Research Foundation Research Articles

Development and Validation of a Driving Simulator for Comfort Assessment

AbstractThe passenger’s comfort is of vital importance in today’s car, even more so in the future autonomous car. Its thorough analysis requires the use of objective measures, but the subjectivity of the passenger must also be considered. The relationship between both aspects is an uncommon research avenue, and could greatly benefit from the use of a vehicle simulator. This study use a simulator to replicate a journey with diverse characteristics that numerous passengers may experience (including engaging in different activities). The appropriate variables for a proper comfort analysis are determined in this study, resulting in a comprehensive database for the same purpose. Additionally, a passenger comfort based questionnaire is developed and applied to obtain the subjective assessment of different passengers. The results of these questionnaires help not only in the identification and study of the self perception of comfort by the passengers but also in the use of the simulator for comfort experiments. The detailed comparison between both the objective approach of signal analysis and the subjective approach of questionnaires that is performed thanks to the simulator creates a foundation for future research and narrows the existing research gap.

Public sentiment and ethical considerations of ChatGPT in higher education: Insights from data analytics of conversations on platform X

In today’s fast-paced digital world, generative AI, especially OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has become a game-changing technology with significant effects on education. This study examines public sentiment and discourse surrounding ChatGPT’s role in higher education, as reflected on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Employing a mixed-methods approach, we conducted a thematic analysis using Leximancer and Voyant Tools and sentiment analysis with SentiStrength on a dataset of 18,763 tweets, subsequently narrowed to 5655 through cleaning and preprocessing. Our findings identified five primary themes: Authenticity, Integrity, Creativity, Productivity, and Research. The sentiment analysis revealed that 46.6% of the tweets expressed positive sentiment, 38.5% were neutral, and 14.8% were negative. The results highlight a general openness to integrating AI in educational contexts, tempered by concerns about academic integrity and ethical considerations. This study underscores the need for ongoing dialogue and ethical frameworks to responsibly navigate AI’s incorporation into education. The insights gained provide a foundation for future research and policy-making, aiming to enhance learning outcomes while safeguarding academic values. Limitations include the focus on English-language tweets, suggesting future research should encompass a broader linguistic and platform scope to capture diverse global perspectives.

CONSERVAÇÃO DA GEODIVERSIDADE EM GEOSSISTEMAS FERRUGINOSOS

This study examines the evolution of areas surrounding the bat caves in the Ferruginous Geosystem of Carajás from 1985 to 2022, emphasising the significance of geodiversity conservation in this unique context. The land use and cover transformations analysis reveals critical insights into spatio-temporal changes and escalating environmental degradation risks. The findings enhance the literature on geodiversity conservation and speleology, providing a solid foundation for future research. Monitoring mined areas and their ecological impacts is essential for refining management strategies for these sensitive ecosystems. Furthermore, recent attempts to amend cave protection legislation, particularly Decree 10.935, pose significant conservation challenges, necessitating a critical evaluation of environmental policies and fostering dialogue among researchers, policymakers, and the mining industry. This study highlights the urgent need for a balanced approach between resource extraction and environmental conservation to mitigate adverse impacts on biodiversity and ecological processes. Integrated and evidence-based environmental management is crucial for addressing the challenges of mining activities and regulatory changes, ensuring the protection of caves and their ecosystems for a sustainable future.

A generic self-learning emotional framework for machines

In nature, intelligent living beings have developed emotions to modulate their behavior as a fundamental evolutionary advantage. However, researchers seeking to endow machines with this advantage lack a clear theory from cognitive neuroscience describing emotional elicitation from first principles, namely, from raw observations to specific affects. As a result, they often rely on case-specific solutions and arbitrary or hard-coded models that fail to generalize well to other agents and tasks. Here we propose that emotions correspond to distinct temporal patterns perceived in crucial values for living beings in their environment (like recent rewards, expected future rewards or anticipated world states) and introduce a fully self-learning emotional framework for Artificial Intelligence agents convincingly associating them with documented natural emotions. Applied in a case study, an artificial neural network trained on unlabeled agent’s experiences successfully learned and identified eight basic emotional patterns that are situationally coherent and reproduce natural emotional dynamics. Validation through an emotional attribution survey, where human observers rated their pleasure-arousal-dominance dimensions, showed high statistical agreement, distinguishability, and strong alignment with experimental psychology accounts. We believe that the framework’s generality and cross-disciplinary language defined, grounded on first principles from Reinforcement Learning, may lay the foundations for further research and applications, leading us toward emotional machines that think and act more like us.

Post-operative Mortality Trends for Complicated Appendicitis: Adults with and without Disabilities

Abstract Background Even for the same complicated appendicitis, the prognosis may vary if appropriate post-operative care and follow-up are not provided. We aimed to investigate the 10-year trend of complicated appendicitis mortality among disabilities and non-disabilities peoples in Korea, recognizing potential disparities in post-surgical outcomes and the importance of adequate post-operative care. Methods Patients with complicated appendicitis were classified by severity using DRG codes. Causes of death were categorized into infectious, respiratory, cardiovascular, and digestive diseases using ICD-10 data. Age-adjusted mortality rates were calculated annually from 2008 to 2017 based on disability presence, severity, and type. Factors associated complicated appendicitis mortality were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models. Results The mortality of complicated appendicitis was 10.2 times (40.8% vs. 413.9%) higher in people with disabilities, especially those with severe disabilities. This difference was more evident in patients with a severe disability (aOR=2.12, 95% CI:1.58-2.86), intellectual or psychological disability (aOR=2.95, 95% CI:1.49-5.85) and internal organ problems (aOR=2.05, 95% CI:1.28-3.28). Conclusions Our findings suggest that insufficient post-operative care among disabled peoples, especially those with severe disabilities, internal organ problems, and intellectual or psychological disabilities, may impact outcomes. This is exacerbated by poor healthcare facilities and limited disability awareness among healthcare workers. Additionally, further research is required to uncover unexplained mortality causes. Funding: This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Ministry of Education (No. 2022R1I1A3070074) and by a grant of Patient-Centered Clinical Research Coordinating Center (PACEN) funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number: HC23C0165). Key messages • Complicated appendicitis mortality rates show a stark 10.2-fold disparity between people with and without disabilities. • Severe disabilities, intellectual or psychological disabilities, and internal organ problems heighten the risk, emphasizing the importance of disability-inclusive healthcare practices.

Disparities in the Incidence and Prevalence of Psychotic Disorders Between With and Without Disabled

Abstract Background Numerous epidemiological studies on psychotic disorders have been conducted, however, most of the studies were conducted from an etiological perspective, and conducted with small sample sizes relatively few focused on all types of disabled, especially with a long observation period. Moreover, no study has included the whole adult population of a country. Methods This study was conducted using a data set linking the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, and disability registration data. Age-standardized incidence or prevalence rates were calculated during 2008-2017 according to the presence, severity, and type of the disability. Factors associated with psychotic disorders were examined by multivariate logistic regression. Results The age-standardized incidence and prevalence of psychotic disorders was higher among the disabled than among those without disabled across all years, especially those with severe disabled, and intellectual disabled. The gap in the prevalence of psychotic disorders between the disabled and the non-disabled has widened over time. The severe disabled and intellectual disabled showed the strongest associations with the incidence(aOR=3.04,95% CI = 2.93-3.15;aOR=6.18, 95% CI = 5.90-6.47) and prevalence(aOR=7.64,95% CI = 7.58-7.69;aOR=53.62, 95% CI = 53.04-54.22) of psychotic disorders. Conclusions The incidence and prevalence of psychotic disorders were higher in people with disabled, especially those with severe disabled, and intellectual disabled. The government must increase effort to narrow the gap between the non-disabled and disabled. Financial support: This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education (No. 2022R1I1A3070074, and 2022R1I1A1A01068449), and a grant of Patient-Centered Clinical Research Coordinating Center funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (No. HC23C016500). Key messages • The incidence and prevalence of psychotic disorders were higher in the disabled, especially severe disabled, and intellectual disabled. • Important reasons for these finding may be the ‘low socioeconomic status’ and ‘mental health’ of the disabled.

Nationwide prevalence and trends in high-risk drinking among adult men the disabled and non-disabled

Abstract Background Excessive drinking is an important public issue that causes various levels of physical, psychological, behavioral problems. Especially for the disabled, it matters in that it could lead to poor health and secondary health conditions. Methods This study analyzed high-risk drinking (HRD) behaviors over a 9-year period in adult South Korean men according to disability presence, severity, type. We linked national disability registration data with the National Health Insurance claims data. Age-standardized prevalence of HRD were analyzed for each year and the odds of current HRD were determined by multivariate logistic regression after adjusting for income level, residence, insurance type, Charlson comorbidity index. Results The age-standardized HRD prevalence of the mildly disabled was higher than that among the non-disabled. Among the mildly disabled and physically disabled, younger aged group showed higher prevalence of HRD than that of non-disabled. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the mildly (aOR=1.26, 95% CI = 1.24-1.29), physically (aOR=1.31, 95% CI = 1.28-1.33), communication disabled (aOR=1.12, 95% CI = 1.07-1.17) had higher prevalence of HRD than the non-disabled. Conclusions The prevalence of HRD was higher among the young mildly disabled than the non-disabled, this was more evident in young men physically disabled, communication disabled. This may be a result of the physical and social limitations of severely disabled and should be interpreted with caution. Social activities should be supported, and health policies on alcohol consumption should be implemented to prevent secondary conditions and reduce health disparities. Funding: This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Ministry of Education (No. 2022R1I1A3070074) and by a grant of Patient-Centered Clinical Research Coordinating Center (PACEN) funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number: HC23C0165). Key messages • The prevalence of high-risk drinking was highest among the mild disabled, especially the mild, physical, communication disabled in younger aged men. • Health policies and efforts to improve health disparities aimed at reducing alcohol consumption among people with disabilities are needed.

Nationwide trends in the suicide mortality among the disabled in Korea from 2006 to 2017

Abstract Aims The disabled are one of the priority populations at risk of suicide, but there has been no study of the factors influencing suicide mortality among the disabled in South Korea. Methods To analyze age-standardized suicide mortality (ICD-10 Codes, X60-84) for each year according to the presence, severity and type of disability, we linked three population datasets (National Health Insurance Claims Database, Disability Registry, and Deaths by Cause). Our dataset covers the entire population of South Korea, extended over a 12-year period from 2006 to 2017. The analyses were stratified by sex, and hazard ratios for suicide were determined by multivariate logistic regression after adjustment for socio-demographic and clinical variables. Results The suicide rate among the disabled was 2.24 times higher than among the non-disabled in 2017. The highest suicide rates were observed among intellectual or mental disabled, and severe disabled. In the disabled group, suicide rates were higher among those with medical benefits, older age (over 70 years), and depressive disorders in both male and female. Conclusions Although the disabled people’s suicide is often seen as an individual problem, it actually affects their families, communities and society. Therefore, government must strive to emphasize the broad view of the disabled population - not just the health of individuals, and track suicide trends and identifying risk and protective factors for suicidal behavior. From this information, suicide prevention strategies for the disabled people should be evaluated to identify the most effective interventions. Financial support: This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education (No. 2022R1I1A3070074, and 2022R1I1A1A01068449), and a grant of Patient-Centered Clinical Research Coordinating Center funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (No. HC23C016500). Key messages • The suicide rate among the disabled was 2.24 times higher than among the non-disabled in 2017. • In the disabled group, suicide rates were higher among those with medical benefits, older age (over 70 years), and depressive disorders in both male and female.

Health coaching: the node of health literacy & health promotion

Abstract Introduction To achieve sustainable health behaviors and outcomes to move from a precarious health situation to good health, people need to be supported in health literacy in behavior change that ensure interventions’ success. As a non-clinical approach, health coaching aims to increase a person’s levels of self-efficacy, confidence and resilience, by promoting the sense of coherence. This communication aims to identify the benefits that health coaching as a salutogenic approach can trigger. Methods The work is structured in a narrative review of literature and the lived experience of the authors in health coaching. Results The published research on health coaching and the systematic professional experience of the authors highlight: (1) the anchoring of health coaching in the salutogenic model and in the person-centered approach focused on individual characteristics and needs in driving healthy behaviors; (2) health coaching as a collaborative relationship with chronically ill people and people at risk of developing illness; (3) the role of health coaching as a sense of coherence (SOC) promoter; (4) health coaching as a new profession in the healthcare ecosystem (e.g. NHS, UK), cooperating with multidisciplinary teams. Discussion From A.Antonovsky’s model approach to health, the SOC stands out and constitutes one of the basic theories in health coaching interventions, by strengthening the person’s capabilities of comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. As an emerging profession, with ethical and a growing research foundation, it is facilitated by trained professionals in managing and monitoring health behavior change. Conclusions Health coaching aims to bring relevance, meaning and strategy to a person’s behavioral change. Health coaching demonstrates positive effects on several health parameters by supporting the implementation of health literacy development and empowering people to trigger sustainable changes that lead to healthier lifestyles.

Measure Twice, Cut Once: Unit Profitability, Scalability, and the Exceptional Growth of New Firms

By studying three promising venture pairs with different business models in different nascent markets, we explore how some new firms grow into mature firms and some promising peers do not. The successful firms first use a learning process that begins with (1) focused attention on unit profitability (not growth), then broad (not narrow) learning, and finally active delay (not acceleration) of growth. They then use a capability-building process that (2) shifts to focused attention on unit-profitable growth, then makes long-term investments in profit-oriented capabilities, and finally leverages these capabilities into new products. In contrast, peers with focused attention on growth ironically fail to achieve it. Broadly, we contribute a process theory of exceptional growth that fills the gap between the growth of new firms in the entrepreneurship literature and the growth of mature firms in the strategy and organization theory literatures. Further, we add the importance of learning content—not just learning processes—to the entrepreneurship literature on new firm growth and a rare, novel, and grounded account of the origin of capabilities to the strategy literature on the resource-based view and mature firm growth. Finally, we add to practice the significance of product–market–profit fit and a precise definition of premature scaling. Funding: This work was supported by the Strategy Research Foundation [Grant SRF-2018-DP-9167].

Factor Influencing Unmet Healthcare Needs among the disabled

Abstract Background The unmet Healthcare needs (UHNs) of the disabled are not only detrimental to their quality of life but also can lead to serious health outcome including death. A variety of factors including socioeconomic, personal, environmental factors affect UHNs for the disabled. Methods We analyzed the UHNs status and influencing factors among 4,326 adult the disabled using Korea disability Life Data. Chi-square analysis was conducted to identify differences in UHNs according to characteristics of general, disability, environmental of the disabled. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine factors affecting UHNs. Results Those with low educational level (aOR=1.23, 95% CI = 1.02-1.48), those enrolled in private insurance (aOR=1.23, 95% CI = 1.02-1.50), those need help with daily living (aOR=1.30, 95% CI = 1.06-1.59), those who rarely go out (aOR=1.57, 95% CI = 1.27-1.92), those who use taxis (aOR=1.41, 95% CI = 1.05-1.89) or call taxi for the disabled when going to the hospital (aOR=1.37, 95% CI = 1.01-1.88), the communication disabled (aOR=1.30, 95% CI = 1.03-1.65), those with poor subjective health status (aOR=1.25, 95% CI = 1.04-1.49), those felt the explanation of treatment results was insufficient (aOR=4.04, 95% CI = 1.37-11.93), and those dissatisfied with healthcare services (aOR=3.52, 95% CI = 2.74-4.51) were more likely to experience UHNs. Conclusions Effective healthcare service provision for the disabled requires not only financial assistance but also social support, along with education for healthcare staff, policies with the characteristics of disabilities. Funding: This research was supported by a grant of Patient-Centered Clinical Research Coordinating Center (PACEN) funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number: HC23C0165) and by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No. RS-2024-00394642) Key messages • The disabled need not only financial support when using healthcare services, but also support from society, such as accompanying them to the hospital and providing transportation. • Education for healthcare staff who communicate with the disabled and provision policy to provide appropriate healthcare services according to the characteristics of disabilities are needed.

Graph Neural Network-Based Speech Emotion Recognition: A Fusion of Skip Graph Convolutional Networks and Graph Attention Networks

In speech emotion recognition (SER), our research addresses the critical challenges of capturing and evaluating node information and their complex interrelationships within speech data. We introduce Skip Graph Convolutional and Graph Attention Network (SkipGCNGAT), an innovative model that combines the strengths of skip graph convolutional networks (SkipGCNs) and graph attention networks (GATs) to address these challenges. SkipGCN incorporates skip connections, enhancing the flow of information across the network and mitigating issues such as vanishing gradients, while also facilitating deeper representation learning. Meanwhile, the GAT in the model assigns dynamic attention weights to neighboring nodes, allowing SkipGCNGAT to focus on both the most relevant local and global interactions within the speech data. This enables the model to capture subtle and complex dependencies between speech segments, thus facilitating a more accurate interpretation of emotional content. It overcomes the limitations of previous single-layer graph models, which were unable to effectively represent these intricate relationships across time and in different speech contexts. Additionally, by introducing a pre-pooling SkipGCN combination technique, we further enhance the ability of the model to integrate multi-layer information before pooling, improving its capacity to capture both spatial and temporal features in speech. Furthermore, we rigorously evaluated SkipGCNGAT on the IEMOCAP and MSP-IMPROV datasets, two benchmark datasets in SER. The results demonstrated that SkipGCNGAT consistently achieved state-of-the-art performance. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the proposed model in accurately recognizing emotions in speech, offering valuable insights and a solid foundation for future research on capturing complex relationships within speech signals for emotion recognition.

Anticancer Potential of Tocopherols-Containing Plants and Semi-Synthetic Tocopherols

Tocopherols, potent bioactive compounds with anticancer properties, remain understudied in herbal medicinal plants, presenting a significant knowledge gap in the field of natural anticancer agents. This review evaluates tocopherol-containing plants for their anticancer potential, analyzing Scopus publications from 2016 to 2024. Fifteen herbal medicinal plants were identified as promising candidates, including Bulbine anguistifolia Poelln, Punica granatum L., Moringa oleifera, Kigelia pinnata, and Typhonium flagelliforme Lodd. The review explores tocopherols’ anticancer mechanisms, including apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest. Factors influencing tocopherols’ anticancer effects are examined, such as their forms (α, β, γ, δ), concentrations, plant parts utilized, and their stability in various plants. Additionally, emerging research on semi-synthetic tocopherol derivatives is analyzed, highlighting their potential as adjuvants in chemotherapy and their role in enhancing drug delivery and reducing side effects. This comprehensive analysis aims to advance the development of plant-based anticancer pharmaceuticals and improve cancer treatment strategies. By elucidating the mechanisms and potential of tocopherol-containing plants, this review provides a foundation for future research in plant-based anticancer therapies. It emphasizes the need for further investigation into these plants’ anticancer properties, potentially leading to novel, more effective, and less toxic cancer therapies. The findings presented here contribute to a nuanced understanding of how tocopherol-containing plants can be leveraged in the development of future anticancer drugs.

Exploring Rhodiola rosea: A Comprehensive Review of Its Adaptogenic Effects and Medical Relevance

Introduction Rhodiola rosea L. is an adaptogen with an international reach, widely used in modern medicine. Scientific studies indicate that extracts obtained from Rhodiola rosea L. have a beneficial effect on various pathological conditions, including circulatory system diseases, neurological disorders and metabolic ailments. The wide range of applications of these compounds, combined with potentially low toxicity, makes Rhodiola rosea L. a promising candidate for integration in therapies supporting the treatment of diseases affecting various body systems. The aim of this review is to analyze contemporary research on the potential properties of Rhodiola rosea L., as well as to establish the foundation for further research and development of preparations based on this plant. Materials and Methods The review was conducted by searching PubMed and other scientific databases focusing on currently available publications. The literature available in the PubMed database was reviewed using the following keywords: “rhodiola rosea”, “adaptogen”, "cardiovascular diseases”, “neurological diseases”, “diabetes”. The analysis of 45 articles published between 1998-2023 was used to write the paper.

Research Progress on Using Nanoparticles to Enhance the Efficacy of Drug Therapy for Chronic Mountain Sickness

Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) poses a significant health risk to individuals who rapidly ascend to high altitudes, potentially endangering their lives. Nanoparticles (NPs) offer an effective means of transporting and delivering drugs, protecting nucleic acids from nuclease degradation, and mediating the expression of target genes in specific cells. These NPs are almost non-toxic and easy to prepare and store, possess a large surface area, exhibit good biocompatibility and degradability, and maintain good stability. They can be utilized in the treatment of CMS to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of drugs. This paper provides an overview of the impact of NPs on CMS, discussing their roles as nanocarriers and their potential in CMS treatment. It aims to present novel therapeutic strategies for the clinical management of CMS and summarizes the relevant pathways through which NPs contribute to plateau disease treatment, providing a theoretical foundation for future clinical research.

Exogenous hydrogen sulfide increased Nicotiana tabacum L. resistance against drought by the improved photosynthesis and antioxidant system

Drought stress is an abiotic stressor that impacts photosynthesis, plant growth, and development, leading to decreased crop yields. Sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), an exogenous additive, has demonstrated potential regulatory effects on plant responses to polyethylene glycol-induced drought stress in tobacco seedlings. Compared to the control, drought stress induced by 15 g/L PEG-6000 significantly reduced several parameters in tobacco seedlings: shoot dry weight (22.83%), net photosynthesis (37.55%), stomatal conductance (33.56%), maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) (11.31%), photochemical quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII) (25.51%), and photochemical quenching (qP) (18.17%). However, applying NaHS, an H2S donor, mitigated these effects, ultimately enhancing photosynthetic performance in tobacco seedlings. Furthermore, optimal NaHS concentration (0.4 mM) effectively increased leaf stomatal aperture, relative water content (RWC) and root activity, as well as facilitated the absorption of N, K, Mg and S. It also enhanced the accumulation of soluble sugar and proline content to maintain osmotic pressure balance under drought stress. Compared to drought alone, pretreatment with NaHS also bolstered the antioxidant defense system in leaves, leading to 22.93% decrease in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, a 22.19% decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) content and increased activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) by 28.13%, superoxide dismutase (SOD) by 17.07%, peroxidase (POD) by 46.99%, and catalase (CAT) by 65.27%. Consequently, NaHS protected chloroplast structure and attenuated chlorophyll degradation, thus mitigating severe oxidative damage. Moreover, NaHS elevated endogenous H2S levels, influencing abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis and the expression of receptor-related genes, collaboratively participating in the response to drought stress. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into exogenous NaHS’s role in enhancing tobacco drought tolerance. These results lay the foundation for further research utilizing H2S-based treatments to improve crop resilience to water deficit conditions.

Characteristics of Wild Boar-Damaged Farmland and Assessment of Effectiveness of Prevention Measures in Northeast China

Although wild boar invasion is a common human–wildlife conflict worldwide, it is difficult to solve. Understanding the characteristics of wild boar invasion into farmland, accurately predicting the areas where wild boar invasions will occur, and implementing effective prevention and control measures are key to effectively alleviating conflicts between humans and wild boars. From 2021 to 2023, we conducted field surveys and experimentally determined the effectiveness of prevention and control measures in the Huanan and Tonghe Counties in order to explore the landscape and farmland factors affecting wild boar invasion, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of different combinations of prevention and control measures. The results indicate that the mean patch area, patch area coefficient of variation, and forest type edge density show positive linear correlations with the invaded area, which is positively associated with the presence of ditches and negatively correlated with the existence of electronic fences. Meanwhile, there are non-linear relationships between invasion and the edge density of farmland type, the proportion of forests, the Shannon uniformity index, the proportion of residential areas, the distance from the village, the distance from the forest, and the population density. In particular, the risk of wild boar invasion is higher in the border area between forest and farmland. The loss rate of farmland under the different control measures (compound) was significantly lower than that in the electronic fence group (single) (p < 0.05). Based on these findings, we put forward the following suggestions for the prevention and control of wild boar: (1) widen and deepen the narrow landscape elements around farmland; (2) focus on the border area between forest and farmland; and (3) use compound prevention and control measures. This study provides a comprehensive foundation for future wild boar prevention and control research, and it contributes to the formulation of effective wild boar prevention and control policies worldwide.

Whole genome sequencing of Castanea mollissima and molecular mechanisms of sugar and starch synthesis

The chestnut tree exhibits self-incompatibility, where the selection of the male parent (pollen xenia) significantly affects seed starch metabolism, as well as fruit yield and quality. Despite its importance, the molecular mechanisms underlying pollen xenia remains largely unknown. In this study, we utilized the ‘Lan You’ variety of C. mollissima to construct a high-quality reference genome. As a result, a first Telomere-to-telomere (T2T) gap-free genome for this species was successfully assembled. A total of 560 transcription factors and 22 structural genes were identified as consistent across the TO-GCNs, indicating a consistent regulation pattern in the co-expression of genes involved in starch accumulation. These networks were further divided into three sub-networks: T1, T2, and T3. Among these, the T1 and T2 sub-networks exhibited a higher number of structural genes with consistent regulation patterns and were closely associated with sugar biosynthesis. The gene SBE (Camol08G0254600) was identified as the hub gene with the highest degree of connectivity, encoding a key rate-limiting enzyme in the amylopectin biosynthesis pathway. This study provides a foundation for further research on C. mollissima population genetics, genetic improvement, and strategies aimed at enhancing yield and quality.

Towards the design of a smart warehouse management system for spare parts management in the oil and gas sector

IntroductionThe oil and gas production industry requires rapid changing. As oil and gas companies around the world are called upon to decarbonize, several sectors within the industry are attempting to find new ways of working to achieve decarbonization. One of those sectors is spare parts warehousing. During the past decades of oil and gas production, spare parts warehousing has not been prioritized in optimization measures. Warehouses have been filled with material, all activities have been performed manually, and financial expenditure has been high. Now, a large oil and gas production company in Norway is looking to optimize its spare parts warehousing to streamline its logistics activities and increase sustainability.MethodThis study addresses the optimization ambitions of the company and proposes key design elements of a smart warehouse management system using Industry 4.0 technology implementation. The study is conducted by performing a review of relevant literature and company ambitions, before embarking on a qualitative design measure to contribute to the company’s innovative success.ResultsThe study proposes optimization of the warehouse activities goods receipt, issuing of stocked goods, and inventory count. Additionally, the digital supply chain of tomorrow and the technical architecture of a track and trace system in the warehouse is suggested.DiscussionThe study’s results can be used in practical implications and provide a foundation for future research. Future research is suggested to include extensive visual simulations, practical implementation studies, and studies on long-term effects of implementation.

Expert consensus on integrated medicine for tumor-related gastric injury and protection in China (2024 edition)

Neoplasm is one of the major causes of harm to human health. With the development of integrated medicine, more experts have begun to pay attention to tumor-related damage, among which gastric injury is common and seriously affects the quality of life of patients. The stomach is richly supplied with blood and nerves. Tumor treatment methods such as medication, surgery, and interventional therapy can impair its barrier function. Additionally, the tumor itself can harm the stomach through various mechanisms, primarily manifesting as symptoms like gastritis, erosion, ulceration, bleeding, and perforation. These conditions significantly affect the patient's quality of life and pose a serious threat to life.At present, the mechanisms of gastrointestinal tumors and other systemic tumors causing gastric injury are unclear, and there is a lack of relevant clinical and basic research. The diagnostic criteria and protective measures need to be supplemented and improved. To enhance the understanding of tumor-related gastric injuries and their management among professionals in related fields and to guide clinical practice, this expert consensus has been refined and formulated under the integrated medical concepts and based on the previous guidelines of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (CACA). It summarizes various tumor-related gastric injuries and protective treatment strategies, aiming to provide clinicians in oncology with a reference to address and prevent gastric injuries during the treatment of systemic diseases, thereby laying a foundation for further in-depth research in the future.