bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circannual Clock in Laelia speciosa (Orchidaceae) Through Dormancy vs. Germination Dynamics of Seeds Stored Under Controlled Conditions
Authors: Durán-Mendoza Erandeni , Cornejo-Gallegos Martha , Martínez-Palacios Alejandro , Pedraza-Santos Martha Elena , Sánchez-Vargas Nahum M. , Valdovinos-Ramírez Guadalupe Alejandra , Hernández-Valencia Adelaida Stephany , Chavarrieta-Yáñez Juan Manuel , Vidal-Lezama Eloísa , Mandujano-Sánchez María del Carmen
Published: January 2025

This study aimed to determine the dynamics of dormancy using triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) and asymbiotic germination in Laelia speciosa (Kunth) Schltr. seeds stored for three years and one year at different temperatures. This is the first report of a circannual rhythm in L. speciosa seeds under controlled storage conditions. Two experiments were carried out: (a) with seeds from wild populations of L. speciosa collected at two different times and dehydrated to 4% relative humidity (RH) and stored for three years at 25 °C, 6 °C, −20 °C, and −80 °C, and (b) with seeds from six fruits stored in liquid nitrogen (LN2; −196 °C) at 25 °C for 12 months. The germination conditions were 25 ± 1 °C with 16 h of light (23 μmol m−2 s−1) and 8 h of darkness for both trials. Because they have a rudimentary embryo, orchids are attributed a morphological latency; however, the staining of the embryo with TTC (>92%) in all the evaluations carried out throughout a year and the decrease in asymbiotic germination in the intermediate evaluations record a circannual biological cycle or clock, under temperature and humidity control (4% RH).
Persistence of Use Among Amazigh People of Medicinal Plants Documented by Ibn al-Baytar (Early 13th Century CE)
Authors: Applequist Wendy L.
Published: January 2025

The long-term stability of orally transmitted ethnopharmacopoeias is of interest, but difficult to study for lack of information on plants used by a specific past culture. Similarities between modern Italian ethnopharmacopoeias and Dioscorides’ classical text have been proposed to derive from modern replacement of traditional practices with those from published translations of Dioscorides. Ibn al-Baytar produced the best compendium of medicinal substances in medieval Islamic science. He gave “Berber” common names for some plants, which were presumptively used by North African Amazigh people. Since Amazigh traditional knowledge was largely transmitted orally, with little access to medieval literature, this allows comparison of historic (>750 years ago) practices and modern practices that are unlikely to be causally derived. Presumptive identities for Ibn al-Baytar’s plants with Berber names were obtained from key references. Recent ethnomedicinal publications from Amazigh-populated areas in North Africa were surveyed for reports of those species and homologous common names. Of 46 historically used plants, an estimated 60.9% are still used in Amazigh regions, 78.6% with homologous common names. This is likely to underestimate persistence of species use across the entire local pharmacopoeia. Second, emulating a published analysis of Dioscorides, plants reported by three large recent studies in Amazigh regions were compared with plants recorded by Ibn al-Baytar and in a comprehensive modern Moroccan reference. Between 58.2% and 73.8% of species included in individual studies were recorded by Ibn al-Baytar; of the 46 shared among all three, 82.6% were recorded by Ibn al-Baytar and 100% by the modern reference. An historical compilation may be more likely to mention plants that are widely used today simply because a thorough author could document most plants that were widely used at the time; use of such data to assess causality should take that effect into consideration.
User-Centered Design Framework for Personalized Ankle–Foot Orthoses
Authors: Dabnichki Peter , Pang Toh Yen
Published: January 2025

Background/Objectives: Integrated design and simulation solutions enable the manufacturing of advanced personalized orthotics that improve patients gait characteristics and balance. The success of such a rehabilitation approach is highly dependent on compliance, i.e., users wearing the orthosis consistently. Specifically, for most young children, functionality is secondary to appearance and peer perception. However, the starting point of the traditional design approach is to address functionality and then try to make the appearance more palatable to the wearer. As a result, compliance is a common issue, resulting in slow and uneven rehabilitation progress. Methods: This work proposes a method that inverts this traditional approach and devises an attractive light design that can be adapted to ensure structural soundness. Results/Conclusions: The broader framework is called the user-centered design process. The main advantage is in the flexibility of the added manufacturing approach, allowing for a personalized design that is attractive to the user, promoting higher compliance.
Radiomics-Guided Precision Radiation Therapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Yuan Cuiping , An Jessica , Payabvash Seyedmehdi
Published: January 2025

Radiomics and deep learning computer vision algorithms can extract clinically relevant information from medical images, providing valuable insights for accurate diagnosis of cancerous lesions, tumor differentiation and molecular subtyping, prediction of treatment response, and prognostication of long-term outcomes. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), growing evidence supports the potential role of radiomics and deep learning models in predicting treatment response, long-term outcomes, and treatment complications following radiation therapy. This is especially important given the pivotal role of radiotherapy in early-stage and locally advanced HNSCC, as well as in post-operative and concomitant chemoradiotherapy. In this article, we summarize recent studies highlighting the role of radiomics in predicting early post-radiotherapy response, locoregional recurrence, survival outcomes, and treatment-related complications. Radiomics-guided tools have the potential to personalize HNSCC radiation treatment by identifying low-risk patients who may benefit from de-intensified therapy and high-risk individuals who require more aggressive treatment strategies.
BurgsVO: Burgs-Associated Vertex Offset Encoding Scheme for Detecting Rotated Ships in SAR Images
Authors: Zhang Mingjin , Li Yaofei , Guo Jie , Li Yunsong , Gao Xinbo
Published: January 2025

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a crucial remote sensing technology with significant advantages. Ship detection in SAR imagery has garnered significant attention. However, existing ship detection methods often overlook feature extraction, and the unique imaging mechanisms of SAR images hinder the direct application of conventional natural image feature extraction techniques. Moreover, oriented bounding box-based detection methods often prioritize accuracy excessively, leading to increased parameters and computational costs, which in turn elevate computational load and model complexity. To address these issues, we propose a novel two-stage detector, Burgs-rooted vertex offset encoding scheme (BurgsVO), for detecting rotated ships in SAR images. BurgsVO consists of two key modules: the Burgs equation heuristics module, which facilitates feature extraction, and the average diagonal vertex offset (ADVO) encoding scheme, which significantly reduces computational costs. Specifically, the Burgs equation module integrates temporal information with spatial data for effective feature aggregation, establishing a strong foundation for subsequent object detection. The ADVO encoding scheme reduces parameters through anchor transformation, leveraging geometric similarities between quadrilaterals and triangles to further reduce computational costs. Experimental results on the RSSDD and RSDD benchmarks demonstrate that the proposed BurgsVO outperforms the state-of-the-art detectors in both accuracy and efficiency.
Few-Shot Object Detection for SAR Images via Context-Aware and Robust Gaussian Flow Representation
Authors: Zhao Po , Chen Jie , Wan Huiyao , Cao Yice , Wang Shuai , Zhang Yan , Li Yingsong , Huang Zhixiang , Wu Bocai
Published: January 2025

In recent decades, few-shot object detection in SAR imagery has gained prominence as a major research focus. The unique imaging mechanism of SAR causes the model to suffer from foreground–background imbalance and inaccurate extraction of class prototypes for novel class instances. Therefore, we propose an innovative few-shot object detection algorithm for SAR images via context-aware and robust Gaussian flow representation. First, we design the Context-Aware Enhancement module to address the foreground–context imbalance problem by refining representative support features into fine-grained prototypes, which are deeply fused with query features based on the prototype matching paradigm. Second, we devise the Manifold Class Distribution Estimation module to address the difficulty of class distribution estimation and the fluctuation of class centers of the sparse novel class. Furthermore, we formulate the Category-Balanced Difference Aggregation module to model the relationship between the base class and the novel class, addressing the sensitivity of the model to the variance of the novel class instances. Finally, we design the Cosine Decoupling Module so that the aggregated features are executed only on the classification branch without affecting the precise localization of the target. Experiments based on SAR-AIRcraft-1.0 and the self-constructed MSAR-AIR dataset indicate that the fine-grained detection and identification performance of the novel class of airplanes can reach 32.90% and 55.26%, respectively, in the 10-shot and 50-shot cases. In addition, our method enables cross-domain detection for different scenarios and sample types and exhibits excellent generalization performance in data-sparse scenarios.
Ultrasonic Sensor Modeling with Support Vector Regression
Authors: Dang Duy Ngoc , Do Tri Minh , Araújo Rui Alexandre de Matos , Nguyen Khang Hoang Vinh , Le Can Duy
Published: January 2025

This study proposes a novel approach for predicting the output behaviors of the Pepperl+Fuchs 3RG6232-3JS00-PF ultrasonic sensor. The sensor, integrated into the Festo MPS-PA Didactic System, serves to monitor the water level in a tank, facilitating water extraction to bottles delivered via a conveyor belt. This modeling approach represents the initial phase in the creation of a digital twin of the physical sensor, providing the capability for users to observe the sensor’s response and forecast its life cycle for maintenance objectives. This study utilizes the Festo MPS-PA Compact Didactic System and support vector regression (SVR) for data acquisition (DAQ), preprocessing, and model training with hyperparameter optimization. The objective of this modeling approach is to establish a digital framework for transition towards Industry 4.0. It holds the potential for creating a digital counterpart of the entire MPS-PA System when combining the proposed sensor modeling technique with computer-assisted design (CAD) software such as Siemens NX in the future. This would enable users to oversee the entire process in a three-dimensional visualization engine, such as Tecnomatix Plant Simulation. This research significantly contributes to the comprehension and application of digital twins in the realm of mechatronics and sensor systems technology. It also underscores the importance of digital twins in enhancing the efficiency and predictability of sensor systems. The method used in this paper involves predicting the rate of change (RoC) of the water level and then integrating this rate to estimate the actual water level, providing a robust approach for sensor data modeling and digital twin creation. The result shows a promising 6.99% error percentage.
Self-Supervised Three-Dimensional Ocean Bottom Node Seismic Data Shear Wave Leakage Suppression Based on a Dual Encoder Network
Authors: Zhu Zhaolin , Chen Zhihao , Wu Bangyu , Chen Lin
Published: January 2025

Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) is a seismic data acquisition technique, comprising a hydrophone and a three-component geophone. In practice, the vertical component is susceptible to high-amplitude, low-velocity, and low-frequency shear wave noise, which negatively impacts the subsequent processing of dual-sensor data. The most commonly used method is adaptive matching subtraction, which estimates shear wave noise in the vertical component by solving an optimization problem. Neural networks, as robust nonlinear fitting tools, offer superior performance in resolving nonlinear mapping relationship and exhibit computational efficiency. In this paper, we introduce a self-supervised shear wave suppression approach for 3D OBN seismic data, using a neural network in place of the traditional adaptive matching subtraction operator. This method adopts the horizontal components as the input to the neural network, and measures the output and the noisy vertical component to establish a loss function for the network training. The network output is the predicted shear wave noise. To better balance signal leakage and noise suppression, the method incorporates a local normalized cross-correlation regularization term in the loss function. As a self-supervised method, it does not need clean data to serve as labels, thereby negating the tedious work of obtaining clean field data. Extensive experiments on both synthetic and field data demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method on shear wave noise suppression for 3D OBN seismic data.
Research on Concrete Crack Detection in Hydropower Station Burial Engineering Based on Quantum Particle Technology
Authors: Ma Yuanjiang , Fu Jun , Zhang Qingsong , Liu Xiaobing , Chen Bingxu , Yan Gang , Shi Hua
Published: January 2025

Cracking in hydraulic buried engineering can cause localized damage or complete structural failure, potentially resulting in catastrophic project outcomes. Traditional methods for detecting cracks in hydraulic concrete buried engineering are often insufficient in terms of reliability and accuracy. With the development and application of particle-based technology, it has been widely used in the field of crack detection. This research investigates the support pier of the Yingxiuwan Hydropower Plant and the lock pier of the Yuzixi Hydropower Plant. Employing principles from quantum physics, quantum particle non-destructive detection technology is introduced to identify crack locations. A three-dimensional simulation model is constructed and verified accurately through integration with CT scanning techniques. The results demonstrate that particle detection technology effectively detects cracks in hydraulic concrete buried engineering, exhibiting minimal susceptibility to external interference. The particle detection data enable 3D visualization of cracks, accurately reflecting the conditions within embedded concrete components. This method provides a reliable and advanced technical solution for precise crack detection in concrete-embedded engineering and offers critical data for exploring crack propagation mechanisms.
The Power of Green Communication: A Dual Path to Enhanced Corporate Resilience Through Environmental Information Disclosure
Authors: Sun Yemeng , Zhang Xiaoxia , Yang Guoyu
Published: January 2025

In a highly volatile environment, strengthening resilience is essential for businesses to promote sustainable development, and environmental information disclosure (EID), as a crucial approach for companies to actively practice the concept of green development, has far-reaching impacts on the enhancement of corporate resilience (CR). To explore ways to efficiently enhance the sustainability of enterprises, this research, based on information asymmetry theory, investigates how EID affects CR, using data from China’s A-share-listed companies between 2011 and 2022. The study indicates that the effect of EID on CR was significantly positive at the 1% level. Mediation analysis suggests that this effect is facilitated by heightened investor attention and enhanced corporate innovation. Additionally, the positive impact is more pronounced for firms in high uncertainty environments, high levels of legalization, high levels of digital transformation, non-state-owned firms, small-scale firms, and firms in growth or decline. Based on this, EID is of great significance to enhance the resilience of enterprises, and policymakers, business managers, and investors should take into account their own development situation and the actual environment, and make scientific decisions according to local conditions.
A Study of the Impact of Manufacturing Input Digitization on Firms’ Organizational Resilience: Evidence from China
Authors: Zhang Keyong , Wang Jie , Wu Yunxia
Published: January 2025

In the era of digital economy, boosting investment in digitalization serves as a crucial approach for the manufacturing sector to bolster its robustness and forge competitive edges. Utilizing data from listed manufacturing firms spanning 2007–2022, this paper investigates how the digital transformation of manufacturing inputs influences the organizational resilience of businesses and the underlying mechanism. The findings indicate that investment in digital technologies significantly enhances organizational resilience. The mechanism analysis suggests that investing in digitization will enhance organizational resilience by increasing the firm’s technological innovation capacity, and thus financial redundancy positively moderates the positive impact of digitization on organizational resilience. Heterogeneity analysis shows that there is heterogeneity among different enterprise sizes and industry intensities; enterprises should adjust their digitalization investment strategies in a timely manner according to their industries and enterprise sizes to strengthen and consolidate their organizational resilience. The results of this research provide practical proof and guidance for the development of the manufacturing sector, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the strengthening of organizational resilience.
Exploring Economic Expansion of Green Hydrogen Production in South Africa
Authors: Dyantyi-Gwanya Noluntu , Giwa Solomon O. , Ncanywa Thobeka , Taziwa Raymond T.
Published: January 2025

Hydrogen is a crucial energy carrier for the Clean Energy Sustainable Development Goals and the just transition to low/zero-carbon energy. As a top CO2-emitting country, hydrogen (especially green hydrogen) production in South Africa has gained momentum due to the availability of resources, such as solar energy, land, wind energy, platinum group metals (as catalysts for electrolysers), and water. However, the demand for green hydrogen in South Africa is insignificant, which implies that the majority of the production must be exported. Despite the positive developments, there are unclear matters, such as dependence on the national electricity grid for green hydrogen production and the cost of transporting it to Asian and European markets. Hence, this study aims to explore opportunities for economic expansion for sustainable production, transportation, storage, and utilisation of green hydrogen produced in South Africa. This paper uses a thematic literature review methodology. The key findings are that the available renewable energy sources, incentivizing the green economy, carbon taxation, and increasing the demand for green hydrogen in South Africa and Africa could decrease the cost of hydrogen from 3.54 to 1.40 €/kgH2 and thus stimulate its production, usage, and export. The appeal of green hydrogen lies in diversifying products to green hydrogen as an energy carrier, clean electricity, synthetic fuels, green ammonia and methanol, green fertilizers, and green steel production with the principal purpose of significant energy decarbonisation and economic and foreign earnings. These findings are expected to drive the African hydrogen revolution in agreement with the AU 2063 agenda.
Modeling of Tank Vehicle Rollover Risk Assessment on Curved–Slope Combination Sections for Sustainable Transportation Safety
Authors: Zheng Xuelian , Yu Lijuan , Ren Yuanyuan , Li Xiansheng , Liang Biao , Xi Jianfeng
Published: January 2025

Tank vehicles are highly prone to rollover accidents, especially on curved–slope combination sections, which can cause hazardous chemical spills, endangering the environment, public safety, and human health. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct research aimed at reducing the risk of such incidents. Method: The rollover risk of tank vehicles under various loading conditions while traveling on curved–slope combination sections was investigated using driver–vehicle–road dynamics simulation. A multiple linear regression model was then developed to further quantify the impact of key factors on the rollover risk. Results: The results revealed that the road curve radius, vehicle operating speed, and liquid cargo fill level have the greatest impact on a tank vehicle’s rollover risk, and higher fill levels, higher speeds, and steeper downhill slopes all amplify the impact of curve radius on the rollover risk. In some cases, adhering to the road’s speed limit alone was insufficient to ensure the safe passage of the tank vehicle through curves. Conclusions: This study introduced, for the first time, a rollover risk assessment model for tank vehicles operating on curved–slope combination sections. The findings reveal effective methods to improve the transportation safety of tank vehicles. Practical Applications: The findings of this study can assist transportation agencies in selecting routes with lower rollover risks for tank vehicles with different configurations, as well as guide the development of loading standards and curve speed limits. This will effectively reduce rollover accidents of tank vehicles and support sustainable, safer transportation practices.
Bridging the Gap: How Researcher–Teacher Collaboration Is Transforming Climate Change Education in Secondary Schools
Authors: de Rivas Raquel , Vilches Amparo , Mayoral Olga
Published: January 2025

The research presented here is based on the study of secondary school students’ conceptions of sustainability and climate change, as well as the barriers described in the literature on the insufficient involvement of teachers in education for sustainability. Based on the results of these analyses, a collaborative intervention carried out with secondary school teachers and their students was designed, implemented, and evaluated in order to respond to the shortcomings and needs of both in this context. The teachers involved participated in an itinerary based on research in didactics of science. As a first step for the intervention, the knowledge of sustainability referred to by pre-service and in-service teachers was studied. The results of the research show the need for more training in sustainability and climate change for secondary school teachers in order to be able to effectively include this content in the subjects they teach. On the other hand, it has been shown that the collaborative work carried out with secondary school teachers improves their willingness and motivation to deal with issues related to sustainability in the classroom, taking advantage of the numerous opportunities offered by the curriculum.
Director Tenure and Corporate Misconduct: The Moderating Effect of the Director Network Position
Authors: Zeng Sen , Huang Yiqian , Xiao Longjun , Jiang Xueyan , Li Yanru , Yuan Cao
Published: January 2025

This study aims to provide new evidence linking director tenure to corporate misconduct by analyzing the sample of publicly listed companies in China from 2009 to 2022. The findings reveal a significant positive correlation between director tenure and corporate misconduct, which is negatively moderated by director network position. Further analysis shows that both independent and non-independent directors’ tenure increases the likelihood of corporate misconduct, while the centrality of independent and non-independent director networks negatively moderates these corresponding effects. Moreover, external audit quality plays a mediating role in the relationship between director tenure and corporate misconduct. This study elucidates the boundary conditions and mechanisms of corporate misconduct, supporting the management friendliness hypothesis. It offers practical implications for regulators and policymakers to strengthen board governance and audit oversight, thereby contributing to the research on the prevention of corporate misconduct. The limitations of the study include its geographical focus on the Chinese market, suggesting that future research should explore cross-national differences. These findings provide valuable insights for preventing corporate misconduct and promoting corporate sustainability.
Dynamic Shear Properties of Recycled Combustion Slag, a Sustainable Material, in Road Construction
Authors: Gabryś Katarzyna
Published: January 2025

Solid waste recycling challenges civil and environmental engineers to use waste from different industries to exceed sustainable development while meeting current material costs. Combustion slag (CS) is the material resulting from the combustion of hard coal in pulverized coal boilers. It is removed by gravity from the furnace chamber and transported by hydraulics through the slugger to the sedimentation chambers and from there to the heaps. The waste combustion slag can be used for land leveling, road building, and sports and leisure facilities. This paper presents the geomechanical characterization of the CS from the “Siekierki” CHP Plant, located in Warsaw, Poland. Particular emphasis was placed on the dynamic properties of combustion slag, including shear modulus (G) and damping ratio (D). Correct estimation of these parameters over a wide strain range is essential for laboratory research and modeling. A laboratory test program was defined to obtain the G-modulus, Gmax-modulus, shear modulus degradation curve G(γ)/Gmax, D-ratio, depending on the mean effective stress and relative density, in the strain range of 10−6 up to 10−3. Stiffness of CS was obtained using laboratory investigations typical for natural soils, namely, standard resonant column tests, and bender element tests. From the many different methods for soil damping estimation, two of the most common were selected: logarithmic decay and half-power bandwidth. The dynamic properties and their changes with strain of the Siekierki combustion slag are in line with general trends for granulated natural soils and other recycled materials. The outcomes of the presented research promote the reuse of CS as aggregate in road construction, which contributes to limiting the extraction of natural aggregate, reducing the filling of lands with this type of waste, and ultimately reducing the transport of materials and consequently lowering greenhouse emissions.
Wavelet Transform Cluster Analysis of UAV Images for Sustainable Development of Smart Regions Due to Inspecting Transport Infrastructure
Authors: Zheng Yanyan , Shcherbakova Galina , Rusyn Bohdan , Sachenko Anatoliy , Volkova Natalya , Kliushnikov Ihor , Antoshchuk Svetlana
Published: January 2025

Sustainable development of the Smart Cities and Smart Regions concept is impossible without the development of a modern transport infrastructure, which must be maintained in proper condition. Inspections are required to assess the condition of objects in the transport infrastructure (OTI). Moreover, the efficiency of these inspections can be enhanced with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), whose application areas are continuously expanding. When inspecting OTI (bridges, highways, etc.) the problem of improving the quality of image processing, and analysis of data collected by UAV, for example, is particularly relevant. The application of advanced methods for assessing the quantity of information and making decisions to reduce information uncertainty and redundancy for such systems is often complicated by the presence of noise there. To harmonize the characteristics of certain procedures in such conditions, authors propose conducting data processing using wavelet transform clustering in three main phases: determining the number of clusters, defining the coordinates of cluster centres, and assessing the quality and efficiency of clustering. We compared the efficiency and quality of existing clustering methods with one using wavelet transform. The research has shown that UAVs can be used for OTI inspecting; moreover, the clustering method with wavelet transform is characterised by an improved quality and efficiency of data processing. In addition, the quality assessment enables us to assess the degree of approximation of the clustering result to the ideal one. In addition, authors examined the specific challenges associated with planning UAV flights during inspections to obtain data that will enhance the accuracy of clustering and recognition. This is especially important for a comprehensive quantitative assessment of adaptation degree for image processing procedures to the tasks of inspecting OTI “Smart Cities/Regions” based on a pragmatic measure of informativeness.
An Energy-Based Model for the Micro-Simulation of a Synthetic Population of Free Cyclists
Authors: Rothhämel Malte
Published: January 2025

Recent trends in mobility and transportation underscore the growing importance of promoting alternative, flexible, and environmentally friendly modes of transport—such as cycling—that not only contribute significantly to users’ health and well-being but also enable urban concepts like the 15-minute city. For cyclists, travel time is a critical factor influencing both route selection and the decision to choose cycling as a preferred mode of transportation. This paper presents an energy-based model of a synthetic population of free cyclists to analyze their speed profile characteristics, summarized in terms of average speeds. The proposed model is intended for use in evaluating infrastructure planning, optimizing green wave traffic light systems, and assessing the health benefits of cycling. The model is built on general data (not fitted to a certain dataset) and accounts for key factors such as rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag—both of which vary with ambient temperature—along with acceleration, road gradient, and other influences, including free rolling and deceleration or stopping at intersections and traffic lights. The results reveal a distribution of cycling speeds that show good agreement with field observations.
Prenatal and Childhood Exposure to Humidifier Disinfectants and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Insights from a Retrospective Cohort Design
Authors: Choi Hyowon , Lee Hunju , Ahn Yeon-Soon
Published: January 2025

Humidifier disinfectants (HDs), also known toxic indoor chemicals, have been linked to adverse health outcomes in children. However, their association with ADHD development remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of ADHD among HD claimants and assess the association between HD exposure and ADHD risk. A cohort of HD damage claimants born between 2002 and 2011 was established. ADHD cases and controls were identified using matched National Health Insurance Service claim data, with follow-ups required until age 10. ADHD incidence was calculated, and exposure characteristics—including the use of PHMG/PGH, humidifier distance and location, and cumulative and annual exposure duration—were analyzed. Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities. Among 1597 subjects, 84 were diagnosed with ADHD, resulting in an incidence density of 4.782 per 1000 person–years. Higher cumulative exposure duration and hours significantly increased the hazard ratio (HR) for ADHD. Additionally, exposure during the first three years after birth was associated with a higher HR for ADHD. These findings suggest that ADHD incidence is elevated in HD claimants and that HD exposure, particularly prolonged or early-life exposure, is associated with increased ADHD risk. Further research is required to confirm these findings in exposed cohorts and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying HD-related ADHD.
Photocatalytic Degradation of Emerging Contaminants
Authors: He Dongyang , Qu Jiao
Published: January 2025

Human industrial and domestic activities generate a substantial amount of organic pollutants [...]
Contamination Status and Health Risk Assessment of 73 Mycotoxins in Four Edible and Medicinal Plants Using an Optimized QuEChERS Pretreatment Coupled with LC-MS/MS
Authors: Huang Xiaojing , Feng Rui , Hu Qing , Mao Xiuhong , Zhou Heng
Published: January 2025

The current status of multi-mycotoxin contamination in edible and medicinal plants demands urgent development of high-throughput analytical methods for mycotoxin detection. In this study, a reliable and sensitive method for the simultaneous analysis of 73 mycotoxins was established and successfully applied to detect mycotoxins in 260 samples of four dual-purpose plants (lotus seed, coix seed, licorice root, and dried tangerine peel). Sample preparation involved optimized QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) extraction combined with liquid–liquid extraction purification, and an enhanced ion pair library was established to reduce matrix interference and improve the method’s universality. Method validation demonstrated recovery rates ranging from 61.6% to 118.6% for all compounds, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 15%. The limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) ranged from 0.25–12.25 μg/kg and 0.5–25 μg/kg, respectively. Based on the contamination analysis and health risk assessment using Margin of Exposure (MOE) and Hazard Index (HI) methods, we found that multi-mycotoxin contamination is highly prevalent in edible and medicinal plants, with different components being susceptible to invasion by distinct fungal genera. Seed-type plants showed high susceptibility to Aspergillus (53.3%) and Fusarium (22.2%) contamination, with MOE values below 10,000 for aflatoxins indicating potential health risks. Physical state and good storage conditions significantly influenced contamination levels, with fragmented samples showing substantially higher mycotoxin levels. Additionally, mycotoxins with associated biosynthetic metabolic pathways were frequently detected simultaneously in highly contaminated samples. Based on these findings, we recommend implementing strict moisture control during storage, maintaining intact product form where possible, and establishing comprehensive supplier qualification systems. This study provides valuable reference for monitoring mycotoxin contamination in similar plants.
Youth Perception of Public Spaces in the City
Authors: Jurkevičienė Jurgita , Budrytė Paulina
Published: January 2025

For any urban development, the opinion of the final stakeholders is essential. However, the uncensored youth perception regarding the urban environment is rarely included in the decision-making process. Here, we present the youth’s perception of public spaces in the city. The empirical research was conducted in Kaunas, which is a typical tertiary city. That is why such results are comparable with findings from other middle-sized cities around the world. The photovoice research method was applied to gather data on youth perception of public spaces. The dataset consisted of 793 unique responses from young people. The qualitative analysis was conducted by using MaxQDA 24 software. Our findings suggest that young people prefer to spend time with friends in man-made urban environments rather than in natural or semi-natural green spaces. Many of their favourite places are considered to be well suited to young people’s needs. Suggestions for improving their favourite places mostly revolve around built infrastructure, yet many of them emphasise the importance of sustainable urban development.
Immune Response and Breakthrough Infection Risk After SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines in Patients with Hemoglobinopathy: A Single Center Experience
Authors: Duminuco Andrea , Bulla Anna , Rosso Rosamaria , Romeo Maria Anna , Cambria Daniela , La Spina Enrico , Ximenes Benedetta , Giallongo Cesarina , Tibullo Daniele , Romano Alessandra , Raimondo Francesco Di , Palumbo Giuseppe A.
Published: January 2025

Background: Immune system impairment is frequently reported in patients affected by hemoglobinopathies due to various mechanisms, including iron accumulation, antigenic stimulation due to numerous transfusions, chronic hemolysis, and a general hyperinflammatory state. For these reasons, the antigenic immune response after a vaccine risks being ineffective. Methods: We evaluated the anti-spike IgG production after two doses of vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 in patients affected by hemoglobinopathies. Results: All 114 enrolled patients (100%) developed adequate antibody production, with a median value of serum IgG of 2184.4 BAU/mL (IQR 1127.4–3502.9). The amount of antibody was unrelated to any other clinical characteristics evaluated, including transfusion dependence or non-transfusion dependence, age, gender, disease type, ferritin, blood count, spleen status, and therapy with hydroxyurea or iron chelators (in all the cases p > 0.05). Moreover, 47 (41.2%) patients developed breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first 2 years of follow-up after vaccination, all with a mildly symptomatic course, without requiring hospitalization or experiencing a significative drop in hemoglobin values, allowing for a slight delay in their transfusion regimen. Conclusion: Vaccination against COVID-19 is safe and effective for patients affected by hemoglobinopathies, ensuring adequate protection from severe infection.
Evaluation of the Artificial Neural Networks—Dynamic Infrared Rain Rate near Real-Time (PDIR-Now) Satellite’s Ability to Monitor Annual Maximum Daily Precipitation in Mainland China
Authors: Zhu Yanping , Chang Gaosong , Zhang Wenjiang , Guo Jingyu , Li Xiaodong
Published: January 2025

As one of the countries with the most severe extreme climate disasters in the world, it is of great significance for China to scientifically understand the characteristics of extreme precipitation. The artificial neural network near-real-time dynamic infrared rainfall rate satellite precipitation data (PDIR-Now) is a global, long-term resource with diverse spatial resolutions, rich temporal scales, and broad spatiotemporal coverage, providing an important data source for the study of extreme precipitation. But its applicability and accuracy still need to be evaluated in specific applications. Based on the observation data of 824 surface meteorological stations in China, the correlation coefficient (R), relative deviation (RB), root mean square error (RMSE), and relative root mean square error (RRMSE) of quantitative statistical indicators were used to evaluate the annual maximum daily precipitation of PDIR-Now from 2000 to 2016 in this study, in order to explore the ability of PDIR-Now satellite precipitation products to monitor extreme precipitation in Chinese mainland. The results show that from the perspective of long-term series, the annual maximum daily precipitation of PDIR-Now has a good ability to monitor extreme precipitation across the country, and the R exceeds 0.6 in 65% of the years. The RMSE of different years is generally distributed between 40 and 60 mm, and in terms of time characteristics, the error of each year is relatively stable and does not fluctuate greatly with dry precipitation or abundant years. From the perspective of spatial characteristics, the distribution of RMSE is very regional, with the RMSE in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and Northwest China basically in the range of 0~20 mm, the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, the Sichuan Basin, Northeast China, and the central part of the study area in the range of 20~50 mm, and the RMSE in a few stations in the southeast coast greater than 80 mm. The RRMSE distribution of most sites is between 0 and 0.6, and the RRMSE distribution of a few sites is between 0.6 and 1.5. Generally, higher RRMSE values and larger errors are observed in the northwest and southeast coastal regions. Overall, PDIR-Now captures the regional characteristics of extreme precipitation in the study area, but it is underestimated in the wet season in humid and semi-humid regions and overestimated in the dry season in arid and semi-arid regions.
Assessing Water Governance Trends and Challenges at a Local Level—An Application of the OECD Water Governance Framework in Soc Trang Province, Vietnam
Authors: Linh Ha Tan , Truc Duong Thi , Binh Nguyen Thanh , Tri Van Pham Dang
Published: January 2025

Water crises are prevalent globally, but effective water governance can help mitigate these issues. This study, conducted in Soc Trang, a coastal province of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, assessed water governance trends and identified local challenges using the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) water governance framework, which comprises 12 principles. Data were gathered through 15 questionnaires and two focus group discussions with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The findings indicate that all 12 principles have improved over the past decade, particularly in areas such as data management, the clarity of roles, appropriate basin scales, and innovative governance approaches. However, challenges remain, including external risks, limited human resources, ineffective coordination, and insufficient funding and facilities. While the OECD framework offers a comprehensive guide for water governance, it is crucial to provide clear explanations to local stakeholders during implementation. This ensures a shared understanding throughout the assessment process. A key aspect of this is translating scientific and technical terms into the local language and context, which enhances communication and engagement among all participants involved in the study.
EDUCATIONAL OFFERS THE SPECIALTY «CULTUROLOGY» IN UNIVERSITIES OF GERMANY
Authors:   Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, Petrova I.
Published: January 2025

The article reveals educational offers and content features of the educational process in the speciality ‘Cultural Studies’ at German universities. The methodology of scientific research was based on the systematic and comparative approaches, which allowed to substantiate the combination and two- three- speciality of educational programmes, the accentuated interdisciplinarity and intersectionality, the relationship between theoretical concepts, the contextual and cultural significance of objects and cultural practices of everyday life, as well as to outline the positioning of cultural studies in the scientific space of our time.
The essence of the integrative approach to teaching courses is explained, which ensures a continuous connection between cultural history, regional cultures, contemporary design practices and scientific reflections. The goals of educational components aimed at understanding the dynamics of cultural processes in the modern world; ‘reading’ and interpreting cultural texts encoded in symbols, texts, artefacts; separating analytical perspectives from dominant governmental priorities; and conducting cultural studies regardless of ideological or political colouring are substantiated. The essence of programmes auxiliary to the educational process aimed at professional adaptation and acquisition of additional skills by students is revealed. The fundamental aspects of cultural studies training (interpretation and interpretation, ‘observation by observation’, interdisciplinary competence) are described.
It is proved that there is no single cultural paradigm in Germany that is mandatory for cultural, educational, and research institutions in the country. German scholars point out that it is impossible to create a programme concept that would reconcile the multiplicity of trends, methodological approaches and concepts within the cultural space. Its absence determines differences in the subject matter, research methods, on the one hand, and the content of educational programmes, on the other.
Key words: culturology, cultural studies, cultural research, interdisciplinarity, cultural turn.
СПРОЩЕНІ ПРОВАДЖЕННЯ ЦИВІЛЬНОГО СУДОЧИНСТВА
Authors: Циркуненко О. В.
Published: January 2025

Метою даної статті є характеристика особливостей розгляду цивільних справ в порядку спрощених проваджень та удосконалення цих процедур завдяки можливому застосуванню дискреційних повноважень суду. Автор наголошує, що реформування судової системи як необхідна умова вступу до ЄС повинна набути нового змістового навантаження щодо проведення фундаментальних незворотніх реформ судової влади, правосуддя, свободи і безпеки. Право на доступ до правосуддя, право на ефективне поновлення в правах компетентними національними судами у випадках порушення її основних прав, наданих їй конституцією або законом, в розумні строки, право на ефективний засіб захисту порушеного, невизнаного або оспорюваного права, свободи чи інтересів фізичної особи, права та інтересу юридичної особи, інтересів держави є концептуальними засадами здійснення правосуддя, неухильне виконання яких та запровадження в усіх судових процедурах буде свідчити про виконання завдань основного етапу реформи. В контексті виконання конвенційних стандартів судового захисту прав та свобод людини і громадянина особливого значення набувають спрощені провадження як гарантія своєчасного поновлення порушеного права, яка досягається завдяки стислим строкам та спрощеній процедурі розгляду справи. Автор зосереджує увагу на розкритті поняття, ознак, видів спрощених проваджень, надає аналіз їх спільних рис та відмінностей. Автор робить висновок, що в якості подальшого вдосконалення спрощених процедур розгляду справ в цвіль- ному судочинстві доцільним є запровадження правил ефективного судочинства, які базуватимуться на дискреційних повноваженнях суду. Ці Правила сприятимуть досягнення найбільшої ефективності судочинства через оперативність, скорочення строків розгляду справ, передбачуваність, зрозумілість і прозорість відправлення правосуддя, ефективному використанню ресурсів, процесуальній економії та запровадженню транспарентності правосуддя.
ПРОФЕСІЙНА МОБІЛЬНІСТЬ ТА ПІДВИЩЕННЯ КВАЛІФІКАЦІЇ ЯК СКЛАДОВІ ФОРМУЛИ ПРОФЕСІЙНОГО ЗРОСТАННЯ НАУКОВО-ПЕДАГОГІЧНИХ ПРАЦІВНИКІВ
Authors: Кириленко П. В.
Published: January 2025

Метою статті є розгляд питань професійного зростання науково-педагогічних працівників через характеристику професійної мобільності та підвищення кваліфікації. Наголошується, що обов’язок підвищення кваліфікації для науково-педагогічних працівників зумовлює необхідність поглянути ширше на вирішення проблеми відповідності зазначених категорій працівників займаній посаді. Мова йде про певні якості особистості науково-педагогічного працівника, який має бути морально готовим до провадження такої трудової діяльності, яка вимагає постійного самовдосконалювання. Розглянувши нормативні приписи щодо регулювання професійного зростання науково-педагогічних працівників, автор робить наступні висновки: нормативно-правове регулювання освітньої діяльності містить у якості своєї складової напрям впорядкування вимог до особистості науково-педагогічного працівника щодо його професійного зростання і дозволяє констатувати зважений та обґрунтований підхід держави у формуванні вимог до професійної кваліфікації даних осіб; здатність викладача розвиватись, опановувати нові грані свої професії визначають спроможність відповідати вимогам, що висуває законодавство, до посади науково-педагогічного працівника та виконувати обов’язки із підвищення кваліфікації; професійна мобільність та підвищення кваліфікації виступають складовими формули професійного зростання науково-педагогічних працівників.