Search Results (15,252)

(1) Background: The recent decade appears to be the hottest since the beginning of modern measurements. Changes in climate patterns related to extreme events and disturbances in forest ecosystems are well documented. Six prominent protected areas (PAs), mountainous forest ecosystems in Serbia, were assessed from the perspective of species potential distribution and vulnerability. (2) Methods: Seven different machine learning models were employed, evaluated using AUC, the maximum F-measure, and TSS and joined into an ensemble model for each of the eight tree species/groups taken from the National Forest Inventory. Representatives from four groups of environmental variables were included: 1. climate (Ellenberg’s Climate Quotient), 2. soil (soil organic carbon), 3. topography (elevation), and 4. remotely sensed indices (NDVI). Future climate was derived from four scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5). Stable/gain/loss areas and species vulnerability were calculated with a focus on the end of the 21st century. (3) Results: By the 2090s, generally, contraction of Silver fir, Norway spruce, and European beech is expected, together with the promotion of Downy oak and Sessile oak, in all climate scenarios at all PAs. Two high-mountain PAs expect to see promotions in average forest suitability, one PA both a promotion and a reduction in two scenarios, and three PAs reductions in forest ecosystems in general. (4) Conclusions: National parks “Kopaonik” and “Tara” appear to be the least endangered, followed by “Golija”, while “Stara planina”, “Djerdap”, and “Fruska gora” are expected to experience overall reductions in forest habitats. Full article

Sit-to-stand (STS) is a fundamental functional task frequently impaired after stroke and widely used in rehabilitation to assess motor control and balance. While lower-limb kinematic and muscular asymmetries during STS have been documented, the contribution of trunk muscle coordination to compensatory strategies has received limited attention. We investigated STS performance in seven individuals with chronic right-sided hemiparesis under two conditions (free arms and crossed arms) to characterize phase-dependent kinematic asymmetries and side-dependent trunk muscle modulation relevant to rehabilitation practice. Optoelectronic motion capture was synchronized with bilateral surface electromyography, providing time-aligned kinematic and neuromuscular signals for sensor-based assessment of STS. Participants exhibited prolonged and highly variable STS durations, along with ankle asymmetries during the rising and lowering phases and hip asymmetries during upright standing, indicating increased reliance on the less impaired limb. Electromyography revealed side-dependent modulation of trunk muscles, notably latissimus dorsi, erector spinae longissimus, and multifidus, characterized by a prolonged relative contribution on the more impaired side. These findings suggest that altered trunk muscle modulation contributes to compensatory STS strategies after stroke and highlight the importance of trunk-focused neuromuscular assessment to guide individualized rehabilitation interventions aimed at improving symmetry, postural stability, and movement efficiency. Full article

Soil preferential flow plays a crucial role in governing hydrological cycles and soil moisture distribution in mountain forests. This makes it essential for understanding subsurface water movement and for guiding hillslope hydrological management. In this study, soil preferential flow, soil properties, and root characteristics across three slope positions on a Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii (Mayr) Pilger (larch) plantation hillslope in the Liupan Mountains were systematically observed to reveal the spatial patterns and formation mechanisms of hillslope soil preferential flow. The results showed that soil preferential flow development followed a distinct spatial pattern across the slope positions, with the mid-slope exhibiting the most developed preferential flow characteristics. The comprehensive preferential flow index further quantified this spatial variation, ranking the slope positions as mid-slope > upper slope > lower slope. Different soil structural properties exerted varying influences on preferential flow. Macropore-related properties (low bulk density and high porosity and saturated conductivity) promoted most preferential flow, whereas aggregate-related properties (high organic matter and water-stable aggregates) suppressed it. The influence of root characteristics on preferential flow was also dual. Root length density generally promoted preferential flow (e.g., DC, LI, and UniFr), whereas root surface area density primarily exerted an inhibitory effect (e.g., LI, UniFr, and total stained area TotStAr). This study clarifies how slope position modulates preferential flow through soil and root characteristics, offering insights for slope-specific hydrological understanding and targeted soil and water conservation practices. Full article

This study develops a reduced-order predictive model of the Sit-To-Stand (STS) task to examine whether a simplified biomechanical representation can reproduce key STS patterns reported in the literature and to investigate the role played in movement by a flexible trunk. The model represents the human body as a planar multibody system and formulates STS as an optimization problem within a discrete mechanics framework. This formulation combines reduced model complexity, explicit torso flexibility, and a structure-preserving numerical approach for trajectory generation. Simulations were used to evaluate the effects of movement duration, reduced joint strength, and seat height on joint torques, kinematics, trunk motion, and ground reaction forces (GRFs). The results reproduced several qualitative trends reported in previous experimental studies, including increased peak joint torques and GRFs with shorter movement duration, lower joint strength, and reduced seat height, as well as greater compensatory trunk motion under more demanding conditions. These findings suggest that the proposed framework captures key adaptive features of STS mechanics and may provide useful insights for rehabilitation analysis and the design of assistive technologies such as lower-limb exoskeletons and rehabilitation devices. At the same time, the present work should be regarded as an initial methodological study, since validation is currently qualitative and further experimental calibration, quantitative validation, and sensitivity analysis remain part of ongoing work. Full article

As a primary energy consumer and carbon emitter, the construction industry (CI) faces a growing conflict between traditional energy-intensive growth models and global sustainable development goals. To promote the sustainable development of the CI, this study establishes a sequential analytical framework following the logic of “coupling evaluation–driving force identification–causal inference” across 30 developed economies (DE) from 2000 to 2022. Initially, the coupling coordination degree (CCD) between the economic and environmental systems of the CI was evaluated, utilizing the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) to characterize the transition from relative to absolute decoupling. The results show that the economy and the environment in the construction industry (CEECI) for DE is generally high (0.70–0.90). Subsequently, based on Green Innovation Growth (GIG) theory, Panel Data Analysis (PDA) is employed to identify the key drivers of the coupling between the economy and CEECI. The results show that for every 1% increase in per capita GDP, CEECI increases by approximately 0.035; for every 1% increase in science and technology investment (ST Inv), CEECI increases by 0.045; and for every 1 unit increase in building energy use (BEU), CEECI decreases by 0.008. Furthermore, Granger causality analysis (GCA) was used to examine the bidirectional predictive relationship. Furthermore, there is a two-way correlation between GDP and CEECI, and a one-way correlation between CEECI and ST Inv. Overall, our results show that further decoupling requires innovation, not just economic growth; therefore, the CI should optimize its industrial structure, prioritize technological innovation, strengthen lifecycle energy management, and promote coordinated global CI improvement. Full article

Background: Enterobacter hormaechei, a member of the Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC), is increasingly recognized as a multidrug-resistant (MDR) nosocomial pathogen. However, subspecies-level genomic data from Ecuador remain limited. Methods: Four clinical E. hormaechei isolates from a hospital in northern Ecuador were analyzed using antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Genomic characterization included multilocus sequence typing (MLST), resistome profiling, plasmid replicon detection, integron screening, genomic island analysis, and phylogenetic comparison with publicly available Ecuadorian genomes. Results: WGS identified three isolates as subsp. xiangfangensis (ST136 and ST337) and one as subsp. hoffmannii (ST145). Two ST136 isolates exhibited extensive MDR phenotypes associated with bla_CTX-M-15, bla_OXA-1, bla_ACT-16, and additional aminoglycoside and fluoroquinolone resistance genes. ST145 showed moderate resistance, whereas ST337 remained largely susceptible despite harboring bla_ACT-16. Multiple genomic islands and plasmid replicons (IncF/IncR or IncHI2) were detected. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated clustering with previously reported Ecuadorian lineages. Conclusions: This study provides subspecies-level genomic characterization of clinical E. hormaechei in Ecuador and describes heterogeneous resistance profiles and associated mobile genetic elements, contributing baseline data for regional surveillance. Full article

Class imbalance is a persistent challenge in supervised machine learning, particularly in biological datasets where minority classes represent functionally critical categories. Synthetic data generation has emerged as a principal strategy for mitigating this problem, yet systematic comparisons of classical and modern deep generative approaches remain limited. This study presents a comprehensive benchmark evaluation of four synthetic data generation methods—SMOTE, CTGAN, TVAE, and TabDDPM—across two well-established biological datasets from the UCI Machine Learning Repository: the E. coli protein localization dataset (307 samples, 6 features, 4 classes) and the yeast protein localization dataset (1299 samples, 8 features, 4 classes). Synthetic data quality was rigorously assessed using a multi-dimensional evaluation framework encompassing distributional fidelity (Fréchet Distance, Wasserstein Distance), machine learning utility (Train-on-Synthetic-Test-on-Real and Train-on-Real-Test-on-Real protocols using XGBoost version 3.2.0, Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machines, and Random Forest), and distinguishability (Classifier Two-Sample Test). The datasets are rather imbalanced. During the experiments, the dataset size increased to three times its original size while preserving the imbalanced class-sample ratio. To evaluate the quality of synthetic data, the max(AUC,1−AUC) score is proposed. This score is inversely proportional to classification performance, indicating that synthetic data are not easily distinguishable from real data. Per-class analysis reveals that minority classes remain the primary challenge across all generative methods. SMOTE and TabDDPM obtained the highest predictive utility F1-scores across both datasets. TVAE offers the strongest distributional fidelity among deep generative models, producing synthetic samples that are most difficult to distinguish from real data (lowest C2ST scores). CTGAN exhibits significant performance degradation on both small- and medium-scale datasets, with F1 utility ratios below 0.50. Full article

Acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention remain at high risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE: cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and stroke). Inflammatory–oxidative stress biomarkers are potential prognostic tools; however, the influence of sampling timing—pre-procedural versus post-procedural—remains unclear. This meta-analysis evaluated six biomarkers: sST2, GDF-15, OPG, sLOX-1, H-FABP, and Galectin-3. Pooled Hazard Ratios (HRs) for time-to-event outcomes and Standardized Mean Differences (SMDs) between event and non-event groups were synthesized using random-effects models involving 40 studies (18,933 patients). Elevated pre-procedural levels of sST2 (HR = 3.32, p < 0.0001), GDF-15 (HR = 3.00, p < 0.0001), sLOX-1 (HR = 2.61, p = 0.0023), and OPG (HR = 1.79, p = 0.0206) significantly predicted MACE. Notably, pre-PCI sST2 strongly predicted heart failure hospitalization (HR = 6.30, p < 0.0001). Additionally, pre-PCI H-FABP demonstrated a moderate significant effect on adverse outcomes (SMD = 0.67, p < 0.0001). While pre-PCI Galectin-3 was not significant, its post-procedural levels showed a large significant effect (SMD = 1.15, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, particularly sST2 and GDF-15, demonstrate consistent associations with adverse outcomes in ACS patients undergoing PCI, offering more reliable baseline risk stratification than post-procedural measurements. Full article

Background: Inflammation is central to myocardial injury and repair after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). C-reactive protein (CRP) is an established biomarker of systemic inflammation, but its prognostic thresholds across patient subgroups are not well defined. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, admission CRP was analyzed in 958 consecutive STEMI patients admitted to University Hospital Salzburg 2018–2020 and categorized into four groups (Serum CRP < 5.0, 5.0–9.9, 10.0–15, and >15.0 mg/dL). Mortality was assessed during short- (30, 90, and 180 days) and long-term (1, 3, and 5 years) follow-up. Kaplan–Meier analyses compared survival, Cox regression tested associations, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves determined discriminatory value and optimal cut-offs. Results: Elevated admission CRP was associated with larger infarct size, impaired left ventricular function, and increased mortality. Kaplan–Meier curves showed progressively poorer survival with higher CRP, with worst outcomes at >15 mg/dL. At 30, 90, and 180 days, CRP demonstrated moderate discrimination (AUC 0.628, 0.653, and 0.654; all p < 0.001), with predictive cut-offs 11–15 mg/dL in the overall cohort. Subgroup analyses revealed markedly lower thresholds in vulnerable populations. Diabetic patients showed cut-offs 5–6 mg/dL with the highest AUC values (up to 0.714). Younger patients and smokers exhibited thresholds near 9–10 mg/dL, while subacute STEMI presentations demonstrated lower cut-offs compared with acute infarction. These findings indicate that the prognostic value of CRP is context-dependent rather than uniform. Conclusions: Admission CRP predicts short-term mortality after STEMI, with subgroup-specific cut-offs emerging below conventional thresholds, highlighting profiles where modest inflammatory activation carries disproportionate risk. Full article

Elm (Ulmus pumila), an ecologically and economically valuable tree, exhibits significant tolerance to abiotic stress. However, the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying its stress adaptabilities are largely unknown. Here, two elm salt-tolerant cultivars (ST-Y and ST-Q) and two salt-sensitive cultivars (SS-J and SS-JX) were identified in the 13 elm accessions collected from Shandong province, China via phenotypic salt tolerance screening. The key salt tolerance mechanisms were explored in ST-Y and SS-J via transcriptomic (RNA-Seq) assays, and subsequently validated in ST-Q and SS-JX via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analyses. Under salt treatment, ST-Y maintained leaf intactness and enhanced activation of antioxidant enzymes with a reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, while SS-J suffered leaf defoliation and showed compromised antioxidant capacity with higher ROS levels. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that ST-Y leaves exhibited a unique enrichment of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the “oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)” pathway after salt stress treatment. Both ST-Y and SS-J exhibited significant enrichment in the “metabolic pathway”, but the number of DEGs in the “arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism” pathway was much higher in ST-Y than in SS-J. Further RT-qPCR analysis verified the accuracy of the RNA-Seq data and revealed that genes related to the “OXPHOS” pathway were significantly up-regulated in ST-Y and ST-Q, but down-regulated in SS-J and SS-JX. Our results suggested that OXPHOS efficiency is critical to antioxidant capacity in elm salt tolerance, suggesting new avenues for forest tree improvement for climate change. Full article

Background: The breathing cycle consists of abdominal breathing (AB), for which the diaphragm is responsible, and thoracic breathing (TB), generated by the intercostal muscles. Contraction of the two portions of the diaphragm accounts for 80% percent of inspiration. While bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis causes severe shortness of breath, hemidiaphragm paralysis (HDP) gives fewer symptoms at rest, making it difficult to recognize and diagnose. Because this condition is rare, little is known regarding its consequences on breathing efficiency. Hypothesis: Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that body positions substantially affect the efficiency of breathing in a patient with unilateral hemidiaphragm paralysis and the corresponding physiological parameters. Aims: To measure and compare the amplitudes of abdominal and chest movements in different body positions in an individual with HDP and measure parameters indicating breathing efficiency. Patient and Methods: The patient had HDP due to iatrogenic phrenic nerve injury. Changes in the circumference of the abdomen and chest were measured during inhalation and exhalation with respiratory plethysmography belts (placed on standardized reproducible positions on the chest and abdomen) in different body positions: sitting (SI), standing (ST), lying (SU) and prone (PR). Breathing frequency was calculated, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) was measured with a pulse oximeter. Results: The percentage (%) contributions of abdominal breathing were SI: 16.0; ST: 50.3; SU: −53.5; PR: 1.1. A negative sign shows paradoxical breathing. Blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) in the four positions was SI: 93%; ST: 93%; SU: 82%; and PR: 82%, whereas the respiratory rate (1/min) was SI:19.4; ST: 15.0; SU: 37.5; PR: 35.9. Conclusions: Body position markedly influences the relative contributions of abdominal and thoracic breathing and overall respiratory efficiency in patients with hemidiaphragm paralysis; abdominal breathing in the supine and prone positions is greatly reduced leading to decreased blood oxygen saturation, a compensatory increase in respiratory rate, and severe dyspnea even at rest. Full article

Lanyin Mandarin is a major regional variety of Mandarin Chinese with phonological characteristics that interact with the acquisition of the codified Standard Mandarin norm. This study examined the pronunciation of Standard Mandarin by 67 native speakers from the Lanyin Mandarin area using a large-scale subjective listening experiment (12 listeners, 6700 tokens), with deviations analyzed across initial consonants, finals, and tones. Based on the perceptual results, a pronunciation deviation database was established (N = 20,100 monosyllabic tokens), enabling targeted acoustic comparisons with Standard Mandarin. The results reveal several systematic patterns with quantified deviation rates. For initial consonants, the highest deviation rates were observed for /l/→/n/ (30.5%), /s/→/ts/ (25.5%), and /ts^h/→/ts/ (20.2%), significantly exceeding their reverse substitutions (/n/→/l/: 13.3%, /ts/→/s/: 0.0%, /ts/→/ts^h/: 15.4%; all p < 0.001). For finals, /iŋ/→/in/ showed the strongest asymmetry (61.2% vs. 21.9% for the reverse), followed by /əŋ/→/ən/ (40.2%) and /ən/→/əŋ/ (39.2%). Tonal deviations were dominated by Tone 3 identified as Tone 2 (31.7%), with Tone 1→Tone 2 at a lower rate (8.4%). These deviations exhibited significant directional asymmetries (e.g., /l/→/n/ vs. /n/→/l/: χ²(1) = 768.06, p < 0.001). Acoustic analyses indicated that consonant confusions corresponded to F2/F3 formant convergence (e.g., Lanyin-biased /l/ F2 values approached Standard Mandarin /n/), while nasal finals showed F2 fronting (higher F2 values approaching Standard Mandarin /in/). Tonal analyses revealed a compressed pitch range (2.4 semitones narrower than Standard Mandarin), with flattened Tone 3 contours contributing to Tone 2 confusion. Together, these findings demonstrate quantifiable, systematic, and directional phonetic patterns in the acquisition of Standard Mandarin by Lanyin dialect speakers, supported by converging perceptual and acoustic evidence. Full article

Background/Objectives: Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) encompass a spectrum of clinical entities from unstable angina to non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), all associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Inflammation plays a central role in the pathophysiology of ACS, contributing to atherosclerotic plaque destabilization, myocardial injury, and adverse clinical outcomes. Inflammatory biomarkers, together with N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), are increasingly used for risk stratification, yet their prognostic value across different ACS presentations remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of inflammatory status in patients with acute coronary syndromes in a single-center cohort. Methods: This prospective observational study included 100 consecutive patients with ACS and elevated inflammatory biomarkers, enrolled in 2024–2025 at a tertiary cardiovascular center. Inflammatory status was assessed by using C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII); NT-proBNP was also measured. The primary endpoint was in-hospital MACE, defined as cardiovascular death, recurrent myocardial infarction, stroke, urgent coronary revascularization, or acute heart failure requiring escalation of therapy. Multivariable logistic regression and ROC analyses were performed. Results: Among the 100 ACS patients, half experienced in-hospital MACE. Compared with those without events, patients with MACE were older (p = 0.003) and had higher inflammatory biomarkers—CRP (p < 0.001; strongest association), NLR (p = 0.030), and SII (p = 0.042)—as well as higher NT-proBNP (p = 0.002). Patients with MACE also showed reduced renal function (p < 0.001) and lower left ventricular systolic function, reflected by reduced LVEF (p = 0.001), indicating concomitant renal impairment and ventricular dysfunction. Hypertension was more prevalent in the MACE group (p = 0.028), and new-onset atrial fibrillation was significantly more common among these patients (p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, LVEF emerged as an independent predictor of short-term outcomes (OR 0.934 per 1% increase; p = 0.047). Conclusions: Inflammatory activation appears closely linked to the occurrence of in-hospital adverse events in patients with acute coronary syndromes. While left ventricular ejection fraction remained an independent determinant of short-term outcomes, inflammatory biomarkers may provide complementary insight into the inflammatory burden accompanying ACS. Full article

Nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) is a ubiquitous enzyme that maintains cellular nucleotide balance by catalyzing the transfer of phosphate groups between nucleoside diphosphates and triphosphates. Although the evolutionary conservation of NDPK is well established, several aspects of its diversification and functional adaptation remain unclear. The central question of this work is how NDPK evolved across plant species, focusing on the Solanaceae family and how its evolutionary history relates to the diversification of its cellular functions. Phylogenetic and molecular dating analyses showed that the division between NDPK groups 1 and 2 predates the divergence of plants and animals, whereas plant-specific NDPK types (I–IV) originated early in streptophyte evolution. Solanaceae species retain a conserved set of NDPK genes, including a type III isoform with features consistent with mitochondrial targeting. Functional assays in isolated potato tuber mitochondria revealed high NDPK activity in the intermembrane space, sustaining ADP supply to oxidative phosphorylation. Activation of mitochondrial NDPK induced a phosphorylative respiratory state, which partially dissipated the mitochondrial membrane potential and significantly reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. GDP and UDP were preferentially phosphorylated, conferring a stronger antioxidant effect than other nucleotides. Consistently, the mitochondrial isoform StNDPK3 was upregulated during tuber development. Together, our results demonstrate that NDPKs are evolutionarily conserved yet functionally diversified enzymes in plants and identify mitochondrial NDPK as a key modulator of mitochondrial redox homeostasis. By linking nucleotide metabolism to Δψ_m control and ROS suppression, this study highlights a previously underappreciated antioxidant mechanism that integrates mitochondrial energy metabolism with developmental and stress-related processes in plants. Full article