Search Results (1,115)

This study examines whether Drawmetrics (DM), an expressive–semantic personality system, can be linked with the Five-Factor Model (Big Five) through an embedding-based mapping approach and network psychometric methods. A total of 185 participants completed both the DM assessment and the IPIP-NEO 120 Big Five inventory. DM term outputs were embedded using a miniLM sentence-transformer and aggregated into 30 facet composites, with six composites per domain. Big Five facet composites were extracted from standardized reports and harmonized to canonical facet names. Analyses focused on the overlap sample (N = 148) with valid scores on both instruments. DM composites demonstrated strong internal structure and high stability indices. Substantial semantic-space alignment was observed between DM term language and Big Five facet language, supporting interpretable linking. However, person-level correlations between DM and Big Five domains were modest (mean |r| ≈ 0.07; Spearman similar), with the largest facet-level association at |r| ≈ 0.26. DM appears to represent a coherent expressive–semantic trait space that is related to, but not isomorphic with, Big Five traits. These findings support a linking rather than equivalence interpretation and highlight the need for future research on scaling, reliability, range restriction, and criterion validation. Full article

Determination of the right price is vital for the success of newly developed food products. This study examined the market prices and their determinants for five ready-to-cook catfish products: Panko-Breaded Standard Strips (PBSS), Panko-Breaded Standard Fillet (PBSF), Panko-Breaded Delacata Fillet (PBDF), Sriracha-Marinated Delacata Fillet (SMDF), and Sesame-Ginger-Marinated Delacata Fillet (SGMDF). Market prices were derived using Vickrey’s second-price auction, where the second-highest bid represents the market price. We analyzed experimental auction data from 121 consumers using a logit model to estimate the probability of offering the market price based on product sensory attributes, socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, and the level of competition (panel size). Consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) was elicited in two rounds: before tasting (visual evaluation) and after tasting (organoleptic evaluation) the products. Breaded products received higher market prices than marinated products, with PBDF ranked highest. Sensory traits, especially taste, along with income, education, and grocery shopping involvement, significantly influenced the formation of market price. Increased competition elevated the market prices. Both product features and consumer characteristics significantly affect market price outcomes, and experimental auctions provide a robust tool for understanding consumer behavior toward newly developed food products. Full article

This mixed methods study explored perspectives from volunteer coaches and team parents involved in one sport-based youth development program, Junior Giants. The purpose was to (a) compare multiple perspectives on program impact and (b) investigate processes behind program impact and intentions to return. The sample (N = 11,638) included 1541 volunteer coaches, 861 team parents, and 9236 caregivers who completed an online survey assessing perceptions of players’ character development, antibullying, and league organization. Coaches and team parents also responded quantitatively and qualitatively about attending the initial training, use of practice plans, and intentions to return. Coaches reported significantly higher perceptions of participant change in character development and antibullying compared to caregivers (effect sizes were small), and team parents’ perceptions were not significantly different from coaches or caregivers. Perceptions of program outcomes did not differ by sport type (baseball v. softball), binary gender, age, or years in Junior Giants. For process variables, coaches were significantly more likely to attend the training and use the practice plans than team parents (small effects). Several themes emerged from open-ended questions, including not attending the initial team meeting due to schedule conflicts or signing up late to coach, not using practice plans due to limited time or needing modifications, and not intending to return due to child aging out or time commitment. Results suggest Junior Giants is perceived to have a positive impact and offer advice for supporting volunteers in sport-based youth development programs. Full article

Background: Nutritional status assessment is the cornerstone of the Nutrition Care Process, guiding diagnosis, intervention, and monitoring. The classical ABCD model (Anthropometry, Biochemical, Clinical, Dietary) has been widely applied; however, it presents limitations in addressing current nutritional and epidemiological challenges. Objective: This narrative review aims to synthesize and update the scientific evidence on the expanded nutritional assessment model, known as ABCDEFG, which incorporates the Ecological–microbiota (E), Functional (F), and Genomic–nutrigenomic (G) approaches. Methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted through PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, covering publications from 2013 to 2025. Articles were selected based on relevance to at least one of the seven assessment domains. Findings were synthesized descriptively and critically, highlighting applications, strengths, and limitations. Results: The ABCDEFG framework offers a multidimensional perspective of nutritional assessment. While anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, and dietary methods remain essential, the inclusion of ecological dimensions (gut microbiota, environmental influences), functional measures (e.g., muscle strength, physical performance), and genomics enables a more sensitive and personalized evaluation. This integrative approach supports better clinical decision-making and research innovation in nutrition and health sciences. Conclusions: The seven-method model broadens the scope of nutritional assessment, bridging traditional and emerging tools. Its application enhances the capacity to identify nutritional risks, design targeted interventions, and advance precision nutrition. Full article

The growing global environmental crisis calls for fundamental transformations in production and consumption systems, but the understanding of how circular economy strategies translate into quantifiable environmental benefits remains fragmented across sectors and geographies. The objective of this study is to synthesize current scientific knowledge on the circular economy as an environmental mitigation strategy, identifying conceptual convergences, methodological patterns, geographic distributions, and critical knowledge gaps. A systematic review combined with a bibliometric analysis of 62 peer-reviewed articles published between 2018 and 2024, retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Springer Link and Wiley Online Library, was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The results reveal a marked methodological convergence around life cycle assessment, with Europe dominating the scientific output (58% of the corpus). Four complementary conceptual frameworks emerged, emphasizing closed-loop material flows, environmental performance, integration of economic sustainability and business model innovation. The thematic analysis identified bioenergy and waste valorization as the most mature implementation pathways, constituting 23% of the research emphasis. However, critical gaps remain: geographic concentration limits the transferability of knowledge to diverse socioeconomic contexts; social, cultural and behavioral dimensions remain underexplored (12% of publications); and environmental justice considerations receive negligible attention. Crucially, the evidence reveals nonlinear relationships between circularity metrics and environmental outcomes, calling into question automatic benefits assumptions. This review contributes to an integrative synthesis that advances theoretical understanding of circularity-environment relationships while providing evidence-based guidance for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers involved in transitions to the circular economy. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a highly relevant tool in higher education. However, its acceptance by university students depends not only on technical or functional characteristics, but also on cognitive, contextual, and emotional factors. This study proposes and validates a model of acceptance of the use of AI devices (MIDA) in the university context. The model considers contextual variables such as anthropomorphism (AN), perceived value (PV) and perceived risk (PR). It also considers cognitive variables such as performance expectancy (PEX) and perceived effort expectancy (PEE). In addition, it considers emotional variables such as anxiety (ANX), stress (ST) and trust (TR). For its validation, data were collected from 517 university students and analysed using structural equations (CB-SEM). The results indicate that perceived value, anthropomorphism and perceived risk influence the willingness to accept the use of AI devices indirectly through performance expectancy and perceived effort. Likewise, performance expectancy significantly reduces anxiety and stress and increases trust, while effort expectancy increases both anxiety and stress. Trust is the main predictor of willingness to accept the use of AI devices, while stress has a significant negative effect on this willingness. These findings contribute to the literature on the acceptance of AI devices by highlighting the mediating role of emotions and offer practical implications for the design of AI devices aimed at improving their acceptance in educational contexts. Full article

Insufficient investment in wildlife that lacks strong aesthetic or emotional appeal to humans poses a significant obstacle to achieving broader conservation goals. Species that are not considered charismatic are nonetheless vital to ecosystems and deserve attention from conservationists, researchers, and the public. However, effective strategies for bridging the gap between these species and traditionally charismatic ones remain underexplored. Our exploratory study introduced the concept of charisma orientations to examine their influence on pro-bird behaviors, such as following guidelines, reporting disturbances, and participating in community advocacy. We identified six relational and socially negotiated orientations—ecological importance, intrinsic right to exist, protection support, affective meaning, and perceived decline—that together represent key perspectives through which waterbirds are understood. A survey of 615 Texas coastal recreationists revealed that relying solely on positive charisma diminishes the appeal of waterbirds for participants. The species likeability frame was relevant only in the context of reporting disturbances, while a moral policy stance (the belief that waterbirds need protection) was significant in predicting advocacy. Younger males and individuals who felt current regulations were adequate were less likely to engage in waterbird conservation behaviors. Our findings suggest that examining the intersection of contested charismatic species and various charisma orientations can uncover subtle nuances often overlooked due to an overemphasis on positive charisma and emotional resonance, which may only partially apply or not apply at all. Full article

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain one of the most persistent occupational health challenges in the U.S. construction industry, where physically demanding tasks such as heavy lifting, kneeling, and working in awkward postures contribute to elevated injury rates. This study aims to identify significant job-related determinants of MSDs in construction-sector occupations. By integrating publicly available datasets from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) datasets, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted on 344 occupation-condition observations representing 86 construction occupations, yielding a final model that explained 49% of the variance. Ten significant predictors of MSD events were identified and classified as either risk amplifiers or mitigators. Amplifiers included factors such as exposure to noise, disease, hazardous conditions, and time pressure, all of which heightened MSD risk, while mitigators—such as reduced cramped-space exposure and regulated work environments—were associated with lower risk. MSDs resulting from sprains, strains, or tears accounted for 62.8% of all cases, frequently leading to days away from work (36.3%) or job restrictions (26.5%). The findings underscore that ergonomic risk in construction extends beyond physical strain to include scheduling, equipment design, and work organization. These results provide actionable insights for employers and safety professionals to redesign tools, optimize task rotation, and implement realistic work pacing strategies, ultimately reducing MSD incidence and improving productivity in this high-risk sector. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adaptive sports engagement has been strongly studied for physical and social gains for athletes with disabilities, with much less investigation into adaptive sports encompassing holistic health (i.e., reaching domains of physical, social, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore adaptive sport participants’ perspectives on their engagement in sport as a complementary and holistic intervention to improve resiliency, promote health, and live in recovery. Methods: This study employed a qualitative, phenomenological, and participatory action research design to explore how individuals with disabilities perceive their engagement in adaptive sports. Data were collected from eligible participants across the United States, aged 12 years and older, who provided open-ended responses via survey detailing their adaptive sport experiences. Results: Adaptive sport participants (n = 47), primarily male (n = 26), and White (n = 37) with a range of ages 12–75, provided qualitative findings that formed three deductive themes with further inductive subthemes: (1) Improving Resiliency highlighting promotive and protective factors supporting resilience development, (2) Promoting Health defined by World Health Organization’s holistic health definition, and (3) Living in Recovery framed by the Health Protection/Health Promotion Model. Conclusions: For this sample of adaptive sport participants across the United States, engagement in adaptive sports is seen as a complementary and holistic health intervention that achieves outcomes beyond just physical and social. Key aspects of adaptive sports were shown to be vital for building resiliency through the disability community environment, improving holistic health, and providing a recovery mindset through new life opportunities. Full article

An unmet challenge in managing breast cancer is treatment failure due to resistance to apoptosis-inducing chemotherapies. Thus, it is important to identify novel non-apoptotic therapeutic agents. Several non-apoptotic programmed cell death pathways utilize specific cellular signaling events to trigger lytic and pro-inflammatory cell death, examples of which are pyroptosis and necroptosis. Our study illustrates that ophiobolin A (OpA) is an anti-cancer agent that triggers lytic cell death in breast cancer cells, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This study reveals that OpA induces typical pyroptosis-like characteristics, including cellular swelling, plasma membrane rupture, GSDMD cleavage, and release of cytokines in breast cancer cells. However, the additional involvement of RIPK1 and induction of RIPK3 clustering in select cell lines suggest that multiple pathways may be triggered upon OpA treatment. The induction of pro-inflammatory cell death suggests potential applications for OpA in cancer treatment. Full article

In this study, removal of nicotine, highly toxic and persistent environmental contaminant, was successfully conducted using activated carbons prepared via chemical activation with KOH from shrimp shell, a byproduct of the food industry. The activation process yielded activated carbons with an exceptionally developed porous texture, exhibiting, in the best case, a surface area of nearly 2000 m²/g and a surface enriched with diverse oxygenated functional groups, as confirmed by XPS and FTIR analyses. Nicotine adsorption studies demonstrated that the adsorption process was more favorable at near-neutral pH values (pH = 8) and higher temperatures. Kinetic and thermodynamic analyses, combined with material characterization, revealed that the adsorption process is governed by both physical and chemical interactions between the adsorbate and the adsorbent, being overall spontaneous and endothermic. The Sips isotherm model closely fits the adsorption data, highlighting the heterogeneity of the activated carbon surface. Under these conditions, adsorption was studied at three different temperatures, with the highest temperature (45 °C) exhibiting the most significant adsorption capacity, slightly below 500 mg/g. In addition, column adsorption tests demonstrated the high efficiency of activated carbons in nicotine removal, making shrimp head shells a promising carbon precursor for use as a raw material in preparing activated carbons for use as nicotine adsorbents for industry. Full article

Background/Objectives: The effect of a high-volume, lower-body resistance exercise session on repeat power ability (RPA), defined as the ability to reach peak power (PP) or near PP during a high-volume resistance training session, remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of recovery time and sex on loss of power within and across sets during a high-volume, low-load squat session. Methods: Twenty-five resistance-trained males and females (age = 25.5 ± 7.2 years; ht = 169.8 ± 8.9 cm; wt = 75.9 ± 16.9 kg) completed the study. Mean power output across five sets was measured during two sessions (one-minute rest vs. two-minute rest) using a linear position transducer in random order. Five sets at 45% of the participant’s 1RM were completed until power output decreased below 80% of the participant’s within-set PP for two consecutive repetitions or until volitional exhaustion occurred. The data were analyzed with a three-way ANOVA (recovery time by set by sex). Results: The males demonstrated a significant loss across sets for both the one-minute (194 watts) and two-minute recovery period (104 watts), while no change occurred for females in either condition. The males produced greater mean power across both recovery times and sets (p = 0.017). Further, a significant recovery time-by-set interaction was observed (p = 0.015). Mean power decreased an average of 111.3 watts during the one-minute recovery period compared to a loss of 54.0 watts during the two-minute recovery period. Lastly, within-set fatigue occurred during repetitions 9–11 and 11–14 during the one- and two-minute recovery periods, respectively. Conclusions: The data indicate that greater RPA occurs within and across sets with two minutes of rest. In addition, sex must also be considered when implementing a high-volume resistance training session with the goal of training repeat power ability. Full article

Background: Cardiac arrhythmias and ischemia are increasingly problematic worldwide because of their frequency, as well as the economic burden they confer. Methods: This research presents a systematic literature review (SLR), based on the PRISMA 2020 statement, that looks into the difficulties in their classification using end-to-end deep learning (DL) techniques and the electrocardiogram (ECG) from 2019 to 2025. A total of 121 relevant studies were identified from Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore, and an inventory was created, categorized into six facets that researchers apply in DL studies: preprocessing, DL architectures, databases, evaluation metrics, pathologies, and explainability techniques. Results: Fifty-three challenges were reported, divided between end-to-end DL techniques (15), databases (18), pathologies (9), preprocessing (2), explainability (8), and evaluation metrics (1). Some of the complications identified were the complexity of pathological manifestations in the ECG signal, the large number of classes, the use of multiple leads, comorbidity, and the presence of different factors that change the expected patterns. Crucially, this SLR identified 18 new issues: four related to preprocessing, three related to end-to-end DL, one to databases, one to pathologies, four to metrics, and five to explainability. Particularly notable are the limitations of current metrics for assessing explainability and model decision confidence. Conclusions: This study clarifies all these limitations and provides a structured inventory and discussion of them, which can be useful to researchers, clinicians, and developers in enhancing existing techniques and designing new ECG-based end-to-end DL strategies, leading to more robust, generalizable, and reliable solutions. Full article

This systematic literature review examines the rapid growth of research on the use of drones applied to smart agriculture, a key field for the digital and sustainable transformation of the agricultural sector. The study aimed to synthesize the current state of knowledge regarding the application of drones in smart agriculture by applying the Kitchenham protocol (SLR), complemented with Petersen’s systematic mapping (SMS). A search was conducted in high-impact academic databases (Scopus, IEEE Xplore, Taylor & Francis Online, Google Scholar, and ProQuest), covering the period 2019–2025 (July). After applying the inclusion, exclusion, and quality criteria, 73 relevant studies were analyzed. The results reveal that 90% of the publications appear in Q1 journals, with China and the United States leading scientific production. The thematic analysis identified “UAS Phenotyping” as the main driving theme in the literature, while “precision agriculture,” “machine learning,” and “remote sensing” were the most recurrent and highly interconnected keywords. An exponential increase in publications was observed between 2022 and 2024. The review confirms the consolidation of drones as a central tool in digital agriculture, with significant advances in yield estimation, pest detection, and 3D modeling, although challenges remain in standardization, model generalization, and technological equity. It is recommended to promote open access repositories and interdisciplinary studies that integrate socioeconomic and environmental dimensions to strengthen the sustainable adoption of drone technologies in agriculture. Full article

School leaders are central to addressing educational inequality by fostering inclusion and belonging within their school communities. In fast-growth educational environments where enrollment surges and demographic shifts outpace resource capacity, school leaders face complex challenges in developing inclusive structures and cultures for students with disabilities. In this qualitative case study, the authors examined how 18 principals across PreK-12 grade levels in three rapidly expanding Texas districts conceptualized and enacted inclusive leadership. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus groups revealed that while principals believed all students are capable of learning, they defined inclusion philosophically but implemented pragmatically limited notions of inclusion shaped by their districts’ organizational structures and continuum of services approaches to special education. Findings illustrate that fast-growth contexts amplify tensions between compliance and care, as school leaders balance external accountability and resource constraints with efforts to cultivate school cultures grounded in empathy, relationships, safety, and belonging. The study presents a complicated picture of how principals navigate pragmatic constraints while pursuing inclusive practices for students receiving special education services. Inclusive educational leadership in fast-growth school environments is more likely to occur when leaders reframe inclusion not as placement, but as a shared commitment to recognizing every student’s capability within a responsive community. Full article