Search Results (396)

The need for efficiency in radiology has been made clear and augmented reality (AR) has the potential to address this by aiding with issues around irregular lighting conditions impacting the accuracy of reports, while also speeding up the process with improved interactions. However, some interaction questions are still very much open, and interactions for radiological applications deserve more attention. This short-term exposure study involved a series of seven interviews with practising radiologists and radiology registrars, most of whom were AR-novices. Participants engaged in AR tasks using the Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Meta Quest 3, running software provided by GigXR, as a basis for rich dialogue around the interaction value of AR for radiological tasks. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the resulting data, generating five themes, with the NASA-TLX providing additional context. The themes were mapped to three design considerations that stand as the contribution of this work and highlight how radiological AR requires interaction design distinguishing intended from unintended movement, standardised hardware requirements for clinical-grade HMDs, and versatile, workflow-integrated deployment to overcome resistance to clinical adoption. These are embodied in the speculation of an AR-First world that illustrates key requirements. Full article

Background: Mixed-reality head-mounted display (MR-HMD) visualization and 3D-printed models may improve three-dimensional visualization in neurosurgical planning. Detailed, reproducible descriptions of the workflows, technical requirements, and practical limitations of these techniques in aneurysm clip ligation planning remain limited. Methods: Between February 2020 and June 2021, patient-specific MR-HMD visualizations and 3D-printed models were generated for 29 patients undergoing elective surgical clip ligation of intracranial aneurysms. CT and 3D rotational angiography were fused to create patient-specific holograms for MR-HMD visualization and 3D-printed models. All cases underwent standardized modality-specific processing. Preparation and manufacturing times as well as recorded workflow-related usability observations, technical advantages, and limitations were assessed. Results: The mean total preparation time (mean ± standard deviation, SD) was 40.6 ± 10.3 min for MR-HMD visualization and 108.8 ± 17.8 min for 3D-printed models, excluding printing, washing, and curing time. The average printing time for 3D-printed models was 894.9 ± 41.6 min. MR-HMD setup in the operating room averaged 7.0 ± 2.8 min. Identified limitations included manual hologram registration and repositioning after table or patient position changes, as well as the inability to track instruments or interact with the hologram. Conclusions: Both modalities could be integrated into a standardized patient-specific workflow and serve complementary functions. MR-HMD visualization supported flexible short-term visualization, whereas 3D-printed models provided a physical model for clip planning and patient education at the cost of longer preparation and production. These findings support a combined workflow in which modality selection is guided by clinical tasks and time constraints. Full article

Soccer requires rapid tactical decision-making, perceptual-cognitive processing, and coordinated physical execution, making it a relevant application domain for virtual reality (VR). VR systems integrate head-mounted displays, inertial measurement units, eye-tracking sensors, and electroencephalographic interfaces to support training, assessment, rehabilitation, and engagement. However, evidence remains fragmented across populations, study designs, sensing configurations, and research purposes, limiting conclusions about effectiveness and real-world application. Following PRISMA 2020, this systematic review synthesized 20 empirical studies published between January 2020 and 16 August 2026 involving school, academy, collegiate, and selected indirect adult soccer populations. Studies were classified by sensor modality, tracking configuration, evidence purpose, and outcome domain. Controlled intervention studies reported possible short-term improvements in selected sensorimotor, tactical, perceptual-cognitive, technical, and motivational outcomes. In contrast, cross-sectional and profiling studies showed that some VR tasks distinguished players by expertise, age, or competitive level; these findings support assessment or discriminative validity but do not demonstrate that VR training improves performance. Rehabilitation and injury-related evidence was limited and partly derived from adult or clinical populations, whereas engagement studies suggested potential benefits for motivation, attention, and participation. Six-degrees-of-freedom HMDs, 360° projection systems, eye tracking, and EEG generated different types of evidence, but no study directly compared hardware configurations within the same sample. The main contribution of this review is an integrated evidence-purpose and sensor-based synthesis that distinguishes training effectiveness from assessment validity across student-soccer applications. Overall, evidence remains promising but preliminary because of small and mixed populations, methodological heterogeneity, incomplete technical reporting, possible publication and language bias, short follow-up, and limited transfer to full-match performance. Standardized sensor reporting, controlled interventions, and longitudinal transfer assessments are required. Protocol registration: OSF. Full article

A series of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) based on hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) crosslinked with 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMD) or toluene diisocyanate (TDI), as well as hybrid chitosan–HPCD polymers crosslinked with genipin, were synthesized using levofloxacin and fluorescein as template molecules. The structure and spatial organization of the obtained materials were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, FTIR microscopy mapping, and ζ-potential measurements. The influence of pH, crosslinker content, and template structure on sorption performance was investigated. All MIPs exhibited maximum sorption at pH 3.0. The highest sorption capacity toward levofloxacin was achieved for the LV–Chit–HPCD–Genipin_MIP (74.8 mg/g), whereas the fluorescein-imprinted FL–HPCD–TDI_MIP (1:1) demonstrated the highest sorption capacity (135.5 mg/g) and selectivity coefficient (84.1). Dynamic column experiments confirmed efficient analyte extraction, reducing the analyte concentration by more than 90% after ten loading cycles. All synthesized MIPs exhibited excellent regenerability, with less than 3% loss of sorption efficiency after ten consecutive sorption–desorption cycles. The applicability of the developed sorbents to real matrices was demonstrated using milk and blood plasma samples after minimal sample preparation. Fluorescein extraction efficiencies reached 97.6% and 93.6% for milk and plasma, respectively. The obtained results demonstrate that HPCD-based MIPs combine high sorption capacity, exceptional selectivity, operational stability, and applicability to complex biological matrices, making them promising materials for selective sample preparation, analyte preconcentration, and controlled drug delivery systems. Full article

Head-mounted displays (HMDs) create a direct physical interface with the head and face that can constrain comfort during sustained and repeated virtual reality use. This focused narrative review examines three interacting domains of HMD physical comfort: thermal conditions at the headset–skin interface, mechanical loading from head-supported mass and contact forces, and anthropometric compatibility between headset geometry and user anatomy. Exploratory searching was followed during revision by structured searches of Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science, tracker-based screening, source classification, evidence extraction, and evidence-limitation appraisal. The tracker-based review retained 41 sources, including 28 domain-focused and 13 context or framing sources. Two additional contextual references supplied during peer review were incorporated outside the completed tracker-based process, resulting in 43 sources cited in the final manuscript. Thermal comfort was influenced by microclimate conditions, exposure, activity, sealing, and internally generated heat. Mechanical comfort depended on mass, center-of-mass position, pressure, movement, posture, and task demands. Anthropometric evidence demonstrated substantial variation relevant to headset fit and alignment. The heterogeneous evidence does not support universal limits for headset mass, temperature, pressure, cervical angle, or interface geometry. Sustained HMD comfort therefore requires integrated evaluation across devices, users, tasks, and exposure durations. Full article

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of preoperative ultrasonographic airway measurements for predicting difficult laryngoscopy in pediatric patients undergoing adenotonsillectomy. Methods: A total of 153 pediatric patients aged 3–8 years who were scheduled for elective otorhinolaryngologic surgery were included in this prospective observational study. Patients were divided into two groups: the adenotonsillectomy group (n = 74) and the non-adenotonsillectomy ENT surgery group (n = 79). Skin-to-epiglottis distance (SED), hyomental distance (HMD) and tongue thickness (TT) were measured using ultrasonography before anesthesia induction. Laryngoscopic view was graded according to the Cormack–Lehane classification, with grades III and IV considered indicative of difficult laryngoscopy. The diagnostic performance of ultrasonographic measurements in predicting difficult laryngoscopy was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: The incidence of difficult laryngoscopy was 14.9% in the adenotonsillectomy group and 6.3% in the non-adenotonsillectomy group; however, this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.085). In the adenotonsillectomy group, patients with difficult laryngoscopy had significantly greater skin-to-epiglottis distance and tongue thickness values (p = 0.002 and p = 0.015, respectively). No significant association was observed between hyomental distance and difficult laryngoscopy (p = 0.319). ROC analysis demonstrated that skin-to-epiglottis distance had the highest discriminatory performance in the adenotonsillectomy group (AUC = 0.795; 95% CI: 0.685–0.880; p = 0.004). Conclusions: Skin-to-epiglottis distance and tongue thickness were associated with difficult laryngoscopy in pediatric patients undergoing adenotonsillectomy. Among the evaluated ultrasonographic parameters, skin-to-epiglottis distance demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance. Preoperative ultrasonographic airway assessment may provide valuable information for identifying children at increased risk of difficult laryngoscopy. These findings should be confirmed in larger multicenter studies. Full article

Cybersickness remains a barrier to sustained use of head-mounted display (HMD) virtual reality (VR) and is often evaluated as a post-exposure outcome rather than as a changing user state requiring intervention during immersion. This focused narrative review used structured searches of Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science to examine evidence for sensing, state estimation, mitigation, reassessment, and adaptive control; 47 sources were included in the final synthesis. Physiological, ocular, kinematic, behavioral, and content-derived signals can support estimation of cybersickness-related outcomes, but their usefulness depends on the reference measure, temporal alignment, validation design, and operating context. Visual, locomotion, rendering, and multisensory interventions can reduce symptoms, but no strategy is consistently superior, and mitigation can impose costs to visual access, usability, or task performance. Existing architectures demonstrate connected estimation and adaptation, but evidence remains limited for prospective reassessment, de-escalation, responses to failure to improve, generalization, and safety supervision. The review organizes these findings within a framework linking dynamic user state, sensing, preprocessing, actionable state estimation, intervention selection, system adaptation, reassessment, and updated user state. Reliable closed-loop mitigation requires prospective validation of the feedback cycle, including total latency, control-error consequences, user override, limits on intervention magnitude and adjustment rate, and exposure-termination criteria. Full article

Complex surfaces exhibit hierarchical morphological organizations that cannot be fully described by conventional roughness parameters alone. In this study, a fractal–statistical framework is proposed to elucidate the substrate-controlled morphological evolution of 2,6-diphenyl anthracene (DPA) thin films deposited on chemically modified dielectric substrates, including hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), octyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS), octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), and bare silicon dioxide (SiO₂). A multidimensional morphological descriptor vector (M_DPA) is introduced by integrating ISO 25178 areal surface parameters (H_ISO), fractal dimension (D_f), texture direction parameters (T_d), power spectral density (PSD), and scale-sensitive fractal analysis (SSFA) descriptors to quantify amplitude-based, spatial-frequency, and scale-dependent morphological information. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) topographies of 5 nm and 50 nm thick films were analyzed using complementary approaches, including ISO 25178 areal surface parameters, texture direction analysis, peak statistics, morphological envelope fractal analysis, two-dimensional Fourier analysis, power spectral density (PSD), and scale-sensitive fractal analysis (SSFA). The results demonstrate that substrate chemistry governs not only the amplitude of surface roughness but also the lateral organization, spatial frequency distribution, and scale-dependent fractal complexity of DPA morphologies. The fractal dimension analysis revealed substrate-dependent variations in surface complexity, with values ranging from 2.11 to 2.45 for 5 nm films and from 2.19 to 2.52 for 50 nm films. PSD analysis identified distinct substrate-induced modifications in spectral organization, while SSFA revealed significant changes in smooth–rough crossover scales, maximum complexity scales, and fractal surface complexity during film growth. In particular, OTMS promoted the strongest hierarchical organization for thicker films, exhibiting the highest scale-sensitive fractal complexity, whereas OTS generated highly developed but less hierarchically correlated rough structures. The integrated fractal–spectral methodology establishes quantitative relationships between substrate functionalization and multiscale surface evolution, demonstrating that morphological complexity cannot be described solely by conventional height parameters. This framework provides a robust approach for characterizing hierarchical thin-film architectures and can be extended to other organic semiconductor systems where substrate-driven morphological control is critical. Full article

Background: Accurate three-dimensional positioning of dental implants is fundamental for long-term prosthetic success. While static guided surgery and traditional dynamic navigation present intrinsic limitations related to physical bulk or hand–eye coordination (the “look-away” phenomenon), Augmented Reality (AR) via Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) promises to overcome these barriers by superimposing virtual holograms directly onto the surgical field. Objectives: The aim of this scoping review is to map the existing literature to evaluate the positioning accuracy, workflow efficiency, and ergonomic/technical barriers of HMD-based AR navigation systems in implant dentistry. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases, following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. In vitro, ex vivo, and clinical studies utilizing AR headsets (e.g., HoloLens) for implant guidance, reporting quantitative data on accuracy and/or qualitative data on usability issues, were included. Results: Eleven studies were included (7 in vitro, 1 ex vivo, 3 clinical). Accuracy showed a strong dependence on case complexity: for standard implants, the mean error at the entry point ranged between 0.33 and 1.51 mm, which is comparable to s-CAIS techniques. However, in complex scenarios (zygomatic implants), significant deviations were reported (up to 5.64 mm and 9.60°). The main barriers to routine adoption identified include tracking instability due to line-of-sight interruption, device weight, and the vergence–accommodation conflict. Conclusions: AR dynamic navigation demonstrates promising potential. Nevertheless, current evidence relies predominantly on in vitro studies that fail to fully replicate real-world surgical complexities. Persistent technical and ergonomic barriers, such as tracking instability and hardware limitations, indicate that the technology remains largely in a preclinical phase and is not yet suitable for routine clinical application. Further advancements toward markerless tracking systems, lighter headsets, and rigorous in vivo trials are required. Full article

Background/Objectives: Heracleum millefolium Diels (HMD) is a traditional Tibetan medicinal herb that has been reported to possess analgesic, anti-edematous, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, its chemical composition and anti-inflammatory mechanisms remain unclear. Methods: In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS), combined with database searching and “seed”-based molecular networking, was used to systematically characterize the chemical constituents of HMD. Furthermore, an integrated strategy combining network pharmacology, molecular docking, and cellular validation was applied to explore potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms associated with HMD. Results: A total of 472 compounds were identified or tentatively identified from HMD. Network pharmacology analysis predicted five key targets, namely TNF, IL-6, IL-1β, GAPDH, and AKT1, together with four potential bioactive constituents, including velutin, artemitin, kaempferol, and naringenin. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the potential anti-inflammatory effects of HMD were mainly associated with lipid and atherosclerosis and the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. Molecular docking suggested potential favorable interactions between the selected constituents and key targets. Moreover, cellular experiments demonstrated that the four compounds significantly inhibited inflammatory responses in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Conclusions: This study systematically characterized the chemical profile of HMD and preliminarily explored its potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms, providing a scientific basis for further investigation of its bioactive constituents and pharmacological properties. Full article

Assessment of VR experience quality has long been performed through measurement tools that are focused on measuring presence, usability or simulator sickness or embodiment separately. This approach becomes less and less applicable to the modern standalone HMDs where users interact using both handheld controllers and optical hand tracking. Not only is the sense of location in a virtual environment an important aspect of modern VR experience, but there is also a sense of ownership of one’s body in this environment, agency, naturalness of actions, tracking precision, Cognitive Fluency and comfort. This study introduces a multidimensional questionnaire for the assessment of embodied and modality-dependent interaction in modern VR—the Embodied Presence and Interaction Scale for Virtual Reality (EPIS-VR). The paper provides a synthesis of relevant literature and describes a structure of the proposed 28-item scale based on seven dimensions: Spatial Presence, Embodied Ownership, Embodied Agency, Interaction Naturalness, Interaction Fidelity, Cognitive Fluency and Interaction Comfort. Empirical validation includes sample descriptions, factor-analytic findings, reliability scores, convergence and discrimination validity tests, and comparisons of handheld and optical hand-tracking modalities. The EPIS-VR provides an initially validated multidimensional evaluation model for controller-based and hand-tracking interaction within an educational informatics context. Further studies are required to establish its applicability across other populations, VR domains, interaction modalities, and hardware systems. Full article

To address the dependence on organic solvents, costly silicon precursors, and complex processing in conventional silica aerogel preparation, this study developed a green and low-cost aqueous route using water glass as the silicon source. The sol–gel process was optimized through an orthogonal experimental design by regulating precursor concentration, pH, temperature, and catalyst dosage, enabling the formation of a stable three-dimensional silica network. Under the optimized conditions, the unmodified silica aerogel exhibited low density, high porosity, and a typical mesoporous structure, with a specific surface area of 707.87 m²/g, an average pore size of 5.75 nm, and a thermal conductivity of 0.0408 W/(m·K). After HMDS vapor-phase modification, hydrophobic methyl groups were introduced onto the aerogel surface, increasing the water contact angle to 132.3°. Among the modified samples, S3 showed the lowest thermal conductivity of 0.0360 W/(m·K), indicating good thermal insulation performance. This work provides a feasible strategy for preparing hydrophobic silica aerogels through a cost-effective aqueous process, showing potential for greener and large-scale production of silica aerogel materials. Full article

Extended reality (XR) platforms may support cognitive and functional interventions in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but their clinical feasibility depends on perceived usability, comfort, and user acceptance. This exploratory pilot study examined subjective acceptability of three integrated XR device–task configurations: a non-immersive Touch TV configuration, a semi-immersive Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) configuration, and a fully immersive head-mounted display (HMD) configuration. The study included 21 individuals with MCI and 10 cognitively healthy controls. Participants experienced all three device–task configurations in randomized order and completed the Digital Immersion Satisfaction Questionnaire (Qu.G.I.D.), an ad hoc instrument assessing digital literacy, perceived ease of use, preference, and willingness to use the configurations for future applications. Perceived ease of use scores were generally high and did not differ significantly between groups. Repeated-measures exploratory analyses showed no statistically robust configuration effect for perceived ease of use or preference scores. CAVE was numerically the most frequently selected device–task configuration for future applications, but this difference was not statistically significant when non-mutually exclusive selections were analyzed using Cochran’s Q. Digital literacy was not positively associated with Touch TV preference. Because device type, level of immersion, interaction modality, and task content were not experimentally separable, these findings cannot determine whether ratings reflected hardware characteristics or the specific activities performed. The results should therefore be interpreted as preliminary descriptive self-report acceptability and acceptability data, not as evidence of comparative device–task configurations effectiveness. Larger, balanced, counterbalanced studies using validated usability scales, objective performance metrics, interaction-quality measures, and cybersickness assessment are required before hypotheses for future controlled studies can be formulated. Full article

Agro-industrial by-products from beetroot, raspberry, sea buckthorn, and shadbush are valuable sources of natural pigments and renewable filler materials, but their hydrophilic surfaces limit compatibility with hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrices. This study evaluated the effect of catalyst-free vapor-phase hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) treatment of pigment-rich powders and their incorporation into PDMS composites at 5 and 20 wt.% filler loadings. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and contact angle measurements were used to characterize surface modifications. Mechanical behavior under puncture loading was evaluated using texture analysis. FTIR confirmed successful silylation through the reduction in hydroxyl groups and the emergence of silicon-containing functionalities. Treated fillers exhibited rougher, more irregular surfaces, which suggested improved filler dispersion and interfacial compatibility within the PDMS matrix. Modified composites showed enhanced hydrophobicity, with contact angles up to 102.84°. Composites containing 5 wt.% HMDS-treated raspberry filler demonstrated the highest puncture resistance and elasticity, indicating improved interfacial interactions. In contrast, 20 wt.% filler loading generally reduced puncture resistance and elasticity, possibly due to increased particle agglomeration and reduced matrix continuity, as suggested by the SEM observations, whereas shadbush-filled composites showed decreased performance after treatment. Overall, HMDS surface modification effectively improves the compatibility of pigment-rich agro-waste fillers with PDMS and supports their use as functional fillers and natural colorant sources in silicone-based composites, providing a value-added route for the utilization of agro-industrial by-products. Full article

Future traffic scenarios will involve autonomous vehicles (AVs) interacting with other road users, including cyclists. For this interaction to be safe and socially acceptable, there is a need for development and testing environments that enable scenarios between AVs and cyclists including ethical, logistical, and safety constraints. While human-in-the-loop transport simulation offers an alternative, achieving high behavioral validity requires maximizing user presence and control. This study evaluates a modular, multi-sensory cycling simulator built on the CARLA autonomous driving engine. Through a fully randomized and counterbalanced within-subjects design with 31 participants, we analyzed four simulator configurations incorporating combinations of stereoscopic visualization, speed-dependent haptic eolic feedback, first-person visual self-embodiment, and 3D spatialized audio. Non-parametric statistical evaluations revealed significant differences across the groups (${\chi }^2\left(3\right)=60.47$, $p<0.001$, $W=0.650$). Post-hoc pairwise comparisons indicated that, while head-mounted displays (HMDs) provide a level of spatial orientation, the concurrent integration of visual self-embodiment and speed-dependent airflow acts as a unifying sensory cue, significantly increasing system coherence. Conversely, the addition of 3D spatialised audio yielded no statistically significant improvement ($Z=-0.06$, $p=1.000$), suggesting a sensory saturation effect. Cross-dimensional analysis confirmed a positive correlation between perceived presence and interface control ($\rho =0.693$, $p<0.001$). These findings suggest that a combination of visual feedback, haptic airflow, and self-embodiment may be enough to provide a realistic environment for cyclist–AV interaction studies including multiple agents. Full article