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Found 6342 publications
Brain localization and morphological changes in NREM parasomnias. A systematic review study
Publication Name: Sleep and Breathing
Publication Date: 2025-12-01
Volume: 29
Issue: 6
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Background: Individuals with NREM parasomnias exhibit abnormal slow-wave activity and fragmented sleep. Sleep-state dissociation is the prevailing concept of NREM parasomnia-episodes; typically emerging from N3/N2 stages of NREM sleep’s first cycle at the turning-point of deep sleep and arousal. While these relations provide a frame to understand these conditions, their mechanism and brain-topography remain unclear. Methods: We performed a systematic search of the literature (1/01/2015-20/06/2024) on brain-topographies and morphological changes based on neurophysiological and imaging studies in patients with NREM parasomnias. Results: It was shown that immediately preceding clinical episodes, the EEG spectral power of delta and theta frequency-bands increased in parallel with its reduction in the cingulate, motor, and premotor/supplementary motor cortices. Far from clinical episodes, in NREM and REM sleep as well as in wakefulness, a cortico-cortical sleep-state dissociation occurred, too. In addition, the partial arousals of episodes evolved from ‘deeper’ sleep with lower-amplitude slow waves, compared to episode-free arousals of the same people with NREM parasomnias. A single MR-morphology study revealed decreased grey-matter volume in the left dorsal posterior cingulate and mid-cingulate cortices in patients with mixed NREM parasomnias. Conclusion: Based on recent research, the state-dissociation evidenced in clinical episodes might characterize each vigilance state of people with NREM parasomnias, even outside the episodes, making sleep-wake dissociation a trait-like core feature of NREM parasomnias. The anterior cingulo-frontal regions seem to have central roles. PROSPERO registration ID: CRD42024552562.
Open Access: Yes
Flower fertilization optimization algorithm with application to adaptive controllers
Publication Name: Scientific Reports
Publication Date: 2025-12-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This article presents the Flower Fertilization Optimization Algorithm (FFO), a novel bio-inspired optimization technique inspired by the natural fertilization process of flowering plants. The FFO emulates the behavior of pollen grains navigating through the search space to fertilize ovules, effectively balancing exploration and exploitation mechanisms. The developed FFO is theoretically introduced through the article and rigorously evaluated on a diverse set of 32 benchmark optimization problems, encompassing unimodal, multimodal, and fixed-dimension functions. The algorithm consistently outperformed 14 state-of-the-art metaheuristic algorithms, demonstrating superior accuracy, convergence speed, and robustness across all test cases. Also, exploitation, exploration, and parameter sensitivity analyses were performed to have a comprehensive understanding of the new algorithm. Additionally, FFO was applied to optimize the parameters of a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller for magnetic train positioning—a complex and nonlinear control challenge. The FFO efficiently fine-tuned the PID gains, enhancing system stability, precise positioning, and improved response times. The successful implementation underscores the algorithm’s versatility and effectiveness in handling real-world engineering problems. The positive outcomes from extensive benchmarking and practical application show the FFO’s potential as a powerful optimization tool. In applying multi-objective PID controller parameter optimization, FFO demonstrated superior performance with a sum of mean errors of 190.563, outperforming particle swarm optimization (250.075) and dynamic differential annealed optimization (219.629). These results indicate FFO’s ability to achieve precise and reliable PID tuning for control systems. Furthermore, FFO achieved competitive results on large-scale optimization problems, demonstrating its scalability and robustness.
Open Access: Yes
First report of Haemaphysalis bispinosa, molecular-geographic relationships of Ixodes granulatus and a new Dermacentor species from Vietnam
Publication Name: Parasites and Vectors
Publication Date: 2025-12-01
Volume: 18
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Background: Vietnam and its region are regarded as an ixodid tick biodiversity hotspot for at least two genera: Haemaphysalis and Dermacentor. To contribute to our knowledge on the tick fauna of this country, ticks from these two genera as well as an Ixodes species were analyzed morphologically and their molecular-phylogenetic relationships were examined in taxonomic and geographical contexts. Methods: For this study, seven Haemaphysalis sp. ticks were removed from dogs and collected from the vegetation. These showed morphological differences from congeneric species known to occur in Vietnam. In addition, three Ixodes sp. ticks were collected from pygmy slow lorises (Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus), and a Dermacentor female had been previously collected from the vegetation. After DNA extraction, these were molecularly or phylogenetically analyzed based on the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) and 16S rRNA genes. Results: The three species were morphologically identified as (i) Ixodes granulatus, which had nearly or exactly 100% sequence identities to conspecific ticks reported from large (approximately 2000 km) geographical distances but was more different (having lower, only 94.2% cox1 and 96.7% 16S rRNA sequence identity) from samples collected within 1000 km of Vietnam in Southern China and Malaysia, respectively; (ii) Haemaphysalis bispinosa, which showed 100% sequence identity to samples reported within both narrow and broad geographical ranges; and (iii) a new species, Dermacentor pseudotamokensis Hornok sp. nov., described here morphologically and shown to be phylogenetically a sister species to Dermacentor tamokensis. Conclusions: Haemaphysalis bispinosa shows genetic homogeneity in the whole of South and Southeast Asia, probably owing to its frequent association with domestic ruminants and dogs (i.e. frequently transported hosts). However, I. granulatus, the Asian rodent tick, has a mixed geographical pattern of haplotypes, probably because it may associate with either synanthropic or wild-living rodents as primary hosts. This tick species is recorded here, for the first time to our knowledge, as parasitizing lorises in Vietnam and its region. Based on phylogenetic analyses, D. pseudotamokensis Hornok sp. nov., recognized and described here for the first time, was almost certainly misidentified previously as Dermacentor steini, drawing attention to the need to barcode all Dermacentor spp. in Southern Asia.
Open Access: Yes
The research landscape of industry 5.0: a scientific mapping based on bibliometric and topic modeling techniques
Publication Name: Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal
Publication Date: 2025-12-01
Volume: 37
Issue: 4
Page Range: 1203-1250
Description:
Industry 5.0 (I5.0) marks a transformative shift toward integrating advanced technologies with human-centric design to foster innovation, resilient manufacturing, and sustainability. This study aims to examine the evolution and collaborative dynamics of I5.0 research through a bibliometric analysis of 942 journal articles from the Scopus database. Our findings reveal a significant increase in I5.0 research, particularly post-2020, yet highlight fragmented collaboration networks and a noticeable gap between institutions in developed and developing countries. Key thematic areas identified include human-robot collaboration, data management and security, AI-driven innovation, and sustainable practices. These insights suggest that a more integrated approach is essential for advancing I5.0, calling for strengthened global collaborations and a balanced emphasis on both technological and human-centric elements to fully realize its potential in driving resilient and sustainable industrial practices. This study provides the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of I5.0, offering valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners.
Open Access: Yes
Chasing a Phantom Dysfunction: A Position Paper on Current Methods in Exercise Addiction Research
Publication Name: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
Publication Date: 2025-12-01
Volume: 23
Issue: 6
Page Range: 4600-4611
Description:
Exercise addiction has been investigated for almost half a decade in well over 1000 published papers. Studies adopt different terminologies like exercise addiction, overexercise, exercise dependence, compulsive exercise, obligatory exercise, and the like to refer to the same concept while creating conceptual confusion and rendering cross-study comparability challenging. The paradox is that fewer than ten research articles cover cases of clinical significance, yielding an extremely high ratio of publications to problematic cases. While there is evidence that significantly more clinically attention-meriting cases might exist, they surface in clinical practice rather than research settings. It is also peculiar that scholars search for a common path or shared etiology for exercise addiction, while each case, like those in substance use disorder, is unique, as also predicted by clinical models. Furthermore, the survey method uses scales yielding risk scores without diagnostic value. Most research in this direction, therefore, seems to be futile. Thus, it is not surprising that more than 10 years ago, the panel editing the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) found insufficient evidence for exercise addiction being a mental dysfunction. As a result, exercise addiction has no clinical diagnostic criteria. This position paper aims to identify conceptual and methodological research barriers that hinder progress in this field, ultimately calling for a paradigm shift toward more productive research. In conclusion, the position of this paper is that most currently used research methodologies on exercise addiction are unsatisfactory and, consequently, a paradigm shift is urgently needed.
Open Access: Yes
ESG disclosure topics and reporting frameworks: exploratory research across automotive, construction, and energy industries
Publication Name: Discover Sustainability
Publication Date: 2025-12-01
Volume: 6
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting and proper measurement of greenhouse gas emissions are becoming increasingly important for industries with substantial environmental impact. This research aims to assess the current state of ESG reporting practices and highlight areas for improvement across the automotive, construction and energy industries operating in the Central Eastern European (CEE) region. To achieve this aim, a multi-industry sustainability disclosure database was created and analyzed through a Python-based text-mining methodology, using term frequency-inverse document frequency and keyword-in-context analysis. The process involved extracting and preprocessing text from 60 sustainability reports for the year 2021, followed by constructing a custom dictionary of key ESG terms aligned with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards. The findings reveal considerable variance in the focus of qualitative disclosures across industries, particularly regarding climate change and biodiversity. The investigation underscores the need for enhanced transparency, consistent metrics, and rigorous validation in ESG reporting. The study also provides new insights into the technical possibilities of automated text analysis for sustainability reporting in the CEE region, and highlights key areas where improvement appears necessary.
Open Access: Yes
Fast Rail in the Era of Modal Shift: Global High-Speed Networks and Their Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts
Publication Name: Future Transportation
Publication Date: 2025-12-01
Volume: 5
Issue: 4
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This paper reviews the role of high-speed rail (HSR) and other fast rail technologies in decarbonising inter-urban transport. It first outlines the global deployment of HSR, with particular emphasis on Europe and China, and situates these networks within the wider geography of fast rail systems. The paper then compares HSR with competing modes such as air transport and passenger cars along key dimensions including door-to-door travel time, energy use and emissions. Building on a qualitative synthesis of the international literature, it discusses the environmental, economic and social impacts of HSR, highlighting conditions under which HSR can deliver substantial modal shift and life-cycle greenhouse gas savings, as well as situations where benefits are more limited or unevenly distributed. Finally, the review briefly considers emerging fast rail concepts such as Maglev and Hyperloop and argues that they should currently be treated as complementary, long-term options rather than immediate substitutes for conventional HSR.
Open Access: Yes
Comparison of sustainability and circularity indicators: downstream vs. upstream supply chain strategies
Publication Name: Discover Sustainability
Publication Date: 2025-12-01
Volume: 6
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
In the quest for sustainable and circular practices within supply chains, both downstream and upstream strategies play pivotal roles. This structured literature review aims to compare the indicators of sustainability and circularity between downstream and upstream supply chain strategies, evaluating their impact through practical cases and empirical studies. The downstream strategies, which focus on waste management, customer engagement, and reverse network planning, are explored alongside upstream strategies such as sourcing environmentally friendly raw materials and integrating design for circularity principles. This paper assesses the efficacy of these strategies through a comprehensive review of scholarly articles, reports, and case studies in achieving sustainability and circularity goals. The literature review reveals that downstream strategies often face challenges related to felxibility and operational efficiency while crucial for managing end-of-life products and optimizing resource utilization. Conversely, upstream strategies, emphasizing eco-friendly sourcing and circular design principles which demonstrate significant potential for long term sustainability and circularity. Practical cases illustrate how upstream interventions can lead to reduced environmental impact, enhanced resource efficiency, and increased product longevity across various industries. Furthermore, the review highlights the interconnectedness of downstream and upstream strategies within the broader supply chain ecosystem. Synergistic approaches that integrate both strategies demonstrate the highest potential for driving transformative change towards sustainable and circular supply chains. Ultimately, this review underscores the importance of integrated approaches that leverage both downstream and upstream strategies to achieve lasting environmental and economic benefits to provides insights for policymakers and researchers seeking to prioritize interventions that maximize sustainability and circularity across the supply chain.
Open Access: Yes
Proximal Policy Optimization-based Task Offloading Framework for Smart Disaster Monitoring using UAV-assisted WSNs
Publication Name: Methodsx
Publication Date: 2025-12-01
Volume: 15
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly employed in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) to enhance communication, coverage, and energy efficiency, particularly in disaster monitoring and remote surveillance scenarios. However, challenges such as limited energy resources, dynamic task allocation, and UAV trajectory optimization remain critical. This paper presents Energy-efficient Task Offloading using Reinforcement Learning for UAV-assisted WSNs (ETORL-UAV), a novel framework that integrates Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) based reinforcement learning to intelligently manage UAV-assisted operations in edge-enabled WSNs. The proposed approach utilizes a multi-objective reward model to adaptively balance energy consumption, task success rate, and network lifetime. Extensive simulation results demonstrate that ETORL-UAV outperforms five state-of-the-art methods Meta-RL, g-MAPPO, Backscatter Optimization, Hierarchical Optimization, and Game Theory based Pricing achieving up to 9.3 % higher task offloading success, 18.75 % improvement in network lifetime, and 27 % reduction in energy consumption. These results validate the framework's scalability, reliability, and practical applicability for real-world disaster-response WSN deployments. • Proposes ETORL-UAV: Energy-efficient Task Offloading using Reinforcement Learning for UAV-assisted WSNs • Leverages PPO-based reinforcement learning and a multi-objective reward model • Demonstrates superior performance over five benchmark approaches in disaster-response simulations
Open Access: Yes
