Search Results (302)

In recent years, Location-Based Augmented Reality (LAR) systems have been increasingly implemented in various applications for tourism, navigation, education, and entertainment. Unfortunately, the LAR content creation using conventional desktop-based authoring tools has become a bottleneck, as it requires time-consuming and skilled work. Previously, we proposed an in-situ mobile authoring tool as an efficient solution to this problem by offering direct authoring interactions in real-world environments using a smartphone. Currently, the evaluation through the comparison between the proposal and conventional ones is not sufficient to show superiority, particularly in terms of interaction, authoring performance, and cognitive workload, where our tool uses 6DoF device movement for spatial input, while desktop ones rely on mouse-pointing. In this paper, we present a comparative study of authoring performances between the tools across three authoring phases: (1) Point of Interest (POI) location acquisition, (2) AR object creation, and (3) AR object registration. For the conventional tool, we adopt Unity and ARCore SDK. As a real-world application, we target the LAR content creation for pedestrian landmark annotation across campus environments at Okayama University, Japan, and Brawijaya University, Indonesia, and identify task-level bottlenecks in both tools. In our experiments, we asked 20 participants aged 22 to 35 with different LAR development experiences to complete equivalent authoring tasks in an outdoor campus environment, creating various LAR contents. We measured task completion time, phase-wise contribution, and cognitive workload using NASA-TLX. The results show that our tool made faster creations with 60% lower cognitive loads, where the desktop tool required higher mental efforts with manual data input and object verifications. Full article

Background: Pediatric odontogenic infections pose significant diagnostic challenges, particularly in distinguishing between cellulitis and abscess. Accurate differentiation is crucial for guiding appropriate management—antibiotics alone for cellulitis versus surgical incision and drainage (I&D) for an abscess—but can be difficult without specialized expertise or advanced imaging. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of handheld point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS; Philips Lumify), utilized by non-specialist clinicians, in differentiating cellulitis from abscess in pediatric odontogenic infections. A secondary objective was to assess its impact on reducing hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) burden. Methods: This prospective cohort study involved 111 pediatric patients (aged 1–17 years) presenting with maxillofacial odontogenic infections to a tertiary care academic medical center. Following clinical evaluations, handheld POCUS assessments were performed by trained non-specialist clinicians. Findings from I&D or clinical resolution with antibiotics served as the reference standard. Ninety cases were included in the final diagnostic accuracy analysis after 21 exclusions. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Hospital admission trends were compared before (2017–2021) and after POCUS implementation (January 2022–April 2025). Interpretation should consider potential verification bias from the asymmetric reference standard (I&D for abscess vs. clinical resolution for cellulitis). Results: Handheld POCUS exhibited a sensitivity of 72.97% (95% CI: 57.02–84.60%), specificity of 73.58% (95% CI: 60.42–83.56%), PPV of 65.85% (95% CI: 50.55–78.44%), NPV of 79.59% (95% CI: 66.36–88.52%), and overall accuracy of 73.33% (95% CI: 63.38–81.38%). Following POCUS implementation, the annualized hospital admission rate for pediatric facial odontogenic infections decreased from 60.0 to 19.5 admissions/year; rate ratio (RR) = 0.33 (95% CI: 0.25–0.42), p < 0.001 (Poisson regression with log-offset for period length). Conclusions: Handheld POCUS, operated by non-specialist clinicians after a defined training protocol, was associated with a lower annualized admission rate and demonstrated moderate diagnostic accuracy. Its adoption was associated with a notable reduction in hospitalizations, suggesting its potential for alleviating ED overcrowding, reducing healthcare costs, and minimizing pediatric stress. Wider adoption, supported by standardized training, could enhance healthcare efficiency and quality in managing this common pediatric condition. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cognitive impairment in older adults is a growing public health concern due to global population aging. Early detection is crucial, yet current screening methods are time-consuming and require clinical expertise. Gait analysis has emerged as a promising alternative for cognitive screening. The aim of the study was to identify gait variables associated with cognitive impairment and to develop predictive algorithms capable of distinguishing between cognitively impaired and non-impaired older adults using gold-standard gait analysis. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 42 adults aged > 60 years. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and participants were divided into high (MMSE > 24) and low (MMSE ≤ 24) cognitive function groups. Spatiotemporal gait parameters were recorded at participants’ usual pace using the Optogait system. Logistic regression models were developed using half of the sample (training group) and validated in the remaining participants (verification group). Results: Algorithms based on stride length and double support time demonstrated high classification performance. In the training group, the best-performing model achieved an AUC-ROC of 0.91, with a sensitivity of 71.4% and specificity of 92.3%. Validation in the verification group yielded an AUC-ROC of 0.84 and accuracy of 81.0%. Alternative models showed acceptable to excellent predictive power. Conclusions: Gait analysis using gold-standard methods can effectively identify cognitive impairment in older adults. The developed algorithms offer a rapid, objective, and accurate screening alternative with strong potential for clinical application. Full article

In this study, cement, short-cut carbon fibers, and polymer water-absorbing resin were used as the main materials, with high-performance water-reducing polycarboxylic acid agent as the modified material. A new conductive cement-based grouting material was developed by incorporating functional additives. Its mix design was optimized based on initial setting time, fluidity, bleeding rate, and compressive strength. The optimal ratio of the grouting material was determined as follows: 0.4 wt% of high water-absorbent resin, 0.25 wt% of high-efficiency water reducer, 0.8 wt% of short-cut carbon fibers, and a water–cement ratio of 0.8:1. The electrical conductivity of the grouting material was studied in depth under different dosages of short-cut carbon fibers, considering factors such as curing age, temperature, and pressure conditions. The results show that with the increase in curing age, the volume resistivity of the specimen gradually increases; the resistivity of the conductive cementitious grouting material decreases with the rise in temperature, showing a negative temperature coefficient effect; additionally, the doping of an appropriate amount of short-cut carbon fibers enables the conductive cementitious grouting specimen to exhibit good pressure-sensitive properties. Field test verification indicates that the new cementitious conductive grouting material has excellent conductive properties, and the grouting quality can be effectively evaluated via high-density electrical testing. Full article

The Erlian Basin, an important research area for sandstone-type uranium deposit exploration in China, is affected by overburden layers, resulting in indistinct characteristics of uranium anomalies in airborne gamma-ray spectrometry (AGS). To harness the potential of AGS, it is imperative to develop effective verification methods that can identify the spatial relationship between weak uranium anomalies and deep uranium-rich geological bodies. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of geophysical and geochemical measurements conducted in four distinct areas. There is a significant positive correlation between the ground gamma spectrometry equivalent uranium (eU_GGS) content, soil radon concentration (C_Rn), geoelectrochemical uranium (U_GEC), and metal activity state uranium (U_MAS) content directly above and at the edges of uranium-rich geological bodies. When the buried depth of the uranium-rich geological body exceeds 100 m, the eU_GGS content above these deep uranium bodies increases by (0.4–1.2) × 10⁻⁶ g/g compared to background areas, while the C_Rn levels at the edges of these bodies increase by more than 5000 Bq/m³, which is 3–5 times higher than the regional average. Meanwhile, the U_GEC and U_MAS contents show sawtooth-like uranium peak anomalies on their profiles, and their peak-to-background ratio is greater than 5. The verification methods and corresponding interpretation indicators, namely GGS, C_Rn, GEC and MAS measurements, can quickly reveal the spatial relationship and provide a reliable basis for concealed uranium deposit exploration. Full article

University students use the Internet regularly for study, socialising, and entertainment; moreover, in adolescents and young adults, Internet use increases with age. More than ever before, the wide availability of online information requires critical thinking coupled with skills for evaluating online information, such as verifying the reliability of information and netiquette. These competencies might influence deep learning; however, few studies have analysed all these variables together. In addition, there is an ongoing academic debate as to whether using smartphones at an early age is beneficial for learning. Our study aimed to analyse, according to the age of the first smartphone, to what extent students’ critical thinking disposition, netiquette, and evaluation of the reliability of online information predict their capacity for deep learning. Our sample comprised 415 Spanish university students aged 18–36 (M = 19.98 and SD = 4.18). The instruments used were, for the assessment of Deep Learning, the Subscale of the questionnaire Attitudes towards learning of university students CEVAPU (to measure the Critical Thinking Disposition, we used the CTDS scale (Spanish adaptation of Bravo et al., 2020 and also the Competence Scale Evaluation of the reliability of online information (e-CEI) (Denoni & Cebollero-Salinas, 2025; and, finally, to assess Netiquette, the subscale of the questionnaire Evaluation of the quality of cyberbehavior “EsCaCiber” Multiple linear regression results indicated that in those participants who indicated they had acquired a smartphone before the age of thirteen, the two competencies of netiquette and evaluation of online information reliability were more strongly predictive of deep learning than in the group of participants who had their first smartphone when they were thirteen or older. Our study confirms that critical thinking disposition is a factor that favours deep learning in both groups (i.e., smartphone acquisition before and after 13 years old). The social and educational implications are along the lines of fostering a disposition to critical thinking, educating in digital literacy, especially in verifying the reliability of information, and communicating with netiquette for deep learning. Our findings indicate a potential association between critical thinking disposition and a greater propensity for deep learning in both groups (i.e., smartphone acquisition before and after 13 years old). A relevant educational implication of the results seems to indicate that a possible way to achieve deep university learning is to encourage critical thinking, to educate in digital literacy, especially in the verification of the reliability of information and to communicate with netiquette. Some of the limitations of the research design are the use of self-reports, convenience sampling and a cross-sectional design. Full article

The Older People’s Quality of Life Questionnaire (OPQOL-35) is a validated tool used to measure quality of life in the older people in many countries. The study describes the linguistic validation, cultural adaption, and pilot testing of the Albanian version of the OPQOL-35 (AL-OPQOL-35) in older adults, confirming its internal consistency and reliability. The process of linguistic validation, cross-cultural verification and adaptation of the AL-OPQOL-35 questionnaire went through four stages: forward translation, backward translation, patient testing, and proofreading. The AL-OPQOL-35 instrument obtained after forward–backward translation was tested on a sample of 40 elderly people with chronic diseases and multimorbidity. The sample consisted of 75% females and the age group 65–74 makes up the highest percentage with 72.5%. The sample consisted of 25% with one chronic disease, while 75% had two or more chronic diseases. After the evaluation by a panel of experts and pilot testing, the AL-OPQOL-35 was found to be clear and understandable for older adults with chronic conditions and multimorbidity, showing good reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha α = 0.848. It is recommended to use the AL-OPQOL-35 instrument in a larger population and evaluate its psychometric properties. Full article

This study analyzes greenhouse gas emissions from ships visiting European ports between 2020 and 2023, utilizing data from the EU Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (EU-MRV) system. It examines the impact of the FuelEU Maritime Regulation on four types of ships during this period. It discusses updates to MARPOL Annex VI, including the Global Fuel Standard (GFS) designed to reduce emissions. A line contour method is employed to estimate emissions, focusing on tankers, bulk carriers, general cargo ships, and container ships while adhering to European regulations. This method models operational variables such as deadweight and ship age to categorize vessels based on their energy efficiency. For ships visiting European ports in 2023, the FuelEU regulation limit is set at ${GHG}_{limit,EU2020}$ = 91.16 gCO_2eq/MJ, indicating that general cargo ships are the most energy-efficient type, while bulk carriers are the least efficient. According to IMO regulations, the limit is ${GHG}_{limit,IMO2008}$ = 93.3 gCO_2eq/MJ, meaning all ships fully comply with their respective limits. The study utilizes real data, and the contour approach has played a crucial role in evaluating greenhouse gas emissions, representing a significant advancement in the methodology, modeling, and analysis of a ship’s energy efficiency. Full article

Nicotinamide mononucleotide, known as NMN, is an important nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) precursor. It is integral in cellular metabolism, energy generation, and processes associated with aging. Since NMN provides healthy value, it becomes a major focus for the biotechnological industry. This study presents a new biosynthetic pathway for producing NMN without limits on intracellular PRPP (5′-phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate) metabolic flux. The route started by converting cytidine into 1-phosphoribose via pyrimidine-nucleoside phosphorylase (PyNP), after transforming into nicotinamide riboside (NR) through either purine-nucleoside phosphorylase (XapA) or nicotinate riboside kinase (NRK). NR was phosphorylated by NRK in the presence of nicotinamide (NAM) to produce NMN. We established an in vitro enzyme activity verification system for the feasibility check. The optimization of multienzyme cascade reactions was figured out for the NMN biosynthesis. Finally, the enzymes of PyNP and NRK were expressed in the cytidine-producing strain; we established a de novo biosynthesis pathway from glucose to NMN, achieving a production titer of 33.71 mg/L at a shake-flask scale. Full article

Background/Objectives: The assessment of motor development in early ages is considered fundamental for the early identification of alarm signs that indicate the possibility of a child suffering from a developmental disorder. To this end, it is necessary to use reliable evaluation tools that have been specifically validated in the target population. The main aim of the current review was to examine the existing motor development assessment tools validated in Spanish populations of children aged 0–18 months. Methods: A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) declaration criteria, and it was registered in PROSPERO. A bibliographic search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases, using terms related to motor development, assessment tools, and validation. The COSMIN verification list was employed to evaluate the quality of the included scales, and the QUADAS-2 instrument was used to analyse the quality of the included studies. Results: A total of 7 studies were included in the review, all of which were validation studies of motor development assessment tools in Spanish populations of children aged 0–18 months. Moreover, they all show heterogeneity with respect to their characteristics, such as target population, sample size, and metric properties. Conclusions: The present systematic review provides relevant information about the characteristics and methodological quality of motor development assessment tools validated in Spanish populations. There are currently very few of these evaluation tools, as well as limitations in regard to theories that support them, their metric properties, and the methodological quality of their validation studies. Therefore, we confirm the need for validating updated motor development tools to improve the detection, prognosis, and evaluation of children with developmental disorders or at risk of suffering from them. Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate the temporal trend of suicide deaths and the disparities in the occurrence of suicide death between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. This ecological study analyzed deaths from intentionally self-inflicted injuries in the southern region of Brazil (states of Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul) from 2010 to 2019. The variables analyzed included annual frequency of events, age, sex, marital status, and education level. Descriptive analysis, association measures, and verification of temporal trends were performed. The average age-standardized suicide mortality rate for both populations was approximately 9.0 per 100,000 inhabitants, with a predominance among males (80%), single individuals (65%), and youth (37%). When only the state of Paraná was considered, the mortality rate during the period was 12.41 among the Indigenous population versus 6.94 per 100,000 inhabitants in the non-Indigenous population. In this state, the probability of suicide death was found to be almost twice as high among Indigenous men and women, with 13 times greater odds of death among Indigenous children and youth. A statistically significant temporal increase in the number of cases was observed only in the non-Indigenous population. An annual seasonal pattern of events among Indigenous individuals was suggested. The findings indicate a high suicide rate among the Indigenous population, particularly in Paraná, especially among young, single individuals, with a growing trend over the years. Full article

Mycosis is caused by, among other factors, filamentous fungi, ubiquitous molds belonging to Aspergillus spp. which are often opportunistic pathogens. Over 100 species of Aspergillus have been described. The most common species responsible for diseases in humans and animals are Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger, with Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus clavatus being somewhat rarer. Aspergillus causes a range of diseases, from localized colonization and hypersensitivity reactions, through chronic necrotizing infections, to rapidly progressing angioinvasion and dissemination, leading to death. Testicular mycosis is extremely rarely described in both humans and animals. No studies in the literature report a simultaneous occurrence of testicular tumors and fungal infection of the organ, so the aim of this paper was to describe, for the first time, a case of two independent testicular tumors coexisting with testicular mycosis. A histopathological examination was performed on the left testicle of a male dog, specifically a mixed-breed dog resembling a husky weighing 22 kg and with an age of 8 years. Bilateral orchidectomy was performed for medical reasons due to the altered outline of the left testicle, leading to scrotal deformation. The dog did not show any clinical signs of illness, and the testicles were not painful. The right testicle, according to the operating veterinarian, showed no macroscopic changes, so histopathological verification was not performed. Microscopic imaging of the changes clearly indicated the coexistence of a tumor process involving Leydig cells (Leydigoma, interstitial cell tumor, ICT), Sertoli cells (Sertolioma), and fungal infection of the testis. The case suggests the possibility of the coexistence of tumor processes, which may have impaired local immune response of the tissue, with an infectious, in this case fungal, inflammatory process. Based on the literature, this paper is the first report on the occurrence of two independent histotype testicular tumors and their associated mycosis. Full article

In actual service, asphalt pavement is subjected to freeze–thaw cycles and ultraviolet radiation (UV) over the long term, which can easily lead to mixture aging, enhanced brittleness, and structural damage, thereby reducing pavement durability. This study focuses on the influence of freeze–thaw cycles and ultraviolet aging on the performance of recycled asphalt mixtures. Systematic indoor road performance tests were carried out, and a fatigue prediction model was established to explore the comprehensive effects of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) content, environmental action (ultraviolet radiation + freeze–thaw cycle), and other factors on the performance of recycled asphalt mixtures. The results show that the high-temperature stability of recycled asphalt mixtures decreases with the increase in environmental action days, while higher RAP content contributes to better high-temperature stability. The higher the proportion of old materials, the more significant the environmental impact on the mixture; both the flexural tensile strain and flexural tensile strength decrease with the increase in environmental action time. When the RAP content increased from 30% to 50%, the bending strain continued to decline. With the extension of environmental action days, the decrease in the immersion Marshall residual stability and the freeze–thaw splitting strength became more pronounced. Although the increase in RAP content can improve the forming stability, the residual stability decreases, and the freeze–thaw splitting strength is lower than that before the freeze–thaw. Based on the fatigue test results, a fatigue life prediction model with RAP content and freeze–thaw cycles as independent variables was constructed using the multiple nonlinear regression method. Verification shows that the established prediction model is basically consistent with the change trend of the test data. The research results provide a theoretical basis and optimization strategy for the performance improvement and engineering application of recycled asphalt materials. Full article

This paper presents a Self-Learning Robotic System (SLRS) for healthcare assistance using Deep Imitation Learning (DIL). The proposed SLRS solution can observe and replicate human demonstrations, thereby acquiring complex skills without the need for explicit task-specific programming. It incorporates modular components for perception (i.e., advanced computer vision methodologies), actuation (i.e., dynamic interaction with patients and healthcare professionals in real time), and learning. The innovative approach of implementing a hybrid model approach (i.e., deep imitation learning and pose estimation algorithms) facilitates autonomous learning and adaptive task execution. The environmental awareness and responsiveness were also enhanced using both a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based object detection mechanism using YOLOv8 (i.e., with 94.3% accuracy and 18.7 ms latency) and pose estimation algorithms, alongside a MediaPipe and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) framework for human action recognition. The developed solution was tested and validated in healthcare, with the aim to overcome some of the current challenges, such as workforce shortages, ageing populations, and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases. The CAD simulation, validation, and verification tested functions (i.e., assistive functions, interactive scenarios, and object manipulation) of the system demonstrated the robot’s adaptability and operational efficiency, achieving an 87.3% task completion success rate and over 85% grasp success rate. This approach highlights the potential use of an SLRS for healthcare assistance. Further work will be undertaken in hospitals, care homes, and rehabilitation centre environments to generate complete holistic datasets to confirm the system’s reliability and efficiency. Full article

Background/Objective: Laser therapy has gained attention in dental practice to minimize bleeding and enhance blood clot formation. This study aimed to explore the utilization and to compare the clinical efficacy of laser-mediated hemostasis for older patients receiving routine dental treatment. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted across research networks between October 2023 and August 2024, involving 60 patients aged 50 years and older (average = 63.35 years) at risk of postoperative bleeding following dental treatments. Additionally, laser therapy for hemostasis was selected and provided among calibrated operators. A single researcher performed data collection. Before statistical analysis, data verification and clinical assessment were conducted by the operators and researcher. A clinical cut-off for hemostasis was set at 5 min. Two diode laser machines were used namely, an 810 nm and dual wavelengths of 635 nm and 980 nm. Results: There were 94 extraction sockets, 28 procedures of scaling and root planing and 18 procedures of minor oral surgery. Combining laser ablating sulcular fiber and photobiomodulation initiating blood clot formation was a preferable hemostatic technique for extraction socket, while photobiomodulation alone was a preferred technique for soft tissue hemostasis (p < 0.001). All operators confirmed that 97.86 percent of bleeding events achieved more rapid hemostasis. 61.43 percent of bleeding events clinically achieved hemostasis within 5 min by using laser-mediated hemostasis alone (p = 0.092). Full recovery of the extraction socket was significantly observed during the 2- to 4-week follow-up period (p = 0.005). No clinical complications were reported. Conclusions: Laser-mediated hemostasis effectively reduced hemostatic duration, prevented postoperative bleeding and promoted wound healing in older patients undergoing routine dental treatment. Full article