Search Results (44,209)

Previous studies suggest that representational gestures support divergent thinking and that mental imagery is necessary for gestures to aid convergent thinking. However, less is known about non-representational gesture use (i.e., beat and palm-revealing) during creative thinking. Across two experiments, we examined whether these gestures supported or hindered creativity and the effects of mental imagery on creative thinking. In Experiment 1, we tested both gesture-spontaneous and gesture-encouraged conditions during divergent thinking. Beat gestures, irrespective of condition, were negatively associated with originality in divergent thinking for individuals with high mental imagery. Encouraged palm-revealing gestures were negatively associated with fluency, flexibility, and elaboration in divergent thinking, regardless of mental imagery. In Experiment 2, we examined spontaneous gestures during both divergent and convergent thinking and assessed mental imagery vividness and skills. Beat gestures were negatively associated with convergent thinking for individuals with low or average imagery vividness. Similarly, palm-revealing gestures were negatively associated with convergent thinking for individuals with low mental imagery skills. Vividness of imagery was the only consistent positive predictor of divergent thinking. Spontaneous gestures were not associated with divergent thinking. These findings show that, unlike representational, non-representational gesture use does not facilitate and might even hurt creativity, depending on individual differences in mental imagery. Full article

Farmers’ land transfer practices optimize the allocation of agricultural resources by transferring them to more efficient operators. This enhances agricultural productivity and advances rural revitalization. However, due to the lack of financial institution outlets in rural areas, the availability of financial services in rural areas is limited, which in turn hinders the transfer of rural land. This study examines the impact of digital financial inclusion, characterized by the deep integration of internet technology and financial services, on farmers’ land transfer behavior in China. The study uses data from the China Family Panel Studies (2012–2022) and provincial digital financial inclusion data. The results show that digital financial inclusion significantly promotes rural land transfer-out. The mechanisms reveal two pathways: (1) digital financial inclusion expands non-agricultural entrepreneurship by easing credit constraints and reducing reliance on land livelihoods; (2) it increases participation in commercial insurance, mitigating risks of land abandonment. Heterogeneity analysis reveals stronger effects in eastern China and among educated households. Theoretically, the study identifies the dual role of financial technology in reshaping rural land markets through credit access and risk management. Practically, it reveals how DFI influences land transfer behavior, providing a basis for the government to formulate policies that combine the two, ultimately enhancing the production capacity, operational efficiency, and market competitiveness of smallholder farmers. The findings offer global insights for developing countries that are leveraging digital finance to activate rural land markets and achieve digital financial inclusion. Full article

Background/Objectives: The management of immature teeth with wide apical foramina presents significant challenges in endodontic treatment due to difficulties in achieving a hermetic seal. The aim of this study was to evaluate void formation in apical plugs created using three calcium silicate-based materials—Biodentine, NuSmile NeoPUTTY, and Well-Root PT—applied with the help of manual, ultrasonic, or rotary file condensation (XP-endo Shaper) in 3D-printed immature teeth. Methods: Micro-computed tomography analysis was used to assess the internal, external, and total void percentage of material volume. The statistical analysis was performed using two-way ANOVA and the post hoc Bonferroni test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The materials and techniques used individually do not significantly influence the formation of internal voids, but their combination does (F(4, 99) = 2.717, p = 0.034). Both factors and their interaction are significant for external voids (F(4, 99) = 4.169, p = 0.004), and all have a notable effect on total void percentages (F(4, 99) = 3.456, p = 0.012). No significant differences were observed in internal voids across the groups (p > 0.05), ranging from 0.635% to 1.078%. External voids varied significantly, with Well-Root PT and ultrasonic condensation showing the highest values with a significant difference (p < 0.05), while NeoPUTTY and Biodentine with XP-endo Shaper exhibited the lowest. Total voids remained below 4%, with no significant differences among manual condensation groups. Neither material type nor application technique consistently influenced void formation, except for Well-Root PT with ultrasonic condensation. Conclusions: These findings suggest that modern bioceramic materials and application techniques produce comparable, low-void apical plugs, with XP-endo Shaper showing promise for minimizing external voids. The interaction between material and application technique plays a crucial role during the creation of apical plugs. Full article

Extraction of metal ions from polluted waters and immobilization of metals in contaminated soils can be conducted using zeolites—porous aluminosilicate ion exchangers. The uptake of copper and zinc ions by the Georgian natural heulandite was studied under conditions of interaction of the zeolite with solutions (“liquid-phase” ion exchange) and powders (“solid-state” ion exchange) of the corresponding salts. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of the two procedures on the chemical composition and structure of the zeolite. It was found that the “liquid-phase” procedure provides a higher degree of uptake, particularly of zinc ions. Ion-exchange causes slight dealumination without decationization. Uptake of divalent ions occurs mainly through the leaching of sodium ions. According to X-ray data of ion-exchanged samples, the uptake of copper and zinc does not change the crystal structure of the zeolite framework, but nitrogen adsorption measurements show that ion exchange affects the mesoporous structure: solution treatment reduces the specific total pore volume and leads to the appearance of pores with a diameter of 4 nm. The “solid-state” procedure leads to an increase in specific total pore volume mainly due to an increase in the number of relatively small nanosized pores. Full article

Insect phonotaxis is influenced by various external and internal factors related to the environment and to the inner states of an organism. Previously, we found that flight, a natural behavior common among insects, significantly enhances the subsequent phonotactic response of female crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) via serotonergic mechanisms. It is known that phonotaxis is also present in male crickets. However, the natural factors influencing phonotaxis in males and the neurochemical mechanisms behind these effects remained unknown. Our goal was to clarify these points and to compare phonotaxis of freely moving male and female crickets using a recently developed experimental paradigm. First, we found that freely moving male and female crickets demonstrate similar phonotactic response, quantitatively evaluated based on the time that animals spent near the source of calling song, their average distance to it and the number of approaches to it. We also found that the experience of previous flight increased phonotaxis in male crickets as it does in females. Also, as in females, this effect was associated with serotonergic neurotransmission. Thus, the manifestation of phonotactic behavior in freely moving male and female crickets, as well as the behavioral and monoaminergic modulation of phonotaxis in both sexes, appear to be quite similar in our experimental paradigm. Full article

The impact of invasive alien species (IAS) is one of the direct factors causing global biodiversity decline and economic losses, and predicting the potential invasion risks of invasive species is crucial for developing prevention and control strategies. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have shown that invasive species undergo rapid shifts in climate niche in invaded areas. Accurately quantifying the dynamic shifts in the climate niche of invasive species in invaded areas is crucial for developing a more accurate framework for early warning of invasive species risks. Pomacea canaliculata is a freshwater snail found in South America and has become one of the most aggressive aquatic species in the world. Since its introduction to China in 1981, it has rapidly spread and caused multiple serious damages to agriculture, ecology, and public health. Therefore, based on multi-source distribution data of P. canaliculata, this study calculated the climate niche overlap by Schoener’ s D, quantified the niche shifts between the P. canaliculata in native and invaded areas (China) via the COUE scheme (a unified terminology representing niche centroid shift, overlap, unfilling, and expansion), and analyzed their changes on a time scale. The results revealed that there have been significant climate niche shifts (Schoener’s D < 0.2, niche similarity tests p > 0.01, niche equivalence tests p < 0.01) between the native and invaded areas (China) of P. canaliculata, which does not support the climate niche conservation hypothesis. The minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio 6) and precipitation seasonality (Bio 15) were the key climate variables driving the climatic niche shift, and P. canaliculata can survive in colder and more arid regions than their native counterparts. The changes in the niche shifts in P. canaliculata on a time scale show significant temporal heterogeneity, and its invasion behavior in China presents a discontinuous and phased expansion pattern, with strong adaptability to new environments. The results are of great significance for the future development of more accurate ecological niche model (ENM), the formulation of more targeted prevention and control strategies, and the study of adaptive evolution mechanisms of invasive species. Full article

Objectives: To assess the correlation and agreement of uterocervical angle (UCA) measurements obtained via transabdominal (TAUS), transperineal (TPUS), and transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) between 16 and 24 weeks of gestation. Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, 136 pregnant women underwent UCA and cervical length (CL) assessments using TVUS, TAUS, and TPUS. All measurements were performed by a single experienced operator with an empty bladder. Correlation was assessed using Pearson analysis, while consistency and agreement were evaluated with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman plots. Results: Mean UCA values differed significantly between modalities (p < 0.001). Moderate correlation (r = 0.547) and consistency (ICC = 0.545) were found between TAUS and TVUS. The Bland–Altman analysis showed a systematic bias of –8° between TAUS and TVUS, with wide limits of agreement (–64° to +32.6°). TPUS showed a higher correlation with TVUS (r = 0.686), but poor consistency (ICC = 0.052), with broader limits of agreement (–32° to +49.2°). Conclusions: Although both TAUS and TPUS showed significant correlation with TVUS for UCA measurement, only TAUS demonstrated moderate consistency, suggesting that it should be used cautiously in clinical practice. TPUS demonstrated considerable variability in individual assessments and does not seem appropriate as a replacement for TVUS. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and improve measurement reliability. Full article

Recently, music generation models based on deep learning have made remarkable progress in the field of symbolic music generation. However, the existing methods often have problems of violating musical rules, especially since the control of harmonic structure is relatively weak. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a novel framework, the Entropy-Regularized Latent Diffusion for Harmony-Constrained (ERLD-HC), which combines a variational autoencoder (VAE) and latent diffusion models with an entropy-regularized conditional random field (CRF). Our model first encodes symbolic music into latent representations through VAE, and then introduces the entropy-based CRF module into the cross-attention layer of UNet during the diffusion process, achieving harmonic conditioning. The proposed model balances two key limitations in symbolic music generation: the lack of theoretical correctness of pure algorithm-driven methods and the lack of flexibility of rule-based methods. In particular, the CRF module learns classic harmony rules through learnable feature functions, significantly improving the harmony quality of the generated Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). Experiments on the Lakh MIDI dataset show that compared with the baseline VAE+Diffusion, the violation rates of harmony rules of the ERLD-HC model under self-generated and controlled inputs have decreased by 2.35% and 1.4% respectively. Meanwhile, the MIDI generated by the model maintains a high degree of melodic naturalness. Importantly, the harmonic guidance in ERLD-HC is derived from an internal CRF inference module, which enforces consistency with music-theoretic priors. While this does not yet provide direct external chord conditioning, it introduces a form of learned harmonic controllability that balances flexibility and theoretical rigor. Full article

Heated tobacco products (HTPs) frequently induce user discomfort due to high mainstream smoke temperatures. To address this challenge and improve the inhalation experience, this experiment designed and prepared a cage-shaped braided tube as the cooling section of the filter for HTPs. The thermal, cooling, suction resistance, and smoke composition properties of the filter were tested and analyzed. Thermal analysis (DSC/TG) revealed a 116.53 J/g increase in endothermic enthalpy for PEG-impregnated samples, accompanied by maintained thermal stability (decomposition temperature ≈ approximately 350 °C). The 0.8 wt% Carbon Nanotube (CNT) composite achieved exceptional thermal conductivity (0.597 W/m·K), representing a 521% improvement over untreated controls. The braided tube optimal performance (3 mm inner diameter, 30% PEG/0.8% CNT) reduced the highest smoke temperature to 47.8 °C while maintaining acceptable suction resistance (68.5 Pa, 56.4% reduction vs. commercial IQOS filters). GC-MS analysis confirmed negligible alterations in smoke composition (p > 0.05). This innovation offers an effective thermal management solution that does not compromise sensory experiences. Full article

Free water surface constructed wetlands can be effective systems for contaminant removal, but their performance is sensitive to interactions among flow dynamics, vegetation, and bed topography. This study presents a numerical investigation into how heterogeneous bed topographies influence hydraulic and contaminant transport behavior in a rectangular wetland. Topographies were generated using a correlated pseudo-random pattern generator, and flow and solute transport were simulated with a two-dimensional, depth-averaged model. Residence time distributions and contaminant removal efficiencies were analyzed as functions of the variance and correlation length of the bed elevation. Results indicate that increasing the variability of bed elevation leads to greater dispersion in residence times, reducing hydraulic efficiency. Moreover, as the variability of bed elevation increases, so does the spread in hydraulic performance among wetlands with the same statistical topographic parameters, indicating a growing sensitivity of flow behavior to the specific spatial configurations of bed features. Larger spatial correlation lengths were found to reduce the residence time variance, as shorter correlation lengths promoted complex flow structures with lateral dead zones and internal islands. Contaminant removal efficiency, evaluated under the assumption of uniform vegetation, was influenced by bed topography, with variations becoming more pronounced under conditions of lower vegetation density. The results underscore the significant impact of bed topography on hydraulic behavior and contaminant removal performance, highlighting the importance of careful topographic design to ensure high wetland efficiency. Full article

Nanoparticle-embedded polymeric materials are an important subject in advanced structural applications due to their advantageous combination of low weight and high mechanical performance. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high-resolution imaging technique that enables subsurface defect visualization, which can be used as one of the methods to reveal defects resulting from decomposition pathways or mechanisms of polymers. Nevertheless, the low contrast of polymeric materials, particularly PEEK-based polymers, does not allow for automatic geometry extraction for analytical input. To address the constraint of weak contrast, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of plasmonic nanoparticle-reinforced polymer materials has been used as an OCT contrast agent to provide the necessary contrast. The backscattering efficiency of light was also theoretically investigated, based on the Lorenz–Mie theory, with a single spherical nanoparticle embedded in a PEEK matrix as a non-absorptive, isotropic and homogeneous medium. In this study, the cases of a single homogeneous $Ti{O}_2$ nanoparticle and a hybrid $Ti{O}_2/Au$ core/shell nanoparticle configuration were considered separately. An examination of the influence of nanoparticle diameter and gold shell thickness on backscattering efficiencies of these nanostructures was performed. The results indicate that $Ti{O}_2/Au$ nanoshells demonstrate superior near-infrared (NIR) light backscattering capabilities at typical OCT operating wavelengths (830–1310 nm). Additionally, the potential of these nanoparticles for application in non-destructive testing-based light backscattering methods was investigated. The findings suggest that $Ti{O}_2/Au$ nanoshells have the ability to effectively backscatter near-infrared light in OCT operating central wavelengths, making them suitable to serve as effective NIR contrast-enhancing agents for OCT within the domain of NDT. Full article

Droughts are becoming more frequent, severe, and impactful across the globe. Agroecosystems, which are human-made ecosystems with high water demand that provide essential ecosystem services, are vulnerable to extreme droughts. Although water use efficiency in agriculture has increased in rec ent decades, drought management should be based on long-term, proactive strategies rather than crisis management. The AgrHyS network of sites in French Brittany collects high-resolution soil moisture data from agronomic stations and catchments to improve understanding of temporal soil moisture dynamics and enhance water use efficiency. Frequent mapping of soil moisture and plant water stress is crucial for assessing water stress risk in the context of global warming. Although satellite remote sensing provides reliable, periodic global data on surface soil moisture, it does so at a very coarse spatial resolution. The intrinsic spatial heterogeneity of surface soil moisture requires a higher spatial resolution in order to address upcoming challenges on a local scale. Drones are an excellent tool for upscaling point measurements to catchment level using different onboard cameras. In this study, we evaluated the potential of multispectral images, thermal images and LiDAR data captured in several concurrent drone flights for high-resolution mapping of soil moisture spatial variability, using in situ point measurements of soil water content and plant water stress in both agricultural areas and natural ecosystems. Statistical models were fitted to map soil water content in two areas: a natural marshland and a grassland-covered agricultural field. Our results demonstrate the statistical significance of topography, land surface temperature and red band reflectance in the natural area for retrieving soil water content. In contrast, the grasslands were best predicted by the transformed normalised difference vegetation index (TNDVI). Full article

Despite the growing adoption of modular construction (MC) to enhance productivity, sustainability and industrialization in the building sector, critical terminological inconsistencies and conceptual ambiguities persist across academic, professional and regulatory domains. This study conducts a systematic literature review to investigate how the key terms modular, module, modularity, modularization and modular coordination are defined and applied in the recent literature. Following the PRISMA protocol, 85 peer-reviewed articles were selected from an initial pool of 4832 Scopus records. Bibliometric and thematic analyses reveal a lack of conceptual consistency in the application of key terms, most notably the frequent misuse of module to describe non-volumetric components. Beyond identifying these ambiguities, this study maps the most recurrent definitional patterns to outline potential pathways toward conceptual consensus. It clarifies the boundaries between modular (a system attribute), modularization (a design strategy), modularity (a system property), module (a prefabricated, spatially autonomous, functionally complete, and volumetric unit) and modular coordination (a dimensional grid system). Based on these insights, it proposes a conceptual hierarchy, and a set of propositions integrated into a structured glossary that contribute to terminological clarity, foster standardization, and improve communication in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector. Full article

Two-factor authentication (2FA) has become widely adopted as an efficient and secure way of validating someone’s identity online. Two-factor authentication is difficult in virtual reality (VR) because users are usually wearing a head-mounted display (HMD) which does not allow them to see their real-world surroundings. We present NRXR-ID, a technique to implement two-factor authentication while using extended reality systems and smartphones. The proposed method allows users to complete an authentication challenge using their smartphones without removing their HMD. We performed a user study in which we explored four types of challenges for users, including a novel checkers-style challenge. Users responded to these challenges under three different configurations, including a technique that uses a smartphone to support gaze-based selection without the use of a VR controller. A 4 × 3 within-subjects design allowed us to study all of the proposed variations. We collected performance metrics along with user experience questionnaires containing subjective impressions from thirty participants. Results suggest that the checkers-style visual matching challenge was the most preferred option, followed by the challenge involving entering a digital PIN submitted via the smartphone. Participants were fastest at solving the digital PIN challenge, with an average of 12.35 ± 5 s, followed by the Checkers challenge with 13.85 ± 5.29 s, then the CAPTCHA-style challenge with 14.36 ± 7.5 s, whereas the alphanumeric password took almost twice as long, averaging 32.71 ± 16.44 s. The checkers-style challenge performed consistently across all conditions with no significant differences (p = 0.185), making it robust to different implementation choices. Full article

Background: Body composition assessment is important in professional football as a measure of overall adaptation of the athlete to the training demand and calorie intake. However, it is operator-dependent, relying on subject positioning and the focus angle of the X-rays. In addition, the usual appendicular lean mass index (ALMI) does not include the pelvitrochanteric muscles, which are often implicated in athlete injuries. Methods: Three independent operators compared the reproducibility of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) including pelvi-trochanteric muscle mass in twenty professional football players, using the standard and a new method. Results: Mean age, weight, and height of the footballers were 25.9 ± 4.9 years, 79.4 ± 9.4 kg, and 1.83 ± 0.09 m. Using the standard method, the ALMI was 9.28 ± 0.62, 9.20 ± 0.65, and 9.13 ± 0.64 kg/m² for the first, second and third operator, respectively. When including the pelvi-trochanteric muscles, the ALMI values were 11.90 ± 0.66, 11.84 ± 0.63, and 11.83 ± 0.65 kg/m² for the three operators. The difference between the two methods was significant (p < 0.001). The mean inter-operator difference was similar regardless of the method used (0.099 ± 0.06 kg/m²). The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) (A,1) were 0.949 [0.881; 0.979] for the standard method and 0.977 [0.951; 0.990] for the new method. The ICC (C,1) was 0.960 [0.918; 0.983] for the standard method and 0.979 [0.957; 0.991] for the new method. Conclusions: Thus, both new and conventional methods showed excellent reproducibility. However, reproducibility and inter-operator variability were better with the adjustment of the new scan lines. Moreover, the inclusion of a larger gluteal and adductors muscle mass was easy to achieve, providing additional information that could potentially be useful for early diagnosis and/or prevention of future muscular injuries in elite athletes. Full article