Search Results (263,540)

The progressive degradation of surface waters should become one of the most important problems requiring an urgent solution. One of the methods developed is filtering water through loose, degraded sediments, blooms of cyanobacteria or algae, or a bed of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) waste or hemp fibers. The conducted tests on the percolation of water samples and/or water with sediment from surface waters at sites with different ecological statuses indicate the possibility of using hemp waste for the reclamation of water reservoirs and rivers. The effect of filtration is a rapid improvement in water quality and, consequently, an improvement in the ecological status. The best result was achieved for a small freshwater reservoir with a large number of algae and loose degraded sediment. The initial turbidity value was at the limit of the device’s measurement capability, reaching 9991 NTU. After filtration through the hemp waste bed, the turbidity dropped to 42.52 NTU, a 99.57% decrease. The remaining parameters, C, TDS, and pH, were not subject to significant variability as a result of filtering. Excessive amounts of organic matter, which create a problem for surface waters, are removed. Due to the carrier (hemp waste), which is organic waste, any possible release of small amounts into the aquatic environment will not pose a threat. After applying filtration, a decision can be made on further actions regarding the water reservoir or river: Self-renewal of the reservoir or further percolation using, for example, mill gauze or cleaning the reservoir with other, non-invasive methods. After the filtering procedure, the hemp waste, enriched with organic matter and water remaining in the waste, can be used for composting or directly for soil mulching (preliminary tests have yielded positive results). A hemp waste filter effectively removes Chronomus aprilinus larvae (Chrinomidae) from water. This result indicates the possibility of removing mosquito larvae in malaria-affected areas. The use of hemp filters would reduce the amount of toxic chemicals used to reduce mosquito larvae. Improving the ecological status of surface waters by filtering contaminants with hemp waste filters can reduce the need for chemical treatment. The use of natural, biological filters enables sustainable surface water management. This is crucial in today’s rapidly increasing chemical pollution of surface waters. Full article

Grazing yaks often face protein deficiency due to low-quality pasture, which limits milk production. This study aimed to investigate the effects of varying protein levels in concentrate supplementation on lactational performance, immune function, and rumen microbial and metabolites in grazing lactating yaks. Thirty-six lactating Qinghai Plateau yaks (172.78 ± 11.70 kg) were assigned to four treatments for 70 d (10 d adaptation + 60 d trial): grazing only (CON) or grazing plus 1.50 kg/d concentrate containing 15.09% (CP15), 17.00% (CP17), or 18.98% CP (CP19). Concentrate supplementation significantly increased average daily gain (ADG; 0.22 vs. 0.72–0.90 kg/d; p < 0.001) and milk yield (622.18 vs. 1094.25–1385.73 g/d; p < 0.001), and milk yield showed a linear increase with higher dietary protein levels (p < 0.001). Milk protein yield (29.99 vs. 56.00–68.60 g/d; p < 0.001) and milk lactose yield (40.71 vs. 79.85–93.53 g/d; p < 0.001) were also increased. Milk composition, including fat, protein, and lactose, also improved across supplementation groups, with the greatest enhancement observed at the CP17 group (p < 0.05). Rumen pH and volatile fatty acids did not differ between treatments, while microbial protein increased with supplementation (10.88 vs. 12.72–15.00 mg/dL; p = 0.041) and showed a linear response to dietary CP level (p = 0.033). Concentrate supplementation significantly altered the rumen microbial structure (ANOSIM, p = 0.036), enriching Succinivibrionaceae_UCG-002, Fibrobacter, Ruminobacter, and Succinimonas and reducing Saccharofermentans in CP17 yaks (p < 0.05). Untargeted metabolomics further indicated a marked shift in the ruminal metabolite profile. Compared with CON, CP17 yaks exhibited higher levels of calcium propionate, 2-nitrofuran, curvulalide, and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, but lower levels of 4-pyridoxic acid, L-carnitine, bitocholic acid, and taurodehydrocholic acid. Pathway enrichment analysis identified vitamin B6 metabolism as significantly enriched. Collectively, these findings suggest that moderate protein concentrate supplementation (CP17) may enhance lactation performance by modulating rumen microbiota and metabolism in lactating yaks. Full article

Water quality monitoring faces increasing challenges due to accelerating industrialization and urbanization, demanding accurate, real-time, and reliable prediction technologies. This study presents a novel ensemble learning framework integrating Gaussian Process Regression, Support Vector Regression, and Random Forest algorithms for high-precision water quality pH prediction. The research utilized a comprehensive spatiotemporal dataset, comprising 11 water quality parameters from 37 monitoring stations across Georgia, USA, spanning 705 days from January 2016 to January 2018. The ensemble model employed a dynamic weight allocation strategy based on cross-validation error performance, assigning optimal weights of 34.27% to Random Forest, 33.26% to Support Vector Regression, and 32.47% to Gaussian Process Regression. The integrated approach achieved superior predictive performance, with a mean absolute error of 0.0062 and coefficient of determination of 0.8533, outperforming individual base learners across multiple evaluation metrics. Statistical significance testing using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with a Bonferroni correction confirmed that the ensemble significantly outperforms all individual models (p < 0.001). Comparison with state-of-the-art models (LightGBM, XGBoost, TabNet) demonstrated competitive or superior ensemble performance. Comprehensive ablation experiments revealed that Random Forest removal causes the largest performance degradation (+4.43% MAE increase). Feature importance analysis revealed the dissolved oxygen maximum and conductance mean as the most influential predictors, contributing 22.1% and 17.5%, respectively. Cross-validation results demonstrated robust model stability with a mean absolute error of 0.0053 ± 0.0002, while bootstrap confidence intervals confirmed narrow uncertainty bounds of 0.0060 to 0.0066. Spatiotemporal analysis identified station-specific performance variations ranging from 0.0036 to 0.0150 MAE. High-error stations (12, 29, 33) were analyzed to distinguish characteristics, including higher pH variability and potential upstream pollution influences. An integrated software platform was developed featuring intuitive interface, real-time prediction, and comprehensive visualization tools for environmental monitoring applications. Full article

Nail clipping can cause fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) in dogs and cats and possibly long-term aversion to veterinary care. We conducted an anonymous, online, mixed-methods survey to characterise the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Australian veterinary nurses, technicians, and other veterinary staff regarding nail clipping in dogs and cats. Among 242 valid responses, 71.9% (n = 174/242) performed nail clipping multiple times per week. Dogs (72.4%, n = 165/228) and cats (59%, n = 134/227) frequently displayed FAS (score > 2/5) during nail clipping. Most respondents (79.8%, n = 193/242) reported being injured while performing nail clipping. Respondents reporting a negative attitude towards nail clipping were 5.5 times (95% CI = 1.7–17.8) more likely to report being injured during a nail clip compared to those with a positive attitude. Respondents reported feeling pressure to persevere with nail clipping when it was unnecessary or when animals exhibited severe FAS. Where used, pre-visit pharmaceuticals and sedation were reported to effectively reduce FAS (dog: p = 0.015; cat: p = 0.152), along with non-pharmaceutical interventions such as gentle handling and counter-conditioning. Respondents perceived nail-clipping to be a difficult, undervalued task. Increased training of veterinary team members regarding nail clipping could improve animal welfare and the safety of veterinary team members. Full article

This review explores the advancements and applications of β-hairpin peptide hydrogels, starting from the paradigmatic case of MAX1 and its highly versatile analogue MAX8. MAX1 (H-VKVKVKVKV^DPPTKVKVKVKV-NH₂) has been identified as the first synthetic β-hairpin peptide for the preparation of stimuli-responsive peptide-based hydrogels. At low ionic strength or neutral pH, MAX1 remains unfolded and soluble. However, under physiological conditions, it folds into a β-hairpin structure, then producing a self-supporting matrix within minutes. The formed gel is shear-thinning and self-healing, making it suitable for injectable therapies. To explore MAX1 molecular space and enhance its practical clinical use, the primary sequence was engineered via chemical modification, with specific single amino acid substitution and relative net charge alteration. This approach generates MAX1 analogues, differing in gelation kinetics, mechanical response and biological performances. The β-hairpin peptide hydrogels are categorized into five different groups: MAX1, MAX1 analogues, MAX8, MAX8 analogues and non-MAX peptides sequences. Collectively, the review outcomes demonstrate the use of β-hairpin peptide matrices as tunable platforms for the development of predictable and stable biomaterials for advanced tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. Full article

Background: Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC) is an extremely rare, high-grade, and aggressive tumor of the sinonasal tract. Due to the rarity of this malignancy, current treatment guidelines are based on small and often/mainly single-center retrospective datasets. In the absence of a universally accepted standard of care for SNUC, treatment approaches vary across countries and institutions, reflecting real-world clinical practice. The primary aim of this study was to describe real-world treatment and outcomes for patients with confirmed SNUC. Methods: This was an international, multi-center, retrospective, observational cohort study that pooled patients into the largest SNUC dataset to date. Fifteen centers were enrolled to contribute data, including seven from Europe, four from the United States, three from the United Kingdom, and one from Canada. In the absence of a universally accepted standard of care for SNUC, treatment approaches varied across countries and institutions, reflecting real-world clinical practice. Patients included were those with histologically confirmed SNUC who were treated between 1997 and 2021. Results: This study yielded 485 patients treated for SNUC. The median age at diagnosis was 55.6 years (IQR: 44.5–67.6), and 63.7% were male. Most cases presented at advanced stages, with 70.8% as T4a or T4b. Overall survival (OS) outcomes were available for 412 patients, with a median follow-up of 26.0 months. The 5- and 10-year OS were 47.2% (95% CI: 40.8–53.3%) and 39.6% (95% CI: 32.5–46.6%), respectively. Advanced age, dichotomized T-stage (T4a/b vs. T1–3), M-stage, and orbital involvement were significant poor prognostic factors on univariable analysis (p’s < 0.01). On multivariable analysis, orbital involvement (HR: 2.73, 95% CI: 1.42–5.27, p = 0.003) and distance metastasis stage (HR: 3.00, 95% CI: 1.25–7.21, p = 0.014) were both independently associated with worse OS. Conclusions: This observational study presents the largest multi-center cohort analysis of SNUC to date, providing new insights into prognostic factors for a rare cancer treated at global centers of excellence. Orbital involvement and the presence of metastases are candidate independent risk factors associated with poorer OS. Full article

Background: recently, regenerative medicine has introduced a new branch of science that facilitates the repair of damaged tissues and organs in acute myocardial infarction. This study explores the role of the C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) system in myocardial infarction (MI) and its modulation by Apelin-13 functionalized patches (A-13p). Methods: using an experimental rat model of ischemia/reperfusion, the rats were divided into four groups: Sham, Infarct, Sham with A-13p, and Infarct with A-13p. Cardiac tissue from the infarct, border, and remote zones was analyzed for CNP and its receptors’ mRNA expression via Real-Time PCR. Results: histological analysis, 4 weeks post A-13p implantation, showed no damage from A-13p implantation in either MI or Sham groups, with reduced left ventricle wall thinning in the Infarct group treated with A-13p. CNP mRNA expression was higher in the infarcted groups (p = ns), especially in the border/infarct zone (BZ + IZ), compared to the Sham group (p = 0.05). NPR-B receptor expression was higher in the RZ than in (BZ + IZ), both in the absence (p = 0.02) and presence of patches (p = 0.01), while NPR-C expression was lower. No significant differences were observed in VEGF mRNA levels across the groups. Conclusions: the findings suggest that the CNP system is involved in MI and that A-13p modulates CNP expression, highlighting CNP as a potential target for therapeutic strategies aimed at regulating vascular remodeling and angiogenesis in MI treatment. Full article

The excessive use of chemical fertilizers raised concerns regarding environmental sustainability and soil degradation, prompting increasing interest in biofertilizers as eco-friendly alternatives. Among these, a compound that is effective in stimulating root and plant growth is indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). In our study, we evaluated IAA production by the halotolerant bacterium Vreelandella titanicae under different and varying nutritional conditions, such as tryptophan availability, temperature, pH, salinity, etc. The bacterium showed significant IAA production under a broad range of conditions and a dependence on the presence of tryptophan for IAA biosynthesis. High salinity (1.0 M NaCl), slightly alkaline pH (8.0–9.0), and temperatures of 34 °C increased IAA production, while optimal growth occurred in the absence of NaCl at a range of temperatures of 25–28 °C, suggesting a stress-responsive regulation of its biosynthesis. Easily metabolizable carbon sources, such as glucose and mannitol, enhanced IAA yield again, whereas additions of 1.0 g L⁻¹ NH₄NO₃ and KH₂PO₄ in the basal medium, poor in these salts, inhibited both the growth of the bacterium and IAA production. Notably, V. titanicae produced relevant amounts of IAA in seawater (24.57 ± 11.28 μg⋅mL⁻¹) when used as growth medium and dairy whey (15.68 ± 2.42 μg⋅mL⁻¹), highlighting its suitability for low-cost and circular bioprocessing strategies. In conclusion, V. titanicae is a promising Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium (PGPR) candidate for sustainable IAA production and potential application in saline or marginal agricultural soils. Its ability to synthesize IAA in different growth media could allow its exploitation in environmentally friendly bioprocesses. Full article

Background: Liver transplantation (LT) is the definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease, yet racial and ethnic disparities persist across the LT continuum. This study investigated the patient-level and system-level barriers to LT and evaluated racial disparities in access and outcomes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study (2012–2022) at Banner University Medical Center, Phoenix, analyzing adult LT-referred, evaluated, waitlisted, and transplanted patients. Primary outcomes included mortality and LT barriers, assessed using competing-risk and Cox regression analyses. Results: Among 2877 LT-referred patients, 61% were Non-Hispanic White (NHW), 26% Hispanic, 8.8% Native American/Alaska Native (NA/AN), 3% Black, and 1% Asian. Compared with NHW patients, lower rates of LT evaluation and listing were observed among NA/AN (39% and 53%) and Hispanic patients (56% and 63%) versus NHW patients (51% and 64%). Patient-level financial barriers were more common among NA/AN (15.5%) and Hispanic (19.81%) individuals. Waitlist mortality was significantly higher for NA/AN (sub-distribution hazard ratio [SHR]: 5.26; p < 0.01) and Hispanic (SHR: 2.92, p < 0.02) patients than for NHW patients, whereas graft survival did not differ significantly by race. Conclusions: Marked racial and ethnic disparities exist in LT access and waitlist mortality, particularly among NA/AN and Hispanic patients. Targeted interventions addressing financial and systemic barriers are critical to ensuring equitable LT access and improving transplant outcomes. Full article

This article introduces the design and implementation of an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), named “AquaMIB”, which introduces a novel and integrated approach for real-time and autonomous water quality monitoring in aquatic environments. The system integrates modular hardware and software, combining sensors for temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and oxidation reduction potential with GPS, LiDAR, a digital compass, communication modules, and a dedicated power unit. Software components include Python on a Raspberry Pi for navigation and control, C on an Atmega 324P for sensing, C++ on an Arduino Uno for remote control, and C#/JavaScript for the web-based control center. Users assign task points, and the USV autonomously navigates, collects data, and transmits it via RESTful API. Field trials showed 96.5% navigation accuracy over 2.2 km, with 66% of task points reached within 3 m. A total of 120 measurements were processed in real time and visualized as GIS-based spatial maps. The system demonstrates a cost-effective, modular solution for aquatic monitoring. The system’s ability to generate real-time GIS maps enables immediate identification of environmental anomalies, transforming raw sensor data into an actionable decision-support tool for aquatic management. Full article

We aimed to establish a rapid and precise method for identifying and quantifying multi-species vegetable oil (corn oil, olive oil (OLO), soybean oil, and sunflower oil (SUO)) adulterations in camellia oil (CAO), using soft ionization by chemical reaction in transfer–high-resolution mass spectrometry (SICRIT-HRMS) and machine learning methods. The results showed that SICRIT-HRMS could effectively characterize the volatile profiles of pure and adulterated CAO samples, including binary, ternary, quaternary, and quinary adulteration systems. The low m/z region (especially 100–300) exhibited importance to oil classification in multiple feature-selection methods. For qualitative detection, binary classification models based on convolutional neural networks (CNN), Random Forest (RF), and gradient boosting trees (GBT) algorithms showed high accuracies (98.70–100.00%) for identifying CAO adulteration under no dimensionality reduction (NON), principal component analysis (PCA), and uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) strategies. The RF algorithm exhibited relatively high accuracy (96.25–99.45%) in multiclass classification. Moreover, the five models, including CNN, RF, support vector machines (SVM), logistic regression (LR), and GBT, exhibited different performances in distinguishing pure and adulterated CAO. Among 1093 blind oil samples, under NON, PCA, and UMAP: 10, 5, and 67 samples were misclassified by CNN model; 6, 7, and 41 samples were misclassified by RF model; 8, 9, and 82 samples were misclassified by SVM model; 17, 18, and 78 samples were misclassified by LR model; 7, 9, and 43 samples were misclassified by GBT model. For quantitative prediction, the PCA-CNN model performed optimally in predicting adulteration levels in CAO, especially with respect to OLO and SUO, exhibiting a high coefficient of determination for calibration ($R_C^2$, 0.9664–0.9974) and coefficient of determination for prediction ($R_p^2$, 0.9599–0.9963) values, low root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC, 0.9–5.3%) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP, 1.1–5.8%) values, and RPD (5.0–16.3) values greater than 3.0. These results indicate that SICRIT-HRMS combined with machine learning can rapidly and accurately identify and quantify multi-species vegetable oil adulterations in CAO, which provides a reference for developing non-targeted and high-throughput detection methods in edible oil authenticity. Full article

A dynamic filtering system that can choose in real time between two different noise filters depending on the dynamics of the measured environment is presented. Unlike other adaptive filters approaches, this system does not require prior knowledge of the environment beyond noise characteristics. We implemented this system into a Brillouin optical time-domain analysis (BOTDA) sensing scheme using a closed-circuit control system for dynamic tracking of the Brillouin Frequency Shift (BFS) along the sensing fiber using a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller. Through experiments and numerical simulations, we compare this method to the filtering capabilities of P and PI controllers chosen as optimal in a previous work for closed-circuit BOTDA (CC-BOTDA). Results show that the adaptive noise filter provides a dynamic response comparable to the other controllers, while increasing noise suppression by a factor between 30% and beyond 100%, showing how an adaptive system can improve suppression with only knowledge of the measurement noise. Full article

Background: The pterygoid plates serve as crucial reference points for posterior maxillary surgery and the placement of pterygoid implants; however, population-specific morphometric reference values remain underexplored for adults of Asir region (Abha city) of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) study analyzed the archived scans obtained at King Khalid University Dental Hospital. Of 100 randomly selected adult CBCT scans collected between June and October 2025, 50 images met the eligibility criteria. The analyses were conducted using OnDemand3D software to measure the bilateral pterygoid plates’ length, thickness at the maximum diameter, and medial-lateral divergence angle. Styloid process length was measured as an exploratory variable. Three calibrated examiners performed the measurements, and the reliability was assessed using interclass correlation coefficients. Results: Fifty CBCT scans met the inclusion criteria (30 males, 20 females). The mean lateral pterygoid plate length was 14.61 ± 3.69 mm on the right and 13.83 ± 3.93 mm on the left, while the mean medial plate length was 11.27 ± 3.52 mm (right) and 11.98 ± 3.82 mm (left). Side to side paired comparisons showed no significant right–left differences in lateral plate length (mean R–L 0.79 mm, 95% CI −0.48 to 2.06), lateral thickness (mean 0.04 mm, 95% CI −0.14 to 0.22), medial thickness (mean 0.01 mm, 95% CI −0.19 to 0.21), or pterygoid angulation (mean 1.99°, 95% CI −1.07 to 5.05), supporting bilateral symmetry. Bilateral correlations were strong for medial plate length (r = 0.729, p < 0.001) and angulation (r = 0.632, p < 0.001). Males had a longer right lateral plate than females (15.74 ± 3.55 mm vs. 12.93 ± 3.31 mm; mean difference 2.81 mm, 95% CI 0.80–4.82; p = 0.007), whereas other measurements did not differ by sex. Plate thickness ranged from approximately 1.33 to 1.46 mm and left medial plate thickness correlated negatively with left medial plate length (r = −0.399, p = 0.004). Styloid process length averaged 22.99 ± 9.76 mm and showed no significant association with pterygoid plate measures. Conclusions: CBCT-derived findings demonstrated overall bilateral symmetry and limited dimorphism in relation to sex. These region-specific morphometries support individualized preoperative posterior maxillary surgery and pterygoid implant planning. Full article