Search Results (787)

Background: Falls among older adults are linked to central nervous system deterioration and executive function deficits. Objectives: This study evaluates the feasibility of a gamified EEG-based neurofeedback intervention combined with adaptive working-memory training, targeting neural processes associated with attentional inhibition and working memory in older adults, and characterises, as exploratory secondary outcomes, the oscillatory and functional measures that change over the training period. Methods: Twenty healthy older adults ($65.0\pm 3.3$ years) completed a 24-session longitudinal training programme. The intervention combined real-time alpha-band neurofeedback (NF), targeting left-frontal alpha activity associated with inhibitory control, with an adaptive N-back task engaging theta-band working memory processes. Behavioural outcomes included the Colour Trail Making Test A and B (CTMT-A/B), the Berg Balance Scale short form (BBS-3P), and the four-item Dynamic Gait Index (DGI-4). EEG was recorded at the Early, Middle, and Later stages to characterise training-related neural and behavioural changes. Results: The programme proved highly deliverable: adherence was 100% across all 24 sessions, no session was terminated early, and no severe adverse events occurred. Participants acquired control of the trained signal, with left-frontal alpha power rising across training at the neurofeedback target site, and frontal theta increased bilaterally under adaptive working memory load, consistent with the reduced hemispheric asymmetry characteristic of this age group. Scores changed in the direction of improvement on all four behavioural measures; however, functional changes were small, and cognitive changes cannot be separated from repeated-testing effects. Of sixteen candidate EEG–behaviour associations, four showed moderate-to-large participant-level coefficients and were retained as candidate associations: right-frontal alpha with balance ($r=-0.64$) and with gait adaptability ($r=-0.48$), and bilateral frontal theta with processing speed ($r=-0.53$ and $-0.51$). Several associations that appeared strong when observations were pooled across stages did not survive participant-level modelling, indicating that repeated-measures methods are needed in this literature. All associations are exploratory, uncorrected for multiplicity, and reported with effect sizes and confidence intervals. Conclusions: The gamified neurofeedback and working-memory training programme was feasible, well tolerated, and fully adhered to in a supervised experimental setting by community-dwelling older adults and was accompanied by measurable modulation of the targeted frontal rhythms. This study delivers a shortlist of candidate EEG features, with the effect-size estimates needed to power a confirmatory trial. Because the design is single-arm, both functional scales approached ceiling, and the same test forms were repeated at each stage, practice effects cannot be separated from intervention effects, and these associations are hypothesis-generating; a sham-controlled trial in a fall-prone population is the appropriate next step. Full article

The development of multifunctional textiles with enhanced ultraviolet (UV) protection has attracted increasing attention due to the growing demand for protective and high-performance clothing. In this study, cotton fabrics dyed with reactive dyes at three dye concentrations (0.5%, 1.5%, and 3.0% owf) were functionalised with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles using a pad-dry-cure process. The influence of TiO₂ concentration and washing on colour strength, colour fastness, UV protection, fabric stiffness, and pad–dry–cure immediate washing resistance was investigated through colorimetric measurements, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM analysis, and ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) evaluation. TiO₂ treatment produced only minor changes in colour strength, while colour fastness and fabric stiffness were largely preserved. FTIR and SEM analyses provided evidence consistent with the deposition of TiO₂-containing material and its partial removal after washing. The most significant improvement was observed in UV protection, with TiO₂-treated fabrics exhibiting substantially higher UPF values than untreated samples, while maintaining enhanced protection after laundering. These findings demonstrate that TiO₂ nanoparticle pad–dry–cure treatment is an effective post-dyeing strategy for improving the UV-protective performance of reactive-dyed cotton fabrics without compromising their colour durability or handling characteristics. Full article

Black-sand mining is an under-studied anthropogenic pressure on arid coastal environments, where sparse vegetation and slow natural recovery limit conventional impact assessment. Despite the recent expansion of heavy-mineral extraction along the Mauritanian coast, no spatio-temporal analysis has quantified its effects on land cover and surface-water dynamics in the N’Diago region. We analysed the N’Diago–LGUWYCHICH coastal sector (south-western Mauritania) using three Landsat scenes (2014, 2020, and 2026) in QGIS (free and open-source Geographic Information System), four spectral indices (NDVI-Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDWI-Normalized Difference Water Index, BSI- Bare Soil Index, and CI -Coloration Index), supervised Support Vector Machine classification and a 30 m SRTM Digital Elevation Model over a 97.82 ha area of interest. Bare soil dominated the landscape at every date (92.6–95.7%) and vegetation stayed below 7%, indicating that canopy-based metrics underestimate disturbance in this setting. The clearest change was hydrological: an inland water body shrank from 1.02 ha in 2020 to 0.40 ha in 2026, a 60.6% loss. This individual inland water body, measured directly and independently from the NDWI index, is our primary hydrological observation: the wet feature was smaller in the 2026 image than in the 2020 image and was located near the mapped concession areas, but the available data do not establish the cause of this change. Similar bare-soil and colour index values (BSI ≈ 0.23, CI ≈ 0.79–0.80) were observed in the processed images, while residual seasonal and radiometric differences between the Landsat 8 and DOS-corrected Landsat 9 products cannot be excluded; BSI and CI are treated only as candidate or contextual spectral patterns, so any delineation of the disturbed footprint is provisional and requires confirmation from independent field data. This study illustrates a low-cost exploratory workflow that may support preliminary monitoring in data-scarce arid coastal settings, pending validation with denser time series and field observations. Full article

Food additives are consumed as mixtures in ultra-processed foods, but their independent contribution to glucose dysregulation is difficult to separate from diet quality and food matrix. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and CENTRAL were searched from inception to 30 April 2026, followed by a supplementary PubMed update on 26 July 2026. This critical narrative review integrates epidemiological, human-intervention, animal, ex vivo, and mechanistic evidence. Successive NutriNet-Santé analyses associate several additive co-exposure profiles, emulsifiers, preservatives, food colouring additives, and non-nutritive sweeteners with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, these analyses use substantially overlapping participants, lack independent additive-specific cohort replication, and remain vulnerable to residual confounding. Experimental evidence is strongest for selected emulsifiers and sweeteners, which may alter gut microbiota, intestinal barrier function, inflammatory signalling, or short-term glycaemic responses. No human trial has demonstrated the complete pathway from additive exposure to clinically meaningful insulin resistance or diabetes, and null or compound-specific findings argue against a uniform class effect. Current evidence therefore supports biological plausibility, not causality or additive-specific clinical recommendations. Longer controlled feeding trials should test realistic mixtures while holding the food matrix constant and should incorporate exposure validation, repeated microbiome and metabolomic sampling, intestinal permeability measures, and validated insulin-sensitivity endpoints. Full article

Research on wine perception shows that extrinsic information can alter reported sensory perceptions. This study adopts a repeated measures design to quantify how label information affects perceived quality relative to blind tasting. Forty-five adult tasters evaluated eight PDO Málaga wines in two tasting contexts: blind and label-informed conditions. Participants rated the perceived quality of aroma, colour, and flavour using 5-point scales, capturing evaluative judgments rather than intensity. Mean global sensory scores and attribute-level evaluations were analysed to assess context-related effects. The results reveal a robust and consistent effect of informational context: label disclosure systematically increased perceived quality ratings compared with blind tasting. Difference-based analysis (informed − blind) indicates that this effect varies across wines and attributes, acting primarily as an amplification mechanism rather than fundamentally altering relative evaluations. At the same time, colour wines were clearly differentiated under blind conditions, confirming the presence of intrinsic sensory variation independent of contextual cues. Sensory attributes showed strong correlations (r > 0.95), indicating an integrated perceptual response, but also suggesting limited discriminant capacity among attributes and a tendency toward global evaluative judgments. No statistically significant differences were observed between consumers and sommeliers, although subgroup comparisons should be interpreted with caution given the limited size of the expert sample. Overall, the findings are consistent with expectation-driven perception, in which labelling cues correlate (r > 0.95), indicating an integrated perceptual response; however, this also suggests limited discriminant capacity between attributes and a tendency toward global evaluative judgments. No statistically robust differences were observed between consumers and sommeliers, although subgroup comparisons should be interpreted with caution due to the limited size of the expert sample. The study suggests the relevance of aligning sensory profiles with extrinsic communication strategies in wine marketing and PDO contexts, while acknowledging limitations in sample composition, measurement scales, and the use of self-reported sensory ratings. Full article

Milk preservation requires technologies that extend shelf life while minimising undesirable changes in product quality. This study compared the effects of pasteurisation, sterilisation, and high hydrostatic pressure processing (HHP) on the physicochemical properties and protein profiles of raw whole bovine milk. The samples included untreated raw milk as the control, pasteurised milk (72 °C for 42 s), sterilised milk (121 °C for 15 min), and HHP-treated milk processed at 300, 400, 500, or 600 MPa for 5 min. Colour, pH, rheological behaviour, SDS-PAGE, and Native-PAGE were evaluated. Sterilisation caused the greatest total colour difference (ΔE* = 13.95), whereas pasteurisation resulted in a barely perceptible change (ΔE* = 0.64), and HHP-treated samples showed perceptible but lower colour differences (ΔE* = 3.42–3.97). Sterilisation also caused the most pronounced pH decrease and the highest shear stress values over most of the measured shear-rate range. SDS-PAGE profiles of raw and HHP-treated milk remained broadly similar, while Native-PAGE revealed pressure-dependent reductions in native β-lactoglobulin band intensity, particularly at 500 and 600 MPa. Pasteurisation and 600 MPa treatment reduced the κ-casein-associated band intensity by 54% and 58%, respectively. Overall, HHP induced less pronounced physicochemical and electrophoretic changes than sterilisation, although higher pressure levels caused measurable protein restructuring. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of milk type, UV-C treatment condition and refrigerated storage on selected quality characteristics of ayran. Cow and buffalo milk was standardised to 1.5% fat and subjected to UV-C treatment at flow rates of 20 or 40 mL/min, corresponding to calculated nominal doses of 54 and 27 J/mL, respectively. Conventionally pasteurised milks were used as controls. During ayran production, all samples were subsequently heated at 90 °C for 5 min, fermented to pH 4.30 and stored at 4 °C for 14 days. Physicochemical, instrumental textural, colour, starter culture and organic acid characteristics were evaluated during storage. The measured responses varied according to milk matrix, UV-C treatment condition and storage duration, and no single treatment was consistently favourable for all parameters. At day 14, C20 showed the highest dry matter content (5.12%), firmness (15.43 g), consistency (292.32 g·s) and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus count (7.52 log CFU/mL). In contrast, B40 showed the highest Streptococcus thermophilus count (8.14 log CFU/mL), lactic acid concentration (15,092.95 mg/kg) and concentrations of most of the other organic acids evaluated, whereas C20 showed the highest acetic acid concentration (1122.14 mg/kg). During storage, pH, dry matter, citric acid, ascorbic acid and starter culture counts generally decreased, while most other organic acids increased. Instrumental colour parameters also changed according to treatment group and storage duration. These findings provide preliminary laboratory-scale evidence that UV-C pretreatment can influence selected quality characteristics of ayran. However, because UV-C-treated samples subsequently underwent thermal processing, the results represent a combined UV-C and thermal processing sequence rather than an exclusively non-thermal process. Sensory acceptability, pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms, oxidative stability, extended shelf life, and scale-up performance should be evaluated before practical application is considered. Full article

Satellite-based remote sensing has become an essential tool for territorial monitoring and environmental analysis, particularly in the context of extreme events. The European Union’s Copernicus Programme provides open-access satellite data that support near-real-time environmental assessment. Among its missions, the Sentinel-2 satellites, equipped with the Multispectral Instrument (MSI), offer high spatial and spectral resolution through 13 spectral bands, enabling the detection and monitoring of water quality parameters in inland and coastal water bodies. In early May 2024, intense rainfall events in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, triggered one of the most severe flooding episodes recorded in the region over the past 40 years. The objective of this study is to assess the environmental impacts of this event by mapping the flooded areas and analysing changes in water quality using Sentinel-2 imagery. Sentinel-2 Level-1C (Top-of-Atmosphere) products were processed using the Copernicus Browser to evaluate variations in coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Temporal analysis based on true-colour composite images allowed the observation of a significant increase in water extent over a seven-day period. Temporal comparison of Sentinel-2 images acquired before, during, and after the flood consistently showed a progressive expansion of inundated areas, accompanied by spatially coherent increases in satellite-derived CDOM and DOC indicators during the flood peak, followed by a partial decrease after flood recession. Although no simultaneous field measurements were available for quantitative validation, the observed spatial–temporal patterns consistently indicate flood-induced deterioration of water quality. Elevated CDOM and DOC levels are commonly associated with increased organic matter inputs and may have implications for water availability and suitability for human and animal consumption. Given the expected increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events driven by climate change, this study highlights the importance of satellite-based remote sensing for rapid environmental monitoring. The Sentinel satellite constellation demonstrates strong potential for near-real-time assessment, offering timely information and broad spatial coverage to support environmental management and decision-making. Full article

Dental composites are ceramic-reinforced polymers; however, their colour stability is crucial for clinical maintenance, as composite restorations are inherently susceptible to colour change over time. In this in vitro study, eighty standardised 3D-printed samples were fabricated, filled with one of two supra-nanospherical resin composites, divided according to two polishing protocols (standard and reduced), and immersed in black tea with or without sugar for 28 days, after which they were repolished. Colour measurements were performed using a spectrophotometer at baseline (T₁), after tea immersion (T₂), and after repolishing (T₃). Statistical analysis was performed using a three-way repeated-measures mixed ANOVA followed by a Bonferroni post hoc test. The colour outcomes were interpreted against the CIEDE2000 50:50% perceptibility threshold (PT₀₀ = 0.8) and acceptability threshold (AT₀₀ = 1.8). Given the constraints of this in vitro investigation, all specimens exhibited initial discolouration (ΔE₀₀1 = 5.85 ± 1.63) that exceeded the acceptability threshold. Following repolishing, overall discolouration was significantly reduced (5.64 ± 1.46), achieving a final recovery (ΔE₀₀3 of 0.92 ± 0.56) near the perceptibility threshold. Although Tokuyama PALFIQUE^® LX5 might have exhibited lower ΔE than Estelite^® Alpha, the choice of composite had no statistically significant impact. Conversely, polishing methods and sugar content significantly influenced the outcomes (p < 0.05). Specifically, the standard method consistently resulted in final residual colour differences below the perceptibility threshold (ΔE₀₀3 ≤ PT), whereas the reduced method resulted in values exceeding this threshold. Furthermore, exposure to sucrose resulted in significantly greater residual staining post-treatment compared to plain black tea. Within the limitations of this in vitro study, the findings suggest that while composite selection between similar supra-nanospherical resins does not significantly affect aesthetic longevity, the standard method effectively maintains final residual colour shifts within imperceptible clinical boundaries. Moreover, dietary sucrose may contribute to greater permanent residual staining after repolishing. Nonetheless, as these observations derive from an in vitro model lacking a natural salivary pellicle and biofilm, clinical in vivo validation is required before direct extrapolation to daily dental practice. Full article

In this study, the effect of five natural plant modifiers, i.e., clove, ginger, dandelion, stinging nettle, and quinoa, on the surface and optical properties of epoxy coatings based on the Epidian^® 5/IDA system was evaluated. The modifiers were introduced in a constant amount of 3.0 wt.% of the total sample mass. The samples were subjected to short-term UV-Vis (460 nm), UVB (320 nm), and UVC (254 nm) exposure, followed by measurements of Ra/Rz roughness, CIELAB colour, gloss, Raman spectra, reflectance, light transmittance, and moisture resistance under condensation conditions. The addition of modifiers increased the roughness compared with the reference coating, particularly in the case of the coating containing dandelion (R_a = 2.110 µm; R_z = 8.463 µm in the series without UV exposure), whereas UV exposure in many cases led to partial smoothing of the surface. The greatest colour change was observed after UVB irradiation for the coating containing quinoa (ΔE* = 7.10), with a simultaneous increase in the yellow component Δb*. The 60° gloss was strongly dependent on the type of additive; the lowest values were recorded for dandelion, and relatively higher values for clove and ginger. Raman spectra confirmed the presence of bands typical of plant components, while reflectance revealed the greatest sensitivity of changes in the UV range. The condensation test after 500 h showed that plant modifiers may deteriorate the barrier properties of the coatings, particularly in the case of nettle, dandelion, and clove. The results indicate that plant modifiers are promising additives for modifying the properties of epoxy coatings, but their application requires control of particle size, dispersion, and compatibility with the matrix. Full article

Potato starch extrudates, chemically modified by a K₂CO₃ catalyst and enriched with two types of edible oils (rapeseed or sunflower) at varying concentrations (3%, 6%, 9%), were used as film substrates. This study was carried out as a continuation of previous research on analogous extrudates in the form of dry powders and liquid solutions. The main objective was to determine surface properties of polysaccharide films as a function of oil type and concentration to monitor their wettability, biocompatibility, and functional characteristics (e.g., transparency, colour, thickness, flexibility, solubility). Advancing and receding contact angles for polar liquids (water and formamide) and non-polar diiodomethane were measured on the base and oil-modified extruded starch films. Based on these measurements, the surface free energy of the films was determined using the contact angle hysteresis (CAH) model. Optical profilometry confirmed the wettability results through surface morphology and roughness evaluation. Additionally, FTIR analysis of the films was compared to the FTIR spectra of extruded starch powders. Combining these methods provided an in-depth characterization of the films, thereby improving control over their stability and wettability, which is essential for applications in the pharmaceutical and food industries to extend product freshness and enhance resistance to oxidation and spoilage. Full article

Background/Objectives: Malnutrition among older adults, particularly those in aged care, is a major contributor to morbidity and healthcare costs. Reduced visual contrast sensitivity, common with ageing and dementia, may impair the ability to distinguish food from tableware, potentially leading to decreased intake. This systematic review examined whether enhancing visual contrast in the dining environment improves dietary intake in older adults. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, five databases were searched from inception to March 2025. Studies were eligible if they involved adults aged ≥65 years and used visual contrast interventions (e.g., coloured tableware, lighting adjustments) aimed at improving food or fluid intake. A narrative synthesis was conducted, and study quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: Of 2901 records screened, four studies (five reports) met the inclusion criteria, involving a total of 64 participants. All studies implemented visual contrast enhancements, including high-contrast dishware and environmental modifications. Most reported increases in food or liquid intake, though statistical significance varied. Some studies also evaluated mealtime behaviours, functional abilities, and food waste, with mixed findings. Methodological limitations, including small sample sizes, short interventions, and inconsistent reporting limited the strength of evidence. Conclusions: Limited and low-quality evidence suggests a possible effect of modifying the dining environment to improve visual contrast for enhancing dietary intake in older adults, with visual contrast sensitivity, particularly those with dementia. However, the evidence gap is large and remains inconclusive. Future well-powered trials with standardised interventions and outcome measures are needed to determine whether these strategies can meaningfully reduce malnutrition in aged care settings. Full article

The gaze information channel paradigm models fixation sequences as a first-order Markov chain and quantifies gaze behaviour through Shannon entropy and mutual information (MI), where $I(X;Y)$ measures the reduction in uncertainty about the next fixation state given the current one. This paper extends the framework by introducing two new channels: the saccade amplitude channel, which discretises saccade angular distance into three categories (short, medium, long) with a four-category variant also analysed, and the pupil diameter channel, which discretises fixation-period pupil size into three categories. Both are applied to 10 observers viewing 12 Van Gogh paintings. The amplitude channel shows that observer-driven variation exceeds stimulus-driven variation. The pupil channel yields the highest $I(X;Y)$ among the two new channels ($0.489\pm 0.209$ bits per participant), consistent with the slow dynamics of pupil responses. Goodness-of-fit tests confirm significantly non-random sequential structure in both channels ($p<0.01$) for all pooled matrices. A simultaneous cross-channel association analysis across all five channels finds that 19 of 20 pairwise Spearman correlations are non-significant; the single nominally significant result (pupil–duration, $\rho =+0.697$, $p=0.025$) does not survive Bonferroni correction and is not robust to outlier removal. Two theoretical observations are presented: an upper bound on conditional entropy in terms of transition persistence (Proposition 1), and a refinement monotonicity result showing that finer discretisation cannot decrease channel MI (Remark 2). An exploratory comparison with five computational aesthetics measures finds a nominally significant negative correlation between pupil $I(X;Y)$ and Bense’s palette redundancy ($\rho =-0.692$, $p=0.013$, uncorrected), suggesting that diverse colour palettes are associated with stronger sequential pupil dynamics; permutation entropy and statistical complexity show no association with any channel. Full article

This study assesses the durability of self-cleaning and antimicrobial activities of dishcloths made of 100% cotton woven fabric modified with TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) and zinc pyrithione particles (ZnPt). The self-cleaning properties were measured as the ability to decompose staining particles via photocatalytic action under UV/VIS light irradiation and confirmed by colour measurements (K/S values, colour differences, and colour changes ΔL*, Δa*, Δb*). The SEM micrographs confirmed the long-term durability of the modification process, and ICP-OES analysis confirmed the presence of Ti and Zn elements on and within the fabric. The amounts of TiO₂ and ZnPt decreased by 2.2–2.5 times after the first 5 washings and by 2.1–1.2 times after the subsequent 45 washings. Antimicrobial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Escherichia coli ATCC 11229 and Candida albicans ATCC 10231. The results indicate that the material maintains excellent self-cleaning properties and good antimicrobial activity for up to 50 washings; however, activity against E. coli remains weak after 30 and 50 washings. Full article

Underwater object detection plays a vital role in marine exploration and resource exploitation. However, complex underwater environment leads to severe color deviation, blurring, and information loss of small targets, which greatly restrict detection performance. To address these problems, this paper integrates the Channel Attention and Spatial Attention Block (CASAB) attention mechanism into residual blocks based on generative adversarial networks to correct color distortion and improve the clarity of degraded underwater images. For underwater small object detection, MobileNetV2 is selected as the backbone network within the Faster R-CNN framework, and a multi-scale feature fusion strategy is adopted to reduce feature loss caused by repeated downsampling. In the detection head, coordinate attention and parallel dilated convolution are further integrated to suppress background noise and expand the receptive field of feature extraction. Experimental results on the Underwater Robot Professional Contest (URPC) dataset demonstrate that the proposed method yields gains of 10.06%, 9.43%, and 12.29% in three evaluation metrics: Underwater Image Quality Measure (UIQM), Underwater Colour Image Quality Evaluation (UCIQE) and Natural Image Quality Evaluator (NIQE), together with 7.81% in Mean Average Precision (mAP) and an 8.57% increase in Mean Recall (mRecall). These results demonstrate the effectiveness of all improvements. Full article