Tag: pubmed

Sci Rep. 2026 Apr 21. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-49819-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Grain number estimation plays a crucial role in agriculture, serving as a key indicator for crop yield and quality assessment. With advances in computer vision, automatic grain detection has become a significant research area, where deep learning methods have shown remarkable promise. This study proposes a vision transformer model called Swin Transformer, which leverages hierarchical attention mechanisms across shifted windows to effectively capture both local and global features of grains in complex imagery. The model achieves the highest accuracy of 98%, outperforming baseline traditional CNN (ResNet-50) and DINO models in grain counting tasks. To support and validate model performance, explainable AI (XAI) techniques such as Grad-CAM and LIME are employed, highlighting the interpretability and focus of the model on relevant grain regions. Furthermore, a comprehensive empirical analysis is conducted using multiple statistical tests to evaluate the model’s robustness and generalizability across various grain morphological parameters, establishing the Swin Transformer as a powerful and interpretable solution for intelligent grain counting in agricultural data analytics.

PMID:42014763 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-49819-y

Sci Data. 2026 Apr 21;13(1):631. doi: 10.1038/s41597-026-07290-4.

ABSTRACT

The expansion of wind energy is a key strategy for mitigating global climate change. To support this goal, consistent global-scale datasets of existing wind turbines are essential for planning the future deployment of wind energy. Here, we introduce GOWIRES, a comprehensive global dataset of onshore wind turbines. GOWIRES provides detailed information on 416,417 horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT) across 89 countries. The dataset includes geographic coordinates, key technical specifications, and site-specific environmental characteristics for each wind turbine. In addition, GOWIRES provides historical (1989-2018) and future (2030-2059) site-specific wind resource data. Wind resources are characterized by mean wind speed, mean wind power density, Weibull parameters, power law exponents, and air density. Future Weibull parameters are based on simulations from 13 statistically downscaled global climate models under the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios. GOWIRES is a valuable resource for energy and climate research, as well as for applications in wind energy development, grid and infrastructure planning, and policy-making.

PMID:42014750 | DOI:10.1038/s41597-026-07290-4

Nat Commun. 2026 Apr 22. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-71816-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

We report the experimental observations of large-scale pattern formation in soft quasicrystals activated by mechanical loading. The soft material system utilizes localized transformations to give rise to large-scale organized patterns. The complex multiscale mechanisms lead to an initial loss of microscale quasicrystalline order, which ultimately reemerges in the large-scale patterns with rotational symmetry. Our experiments demonstrate that the resulting large-scale patterns can be pre-designed by fine-tuning initial local chirality and porosity at small length scales. Furthermore, different initial configurations result in patterns exhibiting high shape similarity, with characteristic lengths falling within a discrete sequence governed by the silver ratio. This experimentally observed phenomenon opens a new class of transformative materials with switchable self-similarity propagating across length scales.

PMID:42014720 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-026-71816-y

NPJ Prim Care Respir Med. 2026 Apr 21. doi: 10.1038/s41533-026-00499-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

We aimed to assess whether Pelargonium sidoides extract (EPs®7630) reduces symptom duration or antibiotic use compared with usual care in adults with acute bronchitis. We conducted a pragmatic randomised-controlled trial across 36 primary care practices and five walk-in clinics in Switzerland. Adults ( ≥ 18 years) consulting a general practitioner for the first time for a new episode of acute bronchitis, with a cough of up to eight days’ duration, were eligible for inclusion. The co-primary outcomes were (1) number of days required to achieve a 50% reduction in symptoms from the peak value, assessed using the Acute Bronchitis Severity Score (ABSS), and (2) the proportion of participants who used antibiotics. Missing data in intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses were multiply imputed. 332 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned: 155 to EPs®7630 and 177 to usual care. Neither co-primary outcomes showed a statistically significant difference between groups. No significant difference in time to 50% reduction of symptoms between the EPs®7630 and usual care groups was observed (adjusted regression coefficient 0.05 [95% CI – 0.13-0.23]; p = 0.578). Antibiotic use was 7 percentage points lower (31% relative reduction) in the EPs®7630 group (17.4%, 20 of 155) than in the usual care group (25.2%, 33 of 177), although the difference was not statistically significant (adjusted risk ratio 0.78 [95% CI 0.49-1.26]; p = 0.309). Adverse events were reported more frequently in the EPs®7630 group (32.3%, 50 of 155) than in the usual care group (21.5%, 38 of 177; hazard ratio 1.40 [95% CI 1.03-1.89]; p = 0.030); all adverse drug events were mild. EPs®7630 did not reduce symptom duration or antibiotic use significantly and was associated with more frequent events, that were all mild and previously described. Despite the absence of statistical significance, the observed reduction in antibiotic use warrants further investigation in larger trials to clarify its potential role within antimicrobial stewardship strategies.

PMID:42014704 | DOI:10.1038/s41533-026-00499-1

Psychon Bull Rev. 2026 Apr 21;33(5):148. doi: 10.3758/s13423-026-02900-z.

ABSTRACT

Research on children’s size estimation across varying distances began in the 1920s and has continued to the present. The most prominent method is the size-matching task, in which the participants are asked, for example, to select from several nearby comparison objects the one that corresponds in size to a distant standard object. In this overview, data on the development of size constancy from 24 studies, which provided 245 mean values for size constancy, were analyzed descriptively. Moreover, 102 out of the 245 means were also statistically analyzed. Overall, children of all ages underestimate the size of distant objects. Moreover, size estimations become more accurate with increasing age and with decreasing distance. However, these trends are modulated by several methodological variants of the size-matching paradigm-that is, the impact of the mode of presentation of the comparison stimuli (single/successive versus series presentation of the comparison objects), of the angular separation between standard and comparison objects (simultaneous versus nonsimultaneous visibility of standard and comparison), of the relative position of standard and comparison objects (comparison nearer than standard versus standard nearer than comparison), of the kind of experimental size instructions (objective size versus apparent size instructions), and of viewing conditions (monocular versus binocular viewing conditions). The existing theories on the development of size constancy include the proximal versus constancy mode theory, the metacognitive theory, and the perceptual learning theory. These theories are discussed against the background of the results of the meta-analysis.

PMID:42014655 | DOI:10.3758/s13423-026-02900-z

Behav Res Methods. 2026 Apr 21;58(5):133. doi: 10.3758/s13428-026-02996-0.

ABSTRACT

The expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is widely used for parameter estimation in item response theory (IRT) modeling. However, when applied to datasets with large numbers of individuals and items, the standard EM algorithm can be slow to converge, with computationally expensive E-steps. We propose a modified EM algorithm to accelerate estimation for unidimensional two-parameter logistic IRT models. The modified algorithm uses a two-stage structure with partial-step updating over data subsets to reduce convergence time, while maintaining comparable accuracy and precision. The first two simulation studies evaluated its performance relative to standard EM, focusing on convergence time, parameter recovery, and standard error estimation across varying subset sizes and item counts. The third study demonstrated its scalability and runtime advantage in a large-scale testing scenario involving one million respondents and 100 items. The fourth study evaluated robustness under departures from unidimensionality. The proposed algorithm showed time reductions under smaller subsets with 36 items, consistent reductions across all subset sizes with 54 items, and the largest reduction (60%) with 40-item forms constructed from 100 items, while maintaining comparable estimation performance. These results highlight the algorithm’s potential for large-scale applications involving tens of thousands of respondents and moderate-to-large item pools, with modifications that can be integrated into existing EM routines. We conclude with directions for operational use and potential extensions to multidimensional IRT estimation.

PMID:42014633 | DOI:10.3758/s13428-026-02996-0

J Orthop Traumatol. 2026 Apr 21. doi: 10.1186/s10195-026-00921-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Trans-ulnar fracture-dislocations of the elbow are rare injuries with complex fracture patterns and variable outcomes. Traditional classification systems offer limited prognostic value. A recently introduced coronoid-centric Mayo classification distinguishes injury subtypes based on coronoid attachment and identifies trans-ulnar basal coronoid (TUBC) fractures as a particularly challenging entity. This study evaluated outcomes across Mayo fracture types and explored factors associated with inferior results in TUBC injuries.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, surgically treated trans-ulnar elbow fracture-dislocations managed at a level I trauma center between 2010 and 2022 were identified and classified according to the Mayo system. Demographic data, injury characteristics, surgical management, radiographic outcomes, and complications were recorded. Functional outcomes were assessed after a minimum follow-up of 12 months using the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS); Oxford Elbow Score (OES); Quick Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (QuickDASH); European Quality of Life Five-Dimension, Five-Level Version (EQ-5D-5L); and range-of-motion measurements. Radiographs were analyzed for union, instability, heterotopic ossification, and post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA).

RESULTS: A total of 52 patients were included (14 trans-olecranon, 28 TUBC, 10 Monteggia-variant). TUBC injuries were the most common subtype (53.8%). Post-traumatic OA was significantly more frequent in TUBC injuries than in fractures with coronoid attachment to a major fragment (88% versus 61%, P = 0.047). Higher-grade OA and persistent instability were associated with inferior functional outcomes. Although functional scores tended to be lower in TUBC injuries, differences compared with other subtypes were not consistently statistically significant. Within the TUBC group, poorer outcomes were observed when stable screw fixation of the basal coronoid fragment could not be achieved.

CONCLUSIONS: TUBC fracture-dislocations represent a high-risk subgroup of trans-ulnar elbow injuries. Stable fixation of the coronoid base appears critical for achieving favorable outcomes. The Mayo classification provides clinically relevant stratification and prognostic insight for these complex injuries.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

PMID:42014627 | DOI:10.1186/s10195-026-00921-x

Environ Monit Assess. 2026 Apr 22;198(5):487. doi: 10.1007/s10661-026-15330-0.

ABSTRACT

Urban environmental noise has emerged as a critical public health risk globally due to its extensive impact on human life and health. This study conducts a comprehensive assessment of Urban Environmental Noise (UEN) and Urban Traffic Noise (UTN) across 36 major Chinese cities from 2007 to 2023, integrating spatiotemporal analysis, Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), and economic valuation. Results indicate that UTN (median 66 to 70 dB) consistently exceeds UEN (median 52 to 56 dB), with significant spatial differentiation observed across the studied cities. Spatially, high-density hub cities (such as Beijing, Shijiazhuang, and Chongqing) bear a substantially higher health burden from noise pollution. Furthermore, the estimated health burden is dominated by sleep disturbance (YLD_HSD), which consistently outweighs noise annoyance (YLD_HA). Nonlinear relationships were also observed between noise levels and the attributable environmental burden. The annual economic loss attributed to traffic noise across these cities is estimated at 3.59 billion USD, representing a significant economic cost to sustainable urban development that has previously been overlooked. These findings suggest that noise pollution prevention and control in China need to shift from compliance-based monitoring to health-centric interventions and localized noise management strategies are urgently required.

PMID:42014604 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-026-15330-0

Biogerontology. 2026 Apr 21;27(3):90. doi: 10.1007/s10522-026-10437-w.

ABSTRACT

Aging is a complex process influenced by various factors, including gut microbiota and food likings. Focusing on gut and dietary health is a crucial strategy for promoting long-term health and active aging. This study investigates the reciprocal causal relationships between gut microbiota, food likings and aging using Mendelian Randomization (MR) approaches. We leveraged the summary statistics of gut microbiota (n = 5,959), food likings (n = 161,625), and three aging phenotypes including telomere length (n = 472,174), facial aging (n = 423,999), and frailty index (n = 175,226). We performed bidirectional MR analyses to explore the causal effects of gut microbiota and food likings on aging, and mediation analyses to discover potential mediating gut microbiota and food likings. We discovered numerous correlations between gut microbiota, food likings, and aging. Notably, we identified that Lachnospira rogosae and CAG-83 sp000435555 influenced the frailty index through diet fizzy drinks liking, while UBA2922 sp900313925 had an effect through F-wine liking. Our findings provide insights into these complex interactions and offer a basis for personalized dietary interventions to slow aging and improve health, potentially informing new strategies for preventing age-related diseases.

PMID:42014597 | DOI:10.1007/s10522-026-10437-w

Arch Womens Ment Health. 2026 Apr 22;29(3):67. doi: 10.1007/s00737-026-01701-6.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Mother-infant bonding disorders have the potential to impact infant development and maternal mental health during the perinatal period. In Mexico, the limited information regarding their prevalence is associated with the absence of validated instruments for their detection. The Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) is one of the most widely used instruments internationally, although it reports high psychometric heterogeneity depending on the context. The objective of this study was to adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of a Mexican version of the PBQ (PBQ-Mx) and to establish its sensitivity and specificity in Mexican mothers.

METHODS: The PBQ-Mx was administered to 455 women in the first postpartum year. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and an Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis were performed. A ROC curve analysis was also performed on a subsample of 134 mothers with a clinical diagnosis of the quality of mother-infant bonding using the Stafford Interview to determine sensitivity, specificity, and a cut-off point.

RESULTS: The original 25-item structure of the PBQ was confirmed, exhibiting good overall reliability (α = 0.82, Ω = 0.86), though factor 3 (infant-focused anxiety) demonstrated low reliability. IRT analysis confirmed the validity of the theoretical model. The prevalence of mother-infant bonding disorders was 7%. The cut-off point of ≥ 12 demonstrated a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 88% (AUC = 0.980).

CONCLUSIONS: The PBQ-Mx demonstrated psychometric properties that support its use as a valid and reliable tool for the early detection and research of mother-infant bonding difficulties in the Mexican postpartum population.

PMID:42014588 | DOI:10.1007/s00737-026-01701-6