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Background The size of the plantar intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles has been shown to be associated with toe flexor strength (TFS). Previous studies adopted the size of limited plantar intrinsic foot muscles or a compartment containing several muscles as an independent variable for TFS. Among the plantar intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles, therefore, it is unclear which muscle(s) primarily contributes to TFS production. The present study aimed to clarify this subject. Methods In 17 young adult men, a series of anatomical cross-sectional area of individual plantar intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles was obtained along the foot length and the lower leg length, respectively, using magnetic resonance imaging. Maximal anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA max ) and muscle volume (MV) for each constituent muscle of the plantar intrinsic foot muscles (flexor hallucis brevis; flexor digitorum brevis, FDB; abductor hallucis; adductor hallucis oblique head, ADDH-OH; adductor hallucis transverse head, ADDH-TH; abductor digiti minimi; quadratus plantae) and extrinsic foot muscles (flexor hallucis longus; flexor digitorum longus) were measured. TFS was measured with a toe grip dynamometry. Results TFS was significantly associated with the ACSA max for each of the ADDH-OH (r = 0.674, p  = 0.003), ADDH-TH (r = 0.523, p  = 0.031), and FDB (r = 0.492, p  = 0.045), and the MV of the ADDH-OH (r = 0.582, p  = 0.014). As for the ADDH-OH, the correlation coefficient with TFS was not statistically different between ACSA max and MV ( p  = 0.189). Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis indicated that ACSA max and MV of the ADDH-OH alone explained 42 and 29%, respectively, of the variance in TFS. Conclusion The ADDH-OH is the primary contributor to TFS production among the plantar intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles as the result of the stepwise multiple linear regression analysis.

Background Despite the significant progress over the years, Tuberculosis remains a major public health concern and a danger to global health. This study aimed to analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics of the incidence of tuberculosis and its risk factors and to predict future trends in the incidence of Tuberculosis. Methods This study used secondary data on tuberculosis incidence and tuberculosis risk factor data from 209 countries and regions worldwide between 2000 and 2021 for analysis. Specifically, this study analyses the spatial autocorrelation of Tuberculosis incidence from 2000 to 2021 by calculating Moran’s I and identified risk factors for Tuberculosis incidence by multiple stepwise linear regression analysis. We also used the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average model to predict the trend of Tuberculosis incidence to 2030. This study used ArcGIS Pro, Geoda and R studio 4.2.2 for analysis. Results The study found the global incidence of Tuberculosis and its spatial autocorrelation trends from 2000 to 2021 showed a general downward trend, but its spatial autocorrelation trends remained significant (Moran’s I = 0.465, P < 0.001). The risk factors for Tuberculosis incidence are also geographically specific. Low literacy rate was identified as the most pervasive and profound risk factor for Tuberculosis. Conclusions This study shows the global spatial and temporal status of Tuberculosis incidence and risk factors. Although the incidence of Tuberculosis and Moran’s Index of Tuberculosis are both declining, there are still differences in Tuberculosis risk factors across countries and regions. Even though literacy rate is the leading risk factor affecting the largest number of countries and regions, there are still many countries and regions where gender (male) is the leading risk factor. In addition, at the current rate of decline in Tuberculosis incidence, the World Health Organization’s goal of ending the Tuberculosis pandemic by 2030 will be difficult to achieve. Targeted preventive interventions, such as health education and regular screening of Tuberculosis-prone populations are needed if we are to achieve the goal. The results of this study will help policymakers to identify high-risk groups based on differences in TB risk factors in different areas, rationalize the allocation of healthcare resources, and provide timely health education, so as to formulate more effective Tuberculosis prevention and control policies.

Individual personality traits are powerful determinants of behavior, and they can profoundly influence consumer decisions as a comprehensive understanding of consumer personality traits. Their role in decision-making can improve the predictability of consumer-related behavior. In this study, data on consumers’ preferences and personality traits were collected through questionnaires using the Wood Furniture Product Characteristics Consumer Preference Scale and the Big Five Personality Inventory Simplified. Bivariate correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used to investigate the relationship between the Big Five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) and wood furniture product characteristics consumer preferences. Correlation analysis indicated that neuroticism was correlated negatively with wood furniture product characteristic consumer preference scores. Extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were correlated positively with wood furniture product characteristic consumer preference scores. There was no correlation between openness and consumer preference. Regression analysis indicated that neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness predicted wood furniture product trait consumer preferences. Overall, assessing personality traits can help provide insight into the psychological and behavioral characteristics of consumers when purchasing wood furniture products, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of market demand and more effective marketing and product positioning strategies.

Individual personality traits are powerful determinants of behavior, and they can profoundly influence consumer decisions as a comprehensive understanding of consumer personality traits. Their role in decision-making can improve the predictability of consumer-related behavior. In this study, data on consumers’ preferences and personality traits were collected through questionnaires using the Wood Furniture Product Characteristics Consumer Preference Scale and the Big Five Personality Inventory Simplified. Bivariate correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used to investigate the relationship between the Big Five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) and wood furniture product characteristics consumer preferences. Correlation analysis indicated that neuroticism was correlated negatively with wood furniture product characteristic consumer preference scores. Extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were correlated positively with wood furniture product characteristic consumer preference scores. There was no correlation between openness and consumer preference. Regression analysis indicated that neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness predicted wood furniture product trait consumer preferences. Overall, assessing personality traits can help provide insight into the psychological and behavioral characteristics of consumers when purchasing wood furniture products, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of market demand and more effective marketing and product positioning strategies.

Rapid global urbanization has reshaped urban morphology and intensified environmental challenges, while research on factors influencing land surface temperature (LST) in island cities remains limited. We investigated seasonal variations in LST across four urban functional zones (UFZs) on Xiamen Island, China—residential blocks (RBs), public administration and public service blocks (PABs), commercial and business service blocks (CBSBs), and warehouse and storage blocks (WSBs)—using multiple stepwise regression to analyze 18 natural and anthropogenic factors for their seasonal effects on LST. Natural and anthropogenic factors influenced LST across all seasons, with higher explanatory power in spring and summer (R 2 > 0.6 for RBs and WSBs) but lower in winter across most UFZs (R 2 ≈ 0.22–0.46). For RBs, LST was primarily influenced by the Y coordinate, with higher temperatures in northern areas, and by anthropogenic factors such as building density (BD) and population density (PD). In PABs, LST was mainly driven by the Y coordinate and PD. The Y coordinate, BD, floor area ratio, and PD influenced CBSBs. WSBs showed strong urban heat island effects, mainly driven by the Y coordinate and PD, while landscape diversity reduced these effects in warehouse blocks. These findings suggest that urban planning should adopt seasonally adaptive, land-use-specific strategies aligned with the thermal response characteristics of different UFZs to enhance heat mitigation and environmental quality.

Soil phosphorus plays an important role in the soil ecological environment and sustainable development of the fruit industry in the soil hilly region of southern China, but the impact of different mulching measures on soil available phosphorus and phosphorus fractions in orchards remains unclear. In this study, soil basic physicochemical properties, available phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus fractions and their interrelationships under natural grass cover (NG), film mulch (FM) and clean tillage (CK) in orchards were explored. Compared to CK treatment, both FM and NG treatments have been shown to increase the contents of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and available nitrogen (AN). Additionally, compared with the FM treatment, the NG treatment increased total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), available potassium (AK), and soil acid phosphatase (S-ACP), resulting in greater improvements in soil fertility. The NG treatment increased the contents of aluminium-bound phosphate (Al-P) and iron-bound phosphate (Fe-P) in the 0–40 cm soil layer, whereas the FM treatment decreased the contents of Fe-P and Al-P and increased the content of occluded phosphate (O-P). Compared with the CK treatment, the NG treatment significantly increased the available phosphorus in the 0–40 cm soil layer, whereas the FM treatment significantly decreased it. Redundancy analysis revealed that pH and S-ACP were the main factors affecting soil phosphorus components. Al-P, Fe-P, and S-ACP were the three factors with the highest correlations with available phosphorus. However, according to multiple stepwise analyses, only Al-P was directly related to available phosphorus. Overall, in the southeast hilly orchards, the NG treatment improved soil nutrient and enzyme activity and is considered an effective strategy to increase the biological effectiveness of phosphorus while reducing leaching losses.

Landscape pattern changes induced by rapid urbanization and intensified agricultural activities have exerted great pressure on regional water purification services. Relationship between landscape metrics and nitrogen-related ecosystem services has been a major concern of many scholars and has been widely used for guidance for land use and cover (LULC) management. However, clear zonal differences may exist, especially in highly developed reticular river network area, thus limiting our understanding of nitrogen output (NOP) to landscape pattern in the details. The spatial distribution of regional NOP was obtained based on the InVEST model. The zonal responses of NOP to landscape patter were examined under hydraulic subregions and subbasin scale. The results show that the unit value of average NOP in the Taihu Lake Basin (TLB) was 146.14 (kg/km 2 ), and the total output reached 23677.92 t in 2020. The simulation NOP showed reasonable agreement with verified water quality observations in the lake inlet stations, with an R 2 of 0.76. In terms of space composition, merely cropland have significant effects on NOP in the whole basin scale, while the explanatory variables include cropland and developed land in Pudong (PD), Puxi (PX), Wuchengxiyu (WC), and Hangjiahu (HJ) regions. In Huxi (HX) and Yangchengdianmao  (YC) regions, cropland and forest are the significant impact types, while in (Zhexi) ZX region, cropland, developed land, and forest are significant impact types. In the space configuration, the percentage of landscape (PLAND) or largest patch index (LPI) of cropland showed positive effects about NOP, whether in the whole basin or the hydraulic subregions. Edge density (ED) (−3.48), number of patches (NP) (−3.91), and percentage of like adjacencies (PLAND) (−2.80) of the forest exhibit negative correlations with NOP, in the HX, ZX, and YC region, respectively. It displays diversiform in the response of NOP to the landscape metric of developed land, which speculate that the heterogeneity of developed land can also have a constraint on NOP, in the highly urbanized areas with less forest area. In addition, the total nitrogen output of the TLB needs to be controlled, especially in HJ region which was identified as the sensitive area of pollution sources with the largest NOP and should be paid more attention to. Compared with the administrative management unit, it is more reasonable to control and manage the pollution sources by referring to the hydraulic subregions and subbasin units. Senior managers are required to strengthen communication and cooperation with hydraulic subregions across administrative regions. However, when managing NOP through the landscape modifications, measures should be taken to reduce the aggregation of nitrogen sources and increase the fragmentation of nitrogen sinks. As for high aggregation developed and agricultural land regions, the types of land used should be enriched to help the sustainable development.

Background/Objectives: the purpose of this study was to determine the contributions of mechanical, neural, morphological, and muscle quality factors on individual differences in the maximal ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM). Methods: A sample of 41 university students performed passive-dorsiflexion and morphological measurements. In the passive-dorsiflexion measurement, while the ankle was passively dorsiflexed, maximal dorsiflexion ROM was measured in addition to passive torque at a given angle and muscle–tendon junction (MTJ) displacement during the last 13° as mechanical factors, and stretch tolerance and muscle activation were measured as neural factors. In morphological measurements, the cross-sectional area, muscle thickness, muscle fascicle length, and pennation angle were measured. In addition, the echo intensity was evaluated as muscle quality. Subjects were divided into three groups (flexible, moderate, and tight) using the value of the maximal dorsiflexion ROM. Results: Maximal dorsiflexion ROM and stretch tolerance were greater in the flexible group than those in the moderate and tight groups. MTJ displacement was smaller in the flexible group than those in the moderate and tight groups. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that stretch tolerance and passive torque at a given angle were selected as parameters to explain the maximal dorsiflexion ROM (adjusted R2 = 0.83). Conclusions: these results indicate that individual differences in maximal ankle dorsiflexion ROM are primarily related to mechanical and neural factors.

The objective of this research was to assess the profitability of the housing development project located in Bangkok, and the perimeter areas are Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, and Pathum Thani, which are the result of good construction management. Moreover, the researchers’ previous data were used to predict the profit for construction planning, using stepwise multiple regression analysis. Then, we found the profit equation of the housing development project and applied it to the optimization model to clarify the model by the case study. The case study has 427 units, dividing the house into three types, with an optimization performed using the GAMS tool. In the same way, according to this optimization, it can be divided into two scenarios: scenario one found the maximized profit of the project to be 1053.91 MB, and scenario two was the result of making a sensitive analysis of scenario one and found the maximized profit of the project to be 1054.18 MB, which is the best scenario for the maximized profit of the project, and so it is the best choice for construction planning. The research contribution in this model can be applied to other projects that are suitable for large or densely populated cities, such as Beijing, New Delhi, and others. In the Conclusion section, we offer recommendations and detail future work that the researchers have discussed and described for the benefit of future research in housing development projects.

Amino acid metabolites, including branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and tyrosine (Tyr), affect glucose metabolism. The effects of BCAA on insulin resistance in patients with diabetes seem to conflict with mechanisms determined in animal models and cultured cells. The aim of this study was to clarify the controversy surrounding the effects of BCAA by investigating the physiological effects of BCAA and Tyr on glucose metabolism in healthy community dwellers. We investigated associations among BCAA and Tyr and metabolic parameters in 78 residents (median age, 52 y) of Mie, Japan, who did not have prediabetes, diabetes, or a body mass index >30 kg/m2. Muscle volume, serum BCAA, and Tyr levels were higher in men than in women (n = 32 and 46, respectively; all P < 0.0001). Stepwise multiple regression analysis associated BCAA positively with muscle volume (regression coefficient/t/p/95% confidence interval, 281.8/3.7/0.0004/129.7–433.8), fasting blood glucose (FBG; 12699.4/3.22/0.0020/4830.9–20567.8), fasting immunoreactive insulin (IRI; 8505.1/2.75/0.0078/2322.5–14687.6), and homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β; 893.6/2.58/0.0122/201.8–1585.5), and negatively with the HOMA-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; −9294.1/−2.89/0.0052/−15711.0 to −2877.1). Tyr positively correlated with fasting IRI (26/2.77/0.0072/7.3–44.7). Insulin sensitivity and muscle volume are positively associated with BCAA in individuals without diabetes. In turn, BCAA correlate with increased FBG and fasting IRI levels. Tyr correlated with fasting IRI, but not with insulin sensitivity. •Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) positively associated with insulin sensitivity in individuals without diabetes.•Muscle volume was important for circulating levels of BCAA and tyrosine (Tyr).•BCAA correlated with increased fasting blood glucose and fasting immunoreactive insulin (IRI) levels.•Serum BCAA and Tyr levels were higher in men than in women.•Tyr did not affect insulin sensitivity but was associated with fasting IRI levels.