Pearson Correlation Analysis Research Articles

Fibrosis is a key pathological feature of autoimmune liver diseases (AILD). This study evaluates the diagnostic potential of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for liver fibrosis staging, liver damage, and inflammation in AILD patients. This retrospective study analyzed the diagnostic performance of ADC values from DWI in 157 AILD patients. Liver biopsy served as the gold standard for fibrosis staging. The relationship between ADC values and liver function markers (AST, ALT) and inflammatory cytokines (IL-17, TNF-α) was assessed. To evaluate diagnostic accuracy, ADC values were compared across different fibrosis stages (S0 to S4) and inflammation grades (G0 to G4). ADC values decreased progressively with increasing fibrosis stages and inflammation grades. Notably, ADC values were significantly lower in S4 compared to S0, with an AUC of 0.91. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant negative correlations between ADC and serum IL-17 (r = -0.39, p < 0.001), TNF-α (r = -0.43, p < 0.001), as well as liver function markers, ALT (r = -0.49, p < 0.001) and AST (r = -0.46, p < 0.001). ROC analysis showed optimal ADC cut-off values for distinguishing fibrosis stages: 1.47 × 10-³ mm²/s for ≥ S1 (AUC = 0.90), 1.35 × 10-³ mm²/s for ≥ S2 (AUC = 0.88), 1.24 × 10-³ mm²/s for ≥ S3 (AUC = 0.90), and 1.12 × 10-³ mm²/s for S4 (AUC = 0.91). This study highlights ADC values from DWI as a reliable non-invasive biomarker for assessing liver fibrosis and inflammation in AILD patients.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains a major cause of cardiovascular-related disability and mortality globally. Previous studies have indicated that there is a close interaction between immune responses and mitochondrial metabolism, which may affect the occurrence and development of AMI. Exploring these interactions is crucial for discovering new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We retrieved gene expression data from Gene Expression Omnibus, employing differential expression analysis, enrichment analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and machine learning to identify mitochondria-related hub genes in AMI. The nomogram model was developed for diagnosis. Cell-type Identification by Estimating Relative Subsets of RNA Transcripts and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between these hub genes and immune cells. Gene set enrichment analysis was conducted to explore mitochondrial metabolism pathway enrichment in immune cells using single-cell sequencing data. Drug predictions were made using the EnrichR platform. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction validated the expression levels of the identified hub genes. Five mitochondria-related hub genes with diagnostic potential for AMI were identified. Both classification and nomogram models exhibited good diagnostic performance. Subsequent validation via real‑time quantitative polymerase chain reaction confirmed significant upregulation of ACSL1, ALDH2, C15orf48, SLC25A37, and CYP27A1 in AMI (P < .05). Significant differences in 13 types of immune cells were observed between AMI and controls, with the 5 hub genes significantly associated with various immune cells. Most of the mitochondrial metabolism-related pathways were significantly upregulated in T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells. This exploratory study provides preliminary insight into the interplay between mitochondrial metabolism and immunity in AMI and highlights a set of potential candidate biomarkers that may support AMI diagnosis. However, rigorous external validation is essential before any clinical application can be considered.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between myocardial injury in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) and changes in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-(OH)-D), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and related inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). The study included 300 children with MPP who were hospitalized to Zhangye People's Hospital, affiliated with Hexi College, between January 2023 and December 2023. Children with myocardial injury were assigned to Group A, while those without were assigned to Group B. The two groups' levels of NT-proBNP, 25-(OH)-D, and associated inflammatory markers were measured and compared. Pearson correlation analysis confirmed the association between myocardial damage and alterations in 25-(OH)-D, NT-proBNP, and associated inflammatory markers in children with MPP. Group A children had lower 25-(OH)-D levels than Group B children (p < 0.05), while Group B children had significantly greater levels of NT-proBNP, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and hs-CRP (p < 0.05). The results of Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the occurrence of myocardial injury in MPP patients could be associated with the levels of 25-(OH)-D, NT-proBNP, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and hs-CRP. It can be concluded that MPP patients may experience myocardial injury when 25-(OH)-D levels decrease and NT-proBNP and related inflammatory factors increase. Therefore, changes in the levels of these indicators should be taken into account when carrying out clinical treatment.

This study aims to explore the relationship between psychological resilience, vagal tone (heart rate variability [HRV]), and social adaptation, with a focus on the mediating role of HRV in the impact of psychological resilience on social adaptation. It also seeks to provide theoretical support for mental health interventions for left-behind children from a non-pharmacological perspective. This study employed a cross-sectional design with cluster sampling to select 2 middle schools in the urban-rural fringe of Zaoqiang County, Hebei Province, with a total of 312 left-behind children as the research subjects. Of these, 156 children were in the high-resilience group and 156 were in the low resilience group. The Youth Resilience Scale and the Adolescent Social Adaptation Scale were used to assess resilience and social adaptation. HRV was measured using portable equipment to assess high-frequency power (HF) and pNN50. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, mediation effect testing, logistic regression, and multiple linear regression. The high-resilience group showed significantly better HRV (HF and pNN50) and social adaptation compared to the low resilience group (all P <.001). Psychological resilience was significantly positively correlated with HRV (R = 0.59-0.81) and social adaptation (R = 0.95). Mediation analysis revealed that both HRV-HF and HRV-pNN50 partially mediated the relationship between psychological resilience and social adaptation (indirect effects = 0.25, 95% CI did not include 0). Logistic and multiple regression analyses further confirmed that psychological resilience (B = 2.12, P <.001) and HRV-pNN50 (B = 0.14, P = .005) were important positive predictors of social adaptation. Psychological resilience is significantly associated with better social adaptation among left-behind children, and this relationship may be partially explained by vagal tone (HRV), which plays a potential mediating role. This study provides physiological support for HRV-based non-pharmacological psychological interventions and holds significant theoretical and practical value.

Albumin-corrected anion gap (ACAG) is a prognostic biomarker for various diseases. As a derived metric, the relationship between ACAG and potential related biomarkers, along with their combined effect on death, has yet to be fully elucidated. This study aims to investigate the association between ACAG and mortality of congestive heart failure (CHF), and to identify the specific biomarkers related to increased ACAG and the risk of mortality in CHF. This study selected patients with CHF in intensive care units (ICU) from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. Patients were stratified based on their ACAG levels into four groups. The outcomes were 28-day and 1-year mortality of CHF. Cox proportional hazard analysis and subgroup analysis were performed to explore the predictive value of ACAG. The mediation analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were used to explore potential associated biomarkers. A total of 2,689 patients with CHF were included in this study. Of these, 697 and 1,207 patients died within 28 days and 1 year, respectively. Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that increased ACAG level was significantly associated with both 28-day and 1-year mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.18, 95%CI: [1.67, 2.84] and HR: 1.44, 95%CI: [1.18, 1.74], respectively) after adjusting for confounding factors. The subgroup analysis demonstrated that ACAG exhibited a pronounced predictive value among patients admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU), or with myocardial infarction in both 28-day and 1-year mortality. The mediating effect of ACAG was found to be significant between lactate, phosphate and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concerning 28-day mortality (mediated proportion: 44.0%, 37.4% and 16.5%, respectively), but not 1-year mortality. All three biomarkers showed significant correlations with ACAG. Elevated ACAG was a significant risk factor for 28-day and 1-year mortality in critically ill patients with CHF. ACAG plays an important role in mediating the association between lactate, phosphate and BUN and 28-day death in CHF patients.

The current in vitro analysis was designed to compare the centering ability and transportation of MiniKUT and TruNatomy files on the curved mesiobuccal root of the mandibular first molars using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).Thirty extracted mandibular first molars were randomly divided into two groups. In the first group, root canal instrumentation was performed by MiniKUT, and in the second group, TruNatomy rotary files were used. CBCT analysis of pre- and post-instrumented teeth was performed to check the canal transportation and centering ability at distances of 3, 6, and 9 mm from the root apex with the help of a prevalidated formula.Descriptive statistics were performed to calculate the mean and standard deviation. One-way ANOVA followed by post hoc Bonferroni correction was used to check the association at different levels. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between the groups.A significant association was reported with centering ability at 3, 6, and 9 mm (p = 0.001) across the groups. However, no significant association was reported with canal transportation at 3, 6, and 9 mm (p = 0.16) among both groups. TruNatomy showed higher transportation as compared to MiniKUT at 3 mm from the apex. Overall, the result suggests both files are safer to use in curved mandibular canals.Both MiniKUT and TruNatomy files demonstrated minimal root canal transportation and maintained canal shape at 3, 6, and 9 mm from the apex. These characteristics suggest that both systems are safe and effective for the instrumentation of curved mandibular canals.

While creativity is considered essential for students' academic and artistic development in music education, limited attention has been given to fundamental emotional and cognitive factors that shape creative thinking. Addressing this gap, the current study aims to investigate the relationship between creative thinking dispositions, emotional intelligence, cognitive control/flexibility among higher education students in music education. Using a relational survey model, data were collected from 152 higher education students studying in the Department of Music Education. The Marmara Creative Thinking Dispositions Scale, Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form, and Cognitive Control and Flexibility Questionnaire were used as data collection tools. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to analyze data. The findings revealed that music students' creative thinking dispositions, emotional intelligence traits and cognitive control/ flexibility are above the moderate level. It is found that emotional intelligence and cognitive control/flexibility significantly contribute to creative thinking dispositions. These findings suggested that while both cognitive control/flexibility and emotional intelligence played crucial roles in enhancing musical creativity, cognitive control/flexibility emerged as the stronger predictor. Based on these, music education curricula should aim to create a balanced approach that supports both cognitive adaptability and emotional sensitivity, equipping students with the necessary skills for musical creativity and performance resilience.

Frailty prevention is essential in older adults, as oral frailty and hypofunction are linked to increased risks of physical frailty, dependency and mortality. Declines in integrated oral functions, particularly mastication and swallowing, can reduce dietary diversity, impair nutrition and accelerate frailty progression. Although oral hypofunction tests are used for screening and management, the underlying mechanisms and priorities for targeted interventions remain unclear. To investigate the associations between declines in masticatory and swallowing functions and specific oral functional impairments among dental outpatients. In this cross-sectional study, we included 204 outpatients aged ≥ 50 years (mean age: 77.1 ± 8.5 years) who underwent oral hypofunction tests for the first time. Data were collected on systemic health and seven oral function domains: oral hygiene, oral dryness, occlusal force, tongue-lip motor function, tongue pressure, masticatory function and swallowing function. Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted, adjusting for age, sex and comorbidities. Masticatory function decline was significantly associated with reduced occlusal force and posterior tongue-lip motor function. Swallowing function decline was significantly associated with reduced tongue pressure and anterior tongue-lip motor function. Masticatory and swallowing functions are closely linked to occlusal force, tongue strength and tongue motor function. These findings highlight the need for targeted oral function training, especially of the tongue and occlusal system, to maintain dietary intake and support frailty prevention in older adults.

The disability weight quantifies the severity of health states from diseases and injuries. It is a fundamental index to estimate the disability-adjusted life year in the Global Burden of Disease studies. Disability weight estimates have been shown to vary across different national populations, suggesting the influence of cultural differences. However, survey data of disability weights in the Global Burden of Disease study is still limited worldwide. To more accurately reflect the true health conditions of global populations, this study aims to systematically summarize the disability weight values from international authoritative surveys, and explore the influential factors of disability weight estimates. Based on the Global Burden of Disease study, surveys used paired comparison questions wherein respondents considered two hypothetical individuals with different health states and specified which person was healthier. This study comprehensively searched multiple databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. We identified disability weight studies that utilized the paired comparison method and were conducted in national populations, published in international peer-reviewed journals. A meta-regression analysis was conducted to estimate the overall summary effect of disability weight values for 235 unique health states. These health states were estimated for all non-fatal consequences of disease and injury, including infectious diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, neurological disorders, mental, behavior, and substance use disorders, hearing and vision loss, musculoskeletal diseases, injuries and others. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistics. Univariate meta-regression analysis was conducted to explore the impact of age, sex, education, population composition, and survey regions, respectively, on the summarized effect of each health state. The total analysis sample consisted of 610,818 respondents from the Global Burden of Disease 2013 disability weight surveys, the Japanese disability weight survey, and the Chinese disability weight survey. The summarized disability weights of health states ranged from mild anaemia (summarized disability weight = 0.008, 95% uncertainty interval 0.001-0.016, I2 = 0.95) to heroin and other opioid dependence (moderate to severe) (summarized disability weight = 0.737, 0.651-0.823, I2 = 0.823). Pearson correlation analysis showed that high correlation was observed between the set of overall summary disability weights of 235 health states from this meta-analysis and those from all included disability weight studies (all Pearson's r > 0.9, P < 0.001). Univariate meta-regression analysis indicated that age, sex, education level, panel composition of survey populations, and the survey regions were associated with the summarized disability weights of some health states. The overall summary of disability weights obtained from this meta-analysis is reliable. This study indicates that respondents' sociodemographic characteristics may impact a population's preference for health states, which should be considered in future disability weight assessments.

Zhishe Tongluo capsule ameliorates experimental ischemic brain injury through regulating the CALB2/Ca2+/PKC pathway and glycerophospholipid metabolism.

On-street parking violations has significant adverse effects on both traffic efficiency and safety. Existing studies are constrained by data limitations, leading to an absence of a comprehensive analytical framework for examining the impact mechanisms of parking violations across temporal dimensions. This gap impedes a deeper understanding and effective management of parking violations. To uncover the temporal patterns and determinants of parking violations in urban areas, this study analyzed 10,396 electronic records of parking violations captured by law enforcement over a two-month period. Nineteen influencing factors were selected from three key domains: land use, parking supply, and road design. Hierarchical clustering and Pearson correlation analysis were employed to examine the temporal distribution of parking violations and to refine feature selection. Given the characteristics of the dependent variables, a Bayesian quantile regression model was developed to evaluate the relationship between parking violations and influencing factors during different peak hours. The key findings of this study are as follows. First, concerning the temporal distribution of parking violations, weekday violations occur at a significantly higher frequency than those on weekends, with the highest concentration observed in the middle of the week. Clustering analysis of weekday time intervals identified three distinct patterns: peak hours (8:00–10:00 and 17:00–19:00), periods of peak-hour convergence (10:00–11:00 and 15:00–17:00), and other time periods. Second, the Bayesian quantile regression results reveal that land use, parking supply, and road design exhibit nonlinear effects on parking violations. Therefore, parking violation management strategies should be tailored to specific temporal and spatial contexts.

Investment efficiency is essential for maximizing returns, optimizing resource allocation, managing risk, ensuring long-term sustainability, fostering stakeholder confidence, and enabling informed strategic decision-making. Nevertheless, investment levels in developing nations like Kenya have yet to recover to pre-crisis levels. A concerning trend in emerging economies, including Kenya, has been the persistent decline in investment efficiency over time, presenting a formidable challenge for investors and businesses alike. Thus, the study’s general objective was to establish the moderating effect of board capital on the relationship between cash flow management practice signs were adopted to establish the causal relationship between the study’s variables by use of panel data. After exclusion and inclusion criteria, the study utilized the data of 29 non-financial listed companies covering the period 2012−2023. A document report guide was used to collect the data. The Hausman test was used in deciding between the fixed and random effects models, and both the Breusch-Pagan tests were used to assess heteroskedasticity. The data for the study was analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics using statistical techniques including Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. All the analyses were done with the aid of STATA software version 13. The hypotheses were tested through hierarchical multiple regression models. The findings of this study revealed that operating cash flow management (β= 0.182, ρ&lt;0.05) was positive and statistically significant. Board capital moderates the relationship between operating cash flow management practices and investment efficiency (β= -0.006, ρ&lt;0.05). The study suggests that managers in non-financial companies prioritize improving operational efficiencies. The findings of this study can help direct the allocation of resources and concentrate on improving operational decisions. Because board capital has a moderating influence that is beneficial, it is essential for businesses to carefully select board members who possess the proper experience and networks that improve financial strategy. This highlights the significance of human capital in governance systems and encourages businesses to make investments in the growth of their boards of directors. The findings have the potential to provide policymakers and regulatory agencies with information highlighting the significance of strong governance structures in the process of enhancing investment efficiency.

ABSTRACT Low-temperature charging induces lithium plating and stress accumulation, posing severe safety challenges for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the mechanisms underlying their internal damage evolution and failure mode transitions remain unclear. This study employs acoustic emission (AE) technology to develop an innovative hybrid classification model integrating K-means clustering, linear classification, and Gaussian kernel support vector machines. This approach enables adaptive recognition and dynamic tracking of multiple damage modes in LIBs. Results indicate that AE signals during charging exhibit distinctive dual-burst waveform characteristics. Pearson correlation analysis reveals that two burst signals share similar waveform features, originating from correlated waveforms of the same damage event. Classification results reveal that damage modes evolve from tensile-dominated patterns in the early charging stage to shear and mixed modes in the later stage. Furthermore, the coupled effects of low temperature and high charging rates significantly accelerate the accumulation of shear and mixed damage. Furthermore, continuous wavelet transform (CWT) analysis revealed a time-frequency evolution pattern where AE signals transitioned from high-frequency short-duration to low-frequency long-duration signals, aligning with the transformation of damage modes. This study established a multiscale acoustic emission analysis framework integrating hybrid learning classification and time-frequency analysis, providing novel insights and technical support for elucidating low-temperature failure mechanisms and enabling early warning in lithium-ion batteries.

BackgroundSimilar to global trends and recent findings, the rapid adoption of virtual education in Iran necessitates robust tools to evaluate its quality. This study aimed to validate the Student Perception of Virtual Education Quality (SPGP) questionnaire.MethodsData collection occurred from March–August 2022. Inclusion criteria: ≥ 2 virtual semesters; exclusion: incomplete responses (> 10%). This methodological study used a cross-sectional descriptive design to determine the SPGP questionnaire’s factor structure. The original questionnaire was translated following a structured framework, with validation adhering to WHO protocols. Cultural adaptation challenges included translating "immediate feedback" to reflect Persian academic norms; discrepancies were resolved via consensus with bilingual educators. After establishing validity, reliability, and validation, 400 students from University of Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Islamic Azad University were recruited using stratified cluster sampling. Data were analyzed via descriptive/inferential statistics using SPSS 26 and EQS 6.1.ResultsThe questionnaire's validity and reliability were confirmed, with all items achieving a Content Validity Ratio (CVR) above 0.56 and a Content Validity Index (CVI) above 0.86. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the three factors—interaction, learning, and teaching—confirmed the questionnaire's three-factor structure. Factor loadings > 0.7 confirm strong construct validity, consistent with psychometric standards. Pearson correlation analysis indicated a significant relationship between these dimensions (r = 0.95, p < 0.001). It is important to note that the critical Content Validity Ratio (CVR) value is dependent on the number of expert panel members. For a panel of 12 experts, as utilized in this study, the critical CVR value at a significance level of p < 0.05 is 0.56. All items in the questionnaire exceeded this critical threshold, indicating acceptable content validity based on the number of experts involved.ConclusionThe SPGP is a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating virtual education quality in Iranian medical schools. The findings provide a validated tool for institutional assessment and inform policymakers on prioritizing critical areas such as faculty development and technological infrastructure to enhance the quality of virtual medical education.

Background Emergency nurses frequently experience moral injury (MI) arising from high-risk ethical conflicts, heavy workloads, and exposure to traumatic events, which can contribute to health-related productivity loss (HRPL). However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Crucially, perceived social support and moral resilience may mediate this relationship by mitigating negative effects. Clarifying the mediating roles of perceived social support and moral resilience is essential to evaluate their influence on the relationship between MI and productivity loss, and to establish a model that explains this mechanism, thereby contributing to protecting nurses’ well-being and safeguarding patient care quality. Objective This study aims to explore the relationship between MI and HRPL, and to examine the mediating roles of social support and moral resilience. These insights are of great significance for enhancing the physical and mental well-being of emergency nurses and improving the overall quality of medical care. Methods A prospective cross-sectional survey was conducted among 483 emergency nurses from five tertiary hospitals across three provinces in mainland China between January and May 2025. The survey instruments included the General demographic questionnaire, Moral Injury Symptoms Scale-Health Professionals Version (MISS-HP), Rushton Moral Resilience Scale (RMRS), Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) and Stanford presenteeism scale-6 (SPS-6). Descriptive analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were performed using SPSS 29.0. The structural equation model was constructed with AMOS 29.0 software, and Bootstrap testing was conducted. Results The results showed that moral injury directly affected Health-related productivity loss ( β = 0.282, 95% CI [0.183, 0.382]). Perceived social support and moral resilience both played mediating roles in the relationship between MI and HRPL ( β = 0.042, 95%CI [0.008, 0.076]) ( β = 0.079, 95%CI [0.046, 0.117]). Perceived social support and moral resilience play chain mediating roles between MI and HRPL ( β = 0.020, 95%CI [0.010, 0.034]). The structural model demonstrated good fit indices (CFI = 0.947, RMSEA = 0.045), indicating the robustness of the proposed model. Conclusion Perceived social support and moral resilience jointly buffer the impact of MI on nurses’ health-related productivity. Interventions should therefore strengthen both support and resilience. For example, hospitals could implement peer-support groups or resilience workshops, and nurses could practice mindfulness or seek mentorship to bolster coping skills. These strategies may mitigate the negative effects of moral injury and improve productivity. However, as a cross-sectional survey relying on self-reported measures, this study may be subject to response bias, highlighting the need for future longitudinal research.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate demographic characteristics, underlying etiologies, dialysis requirements, and biochemical prognostic factors associated with mortality in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). Methods: A total of 72 hospitalized patients with AKI and 50 healthy controls were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were compared using Student’s t-test, Chi-square, and Pearson correlation analyses. Statistical significance was set at p&amp;lt;0.05. Results: The etiological distribution was 38.9%, 51.4%, and 9.7% for prerenal, renal, and postrenal causes, respectively. Hemodialysis was required in 15.2%, and overall in-hospital mortality was 20.8%. According to correlation analysis, mortality was significantly associated with higher serum phosphorus (r = 0.35, p &amp;lt; 0.01; 95% CI 0.12–0.56), cortisol (r=0.41, p&amp;lt;0.01), and ferritin (r = 0.54, p &amp;lt; 0.01; 95% CI 0.29–0.72) levels, and lower albumin concentration (r=−0.31, p&amp;lt;0.05). Dialysis requirement correlated with renal etiology (r=0.31, p&amp;lt;0.01), elevated creatinine (r=0.56, p&amp;lt;0.01), and phosphorus (r=0.28, p&amp;lt;0.05). Conclusion: Renal causes were the predominant etiology in AKI. Biochemical markers such as phosphorus, cortisol, ferritin, and albumin may serve as valuable indicators for early risk stratification and mortality prediction.

With the acceleration of regional integration, the trend of Chinese megacities evolving into metropolitan areas and urban agglomerations has become increasingly evident. Traditional transportation modes primarily designed for intra - city travel struggle to meet commuting demands between urban cores and surrounding towns. International experience demonstrates that regional (suburban) railways are crucial for addressing such demands and supporting the integration of metropolitan areas. Consequently, both central and local governments in China have prioritized the development of suburban railways, leading to an unprecedented wave of planning and construction in multiple megacities. However, operational lines often face challenges such as lower - than - expected passenger volumes, low commuting ratios, and severe financial losses.This study selects 16 operational suburban railway ilnes in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and international cities (Tokyo, Paris, London, New York) as research subjects. Utilizing quantitative and qualitative analysis methods, it explores key factors influencing passenger flow characteristics of suburban railways. The independent variables include the proportion of construction land, population density, land use functions, distance from the nearest station to the core urban center, and regional total population. Passenger flow intensity of suburban railways serves as the dependent variable. Pearson correlation analysis evaluates relationships between variables, followed by ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to construct interaction models. Finally, the study analyzes the impact of existing territorial spatial planning patterns (e.g., urban layout) and land use characteristics along railway lines on passenger flow and operational feasibility through case studies. The findings aim to provide insights for coordinating suburban railway planning with metropolitan spatial strategies in China.

Heavy metal pollution in marine ecosystems poses significant threats to aquatic organisms and human health. This study determined the concentrations of metals in the edible muscle tissues of recently obtained Mullus surmuletus samples collected from three distinct regions of the Mersin Bay, Northeastern (NE) Mediterranean Sea. The muscle tissues of the obtained fish samples were analyzed for the selected metals using microwave-assisted digestion and the ICP-MS technique. Then, potential health risks were assessed using Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) and Cancer Risk (CR) values. Study findings showed that the mean metal concentrations varied between 1.58 and 9.75mg/kg for Al, 0.0018-0.0020mg/kg for Cr, 0.292-0.680mg/kg for Mn, 6.20-20.05mg/kg for Fe, 0.0006-0.0016mg/kg for Co, 0.0007-0.0039mg/kg for Ni, 0.450-0.562mg/kg for Cu, 4.651-5.823mg/kg for Zn, 0.00019-0.00022mg/kg for Cd, and 0.0019-0.0030mg/kg for Pb, respectively. Metal concentrations varied significantly among sampling locations, with the highest levels detected in the central and eastern regions of the bay, highly influenced by riverine inputs from the Seyhan and Berdan Rivers, as well as maritime and wastewater discharges. One-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analyses indicated significant spatial variation and potential common sources of metal contamination in the study region. Though all metal concentrations in fish samples were below national and international permissible threshold limits for human consumption, health risk assessments indicated that copper may pose long-term carcinogenic risks.

Gender inequality remains a structural barrier to achieving social well-being and sustainable economic development in Kazakhstan. The aim of the study is to identify the structural factors of gender inequality in the labour market of Kazakhstan during 2020-2024, including the roles of horizontal and vertical segregation and unpaid labour in the formation of income and employment gaps between men and women. The research methods are based on a quantitative approach using official data from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2020-2024, in terms of average and median wages, the number of unemployed, and the proportion of women in leadership positions. Descriptive analysis methods, gender pay gap calculations, and Pearson correlation analyses were used to identify relationships among the unemployment rate, income, and the gender employment structure. The study's results showed a stable gender asymmetry. In particular, the gender pay gap during the analysed period ranged from 20% to 26%, the proportion of women in leadership positions remained stable at about 41%, but their representation in Parliament decreased from 26.5% to 18.4%. There is a strong positive correlation between unemployment and wages (r = 0.66), which indicates the concentration of income growth in male, high-paying sectors and structural restrictions on women's access to such positions. The results confirm the systemic and institutional nature of gender inequality in Kazakhstan and emphasize the need to develop targeted measures to reduce vertical segregation and increase women's access to high-income employment.

Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) is a well-established neuromodulation technique widely used for managing neuropathic pain. Lumbosacral radicular pain, a common neuropathic condition, is often refractory to conventional treatments. Although dorsal root ganglion (DRG) PRF has emerged as a promising intervention, its therapeutic efficacy is often limited and variable, likely due to an incomplete understanding of its mechanisms. To elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying DRG PRF analgesia, this study characterized treatment-induced alterations in microstate spatiotemporal dynamics and examined their correlation with pain intensity, thereby assessing their potential as neurophysiological markers. We recorded high-density electroencephalograms (EEG) in healthy controls and patients before and after DRG PRF treatment. Topographic differences were assessed using topographic analysis of variance (TANOVA). Microstate temporal parameters (duration, occurrence, coverage) and transition probabilities were analyzed. Pearson correlation analysis was performed between transition probabilities and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores. TANOVA revealed significant differences in microstate topographies among the three groups (p = 0.033), primarily attributed to microstates C and E. Although we found no significant differences in global temporal parameters or transition probabilities, our exploratory analysis revealed a reduction in the transition probability from microstate D to E (Delta TM D to E) in patients before DRG PRF treatment compared to healthy controls (p = 0.016, uncorrected). Notably, this reduction showed a trend toward normalization after treatment. Furthermore, we observed a significant negative correlation between Delta TM D to E and VAS scores (r = -0.459, p = 0.008). DRG PRF alleviates neuropathic pain by normalizing interactions between large-scale brain networks, as evidenced by topographic reorganizations and trends toward normalized transition dynamics. The sensitivity of microstate metrics to these changes supports their potential as neurophysiological markers for assessing both pain-related brain dysfunction and treatment response. The trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with the following number: ChiCTR2500104921.