Browse Articles

Geospatial analysis of toponyms in geotagged social media posts

Place names, or toponyms, play an integral role in human representation and communication of geographic space. In particular, how people relate each toponym with particular locations in geographic space should be indicative of their spatial perception. Here, we make use of an extensive dataset of georeferenced social media posts, retrieved from Twitter, to perform a statistical analysis of the geographic distribution of toponyms and uncover the relationship between toponyms and geographic space. We show that the occurrence of toponyms is characterized by spatial inhomogeneity, giving rise to patterns that are distinct from the distribution of common nouns. Using simple models, we quantify the spatial specificity of toponym distributions and identify their core-periphery structures. In particular, we find that toponyms are used with a probability that decays as a power law with distance from the geographic center of their occurrence. Our findings highlight the potential of social media data to explore linguistic patterns in geographic space, paving the way for comprehensive analyses of human spatial representations.

Comparing the hamstring muscle activity between injured and non-injured sides during a variety of Nordic hamstring exercises

Objectives To compare the electromyographic activity of the Biceps femoris long head and Semitendinosus muscles during bilateral and unilateral isometric Nordic hamstring exercise performed on an inclined platform at different knee flexion angles between leg side with and without a history of hamstring strain injury. Methods Ten physically active male volunteers with a history of hamstring strain injury in either leg performed isometric Nordic hamstring exercise, maintaining the exercise position for 5 s under the following conditions: (1) bilateral, 150° knee angle on a 50° inclined platform (BL50); (2) bilateral, 140° knee angle on a 40° inclined platform (BL40); (3) unilateral, 150° knee angle on a 50° inclined platform (UL50); and (4) unilateral, 140° knee angle on a 40° inclined platform (UL40). External torque on the knee joint was controlled to ensure equivalence across conditions. Electromyographic activity of the Biceps femoris long head, Semitendinosus, and related muscles was measured in both legs with and without a history of hamstring strain injury. Results The Biceps femoris long head muscle demonstrated significantly higher electromyographic activity during the unilateral Nordic hamstring exercise tasks, irrespective of hamstring strain injury history (p < 0.05). The Biceps femoris long head electromyographic activity was higher than Semitendinosus activity only in unilateral Nordic hamstring exercise conditions.. Additionally, no significant differences in the electromyographic activity were observed across the different slope angles when the external torque at the knee joint was matched (p > 0.05). Conclusions These findings suggest that performing isometric unilateral Nordic hamstring exercise at shallow knee flexion angles preferentially enhances the muscle activation of biceps femoris long head muscle regardless of hamstring strain injury history.

Quantification of serum elastase inhibitory activity in patients with pulmonary emphysema with and without alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Pulmonary emphysema, a component of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by irreversible alveolar tissue destruction and is produced by an imbalance between proteolytic enzymes, mostly neutrophil elastase (NE), and its inhibitors, mainly alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT). We measured elastase-inhibitory activity (EIA) in serum samples and determined whether there is an association between EIA and COPD severity. This cross-sectional study recruited COPD patients with and without severe alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) and healthy controls. A semi-automated method assessed EIA using a porcine elastase inhibition assay. EIA levels and the EIA/AAT ratio were compared across groups and the correlation with clinical variables was analysed. A total of 86 individuals were recruited: 36 COPD patients, 20 individuals with COPD associated with AATD (Pi*ZZ mutation), of whom 11 were on augmentation therapy, and 30 healthy controls. Positive, linear and significant relationships were observed between EIA and AAT levels. The EIA/AAT ratio was higher in non AATD-related COPD patients compared to untreated Pi*ZZ patients and controls. Further analysis in non-AATD-related COPD patients revealed a higher EIA/AAT ratio associated with older age, higher comorbidity burden and a trend towards higher severity of lung disease. The strong correlation between AAT levels and EIA suggests that the assay technique employed is robust and effective for assessing EIA. The EIA assay may serve as a potential biomarker for the assessment of the severity and prognosis of emphysema.

Forest structure, timber species regeneration, and timber volume dynamics along a logging gradient in a lowland tropical rainforest in Africa: Implications for biodiversity conservation and sustainable timber management

Timber production, cutting and extraction is impacting vast areas of tropical forests, highlighting the need for management strategies to promote sustainable recovery of logged forests. However, limited information is available on how logging and enrichment planting affect forest structure, commercial tree species, and timber volume recovery. In this study, we assessed the effects of timber cutting and extraction (“logging”) on forest structure, regeneration of key timber species, and volume recovery across different logging intensities. We compared the effects of enrichment planting, initiated over 60 years ago, versus natural regeneration on timber volume recovery of Khaya anthotheca (Welw.) C.DC., a highly targeted species. We inventoried all live stems with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of ≥2 cm across 9 compartments using 45 plots of 0.5 ha each: heavily logged forests (25 plots, totaling 12.5 ha), lightly logged forests (15 plots, totaling 7.5 ha), and unlogged forest (5 plots, totaling 2.5 ha). Our results suggest that timber production has impacted on tree regeneration of harvested timber species such Entandrophragma species, Milicia excelsa (Welw.) C. Berg, Olea capensis L. subsp. welwitschii (Knobl.) Friis & Green and Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Heckel; Timber volume recovery of harvested species was 61.3% lower in heavily logged and 51.7% lower in lightly logged forests compared to unlogged forest. Stem density, basal area, and timber volume recovery of mahogany species were influenced by time since last logging. Notably, the compartment which was logged earlier in 1945 and enriched with K. anthotheca showed significantly higher stem density and timber volume of this species compared to logged forests without such enrichment. In conclusion, our study suggests that passive regeneration in Budongo’s logged compartments has been inadequate for achieving timber volume recovery of high-value commercial species. If an economic assessment proves favorable we recommend further trials of enrichment planting of high-value timber species (Mahogany spp., Milicia excelsa , and Olea capensis ) alongside fast-growing species ( Maesopsis eminii Engl., Albizia spp.). As well as Reduced Impact Logging and broader species selection from classes II and III, to reduce damage and enhance timber yields in production forests.

Qualitative analysis of elite football players’ causal attribution to not playing: A perspective of attribution theory

This study explores the causal attributions of professional football players who experience reduced playing time or exclusion from the squad, focusing on the psychological and relational consequences of these experiences. Using a qualitative thematic analysis approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 elite football players from Turkey’s top league, all of whom had represented the national team. The findings reveal that players predominantly attribute their exclusion to coach preferences and subjective decisions, rather than their performance. This attribution process often leads to negative emotional outcomes, including feelings of exclusion, loss of motivation, diminished self-worth, and identity confusion. The study also highlights that a lack of clear communication from coaches exacerbates these negative emotions and can strain both team dynamics and players’ personal lives. Furthermore, the results indicate that prolonged periods of exclusion may result in decreased training effort and a decline in overall performance, creating a negative feedback loop. These findings underscore the importance of transparent communication and supportive coach-athlete relationships in mitigating the adverse effects of reduced playing time. The study contributes to the literature by providing new insights into the underexplored area of athletes’ psychological responses to exclusion and offers practical recommendations for coaches to foster athlete motivation and well-being, even in challenging circumstances.

Association between serum uric acid to high-density lipoprotein ratio and all-cause in hypertensive patients: Mediating role of neutrophils

Background The aim of this study was mainly to investigate the association between Serum uric acid (SUA) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (UHR) and all-cause mortality in hypertensive patients,and to further investigate the mediating role of neutrophils. Methods Our cohort study included 4533 hypertensive patients drawn from the 2005–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database and combined with the National Death Index (NDI) database to obtain mortality data for subjects. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, multifactorial Cox risk-proportional modeling, restricted cubic spline (RCS)-based smoothed curve fitting, threshold effects analysis, and subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between UHR and all-cause mortality, and, finally,causal mediating effects were performed to analyze the mediating role of neutrophils. Results Over a mean duration of 90.32 months, the follow-up all-cause mortality occurred in 1003 individuals, and the mean age of all subjects included was (61.69 ± 14.28) years, and the Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated that high levels of UHR were notably connected to lower survival. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, high quartile UHR was positively connected to all-cause mortality (HR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.03,1.80, P = 0.031), and smoothed curve fitting combined with threshold effect analysis showed a nonlinear relationship between UHR and all-cause mortality, with a curve inflection point of 0.14, i.e., when UHR < 0.14, an increase in UHR did not affect the increase in all-cause mortality (HR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.06, 11.51, P = 0.8968), and when UHR > 0.14, the all-cause mortality increased with the increase in UHR. We further stratify by gender and find that the inflection point for male UHR is 0.13, the suggesting that the association between UHR and all-cause mortality increased with increasing UHR when UHR was < 0.13, HR (95% CI): 0.01 (0.00, 0.22), P < 0.01 and when UHR > 0.13, HR (95% CI): 0.41 (0.04, 1.36), P < 0.01. However there was a significant linear correlation for females (HR: 1.31 95% CI: 0.15, 11.55, P < 0.0001). Analysis of causal mediating effects elucidated that the proportion of neutrophils mediating the association between UHR and all-cause mortality was 18.63%. Conclusion There was a significant positive correlation between elevated UHR and all-cause mortality in hypertensive patients, and this association may be mediated with neutrophils.

Research on forward multi-step prediction of EU carbon prices considering multiple factors new evidence from a hybrid model combining secondary decomposition technique and transformer

An accurate prediction of carbon pricing is essential in carbon emission management, and also provides an important role for governments to formulate corresponding policies. However, due to the inherent complexity and dynamics of carbon price sequence, the effectiveness of different decomposition algorithms for carbon price remains to be tested. In addition, existing studies lack a systematic framework to explore the organic integration of external factors and secondary decomposition technology, and the feature processing of complex external factors still needs to be improved. In order to overcome the shortcomings of existing research, This paper presents a Variational Modal Decomposition(VMD) algorithm and a Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Second decomposition technology of Noise(CEEMDAN) decomposition algorithm, and extract the features of external factors by Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm. The HI-VMD-PE-CEEMDAN-XGBoost-Transformer model for predicting carbon price is constructed by the combined Transformer algorithm. Specifically, first, we use Hampel identifer(HI) to detect and rectify the anomalies in the original sequence. After applying Variational Mode Decomposition(VMD) decomposition algorithm, Permutation Entropy(PE) is utilized to reassemble the decomposed component. Quadratic Decomposition is performed by Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise(CEEMDAN) algorithm. Then, the XGBoost algorithm is employed to extract features of external factors and screen key factors as predictive input variables. Finally, Transformer, which has stronger capability of large-scale data parallel processing, is selected as the prediction model to achieve a more scientific and effective carbon price prediction. The empirical analysis results based on EU carbon market data verify the validity and superiority of the proposed model in different forecasting scenarios.

Analyzing the evolutionary trajectory of technological themes based on the BERTopic model: A case study in the field of artificial intelligence

As the wave of technological innovation propels national development into the future, technological advancement has emerged as a crucial pillar for enhancing international competitiveness. Unraveling the evolutionary trajectory of technologies and their associated themes provides a solid theoretical foundation for strategic decision-making in fostering future industrial technological upgrades, thereby aiding in seizing the initiative in technological innovation. This study, adopts a multi-source data perspective, employing the life cycle theory to delineate temporal windows. We use the BERTopic model to extract technological themes and construct a co-occurrence network of theme keywords. Three network centrality indices are computed to filter key theme terms, and the Word2Vec model is leveraged to calculate cosine similarities. Ultimately, we map out the evolutionary pathway of technological themes using Sankey diagrams. Taking the field of artificial intelligence as an example, the study found that the proposed method could effectively identify 48 technical theme keywords and analyze the technological evolution paths of these keywords in areas such as scenario applications, network services, human-computer interaction, intelligent detection, and natural language processing. Furthermore, all evaluation metrics of the model outperformed those of comparable topic models. The rationality of the empirical results was validated through examination against national policies and market application scenarios.

The P-loop NTPase RUVBL2 is a conserved clock component across eukaryotes

Factors associated with breast lesions among women attending select teaching and referral health facilities in Kenya: A cross-sectional study

Despite extensive research on the risk factors for breast cancer, little is known about the factors contributing to other breast lesions, of which some pose an increased risk for this disease. The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with breast lesions among women presenting to referral facilities in Kenya for care between December 2016 and December 2019. An analytical cross-sectional study design was used to investigate the factors associated with breast lesions among 651 women with breast lumps. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to evaluate the impact of the factors on the breast lesions. The median age of participants was 30 years (range: 16−87), with the majority having secondary education and belonging to the Kikuyu ethnic group. Parity, exercise, and contraceptive use were significant factors identified. Nulliparous women had significantly lower odds of developing malignant [aOR: 0.11; 95% CI: 0.05–0.26] and suspicious [aOR: 0.23; 95% CI: 0.07–0.71] lesions. Regular exercise was associated with lower odds of both malignant and suspicious lesions. Conversely, contraceptive use increased the odds of developing atypical [aOR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.28–2.98] lesions, suspicious [aOR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.14–0.78], and malignant lesions [aOR: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.18–0.55]. Exercise, parity, and hormonal contraception were independently found to be significant factors associated with breast lesions in this study. These findings underscore the necessity for personalized risk reduction strategies and emphasize the importance of understanding the risk factors for both benign and malignant breast disease to inform public health policies.

Long-term pulmonary sequelae and convalescent immune reactions in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients during the active treatment era

Background During the COVID-19 endemic phase, pulmonary sequelae substantially contributed to disease burden. Immunologic responses may be critical in both acute COVID-19 and in long-term sequelae. We aimed to evaluate associations between convalescent neutralizing antibodies and long-term pulmonary sequelae in patients hospitalized with mild to moderate COVID-19. Methods Among patients who recovered from hospitalization due to COVID-19, those who consented to participate in the study provided convalescent serum between June 2021 and April 2022. These baseline patients were invited for a second follow-up visit between September and November 2023. A serum sample was collected at the second visit, and low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) was performed. Pulmonary sequelae were defined as findings of fibrotic, fibrotic-like, and ground-glass opacities (GGOs). Antibody and cytokine levels were assessed in serum samples from the baseline convalescent phase, and antibody levels were also measured in the serum sample at the second visit. Results A total of 107 patients were enrolled at baseline, and 37 consented to the second follow-up visit. Most second-visit patients (97.3%, 36/37) did not require an oxygen supply beyond that provided via masks or nasal prongs. Twenty-two patients (59.5%) exhibited pulmonary sequelae on chest CT at a median follow-up period of 27 months (interquartile range 25–28, range 22−30) after hospitalization for COVID-19. Fifteen patients (40.5%) had fibrotic or fibrotic-like pulmonary changes, and twelve (32.4%) had GGOs. Pulmonary sequelae were associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio 1.130, 95% confidence interval 1.028–1.243; P = 0.011). There were no significant differences in convalescent cytokines or neutralizing antibodies between patients with pulmonary sequelae and those without. Conclusion Pulmonary sequelae were quite common on chest CT after two years of mild to moderate COVID-19 and were associated with older age. The immunological or inflammatory status in the immediate post-acute infection period did not predict long-term complications.

Why do hailstones get so big? Scientists are chasing storms to find answers

An effective approach for fault diagnosis: Conflict management and BBA generation

Evidence Theory (ET) is widely applied to handle uncertainty issues in fault diagnosis. However, when dealing with highly conflicting evidence, the use of Dempster’s rule may result in outcomes that contradict reality. To address this issue, this paper proposes a fault diagnosis decision-making method. The method is primarily divided into two parts. First, a similarity measurement method is introduced to solve the conflict management problem. This method combines the belief and plausibility functions within ET. It not only considers the numerical similarity between pieces of evidence but also takes into account directional similarity, better capturing the differences between different pieces of evidence. The effectiveness of this method is validated through several complex numerical examples. Next, based on this measurement method, we propose a conflict management method, which is validated through comparative experiments. Then, considering the inherent uncertainty in real-world sensor data, we propose a basic belief assignment (BBA) generation method based on Student’s t-distribution and fuzzy membership functions. Finally, by combining the proposed conflict management method based on similarity measurement with the BBA generation method, we derive the final fault diagnosis decision, and its effectiveness is demonstrated through an application.

A walk down memory lane and other stirring stories: Books in brief

Influence of enclosure design on the behaviour and welfare of Pogona vitticeps

Complex or naturalistic enclosures have become increasingly accepted as those best-suited to improve an animal’s welfare. However, designing such enclosures can be difficult if little is known about the animal in the wild, and enclosures that aim to replicate natural habitats must still be assessed to ensure their assumed benefits are realized. Therefore, this study examined the behaviour and physiology of captive-bred bearded dragons ( Pogona vitticeps ) living in naturalistic- and standard-style enclosures. First, we assessed whether naturalistic-style enclosures better accommodated a lizard’s behaviour by examining if lizards in these enclosures were inactive for a similar amount of time as their wild counterparts, if they used their enclosures more evenly than standard-housed lizards, and if naturalistic enclosures provided better thermal heterogeneity than standard enclosures. Then, we examined if living in naturalistic-style enclosures improved the lizard’s welfare by examining behaviours related to stress and relaxation as well as heterophil to lymphocyte (H:L) ratios. Although naturalistic enclosures did offer better thermal heterogeneity, evidence that they better accommodated a lizard’s behaviour or improved their welfare was equivocal: lizards spent the majority of their day inactive, in one area of the enclosure, and performed similar amounts of behaviours related to stress and relaxation, regardless of enclosure style. Furthermore, H:L ratios were only lower for female lizards in naturalistic enclosures. Our results may have been influenced by the timeline of data collection but could also suggest that standard enclosures are sufficient for P. vitticeps , that P. vitticeps perceive standard- and naturalistic-style enclosures as similar, or that the potential benefits of naturalistic enclosures were hampered by the enclosure’s size. Ultimately, it was apparent that structural complexity alone was insufficient to influence lizard welfare, highlighting the importance of considering the animal’s motivations throughout their life and aspects other than enrichment for effective enclosure design.

Vascular dysfunction is associated with major adverse cardiovascular events in prediabetes: A cohort study

Background Prediabetes is a growing public health concern that increases the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Vascular dysfunction worsens with hyperglycemia and is associated with MACE in several high-risk populations. However, it is unknown whether vascular dysfunction contributes to MACE in prediabetes. We hypothesized that vascular dysfunction is associated with elevated risk of MACE in prediabetes. Methods We conducted an observational study of 5742 adults (age 54.9 ± 11.5 years, 54% female) in the Framingham Offspring and Generation III cohorts. Prediabetes was defined using the ADA criteria. Endothelial function was determined via brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (BA-FMD), aortic stiffness via carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), and coronary artery calcium (CAC) score via computed tomography. Stepwise selection models evaluated BA-FMD, cfPWV, and CAC score by prediabetes status. The association of BA-FMD, cfPWV, and CAC score with time to MACE was assessed via Cox proportional hazards regression. Results Individuals with prediabetes had lower BA-FMD and higher cfPWV and CAC score (p < 0.001). In stepwise selection models, age, sex, smoking history, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and fasting glucose related to vascular dysfunction. After adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, BA-FMD (HR [95% CI], 0.93 [0.90,0.97]; p < 0.001) and CAC score >100 [HR [95% CI], 4.15 [2.24, 7.70]; p < 0.001)] were associated with MACE in prediabetes while cfPWV was not (p = 0.051). Conclusions Vascular dysfunction measured by BA-FMD independently associates with MACE in prediabetes. Therapies that target vascular dysfunction may reduce CVD risk in prediabetes.

Harvard researchers devastated as Trump team cuts nearly 1,000 grants

Modeling of wheelchair movement trajectory error and analysis of self-correcting control mechanism in disabled table tennis

A wheelchair kinematic model was constructed to address the wheelchair control problem in table tennis for disabled individuals. The influence of slipping factors was considered, and a differential model of motion trajectory error was derived. A table tennis wheelchair self-correcting control model was designed based on the back-stepping method. Under the self-correcting control model, the state observer continuously observes the error of the motion trajectory and provides compensation to suppress disturbances including slippage, ensuring the stability of the table tennis wheelchair operation. The Lyapunov stability of the proposed self-correcting control model has been demonstrated. Through two sets of simulation experiments, the control effect of the self-correcting model on the linear and circular movement of the wheelchair, especially the suppression effect on slipping interference, was verified. The comparative experimental results show that under the control of the self-correcting model, the error variation of the wheelchair’s movement trajectory is significantly smaller than that of the PID method and PSO method.

A Trial of Trimethoprim–Sulfamethoxazole in Pregnancy to Improve Birth Outcomes

A real-world disproportionality analysis of Tenofovir Alafenamide (TAF): Data mining of the FDA adverse event reporting system (FAERS)

Objects Tenofovir Alafenamide (TAF) is a novel antiviral drug approved for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Our research objective was to evaluate the safety characteristics of TAF in practical settings by analyzing data from the FDA adverse event reporting system (FAERS) database maintained by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Method In our investigation, we examined the uneven distribution of adverse events associated with TAF by employing statistical metrics including the Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR), Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR), Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN), and Gamma-Poisson Shrinker (GPS) to determine their significance. Results Out of the 57692002 case reports in the FAERS database, 1911 reported TAF as a major suspected (PS) adverse events (AEs). A disproportionate analysis identified 43 preferred terms (PTs) related to TAF. It is worth noting that we have observed unexpected significant adverse events, such as cerebral infarction, bone pain, swallowing difficulties, drug resistance, dementia, etc., which are not mentioned in the drug instructions. Conclusion These findings unearth novel neurological, metabolic, and resistance - related risks, thereby necessitating a marked increase in clinical vigilance. The identification of signals related to cerebral infarction and dementia implies potential vascular/metabolic interplay, highlighting the importance of lipid monitoring among long - term tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) users. In response, healthcare providers should prioritize strengthening the monitoring of neurological symptoms and lipid profiles, reevaluating bone health assessment and management protocols especially in high - risk populations, and providing support to enhance patient adherence to mitigate resistance risks. This analysis offers crucial post - marketing evidence, which is instrumental in optimizing the risk - benefit balance of TAF in the long - term management of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.