Search Results (399)

Previous studies observed that emotional scenes, presented as distractors, capture attention and interfere with an ongoing task. This behavioral interference has been shown to be elicited by the semantic rather than by the perceptual properties of a scene, as it resisted the application of low-pass spatial frequency filters. Some studies observed that the visual system can adapt to perceptual conditions; however, little is known concerning whether attentional capture by emotional stimuli can also be modulated by the sequential repetition of viewing conditions or of emotional content. In the present study, we asked participants to perform a parity task while viewing irrelevant natural scenes, which could be either emotional or neutral. These scenes could be either blurred (low-pass filter) or perceptually intact, and the order of presentation was balanced to study the effects of sequential repetition of perceptual conditions. The results indicate that affective modulation was most pronounced when the same viewing condition (either intact or blurred) was repeated, with faster responses when perceptual conditions were repeated for neutral distractors, but to a lesser extent for emotional ones. These data suggest that emotional interference in an attentional task can be modulated by serial sensitization in the processing of spatial frequencies. Full article

This study addresses fairness in machine learning for student academic performance prediction using the UCI Student Performance dataset. We comparatively evaluate logistic regression, Random Forest, and XGBoost, integrating the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) to address class imbalance and 5-fold cross-validation for robust model training. A comprehensive fairness analysis is conducted, considering sensitive attributes such as gender, school type, and socioeconomic factors, including parental education (Medu and Fedu), cohabitation status (Pstatus), and family size (famsize). Using the AIF360 library, we compute the demographic parity difference (DP) and Equalized Odds Difference (EO) to assess model biases across diverse subgroups. Our results demonstrate that XGBoost achieves high predictive performance (accuracy: 0.789; F1 score: 0.803) while maintaining low bias for socioeconomic attributes, offering a balanced approach to fairness and performance. A sensitivity analysis of bias mitigation strategies further enhances the study, advancing equitable artificial intelligence in education by incorporating socially relevant factors. Full article

Sustainability in the construction sector has become a fundamental objective for mitigating escalating environmental challenges; given that concrete is the most widely used man-made material, extending its service life is therefore critical. Among durability concerns, magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) attack is particularly deleterious to concrete structures. Therefore, this study investigates the short- and long-term performance of concrete produced with copper slag (CS)—a massive waste generated by copper mining activities worldwide—employed as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM), together with recycled coarse aggregate (RCA), obtained from concrete construction and demolition waste, when exposed to MgSO₄. CS was used as a 15 vol% cement replacement, while RCA was incorporated at 0%, 20%, 50%, and 100 vol%. Compressive strength, bulk density, water absorption, and porosity were measured after water curing (7–388 days) and following immersion in a 5 wt.% MgSO₄ solution for 180 and 360 days. Microstructural characteristics were assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis with its differential thermogravimetric derivative (TG-DTG), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The results indicated that replacing 15% cement with CS reduced 7-day strength by ≤10%, yet parity with the reference mix was reached at 90 days. Strength losses increased monotonically with RCA content. Under MgSO₄ exposure, all mixtures experienced an initial compressive strength gain during the short-term exposures (28–100 days), attributed to the pore-filling effect of expansive sulfate phases. However, at long-term exposure (180–360 days), a clear strength decline was observed, mainly due to internal cracking, brucite formation, and the transformation of C–S–H into non-cementitious M–S–H gel. Based on these findings, the combined use of CS and RCA at low replacement levels shows potential for producing environmentally friendly concrete with mechanical and durability performance comparable to those of concrete made entirely with virgin materials. Full article

Weighted belief propagation (WBP) for the decoding of linear block codes is considered. In WBP, the Tanner graph of the code is unrolled with respect to the iterations of the belief propagation decoder. Then, weights are assigned to the edges of the resulting recurrent network and optimized offline using a training dataset. The main contribution of this paper is an adaptive WBP where the weights of the decoder are determined for each received word. Two variants of this decoder are investigated. In the parallel WBP decoders, the weights take values in a discrete set. A number of WBP decoders are run in parallel to search for the best sequence- of weights in real time. In the two-stage decoder, a small neural network is used to dynamically determine the weights of the WBP decoder for each received word. The proposed adaptive decoders demonstrate significant improvements over the static counterparts in two applications. In the first application, Bose–Chaudhuri–Hocquenghem, polar and quasi-cyclic low-density parity-check (QC-LDPC) codes are used over an additive white Gaussian noise channel. The results indicate that the adaptive WBP achieves bit error rates (BERs) up to an order of magnitude less than the BERs of the static WBP at about the same decoding complexity, depending on the code, its rate, and the signal-to-noise ratio. The second application is a concatenated code designed for a long-haul nonlinear optical fiber channel where the inner code is a QC-LDPC code and the outer code is a spatially coupled LDPC code. In this case, the inner code is decoded using an adaptive WBP, while the outer code is decoded using the sliding window decoder and static belief propagation. The results show that the adaptive WBP provides a coding gain of 0.8 dB compared to the neural normalized min-sum decoder, with about the same computational complexity and decoding latency. Full article

Background: Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly among pregnant women and children under five years old, remain a significant public health challenge in Nigeria. Despite existing policies and programmes, national data on prevalence and risk factors are fragmented. Objective: To synthesise the current evidence on the prevalence of key micronutrient deficiencies and associated risk factors among pregnant women and children under five years old in Nigeria. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using peer-reviewed studies that were published between 2008 and 2024. The databases searched included PubMed, Scopus, and African Journals Online. After screening 1207 studies, 37 studies were included: 27 were conducted among pregnant women and 10 were among children. A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the anaemia prevalence using a random-effects model. A narrative synthesis was conducted to synthesise evidence on other micronutrients (i.e., magnesium, copper, and vitamins C and E) due to the limited data and risk factors. Results: The pooled prevalence of anaemia was 56% among children and 54% among pregnant women. The prevalence of other micronutrient deficiencies varied widely, with a high prevalence of zinc (86.4%), magnesium (94%), and vitamin D (73.3%) deficiencies in certain regions. The identified risk factors included poor dietary diversity, lower socioeconomic status, low maternal education, infection burden, and early or high parity. Most studies were facility-based and sub-national, limiting the generalisability. Conclusions: This review highlights a high prevalence of anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies among pregnant women and children in Nigeria. Key risk factors included a poor diet, low maternal education, infections, and reproductive health challenges. Targeted, multisectoral policies are urgently needed to address these gaps and improve health outcomes. Full article

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) offer a high-performance, low-power alternative to traditional VLSI technology for nanocomputing. However, the existing metal-dot QCA-based parity generators and checker circuits suffer from increased energy dissipation, larger area consumption, and complex multilayered layouts, limiting their practical feasibility. This work designs a 3-bit parity generator and 4-bit checker to address these challenges using an optimized modified majority voter-based Ex-OR gate in QCA. A single-layered layout was simulated in QCADesigner 2.0.3, avoiding crossovers to reduce fabrication complexity. Energy analysis using QCADesigner-E reveals 34.4 meV energy consumption, achieving 31% energy efficiency and 75% area efficiency in the context of QCA costs compared to recent designs. The proposed circuit highlights the unique potential of QCA as a scalable, energy-efficient solution for high-density next-generation computing systems. Full article

Modern industrial ecosystems, particularly those embracing Industry 4.0, increasingly depend on coherent optical networks operating at 400 Gbps and beyond. These high-capacity infrastructures, coupled with advanced digital signal processing and phase-sensitive detection, enable real-time data exchange for automated manufacturing, robotics, and interconnected factory systems. However, they introduce multilayer security challenges—ranging from hardware synchronization gaps to protocol overhead manipulation. Moreover, the rise of large-scale quantum computing intensifies these threats by potentially breaking classical key exchange protocols and enabling the future decryption of stored ciphertext. In this paper, we present a systematic vulnerability analysis of coherent optical networks that use OTU4 framing, Media Access Control Security (MACsec), and 400G ZR+ transceivers. Guided by established risk assessment methodologies, we uncover critical weaknesses affecting management plane interfaces (e.g., MDIO and I²C) and overhead fields (e.g., Trail Trace Identifier, Bit Interleaved Parity). To mitigate these risks while preserving the robust data throughput and low-latency demands of industrial automation, we propose a post-quantum security framework that merges spectral phase masking with multi-homodyne coherent detection, strengthened by quantum key distribution for key management. This layered approach maintains backward compatibility with existing infrastructure and ensures forward secrecy against quantum-enabled adversaries. The evaluation results show a substantial reduction in exposure to timing-based exploits, overhead field abuses, and cryptographic compromise. By integrating quantum-safe measures at the optical layer, our solution provides a future-proof roadmap for network operators, hardware vendors, and Industry 4.0 stakeholders tasked with safeguarding next-generation manufacturing and engineering processes. Full article

Neonatal calves possess an immature and naïve immune system and are reliant on the intake of maternal colostrum for the passive transfer of immunoglobulins. Maternal antibodies delivered to the calf via colostrum, are crucial to prevent calfhood diseases and death. Failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) is a condition in which calves do not acquire enough maternal antibodies, mostly in the form of IgG, due to inadequate colostrum quality or delayed colostrum feeding. The diagnosis and risk factors for FTPI have been widely studied in dairy cattle; however, in beef calves, the research interest in the topic is relatively recent, and the most adequate diagnostic and preventative methods are still in development, making it difficult to define recommendations for the assessment and prevention of FTPI in cow–calf operations. The objective of this scoping review is to identify the published literature on best practices for colostrum management and transfer of passive immunity (TPI) in neonatal beef calves. The literature was searched using three electronic databases (CAB Direct, Scopus, and PubMed) for publications from 2003 to 2025. The search process was performed during the period from May to July 2023, and was repeated in January 2025. All screening processes were performed using Covidence systematic review software (Veritas Health Innovation, Melbourne, Australia). A total of 800 studies were initially identified through database searches. After removing duplicates, 346 studies were screened based on their titles and abstracts, leading to the exclusion of 260 studies. The remaining 86 studies underwent full-text screening, and 58 studies were considered eligible for data extraction. Hand-searching the references from published review papers on the subject yielded an additional five studies, bringing the total to 63 included articles. The prevalence of FTPI has been estimated to be between 5.8% and 34.5% in beef calves. Factors studied related to colostrum management include quality and quantity of colostrum intake, the timing and method of colostrum feeding, and the microbial content of the colostrum. Studies on risk factors related to the calf include the topics calf sex, twin status, calf vigor, weight, month of birth, cortisol and epinephrine concentrations, and the administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to calves after difficult calving. The dam-related risk factors studied include dam body condition score and udder conformation, breed, parity, genetics, prepartum vaccinations and nutrition, calving area and difficulty, and the administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at C-section. Most importantly for beef systems, calves with low vigor and a weak suckling reflex are at high risk for FTPI; therefore, these calves should be given extra attention to ensure an adequate consumption of colostrum. While serum IgG levels of < 8 g/L or < 10 g/L have been suggested as cutoffs for the diagnosis of FTPI, 16 g/L and 24 g/L have emerged as cutoffs for adequate and optimal serum IgG levels in beef calves. Several field-ready diagnostics have been compared in various studies to the reference standards for measuring indicators of TPI in beef calves, where results often differ between models or manufacturers. Therefore, care must be taken when interpreting these results. Full article

Background: Current cosmological fits typically assume a direct relation between cosmic time (t) and the scale factor ($a\left(t\right)$), yet this ansatz remains largely untested across diverse observations. Objectives: We (i) test whether a single power-law scaling ($a\left(t\right)\propto t^{\alpha }$) can reproduce late- and early-time cosmological data and (ii) explore whether a dynamically evolving ($\alpha \left(t\right)$), modeled as a scalar–tensor field, naturally induces directional asymmetry in cosmic evolution. Methods: We fit a constant-$\alpha$ model to four independent datasets: 1701 Pantheon+SH0ES supernovae, 162 gamma-ray bursts, 32 cosmic chronometers, and the Planck 2018 TT spectrum (2507 points). The CMB angular spectrum is mapped onto a logarithmic distance-like scale ($\mu ={log}_{10}{D}_{\ell }$), allowing for unified likelihood analysis. Each dataset yields slightly different preferred values for $H_0$ and $\alpha$; therefore, we also perform a global combined fit. For scalar–tensor dynamics, we integrate $\alpha \left(t\right)$ under three potentials—quadratic, cosine, and parity breaking (${\alpha }^{3}sin\alpha$)—and quantify directionality via forward/backward evolution and Lyapunov exponents. Results: (1) The constant-$\alpha$ model achieves good fits across all datasets. In combined analysis, it yields $H_0\simeq 70\mathrm{km}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{-1}$ and $\alpha \simeq 1.06$, outperforming $\Lambda$CDM globally ($\Delta \mathrm{AIC}\simeq 401254$), though $\Lambda$CDM remains favored for some low-redshift chronometer data. High-redshift GRB and CMB data drive the improved fit. Numerical likelihood evaluations are approximately three times faster than for $\Lambda$CDM. (2) Dynamical $\alpha \left(t\right)$ models exhibit time-directional behavior: under asymmetric potentials, forward evolution displays finite Lyapunov exponents (${\lambda }_L\sim {10}^{-3}$), while backward trajectories remain confined (${\lambda }_L<0$), realizing classical arrow-of-time emergence without entropy or quantum input. Limitations: This study addresses only homogeneous background evolution; perturbations and physical derivations of potentials remain open questions. Conclusions: The time-scaling approach offers a computationally efficient control scenario in cosmological model testing. Scalar–tensor extensions naturally introduce classical time asymmetry that is numerically accessible and observationally testable within current datasets. Code and full data are available. Full article

Longstanding anomalies in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), including the low quadrupole moment and hemispherical power asymmetry, have recently been linked to an underlying parity asymmetry. We show here how this parity asymmetry naturally arises within a quantum framework that explicitly incorporates the construction of a geometric quantum vacuum based on parity ($\mathcal{P}$) and time-reversal ($\mathcal{T}$) transformations. This framework restores unitarity in quantum field theory in curved spacetime (QFTCS). When applied to inflationary quantum fluctuations, this unitary QFTCS formalism predicts parity asymmetry as a natural consequence of cosmic expansion, which inherently breaks time-reversal symmetry. Observational data strongly favor this unitary QFTCS approach, with a Bayes factor, the ratio of marginal likelihoods associated with the model given the data $p\left(M|D\right)$, exceeding 650 times that of predictions from the standard inflationary framework. This Bayesian approach contrasts with the standard practice in the CMB community, which evaluates $p\left(D|M\right)$, the likelihood of the data under the model, which undermines the importance of low-ℓ physics. Our results, for the first time, provide compelling evidence for the quantum gravitational origins of CMB parity asymmetry on large scales. Full article

Background: Maternal nutrition is one of the main determinants of healthy pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study is to investigate maternal nutritional risks and their relationship with gestational weight gain (GWG) among Saudi women. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the antenatal clinics of a university hospital. The FIGO Nutrition Checklist was used to investigate the nutritional habits of pregnant women attending their regular antenatal visits. The FIGO tool includes a brief food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and total nutritional risk score (NRS). Data on other variables were collected, including participant demographics and obstetric history. Current weight and height were extracted from nursing notes of the current visit, and the pre-pregnancy weight was self-reported by participants. GWG was reported and participants were classified according to IOM Guidelines. All data were analyzed using SPSS (Version 30, release September 2024) and p < 0.05 was defined as statistically significant. Results: A total of 570 pregnant women participated in the study, of whom 96% had at least one nutritional risk. More than 90% of participants reported sufficient folic acid intake, normal hemoglobin level and adequate meat and poultry intake. Only 23.9% of participants had sufficient fish intake and 24.6% reported proper sun exposure. Additionally, 10% of participants scored poorly on the FFQ, while 30% were classified as high-risk based on NRS scale. Poor nutritional scores were not associated with any clinical or socioeconomical variables. According to IOM guidelines, 26.3% of the participants achieved adequate GWG, while 49.5% had inadequate GWG, and 24.2% exceeded recommended GWG. Inadequate GWG was most common among those with low pre-pregnancy BMI (60%), followed by overweight (43.2%) and obese (37%) women. Neither parity nor nutritional scores significantly influenced GWG. Conclusions: Although poor nutritional quality and high nutritional risk are relatively uncommon among Saudi women, the prevalence rates remain consistent across all sociodemographic groups. This suggests widespread, uniform patterns of suboptimal dietary habits within the community. While GWG was not affected by nutritional status or parity of the participants, nearly half of participants had inadequate GWG, particularly those with a low pre-pregnancy BMI. Full article

Background: Breast cancer poses a significant health challenge in Bangladesh, where limited screening and unique reproductive patterns contribute to delayed diagnoses and subtype-specific disparities. While reproductive risk factors such as age at menarche, parity, and contraceptive use are well studied in high-income countries, their associations with hormone-receptor-positive (HR+) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remain underexplored in low-resource settings. Methods: A case-control study was conducted at the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH) including 486 histopathologically confirmed breast cancer cases (246 HR+, 240 TNBC) and 443 cancer-free controls. Socio-demographic and reproductive data were collected through structured interviews. Machine learning models—including Logistic Regression, Lasso, Support Vector Machines, Random Forest, and XGBoost—were trained using stratified five-fold cross-validation. Model performance was evaluated using sensitivity, F1-score, and Area Under Receiver Operating Curve (AUROC). To interpret model predictions and quantify the contribution of individual features, we employed Shapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) values. Results: XGBoost achieved the highest overall performance (F1-score = 0.750), and SHAP-based interpretability revealed key predictors for each subtype. Rural residence, low education (≤5 years), and undernutrition were significant predictors across subtypes. Cesarean delivery and multiple abortions were more predictive of TNBC, while urban residence, employment, and higher education were more predictive of HR+. Age at menarche and age at first childbirth showed decreasing predictive importance with increasing age for HR+, while larger gaps between marriage and childbirth were more predictive of TNBC. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the value of machine learning coupled with SHAP-based explainability in identifying context-specific risk factors for breast cancer subtypes in resource-limited settings. This approach enhances transparency and supports the development of targeted public health interventions to reduce breast cancer disparities in Bangladesh. Full article

Multi-level coded modulation (MLCM) enhances data transmission by allocating error correction more effectively to bits with higher error probabilities, thus optimizing redundancy and improving performance. Despite MLCM’s advantages over traditional bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) systems in certain scenarios, its integration with hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) systems remains underexplored. HARQ, which combines the benefits of forward error correction (FEC) and automatic repeat request (ARQ), significantly increases resilience to interference and fading, enhancing overall system reliability. This paper bridges the gap by integrating HARQ techniques into the MLCM framework, which was specifically adapted to the layered nature of MLCM. We present tailored hybrid retransmission strategies for each layer of MLCM, demonstrating substantial gains in retransmission efficiency and overall transmission performance. Full article

Intersectionality, especially with a race–class–gender focus, has been used to study many facets of women’s experiences. However, this framework has been underutilized in the study of breastfeeding prevalence. Our study is the first of its kind to use intersectionality to illuminate breastfeeding network prevalence disparities with empirical data. We use insights from this theory to examine breastfeeding patterns reported by women living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Mississippi makes an excellent site for such an examination, given its history of racial discrimination, entrenched poverty, and strikingly low rates of breastfeeding, particularly for African American women. We identify a series of factors that influence racial disparities in lactation network prevalence, that is, breastfeeding among friends and family of the women we surveyed. Our investigation relies on survey data drawn from a random sample of adult women who are representative of the Mississippi Gulf Coast population supplemented by a non-random oversample of African American women in this predominantly rural tri-county area. Results from the first wave of the CDC-funded 2019 Mississippi REACH Social Climate Survey reveal that Black-White differentials in breastfeeding network prevalence are significantly reduced for African American women who report (1) higher income levels and (2) more robust community support for breastfeeding. We conclude that breastfeeding is subject to two key structural factors: economic standing and community context. An appreciation of these intersecting influences on breastfeeding and long-term efforts to alter them could bring about greater breastfeeding parity among African American and White women in Mississippi and perhaps elsewhere. We end by identifying the practical implications of our findings and promising directions for future research. Full article

Incited by the scant understanding of unsettled charmonia and newly observed $cc\bar{c}\bar{c}$ tetraquarks, this work aims to explore the canonical interpretations and spectroscopic properties of these fully hidden-charm states. In the framework of a relativistic flux tube model, the centroid masses of the low-lying $nL$-wave states with $1\le n+L\le 4$ are unraveled. In order to pin down the complete mass spectra, the hyperfine splittings induced by the spin-dependent interactions are incorporated into the final predictions. Accordingly, fourteen charmonia are well identified, including the ${\eta }_c\left(1S\right)$, $J/\psi \left(1S\right)$, ${\chi }_{c0}\left(1P\right)$, $h_c\left(1P\right)$, ${\chi }_{c1}\left(1P\right)$, ${\chi }_{c2}\left(1P\right)$, ${\eta }_c\left(2S\right)$, $\psi \left(2S\right)$, $\psi \left(3770\right)$, ${\psi }_2\left(3823\right)$, ${\psi }_3\left(3842\right)$, ${\chi }_{c0}\left(3915\right)$, ${\chi }_{c2}\left(3930\right)$, and $\psi \left(4040\right)$ states. Additionally, the exotic $T_{\psi \psi }\left(6400\right)$, $T_{\psi \psi }\left(6600\right)$, $T_{\psi \psi }\left(6900\right)$, and $T_{\psi \psi }\left(7300\right)$ states are interpreted as the $1S$-wave, $1P/2S$-wave, $1D/2P$-wave, and $2D/3P/4S$-wave $cc\bar{c}\bar{c}$ tetraquarks, respectively. Based on the achieved outcomes, the spin-parity quantum number is imperative to discriminate the nature of the $cc\bar{c}\bar{c}$ structures, pending further experimental measurement in the future. Full article