bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Case of Acute Hemorrhagic Necrotizing Encephalitis in the Neonatal Period: Case Report with Autopsy Findings
Authors: Okotcha Nkechi , Guerina Nicholas , de la Monte Suzanne , Patil Rachit
Published: February 2025

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) is a rare immune-mediated disease in children that could progress rapidly, and lead to significant morbidity or mortality. ANE’s diagnostic challenges render it difficult to recognize and treat in a timely and effective manner. Although infantile-onset cases have been reported, the presentation of ANE in preterm neonates has not been described. Herein, we report a case of a preterm newborn who had a relatively stable clinical course in the first week of life, after which the neonate exhibited sudden deterioration due to progressive encephalopathy with refractory status epilepticus. Despite aggressive management of seizures and sepsis, the patient succumbed. Whole-exome sequencing analyses of the patient and parents were negative. Viral and metabolic testing were non-contributory. An autopsy showed evidence of acute to subacute fulminant liquefactive necrosis with extensive hemorrhage diffusely in the cortex with relative sparing of the cerebellum and the brainstem. A major consideration highlighted by this case is that the adaptive immune response to the immune-mediated or cytokine storm-related proposed etiology of acute necrotizing encephalopathy may differ in preterm compared with full-term infants due to properties dictated by their innate immune responses. Clinical suspicion of ANE should be heightened whenever preterm neonates with early sepsis continue to deteriorate despite aggressive management.
Climate-specific optimisation of air tightness and heat recovery in nearly zero-energy residential buildings based on typical energy use patterns: A simulation-based approach
Authors: Chen Shuqin , Rao Zhiqin , Xi Yuan , Zhong Hua , Xing Haowei , Yang Yi , Yu Ang
Published: February 2025

Nearly zero energy buildings (NZEBs) require optimisation of parameters like air tightness and heat recovery to minimise heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) energy use. This four climate zones in China: – severe cold (SCZ), cold (CZ), hot summer and cold winter (HSCWZ), and hot summer and warm winter (HSWWZ). Building energy simulations analysed the impact of air tightness and exhaust heat recovery efficiency on the energy use in NZEB archetypes with the identified operation patterns in each zone. Results show SCZ and CZ benefit from improved air tightness up to the Code limit ( N50 = 0.6), giving 36% and 8% energy savings, respectively, with heat recovery compared with using only infiltration for ventilation. For HSWWZ, reducing airtightness to provide adequate fresh air eliminates the need for heat recovery, yielding the lowest energy consumption. When improving the airtightness, sensible heat recovery suits SCZ/CZ, for HSWWZ, total heat recovery is technically more effective for energy savings; however, due to minimal energy consumption differences, meeting ventilation requirements through infiltration is more economical. Thus, regional optimisation of air tightness, ventilation strategy, and heat recovery selection can facilitate the design of high-performance NZEBs. The established coupled operation patterns also better represent NZEB performance versus standardised assumptions. Implications include revised design code requirements for air tightness according to climate zone, transitioning standards to realistic operating conditions and selection criteria for heat recovery equipment. The optimisation methodology and results guide the NZEB energy efficiency in China’s various regions.
Diverse coping modes of maize in cool environment at early growth
Authors: Sowiński Paweł , Wieliczko-Manowska Katarzyna , Grzybowski Marcin , Jończyk Maciej , Sowiński Jakub , Sobkowiak Alicja , Kowalec Piotr , Rogacki Janusz
Published: February 2025

Background

Maize cultivation has considerably expanded beyond its place of origin in Central America. The successful adaptation of maize to temperate climates can be achieved by selecting genotypes that demonstrate tolerance to low temperatures, especially in cold springs. In maize, cold tolerance at the early growth stages enables early sowing, a long growing season, and eventually high yields, even in temperate climates. Maize adaptation during early growth has not been thoroughly investigated; therefore, we tested the working hypothesis that several distinct and independent adaptation strategies may be involved in maize habituation to cool temperate climates during seedling establishment.

Results

We studied the effect of mild cold stress (day/night 16/12 °C) on early growth stage followed by regrowth at optimal daily temperatures (24/21 °C). Automated plant phenotyping was performed on 30 inbred lines selected from a diverse genetic pool during preliminary studies. As a result, we generated time series based on selected morphological parameters, spectral parameters, and spectral vegetation indices. These curves were clustered and four classes of maize with clearly contrasting growth modes and changes in their physiological status were distinguished at low temperatures and during regrowth. Two classes comprised either cold-sensitive (slow growth and poor physiological status in cold) or cold-tolerant (moderately fast growth and good physiological status in cold) lines. However, two other classes showed that growth rate and physiological status at low temperature is not necessarily related, for instance one class included lines with small seedlings but good physiological status and the other grouped seedlings with rapid growth despite poor physiological status. These classes clearly exhibited different modes of cold adaptation. Moreover, a class containing cold-sensitive inbred lines may represent a distinct and novel type of cold-adaptation strategy related to the arrest of coleoptile emerge related with ability to recover rapidly under favourable conditions.

Conclusions

Our results support the hypothesis that maize may have several adaptation strategies to cold environments at early growth stages based on independent mechanisms. These findings suggest that maize adaptability to adverse environments is likely more complex than previously understood.
Elevated plasma soluble lectin-like oxidised low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 as an independent prognostic biomarker in sepsis
Authors: Mester Patricia , Birner Charlotte , Schmid Stephan , Müller Martina , Pavel Vlad , Buechler Christa
Published: February 2025

Background

Soluble lectin-like oxidised low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (sLOX-1) is overproduced during inflammation, with its expression and release triggered by C-reactive protein (CRP). As CRP levels are typically elevated in sepsis, this study aimed to investigate whether sLOX-1 levels increase in parallel.

Methods

Plasma sLOX-1 levels of 52 patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), 45 patients with sepsis, 88 patients with septic shock and 37 controls were measured by ELISA. Associations with CRP, underlying diseases, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and bacterial infections were analysed.

Results

Plasma sLOX-1 levels were similarly elevated in patients with SIRS, sepsis, or septic shock compared to controls. Plasma sLOX-1 levels did not differ between male and female controls or patients. Plasma sLOX-1 levels were comparable in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, Gram-negative bacteria, or Gram-positive bacteria. No association was observed between sLOX-1 levels and underlying liver cirrhosis or pancreatitis. Notably, plasma sLOX-1 levels correlated positively with leukocyte and basophil counts but showed no correlation with CRP or procalcitonin. Of clinical relevance, positive correlations were also found with aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and bilirubin levels. Among the 41 patients who did not survive, sLOX-1, AST, and bilirubin levels were significantly higher compared to those of survivors.

Conclusions

Plasma levels of sLOX-1 are elevated in patients with SIRS or sepsis and are significantly higher in non-survivors. Of note, they do not correlate with classical inflammatory markers, suggesting that sLOX-1 may function as an independent prognostic biomarker for predicting poor outcomes in patients with SIRS or sepsis.
Two Histories of the Public Safety Net
Authors: Howard Christopher
Published: February 2025

Although poverty in the United States has declined over the last half century, it remains a serious problem. This article charts the historical development of the public safety net, starting with means-tested programs and then adding inclusive social insurance programs. Over time, programs targeted at people with low incomes gradually shifted from the local to the state to the national level. Nevertheless, they remained politically vulnerable as policymakers questioned the deservingness of recipients and often tried to limit cash welfare. Those concerns were less salient with inclusive programs like Social Security and Medicare, which expanded rapidly between 1950 and 1980, largely to the benefit of older Americans. The concluding section highlights recent trends that challenge the supposed weakness of means-tested programs and strength of inclusive programs.
Improving Economic Analysis in Merger Guidelines
Authors: Kaplow Louis
Published: February 2025

Merger review should reflect basic precepts of decision analysis, best practices in industrial organization economics, and teachings from related fields. Unfortunately, the analytical methods in modern merger guidelines fall short. Protocols violate standard prescriptions for information collection and decision-making, rely on a market definition paradigm that deviates significantly from core models of competitive interaction, fail to leverage central advances in understanding the efficiency consequences of mergers, and contravene or ignore fundamental dynamics relating to entry. This article elaborates correct analysis and contrasts it with that embodied in modern merger guidelines generally employed throughout the developed world, including the 2023 Merger Guidelines revision in the United States.
Sustainable Consumption: A Strategic Analysis
Authors: Amaldoss Wilfred , Prusty Siddharth
Published: February 2025

This paper theoretically investigates optimal firm response in the market for sustainable products, finding counterintuitive insights regarding prices, profits, and consumer surplus.
AWGE-ESPCA: An edge sparse PCA model based on adaptive noise elimination regularization and weighted gene network for Hermetia illucens genomic data analysis
Authors: Miao Rui , Yu Hao-Yang , Zhong Bing-Jie , Sun Hong-Xia , Xia Qiang
Published: February 2025

Hermetia illucens is an important insect resource. Studies have shown that exploring the effects of Cu2+-stressed on the growth and development of the Hermetia illucens genome holds significant scientific importance. There are three major challenges in the current studies of Hermetia illucens genomic data analysis: firstly, the lack of available genomic data which limits researchers in Hermetia illucens genomic data analysis. Secondly, to the best of our knowledge, there are no Artificial Intelligence (AI) feature selection models designed specifically for Hermetia illucens genome. Unlike human genomic data, noise in Hermetia illucens data is a more serious problem. Third, how to choose those genes located in the pathway enrichment region. Existing models assume that each gene probe has the same priori weight. However, researchers usually pay more attention to gene probes which are in the pathway enrichment region. Based on the above challenges, we initially construct experiments and establish a new Cu2+-stressed Hermetia illucens growth genome dataset. Subsequently, we propose AWGE-ESPCA: an edge Sparse PCA model based on adaptive noise elimination regularization and weighted gene network. The AWGE-ESPCA model innovatively proposes an adaptive noise elimination regularization method, effectively addressing the noise challenge in Hermetia illucens genomic data. We also integrate the known gene-pathway quantitative information into the Sparse PCA(SPCA) framework as a priori knowledge, which allows the model to filter out the gene probes in pathway-rich regions as much as possible. Ultimately, this study conducts five independent experiments and compared four latest Sparse PCA models as well as representative supervised and unsupervised baseline models to validate the model performance. The experimental results demonstrate the superior pathway and gene selection capabilities of the AWGE-ESPCA model. Ablation experiments validate the role of the adaptive regularizer and network weighting module. To summarize, this paper presents an innovative unsupervised model for Hermetia illucens genome analysis, which can effectively help researchers identify potential biomarkers. In addition, we also provide a working AWGE - ESPCA model code in the address: https://github.com/yhyresearcher/AWGE_ESPCA.
Determinants of SARS-CoV-2 infection across three sentinels sites in Benin during 2021: A multicentric surveillance study
Authors: Atchade Aurore , Yadouleton Anges , Fiogbe Marc , Abdoulaye Alfa Daleb , Yovo Emmanuel , Le Hesran Jean-Yves , Hounsa Sandrine , Bationo Cédric , Figueroa-Romero Antía , Gaudart Jean , González Raquel , Bonnet Emmanuel , Massougbodji Achille , Cottrell Gilles
Published: February 2025

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Benin, like other regions in sub-Saharan Africa and around the world, has been grappling with a public health crisis since march 2020. The country responded to this crisis by implementing adaptive response measures. The STREESCO project is part of this dynamic effort, strengthening epidemiological surveillance at three sentinel sites. This study thoroughly examines the determinants of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This involved strategic support based in Cotonou, Allada, and Natitingou. Data collection took place from march 1 to november 30, with individuals voluntarily undergoing COVID-19 screening at dedicated health units. Before participation, free and informed consent was obtained. The collected data included sociodemographic information, clinical details, and the results of COVID-19 tests. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Surveillance included 4178 participants, with a male/female ratio of 0.98 and a median age of 33 (IQR: 25-45). Across all sites, 13.12% of participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and 85.40% of them had a SARS-CoV-2 infection.of participants were symptomatic at baseline. The proportion of positivity was 6%, 11% and 28% respectively during phases 1, 2 and 3 of the national strategy. Identified risk factors included the Allada site (aOR 2.04, 95%CI 1.59-2.62), phase 3 (aOR 3.16, 95%CI 2.34-4.27), phase 2 (aOR 1.67, 95%CI 1.12-2.51), secondary (aOR 1.67, 95%CI 1.12-2.51) and higher level of education (aOR 1.83, 95%CI 1.22-2.74), respiratory symptoms (aOR 1.88, 95%CI 1.40-2.53), and/or anosmia/ageusia (aOR 1.88, 95%CI 1.48-2.38). Conversely, the Natitingou site (aOR = 0.29, 95%CI: 0.20-0.42), group living (aOR = 0.75, 95%CI: 0.60-0.94), and digestive symptoms (aOR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.54-0.91) were associated with a reduced risk of infection. These results underscore the importance of active surveillance during crisis situations, ensuring the acquisition of reliable and persuasive data to enhance individual care and guide health policies.

Trial registration

NCT06170320 (retrospectively registered on December 21, 2023).
Depression and physical multimorbidity: A cohort study of physical health condition accrual in UK Biobank
Authors: Fleetwood Kelly J. , Guthrie Bruce , Jackson Caroline A. , Kelly Paul A. T. , Mercer Stewart W. , Morales Daniel R. , Norrie John D. , Smith Daniel J. , Sudlow Cathie , Prigge Regina
Published: February 2025

Background

Depression is associated with a range of adverse physical health outcomes. We aimed to quantify the association between depression and the subsequent rate of accrual of long-term physical health conditions in middle and older age.

Methods and findings

We included 172,556 participants from the UK Biobank (UKB) cohort study, aged 40–71 years old at baseline assessment (2006–2010), who had linked primary care data available. Using self-report, primary care, hospital admission, cancer registry, and death records, we ascertained 69 long-term physical health conditions at both UKB baseline assessment and during a mean follow-up of 6.9 years. We used quasi-Poisson models to estimate associations between history of depression at baseline and subsequent rate of physical condition accrual. Within our cohort, 30,770 (17.8%) had a history of depression. Compared to those without depression, participants with depression had more physical conditions at baseline (mean 2.9 [SD 2.3] versus 2.1 [SD 1.9]) and accrued additional physical conditions at a faster rate (mean 0.20 versus 0.16 additional conditions/year during follow-up). After adjustment for age and sex, participants with depression accrued physical morbidities at a faster rate than those without depression (RR 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.31, 1.34]). After adjustment for all sociodemographic characteristics, the rate of condition accrual remained higher in those with versus without depression (RR 1.30, 95% CI [1.28, 1.32]). This association attenuated but remained statistically significant after additional adjustment for baseline condition count and social/lifestyle factors (RR 1.10, 95% CI [1.09, 1.12]). The main limitation of this study is healthy volunteer selection bias, which may limit generalisability of findings to the wider population.

Conclusions

Middle-aged and older adults with a history of depression have more long-term physical health conditions at baseline and accrue additional physical conditions at a faster rate than those without a history of depression. Our findings highlight the importance of integrated approaches to managing both mental and physical health outcomes.
Knowledge of behavioral risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus and its associated factors among women of reproductive age
Authors: Seyoum Tinsae , Tesfaye Selamnesh , Shiferaw Yohannes , Hailu Rahel , Tefera Dagim , Gebru Zeleke
Published: February 2025

Background

Type 2 diabetes accounts for over 90% of all diabetes cases and is caused by a combination of behavioral risk factors. It is currently a serious health issue, particularly among women of reproductive age, as it is associated with reproductive disorders. Preventing it requires knowledge, but there is limited data on behavioral risk factors in Ethiopia.

Objective

To assess knowledge of the behavioral risks of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its associated factors among women of reproductive age.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted, with all women in the town serving as the source population. A multistage sampling method was utilized to recruit kebeles, and a systematic random technique was employed to select households at every 13th interval. We completed interview questionnaires for 623 samples. The crude odds ratio was calculated using a bivariate logistic model, and multivariate analysis was performed to control for confounding and identify associated factors among model-fitting variables using an adjusted odds ratio (AOR).

Result

The knowledge of behavioral risk factors (BRF) among women of reproductive age (WRA) is 47.0% [95% CI, 43.5–50.9], and significant associations were found with the following factors: average family income of between 3000 and 5000 Ethiopian Birr(ETH) 1.81 [95% CI, 1.03–3.18], > = 5001 ETH 1.93 [95% CI, 1.02–3.68], diabetes mellitus (DM) in the friend or relatives 4.03 [95% CI, 1.56–10.46], family history of DM 9.47 [95% CI, 4.74–18.90], source of information: health workers 1.87 [95% CI, 1.04–3.34] and friend or relatives 1.65 [95% CI, 1.04–2.62].

Conclusion

Knowledge of behavioral risk factors for type 2 diabetes was poor among study participants. Factors such as family income, diabetes mellitus (DM) in friends or relatives, family history of DM, and sources of information were strongly associated with good knowledge. It is essential to emphasize health education about behavioral risk factors for women.
Relationship between chromatin configuration and maturation ability of rat oocytes in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Gong Zhaoqing , Wang Yujie , Tang Jiayi , Xu Yang , Wang Hongkai , Zhang Yimiao , Xiong Lixin , Sun Changzheng , Li Yiyang , Yang Yan , Yao Minhua , Cai Heng , Man Zengshuo , Xuan Siyu , Tang Yangyang , Zhao Ziao , Sun Jiaxin , Liu Dongwei , Su Yanping , Xu Xinghua , Luo Mingjiu , Sui Hongshu
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Embryo engineering requires a large number of oocytes, which undergo in vitro maturation (IVM). Understanding how to select the best quality oocytes is key to improving IVM efficiency. Oocytes have different germinal vesicle (GV) chromatin configurations, which may explain the heterogeneity in oocyte quality during IVM. However, no reports have categorized, the chromatin configuration of rat GVs or evaluated, the association between the chromatin configuration and oocytes development.

Methods

The GV chromatin configuration of rat oocytes was divided into seven types according to the degree of chromatin compaction: non-surrounded nucleolus (NSN), prematurely condensed NSN, partly NSN, partly surrounded nucleolus (SN-1), SN-1, condensed SN-1, and aggregated (SN-2). The chromatin configuration distribution was compared during the different stages of oocyte growth and maturation. We also analyzed the changes in the chromatin configuration at different GV stages during IVM. Moreover, the factors affecting the chromatin configuration were analyzed.

Results

The SN-2 configuration increased with rat oocyte growth and maturation, suggesting that SN-2 facilitates oocyte development. RNA transcription activity in rat oocyte GVs was inversely correlated with oocyte IVM.

Conclusions

The SN-2 chromatin configuration was related to rat oocyte growth and maturation. RNA transcription activity in rat oocytes in the GV stage was inversely correlated with oocyte maturation.
Research on energy optimization control strategy for parallel hybrid tractor based on AIPSO
Authors: Liu Xiaohui , Wu Yiwei , Zhang Jingyun , Zhao Yifan , Hu Yangming , Yan Xianghai
Published: February 2025

In the research on energy optimization control for parallel hybrid tractors, torque has been identified as a crucial factor influencing the tractor’s fuel economy, operational efficiency, and agricultural development. This study focuses on the tractor’s overall demand torque as the primary research parameter and designs a comprehensive scheme for the parallel hybrid tractor. The study includes the design of power system parameters and the construction of a dynamic model for the entire machine. Based on this, an energy optimization control strategy, termed adaptive immune particle swarm optimization fuzzy control strategy (AIPSOFCS), is proposed. Simulation analysis is performed using representative plowing conditions, and AIPSOFCS is compared with the power follow control strategy (PFCS) and fuzzy control strategy (FCS). The results indicate that AIPSOFCS demonstrates higher fuel economy and operational efficiency compared to PFCS and FCS. In the plowing conditions, the fuel economy of AIPSOFCS is reduced by 8.45% and 2.93% compared to PFCS and FCS, respectively. In the rotary tillage conditions, the fuel economy of AIPSOFCS is reduced by 2.40% and 4.07% compared to PFCS and FCS, respectively. Finally, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing of the controller confirms the effectiveness of AIPSOFCS. This research is of significant importance for enhancing the fuel economy and operational efficiency of parallel hybrid tractors and provides theoretical support and reference for the future.
Formulation and evaluation of atorvastatin calcium trihydrate Form I tablets
Authors: Salazar-Barrantes Karen Andrea , Abdala-Saiz Ariadna , Vega-Baudrit José Roberto , Navarro-Hoyos Mirtha , Araya-Sibaja Andrea Mariela
Published: February 2025

Solid forms transformations and new crystal structures of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) can occur due to various manufacturing process conditions, especially if the drug substance is formulated as a hydrate. The conversion between hydrate and anhydrate forms caused by changes in temperature and humidity must be evaluated because of the risk of dehydration and phase transitions during the manufacturing process. Differences in physicochemical, mechanical, and rheological properties have been observed between solid forms of the same API that can cause manufacturing and product-related issues. Atorvastatin calcium trihydrate (ACT) is a synthetic lipid-lowering agent that was discovered during Lipitor® (its anhydrous form) Phase 3 clinical trials after passing Phase I and II. This case highlights the importance of routinely performing solid form screenings because of the probability of finding new solid forms during the development and scale-up process. Therefore, in this contribution, ACT tablet formulation was performed and evaluated starting from the compatibility of 1:1 proportions of drug and the excipients microcrystalline cellulose 101 (MCC 101), calcium carbonate, lactose monohydrate, croscarmellose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, magnesium stearate, and polysorbate 80. Then, 40 mg ACT tablets were prepared on a small pilot scale, and manufacturing process assessment was conducted by sampling process stages selected as critically prone to solid forms formation or phase transition. Final product quality was evaluated regarding weight variation, hardness, disintegration, dissolution, and assay tests. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were applied to solid state evaluation. The starting raw material was confirmed to be ACT Form I. From the preformulation studies, PXRD, FT-IR and TGA analyses showed no interactions between ACT and excipients, while DSC results revealed a physical interaction with MCC 101, not considered an incompatibility. The effect of the tablet manufacturing process was achieved by amorphization, while some ACT long-range crystalline structure remained, as confirmed by PXRD, FT-IR and DSC. However, the tablets’ quality parameters were found to be within the acceptable range of both the pharmacopeia guidelines and manufacturer parameters regarding weight variation, hardness, disintegration, dissolution, and assay tests.
The machine learning algorithm based on decision tree optimization for pattern recognition in track and field sports
Authors: Cui Guomei , Wang Chuanjun
Published: February 2025

This study aims to solve the problems of insufficient accuracy and low efficiency of the existing methods in sprint pattern recognition to optimize the training and competition strategies of athletes. Firstly, the data collected in this study come from high-precision sensors and computer simulation, involving key biomechanical parameters in sprint, such as step frequency, stride length and acceleration. The dataset covers multiple tests of multiple athletes, ensuring the diversity of samples. Secondly, an optimized machine learning algorithm based on decision tree is adopted. It combines the advantages of Random Forest (RF) and Gradient Boosting Tree (GBT), and improves the accuracy and efficiency of the model in sprint pattern recognition by adaptively adjusting the hyperparameter and tree structure. Specifically, by introducing adaptive feature selection and ensemble learning methods, the decision tree algorithm effectively improves the recognition ability of the model for different athletes and sports states, thus reducing the over-fitting phenomenon and improving the generalization ability. In the process of model training, cross-validation and grid search optimization methods are adopted to ensure the reasonable selection of super parameters. Moreover, the superiority of the model is verified by comparing with the commonly used algorithms such as Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The accuracy rate on the test set is 94.9%, which is higher than that of SVM (87.0%) and CNN (92.0%). In addition, the optimized decision tree algorithm performs well in computational efficiency. However, the training data of this model comes from the simulation environment, which may deviate from the real game data. Future research can verify the generalization ability of the model through more actual data.
Identifying the spatiotemporal patterns and natural and socioeconomic influencing factors of PM2.5 and O3 pollution in China
Authors: Zhan Dongsheng , Wang Zichen , Xiang Hongyang , Xu Yukang , Zhou Kan
Published: February 2025

To promote collaborative governance of PM2.5 and O3 pollution, understanding their spatiotemporal patterns and determining factors is crucial to control air pollution in China. Using the ground-monitored data encompassing PM2.5 and O3 concentrations in 2019 across 337 Chinese cities, this study explores the spatiotemporal patterns of PM2.5 and O3 concentrations, and then employed the Multi-scale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) model to examine the socioeconomic and natural factors affecting PM2.5 or O3 concentrations. The results show that PM2.5 and O3 concentrations exhibit distinct monthly U-shaped and inverted U-shaped temporal fluctuation patterns across Chinese cities, respectively. Spatially, both pollutants manifest spatial clustering characteristic and a certain degree of bivariate spatial correlation. Elevated PM2.5 concentrations are predominantly concentrated on north and central China, as well as the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, whereas higher O3 concentrations are distributed widely across north, east, and northwest China. The MGWR model outperforms traditional OLS and global spatial regression models, evidenced by its enhanced goodness-of-fit metrics. Specifically, the R2 values for the PM2.5 and O3 MGWR models are notably high, at 0.842 and 0.861, respectively. Socioeconomic and natural factors are found to have multi-scale spatial effects on PM2.5 and O3 concentrations in China. On average, PM2.5 concentrations show positively correlations with population density, the proportion of the added value of secondary industry in GDP, wind speed, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure, but negatively relationship with per capita GDP, road density, urban greening, air temperature, precipitation, and sunshine duration. In contrast, O3 concentrations are also positively associated with population density, the proportion of the added value of secondary industry in GDP, energy consumption, precipitation, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, and sunshine duration, but negatively correlated with per capita GDP, road density, and air temperature. Our findings offer valuable insights to inform the development of comprehensive air pollution management policies in in developing countries.
Effects of Taekwondo intervention on balance ability: A meta-analysis and systematic review
Authors: Han Zhengfa , Ju Hanyu
Published: February 2025

Objective

This study investigated the effects of Taekwondo interventions on balance ability through meta-analysis and systematic review. Additionally, an optimal intervention protocol was proposed based on subgroup analysis of single-leg stance outcomes to enhance the overall effect.

Methods

Systematic searches were conducted in Chinese (CNKI, WANFANG DATA), English (Web of Science, PubMed), and Korean (KISS, RISS, DBPIA) databases to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs), pre-post studies, and cross-sectional studies (CSS) evaluating Taekwondo’s impact on balance. A total of 21 studies encompassing 972 participants were included. The risk of bias in the RCTs was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool version 2 (RoB 2.0), and the methodological quality of pre-post and cross-sectional studies was evaluated with the Methodology Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) criteria. Quantitative analyses focused on measures such as single-leg stance with eyes closed, marching in place with eyes closed, and assessments using the Win pod device. Qualitative analyses addressed other assessment methods.

Results

The overall risk of bias results for the included RCTs indicated that four studies were classified as high risk, while the remaining studies demonstrated some concerns regarding risk. The methodological quality of the included non-RCTs was assessed as moderate. Furthermore, the quantitative outcomes indicated that Taekwondo interventions significantly enhanced both static (single-leg stance with eyes closed; ES = 0.862, p<0.001) and dynamic (marching in place with eyes closed; ES = 0.296, p = 0.036) balance abilities. However, analysis using the Win pod device for static balance showed no significant improvement (p>0.05). Subgroup analysis for the single-leg stance with eyes closed demonstrated the most substantial effects in adults (ES = 1.191, p = 0.001) and females (ES = 0.786, p = 0.005). The most effective Taekwondo intervention featured a duration of 12 weeks (ES = 1.375, p = 0.002), a frequency of once per week (ES = 1.406, p = 0.003), and a times length of 60–70 minutes (ES = 1.028, p<0.001). Qualitative assessments supported these findings, indicating overall beneficial impacts on balance from Taekwondo training across various populations and evaluation methods.

Conclusions

In conclusion, Taekwondo interventions are effective for enhancing static and dynamic balance abilities, especially in adult females. It is recommended to follow a training protocol of 60–70 minutes per times, once weekly, for 12 weeks to optimize static balance improvements.
Deep learning based screening model for hip diseases on plain radiographs
Authors: Park Jung-Wee , Ryu Seung Min , Kim Hong-Seok , Lee Young-Kyun , Yoo Jeong Joon
Published: February 2025

Introduction

The interpretation of plain hip radiographs can vary widely among physicians. This study aimed to develop and validate a deep learning-based screening model for distinguishing normal hips from severe hip diseases on plain radiographs.

Methods

Electronic medical records and plain radiograph from 2004 to 2012 were used to construct two patient groups: the hip disease group (those who underwent total hip arthroplasty) and normal group. A total of 1,726 radiographs (500 normal hip radiographs and 1,226 radiographs with hip diseases, respectively) were included and were allocated for training (320 and 783), validation (80 and 196), and test (100 and 247) groups. Four different models were designed–raw image for both training and test set, preprocessed image for training but raw image for the test set, preprocessed images for both sets, and change of backbone algorithm from DenseNet to EfficientNet. The deep learning models were compared in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), F1-score, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC).

Results

The mean age of the patients was 54.0 ± 14.8 years in the hip disease group and 49.8 ± 14.9 years in the normal group. The final model showed highest performance in both the internal test set (accuracy 0.96, sensitivity 0.96, specificity 0.97, PPV 0.99, NPV 0.99, F1-score 0.97, and AUROC 0.99) and the external validation set (accuracy 0.94, sensitivity 0.93, specificity 0.96, PPV 0.95, NPV 0.93, F1-score 0.94, and AUROC 0.98). In the gradcam image, while the first model depended on unrelated marks of radiograph, the second and third model mainly focused on the femur shaft and sciatic notch, respectively.

Conclusion

The deep learning-based model showed high accuracy and reliability in screening hip diseases on plain radiographs, potentially aiding physicians in more accurately diagnosing hip conditions.
Research on quantitative assessment of translation quality from the perspective of phraseology
Authors: He Bojia , Wang Jinquan , Wang Yizhe
Published: February 2025

Supported by the relevant theories of phraseology, this study examined the translation quality of three genres of explanatory, argumentative, and narrative essays at the phrase level and aimed to construct a translation quality assessment model. In this study, a total of six variables were extracted from both linguistic form and linguistic meaning in strict accordance with the phrase screening criteria, among which the linguistic form features contained a 2-4 gram match degree and the linguistic meaning features contained a part-of-speech tagged 2-4 gram match degree. The results showed that, first, bigram-related variables were the strongest predictors of translation scores for the three genres. The trigram-related variables were slightly weaker, and the fourgram-related variables were the lowest. The bigram match degree had the highest correlation coefficient of .752** with explanatory text translation scores. Second, all translation quality assessment models of the three genres fit well, with the highest correlation coefficient for the explanatory text model, R = 0.820, R2 = 0.673, followed by argumentative text, and the lowest for narrative text. This study realized the automatic assessment of the meaning and form of translations of different genres, which had certain theoretical and practical significance.
Comparing methodologies for mapping the afforestation of public streets in Chapada Neighbourhood, using pléiades images
Authors: Zambrano Jessika , Méri Carvalho Silvia , Rito Gonçalves Gil
Published: February 2025

Knowing about the arboreal heritage present along the city’s roads is a challenge. Acquiring this information requires personal experience, time, and investing financial resources in the field. It is not always possible to carry out counts in situ, so different techniques are implemented. Pixel-oriented methodologies (supervised, unsupervised classification) are used, along with NDVI segmented classification to gain prior knowledge of the roadside tree heritage, and to map and quantify them. The Chapada neighbourhood in the city of Ponta Grossa-PR (Brasil) has been previously mapped using the visual analysis methodology. The count of 3101 trees on 228 roads was used as a reference to compare with the three aforementioned methodologies. A soil classification was carried out using the three methodologies to find out about the presence of roadside vegetation. In the case of NDVI, it was possible to show 56.00 % similarity with the trees obtained in the visual analysis; the unsupervised classification obtained a map of 91.19 %, this being the largest number of trees counted, and the supervised classification figure was 82.68 %.
Uso da inteligência artificial na segurança dos trabalhadores: uma revisão sistemática de literatura
Authors: Da Silva Alexandre Pinto , Giffoni de Carvalho Dutra Frederico , Barbonaglia Sathler Figueiredo Douglas
Published: February 2025

Os acidentes de trabalho representam um problema não só no Brasil, mas também em todo o mundo. A Organização Internacional do Trabalho estima que 2 milhões de pessoas morrem no mundo a cada ano de causas relacionadas ao trabalho. Esta pesquisa apresenta uma revisão sistemática de literatura, com o objetivo de identificar quais as principais publicações internacionais, tipos e aplicações da IA na segurança do trabalho, com o foco na prevenção de acidentes de trabalhadores. Após a elaboração do protocolo de pesquisa, e realização de busca nas bases Emerald Insight, IEEE Xplore, Science Direct, Scopus e Web of Science, foram encontrados 2.369 artigos que, após a aplicação dos critérios de exclusão, foram selecionados 31 artigos ligados diretamente à temática. Os países com mais pesquisas foram China, EUA e Coreia do Sul, com cerca de 50% do total. As principais aplicações identificadas foram o monitoramento dos trabalhadores e a detecção de objetos nos ambientes de trabalho. Ficou evidenciado que a IA aplicada a segurança dos trabalhadores ainda é pouco explorada, havendo um bom aumento a partir de 2022.
Percepção de risco de inundação em áreas de reassentamento: o caso do “Moradias Bonilauri” no município de Pinhais (Paraná, Brasil)
Authors: Noli da Fonseca Murilo
Published: February 2025

Esta pesquisa busca avaliar a percepção de risco de inundações no Conjunto Habitacional "Moradias Bonilauri", município de Pinhais (Paraná, sul do Brasil), visando compreender como pessoas reassentadas de áreas de risco percebem e lidam com os fenômenos naturais. A pesquisa utiliza abordagem qualitativa, com entrevistas reflexivas realizadas junto a lideranças do conjunto habitacional. As análises enfocam as percepções individuais em relação aos riscos de inundações e os elementos deflagradores desse fenômeno em dois momentos: antes e depois do reassentamento. Os resultados indicam que os entrevistados reconhecem o risco de inundação, muitas vezes atribuindo a causa a fatores naturais e à falta de ação do poder público. Também percebem sua interferência no fenômeno, como o descarte inadequado de resíduos. Portanto, o estudo destaca a complexidade da percepção de risco, influenciada por experiências individuais e contexto social, de modo que a conscientização sobre a ocupação e inundações parece ocorrer após o reassentamento, indicando a necessidade de estratégias para reduzir os impactos na comunidade.
Importancia de la salud mental en el ámbito laboral
Authors: Cantillo Santis Karina
Published: February 2025

La salud mental ha cobrado creciente importancia, evidenciando deficiencias en el acceso a atención y apoyo. En el ámbito laboral, el 15% de los adultos tiene un trastorno mental, afectando la productividad y generando pérdidas económicas significativas. Factores como el estrés, la sobrecarga laboral y la falta de apoyo organizacional influyen negativamente en la salud mental de los empleados. No obstante, la inversión en programas de bienestar genera beneficios económicos y mejora el desempeño laboral. Estrategias como la capacitación en liderazgo empático, el apoyo social y políticas organizacionales han demostrado reducir el ausentismo y aumentar la motivación. Las teorías psicológicas respaldan la importancia de entornos laborales saludables. Modelos como el Bienestar Psicológico de Ryff, el Apoyo Social de House y la Autodeterminación de Deci y Ryan destacan la necesidad de autonomía, respaldo y satisfacción psicológica para mejorar el bienestar laboral. Se insta a las organizaciones a adoptar un enfoque proactivo en salud mental, priorizando el bienestar de sus empleados para fortalecer la cultura empresarial y la productividad.
Právo na verejné prejednanie veci v trestnom konaní v judikatúre Európskeho súdu pre lúdské práva
Authors: Štiavnická Jana
Published: February 2025

Presented article is devoted to the right to public trial as one of the components of the right to fair trial under the Article 6 of European Convection of Human Rights. The author analyses the approach of the European Court and European Commission of Human Rights considering their case-law, and drafts the fundamental attitudes related to the opportunity to exclude the publicity of the trial either on the ground of the exceptions mentioned in the Article 6/1 the second sentence of the Convention or on the basis of the doctrine of implicit limitation, to the possibility of the party to a case to waive its right to public trial and to the requirement of the publicity of the decision. It is focused to the relation between the publicity of the trial to other rights guaranteed by the Convention such as presumption of innocence, right to private life under the Article 8, and the right to freedom of expression under the Article 10.
K některým otázkám budoucí úpravy manželského majetkového práva
Authors: Dvořák Jan
Published: February 2025

The author analyses the proposed legal regulation of property relations between spouses. He brings forward the difficulties of the valid legal regulation of these relations and he drafts their legislative solutions. The author especially recommends the changing of the valid legal regulation of the liability for obligations assumed only by one of the spouses. Also, the author points out the neediness of a more particular legal regulation of common property administration, carried out only by one of the spouses.
Právní pomoc (historické kořeny a možná řešení)
Authors: Macková Alena
Published: February 2025

This contribution focuses on legal aid, which is generally accepted as a part of right to fair trial. It reflects historical roots of the legal aid ideas in the human past. The second part of the article inquires into the question whether legal aid should be provided by the Bar or by the state. Following considerations describe and evaluate both solutions in general.
Finanční právo včera, dnes a zítra
Authors: Grúň Lubomír
Published: February 2025

The financial relations and their legal regulations are rightly within the scope of a keen interest. It was so in the past also, and there is no doubt that even more attention will be shown in the coming years. The financial issues are very closely connected with practical life of the general public, entrepreneurs, and with the state or its individual bodies alike. The scope of these social relations is rather broad; therefore, it is difficult to find the common platform for all the cases where money is involved, either in cash or in its dematerialised form. In order to satisfy the particular interests of both the general and the highly specialised public in this work, the regulation of the financial relations covered by the financial law is itemized. This work begins with a brief outline of the financial law itself (including some data on its developments both as the scientific and pedagogical disciplines, and on its systemic structure); the concepts of the individual parts of the financial law, however, remain the main subject of this work. With their position in the past and at present, such terms as budget, tax, fee, customs fee, currency and the like, are a backbone of the financial law. Their geulation is closely connected with the internal structure of the financial law as a system. This work was intended for both the experts and the general public. To this end, some stylistic features of belles-letters are deliberately used.
Water-based hybrid nanofluid flow containing CNT nanoparticles over an extending surface with velocity slips, thermal convective, and zero-mass flux conditions
Authors: Yasmin Humaira , Bossly Rawan , Alduais Fuad S. , Al-Bossly Afrah , Saeed Anwar
Published: February 2025

This study computationally examines the water-based hybrid nanofluid flow with the impacts of carbon nanotubes on an elongating surface. The flow is influenced by velocity slip constraints, zero-mass flux conditions, and thermal convection. Magnetic effects are applied to the flow system in the normal direction. The activation energy and chemical reactivity effects are used in the concentration equation. The modeled equations have been evaluated numerically through the bvp4c technique after conversion to dimensionless form through a similarity transformation approach. It has been discovered in this work that with expansion in magnetic and porosity factors, the velocities declined. Augmentation in the ratio factor has declined the primary flow velocity while supporting the secondary flow velocity. Thermal profiles have intensified with progression in the Brownian motion factor, thermal Biot number thermophoresis factor, and exponential heat source and radiation factors. Concentration distribution has escalated with the activation energy factor and has declined with an upsurge in Schmidt number and chemical reaction factors. The impact of an upsurge in the thermophoresis factor enhances the concentration distribution, while the upsurge in the Brownian motion factor exhibits a reducing impact on concentration distribution. To ensure the validation of this work, a comparative study is conducted in this work with a fine agreement among the current and established datasets.