Search Results (1,157)

Background/Objectives: Malnutrition is an imbalance of nutrients required for growth, development, and organ function. Its impact on bone development is known, but its effects on cartilage remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the femoral cartilage thickness in children with primary malnutrition. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, 83 children with primary malnutrition and 62 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. Patients with primary malnutrition were classified as mild, moderate and severe. Femoral cartilage thickness measurements of all children were taken by ultrasound from the femoral lateral condyle, femoral medial condyle and intercondylar area for both knees with the patient in a supine position with the knees flexed 90 degrees. Results: The right lateral, right medial, left lateral, and left medial femoral cartilages were significantly thicker in patients with malnutrition compared to those without malnutrition (p = 0.002, 0.004, <0.001, and 0.001, respectively). A significant negative correlation was found between age, weight Z-score, and height Z-score and triceps skinfold thickness. Conclusions: Distal femoral cartilage thickness is significantly greater in children with primary malnutrition. This demonstrates the effect of nutritional factors on cartilage tissue and suggests that children with chronic malnutrition are at risk for both knee joint problems and short stature later in life. Full article

In this study, the efficacy of super white cement (SWC) to improve organic soils was researched. For stabilization, 10%, 15%, and 20% proportions of SWC were added to organic soil. After improvement with SWC, Atterberg limit testing, standard Proctor tests, triaxial compression tests, and swelling and compressibility tests were performed on the organic soil. Proctor tests showed that stabilization of organic soil with SWC increased maximum dry density (MDD) and optimum moisture content (OMC) values. After stabilization, the unconfined compressional strength values of the soil increased. This increase continued until the 28th day and had a reducing trend after improvement with SWC, linked to time. In addition to the reaction between SWC and OS, the time-dependent behavior of OS also contributed to this behavior. With the increase in SWC proportions, the cohesion intercept and internal friction angle values rapidly increased until the 56th day. This increase began to reduce after the 56th day. After stabilization, the swelling percentage and compressibility values for the soil reduced. The addition of SWC within organic soil appeared to improve the engineering properties of the soil. Full article

The unique properties of phthalocyanines (Pcs), such as strong absorption, high photostability, effective singlet oxygen generation, low toxicity and biocompatibility, versatile chemical modifications, broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, and synergistic effects with other treatment modalities, make them a preferred superior sensitizer in the field of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy. The photodynamic and sonodynamic activity of 3-(3-(diethylamino)phenoxy)propanoxy substituted silicon(IV) Pc were evaluated against bacteria and cancer cells. Stability and singlet oxygen generation upon light irradiation and ultrasound (1 MHz, 3 W) were assessed with 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran. The phthalocyanine revealed high photostability in DMF and DMSO, although the singlet oxygen yields under light irradiation were low. On the other hand, the phthalocyanine revealed excellent sonostability and caused a high rate of DPBF degradation upon excitation by ultrasounds at 1 MHz. The silicon phthalocyanine presented significant bacterial reduction growth, up to 5 log against MRSA and S. epidermidis upon light excitation, whereas the sonodynamic effect was negligible. The phthalocyanine revealed high activity in both photodynamic and sonodynamic manner toward hypopharyngeal tumor (FaDu, 95% and 42% reduction, respectively) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC-25, 96% and 62% reduction, respectively). The sensitizer showed ca. 30% aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibition in various concentrations and up to 85% platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase for 0.25 μM, while protease-activated protein C was stimulated up to 66% for 0.75 μM. Full article

Background/Objectives: Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), human serum albumin (HSA) and folic acid (FA) are prospective components for hybrid nanosystems for various biomedical applications. The magnetic nanosystems FA-HSA@IONPs (FAMs) containing IONPs, HSA, and FA residue are engineered in the study. Methods: Composition, stability and integrity of the coating, and peroxidase-like activity of FAMs are characterized using UV/Vis spectrophotometry (colorimetric test using o-phenylenediamine (OPD), Bradford protein assay, etc.), spectrofluorimetry, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electron magnetic resonance (EMR). The selectivity of the FAMs accumulation in cancer cells is analyzed using flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Results: FAMs (d_N~55 nm by DLS) as a drug delivery platform have been administered to cancer cells (human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines) in vitro. Methylene blue, as a model photosensitizer, has been non-covalently bound to FAMs. An increase in photoinduced cytotoxicity has been found upon excitation of the photosensitizer bound to the coating of FAMs compared to the single photosensitizer at equivalent concentrations. The suitability of the nanosystems for photodynamic therapy has been confirmed. Conclusions: FAMs are able to effectively enter cells with increased folate receptor expression and thus allow antitumor photosensitizers to be delivered to cells without any loss of their in vitro photodynamic efficiency. Therapeutic and diagnostic applications of FAMs in oncology are discussed. Full article

Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia (ADD) progresses along a continuum of cognitive decline, typically from Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI) to Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and eventually to dementia. While many studies have focused on classifying these clinical stages, fewer have examined whether brain connectomes encode this continuum in a low-dimensional, interpretable form. Motivated by the hypothesis that structural brain connectomes undergo complex yet compact changes across cognitive decline, we propose a Graph Neural Network (GNN)-based framework that embeds these connectomes into a two-dimensional manifold to capture the evolving patterns of structural connectivity associated with cognitive deterioration. Using attention-based graph aggregation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), we find that MCI subjects consistently occupy an intermediate position between SCI and ADD, and that the observed transitions align with known clinical biomarkers of ADD pathology. This hypothesis-driven analysis is further supported by the model’s robust separation performance, with ROC-AUC scores of 0.93 for ADD vs. SCI and 0.81 for ADD vs. MCI. These findings offer an interpretable and neurologically grounded representation of dementia progression, emphasizing structural connectome alterations as potential markers of cognitive decline. Full article

Pastırma is a traditional dry-cured meat product made from whole pieces of cattle or water buffalo carcasses. Sixteen or more types of pastırma can be produced from different parts of the carcass. This study investigated the effect of low salt processing (3% NaCl) on the lipolytic enzyme activity, volatile profile, color, lipid oxidation, and microbiological properties of commonly produced types of pastırma (kuşgömü, sırt, bohça, and şekerpare). In the study, 5% NaCl level was used as the control group. For all pastırma types, the pH changed between 5.5 and 6.0. The a_w value was less than 0.90 for the pastırma types. The L* value increased when the salt level decreased from 5% to 3% (p < 0.05); however, the salt level did not affect the a* and b* values (p > 0.05). Reducing the salt level increased the neutral lipase activity and decreased the TBARS. As the salt level increased, the acid lipase activity increased in the bohça pastırma, and the phospholipase activity increased in the kuşgömü and sırt pastırma (p < 0.05). Furthermore, while Micrococcus/Staphylococcus constituted the dominant microbiota in pastırma types, a 5% salt level led to a decrease in the number of lactic acid bacteria. The volatile compounds were more affected by salt level than by pastırma type. The correlation analysis showed that there are some differences between 3% and 5% salt levels and the use of a 3% salt level increases the abundance of the compounds. The correlation analysis also revealed that there are differences between the pastırma types in terms of the volatile compounds and that kuşgömü pastırma differs from other pastırma types. Full article

Economic policy uncertainty is an important macroeconomic risk factor that can have direct effects on investment decisions, growth dynamics, and public finance. In particular, its potential impact on tax revenue is critical in terms of fiscal sustainability. This study investigates the Granger-causal relationship between economic policy uncertainty, total tax revenue, and economic growth in G7 economies over the 1997–2021 period, applying symmetric and asymmetric panel causality tests. The empirical findings revealed evidence of causality between economic policy uncertainty and tax revenue and between economic growth and economic policy uncertainty. In asymmetric analyses where the effects of positive and negative shocks were separated, the direction of causal relationships differed between countries. These results imply that asymmetric effects vary by country. Overall, the empirical findings suggest that enhancing transparency and predictability in tax systems could play a vital role in reducing economic policy uncertainty and thus positively affect tax revenue performance and fiscal resilience. Full article

Root-emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a critical role in below-ground ecological interactions by mediating communication between plants, pests, and their natural enemies. This study investigates the chemotactic behavior of three slug-parasitic nematode species—Phasmarhabditis papillosa, Oscheius myriophilus, and Oscheius onirici—in response to four carrot (Daucus carota) root-derived VOCs: α-pinene, terpinolene, bornyl acetate, and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. Using a modified Petri dish assay, infective juveniles (IJs) were exposed to each compound across four concentrations (pure, 1000 ppm, 10 ppm, and 0.03 ppm), and their directional movement was quantified using a chemotaxis index (CI). The results revealed strong species-specific and concentration-dependent patterns. O. myriophilus exhibited the highest motility and repellency, particularly toward bornyl acetate and terpinolene, indicating its potential for use in VOC-guided biocontrol strategies. O. onirici showed moderate but consistent attraction to most VOCs, while P. papillosa exhibited generally weak or repellent responses, especially at higher concentrations. None of the compounds tested functioned as strong attractants (CI ≥ 0.2), suggesting that plant-derived VOCs alone may not be sufficient to direct nematode recruitment under field conditions. However, their integration with other biotic cues could enhance nematode-based “lure-and-infect” systems for sustainable slug control in carrot cropping systems. Full article

Background: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have significantly improved outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially among patients with actionable genetic mutations. However, the influence of family and personal medical history (FPMH) on clinical and treatment outcomes with TKI therapy remains underexplored. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 136 NSCLC patients receiving TKIs, categorized into two groups based on the presence or absence of documented FPMH. Clinical variables assessed included demographic data, comorbidities, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, tumor characteristics, genetic mutations (EGFR, ALK, ROS1), treatment responses, toxicity profiles, and survival outcomes. Statistical analyses included Chi-square tests, t-tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, Spearman correlation, and univariate logistic regression (p < 0.05 threshold for significance). Results: Patients with FPMH (n = 34) had a significantly higher burden of chronic diseases (58.8% vs. 15.7%), poorer ECOG scores (≥3: 8.8% vs. 1.0%), increased recurrence (41.2% vs. 20.6%), and greater chemotherapy-related toxicity (50.0% vs. 28.4%) compared to those without FPMH (n = 102). However, there were no significant differences in survival duration or mutation status between the two groups. Conclusions: FPMH may be a predictive factor for treatment complications and recurrence in NSCLC patients receiving TKIs, although it does not appear to influence survival or genetic mutation status. These findings support the need for personalized clinical monitoring strategies based on medical history. Full article

Respiratory diseases represent a persistent global health challenge, underscoring the need for intelligent, accurate, and personalized diagnostic and therapeutic systems. Existing methods frequently suffer from limitations in diagnostic precision, lack of individualized treatment, and constrained adaptability to complex clinical scenarios. To address these challenges, our study introduces a modular AI-powered framework that integrates an audio-based disease classification model with simulated molecular biomarker profiles to evaluate the feasibility of future multimodal diagnostic extensions, alongside a synthetic-data-driven prescription recommendation engine. The disease classification model analyzes respiratory sound recordings and accurately distinguishes among eight clinical classes: bronchiectasis, pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiolitis, and healthy respiratory state. The proposed model achieved a classification accuracy of 99.99% on a holdout test set, including 94.2% accuracy on pediatric samples. In parallel, the prescription module provides individualized treatment recommendations comprising drug, dosage, and frequency trained on a carefully constructed synthetic dataset designed to emulate real-world prescribing logic.The model achieved over 99% accuracy in medication prediction tasks, outperforming baseline models such as those discussed in research. Minimal misclassification in the confusion matrix and strong clinician agreement on 200 prescriptions (Cohen’s $\kappa$ = 0.91 [0.87–0.94] for drug selection, 0.78 [0.74–0.81] for dosage, 0.96 [0.93–0.98] for frequency) further affirm the system’s reliability. Adjusted clinician disagreement rates were 2.7% (drug), 6.4% (dosage), and 1.5% (frequency). SHAP analysis identified age and smoking as key predictors, enhancing model explainability. Dosage accuracy was 91.3%, and most disagreements occurred in renal-impaired and pediatric cases. However, our study is presented strictly as a proof-of-concept. The use of synthetic data and the absence of access to real patient records constitute key limitations. A trialed clinical deployment was conducted under a controlled environment with a positive rate of satisfaction from experts and users, but the proposed system must undergo extensive validation with de-identified electronic medical records (EMRs) and regulatory scrutiny before it can be considered for practical application. Nonetheless, the findings offer a promising foundation for the future development of clinically viable AI-assisted respiratory care tools. Full article

Assessing teacher candidates’ self-efficacy in using reading strategies is essential for understanding their academic development. This study developed and validated the Teacher Candidates’ Self-Efficacy Scale for Informational Reading Strategies (TCSES-IRS) using a mixed-methods sequential exploratory design. Initial qualitative data from interviews with 33 candidates and a literature review guided item generation. Lawshe’s method confirmed content validity. The scale was administered to 1176 teacher candidates. Exploratory (n = 496) and confirmatory factor analyses (n = 388) supported a five-factor structure—cognitive, note-taking, exploration and preparation, physical and process-based, and reflective and analytical strategies—explaining 63.71% of total variance, with acceptable fit indices (χ²/df = 2.64, CFI = 0.912, TLI = 0.900, RMSEA = 0.069). Internal consistency was high (α = 0.899 total; subscales α = 0.708–0.906). An additional sample of 294 participants was used for nomological network validation. Convergent validity was demonstrated by significant item-total correlations and strong factor loadings. Discriminant validity was evidenced by moderate inter-factor correlations. Criterion-related validity was confirmed via significant group differences and meaningful correlations with an external self-efficacy measure. The TCSES-IRS emerges as a psychometrically sound tool for assessing informational reading self-efficacy, supporting research and practice in educational psychology. Full article

Brain morphological abnormalities are common in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and other neuropsychiatric disorders, often reflecting abnormal brain development and function. Genetic studies have found common genetic factors in NDDs and other neuropsychiatric disorders, although the etiology of brain structural changes in these disorders remains poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and genetic data from more than 30K individuals from the UK Biobank to evaluate whether NDD-risk copy number variants (CNVs) are also associated with neuroanatomical changes in both patients and neurotypical individuals. We found that the size differences in brain regions such as corpus callosum and cerebellum were associated with the deletions of specific areas of the human genome, and that specific neuroanatomical changes confer a risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. Furthermore, we observed that gene sets located in these genomic regions were enriched for pathways crucial for brain development and for phenotypes commonly observed in patients with NDDs. These findings highlight the link between CNVs, brain structure abnormalities, and the shared pathophysiology of NDDs and other neuropsychiatric disorders, providing new insights into the underlying mechanisms of these disorders and the identification of potential biomarkers for better diagnosis. Full article

The sustainable valorization of electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) and fly ash (FA) presents critical environmental challenges. This study systematically investigates the performance optimization of EMR-FA ceramic composites through the coordinated regulation of raw material ratios, sintering temperatures, and additive effects. While the composite with 85 g FA exhibits the highest mechanical strength, lowest porosity, and minimal water absorption, the formulation consisting of 45 wt% EMR, 40 wt% FA, and 15 wt% kaolin is identified as a balanced composition that achieves an effective compromise between mechanical performance and solid waste utilization efficiency. Sintering temperature studies revealed temperature-dependent property enhancement, with controlled sintering at 1150 °C preventing the over-firing phenomena observed at 1200 °C while promoting phase evolution. XRD-SEM analyses confirmed accelerated anorthite formation and the morphological transformations of FA spherical particles under thermal activation. Additive engineering demonstrated that 8 wt% CaO addition enhanced structural densification through hydrogrossular crystallization, whereas Na₂SiO₃ induced sodium-rich calcium silicate phases that suppressed anorthite development. Contrastingly, ZrO₂ facilitated zircon nucleation, while TiO₂ enabled progressive performance enhancement through amorphous phase modification. This work establishes fundamental phase–structure–property relationships and provides actionable engineering parameters for sustainable ceramic production from industrial solid wastes. Full article

Background: Semaglutide and Liraglutide are medications in the Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (GLP-1 RAs) class used to manage type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity in Saudi Arabia. Although the 1.0 mg once weekly dosage of Semaglutide does not have a labeled indication for the management of obesity, many believe that this dosage is more effective than the 3.0 mg once daily Liraglutide dosage for the management of both diabetes and obesity. Objective: To compare the effectiveness of the dosage of 1.0 mg of Semaglutide administered once weekly versus 3.0 mg of Liraglutide administered once daily in controlling HbA1c levels, promoting weight loss, and evaluating their financial implications among obese patients in Saudi Arabia using real-world data. Methods: A retrospective review of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) from January 2021 to June 2024 was conducted on patients prescribed Semaglutide or Liraglutide for at least 12 months. Exclusion criteria included pre-existing severe conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, stroke, or cancer) and missing baseline data. The primary outcomes assessed were changes in HbA1c, weight, and direct medical costs. Results: Two hundred patients (100 patients on the 1.0 mg once weekly dose of Semaglutide and 100 patients on the 3.0 mg once daily dose of Liraglutide) of those randomly selected from the EMRs met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Of the 200 eligible patients (65.5% female, mean age 48.54 years), weight loss was greater with Semaglutide (−8.09 kg) than Liraglutide (−5.884 kg). HbA1c reduction was also greater with Semaglutide (−1.073%) than Liraglutide (−0.298%). The use of Semaglutide resulted in lower costs of USD −1264.76 (95% CI: −1826.82 to 33.76) and greater reductions in weight of −2.22 KG (95% CI: −7.68 to −2.784), as well as lower costs of USD −1264.76 (95% CI: (−2368.16 to −239.686) and greater reductions in HbA1c of −0.77% (95% CI: −0.923 to −0.0971) in more than 95% of the cost effectiveness bootstrap distributions. Conclusions: Semaglutide 1.0 mg weekly seems to be more effective and cost-saving in managing prediabetes, diabetes, and obesity compared to Liraglutide 3.0 mg daily. Future studies should examine these findings using a more representative sample and a robust study design. Full article

Background: This study aimed to compare the immediate effects of small-sided games (SSGs) and running-based high-intensity interval training (HIITrb) on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, cognitive performance, and enjoyment in young, male soccer players. Methods: Twenty-four soccer players [age: 19.2 ± 0.8 years] completed one session each of four-a-side SSG or HIITrb in a randomized, counterbalanced, and crossover design, with a one-week washout period. Blood samples and Trail Making Tests (TMTs) A and B were measured before and after exercise. Heart rate (HR) was monitored throughout the games, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and enjoyment were collected at the end of the measurements. Results: The results show no significant effects of time (p > 0.775), group (p > 0.276) or time × group interaction (p > 0.199) on BDNF levels. For TMT-A, the time effect (p = 0.866) and group effect (p = 0.057) were not significant; however, the time × group interaction was significant (p < 0.019), indicating a superior performance in the SSG compared to HIITrb. In the TMT-B, significant effects were observed for both time (p < 0.001) and group (p < 0.001), while the time × group interaction effect was not statistically significant (p > 0.061). Furthermore, enjoyment levels did not differ significantly between conditions (p = 0.976). Conclusions: These findings suggest that four-a-side SSG may enhance processing speed compared to HIITrb without changes in serum BDNF levels. Coaches may consider using 4v4 SSG formats in early training sessions or warm-ups to stimulate processing speed and mental readiness in young soccer players. Full article