Search Results (573)

Wildfire monitoring using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) provides critical capabilities under challenging atmospheric conditions where optical sensors are limited by smoke and cloud cover. We evaluated Sentinel-1 C-band SAR interferometric coherence for Burned-area detection of the 2017 “Las Máquinas” megafire (Maule, Chile), comparing Ascending (Asc) and Descending (Dsc) orbital geometries processed with the AMSTer InSAR software. Multi-temporal RGB Coherent Change Detection composites were constructed using two interferometric pairs per orbit: the Normalised Differential Activity Index (NDAI, R channel), pre-fire coherence (G channel), and co-event coherence (B channel), clearly delineating the fire scar through red and orange signatures reflecting fire-induced vegetation loss and soil exposure. Seven machine-learning classifiers (Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Decision Tree (DT), Logistic Regression (LR), K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN), Gradient Boosting Classifier (GBC), and XGBoost) were trained on the three-band coherence feature space. For the Ascending orbit, XGBoost achieved the highest performance (OA = 0.9328; F1 = 0.9195) and mapped 143,950 ha (76.2%) as Burned. For the Descending orbit, XGBoost also performed best (OA = 0.9221; F1 = 0.9055) and mapped 144,475 ha (76.5%) as Burned. In this case study, the Ascending geometry performed marginally better than the Descending one; however, the leading classifiers were statistically indistinguishable, indicating that the Burned and Unburned classes are close to linearly separable in the coherence feature space. These results confirm the effectiveness of coherence-based SAR analysis for large-scale wildfire mapping under adverse atmospheric conditions. Full article

Objective: To analyze associations between 24-hour movement behaviors (and guideline adherence) and anthropometric and body composition indicators in Ecuadorian preschoolers using data from the International Study of Movement Behaviors in the Early Years (SUNRISE) pilot study. Methods: This secondary analysis utilized data from the primary study conducted in 108 children aged 3–4 years (57.4% girls; 50.9% urban). Anthropometry (weight, height, and body mass index [BMI]) was assessed using standardized protocols during the pilot study, whereas body composition indicators (fat-free mass [FFM], fat mass [FM], and body fat percentage) were estimated using a validated anthropometric prediction equation. Movement behaviors were assessed via triaxial accelerometry (ActiGraph GT3X+ or GT3X-BT, Pensacola, FL, USA) over seven days, complemented by parent-reported questionnaires. Exploratory unadjusted correlation analyses were performed using Spearman’s rho (ρ) for continuous/ordinal variables, and Pearson’s correlations (r), mathematically equivalent to point-biserial correlations (r_pb), for dichotomous–continuous associations. Results: In exploratory unadjusted analyses, device-measured longer sleep duration showed small-to-moderate inverse associations with weight (ρ = −0.33, p = 0.001), BMI (ρ = −0.28, p = 0.006), and FFM (ρ = −0.37, p < 0.001). Higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity showed moderate positive associations with height (ρ = 0.32, p = 0.002), weight (ρ = 0.40, p < 0.001), and FFM (ρ = 0.44, p < 0.001). In complementary multivariable models, the associations between device-measured sleep or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and the pre-specified anthropometric and body composition outcomes were attenuated after adjustment for age, sex, area of residence, and, where applicable, height, and were generally not statistically significant. Conclusions: In this exploratory secondary analysis of the SUNRISE Pilot Study Ecuador, unadjusted analyses identified associations between specific 24-hour movement behaviors, particularly sleep duration and MVPA, and anthropometric and body composition indicators. However, these associations were attenuated after covariate adjustment. The findings should therefore be interpreted as hypothesis-generating and require confirmation in larger longitudinal studies. Full article

The development of nuclear fusion as a viable energy source will require the manufacturing of large-scale and complex components capable of withstanding extreme operational conditions. The RODAS project will address this challenge by developing and validating advanced manufacturing technologies, particularly additive manufacturing and Hot Isostatic Pressing, to fabricate demonstrator components representative of those needed in ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) and EU-DEMO (European Demonstration Power Plant) reactors. The project will focus on the production and qualification of fusion-relevant materials such as EUROFER97, CuCrZr, and AISI 316L (ITER-grade), using various additive manufacturing techniques adapted to large-scale applications. Through a coordinated effort among Spanish public research institutions and private technology centers and companies, RODAS will establish specifications, develop hybrid manufacturing routes, and implement non-destructive testing methods to ensure the integrity and performance of the produced components. Additionally, it will explore strategies for future in-service repair using remotely operated systems. The project will significantly strengthen the technological capabilities and international competitiveness of the Spanish industrial sector in the field of nuclear fusion. Full article

Mite-induced allergic respiratory diseases are a major global health concern, and evidence on allergen immunotherapy (AIT) combining allergens from different mite families remains limited, particularly for Lepidoglyphus destructor. This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy containing glutaraldehydempolymerized extracts of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, and L. destructor in mite-allergic patients in Spain. This retrospective multicenter study included 199 patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, with or without asthma. Effectiveness outcomes included combined symptom and medication scores (CSMS), symptom scores, and medication use. Safety outcomes included adverse reactions. Mixed models for repeated measures showed significant improvements in rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma outcomes (all p < 0.001). Adjusted LS-mean rhinoconjunctivitis CSMS decreased by 50.7% at T1 and 76.1% at T4; symptom and medication scores decreased by 85.3% and 69.3%, respectively, at T4. Asthma CSMS decreased by 43.1% at T1 and 89.0% at T5, while symptom and medication scores decreased by 93.4% and 88.5%, respectively. Similar patterns were observed in children. No systemic reactions occurred. Twenty mild local reactions were recorded in 17 patients (8.5%), corresponding to an estimated rate of 0.32% across 6169 injections. This AIT was associated with sustained clinical improvement and a favorable safety profile in adults and children. Full article

The effects of ultrasonic amplitude (A; 50–80%), sonication time (T; 5–10 min), and pumpkin seed oil (PSO) concentration (C; 10–30%) on the physicochemical and rheological properties of gelatin–acetic acid polymer solutions and their corresponding PSO emulsions prior to electrospinning as well as on properties including morphology, thermal properties (DSC and TGA), FTIR spectra, fiber diameter (FD), and the encapsulation efficiency (EE%) of fatty acids (FAs) and carotenoids (TC) of the resulting electrospun fibers were evaluated. Stirred agitation (24 h) was used as a control. The viscosity of the polymeric solutions was significantly reduced by A for short time periods (p < 0.05). The addition of PSO increased the emulsion viscosity, affecting morphology, FD, and the EE%. The EE% of TC, oleic (OA), palmitic (PA), and stearic (SA) acids showed no significant difference compared to the control. However, for linoleic acid (LA), the EE% was lower with ultrasound treatment. Treatments with A = 50% for 10 min with 10% PSO resulted in homogeneous fibers (0.29 µm) without agglomerates with thermal stability and an EE% of 42% and 26–34% for TC and FAs, respectively. These results show that ultrasound is an effective alternative for homogenization that promotes the formation of nanofibers with PSO via electrospinning. Full article

Background: Acute confusional state, or delirium, is a common neuropsychiatric disorder in older adults, particularly in emergency departments. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality, as well as difficult detection. Its early identification is crucial to prevent complications and improve prognosis. This study aims to identify and analyze available strategies for the early diagnosis of delirium in geriatric patients in emergency departments. Methods: A literature review and meta-analysis were conducted between 2020 and 2026 using the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases (PRISMA 2020). To estimate the prevalence of patients with delirium in emergency departments, a meta-analysis was performed using Stats Direct statistical software (Version 4). Methodological quality was evaluated according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine levels of evidence. Results: Eleven studies were included, demonstrating that delirium in emergency departments is highly prevalent among older adults, particularly those with dementia, polypharmacy, or functional impairment. The 4AT scale was the most frequently used screening tool, notable for its strong sensitivity. Hypoactive delirium emerged as the most common subtype and carried the poorest prognosis. Furthermore, its presence was associated with longer hospital stays, increased complications, and higher mortality rates, while a lack of training among healthcare staff continues to limit early detection. The meta-analysis detected no publication bias and revealed a 20.6% prevalence of delirium among patients in emergency departments. Conclusions: One in five patients attending the emergency department presents with delirium. Delirium in geriatric emergency care demands a structured clinical response grounded in prevention, early detection, and professional training. Integrating validated diagnostic tools and reinforcing the role of nursing professionals are key to improving patient outcomes and safety. Full article

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is highly prevalent in older adults, yet distinguishing pathological CKD from age-related decline in kidney function remains challenging. KDIGO guidelines recommend combined assessment of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR), but implementation in primary care is uncertain. We evaluated CKD screening patterns, KDIGO risk categories, and the prognostic value of eGFR and albuminuria for all-cause mortality in adults aged ≥75 years. Methods: We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study of 587,603 community-dwelling adults aged ≥75 years using Primary Care electronic records. Complete CKD screening was defined as at least two eGFR and two uACR measurements ≥ 3 months apart during 2015–2019. CKD prevalence, KDIGO risk categories, and 40-month all-cause mortality were assessed. Multivariable Cox regression models evaluated the independent and joint associations of eGFR and albuminuria with mortality. Results: Only 19.0% of participants underwent complete KDIGO-recommended screening, mainly because of limited albuminuria testing. Among screened individuals, CKD prevalence was 25.7%, with over half classified as high or very high KDIGO risk. Mortality increased progressively with declining eGFR, increasing albuminuria, and worsening KDIGO risk. Macroalbuminuria (HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.75–2.00) and eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m² (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.79–2.04) were independently associated with mortality. Conclusions: Complete KDIGO-recommended screening was performed in only one in five adults aged ≥75 years, identifying a major implementation gap in primary care. Albuminuria provided prognostic information beyond eGFR, improving identification of older adults at highest risk of death. These findings support systematic combined eGFR–uACR assessment to improve risk stratification, guide kidney-protective management, and inform healthcare planning for ageing populations. Full article

Many uncertainties exist on the epidemiology of the Sarcocystis species infecting wild ruminants. In this study, tongue and/or diaphragm tissues of free-ranging wild Caprinae species (54 Pyrenean chamois, 52 mouflons, 146 Iberian ibexes, and 19 Balearean wild goats) residing in the mountain areas of Spain were selected for Sarcocystis spp. detection and species identification. By light microscopy, Sarcocystis sarcocyst frequency rates were considerably high (85.7% in chamois, 82.7% in mouflon, 52.7% in Iberian ibexes), except for the Balearean wild goat (5.3%), which was investigated for the very first time. One excised sarcocyst of Iberian ibex was subjected to transmission electron microscopy, revealing a sibling S. capracanis ultrastructure. Genomic DNA isolated from 57 sarcocysts excised from the hosts’ tissues was investigated through PCR amplicon sequencing of the 18S rRNA and cox1 genes. As a result, sequences of S. capracanis, S. cornagliai, S. rossii and S. tenella were detected, sharing high identity with conspecific sequences. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed a remarkable clustering of all Sarcocystis species in clades encompassing species transmitted via canids, except S. cornagliai, which is allocated in a clade with species using corvid birds as their definitive hosts. Therefore, a significant degree of interconnection between sylvatic and domestic Sarcocystis epidemiological cycles can be drawn in the study area. Full article

Class imbalance remains one of the most challenging problems in sentiment analysis, particularly in tourism review datasets where positive opinions substantially outnumber neutral and negative comments. This issue is especially critical because minority classes often contain the most valuable information regarding customer dissatisfaction, service failures, and opportunities for improvement. In this work, we propose a hybrid balancing methodology for sentiment analysis in Mexican Spanish tourism reviews that combines undersampling and Large Language Model (LLM)-based oversampling. The proposed framework first extracts representative words from each sentiment class using Mutual Information, then enriches them through dictionary-based or embedding-based lexical substitutions, and finally generates synthetic reviews using GPT-4o-mini guided by these representative terms. Experiments were conducted on a corpus that contains approximately 300,000 tourism reviews collected from TripAdvisor, exhibiting severe sentiment imbalance. Three undersampling strategies and multiple oversampling configurations were evaluated across six traditional machine learning classifiers and one Transformer-based model (BETO). Results show that random undersampling consistently outperformed centroid-based and K-means-based alternatives while also requiring the lowest computational cost. The best overall performance was obtained by BETO, achieving a Macro-F1 score of 0.57 compared to 0.51 on the original imbalanced dataset, representing an improvement of 11.8%. Significant gains were also observed for minority classes, with improvements exceeding 16% for the most underrepresented category. Furthermore, the proposed methodology consistently outperformed direct prompt-based generation using GPT-4o-mini, Gemini 2.5 Flash, and Llama 3.3 70B. These findings suggest that guiding synthetic review generation through representative words effectively preserves domain-specific lexical and semantic patterns of Mexican Spanish tourism reviews, resulting in more balanced datasets and improved sentiment classification performance. Full article

Aluminum metallic foams are lightweight porous materials characterized by low density, high stiffness, and remarkable energy absorption capacity. The mechanical performance of these materials strongly depends on the microstructure of the metallic matrix and the porous structure. In this study, closed-cell A356 aluminum foams were produced by the Alporas melt-foaming method using barite (BaSO₄) as a thickening agent and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) as a foaming agent. The effect of grain refinement on the microstructure and energy absorption behavior under quasi-static compression was investigated. Grain refinement was evaluated by adding four concentrations of Al-5Ti-1B master alloy (0.02, 0.05, 0.08, and 0.10 wt.%) to the unrefined foam. The addition of Al-5Ti-1B reduced the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) from 41.85 µm to a minimum of 32.96 µm at 0.05 wt.%, producing stronger and more homogeneous cell walls that increased the plateau stress from 0.525 to 1.549 MPa and the energy absorption capacity from 0.299 to 0.735 MJ/m³—improvements of 195% and 145%, respectively. The energy absorption efficiency analysis confirmed that any refiner concentration improved the compressive performance compared to the unrefined foam. In addition, the energy absorption efficiency (E) and the ideality energy absorption efficiency (I) confirm that the refinement of the dendritic structure through Al-5Ti-1B addition strengthens the foam cell walls, improving their mechanical behavior and performance as an energy-absorbing material under quasi-static compression. Full article

Shading nets are increasingly used in warm-climate vineyards to mitigate excessive cluster exposure. However, relatively few studies have evaluated their effects on fruit-zone microclimate and berry composition. This single-season field study evaluated the effects of conventional and photoselective shading nets in Cabernet Sauvignon on cluster-zone radiation, thermal conditions, bunch sunburn and powdery mildew percentage, berry maturity, and free amino acid content. Shading treatments significantly modified incident photosynthetically active radiation in the bunch zone, while air-temperature-derived thermal indices were not significantly affected. The conventional black Raschel net produced the greatest reduction in incident radiation, but this reduction was not associated with a decrease in sunburn or powdery mildew severity in bunches. The gray–pearl photoselective net maintained intermediate radiation levels and showed a lower severity of sunburn and powdery mildew, together with higher must pH and lower berry arginine content. The black–white photoselective net reduced berry soluble solids, while the conventional Raschel net increased berry histidine content, indicating that berry maturity and amino acid responses were treatment-dependent. These results provided preliminary field evidence on the effects of shading nets on Cabernet Sauvignon bunch sanitary and berry composition. Therefore, further multi-season and multi-site studies are needed before broader recommendations on shading-net use in warm-climate vineyards. Full article

The implementation of safe and reliable Autonomous Driving Stacks in complex urban environments remains a formidable engineering challenge. While classical modular pipelines provide necessary component-level interpretability, they are inherently rigid, often struggling to adapt to novel environments and failing to provide robust scene interpretation in highly interactive scenarios. In this paper, we present a modular End-to-End ROS-based autonomous driving architecture that upgrades a classical modular baseline by injecting learning-based models into its individual processing layers, integrating GaussianCaR and CLIP for dense semantic BEV perception, expanding the Hierarchical Petri Net state space for safe multi-agent reasoning, refining the planning layer with continuous curve optimization, and replacing the previous reactive controller with an Adaptive Nonlinear Model Predictive Control strategy for superior trajectory tracking. Validated in the CARLA simulator across challenging traffic scenarios and adverse environmental conditions, the proposed architecture raises the Driving Score from 53.81% to 66.46% over the previous baseline, driven by a substantial increase in the Infraction Penalty from 0.59 to 0.79, reflecting a fundamental shift towards safer and more conservative driving behavior at the cost of a moderate reduction in route completion. Against pure End-to-End approaches, our architecture achieves the highest Driving Score at 73.9% and the strongest Infraction Penalty at 0.913, demonstrating that modular interpretability and competitive End-to-End performance are not mutually exclusive. Code will be made publicly available online. Full article

Background/Objectives: Treatment intensification with novel hormonal therapies is now standard in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), but real-world patients are often more heterogeneous than those included in pivotal trials. This study aimed to describe clinical characteristics, safety, treatment discontinuation, disease progression, polypharmacy, and clinically documented drug–drug interactions in a real-world mHSPC cohort. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study including 109 patients with mHSPC who initiated abiraterone, enzalutamide, apalutamide, or docetaxel-based triplet regimens between January 2015 and November 2025. Outcomes included adverse events, discontinuation, PSA50 response at 3 months, time to progression and overall survival. Descriptive analyses and Kaplan–Meier estimates were performed. Results: Apalutamide was the most frequent first-line treatment (56.9%), followed by abiraterone (23.9%), enzalutamide (11.9%), darolutamide-based triplet therapy (3.7%), and abiraterone-based triplet therapy (3.7%). Median age was 73 years, and median baseline PSA was 16.1 ng/mL. De novo metastatic disease was present in 69.7% of patients, ISUP grade 4–5 disease in 58.7%, high-risk disease according to LATITUDE criteria in 45.9%, and high-volume disease according to CHAARTED criteria in 38.5%. The median Charlson Comorbidity Index was 4, and polypharmacy was observed in 68.8%. Adverse events occurred in 56.0%, and non-death treatment discontinuation occurred in 22.0%. No documented drug–drug interactions requiring treatment modification were recorded. PSA50 response was achieved by 97.2%. Thirteen patients (11.9%) progressed and 18 (16.5%) died. Median time to progression was not reached, and median overall survival was 53.2 months. Conclusions: Novel hormonal therapies were used in a clinically heterogeneous real-world mHSPC cohort. The findings support individualized treatment assessment and should be interpreted as descriptive and exploratory. Full article

This work presents a sustainable strategy for the fabrication of multifunctional silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and Ag/jute nanocomposites using Erythroxylum coca tea waste extract as a bioreducing and stabilizing agent, combined with picosecond pulsed laser irradiation. UV–Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed the formation of Ag-NPs with diverse morphologies and broad size distributions, which became significantly more uniform after laser post-treatment without the need for additional chemical reagents. Following laser irradiation, the initially broad Ag surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak transformed into a symmetric Gaussian-shaped band, centered at 407 ± 3 nm for all the Ag-NPs systems. The catalytic performance of unsupported Ag-NPs and Ag-NPs supported on jute fibers was comparatively evaluated by degrading Congo red (CR) dye, revealing that the supported nanocomposites exhibited enhanced catalytic stability, higher pollutant removal efficiency, and improved catalyst recovery. Furthermore, multicomponent catalytic reduction experiments involving CR and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) in the presence of NaBH₄ revealed simultaneous degradation and reduction pathways mediated by the Ag/jute nanocomposites, as evidenced by the emergence of new absorption bands during the reaction. In parallel, the synthesized Ag-NPs demonstrated pronounced antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, generating well-defined inhibition zones. Beyond conventional approaches centered on nanoparticle synthesis and morphology optimization, this study establishes a platform that combines agricultural waste valorization, laser-assisted nanoparticle engineering, and natural-fiber-supported nanocomposite fabrication, enabling efficient remediation of both single- and multicomponent pollutant systems while promoting catalyst reusability and environmental sustainability. These findings demonstrate the Ag/jute nanocomposites as sustainable and scalable catalytic materials for wastewater remediation and antimicrobial applications. Full article

Introduction: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a disabling complication, and the effectiveness of exercise as treatment remains uncertain. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of exercise in women with BCRL. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, PEDro, and LILACS from database inception to March 2025, collating systematic reviews (SRs) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating exercise, alone or combined with physiotherapy, in women with BCRL. Risk of bias was assessed using ROBIS and RoB 2, certainty of evidence (CoE) using GRADE, and overlap using GROOVE. Results: Of 2023 records, 9 SRs including 170 primary studies were included; after overlap management, eligible RCT data were synthesized by comparison and outcome. Supervised weightlifting probably reduced the risk of a ≥5% long-term increase in lymphedema volume (RR: 0.13; 95% CI: 0.07–0.25; moderate CoE), but evidence is very uncertain regarding ≥5% volume reduction (RR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.44–1.66; very low CoE). Aquatic exercise may improve shoulder flexion (MD: 8.73 degrees; 95% CI: 3.55–13.91; low CoE) and shoulder abduction (MD: 6.87 degrees; 95% CI: 2.50–11.24; low CoE) compared with Pilates. No adverse events were reported, although they were not systematically defined or reported. Conclusions: Supervised weightlifting probably prevents increases in lymphedema volume, and aquatic exercise may improve shoulder mobility; however, the evidence remains uncertain, and the absence of adverse events does not confirm safety. Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42022334433). Full article