Search Results (318)

Blockchain-assisted off-chain storage for IoT must simultaneously manage low-latency tiered data placement, trusted and dynamic on-chain mapping, migration consistency, and failure recovery—four concerns that existing designs address in isolation. Tiered storage systems optimize placement without modeling the scalable coordination cost of keeping object–location bindings trustworthy, while blockchain-metadata studies assume static storage topologies with no dynamic tier migration. This paper presents a scalable and trusted metadata-coordinated tiered off-chain storage framework, which bridges traditional trust systems (e.g., legacy authentication) with blockchain networks powered by Proof of Capacity (PoC) consensus. In this framework, adaptive heat-driven placement, dynamic on-chain mapping evolution with batched commitment, migration-aware redirect control, and rollback-safe recovery operate as a single coordinated workflow, with the five-stage write–verify–commit–redirect–retire pipeline acting as a lightweight coordination protocol that maintains ordered and atomic state transitions under message loss, out-of-order delivery, and single-node failures. The distinctive contribution lies in the framework’s coupled control: every placement decision propagates through a verifiable metadata path that can be audited and, when necessary, rolled back. Simulation across multiple workload patterns shows that the proposed method reduces average access latency by 28% and raises the hot-tier hit ratio from 0.19 to 0.65 relative to a dynamic baseline without trusted mapping coordination under the simulated registry write cost. To achieve high-throughput mapping operations, batched on-chain commitment cuts metadata transactions by 50× at the cost of a tunable mapping freshness delay. The framework scales from 1 k to 50 k managed objects, effectively managing tens of millions of bytes of data (10+ MB scale) without disproportionate overhead growth; beyond this scale, hot-tier capacity rather than coordination becomes the dominant bottleneck, and smarter predictive placement becomes the natural next lever. All tested fault types achieve 100% rollback success with sub-millisecond local data plane interruption; audit-visible recovery depends on the assumed chain finality delay and, for heavily regulated IoT domains, such as finance and healthcare, should be treated as the operationally binding recovery time objective. These results, together with extended evaluations—including asymmetric write latency stress, coordination ablation, tail latency analysis, and benefit–complexity assessment—provide quantitative evidence that scalable, dynamic mapping coordination can be integrated into tiered off-chain data management at an acceptable and measurable operational cost under the simulated configuration. Full article

Granulosa cells (GCs), an element of the ovarian follicle, are crucial for oocyte maturation, folliculogenesis, and steroidogenesis. Granulosa cells play a crucial role in fertilization by providing metabolic and hormonal support to the oocyte, maintaining its quality and regulating its meiotic arrest. Oocyte quality and fertilization efficiency depend on the proper activity of GCs, especially their mutual communication, providing metabolic support and protecting against oxidative stress. When interrupted, they may take part in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome, premature ovarian failure, primary ovarian insufficiency, and diminished ovarian reserve. GCs are enclosed in the antrum where they communicate with surrounding cells, create a dynamic microenvironment, and regulate hormone biosynthesis. To analyze molecular mechanisms regulating endogenous signaling, it is important to consider the dynamic transcriptomic response of porcine GCs during in vitro culturing over 48, 96, and 144 h. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a variable and dynamic transcriptional upregulation of genes associated with cellular response to endogenous and external stimuli, chemical compound metabolism, vascular development, and GCs migration. Also, proven by Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, the following terms were highlighted: “cellular response to chemical stimulus” and “cellular response to organic substance”. Specific genes, such as HSD3B1, POSTN, LOX, SERPINB2, ITGB3, ANKRD1, SLC1A1, and SFRP2, exhibited significant expression changes, suggesting extensive GCs self-regulation and metabolism changes. Further analysis indicates improvements in cellular response to a cytokine stimulus, growth factor response, hormone response, enzyme-linked receptor protein signaling, and positive regulation of cell migration. These findings suggest interweaving of regulatory mechanisms underlying intercellular communication in GCs during in vitro culturing, despite the lack of signals from the native ovarian environment. Further investigating interplays of detecting pathways will provide a more comprehensive understanding and even insights into the potential clinical use of the knowledge about the role of GCs in folliculogenesis, oocyte maturation and ovulation. Full article

Background: In the US, obesity is still a serious public health issue. Bariatric surgery utilization has recently been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)/International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) guideline expansion. The combined effects of these events on national utilization trends remain unclear. Methods: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study using electronic medical record data from the TriNetX network, including adults aged ≥18 years from 2018 through 2024. Primary bariatric procedures were identified using validated CPT and ICD codes. Quarterly surgery rates per 100,000 adults were calculated using the number of unique adults with at least one healthcare encounter per quarter as the denominator. Level and slope changes related to the start of COVID-19 (Q2 2020) and the application of the 2022 ASMBS guidelines (Q1 2022) were evaluated using interrupted time series models. Procedure-type distributions were also evaluated. Results: A total of 215,072 procedures were identified. Utilization was stable before Q2 2020, when a significant decline occurred following the onset of COVID-19. Rates recovered through 2021. After Q1 2022, a modest immediate increase was observed, followed by a sustained downward trend through 2024. Sleeve gastrectomy accounted for approximately two-thirds of procedures throughout the study period. Conclusions: Bariatric surgery utilization was markedly disrupted by COVID-19 and showed limited sustained growth after guideline expansion. These patterns might be a reflection of more general changes in the management of obesity, such as the growing accessibility of medication. Full article

Background/Objectives: Wound infections represent a major category of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) that interrupt the wound healing process, resulting in delayed wound healing and increasing the incidence of mortality, morbidity and healthcare costs. With the emergence of antibiotic resistance, there is an urgent need to find alternative therapeutic strategies capable of overcoming antibiotic resistance while simultaneously promoting wound healing. Previously, we synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles stabilized with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (IONPs-CTAB), reported their antimicrobial activity against selected multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR-bacteria) and SARS-CoV2 virus, and addressed their biocompatibility with the skin and eyes of rabbits. Therefore, it is hypothesized that IONPs-CTAB might be a promising alternative therapeutic agent for management of infected wounds. Methods: IONPs-CTAB were synthesized, and their successful synthesis was confirmed by FTIR, DSC-TGA, and XPS. Their antibacterial activity against three MDR-bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), isolated from infected wounds was investigated via the microdilution test to determine MIC/MBC, and a time–kill curve study was also performed. Subsequently, an in vivo study was conducted to assess their wound healing activity on both non-infected and infected wounds. Results: IONPs-CTAB had MIC and MBC values ranging from 125 to 250, and 500 to 1000 µg/mL, respectively. The time–kill curve study showed an effective control of bacterial growth for all tested bacteria. The vivo study demonstrated the superior wound healing activity of IONPs-CTAB compared to standard treatment on both non-infected and infected wounds. This was further confirmed by histopathological examination and biochemical analysis. Conclusions: IONPs-CTAB might be a good therapeutic alternative for the management of infected and non-infected wounds. However, future studies are still required to assess their long-term safety and the possibility of their extravasation to systemic circulation, with their potential accumulation in various organs after a long-term application. Full article

With the rapid growth of transportation electrification and smart energy systems, the reliable operation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure has become an important issue for sustainable transport, since charging faults may interrupt service and shorten equipment lifetime. However, practical charging environments are often characterized by heterogeneous operating conditions and severely imbalanced fault distributions, which limit the effectiveness of conventional fault diagnosis methods. To address these challenges, this study proposes a lightweight Proto-Contrastive Discriminative Learning (PCDL) framework for intelligent fault diagnosis in EV charging systems. The proposed method combines supervised contrastive learning with a prototype-distance discrimination mechanism to improve the identification of rare abnormal states under long-tailed data conditions. Heterogeneous charging features, including discrete control signals and continuous total harmonic distortion (THD) indicators, are projected into a discriminative embedding space, while anomaly detection is performed according to the relative distances between samples and class prototypes. Experimental results on a publicly available EV charging-pile monitoring dataset, containing 122,144 samples with four discrete control/safety features and two THD-based power-quality features, demonstrate that the proposed framework maintains stable detection performance under imbalance ratios of 1:1, 1:10, and 1:100. Under the most challenging 1:100 condition, the proposed method achieves an F1-score of 84.21%, representing a 29.08% improvement over the strongest baseline method. In addition, the framework requires only approximately 11 KB of memory and maintains CPU inference latency below 6.3 ms, demonstrating strong potential for real-time deployment on resource-constrained edge devices. These results suggest that the proposed framework can provide a lightweight diagnostic tool for practical charging stations and support safer and more reliable EV charging operation. Full article

This paper examines how value-added tax (VAT) reforms affected recorded point-of-sale (POS) spending in Saudi Arabia’s restaurant, café, and food service sector during a period of rapid payment digitalization. Two policy shocks are analyzed: the introduction of a 5% VAT in January 2018 and the increase to 15% in July 2020. Using monthly official POS data from January 2016 to January 2024, the study applies an interrupted time-series framework. Baseline estimates are obtained using Generalized Least Squares (GLS) with AR (1) correction. In contrast, seasonal SARIMAX and Error Correction Model (ECM) specifications are used as robustness checks and to distinguish short-run from long-run dynamics. Controls include food and beverage price indices, headline inflation, and COVID-19 disruptions. Results show statistically significant positive level shifts in recorded POS sales after both VAT reforms, with larger measured effects after the 2020 increase. However, the evidence suggests that these changes primarily reflect formalization of transactions, migration toward electronic payments, improved reporting compliance, and intertemporal expenditure timing rather than persistent growth in real demand. Post-reform trend coefficients indicate gradual normalization in subsequent months. ECM estimates suggest that approximately 56% of short-run disequilibrium is corrected within one month. Findings are robust across alternative specifications. The paper contributes new evidence from the Gulf region by showing that retail transaction indicators may overstate real consumption responses when tax reforms coincide with rapid financial digitalization. From a sustainability perspective, the findings highlight the role of digital financial systems and modern tax administration in improving economic transparency, strengthening fiscal sustainability, enhancing formal-sector integration, and supporting the institutional transformation objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. The results imply that fiscal-policy evaluations should jointly account for tax administration reforms and changes in payment technology. Full article

The formation of coarse brittle W₂Zr phases severely limits the dynamic mechanical performance of energetic W-Zr structural materials. In this work, Ti and Ni were introduced into the W-Zr system to modify the phase evolution during sintering, and three alloys with different Zr atomic concentrations, W_xZr_85−xTi_7.5Ni_7.5 (x = 45, 55, and 65), were prepared by vacuum sintering. Microstructural characterization showed that the W₄₅Zr₄₀Ti_7.5Ni_7.5 alloy contained abundant coarse micron-sized W₂Zr particles, whereas both the W₅₅Zr₃₀Ti_7.5Ni_7.5 and W₆₅Zr₂₀Ti_7.5Ni_7.5 alloys exhibited a lower fraction of W₂Zr together with a much finer characteristic size. In particular, decreasing the Zr content reduced the characteristic size of W₂Zr from several micrometers to below 200 nm. Interrupted sintering and thermal analyses suggest that the preferential formation of a Zr(Ti) solid solution and a Zr-Ti-Ni-rich ternary phase at lower temperatures reduces the local availability of free Zr for reaction with W, thereby suppressing the nucleation and growth of W₂Zr. Correspondingly, the dynamic compressive strength increased from 1054 MPa for W₄₅Zr₄₀Ti_7.5Ni_7.5 to 1720 MPa for W₆₅Zr₂₀Ti_7.5Ni_7.5. In addition, the W₆₅Zr₂₀Ti_7.5Ni_7.5 alloy maintained pronounced impact-induced reaction behavior despite its lower Zr content. These results indicate that tailoring the W/Zr ratio in the Ti/Ni-containing W-Zr system provides a feasible route to regulate W₂Zr formation and improve the compressive response under dynamic loading. Full article

Echeveria spp. (Mexican hens and chicks) are among the most popular genera of succulents sold because they are compact and form attractive, symmetrical rosettes with brightly colored, fleshy, broad, iridescent leaves, as well as large, showy inflorescences. However, they are slow-growing, and flower induction protocols are not widely available. Therefore, the objectives of this study were (1) to determine if photoperiod and the photosynthetic daily light integral (DLI) can be manipulated to promote rapid growth and leaf expansion without excessive extension growth of several cultivars of Echeveria and (2) to establish the critical photoperiod for flower induction. Cuttings of E. spp. and hybrids ‘Apus’, ‘Canadian’, ‘Elegans Blue’, ‘Jade Point’, and ‘Topsy Turvy’ were received from a commercial breeder and grown in a greenhouse at 20 °C for 5 weeks. Photoperiods were created using a truncated 9 h short day (SD) or a SD extended to 10, 11, 13, 15, 16 h or a 4 h night-interruption (NI), using light-emitting diode (LED) lamps providing a total photon flux density of ≈2 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ of red (R) + white (W) + far-red (FR) radiation. DLIs of 4.8 and 12.8 mol·m⁻²·d⁻¹ were maintained with and without shade cloth and supplemental lighting. Photoperiod and DLI interacted to influence the final height of E. ‘Canadian’, ‘Elegans Blue’, and ‘Jade Point’; plants were tallest under photoperiods > 13 h and low DLI. Similar trends were observed for growth index and average plant diameter. No clear trend was observed for leaf unfolding or leaf length across DLI or photoperiod treatments. Flower initiation of E. ‘Apus’ and ‘Jade Point’ was highest under a DLI of 12.8 mol·m⁻²·d⁻¹. Additionally, E. ‘Jade Point’ only developed inflorescences under day lengths ≤ 11 h, indicating an obligate SD response. Our results suggest that growers should maintain DLIs > 10 mol·m⁻²·d⁻¹ and SD conditions to promote flower initiation of the Echeveria cultivars tested. Such conditions would prevent excessive stem elongation and encourage flowering, increasing crop quality and marketability. Full article

Background: Preterm birth, the leading cause of neonatal mortality, is associated with reduced nephron endowment and an increased risk of kidney disease in later life. In preterm infants, the interruption of nephrogenesis leads to a lower nephron number and structural abnormalities. Prenatal factors such as intrauterine growth restriction, and postnatal factors including nephrotoxic medications, patent ductus arteriosus, perinatal asphyxia, and infections contribute to this deficit. Ultrasound is a key tool for assessing renal volume at birth and can, when indexed to body weight, be used to estimate nephron endowment, which is known to vary widely among individuals. Methods: This study analyzed 52 preterm infants with birth weight < 1000 g, assessing combined renal volume (sum of right and left kidney volumes) indexed to body weight. Results: The mean combined kidney volume-to-body weight ratio was 12.12 (SD = 2.03). Values below the 10th percentile (9.46) or more than one standard deviation below the mean (10.11) may indicate nephron deficiency at birth. Conclusions: Standardized ultrasound-based parameters enable the early identification of neonates at risk for nephron deficit, supporting targeted preventive strategies. Long-term follow-up is essential to detect early renal functional impairment and reduce the risk of chronic kidney disease. Full article

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common cause of vision loss in diabetes, and it often progresses without early symptoms. DR reflects injury of the retinal neurovascular unit (NVU), which includes neurons, Müller glia, astrocytes, endothelial cells, pericytes, and immune cells. Chronic hyperglycemia drives oxidative stress, advanced glycation end products–receptor for advanced glycation end products (AGE–RAGE) signaling, mitochondrial injury, and low-grade inflammation. These changes disrupt endothelial junctions, promote leukostasis, weaken pericyte support, increase basement membrane thickening, and lead to capillary dropout and hypoxia. Hypoxia-related signaling increases anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) activity, which raises vascular leakage and supports neovascular disease. Glial stress and microglial activation add cytokines and reactive oxygen species, and neural dysfunction can appear early and can weaken neurovascular coupling. Modern diabetes care changes the short-term risk landscape because potent therapies can lower HbA1c quickly. Large and rapid HbA1c reductions can trigger early worsening of diabetic retinopathy (EWDR), mainly in patients with high baseline HbA1c and moderate-to-severe baseline DR. Semaglutide’s retinopathy complication signal in SUSTAIN-6 fits an EWDR-like pattern that tracks with rapid glycemic improvement in vulnerable eyes. In parallel, surgery adds acute stress, inflammation, glucose swings, hemodynamic shifts, and medication interruptions. These factors can worsen microvascular instability during recovery. Current perioperative guidelines and regulatory recommendations describe glucose targets and medication safety considerations, including preoperative interruption of SGLT2 inhibitors to reduce euglycemic ketoacidosis risk; however, the retina-specific implications of these measures remain indirect. This review summarizes current evidence linking NVU biology, EWDR risk, and perioperative diabetes-related factors. It discusses how these factors may interact in patients with diabetes and how they may influence retinal outcomes. The review is intended to synthesize current evidence and mechanistic interpretations rather than to provide formal clinical practice recommendations. Full article

This study examines how the COVID-19 period is associated with changes in digital payment usage, rather than simply whether adoption increased, in Saudi Arabia using monthly data from January 2019 to July 2025. An Interrupted Time Series (ITS) approach is employed to assess both the immediate and long-term effects associated with the pandemic on a digital payment Intensity (DPI) index constructed from national point-of-sale (POS) transaction data to capture aggregate electronic payment usage relative to cash withdrawals. The results show that the onset of the COVID-19 period is associated with a sharp and statistically significant one-time increase of approximately 7 to 13% in digital payment intensity, followed by stabilization at a higher level rather than sustained acceleration. This finding challenges the common view that digital payment adoption followed a continuously accelerating path, instead showing that the pandemic induced a discrete upward shift without altering the underlying growth trajectory. The estimated effects remain robust across multiple model specifications, including dynamic ITS models, seasonal adjustments, alternative break dates, exclusion of overlapping usage variables, and parsimonious infrastructure-only models. Inflation and ATM usage consistently show negative associations with digital payment intensity, highlighting the role of macroeconomic stability and cash substitution in shaping payment behavior. The study therefore offers a more nuanced interpretation of post-pandemic digital adoption by showing that the main effect of COVID-19 was a one-time level shift rather than a lasting change in growth dynamics. Focusing on aggregate usage intensity rather than access or account ownership, it provides a system-level perspective on digital payment behavior in response to large-scale shocks. Overall, the evidence suggests that the pandemic period coincided with a discrete upward realignment in digital payment usage in Saudi Arabia, reflecting the interaction between crisis-driven behavioral change and strong pre-existing digital infrastructure under Vision 2030. Full article

Preterm birth interrupts critical phases of lung development and is associated with long-term alterations in respiratory structure and function. While bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) has traditionally been considered the principal determinant of adverse outcomes, accumulating evidence indicates that prematurity per se contributes substantially to persistent pulmonary impairment. Lung function trajectories in preterm-born children frequently track along lower percentiles from infancy into adolescence and early adulthood, with limited catch-up growth and increased vulnerability to chronic airflow limitation. Assessment of lung function requires a developmentally tailored approach, as feasibility and interpretability vary across age groups. In infancy, non-volitional techniques such as tidal breathing flow-volume loop analysis and raised-volume rapid thoracoabdominal compression allow early evaluation of respiratory mechanics. During toddlerhood, methodological limitations persist, although emerging technologies may expand feasibility. In preschool children, impulse oscillometry enables detection of small airway dysfunction, often preceding spirometric abnormalities. From school age onward, spirometry, body plethysmography, diffusing capacity, and multiple breath washout provide complementary information on obstructive, restrictive, and gas-exchange impairments. Longitudinal studies demonstrate that reduced lung function is not confined to children with BPD and may predispose to early-onset chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-like phenotypes. Early identification of abnormal trajectories and modifiable risk factors supports structured long-term follow-up and preventive strategies. Standardization of age-specific assessment protocols and harmonization of reference values are essential to improve risk stratification and optimize long-term respiratory outcomes in this vulnerable population. Full article

The growth of human activity in cities is a key factor in the degradation of air quality. Numerous studies have demonstrated the link between air quality and the existence of dangerous and chronic diseases that are extremely costly for individuals and society. This study presents an analytical framework that compares fixed and mobile air-quality monitoring approaches in cities with limited resources, using Mohammedia city, Morocco, as an example. The framework centers on mobile monitoring units mounted on vehicles and equipped with affordable sensors, GPS technology, and wireless communication systems to track important pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀) and harmful gaseous compounds (NO₂, SO₂, CO, O₃). The evaluation relies on scenario-based modeling, performance data from existing literature, and calculations of costs throughout the system’s lifetime. To enhance measurement reliability, the researchers developed a correction system that addresses measurement errors caused by temperature, humidity, vehicle speed, vibrations, traffic-related interference, operational interruptions, and communication limitations. The findings indicate that fixed monitoring stations deliver superior measurement precision, with estimated uncertainty ranging from ±1.2–2.5%, though their coverage area is restricted to 0.534 km² (representing 1.6% of Mohammedia). In comparison, the suggested mobile setup could potentially monitor 9.8 km², covering approximately 30% of the city, while decreasing infrastructure needs and setup time (2–4 h compared to 2–4 weeks). Over 10 years, the total cost is EUR 252,000 for mobile monitoring, compared with EUR 3.6 million for a network of 20 fixed stations. These results demonstrate that corrected mobile monitoring systems offer significant promise as an economical and sustainable approach for managing urban environmental conditions. Full article

As a key technology for achieving building heating electrification and decarbonization, the air-source heat pump (ASHP) has long been constrained by outdoor heat exchanger frosting in cold and humid regions. Frosting leads to increased thermal resistance, a sharp rise in air-side pressure drop, and the attenuation of heating capacity, while traditional active defrosting methods, such as reverse-cycle defrosting, suffer from high energy consumption and heating interruption. This review aims to systematically present the recent research progress of superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) as a highly efficient passive anti-frosting strategy. First, the complex phase-change dynamics of frosting and key influencing factors such as environment and surface characteristics are deeply analyzed. Second, it elucidates how superhydrophobic surfaces achieve delayed frosting and sloughing off defrosting by delaying nucleation, promoting droplet self-removal, and reducing ice adhesion. Furthermore, fabrication processes suitable for complex fin structures are systematically reviewed from the perspectives of subtractive manufacturing, in situ growth, and additive coatings, and their industrialization prospects are compared. Finally, the practical effects of this technology in improving heat transfer coefficients, reducing fan energy consumption, and improving defrosting efficiency are evaluated. Although superhydrophobic technology has significant energy-saving potential, it still faces challenges such as poor long-term durability, wettability failure under extreme conditions, and residual micro-droplets. Future research should focus on the development of highly durable materials, the matching design of micro–nano structures with macro flow channels, and active–passive synergistic anti-frosting strategies. Full article

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused severe disruptions in healthcare services worldwide; however, its differential effects on surgical utilization have not been fully examined. This study aimed to analyze trends in three major surgery types—cataract, spine, and joint replacement—across regions and healthcare institutions in Korea and to evaluate how the pandemic affected surgical utilization according to surgery type, urgency, and care setting. Methods: The Korean National Health Insurance Service data collected from 2017 to 2021 were used to analyze trends in three major surgery typesacross 17 regions and eight categories of healthcare institutions in Korea. The effects of the pandemic were examined using an interrupted time-series analysis to compare annual growth rates and identify patterns during 2019–2021. Results: Our findings revealed distinct patterns based on the type of surgery. Cataract surgery (+4.8% compared with 2019) and spine surgery (+5.0%) continued to increase in 2020; however, the number of joint replacement surgeries decreased (−2.9%). Metropolitan areas showed greater resilience than rural regions, indicating regional disparities. At the institutional level, outpatient-focused clinics performed cataract surgeries, whereas hospital-based procedures showed variable trends. In addition, the differences correlated with surgical urgency: elective procedures continued to increase, whereas semi-urgent procedures decreased. Conclusions: during the pandemic, surgical utilization varied according to surgery type, urgency, and regional characteristics. These findings provide context-specific evidence for policymakers to prioritize surgical services during health crises and offer strategies to sustain essential surgical care across diverse healthcare settings and regions. Full article