In this study, our aim is to find an effective method to solve the problem of disease similarity caused by multiple diseases occurring on the same leaf. This study proposes the use of an optimized RegNet model to identify seven common apple leaf diseases. We conducted comparisons and analyses on the impact of various factors, such as training methods, data expansion methods, optimizer selection, image background, and other factors, on model performance. The findings suggest that utilizing offline expansion and transfer learning to fine-tune all layer parameters can enhance the model’s classification performance, while complex image backgrounds significantly influence model performance. Additionally, the optimized RegNet network model demonstrates good generalization ability for both datasets, achieving testing accuracies of 93.85% and 99.23%, respectively. These results highlight the potential of the optimized RegNet network model to achieve high-precision identification of different diseases on the same apple leaf under complex field backgrounds. This will be of great significance for intelligent disease identification in apple orchards in the future. Full article

Within an educational context, the current aim of policy translation is to achieve policy coherence by strategically and structurally aligning components, enabling whole system reform. While acknowledging the importance of this coherence conceptualisation, the current literature perspective primarily emphasises message conveyance, and lacks a dimension that identifies policy coherence as the result of how individuals, including middle leaders, interpret and translate policy into actions, both individually and collectively. System middle leaders occupy a unique position within organisational structures, as they bridge the gap between executive system leaders and school- based leaders. To investigate how policy is interpreted and translated within their roles and the impact this has on attaining policy coherence, this study employed an interpretivist approach to exploratory case study methodology, grounded in a review of authoritative literature. The aim was twofold; first, to enhance understanding of policy coherence development at the system middle level by exploring the role enactment of system middle leaders within a large Australian government education system; and second, to examine the interconnectedness and impact of leaders’ role enactment on policy coherence for system reform. Findings suggest that achieving policy coherence is hindered by a lack of role clarity among system leaders, in relation to policy implementation, stemming from the inconsistent interpretation and translation of policy into system strategy documentation and a deficiency in formal policy interpretation and role induction practices. As a result, individual system leaders often turn to informal policy interpretations and interactions with peers to clarify roles, leading to role tensions, accountability ambiguity and partial policy implementation. As a result, this study concludes that the integration of role theory, policy implementation theory and organisational alignment theory offers an interpretivist insight into the development of policy coherence for system reform, illuminating a theoretical pathway and practical recommendations for systems to attain policy coherence. Full article

In this work, the properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) and SCC containing 0.5 and 1% glass fibers (with lengths of 6 and 13 mm) were experimentally investigated, as well as their performance at high temperatures. With a heating rate of 5 °C/min, high-temperature experiments were conducted at 200, 400, 600, and 800 °C to examine mass loss, spalling, and the remaining mechanical properties of SCC with and without glass fibers. According to the results of the flowability and passing ability tests, adding glass fibers does not affect how workable and self-compacting SCCs were. These findings also demonstrated that the mechanical properties of samples with and without glass fibers rose up to 200 °C but then decreased at 400 °C, whereas the mixture containing 0.5% glass fibers of a length of 13 mm displayed better mechanical properties. Both SCC samples with and without glass fibers remained intact at 200 °C. Some SCC samples displayed some corner and edge spalling when the temperature reached about 400 °C. Above 400 °C, a significant number of microcracks started to form. SCC samples quickly spalled and were completely destroyed between 600 and 800 °C. According to the results, glass fibers cannot stop SCC from spalling during a fire. Between 200 and 400 °C, there was no discernible mass loss. At 600 °C, mass loss starts to accelerate quickly, and it increased more than ten times beyond 200 °C. The ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) of SCC samples with glass fibers increased between room temperature and 200 °C, and the mixture containing 0.5% glass fibers of a length of 13 mm showed a somewhat higher UPV than other SCC mixtures until it started to decline at about 400 °C. Full article

The sodium pump, or Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase (NKA), is an essential enzyme found in the plasma membrane of all animal cells. Its primary role is to transport sodium (Na⁺) and potassium (K⁺) ions across the cell membrane, using energy from ATP hydrolysis. This transport creates and maintains an electrochemical gradient, which is crucial for various cellular processes, including cell volume regulation, electrical excitability, and secondary active transport. Although the role of NKA as a pump was discovered and demonstrated several decades ago, it remains the subject of intense research. Current studies aim to delve deeper into several aspects of this molecular entity, such as describing its structure and mode of operation in atomic detail, understanding its molecular and functional diversity, and examining the consequences of its malfunction due to structural alterations. Additionally, researchers are investigating the effects of various substances that amplify or decrease its pumping activity. Beyond its role as a pump, growing evidence indicates that in various cell types, NKA also functions as a receptor for cardiac glycosides like ouabain. This receptor activity triggers the activation of various signaling pathways, producing significant morphological and physiological effects. In this report, we present the results of a comprehensive review of the most outstanding studies of the past five years. We highlight the progress made regarding this new concept of NKA and the various cardiac glycosides that influence it. Furthermore, we emphasize NKA’s role in epithelial physiology, particularly its function as a receptor for cardiac glycosides that trigger intracellular signals regulating cell–cell contacts, proliferation, differentiation, and adhesion. We also analyze the role of NKA β-subunits as cell adhesion molecules in glia and epithelial cells. Full article

We studied the noncovalent interactions of gadolinium bisphthalocyanine (GdPc₂) with cluster models for graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) of variable size by using the PBE functional of the generalized gradient approximation in conjunction with Grimme’s dispersion correction and a DND double numerical basis set (that is, PBE-D2/DND). We found that in terms of the bonding strength, changes in the Gd-N bond lengths, the charge and spin of the Gd central ion, and the spin of the GdPc₂ molecule, the behaviors of the graphene- and hBN-based model systems are rather similar. As expected, when increasing the size of the graphene and hBN cluster models, the strength of the interaction with GdPc₂ increases, in which the bonding with the hBN models is usually stronger by a few kcal/mol. One of the main questions addressed in the present work was whether a change in the antiferromagnetic spin alignment to a ferromagnetic one, which is typical for GdPc₂, is (at least theoretically) possible, as it has been observed previously for a number of graphene models when a smaller basis set DN was employed. We found that the use of a larger DND basis set dramatically reduces the occurrence of ferromagnetic adsorption complexes but does not exclude this possibility completely. Full article

Heat stress is a significant environmental problem that has a detrimental impact on animal welfare and production efficiency in swine farms. The current study was conducted to assess the effect of low-intensity showers, provided during critical high-temperature hours daily, on body external temperature, feeding pattern, and carcass and meat quality characteristics in fattening pigs. A total of 400 animals (200 barrows and 200 gilts) were randomly allotted in 40 pens. A shower nozzle was installed over 20 pens (half barrows and half gilts) where pigs received a low-intensity shower for 2 min in 30 min intervals from 12 to 19 h (SHO group). Another group without showers was also considered (CON). Feeder occupancy measurement, thermographic measures, and carcass and meat quality parameters were studied. In the periods with higher environmental temperatures, SHO animals showed an increase in the feeder occupancy rate compared to the CON group. A decrease in temperature was observed after the shower, regardless of the anatomical location (p < 0.005). The treatment with showers led to higher values than in the CON group of 4.72%, 3.87%, 11.8%, and 15.1% for hot carcass weight, lean meat yield, and fat thickness in Longissimus Dorsi (LD) and Gluteus Medius muscles, respectively (p < 0.01). Pork from CON showed a 14.9% higher value of drip loss, and 18.9% higher malondialdehyde concentration than SHO (p < 0.01); meanwhile, intramuscular fat content was 22.8% higher in SHO than in CON (p < 0.01). On the other hand, the CON group exhibited higher L* (2.13%) and lower a* and b* values (15.8% and 8.97%) compared to the SHO group. However, the pH_20h of the CON group was significantly lower than that of the SHO group (p < 0.001), indicating a softer pH decrease. Related to fatty acids in subcutaneous outer and inner layers and intramuscular fat, the CON group showed higher ΣSFA and lower ΣMUFA and Δ₉-desaturase indexes than SHO (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the amelioration of heat stress through showers at critical times should be considered an interesting tool that improves both carcass and meat quality, as well as animal welfare. Full article

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for approximately 15–20% of all breast cancer types, indicating a poor survival prognosis with a more aggressive biology of metastasis to the lung and a short response duration to available therapies. Ibulocydine (IB) is a novel (cyclin-dependent kinase) CDK7/9 inhibitor prodrug displaying potent anti-cancer effects against various cancer cell types. We performed in vitro and in vivo experiments to determine whether IB inhibits metastasis and eventually overcomes the poor drug response in TNBC. The result showed that IB inhibited the growth of TNBC cells by inducing caspase-mediated apoptosis and blocking metastasis by reducing MMP-9 expression in vitro. Concurrently, in vivo experiments using the metastasis model showed that IB inhibited metastasis of MDA-MB-231-Luc cells to the lung. Collectively, these results demonstrate that IB inhibited the growth of TNBC cells and blocked metastasis by regulating MMP-9 expression, suggesting a novel therapeutic agent for metastatic TNBC. Full article

During social interactions, people decide whether to trust an actor based on their punitive behaviour. Several empirical studies have indicated that punishment intensity impacts observer trust, yet the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. This study included 242 junior high school students and was conducted to investigate the relationship between teachers’ punishment intensity and levels of student bystander trust. Additionally, the mediating role of trustworthiness and the moderating role of group relationships were explored. The results showed that the relationship between punishment intensity and observer trust follows an inverted U-shaped pattern. In addition, mild punishment boosts observer trust by improving perceived trustworthiness (ability and integrity) compared to no punishment, while harsh punishment reduces observer trust more than mild punishment by diminishing perceived trustworthiness (ability, benevolence, and integrity). More importantly, group relationships positively moderate the relationship between punishment intensity and observer trust. Specifically, compared to mild or no punishment, harsh punishment decreases trustworthiness (ability, benevolence, and integrity) in close teacher–student relationships but has less impact on neutral relationships. The above findings demonstrate that guiding educators in developing appropriate disciplinary concepts contributes to enhancing student observer trust. Full article

Background: Older adults have a high risk for musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, and mental health problems. We compared respiratory muscle strength, cardiovascular endurance, physical activity (PA), and depression between older adults with and without sarcopenia. Methods: This matched case–control study included 200 Thai older adults (100 participants with and without sarcopenia). According to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019, participants completed a handgrip dynamometer, a 6 m walk test, and bioimpedance analysis for sarcopenia screening. Individuals were required to evaluate their cardiovascular endurance and respiratory muscle strength and complete a set of questionnaires (i.e., depression and PA). Participants with and without sarcopenia were compared using a t-test, and ANOVA was used for subgroup analysis. Results: Participants with sarcopenia had significantly lower inspiratory muscle strength (p < 0.001), functional capacity (p = 0.032), PA (p < 0.001), and higher depression scores (p < 0.001) than those without sarcopenia. Respiratory muscle strength and PA were significantly reduced in those with severe sarcopenia, followed by those with sarcopenia, possible sarcopenia, and no sarcopenia. Older adults with severe sarcopenia had higher depression scores than those with sarcopenia, possible sarcopenia, or no sarcopenia. Conclusions: Older adults with sarcopenia may exhibit lower cardiorespiratory performance, less PA, and higher depression than those without sarcopenia. Full article

The complexity of today’s scenario has made it necessary to investigate the need for individuals to make choices that entail increasing exposure to risk and uncertainty. Among the individual resources that could help people to cope with situations of uncertainty, the new construct of subjective risk intelligence (SRI), known as a person’s ability to effectively weigh the pros and cons of a decision in situations where not all the outcomes are foreseen, would seem to play a prominent role. Considering that personality and coping strategies have been shown to be significantly related in previous research, the present study investigates the relationships between subjective risk intelligence, emotional intelligence, personality traits and coping strategies in both adults and adolescents. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1390 Italian people, divided into two subsamples of 641 adolescents and 749 adults. The results showed that SRI mediated the roles that personality traits and emotional intelligence have in coping strategies differently in the adult sample, in which the mediating role of SRI was found for avoidance coping, and in the adolescent sample, in which SRI influenced all of the antecedents analysed in the study for almost all of the identified coping strategies. In light of these findings, subjective risk intelligence could be activated to deal with uncertain and risky situations, influencing the choice of effective or ineffective strategies in both adults and adolescents. Full article

In recent years, robot manipulator arms have become increasingly prevalent and are playing pivotal roles across various industries. Their ability to replace human labor in arduous and hazardous tasks has positioned them as indispensable assets. Consequently, there has been a surge in research efforts aimed at enhancing their operational performance. The imperative to improve their efficiency and effectiveness has garnered significant attention within the research community. In this study, a novel fault-tolerant control (FTC) scheme for robot manipulators to handle the effects of the unknown input is proposed to aid robots in achieving good tracking performance. In the first step, an extended state observer (ESO) is constructed to approximate both velocities and the unknown input in the robot system. The observer offers estimation information with good accuracy and quick convergence. The estimated signals are then combined with computed torque control (CTC), which is a useful control technique for trajectory tracking of robot manipulator systems, to construct an active FTC to decrease the influences of the unknown input. The proposed algorithm does not require velocity measurement in the design process. In addition, with a novel design approach, the combination of controller and observer provides a novel control signal that delivers higher tracking performance compared to the traditional design approach. The global and asymptotic stability of the suggested technique is proved through the Lyapunov theory. Finally, simulations are implemented on a 2-degree-of-freedom (DOF) robot manipulator to validate the efficiency of the proposed controller–observer method. Full article

During the Holocene, the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River valley in China were pivotal areas for agricultural development. Quantitatively reconstructing the spatiotemporal changes in prehistoric human land use is essential for understanding, from a long-term perspective, the interactions among evolutions of climate, agriculture, and human activities. Based on 327 archaeological sites and the PLUM (prehistoric land use model), we quantitatively reconstructed human land use changes from 6 to 3 ka BP (thousands of years before the present) in the Tao River valley, the second-largest tributary in the upper reach of the Yellow River valley. The results indicated that regional land use areas increased from 571 km² to 1468 km², with spatial expansion from the lower reach to the upper–middle reach of the Tao River valley. A comparison of the five areas distributed across the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River valley revealed two different trends of increasing land use from 8 to 3 ka BP within these areas. The first group (the Wei River and Yiluo River valleys) exhibited rapid and substantial growth before 5 ka BP, while the second group (the Huangshui River and Tao River valleys, and the Yunlin district) showed a much slower and less significant increase before 5 ka BP, but a more obvious increase thereafter. The asynchronous increases in these areas indicate an expansion of land use from the southeastern part of the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River Valley to across the entire region between 8 and 3 ka BP, which was primarily driven by agricultural development and cultural communication. Full article

This study presents the capabilities of the AXIS telescope in estimating redshifts from X-ray spectra alone (X-ray redshifts, XZs). Through extensive simulations, we establish that AXIS observations enable reliable XZ estimates for more than 5500 obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs) up to redshift $z\sim 6$ in the proposed deep (7 Ms) and intermediate (375 ks) surveys. Notably, at least 1600 of them are expected to be in the Compton-thick regime ($log{N}_H/{\mathrm{cm}}^{-2}\ge 24$), underscoring the pivotal role of AXIS in sampling these elusive objects that continue to be poorly understood. XZs provide an efficient alternative for optical/infrared faint sources, overcoming the need for time-consuming spectroscopy, the potential limitations of photometric redshifts, and potential issues related to multi-band counterpart association. This approach will significantly enhance the accuracy of constraints on the X-ray luminosity function and obscured AGN fractions up to high redshifts. This white paper is part of a series commissioned for the AXIS Probe Concept Mission; additional AXIS white papers can be found at the AXIS website. Full article

The accurate estimation of forest above-ground biomass (AGB) is crucial for sustainable forest management and tracking the carbon cycle of forest ecosystem. Machine learning algorithms have been proven to have great potential in forest AGB estimation with remote sensing data. Though many studies have demonstrated that a single machine learning model can produce highly accurate estimations of forest AGB in many situations, efforts are still required to explore the possible improvement in forest AGB estimation for a specific scenario under study. This study aims to investigate the performance of novel ensemble machine learning methods for forest AGB estimation and analyzes whether these methods are affected by forest types, independent variables, and spatial autocorrelation. Four well-known machine learning models (CatBoost, LightGBM, random forest (RF), and XGBoost) were compared for forest AGB estimation in the study using eight scenarios devised on the basis of two study regions, two variable types, and two validation strategies. Subsequently, a hybrid model combining the strengths of these individual models was proposed for forest AGB estimation. The findings indicated that no individual model outperforms the others in all scenarios. The RF model demonstrates superior performance in scenarios 5, 6, and 7, while the CatBoost model shows the best performance in the remaining scenarios. Moreover, the proposed hybrid model consistently has the best performance in all scenarios in spite of some uncertainties. The ensemble strategy developed in this study for the hybrid model substantially improves estimation accuracy and exhibits greater stability, effectively addressing the challenge of model selection encountered in the forest AGB forecasting process. Full article

Plant bacterial wilt is caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, a soilborne pathogen that infects plant conduits, leading to wilt disease. It is extremely difficult to cure plants infected with Ralstonia solanacearum; however, bactericide-loaded beads with hot-/wet-responsive properties may be able to release a biocide in line with the increase in the hot-/wet-associated activity of Ralstonia solanacearum, effectively killing the pathogenic cells and providing high levels of plant protection. A biopesticide, Tetramycin, was embedded in corn kernel powder (CKP)-based cores. An oil-phase mixture was sprayed onto the core surface to form a hot-/wet-responsive intermediate shell (IMS). Subsequently, a layer of ethyl cellulose (EC) and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) was coated onto the IMS to create a single wet-responsive outer shell (OTS). The ratios of the components in the cores, including the corn kernel powder (CKP), xanthan gum (XG), and Tetramycin, were optimized, as well as those of the IMS, including pentaerythrityl tetrastearate (PETS), pentaerythrityl tetraoleate (PETO), polyethylene glycol stearate (PEG400MS), and polyethylene glycol monooleate (PEG400MO), and those of the outer shell (OTS), including ethyl cellulose (EC) and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC). A texture performance analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), temperature and humidity response performance tests, scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations, and a field effectiveness test were conducted to characterize the Tetramycin-loaded beads. The results indicated that the optimal formula for the bead cores comprised a mass ratio of CKP/Tetramycin solution/XG = 13.5:23:2. The preferred mass ratio for IMS was PETS/PETO/PEG400MO = 10:30:10, and the formula for the applicable OTS consisted of a mass ratio of EC/HPMC = 5:1. In soil with a temperature of 30–35 °C and humidity of 30%, the release period of the Tetramycin-loaded beads, with a cumulative release rate of over 95%, could last up to 35 days. Furthermore, the Tetramycin-loaded beads exhibited a gradual and multi-cyclic release process under alternating hot/wet and dry/cold environments. The relative preventive efficacy of 54.74% on tobacco was revealed at a field-testing scale. A significant reduction in the abundance of Ralstonia solanacearum was also observed under treatment with the Tetramycin-loaded beads. The early fungal community structure exhibited higher consistency compared to the control. However, in the later stage, the diversity differences between the soil layers were restored. In conclusion, Tetramycin-loaded beads that could effectively respond to temperature and humidity fluctuations were developed, resulting in enhanced disease prevention efficacy and offering broad prospects for the prevention and control of Ralstonia solanacearum in agricultural settings. Full article

This article evaluates the reliability and consistency of nutrition- and supplementation-related advice for pregnant women provided by ten selected health-related Internet portals. The portals were chosen based on their perceived reliability and prominence in Google searches, with representation from both English and Polish language sources. The evaluation criteria included the adherence of the presented information to official recommendations and its evidence-based character based on specific items representing dietary aspects important in pregnancy. While the overall reliability was deemed acceptable, significant variations existed both among the portals and specific evaluated items. Notably, HealthLine, Medline Plus, and NCEZ emerged as the most evidence-based, while WebMD and Medycyna Praktyczna were identified as less reliable. Despite a number of issues, the analysed portals remain valuable sources of nutritional information for pregnant women, offering user-friendly accessibility superior to alternatives such as social media on the one hand and scientific articles on the other. Improved consistency and attention to detail, especially in relation to vitamin intake and supplementation, would improve the overall quality of health portals. Full article

The ratiometric detection method has a strong attraction for photoelectrochemical bioanalysis due to its high reliability and real-time calibration. However, its implementation typically depends on the spatial resolution of equipment and the pairing of wavelength/potential with photoactive materials. In this paper, a novel ratiometric photoelectrochemical biosensor based on front and back illumination was prepared for the detection of glutathione (GSH). Unlike traditional ratio methods, this ratiometric biosensor does not require voltage and wavelength modulation, thereby avoiding potential crosstalk caused by voltage and wavelength modulation. Additionally, the formation of a heterojunction between mTiO₂ and Ag₂S is conducive to enhancing light absorption and promoting charge separation, thereby boosting the photocurrent signal. Apart from forming a heterojunction with TiO₂, Ag₂S also shows a specific affinity towards GSH, thus enhancing the selectivity of the mTiO₂/Ag₂S ratiometric photoelectrochemical biosensor. The results demonstrate that the ratiometric photoelectrochemical biosensor exhibits a good detection range and a low detection limit for GSH, while also possessing significant interference elimination capability. The GSH detection range is 0.01–10 mmol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 6.39 × 10⁻³ mmol·L⁻¹. The relative standard deviation of 20 repeated detections is 0.664%. Impressively, the proposed novel ratiometric PEC biosensor demonstrates enviable universality, providing new insights for the design and construction of PEC ratiometric sensing platforms. Full article

Sarcospan (SSPN) is a 25-kDa transmembrane protein that is broadly expressed at the cell surface of many tissues, including, but not limited to, the myofibers from skeletal and smooth muscles, cardiomyocytes, adipocytes, kidney epithelial cells, and neurons. SSPN is a core component of the dystrophin–glycoprotein complex (DGC) that links the intracellular actin cytoskeleton with the extracellular matrix. It is also associated with integrin α7β1, the predominant integrin expressed in skeletal muscle. As a tetraspanin-like protein with four transmembrane spanning domains, SSPN functions as a scaffold to facilitate protein–protein interactions at the cell membrane. Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Becker muscular dystrophy, and X-linked dilated cardiomyopathy are caused by the loss of dystrophin at the muscle cell surface and a concomitant loss of the entire DGC, including SSPN. SSPN overexpression ameliorates Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the mdx murine model, which supports SSPN being a viable therapeutic target. Other rescue studies support SSPN as a biomarker for the proper assembly and membrane expression of the DGC. Highly specific and robust antibodies to SSPN are needed for basic research on the molecular mechanisms of SSPN rescue, pre-clinical studies, and biomarker evaluations in human samples. The development of SSPN antibodies is challenged by the presence of its four transmembrane domains and limited antigenic epitopes. To address the significant barrier presented by limited commercially available antibodies, we aimed to generate a panel of robust SSPN-specific antibodies that can serve as a resource for the research community. We created antibodies to three SSPN protein epitopes, including the intracellular N- and C-termini as well as the large extracellular loop (LEL) between transmembrane domains 3 and 4. We developed a panel of rabbit antibodies (poly- and monoclonal) against an N-terminal peptide fragment of SSPN. We used several assays to show that the rabbit antibodies recognize mouse SSPN with a high functional affinity and specificity. We developed mouse monoclonal antibodies against the C-terminal peptide and the large extracellular loop of human SSPN. These antibodies are superior to commercially available antibodies and outperform them in various applications, including immunoblotting, indirect immunofluorescence analysis, immunoprecipitation, and an ELISA. These newly developed antibodies will significantly improve the quality and ease of SSPN detection for basic and translational research. Full article

Background: Antibiotic overuse in pediatric patients with upper respiratory tract infections (UR-TIs) raises concerns about antimicrobial resistance. This study examines the impact of antibiotics on hospital stay duration and fever resolution in pediatric patients diagnosed with viral infections via a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) respiratory panel. Methods: In the pediatric ward of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal Hospital, a retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on pediatric patients with viral infections confirmed by nasopharyngeal aspirates from October 2016 to December 2021. Cohorts receiving antibiotics versus those not receiving them were balanced using the gradient boosting machine (GBM) technique for propensity score matching. Results: Among 238 patients, human rhinovirus/enterovirus (HRV/EV) was most common (44.5%), followed by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (18.1%). Co-infections occurred in 8.4% of cases. Antibiotic administration increased hospital length of stay (LOS) by an average of 2.19 days (p-value: 0.00). Diarrhea reduced LOS by 2.26 days, and higher albumin levels reduced LOS by 0.40 days. Fever and CRP levels had no significant effect on LOS. Time to recovery from fever showed no significant difference between antibiotic-free (Abx0) and antibiotic-received (Abx1) groups (p-value: 0.391), with a hazard ratio of 0.84 (CI: 0.57–1.2). Conclusions: Antibiotics did not expedite recovery but were associated with longer hospital stays in pediatric patients with acute viral respiratory infections. Clinicians should exercise caution in prescribing antibiotics to pediatric patients with confirmed viral infections, especially when non-critical. Full article

Background and Objectives: Radicalization, a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, has been a subject of increasing concern in recent years, particularly due to its potential connection to acts of mass violence and terrorism. This systematic review examines the intricate link between radicalization and psychotic disorders, utilizing various sources such as observational studies, case reports, and series. It aims to highlight the prevalence of schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders among radicalized individuals and to define the role of mental health professionals in dealing with this issue, contributing to the development of prevention and treatment strategies. Materials and Methods: The methodology involved an extensive literature search across PubMed, Scopus, and APA PsycINFO up to 1 February 2024, adhering to PRISMA guidelines. The study focused on radicalization and psychotic disorders as defined by DSM-5 criteria, excluding other mental disorders. A population sample of 41 radicalized individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders was selected, among which schizophrenia was identified as the predominant condition. Results: It was observed that 24% of these individuals passed away soon after committing their crimes, leading the researchers to rely on retrospective data for their diagnoses. The use of diverse assessment tools for psychiatric diagnosis and the lack of a standardized method for diagnosing or assessing involvement in the radicalization process were also noted. Despite limitations like reliance on observational studies and case reports, which result in low evidence quality and varied methodologies, our work provides a valuable contribution to clarifying the relationship between radicalization and psychotic disorders. However, further clinical studies are needed to delve deeper into these aspects. Conclusions: In conclusion, our review points out that individuals with psychotic disorders do not have a higher crime rate than the general population and warns against associating crimes with mental illness due to the stigma it creates. The lack of uniform psychiatric diagnostic tools and radicalization assessment highlights the need for more standardized risk assessment tools and validated scales in psychiatric diagnosis to better understand the relationship between radicalization and psychotic disorders and to develop integrated protocols. Full article

As the missions and environments of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) become increasingly complex in both space and time, it is essential to investigate the dynamic task assignment problem of heterogeneous multi-UAVs aiming at ground targets in an uncertain environment. Considering that most of these existing tasking methods are limited to static allocation in a deterministic environment, this paper firstly constructs the fuzzy multiconstraint programming model for heterogeneous multi-UAV dynamic task assignment based on binary interval theory, taking into account the effects of uncertain factors like target location information, mission execution time, and the survival probability of UAVs. Then, the dynamic task allocation strategy is designed, consisting of two components: dynamic time slice setting and the four-dimensional information grey wolf optimization (4DI-GWO) algorithm. The dynamic time slices create the dynamic adjustment of solving frequency and effect, and the 4DI-GWO algorithm is improved by designing the four-dimensional information strategy that expands population diversity and enhances global search capability and other strategies. The numerical analysis shows that the proposed strategy can effectively solve the dynamic task assignment problem of heterogeneous multi-UAVs under an uncertain environment, and the optimization of fitness values demonstrates improvements of 5%~30% in comparison with other optimization algorithms. Full article

This study presents a high-resolution record of δ¹⁵N_sed, which serves as a proxy for water column denitrification and oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) intensity, from the Soledad Basin in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific OMZ. The Soledad Basin δ¹⁵N_sed record is compared to the Pescadero Slope and Santa Barbara Basin (SBB) δ¹⁵N_sed records to gain insight into regional variations in the ETNP OMZ. During the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA; 950–1250 CE), Soledad Basin, Pescadero Slope, and SBB records exhibit coherent trends suggesting that there was general water column oxygenation stability. During the Little Ice Age (LIA; 1350–1850 CE), Soledad Basin and SBB showed a similar decreasing trend in δ¹⁵N_sed values while the Pescadero Slope δ¹⁵N_sed exhibited an increasing trend until values abruptly declined between 1740 and 1840 CE. We suggest that increased δ¹⁵N_sed variability and the different trends at the Pescadero Slope during the LIA are due to the influence of the North American monsoon (NAM), which can suppress upwelling when enhanced and result in OMZ contraction. The decoupling between the Soledad Basin, SBB, and the Pescadero Slope could also be due to the increased influence of enriched ¹⁵NO₃⁻ subarctic waters in the California Current System. Since each site is influenced by local productivity, basin morphology, and regional atmospheric and ocean circulation patterns, we suggest that assessing OMZ fluctuations from multiple sites provides a more comprehensive view of regional OMZ dynamics in response to climate variations. Full article