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Retraction: Nexus of green energy, financial inclusion, militarization, and environmental sustainability: A global perspective

The brain’s map of the body is surprisingly stable — even after a limb is lost

Effect of maternal dietary patterns on infant growth in Baotou, China

Background Maternal dietary patterns (DPs) during pregnancy play a crucial role in fetal development and child growth. This study aims to investigate the association between maternal DPs and infant growth outcomes. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted at The Third Hospital of Baogang Group from January 2020 to January 2022, enrolling 201 mother-child pairs. Maternal dietary intake during pregnancy was assessed, and DPs were identified using principal component analysis. Univariate analysis was performed to determine factors influencing maternal DPs. Infant weight and length were measured at birth and 12 months of age, and growth indicators including weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), height-for-age z-score (HAZ), and body mass index-for-age z-score (BMI Z) were calculated. The impact of maternal DPs on infant growth was analyzed by comparing growth outcomes across different DPs. Results Four distinct maternal DPs were identified: FMDP (high intake of fruits, milk, dairy products, and poultry), VBAP (vegetables, beans, algae, and pork), MP (marine products), and TE (tubers and eggs). Maternal education level was a significant factor influencing DP (P < 0.05). Higher adherence to FMDP and MP was associated with greater infant birth weight (P < 0.05), while VBAP was positively associated with birth weight (P < 0.05). Conversely, TE was linked to lower birth weight (P < 0.05). Additionally, FMDP was positively correlated with WAZ and HAZ at birth (P < 0.05), while MP was associated with higher WAZ at birth (P < 0.05). VBAP was positively associated with BMI Z at 12 months (P < 0.05), whereas TE was negatively associated with WAZ at birth (P < 0.05). Conclusion Maternal DPs during pregnancy significantly influence infant birth weight, length, and subsequent growth trajectories. These findings highlight the importance of maternal nutrition in offspring early-life growth and development.

Spatial heterogeneity of microbial community structure and its environmental drivers in surface sediments of Erhai Lake

As a crucial plateau freshwater lake in Yunnan Province, China, Erhai Lake exhibits distinct environmental heterogeneity driven by its unique watershed characteristics and human activities, significantly influencing sediment microbial communities. This study investigated the spatial relationships between environmental factors and microbial community structures in surface sediments from the eastern, western, and northern shores using redundancy analysis (RDA) and Spearman correlation analysis. Results revealed that pH, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total organic carbon (TOC), and redox potential (Eh) were key drivers of microbial community divergence. The western shore, with the highest TP, TOC, and nitrogen levels, displayed elevated microbial diversity dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes , reflecting heterotrophic adaptations to elevated pollution loads. The northern shore exhibited severe nitrogen pollution, marked by the highest TN content and enrichment of Thiobacillus sp., potentially enhancing water self-purification. The eastern shore, with minimal anthropogenic disturbance, showed the highest bacterial diversity but the lowest nutrient concentrations. Fungal community structure was significantly influenced by pH, Eh, and TOC, while ecological restoration measures on the western shore enhanced fungal community stability. This study highlights how spatial heterogeneity in environmental factors regulates microbial community structure and function, ultimately affecting the stability of lake ecosystems. These findings provide a scientific basis for ecological restoration and sustainable management of plateau lakes.

Correction: COMET (Composite Outcomes of Mesh vs suture Techniques for prolapse repair)- Protocol for a single blind randomized controlled multicenter trial testing surgical innovation in female pelvic surgery

Silicate precursor silane detected in cold low-metallicity brown dwarf

Consumption of sorghum-based products and their impact on blood glucose and satiety in adult patients: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The consumption of sorghum-based foods has been associated with reduced postprandial blood glucose levels and increased satiety in previous studies. Sorghum’s low glycemic index, high fiber content, and rich profile of bioactive compounds may contribute to improved health outcomes. Nutritional strategies incorporating sorghum could serve as a valuable tool for the prevention of diabetes, obesity, as well as other non-communicable diseases. Purpose To identify and evaluate the evidence on the effectiveness of the sorghum-based foods in modulating blood glucose levels and promoting satiety in adults. Methods and expected outputs This systematic review protocol was developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. We will include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized controlled trials (NRCTs) published through February 2025 that assess the effects of sorghum-based food consumption. Qualitative studies, guidelines, and reviews will be excluded. Six electronic databases—MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect—will be systematically searched. Additional sources will include ClinicalTrials.gov, The British Library, Google Scholar, International Diabetes Federation, and American Diabetes Association (ADA). No restrictions on language or publication date will be applied. Two independent reviewers will perform study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment according to the study design. A qualitative synthesis will be presented. Statistical heterogeneity will be assessed using the I² statistic. If appropriate, a meta-analysis will be conducted using a random-effects model. Expected outcomes To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first systematic review to specifically address the impact of sorghum-based food consumption on glycemic response and satiety. The findings are expected to provide robust evidence to inform future research and support nutritional strategies involving sorghum-based products for health promotion. PROSPERO registration ID CRD42023431520

Investigation of Waltheria indica L. (sleepy morning plant) as pathogen killing agent from shallow well water revealed a potential alternative for water disinfection

In many parts of the world, shallow well drinking water is contaminated and often consumed without treatment, contributing to over 3.4 million deaths annually due to water-related diseases. This research aims to assess the efficacy of Waltheria indica plant root extracts as an affordable method for disinfecting shallow well water in rural Tanzania. Laboratory experiments were conducted using dried plant roots in powdered form, as well as soaked and boiled extracts, to test their effectiveness in eliminating Escherichia coli and total coliforms at varying concentrations and contact times. Contaminated water samples were collected from shallow wells in the Misungwi district, Tanzania, and treated using all three forms of Waltheria indica extracts. Phytochemical profiling of the plant root extracts was performed using Liquid Chromatography tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify potential antimicrobial compounds. The disinfection efficacy was evaluated using a flocculator with 1-litre beakers to determine bacterial removal and the effects on key physicochemical parameters. Results showed that all three extract forms significantly reduced E. coli and total coliforms, achieving up to 100% reduction within 12 hours. The soaked extract was most effective, reducing E. coli and total coliforms by approximately 94.3% and 93.8%, respectively, followed by the boiled extract (83.9% and 85.8%) and the powdered form (81.9% and 68.2%). The treated water’s pH and total dissolved solids (TDS) were not significantly affected across all treatments. However, turbidity levels remained above the acceptable limit of 5 NTU, indicating the need for further optimization. Overall, the results suggest that Waltheria indica plant root extracts have strong potential as a natural, low-cost water disinfectant.

SNP markers revealed the genetic diversity and population structure of Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze Syn. Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit accessions collected in Benin

Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze is a wild species with many biological activities in medicine. The species can potentially serve as a pesticide in agriculture thanks to its high content of volatile compounds. However, knowledge of the species’ genetic diversity and population structure is currently scarce, thus hindering improvement and conservation initiatives. This research used single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping to study the diversity and population structure of 175 Mesosphaerum suaveolens collected from the three phytogeographical zones of Benin. Our study reports 3,613 high-quality SNP markers for M. suaveolens. Based on the markers, a mean polymorphism information content of 0.28, a low expected heterozygosity (He = 0.287) coupled with low genetic differentiation (Fst = 0.007) were observed in the species. The overall average value of observed heterozygosity (Ho) was 0.11. The Neighbor-joining analysis identified three subpopulations, whereas two mixed subpopulations were detected via population structure analysis. The results of the molecular variance analysis revealed that differences among samples within populations accounted for the majority of genetic variation (59.3%). The population from the Sudanian region presented the highest genetic diversity (He = 0.293), whereas the Guineo-congolian population presented the lowest genetic diversity (Ho = 0.278). These results pave the way for informed conservation in M. suaveolens and highlight the need to expand the genetic base of this species for upcoming improvement initiatives. However, reference genome and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to associate genomic and morphological or chemical constituents are needed.

Retraction: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic period on stock market return and volatility. Evidence from the Pakistan Stock Exchange

Retraction: Impact of low-carbon economic policies on the corporate environmental responsibility model in China

Loss of FCoV-23 spike domain 0 enhances fusogenicity and entry kinetics

Abstract The ability of coronaviruses to recombine and cross species barriers affects human and animal health globally and is a pandemic threat1,2. FCoV-23 is a recently emerged, highly pathogenic recombinant coronavirus responsible for a widespread outbreak of feline infectious peritonitis. Here we report cryogenic electron microscopy structures of two FCoV-23 spike isoforms that correspond to the in-host loss of domain 0 observed in clinical samples. The loss of domain 0 markedly enhances the fusogenicity and kinetics of entry into cells and possibly enables biotype switching and lethality. We show that FCoV-23 can use several aminopeptidase N orthologues as receptors and reveal the molecular determinants of receptor species tropism, including a glycan that modulates human receptor engagement. We define antigenic relationships among alphacoronaviruses that infect humans and other mammalian species and identify a cross-reactive alphacoronavirus monoclonal antibody that inhibits FCoV-23 entry. Our results pave the way for the development of vaccines and therapeutics that target this highly pathogenic virus.

Carbapenemase-encoding genes in critical gram-negative bacteria isolated from ICU patients with infections and/or gastrointestinal carriage, and environmental samples in the amhara National Regional state, Ethiopia

Effective infection control requires identifying and eliminating carbapenemase-producing (CP) Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in high-risk groups like intensive care unit (ICU) patients and from contaminated environmental surfaces. This study aimed to describe the diversity of carbapenemase-encoding genes among critical GNB isolates from ICU patients with infection and/or gastrointestinal (GI) colonization, as well as from ICU environmental surfaces in the Amhara National Regional state, Ethiopia.A total of 169 carbapenem-resistant isolates were identified, including 26 from infections, 82 from GI colonization, and 61 from environmental samples. These comprised Klebsiellapneumoniae (n = 107), Escherichia coli (n = 16), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 9), and Acinetobacter species (n = 37), of which 147 were analyzed.Singleplex and multiplex PCR were performed to detect predominant carbapenemase-encoding genes, including KPC (blaKPC), MBLs (blaIMP, blaVIM, and blaNDM), and OXA (blaOXA-48, blaOXA-23, and blaOXA-58). PCR analysis revealed that at least one carbapenemase-encoding gene was detected in 133 (78.7%) of the 169 carbapenem-resistant isolates from patients and environmental surfaces. They were detected in 22/133(16.5%), 70/133(52.6%), and 41/133(30.8%) isolates obtained from infection, GI colonization, and environmental samples, respectively. The most prevalent carbapenemase-encoding gene, blaNDM, was found in 101 (75.9%) of the 133 CP isolates. Other detected carbapenemase-encoding genes included blaOXA-23 in 5 (3.8%) isolates, blaVIM in 4 (3.0%), blaOXA-48 in 1 (0.8%), and blaOXA-58 in 1 (0.8%). K. pneumoniae and Acinetobacter spp. harbored all the gene types detected in this study. Co-harboring of two or more carbapenemase-encoding genes, in combination with blaNDM, was observed in 21 of 133 (15.8%) isolates, including 7 K. pneumoniae and 14 Acinetobacter spp. isolates. However, blaKPC and blaIMP were not identified in any of the tested isolates. This study highlights the presence of carbapenemase-encoding genes among critical GNB across all sample source types in the study area. Moreover, the detection of isolates harboring multiple carbapenemase-encoding genes underscores the need for enhanced infection control measures in ICU settings.

Relationship between oxidative balance score and health-related quality of life in Korean adults

This study aimed to examine the relationship between the oxidative balance score (OBS) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among Korean adults. We analyzed data from 4,381 individuals aged 19 years or older from the 2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The OBS was calculated based on nutrients and lifestyle factors, including five pro-oxidants and ten antioxidants. We fitted logistic quantile regression models to investigate the relationship between OBS and HRQoL. We found that the distribution of each OBS component differed significantly between men and women, except for retinol and physical activity. Men exhibited a more favorable oxidative balance in terms of antioxidant components, whereas women demonstrated a more favorable oxidative balance in relation to pro-oxidant components. This distinction highlights that although men had higher scores for antioxidant intake, women showed lower exposure to pro-oxidants. Both aspects contribute differently to overall oxidative balance and may have distinct implications for HRQoL. The logistic quantile regression model indicated that each 1-point increase in OBS was associated with a 1.02-fold increase in the median HRQoL Instrument with eight items (HINT-8) index (p = 0.006). The median HINT-8 index was 1.28 times higher in men compared to women (p < 0.001) and 1.20 times higher among individuals in the first and second income quintiles compared to those in the third and fourth quintiles (p = 0.004). This study confirmed the positive influence of OBS on HRQoL. Therefore, OBS could be used to assess oxidative stress risk and to develop tailored interventions aimed at improving health.

The public’s perceptions and attitudes of male nursing postgraduate professional identity on Chinese social media: Qualitative study based on machine learning

Background Professional identity plays a critical role in the career development of male postgraduate nursing students, particularly in contexts where gender imbalance and social stereotypes persist. Objective This study explores how the clinical professional identity of male nursing postgraduates is perceived and constructed through social media discourse in China. Design A qualitative study using content analysis of social media discourse, supported by sentiment classification and clustering algorithms. Methods Online comments related to male nursing postgraduates were extracted from Weibo and Zhihu. The data search was conducted from 2020 to 2023. This study was divided into five steps: data acquisition, data cleaning, statistical analysis, sentiment analysis, and topic analysis. Sentiment analysis was performed using a lexicon-enhanced rule-based model. Topic analysis was conducted using unsupervised machine learning. Results Initially, 7,483 comments were collected. After cleaning, 5,692 valid comments totaling 486,366 words were retained for analysis. The sentiment distribution showed 64.3% were negative, 21.5% neutral, and 14.2% positive. Topic modeling revealed six main themes: identity confusion, gender role conflict, lack of clinical recognition, professional value affirmation, social support, and resistance to stereotypes. Conclusion Public discourse reflects both affirmation and marginalization of male postgraduate nurses in China. These perceptions shape their clinical professional identity and influence their sense of belonging and future career planning. Interventions in education and media strategies are necessary to promote inclusive and supportive identity development.

The assessment of psychometric properties of childbirth violence questionnaire in Iranian women

Background Childbirth violence is a cultural and social issue with a complex and multidimensional nature that silently threatens women’s health around the world. Thus, designing an instrument based on social norms and the cultural context of society is an essential need. The study aims to develop and validate a measurement instrument that assesses childbirth violence, focusing on the experiences of women during childbirth. Methods The study utilized a mixed-methods approach which is a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and evaluated a new tool for assessing violence during childbirth. It included three main phases: Instrument Development, Validity, and Reliability. The instrument’s validity was tested through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). To assess sampling adequacy, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index. Multiple extraction and rotation techniques were employed to determine the optimal questionnaire structure. Results After completing the qualitative phase, the research team focused on two key themes: the violation of pregnant mothers’ rights within the healthcare system and societal factors contributing to violence against pregnant mothers. 99 items were identified based on participants’ perspectives and interviews. Existing questionnaires on respectful maternal care were reviewed, but none specifically targeted childbirth violence. A comprehensive pool of 108 items was refined to a preliminary questionnaire with 65 items for psychometric testing. EFA, based on maximum likelihood and varimax rotation, concealed that questionnaire contains four factors including; psychological and physical abuse, non-professional care, delay in offering care and lack of family support. These factors explained 63.276% of the total variance. Cronbach’s alpha (0.88–0.90), (ICC = 0.95 (and (SEM = 3.2), confirmed the sufficient reliability of the Childbirth Violence Questionnaire with 34 items (CBVQ-34). Conclusions The CBVQ is a unique tool to assess childbirth violence through mothers’ experiences during natural birth or emergency cesarean sections. It focuses on violence from care teams, the health system, and families, unlike existing tools that mainly highlight the care team’s relationship with the mother. The CBVQ also considers the health system’s structures and family support, distinguishing it from other tools.

Free Energy Projective Simulation (FEPS): Active inference with interpretability

In the last decade, the free energy principle (FEP) and active inference (AIF) have achieved many successes connecting conceptual models of learning and cognition to mathematical models of perception and action. This effort is driven by a multidisciplinary interest in understanding aspects of self-organizing complex adaptive systems, including elements of agency. Various reinforcement learning (RL) models performing active inference have been proposed and trained on standard RL tasks using deep neural networks. Recent work has focused on improving such agents’ performance in complex environments by incorporating the latest machine learning techniques. In this paper, we build upon these techniques. Within the constraints imposed by the FEP and AIF, we attempt to model agents in an interpretable way without deep neural networks by introducing Free Energy Projective Simulation (FEPS). Using internal rewards only, FEPS agents build a representation of their partially observable environments with which they interact. Following AIF, the policy to achieve a given task is derived from this world model by minimizing the expected free energy. Leveraging the interpretability of the model, techniques are introduced to deal with long-term goals and reduce prediction errors caused by erroneous hidden state estimation. We test the FEPS model on two RL environments inspired from behavioral biology: a timed response task and a navigation task in a partially observable grid. Our results show that FEPS agents fully resolve the ambiguity of both environments by appropriately contextualizing their observations based on prediction accuracy only. In addition, they infer optimal policies flexibly for any target observation in the environment.

Determining minimal inhibitory concentrations and antibiotic susceptibility for Enterobacterales by flow cytometry using reactive oxygen species as a marker

Early appropriate antibiotic treatment is vital in reducing patient mortality. However, current antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) requires 16–24 hours of incubation, delaying appropriate antibiotic treatment. Flow cytometry (FCM) is a rapid method in assessing fluorescence (such as fluorophores for ROS) at single-cell resolution. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are oxygen-containing molecules, which are inducible by antibiotics and potentially bactericidal. We asked if FCM measurements of ROS in antibiotic-treated bacteria could be used in determining antibiotic MIC as an alternative to conventional AST. This study aims to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a FCM assay to determine antibiotic susceptibility accurately with a short turn-around time. MICs of amikacins, aztreonams, cephalosporins (with or without a lactamase inhibitor), carbapenems, levofloxacin, polymyxin B, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and tigecycline were determined for six clinical carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales isolates using conventional microbroth dilution assays and using FCM assessments in parallel. Accurate MICs determined using FCM is defined as MICs falling within 2-fold dilutions of the conventional microbroth dilution AST assay. MIC determination via ROS measurements were mostly accurate for carbapenems (22/24; 91.7% accuracy) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (5/6; 83.3% accuracy). In contrary, ROS levels were less accurate in determining MICs for amikacin (4/6; 66.7% accuracy), aztreonam (4/6; 66.7% accuracy), cephalosporins only (5/12; 41.6% accuracy), cephalosporin with lactamase inhibitor (11/18; 61.1% accuracy), polymyxin-B (2/6; 33.3% accuracy), levofloxacin (1/6; 16.7% accuracy), and tigecycline (2/6; 33.3% accuracy). These data support that ROS assessments using FCM is suitable for accurately determining MICs for carbapenems in Enterobacterales. Further optimisation and validation of this FCM assay with additional bacteria strains with varying antibiotic susceptibilities are warranted. Future studies include assessing other organisms and antibiotic pairs.

A novel sulfamoylphenyl-dihydro-thiadiazole derivative as a dual EGFR and carbonic anhydrase inhibitor for cancer therapy

A novel sulfamoylphenyl-dihydro-thiadiazole derivative (compound 14) has been designed and synthesized as a dual inhibitor targeting EGFR and human carbonic anhydrases (hCA_IX and hCA_XII). Computational studies, including density functional theory (DFT), molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations, confirmed its stability, favorable binding interactions, and reactivity profiles. Compound 14 showed potent inhibition of EGFR (IC₅₀ = 10.12 ± 0.29 nM), hCA_IX and hCA_XII (IC₅₀ = 79 ± 1.2 nM and 58 ± 0.9 nM, respectively). Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated selective activity against cancer cells, with IC₅₀ values of 16.13 µM in MDA-MB-231 and 22.57 µM in MCF-7 cells, compared to 148.32 µM in non-cancerous Vero cells. Compared to acetazolamide, compound 14 exhibited improved selectivity for cancer cells. Apoptosis studies revealed significant cell death in MDA-MB-231 cells, with early and late apoptosis rates of 22.50% and 58.27%, respectively, alongside a marked G1-phase cell cycle arrest (49.10% in treated cells vs. 44.98% in controls). In silico toxicological evaluations indicated a favorable safety profile, with low irritancy and acceptable rat oral LD₅₀ (15.81 mg/kg) and carcinogenic potency (TD₅₀ = 36.95). Compound 14’s potent dual inhibition and selective cytotoxicity make it a promising candidate for further optimization and in vivo studies.

Revenge or collusion? An experiment on payoff subtraction and addition in team contests

Group competition is prevalent in contemporary society. In this paper, we focus on the effects of payoff subtraction (revenge) and payoff addition (collusion) on expenditures in team competitions. Although theory predicts that the equilibrium of aggregate team contributions does not change, we find that competitive expenditures are indeed affected. Our results indicate that (1) embedding the payoff subtractions that target either the top investor or the entire team significantly reduces the contest expenditures of the targeted group; (2) targeting the top investor with conditional payoff subtractions (depending on relative expenses) leads to a slight reduction in total expenditures across both competing parties; and (3) if the primary objective is to reduce competitive expenditures, either to lower the rival group’s expenditures or to lower that of both sides, payoff additions of equal magnitude may be less effective than payoff subtractions. These findings provide valuable insights into potential mechanisms for reducing competitive resource waste.