Search Results (880)

Human–elephant conflict (HEC) has emerged as a major conservation and socio-economic challenge across Asia, largely driven by habitat degradation and increasing human pressure within elephant ranges. In India, expanding agriculture, mining activities, and infrastructure development have progressively altered forest landscapes, restricting elephant movement and intensifying interactions with human settlements. This study examines the relationship between landscape dynamics and HEC in the West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand, India. A three-year field investigation (2018–2020) across four forest divisions—Porahat, Chaibasa, Kolhan, and Saranda—was integrated with multi-temporal land-use and land-cover (LULC) analysis from 2000 to 2020 to evaluate habitat changes and their influence on conflict patterns. During the study period, 157 human casualties and extensive crop and property losses were recorded, indicating the severity of the conflict in the region. Landscape analysis revealed a substantial decline in dense forest cover and a reduction of large core forest areas (>500 acres), accompanied by increasing agricultural expansion and forest perforation. NDVI trends further indicated widespread deterioration in vegetation condition, reflecting declining habitat quality. These structural landscape changes have fragmented elephant habitats and displaced movement routes toward human-dominated landscapes and are thus associated with a spatial clustering of conflict events, particularly in the Chaibasa Forest Division. In contrast, the Saranda Forest Division retains relatively intact forest cores and supports more stable elephant habitat conditions. The findings demonstrate that HEC in the region is strongly linked to habitat fragmentation and declining vegetation quality rather than random elephant behaviour. Maintaining large contiguous forest blocks, restoring landscape connectivity, and implementing targeted mitigation strategies are therefore essential for sustaining elephant populations while reducing conflict with local communities. Full article

Background/Objectives: Plant-derived phytochemicals are being increasingly explored for their ability to treat various illnesses, especially those affecting the vasculature. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) acts as a crucial mediator during the late phase of sepsis, promoting the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and thereby fueling inflammation and systemic complications. Higher plasma HMGB1 levels not only hinder accurate diagnosis and prognosis but also worsen disease outcomes in inflammatory states. Picropodophyllotoxin (PPT), a key bioactive ingredient isolated from the root of Podophyllum hexandrum, has shown a range of beneficial effects, including anti-cancer and anti-proliferative actions, across several tumor types. Nevertheless, its possible involvement in HMGB1-driven severe vascular inflammation remains unexplored. The current work aimed to investigate whether PPT could influence lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced HMGB1 activity and its related inflammatory signaling in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Methods: A combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches was used to assess the anti-inflammatory action of PPT. These included measurements of endothelial barrier function, cell survival, leukocyte attachment and migration, levels of cell adhesion molecules, and the release of pro-inflammatory factors. Both cultured human endothelial cells and mouse disease models were used to thoroughly evaluate how PPT affects HMGB1-triggered inflammatory reactions. Results: The findings showed that PPT markedly reduced HMGB1 movement from inside HUVECs to the outside, thereby limiting its release into the environment. Moreover, PPT effectively decreased neutrophil sticking and migration, lowered the appearance of HMGB1 receptors, and prevented the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), a master switch in inflammatory signaling. At the same time, PPT treatment strongly lowered tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production, adding to its anti-inflammatory profile. Conclusions: Taken together, these results indicate that PPT potently inhibits HMGB1-driven inflammatory processes by acting at several levels of the inflammatory cascade, such as HMGB1 movement, receptor binding, NF-κB activation, and subsequent cytokine release. Therefore, PPT stands out as a hopeful therapeutic option for HMGB1-related inflammatory diseases and deserves further exploration in preclinical and clinical studies. Full article

The integration of artificial intelligence with unobtrusive sensing technologies is transforming occupational health monitoring by enabling continuous, objective assessment of worker activities in real industrial environments. This study focuses on the accurate recognition of subtle motion actions within logistics workflows using multichannel optical motion-capture data. We investigate several deep learning architectures commonly employed for temporal motion analysis, including tCNN, Transformer, CNN–LSTM, and ConvLSTM. To enhance robustness and fairness across workers with varying movement styles, a subject-independent evaluation protocol is adopted, and a multiscale temporal learning strategy is explored to better capture fine-grained and low-saliency actions. Experimental results show that the proposed multiscale tCNN achieves the highest accuracy, obtaining per-class recall range between 73% and 83% and an overall accuracy of approximately 79%, consistently outperforming recurrent and attention-based architectures. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of multiscale convolution-based temporal modeling for recognizing subtle motion actions and highlight the potential of combining optical motion capture with AI analytics to support unobtrusive, reliable occupational health monitoring in smart industry environments. Full article

Background: Although several studies have compared muscle activity in ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ shoulders, studying ‘healthy’ shoulders alone could improve the understanding of shoulder biomechanics. Objective: This study aims to describe the electromyographic activity of several shoulder muscles during a full range of free active flexion, as well as during abduction and scaption movements, and to compare gender differences in subjects with no history of shoulder pain or pathology. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 34 subjects aged between 18 and 60 years of both genders. The activity of the anterior, middle, and posterior deltoid, serratus anterior, infraspinatus, latissimus dorsi, and teres major muscles was measured using surface electromyography. Root Mean Square (RMS) values were calculated as a percentage of Maximal Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC). Results: Regardless of whether they are considered agonists or antagonists, these muscles were active, with no statistically significant differences (Mann–Whitney U test), during both the lifting and lowering phases of the studied movements. Statistically significant differences between movements were observed only in the deltoid (Kruskal–Wallis H test, p < 0.004), which was more active during abduction. Women showed statistically significant muscle activity increase compared with men in some movements, except in the infraspinatus muscle—for example, in the three parts of the deltoid during the lifting phase of scaption (ANCOVA, p = 0.002–0.024). Conclusions: In this sample, the shoulder muscles studied showed comparable activity, acting as agonists or antagonists during shoulder elevation. These findings are exploratory and may help inform future studies on muscle activation in healthy shoulders during more varied functional tasks. Full article

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) plays a vital role as an eco-friendly oxidizer, extensively used in environmental cleanup, energy transformation, and organic production. Nonetheless, the conventional method of creating anthraquinones is intricate, resulting in significant energy and ecological costs, which calls for the development of more eco-friendly and efficient substitute technologies. The article methodically examines the reaction processes and methods for improving efficiency in photocatalytic H₂O₂ generation in the past few years. This review summarizes the design principles and key structural features of various novel catalytic materials, focusing on light absorption, charge separation and migration, surface redox reactions, and enhanced mass transfer. Approaches such as expanding the range of bandgap absorption, building conjugated structures, and incorporating metal nanoclusters can significantly enhance the efficiency of light absorption. In the charge separation process, constructing built-in electric fields at the interfaces of heterojunctions, homojunctions, and Schottky junctions is crucial for improving reaction efficiency. Additionally, defect engineering may encourage targeted carrier movement and minimize recombination. The review highlights the latest advancements in enhancing selectivity and reducing H₂O₂ breakdown in surface redox reactions, achieved by regulating active sites, introducing new functional groups, and developing dual-channel reaction pathways. Furthermore, constructing three-phase interfaces, regulating asymmetric wettability, and designing cyclic/flow reactors provide innovative engineering solutions to address the challenges of insufficient oxygen supply and large-scale continuous production. Ultimately, the potential for producing H₂O₂ in photocatalytic systems is detailed. Full article

Background: Wearable sensors have gained increasing popularity as an objective method for remotely monitoring infant movement in naturalistic settings. Over the first year of life, infants generate a wide range of motions, from goal-directed to spontaneous movement. These include linear movements, such as kicks, and orientation changes, such as postural transitions. Many sensor processing pipelines emphasize capturing linear movements through movement-generated acceleration while focusing less on information about orientation embedded in the gravitational part of the data. Here, we introduce a complementary gravity-referenced approach that extracts the gravitational component of accelerometer signals to estimate limb orientation, extending the reliable quantification of rich and detailed aspects of infant movement. Infant orientation has demonstrated clinical relevance, including associations with later neuromotor outcomes, and it can be used to chart infant motor development, motivating the development of objective methods to quantify orientation from sensor data. Methods: Wearable sensors (Opal APDM) were used to longitudinally evaluate infant motor activity recorded in sessions conducted at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of age. We extracted data from a 5 min segment that has simultaneous video recordings. From these datasets, applying the gravity-referenced method, we computed pitch, roll, and yaw, angles that collectively describe limb orientation. We then quantified orientation variability using axis-specific circular standard deviations (SDs) for pitch, roll, and yaw and a multi-axis composite measure based on generalized variance. Results: Axis-specific circular SDs for pitch, roll, and yaw, as well as the composite generalized variance, increased significantly from 3 to 12 months (p ≤ 0.01 for each metric). Composite variability was strongly associated with Mullen gross motor outcomes at 9 and 12 months of age (r = 0.55, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Overall, gravity-referenced pitch, roll, and yaw provide rich orientation features that increased as infants develop more postural transitions. Furthermore, the orientation features correlated with standardized measures of infant motor function. These orientation metrics can complement traditional linear kinematic measures and improve our ability to granularly track infant motor development in the first year of life. Full article

Rehabilitation robotics faces the challenges of aligning engineering design with patient-specific needs. Most existing controllers in rehabilitation robots often constrain motion to fixed paths or provide only passive guidance, limiting user engagement and adaptability. This study proposes a novel active-assistive mode controller that integrates a virtual tunnel-based force generation mechanism with a dynamic moving-window technique for tracking activities of daily living (ADL) trajectories. Unlike conventional impedance controllers, the proposed method dynamically adjusts the virtual tunnel in real time, permitting voluntary upper-limb movement within a safe operational range while preventing excessive deviation. The system was implemented on a wearable two-degree-of-freedom (DOF) upper-limb exoskeleton equipped with drive and integrated sensor units. Experimental results demonstrated that decreasing the guidance force ($F_{gf}$) increased tracking errors, from $1°$ at 100% $F_{gf}$ to $5°$ at 30% $F_{gf}$, indicating greater voluntary participant motion. Peak actuator torques correspondingly decreased from 14.75 to 13.43 Nm (elbow) and from 4.14 to 2.48 Nm (wrist), confirming the controller’s capability to modulate robotic assistance according to user effort. Tests with 30 healthy participants demonstrated the effectiveness of guidance along predefined ADL trajectories, validating the controller’s potential for patient-centered rehabilitation. Full article

Among lower-body techniques in karate, the Mawashi Geri Jodan is regarded as the most frequently applied, technically sophisticated, and potentially hazardous skill. Yet, whether karate athletes of varying proficiency levels exhibit differential mastery of this technique remains empirically unexamined. This study aimed to reveal movement control strategies of elite athletes by comparing kinematic and surface electromyography (sEMG) characteristics of Mawashi Geri Jodan between elite and sub-elite female karate practitioners. A total of eight female karate athletes (4 elite, 4 sub-elite) were recruited. During the execution of the dominant-leg Mawashi Geri Jodan, they struck a karate punching bag positioned at head height, while kinematic and sEMG data were synchronously collected. Analyzed metrics included phase durations, center of mass (COM) displacement, joint angles/angular velocities, and integral electromyography (IEMG) with muscle work percentage of 8 lower limb muscles. Independent-sample t-tests were used for intergroup comparisons (α = 0.05). Compared with the sub-elite group, elite athletes completed the full Mawashi Geri Jodan in significantly less time (0.825 ± 0.07 s vs. 1.030 ± 0.05 s, p < 0.01) and exhibited a shorter core striking phase (p < 0.05). Kinematically, elite athletes showed smaller vertical COM displacement during the striking phase (p < 0.05) and greater hip joint range of motion (p < 0.05). sEMG data revealed significantly higher activation of lower limb prime movers (vastus lateralis, gastrocnemius) during the striking phase and greater rectus femoris contribution during the recovery phase in elite athletes. Elite female karate practitioners demonstrate superior movement efficiency, body stability, and neuromuscular coordination in Mawashi Geri Jodan. Technical training should prioritize hip joint flexibility and stability, synergistic explosive force generation of the lower limb kinetic chain during the striking phase, and active rectus femoris activation during the recovery phase to enhance execution precision and efficiency. Full article

Background: Since sedentary habits have become a growing global public health concern, the promotion of physical activity (PA) from early childhood could help children live healthy lifestyles. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze the level of compliance with PA in preschoolers in relation to the reference guidelines. Method: A systematic review of relevant articles was carried out using four databases (PubMed, ProQuest, SCOPUS, and FECYT (Web of Sciences, CCC, CIDW, KJD, MEDLINE, RSCI, and SCIELO)) until 14 May 2025. The methodological assessment process was performed by using an adapted version of the MINORS assessment criteria. Results: A total of 623 studies were initially found and 23 were included in the qualitative synthesis. Conclusions: The results revealed that the average in most contexts usually ranges between 30% and 65% of the child population. Due to different operational criteria, compliance was generally higher when PA was assessed separately using single-behavior guidelines as opposed to when integrated 24 h movement frameworks were used. However, these results should be considered with caution because establishing the level of adherence to PA guidelines is difficult due to the different outcomes and guidelines used to compare the level of children’s PA. In future research, it is important to establish common baseline criteria (specifying more specific ages, common questionnaires, and criteria for calculating PA quantity and intensity) to facilitate more objective and reliable comparisons between studies. This systematic review is important because it highlights the need for healthy educational habits from the first years of a person’s life. Full article

This study presents a comprehensive 35-year (1990–2025) shoreline change assessment along the southeast coast of Ireland, integrating multi-decadal Landsat satellite archives with GIS-based Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) metrics to quantify both spatial and temporal coastal dynamics. Unlike previous studies that focus on shorter timeframes or localized sectors, this research provides a regional-scale, orientation-specific comparison between the eastern-facing (SE1; County Wexford) and southern-facing (SE2; County Waterford) shorelines. Shoreline evolution was quantified using four complementary DSAS indicators—Shoreline Change Envelope (SCE), Net Shoreline Movement (NSM), End Point Rate (EPR), and Linear Regression Rate (LRR), allowing robust discrimination between short-term variability and multi-decadal trends. The results reveal noticeable spatial variability in shoreline behavior with 57% accretion and 42% erosion across the eastern-facing coast (SE1) in County Wexford and the southern-facing coast (SE2) in County Waterford. SCE values ranging from 2.26 m to 663.83 m indicate considerable short-term shoreline variability, particularly within dynamic barrier and embayed systems. NSM values between −216.65 m and +663.83 m indicate erosional hotspots, particularly along soft-sediment coasts and exposed southern-facing sectors, whereas accretion is limited to embayments, sandy beaches, and zones of effective sediment trapping. Rate-based analyses show EPR values between −14.82 and +20.38 m/yr and LRR values between −5.27 and +20 m/yr, with LRR providing more reliable estimates of multi-decadal trends in highly dynamic environments. The findings highlight the strong influence of coastal orientation, sediment availability, geological controls, and human activities on shoreline change in southeastern Ireland. These findings provide valuable evidence to support coastal management, hazard mitigation, and climate adaptation planning, with the assistance of policymakers, to develop effective strategies that enhance the resilience and quality of life of coastal communities. Full article

Reliable control of robotic hands using residual muscle activity is challenging due to low-amplitude myoelectric signals, susceptibility to noise, and the need for real-time actuation. This paper presents a myoelectric-controlled robotic hand capable of voluntary independent finger motion. Surface myoelectric signals from the forearm are processed via amplification, filtering, and digital analysis to enable accurate detection of muscle activity. The system achieves independent and simultaneous actuation of five fingers using a tendon-driven, servo-actuated mechanism in a lightweight ABS structure. Experimental evaluation demonstrates finger actuation delays ranging from 314 ms to 650 ms, maximum holding strengths between 1.75 N and 4.07 N, and minimum gripping distances between 22 mm and 49 mm across all five fingers, with peak motor currents remaining below 0.7 A. Results validate consistent muscle activity detection, successful execution of individual and combined finger movements, and the robustness of the proposed design. Full article

Background/Objectives: Distal biceps tendon rupture (DBTR) significantly impairs upper-limb function, particularly in movements requiring elbow flexion and forearm supination. This condition continues to attract clinical interest due to its complex biomechanics, evolving surgical strategies, and the growing emphasis on comprehensive rehabilitation. Contemporary evidence highlights the value of a multidisciplinary approach that integrates precise surgical repair with structured, progressive physiotherapy to optimize outcomes effectively. Methods: We performed a comprehensive review of the literature by searching PubMed/MEDLINE, and a narrative review format was adopted to synthesize the available evidence. Results: Studies comparing single-incision and double-incision techniques show that both achieve excellent outcomes, although the decision should be tailored to patient-specific factors, surgeon expertise, and the reported complication risk, which may vary between 5% and 63%. Regardless of technique, restoring tendon integrity is essential for regaining normal strength and supination capability. Rehabilitation following DBTR repair relies on a phased and carefully monitored program. Early physiotherapy focuses on a controlled range of motion and the prevention of stiffness while protecting the repair. As healing progresses, strengthening exercises targeting the biceps, triceps, and brachialis are introduced, alongside endurance training to enhance overall functional capacity. Evidence strongly supports early mobilization protocols, where active motion and graded resistance are initiated within the first postoperative week, resulting in faster and more complete functional recovery compared to prolonged immobilization. Conclusions: Long-term outcomes after DBTR repair are consistently favorable. Most patients return to full activity or sport at an average of 5.4 months, although timelines vary with rehabilitation intensity and baseline fitness. Notably, 93–100% recover their pre-injury activity level, including participation in competitive sports. Full article

(1) Achilles tendon rupture is one of the most severe lower-limb injuries, frequently occurring during movements involving maximal dorsiflexion with the knee at near-full extension. Preventive strategies are crucial, particularly for athletes engaged in high-risk sports such as basketball. (2) In this work, we examined the effect of a novel Achilles brace on Achilles tendon loading during concentric and eccentric mechanisms associated with tendon rupture. (3) Twenty-eight young basketball players performed tests under two conditions: with the adaptive brace and without it (control). Participants were divided into two groups (n = 14 in both). The first group assessed concentric Achilles loading by performing three plantar-flexor strength tests in three different joint configurations: maximal dorsiflexion with the knee flexed (FKF); injury mechanism position—full plantar flexion with the knee extended (FKE); and neutral ankle position with the knee extended (NKE). The number of maximal heel-raise repetitions performed before onset of fatigue was recorded. The second group assessed eccentric tendon loading by performing single-leg forced maximal-velocity dorsiflexion with the knee extended. In all tests, the time between maximal plantar flexion and maximal dorsiflexion, as well as the ankle range of motion, was analyzed using 2D video. Paired t-tests were used to compare braced and control conditions. In all tests, the ankle range of motion (ROM) did not differ significantly between brace and control conditions. Wearing the brace significantly improved plantar-flexor muscle strength only in the FKE test (31 ± 1.3 repetitions with brace vs. 21 ± 1.3 in control, p < 0.05). No significant differences were found for the FKF (27 ± 1.3 vs. 25 ± 1.3) or NKE (25 ± 1.3 vs. 24 ± 1.3) positions. During drop eccentric loading, wearing the brace resulted in a significantly slower transition time from plantar flexion to dorsiflexion (460 ± 60 ms with brace vs. 320 ± 30 ms in control, p < 0.001). (4) In brief, the novel Achilles brace was found to significantly reduces Achilles tendon load during both concentric and eccentric activities, but only in high-risk joint positions. These findings suggest that the brace provides mechanical protection, and may reduce the risk of Achilles tendon rupture, in athletes exposed to high tendon stress. Full article

In July 2024, a major rainfall-induced landslide disaster occurred in Zixing county, Hunan Province, triggering more than 4000 landslides with a total area exceeding 21 km². The scale of this hazard underscores a critical need for long-term stability assessment of the affected slopes. While previous studies have primarily used optical remote sensing to map landslide distributions, quantitative evaluation of post-failure movement dynamics remains limited. This study developed an integrated monitoring framework that combines time-series SBAS-InSAR displacement measurements (using Sentinel-1 data from August 2024 to September 2025) with deep learning-based optical interpretation, rainfall analysis, and geological data. Our approach enables the quantitative, region-scale stability assessment of the Zixing landslide cluster one year after the initial event. Experimental results reveal sustained surface displacement with rates ranging from −30 to 30 mm/year, and localized displacements exceeding 40 mm/year. Notably, over 48% of the mapped landslides are classified as active or critically active, indicating widespread, ongoing instability. Correlation analysis further establishes precipitation as a key driver of accelerated movement. Beyond the Zixing case, this work provides a transferable methodology for assessing long-term post-disaster landslide behavior, offering direct value for regional hazard management and early-warning systems. Full article

The ontological categorization of the cellular elements of the brain was proposed over a century ago by Santiago Ramón y Cajal (neurons, astroglia) and Pío del Río-Hortega (oligodendroglia, microglia). It combines histochemical observations of morphology with allied inferences about the specialized functions and origins (ectoderm or mesoderm) of each cellular element. This ontology shapes modern neuroscience, with the main non-neuronal cells—astroglia, oligodendroglia and microglia—viewed as having distinct primary roles relating respectively to the metabolic support, myelination and immunoprotection of neurons, the information signaling cells. Yet contemporary techniques, ranging from electrophysiology to single-cell transcriptomics and ultrahigh resolution spectroscopy, are revealing intersecting molecular profiles and functional capacities of these cell groups, for example metabolic support, neuroimmune and signaling functions in oligodendroglia. Here we identify discrepancies in current glial paradigms, from empirical, evolutionary and pragmatic perspectives. We suggest a subset of small, iron-rich glial cells, usually with few processes, often viewed as oligodendroglia with myelin-related primary functions, instead have iron-related primary functions that are central to all aspects of brain activity. We call these ‘ferriglia’. We discuss implications for pathogenesis across the spectrum of neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders, including neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and other less common cognitive, movement and neurobehavioral disorders, stroke and cerebrovascular disease, glioblastoma and other brain cancers and neuroimmune conditions. We also briefly address the question of where ferriglia may reside within existing glial compartments and lineages, implications for the ontological classification of other glial cells, and research challenges that must be overcome going forward. Full article