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Promoting caste equality in the labor market: The role of self-confidence

We study how people perceive the self-confidence of individuals from different castes in India. In an experimental Indian labor market where employers and workers belong to different castes, employers evaluate worker resumes to predict the future productivity of workers who perform a real effort task. The baseline group uses resumes that reveal a productivity signal i.e.- performance in a practice task and caste information, while the treatment group receives an additional measure of worker self-confidence. We find that employers in both groups exhibit a discriminatory wage differential against lower caste workers. However, employers in the treatment group weigh lower caste workers’ self-confidence more heavily than that of higher caste workers. This differential effect of confidence compensates for the lower evaluation and hence wage given to lower caste workers due to discrimination. From a policy perspective, these findings highlight the importance of non-cognitive skill training, such as training sessions for employment interviews where applicants can signal their self-confidence through interaction with employers.

Study protocol: Feasibility of medically tailored meals for pediatric populations at risk for disparities in serious illness outcomes due to inequities in food-related social drivers of health (MTM-Kids)

Background Food and nutrition insecurity are actionable, clinically relevant social determinants of health that disproportionately affect pediatric populations, particularly those with serious illnesses, including cancer. Lack of consistent access to nutritious food contributes to poorer treatment tolerance, increased infection risk, lower quality of life, and worsened long-term health outcomes. Medically-tailored meals (MTM) have shown promise in improving health outcomes in adults with diet-sensitive conditions, but their feasibility and acceptability in pediatric populations remain unexplored. The Medically Tailored Meals for Pediatric Populations at Risk for Disparities in Serious Illness Outcomes due to Inequities in Food-Related Social Drivers of Health (MTM-Kids) study aims to assess feasibility of providing medically tailored meals to adolescents undergoing cancer treatment, with a focus on recruitment, retention, parental cost-coping, and preliminary impact on food-related insecurities,. Materials and methods This study will enroll 15 adolescent-parent dyads from a pediatric oncology clinic. Participants will receive weekly deliveries of up to 10 frozen medically tailored meals over a 12-week intervention period. Feasibility will be assessed based on recruitment, retention, and adherence to study requirements. Acceptability and appropriateness of the intervention will be evaluated using surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes include changes in household food insecurity, financial burden, and parental time demands as well as reported meal satisfaction and chemotherapy-related taste alterations. Quantitative data will be analyzed descriptively, and qualitative data will undergo thematic analysis. Discussion The study will provide critical insights into the feasibility of implementing medically tailored meals for pediatric oncology and other patients. Findings will inform the design of a future randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of MTM in improving nutritional status, treatment outcomes, and overall well-being in this vulnerable population. MTM-Kids may serve as a scalable intervention to address health disparities related to food insecurity in pediatric populations with serious illness. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06814795

Health insurance non-enrollment among women in Sierra Leone: A cross-sectional analysis of the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey

Background Health insurance enrollment is a vital component of universal health coverage and access to essential healthcare services. However, in Sierra Leone, enrollment remains persistently low, posing a major public health challenge. Women of reproductive age (15–49 years) represent a critical population for health insurance enrollment due to their unique healthcare needs, particularly related to reproductive health, pregnancy, and childcare. Despite their importance, women face notable barriers to health insurance enrollment, including financial constraints, gender inequalities, and sociocultural challenges. This study examines the factors associated with health insurance non-enrollment among women aged 15–49 in Sierra Leone. Methods We analysed data from a weighted sample of 15,574 women aged 15–49 years from the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey. Percentages were used to present the proportion of health insurance non-enrollment among the women. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors associated with health insurance non-enrollment among the women. Results The proportion of health insurance non-enrollment among the women was 96.02%. Women with higher education were less likely to be uninsured (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.18–0.64) compared to those with no education. Being employed also reduced the odds of being uninsured (aOR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.36–0.62) compared to women who were employed. Listening to the radio less than once a week was associated with lower odds of being uninsured (aOR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.53–0.97) compared to women who did not listen to the radio at all. On the other hand, women who reported distance to a health facility as a big problem were more likely to be uninsured (aOR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.03–4.75) compared to those who did not consider it a problem. Regionally, women living in the Northwestern (aOR: 0.07, 95% CI: 0.03–0.14) and Northern (aOR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.12–0.66) regions were less likely to be uninsured compared to those residing in the Eastern region. Conclusions Health insurance non-enrollment was high among women in Sierra Leone. Education, employment, and exposure to listening to the radio were associated with increased health insurance enrollment, highlighting the need to address socioeconomic barriers and leveraging mass media campaigns to educate women on the importance of getting covered by health insurance. Geographic and regional disparities in health insurance enrollment underscore the importance of improving healthcare accessibility and implementing targeted, community-based interventions to promote health insurance uptake. Also, subsiding health insurance subscription fee could increase its enrollment, especially among women from low socioeconomic households.

Expression of Concern: HIF-1 inhibition reverses opacity in a rat model of galactose-induced cataract

Trypanosoma vivax elicits both Th1 and Th2 immunological responses in experimentally infected cattle

Bovine trypanosomosis caused by Trypanosoma vivax is a health problem of economic importance in South America. In Ecuador, the presence of T. vivax was first reported in 2018; however, the isolates found in Ecuador are still being studied, mainly on issues related to virulence, pathogenicity, and immune response. To this end, this study aimed to evaluate the cellular and humoral adaptive immune response in vivo in experimentally infected cattle with T. vivax. The study lasted 42 days (with samples collected twice weekly) and was conducted in two cattle experimentally infected with an isolate of T. vivax circulating in Ecuador (TvET1) and two uninfected cattle as controls. Parasitemia was determined by the Brener method and relative gene expression (RGE) of six cytokines was evaluated by RT-qPCR to determine the Th1 response (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-12) and the Th2 response (IL-4 and IL-10). Additionally, the total IgG and the IgG1 (Th2) and IgG2 (Th1) subclasses levels were measured using an in-house iELISA. During the study, the animals exhibited four parasitemia peaks concomitant with the cytokines IFN-γ and IL-10. These cytokines, like TNF-α, showed a significant RGE increase (p < 0.05) in infected animals. The presence of total IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 was significant (p < 0.05) in infected animals, and presented a solid monotonic relationship over time. The predominant immunoglobulin subclass was IgG1, and we found that this response was similar to the total IgG. The present study allowed us to highlight the Th response of cattle to T. vivax infection, which is polarized into both a Th1 and a Th2 response. This information contributes to understanding the host-pathogen interaction with strains circulating in Ecuador. The thoroughness of our study can provide the needed knowledge to develop new diagnostic tests and even possible alternatives for vaccine development.

Adaptation and validation of the modified weight bias internalization scale (WBIS-M) in Brazilian adults

Internalized weight stigma refers to individuals’ self-stigmatization, leading to self-devaluation. This research aimed to conduct an adaptation and validation study of the Modified Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS-M) for Brazil. A sample of 418 adults (253 women; mean age = 30.8 years, SD = 10.4) completed the WBIS-M and measures of anti-fat attitudes, body image, disordered eating, binge eating, and self-esteem. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted to examine the factor structure of the WBIS-M. Measurement invariance across gender was tested with multigroup CFA. Internal consistency was assessed using omega and alpha. Relationships between the WBIS-M scores and external measures were analyzed using Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlations, t-tests, and Cohen’s d for effect size. EFA and CFA showed that the 10-item and 1-factor WBIS-M model fit reasonably well (CFI and TLI ≥ .98, SRMR ≤ .06, although RMSEA ≤ .12). Full metric and full scalar invariance evidenced equivalence across genders. The internal consistency reliability coefficients were satisfactory (α and ω = .94). A higher WBIS-M score was linked to greater body dissatisfaction, restrictive/compensatory behaviors, food/weight concerns, binge eating severity, and lower self-esteem. Women and those with a higher BMI had higher WBIS-M scores. Finally, the Brazilian WBIS-M’s 10-item score is a valid and reliable measure for assessing weight self-stigma in adults.

Rumble in the Miocene: terror bird versus caiman

National and sub-national sero-epidemiology of immunoglobulin G against SARS-CoV-2 in Iran in 2021

Multiple factors challenge PCR test results for COVID-19 infection, and only symptomatic cases have been tested. Thus, a population-based seroprevalence study was necessary to determine the extent of missed cases. The objective of this study was to achieve a realistic infection rate in Iran and probe into some explanations behind being infected or not. In this population-based cross-sectional study, 16,610 adults aged more than 25 with valid serology sample results from 31 provinces from February to April 2021 were included. According to the ELISA kits based on the N antigen of SARS-CoV-2, the seroprevalence of IgG against SARS-CoV-2 in Iran was 20.63% (19.71–21.56) and 16.25% (15.11–17.41) based on two different corrections. The age-standardized seroprevalence was relatively high among Kurdistan [30.29% (26.04–34.55) and 28.31% (23–33.61)] and West Azarbayejan [29.33% (24.85–33.8) and 27.11% (21.52–32.68)]. Smoking, higher education, being underweight, male, and single were protective factors, and higher daily interactions was a risk for seropositivity. It is evident that reported infection rates have been misleading. Furthermore, several intervenable factors can predict the risk of infection.

Temporal phenotyping of neutrophils in post-cardiac arrest syndrome and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-assisted resuscitation: A pilot study

The role of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the immune response during cardiac arrest, as well as the role of the innate immune system—particularly neutrophils—in the pathophysiology of post-cardiac arrest syndrome, remains underexplored. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the immune response in the pathology of post-cardiac arrest syndrome. This study included eight patients who experienced cardiogenic cardiopulmonary arrest and were treated for at least 1 week. Blood samples were collected immediately after the return of spontaneous circulation (day 0), as well as on days 1, 3, and 7. These patients formed the post-cardiac arrest syndrome group, and blood samples from five healthy volunteers served as controls. Neutrophil function over time was analyzed using CyTOF ® mass cytometry. Furthermore, patients in the post-cardiac arrest syndrome group were divided into extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and non-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation groups according to whether they received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during resuscitation. Cytokine levels were compared between the two groups using LUMINEX ® . Three patients with post-cardiac arrest syndrome underwent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Compared with the control group, the post-cardiac arrest syndrome group showed fewer CD177-negative neutrophils and fewer strongly leukotriene B4 receptor 1-positive neutrophils. The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation group had more CD177-negative neutrophils and fewer CD16-seropositive neutrophils than the non-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation group. Differences in serum cytokine levels between the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and non-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation groups were noted, with certain cytokines, including interleukin-6 and interleukin-8, decreasing over time only in the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation group. As the first in-depth immunological investigation of post-cardiac arrest syndrome, including neutrophil phenotyping, this study may inform clinical practices related to patient management and treatment strategies following cardiac arrest.

Implementation of a clinical interview guide to Multidimensional needs assessment in Palliative care (MAP): A multicenter mixed-methods feasibility study

Background A recent systematic review highlighted the lack of consensus on the needs that should be assessed in palliative care to develop the initial therapeutic plan. An agreed clinical interview guide for Multidimensional needs Assessment in Palliative Care (MAP) has recently been proposed. Objective To evaluate the feasibility of implementing the MAP guide in clinical practice. Methods A multicenter explanatory sequential mixed-methods feasibility study was conducted, assessing five indicators: a) acceptability to patients and family members (assessed by phone); b) participation (proportion of eligible patients assessed); c) applicability (time to administer); d) clinical utility as perceived by physicians; and e) implementation in practice. Twenty-four palliative care physicians across 10 services (outpatient, in-patient, domiciliary care) administered the MAP guide in 239 initial assessments of patients with advanced cancer. A focus group was conducted with 17 of the physicians to gather insights. Results Indicators of acceptability, participation, applicability, and perceived clinical utility were fulfilled in over 90% of interviews. Implementation fell just short of the criterion (78% of needs assessed vs. 80% threshold). Patients and families provided highly positive feedback on the appropriateness of the MAP guide. Physicians found it flexible and easy to integrate into clinical practice, helping them structure the initial assessment and offer a much more comprehensive assessment of patients’ needs. Conclusions The study supports the feasibility of using the MAP guide to explore palliative care needs. The MAP guide can help ensure that professionals do not overlook unmet needs, which could increase suffering and undermine quality of life.

Stable preservation and recovery of methylation marks from FTA elute cards in species with nucleated red blood cells using a customized DNA extraction method

Specialized chemically-coated paper cards, such as Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) cards, provide simple and reliable storage of nucleic acids by protecting DNA from degradation. Owed to their simplicity, FTA cards are widely used in clinical testing, forensic science and specimen archives. Originally developed for PCR-based applications that only require short DNA fragments, FTA cards are now being explored as an avenue for whole-genome and epigenetic sequencing applications. FTA cards and their corresponding DNA extraction protocols have not kept pace with advances in sequencing technologies. Because the initial protocols developed for FTA cards were geared towards applications using PCR amplification of short fragments, they typically yield low molecular weight DNA. This issue is particularly pronounced for FTA elute cards where heat-based elution at 95°C leads to DNA denaturation and fragmentation. Isolation of DNA from nucleated blood deposited onto FTA elute cards poses an additional challenge when compared to FTA classic cards, because hemoglobin is irreversibly bound to the card matrix, making the majority of DNA present in nucleated blood inaccessible. Here, we describe an easy, fast, and inexpensive protocol to extract high molecular weight DNA (>10 kb) of nucleated blood stored on FTA elute cards suitable for most genomic library preparations including those that interrogate DNA methylation. Our protocol yields a 14-fold increase in yield compared to numerous alternatives. Using our protocol, we demonstrate that high molecular weight DNA can still be extracted even after storage at ambient temperature for over a decade. Moreover, we show that DNA methylation marks are preserved on FTA elute cards, broadening the utility of FTA elute cards. This opens possibilities for (epi-)genomic studies using historical samples and enabling specimen collection where access to chemicals or cryogenic storage is limited – reducing project costs and extending collection opportunities into remote areas.

An analysis of knowledge, attitude and practice gaps in scientific buffalo husbandry

Buffalo husbandry remains vital to India’s dairy sector, yet adoption gaps hinder productivity. This study assesses knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among 380 buffalo farmers in India, revealing critical disparities. While awareness was relatively high in key areas—heat detection (79.4%), mastitis identification (77.4%), and balanced feed (77.9%)—practice rates lagged severely (32.9–44.7%), with the widest gap in silage-making (71.5% awareness vs. 32.9% adoption, a 38.6-point deficit). Cluster analysis identified five farmer segments, highlighting adoption disparities: smallholders (36.8% of the sample) practised only 25% of techniques despite moderate knowledge, while commercial farmers (7.9%) achieved 90.5% adoption. Chi-square tests confirmed education (OR=3.4, p < 0.001) and herd size (OR=2.4, p < 0.01) as the strongest KAP predictors, with logistic regression underscoring income’s pivotal role (OR=4.3 for practices). In order to bridge gaps, the study proposes three strategies: (1) targeted training for smallholders through farmer groups, (2) subsidized input bundles (feed, minerals) paired with mobile-based advisories, and (3) market incentives for quality milk to reward adoption. Findings stress the need to replace blanket extension approaches with segmented interventions addressing structural barriers (credit, vet access) and attitudinal resistance (silage scepticism, vaccine hesitancy). Policy action should prioritize doubling frontline extension staff and integrating cooperatives with digital tools to scale solutions.

Assessment of economic development of central business districts – A combination multi-criteria evaluation methodology

Background The economic development of central business districts (CBDs) is a key driver of urban economic growth and enhances regional competitiveness. However, existing research predominantly focuses on macro-level analyses, lacking systematic and quantitative indicator systems for detailed evaluation of CBD economic development performance, while studies on urban office buildings or specific CBD components often neglect the broader context of the entire district. Objectives This study aims to propose a multi-criteria evaluation system to effectively evaluate the economic development performance of CBDs, and provide theoretical references for a more comprehensive evaluation of the sustainable CBD growth in other regions. Methods Firstly, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy method are proposed to determine combination weights for each indicator. The VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method is then introduced to rank the economic development performance of CBDs. Finally, a numerical example of Zhejiang province is carried out to validate the results by comparing its rankings with existing methods. Results and conclusion The multi-criteria evaluation of regional CBD economic development showed that the top two cities remained consistent across subjective, objective, and combined weights methods, while discrepancies in rankings for other cities were balanced by the combined weights approach. Meanwhile, minor variations in rankings highlighted the unique advantages of each method. These findings validate the effectiveness of combining subjective and objective methods for assessments. Future research should enhance data comprehensiveness and reliability through fieldwork to further improve the scientific validity of such evaluations.

The status in Africa of fall armyworm expressing genetic markers related to infestations of pasture, millet, alfalfa, and rice in the Americas

The establishment of the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, in Africa is reported to have caused substantial agricultural losses since its detection in 2016 and subsequent spread into Asia and Australia by 2020. Based on the crops being infested, it appears that the population (C strain) primarily responsible for FAW infestations of corn in the Americas is widespread in Africa but there is uncertainty about the status of the R strain that targets pastures, alfalfa, millet, and rice in the United States. The two strains can only physically be distinguished by molecular markers, with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the mitochondrial Cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and nuclear Z-chromosome-linked Triosephosphate isomerase (Tpi) gene demonstrated to consistently identify strains in both American continents. However, the COI and Tpi markers are generally in disagreement in the Eastern Hemisphere. This together with conflicting results from whole genome SNP studies creates uncertainty about the strain composition of this invasive population. In this paper the legitimacy of the Tpi markers is supported and used to not only confirm the existence of the R strain in Africa, but to also provide evidence for the introduction of new R strain variants in western Africa since 2017. These findings have implications on the crops at risk in the Eastern Hemisphere and for understanding how the invasion of Africa by FAW occurred.

Optimizing ISO standard microbiological techniques for isolating Campylobacter from poultry samples amidst challenges from extended spectrum beta lactamase producing Escherichia coli

Isolation of zoonotic Campylobacter species has been standardized through the ISO 10272:2017 protocol. However, application of the protocol in a LMIC country failed to isolate Campylobacter due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli overgrowth during the Campylobacter selective enrichment phase. The aim of the study was to identify the contaminants and explore ways to mitigate them. A set of 25 non-Campylobacter contaminants isolated from chicken cecal samples grown on modified charcoal-cefoperazone-deoxycholate agar (mCCDA) during Campylobacter isolation were included. All isolates were screened for species identification and the presence of selected ESBL producing genes. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of tazobactam were measured using a microbroth dilution technique. The Campylobacter isolation protocol was then modified to inhibit the contaminants by adding the required tazobactam supplement to Preston broth or to mCCDA. All contaminants were found to be E. coli carrying at least one of the ESBL-producing genes blaTEM, blaCTX or blaSHV. The MIC of tazobactam sodium for ESBL-producing E. coli strains grown in Preston broth was at least 128 mg/L. Preston broth supplemented with tazobactam at 128 mg/L inhibited the growth of ESBL-producing E. coli but did not inhibit the growth of C. jejuni or C. coli. Interestingly, mCCDA plates supplemented with tazobactam at a much lower concentration of 4 mg/L could also prevent growth of ESBL-producing E. coli even without broth enrichment, increasing the efficiency of isolation of Campylobacter. Direct inoculation of cecal materials to mCCDA supplemented with tazobactam at 4 mg/L was recommended as the most cost-effective way to conduct Campylobacter surveillance targeting the cecal matrix instead of directly following ISO 10272:2017 protocol.

Uncovering locomotor learning dynamics in people with Parkinson’s disease

Locomotor learning is important for improving gait and balance impairments in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). While PD disrupts neural networks involved in motor learning, there is a limited understanding of how PD influences the time course of locomotor learning and retention. Here, we used a virtual obstacle negotiation task to investigate whether the early stages of PD affect the acquisition and retention of locomotor skills. On Day 1, 15 participants with PD (Hoehn and Yahr Stage 1–2) and 20 age-matched controls were instructed to achieve a specified level of foot clearance while repeatedly stepping over two different virtual obstacles on a treadmill. We assessed online performance improvement on Day 1 and overnight retention after at least 24 hours on Day 2. We used a hierarchical Bayesian state-space model to estimate the learning rate and the degree of interference between the two obstacles. There was a 93% probability that people with PD learned the locomotor skill faster than controls, but there was limited evidence of group differences in interference between the two heights of obstacles. Both groups improved their performance to a similar magnitude during skill acquisition and performed similarly during retention on Day 2. Notably, a slower learning rate was associated with greater online performance improvement, while lower interference was linked to better overnight retention, and this effect was strongest for the control group. These results highlight that people with early-stage PD retain the ability to use multisensory information to acquire and retain locomotor skills. In particular, our finding that people with early-stage PD learned faster than age-matched controls may reflect the emergence of compensatory motor learning strategies used to offset early motor impairments in people with PD.

Carboxylic ligands and their influence on the structural properties of PbTe quantum dots

We present a low-cost, straightforward, and tunable hot-injection method for synthesizing PbTe quantum dots (QDs). By incorporating short-chain carboxylic acids—hexanoic acid (HexA), heptanoic acid (HepA), and acetic acid (AcA)—alongside oleic acid (OA), we controlled QD morphology and size within the range of 13–17 nm. The resulting QDs exhibited a well-defined cuboctahedral shape and a core-shell structure, consisting of a crystalline core and an amorphous shell. Morphology and growth behavior were strongly influenced by precursor composition, ligand ratio, and steric hindrance. Compared to QDs synthesized with longer-chain acids (lauric (LA), decanoic (DA), and octanoic acids(OctA)), which produced multiple shapes, the use of shorter ligands led exclusively to uniform cuboctahedral nanocrystals. PbTe QDs are typically reported as cubic when their size exceeds 10 nm. In contrast, our method consistently produces cuboctahedral structures in this size range. QDs were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These findings open a route toward controlled shape engineering of PbTe QDs for future applications in quantum optics, infrared detectors, and thermoelectrics.

How can health systems sustain lessons drawn from emergency contexts? Evidence from Colombia

The Covid-19 pandemic demanded rapid adaptation to health systems internationally, but little is known about the sustained value of the approaches to learning adopted. How does ongoing environmental turbulence influence the lessons drawn from health system responses to pandemics? To address this question, we engage with, and further develop, Levitt and March’s highly cited perspective on experiential learning by analyzing Colombian healthcare professionals’ experiences gathered during semi-structured interviews. Interviews included representatives of national government, service providers, administrative staff, clinicians, including physicians and nurses, professional associations, and academics. Aspects from the macro, meso, and micro contexts associated with the sustainability of organizational learning were identified. At the macro level, reform efforts seem to overlook lessons learned from the pandemic and divert the attention of key actors. At the meso level, leadership uses success stories to motivate teams, but financial challenges and absence of formal evaluations hinder the sustainability of innovations. At the micro level, there is a diminished workforce capacity, some concerns about virtual professional training and difficulties to address mental health issues is difficult due to stoic professional identities, unrelenting tempo of medical work, and institutional encouragement. This study extends Levitt and March’s organizational learning framework to include environmental turbulence as a factor influencing learning. It highlights that a turbulent context simultaneously triggers learning processes while being a precursor to the interpretation of experiences. The research concludes there are additional moderating variables for organizational learning like human resource capacities, political cycles, and infrastructure continuity, which relate to professional pressures to “turn the page” on the pandemic, the patchy resourcing of new initiatives at the organizational level, and the distraction of health reform.

Government subsidy research on the application of IoT technology in contract-farming supply chain

Existing research have not yet focused on the mechanism of Internet of Things(IoT) technology’s impact on the contract-farming supply chain.We introduce the IoT technology into the contract-farming supply chain with financing, successively construct decision models for the contract-farming supply chain under the scenarios of no subsidy policy, interest rate subsidy policy, and cost subsidy policy. The results show that an increase in bank interest rate will reduce the level of IoT application, purchasing price, members benefits. When the financing interest rate is within a certain range, members benefits in the case of interest rate subsidy policy are greater than the corresponding values in the case of cost subsidy policy. In the case of no subsidy policy, interest rate subsidy policy, and cost subsidy policy, the application level of the IoT, purchasing price, and the company benefit are positively correlated with the output effect factor of the IoT technology. The farmer will actively invest in the IoT only when the cost-reducing effect of IoT is substantial. When the government’s subsidy expenditure is equal, if the goal is to increase social welfare, the government should adopt the interest rate subsidy policy; if the goal is to promote the popularization of IoT and help impoverished farmers, the government should adopt the cost subsidy policy.

Channelization and flow depletion shift benthic macroinvertebrate and fish communities in urban rivers

Aquatic ecosystems worldwide are increasingly affected by human activities, with urbanization representing a major source of environmental stress. Channelization and flow depletion are key stressors in urban aquatic ecosystems. However, the combined effects of these factors on benthic macroinvertebrate and fish communities in urban rivers remain poorly understood. We examined the ecological impacts of channelization and flow depletion on benthic macroinvertebrates and fish in four urban rivers in Beijing, China: the natural high-flow Yongding River, the natural low-flow Gaojinggou River, the artificial high-flow Yongding River Diversion Channel, and the artificial low-flow Renmin Channel. By analyzing community composition, diversity, biomass, and water quality parameters, we assessed how river type (natural vs. artificial) and flow conditions (high vs. low) shape macroinvertebrate and fish communities across these urban rivers. Results showed that artificial channels had higher water temperatures, lower pH and DO, and higher concentrations of COD, NH4+, TP, fluorides, and sulfides compared to natural rivers, with flow depletion intensifying these effects. Both macroinvertebrate and fish community compositions varied significantly between river types and flow conditions. Channelization and flow depletion significantly reduced species richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity, and biomass in both macroinvertebrates and fish. Furthermore, we found a significant interaction between river type and flow depletion, as revealed by two-way ANOVA, with macroinvertebrate and fish communities in natural rivers being more sensitive to flow reductions than artificial channels. Redundancy analyses (RDAs) revealed that total phosphorus (TP) was the primary driver of macroinvertebrate community variation (contributing 23.6%), while DO played a crucial role in fish assemblages (contributing 20.6%). These findings underscore the significant impacts of channelization and flow depletion on urban river ecosystems, highlighting the vulnerability of natural rivers to flow depletion. Our study calls for urgent implementation of integrated management strategies to mitigate hydrological alterations, restore natural flow regimes, and reduce nutrient inputs, thereby enhancing the ecological resilience of urban aquatic ecosystems.