Search Results (19,834)

The Prespa Lakes system, shared between Greece, the Republic of North Macedonia, and Albania, forms a significant transboundary, large-scale integrated freshwater ecosystem subject to multiple anthropogenic and natural pressures. This study focuses on the Greek part of the Prespa Lakes system with particular emphasis on the identification of the ecological and hydrological impacts of the contributing stream inflows on the lakes by examining the spatial variability in physicochemical and biological conditions and conducting water balance and isotopic analyses. Based on our results, streams draining into Lesser Prespa Lake exhibited more pronounced hydrological and physicochemical fluctuations than the Agios Germanos River connected to Great Prespa Lake, while ecological status classifications of all studied streams ranged from high to moderate. Furthermore, moderate ecological status conditions (mainly observed at the downstream stations) were closely associated with adjacent anthropogenic pressures, including agricultural drainage, livestock activities, irrigated croplands, and wastewater discharges. In addition, although both lakes were classified as mesotrophic, field data indicated greater transparency loss in Lesser Prespa than in Great Prespa Lake. Regarding the stream influences on Lesser Prespa Lake’s water quality, nutrient loads induced changes in lake concentrations by roughly one month. Total nitrogen showed moderate stream–lake correlations (R = 0.61) and a strong negative correlation for total phosphorus (R = −0.94), suggesting substantial nutrient retention and processes within the lake. Water balance analysis revealed an annual water deficit for both Lesser and Great Prespa, with the latter exhibiting a markedly stronger and systematic long-term decline in water level. In the Lesser Prespa, seasonal fluctuations in water volume were primarily driven by excess rainfall, while stream inflows contributed minimally. Conversely, correlation analysis for Great Prespa identified surface inflow from the Ag. Germanos catchment as the dominant driver of water storage variability, surpassing direct rainfall, with strong correlations in both wet (R = 0.79) and dry (R = 0.88) periods. Isotopic compositions (δ¹⁸O, δ²H) did not differ significantly between the two lakes, indicating common recharge sources and strong evaporative imprints, while stream isotopic signatures highlighted spatial and seasonal variability in hydrological inputs. Seasonal and spatial variations were proved to be strongly influenced by both natural hydrological dynamics and anthropogenic pressures within the basin, while these findings reinforce the importance and the necessity of adopting holistic, cross-border management strategies that maintain the ecological integrity and the long-term sustainability of the Prespa Lakes ecosystem. Full article

Closed-basin lakes are highly sensitive to climatic variability, yet for the Lake Van Basin (Türkiye), the dynamic and spatially heterogeneous linkages among atmospheric drivers and lake-level changes (particularly their lag structure and predictive directionality) remain insufficiently quantified in a unified multivariate setting. This study examines how temperature and precipitation jointly influence hydrological behavior in the Lake Van Basin using a multi-station Vector Autoregression (VAR) framework. By integrating long-term observations from multiple meteorological stations, the analysis explicitly captures the spatial heterogeneity that characterizes this complex endorheic system and provides a consistent basis for comparing station-specific dynamics. The results show strong persistence in lake-level dynamics across specifications, with lagged lake-level coefficients of 0.2595 to 0.3685 (p < 0.01), indicating a buffered endorheic response. Temperature exhibits a highly consistent seasonal dependence across stations, reflected by a uniformly negative and significant four-month temperature lag in the temperature equations (−0.34 to −0.42, p < 0.01). Granger-causality tests further indicate robust bidirectional coupling between temperature and precipitation in all station specifications (p < 0.01 and typically p ≤ 0.05), while climate-to-lake-level linkages remain spatially heterogeneous but are statistically supported across both Tatvan-based and Gevas-based specifications (Tatvan-Tatvan: p < 0.01 for both climate variables; Tatvan-Ahlat: temperature p = 0.000; Gevas-Van, Gevas-Ercis, and Gevas-Muradiye: temperature p = 0.000 and precipitation p = 0.013, 0.008, and 0.015, respectively). Distinct station-level patterns further demonstrate that topographical differences modulate the strength and direction of climate–hydrology linkages across the basin. By providing a coherent, causally consistent understanding of these interactions and explicitly incorporating season-specific VAR and Granger-causality evidence, this study offers a transferable methodological framework for analyzing climate-sensitive lake systems and highlights the need to incorporate temperature-driven processes into water-management and climate-adaptation strategies in endorheic basins. Full article

Health and hygiene are critical components of sustainable travel and tourism development, particularly in the post-emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic when traveler confidence is closely tied to the resilience of the destination. This paper examines global health and hygiene conditions using data from the Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2024, with a focus on disparities across regions and income groups. Five key indicators—physician density, basic sanitation, basic drinking water, hospital bed density, and communicable disease incidence—are analyzed to assess healthcare infrastructure, accessibility, and public health resilience. By comparing data from 2021 and 2024, the study evaluates changes during and after the peak period of the COVID-19 crisis, highlighting progress and persistent inequalities relevant to sustainable travel and tourism development. Using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation analysis, the study also investigates the associations between key health and hygiene indicators, specifically (i) basic sanitation and basic drinking water coverage and (ii) physician density and hospital bed density, at the global, regional, and income group levels. The results reveal pronounced regional and income-related disparities. Europe and Eurasia consistently outperform other regions, with high healthcare capacity and near-universal sanitation and water access, while Sub-Saharan Africa continues to face systemic deficits in all indicators. High-income countries have well-developed healthcare systems, whereas low-income countries struggle with limited physician availability, poor sanitation coverage, and high communicable disease incidence. Associations between key indicators are also evident: countries with strong sanitation infrastructure almost always achieve high drinking water coverage, and those with higher physician density typically maintain higher hospital bed capacity. These findings highlight the uneven pace of global recovery and emphasize that health and hygiene are not only public health priorities but also fundamental drivers of tourism competitiveness. Full article

Global population growth necessitates sustainable food systems, positioning Circular Bioeconomy as a key transition framework. In Oaxaca, Mexico, semi-intensive tilapia aquaculture faces economic viability issues due to a critical reliance on expensive external commercial feeds. This study proposes a “Backyard Integrated System” specifically designed for rural contexts with limited capitalization, connecting traditional entomophagy with aquaculture to reduce operational costs and close nutrient cycles. Using a mixed-method approach, we first conducted a sociocultural diagnosis (n = 140), revealing a 97.14% acceptance of insect consumption. Subsequently, to validate technical viability, a long-term (280-day) feeding trial was conducted using standardized insect meals (Tenebrio molitor and Acheta domesticus) as total substitutes (100%) for commercial feed in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) diets. Results showed a Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) of 1.61–1.62, comparable to the commercial control (p > 0.05), while significantly enhancing fillet protein content. Crucially, microbiological analysis confirmed the absence of pathogens in the final product, empirically validating the safety of the waste-to-feed cycle. Consequently, this strategy ensures food sovereignty, decouples producers from volatile external markets, and offers a scalable solution for community resilience without compromising food safety. Full article

This study examines the possible points of connection between crime and reading on the basis of genre-typical roles and motifs in detective fiction. I aim to identify characteristic reading methods, strategies, locations, events, and professions with regard to the detective, the perpetrator and the victim. Following a general introduction with a focus on genre theory and thematic concerns, I proceed with an analysis of P. D. James’s crime novel Original Sin. This novel not only offers the posing and solving of a criminal puzzle, but also reflects powerfully on moral questions about sin, original sin and violent death. In my analysis, I follow the method of close reading, and as part of this approach, I also explore traces of biblical intertextuality. As a result of theoretical reflection and interpretation, I draw two important conclusions: (1) For investigators, reading texts constitutes an effective and indispensable instrument for reconstructing the past, thus uncovering the truth and revealing the perpetrator. (2) The reading events depicted in the novel refer to experiences and conceptual connections that justify discussing a kind of theology of reading: reading appears in the story as an intellectual activity that forms part of certain religious practices (penance, prayer, confession). Full article

Forest fire occurrence prediction remains challenging despite advances in operational fire danger rating systems. In South Korea, the Korea Forest Fire Danger Rating Index (KFDRI) incorporates meteorological conditions, terrain (elevation, aspect), and forest type to assess regional fire danger. While KFDRI successfully assesses environmental fire danger at the pixel level, it does not explicitly account for human activity patterns that create substantial occurrence variability among locations with similar environmental conditions. This limitation is critical in human-dominated landscapes where where the main source of fire occurrence is anthropogenic. This study developed a Random Forest (RF) model to predict forest fire occurrence probability and propose management priorities during the forest fire prevention season (November–May) along the eastern coast of Korea, explicitly integrating human proximity variables (distance to agricultural areas and roads) with topographical (elevation, slope, aspect), surface fuel load, and meteorological variables (SMAP soil moisture, cumulative precipitation). Using forest fire occurrence records (1112 fire occurrence records) and background samples from 2015 to 2024, the model was trained with monthly stratified sampling and 10-fold cross-validation. The model achieved stable classification performance, with an overall F1-score of 0.515 and accuracy of 0.733. According to the SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis, distance to agricultural areas, elevation, slope, aspect, 5-day cumulative precipitation, and forest type were the most influential predictors. In particular, occurrence probability tended to increase in areas close to agricultural land (<180 m), at low elevations (≤200 m), on moderately steep slopes (≥8°), on south- and west-facing aspects, and under dried conditions. These results emphasize that fire occurrence risk is primarily structured by human proximity within areas of similar environmental danger. We propose an operational integration in which the RF model provides a 30 m “where-to-focus” occurrence layer that is used alongside KFDRI’s daily danger rating to prioritize prevention and patrol efforts. Full article

This study presents a theoretical analysis of the slow translation of a soft sphere through an unbounded micropolar fluid under steady, low Reynolds number conditions, accounting for the influence of interfacial stress jump. The soft sphere is modeled as a rigid solid core surrounded by a permeable porous gel layer, allowing fluid penetration and momentum exchange across the interface. This core–shell configuration captures the essential structural characteristics of coated or gel-like particles encountered in biological and engineering systems. Closed-form expressions for the velocity components, microrotation, stresses, and couple stresses are derived both within the porous micropolar gel layer surrounding the particle and in the exterior micropolar fluid. The flow inside the permeable coating is described using the general Brinkman solution in spherical coordinates, while the governing micropolar fluid equations are applied in the outer region. Appropriate boundary conditions are imposed at the solid core surface and at the permeable soft-sphere interface to ensure continuity of velocity and microrotation, together with the prescribed stress jump. The normalized drag force acting on the particle is obtained as a function of the particle-to-core radius ratio, permeability, stress-jump parameter, and micropolarity parameter. The results indicate that the hydrodynamic drag decreases as the porous layer becomes thicker and remains finite, approaching unity even when the soft sphere behaves as a solid particle or as a porous sphere translating through an infinite micropolar medium, with other parameters held fixed. Overall, the analysis elucidates the coupled roles of micropolar effects, interfacial stress jump, and porous-layer structure in governing the hydrodynamic resistance experienced by soft particles. . Full article

Pawnshop buildings are places where pawn transactions are conducted. They are usually composed of a front shop and a back building, and their shape resembles a fortress. As a typical gambling city, pawnshops in Macau appeared as early as the Qing Dynasty. By the late Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) and early Republic of China (1912–1949), they had become a common market. They reached their peak during the Anti-Japanese War and were an important financial institution for the people to solve their urgent needs. Today, many pawnshop buildings have become architectural heritage sites and are distributed around the buffer zone of the World Heritage Site. Their location is consistent with the evolution of urban space and the development of gambling and tourism industries. However, existing research lacks systematic research based on spatial quantification technology and it has yet to be determined whether there is a spatial alignment relationship between pawnshop location and urban spatial structure. This paper takes the whole of Macau as the research area and combines DepthmapX space syntax, GIS analysis, and historical data comparison of pawnshop buildings to explore the path dependence characteristics of pawnshop building location and the service radius law in urban space. The study found that the location of pawnshop buildings in Macau has evolved through three stages: initially relying on traditional market spaces, then gathering around casino areas during a stable phase, and finally becoming closely tied to the core areas of gambling venues in the prosperous stage. It shows a path dependence that is continuously strengthened on nodes with low traffic resistance. The service radius of pawnshop buildings exhibits an unbalanced characteristic, with a dense core area and a blank peripheral area, forming a multi-level system of a 200 m core service circle, a 400 m extended service circle, and an 800 m radiation service circle. This study proposes pathways for the adaptive reuse and activation of traditional pawnbroking architectural heritage. For instance, by drawing on the operational model of the Tak Seng On Pawnshop, the integration of cultural exhibition and livelihood services can be realized, thereby providing practical references for the adaptive reuse and conservation of heritage assets. This study offers dual theoretical and practical support for the conservation of pawnbroking architectural heritage in Macau, the site selection and planning of modern pawnbroking establishments, and the optimization of the city’s urban spatial structure. Meanwhile, it enriches the research system on the spatial alignment between the peripheral financial industry and urban space. Full article

Background: To evaluate the effects of preoperative topical ripasudil, a Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, on Schlemm’s canal (SC) morphology in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods: This study included 95 SC specimens obtained during trabeculectomy from 95 patients with POAG. Based on preoperative treatment, patients were divided into two groups: ripasudil (–) group (n = 68) receiving four topical medications [FP receptor agonist, β-blocker, carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (CAI), and α₂ agonist], and ripasudil (+) group (n = 27) receiving the same four medications plus ripasudil. SC morphology parameters were assessed in thrombomodulin (TBM)-stained sections, including length parameters [TBM-positive/negative and opened/closed SC lengths] and area parameters [TBM-positive/negative and opened SC areas]. Between-group comparisons were performed using unpaired t-tests, and multiple regression analysis was conducted to adjust for age, gender, preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP), and oral CAI use. Results: The ripasudil (+) group had significantly longer total SC length (TSC: 302.5 µm) than the ripasudil (–) group (273.0 µm, p = 0.023). Among area parameters, the ripasudil (+) group showed significantly larger opened SC area (OSC-A: 2689 µm² vs. 1881 µm², p = 0.008) and TBM-negative opened SC area (NOSC-A: 716 µm² vs. 305 µm², p = 0.001), whereas TBM-positive opened SC area (POSC-A) was not significantly different between groups (2001 µm² vs. 1575 µm², p = 0.096). After multivariate adjustment, ripasudil use remained significantly associated with longer TSC (p = 0.011) and larger OSC-A (p = 0.014) and NOSC-A (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Preoperative use of topical ripasudil was associated with preservation of SC lumen morphology, particularly in regions lacking SC endothelium. These findings provide a theoretical basis for therapeutic strategies employing ROCK inhibitors to maintain SC morphology and function. Full article

Legionella species are ubiquitous bacteria found worldwide in water, moist environments, soils, and compost. Infection occurs through the inhalation of aerosols, leading to either Pontiac fever or Legionnaires’ disease (LD). Current routine diagnostics typically combine culture-based isolation with Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for species identification and the Latex Agglutination Test (LAT) for serotyping. However, this workflow is fragmented: MALDI-TOF MS lacks serogroup-specific resolution, while LAT relies on subjective visual interpretation. Therefore, this study evaluated Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) as a rapid, high-resolution typing method for Legionella isolates to assess its potential as a single-step diagnostic tool. A total of 200 clinical and environmental Legionella isolates were analyzed using FT-IR, including L. pneumophila serogroups (SG) 1–15 and various non-pneumophila species. Spectral data were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). While MALDI-TOF MS provided accurate species identification, FT-IR spectroscopy demonstrated superior typing capabilities by successfully distinguishing L. pneumophila SG 1 distinct from the SG 2–15 complex and allowing for clear discrimination of most non-pneumophila species. Additionally, FT-IR resolved isolates that showed ambiguous or non-reactive results in LAT. These findings demonstrate that FT-IR overcomes the serotyping limitations of MALDI-TOF MS and offers a more objective, cost-efficient extension to the current multi-step routine, potentially closing the diagnostic gap between simple species identification and deep strain characterization. Full article

As robotic manipulators evolve toward lightweight and long-link structures, flexibility increasingly affects dynamic response and trajectory tracking accuracy. However, existing studies often lack a consistent coupling mechanism between finite element structural models and control models, and flexible effects are typically treated as disturbances, limiting the direct use of structural parameters for control prediction and optimization. This paper proposes a structure–control collaborative co-simulation framework for a six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) flexible-joint manipulator. ANSYS-based finite element analysis (FEA) is integrated with the MATLAB/Simulink control environment to extract joint-level equivalent stiffness, inertia, modal frequencies, and damping parameters, which are embedded into a rigid–flexible coupled dynamic model. A regression-based representation is introduced to capture unmodeled flexible residual dynamics, and a regression-compensated adaptive PID torque controller with σ-modification and a dead-zone mechanism is developed to ensure bounded adaptation and closed-loop stability. Simulation results under no-load and payload conditions demonstrate improved oscillation suppression and tracking accuracy. By establishing a unified coupling mechanism from structural parameters to the control model, the proposed method achieves consistent co-modeling of the structural and control domains and provides an engineering-feasible co-simulation approach for dynamic prediction and control optimization of multi-DOF flexible manipulators under varying operating conditions. Full article

Trichostrongylus species are zoonotic gastrointestinal nematodes that occasionally infect humans, particularly in rural areas with close contact to livestock. However, the global prevalence of human trichostrongylosis remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize available prevalence data and describe regional and methodological differences in reported infections. Studies published between 2000 and 2025 reporting the prevalence of Trichostrongylus infections in humans (primarily T. colubriformis, T. axei, and T. orientalis) were searched in six databases (EMBASE, Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, Nursing & Allied Health Premium, and Web of Science) and Google Scholar. Pooled prevalence was estimated using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses were conducted to assess prevalence by continent, country, population group, and diagnostic method. Thirty-seven studies from 14 countries, comprising 111,408 participants, were included. Most studies were conducted in Asia (23, 62.2%), particularly in Iran (12, 32.4%), and in Africa (12, 32.4%), mainly in Nigeria (5, 13.5%). The global pooled prevalence of Trichostrongylus infection was 1.2%. Prevalence was highest in Africa (1.7%), followed by South America (1.2%), Asia (1.0%), and Europe (0.8%). Subgroup analyses revealed substantial heterogeneity in prevalence across study populations, age groups, and detection methods (p < 0.05). Available evidence suggests that human Trichostrongylus infection remains a localized but persistent zoonotic concern in specific endemic regions, rather than a globally uniform problem. Diagnostic variability, limited regional coverage, and high heterogeneity highlight the need for standardized molecular diagnostics and broader surveillance to accurately define the global epidemiology of trichostrongylosis. Full article

Introduction: Intensive chemotherapy protocols and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in children with cancer frequently lead to severe complications, such as mucositis and immune dysfunction. A growing body of evidence indicates that these complications are closely associated with the patient’s nutritional status and the composition of the gut microbiome, which becomes profoundly destabilized as a result of cytotoxic therapy and antibiotic use. Background: The aim of this review is to critically evaluate the current state of knowledge on the interplay between gut dysbiosis, metabolomic profiles—with particular emphasis on short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)—and treatment-related toxicity in pediatric patients, as well as to delineate pathways toward personalized nutritional therapy. Methods: A narrative review was conducted, including clinical and preclinical studies published between January 2015 and October 2025. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and other databases were searched, focusing on changes in microbiome composition, correlations between gut-derived metabolites and the severity of complications (sepsis, graft-versus-host disease [GvHD], mucositis), and the effects of targeted nutritional interventions (probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation [FMT]) on microbiome modulation during anticancer therapy. Results: The analysis demonstrates that pediatric oncologic treatment leads to a marked reduction in microbial diversity, including the loss of protective Clostridiales taxa (e.g., Faecalibacterium), accompanied by an overgrowth of Proteobacteria pathobionts. Metabolomic profiling indicates that low SCFA levels (e.g., butyrate < 20–50 µmol/g) are a strong predictor of severe mucositis, prolonged neutropenia, and an increased risk of sepsis. Interventions aimed at restoring eubiosis and enhancing SCFA production show potential in strengthening the intestinal barrier, modulating immune responses, and enabling maintenance of the planned relative dose intensity (RDI) of chemotherapy by reducing treatment-related toxicity. Conclusions: Gut microbiome profiling and fecal metabolomics represent promising prognostic tools in pediatric oncology. There is an urgent need for further research employing “omics”-based approaches to develop precise, individually tailored nutritional protocols. Such strategies, including postbiotics and FMT, may minimize treatment-related adverse effects and improve long-term clinical outcomes in pediatric patients. Full article

Enterobiasis, caused by the nematode Enterobius vermicularis, remains a widespread public health issue, yet data regarding its genetic structure in Southeast Europe are scarce. This study presents the first molecular and phylogenetic characterization of E. vermicularis isolates from Bulgaria. Between 2022 and 2025, perianal tape test samples were collected from 128 individuals (92.2% of whom were children) with enterobiasis from 17 regions of the country. Molecular identification was performed via nested PCR targeting a 324 bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene, followed by Sanger sequencing. Phylogenetic relationships were analyzed using Maximum Likelihood (IQ-TREE), and population genetic indices were calculated using DnaSP v6. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all 128 Bulgarian isolates belong to genotype B, clustering closely with sequences from other European and Asian countries. Genetic diversity analysis showed remarkably low variation, with a haplotype diversity (Hd) of 0.1507 ± 0.0416 and a nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.00082 ± 0.00015. Among the 11 identified haplotypes, a single dominant haplotype (Hap_1) accounted for 92.2% of all samples and was distributed across all sampled geographic regions. Tajima’s D was significantly negative (−2.314, < 0.05), suggesting a recent population expansion or purifying selection. The dominance of genotype B and the extremely low genetic diversity suggest a recent introduction or clonal expansion of E. vermicularis in Bulgaria. These findings provide essential baseline data for monitoring transmission dynamics and implementing effective control strategies in the Balkan region. Full article

Background and Objectives: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis characterized by marked clinical heterogeneity and variable disease trajectories, underscoring the need for robust biomarkers of inflammatory burden. Serum calprotectin, a neutrophil- and monocyte-derived protein, has been proposed as a surrogate marker of active inflammation in inflammatory arthritis due to its close association with innate immune activation. In this study, we compare serum calprotectin levels among patients with PsA, axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA), and healthy controls and evaluate their association with disease activity. Materials and Methods: This single-center, cross-sectional study included 123 patients with PsA, 119 patients with AxSpA, and 77 healthy controls. Serum calprotectin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and their associations with disease activity were evaluated using correlation, multivariable regression, and receiver operating characteristic analyses. Results: Serum calprotectin levels were significantly higher in PsA and AxSpA patients compared with healthy controls (p < 0.001 for both) and were higher in PsA than in AxSpA (p = 0.022). In PsA, serum calprotectin levels showed significant correlations with ASDAS-CRP, DAS28-CRP, and DLQI, but not with CRP or ESR. In contrast, in AxSpA, calprotectin showed only a weak association with CRP and was not related to disease activity indices. In multivariable analysis, serum calprotectin was independently associated with ASDAS-CRP in PsA (B = 0.704, p = 0.003), but not in AxSpA. Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that serum calprotectin discriminated high disease activity in PsA with an area under the curve of 0.669 (95% CI: 0.563–0.775; p = 0.003). Conclusions: Serum calprotectin levels are elevated in patients with PsA and are associated with disease activity, supporting its potential role as a biomarker in this condition. In contrast, serum calprotectin does not appear to reflect disease activity in AxSpA, suggesting disease-specific differences in its clinical utility. Full article