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Search Results (323)

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20 pages, 706 KiB  
Article
“What Do Believers Believe in? Beliefs, Emotions, and Willingness to Engage in Collective Action on Climate Change Among Residents of a Chilean Region Affected”
by Fuad Hatibovic, José Manuel Gaete, Juan Sandoval, Ximena Faúndez, María Paz Godoy and Paola Ilabaca
Sustainability 2025, 17(15), 6694; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17156694 - 23 Jul 2025
Viewed by 184
Abstract
This study examines how beliefs about the causes of climate change relate to emotions, perceptions of its effects, and willingness to engage in collective action among residents of the Valparaíso Region in Chile, a territory particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon. A survey was [...] Read more.
This study examines how beliefs about the causes of climate change relate to emotions, perceptions of its effects, and willingness to engage in collective action among residents of the Valparaíso Region in Chile, a territory particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon. A survey was conducted with 809 individuals using stratified probabilistic sampling. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among those who attribute climate change to human, mixed, or natural causes. The results show that individuals who believe in the anthropogenic origin of climate change report higher levels of negative emotions, anxiety, perceived impacts, and willingness to participate in both direct and institutional collective actions. Moreover, these individuals perceive greater negative effects of climate change on their surroundings and daily lives. In contrast, those who attribute the phenomenon to natural causes show a lower predisposition to act and a lower risk perception. The study concludes that causal attribution of climate change significantly influences people’s emotional and behavioral responses, highlighting the importance of strengthening climate education and communication based on scientific evidence as key tools for fostering civic engagement in the face of the environmental crisis. The findings contribute to sustainability by strengthening environmental education, participatory governance, and collective action in vulnerable contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Air, Climate Change and Sustainability)
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16 pages, 1637 KiB  
Article
Contextualizing Radon Mitigation into Healthy and Sustainable Home Design in the Commonwealth of Kentucky: A Conjoint Analysis
by Osama E. Mansour, Lydia (Niang) Cing and Omar Mansour
Sustainability 2025, 17(14), 6543; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146543 - 17 Jul 2025
Viewed by 225
Abstract
Indoor radon constitutes a public health issue in various regions across the United States as the second leading cause of lung cancer following tobacco smoke. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advises radon mitigation interventions for residential buildings with indoor radon concentrations exceeding the [...] Read more.
Indoor radon constitutes a public health issue in various regions across the United States as the second leading cause of lung cancer following tobacco smoke. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advises radon mitigation interventions for residential buildings with indoor radon concentrations exceeding the threshold level of 4 pCi/L. Despite considerable research assessing the technical effectiveness of radon mitigation systems, there remains a gap in understanding their broader influence on occupant behavior and preferences in residential design. This study aims to investigate the impact of residing in radon-mitigated homes within the Commonwealth of Kentucky—an area known for elevated radon concentrations—on occupants’ preferences regarding healthy home design attributes. The objectives of this research are twofold: firstly to determine if living in radon-mitigated homes enhances occupant awareness and consequently influences their preferences toward health-related home attributes and secondly to quantitatively evaluate and compare the relative significance homeowners assign to health-related attributes such as indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and water quality relative to conventional attributes including home size, architectural style, and neighborhood quality. The overarching purpose is to explore the potential role radon mitigation initiatives may play in motivating occupants towards healthier home construction and renovation practices. Using choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis, this paper compares preferences reported by homeowners from radon-mitigated homes against those from non-mitigated homes. While the findings suggest a relationship between radon mitigation and increased preference for indoor air quality, the cross-sectional design limits causal interpretation, and the possibility of reverse causation—where health-conscious individuals are more likely to seek mitigation—must be considered. The results provide novel insights into how radon mitigation efforts might effectively influence occupant priorities towards integrating healthier design elements in residential environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Pollution Prevention, Mitigation and Sustainability)
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20 pages, 2707 KiB  
Article
Quantifying Multifactorial Drivers of Groundwater–Climate Interactions in an Arid Basin Based on Remote Sensing Data
by Zheng Lu, Chunying Shen, Cun Zhan, Honglei Tang, Chenhao Luo, Shasha Meng, Yongkai An, Heng Wang and Xiaokang Kou
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(14), 2472; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17142472 - 16 Jul 2025
Viewed by 374
Abstract
Groundwater systems are intrinsically linked to climate, with changing conditions significantly altering recharge, storage, and discharge processes, thereby impacting water availability and ecosystem integrity. Critical knowledge gaps persist regarding groundwater equilibrium timescales, water table dynamics, and their governing factors. This study develops a [...] Read more.
Groundwater systems are intrinsically linked to climate, with changing conditions significantly altering recharge, storage, and discharge processes, thereby impacting water availability and ecosystem integrity. Critical knowledge gaps persist regarding groundwater equilibrium timescales, water table dynamics, and their governing factors. This study develops a novel remote sensing framework to quantify factor controls on groundwater–climate interaction characteristics in the Heihe River Basin (HRB). High-resolution (0.005° × 0.005°) maps of groundwater response time (GRT) and water table ratio (WTR) were generated using multi-source geospatial data. Employing Geographical Convergent Cross Mapping (GCCM), we established causal relationships between GRT/WTR and their drivers, identifying key influences on groundwater dynamics. Generalized Additive Models (GAM) further quantified the relative contributions of climatic (precipitation, temperature), topographic (DEM, TWI), geologic (hydraulic conductivity, porosity, vadose zone thickness), and vegetative (NDVI, root depth, soil water) factors to GRT/WTR variability. Results indicate an average GRT of ~6.5 × 108 years, with 7.36% of HRB exhibiting sub-century response times and 85.23% exceeding 1000 years. Recharge control dominates shrublands, wetlands, and croplands (WTR < 1), while topography control prevails in forests and barelands (WTR > 1). Key factors collectively explain 86.7% (GRT) and 75.9% (WTR) of observed variance, with spatial GRT variability driven primarily by hydraulic conductivity (34.3%), vadose zone thickness (13.5%), and precipitation (10.8%), while WTR variation is controlled by vadose zone thickness (19.2%), topographic wetness index (16.0%), and temperature (9.6%). These findings provide a scientifically rigorous basis for prioritizing groundwater conservation zones and designing climate-resilient water management policies in arid endorheic basins, with our high-resolution causal attribution framework offering transferable methodologies for global groundwater vulnerability assessments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing for Groundwater Hydrology)
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24 pages, 795 KiB  
Article
Owner-Observed Behavioral Characteristics in Off-the-Track Thoroughbreds (OTTTBs) in Equestrian Second Careers
by Anne-Louise Knox, Kate Fenner, Rebeka R. Zsoldos, Bethany Wilson and Paul McGreevy
Animals 2025, 15(14), 2046; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15142046 - 11 Jul 2025
Viewed by 773
Abstract
The off-the-track Thoroughbred’s (OTTTB’s) suitability for equestrian retraining and rehoming should always be subject to behavioral considerations. Certain attributes may be advantageous to a horse’s racing performance but unfavorable to their prospects off the track. It is important to gain a non-biased understanding [...] Read more.
The off-the-track Thoroughbred’s (OTTTB’s) suitability for equestrian retraining and rehoming should always be subject to behavioral considerations. Certain attributes may be advantageous to a horse’s racing performance but unfavorable to their prospects off the track. It is important to gain a non-biased understanding of how Thoroughbreds (TBs) in equestrian disciplines compare with other horses behaviorally, to minimize risks of poor welfare and safety outcomes. The current study used owner-reported information (n = 1633) from the Equine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) global database to compare the behaviors of OTTTBs with those of other ridden horses. Boldness, compliance, rideability, trainability, and responsiveness to acceleration and deceleration signals were evaluated in the context of 27 E-BARQ items, as determined by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). In this study, OTTTBs demonstrated more boldness (t = 3.793; p < 0.001) and lower compliance and responsiveness to deceleration signals (t = 3.448; p < 0.001) than non-OTTTBs. Trainability, rideability, and responsiveness to acceleration signals did not differ significantly between OTTTBs and non-OTTTBs. These findings provide direction for future research into causal factors and improvement opportunities regarding the training and management of Thoroughbreds, on- and off-the-track. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Equids)
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17 pages, 2303 KiB  
Article
Policy or Circumstances? A Synthetic Control Method for Evaluating Brazil’s Economic Boom Under Lula
by Jaeho Jung and Kisu Kwon
Economies 2025, 13(7), 197; https://doi.org/10.3390/economies13070197 - 8 Jul 2025
Viewed by 397
Abstract
This study empirically examines whether Brazil’s remarkable economic growth from 2003 to 2010 was primarily driven by Lula’s policies or favorable global economic conditions using the Synthetic Control Method—a robust causal inference technique for assessing policy effects when randomized controlled trials are infeasible [...] Read more.
This study empirically examines whether Brazil’s remarkable economic growth from 2003 to 2010 was primarily driven by Lula’s policies or favorable global economic conditions using the Synthetic Control Method—a robust causal inference technique for assessing policy effects when randomized controlled trials are infeasible and only one treated unit exists. Our analysis suggests that Brazil’s economic performance was largely attributable to external circumstances, while the policies of Lula’s administration may not have significantly enhanced growth. This study demonstrates the robustness of the results through leave-one-out distribution, the ratio of postintervention-period root mean square prediction error (RMSPE) to preintervention-period RMSPE, and in-space placebo tests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Economic Development)
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21 pages, 2112 KiB  
Article
Carbon Dioxide and Hemoglobin at Presentation with Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis—Are They Relevant? Cohort Study and Current Opinions
by Ralf-Bodo Tröbs, Hiltrud Niggemann, Grigore Cernaianu, Andreas Lipphaus and Matthias Nissen
Children 2025, 12(7), 885; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12070885 - 4 Jul 2025
Viewed by 226
Abstract
Background: Recurrent vomiting in infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) leads to metabolic alkalosis and a respiratory-driven compensatory hypercapnia. Alkalosis has been identified as the main causal factor for respiratory depression on admission. The value of contribution of hemoglobin and carbon dioxide partial pressure [...] Read more.
Background: Recurrent vomiting in infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) leads to metabolic alkalosis and a respiratory-driven compensatory hypercapnia. Alkalosis has been identified as the main causal factor for respiratory depression on admission. The value of contribution of hemoglobin and carbon dioxide partial pressure to this phenomenon will be evaluated. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 105 infants with IHPS. The acid/base status, including levels of hemoglobin and lactate, were recorded. Statistical comparisons, correlation analysis, linear regression and multivariate regression analysis were applied. Results: Hypercapnia was associated with hemoconcentration. We found a positive correlation was found between pCO2 and hemoglobin (p = 0.042). The multivariate linear regression analysis showed that pCO2 is dependent on hemoglobin (p = 0.002). Lactate, which is used as a marker for anaerobic glycolysis, showed no systematic correlation with pCO2. Conclusions: An increase in carbon dioxide cannot easily be attributed to a reduced transport function of carbon dioxide due to hemoglobin deficiency. Further investigation is needed to determine the extent to which low hemoglobin levels and increased pCO2 interact with hemoconcentration to contribute to respiratory problems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pediatric Gastroenterology)
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21 pages, 852 KiB  
Article
Technological Progress and Chinese Residents’ Willingness to Pay for Cleaner Air
by Xinhao Liu and Guangjie Ning
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 6143; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17136143 - 4 Jul 2025
Viewed by 264
Abstract
This study examines whether China’s rapid spread of internet and mobile information technologies has translated into greater household support for government air-quality programs. Using nationally representative data from the Chinese General Social Survey (2018), this study estimates the causal impact of digital media [...] Read more.
This study examines whether China’s rapid spread of internet and mobile information technologies has translated into greater household support for government air-quality programs. Using nationally representative data from the Chinese General Social Survey (2018), this study estimates the causal impact of digital media use on residents’ willing to pay (WTP) each month for one additional “good-air” day. Ordinary least squares shows that individuals who rely primarily on the internet or mobile push services are willing to contribute CNY 1.9–2.7 more—about 43 percent above the sample mean of CNY 4.41. To address potential endogeneity, we instrumented digital media adoption using provincial computer penetration; two-stage least squares yielded roughly CNY 10.5, confirming a causal effect. Mechanism tests showed that digital access lowers complacency about local air quality, strengthens anthropogenic attribution of pollution, and heightens the moral norm that economic sacrifice is legitimate, jointly mediating the rise in WTP. Heterogeneity analyses revealed stronger effects among high-income households and renters, while extended tests showed that (i) the impact intensifies when the promised environmental gain rises from one to three or five clean-air days, (ii) attention to international news can crowd out local WTP, and (iii) digital media raise not only the likelihood of paying but also the amount paid among existing contributors. The findings suggest that targeted digital outreach—especially messages with concrete, locally salient goals—can substantially enlarge the fiscal base for air-quality initiatives, helping China advance its ecological-civilization and dual-carbon objectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation and Low Carbon Sustainability in the Digital Age)
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31 pages, 705 KiB  
Review
Molecular Guardians of Oocyte Maturation: A Systematic Review on TUBB8, KIF11, and CKAP5 in IVF Outcomes
by Charalampos Voros, Ioakeim Sapantzoglou, Diamantis Athanasiou, Antonia Varthaliti, Despoina Mavrogianni, Kyriakos Bananis, Antonia Athanasiou, Aikaterini Athanasiou, Georgios Papadimas, Athanasios Gkirgkinoudis, Ioannis Papapanagiotou, Kyriaki Migklis, Dimitrios Vaitsis, Aristotelis-Marios Koulakmanidis, Dimitris Mazis Kourakos, Sofia Ivanidou, Maria Anastasia Daskalaki, Marianna Theodora, Panagiotis Antsaklis, Dimitrios Loutradis and Georgios Daskalakisadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(13), 6390; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26136390 - 2 Jul 2025
Viewed by 443
Abstract
The efficacy of in vitro fertilization (IVF) is significantly hindered by early embryonic developmental failure and oocyte maturation arrest. Recent findings in reproductive genetics have identified several oocyte-specific genes—TUBB8, KIF11, and CKAP5—as essential regulators of meiotic spindle formation and [...] Read more.
The efficacy of in vitro fertilization (IVF) is significantly hindered by early embryonic developmental failure and oocyte maturation arrest. Recent findings in reproductive genetics have identified several oocyte-specific genes—TUBB8, KIF11, and CKAP5—as essential regulators of meiotic spindle formation and cytoskeletal dynamics. Mutations in these genes can lead to significant meiotic defects, fertilization failure, and embryo arrest. The links between genotype and phenotype, along with the underlying biological mechanisms, remain inadequately characterized despite the increasing number of identified variations. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Relevant papers were retrieved from the PubMed and Embase databases using combinations of the keywords “TUBB8,” “KIF11,” “CKAP5,” “oocyte maturation arrest,” “embryonic arrest,” and “IVF failure.” Studies were included if they contained clinical, genomic, and functional data on TUBB8, KIF11, or CKAP5 mutations in women undergoing IVF. Molecular data, including gene variant classifications, inheritance models, in vitro tests (such as microtubule network analysis in HeLa cells), and assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes, were obtained. Eighteen trials including 35 women with primary infertility were included. Over fifty different variants were identified, the majority of which can be attributed to TUBB8 mutations. TUBB8 disrupted α/β-tubulin heterodimer assembly due to homozygous missense mutations, hence hindering meiotic spindle formation and leading to early embryo fragmentation or the creation of many pronuclei and cleavage failure. KIF11 mutations resulted in spindle disorganization and chromosomal misalignment via disrupting tubulin acetylation and microtubule transport. Mutations in CKAP5 impaired bipolar spindle assembly and microtubule stabilization. In vitro validation studies showed cytoskeletal disturbances, protein instability, and dominant negative effects in transfected animals. Donor egg IVF was the sole effective treatment; however, no viable pregnancies were documented in patients with pathogenic mutations of TUBB8 or KIF11. TUBB8, KIF11, and CKAP5 are essential for safeguarding oocyte meiotic competence and early embryonic development at the molecular level. Genetic differences in these genes disrupt microtubule dynamics and spindle assembly, resulting in various aspects of oocyte maturation and fertilization. Functional validation underscores the necessity of routine genetic screening for women experiencing unresolved IVF failure, as it substantiates their causal role in infertility. Future therapeutic avenues in ART may be enhanced by tailored counseling and innovative rescue methodologies like as gene therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advances in Obstetrical and Gynaecological Disorders)
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20 pages, 1336 KiB  
Article
Complex Question Decomposition Based on Causal Reinforcement Learning
by Dezhi Li, Yunjun Lu, Jianping Wu, Wenlu Zhou and Guangjun Zeng
Symmetry 2025, 17(7), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17071022 - 29 Jun 2025
Viewed by 382
Abstract
Complex question decomposition is an important research topic in the field of natural language processing (NLP). It refers to the decomposition of a compound question containing multiple ontologies and classes into a simple question containing only a single attribute or entity. Most previous [...] Read more.
Complex question decomposition is an important research topic in the field of natural language processing (NLP). It refers to the decomposition of a compound question containing multiple ontologies and classes into a simple question containing only a single attribute or entity. Most previous studies focus on how to generate simple questions using a single attribute or entity but pay little attention to the generation order of simple questions, which may lead to an inaccurate decomposition or longer execution time. In this study, we propose a new method based on causal reinforcement learning, which combines the advantages of the current optimal performance reinforcement learning method and the causal inference method. Compared with previous methods, causal reinforcement learning can find the generation order of sub-questions more accurately, so as to better decompose complex questions. In particular, the prior knowledge is extracted using the counterfactual method in causal reasoning and is integrated into the policy network of the reinforcement learning model, and the reward rules of reinforcement learning are designed from the perspective of symmetry (positive reward and negative punishment), thus the intelligent body is guided to choose the sub-question with a greater benefit and less risk of decomposing. We compare the proposed method with the baseline method on three datasets. The experimental results show that the performance of our method is improved by 5–10% compared with the baseline method on Hits@n (n = 1, 3, 10), which proves the effectiveness of our proposed method. Full article
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13 pages, 492 KiB  
Article
Resilience as a Mediator Between Workplace Violence and Psychological Well-Being in Hospital Nurses
by Mariano García-Izquierdo, María Isabel Soler-Sánchez, José Manuel de Haro García, María Isabel Ríos-Rísquez and Mariano Meseguer-de Pedro
Nurs. Rep. 2025, 15(7), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15070234 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 416
Abstract
Workplace violence is a widespread issue affecting hospital nursing staff and significantly undermines their psychological well-being. Such violence originates from various sources, including users, colleagues, and supervisors. Psychological resilience has been linked to more favourable indicators of well-being. Background/Objectives: This study aimed to [...] Read more.
Workplace violence is a widespread issue affecting hospital nursing staff and significantly undermines their psychological well-being. Such violence originates from various sources, including users, colleagues, and supervisors. Psychological resilience has been linked to more favourable indicators of well-being. Background/Objectives: This study aimed to explore how different sources of workplace violence (users, colleagues, and supervisors) are related to psychological well-being and psychological resilience. Additionally, it examines whether resilience is statistically associated with a mediating role in the relationship between source-specific workplace violence and the psychological well-being of hospital nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional, multicentre, descriptive, and mediational study was conducted with a sample of 447 hospital nurses. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing workplace violence from users, colleagues, and supervisors, alongside measures of resilience, psychological well-being, and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Among all reported incidents of workplace violence in the previous year, 69.2% were attributed to users, with verbal abuse (68.7%) being more prevalent than physical aggression (24.1%). Additionally, 37% of nurses reported experiencing violence from colleagues, and 25% from supervisors. Workplace violence from all three sources was significantly associated with both psychological well-being and resilience. Resilience was statistically associated with a mediating role in the relationship between workplace violence and nurses’ psychological health, suggesting a potential mechanism of influence without implying causality. Conclusions: The prevalence of workplace violence from users, colleagues, and supervisors among hospital nurses is notably high. Findings indicate that violence from any of these sources is negatively associated with psychological well-being. However, resilience mitigates this impact by reducing psychological distress, positioning it as a crucial personal resource for nurses facing such adversity. These results underscore the need for interventions aimed at developing and strengthening resilience among hospital nursing staff. Moreover, the findings can inform the design of organisational strategies to prevent violence and to promote resilience and well-being within healthcare settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Mental Health Nursing)
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40 pages, 8540 KiB  
Article
Performance Prediction and Optimization of High-Plasticity Clay Lime–Cement Stabilization Based on Principal Component Analysis and Principal Component Regression
by Ibrahim Haruna Umar, Zaharaddeen Ali Tarauni, Abdullahi Balarabe Bello, Hang Lin, Jubril Izge Hassan and Rihong Cao
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(13), 7150; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15137150 - 25 Jun 2025
Viewed by 280
Abstract
High-plasticity clay soils pose significant challenges in geotechnical engineering due to their poor mechanical properties, such as low strength and high compressibility. Lime–cement stabilization offers a sustainable solution, but optimizing additive proportions requires advanced analytical approaches to decipher complex soil-stabilizer interactions. This study [...] Read more.
High-plasticity clay soils pose significant challenges in geotechnical engineering due to their poor mechanical properties, such as low strength and high compressibility. Lime–cement stabilization offers a sustainable solution, but optimizing additive proportions requires advanced analytical approaches to decipher complex soil-stabilizer interactions. This study investigates the stabilization of high-plasticity clay soil (CH) sourced from Kano, Nigeria, using lime (0–30%) and cement (0–8%) for thirty (30) sample combinations to optimize consolidation and strength properties. Geotechnical laboratory tests (consolidation and UCS) were evaluated per ASTM standards. Multivariate analysis integrated principal component analysis (PCA) with regression modeling (PCR) for sensitivity and causality assessment. Optimal stabilization (15% lime + 6% cement) significantly improved soil properties: void ratio reduced by 58% (0.60→0.25), porosity by 49.5% (0.38→0.19), UCS increased by 222.5% to 2670 kPa (28 days), preconsolidation stress by 206% (355.63→1088.92 kPa), and compressibility modulus by 16% (7048→10,474.28 kPa). PCR sensitivity analysis attributed 46% of UCS variance to PC1 (compressibility parameters: void ratio, porosity, compression index; β = 0.72). PCR Causality analysis shows improvment with curing (R2: 68.7% at 7 days→83.0% at 28 days; RMSE: 11.2→7.8 kPa). PCR establishes compressibility reduction as the dominant causal mechanism for strength gain, providing a robust framework for dosage optimization beyond empirical approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Civil Engineering)
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27 pages, 2309 KiB  
Article
The Nonlinear Causal Effect Estimation of the Built Environment on Urban Rail Transit Station Flow Under Emergency
by Qianqi Fan, Chengcheng Yu and Jianyong Zuo
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 5829; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135829 - 25 Jun 2025
Viewed by 307
Abstract
Urban rail transit (URT) systems are critical for sustainable urban mobility but are increasingly vulnerable to disruptions and emergencies. While extensive research has examined the built environment’s influence on transit demand under normal conditions, the nonlinear causal mechanisms shaping URT passenger flow during [...] Read more.
Urban rail transit (URT) systems are critical for sustainable urban mobility but are increasingly vulnerable to disruptions and emergencies. While extensive research has examined the built environment’s influence on transit demand under normal conditions, the nonlinear causal mechanisms shaping URT passenger flow during emergencies remain understudied. This study proposes an artificial intelligence-based causal machine learning framework integrating causal structure learning and causal effect estimation to investigate how the built environment, network structure, and incident characteristics causally affect URT station-level ridership during emergencies. Using empirical data from Shanghai’s URT network, this study uncovers dual pathways through which built environment attributes affect passenger flow: by directly shaping baseline ridership and indirectly influencing intermodal connectivity (e.g., bus connectivity) that mitigates disruptions. The findings demonstrate significant nonlinear and heterogeneous causal effects; notably, stations with high network centrality experience disproportionately severe ridership losses during disruptions, while robust bus connectivity substantially buffers such impacts. Incident type and timing also notably modulate disruption severity, with peak-hour incidents and severe disruptions (e.g., power failures) amplifying passenger flow declines. These insights highlight critical areas for policy intervention, emphasizing the necessity of targeted management strategies, enhanced intermodal integration, and adaptive emergency response protocols to bolster URT resilience under crisis scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transportation Systems and Travel Behaviors)
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22 pages, 1680 KiB  
Article
Financially Savvy or Swayed by Biases? The Impact of Financial Literacy on Investment Decisions: A Study on Indian Retail Investors
by Abhilasha Agarwal, N. V. Muralidhar Rao and Manuel Carlos Nogueira
J. Risk Financial Manag. 2025, 18(6), 322; https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm18060322 - 11 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1712
Abstract
Financial literacy plays a crucial role in shaping individual investment decisions by influencing susceptibility to behavioural biases such as heuristics, framing effects, cognitive illusions, and herding mentality. While most existing studies have examined financial literacy as a mediating factor, our study is among [...] Read more.
Financial literacy plays a crucial role in shaping individual investment decisions by influencing susceptibility to behavioural biases such as heuristics, framing effects, cognitive illusions, and herding mentality. While most existing studies have examined financial literacy as a mediating factor, our study is among the first in the literature to analyse the role of behavioural biases as mediating factors in the relationship between financial literacy and investment decisions. Specifically, we investigate key biases, including overconfidence, herding, disposition effect, self-attribution, anchoring, availability, representativeness, and familiarity. Using purposive sampling, we collected 482 responses through a structured Likert scale questionnaire. The dataset underwent rigorous validation and reliability tests to ensure robustness. We employed Python-based statistical analysis and used Pearson’s correlation and mediation analysis to explore the relationships between financial literacy, behavioural biases, and investment decisions. With the help of these methods, we were able to uncover relationships and causal pathways which further our understanding of the role of behavioural biases in determining the impact of financial literacy on investment behaviour. The findings illustrate a notable positive correlation between investment decisions and financial literacy, implying that people with higher financial literacy levels possess greater and more rational financial decision-making capabilities. Other analyses have revealed that biases have a moderating effect on this relationship, showing another path through which financial literacy impacts behaviour at the level of the investor. By placing behavioural biases as mediating constructs, this research broadens the scope of investor psychology and the body of knowledge in behavioural finance, highlighting the need to change the approach to how financial literacy programs aimed at investors are structured and implemented. Full article
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14 pages, 1109 KiB  
Systematic Review
Impaired Overall Survival of Melanoma Patients Due to Antibiotic Use Prior to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Thilo Gambichler, Sera S. Weyer-Fahlbusch, Jan Overbeck, Nessr Abu Rached, Jürgen C. Becker and Laura Susok
Cancers 2025, 17(11), 1872; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17111872 - 3 Jun 2025
Viewed by 705
Abstract
Background: The gut microbiome plays a pivotal role in shaping systemic immunity and modulating anti-tumor responses. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that higher gut microbial diversity and the presence of specific commensal taxa correlate with improved responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) [...] Read more.
Background: The gut microbiome plays a pivotal role in shaping systemic immunity and modulating anti-tumor responses. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that higher gut microbial diversity and the presence of specific commensal taxa correlate with improved responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in melanoma. Conversely, broad-spectrum antibiotics can induce dysbiosis, reducing T cell activation and cytokine production, and have been linked to diminished ICI efficacy in several cancer types. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of seven retrospective cohorts (total n = 5213) comparing overall survival in cutaneous melanoma (CM) patients who did or did not receive systemic antibiotics within six weeks before ICI initiation. From each study, we extracted hazard ratios (HRs) for death, antibiotic-to-ICI interval, ICI regimen (PD-1 monotherapy vs. PD-1 + CTLA-4 combination), cohort size, and country. Pooled log-HRs were estimated under fixed-effect and random-effects (REML) models. Statistical heterogeneity was quantified by Cochran’s Q and I2 statistics, and τ2. We performed leave-one-out sensitivity analyses, generated a Baujat plot to identify influential studies, applied trim-and-fill to assess publication bias, and ran meta-regressions for regimen, antibiotic timing, sample size, and geography. Results: Under the fixed-effect model, antibiotic exposure corresponded to a pooled HR of 1.26 (95% CI 1.13–1.41; p < 0.001). The random-effects model yielded a pooled HR of 1.55 (95% CI 1.21–1.98; p = 0.0005) with substantial heterogeneity (Q = 25.1; I2 = 76%). Prediction intervals (0.78–3.06) underscored between-study variability. Leave-one-out analyses produced HRs from 1.50 to 1.75, confirming robustness, and the Baujat plot highlighted two cohorts as primary heterogeneity drivers. Trim-and-fill adjusted the HR to 1.46 (95% CI 1.08–1.97). In subgroup analyses, combination therapy studies (k = 4) showed a pooled HR of ~1.9 (I2 = 58%) versus ~1.3 (I2 = 79%) for monotherapy. Meta-regression attributed the largest variance to the regimen (R2 = 32%; β(monotherapy) = −0.35; p = 0.13). Conclusions: Pre-ICI antibiotic use in CM is consistently associated with a 26–55% increase in mortality risk, particularly with PD-1 + CTLA-4 combinations, reinforcing the mechanistic link between microbiome integrity and ICI success. Looking ahead, integrating prospective microbiome profiling into clinical trials will be critical to personalize ICI therapy, clarify causality, and identify microbial biomarkers for optimal treatment selection. Prospective, microbiome-integrated trials promise to refine melanoma immunotherapy by tailoring antibiotic stewardship and microbial interventions to enhance patient outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Oncology: State-of-the-Art Research in Germany)
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33 pages, 10224 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Attribution Style and Goal Accessibility on Health Beliefs and Exercise Willingness: Experimental Evidence from University Students
by Shuai Zhang and Chenglong Miao
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 763; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15060763 - 2 Jun 2025
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Abstract
Although the benefits of regular physical activity are widely recognized, many university students fail to sustain consistent exercise behaviors. This phenomenon may be attributed to cognitive and motivational barriers, particularly perceptions of goal attainability and attribution styles, which are believed to significantly influence [...] Read more.
Although the benefits of regular physical activity are widely recognized, many university students fail to sustain consistent exercise behaviors. This phenomenon may be attributed to cognitive and motivational barriers, particularly perceptions of goal attainability and attribution styles, which are believed to significantly influence students’ health beliefs and intentions to engage in physical activity. This research aimed to examine the independent and combined effects of goal attainability and attribution style on Chinese university students’ health beliefs and willingness to exercise. The study also investigated how shifts in attribution style may influence these outcomes under different levels of goal attainability. Two between-subjects experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1 (N = 146), a 2 (goal attainability: high vs. low) × 2 (attribution style: internal vs. external) design was used. Participants were exposed to tailored exercise advertisements and completed standardized questionnaires measuring health beliefs and exercise intentions. Experiment 2 (N = 130) adopted a 2 (goal attainability: high vs. low) × 2 (attributional shift: external-to-internal vs. internal-to-external) design, utilizing visual priming and short video interventions to manipulate attributional orientation. In Experiment 1, both high goal attainability and internal attribution independently enhanced participants’ health beliefs and exercise willingness. A significant interaction effect was observed only for exercise willingness, with the highest intentions found in the high attainability × internal attribution group. In Experiment 2, shifting attribution from external to internal significantly increased both health beliefs and exercise willingness, while shifting from internal to external resulted in substantial decreases. An interaction effect was again found only for exercise willingness, suggesting that the effectiveness of attributional shift depended on goal attainability. By integrating the Health Belief Model with Attribution Theory, this study offers a deeper understanding of how cognitive and motivational factors influence exercise behavior, and provides a theoretical foundation for developing adaptive interventions. Full article
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