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Found 5152 publications

Structural Brain Abnormalities, Diagnostic Approaches, and Treatment Strategies in Vertigo: A Case-Control Study

Publication Name: Neurology International

Publication Date: 2025-09-01

Volume: 17

Issue: 9

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Background/Objectives: Dizziness is a frequent medical complaint with neurological, otolaryngological, and psychological origins. Imaging studies such as CT (Computer Tomography), cervical X-rays, and ultrasound aid diagnosis, while MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is crucial for detecting brain abnormalities. Our purpose is to identify structural brain changes associated with vertigo, assess pre-MRI diagnostic approaches, and evaluate treatment strategies. Methods: A case-control study of 232 vertigo patients and 232 controls analyzed MRI findings, pre-MRI examinations, symptoms, and treatments. Statistical comparisons were performed using chi-square and t-tests (p < 0.05). Results: White matter lesions, lacunar infarcts, Circle of Willis variations, and sinusitis were significantly more frequent in vertigo patients (p < 0.05). Pre-MRI diagnostics frequently identified atherosclerosis (ultrasound) and spondylosis (X-ray). Common symptoms included headache, imbalance, and visual disturbances. The most frequent post-MRI diagnosis was Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). Treatments included lifestyle modifications, physical therapy (e.g., Epley maneuver), and pharmacological therapies such as betahistine. Conclusions: MRI revealed structural brain changes linked to vertigo. Pre-MRI assessments are essential for ruling out vascular and musculoskeletal causes. A multidisciplinary treatment approach is recommended. Trial Registration: This study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with the trial registration number NCT06848712 on 22 February 2025.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/neurolint17090146

Regenerative soil treatments with alginite, mulch, and cover crops under minimum tillage: Impacts on soil organic matter content and quality in a 3-year study

Publication Name: Agronomy Journal

Publication Date: 2025-09-01

Volume: 117

Issue: 5

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The degradation of arable land globally, largely due to declining soil organic matter (SOM), is a pressing issue. SOM is essential for various soil functions and significantly influences soil quality and health. Our study aimed to compare soil regenerative management methods for soil quality and basic essential functions and their effectiveness. We focused on selecting methods suitable for effectively monitoring changes during soil management. Over 3 years, we employed core methods, including minimum-till practices and natural mineral applications, to enhance soil physical characteristics, using cover crops and mulch to enrich SOM content. We assessed chemical soil properties such as total organic carbon (TOC), labile-C (permanganate oxidizable carbon [POXC], dissolved organic carbon [DOC], NaOH-soluble fulvic acids), glomalin content, and plant productivity. Our findings revealed that minimum-till had a significant time-dependent effect, increasing surface soil TOC by 17.58%, NaOH-soluble humic acids by 40.85%, and POXC by 77.75% over 3 years. Mulch and cover crop treatments enhanced specific carbon parameters and crop production. Different methods of assessing carbon levels proved useful for tracking time-dependent changes in soil quality. Labile-C forms such as DOC and POXC were most effective for shorter experiments, while TOC, glomalin, and NaF-soluble humic acids were better indicators for more extended experiments. These findings provide valuable insights for sustainable soil management practices.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1002/agj2.70140

Mind the Net: Parental Awareness and State Responsibilities in the Age of Grooming

Publication Name: Social Sciences

Publication Date: 2025-09-01

Volume: 14

Issue: 9

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

In the digital environment, grooming—classified as a communication-based risk—has shown a steadily increasing frequency in recent years. In Hungary, increasing attention has been directed to the protection of children’s rights in the digital space in alignment with ensuring their online safety, with both parents and the state playing crucial roles in ensuring a safe digital presence. Within this context, the state bears a particular responsibility to educate not only children but also parents. This study explores how public policies and institutional programs in Hungary address the prevention of grooming and the reactive management of this harm through parental awareness. It examines existing measures aimed at expanding knowledge related to prevention and response, based on a qualitative analysis of the normative foundations of the state’s educational obligations and the relevant academic literature. The study relies on questionnaire data collected from parents of children aged 7 to 18 to examine the effectiveness of state measures and parents’ perceptions of them. The findings of the empirical research may support the development of state-led parental education programs and identify current gaps. As such, it can play a guiding role in shaping the direction of a future, large-scale investigation.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/socsci14090506

All Roads Lead to Excellence: A Comparative Scientometric Assessment of French and Dutch European Research Council Grant Winners’ Academic Performance in the Domain of Social Sciences and Humanities

Publication Name: Publications

Publication Date: 2025-09-01

Volume: 13

Issue: 3

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

This study investigates how differing national research governance models impact academic performance by comparing European Research Council (ERC) grant winners in the social sciences and humanities from France and the Netherlands. Situated within the broader context of centralized versus decentralized research systems, the analysis aims to understand how these structures shape publication trends, thematic diversity, and collaboration patterns. Drawing on Scopus and SciVal data covering 9996 publications by 305 ERC winners between 2019 and 2023, we employed a multi-method approach, including latent Dirichlet allocation for topic modeling, compound annual growth rate analysis, and co-authorship network analysis. The results show that neuroscience, climate change, and psychology are dominant domains, with language and linguistics particularly prevalent in France and law and political science in the Netherlands. French ERC winners are more likely to be affiliated with national or sectoral institutions, whereas in the Netherlands, elite universities dominate. Collaboration emerged as a key success factor, with an average of four co-authors per publication and network analyses revealing central figures who bridge topical clusters. International collaborations were consistently linked with higher visibility, while single-authored publications showed limited impact. These findings suggest that institutional context and collaborative practices significantly shape research performance in both countries.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/publications13030034

Psychological Capital, Workplace Stress, and Mobbing in the Context of Workers’ Mental Health

Publication Name: Societies

Publication Date: 2025-09-01

Volume: 15

Issue: 9

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

This study examines how employees’ psychological capital relates to workplace stress and mobbing (also known as workplace bullying) across three European countries. Stress has become an increasingly dominant issue globally since the second half of the 20th century, moving from clinical contexts into public awareness. It is now recognized as a significant health risk factor, particularly in work environments. While positive forms of stress (eustress) can enhance performance, chronic workplace stress is linked to serious mental and physical health problems. This study investigates the relationship between psychological capital (PsyCap), workplace stress, and mobbing among employees in Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Based on a cross-sectional survey (N = 89), the research applied validated instruments (PCQ, PSS-10, COPSOQ II) to measure PsyCap, perceived workplace stress, and experiences of mobbing. Results show a high average PsyCap level (M = 4.64, SD = 0.70) and a moderate perceived workplace stress level (M = 2.73, SD = 0.62) across the sample. A strong negative correlation was identified between PsyCap and workplace stress (r = −0.573, p < 0.001), while a moderate positive correlation was found between workplace stress and mobbing experiences (r = 0.323, p = 0.002). Although PsyCap moderated stress levels, it did not significantly moderate the relationship between mobbing and perceived stress. These findings emphasize the role of PsyCap in reducing workplace stress and underline the necessity of organizational interventions in promoting psychological resilience and mobbing prevention. The results also indicate a need to further examine the causal relationship between mobbing, stress, and PsyCap.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/soc15090244

Evaluation of Optimal Visible Wavelengths for Free-Space Optical Communications

Publication Name: Telecom

Publication Date: 2025-09-01

Volume: 6

Issue: 3

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Free-space optical (FSO) communications have emerged as a promising complement to conventional radio-frequency (RF) systems due to their high bandwidth, low interference, and license-free spectrum. Visible-light FSO communication, using laser diodes or LEDs, offers potential for short-range data links, but performance is highly wavelength-dependent under varying atmospheric conditions. This study presents an experimental evaluation of three visible laser diodes at 650 nm (red), 532 nm (green), and 405 nm (violet), focusing on their optical output power, quantum efficiency, and modulation behavior across a range of driving currents and frequencies. A custom laboratory testbed was developed using an Atmega328p microcontroller and a Visual Basic control interface, allowing precise control of current and modulation frequency. A silicon photovoltaic cell was employed as the optical receiver and energy harvester. The results demonstrate that the 650 nm red laser consistently delivers the highest quantum efficiency and optical output, with stable performance across electrical and modulation parameters. These findings support the selection of 650 nm as the most energy-efficient and versatile wavelength for short-range, cost-effective visible-light FSO communication. This work provides experimentally grounded insights to guide wavelength selection in the development of energy-efficient optical wireless systems.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/telecom6030057

What makes CrossFit exercise unique? Addiction, passion, or motivation?

Publication Name: Sport Sciences for Health

Publication Date: 2025-09-01

Volume: 21

Issue: 3

Page Range: 2167-2183

Description:

Background: CrossFit is one of the fastest-growing exercise regimens worldwide. Around 4 million people practice CrossFit in over 100 countries. This high-intensity training is performed with passion, often involving pain for gain, which sets CrossFit apart from most traditional exercises. Aims: Based on this premise, we aimed to test the hypothesis that the risk of exercise addiction (REA), obsessive passion (OP), harmonious passion (HP), and internal motivational regulations are greater in CrossFit than in other exercises. Methods: This study employed a between-participants research design, adopting a survey-based, cross-sectional approach. The study involved 507 participants (62.7% male), comprising 238 practicing CrossFit enthusiasts and 269 mixed exercisers classified as controls. Results: CrossFit practitioners scored significantly higher than controls on REA (Cohen’s d = 0.18) and both OP (d = 0.30) and HP (d = 0.32), but not motivational regulations. The effect sizes were small. However, after controlling for OP and HP, the group differences in REA vanished. The prevalence of “high” REA was 25.2% in the CrossFit group compared to 13.4% in the controls (p < 0.001). However, after controlling for OP and HP in a binary logistic regression, the group differences disappeared again. At the same time, OP (odds ratio [OR] = 0.795) and HP (OR = 0.653) remained statistically significant predictors in the model. Two group-by-gender interactions suggested that women in CrossFit had greater intrinsic-effective regulation and introjected regulation than controls. In comparison, men in CrossFit exhibited lesser introjected regulation compared to controls. Conclusion: The findings suggest that passion is what distinguishes CrossFit from other exercises, but gender-related differences may also exist at motivational levels.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1007/s11332-025-01403-z

Unveiling the mechanisms and implications: how artificial intelligence drives green growth in China’s Huaihe River Ecological Economic Belt under the carbon neutrality agenda

Publication Name: Carbon Footprints

Publication Date: 2025-09-01

Volume: 4

Issue: 3

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Amidst the backdrop of global climate warming and China’s proactive chase of its carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, the Huaihe River Basin (HRB), a region of significant strategic importance in the heartland and eastern expanse of the nation is confronted with formidable challenges, including high energy consumption and severe environmental pollution. Despite its substantial contributions to economic development, the traditional development model of the HRB conflicts with the principles of green development, necessitating the urgent exploration of innovative pathways to sustainable progress. Through a comprehensive review of scholarly literature and rigorous theoretical analysis, this study demonstrates that artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly drive green development by enhancing eco-innovation and optimizing industrial structures. Using a panel dataset from 27 cities in the Huaihe River Ecological Economic Belt (HEB) from 2010 to 2022, this study employs a bidirectional fixed-effects model to analyze the repercussions of AI on green development. The baseline regression results show that for every one-unit increase in AI development level (AIDL), HEB’s urban green development level significantly increases by 0.087. This positive influence is further confirmed through robustness tests. We found that AI can indirectly influence the mechanism and pathway of green development through intermediate variables. AI drives green development indirectly through two pathways: green technology innovation and the rationalization of the industrial structure, with a total explanatory power of 56.7% (R2 = 0.812). Based on these findings, we propose vigorously promoting the green effects of AI, refining industrial structures, and leveraging mediating effects to foster sustainable regional development. These insights offer novel perspectives for the green development of the HRB but also provide valuable references for the green transformation of other areas with similar challenges.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.20517/cf.2025.9

Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis for Examining the Relationship between Food Waste Generation and Socio-economic Factors

Publication Name: Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy Water and Environment Systems

Publication Date: 2025-09-01

Volume: 13

Issue: 3

Page Range: 1-16

Description:

Food waste contributes to social inequalities and sustainability issues by worsening resource overuse and environmental harm. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17 highlights the importance of reducing food waste to address hunger and promote a sustainable, economically viable global food system. This paper examines the geographic differences in food waste levels among European Union member nations and analyses the associations between food waste and diverse environmental, geographic, social and economic indicators, including Sustainable Development Goals and other sustainability metrics. Using dimensionality reduction methods, nontrivial multivariate connections between food waste and these parameters were identified, allowing for the characterisation of countries based on a few significant factors. Principal Component Analysis (PCA), applied to food waste data across European Union countries, uncovered three distinct groups: (1) those with elevated food waste in primary production, manufacturing and distribution stages; (2) those with lower waste in these domains yet elevated waste in restaurants and households; and (3) those with all of their food waste components smaller than or equal to the average. The multivariate linear correlation between the PCA factors and socio-economic parameters is nonsignificant, but a few (nonlinear) regularities could be identified: five of the six countries of the first group above are characterised by the population settled mainly on flatland and an above-average supply of meat or fish. Another pattern observed is that former Eastern Bloc countries belong to the third group. The research findings offer valuable insights that can inform the efforts of environmental experts, professionals and policymakers working in the circular economy and waste management domains. This knowledge can facilitate the development of more effective strategies aimed at mitigating food waste and promoting sustainability.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.13044/j.sdewes.d13.0579