Search Results (159)

Background/Objectives: Dietary fish oil supplementation has been associated with lower total plasma triacylglycerols in felines. The present study aimed to characterize this effect in more detail, using lipidomic analyses. Methods: Plasma samples of cats (n = 10), receiving a complete basic diet, with and without the addition of 0.5 g and 1.0 g fish oil/kg body weight/day, each for 21 days, in a randomized crossover design, were analyzed by an FIA MS/MS-based targeted metabolomics approach. Results: The results demonstrated that 360 metabolites were affected by the dietary treatments, predominantly belonging to triacylglycerols (n = 124), phosphatidylcholines (n = 68), phosphatidylethanolamines (n = 63), phosphatidylglycerols (n = 33), and phosphatidylinositols (n = 21). Lowering effects of fish oil supplementation on plasma triacylglycerols could be confirmed. However, increased levels of specific triacylglycerols were also observed, especially of those containing eicosapentaenoic or docosahexaenoic acid. The decreased triacylglycerols showed a lower number of carbons and a lower degree of unsaturation than the enhanced triacylglycerols. Such a lipid profile is assumed to be beneficial in human medicine; its relevance for feline health, however, is unclear so far. Conclusions: In conclusion, the lipidomic analyses provided a detailed characterization of the feline plasma lipidome and its modulation by a dietary fish oil supplementation. The clinical relevance of these findings warrants further investigation. Full article

This study investigates how immersive journalism delivered through virtual reality may shape audience responses toward refugees by activating affective and cognitive mechanisms associated with behavioral response. Drawing on four focus group sessions with a total of thirty two participants in Northern Cyprus, the research compares the empathic engagement and evaluative reflections associated with a 360 degree VR documentary with those produced through a traditional 2D viewing format. Participants who experienced the content in VR reported a heightened sense of presence, emotional proximity, and perspective taking, which corresponded with a positive change in their views toward refugees. In contrast, those who watched the same content in 2D expressed emotional discomfort yet generally did not describe a notable attitudinal shift, suggesting that non-immersive viewing maintains psychological distancing and reinforces pre-existing beliefs. The findings indicate that immersive journalism can operate as a technological catalyst for short-term attitudinal reorientation in politically sensitive contexts, particularly by eliciting embodied emotional responses that traditional formats struggle to generate. Although the study is limited by its small sample size and reliance on self-reported reflections, it contributes to the growing body of evidence that immersive media hold behavioral and perceptual relevance for journalism practice, audience engagement, and the broader public understanding of marginalized populations. Full article

Real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning in open-pit mining environments is critically compromised by non-line-of-sight (NLOS) signals and anisotropic multipath effects induced by pit walls, haul roads, and industrial infrastructure. Conventional elevation-dependent stochastic models fail to discriminate between geometrically favorable low-elevation satellites and those subject to directional obstruction, resulting in degraded ambiguity resolution and decimeter-level positioning errors that undermine safety-critical deformation monitoring. This paper presents an adaptive RTK positioning framework utilizing azimuth-integer-based elevation masking to explicitly model site-specific obstruction geometry. The proposed method discretizes the horizontal plane into 360 integer-degree sectors, extracts minimum elevation angles per sector from 24 h line-of-sight (LOS) data, and constructs a smoothed 360°mask profile via moving-window filtering. A virtual elevation-angle transformation is introduced to normalize satellite geometry relative to the local mask, enabling adaptive down-weighting of diffraction-susceptible observations within the stochastic model without requiring multi-day satellite repeat arcs or hardware modifications. The approach was validated using 54 h of BDS data collected at eight monitoring stations within the Wangjialing open-pit mine, China. Implementation of the mask model engendered a selective 8.1% reduction in satellite participation (15.66 to 14.39 satellites) while significantly enhancing observation quality. The ambiguity validation ratio improved by 19.5% (from 9.43 to 11.27 in the experimental project), and the fix success rate increased from 92.4% to 97.2% (exceeding the 95% reliability threshold at all stations). The RMS errors in the east, north, and up directions improved by 34.8% to 65.2%, 28.7% to 77.0%, and 44.8% to 70.8%, respectively, with the most dramatic gains observed at stations subject to severe azimuthal obstruction (e.g., ZDH6 vertical RMS: from 50.7 mm to 14.8 mm). By explicitly modeling anisotropic obstruction geometry through discrete angular sampling, the proposed method achieves sub-centimeter positioning accuracy and robust ambiguity resolution in challenging mining environments without additional hardware or empirical threshold tuning, offering a cost-effective solution for large-scale, real-time deformation monitoring systems. Full article

Current 360-degree video streaming systems consider viewport prediction, adaptive bitrate allocation, tile selection, and quality-of-experience (QoE) estimation as independent activities, yielding fragmented pipelines that do not scale well across content type and network conditions and do not scale well to individual users. We propose ImmerseFM-3D, a foundation model that jointly solves all four sub-tasks through a single shared representation. Seven input modalities, namely video frames, network traces, head-motion trajectories, ambisonics audio, depth maps, eye-tracking signals, and CLIP scene semantics, are fused by four-layer cross-modal attention and compressed into a 256-dimensional bottleneck latent via a variational information bottleneck. Four task-specific decoders operate on this shared latent simultaneously. A model-agnostic meta-learning adapter augmented with episodic memory and a hypernetwork personalizes the model from as little as 1 s of user interaction data. An extended branch supports six-degrees-of-freedom volumetric content through spherical harmonic viewport decoding and depth-aware tile importance weighting. Trained and evaluated on the IMMERSE-1M combined dataset (1000 h of 360° and volumetric video, 524 users, and over 50,000 mean opinion scores), ImmerseFM-3D reduces the mean angular viewport error by 34%, lowers the bandwidth violation rate from 8.3% to 3.1%, and achieves a QoE Pearson correlation of 0.891. The personalization adapter reaches 90% of peak performance in 22 s, while zero-shot cross-format transfer attains 72% of full in-domain accuracy. Full article

To reduce pressure on capture fisheries, sustainable aquaculture must decrease its dependency on fish meal and fish oil. Microalgae are a promising substitute due to their complete nutritional profile and low-footprint production process. This study examined the use of the cyanobacterium Limnospira maxima (commercially known as Spirulina) as a partial substitute for fish meal in feed for juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). We developed isoproteic (36%) and isoenergetic (3000 kcal kg⁻¹) fish feed formulations containing 0% (control), 10%, 20%, 30%, or 40% L. maxima dry biomass. The experimental diets were then fed to 360 juvenile O. niloticus (1.32 ± 0.35 g) for 85 days using a randomized experimental design. The hepatic, intestinal, and muscle (fillet) tissues of the fish were collected for morphophysiological, fatty acid, and proteomic analyses. The intestinal coefficient, number of intestinal villi, villus height, and hepatosomatic index were essentially the same for all treatments (p > 0.05). Treatments containing 20–30% L. maxima exhibited a higher degree of unsaturation and better dietary fat quality. A greater abundance of the enzymes SOD, GSR, PRX1, and PLD3 in the experimental groups indicated higher antioxidant activity, whereas a greater abundance of acyl-CoA dehydrogenases indicated better use of fatty acids as an energy source. These trends were more evident in the 20–30% inclusion range. Thus, adding L. maxima to fish feed improves farming performance, fish health, and product quality. The results encourage the use of microalgae to promote more sustainable aquaculture. Full article

Background: Flexible surgical instruments for Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery (RAMIS) face a critical limitation: the inability to rotate the distal head while the instrument is in a bent configuration, which restricts the maneuverability in narrow surgical workspaces. Methods: This paper presents a novel 4-degree-of-freedom (DOF) flexible laparoscopic instrument with a 10 mm diameter, incorporating a 3D-printed flexible element. The design enables independent bending (0–90°), continuous distal head rotation (360°), gripper actuation (0–60°), and rod rotation (180°). A constant-curvature kinematic model was developed. The instrument was manufactured using PolyJet 3D printing technology and integrated with the ATHENA parallel robot for proof-of-concept experimental validation. Results: Experimental tests demonstrated successful independent 360° distal head rotation across the full bending range (0–90°), validated through simulated surgical procedures including stomach retraction. Quantitative characterization using optical motion capture revealed a maximum angular deflection of 79.85° at 670 g applied load, with tip displacements of 74.95 mm (X) and 91.18 mm (Y). The measured grasping force was approximately 2 N, tip position repeatability was ±2.86 mm, and fatigue testing demonstrated no degradation after 500 bending cycles, confirmed by digital microscope inspection. The instrument performed multiple manipulation tasks, including elastic band transfer, wire path navigation, spring manipulation, and tissue grasping. Conclusions: The proposed instrument addresses a significant white spot in surgical robotics by adding an additional functional capability enabling grasper reorientation without repositioning the entire instrument. Full article

Background: Direct selective laser trabeculoplasty (DSLT) is a novel option for intraocular pressure (IOP) control in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. The automated and touchless translimbal delivery of laser energy to 360 degrees of the trabecular meshwork (TM) improves aqueous outflow and lowers IOP. DSLT is faster, simpler, and less invasive than routinely performed SLT. Few studies have compared the two techniques. Objective: To retrospectively compare the safety and efficacy of DSLT and SLT over a 1-year follow-up period. Methods: In total, 16 eyes that underwent DSLT and 16 eyes that underwent SLT were included. The primary outcome measures were mean absolute and percent IOP reduction, number of medications, and BCVA at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Survival analysis on 1-year data was performed based on the presence of one or more of the following failure criteria: (1) IOP > 21 mmHg or less than 20% reduction in IOP from baseline at two consecutive visits; (2) increase in the number of IOP-lowering drops from baseline at two consecutive visits; (3) further procedures. Results: The survival rates in the DSLT vs. SLT group were 81% vs. 78%, 44% vs. 62%, and 37% vs. 43% at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. No statistically significant differences were reported. DSLT does not seem inferior to conventional SLT in terms of safety and efficacy in reducing IOP. Conclusions: The advantages of an automated, rapid, contactless technique may enlarge the cohort of patients eligible for a drop-free first-line IOP control procedure. Full article

Robotics is increasingly used in higher education laboratories, but most commercial robots are costly and designed for industrial use. This paper presents the design, modeling, and experimental evaluation of a low-cost four-degree-of-freedom (DOF) SCARA robot for educational and research purposes. The robot supports pick-and-place and laser engraving tasks. Direct and inverse kinematics were developed using Denavit–Hartenberg parameters, and the mechanical structure was validated through the dynamic analyses. A new machine learning (ML) framework integrating Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) models was implemented to enhance motion precision, predict task success, and compensate positioning errors in real time. Experimental tests over 360 cyles under varying speeds, payloads, and object types show that the SVM predicts grasp success with 94.4% accuracy, while the RF model estimates XY positioning error with an RMSE of 1.84 mm and cycle time error with an RMSE of 0.41 s. Moreover, a novel approach in this work that combines it with a laser engraving machine has been suggested. Repeatability experiments report 0.97 mm ISO-standard repeatability, and laser engraving trials yield mean positional errors of 0.45 mm, with maximum deviation of 0.90 mm. Compared to a baseline PID controller, the ML-enhanced strategy reduces RMS positioning error from 3.30 mm to 1.83 mm and improves repeatability by 36.5%, while slightly decreasing cycle time. These results demonstrate that the proposed SCARA robot achieves high-precision, consistent, and flexible operation suitable for both academic and light-duty practical applications. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) represents a critical transition stage between normal aging and dementia, with executive dysfunction playing a key prognostic role. Traditional neuropsychological tests show limited ecological validity and may fail to detect early executive deficits. Virtual Reality (VR) offers an innovative alternative by reproducing everyday situations in realistic environments. This study investigated whether the Picture Interpretation Test 360° (PIT 360°), a VR-based assessment, can (1) discriminate between MCI patients and healthy controls (HCs); (2) identify executive dysfunction within the MCI group; and (3) correlate with standard neuropsychological measures. Methods: One hundred and one participants aged ≥65 years (53 MCI, 48 HCs) underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and PIT 360° evaluation. The PIT 360° requires interpreting a complex scene in a 360-degree virtual environment. Hierarchical linear regression, Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and binary logistic regression were performed to examine group differences and diagnostic accuracy. MCI patients were stratified based on their performance on the Modified Five Point Test to identify visuospatial dysexecutive deficits. Results: MCI patients showed significantly longer PIT 360° completion times than HCs (92.6 vs. 65.3 s, p = 0.006), independent of age. MCI patients with visuospatial dysexecutive deficits exhibited the most severe deficits (median = 105 s, p = 0.017 vs. HCs). ROC analysis revealed adequate discriminative ability (AUC = 0.64, 95% CI [0.53, 0.75]) with a preliminary, sample-derived cut-off at ≥22 s, yielding high sensitivity (86.5%) but low specificity (42.6%). This threshold requires validation in independent samples. PIT 360° completion time correlated significantly with visuospatial executive functions, visual memory, and verbal fluency. Conclusions: The PIT 360° effectively screens for visuospatial executive dysfunction in MCI with high sensitivity, making it suitable for ruling out clinically significant impairment. Its ecological validity, brief administration, and correlations with traditional measures support integration into routine clinical practice for early detection and rehabilitation planning. Full article

This paper presents the results of the study of electromagnetic disintegration of sludge in a microwave oven at power levels 180 W, 360 W, 540 W, 720 W and 900 W applied at 30 s intervals from 30 to 300 s, originating from a water treatment process where polyaluminum chloride ([Al₂(OH)_nCl_6-n]_m) as a coagulant was applied. The selected physicochemical parameters of water treatment sludge, including the total solids content (TS), volatile solids content (VS), capillary suction time (CST), settleability, chemical oxygen demand (COD), heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cd, Cr) and macro elements (K, Na, Ca) in the water extract and in the sludge liquid were measured. The results indicated that after 24 h of sedimentation, the sediment volume was within the range of 50–60 mL for almost all the samples, CST decreased to 23.06 and 25.72 s (for 720 and 900 W, respectively) and the COD increased to approximately 140 mg O₂/L when the microwave exposure time was extended at least to 120 s. The degree of disintegration of the water treatment sludge increased to 13.4–14.3% for 540–720 W and 270–300 s irradiation time. Heavy metals are not leached from the sludge after microwave disintegration in concentrations that could pose a threat to the environment. The use of electromagnetic disintegration is the viable option for the treatment of sludge from water treatment process. Full article

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-enriched eggs are nutritionally valuable for human cardiovascular health and neurodevelopment but face severe lipid oxidation during storage due to DHA’s high degree of unsaturation, which reduces their quality and shelf life. Selenium (Se) mitigates such oxidation, yet the efficacy of different Se sources (organic vs. inorganic) in DHA-enriched eggs remains inadequately quantified. This study investigated the effects of dietary Se sources on Se distribution, internal quality, and oxidative stability of DHA-enriched eggs by feeding 360 Hy-line Brown laying hens (50 weeks old) four diets for 8 weeks: a basal diet (CON; analyzed Se: 0.10 mg/kg), a DHA-enriched microalgae diet (MA; analyzed Se: 0.11 mg/kg), or MA supplemented with 0.25 mg/kg Se as sodium selenite (MA + SS) or selenium yeast (MA + SY). At the end of the feeding trial, eggs were collected and stored at 22 °C for 0, 15, or 30 days to evaluate internal quality and oxidative stability. Results showed that SY was significantly more effective than SS in enriching Se in eggs: the total Se content in whole eggs of MA + SY (18.82 mg) was 39.6% higher than that of MA + SS (13.48 mg), with albumen Se content in MA + SY (0.239 mg/kg) being 2.17-fold that of MA + SS (0.110 mg/kg). Supplementation with DHA alone (MA diet) negatively impacted stored egg quality: at 30 days of storage, the Haugh unit (HU) of MA (54.93) was 10.6% lower than that of CON (61.48), and yolk thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARSs, 495.8 μg MDA/kg) was 22.9% higher than that of CON (403.3 μg MDA/kg). However, both Se sources improved these parameters, with SY showing a more pronounced effect: at 30 days, MA + SY had a higher yolk GPX activity (58.10 U/g protein, 12.1% higher than MA + SS) and lower yolk TBARSs (361.2 μg MDA/kg, 11.6% lower than MA + SS), while its HU (62.97) was restored to 99.2% of CON’s level. The superior efficacy of SY was attributed to greater Se deposition and enhanced GPX activity, which jointly reduced lipid and protein oxidation. These findings confirm SY as the preferred Se supplement for producing nutritionally enhanced DHA-enriched eggs with improved storage stability. Full article

Documenting cultural heritage sites through 3D reconstruction is crucial and can be accomplished using various geomatic techniques, such as Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS), Close-Range Photogrammetry (CRP), and UAV photogrammetry. Each method comes with different levels of complexity, accuracy, field times, post-processing requirements, and costs, making them suitable for different types of restitutions. Recently, research has increasingly focused on user-friendly and faster techniques, while also considering the cost–benefit balance between accuracy, times, and costs. In this scenario, photogrammetry using images captured with 360-degree cameras and LiDAR sensors integrated into Apple devices have gained significant popularity. This study proposes the application of various techniques for the geometric reconstruction of a complex cultural heritage site, the Church of Saint Andrew in Orani, Sardinia. Datasets acquired from different geomatic techniques have been evaluated in terms of quality and usability for documenting various aspects of the site. The TLS provided an accurate model of both the interior and exterior of the church, serving as the ground truth for the validation process. UAV photogrammetry offered a broader view of the exterior, while panoramic photogrammetry from 360° camera was applied to survey the bell tower’s interior. Additionally, CRP and Apple LiDAR were compared in the context of a detailed survey. Full article

Background/Objectives: The approach to physical activity in people with hemophilia (PwH) is still conditioned by many difficulties. Thus, a prospective observational pilot study has been carried out aiming to evaluate how an adequate and controlled training program can slow down the onset or evolution of arthropathy and improve musculoskeletal health and quality of life. Methods: Performed from April 2022 to April 2023, this study involved nine severe hemophilic A and B patients, aged > 18 years old, on regular prophylaxis with replacement products. Participants, without changing the usual prophylaxis schedule and maintaining a trough level of at least 20% FVIII/FIX before training, were involved in physical activity twice a week. Results: After 12 months, no increase in annual bleeding ratio (ABR) was observed, and baseline joint status (as assessable by HEAD US score, HJHS, and NRS) was maintained. Even if not statistically significant, a trend toward improvement in mean HEAD US score (15.55 vs. 13.11) and HJHS (14.4 vs. 11) from baseline was observed. Some of the physical tests performed showed a significant improvement at 6 months and 12 months from baseline (5 Rep Sit to Stand, Sit and Reach, and 6-minute Walking Test), meaning an improvement in leg strength, dorsal flexibility, and aerobic resistance. Conclusions: This is the first pilot study evaluating at 360 degrees the safety and impact of a controlled physical activity in PwH. No participant experienced bleedings or a worsening in joint status, but they experienced an improvement in articular functionality. Without changing the usual prophylaxis, scheduling training sessions according to individual pharmacokinetics turned out to be a safe and a cost-effective approach. Full article

In China, most of the ancient wooden structure mortise and tenon buildings, under the long-term upper load, have columns with surface surfaces that have varying degrees of damage, which need to be repaired and strengthened urgently, but the theory related to CFRP, mortise size, and pre-damage simulation still needs to be deeply studied. To investigate the effects of CFRP reinforcement layers, cross-sectional area of concealed tenons as the projected area after installation, and tenon engagement length as the axial length after installation on the axial compressive mechanical properties of pre-damaged quad-segment spliced Pinus sylvestris var. mongolia composited wooden columns, axial compression failure tests were conducted on 10 specimens following pre-damage simulation and CFRP strengthening. The experimental program yielded comprehensive data, including observations, mechanical analyses, load-displacement curves, load-strain curves, ultimate load-bearing capacities, ductility coefficients, and stiffness values. The results demonstrate that with consistent tenon cross-sectional area and engagement length, increasing CFRP layers from 1 to 3 raises the ultimate bearing capacity from 472.3 kN to 620.3 kN and improves the ductility coefficient from 4.67 to 7.95, clearly indicating that CFRP reinforcement significantly enhances axial compressive performance while effectively mitigating brittle failure. When maintaining constant CFRP layers and tenon cross-sectional area, extending the tenon engagement length from 30 mm to 90 mm elevates the bearing capacity from 494.95 kN to 546.3 kN and boosts the ductility coefficient from 5.58 to 7.95. In contrast, with fixed CFRP layers and engagement length, expanding the tenon cross-sectional area from 360 mm² to 810 mm² produces only marginal bearing capacity improvement from 548.2 kN to 556.2 kN with ductility coefficients ranging between 4.67 and 5.56, conclusively revealing that tenon engagement length has substantially greater influence on mechanical properties than cross-sectional area. The optimal axial compressive performance configuration combines 3 CFRP layers, an 810 mm² tenon cross-section, and a 90 mm engagement length. Full article

Background and Objectives: Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune skin disorder characterized by the loss of pigmentation, resulting in depigmented patches due to the destruction of melanocytes. This condition can lead to considerable psychological distress, and research indicates a possible connection with major depressive disorder (MDD). Nonetheless, the depth and nature of this association, particularly within the Saudi population, have not been thoroughly investigated. This case–control study seeks to explore the relationship between vitiligo and depressive symptomatology, evaluate the severity of depressive symptoms in vitiligo patients compared to control subjects, and examine the association between the clinical severity of vitiligo (assessed using the Vitiligo Area Scoring Index, VASI) and depressive symptoms (measured using the PHQ-9, a validated screening instrument based on DSM criteria). Materials and Methods: A total of 700 participants were included, comprising 340 individuals with vitiligo and 360 controls with other skin conditions. Participants completed a web-based questionnaire that collected sociodemographic data and included the PHQ-9 assessment. The severity of vitiligo was determined using the VASI. Statistical analysis involved using the computer program IBM Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) (version 26.0). Results: The average PHQ-9 score was significantly higher for patients with vitiligo (8.28 ± 7.36) compared to controls (6.30 ± 4.70, p = 0.028). While the overall rates of mild to severe depression were comparable (41.5% in vitiligo patients versus 40.3% in controls, p = 0.748), vitiligo patients exhibited higher occurrences of moderately severe depression (11.8%) and severe depression (10.9%) compared to controls (5.8% and 0.8%, respectively; p < 0.001). A weak, yet significant, positive correlation was found between VASI and PHQ-9 scores (ρ = 0.184, p < 0.001). The vulgaris and segmental types of vitiligo exhibited the highest median depression scores (PHQ-9: 11 and 9, respectively; p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that those with genital vitiligo had greater odds of experiencing depression (OR = 12.10, p = 0.039), while those with universalis vitiligo faced even higher odds (OR ≈ 26,837.84, p = 0.001). Interestingly, higher VASI scores were linked to lower odds of depression (OR = 0.927, p = 0.029). Additionally, the risk of depression significantly increased with higher income levels and among individuals aged 50 years and older. Conclusions: Although the overall prevalence of depression was not significantly different between vitiligo patients and controls, the degree of depressive symptoms was notably more severe in those with vitiligo. Specific clinical subtypes, particularly genital and universalis vitiligo, were found to be more closely associated with an increased risk of depression. These results highlight the importance of regular mental health screenings and customized psychosocial support in dermatological care, especially for high-risk groups. Full article