Search Results (2,654)

The calculation of costs for a complex edge–cloud platform operated by a telecommunications provider, which both manages networks and delivers communication and cloud services, is of fundamental importance. This work systematically addresses the evaluation of CapEx and OpEx, and thus the total cost of ownership, from a multi-period perspective for fully on-premises or hybrid edge–cloud platforms, including multi-cloud options. It also considers the computation of hourly costs of elementary resource units (e.g., vCPU), enabling cost allocation to applications and supporting service pricing. The proposed model and methods are general and adaptable to different contexts, requiring only the population of the data model and, as a next step, the platform instantiation for specific cases. The approach enables comparative analyses of multi-period deployment alternatives, including different degrees of decentralization, varying shares of public cloud resources, and sensitivity analyses on key parameters, particularly infrastructure costs. This work is developed within the IPCEI-CIS TIM Edge–Cloud Continuum project and currently is in the research phase, without application in TIM’s operational or commercial domains. Full article

Access to safe drinking water remains a global public health concern due to its role in the transmission of infectious diseases. Despite the 20th-century achievement of chlorine-based disinfection, drinking water systems face threats from aging infrastructure, climate-induced stressors, and emerging pathogens that evade traditional treatment. This bibliometric review maps three decades of research on microbial contamination in drinking water systems to explain its historical developments, current knowledge, and important updates. Only original and review articles retrieved on 13 April 2026 were screened for inclusion, requiring a focus on detecting, monitoring, or mitigating microbial contamination in drinking water systems. Analysis of 93 records identified a linear growth pattern, shifting from acute enteric pathogen monitoring to the management of opportunistic pathogens (OPs), antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and disinfection by-products (DBPs). Additionally, traditional fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), such as Escherichia coli, may not fully predict the presence of resilient pathogens protected within biofilms or free-living amoebae (FLA), which serve as environmental reservoirs for infection. To address these limitations, this review presents a conceptualization of waterborne pathogens by proposing formal case definitions and diagnostic criteria for critical contamination events (CCE) and chronic low-level exposure (CLLE). Lastly, knowledge gaps and open research questions relevant to future studies on microbial contamination in drinking water systems were identified and discussed. Full article

Background/Objectives: Upper airway constriction and craniofacial structural variation are recognised risk factors for paediatric sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Population-specific normative cephalometric reference data are lacking, and are needed to characterise these features in paediatric orthodontic patients, especially in Asian populations. This study examined upper airway structure and lymphoid tissue hypertrophy in a large paediatric orthodontic population. The aims of the study were to investigate upper airway differences across skeletal patterns, age, gender, and ancestry groups, establish pharyngeal airway, skeletal, dental, and soft tissue cephalometric dimensions, and determine adenotonsillar hypertrophy prevalence in a large paediatric orthodontic population in Singapore. Methods: Lateral cephalograms of children aged 7–11 years were obtained from a national dental centre, and a retrospective analysis was performed. Standardised cephalometric measurements were used to assess airway, skeletal, dental, and soft tissue parameters, with comparisons across demographic and skeletal groups. Results: A total of 404 children (203 boys, 201 girls; aged 7.04–10.99 years) were included in the final analysis. Thirteen airway variables differed significantly by gender and age, six by antero-posterior, and four by vertical skeletal pattern. One variable (AH-CV) differed between Chinese and non-Chinese children. A form of lymphoid tissue hypertrophy (Ad/Np ≥ 0.5 and/or Tn/Op ≥ 0.5) was present in 92.3% of subjects, comprising combined adenotonsillar hypertrophy (49.5%), isolated tonsillar hypertrophy (36.6%), and isolated adenoid hypertrophy (6.2%). Conclusions: Cephalometric norms for upper airway, skeletal, dental, and soft tissue structures in a 7–11-year-old orthodontic population in Singapore were reported. Adenotonsillar hypertrophy was present in nearly half of the subjects, while isolated tonsillar hypertrophy affected about one-third. Patients who were younger, male, Chinese, Class I, Class II, and had increased mandibular plane angles displayed cephalometric features associated with anatomical risk indicators for SDB. These population-specific cephalometric reference data provide a benchmark for contextualising upper airway and craniofacial measurements in paediatric orthodontic patients, supporting the potential utility of cephalometric assessment to identify children who may benefit from referral for comprehensive SDB evaluation. Full article

Osteoporosis (OP) and osteoarthritis (OA) are two common degenerative musculoskeletal disorders associated with aging and are traditionally classified and managed as distinct disease entities. Emerging evidence suggests that OP and OA may share bidirectional associations and common biological mechanisms, and that under specific pathological conditions they may develop into a mutually reinforcing comorbid state. The comorbidity of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (OP–OA) is not a simple superimposition of bone loss and cartilage degeneration; rather, it represents a disorder of the osteochondral unit centered on disruption of the subchondral bone microenvironment. Alterations in the structural strength, remodeling dynamics, vascular and neural status, and bone marrow lesions of subchondral bone collectively reshape the local microenvironment, thereby directly affecting mechanical signal transmission and cellular behavior within the joint. Focusing on the subchondral bone microenvironment as the central pathological nexus, this review systematically summarizes how mechanical imbalance, aberrant bone remodeling, inflammatory activation, metabolic dysregulation, and cellular senescence jointly remodel the local niche in OP–OA comorbidity. These microenvironmental changes further induce phenotypic remodeling and fate deviation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, bone remodeling-related cells, osteoimmune cells, and chondrocytes. On this basis, we integrate the regulatory roles of developmental signaling, mechanotransduction pathways, and inflammatory–immune signaling networks, and propose that microenvironment-driven cell fate plasticity may serve as a key mechanistic hub promoting the initiation and progression of OP–OA comorbidity as well as the persistent destabilization of the osteochondral unit. This perspective may help overcome the limitations of current studies that address OP and OA separately, and may provide a theoretical framework for early identification and stratification, biomarker discovery, and combined precision-targeted interventions for this comorbid condition. Full article

Onion peel extract (OPE) is rich in polyphenolic compounds with antimicrobial potential. Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infection in young broiler chicks causes morbidity, reduced growth, and contributes to human gastroenteritis through contaminated poultry products. The spleen is a key secondary lymphoid organ coordinating systemic responses to pathogens in chicken. This study evaluated how dietary OPE influences spleen metabolic profiles during SE infection. Day-old Ross 708 male chicks (n = 128) were assigned to four treatments: CON, CON-SE, OPE (6 g/kg), and OPE-SE. Chicks in CON and OPE received sterile broth, whereas CON-SE and OPE-SE received 2.25 × 10⁸ CFU/mL SE at 2 d of age. At 5 and 12 dpi, spleens from six chicks per treatment were collected for untargeted HPLC-MS metabolomics. A total of 857 metabolites were identified and analyzed using MetaboAnalyst 6.0 (p < 0.05; fold change ≥ 2.0; VIP score > 1.0). In CON-SE chicks, energy generating metabolites (6-phosphogluconic acid, methylmalonic acid, propionic acid) increased, while 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin D2 and kynurenic acid decreased. Dietary OPE elevated several dipeptides (L-Val-Gly, L-Leu-Gly, Gly-Gly-Leu, L-Val-L-Met) and reduced ATP linked metabolites (3,6-di-O-methyl-beta-D-glucose and 3-O-beta-D-galactosyl-sn-glycerol). Enrichment analysis showed that SE infection altered valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation and aromatic amino acid biosynthesis, whereas OPE enriched galactose and biotin metabolism in uninfected chicks, but enriched tryptophan, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism in SE-infected chicks. Overall, dietary OPE optimized response of metabolic pathways associated with immune activation, unlike corresponding pathways in CON-SE birds. Full article

Determining the distribution of phosphorus forms in dewatered sludge is crucial, as it directly impacts the choice and effectiveness of recovery strategies. Analyses using the Standards, Measurements and Testing (SMT) method, soluble/insoluble fractionation and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS)/EPS-residue fractionation revealed that sludge characteristics strongly influenced phosphorus speciation and content. Inorganic phosphorus (IP) was the dominant form in dewatered sludge, primarily regulated by the levels of Al, Fe, and Ca, while dissolved orthophosphate (ortho-P) constituted only 1% of the total phosphorus (TP). Notably, phosphorus exhibited a distinct distribution pattern between EPS and EPS residues: EPS comprised only 2.09% of TP, 74.19% of which was organic phosphorus (OP), whereas EPS residues contained 93.26% of TP, with a much lower OP proportion (15.04%). These results indicate that most phosphorus in dewatered sludge is retained in insoluble and residue-bound forms. Therefore, pretreatment strategies that promote the conversion of solid-phase phosphorus into dissolved ortho-P are necessary for improving phosphorus recovery from dewatered sludge, supporting waste valorization and more sustainable sludge management. Full article

Osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP) are prevalent conditions with a complex relationship, yet their shared epigenetic mechanisms remain poorly understood. While genes like DKK1, RHOJ, and SOX6 have been implicated in both diseases, the specific role of individual CpG sites has not been fully characterized. We investigated CpG methylation in these genes using bisulfite pyrosequencing of peripheral blood DNA from n = 96 postmenopausal women: n = 24 with comorbid OA and OP, n = 34 with OA, and n = 38 healthy controls. Methylation differences were analyzed using statistical tests and logistic regression. Comorbid patients showed significant hypermethylation at two DKK1 CpG sites compared to the OA-only group (p_adj = 0.0007 and p_adj = 0.042). Conversely, one DKK1 site was hypomethylated in the OA-only group relative to controls (p_adj = 0.03). A regression model combining three DKK1 sites and one SOX6 site demonstrated predictive value for comorbid disease, with an AUC of 0.696. These findings identify site-specific methylation of DKK1 and SOX6 as a molecular signature associated with comorbid OA and OP, offering new insights into their shared etiology. Full article

Optimal coordination of directional overcurrent relays (DOCRs) in medium-to-large power systems constitutes a computationally demanding, mixed-integer, nonlinear optimisation problem whose complexity escalates rapidly with system size, making the simultaneous minimisation of relay operating time and computational cost a critical open challenge. This study presents a two-level hierarchical framework in which Type-2 Fuzzy C-Means (T2FCM) clustering partitions 226 fault scenarios into subproblems at the upper level, while the Hybrid Fractional Entropy Evolution (HFEE) algorithm independently optimises relay settings for each cluster at the lower level. HFEE integrates fractional-order velocity updates—derived from the Grünwald–Letnikov formulation—with a Shannon entropy diversity-control mechanism to prevent premature convergence. T2FCM captures inherent fault-current uncertainty through interval-valued type-2 fuzzy memberships, yielding more robust cluster assignments near protection-zone boundaries than crisp partitioning methods. The framework is validated on the extended IEEE 30-bus system. An ablation study demonstrates that standalone HFEE achieves a 29.19% improvement in $T_{\mathrm{op}}$ over the prior best-reported result; however, a comprehensive parameter sweep over cluster counts $K\in \{2,\dots ,8\}$ and fractional orders $\alpha \in \{0.1,\dots ,0.9\}$ across 50 independent runs per configuration shows that the proposed clustering-decomposed method achieves 3.68–66.67% lower wall-clock computation time while maintaining zero CTI violations across all active relay pairs. The communicationless, entirely offline framework demonstrates scalability for simultaneous sub-transmission and distribution protection coordination and offers a practically deployable strategy for modern power networks. Full article

Eutric Regosols are globally important but low-fertility soils with poor nutrient retention, limiting crop productivity and increasing environmental risks. This study evaluated whether combining a moderate reduction in synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer with organic manure application could rapidly improve soil fertility, sustain maize yield, enhance nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and increase yield resilience in these soils. A four-year field experiment was conducted on a purple soil (Eutric Regosol) with five treatments: no N (CK), conventional synthetic N (CN), a 20% synthetic N reduction (OP), and the OP treatment combined with 3000 (OPM1) or 6000 (OPM2) kg ha⁻¹ of organic fertilizer. Maize yield, yield components, NUE indices, soil properties, and net economic benefits (NEB) were measured. OP alone reduced yield by 7.57% compared to CN. OPM2 progressively increased yield, surpassing CN by 12.36% after four years, and indicated greater yield resilience during a high-rainfall year. OPM2 also significantly improved topsoil organic matter (+12.9%), total N (+46.3%), and NUE indices over time. Although initial NEB was lower for organic-amended treatments, OPM2 achieved higher economic returns than CN in the latter two years. Integrating a 20% synthetic N reduction with 6000 kg ha⁻¹ of organic manure is an effective strategy for rapid fertility improvement in Eutric Regosols. This approach compensates for yield reductions from less synthetic N, progressively enhances yield and NUE, improves soil health, increases economic returns, and strengthens buffering capacity against high-rainfall events. Full article

The article presents an original approach to automatic musical key detection, combining Constant-Q Transform (CQT) analysis with the Triple Composite Signature of Fifths (TCSF). The method’s novelty lies primarily in the construction of the Signature of Fifths (SF), which is grounded in fundamental principles of music theory and builds on earlier SF-based studies. The proposed approach aims to preserve the algorithmic simplicity typical of SF approaches while strengthening their key advantages. In addition, the method reflects the analytical approach of experienced musicians by assigning greater importance to the initial and final sections of a piece. The use of CQT enables efficient audio analysis and offers a practical compromise between frequency resolution and alignment with the pitch-class representation. Experiments conducted on Franz Schubert’s songs from the Winterreise song cycle and Frédéric Chopin’s Preludes, Op. 28, confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, achieving 87.5% and 79.2% key-detection accuracy, respectively. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed method is competitive with tonal profile-based key-detection approaches. Full article

Background: Osteoporosis (OP) is a chronic disease characterized by decreased bone mass and altered microarchitecture, leading to bone fragility and fracture risk. To date, although carbohydrate-binding proteins Galectins 1 and 3 (Gal-1/Gal-3) have been implicated in bone metabolism, inflammation and aging, their levels and potential regulation by microRNAs (miRNAs) have not yet been investigated in OP. Methods: In this pilot study, 13 osteoporotic (OP) and 10 non-osteoporotic (NOP) patients, all undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty, were enrolled. Due to the unavailability of DXA measurements, OP classification was based on cortical bone ratio and distal femoral cortical index. Clinical parameters and blood samples were collected preoperatively, while bone biopsies were obtained intraoperatively. ELISA and qRT-PCR were used to quantify Gal-1, Gal-3, miR-22 and miR-21 in bones and sera. Correlations with clinical parameters were assessed. Results: Several OP biopsies exhibited a reduction in Gal-1 levels, whereas miR-22, Gal-3 and miR-21 were increased. Serum analysis revealed similar dysregulation patterns, with increased miR-21 and decreased Gal-1 and miR-22 levels in several OP patients. Conclusions: This pilot study suggests a putative association of Gal-1, Gal-3, and their previously reported related miRNAs with osteoporotic bone status, indicating their potential involvement in OP-related bone metabolism. Full article

This study evaluates the life cycle assessment (LCA) of Lufenuron 50-EC pesticide adsorption from aqueous solution using oil palm shell (OPS)-derived activated carbon produced through two activation routes: physical and chemical. The assessment covers environmental impacts associated with feedstock collection, transportation, pre-processing, and post-processing stages involved in producing activated carbon for pesticide removal. The cradle-to-grave LCA technique was applied using the ELCD 3.2 Greendelta v2.18 database and processed with OpenLCA v2.4 using CML-IA baseline method to perform the quantitative life cycle impact assessment. The results for treating 1 m³ of contaminated water show that physical activation route (Route 1) generates a higher environmental burden across all evaluated impact categories compared to chemical route (Route 2). Notably, global warming potential (GWP) reached 117.62 kg CO₂ eq for Route 1 compared to 75.86 kg CO₂ eq for Route 2. This represents a 35.5% reduction with the chemical route, suggesting that the high energy demand associated with thermal process in physical activation generates more significant greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, this study helped identify critical performance points and opportunities for improvement in converting the OPS to an activated carbon transformation process and its application in pesticide contamination control. Full article

Supplier selection in healthcare is a complex multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) challenge requiring a balance of sustainability, resilience, and operational efficiency. Traditional methods struggle with scalability and subjectivity when applied to large administrative datasets. This study introduces a transparent hybrid Machine Learning–MCDM (ML–MCDM) framework, validated using a U.S. Medicare dataset of 661 suppliers. The framework integrates eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) for criterion prioritization, the Full Consistency Method (FUCOM) for mathematically consistent weighting, and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) for final ranking. As the dataset lacks direct sustainability metrics, seven indicators were synthetically generated; thus, the results serve as proof-of-concept demonstration of the framework’s architecture. Specifically, XGBoost–SHAP is trained to predict a synthetically constructed Overall Performance Score (OPS), meaning that the resulting feature importance output constitutes an algorithmic consistency check—confirming that the pipeline correctly recovers importance signals deliberately embedded in the training target. For interpretability, suppliers were segmented into five performance profiles via K-Means: Strategic Partners (17.7%), Green Leaders (18.6%), Reliable Emergency Suppliers (18.2%), Balanced Performers (20.4%), and Developing Suppliers (25.1%). Carbon Footprint Score (0.408) and Emergency Response Capability (0.316) achieved the highest feature importance. FUCOM-derived weights prioritized On-Time Delivery Rate (0.272), Carbon Footprint Score (0.222), and Emergency Response Capability (0.220). The top supplier attained a TOPSIS closeness coefficient of 0.800, showing strong discrimination. Sensitivity analysis across four scenarios confirmed ranking robustness, maintaining Spearman correlations ρ ≥ 0.977. This ML–FUCOM–TOPSIS approach provides an auditable, scalable, and policy-relevant decision-support tool, enabling procurement managers to navigate high-dimensional data while ensuring operational continuity and environmental responsibility in healthcare supply chains. Full article

Osteoporosis (OP) is a complex disease in which several immune-related genes have been identified as contributing to susceptibility and disease progression. Despite efforts to achieve functional validation, many of these genes, such as interferon-gamma (IFNG), remain the subject of unresolved mechanisms. The present study aimed to examine whether the IFNG -1616 (G>A, rs2069705) polymorphism was associated with postmenopausal OP. A total of 251 OP patients and 115 healthy controls were genotyped to assess the association between the IFNG -1616 (G>A, rs2069705) polymorphism and osteoporosis. To further investigate the biological role of IFN-γ in bone metabolism, human SaOs-2 osteosarcoma cells were treated with recombinant IFN-γ (2 and 100 U/mL), and calcification and cell viability were evaluated using Alizarin Red staining and the MTT assay, respectively. We found that the IFNG rs2069705 G allele was associated with an increased risk of OP (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.03–2.05, p = 0.03). Furthermore, serum IFN-γ levels did not differ significantly between genotype groups. In SaOs-2 cells, IFN-γ (2 U/mL) significantly increased viability (p = 0.017) and enhanced calcification in a dose-dependent manner. The IFNG rs2069705 G allele may confer susceptibility to postmenopausal OP. IFN-γ promotes osteoblast viability and mineralization at low concentrations, suggesting a potential anabolic role that warrants further investigation in human primary osteoblasts. Full article

Cordyceps militaris is a high-value medicinal mushroom with growing demand in functional-food and nutraceutical markets, yet practical frameworks for small-scale, family-operated cultivation remain limited. This study presents an integrated technical and economic feasibility analysis of small-scale Cordyceps production under two scenarios: a one-room setup (Scenario 1) and a two-room configuration with a shared processing area and staggered scheduling (Scenario 2). Both use consistent biological, operational, and market assumptions with no hired labor, and the analysis covers capital expenditure (CapEx), operating costs (OpEx), profitability, payback, and break-even thresholds, complemented by sensitivity analysis of parameters such as biological efficiency and contamination rates. Both scenarios were technically and financially viable. Scenario 1 achieved a net present value (NPV) of $1761, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 10%, a 4.7-year discounted payback, and a 133% five-year return on investment (ROI); Scenario 2 attained an NPV of $85,437, a 66% IRR, a 1.6-year payback, and a 366% ROI. Because gross margins were consistent across scales, the expansion’s advantage stemmed from more efficient CapEx amortization rather than improved unit profitability. Cordyceps cultivation emerges as a viable family-operated, small-scale enterprise that can diversify family income, generate supplementary or primary earnings, and support urban and rural livelihoods. Full article