Line Of Research Research Articles

Performance Analysis of YOLO and Detectron2 Models for Detecting Corn and Soybean Pests Employing Customized Dataset

One of the most challenging aspects of agricultural pest control is accurate detection of insects in crops. Inadequate control measures for insect pests can seriously impact the production of corn and soybean plantations. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms have been extensively used for detecting insect pests in the field. In this line of research, this paper introduces a method to detect four key insect species that are predominant in Brazilian agriculture. Our model relies on computer vision techniques, including You Only Look Once (YOLO) and Detectron2, and adapts them to lightweight formats—TensorFlow Lite (TFLite) and Open Neural Network Exchange (ONNX)—for resource-constrained devices. Our method leverages two datasets: a comprehensive one and a smaller sample for comparison purposes. With this setup, the authors aimed at using these two datasets to evaluate the performance of the computer vision models and subsequently convert the best-performing models into TFLite and ONNX formats, facilitating their deployment on edge devices. The results are promising. Even in the worst-case scenario, where the ONNX model with the reduced dataset was compared to the YOLOv9-gelan model with the full dataset, the precision reached 87.3%, and the accuracy achieved was 95.0%.

Fulvestrant en la práctica clínica: análisis de efectividad en pacientes uruguayas con cáncer de mama HR+/HER2.

Fulvestrant demonstrated benefits in overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with advanced breast cancer, who are hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative. The characteristics, evolution, and survival of patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer treated with fulvestrant were evaluated according to the national treatment coverage protocols of the National Resources Fund, with the aim of understanding the efficacy of fulvestrant in patients treated in usual clinical practice and comparing our results with those from pivotal studies. A database from the National Resources Fund covering the period from 2009 to 2022 was used. Survival curves were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were analyzed using the Log-Rank test. A total of 1085 patients with an average age of 63,66 years were included. Following a follow-up of 14 months, the median overall survival was 16 months, and the median progression-free survival was 6 months. The presence of liver and bone metastases was associated with a shorter overall survival. Patients from the public sector and those with a better performance status experienced longer overall survival. Our findings provide a valuable perspective for treatment management in a context of limited resources. Overall survival and progression-free survival were somewhat lower than those reported in pivotal clinical trials. The presence of liver and bone metastases was associated with worse prognosis and survival; additionally, patients with worse performance status had shorter overall survival. These findings underscore the need for personalized therapies, opening new lines of future research.

The effects of implicit corrective feedback on production of lexical stress in L2 English

The interactionist approach to second language acquisition has yielded a plethora of studies confirming the positive impact of interaction and corrective feedback on second language (L2) development. Nevertheless, only a few studies have attempted to investigate the development of L2 prosody using the interactionist approach. The current study contributes to this line of research by investigating the relationship between recasts and the production of primary stress in L2 English. Following a pretest-posttest design, 68 L1 Arabic speakers were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. The pre- and posttest comprised sentence-completion and information-exchange tasks, whereas the intervention was a role-play task that dyads carried out with the researcher. The intervention group received a recast upon producing target words with misplaced primary stress, whereas the control group did not receive any corrective feedback. The results of acoustic analyses, which focused on syllable duration, intensity, and pitch, indicated a positive relationship between recasts and development of primary stress placement. The results were also supported by expert listener judgments. The findings suggest that interaction and implicit corrective feedback play a positive role in the development of lexical stress.

Language Learning, Representation, and Processing in Humans and Machines: Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract Large Language Models (LLMs) and humans acquire knowledge about language without direct supervision. LLMs do so by means of specific training objectives, while humans rely on sensory experience and social interaction. This parallelism has created a feeling in NLP and cognitive science that a systematic understanding of how LLMs acquire and use the encoded knowledge, could provide useful insights for studying human cognition. Conversely, methods and findings from the field of cognitive science have occasionally inspired language model development. Yet, the differences in the way that language is processed by machines and humans—in terms of learning mechanisms, amounts of data used, grounding and access to different modalities—make a direct translation of insights challenging. The aim of this edited volume has been to create a forum of exchange and debate along this line of research, inviting contributions that further elucidate similarities and differences between humans and LLMs.

Social-cognitive mechanisms of moral disengagement, sex differences and psychological predictors in young populations

The theory of moral disengagement has been useful in explaining disruptive social behavior in young people, showing differences between men and women. However, there are no studies regarding the association of psychological factors, such as impulsivity, self-esteem, anxiety, and moral disengagement. Therefore, we analyzed sex differences and psychological predictors of moral disengagement mechanisms in young people. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional, comparative, and correlational study. The participants were 1,419 young people aged 16 to 30 years (M=20.6, SD=3.32) who answered the moral disengagement mechanisms questionnaire (MMDS), the Barratt impulsivity scale (BIS-11), the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). A Student's t-test showed that men had higher scores on moral disengagement mechanisms and self-esteem, and women had higher scores on anxiety. Moral disengagement mechanisms were found to correlate inversely with self-esteem, but directly with impulsivity and anxiety. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that self-contempt, impulsivity, anxiety, and sex had the highest effects on predicting moral disengagement and mechanisms. These effects were similar in men and women. This study provided important information on the influence of psychological factors not explored in previous studies on the understanding of moral agency in young people. The results offer innovative theoretical explanations in a line of research aimed at linking psychological, clinical, and cognitive-social perspectives, with major implications for psychosocial intervention with young people.

Online prosocial behavior during adolescence in Belgium, Japan, Peru, and Spain: Cross-national and gender invariance and differences in four countries

ABSTRACT The role of the digital context in the development and expression of prosocial behaviors during adolescence has not yet been addressed using validated instruments in different languages. This study examines the factorial validity of the Online Prosocial Behavior Scale (OPBS) in adolescents from four different countries (Belgium N = 1714, Japan N = 1207, Peru N = 1478, Spain N = 1299) and assesses the factorial and gender invariance and differences in them. A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) sequence was performed to test the factorial and gender invariance. The results indicate that the two-factor structure of the OPBS fits well across the full sample in each country and in the gender groups. Cross-national and gender measurement invariance was established for this instrument. Peruvian adolescents showed the highest frequency of online prosocial behaviors, both performed and received, while Japanese adolescents showed the lowest frequency. In all the countries studied, girls showed a higher frequency of online prosocial behaviors than boys. The limitations of this instrument and future lines of research in this field are discussed.

Learning-based visibility prediction for terahertz communications in 6G networks

Terahertz communications are envisioned as a key enabler for 6G networks. The abundant spectrum available in such ultra high frequencies has the potential to increase network capacity to huge data rates. However, they are extremely affected by blockages, to the point of disrupting ongoing communications. In this paper, we elaborate on the relevance of predicting visibility between users and access points (APs) to improve the performance of THz-based networks by minimizing blockages, that is, maximizing network availability, while at the same time keeping a low reconfiguration overhead. We propose a novel approach to address this problem, by combining a neural network (NN) for predicting future user–AP visibility probability, with a probability threshold for AP reselection to avoid unnecessary reconfigurations. Our experimental results demonstrate that current state-of-the-art handover mechanisms based on received signal strength are not adequate for THz communications, since they are ill-suited to handle hard blockages. Our proposed NN-based solution significantly outperforms them, demonstrating the interest of our strategy as a research line.

Empowering Chemical AI Through Systems Chemistry

AbstractThis work presents some ambitious perspectives on how Systems Chemistry can contribute to developing the quite new research line of Chemical Artificial Intelligence (CAI). CAI refers to the efforts of devising liquid chemical systems mimicking some performances of biological and human intelligence, which ultimately emerge from wetware. The CAI systems implemented so far assist humans in making decisions. However, such CAI systems lack autonomy and cannot substitute humans. The development of autonomous chemical systems will allow the colonization of the molecular world with remarkable repercussions on human well‐being. As a beneficial side effect, this research line will help establish a deeper comprehension of the mesmerizing phenomenon of the origin of life on Earth and how cognitive capabilities emerge at a basic physico‐chemical level.

Beyond the visible: A survey on cross-spectral face recognition

Cross-spectral face recognition (CFR) refers to recognizing individuals using face images stemming from different spectral bands, such as infrared versus visible. While CFR is inherently more challenging than classical face recognition due to significant variation in facial appearance caused by the modality gap, it is useful in many scenarios including night-vision biometrics and detecting presentation attacks. Recent advances in deep neural networks (DNNs) have resulted in significant improvement in the performance of CFR systems. Given these developments, the contributions of this survey are three-fold. First, we provide an overview of CFR, by formalizing the CFR problem and presenting related applications. Secondly, we discuss the appropriate spectral bands for face recognition and discuss recent CFR methods, placing emphasis on deep neural networks. In particular we describe techniques that have been proposed to extract and compare heterogeneous features emerging from different spectral bands. We also discuss the datasets that have been used for evaluating CFR methods. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future lines of research on this topic.

The impact of extent and variety in active learning methods across online and face-to-face education on students’ course evaluations

IntroductionIn recent years, numerous studies have compared traditional face-to-face (F2F) learning on campus with online learning, seeking to establish how the learning environment (online vs. F2F) affects outcomes such as student satisfaction and achievement. In a separate line of research, scholars have examined various facets of active learning—an approach that makes use of interactive learning methods—separately in online and F2F environments. However, few studies have compared the effects of active learning in classes taught online vs. F2F. The present study addresses this gap. It follows an earlier study in which we examined the effects of active learning in an online environment, particularly how the extent and variety of interactive teaching methods used affect students’ course evaluations (overall evaluations and perceived clarity of the teaching).MethodsThe present study repeats the setup of that previous study in a F2F environment, allowing us both to gain new insights into the effects of active learning in this context and to directly compare the examined outcomes in F2F vs. online learning.ResultsThe results reveal consistent trends in both studies: more extensive and more varied use of interactive learning methods improves overall student evaluations and perceptions of the clarity of teaching in the course. Crucially, minimal use of interactive teaching methods results in notably lower student evaluations and perceptions of teaching clarity in F2F settings compared to online classes.DiscussionThe findings highlight the essential need for instructors to adopt diverse interactive methods in F2F environments to improve educational outcomes and reinforce the effectiveness of active learning.

Unveiling the quasar main sequence: illuminating the complexity of active galactic nuclei and their evolution

The Eigenvector 1 schema, or the main sequence of quasars, was introduced as an analogous scheme to the HR diagram that would allow us to understand the more complex, extended sources - active galactic nuclei (AGNs) that harbor accreting supermassive black holes. The study has spanned more than three decades and has advanced our knowledge of the diversity of Type-1 AGNs from both observational and theoretical aspects. The quasar main sequence, in its simplest form, is the plane between the FWHM of the broad Hβ emission line and the strength of the optical Fe ii emission to the Hβ. While the former allows the estimation of the black hole mass, the latter enables direct measurement of the metal content and traces the accretion rate of the AGN. Together, they allow us to track the evolution of AGN in terms of the activity of the central nuclei, its effect on the line-emitting regions surrounding the AGN, and their diversity making them suitable distance indicators to study the expansion of our Universe. This mini-review aims to provide (i) a brief history leading up to the present day in the study of the quasar main sequence, (ii) introduce us to the many possibilities to study AGNs with the main sequence as a guiding tool, and (iii) highlight some recent, exciting lines of researches at the frontier of this ever-growing field.

Un panorama alimenticio: Una óptica mediante un análisis cienciométrico y revisión sistemática

To understand how the challenges related to food security, sustainability and quality of life have become one of the actions of constant attention. The purpose of this study is to offer an in-depth analysis of the research lines currently being addressed in the food landscape. The method used was descriptive qualitative, based on a systematic literature review, and subsequently, a scientometric analysis using data from Scopus from 2012 to 2022, with a descriptive qualitative approach. The results demonstrate a direct relationship between the passage of years and the progressive increase in the quantity of publications. Three types of trendswere distinguished: consolidated, intermediate and emerging. Among the key words, quality, antioxidant activity, health, marketing and COVID-19 stood out. In addition, the importance and linkage of food studies with topics such as health, innovation, sustainability, industry and education were emphasized. Subsequent studies, emphasis is placed on addressing terms with greater potential combined with current circumstances, such as food sovereignty in complex contexts, food insecurity as a current issue, the role of the consumer in promoting healthy eating, or fast food and the mega ecological trend in developing countries.

What makes activities strategic: Toward a new framework for strategy‐as‐practice research

AbstractResearch AbstractStrategy as practice is one of the most vibrant approaches to strategy research. Yet, there is significant ambiguity around what characterizes an activity as strategic and thus as falling into the domain of strategy as practice. In this article, we address this fundamental concern by differentiating four distinctive views of what qualifies activities as strategic: (1) activities that have important consequences, (2) activities that are labeled strategic, (3) activities carried out by strategists, and (4) activities that perform an important recurrent pattern. Each of these views is associated with different research questions resulting in different research insights. We discuss how the four views together form a new research framework that expands the notion of strategy and thereby the research domain of strategic management.Managerial SummaryStrategy as practice is an important approach to studying strategic management that focuses on strategic activities. However, there is significant ambiguity around what characterizes activities as strategic. In this article, we identify four different views on this question: (1) activities that have important consequences, (2) activities that are labeled strategic, (3) activities carried out by strategists, and (4) activities that perform an important recurrent pattern of activities. Each of these views is associated with different questions and thus with different types of insights. We suggest that the four views together form a research framework that reveals distinctive links between strategy as practice and other lines of strategy research and that expands our notion of strategy and thereby the domain of strategic management.

Psychology of religion and spirituality in Jewish contexts: A synthetic review

Jewish spirituality and religion include dynamics that are different from other traditions and have important implications for relational forms of spirituality. Certain approaches to relational Judaism (e.g. Mussar) have offered insights for understanding the folk psychology of relational spirituality in Jewish contexts but have not generated empirical research. Existing research in the psychology of Jewish religion and spirituality draws on several theoretical frameworks and has generated helpful findings. In this synthetic review, we foreground the role of theory in psychological research and offer a brief review of several theoretical frameworks used in research on the psychology of Jewish religion and spirituality (cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, cultural psychology of religion, and positive psychology). The relational spirituality model (RSM) is summarized as a conceptual framework that could be useful for future research in this area. We use the RSM as a heuristic organizing framework to review several lines of prior empirical research on the psychology of Jewish religion and spirituality that fit within the RSM domains of spiritual dwelling, seeking, and struggles. The final section outlines future directions in research in this area based on the RSM, with particular attention to dimensions of diversity (e.g. gender, sexual orientation), diverse contexts of Jewish spirituality, Jewish spirituality in relation to both mental health suffering and flourishing, and historical trauma. We also highlight the need for research on Jewish spiritual development in communal settings (e.g. congregations, seminaries) to provide a deeper understanding at both individual and communal levels, and interdisciplinary integration with Jewish theology.

Thoracic ultrasound: a review of the state-of-the-art.

Thoracic ultrasound (TUS) is a tool that has become increasingly essential in the daily practice of thoracic medicine. Driven by the need to assess patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the use of point-of-care TUS, which has demonstrated several benefits, either as a complement to clinical decision-making for diagnosis or as a real-time guide for procedures, whether as a predictor or measure of treatment response. Here, we present a review of TUS, based on the most recent scientific evidence, from equipment and techniques to the fundamentals of pulmonary ultrasound, describing normal and pathological findings, as well as focusing on the management of lung disease and guidance for invasive thoracic procedures at the bedside. Finally, we highlight areas of perspective and potential lines of research to maintain interest in this valuable tool, in order to improve the diagnostic process and expand the treatment arsenal.

Emociones morales, revelación de la identidad personal y evidencia del corazón

Moral emotions show or reveal in some way the personal identity of their subject. Joy in the face of another's evil, sincere regret for having inflicted an objective evil on another person, hope in the face of a difficult situation, humility in facing one's own failure, etc., say a lot about the person who is the subject of these experiences. How do these affective experiences that we call "moral emotions" tell us or "give" us personal identity? In this order of things, I would like to present the central lines of the treatment of this question by the North American philosopher Anthony Steinbock. The perspective that this author adopts is phenomenological. By this I mean that it is not so much a question of the construction of personal identity by the subject and the "sediment" that moral emotions leave in him, but rather how this personal identity is given in moral emotions. At the end of my contribution I will offer some critical consideration of Steinbock's analyses and suggest new lines of research.

Review of previous works on functionally graded materials (FGM)

This paper presents bibliographical research on previous works of FGM functional gradient materials. We notice that functional gradient materials represent a relatively new line of research. Since the appearance of the FGM concept, many researchers have been interested in it, and countless works have been published, but there is still much to be done.

Líneas de investigación y perspectivas futuras de los estudios organizacionales: una revisión

Organizational studies allow us to analyze and understand the functioning of organizations, generate knowledge and improve their management and performance, from perspectives different from the classic ones with which the organizational phenomenon has been analyzed in a traditional way; These perspectives invite a critical look at this phenomenon. However, it is relevant to evaluate its potential to provide theories, models and tools that help advance the field of management and improve the effectiveness and sustainability of organizations. To date, no review has been identified in Scopus that synthesizes the literature on organizational studies from a bibliometric analysis, by doing so, this article provides a basis for researchers in organizational studies to learn about various future lines of research. The objective of this document is to review scientific documents published in Scopus(r) on organizational studies, to propose a structure of published scientific knowledge, so that different future lines of research are offered. 1091 documents were found that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria in the database that were processed with Bibliometrix, VosViewer and ToS. The main lines of research identified were: a) Leadership and management of organizational change; b) Changing, diverse and inclusive work environments; c) Legitimation, sustainability and organizational responsibility.

A framework for territorial spatial ecological restoration zoning integrating “Carbon neutrality” and “Human-geology-ecology”: Theory and application

Global climate change worsens the imbalance among human environment, geological environment and ecological environment (human-geology-ecology), leading to increasingly prominent ecosystem damage. Constructing a scientifically effective territorial spatial ecological restoration zoning (TSERZ) framework will promote the coordination between nature and human. However, the fundamental role of geological environment in TSERZ has been overlooked, and there is lack of theoretical frameworks and empirical research on TSERZ oriented towards carbon neutrality goal. Therefore, we have proposed a new TSERZ framework by integrating “carbon neutrality” and “human-geology-ecology”, which employs models such as CECM, LCA, IUEMS and ESP to divide primary zones, secondary zones and key areas, and also provides restoration directions for various zones. Taking the typical alpine-gorge region of Yulong County as an example, we conduct empirical research to verify the validity of the TSERZ framework. The findings indicate that, firstly, besides human and ecological factors, geological factors like lithology are indispensable factors for TSERZ, and understanding the dynamic balance relationship of human-geology-ecology is the prerequisite and basis for TSERZ. Secondly, the proposed TSERZ framework emphasizes the fundamental role of carbon source/sink and lithology in TSERZ, constructing the three-level zones division method oriented towards carbon neutrality goal with the research line of “natural background conditions—dominant ecological functions—ecological stress problems”. Thirdly, the framework has been successfully applied to TSERZ in Yulong County, dividing it into 8 primary zones, 17 secondary zones, and 7 types key areas. Given its complex geological conditions, fragile ecological environment and increasingly human interference, Yulong County urgently needs to focus on restoring ecological problems such as rocky desertification and geological disasters to improve carbon sink capacity. This study innovatively constructs a cascading path for TSERZ from theoretical cognition to practical application, which can provide a reference for solving the TSERZ problem in geologically complex regions, especially in alpine-gorge regions.

The cognitive triad network - oscillation - behaviour links individual differences in EEG theta frequency with task performance and effective connectivity

We reconcile two significant lines of Cognitive Neuroscience research: the relationship between the structural and functional architecture of the brain and behaviour on the one hand and the functional significance of oscillatory brain processes to behavioural performance on the other. Network neuroscience proposes that the three elements, behavioural performance, EEG oscillation frequency, and network connectivity should be tightly connected at the individual level. Young and old healthy adults were recruited as a proxy for performance variation. An auditory inhibitory control task was used to demonstrate that task performance correlates with the individual EEG frontal theta frequency. Older adults had a significantly slower theta frequency, and both theta frequency and task performance correlated with the strengths of two network connections that involve the main areas of inhibitory control and speech processing. The results suggest that both the recruited functional network and the oscillation frequency induced by the task are specific to the task, are inseparable, and mark individual differences that directly link structure and function to behaviour in health and disease.