Search Results (7,949)

The transfer of heavy metals (HMs) from industrial park soils to edible crops is strongly crop-specific; however, these differences have not been considered in probabilistic dietary health risk assessments. This study examined agricultural fields surrounding a high-altitude industrial park in southwestern China, where paired samples of surface soil, Chinese cabbage, and maize were collected and analyzed for Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Hg, and As. Spearman rank correlation and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to identify elemental associations and probable sources; bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) were calculated to compare HM transfer and accumulation across the two crops; and Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate probabilistic dietary health risks across age groups. The results showed that soil HMs in the study area displayed mixed-source characteristics, with marked enrichment of Pb, Cd, and Hg. After multiple comparison correction, only soil Ni showed a significant positive correlation with Ni in maize. Chinese cabbage had a relatively high accumulation capacity for Cd, whereas maize grains showed relatively limited transfer of most HMs, indicating pronounced crop-specific differences. Cd, Pb, Cr, Hg, and As concentrations in Chinese cabbage remained within permissible limits. For health risk, P95 hazard index (HI) values stayed below 1 across all age groups, indicating that non-carcinogenic risk was generally acceptable under the exposure scenarios evaluated; adults, however, carried higher estimated lifetime carcinogenic risk than other age groups. Sensitivity analysis revealed that As and Cd in Chinese cabbage were the dominant contributors to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, respectively, while the contribution of Cr to risk estimates was highly dependent on its speciation and toxicological parameter assumptions. By combining soil–crop monitoring, bioaccumulation analysis, and probabilistic risk assessment, this study characterizes crop-specific HM transfer patterns and identifies the principal drivers of health risk in industrially influenced agricultural systems, providing a scientific basis for risk-oriented monitoring, food safety management, and the long-term sustainable use of agricultural land in industrial–agricultural interface regions. Full article

Human thermophysiological responses differ greatly between individuals. However, textile and clothing systems are usually designed using average population data. They also follow the idea that one product can provide acceptable comfort for most users. This perspective paper introduces the concept of thermophysiological comfort classes (CCs). The aim is to group continuous physiological differences into a small number of practical categories. Similar to anthropometric sizing, each CC includes people who show similar physiological responses and comfort perceptions under defined environmental and activity conditions. The proposed framework combines physiological measurements, environmental and behavioural factors, subjective evaluations, and individual characteristics. Data science and artificial intelligence can support data processing, feature selection, clustering, and validation. At first, the development of CCs will require detailed questionnaires and several types of measurements. The long-term goal, however, is to identify a small set of reliable indicators for a practical assessment protocol. The concept may support textile products designed for representative thermophysiological profiles rather than for an average user. Comfort-class assignment may also change over time. Thermophysiological classification is therefore proposed as a complement to anthropometric sizing and as a basis for personalised and industrially scalable textile design. Full article

This quantitative study explores divergent beliefs about word order in American Sign Language (ASL) within the U.S. Deaf community. Although the academic literature commonly characterizes ASL as following a Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) structure, certain Deaf individuals maintain that ASL predominantly uses a Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) order. This perception reflects an ideological positioning of ASL as fundamentally distinct from English and may align with community norms that have historically emphasized SOV structures. Data were collected through an acceptability judgment task with 53 varied sentence structures presented via video. Among 86 Deaf participants, distinct preferences emerged based on ASL acquisition background. Participants with early ASL exposure from Deaf parents preferred the SOV structure, while those with early ASL exposure from hearing parents preferred the SVO structure. This finding suggests that variability in beliefs about acceptable ASL word order, along with factors such as early language exposure and parental input, influences judgments of acceptability. Full article

Globally, approximately three hundred million individuals undergo non-cardiac surgery each year. Perioperative mortality results from a complex interplay between patient-related factors and procedural variables, including both surgical and anesthetic aspects. Although cardiac surgery has a well-established risk profile for acute cardiovascular events, major non-cardiac surgery also carries significant—yet often underrecognized—cardiovascular risks. Approximately half of postoperative deaths following non-cardiac procedures are attributable to cardiovascular complications. Surgical and anesthetic stress responses may induce myocardial injury through several pathophysiological mechanisms. However, the absence of a universally accepted definition of perioperative myocardial injury complicates both diagnosis and management. Furthermore, these injuries frequently occur without symptoms, making them clinically silent and often undetected. Consequently, unexpected postoperative deaths may occur and may lead to allegations of medical malpractice. We conducted a narrative review of existing literature on perioperative myocardial injury and its implications for forensic investigation and medico-legal assessment. This paper highlights the importance of a comprehensive forensic evaluation of perioperative deaths, integrating clinical documentation, autopsy findings, histopathological evidence and ancillary investigations to support accurate medico-legal assessment, recognizing that no single element is sufficient to establish the cause of death in all cases. Four illustrative case studies are presented to demonstrate the medico-legal challenges associated with these events. A structured forensic investigation is essential for accurately determining the cause of death and for distinguishing preventable medical errors from unavoidable adverse outcomes within the context of complex perioperative care. Full article

Vernonia amygdalina Del. (bitter leaf) is a nutrient-rich indigenous leafy vegetable, but most research has examined raw material or laboratory extracts rather than the vegetable as consumed. This structured narrative review evaluates how household and food-processing methods affect nutrient retention, anti-nutritional factors, and bioaccessibility and distinguishes measured species-specific findings from extrapolated evidence. Boiling and aqueous debittering can reduce heat-sensitive nutrients, minerals, and anti-nutritional factors, but the heterogeneous primary studies do not permit a single quantitative estimate of these effects. Lactic acid fermentation is a potential research strategy: proposed reductions in anti-nutritional factors and bitterness are extrapolated from other fermented plant foods because no species-specific fermentation study was identified. Similarly, proposed gut-microbiome effects are inferred from general dietary-fibre and isolated-polyphenol literature, not from V. amygdalina feeding studies. No human study has directly measured nutrient absorption, systemic bioavailability, or clinical effects after consumption of processed bitter leaf. Hence, phytate-to-mineral ratios are interpreted only as indicators of predicted absorption, and proposed food formats and development pathways are identified as author-generated concepts rather than validated products. The review identifies priorities for species-specific processing studies, standardised in vitro digestion, product safety and acceptability testing, and ultimately human absorption and efficacy research. Full article

This study examined the microbial quality of air and surfaces in six elevators at a tertiary hospital in Greece in 2022. The results highlighted hospital elevators as potentially relevant environmental reservoirs of microbial contamination, with contact surfaces (buttons) exhibiting significantly higher microbial loads than the air. Strong seasonality was also documented; the elevated microbial burden observed during the October sampling period likely reflects seasonal fluctuations in occupant traffic and environmental factors, although direct traffic and microclimatic variables were not monitored. Presumptive Staphylococcus spp. strains dominated the air, while Gram-negative bacteria recovered on MacConkey agar prevailed on surfaces. Phenotypically resistant isolates were also detected, including isolates showing reduced susceptibility or resistance to clinically relevant antimicrobial agents, highlighting the potential value of incorporating AMR surveillance into environmental monitoring. The semi-quantitative environmental exposure assessment showed that, while air quality remained within acceptable limits, the surface-contact route via elevator buttons represented the largest estimated exposure component. Healthcare workers showed the highest estimated cumulative exposure because of the greater frequency of elevator use assumed in the exposure scenario. In conclusion, hospital elevators may act as environmental reservoirs of microbial contamination and potential exposure pathways within the hospital environment, highlighting the need for enhanced hygiene measures, systematic monitoring and the integration of antimicrobial resistance into exposure assessment. Full article

Background/Objectives: The transition toward healthier and more sustainable diets has increased the need for reformulated bakery and confectionery products formulated with alternative ingredients. However, validated instruments for assessing consumer acceptance of these products remain limited. This study aimed to develop and psychometrically validate a multidimensional assessment framework integrating food choice motives, green (environmental) values, health consciousness, perceived nutritional value, willingness to pay a premium, and purchase intention. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 504 consumers in Romania using an online questionnaire. The instrument was developed by adapting established scales and by developing a new Perceived Nutritional Value scale. Dimensionality was evaluated using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses. Temporal stability was assessed in an independent test–retest subsample (n = 30; 14-day interval), and the proposed conceptual model was evaluated using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with 5000 bootstrap resamples. Robustness was examined through a sensitivity analysis excluding respondents younger than 18 years (N = 441). Results: EFA (KMO = 0.933) and CFA (CFI = 0.965, TLI = 0.959, RMSEA = 0.061, SRMR = 0.033) supported the proposed six-factor structure. All constructs demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α: 0.898–0.938), convergent validity (AVE: 0.790–0.889), discriminant validity (HTMT < 0.77), and good-to-excellent test–retest reliability (ICC: 0.82–0.91). Perceived nutritional value was positively and significantly associated with both willingness to pay and purchase intention, and willingness to pay partially mediated the association between perceived nutritional value and purchase intention. The structural model explained 46.1% of the variance in purchase intention; all hypothesized relationships were supported, and the findings remained stable in the sensitivity analysis. Conclusions: The proposed framework demonstrated good psychometric performance and provides a theory-informed measurement framework for assessing consumer acceptance of reformulated bakery and confectionery products. It may support future nutrition research, consumer studies, and the evaluation of food reformulation strategies aimed at promoting healthier and more sustainable dietary choices. Full article

Background: Census data in Hungary indicate a substantial decline in declared religious affiliation, with Christian identification falling from 74.4% in 2001 to 42.5% in 2022, underscoring the need for culturally validated measures of religious faith. Methods: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Hungarian versions of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSORF-10) and its 5-item short form (SCSORF-5) in a cross-sectional online sample of 430 participants (M_age = 22.28, SD = 9.23). Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional structure for both scales, with acceptable support when considering the full pattern of indices, but with elevated RMSEA as a limitation. All models were estimated with the mean- and variance-adjusted weighted least squares estimator (WLSMV) on polychoric correlations, under which fit improved markedly for the SCSORF-10 (CFI = 0.992, TLI = 0.989, SRMR = 0.040, RMSEA = 0.080). Modification indices identified a single interpretable residual covariance between the two explicitly devotional items, which did not alter the solution and was not retained. Measurement invariance across gender was tested with the sequence appropriate to ordered categorical indicators, and configural, threshold, threshold-and-loading, and strict invariance were all supported. Internal consistency was high (SCSORF-10: α = 0.95, ω = 0.95; SCSORF-5: α = 0.89, ω = 0.89). Convergent validity was demonstrated by strong associations with spiritual well-being, while correlations with self-esteem were weak, providing limited discriminant evidence against a conceptually distant construct. Conclusion: The short form showed psychometric properties closely comparable to the full scale; because its items are a subset of the full version, this correspondence is partly expected. Both instruments appear to be reliable and valid for assessing religious faith in Hungary. Known-group evidence was strong: scores separated self-described religious respondents from atheists (d = 1.37) and from believing-but-not-religious respondents (d = 1.17), and the religiosity category accounted for 27.5% of score variance, whereas scores were unrelated to gender and age. Full article

Life skills are cognitive, emotional and social competencies that help adolescents manage everyday demands and participate in school and social contexts. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt and examine the psychometric properties of the European Portuguese Life Skills Scale (LSS). A cross-sectional methodological study included a convenience sample of 1807 Portuguese adolescents aged 13–19 years from public secondary schools in Central Portugal. The sample was randomly split for exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 903) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 904). EFA supported an interpretable eight-factor solution explaining 50.7% of the variance. CFA compared the original ten-factor model with the EFA-derived eight-factor model. The ten-factor model showed significant standardised loadings (λ = 0.444–0.849) and comparatively better fit, with acceptable root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA = 0.045) and standardised root mean square residual (SRMR = 0.062), although the comparative fit index (CFI = 0.855) and Tucker–Lewis index (TLI = 0.849) remained below preferred thresholds. Internal consistency was satisfactory to excellent (α = 0.782–0.963; ω = 0.783–0.964). Average variance extracted (AVE) and heterotrait–monotrait ratio (HTMT) analyses provided partial evidence of convergent validity and additional support for discriminant validity. Supplementary multi-group CFA provided preliminary support for measurement invariance across female and male adolescents. Findings provide initial support for the European Portuguese LSS as a multidimensional measure of adolescent life skills. Full article

Aging is the strongest risk factor for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. Advances in geroscience indicate that pharmacological modulation of conserved molecular pathways may extend healthspan and delay multimorbidity. A structured narrative review of the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science literature published between January 2010 and May 2026 was conducted, with seminal earlier studies retained where relevant. The review focused on molecular pathways implicated in aging, pharmacological interventions targeting these pathways, and their preclinical and clinical evaluation. Particular emphasis was placed on translational evidence, including human biomarker studies and randomized clinical trials, and on the distinction between biomarker modulation and clinically meaningful outcomes. Repurposed drugs such as metformin and rapamycin have among the most extensive preclinical and translational evidence, although clinical evidence for broadly applicable geroprotection remains limited. Statins, SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and menopausal hormone therapy have established disease-specific or cardiometabolic benefits that may have indirect relevance to geroprotection, but direct effects on biological aging and healthspan remain unproven. Other candidates, including senolytics, NAD⁺ precursors, taurine, and epigenetic reprogramming approaches, are at different stages of translational development, with evidence ranging from promising preclinical findings to early human studies. Across interventions, a substantial gap remains between mechanistic plausibility and clinically validated geroprotection. Geroprotective pharmacology represents a promising but incompletely validated approach to extending healthspan. Major uncertainties include the absence of universally accepted biomarkers and clinical endpoints of biological aging, heterogeneity in treatment response, optimal timing and duration of interventions, and long-term safety. Future research should prioritize adequately powered randomized clinical trials integrating standardized measures of biological aging with clinically meaningful outcomes, alongside biomarker-guided patient selection, appropriate treatment timing, and careful assessment of long-term safety. The future of geroprotective medicine will depend not only on identifying additional pharmacological targets, but on demonstrating that their modulation produces durable and clinically meaningful benefits in humans. Full article

Objective: To examine the reliability, construct validity, and discriminative capacity of the Spanish version of the Economic Living Standards Index Short Form (ELSI_SF) in a sample of older adults in Spain. Methods: This analysis was conducted using baseline data from 133 participants (mean age = 66.2 years, SD = 5.6; 53.8% women) recruited from community health and social centers in the provinces of Cuenca, Albacete, and Toledo within the PEPE cohort. Participants completed the ELSI_SF (25 items), sociodemographic measures, the SF-12 Health Survey, and the International Fitness Scale (IFIS). Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Convergent validity was examined through correlations between ELSI_SF scores and education, occupation, physical and mental health, and perceived fitness. Discriminative ability for health-related variables was analyzed using ANOVA and partial η². The internal structure was explored using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and subsequently examined against the original four-factor theoretical model using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), based on polychoric correlations and estimation methods appropriate for ordinal data. Results: The mean ELSI_SF score was 23.0 ± 3.9, with most participants classified as having comfortable or good living standards. Internal consistency was acceptable for the total scale (α = 0.779), whereas the ownership restrictions (α = 0.441) and self-rating (α = 0.319) subscales showed low reliability. Significant associations were observed between the ELSI_SF total score and selected socioeconomic and health-related measures. Factor-analytic findings provided only partial support for the original four-domain structure. Although CFA showed favorable CFI, TLI, and RMSEA values, the elevated SRMR and instability of the self-rating factor warrant cautious interpretation of the factorial solution. Conclusions: The Spanish ELSI_SF provides preliminary psychometric evidence supporting the use of its total score among relatively socioeconomically advantaged older adults. However, limitations in subscale reliability, factorial stability, and the restricted socioeconomic variability of the sample preclude definitive validation across the full spectrum of material living standards. Further evaluation in larger, independent, and more socioeconomically heterogeneous samples, particularly including older adults experiencing material deprivation, is required. Full article

Heightened consumer awareness of health benefits has propelled nutritionally enhanced cereal products to the forefront of food industry innovation. The present work focused on manufacturing polyphenol-enriched biscuits by incorporating grape seed extract (GSE). The study evaluated different formulations of wheat flour with GSE at addition ratios of 0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1% (w/w). Within the 0.2–0.6% GSE range, significant improvements were observed in dough properties and biscuit quality. Specifically, the dough development time and degree of softening decreased, while the dough stability time, peak viscosity, storage modulus, and loss modulus increased. The fortified biscuits had a darker color, lower baking loss rate, and increased spread factor, springiness, and cohesiveness. In addition, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of the fortified biscuits increased significantly (p < 0.05), and the antioxidant activity of the biscuits was also enhanced. Sensory evaluation results indicated that biscuits with 0.6% GSE addition achieved the highest overall acceptability score (8.7 ± 0.4 on a 9-point hedonic scale), indicating good consumer acceptance. These findings identify 0.6% GSE as an appropriate fortification level for improving biscuit quality while enhancing polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity, providing a practical basis for the development of polyphenol-enriched bakery products. Full article

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) currently face substantial challenges in maintaining their operating standards. Implementing occupational health and safety practices (OHSPs) can be an important strategy for success. This empirical study assessed the performance of OHSPs in SMEs. A framework was developed comprising four performance indicators: operations, customer satisfaction, finance, and employee satisfaction. Data were collected from 35 SMEs in the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) in Kotri, Sindh, Pakistan, through a self-administered questionnaire and convenience sampling. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess data reliability, yielding a coefficient of 0.85 and indicating acceptable reliability. The data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics and intercorrelations among the components. Most SMEs reported improved performance, including greater employee motivation (94.2%), target achievement (85.7%), timely order delivery (91.4%), product quality (80%), ease of supervision (57.1%), company reputation (94.3%), profitability (60%), productivity (91.5%), and sales (57.1%). Overall, the SMEs reported improvements across all four key performance areas, primarily following the effective implementation of OHSPs. Intercorrelation analysis also indicated positive relationships among all factors, most of which were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. These findings demonstrate that implementing OHSPs can support sustainable growth and promote healthy lives and decent work, thereby contributing to SDGs 3 and 8. Full article

College students experienced various disruptions to their daily life and changes to their physical and mental health because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Much remains unknown about protective factors that could buffer the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latinx college students’ mental health. Cross-sectional survey data collected during the pandemic was used to explore whether global sleep quality mediated associations between COVID-19 factors (i.e., negative experiences and racial/ethnic bias) and mental health outcomes (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms), and whether perceived social support and attitudinal familismo support served as moderators of this association. The current study included 490 Latinx college students (M_age = 19.1, 72.9% female). The mediation model had acceptable fit: χ² (df = 4) = 11.243, p = 0.024; RMSEA = 0.06; CFI = 0.99, SRMR = 0.01. Mediation results indicated that negative COVID-19 experiences (β = 0.12, 95% CI [0.09, 0.16], p = 0.001) and COVID-19 racial/ethnic bias (β = 0.04, 95% CI [0.01, 0.07], p = 0.023) were associated with worse global sleep quality, and, in turn, more severe mental health outcomes. There were no significant moderation effects. Implications for possible interventions to support Latinx college students’ mental health, and future directions are discussed. Full article

Background/Objectives: Proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) is a frequent mechanical complication following adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery, and osteoporosis is a well-recognized risk factor. However, whether the underlying risk factor profiles for PJK differ according to bone mineral density status remains unclear. This study aimed to identify and compare independent risk factors for PJK between osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic patients following long-segment posterior spinal fusion for ASD. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 356 patients who underwent ≥5-level posterior fusion to the sacrum or pelvis for ASD with a 2-year follow-up. Patients were stratified into a non-osteoporotic (non-OP; n = 284) and an osteoporotic (OP; n = 72) group based on preoperative dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (T-score ≤ −2.5). PJK was defined as a proximal junctional angle (PJA) ≥20° with an increase of ≥10° from the preoperative value. Demographic, surgical, and radiographic variables were analyzed separately for each group using univariate and stepwise multivariate logistic regression analyses. Predictive performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: The overall PJK incidence tended to be higher in the OP group than the non-OP group (36.1% vs. 24.6%, p = 0.055), and fracture-type PJK occurred significantly more frequently in osteoporotic patients (29.2% vs. 15.8%, p = 0.016). The variables that reached statistical significance differed between the two groups. In the non-OP group, lower Hounsfield units at the upper instrumented vertebra (UIV; OR = 0.990, p = 0.011), higher preoperative PJA (OR = 1.098, p < 0.001), and greater L1 pelvic angle (L1PA) offset indicating relative overcorrection (OR = 1.136, p < 0.001) were independent predictors of PJK. In the OP group, higher preoperative PJA (OR = 1.149, p = 0.007) and greater age-adjusted pelvic incidence–lumbar lordosis offset (OR = 1.052, p = 0.039) were identified as independent risk factors. Multivariable models demonstrated acceptable discriminative ability in both groups (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.741, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.671–0.804 for the non-OP group; AUC = 0.753, 95% CI = 0.632–0.867 for the OP group; optimism-corrected AUC 0.729 and 0.735 after bootstrap internal validation). Conclusions: The variables associated with PJK differed according to osteoporosis status following ASD surgery. Careful UIV selection avoiding kyphotic junctional alignment may be relevant for both groups. Avoiding overcorrection relative to the age-adjusted target may warrant particular attention in osteoporotic patients, while UIV bone quality and L1PA overcorrection may be relevant to surgical planning in non-osteoporotic patients. Full article