bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Feedback is communication between human beings”: understanding adolescents' conception of written qualitative feedback
Authors: Tao Sining , Qin Wenjuan
Published: February 2025

Research on feedback in writing has predominantly focused on its effectiveness in improving surface-level linguistic accuracy, with limited attention to how students perceive and engage with written qualitative feedback as an interactive tool for writing development. This study addresses this gap by emphasizing the role of written qualitative feedback, defined as descriptive comments that address both content and linguistic element, promoting deeper engagement and critical thinking in student writing. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the study examines the conception of written qualitative feedback held by 107 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in China. Over an academic semester, each learner produced three argumentative texts and received written qualitative feedback in three formats. Quantitative data from an adapted Conception of Written Feedback questionnaire reveals two predominant patterns in their conception of written qualitative feedback: (1) engaging with positive emotion and active use or (2) ignoring with defensiveness. To explore potential explanations for these patterns, a purposeful subsample of 10 learners participated in semi-structured interviews, conceptualizing the role of feedback in their writing practices. Qualitative findings indicate that learners perceive feedback along a continuum as an instructional tool, evaluative system, cognitive guide, dialogic conversation, and catalyst for personal change. By triangulating quantitative results and qualitative findings, the study demonstrates how personalized educational interaction in the form of written qualitative feedback facilitates adolescents' transition from competent language use to higher-order argumentative skills and agentic approaches to writing development. The study adds to a growing literature on adolescent writing development from the lens of interactive teaching and learning.
A conceptual approach to material detection based on damping vibration-force signals via robot
Authors: Saleh Asheghabadi Ahmad , Keymanesh Mohammad , Bahrami Moqadam Saeed , Xu Jing
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Object perception, particularly material detection, is predominantly performed through texture recognition, which presents significant limitations. These methods are insufficient to distinguish between different materials with similar surface roughness, and noise caused by tactile movements affects the system performance.

Methods

This paper presents a straightforward, impact-based approach to identifying materials, utilizing the cantilever beam mechanism in the UR5e robot's artificial finger. To detect object material, an elastic metal sheet was fixed to a load cell with an accelerometer and a metal appendage positioned above and below its free end, respectively. After recording the damping force signal and vibration data from the load cell and accelerometer caused by the metal appendage's impact, features such as vibration amplitude, damping time, wavelength, and force amplitude were retrieved. Three machine-learning techniques were then used to classify the objects' materials according to their damping rates. Data clustering was performed using the deflection of the cantilever beam to boost classification accuracy.

Results and discussion

Online object materials detection shows an accuracy of 95.46% in a study of ten objects [metals (steel, cast iron), plastics (foam, compressed plastic), wood, silicon, rubber, leather, brick and cartoon]. This method overcomes the limitations of the tactile approach and has the potential to be used in industrial robots.
Small-vessel-disease-induced white matter damage in occipital lobe epilepsy
Authors: Kim Jinseung , Lee Dong Ah , Lee Ho-Joon , Park Kang Min
Published: February 2025

Background

Peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity (PSMD) is a novel marker of small vessel disease. This study aimed to investigate the presence of small vessel disease in patients with occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE) using PSMD.

Methods

We enrolled 27 patients newly diagnosed with OLE and included 29 healthy controls. The age and sex of the patients and controls were comparable. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed using a 3 T MRI scanner. We measured the PSMD based on DTI in several steps, including preprocessing, skeletonization, application of a custom mask, and histogram analysis, using the FSL program. We compared PSMD between patients with OLE and healthy controls. Additionally, we performed a correlation analysis between PSMD and clinical factors in patients with OLE.

Results

Our findings revealed that the patients with OLE exhibited higher PSMD compared to healthy controls (2.459 vs. 2.079 × 10−4 mm2/s, p < 0.001). In addition, PSMD positively correlated with age (r = 0.412, p = 0.032). However, the PSMD of the patients with OLE was not associated with other clinical factors such as age at seizure onset and duration of epilepsy.

Conclusion

We demonstrated that patients with OLE had a higher PSMD than healthy controls, indicating evidence of small vessel disease in patients with OLE. This finding also highlights the potential of PSMD as a marker for detecting small vessel diseases in epileptic disorders.
Advancing arabic dialect detection with hybrid stacked transformer models
Authors: Saleh Hager , AlMohimeed Abdulaziz , Hassan Rasha , Ibrahim Mandour M. , Alsamhi Saeed Hamood , Hassan Moatamad Refaat , Mostafa Sherif
Published: February 2025

The rapid expansion of dialectally unique Arabic material on social media and the internet highlights how important it is to categorize dialects accurately to maximize a variety of Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications. The improvement in classification performance highlights the wider variety of linguistic variables that the model can capture, providing a reliable solution for precise Arabic dialect recognition and improving the efficacy of NLP applications. Recent advances in deep learning (DL) models have shown promise in overcoming potential challenges in identifying Arabic dialects. In this paper, we propose a novel stacking model based on two transformer models, i.e., Bert-Base-Arabertv02 and Dialectal-Arabic-XLM-R-Base, to enhance the classification of dialectal Arabic. The proposed model consists of two levels, including base models and meta-learners. In the proposed model, Level 1 generates class probabilities from two transformer models for training and testing sets, which are then used in Level 2 to train and evaluate a meta-learner. The stacking model compares various models, including long-short-term memory (LSTM), gated recurrent units (GRU), convolutional neural network (CNN), and two transformer models using different word embedding. The results show that the stacking model combination of two models archives outperformance over single-model approaches due to capturing a broader range of linguistic features, which leads to better generalization across different forms of Arabic. The proposed model is evaluated based on the performance of IADD and Shami. For Shami, the Stacking-Transformer achieves the highest performance in all rates compared to other models with 89.73 accuracy, 89.596 precision, 89.73 recall, and 89.574 F1-score. For IADD, the Stacking-Transformer achieves the highest performance in all rates compared to other models with 93.062 accuracy, 93.368 precision, 93.062 recall, and 93.184 F1 score. The improvement in classification performance highlights the wider variety of linguistic variables that the model can capture, providing a reliable solution for precise Arabic dialect recognition and improving the efficacy of NLP applications.
Analysis of the nutritional and fatty acid profile of sacha inchi tempe (Plukenetia volubilis L.) using different cooking methods
Authors: Afifah Diana Nur , Salam Daniaty Afifatus , Nugraheni Fitria , Resti Nina , Purwanti Rachma , Anjani Gemala , Susilo Mursid Tri , Nuryanto  , Astawan Made , Rahmawati Irma Sarita
Published: February 2025

Background

Indonesia is experiencing food insecurity regarding soybean products. To address this challenge, sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis. L) has been identified as a potential raw material for making tempe due to the high levels of protein and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA).

Objective

This research aimed to determine the potential of sacha inchi bean tempe on proximate content, PUFA, and the effect of different cooking methods.

Method

Water and ash content were analyzed using the gravimetric method. Moreover, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fatty acid were evaluated using the Kjeldahl, Soxhlet, difference, and Gas Chromatography (GC) method.

Results

There were significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in water content, ash content, protein, saturated fat, unsaturated, and PUFA in fermentation time. Fermentation increased protein (19.50–20.50%) while reducing water (30.26–28.51%) and PUFA (35.35–32.99%). Cooking methods significantly impacted fatty acids, with steaming retaining the highest PUFA (29.97%) and linolenic acid (14.63%), while frying increased saturated fat (11.24%).

Conclusion

Fermentation process in sacha inchi bean tempe could reduce the water content and saturated fat. This process also increased the ash, protein, and monounsaturated fat content, while the best cooking method was found to be steaming.
Changes in the nutrient composition of top-selling packaged foods and beverages in Colombia between 2016 to 2021
Authors: Forero Luis Carlos , Gómez Luis F. , Mora-Plazas Mercedes , Parra-Murillo María , Toquica Sara , Taillie Lindsey Smith
Published: February 2025

Introduction

In 2022, the Colombian government approved a law requiring by 2024 the use of Front of Package octagonal warning labels in food products with an excess of nutrients of concern for chronic disease, including sodium, sugar, saturated fat, and trans-fat, as well as non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS). In addition, the government began 2023 by applying a 10% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages and foods that also had warning labels for sodium, sugar and saturated fat. This tax increased to 15% in 2024 and to $20% in 2025. While a previous study examined the changes in the nutritional composition of beverage and food products offered in Colombia between 2016 and 2018, it is necessary to update this information to understand whether the industry anticipated labeling and tax regulations by reformulating products.

Methods

This study carried out a comparison of the content of selected nutrients of concern and non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) from the nutritional panels of 164 matched pairs of packaged foods and beverages from the top selling brands in Colombia in 2021 compared to 2016. McNemar’s test for paired data was used to evaluate changes in the proportion of each of the critical nutrients and NNS to be regulated.

Results

There were no significant changes in sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, or free sugar in foods or beverages prior to policy implementation. However, there was a significant increase in the presence of NNS in beverages, during this pre-policy period from 32 to 59%.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that changes in nutrient composition of packaged foods and beverages had been marginal before the implementation of the tax and warning labeling laws.
Case Report: Cholestatic liver disease in the course of erythropoietic protoporphyria associated with renal hypodysplasia and atrial septal defect
Authors: Lipiński Patryk , Lipniacka Agnieszka , Klaudel-Dreszler Maja , Ziółkowska Lidia , Kostrzewa Grażyna , Odnoczko Edyta , Wasilewski Robert , Płoski Rafał , Tylki-Szymańska Anna
Published: February 2025

Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is an autosomal recessive disorder of the heme biosynthesis pathway caused by pathogenic variants in FECH gene resulting in a decreased activity of ferrochelatase. Liver involvement is observed in 5%–20% of patients harbouring loss-of-function FECH variants and its manifestations are heterogeneous, ranging from mildly elevated liver transaminases, cholelithiasis to severe acute cholestatic hepatitis/liver failure. This paper presents the case of a Polish infant with EPP associated with two novel missense FECH variants accompanied by other congenital anomalies, namely atrial septal defect and renal hypodysplasia. Progressive cholestatic liver disease (with subsequent congestive heart failure) was observed in the course of EPP. Erytropoietic protoporphyria should be considered in patients with hepatosplenomegaly and cholestasis accompanied by skin damage. The natural history of liver disease in the course of EPP could be determined by other factors, like the co-existence of congenital anomalies.
The agronomic mechanism of root lodging resistance and yield stability for sweet corn in response to planting density and nitrogen rates at different planting dates
Authors: Liang Qinggan , Chang Hailong , Chen Hongrong , Wu Qingdan , Qin Yuanxia , Wang Zhuqing , Wang Gang , Li Xuhui , Chen Weiwei , Wu Jiantao , Wang Qinnan , Wang Jianqiang
Published: February 2025

A three-cycle field experiment was conducted to investigate the underlying agronomic mechanism on modulating the root lodging resistance and yield stability of sweet corn in response to the planting density and nitrogen rate during different growth seasons. The experiment comprised two factors with six treatments and was conducted in a split-plot design. Two nitrogen (N) rates (200 kg ha-1, N200; 150 kg ha-1,N150) applied to the main plots and three planting densities (20 cm plant space, D20; 25 cm plant space, D25; and 30 cm plant space, D30; 60 cm rows space for all plots) as subplots. The results indicated that the plants in N150D25 presented better root system architecture, greater root biomass, and more roots per plant. These effects are mediated by the underlying metabolism of endogenous phytohormones, which balance the absorbing and anchoring function of the root system. This further improved the development of plant crown architecture, including stem nodes and ear leaf traits, and further coordinated dry matter dynamics and lignin metabolism between the root and shoot organs. These observations may account for the resistance of the roots to lodging in this treatment. The maximum yield output was achieved in the plants under N150D25 via a significant increase in individual ear fresh weight, kernel number per row, and grain number per ear via path analysis. Compared with that of N200D30 (local field management), the yield of N150D25 plants increased by 22.33%–30.00% during the three growing seasons. Notably, the yield stability was achieved by significantly reducing the coefficient of variation (CV) of cob length and diameter, ear diameter, kernel row number per plant and grain number per plant. Among these factors, the planting date had a considerable effect on ear fresh weight, cob fresh weight, ear length, cob diameter, cob length and kernel row number by significantly increasing the degree of variation. This finding indicated that the planting date is a crucial factor that should be accounted in field crop management. Our findings provide a scientific basis for high-yield production of sweet corn in tropical regions during the “off season” period.
Assessing the quality, reliability, and transparency of YouTube videos on spiritual palliative care: a content analysis
Authors: Almobarak Fhaied
Published: February 2025

Aim

To inspect the quality, reliability, and transparency of YouTube videos on spiritual palliative care by employing systematic scoring benchmarks, such as JAMA and Modified DISCERN.

Background

Spiritual care is vital in palliative care, and YouTube is a popular platform for health information, though the quality of such content remains unexplored. The present study is the first analysis of spiritual palliative care videos on YouTube, revealing the types of creators (e.g., educational institutions, healthcare providers, etc.), dominant video formats (documentaries, testimonials, lectures, etc.), and overall quality and transparency of the content.

Methods

On 19th April 2024, a sample of 50 spiritual palliative care YouTube videos was compiled and examined for quality, reliability, and transparency assessment. JAMA and Modified DISCERN scoring systems were used to score the sample videos. The first step in data analysis was determining the variables’ normality. For this, the Shapiro–Wilk test was employed. The data was not normally distributed, so group-wise comparisons and correlation analysis were conducted using non-parametric methods. Correlation analysis was done using the Spearman’s test. The quantitative data of the groups/categories were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test.

Results

The current study’s findings showcase that the quality, reliability, and transparency of the spiritual palliative care YouTube videos are moderate. The mean JAMA score for transparency was slightly better than the mean Modified DISCERN score for the quality/reliability of the sample videos.

Impact

The current study addresses the ambiguity about the quality, reliability, and transparency of spiritual palliative care videos on YouTube. The results highlight the lack of superior quality, reliability, and transparency of the available video content related to the subject. Concerned authorities must recognize the risk of contact with substandard quality health-related YouTube content. To promote public health, initiatives are needed to increase patients’ chances of access to high-quality YouTube information about the spiritual facet of palliative care.
Editorial: Aspiration management and rehabilitation
Authors: Palmer Phyllis M. , Leslie Paula
Published: February 2025

Clinical management of prandial aspiration remains heavily influenced by long-standing practices and may not align with current evidence. This editorial provides a broad overview of the articles in this edition of Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences and addresses three common misconceptions in dysphagia management: (a) that prandial aspiration always requires immediate restrictive intervention, (b) that coughing during meals indicates physiologic dysfunction, and (c) that thickened liquids universally reduce aspiration risk without consequence. We examine how these myths conflict with current evidence and highlight supportive perspectives from various disciplines. Rather than introducing new techniques, we encourage critical examination of current practices and provide guidance for implementing evidence-supported interventions. The goal is to move toward individualized care that considers multiple risk factors beyond the mere presence of aspiration, ultimately improving patient outcomes while maintaining quality of life.
Acute effect of technique modification training on 180° change of direction performance and kinematics in adolescent male soccer players
Authors: Nakamura Hayato , Yamashita Daichi , Nishiumi Daichi , Nakaichi Naoto , Hirose Norikazu
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Change of direction (COD) maneuvers are frequently performed during soccer games and are critical for performance. Adolescent players often display immature COD maneuvers, suggesting that COD technique modification training may be a more effective approach for adolescent athletes. This study investigated the acute effects of COD modification training on COD performance and kinematics in male adolescent soccer players.

Methods

Twenty-nine male junior high school soccer players participated in this study and were divided into two groups: 16 players underwent 15-min COD technique modification training (COD group), while 13 players engaged in 15-min linear sprint training. The participants performed Pro-Agility and 20-m sprint tests before and after the intervention, and the total times were measured. COD deficit (CODD) was calculated as the difference between these times. Center of mass (COM) velocity and trunk and lower limb kinematics were computed from three-dimensional kinematic data collected during the Pro-Agility test using a markerless motion capture system. Each section of the Pro-Agility test was divided into acceleration and deceleration phases based on the COM velocity; Stop marks the moment of direction change. Two-way (group and time) mixed ANOVA was conducted with Bonferroni corrections for post-hoc comparisons.

Results

No significant interactions were observed in the total time of the Pro-Agility test, CODD, 20-m sprint time, or average acceleration and deceleration in each phase (p > 0.05). On the other hand, the COD group showed significant interactions and improvements in average deceleration from final foot (FF) contact to Stop (p = 0.012, g = 0.639), penultimate foot hip flexion angle at Stop (p = 0.042, g = 0.496), COM-FF horizontal distance at Stop (p = 0.008, g = 0.650), and FF ground contact time (p < 0.001, g = 0.803).

Conclusion

A 15-min COD technique modification training led to partial, immediate improvements in kinematic parameters among adolescent soccer players but did not enhance overall COD performance or acceleration/deceleration ability.
How much preoperative ROM and FC is a predictor for poor result after total knee arthroplasty in hemophilic arthropathy?
Authors: Jiang Hongyu , Chang Xueke , Yu Fubin , Li Wei , Fang Naihan , Man Jianzhi , Guo Kangshu , Meng Hongzheng , Zhang Wenqiang
Published: February 2025

Aim

We aimed to explore the threshold of preoperative range of motion (ROM) and flxion contacture (FC) as a predictor of Poor knee function after TKA.

Method

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 84 Patients with haemophilia (PWH) (113 knees) who underwent knee arthroplasty in our hospital from January 2010 to December 2020 (mean follow-up 70.7 ± 22.4 months). General information, hemophilia information, surgical information, follow-up information were collected. Knees were divided into two groups: Group poor (41 knees) and Group excellent (72 knees). In the clinical evaluation, the FC, ROM and American Society Knee clinical Score (KSC), American Society Knee functional Score (KSF), Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) scores were used preoperatively and at the final follow-up visit. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was used to analyze the threshold of preoperative ROM and FC as a predictor of Poor knee function after TKA.

Result

Postoperative knee joint KSC, KSF, and HSS scores, as well as ROM and reduction in FC deformities at the last follow-up, improved significantly compared to preoperative levels. A notable correlation was observed between ROM and FC and the outcome of knee arthroplasty. The cutoff value of preoperative fexion contracture and ROM for poor knee function at last-follow up was 16.5° and 61.5°.

Conclusion

The study concludes that the efficacy of knee joint replacement surgery in hemophilia patients is influenced by the pre-ROM and Pre-FC. The better the pre- ROM, the better the knee efficacy. The greater the pre- flexion contracture degree, the worse the knee efficacy.
The case for development of a core outcome set (COS) and supplemental reporting guidelines for influenza vaccine challenge trial research in swine
Authors: Keay Sheila , Alberts Famke , O’Connor Annette M. , Friendship Robert , O’Sullivan Terri , Poljak Zvonimir
Published: February 2025

Previously, we systematically reviewed more than 20 years of influenza vaccine challenge trial research in pigs to answer the question, “does vaccinating sows protect offspring?” Overall, most studies were well designed but clinical heterogeneity made between-study comparisons challenging. Studies varied by samples, outcomes, and assays selected for measurement. Additionally, data essential for inclusion of findings in meta-analyses were often insufficiently reported and as a result, summary effect measures were either not derived or were not meaningful. Clinical heterogeneity and reporting issues complicate and limit what can be learned cumulatively from research and both represent two types of avoidable research waste. Here, we illustrate each concern using data collected tangentially during the systematic review and propose two corrective strategies, both of which have broad applicability across veterinary intervention research; (i) develop a Core Outcome Set (COS) to reduce unnecessary clinical heterogeneity in future research and (ii) encourage funders and journal editors to require submitted research protocols and manuscripts adhere to established reporting guidelines. As a reporting corollary, we developed a supplemental checklist specific to influenza vaccine challenge trial research in swine and propose that it is completed by researchers and included with all study protocol and manuscript submissions. The checklist serves two purposes: as a reminder of details essential to report for inclusion of findings in meta-analyses and sub-group meta-analyses (e.g., antigenic or genomic descriptions of influenza vaccine and challenge viruses), and as an aid to help synthesis researchers fully characterize and comprehensively include studies in reviews.
Digital Maturity in Transforming Human Resource Management in the Post-COVID Era: A Thematic Analysis
Authors: Shahiduzzaman Md
Published: February 2025

The digital maturity of Human Resource Management (HRM) is a critical determinant of organisational success in today’s digital age. This paper aims to contribute to the limited literature on the “digital maturity” of HRM by identifying emerging themes and success factors of HRM in the digital age. Drawing on data from 190 journal articles for 2017–2024, this paper identifies three motor themes shaping contemporary HRM: (1) Digital Transformation and Competition, (2) Innovation and Performance Management, and (3) COVID-19 Adaptive Human Resource Management. These findings indicate the multidimensionality of HR digital maturity—from focusing on technology and people to fostering innovation and crisis management. Several factors require attention to improve the digital maturity of HR, including HR strategy and governance; talent management, diversity, and safety; employee adoption and competencies; conflict resolution and stakeholder engagement; and HR practitioners’ competencies. Strategic investment in these pillars is necessary not only to facilitate organisational adaptation to digital transformation but also for harnessing the benefits of emerging technologies to drive innovation and long-term success in the post-COVID era.
Keypoint Detection and 3D Localization Method for Ridge-Cultivated Strawberry Harvesting Robots
Authors: Dai Shuo , Bai Tao , Zhao Yunjie
Published: February 2025

With the development of intelligent modern agriculture, strawberry harvesting robots play an increasingly important role in precision agriculture. However, existing vision systems face multiple challenges in complex farmland environments, including fruit occlusion, difficulties in recognizing fruits at varying ripeness levels, and limited real-time processing capabilities. This study proposes a keypoint detection and 3D localization method for strawberry fruits utilizing a depth camera to address these challenges. By introducing a Haar Wavelet Downsampling (HWD) module and Gold-YOLO neck, the proposed method achieves significant improvements in feature extraction and detection performance. The integration of the HWD module effectively reduces image noise, enhances feature extraction accuracy, and strengthens the method’s ability to recognize fruit stems. Additionally, incorporating the Gold-YOLO neck structure enhances multi-scale feature fusion, improving detection accuracy and enabling the method to adapt to complex environments. To further accelerate inference speed and enable deployment in an embedded system, Layer-adaptive sparsity for Magnitude-based Pruning (LAMP) technology is employed, significantly reducing redundant parameters and thereby enhancing the lightweight performance of the model. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can accurately identify strawberries at different ripeness stages and exhibits strong robustness under various lighting conditions and complex scenarios, achieving an average precision of 97.3% while reducing model parameters to 38.2% of the original model, significantly improving the efficiency of strawberry fruit localization. This method provides robust technical support for the practical application and widespread adoption of agricultural robots.
Integrating Winter Cover Crops Did Not Change Cotton Lint Yield Responses to Nitrogen Fertilization in Sandy Soils
Authors: Musah Swabir Alhassan , Poudel Pratima , Jones Michael , Farmaha Bhupinder Singh , Ye Rongzhong
Published: February 2025

A two-year field trial (2021–2023) was conducted to evaluate the impacts of cover crop (CC) inclusion (cereal rye, crimson clover, mixtures of cereal rye and crimson clover, and fallow control) and nitrogen (N) fertilization (0, 22, 45, 90, 135, and 180 kg N ha−1) in cotton production in sandy soils. Cover crops were planted in October and terminated two weeks before cotton planting in May. The N was applied in split applications. Cover crop aboveground biomass was collected, oven dried, and weighed, and then used for C and N analyses. Soils were sampled at CC termination and analyzed for biogeochemical properties. Cotton lint yields and agronomic nutrient use efficiency (aNUE) were estimated. The CC mixtures provided higher organic C and N inputs as residue returns than individual species. Integrating CCs had limited impacts on measured soil properties. Integrating CCs resulted in positive, neutral, and adverse effects on lint yield and aNUE depending on species and growing seasons. Applying N at 22 kg ha−1 increased lint yields in 2022, while higher rates did not improve the yields further. Similar patterns of impacts were observed at the N rate of 45 kg ha−1 in 2023. The results indicated that integrating CC mixtures can favor long-term C and N sequestration in sandy soils. However, optimal management is essential to realize their benefits. Relevant research to better understand the decomposition of their residues would be beneficial in improving the management of desirable outcomes.
Rice Stubble Provides Overwintering Microhabitats for Spiders in Winter-Fallowed Rice Fields
Authors: Sun Jie , Song Xuhao , He Jundong , Chen Dongmei , Yang Tingbang , Shi Aimin
Published: February 2025

Spiders are among the predominant predatory arthropods in rice field ecosystems. Although the potential of spiders for controlling pests during the growth stages of rice is well known, few studies have focused on the overwintering habits of spiders after rice harvesting. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of rice stubble as an overwintering microhabitat for spiders in winter-fallowed rice fields. To this end, we investigated the arthropod community composition and analyzed the prey spectra of common predators in rice stubble in winter-fallowed rice fields in Nanchong City, Sichuan Province, China. The results showed that abundant predatory arthropods, particularly spiders, were present in the rice stubble, followed by other arthropods and pests. Dietary analysis via DNA metabarcoding revealed the prey availability and/or predation frequency of spiders is low in winter rice fields. Nevertheless, pests and other arthropods (particularly collembolans) within rice stubble serve as food resources for predators, particularly spiders, in winter-fallowed rice fields. Our results confirm that rice stubble provides overwintering microhabitats for spiders in winter-fallowed fields. Therefore, it is particularly important to properly manage rice stubble in winter-fallowed rice fields to enhance the biological pest control services of predators (including spiders). In addition, our findings highlight the potential of rice stubble as a habitat for the artificial reproduction of spiders for pest control in rice fields.
Automated Hydroponic Nutrient Dosing System: A Scoping Review of pH and Electrical Conductivity Dosing Frameworks
Authors: Sulaiman Hamdan , Yusof Ahmad Anas , Mohamed Nor Mohd Khairi
Published: February 2025

Hydroponics, a soilless cultivation method, relies on precise nutrient management to optimize plant growth. This study provides a systematic scoping review of automated hydroponic nutrient dosing systems, focusing on potential of hydrogen (pH) and electrical conductivity (EC) dosing frameworks. Following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for systematic scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, 3222 studies were retrieved and screened, with 89 meeting inclusion criteria for analysis. The review aimed to identify current research trends, dosing frameworks, critical variables, and research gaps. Results reveal a steady rise in publications from 2015 (n = 4) to 2022 (n = 18). Feedback loop frameworks and predictive analytics are equally represented (n = 45 each). Critical variables include pH (n = 70), EC (n = 36), total dissolved solids (TDS) (n = 27), nutrient solution volume (NSV) (n = 42), and nutrient solution temperature (NST) (n = 28). The study highlights the need for robust frameworks incorporating advanced dosing frameworks and simultaneous dosing strategies to enhance dosing speed, accuracy, and robustness. A novel framework is proposed to address these gaps by integrating predictive analytics using multiple regression models. This framework aims to improve the dosing speed, accuracy, and robustness of automated hydroponic nutrient dosing systems. The findings underscore the importance of further research into adaptive frameworks to meet the growing demand for precision hydroponic systems.
Improved Lightweight YOLOv8 Model for Rice Disease Detection in Multi-Scale Scenarios
Authors: Wang Jinfeng , Ma Siyuan , Wang Zhentao , Ma Xinhua , Yang Chunhe , Chen Guoqing , Wang Yijia
Published: February 2025

In response to the challenges of detecting rice pests and diseases at different scales and the difficulties associated with deploying and running models on embedded devices with limited computational resources, this study proposes a multi-scale rice pest and disease recognition model (RGC-YOLO). Based on the YOLOv8n network, which includes an SPPF layer, the model introduces a structural reparameterization module (RepGhost) to achieve implicit feature reuse through reparameterization. GhostConv layers replace some standard convolutions, reducing the model’s computational cost and improving inference speed. A Hybrid Attention Module (CBAM) is incorporated into the backbone network to enhance the model’s ability to extract important features. The RGC-YOLO model is evaluated for accuracy and inference time on a multi-scale rice pest and disease dataset, including bacterial blight, rice blast, brown spot, and rice planthopper. Experimental results show that RGC-YOLO achieves a precision (P) of 86.2%, a recall (R) of 90.8%, and a mean average precision at Intersection over Union 0.5(mAP50) of 93.2%. In terms of model size, the parameters are reduced by 33.2%, and GFLOPs decrease by 29.27% compared to the base YOLOv8n model. Finally, the RGC-YOLO model is deployed on an embedded Jetson Nano device, where the inference time per image is reduced by 21.3% compared to the base YOLOv8n model, reaching 170 milliseconds. This study develops a multi-scale rice pest and disease recognition model, which is successfully deployed on embedded field devices, achieving high-accuracy real-time monitoring and providing valuable reference for intelligent equipment in unmanned farms.
The ‘Sanctuary Gap’: Reviewing the Research on Captive Wildlife Sanctuary Tourism
Authors: Speiran Siobhan I. M.
Published: February 2025

Wildlife sanctuaries have gained popularity in recent years as settings for research into human–animal relations, captive wildlife tourism, and rehabilitation. While scholars from animal studies, ethics, geography, and ethnography disciplines have turned their attention to sanctuaries, there is still limited engagement from the fields of tourism, conservation, and animal welfare sciences. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this paper addresses the ‘sanctuary gap’ by offering a synthesis of the existing research related to wildlife sanctuary tourism. To this end, the paper suggests preliminary definitions for wildlife sanctuary tourism and wildlife sanctuary attractions, as well as a typology of sanctuaries along a spectrum from greenwashed to just. It aims to illuminate the shadowy presence of wildlife sanctuaries across multiple disciplines and identify areas for future research. The discussion considers how sanctuaries are well-suited to research on multispecies communities, as well as the conservation and welfare of wild animals.
Impact of Hydrophobic, Hydrophilic, and Mucus-Binding Motifs on the Therapeutic Potential of Ceftazidime Analogs for Pulmonary Administration
Authors: Apley Kyle D. , Johnson Stephanie N. , Qian Jian , Munasinghe Indeewara , Klaus Jennifer R. , Patel Srilaxmi M. , Woods Kathryn E. , Banerjee Samalee , Chandler Josephine R. , Perera Chamani , Baumlin Nathalie , Salathe Matthias , Berkland Cory J.
Published: February 2025

Background/Objectives: The pulmonary administration of antibiotics can be advantageous in treating pulmonary infections by promoting high intrapulmonary drug concentrations with reduced systemic exposure. However, limited benefits have been observed for pulmonary administration versus other administration routes due to its rapid clearance from the lung. Here, the effects of structural modifications on the epithelial permeability and antibacterial potency of a third-generation cephalosporin were investigated to improve the understanding of drug properties that promote intrapulmonary retention and how they may impact efficacy. Methods: Ceftazidime was modified by attaching 18 hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and mucus-binding motifs to the carboxylic acid distant from the beta-lactam by amidation. Epithelial permeability was investigated by drug transport assays using human bronchial epithelial air–liquid interface cultures. Antibacterial potency was determined by microtiter MIC assays with B. pseudomallei, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, and S. aureus. Results: A 40–50% reduction in the transepithelial transport rate was exhibited by two PEGylated ceftazidime analogs (mPEG8- and PEG5-pyrimidin-2-amine-ceftazidime) and n-butyl-ceftazidime. An increase in the transport rate was exhibited by four analogs bearing small and hydrophobic or negatively charged motifs (n-heptane-, phenyl ethyl-, glutamic acid-, and 4-propylthiophenyl boronic acid-ceftazidime). The antibacterial potency was reduced by ≥10-fold for most ceftazidime analogs against B. pseudomallei, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli but was retained by seven ceftazidime analogs primarily bearing hydrophobic motifs against S. aureus. Conclusions: The covalent conjugation of PEGs with MW > 300 Da reduced the epithelial permeability of ceftazidime, but these modifications severely reduced antibacterial activity. To improve the pulmonary retention of antibiotics with low membrane permeability, this work suggests future molecular engineering studies to explore high-molecular-weight prodrug strategies.
Eisenia bicyclis-Mediated Gold Nanoparticles Exhibit Antibiofilm and Antivirulence Activities Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Oh Do Kyung , Jo Du-Min , Kim Nam-Gyun , Cho Kyung-Jin , Jeong Geum-Jae , Tabassum Nazia , Jung Won-Kyo , Khan Fazlurrahman , Kim Young-Mog
Published: February 2025

Background/Objectives: Brown algae, particularly Eisenia bicyclis, produce various bioactive chemicals with significant application potential in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and antivirulence properties of the ethyl acetate fraction (EA) of E. bicyclis and its synthesized gold nanoparticles (EA-AuNPs), with a focus on their potential applications against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Methods: The bioactive component in the ethyl acetate fraction was identified using a gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) device and a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system. The crystal violet method was utilized to evaluate the biofilm inhibition experiments. Several instruments, including dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, field emission transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy, were employed to completely characterize the produced EA-AuNPs. The cytotoxicity of the EA-AuNPs was determined using the MTT assay, and the expression of genes linked with biofilm and virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus was investigated using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Various bioactive compounds were identified from the EA using GC-MS and LC-MS, including fatty acids and phlorotannins such as eckol, dieckol, 6,6’-bieckol, and phlorofucofuroeckol in high amounts, highlighting EA as a phlorotannin-rich fraction. The EA also demonstrated significant antibiofilm activity, with 79.86% inhibition at 512 μg/mL against P. aeruginosa and 87.00% at 64 μg/mL against S. aureus. EA was then used in the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to improve their stability and safety. The synthesized EA-AuNPs were determined to have an average size of 165.04 nm, with a zeta potential of −29.86 mV, indicating good stability. In antibiofilm activity assays, EA-AuNPs demonstrated 45.76% inhibition against P. aeruginosa at 1024 μg/mL and 44.64% inhibition against S. aureus at 128 μg/mL. At sub-MIC levels, EA-AuNPs significantly inhibited biofilm formation and virulence factors, including the motility of P. aeruginosa and staphyloxanthin synthesis in S. aureus. The RT-PCR analysis revealed the downregulation of key genes involved in biofilm formation and virulence in P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of E. bicyclis solvent-soluble extracts and EA-AuNPs as effective antibacterial, antibiofilm, and antivirulence agents, with significant application potential in the pharmaceutical and food industries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of antibiofilm activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria using EA-AuNPs.
Review of 3D Printing of Polyaryletherketone/Apatite Composites for Lattice Structures for Orthopedic Implants
Authors: McMullan Reshma , Golbang Atefeh , Salma-Ancane Kristine , Ward Joanna , Rodzen Krzysztof , Boyd Adrian R
Published: February 2025

Neck and lower back pain, often caused by spinal disorders such as scoliosis and degenerative disc disease, affects over 80% of the global population, with an estimated from 250,000 to 500,000 spinal cord injuries occurring annually according to the WHO. As the demand for spinal procedures continues to rise, advancements in implant materials have become essential. Orthopedic implants play a vital role in restoring mobility and improving the quality of life of patients with musculoskeletal disorders. Metallic implants, such as stainless steel, titanium, and its alloys, are commonly used to make fixation devices for spinal fusion surgery due to their excellent mechanical properties. However, complications such as stress shielding have been recorded. Polymeric materials offer new prospects as an alternative to metal-based materials such as those based on Polyaryletherketone (PEAK). Among the advanced materials used in these implants, PAEK has emerged as the preferred choice due to its exceptional mechanical strength, thermal stability, and chemical resistance. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and Polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) offer notable advantages, such as radiolucency and mechanical properties resembling those of natural bone, reducing stress shielding and facilitating postoperative imaging. Although PEEK and PEKK are considered as bioinert, it has been demonstrated that adding bioactive agents such as hydroxyapatite (HA) into the matrix to make composites solves this problem and can help with aiding direct bone apposition. Furthermore, PAEK’s compatibility with 3DP enables the creation of patient-specific implants with intricate geometries, enhancing the surgical outcomes. In addition, the lattice structures of orthopedic implants can alleviate stress shielding, provide an enhanced surface area for the release of bioactive agents (or antimicrobial materials), and eliminate more imaging artifacts compared to that of simple, solid metal implants. PAEK/HA composite implants represent a transformative solution, addressing the psychological, social, and economic burdens of spinal disorders, while enhancing the surgical outcomes. With continuous technological evolution, PAEK/HA composites are poised to play a pivotal role in modern spinal care.
The Effects of a Balance Training Program With and Without Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Dynamic Balance in Recreationally Active Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Sánchez-Barbadora Mariana , Moreno-Segura Noemí , Medina-Mirapeix Francesc , Martín-San Agustín Rodrigo
Published: February 2025

(1) Background: Dynamic balance plays a crucial role in maintaining ankle stability and preventing injuries, particularly in active individuals. Instability devices are commonly utilized to enhance ankle strength and stability, and there is growing interest in integrating these tools with novel modalities, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), to maximize benefits. This study aimed to compare the effects of a 4-week balance training program performed on a selective instability device alone or combined with tDCS on dynamic balance in recreationally active young adults. (2) Methods: Twenty participants were randomized into two groups: one performing balance exercises on the Blackboard device and another combining the exercises with tDCS. Dynamic balance was measured at baseline, midway, and post-intervention using the Y-Balance Test and the Emery Test. (3) Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in balance performance, with increased reach distances and stability times (p = 0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively), after 4 weeks. However, the addition of tDCS did not yield additional benefits over balance training alone (p > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: These findings underscore the value of instability device-based balance training for enhancing dynamic balance while questioning the utility of tDCS as a combined therapy in healthy individuals.