Search Results (1,403)

Fireworks are widely used at festive events worldwide and are commonly employed at indoor wedding ceremonies in Türkiye; however, their impact on indoor air quality has not been adequately investigated. This study examines particulate matter (PM) emissions generated by volcano-type fireworks used in indoor wedding halls. Particle samples were collected across five size fractions (>2.5, 1.0–2.5, 0.50–1.0, 0.25–0.50, and <0.25 µm) using a 5-stage Sioutas cascade impactor, and elemental compositions were determined by ICP-MS. PM_2.5 concentrations ranged between 1518 and 7796 µg/m³, while total PM concentrations varied between 2088 and 8656 µg/m³. These values are substantially higher than the guideline limits reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), indicating very high short-term exposure levels. Fine particles (PM_2.5) accounted for 56.5–92.4% of total PM, with particles smaller than 1 µm forming the dominant fraction. Among the analyzed elements, aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) were the most abundant metals, predominantly associated with fine particles. The highest concentrations were generally observed in the 0.25–0.5 µm size range. These findings showed that the use of indoor fireworks can lead to high concentrations of fine particulate matter and metal-rich aerosols. This issue should be considered, as it may pose a health risk for those in enclosed spaces in future studies. Full article

Background: Microfibrillar-associated protein 2 (MFAP2) is implicated in various malignancies, yet its specific role and molecular mechanisms in glioblastoma (GBM) progression remain poorly understood. Methods: We analyzed MFAP2 expression in human clinical specimens and murine models. Functional impacts were assessed in U251 cells via gain- and loss-of-function assays. Mechanistic studies explored the interplay between autophagic flux and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. An orthotopic GL261 syngeneic orthotopic model validated these findings in vivo. Results: MFAP2 was significantly overexpressed in GBM, correlating with poor patient prognosis. In vitro, MFAP2 markedly enhanced U251 viability, migration, and invasion while suppressing apoptosis. Mechanistically, MFAP2 triggered autophagic flux, subsequently activating the Wnt/β-catenin cascade and its downstream targets (MMP9, c-Myc, Cyclin D1). Pharmacological inhibition of either autophagy or Wnt signaling effectively abrogated these oncogenic phenotypes. In vivo, MFAP2 knockdown reduced tumor volume by 62.4% and suppressed the autophagy–Wnt axis. Conclusions: MFAP2 is an oncogenic regulator in glioblastoma models that links autophagy activity to Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Our findings support MFAP2 as a candidate prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target; however, additional validation in larger molecularly annotated clinical cohorts and multiple GBM models is warranted. Full article

Background/Objectives: Pediatric HIV case-finding and monitoring remain constrained by delayed early infant diagnosis (EID), loss to follow-up, and limited viral load (VL) testing—challenges particularly consequential in the operationally diverse Asia–Pacific region. We systematically reviewed innovations in point-of-care (POC) and near-patient HIV diagnostics and digital monitoring relevant to children and adolescents. Methods: Following a registered protocol (INPLASY2025110058) and PRISMA 2020 guidance, we searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and WHO Global Index Medicus for studies on POC/near-patient EID and VL testing, dried blood spot (DBS) workflows, and digital monitoring tools. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2, QUADAS-2, and MMAT. Results: Fifty-three primary studies were included (39 sub-Saharan Africa, 12 Asia–Pacific, 1 multi-country/global, 1 Americas/Caribbean). Patient selection and flow/timing were common limitations in diagnostic accuracy studies; sample representativeness and nonresponse bias were frequent concerns in implementation studies. The most consistent benefits of POC EID and near-patient VL testing were shorter turnaround times and improved cascade completion when paired with quality assurance and connectivity. Conclusions: POC diagnostics and digital monitoring can help close pediatric HIV cascade gaps, though evidence derives predominantly from sub-Saharan Africa. Impact depends on implementation design. Asia–Pacific programs should prioritize generating context-specific evidence alongside the adaptation of established lessons. Full article

Spinal cord injuries disrupt the motor, sensory, and autonomic functions routinely carried out by the spinal cord, with injury progressing from primary mechanical damage from the initial trauma to a secondary phase driven by inflammation and cellular cascades. This disruption significantly impacts the patient’s ability to perform basic physiological and voluntary functions seen in a normal spinal cord, which often results in long-term disability and dependence on supportive care. Stem cell therapies, including mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells, have been investigated as potential regenerative approaches that may promote repair through neuroprotection, remyelination, and axonal regeneration. Preclinical studies have demonstrated encouraging results in motor and sensory recovery following injury; however, clinical evidence remains limited and variable. Some studies report improvements in motor and sensory function post-injury, with improvements in bladder and bowel management, tissue repair, and other functions. Overall, the outcomes vary based on cell type, delivery method, and the stage of spinal cord injury. The key challenges of stem cell therapy include safety concerns and the limited number of small-scale studies currently available. Additionally, understanding the variability in therapeutic outcomes and identifying optimal treatment conditions are critical steps toward advancing stem cell therapies in spinal cord injury repair. This review aims to characterize and summarize the stem cell approach to the treatment of spinal cord injuries, while also critically highlighting the limitations of current preclinical and clinical evidence, as well as the importance of continued investigation into the long-term and functional recovery processes and possibilities, as well as the patient’s quality of life following treatment with stem cells for spinal cord injury. Full article

The electrical system is a crucial infrastructure of modern society. It provides the energy needed for society to continue its development. However, this critical infrastructure is increasingly threatened by the extreme weather events driven by the escalating climate crisis, posing significant challenges to sustainable development and energy security. Therefore, it is important to conduct comprehensive risk analyses of the electrical system to prepare for future challenges. This paper presents an electrical risk assessment conducted within the European project ICARIA, aiming to evaluate the effects of global climate change on critical infrastructure resilience. The study improves on the first risk assessment conducted, evaluating the electrical system’s vulnerability to flooding events, such as heavy rains or rising sea levels, in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. A key contribution to this research is the integration of direct impact assessments and cascading effect analyses, which identify how localised failures in electrical assets can spread throughout the system, potentially leading to a blackout. The research focuses on modelling various flood projections, using extreme weather scenarios and return periods ranging from 1 to 100 years. These projections are employed to evaluate the risk assessment methodology and quantify potential impacts on the electrical grid, including Expected Annual Damage (EAD) and Energy Not Supplied Cost (ENSC). The results aim to provide policymakers and grid operators with valuable insights, enabling the development of data-driven adaptation strategies and climate-resilient infrastructure planning to mitigate the risks posed by extreme weather events. Full article

Healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) is moving from the laboratory into the infrastructure of care. As these systems become embedded in imaging, electronic health records, triage, and clinical decision support, their failures can affect not only individual encounters but also institutions and patient populations. Yet governance still centers on model development, local validation, and one-time compliance, with limited attention to cross-site failure after deployment. This article examines how public health preparedness can help close that gap. It presents a conceptual analysis grounded in two cases: a pneumonia-screening convolutional neural network that learned institutional confounders rather than portable clinical signals, and a widely deployed sepsis prediction model whose external performance and alert burden fell short of developer claims. Together, these cases reveal five governance features of systemic healthcare AI risk: population-level exposure, cascade effects across shared infrastructures, unequal vulnerability, delayed recognition, and coordination needs beyond any single institution. In response, we propose a tripartite framework combining stronger pre-deployment assurance, post-deployment surveillance with escalation thresholds, and tertiary response through investigation, rollback, remediation, and cross-site learning. The argument is not that AI failures are epidemics, but that high-impact clinical AI systems now function as critical digital health infrastructure requiring preparedness alongside lifecycle oversight. Full article

Weak-grid operation, with a low short-circuit ratio (SCR), degrades voltage and frequency regulation and impacts the power control performance of inverter-based resources, triggering oscillations. This paper proposes a community-scale battery energy storage system (BESS)-supported grid-forming control scheme, where the grid-forming inverter acts a virtual synchronous generator (VSG). A grid-connected BESS-powered VSG model with cascaded voltage-current dual-loop control is developed to assess the impacts of line impedance and P-Q coupling on weak-grid connection and stability. In addition to the conventional VSG, dq-axis decoupling, virtual impedance, and adaptive inertia-damping (J-D) are incorporated and evaluated through multi-scenario MATLAB/Simulink simulations. The results indicate that virtual impedance effectively suppresses coupled oscillations, and the coordinated J-D adaptation yields the most pronounced peak mitigation during edge disturbances (e.g., fault clearance and load shedding). In particular, under a 50% three-phase voltage sag, the coordinated strategy reduces the post-clearance peaks of $v_{pcc,rm\mathrm{s \; \; }}$ and $i_{pcc,rm\mathrm{s \; }}$ by approximately 79.9% and 93.5%, respectively, and decreases the intensity of frequency fluctuations by approximately 97.6%. Overall, the proposed community-scale BESS-VSG scheme enhances the dynamic stability of voltage and frequency under weak-grid conditions and provides a practical control framework for engineeringoriented weak-grid support studies. Full article

Coastal erosion poses a growing threat to natural systems and critical infrastructures, particularly in touristic coastal areas where beaches represent both ecological assets and economic resources. Beyond shoreline retreat, erosion processes progressively reduce emerged beach surfaces and increase the exposure and vulnerability of coastal roads, railways, and urban settlements, with cascading socio-economic consequences. This study presents an integrated geomorphological and economic assessment of coastal erosion impacts. The Coastal Degradation Calculator (CoDeC) is applied along the Tyrrhenian coast of southern Italy, focusing on the municipality of San Lucido. Shoreline variations are quantified to reconstruct long-term changes in the Surface of the Emerged Beach (SEB) before and after major coastal defense interventions using multi-temporal remote sensing data (1954–2018). Simple, science-based box models are implemented to estimate sediment deficits, restoration needs, and associated economic damages, expressed in both €/m² and €/year. Results highlight a reduction in SEB area exceeding 60%, significant downdrift erosion linked to hard defenses and additional losses caused by coastal urbanization. The methodology proved effective in supporting damage quantification and informed the resolution of a long-standing legal dispute between public authorities. Owing to its transparency and reproducibility, the proposed framework offers a transferable tool for coastal risk assessment and management under increasing climate-driven pressures. Full article

Migraine is a highly prevalent and disabling neurovascular disorder that represents a major global health burden due to its significant impact on quality of life and socioeconomic costs. Increasing evidence suggests that migraine pathophysiology involves complex interactions between neuronal hyperexcitability, vascular dysregulation, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammatory processes. Oxidative and nitrosative stress are increasingly recognized as key contributors to migraine mechanisms, influencing mitochondrial dysfunction, cortical spreading depression, and trigeminovascular activation. Nitric oxide plays a central role in these processes by regulating vascular tone, nociceptive signaling, and neurogenic inflammation through downstream pathways such as the soluble guanylate cyclase–cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO–sGC–cGMP) signaling cascade. Dysregulation of nitric oxide signaling and increased oxidative stress may contribute to endothelial dysfunction and impaired cerebrovascular regulation observed in migraine patients. In addition, accumulating evidence highlights the role of neuroinflammatory mechanisms, including microglial activation and cytokine-mediated signaling, which may amplify nociceptive transmission within trigeminal pathways. Migraine is increasingly recognized as a systemic disorder associated with several comorbid conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren’s syndrome. This review summarizes recent advances regarding the interactions between oxidative stress, nitric oxide signaling, endothelial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation in migraine and discusses their potential therapeutic implications. Full article

To alleviate the adverse effects of the flow-field structure caused by interstage sealing structures on the aerodynamic characteristics of compressor cascades, a blade-root through-slot structure was designed in this study. The structure links the pressure surface to the suction surface of the blade. Numerical simulation techniques were utilized to investigate the process. In this process, the through-slot structure enhances corner separation across varying jet positions, jet heights, and jet widths. The results indicate that the high-speed fluid ejected by the through-slot configuration can suppress the accumulation of low-energy fluid at the suction root. It can also alleviate blockages in the cascade passage and reduce the range of separation vortices and recirculation zones on the suction side. Consequently, the flow loss due to separation is reduced. As the through-slot jet progresses from the blade leading edge to the trailing edge, its restraining impact on the low-energy fluid cluster gradually diminishes. This leads to a corresponding reduction in its effect on the total pressure loss. With an increase in the slot height, the restraining impact on corner separation and total pressure loss first rises and then falls. As the through-slot height increases, the suppressive effect on corner separation and loss initially intensifies and then weakens. As the through-slot width increases, the suppressive effect on corner separation and total pressure loss increases steadily. Compared to the original compressor cascade, the through-slot configuration attains peak performance at 25% chord length, with a height of 6% height and a width of 10 mm, reducing the total pressure loss coefficient by 19.22%. Furthermore, as the incoming flow incidence angle enlarges, the enhancement impact of the through-slot configuration on cascade performance initially intensifies and then diminishes. The peak enhancement impact occurs at a 0° incidence angle. At this angle, the configuration can reduce flow loss by 16.72% compared to the original, significantly improving the aerodynamic performance of the high-load compressor cascade. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cannabidiol (CBD) has emerged as a potential therapeutic agent for respiratory disorders, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, its clinical translation via pulmonary delivery is limited by poor aqueous solubility, chemical instability, and low local bioavailability. This study aimed to develop and optimize a sodium stearate (NaSt)-based spray-dried dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulation to enhance the aerosol performance, dissolution, and storage stability of CBD. Methods: CBD microparticles were prepared by spray drying using NaSt as the primary excipient. The feed preparation method, spray-drying parameters, and CBD:NaSt ratios were systematically optimized. The resulting powders were evaluated for aerodynamic properties using cascade impaction, dissolution behavior in simulated lung fluid, solid-state characteristics, and accelerated stability under stress conditions. Results: The optimized formulation, SD-4, a spray-dried CBD:NaSt formulation prepared at a 20:80 weight ratio using Process B, demonstrated excellent aerosolization performance, with a fine particle fraction (FPF) exceeding 50% and a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 5.08 ± 0.1 μm. Dissolution testing revealed more than a three-fold increase in drug release compared with raw CBD, attributed to amorphous dispersion within the NaSt matrix and surfactant-induced micellization. Accelerated stability studies confirmed improved retention of the amorphous state and drug content, while antioxidant incorporation further reduced oxidative degradation. Conclusions: The NaSt-based spray-dried formulation significantly improved aerosol deposition efficiency, dissolution rate, and physicochemical stability of CBD. This formulation strategy may provide a promising platform for pulmonary delivery of poorly water-soluble compounds. Full article

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) poses a significant threat to the United States dairy industry. This study evaluates the effectiveness of regional zoning, enhanced detection, and biosecurity in controlling FMD spread, focusing on the New England milkshed, using the InterSpread Plus (ISP+) model. We adapted a baseline ISP+ configuration incorporating United States dairy farm data, movement networks, cattle dealers, markets, and slaughterhouses, with milk processing plants as a model addition. Four hypotheses were tested to understand the impact of different biosecurity strategies: (H1) regional zoning limits the interregional spread of FMD post-detection; (H2) earlier detection in New England via increased passive surveillance reduces the overall outbreak impact; (H3) reduced indirect transmission through enhanced biosecurity measures improves FMD outbreak control; (H4) the combination of regional zoning and earlier detection provides synergistic reduction in FMD impact beyond either strategy alone. The four hypotheses were tested using three geographically distinct infection seed sets; 100 iterations of each scenario were simulated over 210 days and compared to the baseline. Key impact metrics included the daily number of infected premises, the outbreak duration, and the total number of infected premises across the outbreak scenarios. Results suggest shorter outbreak durations and reduced total infected premises under the hypothesized scenarios, compared to the baseline scenario. Kruskal–Wallis H tests confirmed significant differences across the baseline, regional zoning, early detection, enhanced biosecurity, and the combination of heightened passive surveillance with regional zoning scenarios in terms of total infected premises. Post hoc Dunn’s tests indicated that enhanced biosecurity outperformed other control strategies tested. These findings demonstrate that layered interventions may substantially curtail both the national amplification and local spread of FMD, and thus protect the consumer milk supply and reduce cascading economic shocks from an outbreak. Full article

During the critical period of agricultural green transformation, clarifying the evolutionary logic of farmers’ green production behavior under a multi-stakeholder framework provides significant insights for implementing “Dual Carbon” goals, establishing long-term mechanisms for high-quality agricultural development, and resolving deep-seated contradictions in agricultural non-point source pollution. Based on the social co-governance and public participation framework, this paper constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model involving government departments, farmer groups, and the general public, grounded in cost–benefit analysis, social governance friction, and evolutionary game theory. Through simulation, the study explores the equilibrium states and the specific impacts of varying parameter values on stable points. The findings reveal that: (1) The “interest price scissors” (benefit disparity) between green and conventional production is the key determinant of farmers’ strategic equilibrium. Once this structural contradiction is resolved, green production becomes the optimal strategy. (2) Farmers are highly sensitive to marginal cost–benefit fluctuations, leading to a sequential behavioral cascade: farmers retreat first, followed by the government, and finally the public. (3) Public participation cost is the pivotal variable for activating the co-governance mechanism, and the application of digital governance tools determines the time required to reach equilibrium. (4) A “Success Paradox” exists in government regulation; incentive mechanisms must be adjusted promptly after initial success. (5) Integrated policy combinations outperform single instruments; breaking the “locked-in” state requires a policy shock of sufficient intensity. This research offers a theoretical basis and policy enlightenment for optimizing the social co-governance landscape and promoting sustainable agricultural modernization. Full article

The growing complexity of human systems and the increasing frequency of climate-driven hazards have transformed some disasters from isolated events into cascading phenomena which propagate through critical infrastructure networks, disrupting essential services and amplifying systemic risk. This work examines the impacts of extreme storms and subsequent flooding on critical entities as defined under the new EU Directive (Critical Entities Resilience, CER). This study introduces a structured Critical Entities Disruption Database—Greece (CEDD-GR), as a methodological framework for systematically recording and analysing disruptions to critical entities, and applies it to the case of Storm Daniel (2023), one of the most severe flood events recorded in Greece. The analysis identified direct impacts across eight of the eleven sectors defined in the CER Directive, namely, energy, transport, health, drinking water, wastewater, public administration, digital infrastructure and food production, processing and distribution. A total of 21 different types of critical entities were documented, revealing the mechanisms through which failures affected different subsectors. The results underscore the systemic fragility of critical entities when exposed to extreme storms, compound flooding, and mass wasting processes (landslides, ground subsidence) and highlight the need for integrated resilience planning in line with the CER framework. Full article

The increasing pressure on natural resources and the environment has intensified the need for sustainable cascade utilization in closed-loop supply chains (CLSCs). This study develops a game-theoretic framework to examine cascade utilization under both constant and heterogeneous quality restoration costs across three collection structures: centralized, manufacturer-led, and third-party collection. The results show that the relative performance of different structures depends on key economic conditions, including material recycling revenue and the comparative advantage of remanufacturing. No single structure dominates across all dimensions: a manufacturer-led collection tends to promote new product sales, while a third-party collection enhances remanufacturing and recovery levels, particularly under cost heterogeneity. Environmental performance, evaluated through collection quantity, cascade utilization efficiency, and an environmental impact indicator, also varies across structures, with cost heterogeneity shifting advantages toward the third-party collection. Policy analysis further indicates that both collection and remanufacturing subsidies increase recovery volumes but operate through distinct mechanisms. The collection subsidy expands return flows but may reduce cascade utilization efficiency by directing more low-quality products to recycling, whereas remanufacturing subsidy promotes higher-value reuse pathways and improves environmental performance. These findings highlight the importance of aligning collection structures and policy instruments under different cost conditions to enhance resource efficiency and support the circular economy and sustainable consumption and production objectives. Full article