Search Results (903)

Background/Objectives: For femoral neck fractures (FNFs) treated with hip arthroplasty, cemented femoral fixation is frequently recommended due to its association with reduced early perioperative fracture and reoperation rates. However, newer-generation collared, cementless triple-tapered (CCTT) stems may present benefits compared with conventional press-fit designs. This study sought to assess 30-day survivorship of a CCTT stem in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty for FNF via the direct anterior approach (DAA). Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients who underwent hemiarthroplasty (HA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) for displaced FNF from 2019 to 2023. All procedures were performed through the DAA using a hydroxyapatite-coated CCTT femoral stem. The primary outcome was 30-day stem survival. Secondary outcomes included reoperation, stem revision, complications, readmission, and radiographic outcomes including intraoperative and postoperative periprosthetic fracture and subsidence. Results: A total of 184 patients were included (mean age 76.1 ± 10.0; 70.1% women). THA was performed in 77.7% and HA in 22.3%. At 30 days, no stems required revision. The 30-day reoperation rate was 3.5% (5/184). There were four intraoperative fractures: 3 (1.6%) Vancouver AG and 1 (0.5%) calcar. Postoperatively within 3 months, seven fractures occurred: five (2.7%) Vancouver AG and two (1.1%) Vancouver B1. Conclusions: Use of a modern CCTT femoral stem for FNF demonstrated excellent early survivorship with low rates of intraoperative and postoperative periprosthetic fracture, comparable to published outcomes of cemented fixation. These findings suggest that this stem design may represent a safe and efficient alternative to cemented femoral fixation in FNF. Further studies are warranted to evaluate mid- and long-term outcomes. Full article

Leontopodium alpinum is a globally protected species and a valuable resource for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. This study aimed to evaluate the propagation of edelweiss through ex situ culture, analyzing its morphological and physiological performance under controlled conditions. The morphological and physiological evaluation was carried out by conducting a single-factor experimental design in a controlled environment. A statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD post hoc test (α = 0.05) and Pearson Correlation was performed. There were significant differences between three repetitions of the same cultivar for total leaf number, leaf size category distribution and inflorescence diameter. The correlations between morphological indicators revealed a strong positive correlation between plant width, plant volume, number of inflorescences per stem, and collar diameter on the one hand and between length of the floral stem and number/length of roots on the other. The physiological indicators (estimated transpiration rate, net photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic pigments) suggested a conservative functional and photosynthetic pigment profile. The species’ ability to maintain structural and physiological integrity under controlled conditions reinforces the value of ex situ cultivation as a complementary conservation tool for endangered species and provides a solid basis for valorization programs in commercial crops. Full article

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) extends conventional histopathology by combining spatial morphology with rich spectral information that reflects tissue biochemical composition, offering new opportunities for quantitative tissue analysis. However, reliable spectral analysis requires accurate instance-level segmentation of cell nuclei to enable the construction of meaningful nuclear spectral databases. In this work, a comprehensive methodology for generating hyperspectral databases of cell nuclei from histopathological samples is presented, including hyperspectral acquisition, preprocessing, nucleus segmentation, and spectral signature extraction. Three nucleus segmentation methods are evaluated: a spectral-only approach based on pixel-wise hyperspectral signatures in the visible–VNIR range; a spatial-only approach using synthetic RGB images derived from hyperspectral cubes; and a combined spatial–spectral approach that jointly exploits spatial and spectral information. The methods are assessed on a proprietary dataset of 30 hyperspectral cubes of tumor and healthy histopathological brain tissue annotated by expert pathologists. The spectral-only method achieves a Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 61.89% and produces severe over-segmentation, with cell count deviations exceeding substantially the ground truth in healthy tissue. The spatial-only method attains the highest pixel-wise accuracy (78.97% DSC) but underestimates nucleus counts by approximately 30% in tumor regions due to nucleus merging. The spatial–spectral method achieves a DSC of 73.13% and a mean cell count deviation of 4%, providing more reliable instance-level separation. These findings demonstrate that pixel-wise accuracy alone is insufficient for hyperspectral nuclear database generation. Full article

Microalgae-based biostimulants may help reduce inputs in protected ornamental production, yet evidence across multiple growing seasons remains limited. We conducted a three-year polytunnel trial with six Pelargonium cultivars and applied two strains from the Mosonmagyaróvár Algal Culture Collection (MACC-612, Nostoc piscinale; MACC-922, Chlorella vulgaris). Using a factorial general linear model, we detected significant treatment effects on total dry mass, root mass, plant height, and root-collar diameter (all p < 0.001). Relative to the control, dry mass increased by 19.2% with MACC-612 and 33.1% with MACC-922, while root mass increased by >22% under both treatments. Root-collar diameter was strongly associated with overall plant size (R² = 0.89). Treatment × year interactions were not significant (p > 0.05), providing no statistical evidence of season-specific treatment effects within the three-year trial. Cultivars differed mainly in response magnitude rather than direction. Overall, microalgae applications improved biomass accumulation and root-linked structural traits associated with plant vigor under this production system. Full article

Casing collar locator (CCL) measurements are widely used as reliable depth markers for positioning downhole instruments in cased-hole operations, enabling accurate depth control for operations such as perforation. However, autonomous collar recognition in downhole environments remains challenging because CCL signals are often corrupted by toolstring- or casing-induced magnetic interference, while stringent size and power budgets limit the use of computationally intensive algorithms and specific operations require real-time, in situ processing. To address these constraints, we propose Collar Recognition Nets (CRNs), a family of domain-specific lightweight 1-D convolutional neural networks for collar signature recognition from streaming CCL waveforms. With depthwise separable convolutions and input pooling, CRNs optimize efficiency without sacrificing accuracy. Our most compact model achieves an F1-score of 0.972 on field data with only 1985 parameters and 8208 MACs, and deployed on an ARM Cortex-M7-based embedded system using the TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers (TFLM) library, the model demonstrates a throughput of 1000 inferences per second and 343.2 μs latency, confirming the feasibility of robust, autonomous, and real-time collar recognition under stringent downhole constraints. Full article

In-line cavitation is relevant to many continuous processes; however, its intensity depends on flow rate, available pressure, temperature, fluid properties, and plant conditions, complicating the maintenance of a repeatable regime within a prescribed band. This paper presents the DVRA, an actuated Venturi module with a Reuleaux triangular cross-section for in-operation regulation of hydrodynamic cavitation through device configuration. The novelty lies in combining two degrees of freedom—an in-operation adjustable hydraulic throat and boundary-imposed swirl forcing—within a compact in-line device: all rotation is confined to the module, and no rotation of the process line is required. The hydraulic throat is tuned via an actuated elastomeric liner, while swirl is generated by external end collars. Reproducible operational conventions are introduced together with a normalized input set and a configuration-space formalism that distinguishes admissible from achievable configurations. Regulation is cast as a control-oriented inverse mapping given a target band for an in-line estimated cavitation indicator and standard industrial measurements of flow rate, pressure, and temperature; configuration commands are selected to keep the indicator within bounds. The contribution is methodological and provides an implementable basis; comprehensive validation and performance benchmarking are outside the scope of this paper and will be reported separately. Full article

Background: Hallux valgus affects footwear tolerance, body image, and social participation, particularly among white-collar women who adhere to formal dress codes. While clinical outcomes of hallux valgus surgery are well described, little is known about how women in office-based occupations experience postoperative recovery. This study explored the lived experiences of women at least 12 months after surgical correction of mild-to-moderate hallux valgus using distal first-metatarsal osteotomy with adjustable intramedullary T-plate fixation. Methods: A qualitative interpretivist approach was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposively selected Turkish-speaking white-collar women who underwent surgery between January 2021 and January 2024. All had ≥12 months of follow-up. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis guided by Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) principles. Trustworthiness was supported through member checking, an audit trail, negative case analysis, and peer debriefing. Data saturation was reached at 27 interviews. Results: Twenty-seven women (mean age 43.04 ± 4.66 years) participated. Six themes emerged: (1) expectations and motivations; (2) postoperative physical experience; (3) aesthetic perception; (4) psychological responses; (5) social and domestic support; and (6) footwear identity and adaptation. Participants described meaningful gains in comfort, confidence, and mobility. The ability to choose footwear freely, rather than endure pain, was central to their sense of recovery. Improvements in self-image and ease in professional and social settings were also emphasized. Conclusions: Across six interrelated themes, white-collar women described postoperative recovery as a multidimensional process encompassing footwear autonomy, body image, occupational confidence, physical experience, psychological responses, and social support. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating footwear expectations and workplace needs into preoperative counselling and postoperative care. Full article

The integration of wearable inertial measurement units (IMU) in animal welfare Internet of Things (IoT) systems has become crucial for monitoring animal behaviors and enhancing welfare management. However, the vulnerability of IoT devices to network and hardware attacks poses significant risks, potentially compromising data integrity and misleading caregivers, negatively impacting animal welfare. Additionally, current animal monitoring solutions often rely on intrusive tagging methods, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or ear tagging, which may cause unnecessary stress and discomfort to animals. In this study, we propose a lightweight integrity and provenance-oriented security stack that complements standard transport security, specifically tailored to IMU-based animal motion IoT systems. Our system utilizes a 1D-convolutional neural network (CNN) model, achieving 88% accuracy for precise motion recognition, alongside a lightweight behavioral fingerprinting CNN model attaining 83% accuracy, serving as an auxiliary consistency signal to support collar–animal association and reduce mis-attribution risks. We introduce a dynamically generated pre-shared key (PSK) mechanism based on SHA-256 hashes derived from motion features and timestamps, further securing communication channels via application-layer Hash-based Message Authentication Code (HMAC) combined with Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT)/Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols. In our design, MQTT/TLS provides primary device authentication and channel protection, while behavioral fingerprinting and per-window dynamic–HMAC provide auxiliary provenance cues and tamper-evident integrity at the application layer. Experimental validation is conducted primarily via offline, dataset-driven experiments on a public canine IMU dataset; system-level overhead and sensor-to-edge latency are measured on a Raspberry Pi-based testbed by replaying windows through the MQTT/TLS pipeline. Overall, this work integrates motion recognition, behavioral fingerprinting, and dynamic key management into a cohesive, lightweight telemetry integrity/provenance stack and provides a foundation for future extensions to multi-species adaptive scenarios and federated learning applications. Full article

Background/Objectives: White-collar workers experience a unique dual burden of high psychological demands and prolonged static loading, creating a need to understand how physical resilience may mitigate these stressors. This study investigated the moderating role of specific muscle fitness components in the associations between work stress, burnout, and well-being among white-collar workers. To address the gap in task-specific physical resilience, we employed a cross-sectional design involving 321 full-time employees. Methods: Work stress (job control and demands), burnout, and well-being were assessed via structured questionnaires, while grip strength, abdominal endurance, and back muscle endurance were objectively measured. Results: Results indicated that the muscle fitness components were not directly associated with either burnout or well-being. However, the moderation model for burnout was significant (F = 15.837, p < 0.001; adjusted R² = 0.278), where back muscle endurance significantly moderated the association between psychological job demands and burnout (β = −0.121, p < 0.05), whereas no such moderating effect was observed for well-being. In contrast, no such moderating effect was observed for well-being, nor did grip strength or abdominal endurance exhibit significant buffering effects on either psychological outcome. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the relevance of task-specific physical resources in sedentary environments, specifically that back endurance functions as a buffer against burnout but may be insufficient to directly enhance overall well-being. The results suggest that while integrating task-specific physical assessments is vital for burnout prevention, psychosocial organizational support remains essential for fostering comprehensive well-being. Full article

The use of sensors applied to precision livestock farming is widespread in many farm species, especially dairy cattle, but there is a dearth of sensors validated for sheep farming. This study aims to validate a dairy cattle sensor collar to assess sheep ingestion, rumination, and other behaviors in two housing conditions: indoor housed and pasture. Twenty crossbred ewes were continuously monitored for 24 h per system, with video recordings analyzed by trained observers to quantify ingestion, rumination, and other behaviors. Precision (r, R², Bland–Altman) and accuracy (CCC, regression slope) analyses were undertaken to assess sensor performance. The intra-rater reliability of behavior scoring was good (Kappa = 0.84, p < 0.01). In the indoor experiment, ingestion and rumination behaviors showed high precision (r = 0.92 and 0.79, respectively), while only ingestion time was considered accurate (CCC = 0.91). In the outdoor system, ingestion time showed moderate precision (r = 0.83) and accuracy (CCC = 0.80), whereas rumination and other behaviors presented low agreement with visual observations. The findings suggest that, while current sensors can be used to monitor sheep feeding behavior in confined environments, further refinement in algorithm and collar design is needed for effective application in grazing conditions. Full article

In white-collar workplaces, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits may experience psychological strain and reduced productivity. This study examined structural relationships among ASD traits, social camouflaging, psychological distress, and work functioning impairment, with a focus on gender differences using a secondary analysis of data from an online survey of 543 Japanese white-collar workers (284 men, 259 women). Validated instruments were used to assess ASD traits, camouflaging, psychological distress, and work functioning impairment. Multi-group structural equation modeling by gender was applied using a NIOSH-inspired model. Men scored higher on the Imagination subscale of ASD traits, whereas women scored higher on Attention Switching and Assimilation. ASD traits were indirectly associated with work impairment through psychological distress, while the direct path between ASD traits and work impairment became negative when distress was controlled, indicating a statistical suppression pattern that was more pronounced among women. Assimilation was significantly associated with psychological distress in women but not in men, although the gender difference was at the trend level. The findings indicate a cross-sectional, context-dependent association between ASD traits and work functioning and highlight the importance of considering both gender and workplace context in non-clinical working populations. Full article

The rapid diffusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming job characteristics, raising important questions about how to implement these technologies in organizations in ways that support employee well-being and performance. Drawing on the High-Involvement Management framework, this study examined employee-centered Artificial Intelligence implementation (ECAII) practices (defined as transparent communication, consultation, and training initiatives) as strategic levers to foster positive employee outcomes during Artificial Intelligence-driven transformations. Survey data were collected from 168 Italian white-collar employees who actively used Artificial Intelligence in their work. Structural equation modeling was employed to test direct and indirect relationships among employee-centered Artificial Intelligence implementation practices, work meaningfulness, job satisfaction, and job performance, as well as the moderating role of personal attitudes toward AI. Results showed that employee-centered Artificial Intelligence implementation practices had significant direct effects on both job satisfaction and performance, as well as indirect effects through work meaningfulness. Latent moderated mediation analyses further revealed that these indirect effects were stronger among employees with more positive attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence. Overall, the findings highlighted the importance of employee-centered strategies for enhancing meaningfulness and fostering positive outcomes during technological change. This study contributed to Human Resource Management (HRM) and meaningful work research by extending classic theoretical frameworks to Artificial Intelligence-enabled workplaces. Furthermore, from a practical perspective, our findings provided valuable guidance for organizations by highlighting the importance of transparent communication, employee involvement, and targeted training in reducing uncertainty and helping employees perceive their roles as relevant during the implementation of Artificial Intelligence. Full article

The present study examines the well-being of workers in an Italian manufacturing plant, focusing on work engagement, emotional exhaustion and work ability. These dimensions have received relatively little attention in manufacturing contexts. Utilising a person-centred approach, the objective is to identify distinct subjective well-being profiles among Italian manufacturing workers and to examine how work-related psychosocial characteristics differentiate these profiles. The research, which collected data from 340 workers (predominantly male at 62.1%) between July and September 2023, focused on work engagement, emotional exhaustion, and work ability—factors that have been previously understudied in manufacturing environments. Through cluster analysis, researchers were able to identify three worker profiles. The largest group, designated “Motivated & Healthy” (45.3%), exhibited the most favourable characteristics: strong work engagement, minimal emotional exhaustion, and adequate work ability. These workers reported experiencing reduced physical demands, greater autonomy in decision-making, and superior rewards compared to their colleagues. The second-largest group, “Motivated & Stressed” (32.5%), demonstrated a mixed profile. While maintaining average work engagement, these workers experienced high levels of emotional exhaustion and diminished work ability. The smallest group, termed “Disillusioned” (22.2%), consisted entirely of blue-collar workers and exhibited the most concerning pattern: low engagement, high exhaustion, and mediocre work ability. This group also reported the most challenging working conditions, including the highest physical and cognitive demands, least decision-making authority, and lowest rewards. The study corroborates earlier research findings by identifying significant relationships between work engagement and work ability (positive correlation) and emotional exhaustion (negative correlation). These results suggest that manufacturing facilities might benefit from tailoring their support strategies to address the specific needs of each worker profile, rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions. Full article

Wireless short-range transmission is essential for precise wellbore trajectory control and real-time formation evaluation. Its signal propagation characteristics are influenced by multiple factors, including antenna type, drill collar, mud, and formation resistivity. Most prior studies are based on Magnetic-field Antennas (MFA) and primarily focus on the effects of formation resistivity variations, whereas the investigations on the influence of drill collars and mud resistivity are limited. In this study, a three-dimensional finite-element electromagnetic model of the “antenna–drill collar–mud–formation” system was developed to investigate wireless short-range transmission. The model was used to characterize and compare the electromagnetic field distributions of MFA and Electric-field Antennas (EFA) under in situ conditions. On this basis, a set of parametric sensitivity analyses on transmission performance was performed to quantify the effects of key factors, including drill-collar conductivity and mud resistivity. The results reveal fundamentally different electromagnetic field distributions for the two antenna types: (1) MFA is dominated by localized circumferential magnetic flux loops, whereas EFA transmits signals through axially extended eddy-current channels. (2) The drill collar exerts opposite effects on the two antennas, suppressing signal levels for MFA while significantly enhancing transmission for EFA, resulting in signal amplitudes that are ${10}^3-{10}^5$ times higher. (3) In addition, mud resistivity has little influence on MFA, whereas increasing mud resistivity leads to the pronounced attenuation of EFA signals. These findings provide a quantitative basis for antenna selection and performance optimization in wireless short-range transmission systems under different Logging-While-Drilling (LWD) conditions. Full article

Among the options to improve the establishment of jalapeno pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), physical biostimulants such as far-infrared bioceramics (FIR) and static magnetic fields (MF) have emerged as non-chemical alternatives. This study evaluated, under in vitro conditions, the individual and combined effects of FIR and positive or negative MF on seed germination dynamics, early seedling morphology, water status, and photosynthetic pigments. A completely randomized design with eight treatments was implemented, including FIR applied continuously throughout the entire experimental period, positive or negative MF applied for 24 h (MF⁺₂₄, MF⁻₂₄), and FIR + MF combinations under continuous or 24 h exposure regimes (n = 7). Germination percentage, mean germination time (MGT), mean germination rate (MGR), germination index (GI), morphological variables, water content (WC), and photosynthetic pigments were measured; ANOVA/alternative tests (a = 0.05), Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and exploratory Spearman’s correlations were used to assess relationships among the evaluated variables. Germination percentage did not change (97.64%), but kinetics did: FIR + MF⁻₂₄ reduced MGT to 4.32 d, FIR increased MGR to 5.83 seeds day⁻¹ (+11.69%), and FIR₂₄ + MF⁺₂₄ showed the highest GI (4.57). For morphological, MF⁺₂₄ increased hypocotyl length (+16.29%), FIR increased collar diameter (+27.27%), and FIR + MF⁻₂₄ increased cotyledon area (25%), and FIR increased chlorophyll a (+139%), chlorophyll b (+141%), and carotenoids (+114%). PCA explained 66.9% of the variance, grouping FIR with growth variables and FIR + MF combinations with WC and pigments. Inferences are limited to one cultivar and controlled in vitro conditions. This study provides novel quantitative evidence that continuous and short-term applications of FIR and MF modulate germination dynamics and early physiological traits without altering final germination, related to structure and pigments, without changing final germination percentage. Full article