Search Results (847)

We have recently described a murine model of vaginal secretion that allows the measurement of minute changes in vaginal secretion. Using this model, we determined that female mice experience a vaginal secretory response to the scent of males, a response regulated by circadian and estrous factors since females did not respond during their sleep phase, nor when in metestrus. Female mice can distinguish the social status of a male by scent cues and show a preference for the scent of dominant males. We therefore tested whether or not vaginal responses to male scent differ by the social status of that male. Vaginal secretory responses were measured using a recently described method employing a colorimetric thread. In addition, while we have shown that the proposed female attractant α/β farnesenes evoked a strong vaginal response in female mice, a second volatile preputial gland-derived messenger, 1-hexadecanol, has also been proposed to serve as a female attractant. Here we test whether or not 1-hexadecanol similarly stimulates a vaginal secretory response. We now report that the female vaginal secretory response differs according to the social status of the male: the urine-borne scent of dominant males elicited a vaginal response, while samples from non-dominant males did not. In related odor-preference tests we confirmed that female mice spend more time investigating the urine scent of dominant males. We additionally tested whether or not a second putative female attractant 1-hexadecanol would elicit a vaginal secretory response. Like the α/β farnesenes, 1-hexadecanol is volatile, derived from preputial glands, and induces an investigatory response in females. However female mice did not experience a vaginal secretory response to the scent of 1-hexadecanol. We did confirm that females spent more time investigating hexadecanol over vehicle, indicating that there can be a disconnect between behavioral measures of interest and a vaginal preparatory response. In summary, we find that subordinate male mice do not elicit a vaginal secretory response, indicating that male social status impacts the physiological responses of females to the prospect of coitus. We additionally find that in contrast to farnesenes, the putative female attractant 1-hexadecanol does not elicit a vaginal response. These findings underscore the potential value of this murine model and indicate that even in mice, vaginal responses are under complex regulation. Full article

Camelina (Camelina sativa L.) is a valuable source of seed oil, which contains above 30% of essential omega-3 fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid, 18:3). On the one hand, this high content of linolenic acid is healthy and hence preferable, but on the other hand, highly unsaturated oils are easily deteriorated. The stabilization of such oils with respect to their oxidative changes is a significant problem in oil technology and is directly related to the quality of food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of ascorbyl palmitate in various concentrations (0.1–2.0 mM) as an additional antioxidant in camelina seed oil during its autoxidation, by determination of oil induction periods and initial rates of oxidation. The results revealed that the added ascorbyl palmitate caused a decrease in oxidation rate, but in terms of oil stability, opposite effects were observed depending on its concentration. Thus, at low levels (0.1–0.2 mM), ascorbyl palmitate had a pro-oxidant effect and the induction period decreased; no effect was observed in its presence of 1.0 mM, whereas 2.0 mM ensured a much higher protective effect. Rosmarinic acid as an individual antioxidant (at 0.2 mM) increased the stability of camelina oil, while in a mixture (1:1) with ascorbyl palmitate at the same concentration, its effect/activity was significantly reduced. Full article

With increasing life expectancy, the number of older people living with comorbid diabetes and frailty is increasing. The development of frailty accelerates diabetes-related adverse outcomes. Frailty is a multidimensional syndrome with physical, mental and social aspects which is associated with increased risk of hypoglycaemia, dementia and hospitalisation. Therefore, regular screening for all aspects of frailty should be an integrated part of the care plans of older people with diabetes. In addition, every effort should be made for prevention, which includes adequate nutrition combined with regular resistance exercise training. In already frail older people with diabetes, metabolic targets should be relaxed and hypoglycaemic agents should be of low hypoglycaemic risk potential. Furthermore, the metabolic phenotype of frailty should be considered when choosing hypoglycaemic agents and determining targets. With increasing severity of frailty, proactive chronological plans of de-escalation, palliation and end-of-life care should be considered. These plans should be undertaken in a shared decision-making manner which involves patients and their families. This ensures that patients’ views, wishes and preferences are in the heart of these plans. Full article

Next Point-of-Interest (POI) recommendation is aimed at predicting users’ future visits based on their current status and historical check-in records, providing convenience to users and potential profits to businesses. The Graph Neural Network (GNN) has become a common approach for this task due to the capabilities of modeling relations between nodes in a global perspective. However, most existing studies overlook the more prevalent heterogeneous relations in real-world scenarios, and manually constructed graphs may suffer from inaccuracies. To address these limitations, we propose a model called Heterogeneous Graph Structure Learning for Next POI Recommendation (HGSL-POI), which integrates three key components: heterogeneous graph contrastive learning, graph structure learning, and sequence modeling. The model first employs meta-path-based subgraphs and the user–POI interaction graph to obtain initial representations of users and POIs. Based on these representations, it reconstructs the subgraphs through graph structure learning. Finally, based on the embeddings from the reconstructed graphs, sequence modeling incorporating graph neural networks captures users’ sequential preferences to make recommendations. Experimental results on real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model. Additional studies confirm its robustness and superior performance across diverse recommendation tasks. Full article

Public open spaces have recently attracted significant attention in the national development programs aimed at improving urban livability and quality of life in Saudi Arabia. While many studies have examined the design quality of public open spaces in the country, a contextualized evaluation index that takes into account users’ preferences and the nation’s social context is still lacking. This gap calls for additional field studies to better understand users’ needs and their interactions with the current urban design practices of public open spaces. This study provides deeper insights into the design quality of public open spaces in Saudi Arabia. The study first identified 16 attributes of design quality of public open spaces, and then assessed a case study, Alrabie Park in Al-Khobar city, based on field observation and a survey of users’ satisfaction levels in relation to these quality attributes The findings revealed that the average of users’ satisfaction was 3.76 out of 5.0, indicating a neutral to satisfied response. Key strengths were noted in accessibility and users’ comfort, while areas needing improvement included environmental quality and amenities and services. The study recommends the development of a national evaluation index for public open spaces to create inclusive, safe, and vibrant environments that reflect Saudi Arabia’s urban and socio-cultural context. It also emphasizes the importance of community engagement in this regard to ensure that the design of public spaces aligns well with the users’ needs and helps to create sustainable urban spaces in the city. Full article

This study proposes an integrated framework for sustainable tropical agriculture by combining biochemical waste valorization with spatial carbon footprint estimation in ‘Phulae’ pineapple production. Peel and eye residues from fresh-cut processing were enzymatically converted into rare sugar, achieving average conversion efficiencies of 35.28% for peel and 37.51% for eyes, with a benefit–cost ratio of 1.56 and an estimated unit cost of USD 0.17 per gram. A complementary zero-waste pathway produced functional gummy products using vinegar fermented from pineapple eye waste, with the preferred formulation scoring a mean of 4.32 out of 5 on a sensory scale with 158 untrained panelists. For spatial carbon modeling, the Bare Land Referenced Algorithm (BRAH) and Otsu thresholding were applied to multi-temporal Sentinel-2 and THEOS imagery to estimate plantation age, which strongly correlated with field-measured emissions (r = 0.996). This enabled scalable mapping of plot-level greenhouse gas emissions, yielding an average footprint of 0.2304 kg CO₂ eq. per kilogram of fresh pineapple at the plantation gate. Together, these innovations form a replicable model that aligns tropical fruit supply chains with circular economy goals and carbon-related trade standards. The framework supports waste traceability, resource efficiency, and climate accountability using accessible, data-driven tools suitable for smallholder contexts. By demonstrating practical value addition and spatially explicit carbon monitoring, this study shows how integrated circular and geospatial strategies can advance sustainability and market competitiveness for the ‘Phulae’ pineapple industry and similar perennial crop systems. Full article

This research analyzed university students’ perceptions of the use of generative artificial intelligence (hereafter Gen-AI) in a higher education context. Specifically, it addressed the potential benefits and challenges related to the application of these web-based resources. A mixed method was adopted and the sample consisted of 407 teacher training students enrolled in the Early Childhood and Primary Education Degrees in the Region of Murcia in Spain. The results indicated a clear recognition of the relevance of these technological tools for teaching and learning. Respondents highlighted the potential to engage them in academic tasks, increase their motivation, and personalize their learning pathways. However, participants identified some challenges related to technology dependency, ethical issues, and privacy concerns. By understanding learners’ beliefs and assumptions, educators and educational administrations can adapt Gen-AI according to learners’ needs and preferences to improve their academic performance. In learning practice, these adaptations could involve evidence-based interventions, such as AI literacy modules or hybrid assessment frameworks, to translate findings into practice. In addition, it is necessary to adjust materials, methodologies, and the assessment of the academic curriculum to facilitate student learning and ensure that all students have access to quality education and the adequate development of digital skills. Full article

To address the limitations of existing knowledge graph-based recommendation algorithms, including insufficient utilization of semantic information and inadequate modeling of user behavior motivations, we propose SKGRec, a novel recommendation model that integrates knowledge graph and semantic features. The model constructs a semantic interaction graph (USIG) of user behaviors and employs a self-attention mechanism and a ranked optimization loss function to mine user interactions in fine-grained semantic associations. A relationship-aware aggregation module is designed to dynamically integrate higher-order relational features in the knowledge graph through the attention scoring function. In addition, a multi-hop relational path inference mechanism is introduced to capture long-distance dependencies to improve the depth of user interest modeling. Experiments on the Amazon-Book and Last-FM datasets show that SKGRec significantly outperforms several state-of-the-art recommendation algorithms on the Recall@20 and NDCG@20 metrics. Comparison experiments validate the effectiveness of semantic analysis of user behavior and multi-hop path inference, while cold-start experiments further confirm the robustness of the model in sparse-data scenarios. This study provides a new optimization approach for knowledge graph and semantic-driven recommendation systems, enabling more accurate capture of user preferences and alleviating the problem of noise interference. Full article

Background/Objectives: The main purpose of the present scoping review was to map and explore the efficacy of computer-controlled intraosseous anesthesia (CCIA) in comparison with conventional dental anesthesia in pediatric dental patients. Secondarily, this study aimed to compare the acceptance and preference factors between CCIA and conventional dental anesthesia in children. Given the limited and heterogeneous nature of the available literature, this review aimed to identify gaps and scope the extent of research conducted in this area, providing a foundation for future, more targeted studies. Methods: The search was conducted in 19 electronic databases, and the appropriate studies were identified according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Only split-mouth randomized controlled clinical trials that reported on the clinical outcomes of CCIA in children were included. Two reviewers worked independently on the screening and selection of the studies. The same two reviewers carried out the data extraction and the risk of bias assessment, using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Due to the exploratory nature, this review focused on mapping the characteristics, outcomes, and research trends rather than synthesizing effect sizes. Results: Out of 841 papers, 2 randomized clinical trials were ultimately included in the scoping review. The outcomes were categorized as primary (including results that answered the focus question) and secondary (relating to additional quality characteristics). Regarding the primary outcomes, in both studies, intraosseous anesthesia was efficacious in achieving the adequate level of anesthesia. One of the secondary outcomes was the acceptance and preference of CCIA in comparison with conventional dental anesthesia in children. The limited number and the high risk of bias in existing studies highlight the necessity for more comprehensive and high-quality research. Conclusions: The selected studies support the assertion that CCIA is a promising technique since it results in less pain perception and is preferred by patients compared to conventional local anesthesia. However, the existing literature is limited and at high risk of bias. Thus, further targeted investigations are needed to evaluate and yield more definitive results regarding the superiority of CCIA. Full article

Background/Objectives: Childhood obesity is a global epidemic. Addressing the modifiable risk factors with effective policies is crucial for both prevention and intervention. This scoping review aims to provide a situational analysis of childhood obesity in Greece by mapping the available evidence on the prevalence of obesity among Greek children and adolescents and exploring the existing policies implemented to address this issue. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on 15 September 2023, using the PubMed, Scopus, and IATROTEK-online databases to identify studies related to childhood obesity and policies in Greece. Keyword groups were developed for “childhood obesity,” “Greece,” and either “prevalence” or “policies”. Additional sources, including Google and Google Scholar, were screened to ensure comprehensiveness. Results: A total of 66 studies were included: 61 on obesity prevalence (≤18 years of age) and 5 on existing policies tackling childhood obesity, all in Greece. The collective prevalence was observed to lie within the subsequent range of values: 2.8–21.2%. Regarding both genders, the observed prevalence ranged from 2.8% to 26.7% in males, and between 1.3% and 33.7% in females. The policies adopted in Greece cover various domains (healthy nutrition, public preferences, physical activity, school policies, and programs related to childhood obesity). Conclusions: Childhood obesity in Greece is a major challenge. Greece currently uses some policies and strategies to combat childhood obesity. There is still work to be done: policies play a pivotal role as a key tool to influence lifestyle habits on a broad scale and exert a considerable impact on the reduction in this prevalent health concern. Full article

Intraoperative cell salvage (ICS) is a blood conservation technique utilized in major surgery, yet its application in oncologic procedures remains debated. Concerns persist about the theoretical risk of metastasis through reinfusion of tumor cells, despite the established disadvantages of allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT), such as transfusion-related reactions and immunosuppression. In this review, we discuss the historical development of ICS, the technical processes of ICS including leukocyte depletion filtration and irradiation, and experimental and clinical data regarding its safety and efficacy. In vitro studies suggest that tumor cells undergo significant structural alterations during ICS processing, and additional filtration further reduces cell load, although complete removal is not always achieved. Observational studies of predominantly moderate quality, aggregated in multiple systematic reviews, consistently report no increased recurrence rates or reduced disease-free and overall survival in patients receiving ICS. Accordingly, national and international guidelines endorse the use of ICS during oncologic surgery. Although high-quality data—preferably from randomized controlled trials—are lacking, and certainty of available evidence from observational studies is low, ICS appears to be effective and safe. The broader adoption of its use during oncologic surgery may be warranted to minimize reliance on ABT and its associated risks. Full article

Family structure has long been regarded as an important determinant of household saving, yet the empirical evidence for developing economies remains limited. Using the 2018–2022 panels of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), a nationwide survey that follows 16,519 households across three waves, the present study investigates how family size, the elderly share, and the child share jointly shape saving behavior. A household fixed effects framework is employed to control for time-invariant heterogeneity, followed by a sequential endogeneity strategy: external-shock instruments are tested and rejected, lagged two-stage least squares implement internal instruments, and a dynamic System-GMM model is estimated to capture saving persistence. Robustness checks include province-by-year fixed effects, inverse probability weighting for attrition, balanced-panel replication, alternative variable definitions, lag structures, and sample filters. Family size raises the saving rate by 4.6 percentage points in the preferred dynamic specification (p < 0.01). The elderly ratio remains insignificant throughout, whereas the child ratio exerts a negative but model-sensitive association. A three-path mediation analysis indicates that approximately 26 percent of the total family size effect operates through scale economy savings on quasi-fixed expenses, 19 percent is offset by resource dilution pressure, and less than 1 percent flows through a precautionary saving channel linked to income volatility. These findings extend the resource dilution literature by quantifying the relative strength of competing mechanisms in a middle-income context and showing that cost-sharing economies dominate child-related dilution for most households. Policy discussion highlights the importance of public childcare subsidies and targeted credit access for rural parents, whose saving capacity is the most constrained by additional children. The study also demonstrates that fixed effects estimates of family structure can be upward-biased unless dynamic saving behavior and internal instruments are considered. Full article

This study focuses on the behavior of the Round Goby in relation to various types of hard substrates, which may be crucial in the context of the emergence of hydrotechnical structures in their habitat. The aim of this study was to determine the behavior and habitat preferences of the Round Goby in relation to specific types of hard substrates. Three types of substrates were used in the experiments: bare, colonized by benthic organisms, and rocky. Laboratory observations were conducted and divided into three variants, each with two cycles—daytime and nighttime. Each variant involved different combinations of two substrates. It was found that during the day, fish spent more time on vegetated substrates than on bare or rocky ones. At night, the opposite trend was observed. The lowest activity was recorded when the fish had a choice between bare and rocky substrates. The largest fish in the experiments changed their habitat most frequently, indicating that body size influences the activity level. However, no significant differences were found in either the time spent on specific substrates or the number of substrate changes. In addition, it was observed that the total length of Round Gobies did not affect their activity level. Full article

Kisspeptin (Kiss1) and kisspeptin 1 receptor (Kiss1R) are vital in regulating various functions across many species, primarily those relating to reproduction. The kisspeptin system has recently attracted clinical interest as a potential therapeutic treatment for patients with hypoactive sexual desire disorder. This study maps the distribution of Kiss1 and Kiss1R mRNA in the Syrian hamster forebrain using dual-labeled RNAscope. In our study, the distributions of kisspeptin and its receptor were mapped across adult males and females on day 1 or day 2 of their estrous cycle. Conditioned place preference was used to observe the potential effect of kisspeptin on sexual reward in female hamsters. The expression of kisspeptin was greater in females than males, with the estrous cycle having no effect on expression. A comparison of these findings to those in other species revealed that the expression in Syrian hamsters was similar to that reported for other species, demonstrating the conservation of expression. Kisspeptin did not influence sexual reward in females, nor did it affect measures of their primary sexual behavior. These findings provide additional insights into the expression and function of kisspeptin across novel species and add to ongoing research in understanding how kisspeptin may influence sexual desire in animals, including humans. Full article

Background: Research concerning the genetic risk for dementia has recently been headed towards new directions. Novel findings from genome-wide association studies have highlighted the association of Alzheimer’s disease incidence with many gene polymorphisms, apart from the Apolipoprotein-E genotype. The identification of additional genetic risk factors has led to the construction of specific genetic risk scores for dementia, considering many different genetic factors and specific biological pathways related to Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis method, summarizing existing data regarding genetic risk scores for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, in order to improve the current understanding of the genetic underpinnings of dementia. In specific, five databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of science, and Cochrane Central) were searched using the keywords “genetic risk score”, “Alzheimer’s disease”, and “dementia” with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: From the 552 articles identified, we finally included 20 studies for the qualitative analysis. These reports were classified in three different categories of genetic scores: “polygenic risk scores (PRSs)” (including 11 studies), “pathway specific polygenic risk scores (p-PRSs)” (5 studies), and “complex genetic risk scores” (4 studies). Conclusions: Existing genetic risk scores have contributed to better dementia prediction and a better understanding of the underlying pathology. Novel approaches integrating multiple polygenic risk scores might ameliorate the accuracy of genetic risk scores. The combination of polygenic risk scores that are specific to related biological pathways or relevant biomarkers is of utmost importance to achieve a better predictive ability. Full article