Search Results (2,495)

Fluoropyrimidine derivatives can cause severe toxicity in patients with DPD deficiency. Regulatory agencies, such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA), recommend pre-emptive genotyping of the HapB3 haplotype, along with other variants. Historically, the two main HapB3 variants, the benign c.1236G>A and the pathogenic c.1129-5923C>G, have been assumed to be in complete linkage disequilibrium. Recent findings contradict this assumption, questioning the reliability of the HapB3 analysis through c.1236G>A, which could directly impact patient safety. The aim of this study is to assess the linkage disequilibrium between the c.1236G>A and c.1129-5923C>G variants, with the ultimate goal of revising genotyping guidelines. A total of 46 patients already heterozygous for the c.1236G>A variant have been carefully reviewed for the c.1129-5923C>G variant. From the 46 patients analyzed, 45 maintain complete linkage disequilibrium between both variants. However, there is one patient where this linkage disequilibrium is not complete, being heterozygous for c.1236G>A and homozygous for c.1129-5923C>G. These findings challenge the validity of c.1236G>A as a surrogate marker for pathogenic variant c.1129-5923C>G. This article highlights the need for a review of the recommendations of the EMA and suggests laboratories to analyze both variants, or at least the pathogenic one, to ensure accurate therapeutic decisions. Full article

Liriope muscari is a medicinal and ornamental herbaceous plant with significant economic value, as its tuberous roots are used for medicinal purposes. However, the current production of medicinal plants is characterized by wasteful use of resources and ecological risks caused by the unreasonable application of nitrogen fertilizers. In this study, based on uniform application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, six nitrogen application levels were set in pot experiments (expressed as N): N0: 0 kg/ha, N1: 208.33 kg/ha, N2: 416.66 kg/ha, N3: 625 kg/ha, N4: 833.33 kg/ha, N5: 1041.66 kg/ha). The morphological characteristics, photosynthetic physiology, tuber yield and quality, and seven nitrogen fertilizer utilization indices of L. muscari were analyzed and measured. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed to investigate the mechanism by which nitrogen influences its growth and development, photosynthetic characteristics, tuber yield and quality, and nitrogen fertilizer utilization efficiency. The results showed that (1) nitrogen significantly promoted plant height, crown width, tiller number, and chlorophyll synthesis , with the N3 treatment (625 kg/ha) reaching the peak value, and the crown width and tiller number increasing by 26.44% and 38.90% compared to N0; the total chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate increased by 39.67% and 77.04%, respectively, compared to N0; high nitrogen (N5) inhibited photosynthesis and increased intercellular CO₂ concentration; (2) Fresh weight of tuberous roots, polysaccharide content, and saponin C content peaked at N3 (34.67 g/plant, 39.89%, and 0.21%), respectively, representing increases of 128.69%, 28.37%, and 33.66% compared to N0; (3) Nitrogen uptake, nitrogen fertilizer utilization efficiency, agronomic utilization efficiency, and apparent utilization efficiency were optimal at N3, while high nitrogen (N4–N5) reduced nitrogen fertilizer efficiency by 40–60%; (4) SEM analysis indicated that tiller number and transpiration rate directly drive yield, while stomatal conductance regulates saponin C synthesis. Under the experimental conditions, 625 kg/ha is the optimal nitrogen application rate balancing yield, quality, and nitrogen efficiency. Excessive nitrogen application (>833 kg/ha) induces photosynthetic inhibition and “luxury absorption”, leading to source-sink imbalance and reduced accumulation of secondary metabolites. This study provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the precise management of nitrogen in Liriope-type medicinal plants. It is expected to alleviate the contradictions of “high input, low output, and heavy pollution” in traditional fertilization models. Full article

Resolved spectroscopic binaries (RSB) are the only way (besides trigonometric parallax) to determine the dynamical, hypothesis-free distances to the stars of the galaxy. Analyzing the most comprehensive up-to-date data on RSB, we found that trigonometric parallaxes of all distant ($d>\approx$ 0.5 kpc) binaries overestimate the distance by 10–50%. Such objects appear as single stars in Gaia and Hipparcos data, but their binarity can be detected/suspected by comparing trigonometric parallaxes in different data releases from these space missions. Full article

Proponents of Sexual Script Theory posit that men and women differ in their sexual behaviors/motivations, often due to culturally ingrained expectations. When these expectations are violated, individuals may face stigma, particularly in nontraditional contexts like mixed-sex threesomes (MSTs). This study examined gender differences in heterosexual adults’ anticipated stigma and willingness to accept various sexual offers, including dyadic and MST offers involving same- and other-sex partners, through the lens of the backlash effect (i.e., the anticipation of stigma for participating in sexual behaviors that contradict societal expectations). A total of 540 heterosexual U.S. adults read vignettes depicting hypothetical sexual invitations and completed measures assessing anticipated stigma and willingness to engage. Results revealed that men anticipated less stigma and were more willing to accept sexual offers than women. Participants also anticipated less stigma and reported greater willingness to accept other-sex dyadic offers as compared to same-sex or MST offers. However, men reported the highest anticipated stigma and lowest willingness for same-sex dyadic offers, suggesting a novel backlash effect against men engaging in gender non-conforming behaviors. These findings offer support for the persistence of the sexual double standard and provide evidence for gendered backlash effects, including those impacting heterosexual men. Full article

Wind-blown sand concentrations decay rapidly and in an orderly manner with height above the surface. The saltation flux profiles are of interest to understand wind and sand interactions and for fundamental measurement and modeling of associated transport rates. This study compares methods to measure and represent aeolian sand flux profiles. We measured vertical flux profiles and used quality-controlled data to test power, logarithmic, and exponential functions to reproduce the profiles. These results are used in a pragmatic assessment of the efficiency of reproducing flux profiles from vertically discontinuous arrays of traps or sensors compared to profiles obtained from continuous vertical arrays of segmented traps. Our analysis corroborates previous findings demonstrating that exponential decay functions are statistically the best method to approximate flux profiles. The results are used in a novel application to compare flux profiles reproduced from vertically discontinuous arrays of devices with those obtained from continuous vertical arrays comprising nine mesh-style traps. The results indicate that discontinuous arrays of 3, 4, 5, or 6 devices deployed less than 200 mm from the surface will effectively reproduce results from the continuous array, with average errors less than 3%. Errors increase when devices are at greater heights or as the number of devices decreases. Discontinuous arrays typically do not capture creep transport which would contribute to error in our comparisons. Therefore, creep must comprise less than 3% of total aeolian sand flux, contradicting typical assumptions of 25%. Full article

Traditional median filtering with a fixed window easily leads to edge blurring and adaptive median filtering requires manual presetting of the maximum window parameter and has insufficient retention of details when dealing with high-density salt-and-pepper noise. Aiming at these problems, this paper proposes a hybrid decision-making adaptive median filtering algorithm with dual-window detection in collaboration with particle swarm optimization (PSO). The algorithm quickly locates suspected noise points through a 3 × 3 small window and enhances noise identification accuracy by using a PSO dynamically optimized 5–35-pixel large window. Meanwhile, a hybrid decision-making mechanism based on local statistical properties was introduced to dynamically select median filtering, weighted average based on spatial distance, or pixel preservation strategy to balance noise suppression and detail preservation, and the PSO algorithm was used to automatically find the optimal parameters of the large window’s size to avoid the manual parameter-tuning process. Experiments were conducted on standard grayscale and color images and compared with four traditional methods and two more advanced methods. The experiments showed that the algorithm improved the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) value by 2–4 dB and the structural similarity index measure (SSIM) metric by 0.05–0.2 under high salt-and-pepper noise density compared with the traditional methods, which effectively improved the contradiction between noise suppression and detail retention in traditional filtering algorithms and provided a highly efficient and intelligent solution for image denoising in high-noise scenarios. Full article

This article examines the historical evolution, contemporary dynamics, and future trajectory of China’s legal and judicial framework for pangolin protection. By reviewing over seventy years of regulatory changes, case law, and policy implementation, it outlines three distinct phases: the early emphasis on pangolins as medicinal and export resources (1949–1989); the phase of conflicted protection and utilization under regulatory expansion (1989–2020); and the post-2020 shift toward judicial activism and ecological civil litigation. We then highlight the long-standing contradiction between legislative protection and continued medicinal use, particularly the centuries-old use of pangolins and their derivatives in traditional Chinese medicine, a practice still acknowledged within certain state policies and regulatory frameworks, showing how these inconsistencies enabled persistent illegal exploitation despite regulatory controls. Through systematic analysis of public court records and case databases, the policy historical records reveal a marked increase in environmental public interest litigation since 2020. These lawsuits, often attached to criminal prosecutions, signal a transition from merely punitive approaches to restorative ones—anchored in ecological valuation of species and their services. Case studies illustrate how courts now impose not only wildlife resource loss fees, but also punitive damages and compensation for ecological service function loss. The article will elaborate in detail on the distinctions and interrelations among these types of compensation. The landmark Case No.17 also demonstrates this paradigm shift, wherein courts recognized pangolins’ role in balancing forest ecosystems. However, significant challenges persist. Valuation methodologies lack uniform standards; while the ecological value of pangolins has been recognized, their inherent value as individuals has not been emphasized within the legal system; judicial discretion varies across jurisdictions; and public interest organizations remain underutilized in litigation. Moreover, while the crackdown on organized crime succeeded in curbing mass trafficking, smaller-scale violations tied to cultural consumption for medicine use persist. The article concludes that judicial innovations, such as ecological judicial restoration bases and integration into China’s draft Ecological Environment Code, offer promising pathways forward. To enhance efficacy, it calls for standardization in ecological valuation, strengthened civil society participation, and nuanced differentiation in penal strategies between minor and serious offenses. This study ultimately positions judicial reform as the cornerstone of China’s evolving pangolin conservation strategy. Full article

Large language models (LLMs) have become extensively used among users across diverse settings. Yet, with the complex nature of these large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) systems, leveraging their capabilities effectively is yet to be explored. In this study, we looked at the types of communication errors that occur in interactions between humans and ChatGPT-3.5 in Arabic. A corpus of six Arabic-language consultations was collected from an online mental health support forum. For each consultation, the researchers provided the user’s Arabic queries to ChatGPT-3.5 and analyzed the system’s responses. The study identified 102 communication errors, mostly grammatical and repetitions. Other errors involved contradictions, ambiguous language, ignoring questions, and lacking sociality. By examining the patterns and types of communication errors observed in ChatGPT’s responses, the study is expected to provide insights into the challenges and limitations of current conversational AI systems, particularly in the context of sensitive domains like mental health support. Full article

Respirable crystalline silica is a well-established occupational hazard in construction work. Despite increased awareness, consistent exposure control remains a challenge, particularly in dynamic and resource-constrained environments. Respirable crystalline silica exposure in construction environments challenges the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Respirable crystalline silica particles cause severe health complications, including silicosis, lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune disorders, representing a significant barrier to achieving SDG 3.9’s target of reducing deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemical exposures by 2030. This systematic review evaluates two decades of advancements (2004–2024) in respirable crystalline silica identification, characterisation, and mitigation within construction, synthesising evidence from 143 studies to assess progress toward sustainable occupational health management. This review documents a paradigmatic shift from traditional exposure assessment toward sophisticated monitoring approaches incorporating real-time detection systems, virtual reality–Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations, and wearable sensor technologies. Engineering controls, including local exhaust ventilation, wet suppression methods, and modified tool designs, have achieved exposure reductions exceeding 90%, directly supporting SDG 8.8’s commitment to safe working environments for all workers, including migrants and those in precarious employment. However, substantial barriers persist, including prohibitive costs, inadequate infrastructure, and regional regulatory disparities that particularly disadvantage lower-resourced countries, contradicting the Sustainable Development Goals’ principles of leaving no one behind. The findings advocate holistic approaches integrating technological innovation with context-specific regulations, enhanced international cooperation, and culturally adapted worker education to achieve equitable occupational health protection supporting multiple Sustainable Development Goals’ objectives by 2030 and also highlighting potential areas for future research. Full article

In the context of the deep transformation of population structure and the coordinated advancement of high-quality development, exploring the mechanism of the impact of aging on economic growth has become a major issue related to the sustainable development of China. This study takes the 41 cities of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration as a sample, using the population and economic census data from 2000 to 2020. It comprehensively applies an improved Solow model, GIS spatial analysis, spatial econometric models, and mediation effect tests to arrive at the following findings: (1) There is a significant asynchrony between economic growth and population aging in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. Economic growth has shifted from high-speed to high-quality development, while the aging process is accelerating and becoming more aged. (2) Population aging in the Yangtze River Delta has a nonlinear positive impact on economic growth. The intensity of this impact shows a characteristic of “strong-weak-strong,” with the first aging rate threshold being 11.63% and the second being 17.53%. (3) There is significant spatial autocorrelation between population aging and economic growth in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. The overall direction of the effect shows a spatial distribution pattern of “positive in the south and negative in the north.” The deepening of population aging in neighboring areas promotes local economic growth. (4) Labor productivity and optimization of the living environment constitute the core transmission pathways. Together, they account for more than 80% of the contribution and serve as the key mechanism for transforming aging pressures into growth momentum. This research provides practical guidance for solving the “rich” and “aging” contradictions in the Yangtze River Delta. It also offers a universal theoretical framework and a Chinese solution for aging economies worldwide to address the risk of growth stagnation. Full article

Under the dual pressures of climate change and anthropogenic activities, the sustainability of the fragile ecosystem on the Qingzang Plateau has garnered considerable attention. This study, taking the Yarlung Tsangpo River, Lhasa River, and Nianchu River Basin (YNL) of Xizang as a case study, systematically assesses the spatiotemporal evolution of its ecosystem services from 2000 to 2020. It reveals a critical dynamic: while regional ecosystem services have shown an overall improving trend over the past two decades, driven jointly by a warmer and wetter climate and ecological engineering projects, the adverse impacts of human activities have intensified significantly, posing an emerging and growing threat to regional ecological security. Based on the InVEST model, this research quantifies four key services and constructs a Comprehensive Ecosystem Service (CES) index to evaluate the overall ecosystem function. Subsequently, an integrated Principal Component Analysis and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PCA-PLS-SEM) analytical framework is employed to decouple the complex pathways driving CES successfully. The results confirm that climate and topography are the fundamental natural drivers determining the spatial pattern of ecosystem services, which is characterized as being high in the east and low in the west. The core contribution of this study lies in its quantitative identification of the coexisting reality of “ecological improvement” and “development pressure” in the region. It emphasizes that future management strategies must urgently shift from a static conservation approach to an integrated paradigm capable of proactively addressing human–land contradictions. This provides a critical scientific basis for safeguarding China’s national ecological security barrier. Full article

The primary contradiction in mature oilfields during the high water-cut stage is the uneven vertical water drive, which prevents the effective utilization of residual oil in the upper part of thick sand bodies at small scales. To address this issue, ultra-short-radius horizontal wells are employed to establish large-diameter oil flow channels within the reservoir, thereby achieving precise exploitation of this type of residual oil. Optimizing the length of the horizontal section is a critical issue in the development of small-scale residual oil, but conventional methods for optimizing the length of horizontal sections cannot be directly applied to ultra-short-radius horizontal wells (USRHWs). Therefore, utilizing reservoir seepage mechanics theory, the reservoir numerical simulation method was employed to investigate variations in daily and cumulative oil production for different horizontal section lengths. The theoretical upper limit of the optimal horizontal section length for actual injection and production well patterns was determined. Considering the coupled flow characteristics in the bottom water drive reservoir formation and wellbore, as well as the impact of friction losses caused by the relative roughness of the pipe wall under turbulent flow conditions on productivity, a mathematical model was established for the optimal length of the horizontal section of USRHWs, and the technological optimal value was determined. On this basis, fully accounting for the influence of drilling costs and oil prices on the optimization of the horizontal section length, an economic model for optimizing horizontal section length was established, and we comprehensively determine the optimal length of horizontal sections from multiple perspectives, including simulation, technology, and economics. The effectiveness of this method was validated by the processing results of actual reservoir parameters and the production performance after drilling. Full article

The myth that linked Pentecostal apathy towards public and civil engagement with the contradiction between otherworldliness and this-worldliness is being challenged. This falsity presented as a fact was connected to the idea that Pentecostal eschatology is incompatible with a cosmology that seeks to improve this world. However, recent research has dismantled this view by asserting that both early and contemporary Pentecostals were not unaware of social practice. One observation is that these Pentecostals grossly overlooked articulating their social vision, especially as part of their missional activities. Some Pentecostal churches in the global South have established programmes aimed at addressing endemic poverty in their regions. These churches are responding to concerns about the relationship between Pentecostal spirituality and persistent poverty. Given the proliferation of Pentecostal mega-churches in sub-Saharan Africa, there are opinions that the leaders of these churches are perpetuating poverty through messages of prosperity. Others, however, criticize these leaders for spiritualizing the root causes of poverty and relying on foreign aid to the region. This research focuses on the social engagement of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria (RCCG). RCCG was founded in 1952 from an Aladura church and transformed into a Pentecostal church in the 1980s under an educated leader, who employed Pentecostalism and a core of educated middle-class individuals as new pastoral leaders to expand it into a religious denomination. In 2017, RCCG introduced CSR as its comprehensive programme of social engagement, encompassing health care, education, and charitable activities. In partnership with the Nigerian government, RCCG renovated some government-owned public health facilities and provides specialized medical care to Nigerians. Full article

Undergraduate design education faces a structural contradiction characterized by high cognitive load (CL) and relatively low innovation output. Meanwhile, existing generative AI tools predominantly emphasize the generation of visual outcomes, often overlooking the logical guidance mechanisms inherent in design thinking. This study proposes a Dual-Path teaching model integrating critical reconstruction behaviors to examine how AI enhances design thinking. It adopts structured interactions with the DeepSeek large language model, CL theory, and Structural Equation Modeling for analysis. Quantitative results indicate that AI-assisted paths significantly enhance design quality (72.43 vs. 65.60 in traditional paths). This improvement is attributed to a “direct effect + multiple mediators” model: specifically, AI reduced the mediating role of Extraneous Cognitive Load from 0.907 to 0.017, while simultaneously enhancing its investment in Germane Cognitive Load to support deep, innovative thinking. Theoretically, this study is among the first to integrate AI-driven critical reconstruction behaviors (e.g., iteration count, cross-domain terms) into CL theory, validating the “logical chain externalization → load optimization” mechanism in design education contexts. Practically, it provides actionable strategies for the digital transformation of design education, fostering interdisciplinary thinking and advancing a teaching paradigm where low-order cognition is outsourced to reinforce high-order creative thinking. Full article

With the improvement in living standards and the aging of the population, the development of thin, light, and unobtrusive electronic skin devices is accelerating. These electronic devices combine the convenience of wearable electronics with the comfort of a skin-like fit. They are used to acquire multimodal physiological signal data from the wearer and real-time transmission of signals for vital signs monitoring, health dynamics warning, and disease prevention. These capabilities impose unique requirements on material selection, signal transmission, and data processing for such electronic devices. Firstly, this review provides a systematic introduction to nanomaterials, conductive hydrogels, and liquid metals, which are currently used in human health monitoring. Then, it introduces the solution to the contradiction between wireless data transmission and flexible electronic skin devices. Then, the latest data processing progress is briefly described. Finally, the latest research advances in electronic skin devices based on medical scenarios are presented, and their current development, challenges faced, and future opportunities in the field of vital signs monitoring are discussed. Full article