Search in Publications
Found 6273 publications
Effects of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms on the Estimated Breeding Values for Feet in Holstein-Friesian Cows in Hungary
Publication Name: Animals
Publication Date: 2026-05-01
Volume: 16
Issue: 9
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The aim of this study was to identify SNPs in the cattle genome associated with estimated breeding values of feet (EBVfeet ) in Holstein-Friesian (HF) cows in Hungary. Foot health is of major importance in dairy cattle industry whereas claw disorders are leading to lameness and thus result in low fertility rates and productivity. Genotyping was performed using the EuroG_MDv4 microarray platform. The final database comprised 2963 animals and 59,151 SNPs. EBVfeet values have been divided into high and low groups. All calculations regarding the genetic differentiation (genome-wide and locus-specific) between high- and low-value groups for EBVfeet , linear regression, and haplotype association tests have been performed with the SNP and Variation Suite software. Thirty-nine SNPs associated with EBVfeet were determined on BTAs 3, 7, 8, 15, 21, and X. The maximum values of the identified SNPs were 0.22 for Fst_marker , 23.1 for the −log10(p) of the linear regression, and 26.3 for the −log10(p) of the haplotype association tests on BTA 3. The closest genes to SNPs associated with estimated breeding values for feet (EBVfeet ) are mainly associated with tissue structure, immune response, metabolism, growth, development, transport and signaling. Our results could add additional information to the genetic programs focusing on the improvement of foot health in HF cattle.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/ani16091299
Aerobic Capacity, Body Composition, and Ventilatory Thresholds in Youth Endurance Athletes: Physiological Characteristics of Hungarian Junior Triathletes
Publication Name: Applied Sciences Switzerland
Publication Date: 2026-05-01
Volume: 16
Issue: 9
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Limited data are available regarding the physiological profile of youth triathletes. The aim of this study was to characterize the physiological and body composition profile of Hungarian youth triathletes and to examine the relationships between anthropometric characteristics and aerobic performance indicators. Forty-one youth triathletes (20 females and 21 males; age: 15.8 ± 1.7 years), members of the Hungarian national development squad, participated in the study. Anthropometric and body composition parameters were assessed using standardized procedures and multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. Aerobic performance was evaluated using a graded cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill with breath-by-breath gas analysis. Male athletes demonstrated higher body height, body mass, fat-free mass, and skeletal muscle mass compared with females (p < 0.05). Cardiopulmonary exercise testing revealed high aerobic capacity, with mean VO2 max values of 73.2 ± 5.4 mL·kg−1·min−1 in males and 63.1 ± 5.0 mL·kg−1·min−1 in females. The second ventilatory threshold occurred at approximately 82–86% of VO2 max. Strong positive correlations were observed between anthropometric parameters and absolute oxygen uptake (mL·min−1), particularly for fat-free mass, skeletal muscle mass, and body surface area (r = 0.83–0.95). However, these relationships are influenced by body size and were weaker or inverse when relative oxygen uptake (mL·kg−1·min−1) was considered. Regression analyses further indicated that body composition variables, especially fat-free mass and skeletal muscle mass, were positively associated with aerobic performance, while body fat percentage was not a significant predictor when body size and sex were controlled. These findings are based on cross-sectional associations and should be interpreted as descriptive reference data for this population rather than predictive criteria. The results contribute to the characterization of physiological and anthropometric profiles in youth triathletes and may support future research and athlete monitoring.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/app16094449
Biorefining green triticale grass as a flavonoid-rich source of protein for sustainable food systems
Publication Name: Food Bioscience
Publication Date: 2026-05-01
Volume: 79
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Green biomass serves as an eco-friendly, plant-derived substitute for conventional protein sources. Leaf protein concentrate (LPC) not only acts as a viable alternative to animal-derived proteins but also contains essential vitamins and bioactive compounds providing nutraceutical advantages. The extraction technique plays a critical role in maximizing LPC yield. In this study, green juice derived from the wet pressing of green triticale biomass was divided into two aliquots, each subjected to distinct processing techniques for LPC isolation. One portion underwent direct thermal coagulation via microwave irradiation, followed by vacuum filtration, yielding green LPC (MW-GLPC) and its brown juice (GJ-BJ). The other was first centrifuged to remove large photosynthetic complexes, producing yellow juice that was subsequently thermally coagulated and vacuum filtered to obtain yellow LPC (YLPC) and its brown juice (YJ-BJ).The crude protein content in the MW-GLPC fraction (38.44 g 100 g−1 DW) was higher than the raw green juice (16.38 g 100 g−1 DW). YLPC fraction, obtained by incorporating a centrifugation step into the process, resulted in a significantly increase in crude protein (67.22 g 100 g−1 DW). For fractions of brown juice (BJ), the crude protein content differed depending on the processing technique, with GJ-BJ exhibiting 0.73 g 100 g−1 FW and YJ-BJ displaying 1.06 g 100 g−1 FW. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) indicated that BJ primarily contained oligopeptides ranging from 200 to 3000 Da.Phytochemical assessments demonstrated that YLPC exhibits the highest concentration of some beneficial bioactive compounds, such as luteolin (27.2 μg g−1), and isovitexin (111.6 μg g−1). These findings are consistent with results obtained from the Drosophila melanogaster model under high-sugar conditions designed to simulate high-sugar-induced stress. Flies supplemented with a concentration of 20% YLPC demonstrated a 10.52% increase in viability relative to the control group, thereby indicating the beneficial potential of YLPC in high-sugar containing environments.
Open Access: Yes
Climate risk spillovers and financial tail-events: Evidence from quantile analysis
Publication Name: Research in International Business and Finance
Publication Date: 2026-05-01
Volume: 85
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This study investigates the dynamic and asymmetric connectedness between four crude oil benchmarks (Brent, WTI, INE, Murban) and three climate risk indexes (Physical Risk Index, Transition Risk Index, and U.S. Climate Policy Uncertainty Index). Addressing a critical gap in the literature, which often relies on linear models and average connectedness, we employ the quantile-on-quantile connectedness method to capture non-linear, asymmetric, and state-dependent spillovers, particularly under extreme market conditions. Our analysis reveals that climate risk indexes are predominantly net receivers of shocks from oil markets, with connectedness intensifying sharply during periods of market stress, political conflict, or sudden climate events. The findings highlight that systemic risk is significantly elevated at extreme quantiles, demonstrating that linear models may substantially underestimate true systemic risk during critical junctures. Methodologically, this research demonstrates the efficacy of quantile-on-quantile connectedness in revealing tail-risk effects. Empirically, it provides the most comprehensive comparison to date of connectedness across diverse crude oil benchmarks and climate risk indexes. The results offer crucial insights for investors seeking resilient portfolios, and for policymakers and regulators in designing macro-prudential oversight frameworks that recognize the non-linear and state-dependent nature of climate-financial contagion, emphasizing the need for flexible policies and continuous monitoring.
Open Access: Yes
Blue sky through intellectual property protection: quasi-experimental evidence from China’s Intellectual Property City Program
Publication Name: Environment Development and Sustainability
Publication Date: 2026-05-01
Volume: 28
Issue: 5
Page Range: 12459-12504
Description:
A well-developed intellectual property system is an important backbone for green innovation and technology, which are widely regarded as crucial tools to combat haze pollution and achieve blue sky. Despite China’s aggressive launch of the Intellectual Property City Program (IPCP) since 2012 to improve its intellectual property system, there is little evidence on whether and how IPCP affects haze pollution. Compiling a panel dataset of Chinese cities, we employ a difference-in-differences estimator to identify the causal impact of IPCP on haze pollution. We find that IPCP can effectively reduce haze pollution in IPCP cities compared to non-IPCP cities after the IPCP launch. Our instrumented results using ancient academies further support the haze-abatement effect of IPCP. Mechanism tests reveal that this reduction is driven by green innovation effect and resource allocation effect. The effect is pronounced in eastern cities and cities with high degrees of green innovation, marketization and environmental regulation intensity. Our findings provide support for the critical role of powerful IP protection in haze pollution control.
Open Access: Yes
Shear resistance of continuous steel beams with thin webs
Publication Name: Thin Walled Structures
Publication Date: 2026-05-01
Volume: 224
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The shear buckling and post-buckling behaviour of welded plated I girders with slender webs plays a critical role in the safety and economy of steel bridge and building structures. However, experimental data and validated numerical models for multi-span girders with slender webs remain limited, and the accuracy of current design provisions is not yet fully established. This paper presents the results of an experimental and numerical investigation on ten two-span welded plated I girders with transversely stiffened webs. By placing transverse stiffeners on both sides, the web panels were divided into four or eight rectangular segments with an aspect ratio of a/h=2.5. The web slenderness ratios h/t ranged from 175 to 350, while the flange slenderness ratios b/t varied between 8 and 40. The specimens exhibited shear failure governed by tension-field action near the internal support or flange buckling in the middle of the span. To further examine the shear buckling behaviour, geometrically and materially nonlinear analyses with imperfections were performed using advanced full-shell finite element models. The validated numerical models were then employed in a comprehensive parametric study covering a wide range of geometric configurations. The numerical results were used to assess the accuracy of the shear strength formula specified in EN 1993-1-5:2024 and AISC 360-22. Based on the results of the numerical simulations new formulas are proposed for the contribution of the web and flanges to determine the shear strength of plated I girders.
Open Access: Yes
Addressing the Impact of Resolution Scaling on YOLO Performance for Brain Tumor Detection Through Optimized Network Depth/Width Adjustments
Publication Name: Applied Sciences Switzerland
Publication Date: 2026-05-01
Volume: 16
Issue: 9
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Deep learning-based object detectors, particularly You Only Look Once (YOLO) architectures, have demonstrated strong performance in automated brain tumor detection. However, the impact of resolution scaling on tumor localization accuracy remains underexplored, especially under conditions where image resolution is reduced. This study aims to investigate how lowering the input resolution from 640 × 640 to 480 × 480 affects detection performance and whether optimized depth/width scaling and hyperparameter tuning can compensate for the expected loss of spatial detail. In this work, we propose an optimized YOLO-based framework for brain tumor detection and localization in MRI scans, building upon the method “Addressing the Impact of Resolution Scaling on YOLO Performance for Brain Tumor Detection through Optimized Network Depth/Width Adjustments.” Our model, an enhanced variant of the BGF-YOLO architecture, is specifically tailored for the challenges of medical imaging. The proposed network features both architectural and training-level optimizations. We used a publicly available dataset from Kaggle that consists of 500 training images, 201 validation images, and 100 test images. Experimental analysis demonstrates that while reducing input resolution alone degrades performance, integrating targeted modifications specifically increases network depth and width. In addition, advanced training strategies such as MixUp augmentation, dropout regularization, AdamW optimization, cosine learning rate scheduling, and finely tuned learning rate ranges lead to substantial performance gains. The optimized model achieves a precision of up to 0.858, a recall of 0.943, mAP50 of 0.946, and mAP50–95 of 0.672. These results not only outperform the reduced-resolution baseline but also approach, and in some cases surpass, the original high-resolution BGF-YOLO setup.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/app16094320
Exploring Teaching Methods for Construction Contract Law Using Analytic Hierarchy Process
Publication Name: Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction
Publication Date: 2026-05-01
Volume: 18
Issue: 2
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Construction law holds significant importance due to its inherent rationale and pervasive presence at every stage of the project in the construction sector. The average value of construction disputes worldwide was USD 42.8 million in 2021. Complying with construction law and regulations plays a pivotal role in the seamless functioning of the sector. That is why construction law skills are vital for engineers. They ensure regulatory compliance, facilitate effective contract management, foster improved communication among stakeholders, and enhance risk mitigation. The substantial and unique nature of this subject makes it challenging to condense into a traditional course format. Despite being structured as a course, effectively conveying the practical aspects of construction contract law to engineers requires a distinct pedagogical approach. The present pilot study aims to rank student preferences for different teaching methods in construction contract law education in India using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). This study contributes to the knowledge base by identifying preferred pedagogical approaches from the students' perspective. Out of nine teaching methods, the lecture method is the highest ranked by Indian students. This research seeks to enhance subject understanding and effectiveness of construction law courses in the country. This can benefit the construction sector by producing engineers who are better equipped to navigate legal complexities.
Open Access: Yes
Exploring the nexus of blockchain and food supply chain traceability: A bibliometric analysis
Publication Name: Food and Humanity
Publication Date: 2026-05-01
Volume: 6
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This research examines the development of academic studies on the use of blockchain for food supply chain traceability through an extensive bibliometric investigation of publications from 2018 to 2025. The review highlights the most active scholars, institutions, journals, and countries contributing to this area, offering a clear picture of the leading actors in the field. By applying keyword co-occurrence analysis and network mapping, the study uncovers patterns in citations, collaboration structures, and thematic clusters. Results indicate a strong upward trajectory in publications, with an annual growth rate of more than 60%, signaling accelerating attention to blockchain-enabled traceability solutions. Collaboration patterns point to a concentration of activity in technologically advanced regions, where cross-border partnerships are stronger, while emerging economies show more limited international engagement. The analysis also reveals that partnerships often form around shared areas of interest and reflects a clustering effect. A small set of authors and institutions dominates knowledge production, which is consistent with the Matthew effect. Overall, these dynamics suggest that while the field is rapidly expanding, it remains unevenly distributed. The study offers both an overview of the intellectual landscape and practical guidance for future research aimed at broadening participation, enhancing collaboration, and more closely linking blockchain with sustainability and food system innovation.
Open Access: Yes
