Search Results (4,065)

The vestibular apparatus is substantially organized before birth, whereas human equilibrium emerges only gradually through head control, sitting, standing, and independent walking. We propose an Innately Constrained Bayesian Model of Vestibular Development in which a phylogenetically shaped architecture constrains an initial model space; prenatal and postnatal experience calibrate internal models of self-motion and gravity; and developmentally gated plasticity modulates the rate of updating. We explicitly distinguish established evidence from interpretations and model-derived hypotheses. Recent human and nonhuman primate work on internal models, active self-motion, and multisensory recalibration is integrated with developmental and clinical evidence. The framework is then tested conceptually across congenital and acquired vestibular loss, altered gravity, and aging. Its proposed novelty lies not in Bayesian inference or internal models themselves, but in combining phylogenetic constraints, prenatal calibration, a qualitative transition at birth, time-dependent plasticity, and life-span context switching within a single developmental account. Finally, we operationalize the model through measurable predictions involving VOR adaptation, sensory-weighting coefficients, anticipatory postural responses, context-specific readaptation, and postural stability. The framework is intended as a falsifiable perspective rather than a definitive mechanistic account. Full article

Introduction: Salvage surgery is known for an increased surgical complication rate. However, currently available patient, tumor and therapy factors are not reliable enough to predict surgical site complications (SSCs). This exploratory study tests skin acquired by neck dissection for several histochemical and immunohistochemical stains to explore tissue changes related to wound healing. Patients and methods: From an existing database of 232 isolated neck dissections (NDs), 17 patients who underwent skin resection during ND were included—5 who underwent primary procedures and 12 who underwent salvage procedures. Skin specimens were tested for ten histochemical and immunohistochemical stains, with emphasis on the stages of wound healing: inflammation, proliferation and remodeling. Results: Three stains (CD-68, α-SMA, and Vimentin) showed significantly different expression between the primary surgical and salvage groups (respectively. p = 0.013, p = 0.044 and p = 0.015), without a clear pattern of decreased or increased expression. None of the ten stains showed a significant difference related to SSCs. Conclusions: The three significantly different staining patterns found in this exploratory study can all be linked to macrophage and (myo-)fibroblast transitions, possibly representing an imbalance of macrophage/stroma interplay. Future studies focusing on the role of macrophages in wound healing after salvage surgery are necessary. Full article

Despite recent advances in computer vision and optical imaging, the image-based recognition of ophthalmic lens categories characterized by different refractive indices and anti-reflective coating types remains largely unexplored. In this work, we formulate this problem as a non-destructive optical inspection task, where lens-induced visual changes are treated as subtle micro-texture signatures produced by the interaction between the lens and a controlled visual target. Although these signatures are often imperceptible to the human eye, they can be quantified using local texture analysis. To establish the first systematic benchmark for this emerging application, we present a comprehensive evaluation of state-of-the-art local texture descriptors, with particular emphasis on Local Binary Pattern (LBP)-like methods, under unified evaluation protocols. The evaluation is conducted on two dedicated ophthalmic lens image datasets acquired under controlled conditions, using consistent visual targets designed to reveal lens-induced texture and color variations. This setting enables a rigorous assessment of whether handcrafted micro-texture descriptors can capture discriminative image signatures associated with different refractive indices and anti-reflective coating types. The experimental results demonstrate that several modern LBP variants provide excellent recognition performance, confirming the relevance of local micro-texture analysis for image-based ophthalmic lens category recognition. Comparisons with pretrained deep feature extractors further show that although deep representations generally achieve the highest recognition rates, several handcrafted descriptors offer comparable performance while requiring neither network training nor fine-tuning. Beyond recognition accuracy, the benchmark investigates performance stability across datasets, robustness under limited training samples, classifier influence, and the statistical significance of the observed performance differences. Overall, this work establishes the first reproducible image-based benchmark for non-destructive ophthalmic lens inspection and provides practical guidelines for selecting local texture descriptors in ophthalmic lens recognition systems. Full article

Background/Objectives: Persistent infection with high-risk HPV genotypes accounts for the development of a substantial portion of anogenital and oropharyngeal malignancies. Patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiency or those receiving immunosuppressive therapy, including transplant recipients and patients affected by rare diseases, are vulnerable to particularly severe clinical manifestations of infection. While HPV vaccination constitutes primary prevention, patients with HPV-associated disease remain at risk of reinfection or subsequent infection with alternative genotypes following surgical treatment and may benefit from peri-operative vaccination regimens. This study aimed to evaluate long-term outcomes of HPV vaccination following surgical management of condyloma acuminata in patients with concurrent high-risk genotype infection. Methods: 350 patients with condyloma acuminata and HPV-16 or -18 co-infection confirmed by histopathological examination and PCR genotyping (oral cavity, vulva, vagina, penis, anoderma), including a subgroup with primary or acquired immunodeficiency or chronic immunosuppressive regimens, underwent surgical treatment, receiving simultaneous immunization with the first dose (subsequent completion of full regimen over 12 months) of the bivalent Cervarix vaccine (170 patients) or the quadrivalent Gardasil vaccine (180 patients). A follow-up examination, including HPV genotyping (16/18/31/35), was performed after 6 and 12 months following regimen completion. After 36 months, a standard clinical examination was performed, and in doubtful cases, supplemented with genotyping and biopsy/cytology. Observation was continued in subsequent years (5, 10, and >15 years). Results: Condyloma acuminata requiring removal were observed in 5% of the patients in follow-up at 36 months, with no significant statistical difference between vaccine groups. No cellular atypia or malignant transformation in the form of squamous cell carcinoma was observed. Genotyping did not detect HPV-16/18/31/35 infection in the follow-up examinations. Conclusions: In this uncontrolled, single-arm cohort, peri-operative initiation of either the bivalent or quadrivalent HPV vaccine was associated with a low rate of clinically apparent condyloma acuminata recurrence and no detectable HPV-16/18/31/35 infection during follow-up. Full article

Objectives: Reconstruction of complex midfacial defects remains challenging due to the need to restore three-dimensional anatomy, functional integrity, and facial symmetry. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness, safety, and functional and aesthetic outcomes of patient-specific custom implants (PSCIs) in complex midfacial reconstruction. Additionally, we assessed whether virtual surgical planning (VSP) combined with PSCIs reduces operative time and improves postoperative symmetry and patient-reported outcomes. Materials and Methods: A retrospective comparative cohort study was conducted using prospectively recorded clinical data from patients treated with PSCI/VSP between January 2021 and June 2025 and a historical control cohort treated with standard pre-shaped implants. Eighty-seven consecutive patients undergoing reconstruction of acquired or post-oncologic midfacial defects using titanium or PEEK patient-specific implants were enrolled. Preoperative VSP was performed in all cases. The principal endpoint was postoperative facial symmetry assessed by three-dimensional photogrammetry. Secondary functional outcomes included ocular position and nasal airway patency. Secondary outcomes included operative time, complication rates, implant-related morbidity, and patient-reported outcome measures (FACE-Q) at 12 months. Outcomes were compared with a historical cohort reconstructed with standard pre-shaped implants. Results: Eighty-two patients completed at least 12 months of follow-up. PSCI reconstruction demonstrated significantly improved postoperative symmetry (mean deviation 1.8 ± 0.6 mm vs. 3.4 ± 1.1 mm in controls, p < 0.001) and higher patient satisfaction scores at 12 months (FACE-Q overall satisfaction score 82.8 ± 9.3 vs. 69.7 ± 11.2, p < 0.001). Mean operative time was reduced by approximately 24.7%, and intraoperative implant modification was required in only 6% of cases compared with 48% in the control group. The overall complication rate was 11%, with implant removal required in 2.4% of patients. Functional outcomes showed significant improvements in orbital positioning and nasal airway patency. Conclusions: Patient-specific custom implants combined with virtual surgical planning provide reliable and reproducible reconstruction of complex midfacial defects. This approach significantly improves facial symmetry, patient satisfaction, and operative efficiency while maintaining low complication rates. PSCIs should be considered a preferred reconstructive option in selected patients requiring complex maxillofacial reconstruction. Full article

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and a major driver of hospital admissions. Older adults are disproportionately affected, owing to immune senescence and a higher prevalence of chronic comorbidities. This study examined two decades (2000–2019) of adult hospital admissions for CAP in mainland Portugal. Methods: We analyzed adult CAP hospitalizations between 2000 and 2019 from the Portuguese Mainland Hospital Diagnosis National Database. We assessed all hospitalizations attributable to CAP over the 20 years, stratified by age group, and examined seasonal variation. Trends in hospital length of stay and in-hospital case fatality were evaluated. Results: Between 2000 and 2019, the adult CAP hospitalization rate in Portugal rose from 3.61 to 5.28 per 1000 persons-year. This was fostered by patients older than 80 years, who grew from 30.4% to 53.1% of CAP admissions. The mean age increased over time, from 70.1 ± 17.0 years to 77.7 ± 14.1 years. Hospitalization episodes of patients older than 85 years admitted for CAP increased fourfold. CAP-associated case fatality increased slightly, driven by patients older than 80 years. A modest decline was noted from 2016 to 2019 (from 23.1% to 21.8%). This was strongly correlated with mean age. Invasive mechanical ventilation was offered in a growing number of hospitalization episodes of CAP (from 3.1% in 2000 to 7.5% in 2019) but with significant age imbalance. Admissions peaked in January, whereas case fatality was highest during the summer months. Conclusions: These findings underscore the growing burden of CAP on healthcare systems, driven by an aging population and rising life expectancy. This has implications for both resource allocation and preventive strategies. Full article

Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) estimation using photoplethysmography (PPG) is typically based on the pulsatile components of red and infrared (IR) PPG signals acquired from peripheral sites, such as the finger or earlobe. Although these sites provide strong PPG signals, they are less suitable for integrated monitoring with electrocardiography (ECG), including arrhythmia detection. Simultaneous acquisition of PPG and ECG from a chest-worn device may therefore enable continuous and integrated physiological monitoring. However, chest PPG is characterized by lower perfusion and greater susceptibility to respiratory and motion artifacts, making reliable extraction of pulsatile red and IR components challenging. In this study, we developed and clinically evaluated a real-time SpO₂ estimation algorithm based on chest reflectance PPG. Green PPG, which provides a relatively distinct pulsatile waveform under low-perfusion conditions, was used for beat detection. A heart-rate-adaptive analysis window, normalized cross-correlation-based signal quality assessment, and least-squares estimation of the AC amplitude ratio were combined to calculate the red-to-IR ratio of ratios, from which SpO₂ was estimated using a calibration equation. Algorithm performance was evaluated against reference arterial oxygen saturation (SaO₂) measured using a blood gas analyzer. The proposed method achieved an accuracy root mean square of 2.91% relative to the reference SaO₂. These results support the technical feasibility of chest reflectance PPG-based SpO₂ estimation and its accuracy under controlled desaturation conditions. Full article

Granular flows generate intense acoustic emissions, yet the quantitative relationship between particle size and sound frequency remains poorly characterized for natural, irregular materials. This study investigates the inverse relationship between mean particle size and the spectral centroid of acoustic emissions under controlled laboratory conditions. We conducted vertical-drop and inclined flume experiments using steel spheres as a control, alongside dacite and pumice sieved into narrow size fractions. Acoustic signals were acquired at a 96 kHz sampling rate and analyzed using the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) to compute spectral centroids. Vertical-drop experiments confirmed a robust inverse size–frequency trend across all materials, with spectral centroids decreasing systematically as particle diameter increased. Flume experiments preserved the general inverse relationship but exhibited greater variability and a systematic shift toward lower frequencies, indicating that boundary interactions and flow kinematics modulate the acoustic signature beyond pure particle size effects. The present work establishes a controlled physical basis for acoustics-based granulometric characterization of granular avalanches, as the first stage of a factor-isolation research program in which the particle size contribution is quantified under dry, single-phase conditions. Operational field deployment lies beyond the scope of this study; the results provide the controlled calibration baselines required before extensions to multiphase, field-scale flows can be meaningfully pursued and highlight the necessity of regime-specific calibration for confined flows. Full article

To address severe transmission signal attenuation caused by inter-phase electromagnetic coupling in three-phase cross-bonded cables, which significantly limits the identification of insulation defects and fault types, this paper proposes a broadband impedance spectroscopy differential-frequency decoupling and defect diagnosis method based on three-phase high-frequency, high-voltage coordinated excitation. First, a decoupled transmission line model for three-phase cross-bonded cables is established to systematically analyze how the degree of insulation damage and fault equivalent impedance affect the frequency domain response at the test terminal. Three core diagnostic parameters, namely the fundamental resonant peak amplitude variation ratio, the resonant period change rate, and the initial phase offset, are extracted to construct a multi-dimensional collaborative diagnosis model for accurate defect and fault identification. Second, a high-voltage topology based on proportional optical isolation driving is designed to overcome the gain and bandwidth trade-off of conventional power amplifiers, effectively mitigating excessive high-frequency signal attenuation and low signal-to-noise ratios in long-distance transmission lines. Using this topology, a three-phase differential-frequency coordinated excitation test platform is developed to ensure the accurate, synchronous injection of isolated three-phase differential-frequency sinusoidal waveforms into the cable sending end. Combined with broadband impedance spectra acquired by the test system, the proposed diagnostic model enables the reliable identification of defect and fault types in three-phase cross-bonded cables, offering practical significance for the safe and stable operation of power transmission systems. Full article

Background and Objectives: Despite long-standing MMR vaccination programmes, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases continue to occur worldwide, raising concerns regarding waning immunity and susceptibility gaps in adult populations. Between 2017 and 2019 alone, WHO reported over 880,000 measles cases globally—a fourfold increase over the preceding two years—with outbreaks in both low- and high-income countries despite high childhood vaccination coverage. This study evaluated the seroepidemiology of measles, mumps, and rubella among adults in Türkiye over a nine-year period. Materials and Methods: A retrospective laboratory-based study was conducted using ELISA IgM and IgG results obtained between 2014 and 2022 at a tertiary-care university hospital. Seropositivity rates were analysed by year, age group, and sex. Temporal trends were assessed using the Cochran–Armitage trend test; factors associated with IgG seropositivity were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Among 10,407 adult test records, overall IgG seropositivity was 75.8% for measles, 94.9% for rubella, and 86.3% for mumps; IgM positivity remained low throughout (0.9%, 0.4%, and 1.9%, respectively). Measles IgG declined significantly from 78.4% in 2014–2019 to 62.6% in 2022 (p < 0.001), whereas Rubella IgG remained stable (93.2–95.7%) and Mumps IgG showed no significant temporal change. Seropositivity increased markedly with age for measles (18–29 years: 70.2% vs. ≥50 years: 93.4%; p < 0.001) and mumps (p = 0.030). Multivariable analysis confirmed that Measles IgG seropositivity was substantially lower in 2022 than in the pooled 2014–2019 period (OR = 0.432, 95% CI: 0.319–0.584, p < 0.001). Rubella seroprotection among women of reproductive age was 94.7% (95% CI: 93.9–95.5%), close to but not statistically distinguishable from the 95% population immunity benchmark used in rubella elimination frameworks. Conclusions: A significant measles immunity gap exists among younger adults in Türkiye, with Measles IgG seropositivity declining from 78.4% in 2014–2019 to 62.6% in 2022, consistent with a cohort effect whereby vaccine-era cohorts exhibit lower protection than older adults with naturally acquired immunity. Rubella immunity, by contrast, remained close to the 95% elimination benchmark throughout. These findings underscore the importance of targeted serological surveillance and evidence-based booster vaccination strategies. Full article

Early in ovo sex identification is important for improving hatchery resource utilization; however, sex-related optical differences are weak during early embryonic development and exhibit clear stage dependence. In this study, longitudinal visible–near-infrared transmission spectra were acquired from 1600 fertilized pink-shelled eggs of Bashang Long-tailed chickens across four independent incubation batches during incubation days 1–7. Before model development, 200 eggs were reserved as a fixed internal hold-out test set, while the remaining 1400 eggs were used for exploratory incubation-day and feature screening, five-fold cross-validation, and model comparison. Among all 21 dual-day combinations, D2 + D5 achieved the highest exploratory validation AUC of 0.951. The selected scheme required separate measurements on D2 and D5, with the final sex classification completed on D5. Further incorporation of the signed difference spectrum ΔS and relative change rate R increased the AUC to 0.965, demonstrating the incremental discriminative value of longitudinal developmental-change information. After the input scheme had been fixed, DSSF-Net achieved the numerically highest performance among the evaluated models under unified egg-level stratified five-fold cross-validation, with an accuracy of 0.915 ± 0.015, an AUC of 0.974 ± 0.012, and an F1-score of 0.915 ± 0.014. The final model achieved an accuracy of 0.915 and an empirical AUC of 0.966 (95% CI: 0.940–0.987) on the fixed internal hold-out test set. Complete four-round leave-one-batch-out validation yielded mean accuracy and AUC values of 0.846 ± 0.014 and 0.926 ± 0.012, respectively, indicating that the longitudinal spectral information from D2 + D5 maintained relatively stable discriminative performance across incubation batches within the investigated population. These results demonstrate the feasibility of longitudinal spectral modeling for early sex identification in fertilized pink-shelled eggs of Bashang Long-tailed chickens. Systematic offline validation was completed under laboratory conditions, including evaluation on the fixed internal hold-out test set and four-round leave-one-batch-out validation, supporting the effectiveness and batch-level stability of D2 + D5 longitudinal developmental spectra. Post hoc wavelength-level interpretation further identified 594–620 nm and 660–675 nm as two candidate spectral regions with relatively high predictive value. Collectively, these findings provide a reliable longitudinal spectral modeling framework for early non-destructive in ovo sex identification and establish an experimental and methodological foundation for wavelength selection, device development, and subsequent engineering validation of multispectral detection systems under hatchery conditions. Full article

Pile-anchor retaining systems represent a fundamental support technology for urban deep excavations, where accurate quantification of anchor axial force is essential to achieving both structural safety and economical design. Here, we systematically assessed the predictive performance of several established design approaches—namely the static equilibrium method, the equivalent beam method, the earth pressure envelope method, an empirical chart-based method, and the CPD method—against in-situ monitoring data acquired from a deep excavation project. Under the site-specific conditions, the chart-based method delivered the closest agreement with the measured anchor forces. We further implemented a finite element model to perform a parametric sensitivity analysis, elucidating the influence of anchor embedment depth, excavation depth, and groundwater table position on anchor axial force. The results revealed that increasing anchor embedment depth produced only a marginal variation in anchor force, indicating weak sensitivity. In contrast, deepening the excavation produced a pronounced escalation in anchor force and significantly modulated pile bending moments. Elevating the depth to the groundwater table (i.e., lowering the water level) caused the anchor force to decline monotonically, with the rate of decrease progressively attenuating at greater depths, thereby demonstrating a moderate dependency on groundwater conditions. Full article

Coastal zones are subject to a range of natural and anthropogenic processes that result in coastal erosion and accretion, threatening essential infrastructure and straining livelihoods. Analysis of shoreline changes is thus crucial for informing coastal zone planning and management to avert the ramifications of erosion and accretion. Despite a range of literature examining coastline changes worldwide, there is a paucity of literature focusing on Southern Africa, particularly within small harbours. The paper, therefore, aims to analyse shoreline changes at four small harbour zones along the Atlantic Ocean in the Western Cape province, South Africa, over the period from 1985 to 2025. To acquire an accurate shoreline position, four spectral criteria were applied simultaneously: the Automated Water Extraction Index (AWEI), the Modified Normalised Difference Water Index (MNDWI), the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and the Near Infrared (NIR). Four statistics were then used to measure shoreline changes in the USGS Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS): Net Shoreline Movement (NSM), Shoreline Change Envelope (SCE), End Point Rate (EPR), and Weighted Linear Regression (WLR). Considerable variability was observed within and among the four small harbour study areas, with several erosion and accretion hotspots identified. The 20-year forecast indicated that future shoreline positions would largely maintain the 2025 curvature. Although the study did not reveal significant threats, authorities are encouraged to pay particular attention to erosion and accretion hotspots through appropriate mitigation and adaptation efforts. Full article

Surface subsidence in mining areas is a widespread, long-term, and slow-onset geological hazard that can induce cascading failures, including slope instability and ground collapse, thereby threatening infrastructure and human safety. Accurate characterization of its spatiotemporal evolution and reliable prediction of future trends are therefore essential for effective mine safety management and hazard assessment. This study investigates an open-pit mine by integrating time-series Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) monitoring with a deep learning–based prediction framework. A total of 70 Sentinel-1A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images acquired between January 2023 and May 2025 were processed to quantify surface deformation. The results reveal a large-scale subsidence funnel, with a maximum subsidence rate of 143.00 mm/yr and a cumulative displacement of −337.89 mm. The observed deformation is controlled by combined effects of rainfall, seismic activity, and local geological conditions. To predict the temporal evolution of subsidence, a hybrid convolutional neural network–long short-term memory (CNN–LSTM) time-series forecasting model (CL-TSF) is proposed. By integrating convolutional feature extraction with long short-term memory–based sequence modeling, the model effectively captures spatial patterns and long-term temporal dependencies. Compared with conventional CNN and LSTM models, the proposed approach achieves superior performance, with a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 2.24% and a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 5.260. Its robustness is validated through accurate multi-step prediction of the final five deformation periods. These findings provide insights into mining-induced subsidence mechanisms and demonstrate the potential of the proposed framework for dynamic early warning and risk assessment in mining areas. Full article

This paper introduces a non-invasive ultrasonic sensing system for two-phase refrigerant flow characterization in heat pump circuits used in building energy systems, validated through machine learning (ML)-based regression of the acquired signals. Heat pumps play a crucial role in energy-efficient buildings. However, the absence of a low-cost, non-invasive instrument capable of measuring mass flow rate, mixture density, and vapor quality without disrupting the thermodynamics of a refrigerant circuit remains a gap for smart HVAC systems. A carbon dioxide (CO₂) refrigerant circuit was designed to calibrate such a sensing system under representative operating heat pump conditions. Ultrasonic measurements were conducted using piezoelectric transducers clamped onto the refrigerant pipeline. A calibration framework was structured with ground-truth flowmeter labels, establishing a thermodynamic envelope across 10–20 bar and down to −25 °C, and achieving R² = 0.901 for flow rate, 0.997 for density, and 0.971 for quality, with an overall R² = 0.956. The proposed measurement system is a plug-and-play kit enabling more efficient next-generation heat pumps, supporting building energy management and performance monitoring. The labeled dataset and calibration methodology provide a basis for training and validating ML regression models for real-time flow property inference in operational HVAC systems. Full article