impact on innovation input

CHARACTERISTICS OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND PERFORMANCE OF GEM LISTED COMPANIES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF VENTURE CAPITAL PARTICIPATION

Using the difference-in-differences (DID) model and taking the sample of companies listed from 2009 to 2014 on the Growth Enterprises Market (GEM) of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in China, this paper studies the impact of Venture Capital (VC) participation on board characteristics, which is measured by the chief executive officer (CEO) duality, the scale of the board of directors and the proportion of independent directors, and it also studies how the board characteristics influence the company performance. The findings are as follows: VC-backed GEM listed companies are more inclined to choose the mode of CEO duality and to have a larger board of directors and a higher proportion of independent directors, all of which are conducive to improving company performance

Sensory-guided analysis of key taste-active compounds in Pufferfish (Takifugu obscurus)

To investigate key taste-active components in Takifugu obscurus, 28 putative taste compounds in cooked muscle of T. obscurus were quantitatively analyzed and the pivotal components were identified by taste reconstitution, omission, and addition tests. Moreover, the role of flavor peptides in the overall taste profile of T. obscurus was evaluated. Sensory evaluation revealed that glutamic acid, serine, proline, arginine, lysine, adenosine 5′-monophosphate, inosine 5′-monophosphate (IMP), succinic acid, sodium, potassium, phosphates, and chlorides were the core taste-active contributors to T. obscurus. Besides glutamic acid, IMP, succinic acid, and potassium, the characteristic T. obscurus-like umami and kokumi profiles were induced by adding flavor peptides, among which Pro-Val-Ala-Arg-Met-Cys-Arg and Tyr-Gly-Gly-Thr-Pro-Pro-Phe-Val were identified as key substances on the basis of the addition test and dose–response analysis. The present data may help to reveal the secret of the delicious taste of T. obscurus and provide the basis for the development of deeper flavor analysis of pufferfish

A Highly Controllable Electrochemical Anodization Process to Fabricate Porous Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membranes

Due to the broad applications of porous alumina nanostructures, research on fabrication of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) with nanoporous structure has triggered enormous attention. While fabrication of highly ordered nanoporous AAO with tunable geometric features has been widely reported, it is known that its growth rate can be easily affected by the fluctuation of process conditions such as acid concentration and temperature during electrochemical anodization process. To fabricate AAO with various geometric parameters, particularly, to realize precise control over pore depth for scientific research and commercial applications, a controllable fabrication process is essential. In this work, we revealed a linear correlation between the integrated electric charge flow throughout the circuit in the stable anodization process and the growth thickness of AAO membranes. With this understanding, we developed a facile approach to precisely control the growth process of the membranes. It was found that this approach is applicable in a large voltage range, and it may be extended to anodization of other metal materials such as Ti as well.Hong Kong Research Grant Council [612113]; Hong Kong Innovation Technology Commission [ITS/362/14FP]; Fundamental Research Project of Shenzhen Science & Technology Foundation [JCYJ20130402164725025]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [61574005]; Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions [PAPD]SCI(E)[email protected]; [email protected]

Continuing development as a teacher - a China-UK example

LINK 2017, vol. 3, issue 1 / Copyright 2017 University of Hertfordshire.In September 2016 14 award winning university teachers from Shanghai arrived in the UK to take part in a four month programme at the University of Hertfordshire designed to enhance their educational practice. In this article, two of the programme designers and six of the participants reflect on how the experience was structured, the reasons for including particular elements, and the impact of the programme on all concerned. Questions about how experienced teachers can continue to develop professionally are posed and the impact of observing and participating in learning contexts in a different culture as part of this development are considered. Issues around the cultural underpinning of learning approaches and limitations on transferring practice from one context to another are identified. Lessons about learning for all concerned are also identified and implications for the teaching of Chinese students in UK universities are raised.Final Published versio

Comparative study of gait parameters of patients undergoing distal femoral resections with non-operated and healthy limbs: a meta-analysis study

IntroductionGait analysis is one of the most important components of functional outcome evaluation in patients with lower-extremity tumors. Disparities between operated limbs when compared with non-operated limbs and healthy populations based on gait parameters have rarely been studied. In the present study, we attempted to analyze the gait difference and its impacts on daily life.MethodsThe gait parameters of distal femoral tumor-resected patients were collected from PubMed, CNKI, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, and Google Scholar till September 30, 2022, by strictly following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Differences between gait parameters in the operated and non-operated limbs or healthy limbs of distal femoral tumor patients were analyzed based on stance phase, swing phase, cadence, and velocity. The fixed-effects and random-effects models were used to conduct a meta-analysis.ResultsSix studies were included according to the selection criteria. There were 224 patients in total in these studies. Standard mean differences were calculated for all of our outcomes. Our results showed that there was a minimal difference in the standard mean difference of gait parameters between operated and non-operated limbs and healthy limbs.ConclusionDistal femoral tumor resections have been associated with deficient muscle function and strength and impaired gait parameters. Minimal differences in the gait parameters highlighted the advantage of distal femoral resection when replaced with a prosthesis

Is Ultrasound an Accurate Alternative for Mammography in Breast Cancer Screening in an Asian Population?:A Meta-Analysis

In Asian countries, ultrasound has been proposed as a possible alternative for mammography in breast cancer screening because of its superiority in dense breasts, accessibility and low costs. This research aimed to meta-analyze the evidence for the diagnostic performance of ultrasound compared to mammography for breast cancer screening in Asian women. PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched for studies that concurrently compared mammography and ultrasound in 2000-2019. Data extraction and risk of bias were performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA) statement. The primary outcome was the sensitivity and specificity. Bivariate random models were used to generate pooled estimates of diagnostic parameters and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). In total, 4424 studies were identified of which six studies met the inclusion criteria with a sample size of 124,425 women. The pooled mean prevalence of the included studies was 3.7‱ (range: 1.2-5.7‱). The pooled sensitivity of mammography was significantly higher than that of ultrasound (0.81 [95% CI 0.71-0.88] versus 0.65 [95% CI 0.58-0.72], p = 0.03), but no significant differences were found in specificity (0.98 [95% CI: 0.94-1.00] versus 0.99 [95% CI: 0.97-1.00], p = 0.65). In conclusion, based on the currently available data on sensitivity alone, there is no indication that ultrasound can replace mammography in breast cancer screening in Asian women

Sources and transformations of riverine nitrogen across a coastal-plain river network of eastern China: New insights from multiple stable isotopes

Riverine nitrogen pollution is ubiquitous and attracts considerable global attention. Nitrate is commonly the dominant total nitrogen (TN) constituent in surface and ground waters; thus, stable isotopes of nitrate (δ15N/δ18O-NO3-) are widely used to differentiate nitrate sources. However, δ15N/δ18O-NO3- approach fails to present a holistic perspective of nitrogen pollution for many coastal-plain river networks because diverse nitrogen species contribute to high TN loads. In this study, multiple isotopes, namely, δ15N/δ18O-NO3-, δ18O-H2O, δ15N-NH4+, δ15N-PN, and δ15Nbulk/δ18O/SP-N2O in the Wen-Rui Tang River, a typical coastal-plain river network of Eastern China, were investigated to identify transformation processes and sources of nitrogen. Then, a stable isotope analysis in R (SIAR) model-TN source apportionment method was developed to quantify the contributions of different nitrogen sources to riverine TN loads. Results showed that nitrogen pollution in the river network was serious with TN concentrations ranging from 1.71 to 8.09 mg/L (mean ± SD: 3.77 ± 1.39 mg/L). Ammonium, nitrate, and suspended particulate nitrogen were the most prominent nitrogen components during the study period, constituting 45.4 %, 28.9 %, and 19.9 % of TN, respectively. Multiple hydrochemical and isotopic analysis identified nitrification as the dominant N cycling process. Biological assimilation and denitrification were minor N cycling processes, whereas ammonia volatilization was deemed negligible. Isotopic evidence and SIAR modeling revealed municipal sewage was the dominant contributor to nitrogen pollution. Based on quantitative estimates from the SIAR model, nitrogen source contributions to the Wen-Rui Tang River watershed followed: municipal sewage (40.6 %) ≈ soil nitrogen (39.5 %) > nitrogen fertilizer (9.7 %) > atmospheric deposition (2.8 %) during wet season; and municipal sewage (59.1 %) > soil nitrogen (30.4 %) > nitrogen fertilizer (4.1 %) > atmospheric deposition (1.0 %) during dry season. This study provides a deeper understanding of nitrogen dynamics in eutrophic coastal-plain river networks, which informs strategies for efficient control and remediation of riverine nitrogen pollution