Search Results (14)

Accurate and real-time detection of maize foliar diseases is important for field disease monitoring and yield protection. However, in complex natural field environments, different diseases often exhibit high visual similarity, and early weak lesions are easily confused with background elements such as dry leaves, soil, and shadows, leading to false positives and missed detections in existing models. To address these challenges, this study proposes an improved lightweight maize foliar disease detection model based on YOLO11, termed CKM-YOLO11. First, a mixed local channel attention mechanism is introduced and adapted to the task in the backbone to construct the C3k2-MLCA module, thereby enhancing joint modeling of local lesion textures, edge details, and global contextual information. Second, a lightweight residual attention module, named MLCA-HeadLite, is designed at the P5 layer of the neck/head to alleviate the suppression of weak lesion responses during deep feature fusion. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model achieves an mAP@50 of 81.5% on a self-constructed maize disease dataset with complex field backgrounds, improving mAP@50 and mAP@50–95 by 3.2 and 3.4 percentage points, respectively, compared with the baseline YOLO11, while maintaining a low parameter count and computational cost. Further analyses based on the confusion matrix, comparisons of detection results, and Grad-CAM visualizations indicate that the proposed model performs better in background suppression, retention of weak lesion responses, and robustness in complex scenes. This study provides a reference for the lightweight design of maize foliar disease detection models in complex field environments and their deployment on agricultural edge devices. Full article

Background: Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) syndrome involves interconnected cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic conditions. The dose–response relationship between physical activity and bidirectional CKM stage transitions remains unclear. Methods: Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), cross-sectional analysis pooled 14,310 observations from 10,868 participants. Logistic regression with clustered robust standard errors accounted for intra-individual correlation. Longitudinal analysis (n = 3442) employed continuous-time multi-state Markov models with a 5-state structure (Stages 0–4). To evaluate physical activity effects, stages were regrouped into low-risk (Stages 0–2) and high-risk states (Stages 3–4) using a 2 × 2 transition intensity matrix. Physical activity was measured in MET-min/week and categorized into quartiles (Q1–Q4). Results: Compared with Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 were associated with 43.1%, 52.5%, and 53.1% lower risk of high-risk CKM stages, respectively. RCS analysis demonstrated nonlinear dose–response relationships between physical activity and CKM stage progression. Subgroup analyses showed more pronounced protective effects in older adults and single individuals. During 4-year follow-up, 31.6% experienced progression and 6.8% showed improvement. Stage 4 acted as a complete absorbing state without any reversal. Transition intensity analysis revealed that transitions between adjacent stages were notably higher than cross-stage transitions. The Q4 physical activity level significantly reduced transitions from low-risk to high-risk states (HR = 0.598, 95% CI: 0.459–0.777) and promoted transitions from high-risk to low-risk states (HR = 2.995, 95% CI: 1.257–7.134). Conclusions: Moderate-to-high physical activity effectively reduces CKM progression risk and promotes improvement, providing evidence for CKM prevention and management. Full article

The integration of omics technologies, including genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics, has transformed sports science, particularly soccer, by providing new opportunities to optimize player performance, reduce injury risk, and enhance recovery. This systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines and structured using the PICOS/PECOS framework. Comprehensive searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to August 2025. Eligible studies were peer-reviewed original research involving professional or elite soccer players that applied at least one omics approach to outcomes related to performance, health, recovery, or injury prevention. Reviews, conference abstracts, editorials, and studies not involving soccer or omics technologies were excluded. A total of 139 studies met the inclusion criteria. Across the included studies, a total of 19,449 participants were analyzed. Genomic investigations identified numerous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning key biological pathways. Cardiovascular and vascular genes (e.g., ACE, AGT, NOS3, VEGF, ADRA2A, ADRB1–3) were associated with endurance, cardiovascular regulation, and recovery. Genes related to muscle structure, metabolism, and hypertrophy (e.g., ACTN3, CKM, MLCK, TRIM63, TTN-AS1, HIF1A, MSTN, MCT1, AMPD1) were linked to sprint performance, metabolic efficiency, and muscle injury susceptibility. Neurotransmission-related genes (BDNF, COMT, DRD1–3, DBH, SLC6A4, HTR2A, APOE) influenced motivation, fatigue, cognitive performance, and brain injury recovery. Connective tissue and extracellular matrix genes (COL1A1, COL1A2, COL2A1, COL5A1, COL12A1, COL22A1, ELN, EMILIN1, TNC, MMP3, GEFT, LIF, HGF) were implicated in ligament, tendon, and muscle injury risk. Energy metabolism and mitochondrial function genes (PPARA, PPARG, PPARD, PPARGC1A, UCP1–3, FTO, TFAM) shaped endurance capacity, substrate utilization, and body composition. Oxidative stress and detoxification pathways (GSTM1, GSTP1, GSTT1, NRF2) influenced recovery and resilience, while bone-related variants (VDR, P2RX7, RANK/RANKL/OPG) were associated with bone density and remodeling. Beyond genomics, proteomics identified markers of muscle damage and repair, metabolomics characterized fatigue- and energy-related signatures, and microbiomics revealed links between gut microbial diversity, recovery, and physiological resilience. Evidence from omics research in soccer supports the potential for individualized approaches to training, nutrition, recovery, and injury prevention. By integrating genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics data, clubs and sports practitioners may design precision strategies tailored to each player’s biological profile. Future research should expand on multi-omics integration, explore gene–environment interactions, and improve representation across sexes, age groups, and competitive levels to advance precision sports medicine in soccer. Full article

Cardio-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome represents an integrated clinical and molecular continuum encompassing metabolic dysfunction, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. This multidimensional disorder arises from interdependent biological pathways that extend beyond conventional risk factors. Emerging evidence highlights a group of adipokines and vascular modulators—including retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), lipocalin 2 (LCN2), apolipoprotein M (ApoM), Klotho and matrix Gla protein (MGP)—emerging molecular modulators with potential involvement in CKM pathophysiology. Pro-inflammatory adipokines such as RBP4 and LCN2 contribute to insulin resistance, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. In contrast, protective molecules including ApoM and Klotho preserve nitric oxide bioavailability, lipid metabolism and antioxidant defense. MGP modulates vascular calcification and adipose remodeling, with its inactive form (dp-ucMGP) linked to vascular stiffness and renal decline. The combined dysregulation of these molecules sustains cycles of inflammation, oxidative stress and tissue remodeling that drive CKM progression. Collectively, current data support their dual role as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Nonetheless, clinical translation remains limited, emphasizing the need for standardized assays, longitudinal validation, and integrative multimarker approaches within precision medicine frameworks for CKM syndrome. Full article

The Belle II experiment has collected a 364 fb⁻¹ sample of collisions at the ${\rm Y}\left(4S\right)$ resonance. This dataset, with its low particle multiplicity and well-constrained initial state, provides an ideal environment for studying semileptonic and missing energy B decays. In this paper, I will present recent results on these decays, emphasizing their impact on the determination of CKM matrix elements and potential new physics. I will also discuss the techniques used for missing energy reconstruction and the challenges of signal-background discrimination. Future analysis prospects with larger datasets will also be highlighted. Full article

The search for New Physics (NP) beyond the Standard Model (SM) has been a central focus of particle physics, including in the context of B-meson decays involving $b\to s\ell \ell$ transitions. These transitions, mediated by flavour-changing neutral currents, are highly sensitive to small NP effects due to their suppression in the SM. While direct searches at colliders have not yet led to NP discoveries, indirect probes through semi-leptonic decays have revealed anomalies in observables such as the branching fraction $\mathcal{B}(B\to K\mu \mu )$ and the angular observable $P_5^{\prime }(B\to K^{\ast }\mu \mu )$. In order to assess the observed tensions, it is essential to ensure an accurate SM prediction. In this review, we examine the theoretical basis of the $B\to K^{(\ast )}\ell \ell$ decays, addressing in particular key uncertainties arising from local and non-local form factors. We also discuss the impact of QED corrections to the Wilson coefficients, as well as the effect of CKM matrix elements on the predictions and the tension with the experimental measurements. We discuss the most recent results, highlighting ongoing efforts to refine predictions and to constrain potential signs of NP in these critical decay processes. Full article

Precise measurements of nuclear beta decays provide a unique insight into the Standard Model due to their connection to the electroweak interaction. These decays help constrain the unitarity or non-unitarity of the Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa (CKM) quark mixing matrix, and can uniquely probe the existence of exotic scalar or tensor currents. Of these decays, superallowed mixed mirror transitions have been the least well-studied, in part due to the absence of data on their Fermi to Gamow-Teller mixing ratios ($\rho$). At the Nuclear Science Laboratory (NSL) at the University of Notre Dame, the Superallowed Transition Beta-Neutrino Decay Ion Coincidence Trap (St. Benedict) is being constructed to determine the $\rho$ for various mirror decays via a measurement of the beta–neutrino angular correlation parameter ($a_{\beta \nu }$) to a relative precision of 0.5%. In this work, we present an overview of the St. Benedict facility and the impact it will have on various Beyond the Standard Model studies, including an expanded sensitivity study of $\rho$ for various mirror nuclei accessible to the facility. A feasibility evaluation is also presented that indicates the measurement goals for many mirror nuclei, which are currently attainable in a week of radioactive beam delivery at the NSL. Full article

We report a theoretical derivation of the Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa (CKM) matrix parameters and the accompanying mixing angles. These results are arrived at from the exceptional Jordan algebra applied to quark states, and from expressing flavor eigenstates (i.e., left chiral states) as a superposition of mass eigenstates (i.e., the right chiral states) weighted by the square root of mass. Flavor mixing for quarks is mediated by the square root mass eigenstates, and the mass ratios used are derived from earlier work from a left–right symmetric extension of the standard model. This permits a construction of the CKM matrix from first principles. There exist only four normed division algebras, and they can be listed as follows: the real numbers $\mathbb{R}$, the complex numbers $\mathbb{C}$, the quaternions $\mathbb{H}$ and the octonions $\mathbb{O}$. The first three algebras are fairly well known; however, octonions as algebra are less studied. Recent research has pointed towards the importance of octonions in the study of high-energy physics. Clifford algebras and the standard model are being studied closely. The main advantage of this approach is that the spinor representations of the fundamental fermions can be constructed easily here as the left ideals of the algebra. Also, the action of various spin groups on these representations can also be studied easily. In this work, we build on some recent advances in the field and try to determine the CKM angles from an algebraic framework. We obtain the mixing angle values as ${\theta }_{12}={11.093}^{\circ },{\theta }_{13}={0.172}^{\circ },{\theta }_{23}={4.054}^{\circ }$. In comparison, the corresponding experimentally measured values for these angles are ${13.04}^{\circ }\pm {0.05}^{\circ },{0.201}^{\circ }\pm {0.011}^{\circ },{2.38}^{\circ }\pm {0.06}^{\circ }$. The agreement of theory with experiment is likely to improve when the running of quark masses is taken into account. Full article

We review the status of the Standard Model theory of neutron beta decay. Particular emphasis is put on the recent developments in the electroweak radiative corrections. Given that some existing approaches give slightly different results, we thoroughly review the origin of discrepancies, and provide our recommended value for the radiative correction to the neutron and nuclear decay rates. The use of dispersion relation, lattice Quantum Chromodynamics, and an effective field theory framework allows for high-precision theory calculations at the level of ${10}^{-4}$, turning neutron beta decay into a powerful tool to search for new physics, complementary to high-energy collider experiments. We offer an outlook to the future improvements. Full article

Nuclear super-allowed $\beta$ decay has been used to obtain tight limits on the value of the CKM matrix element $V_{ud}$ that is important for unitarity tests and, therefore, for tests of the standard model. Current requirements on precision are so intense that effects formerly thought too small to matter are now considered relevant. This article is a brief review of personal efforts to include the effects of strong interactions on Fermi $\beta$ decay. First, I examine the role of isospin violation in the decay of the neutron. The size of the necessary correction depends upon detailed strong-interaction dynamics. The isospin violating parts of the nucleon wave function, important at the low energy of $\beta$ decay, can be constrained by data taken at much higher energies, via measurements, for example, of $ed\to e^{\prime }{\pi }^{\pm }+\mathrm{X}$ reactions at Jefferson Laboratory. The next point of focus is on the role of nuclear short-ranged correlations, which affect the value of the correction needed to account for isospin violation in extracting the value of $V_{ud}$. The net result is that effects previously considered as irrelevant are now considered relevant for both neutron and nuclear $\beta$ decay. Full article

This paper reviews the puzzles in modern neutron lifetime measurements and related unitarity issues in the CKM matrix. It is not a comprehensive and unbiased compilation of all historic data and studies, but rather a focus on compelling evidence leading to new physics. In particular, the largely overlooked nuances of different techniques applied in material and magnetic trap experiments are clarified. Further detailed analysis shows that the “beam” approach of neutron lifetime measurements is likely to give the “true” $\beta$-decay lifetime, while discrepancies in “bottle” measurements indicate new physics at play. The most feasible solution to these puzzles is a newly proposed ordinary-mirror neutron ($n-n^{\prime }$) oscillation model under the framework of mirror matter theory. This phenomenological model is reviewed and introduced, and its explanations of the neutron lifetime anomaly and possible non-unitarity of the CKM matrix are presented. Most importantly, various new experimental proposals, especially lifetime measurements with small/narrow magnetic traps or under super-strong magnetic fields, are discussed in order to test the surprisingly large anomalous signals that are uniquely predicted by this new $n-n^{\prime }$ oscillation model. Full article

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of zearalenone (ZEA) exposure on uterine development in weaned gilts by quantitative proteome analysis with tandem mass spectrometry tags (TMT). A total of 16 healthy weaned gilts were randomly divided into control (basal diet) and ZEA3.0 treatments groups (basal diet supplemented with 3.0 mg/kg ZEA). Results showed that vulva size and uterine development index were increased (p < 0.05), whereas serum follicle stimulation hormone, luteinizing hormone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone were decreased in gilts fed the ZEA diet (p < 0.05). ZEA, α-zearalenol (α-ZOL) and β-zearalenol (β-ZOL) were detected in the uteri of gilts fed a 3.0 mg/kg ZEA diet (p < 0.05). The relative protein expression levels of creatine kinase M-type (CKM), atriopeptidase (MME) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were up-regulated (p < 0.05), whereas aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member (ALDH1A2), secretogranin-1 (CHGB) and SURP and G-patch domain containing 1 (SUGP1) were down-regulated (p < 0.05) in the ZEA3.0 group by western blot, which indicated that the proteomics data were dependable. In addition, the functions of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) mainly involved the cellular process, biological regulation and metabolic process in the biological process category. Some important signaling pathways were changed in the ZEA3.0 group, such as extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction, focal adhesion and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase–protein kinase B (PI3K-AKT) signaling pathway (p < 0.01). This study sheds new light on the molecular mechanism of ZEA in the uterine development of gilts. Full article

We review some recent progress in the theory of electroweak radiative corrections in semileptonic decay processes. The resurrection of the so-called Sirlin’s representation based on current algebra relations permits a clear separation between the perturbatively-calculable and incalculable pieces in the $\mathcal{O}\left(G_F\alpha \right)$ radiative corrections. The latter are expressed as compact hadronic matrix elements that allow systematic non-perturbative analysis such as dispersion relation and lattice QCD. This brings substantial improvements to the precision of the electroweak radiative corrections in semileptonic decays of pion, kaon, free neutron and $J^P=0^{+}$ nuclei that are important theory inputs in precision tests of the Standard Model. Unresolved issues and future prospects are discussed. Full article

Nowadays, collaborative knowledge management (CKM) is well accepted as a decisive asset in the field of networked enterprises and supply chains. However, few knowledge management initiatives have been performed successfully because, in most cases, the barriers that hinder the CKM process are unknown and misunderstood. Currently, the research reveals different uni- and bi-dimensional barriers’ classifications, however multi-dimensional approaches provide a better view of the complexity in the area of CKM. Therefore, this paper proposes the three-dimensional matrix of collaborative knowledge barriers taking into account: (i) perspectives; (ii) levels and (iii) barriers blocks to provide a reference way to audit the CKM barriers, and thus, in further research, focus on the corrections and adjustments to guarantee the success while implementing a CKM project. Full article