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AbstractApplication of high dose of phosphorus (P) changes the soil chemical properties which may lead to redistribution of Zn fractions in soil. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of added zinc (Zn) and P on Zn transformations in a New Alluvial soil (Aeric Haplaquept), together with dry matter yield and Zn uptake by rice plants. The treatments included four levels of P (0, 40, 60, and 80 kg ha−1) and three levels of Zn (0, 5, and 10 kg ha−1). Although P application increased the dry matter yield of rice, Zn concentration and uptake was decreased significantly at higher dose of P application. Application of P caused a decrease in all the fractions of soil Zn except amorphous and crystalline Fe-oxide bound zinc. The order of preponderance of different zinc fractions followed the order, water soluble plus exchangeable (WE-Zn) < carbonate bound (Car-Zn) < organically bound (Org-Zn) < manganese oxide (MnOx-Zn) < crystalline sesquioxide (CFeOx-Zn) < amorphous sesquioxide (AFeOx-Zn) < residual Zn (Res-Zn). Residual Zn was the most dominant form of Zn, contributing about 69.07% to total Zn. Correlation data indicated that those fractions are in a state of dynamic equilibrium among different fractions and governs the plant-available Zn in soil. Path coefficient analysis of different Zn-fractions with Zn-uptake in rice plant showed that among the all pools of Zn, Org-Zn fraction plays the most vital role in contributing to Zn uptake by plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the impact of a polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis and other factors on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in women of reproductive age. Online questionnaires were completed and study groups compared. Potential causal relationships were evaluated using path analysis. Analyses revealed that a PCOS diagnosis alongside BMI had the largest effect on HRQoL. Higher levels of physical activity (PA) were not associated with greater HRQoL, and PA was not directly affected by any other outcome. However, reduced self-esteem was identified as a key factor in the promotion of physical and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The freemium model, a business model that provides basic functions for free and makes a profit by providing advanced functions at a premium, has been widely adopted in various industries. To acquire enough customers and generate revenues from the freemium model, the proper allocation of free and premium functions is essential, but little research has been done in this direction. This study proposes a two-stage approach that combines the Kano model and the technology acceptance model (TAM) as a conceptual design method of freemium services. First, Kano analysis is performed to divide the functions of services into three types, must-be, one-dimensional, and attractive functions. The must-be functions are regarded as free functions, and low and high-level one-dimensional functions are classified as free and premium functions, respectively. Then, we perform path analysis based on TAM to identify additional premium functions that affect willingness to pay. We allocate free and premium functions of personal cloud service using the proposed approach and compare the results with the current functions of Dropbox, One Drive, and Google Drive. The proposed two-stage approach is expected to be practically used for designing service concepts based on the freemium business model in various industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether the association between hearing difficulties and self-reported memory problems is mediated by physical health and psychosocial wellbeing. A cross-sectional study. Path analyses were used to test potential theoretical models (psychosocial-cascade, common cause) of the association between hearing difficulties and memory problems, adjusting for age. A sample of 479 adults (18–87 years) completed self-reported outcome measures. Half the participants reported clinically significant hearing difficulties and 30% self-reported memory problems. In the direct model, reporting hearing difficulties was associated with a greater likelihood of reporting memory problems (β = 0.17, p = 0.007, 95% Confidence Intervals [CI] = 0.00, 0.01). Hearing difficulties were also associated with poorer physical health, but this did not mediate the association with memory. Psychosocial factors, however, fully mediated the relationship between hearing difficulties and memory problems (β = 0.03, p = 0.019, 95% CI = 0.00, 0.01). Adults with hearing difficulties may be more likely to self-report memory problems, irrespective of age. This study supports the psychosocial-cascade model, as the association between self-reported hearing and memory problems was explained entirely by psychosocial factors. Future studies should investigate these associations using behavioural measures, as well as explore whether interventions can reduce the risk of developing memory problems in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from a survey of refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, and Iraq in Vienna, Austria, most of whom arrived in 2015, we employ path analysis to study the effects of various integration resources on life satisfaction. In addition, we consider sociodemographic effects. We find that refugees who scored higher on host-country-specific language proficiency, social contacts, and a feeling of relatedness have significantly higher levels of life satisfaction. Origin-country-specific integration resources are not significantly related. Our findings imply that opportunities in the host country are crucial for a satisfying integration process of refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A seminal study on loneliness and depression suggested that loneliness influences depression more than the reverse. However, the study's analytic method has since been criticized for failing to account for the trait-like nature of variables. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms while accounting for the trait-like nature of both variables. Data (n = 16,478) came from the Health and Retirement Study (2006–2016). Measures included the Hughes Loneliness Scale and a modified Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (loneliness item omitted). Analyses consisted of random intercepts cross-lagged panel models (three time-points evenly spaced across eight years). There was evidence that loneliness and depressive symptoms are trait-like and these trait-like components are strongly associated. There was not evidence of cross-lagged effects between loneliness and depressive symptoms. A tendency toward loneliness corresponded with a tendency toward depressive symptoms. However, deviations in one's typical level of loneliness did not predict deviations in one's typical level of depressive symptoms or vice-versa. These findings do not support past assertions that loneliness shapes subsequent depression more than the reverse. By middle to late adulthood, loneliness and depressive symptoms are trait-like phenomena that are strongly associated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the role of compassion and dispositional mindfulness in the psychological health of family carers of older adults and tested for potential mediating effects of emotion regulation difficulties and adaptive coping strategies. A sample of 141 family carers of adults aged 65 years or older with chronic conditions completed a cross-sectional survey between July – December 2019. The survey included self-report scales that measured: self-compassion, compassion for others, compassion from others, dispositional mindfulness, depression, anxiety, stress, emotion- and problem-focused coping strategies, and difficulties in emotion regulation. Path analyses found that increased self-compassion and increased dispositional mindfulness was associated with lower psychological distress, and that this was mediated by reduced difficulties in emotion regulation. The model had excellent fit, explaining 64.8% of the variance in psychological distress, and 52.2% of the variance in emotion regulation difficulties. Self-compassion and dispositional mindfulness may help buffer the psychological distress of family carers of older adults, and adaptive emotion regulation is an important mechanism of change in these relationships. Interventions that aim to cultivate self-compassion and mindfulness could be clinically useful in reducing psychological distress within populations of family carers of older adults by promoting adaptive emotion regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to examine the factor structure of passion, resilience, and life satisfaction scales, as well as the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between different types of passion and life satisfaction among older Moroccan distance runners To assess reliability, a sample of 354 older adults (female =56.20 %; mean age = 64.33 years, SD = 12.02 years) participated in the study For the resilience validation study, our sample consisted of 283 older adults (female = 61.13 %; mean age = 62.48 years, SD = 14.31 years) They completed the adapted Passion Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated acceptable reliability scores for the Passion Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The path analysis results showed that resilience played a mediating role between harmonious passion and life satisfaction, which strengthened the relationship These findings emphasise the importance of passion, resilience, and life satisfaction in promoting the health and well-being of elderly runners and can serve as a valuable resource for health support interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Online interprofessional education is a collaborative process that emphasizes both individual reflection and shared discourses. A useful analytical tool for understanding the complex dynamics of online collaborative learning is the community of inquiry (CoI) framework, which originally held that there are three types of presence in such learning: teaching, cognitive, and social. However, it was later revised to include learning presence, which is characterized by self-regulated learning. Our study aims to refine the construct of learning presence through a clearer understanding of how self- and co-regulation jointly influence learning outcomes. Methods: We surveyed 110 people involved with an online interprofessional medicaleducation curriculum at a university in Hong Kong. Path analysis was adopted to explore the relationships among 1) the three original presences of CoI; 2) learning presence (i.e., for this purpose, a combination of self-regulation and co-regulation); and 3) two learning outcomes: perceived progress and learner satisfaction. Results: The results of path analysis indicated that teaching presence had a significant indirect effect, through co-regulation, on perceived progress. In terms of direct relationships, co-regulation significantly and positively influenced both self-regulation and cognitive presence; and social presence had both positive influence on learners' satisfaction and perceived progress. Discussion: This study's findings suggest the important role of co-regulation in supporting self-regulation, especially in online collaborative-learning environments. Learners' selfregulation skills are shaped by their social interactions and regulatory activities with others. This further implies that health-professions educators and instructional designers should create learning activities that facilitate the development of co-regulatory skills, as a means of improving learning outcomes. As self-regulation is an important skill for health professions learners' lifelong learning, and because their future workplaces will be interdisciplinary in nature, it is critical to provide interactive and collaborative learning environments that will promote co-regulation and self-regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of parking application software (parking APP), considerably decreases unnecessary vehicle circling and enhances parking resource utilization. Despite the abundant functions available, limited research has considered customer requirements and satisfaction regarding the functions of parking APPs. This research exactly examined the customer perception, as well as how satisfied customers were with the functions provided by the parking APPs. Initially, the attribute classification of functions was identified utilizing Kano model based on a questionnaire survey in Hunan Province, China. The integrated functions were then used as an antecedent to evaluate customer satisfaction by structural equation model (SEM). The data analysis suggests the perceived quality is positively influenced by the four main functions of query, navigation, evaluation, and account. The results reveal that customers have less demand for automatic space grabbing and reverse vehicle tracking in small and medium-sized cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lavender is a highly valuable medicinal and aromatic perennial shrub lacking superior and stable varieties for varied environments in the western Himalayas. In the present experiment, estimates of genotypic effects and their interaction with the environment under various conditions of Himachal Pradesh were investigated to identify superior and stable genotypes. For that, seven selections with a check were evaluated at four different locations in randomized block design with three replications during 2020 and 2021. The pooled analysis of variance showed that genotypic and environmental main effects were highly significant for all the traits under study while, G×E interaction was significant (p=0.05) for plant height, spike length and spike yield. The highest mean performance for all the traits revealed that location-4 has favourable conditions for lavender cultivation, and LOH15141 followed by LOH15040 were the best performers over all the locations. These high-performing genotypes were clustered together with the check in a major cluster. The stability parameters of the Eberhart and Russell model showed that LOH15141 is stable and superior for both spike yield and essential oil content, further confirmed by GGE biplot analysis. GGE biplot analysis revealed that all the tested locations formed a single mega-environment. The strong positive yield contribution described through Pearson's correlation coefficients and genotypic path diagram states that plant height, number of spikes and spike length were significant contributors to the spike yield and could be used as selection criteria to improve spike yield due to their high heritability and genetic advance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine rural school students' perception of a career in farming following their participation in educational farming activities. We hypothesized that engagement with innovative educational farming activities can influence young people's aspirations for a career in farming and that this relationship is mediated by relatedness to the local environment, and agriculture's perceived impact. A survey instrument was administered, and mediation was examined using path analysis. Significant direct and indirect effects were observed indicating that engagement with educational agricultural activities significantly influences students' relatedness to their local environment, and their perceptions toward agriculture's impact on their local community, which in turn has a positive effect on their attitudes toward a career in farming. The results of this study point to the generalizability of Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) across contexts and provide empirical support for its suitability in analyzing different approaches to attract and retain youth in the agriculture sector in Cambodia. The results highlight the benefits of providing contextually-appropriate educational programs that are designed to reframe agriculture as innovative, profitable, and interesting to encourage youth to consider a future career in the sector. The findings can guide future training agendas and agricultural educational programs to be more efficient in attracting and retaining youth in the sector by incorporating contextually-appropriate educational topics that highlight agriculture's impact and strengthen youth relatedness to their local environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterization of unique small potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) clones, called new potatoes, affecting growth, yield, and fruit quality traits could provide source of new alleles for breeding. The study was undertaken to characterize new potato clones for growth, tuber characters, yield, and nutritional profile in comparison with three common tetraploid potato varieties. New potato clones had stolon length of 7.11 cm, bulking habit of avg. 56 days from planting to initiation of tuber, number of tubers of avg. 34.16/plant, tubers weight avg. 7.40 g, and yield of avg. 253 g/plant. The nutritional profile of new potato clones surpassed the common tetraploid potato varieties particularly with respect to contents of dry matter, starch, ascorbic acid, β-carotene, and total phenols. Correlation and path-coefficient analyses confirmed days from planting to initiation of tubers, average number of tubers per plant, average weight of tubers, average weight of tubers per plant, total soluble solids content, starch content, total sugar content, and non-reducing sugar content were the most important selection indices for enhancing tuber yield and quality. These new potato clones are regarded as preferred vegetable item by the consumer for long time because of good taste and stickiness of the tuber for the preparation of specific cooked items. There is substantial nutritional worth for the new potato clones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing concern about a political divide between urban and rural places. Against this background, we evaluate the geography of regime preferences regarding a key aspect of democratic support, e.g. attitudes towards democracy and its authoritarian alternatives. We would like to find out whether possible rural-urban differences are due to different socio-economic situations, differing values or to the degree of political discontent of urbanites and rural dwellers. Using recent European Values Survey data from 32 European countries and over 30,000 respondents from 2017 to 2020, we show that rural residents are more supportive of authoritarian regimes than urban dwellers are. Moreover, our path analyses indicate that socio-economic and cultural differences between urbanites and ruralites are particularly crucial, while the political mechanisms cannot explain the spatial divide of regime preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant association between crash severity and operating speed is known to exist. However, the findings related to the speed-crash association are inconclusive. Some studies found that higher speed is associated with a higher number of crashes, whereas other studies found the opposite result. Some of the critical issues in this research problem result from study design, the definition of operating speed measures, types and granularity of operating speed measures, spatial correlation, and design standards of different roadway facilities. The road safety profession will benefit greatly from informative research on the impact of vehicle operating speed, roadway design elements, and traffic volume on crash outcomes. This study investigated the speed-crash association in both annual and daily level datasets to determine how roadway characteristics interact with various speed measures to impact the likelihood of crash occurrences on both annual and daily levels. For annual models, the average operating speed is positively associated with both fatal and injury and property damage only (PDO) crashes. However, for daily models, this association is mostly negative and insignificant. The standard deviation of operating speed is positively associated with crash occurrences for both daily and annual models. The findings of this study can provide additional insights into the speed-crash association literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the association of quality of life (QOL) with life satisfaction, subjective norms, general health, optimism, and attitude among university students. Respondents include 632 university students (Mage=21.36, SD = 2.86). This cross-sectional study was conducted on university students in Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran. Several statistical models were tested, including hierarchical regression and path analysis, to examine the direct or indirect association between a set of important variables. According to the results of path analysis, constructs of subjective norms, general health, positive attitude, optimism, and life satisfaction were significant predictors of students' QOL. Compared with other constructs, general health status (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.548) and life satisfaction (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.253) showed the strongest association with QOL. The results indicate that efforts to improve life satisfaction by targeting general health, subjective norms, optimism, and attitudes may provide promising ways to improve QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scarce data examined the associations of circulating calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in humans. We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study to evaluate the associations of serum Ca, Mg, and Ca/Mg ratio with hsCRP and examine the mediating roles of body mass index (BMI). A total of 7203 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (average age: 61.0 years) were included. Serum concentrations of Ca, Mg, and hsCRP were measured. The multivariate analysis of covariance was used to determine Ca- and Mg-hsCRP associations. Serum Ca and Mg were inversely associated with hsCRP, while no significant association between Ca/Mg ratio and hsCRP was detected. After adjustment for age and sex, higher Ca and Mg concentrations were associated with lower hsCRP (quintile5 [Q5] vs. Q1: 6.35 vs. 11.88 mmol/L for Ca; Q4 vs. Q1: 4.61 vs. 6.44 mmol/L for Mg). The multivariate-adjusted analysis found that serum Ca and Mg were inversely associated with hsCRP levels (Q5 vs. Q1: 6.69 vs. 11.33 mmol/L for Ca; Q4 vs. Q1: 4.65 vs. 6.32 mmol/L for Mg). Similar findings were observed in the stratified analyses by sex (men and women) and BMI (< 28 and ≥ 28 kg/m2). In path analysis, BMI had no mediating effects on the Ca- or Mg-hsCRP associations. Generally, our study showed significant inverse associations of serum Ca and Mg with hsCRP in CAD patients. Our findings provided further support for the anti-inflammatory effects of Ca and Mg in CAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide a generic method of testing path models that include dependent errors, nonlinear functional relationships and using nonnormal, hierarchically structured data. First, we provide a decomposition of the causal model into smaller, independent sets. These sets can be modeled independently of each other with methods that respect the type of data in these sets. Second, we introduce copulas to model the dependent errors between non-normally distributed variables. Our method yields identical results as classical covariance-based path modelling when meeting its assumptions of linearity and normality, outperforms classical SEM given nonlinear functional relationships, and can easily accommodate any parametric probability function and nonlinear functional relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to examine the variables that affect the use of PowerPoint by university professors. Based on the revised unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT-2), a theoretical model adapted to the study context was proposed. The impact of the attitude towards PowerPoint, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivations, and habit, in the intention to use and actual use of PowerPoint was evaluated. A survey was applied to 106 university professors from two Spanish universities, and the theoretical model was subsequently tested using a path analysis. The results suggest the existence of a direct non-critical path consisting of social pressure and habit, and an indirect critical path consisting of performance expectancy via the attitude towards PowerPoint. This research highlights the importance of critical reflection in the use of technological tools such as PowerPoint in classrooms. The practical implications of these findings to improve pedagogical practices are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquiring sociospatial experiences at nested geographical scales is a lifelong meaning construction process, and this has great implications for aging in place. Various experiences trigger older people's attitudinal and sentimental reflections regarding how they evaluate and attach themselves to where they live; this invokes residential satisfaction, and subsequently, place attachment. Through a questionnaire survey of 501 community-dwelling individuals aged sixty-five and older in Hong Kong, an ultra-high-density Asian city, this article examines the relationship between sociospatial experiences and well-being through a sequential path analysis model. It identifies five dimensions of sociospatial experiences: "homes and housing estate," "social environment," "living convenience," "pedestrian experience," and "blue and green" features. All dimensions predict emotional, social, and psychological well-being via residential satisfaction and then place attachment. Place attachment is a more robust mechanism than residential satisfaction in the environment–well-being association. Developing a satisfying relationship, and subsequently, functional and emotional links with the place of residence, is conducive to achieving well-being. This uncovers an important mechanism of person–environment interactions for aging in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural equation modeling (SEM) and path analysis using composite-scores are distinct classes of methods for modeling the relationship of theoretical constructs. The two classes of methods are integrated in the partial-least-squares approach to structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), which systematically generates weighted composites and uses them to conduct path analysis of the structural model via the least-squares method. However, the goodness of PLS-SEM depends on the statistical properties of the composites, which are further determined by the formulations of the weights. This article studies how the formulations of PLS-SEM composites are affected by model specification, with focus on the sensitivity of the weights to common specification errors. Results indicate that the weights under PLS-SEM mode A are not affected by within-block error-covariances but those under mode B are. While between-block error-covariances and cross-loadings only affect the weights of the involved items under both PLS-SEM modes A and B, the weights under mode B are much more sensitive than those under mode A. In contrast, the weights under a recently proposed transformed mode (denoted as B A ) are a compromise between those of modes A and B. The findings not only advance the understanding of the PLS-SEM methodology but also facilitate model diagnostics. Empirical applications of the results are illustrated via the analysis of a real dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the application of a path analysis approach to model a wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process for investigating the relationships between its different process parameters and responses. It also estimates the contributive importance of the considered WEDM process parameters on each of the responses and identifies those parameters having the maximal influence on the responses. Four WEDM process parameters, i.e. pulse-on time, pulse-off time, spark gap voltage and wire feed are considered here as the independent variables, while three responses, i.e. cutting speed, gap current and surface roughness are treated as the dependent variables. This paper also proposes a new approach for modelling of the WEDM process, where one of the responses (gap current) is postulated to have an influence on the other two responses. Four different path analysis-based models are constructed with different sets of hypothesized relations. Based on the path analysis results, pulse-off time is identified as the most influential parameter for cutting speed, while pulse-on time is the most important parameter for both gap current and surface roughness. The calculated goodness-of-fit indices indicate the fitness with experimental data for all the four developed models while comparing their relative performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to identify the effect of European Union funds for innovation activities on the cooperation of enterprises as well as to assess the impact of cluster and out of cluster innovation cooperation on the innovation performance of Polish enterprises. Possible indirect policy outcome is connected with the concept of behavioural additionality used to measure the changes in the processes within firms resulting from public support. This article proposes the concept of cluster cooperation additionality, defined as the influence of policy instruments on enhanced innovation cooperation in and between clusters. Path analysis was used to verify the occurrence of these variables in Polish economy, with sample covering data from a Community Innovation Survey for 2008–2010, including 7783 medium and large manufacturing firms, from which n = 2795 enterprises declaring the introduction of product or/and process innovation were extracted to the final study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reductions in the age of onset of smoking in adolescence is a public health concern. Evidence suggests that infrastructural factors play an important role in adolescent smoking behavior. Therefore, the present study aimed to perform a psychometric analysis of the questionnaire of infrastructural factors on smoking behavior and evaluate the theoretical framework with a path analysis approach in adolescents in Isfahan, Iran. A total of 340 adolescents in Isfahan, Iran selected using simple random stratified cluster sampling were included in the present psychometric cross-sectional research. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire of infrastructural factors. The participants' mean age was16.67(0.98) years. The total corrected item-total correlations index was 0.714. Considering the three-factor assumption of the present study and identification of two factors, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed simultaneously in both models. The results of path analysis showed acceptable goodness of fit for the explanatory model of infrastructural factors. This study proposed a reliable and valid explanatory model of infrastructural factors and its questionnaire for smoking behavior. The questionnaire can also be utilized in future research on smoking behavior in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the findings from a safety research survey conducted among the employees of a large public-sector electrical utility in the state of Kerala, India. Responses from 3017 employees were collected by one-to-one interaction using the developed instrument. Personal factors like self-esteem, job stress, personal stress, social support and fatigue of the targeted population were measured. Personal safety climate factors of the utility were accessed by modifying the existing safety climate scales. Statistical analysis confirmed the reliability and validity of the factors in the study. A significant path model of personal and safety climate factors was developed. Seven research hypotheses were validated using statistical analysis. The results of the study highlighted the need for safety participation, safety knowledge, safety training and interventions to reduce personal issues in the workplace. These findings provide valuable insights for safety professionals for implementing novel methods to ensure workplace safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to examine the effect of the characteristics of park users, park characteristics, and the neighborhood environment on park visits and the resultant perceived health status of residents living in Alabama, US. One hundred and eighty-nine participants, representing residents from 49 counties in Alabama, were recruited via a random-digit dial method to complete a telephone survey related to park visits. Data collection spanned 11 months. Results from the path analysis indicated a few significant direct effects: park location and body mass index (BMI) were the only two factors significantly associated with park visits, with race being marginally significant; and work status was significantly associated with perceived health. Our findings suggest park proximity, and high BMI are related to park visits and work status is related to perceived health among Alabamians. It is recommended that more neighborhood parks are needed for promoting Alabamians to visit them more frequently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed and tested an empirical model to examine the relationships between the factors influencing mobile technology integration in higher education from the students' and faculty points of view. A sequential mixed method was used to meet the aim of the study. The findings of the qualitative phase were used to develop the quantitative instrument. The participants in the qualitative data collection were 39 students and faculty members. In addition, the participants were 300 graduate students from two large universities in northern Palestine. The findings of the study revealed that the proposed model helps in explaining factors affecting students' mobile technology integration and exploring relationships between the factors. Furthermore, students' attitudes and beliefs, the quality of service, patronisation, the cost of service and the instructors had a significant impact on students' mobile technology integration in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reductions in the age at onset of smoking to adolescence is a public health concern. Evidence suggests that cognitive factors(CF)play an important role in adolescent smoking behavior. the present study aimed to perform a psychometric analysis of the questionnaire of CF on smoking behavior and evaluate the theoretical framework with a path analysis approach in adolescents in Isfahan, Iran. This psychometric cross-sectional study recruited a sample of 340 adolescents selected by simple random stratified clustered sampling in Isfahan in 2019. The data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire on cognitive variables based on Bandura's social cognitive theory. The participants' mean age was16.67(0.98) years. The content validity index, content validity ratio, and total corrected item-total correlations index of the questionnaire of CF were 0.79, 0.56, and 0.362 respectively. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable goodness of fit for the first and second-order measurement models of cognitive variables and the results of path analysis showed acceptable goodness of fit for the explanatory model of CF. This study proposed a reliable and valid explanatory model of CF and its questionnaire for smoking behavior. The questionnaire can also be utilized in future research on smoking behavior in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the attitude, intention and aspects of marriage among students. There was a significant relationship between gender and general attitude toward marriage and, mean score of male students' attitude toward marriage was higher (P <.05). Based on the results of path analysis, sub-scales of general attitude toward marriage and Aspects of Marriage, explained 40% of the variance for the Intent to Marry. The results showed that students' attitude toward marriage was moderate and their marriage intention was not high. According to the results, it is necessary that implemented the training courses to change attitudes and create realistic expectations about marriage in the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a paucity of studies examining the interrelationship between internalized stigma, cognitive insight, illness severity, and functioning. This study examined the dynamics of the relationship between these factors using a path modelling approach. Two hundred and seven patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Patients were assessed on internalized stigma, cognitive insight (including its two domains, self-reflectiveness and self-certainty), illness severity and functioning. Path analysis was used to test the hypothesized model for the interrelationship between the variables. A direct positive association was observed between self-certainty and internalized stigma. This was also observed via the paths running through illness severity and functioning. Self-reflectiveness was only associated with self-certainty in the model. The residual variance of internalized stigma in the path model was relatively high. Our findings highlight that self-certainty is associated with internalized stigma along with illness severity and functioning in individuals with schizophrenia. Therefore, interventions on reduction of internalized stigma may benefit from a multipronged approach targeting self-certainty, illness severity and functioning. The relatively high residual variance of internalized stigma in the model highlights the need for further research to provide better understanding on the mechanisms underlying internalized stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is known that the touch sensations of robots promote or deteriorate their personality impressions, and this effect has been investigated as causal relationships between several components of touch sensations and personality impressions after touching the robots. However, how the relationships are similar among different types of robots and how the first impressions modulate the relationships have not been investigated. In this study, a data set comprising response data of adult participants for the first impressions, touch sensations, and personality impressions were collected for each of six small humanoid robots with 48 adult participants. Causal relationships from each component of the touch sensations and personality impressions were first investigated via path analysis through factor analysis. Then, we analyzed which first impressions strengthen or weaken which causal relationships via moderation analysis. As a result, totally four types of statistically significant causal relationships were found in several robots. Furthermore, one of these causal relationships, which is related to the impression of likability, is strengthened when the first impression of 'an anticipation for peaceful emotional, verbal communication' is strong. This suggests that the first impression design is as important as touch sensations when social robot designers attempt to design personality impressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severity of traffic barrier crashes has been modeled in the literature based on human, road, and traffic barrier factors. However, all these factors interact in a complicated way so the relationship between these factors still remains unclear. A structural equation model (SEM) can be used to capture the intricate relationships between the contributory factors and the latent or unobservable factors. This study was conducted using the SEM to model the complicated relationships between the confounding factors and traffic barrier crash severity. Due to possible differences across different road classifications, the SEM was applied separately to the highway and interstate systems. The SEM involves the measurement or confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model and the structural model involving the interrelationships between the factors. This study evaluates traffic barrier crash severity in terms of numbers of death, injury, and severity of crashes. This study examined the nature and causes of severe traffic barrier crashes in Wyoming. The results indicated that road conditions, traffic barrier types, risky driving, and force are factors that need to be considered in addressing the severity of traffic barrier crashes. The methodology in this study also addresses categorical predictors and model selection techniques for specifying the measurement model and the structural model which make up the SEM. A careful sequential modeling framework was used to build the structural model characterizing the interrelationships among the latent variables as well as evaluation of the fitted SEM based on goodness of fit indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We offer a tutorial for using a new, interactive, and dynamic Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) platform in JMP Pro v16.0 to fit three commonly used models: (1) Confirmatory Factor Analysis, (2) Path Analysis with Latent Variables, and (3) Longitudinal Factorial Invariance Analysis. We highlight features of JMP Pro through these examples including, an end-to-end workflow that enables all stages of data manipulation, visualization, analysis, and presentation, the dynamic feedback provided in the SEM specification process to guard against errors, interactive customizations of path diagrams and model comparison tools, novel visualizations for assessing reliability and validity of measurement models, and sharing capabilities for enabling collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric environment is an important resource for human survival. However, existing studies on air pollution often focus on one aspect of occurrence, impact, or prevention while neglecting dynamic mechanism inside. Besides, previous literature neither explores the influencing paths of this mechanism nor lacks the simulation analysis on the prevention and treatment of air pollution. To prevent the environment from deteriorating further, this paper first explores the causal path of air pollution under the framework of DPSIR model. Results show that the path coefficients of driving force to pressure, pressure to state, and state to influence are 0.696, −3.165, and 0.871, respectively. And the adjustment coefficient of the response layer to “pressure to state” is −0.918 at 10% significant level. Then, BP artificial neural network model is established to simulate and analyze the changes of air pollution state and influence in different scenarios in Jiangsu province. The results indicated that air pollution has a causal path of “Driver-Pressure-State-Influence.” Jiangsu should take measures to adjust the regulation intensity reasonably and avoid air pollution accompanied by industry GDP growing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hierarchical model of temporal dynamics was examined in adults (n = 34) and youth (n = 46) across the stages of face processing during the perception of static and dynamic faces. Three ERP components (P100, N170, N250) and spectral power in the mu range were extracted, corresponding to cognitive stages of face processing: low-level vision processing, structural encoding, higher-order processing, and action understanding. Youth and adults exhibited similar yet distinct patterns of hierarchical temporal dynamics such that earlier cognitive stages predicted later stages, directly and indirectly. However, latent factors indicated unique profiles related to behavioral performance for adults and youth and age as a continuous factor. The application of path analysis to electrophysiological data can yield novel insights into the cortical dynamics of social information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoking is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. Evidence suggests that environmental factors (EF) play an important role in adolescent smoking behavior. Therefore, the present study aimed to perform a psychometric analysis of the questionnaire of EF on smoking behavior and evaluate the theoretical framework with a path analysis approach in adolescents in Isfahan, Iran. This psychometric cross-sectional study recruited a sample of 340 adolescents selected by simple random stratified clustered sampling in Isfahan in 2019. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire of EF. The participants' mean age was 16.67 (0.98) years. The content validity index and content validity ratio of the questionnaire of EF were 0.8 and 0.58, respectively, and its total corrected item-total correlations index was 0.377. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable goodness of fit for the first-order measurement model of environmental variables, and the results of path analysis showed acceptable goodness of fit for the explanatory model of EF. The present study provided a valid and reliable explanatory model of EF of smoking behavior and its related questionnaire, so it can be used in studies related to adolescent smoking behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Task value has a considerable effect on one's interest, motivation, and strategies in learning. Additionally, the social contexts in which a learner studies, such as subject specialization and gender, may potentially influence how successfully one learns. The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine the relationship between task value and social factors, which were mediated by three types of learning strategy, and students' test performance in English. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 776 Grade 11 EFL vocational high school students in Taiwan. The path model revealed that the participants' English test scores were strongly influenced by the task value. Only metacognitive and cognitive strategies mediated the relationship between task value and English test score. Emotion control strategies did not mediate the relationship between them. Students' subject specialization had a direct influence on students' English test score, but the learning strategies did not play a mediating role between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how immigration status and neighborhood collective efficacy shapes mothers' self-efficacy and, in turn, depression. Path analysis was conducted drawing data from 578 Mexican-American and Mexican immigrant mothers who participated in the first wave of the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey. The results of this study revealed that both neighborhood collective efficacy beliefs and undocumented status are mediated by personal self-efficacy beliefs. This dynamic suggests the importance of addressing undocumented mothers' sense of self-efficacy to reduce the risk of major depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown that the reduction of sperm count is associated with sleep behaviors, including restricted/excessive sleep duration, late sleep time midpoint, and shift of sleep midpoint time (social jetlag). Chronotype is suggested to regulate sleep behaviors; however, the relationship between chronotype and human sperm count is unknown. The relationship between sleep behaviors and human sperm count, when sleep behaviors as well as chronotype are controlled is also unclear. We performed a path analysis of the data obtained from 667 Chinese men recruited into the MARHCS (Male Reproductive Health in Chongqing College Students) study. Chronotype, sleep duration, sleep time midpoint, and social jetlag were estimated by the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire. Sperm count was measured by computer-aided sperm analysis. The comprehensive relationship between chronotype, all sleep behaviors, and sperm count was tested by path analysis, in which the standardized residual of sperm count was used for adjustment of age, abstinence period, body mass index, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and intake of tea, cola, and coffee. Our major findings are: (1) Chronotype negatively correlated with sleep duration (correlation coefficient (R) = −0.32, P <.001) and positively correlated with sleep midpoint (R = 0.65, P <.001) and social jetlag (R = 0.37, P <.001). (2) Sleep duration (U-shape transformed; R = −0.11, P =.005), sleep midpoint (R = −0.09, P =.021), and social jetlag (R = −0.12, P =.001), respectively, correlated with sperm count in univariate analysis. The relationship between sleep midpoint and sperm count disappeared when social jetlag was controlled. (3) Path analysis showed that chronotype is connected with sperm count through two pathways: via sleep duration (standardized path coefficient = −0.09, 95% CI: −0.17 to −0.01, P =.030) and via social jetlag (standardized path coefficient = −0.09, 95% CI: −0.17 to −0.01, P =.031). For men of earlier, intermediate, and later tertile of chronotype, the sleep-duration-related decrease of sperm count was separately estimated to be 16.3%, 12.8%, and 11.6%, while the social-jetlag-related decrease of sperm count was estimated to be 9.3%, 12.8%, and 19.2%. The total effect of sleep behaviors on sperm count was estimated to be 25.7%, 25.6%, and 30.7%, with an average of 27.4% for men of different chronotypes. The present study showed that men of earlier chronotype were prone to restricted/excessive sleep duration, while men of later chronotype were prone to social jetlag, both of which correlated with reduced sperm count, suggesting that chronotype may modulate the sleep behaviors and exert dual effects on sperm count via different sleep behaviors, leading to a ubiquitous sperm decline. Men of different chronotypes should take care to avoid different types of improper sleep behaviors, so as to prevent such deleterious effect on sperm count. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

History is replete with examples where humans have sought refuge in nature for psychological restoration. In this cross-sectional study we explore the relationship of nature experience and mindfulness. Nature experience is assessed through "nature in the neighbourhood", "frequency of visit" to nature-rich spaces, as well as one's inherent connection with nature described as "nature relatedness". The study sample consisted of 334 Indian adults. The findings from this study show that frequency of visit to nature-rich spaces has a significant positive association with mindfulness. The hierarchical regression analysis suggests an interaction effect of "nature relatedness" in the association of the presence of nature rich spaces in the neighbourhood, frequency of visit as well as mindfulness. Interestingly, when childhood experiences were explored they had a significant association with "nature relatedness" and mindfulness. The evidence from this research suggests that nature experience may find its application as one of the mindfulness techniques prescribed for self-management of mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to simultaneously analyse the complex relationships between bilateral maritime connectivity, bilateral trade and domestic production as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. This is achieved by applying non-recursive models and Path Analysis (PA). The top ten best maritime connected countries and their 155 trading partners are selected for the analysis. The components of maritime connectivity, maritime distance, and gravity variables are selected as instrumental variables to analyse the reciprocal relationship between export/import of ten countries and the GDP per capita of their 155 trading partners. The results confirm the reciprocal relationship between export values (that are the import values of trading partners) and GDP per capita, whereas a reciprocal relationship between import values (that are the export values of trading partners) and GDP per capita does not exist. The results also confirm the complexity of the relationships between maritime connectivity, trade and economic growth and that, compared to components of maritime connectivity, none of the gravity variables have a positive impact on bilateral trade. The results suggest that economic policy and trade policy at the global, regional, and national level should recognize the need for, and foster, better maritime connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to examine the relationship between morphological knowledge and reading comprehension ability among college-level English as a foreign language (EFL) students. One hundred and twenty-one students participated in this study and they completed two morphological knowledge measures (morpheme-form knowledge and morpheme-meaning knowledge), reading vocabulary knowledge, lexical inference and reading comprehension. Drawing upon hierarchical regression and path analysis, the study found that morphological knowledge explained a unique proportion of variance in reading comprehension after word-meaning knowledge was accounted for. In addition, morphological knowledge had direct and indirect effects on EFL reading comprehension via reading vocabulary breadth and lexical inference ability. To be more specific, the mediating effect of morpheme-meaning knowledge seemed to be salient in EFL reading comprehension. Conceptual and methodological interpretations were discussed based on the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese policy regarding arts education had not been well discussed. One of the reasons was the effects of the arts had not been highly regarded in Japan. This paper empirically addressed the effects of arts activities on years of schooling and income. Through path analysis, relationships were revealed between out-of-school activities and years of schooling, occupation, and income. Nationwide data -the Preference Parameters Study in 2013- is mainly utilized. For females, the results showed significant positive relationships between arts activities and years of schooling. For males, arts activities combined with sports and educational activities exhibited significant positive relationships with years of schooling. These results suggested creation of opportunities for all the students to take part in arts and other activities. This paper suggests the system, such as out-of-school voucher, for all the children to take the benefits of arts activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between depressive symptomatology and endogenous testosterone levels is inconclusive. Large inter- and intra-individual testosterone differences suggest point measurements from saliva or serum to be inadequate to map basal testosterone concentrations highlighting the potential for long-term integrated testosterone levels from hair. Using data from a prospective cohort study, a total of 578 participants (74% female) provided complete data on depressive symptomatology, clinical features, and hair samples for quantification of testosterone concentrations at baseline. Available data of three annual follow-up examinations were used for longitudinal analyses. Correlation analysis showed in both, men and women, hair testosterone across all the four time points not to be significantly related to depressive symptoms. Examined clinical features were not associated with testosterone levels, except for having a current diagnosis of a psychological disorder, which was associated with reduced testosterone levels in men, but not in women. Acceptable model fit for an autoregressive cross-lagged panel analysis emerged only for the female subsample suggesting inverse cross-relations for the prediction of testosterone by depressive symptomatology and vice versa. Findings from this study add to the literature by showing no association between long-term integrated testosterone in hair and depressive symptomatology in men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation deals with the genetic divergence, correlation, and path coefficient study for the six characters among sixty-two accessions of Ammi visnaga L. grown during two consecutive years, 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, in India. Morphological variability was detected for stem and umbel color from center reddish to pink during vegetative growth. In this study, high genetic co-variance (GCV) and high heritability with maximum genetic advance (GA), and high mean percentage were noticed for biological yield and harvest index and seed yield. These auspicious traits would possibly be governed by additive gene effects, which could help select the best genotypes using an appropriate breeding strategy for crop improvement. The highest positive and significant genotypic and phenotypic correlation coefficient was recorded for the number of umbels correlated between biological yields and seed yield. On the other hand, the path coefficient study revealed that the harvest index has the maximum direct contribution followed by biological yield, number of primary branches, and umbels on the seed yield. Results clearly showed variation in important economic traits could facilitate selection for further genetic improvement in A. visnaga genotypes. In this study, several unique accessions were identified that might be exciting genotypes for the genetic modification of the different morphometric characters in the hybridization program. The accession no. AV-45 was having the highest carotol (66.1 %), followed by AV-7 carotol (66.0 %). Therefore, these accessions can be further exploited for commercial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies investigated the neuropsychological bases of spatial construction in developmental samples. However, no study directly tested whether the pattern of the neuropsychological processes implied in spatial construction changed depending on whether a block building or a figure drawing task is considered. Here, we used the path analysis to test the direct and indirect effects of verbal abilities (naming and verbal knowledge), executive functions, figure disembedding and mental rotation on two classical spatial construction tasks: the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) and the Block Design (BD). We recruited a sample of 186 typically developing children (age range: 7–12 years). Results showed that ROCF copying was directly influenced by age and figure disembedding, and it was indirectly affected by executive functions, naming and verbal knowledge, whereas BD was influenced in a direct way by verbal knowledge, figure disembedding and mental rotation and indirectly affected by executive functions and naming skills. Moreover, the results showed a full measurement invariance of the path model between sexes, whereas only partial invariance was found for age. Thus, we tested the model in two age groups (age ranges: 7–9.5 and 9.6–12 years) and found that the relationships between the variables of the model changed across development. Although other variables might be relevant to spatial construction, the present findings demonstrate different neuropsychological bases of drawing figures and building blocks in typically developing children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the number of college students with a normal BMI decreases 9-12% throughout the college experience, we wanted to model the traits responsible for behaviors impacting body composition in college-age women. Participants: Participants (n = 141) were recruited from a freshman-level nutrition course between August 2016 and May 2018. Methods: We built a path analysis model using variables from online questionnaires and lab visits. We grouped participants by median split of aerobic fitness and evaluated model fit. We defined statistical significance as p <.05. Results: The model provided an adequate representation of the data (CFI = 0.921). Aerobic fitness was the strongest predictor of body fat (p <.001) in both high-fit (–0.440) and low-fit (–0.469) women. Body dissatisfaction demonstrated relationships with body fat previously established in athletes and clinical populations. Conclusion: Physical activity to improve aerobic fitness appears most effective at maintaining healthy body composition in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Available evidence suggests that learners' level of emotional intelligence and academic buoyancy are associated with components of behavioural and emotional engagement. Recent work has provided preliminary evidence that the relationship between emotional intelligence and student engagement is mediated by academic buoyancy. Therefore, the current study was designed to determine if the association between emotional intelligence, behavioural engagement, emotional engagement, behavioural disaffection, and emotional disaffection is mediated by academic buoyancy. A sample of 253 undergraduate and graduate students completed self-report measures of the primary constructs of interest. Results of an a priori path analysis indicated that emotional intelligence had a significant direct effect on behavioural and emotional engagement and behavioural and emotional disaffection. Our results also revealed academic buoyancy shared a direct relationship with behavioural and emotional engagement and emotional disaffection. Critically, our results provided additional evidence that the relationship between components of student engagement – behavioural engagement, emotional engagement, and emotional disaffection – was partially mediated by academic buoyancy. Discussion concerns the potential benefits of implementing interventions designed to enhance emotional intelligence in an effort to increase learners coping potential, engagement, and overall academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about the mechanisms of home satisfaction affecting life satisfaction among elderly during the aging process is limited. This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of perceived control over aging experience on the relationship between home satisfaction and life satisfaction. The secondary data collected from face-to-face questionnaire interviews with a sample of 755 community-dwelling Chinese older adults were used. The path analysis was applied to examine the mediating effect of perceived control in the relationship between home satisfaction and life satisfaction after controlling for other covariates. The bootstrap approach was employed. Goodness-of-fit indices were obtained for the final model and the model explained 30% of the variance of life satisfaction. Perceived housing conditions include poor lighting (β = −0.32, p < 0.001), uneven thresholds/floors (β = −0.10, p = 0.007), and lack of emergency alarm (β = −0.14, p < 0.001) and were associated with lower home satisfaction. Home satisfaction was positively associated with life satisfaction (β = 0.23, p < 0.001), and control belief over aging experience was a significant mediator, explaining 11.5% between home satisfaction and life satisfaction. Such mediating effect was only significant among those aged 60 − 79 years old. The mediation effect of perceived control over aging experience underscores the importance of accommodating housing needs among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]