Browse Articles

Modeling the transmission dynamics of Mpox virus

A new simulated annealing algorithm for simultaneous open-pit and waste dump scheduling in mining complexes

Production scheduling models for open-pit mining complexes determine the optimal sequence for extracting mining blocks while adhering to technical and operational constraints. Although various mathematical models are available in the literature, solving them for large-scale operations remains computationally intensive. This challenge becomes more complex when models aim to simultaneously schedule block extraction and waste dumping, as this introduces additional variables and constraints, further complicating the problem. This paper presents a novel Simulated Annealing (SA)-based algorithm as a solution method for the simultaneous optimisation of block extraction and waste dumping sequences in open-pit mining complexes. The proposed approach incorporates an innovative variable reduction technique and a heuristic for generating reliable initial solutions. Numerical results show that the proposed algorithm achieves an NPV within 6.08% of the exact solution derived through a commercial solver while reducing the runtime by 82%. More importantly, for relatively larger instances that commercial solver fails to resolve, the proposed method maintains robust performance and delivers high-quality solutions within reasonable computational times.

Research progress on installation and maintenance techniques of ventilation ducts in drill-and-blast tunnel construction

Non-invasive brain stimulation paradigms in treatment of alcohol use disorder: Systematic review and network meta-analysis protocol

Background Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic condition linked to allostatic neuroadaptations in the brain’s reward circuitry, leading to compulsive and automatized alcohol use in response to craving or negative affect. There are only a few treatment options for AUD, and their efficacy and tolerance profiles remain suboptimal. New AUD management strategies are actively being investigated, and among these, non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) interventions. We are planning to conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis to simultaneously compare different NIBS strategies for AUD, and the present protocol aims to document our methodological approaches and a priori decisions. Methods and analysis We will include only randomized controlled trials involving adults with AUD, alcohol dependence, or alcohol abuse. The primary interest outcomes of our review will concern alcohol consumption in AUD population. In trials investigating NIBS as a strategy for alcohol use reduction, we will explore the effect of NIBS on the reduction in total alcohol consumption and the number of heavy drinking days among participants. In trials in recently detoxified AUD patients where the potential of NIBS to prevent relapse is explored, the primary outcome will concern the rate of relapse. Data on craving and safety parameters will be gathered as secondary interest outcomes. At the time of submitting this protocol, four electronic databases (EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and The Cochrane Library) and three clinical trial registries (Clinical Trials, EU Trials, WHO ICTRP) were searched. The results of the searches were screened in a blinded manner by two authors using titles and abstracts, with conflicts adjudicated by a third author. The second round of selection based on full texts will be performed after the protocol submission. Data will then be extracted independently by two authors using a predefined extraction form. Risk of bias evaluation for each trial will be performed independently by two authors using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2). We will quantitatively synthesize the extracted results using mean differences and risk ratios as effect measures. Initially, a random-effects pairwise meta-analysis will be performed to compare treatment and control arms across different trials. A network meta-analysis will then be conducted. The results of the network meta-analysis will be presented as a network graph representing treatment nodes and direct comparisons, a league table with both direct and network meta-analysis (indirect or mixed) estimates, a net heat plot for inconsistency evaluation, and CINeMA evaluation of the confidence in our results. Systematic review registration PROSPERO registration number CRD42024504362.

Statistical methodologies for enhancing lipase production from Aspergillus Niger and using biologically treated cottonseed waste in animal nutrition

Abstract Lipases are industrially valuable biocatalysts; mainly microbial lipases, hence screening and production of lipases from various microbial strains are constantly emerging to meet the needs of the pharmaceutical and food industry sectors. More recently, different cost-effective and efficient techniques to improve lipase synthesis in microbial strains have been investigated. This article attempts to connect the production of lipases from a local isolate Aspergillus niger MK377324 under solid-state fermentation with agro-industrial waste as substrate. Plackett-Burman (PB) and central composite statistical designs (CCD) were employed to examine the effect of multiple factors such as carbon and nitrogen sources, pH, and temperature on the production of lipase from A. niger. The results showed that cottonseed waste was the optimal substrate for A. niger lipase production, while peptone, K2HPO4, and CuSO4 at final concentrations of 5.0, 2.0, 0.5, and 0.015 g/L significantly increased lipase synthesis, yielding 21.42 ± 1.3 U/g ds. Agro-industrial byproducts, which are widely available, can serve an important role in ruminant nutrition. As a result, the residual biomass of the biologically processed cottonseed waste was observed to have high protein content of 29.6% and a considerable percentage of essential amino acids such as lysine (1.28%), therionine (1.04%), and methionine (0.44%), while the crude fibre was decreased from 18.3 to 15.6%, with the potential to significantly improve the nutritional value of animal feed. Overall, using cottonseed waste as a substrate and feed source represents a promising solution to environmental and nutritional challenges. The main advantage of using lipase as a biocatalyst in a variety of organic transformations is that it may also be utilized to produce biodiesel.

Development and internal validation of the patient safety experience scale for inpatients

There is an increasing need for a practical instrument that captures patient safety experiences from the inpatient perspective and is suitable for clinical application. This study aimed to develop a Patient Safety Experience Scale (PSES) reflecting inpatient safety indicators and to evaluate its reliability and validity. An initial pool of 90 items was generated through a literature review and qualitative interviews, from which 60 items were selected based on expert evaluation and content validity assessment. A survey was conducted among 549 inpatients. Data were analyzed using item analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson’s correlation, Cronbach’s alpha, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 21.0. The final scale comprised 30 items across six factors: patient identification, prevention of medication errors, fall prevention, infection prevention, compliance with safety in daily life, and information sharing. The PSES demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .95) and strong test–retest reliability (ICC = .89). Additionally, it showed strong concurrent validity with the patient participation scale, with a correlation coefficient of.91. These findings support the internal validity of the PSES as a reliable and feasible instrument for systematically assessing safety experiences of inpatients. This scale may facilitate targeted quality improvement efforts and contribute to fostering a patient-centered safety culture in healthcare settings.

Correction: Proteomics analysis reveals FEN1 as a promising therapeutic target against small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix

Reliability assessment of the malay version visual comfort questionnaire for schoolchildren with visual impairment

Lighting adjustments are crucial in vision rehabilitation to enhance visual function and promote visual comfort. However, there is a lack of validated questionnaires to assess lighting needs among schoolchildren with visual impairment. Given the limited knowledge of their specific need for reading and learning activities, a translated and reliable instrument is essential for guiding evidence-based support. This study aims to translate, adapt, and assess face validity, content validity and reliability of the Malay version Visual Comfort Questionnaire (VCQ-M). This is a cross-sectional study that was carried out from November 2022 to January 2023. Forward-backwards translation was used to translate the items in the questionnaire from English into Malay. Face and content validity of the translated questionnaire were determined to ensure comprehensibility and cultural adaptability. Ten normal-sighted adults participated in face validation. Five optometrists were recruited as expert panels to rate the questionnaire items. The inter-rater reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Fleiss’ Kappa and the inter-class correlation coefficient (ICC). To determine the internal consistency of VCQ-M, 42 subjects with visual impairment from a special secondary school were recruited in this study to complete the VCQ-M after reading a paragraph comprised of 50 words under lighting of 125 lux. Internal consistency of VCQ-M was analysed using Cronbach’s alpha with composite reliability for confirmation. The face validity showed 91.0% of overall agreement, while the content validity index for the item was above 0.80 at item-level and scale-level. The translated VCQ-M has acceptable Fleiss’ Kappa inter-rater reliability for relevance (κ = 0.54) and comprehensibility (κ = 0.44), as well as ICC inter-rater reliability for relevance (ICC(3, 5) = 0.88) and comprehensibility (ICC(3, 5) = 0.73). The Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.92) showed acceptable internal consistency and confirmed with Dijkstra-Henseler’s rho (ρA = 0.95) and Jöreskog’s rho (ρc = 0.94). The VCQ-M shows an acceptable face validity index, content validity index, inter-rater reliability and internal consistency. This study represents a first-stage validation focused on internal consistency. Construct validity was not assessed, and thus the psychometric evaluation is partial and preliminary. However, the findings support using VCQ-M as a reliable and valid questionnaire to assess visual comfort among Malay-speaking schoolchildren with visual impairment.

Multifractal classification of rock cores based on mercury intrusion experiments

Trends in collisions and traffic mortality rates in Mexico City: A comparison of six data sources

Introduction Improving data quality is an international recommendation to advance road safety. Mexico City has several sources of road safety data which are used interchangeably, no study has analyzed their strengths and limitations. Objective We aimed to compare the trends of four indicators (total collision rate, collision resulting in injury rate, fatality rate and mortality rate) across six open access datasets of Mexico City, between 2015–2022, and to discuss their differences, strengths and limitations. Materials and methods Datasets consulted were from: police records, emergency calls, an insurance company, the justice department, the Institute for Forensic Science and vital registrations for the period 2015–2022. We descriptively compared rates and their trends and estimated percentage changes from the start to the end of the period. Results The collision, collision resulting in injury and mortality rates varied greatly across datasets. Trends over time were consistent in direction; they showed a decline in collisions and deaths from 2015 to 2020 and an increase from 2020 to 2022. However, the magnitude of the change was very different across datasets. Conclusions None of the datasets was comprehensive enough to provide a full picture of road safety in Mexico City. Differences between datasets may be related to the methodology used to report and register collisions and to the reach and remit of each institution. Our results highlight the need for a more comprehensive data information system for road safety in Mexico City and across the country. We call on researchers, practitioners and policy makers to use available data sources responsibly and to be transparent about their limitations until we progress to a unique source of information.

The role of prompt, voice, and personality factors in the acceptance and evaluation of AI-generated mindfulness exercises

Abstract AI-generated mindfulness exercises have the potential to provide tailored mindfulness interventions. However, the role of quality of AI-generated mindfulness exercises on their acceptance and evaluation is as of yet underexplored. The present work investigates effects of prompting (tailored versus non-tailored versus human), voice (trained versus non-trained versus human), and matching voice personality factors on the uncanniness, human likeness, and acceptance of AI-generated mindfulness exercises. In two experiments, n = 143 participants rated real and different variations of AI-generated mindfulness exercises. It was found that trained AI voices significantly improve the evaluation of AI-generated mindfulness exercises comparable to human controls, while no significant effects of prompting were found. A categorization task further showed that exercises by trained AI voices were indistinguishable from human mindfulness exercises. Furthermore, a mismatch of voice personality and setting (mindfulness) significantly decreased voice evaluation. The results demonstrate the importance of using trained and matching AI voices for the implementation of AI-generated mindfulness interventions.

Factors influencing visitors’ use of augmented reality technology in museum guided tours

The emergence of Augmented Reality (AR) technology has provided innovative ideas for museum tourism services, creating a unique tour experience for visitors. However, there is little research known for the user’s behavior of using AR technology in the context of interactive museum guided tour services. This study aimed to explore the factors that drive tourists to use AR guided tours in museums. Based on the Stimuli-Organism-Response framework and the Information System Success Model, this study attempted to construct a model of visitor acceptance of AR guided museum tour for explaining and predicting visitors’ behaviors of AR guided museum tours. Structural equation modeling was used in this study to analyze the data from 324 survey questionnaires. The results showed that individuation and interactivity positively affected satisfaction and perceived enjoyment, authenticity and aesthetics positively affected perceived enjoyment, and perceived enjoyment positively affected satisfaction. In addition, perceived enjoyment and satisfaction positively affected the intention to use AR guided tours. The study has revealed the factors affecting the intention to use AR guided tours, extended the application of the Stimuli-Organism-Response framework and the Information System Success Model, and enriched the theories of museum user behavior. This study can provide valuable references for museum managers, tourism marketers and AR technology developers to enhance the AR tour experience of museum visitors and promote the healthy development of museum tourism.

Optimizing imbalanced learning with genetic algorithm

Prospective associations of COVID-related stress with vaping nicotine and cannabis among high school students: Mediated by vaping susceptibility

Adolescent e-cigarette and cannabis vaping have become significant public health concerns, with rates increasing in recent years. However, there is limited research on the impacts of COVID-related stress on adolescent vaping. This study examined the longitudinal impacts of COVID-related stress on adolescent e-cigarette and cannabis vaping, including the mediating role of vaping susceptibility (which measures a lack of a firm commitment not to use a substance). We examined the prospective associations of COVID-related stress during remote learning (2020–2021) with e-cigarette and cannabis vaping use two years later (2022–2023) through the mediation of vaping susceptibility (2021–2022) among a cohort of students recruited as ninth graders from nine public high schools across Los Angeles County and surveyed annually (N = 1,316). Higher levels of COVID-related stress were prospectively associated with increased susceptibility to vaping e-cigarettes (B = 0.04, p = .02) and cannabis (B = 0.04, p = .02) one year later, which in turn increased the odds of e-cigarette (B = 0.98, p = .003) and cannabis (B = 1.62, p < .001) vaping two years later. This study highlights the critical need for effective, school-based prevention programs to reduce susceptibility to vaping, particularly during periods of heightened stress or future crises.

Microwave-assisted enhanced activation of date palm leaf char for optimized CO2 adsorption

Abstract This study presents a novel hybrid approach for producing mesoporous activated carbon (AC) from date palm leaves by integrating conventional carbonization with microwave-assisted activation. K₂CO₃ was utilized for chemical activation to enhance adsorption performance. Three critical parameters, namely microwave power, residence time, and activation temperature, were investigated focusing on yield, temperature ramp-up time, and CO₂ capture capacity. Results reveal that both microwave power and activation temperature were pivotal in influencing the yield and adsorption efficiency. Microwave-assisted activation (850 W, 500 °C, 7 min) yielded an optimal CO₂ adsorption capacity of 126.7 mg/g at 25 °C and 1 bar, with 78% and 76% reductions in activation energy and processing time, respectively. This method enhanced the textural properties of the activated carbon, increasing the surface area to 411 m²/g and improving pore size distribution, as compared to conventional thermal activation (60 min under CO₂), which achieved only 88 mg/g uptake and a surface area of 286 m²/g. Compared to conventional methods, the hybrid approach reduced energy and time demands to about 25%.

Correction: The effect of core stability training on ball-kicking velocity, sprint speed, and agility in adolescent male football players

Secondhand fashion consumers exhibit fast fashion behaviors despite sustainability narratives

Abstract The fashion industry contributes 2–8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, driven by rising clothing consumption and the proliferation of fast fashion. Fast fashion accelerates environmental harm through rapid production cycles, low costs, and short garment lifespans. Secondhand clothing markets are often promoted as a sustainable alternative, promising extended use and reduced waste. These markets have grown rapidly, with global sales reaching $177 billion in 2022 and projected to double by 2027. Despite this growth, few studies have empirically examined whether secondhand purchasing displaces or merely supplements primary market consumption. This study addresses that gap using a nationally representative survey of 1,009 U.S. consumers. We find that secondhand consumption is positively correlated with new clothing purchases ( r  = 0.58, p  < 0.01), particularly among younger consumers and frequent shoppers. Cluster and principal component analyses reveal that highly engaged secondhand consumers also exhibit high overall consumption and short garment retention. Although many report high sustainability knowledge, such knowledge does not reliably predict sustainable behavior. Drawing on rebound and moral licensing theories, we suggest that secondhand purchases may psychologically or economically justify continued overconsumption. These findings challenge assumptions about resale’s environmental benefits and support policy interventions to realign resale practices with sustainability goals.

Image super-resolution reconstruction algorithm based on multi-scale recursive attention and feature fusion

Image super-resolution reconstruction is one of the important application branches of computer vision in many fields. However, in actual complex environments, images are often subject to various interferences, leading to severe distortion in the reconstructed images. To address this issue, this study innovatively combines multi-scale feature extraction (MSFE) and attention feature fusion (AFF). After optimization, the multi-scale recursive attentional feature fusion block (MSRAFFB) and MSRAFFB Network (MSRAFFB-Net) application algorithms are proposed. Simulation experiments on standard datasets demonstrated that MSRAFFB was crucial for enhancing the overall performance of the algorithm, improving reconstruction quality over the baseline. Additionally, through reasonable network structure design (such as increasing module depth and branch complexity), MSRAFFB-Net effectively reduced reconstruction error and improved perceptual quality. The algorithm exhibited high reconstruction accuracy across different magnification factors. Furthermore, to assess the algorithm’s performance in more realistic and complex environments, the study conducted performance experiments in actual application scenarios. The results indicate that the algorithm can effectively improve the resolution and visual quality of reconstructed images while preserving the original image’s characteristic information. In summary, the proposed algorithm significantly enhances the accuracy and robustness of image reconstruction, holding positive implications for advancing the application of computer vision technology in various real-world scenarios requiring high-resolution image processing.

Scalable long-read nanopore HPV16 amplicon-based whole-genome sequencing

Long-term spatial dynamics of jaguars in a high-density population

We assessed the socio-spatial dynamics of a jaguar population over 15 years using camera-trap data from Belize. Using ~4,000 independent detections of male jaguars, we documented and quantified range shifts, overlap, and interactions between males. Additionally, ~ 700 independent detections of females allowed us to investigate interactions between the sexes. Using the distance between activity centres, we assessed the variation in space use within and between males. Male ranges were not stable: activity centres shifted from one year to the next, with a mean maximum distance moved of 8 km per individual between any two years (SD = ± 6 km, n = 371). Overall, we found no evidence of exclusive territoriality. Male jaguars overlapped extensively with one another: males shared, on average, half of their detected range with at least one other male, per year (Volume of Intersect, kernel overlap); while their activity centres lay within 2 km of at least one other male. Close encounters (two individuals at the same location within 24h) were most common between males whose activity centres were ≤ 4 km apart. We found that close encounters between prime males (3-7y) and old males (≥ 8y) occurred less frequently than expected, suggesting avoidance of stronger competitors by the physically weaker, older age class. Notably, old males also had fewer close encounters than expected with females; potentially having reduced access to females because they were avoiding areas frequented by prime males. However, we found no clear evidence of males monopolising females, as females tended to associate with more than one male during the short time windows when they were detected on trails. Overall these results are consistent with a system of scramble competition among males in which overlapping and shifting ranges result from searching for receptive females that are distributed sparsely and unevenly in space and time.