Association between total daily sedentary time and cardiometabolic biomarkers in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Supplementary Materials are available online at: https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jpah/22/9/article-p1086.xml?content=supplementary-materials .Background: Older adults engage in the highest levels of sedentary behavior across all age groups. Yet, the extent to which sedentary time is associated with cardiometabolic health in older adults is unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined associations between daily sedentary time and cardiometabolic biomarkers in older adults. Methods: Peer-reviewed articles which studied the association between daily sedentary time and ≥1 cardiometabolic biomarker in participants aged ≥60 years were eligible. Five electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and PsycINFO) were searched. Screening, data extraction, and study quality were undertaken independently by 2 reviewers. Meta-analyses were undertaken using random-effects models based on correlation and regression coefficients. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Results: Twenty-eight articles were included with sample sizes ranging from 30 to 62,754 participants. Increasing daily sedentary time was adversely associated with body mass index (Hedge g: 0.32; P = .001), waist circumference (Hedge g: 0.45; P < .001), body fat percentage (Hedge g: 0.61; P = .012), and fat mass (Hedge g: 0.30; P = .018). There were also unfavorable associations with systolic blood pressure (Hedge g: 0.37; P = .047), blood glucose (Hedge g: 0.30; P = .044), triglycerides (Hedge g: 0.36; P = .039), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Hedge g: 0.34; P = .034). Conclusions: Increased daily sedentary time is adversely associated with body composition, systolic blood pressure, and blood biomarkers in older adults. Therefore, limiting sedentary behavior should be considered an important target in this population group for improved cardiometabolic health

Development and optimization of a photoautotrophic phycoerythrin production process

Data availability: The experimental data underlying this work have been uploaded here: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17633/rd.brunel.25880428.v1.Acknowledgements: The authors would like to acknowledge the excellent technical team at Brunel University London in particular Mr. Paul Josse, Mr. Paul Barrett, Mr. William Pierce and Mr. William Schkzamian for their assistance in constructing the photobioreactors.Supplementary Information is available onlineat: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10811-025-03524-x#Sec9 .Phycoerythrin is a pink pigment produced by photosynthetic microorganisms which has potential to be used as a sustainable colorant in the food, cosmetics and textile industries. In order for this to happen it is necessary to identify suitable strains for large-scale production and develop and optimize production processes. Relatively few species of red algae have been evaluated for their biotechnological potential and to address this gap this work examined five different species of red algae and three cyanobacteria to identify the most suitable candidates for phycoerythrin production. Results from initial screening experiments found a wide range of specific phycoerythrin contents (0.75–28 mg g−1). The four most promising species (Porphyridium purpureum, Rhodella violacea, Timspurckia oligopyrenoides and Flintiella sanguinaria) were grown in 3-L photobioreactors; of the species examined it was found that P. purpureum and R. violacea had the highest growth rate (approximately 0.6 day^−1). As part of the scale-up process it was found that ensuring sufficient nitrate was available in the medium was key in maintaining a high specific phycoerythrin content, with maximum values being 170 ± 34 mg g^−1 for P. purpureum and 120 ± 60 mg g^−1 for R. violacea. Increasing the applied light intensity led to increases in the cell density (to a maximum of 3.46 ± 0.36 g L^−1 for P. purpureum), while the specific phycoerythrin content was generally constant. Applying these insights led to a final volumetric phycoerythrin concentration of 360 ± 37 mg L^−1 for P. purpureum this being a 50-fold improvement over the original values. Results from this work provide valuable data about the growth and phycoerythrin productivity of diverse species of red algae as well as providing valuable insights into how the phycoerythrin production can be optimized.Not applicable

Unlocking Business Success: How Networking and Branding Capabilities Drive Performance Through Product Innovativeness

Data Availability Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.In today's fast-paced market, developing innovative products with significant advantages over existing alternatives is essential for a strong market presence. This study, based on the resource-based and dynamic capability view, examines how market and technological innovativeness contribute to differentiation advantage and improved business performance. It also investigates the roles of complementary capabilities in enhancing these relationships. Primary data were collected through an on-site questionnaire survey of Iranian research and development-intensive manufacturing firms. Using 125 valid responses from senior managers, partial least squares structural equation modeling tested the proposed model. Findings indicate that networking and branding capabilities enhance technological and market innovativeness, respectively, thereby strengthening differentiation advantage. Moreover, differentiation advantage is a crucial mechanism for translating innovativeness into improved business performance. These results provide theoretical insights and practical guidance for developing effective product innovativeness strategies to augment international competitiveness and performance

Dual beam and dual circular polarized multiplexing reflectarray for Ku band satellite communication

Data availability: All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.In this letter, a broadband low-profile dual circularly polarized reflectarray (dual-CP RA) for Ku-band satellite communications is proposed. A novel single-layer metasurface unit cell consisting of a functional layer, an air layer and a metal plate is investigated first. The functional layer is a metal structure printed on the F4B substrate. The air layer can effectively extend the bandwidth, and the overall profile is only 0.12λ0, where λ0 represents the wavelength at 11.725 GHz. To independently control the phase of left-handed circularly polarized (LHCP) and right-handed circularly polarized (RHCP) waves, Dynamic phase and Berry phase methods are employed by either changing the size of microstrip lines or the rotating of the cells. Finally, a dual-CP RA with 1600 cells is designed to realize two beams at 20° for LHCP wave and − 20° for RHCP wave at 11.725 GHz. The measured gain for LHCP wave is 29.1 dB with the aperture efficiency (AE) of 47% and 1-dB gain bandwidth of 37.4%, while the gain, AE, and bandwidth for RHCP wave are 29.22 dB, 48.3% and 37% respectively.This work was supported by the Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi under Grant 2024GX-ZDCYL-01-29 and in part by the Science and Technology Project of Xi’an City under Grant 24KPZT0010

Incorporating acute HIV infection screening, same‐day diagnosis and antiretroviral treatment into routine services for key populations at sexual health clinics in Indonesia: a baseline analysis of the INTERACT prospective study

Data Availability Statement: Data are available upon reasonable request. Requests for data sharing can be made by submission of a study concept to the INTERACT Study Group for evaluation of the scientific value, relevance, design, feasibility and overlap with existing projects.Introduction: Indonesia has an escalated HIV epidemic concentrated among key populations. To strengthen the care cascade, we implemented a care pathway for the screening of individuals for acute HIV infection (AHI), to achieve prompt diagnosis and antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation, at three non-governmental sexual health clinics in Jakarta and Bali. We assessed the AHI testing uptake, yield and prevalence, and the care cascade. Methods: This is a cross-sectional baseline analysis of individuals (≥16 years) who presented for HIV testing and were consecutively enrolled (May 2023−November 2024). We used an AHI risk-score self-assessment and test algorithm comprising a fourth-generation antibody/p24 antigen rapid diagnostic test (4gRDT; Abbott Determine HIV Early Detect) and, if negative/discordant, followed by HIV-PCR (Cepheid Xpert) (either individual or pooled-sample testing). AHI was pragmatically defined as having negative/discordant RDT results with positive HIV-PCR (ISRCTN41396071). Results: Three thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven (44.0%) of 8665 individuals were screened for study eligibility, and 3689 (97.2%) were enrolled. Median age was 28 years, and 78.2% were male. Men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for 53.3%, clients of sex workers 19.2%, persons having a sex partner living with HIV 8.9% and sex workers 4.1%. We diagnosed 229 (6.3%; 229/3662) persons with RDT-positive (chronic) HIV, and we additionally identified 13 persons with AHI—that is a diagnostic yield of 5.6% (95% CI 3.1−9.5; 13/229) overall, and 6.1% (95% CI 3.2−10.3; 12/198) among MSM. AHI prevalence was 0.38% (95% CI 0.20−0.65; 13/3429) overall, and 0.72% (95% CI 0.37−1.2; 12/1677) among MSM. The number of persons needed to test to identify one person with AHI was 264 (3429/13) overall and 140 (1677/12) among MSM. The 4gRDT's performance to detect AHI was poor (2/13). Most participants received their HIV-PCR results on the same day (84.8%, 2907/3429) or within 24 hours (92.8%, 3182/3429). Of the 242 newly HIV-diagnosed individuals, 236 (97.5%) started ART, of whom 158 (67.0%) on the same day and 215 (91.1%) within 1 week. Conclusions: We successfully implemented prompt AHI diagnosis and treatment, and identified a high AHI prevalence among Indonesian MSM. Prioritizing access to AHI testing can create opportunities for enhanced interventions to curb the HIV epidemic among key populations.Wellcome Africa Asia Programme Vietnam; UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

Investigating socioeconomic deprivation and antibiotic prescribing among older medicare patients using an instrumental variable approach

Supplementary material is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2025.185 .Background: Socioeconomic deprivation has been associated with antibiotic overprescription in the US; however, prior studies could not quantify a causal relationship due to endogeneity. This study examines how socioeconomic deprivation is related to the rate of antibiotic days supplied to older Medicare Part D beneficiaries, utilizing an Instrumental Variable (IV) approach. Methods: Data from the Medicare Part D and the Social Deprivation Index (SDI) repositories were analyzed. To address potential endogeneity and omitted variable bias in the relationship between SDI and antibiotic prescribing, we used the maximum Earned Income Tax Credit as an IV. Bivariate Moran’s I assessed the spatial correlation between SDI and antibiotic prescribing across geographic regions. The IV analysis then examined the relationship between predicted SDI and antibiotic days supplied (ln). Linear regression models estimated associations between SDI and its components, and antibiotic days supplied, adjusting for prescriber, beneficiary, and geographic factors. Results: Among 161,164, there was no significant spatial dependence between SDI and antibiotic days supplied (P = 0.0656). In the IV model, a one-unit increase in SDI was associated with a 0.582 (SE = 0.164, P < 0.0005) increase in antibiotic days supplied (ln). Higher unemployment and single-parent family rates were linked to increased antibiotic days supplied, while crowded housing was associated with a reduction. Conclusion: This study identified that socioeconomic deprivation may influence antibiotic days supplied to Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Findings highlight the need for targeted public health interventions to address the socioeconomic factors contributing to excess antibiotic use.None reported

Eco-Driving with Deep Reinforcement Learning at Signalized Intersections Considering On-the-fly Queue Dissipation Estimation and Lane-Merging Disturbances

Eco-driving research has grown significantly over the past decade, increasingly incorporating real-world traffic and road conditions such as road gradients, lane changes, and queue effects. However, most existing studies that account for queue effects are limited to single-lane scenarios, without considering lane-merging disturbances, and can only estimate queue length or discharge time within restricted regions. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a novel deep reinforcement learning (DRL) based eco-driving algorithm that simultaneously considers on-the-fly queue dissipation time estimation and lane-merging disturbances. The approach integrates a practical and cost-effective navigation-app-based traffic data sharing framework with a data-driven dissipation time estimation model, enabling the reinforcement learning agent to continuously receive accurate modified reference speeds that reflect both queueing and merging vehicle effects. Five comprehensive case studies, benchmarked against conventional and state-of-the-art eco-driving methods, were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method consistently achieves the best energy performance across all scenarios, reducing energy consumption by an average of 37.5% compared with the Intelligent Driver Model (IDM) baseline.Tianjin Municipal Science and Technology Bureau Science and Technology; Natural Science Foundation (Grant Number: 24JCQNJC00280)

Correction of misalignment errors in the magnetic gradient tensor measurement system and its application in localization

The magnetic gradient tensor measurement system (MGTMS) is critical for detecting and localizing ferromagnetic targets. However, its localization accuracy is closely linked to measurement precision, which is often compromised by sensor misalignment errors. To mitigate these errors, this study proposes a practical calibration method using a standard magnetic source, achieving effective misalignment correction with minimal system alteration. The proposed method is validated through both simulations and localization experiments. Simulation results indicate that the root mean square error (RMSE) of the calibrated tensor values is reduced by three orders of magnitude compared to the uncalibrated state. Experimental results further demonstrate that the average localization error decreases from 0.040 m to 0.019 m after calibration, corresponding to a 52.5% improvement in positioning accuracy. These results highlight the potential of improving the accuracy of MGTMS-based target localization in practical applications

Research on local visual global localization method based on out-of-view reference of spatial point association

The global localisation of spatial points is a critical step in tasks such as object tracking, motion analysis and pose measurement. This paper addresses the critical issue of global localisation when spatial points are scattered and cannot be contained within the same field of view. It proposes a local visual global localisation method based on an out-of-view reference through spatial point association. By constructing a local measurement and localisation model using parallel binocular vision and a spatial coordinate transformation model that associates local regions with the global reference, the global localisation of spatial points inside and outside the field of view is achieved. Experimental results demonstrate that the localisation accuracy of spatial points is less than 0.1 mm in terms of distance measurement. This method is useful for cooperative multi-camera localization and multi-point measurement in large 3D spaces.The present study received financial support from the China Higher Education Society Project 23SZH0413, the National Higher Education Computer Basic Education Research Association Project 2024-AFCEC-460, and the Nankai University Educational Reform Project NKJG2025017

Prototyping and Evaluating TWIRL: A Temperature-Controlled DIY Airflow System for Enhancing Immersive Media

The text was partially generated with the help of ChatGPT [OpenAI, 2025].This study presents the design, prototyping, and user-centered evaluation of TWIRL (Thermal Wind Right and Left), a low-cost, temperature-controlled airflow system aimed at enhancing immersion in multisensory media experiences. TWIRL integrates hot and cold airflow generation, via Peltier-based cooling modules and modified hairdryer heating units, synchronized with audiovisual content using Sensory Effects Metadata (MPEG-V). A preliminary user study (N = 12) evaluated perceived realism, enjoyment, comfort, and engagement while experiencing thermally congruent video stimuli. The results indicated high participant acceptance, with thermal effects classified as realistic, pleasant, and nonintrusive, supported by strong internal consistency metrics. The participants expressed a willingness to use TWIRL in the future and recommend it, suggesting the potential of TWIRL to increase the presence and enjoyment of multisensory systems. The findings contribute to the understanding of thermal-wind integration in mulsemedia and offer design guidelines for future scalable, multisensory systems in the entertainment, education, and accessibility domains.This study was financed in part by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES, Brazil) – Finance Code 7.570688/2020-00 and 88881.689984/2022-01, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ, Brazil) – Finance Code 307718/2020-4 and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo (FAPES, Brazil) – Finance Code 2021-GL60J