Saved Queries

by Olga Timoshchenko, Elena Shakhtshneider, Dinara Ivanoshchuk, Valentina Zorina, Pavel Orlov, Sergey Semaev and Yuliya Ragino

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(3), 1214; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27031214 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

The aim of the study was to characterize the prevalence of comorbidities and molecular genetic status in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and non-familial hypercholesterolemia (non-FH). This cross-sectional observational study included 323 patients. Assessments comprised personal and family histories, physical examination, fasting lipid profiling, and molecular genetic testing. Patients with FH were not characterized by an increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In contrast, the non-FH group demonstrated a pronounced cardiometabolic comorbidity profile with a high prevalence of recurrent chronic pancreatitis. Patients with probable or definite FH had a higher prevalence of coronary heart disease and peripheral atherosclerosis, whereas myocardial infarction (MI) was common across all studied groups. Among patients with definite and probable FH, pathogenetic variants were identified in 78.2% and 71.4%, respectively, predominantly in the LDLR gene, with one variant in the APOB gene. In the possible FH group, pathogenic variants were identified in 46.7% of cases (LDLR gene in 64.3% and APOB gene in 28.6%). Patients with FH were characterized by a lower prevalence of concomitant cardiometabolic diseases. The high diagnostic yield of genetic testing in the possible FH category (figured Clinic Network score 3–5) suggests that expanding indications for molecular genetic testing to include this patient group should be considered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atherosclerosis and Comorbidities: From Molecular Pathogenesis to Diagnosis and Therapeutic Targets)

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17 pages, 1218 KB

Open AccessArticle

Isolation of Chicken Intestinal Glial Cells and Their Transcriptomic Response to LPS

by Jie Chen, Wenxiang Zhang, Xingxing Tian, Feng Zhang and Chunsheng Xu

Biology 2026, 15(3), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15030225 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

Current research on glial cells has primarily focused on central nervous system glial cells (CNS glia), with relatively fewer studies on EGCs. Given the critical role of EGCs in maintaining intestinal homeostasis and neural function, this study aimed to investigate their immunomodulatory effects under inflammatory conditions. Primary EGCs were isolated and an inflammatory model was established by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Following LPS induction, cellular samples were collected for transcriptomic analysis to identify differentially expressed genes. The analysis revealed that 88 genes were significantly altered, with 60 upregulated and 28 downregulated. Through Gene Ontology (GO) classification, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway mapping, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, several key regulatory genes were identified: chemokine-related genes (IL8L2, IL8L1, CCL4, CCL5, and CX3CL1); negative feedback regulation-related genes (TNFAIP3 and ZC3H12A); homeostasis-maintaining genes (C1QB and LY86); and arachidonic acid metabolism-related genes (PTGS2 and GGT2). Under LPS stimulation without impairing EGC viability, EGCs may recruit immune cells by regulating the aforementioned genes. Additionally, arachidonic acid and its metabolites likely play important regulatory roles in EGC-mediated immunomodulation. These findings provide new theoretical insights and potential targets for further elucidating the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation and developing targeted therapies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Bioinformatics)

22 pages, 2881 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Ankle Versus Plantar Vibrotactile Orthoses on Joint Position Sense and Postural Control in Individuals with Functional Ankle Instability: A Pilot Randomized Trial

by Hanieh Khaliliyan, Mahmood Bahramizadeh and Ebrahim Sadeghi-Demneh

Bioengineering 2026, 13(2), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13020138 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

Functional ankle instability (FAI) is a common consequence of lateral ankle sprains, characterized by impaired sensorimotor control. While orthoses and localized vibration have shown individual benefits for FAI, their combined application in a wearable device has not been previously investigated. This pilot randomized trial compared the effects of a vibrotactile foot orthosis (VFO) and a vibrotactile ankle orthosis (VAO) on joint position sense (JPS) and postural control in individuals with FAI. Sixteen participants were randomized to receive either a VFO or a VAO, both delivering 30–50 Hz pulsed vibration in 20 min sessions, three times a week, for two weeks. Outcome measures included joint position sense (JPS) error (°), center of pressure (COP) velocity (mm/s), the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), and the Six-Meter Hop Test (SMHT), which were assessed pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and after two weeks of use. The analysis showed a statistically significant interaction between time and intervention group for JPS error (p = 0.02, η² = 0.42). Specifically, the VFO group improved JPS significantly more than VAO at two weeks follow-up (MD = −1.75°, p = 0.005, d = −1.68). Both groups significantly reduced in anteroposterior COP velocity after two weeks (VFO: MD = 1, p = 0.003, d = 1.47; VAO: MD = 1.39, p ˂ 0.001, d = 2.05) with no between-group differences. No changes were observed in the SEBT or SMHT. Plantar-based vibrotactile stimulation was more effective than ankle-based stimulation in enhancing proprioceptive acuity in individuals with FAI. Both interventions improved static postural stability, supporting the potential of integrated vibrotactile orthoses in FAI rehabilitation. No major practical issues were reported during the intervention. Two participants experienced minor discomfort related to the electronic housing bulk in the first week, which was resolved by week two. No further complaints regarding device weight or usability were observed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biomedical Signal Communication Technology)

20 pages, 1230 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Co-Application of Diammonium Phosphate Fertilizer with Microbial Inoculant on Soil Nitrogen Levels and Alfalfa Growth Performance in Saline-Alkali Soil

by Shuai Wang, Changning Li, Xiaohu Wang, Chen Zhang, Yi Feng, Yang Lei and Jiahao Xu

Agronomy 2026, 16(3), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030305 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

Soil salinization leads to soil nutrient loss and decreased crop yield. This research aims to determine the optimal reduction rate of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and suitable microbial inoculant for alfalfa cultivation and nitrogen-level improvement in saline-alkali land. The experiment consisted of a factorial arrangement of three DAP fertilizer levels (X1, 60%; X2, 70%; and X3, 80%) and four microbial inoculants (Y1, rhizobial inoculant; Y2, phosphate-solubilizing microbial inoculant; Y3, composite microbial inoculant; and Y4, control) in a split-plot design. The results indicated that DAP fertilizer, microbial inoculant, and their interaction significantly affected (p < 0.05) forage yield, crude protein, available nitrogen (N), and enzyme activities. Under 80% DAP fertilizer combined with the composite microbial inoculant, forage yield, plant height, soil urease (S-UE), and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) reached maximum values of 17.1 t ha⁻¹, 65.7 cm, 292.3 μg d⁻¹ g⁻¹, and 3.1 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. However, the soil total nitrogen (TN) significantly increased at the 60% DAP fertilizer application rate (p < 0.05). Overall, this study demonstrates that co-application of DAP fertilizer with compound microbial inoculant delivers a green, science-based fertilization approach for improving nitrogen levels and alfalfa cultivation in saline-alkali soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Microorganisms for Sustainable Agricultural Development)

22 pages, 7617 KB

Open AccessArticle

DAS-YOLO: Adaptive Structure–Semantic Symmetry Calibration Network for PCB Defect Detection

by Weipan Wang, Wengang Jiang, Lihua Zhang, Siqing Chen and Qian Zhang

Symmetry 2026, 18(2), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym18020222 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

Industrial-grade printed circuit boards (PCBs) exhibit high structural order and inherent geometric symmetry, where minute surface defects essentially constitute symmetry-breaking anomalies that disrupt topological integrity. Detecting these anomalies is quite challenging due to issues like scale variation and low contrast. Therefore, this paper proposes a symmetry-aware object detection framework, DAS-YOLO, based on an improved YOLOv11. The U-shaped adaptive feature extraction module (Def-UAD) reconstructs the C3K2 unit, overcoming the geometric limitations of standard convolutions through a deformation adaptation mechanism. This significantly enhances feature extraction capabilities for irregular defect topologies. A semantic-aware module (SADRM) is introduced at the backbone and neck regions. The lightweight and efficient ESSAttn improves the distinguishability of small or weak targets. At the same time, to address information asymmetry between deep and shallow features, an iterative attention feature fusion module (IAFF) is designed. By dynamically weighting and calibrating feature biases, it achieves structured coordination and balanced multi-scale representation. To evaluate the validity of the proposed method, we carried out comprehensive experiments using publicly accessible datasets focused on PCB defects. The results show that the Recall, mAP@50, and mAP@50-95 of DAS-YOLO reached 82.60%, 89.50%, and 46.60%, respectively, which are 3.7%, 1.8%, and 2.9% higher than those of the baseline model, YOLOv11n. Comparisons with mainstream detectors such as GD-YOLO and SRN further demonstrate a significant advantage in detection accuracy. These results confirm that the proposed framework offers a solution that strikes a balance between accuracy and practicality in addressing the key challenges in PCB surface defect detection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Computer)

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30 pages, 2100 KB

Open AccessReview

Next-Generation Antioxidants in Cardiovascular Disease: Mechanistic Insights and Emerging Therapeutic Strategies

by Desh Deepak Singh, Dharmendra Kumar Yadav and Dongyun Shin

Antioxidants 2026, 15(2), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15020164 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide. CVDs are associated with multiple factors, including oxidative stress, mediated endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, and atherothrombosis. Although traditional antioxidant supplementation (such as vitamins C, E, and β-carotene) has shown promising results in rigorous animal model studies, it has consistently failed to demonstrate clinical benefit in most human trials. Consequently, there is a substantial unmet need for novel paradigms involving mechanistically and biologically relevant pharmaceutical-grade antioxidant therapies (“next-generation antioxidants”). Rapid advancements in redox biology, nanotechnology, genetic modulation of redox processes, and metabolic regulation have enabled the development of new antioxidant therapeutics, including mitochondrial-targeted agents, NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitors, selenoprotein and Nrf2 activators, engineered nanoparticles, catalytic antioxidants, and RNA-based and gene-editing strategies. These interventions have the potential to modulate specific oxidative pathways that contribute to CVD pathogenesis. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of current oxidative stress–modulating modalities and their potential to inform personalized cardiovascular prevention and treatment strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Harnessing Antioxidants: Pioneering Approaches in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Therapy)

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15 pages, 6250 KB

Open AccessArticle

TopoAD: Resource-Efficient OOD Detection via Multi-Scale Euler Characteristic Curves

by Liqiang Lin, Xueyu Ye, Zhiyu Lin, Yunyu Kang, Shuwu Chen and Xiaolong Liu

Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1215; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031215 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

Out-of-distribution (OOD) detection is essential for ensuring the reliability of machine learning models deployed in safety-critical applications. Existing methods often rely solely on statistical properties of feature distributions while ignoring the geometric structure of learned representations. We propose TopoAD, a topology-aware OOD detection framework that leverages Euler Characteristic Curves (ECCs) extracted from intermediate convolutional activation maps and fuses them with standardized energy scores. Specifically, we employ a computationally efficient superlevel-set filtration with a local estimator to capture topological invariants, avoiding the high cost of persistent homology. Furthermore, we introduce task-adaptive aggregation strategies to effectively integrate multi-scale topological features based on the complexity of distribution shifts. We evaluate our method on CIFAR-10 against four diverse OOD benchmarks spanning far-OOD (Textures), near-OOD (SVHN), and semantic shift scenarios. Our results demonstrate that TopoAD-Gated achieves superior performance on far-OOD data with 89.98% AUROC on Textures, while the ultra-lightweight TopoAD-Linear provides an efficient alternative for near-OOD detection. Comprehensive ablation studies reveal that cross-layer gating effectively captures multi-scale topological shifts, while threshold-wise attention provides limited benefit and can degrade far-OOD performance. Our analysis demonstrates that topological features are particularly effective for detecting OOD samples with distinct structural characteristics, highlighting TopoAD’s potential as a sustainable solution for resource-constrained applications in texture analysis, medical imaging, and remote sensing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Intelligent Detection and New Sensor Technology)

18 pages, 2404 KB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Effectiveness and Safety of Bedaquiline-Containing Modified Shorter Regimens for Multidrug- or Rifampicin-Resistant Tuberculosis: A Single-Arm Meta-Analysis

by Yihui Zhou and Hongxia Niu

Pathogens 2026, 15(2), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15020130 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global public health emergency, with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) posing critical challenges. Conventional longer regimens are characterized by suboptimal effectiveness, high toxicity, and poor tolerability. Consequently, there is an urgent demand for more effective, safer, shorter regimens with enhanced tolerability to replace traditional treatments. The present study aimed to systematically assess the effectiveness and safety of bedaquiline-containing modified shorter regimens (adaptations of the WHO-recommended 9–12-month bedaquiline-containing shorter regimen, with ethionamide, ethambutol, isoniazid, and pyrazinamide partially or fully substituted by linezolid, cycloserine/terizidone, and/or delamanid) for MDR/RR-TB. Databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science) were searched up to 17 December 2025. Data on treatment success, adverse events, and patient characteristics were extracted. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochrane Q test and I² statistic. Eleven studies involving 8166 patients were included. The pooled treatment success rate was 78.5% (95% CI: 0.69~0.87, I²: 98.45%; p = 0.00). The incidence of serious adverse events was 10.0%. Bedaquiline-containing modified shorter regimens may offer a potentially viable treatment option for MDR/RR-TB patients, giving an option for patients who are ineligible for standardized regimens. In order to verify these findings, further large-scale trials are required. Full article

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22 pages, 42131 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Weld Surface Quality on the Fatigue Performance of Q420 Steel Used in Offshore Wind Tower Tube

by Jun Cao, Wubin Ren, Guodong Zhang, Shubiao Yin, Zhongzhu Liu and Xinjun Sun

Metals 2026, 16(2), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16020148 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

The size of offshore wind turbine towers is increasing, and they are subjected to larger and more complex loads, which imposes more stringent requirements on the fatigue performance of welded plates in new offshore wind turbine towers. This study investigated the axial fatigue performance of 25 mm thick welded plates made of the new Q420 steel grade. Fractures in the Q420 welded plates occurred at the junction of the coarse-grained zone of the filler metal and the heat-affected zone. By analyzing the fatigue striation spacing across multiple regions, it was found that the proportion of cycles in the crack propagation stage within the total fatigue life did not exceed 11%, indicating that the crack initiation stage is the decisive factor in the fatigue life of the specimens. Removing surface quality defects at the weld toe significantly increased both the fatigue life and the fatigue strength limit of the Q420 welded plates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Metal Failure Analysis)

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16 pages, 939 KB

Open AccessArticle

Adverse Impact of Gamma-Polyglutamic Acid on the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Cefiderocol and Nanosilver Against Gram-Negative Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii

by Żaneta Binert-Kusztal, Agata Krakowska, Iwona Skiba-Kurek, Przemysław Dorożyński and Tomasz Skalski

Pharmaceutics 2026, 18(2), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics18020157 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Wound infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii, pose a major clinical challenge. This study evaluated the interactions between gamma-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA), cefiderocol, and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) within multilayer wound dressing configurations. The primary goal was to clarify the dual role of γ-PGA as a healing promoter and a potential protector of bacterial cells against antimicrobial agents. Methods: Multilayer dressing models were assembled in 96-well plates to simulate vertical stratification of antimicrobial layers4. Bacterial viability was assessed through relative OD₆₀₀ measurements following incubation with varying concentrations and spatial arrangements of cefiderocol, AgNPs, and γ-PGA. Data were analyzed using generalized linear modeling (GLM) with a gamma distribution and random forest regression to determine the relative importance of each factor in modulating bacterial survival. Results: γ-PGA concentration emerged as the dominant factor influencing bacterial viability, accounting for nearly 100% of variable importance in random forest analysis. Despite high antimicrobial pressure from cefiderocol and AgNPs, bacterial viability stabilized at approximately 40% in the presence of γ-PGA. The vertical positioning of γ-PGA significantly impacted survival; direct physical contact between the polymer and bacteria, particularly at high concentrations, enhanced bacterial persistence in P. aeruginosa and E. coli. Cefiderocol showed strain-specific potency, while AgNPs provided consistent growth inhibition. Conclusions: γ-PGA plays a paradoxical role in wound care by providing moisture retention while simultaneously acting as a cytoprotective agent that reduces antimicrobial efficacy, likely by facilitating biofilm formation. These findings underscore the necessity of optimizing the spatial layering and concentration of biopolymers in advanced dressings. Strategic design is crucial to balance regenerative benefits with maximal antimicrobial control to improve clinical outcomes in chronic wound management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeted Drug Delivery Strategies for Infectious Diseases)

22 pages, 5529 KB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis and Testing of Straw Collector Crushing Mechanism Based on DEM-MBD Coupled Simulation

by Jie Yang, Song Yue, Zheng Zhang, Dongdong Gu, Ge Shi, Xiao Xiao and Jinfa Shi

Agriculture 2026, 16(3), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16030305 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

To address the low efficiency of corn straw collection, this study aims to optimize the design of the straw shredding mechanism of corn straw harvesters. A multi-blade arrangement shredding mechanism was designed, with ANSYS 2022 employed for gas-phase flow field simulation of the pick-up and fan conveying chambers, and a multi-field coupled simulation was conducted to evaluate performance using pick-up rate and qualified cutting length rate as metrics. Field tests were carried out to validate the simulation results. The results show that the DC-type pick-up (symmetrically arranged Y-shaped and hammer claw blades) exhibited optimal performance. At a travel speed of 1.2 m/s and rotational speed of 2100 r/min, the pick-up rate and qualified cutting length rate reached 93.62% and 93.94%, respectively, in field tests (81.34% pick-up rate in simulation); its maximum collection efficiency reached 92.98% under the conditions of fan 1 speed of 2300 r/min, fan 2 speed of 4600 r/min, and single feed rate of 9.4 kg. All pick-up types had maximum forces below the stress limit (348 MPa), meeting operational requirements. This research provides reliable references for the design and optimization of corn straw returning machines and verifies the accuracy of the simulation method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Technology)

15 pages, 1641 KB

Open AccessArticle

P-Type Emitter Thin-Film Fabrication by a Dry–Wet–Dry Mixed Oxidation in TOPCon Solar Cells

by Yan Guo, Xingrong Zhu, Cheng Xie, Jiabing Huang and Jicheng Zhou

Coatings 2026, 16(2), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16020157 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

To address the high-temperature and high-cost challenges of the conventional dry oxidation process in boron diffusion for n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact solar cells, this study proposes a dry–wet–dry mixed oxidation drive-in process for fabricating p-type emitters in TOPCon solar cells. Through systematic investigation of oxidation temperature, O₂/H₂O flow ratio, and oxidation time effects on emitter performance, it is found that mixed oxidation at 1000 °C achieves comparable sheet resistance and doping profiles to dry oxidation at 1050 °C. For our newly developed mixed oxidation process, in which the oxidation temperature is 1000 °C, oxidation time is 80 min with O₂/H₂O flow ratio of 20:1, the same photoelectric conversion efficiency has been achieved. Comparing the data, the mixed oxidation process forms a dry/wet/dry three-layer SiO₂ structure, reducing the oxidation temperature by 50 °C while achieving an average efficiency of 26.02%, comparable to high-temperature dry oxidation. This process not only reduces the thermal budget of quartz tubes and extends equipment service life but also provides a feasible solution for the low-temperature manufacturing of high-efficiency TOPCon solar cells, showing significant industrial application prospects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Thin Films and Coatings for Solar Cells)

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35 pages, 1247 KB

Open AccessArticle

One Class of H_∞ Cheap Control Problems: Asymptotic Solution

by Valery Y. Glizer and Vladimir Turetsky

Axioms 2026, 15(2), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/axioms15020087 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

An infinite-horizon

H_{\infty}

An infinite-horizon

H_{\infty}

linear-quadratic control problem is considered. This problem has the following features: (i) the control cost in the cost functional has a positive small coefficient (small parameter), meaning that the control cost is much smaller than the state cost; (ii) the current cost of the fast state variable in the cost functional is a non-zero positive semi-definite quadratic form. These features require developing a significantly novel approach to asymptotic analysis of the matrix Riccati algebraic equation appearing in the solvability conditions of the considered

H_{\infty}

problem. Using this solution, an asymptotic analysis of the

H_{\infty}

problem is carried out. This analysis yields parameter-free solvability conditions for this problem and a simplified controller solving this problem. An example illustrating the theoretical results is presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Mathematical Optimal Control and Applications)

26 pages, 12755 KB

Open AccessArticle

Coupling Time-Series Sentinel-2 Imagery with Multi-Scale Landscape Metrics to Decipher Seasonal Waterbird Diversity Patterns

by Jiaxu Fan, Lei Cui, Yi Lian, Peng Du, Yangqianqian Ren, Xunqiang Mo and Zhengwang Zhang

Remote Sens. 2026, 18(3), 405; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18030405 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

Seasonal dynamics in wetland landscapes are closely associated with habitat availability and are likely to influence the spatial organization and diversity of waterbird communities. However, most existing studies rely on static land-cover representations or single spatial scales, limiting our ability to characterize how waterbirds respond to seasonally shifting habitats across scales. Focusing on the Qilihai Wetland in Tianjin, China, we combined high-frequency waterbird surveys from 2019–2021 with multi-temporal, season-matched Sentinel-2 imagery and the Dynamic World dataset. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was applied across a continuous spatial gradient (100–3000 m) to quantify scale-dependent statistical associations between landscape composition and configuration derived from satellite-mapped habitat mosaics on different functional groups. Waterbird diversity exhibited pronounced seasonal contrasts. During the breeding and post-fledging period, high-diversity assemblages were stably concentrated within core wetland areas, showing limited spatial variability. In contrast, during the wintering and stopover period, community distributions became increasingly dispersed, with elevated spatial heterogeneity and interannual variability associated with habitat reorganization. The scale of effect shifted systematically between seasons. In the breeding and post-fledging period, both waterfowl and waders responded predominantly to local-scale landscape factors (<800 m), consistent with nesting requirements and microhabitat conditions. During the wintering and stopover period, however, the characteristic response scale of waterfowl expanded to 1500–2000 m, suggesting stronger associations with broader landscape context, whereas waders remained closely linked to local-scale shallow-water and mudflat connectivity (~200 m). Functional traits played a key role in structuring these scale-dependent responses, with diving behavior and tarsus length being associated with strong constraints on habitat use. Overall, our results suggest that waterbird diversity patterns emerge from the interaction between seasonal habitat dynamics, landscape structure, and functional trait filtering, underscoring the need for phenology-informed, multi-scale conservation strategies that move beyond static spatial boundaries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Ecological Remote Sensing)

14 pages, 813 KB

Open AccessCase Report

Comprehensive Conservative Management as Rescue Therapy After Haemodialysis Failure: Two Case Reports

by Francesca K. Martino, Alessandro Martella, Francesca Fioretti, Leda Cattarin, Federica L. Stefanelli and Federico Nalesso

Clin. Pract. 2026, 16(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract16020025 (registering DOI) - 25 Jan 2026

Abstract

Background: Comprehensive conservative management (CCM) is a possible option in end-stage clinical disease, requiring multidisciplinary support and offering survival comparable to dialysis while improving quality of life in frail patients. Despite its potential benefits, CCM is often underutilized because nephrologists may perceive it as less effective compared to dialysis. We present two case reports of hemodialysis failure and of successful CCM. Case presentation: We present two case reports of elderly female patients—referred to as Patient 1 and Patient 2—who had multiple comorbidities but preserved urine output. Both patients, in accordance with their medical team, chose to discontinue hemodialysis due to poor treatment tolerance and declining overall health. They were successfully managed with CCM, leading to follow-up that revealed survival beyond 24 months, improvements in metabolic complications and quality of life, and a reduction in hospitalizations. Conclusions: These case reports demonstrate the effectiveness of dietary and medical management for end-stage kidney disease, particularly when dialysis negatively affects patients’ clinical conditions and quality of life. They also highlight the importance of considering CCM as a preferable option for frail elderly patients facing kidney failure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Nutritional Management of Patients with Kidney Disease)

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