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Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, social interactions were constrained by physical distancing guidelines. Consequently, some individuals may have turned to video games to cope with isolation and negative emotions. Previous studies have shown that people who struggle with anxiety and depression are at particular risk for developing problem gaming behaviours. However, there is a paucity of longitudinal research testing pathways from negative emotionality to problem gaming behaviours, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, we conducted a multi-wave longitudinal study and predicted that high levels of emotional vulnerability (anxiety and depression) in the first month of the pandemic would prospectively relate to elevated time spent gaming and related problems six months later. We also predicted that elevated coping motives for gaming would mediate these associations. A sample of 332 Canadian gamers (Mage = 33.79; 60.8% men) completed three surveys on Prolific, with the first occurring in April 2020 (one-month after the declared COVID-19 state of emergency) and subsequent surveys were spaced three months apart. High initial levels of emotional vulnerability predicted excessive time spent gaming, as well as related problems, six months into the pandemic. Elevated coping motives for gaming uniquely mediated these pathways. This longitudinal study is the first to show that negative emotionality was a vulnerability factor for coping-related problem gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue to cope with the longer-lasting impacts of the pandemic, it will be important for individuals who struggle with mood and anxiety issues to find more effective ways of coping.

Abstract In this study, we highlight some important factors in the specimen preparation methods for evaluating photovoltaic backsheet properties after accelerated aging. Two different sequences are considered: Method (I) cut‐then‐age: cut into 1‐cm wide strips and then expose to stress, and Method (II) age‐then‐cut: expose a larger sheet to stress and then cut into 1‐cm widths for mechanical property measurements. We also compare the effect of three cutting methods, (a) tensile specimen punch, (b) paper cutter, and (c) fresh razor blade. Several commercial backsheets were evaluated, with stress exposures including (a) pressure cooker test (PCT), (b) dry ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure, and (c) UV combined damp heat tests. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) and intrinsic viscosity (IV) were used to analyze the materials on unstressed materials and samples exposed to PCT. The results show that both the cutting method and the time of cutting have an impact on the backsheet mechanical properties. Under UV exposure, Method II, age‐then‐cut, generally resulted in a higher average value, with more variation than Method I; however, if the side strips from Method II were excluded, the variation dropped to the same level. This is because the specimens at the sides of the sheet get additional damage from UV light from the exposed sides of the sample. In contrast to UV exposure, PCT specimens prepared by Method II result in lower average values and higher variability. This is attributed to embrittlement through the bulk of the sample where the cutting of embrittled specimens appears to result in more edge defects which can then initiate a break at smaller strains. The data suggest that for UV exposures, the specimens should be cut after aging and the exposed side specimens discarded, and that for PCT exposures, the specimens should be cut before the exposure.

Abstract Multicellular patterning of stem‐cell‐derived tissue models is commonly achieved via self‐organizing activities triggered by exogenous morphogenetic stimuli. However, such tissue models are prone to stochastic behavior, limiting the reproducibility of cellular composition and forming non‐physiological architectures. To enhance multicellular patterning in stem cell‐derived tissues, a method for creating complex tissue microenvironments endowed with programmable multimodal mechano‐chemical cues, including conjugated peptides, proteins, morphogens, and Young's moduli defined over a range of stiffnesses is developed. The ability of these cues to spatially guide tissue patterning processes, including mechanosensing and the biochemically driven differentiation of selected cell types, is demonstrated. By rationally designing niches, the authors engineered a bone‐fat assembly from stromal mesenchyme cells and regionalized germ layer tissues from pluripotent stem cells. Through defined niche‐material interactions, mechano‐chemically microstructured niches enable the spatial programming of tissue patterning processes. Mechano‐chemically microstructured cell niches thereby offer an entry point for enhancing the organization and composition of engineered tissues, potentiating structures that better recapitulate their native counterparts.

This study produced nanocomposite films with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) bioreduced with rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) essential oil. The nanocomposites were produced by the casting technique with gelatin/carboxymethyl cellulose/citric pectin and functionalized with 15, 30, and 50% (v/v) AgNPs. The results demonstrate that the rosemary essential oil presented various bioactive compounds, and the major compounds were α-pinene, bornyl acetate, and 1,8-cineol. The AgNPs showed a particle size lower than 50 nm, zeta potential of −30 mV, and polydispersity index of 0.35. UV–vis spectroscopy, TEM, SEM, and XRD confirmed the synthesis of AgNPs with spherical shapes, diameters of 50 nm, and crystalline structures. The nanocomposite films containing AgNPs demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity against eight pathogenic microorganisms. The incorporation of AgNPs affected the opacity and improved the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. In conclusion, the eco-friendly nanocomposite produced can be a sustainable material for biological applications.

We report here on an intervention implementing a structural approach to arithmetic problem-solving in relation to learning outcomes among preschoolers. Using the fundamental principles of the variation theory of learning for developing the intervention and as an analytical framework, we discuss teaching and learning in commensurable terms. The research question is how teaching grounded on a structural approach and designed based on principles of variation theory is reflected in children's learning of numbers. To answer this, three analyses were conducted, addressing: (i) how the children's ways of experiencing numbers changed after participating in the intervention, (ii) how the theoretical ideas were afforded in the intervention program, and (iii) synthesizing how the affordance was associated with the children's arithmetic learning. One group of eight children participating in the intervention program was chosen for thorough analysis. Progression was observed in how the children changed their ways of experiencing numbers during the intervention that allowed them to enact more advanced arithmetic strategies, which was associated with the structural approach in teaching. The results also show how analysis focusing on aspects discerned in learning and aspects afforded in teaching provides a way of describing arithmetic learning with significant implications for teaching practices.

Research into vaccine hesitancy is a critical component of the public health enterprise, as rates of communicable diseases preventable by routine childhood immunization have been increasing in recent years. It is therefore important to estimate proportions of "never‐vaccinators" in various subgroups of the population in order to successfully target interventions to improve childhood vaccination rates. However, due to privacy issues, it may be difficult to obtain individual patient data (IPD) needed to perform the appropriate time‐to‐event analyses: state‐level immunization information services may only be willing to share aggregated data with researchers. We propose statistical methodology for the analysis of aggregated survival data that can accommodate a cured fraction based on a polynomial approximation of the mixture cure model log‐likelihood function relying only on summary statistics. We study the performance of the method through simulation studies and apply it to a real‐world data set from a study examining reminder/recall approaches to improve human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake. The proposed methods may be generalized for use when there is interest in fitting complex likelihood‐based models but IPD is unavailable due to data privacy or other concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α‐Olefins are very important bulk and fine chemicals and their synthesis from ethylene, an abundantly available and inexpensive feedstock, is highly attractive. Unfortunately, the direct or on‐purpose synthesis of olefins from ethylene is limited to three examples, 1‐butene, 1‐hexene, and 1‐octene, all having a linear structure. Herein, the direct synthesis of 3‐methylenepentane and 4‐ethylhex‐1‐ene, branched trimerization, and tetramerization products of ethylene, respectively, is reported. Different molecular titanium catalysts, all highly active, with a selectivity toward the formation of the branched ethylene trimer or tetramer, the employment of different activators, and different reaction conditions are the key to selective product formation. The long‐time stability of selected catalysts employed permits upscaling as demonstrated for the synthesis of 4‐ethylhex‐1‐ene (52 g isolated, TON(ethylene) 10.7 · 106). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Social Stories™ have been found to be an effective intervention in supporting the improvement of social capabilities for children with autism. However, there are no studies that discuss the possible cultural implications in their implementation and classroom use. For instance, there has been little discussion on the cultural connotations presented by the selected images or topics. Furthermore, no studies have explicitly studied the implications of employing Social Stories in countries which have a distinctive character due to the influence of religion, such as Saudi Arabia. In other words, no studies have reviewed how a person in Saudi Arabia may perceive a commercially purchased Social Stories in contrast to a person in, say, the United Kingdom. This study focuses on investigating the adoption of Social Stories as an intervention to improve the social skills of children with autism in the Saudi Arabia context. The study explores the perceptions of fifteen teachers from two special schools in Riyadh who work with children with autism and employ Social Stories with their children. The teachers were interviewed using semi-structured interviews and their views of the various factors that affect the use of Social Stories in social skills interventions were explored. Findings from this study indicate that the teachers were aware of what constituted Social Stories (that is, the concept) and of where they could be obtained in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, they recognised the different barriers and factors contributing to the effective use of Social Stories. Culture, in particular, was highlighted as a significant potential barrier to the use of Social Stories. For instance, the depiction of dress code or items which are not permissible according to the Islamic laws of Saudi Arabia in the imagery used in Social Stories. Opportunities for further research were also provided.