Search Results (6,126)

Amid rapid digital transformation and shifting consumption models, the tailoring industry faces a dual challenge: preserving its artisanal essence while adapting to the expectations of an increasingly digital-oriented clientele. This study introduces a methodological framework for designing buyer personas suited to the contemporary artisanal tailoring ecosystem, offering a structured approach to understanding modern consumer behavior within hybrid physical–digital environments. Using a mixed-methods design and Sastrería Jorge Ospina (Caicedonia, Colombia) as a case study, 378 online surveys—117 from current clients and 261 from potential clients—were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques (Pearson’s χ², p < 0.05). Managerial priorities were concurrently assessed using a multi-criteria decision-making model (TOPSIS) with entropy-based weighting. The analysis identified two consumer archetypes: (1) the Classic Segment—mature clients motivated by tradition, loyalty, and reliability, who value tangible elegance and experiential craftsmanship; and (2) the Digital Segment—young consumers driven by aesthetic trends, convenience, and immediacy, who prioritize online interaction and personalized digital consumption. TOPSIS results highlighted older men (Cᵢ = 1.000) and young women (Cᵢ = 0.870) as the most strategically valuable customer groups. These findings redefine the post-digital tailoring consumer as a hybrid entity guided by artisanal value, hyper-personalization, and digital engagement. Full article

Triazole fungicides are used to protect tomato yield from fungal infection. However, information regarding triazole residues and dissipation profiles is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the behavior, residue dissipation, and potential risks of penconazole (PCZ, 10% EC, 25 cm³/100 L water) and difenoconazole (DFZ, 25% EC, 50 cm³/100 L water) applied during the fruiting stage of tomatoes over 15 days in Mit Al-Qurashi village, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. The study also examined the residue levels of PCZ and DFZ in tomatoes following household preparation methods, as well as the health risks and residue intake associated with these pesticides. Additionally, the impact of PCZ and DFZ residues on macro- and micro-nutrient levels, as well as quality parameters in tomato fruits, was investigated. Our data showed that PCZ and DFZ exhibited dissipation rates recorded at 70.88% and 73.33% after 6 days of application, then increased to 99.74% and 98.25% after 15 days of application, respectively, corresponding to half-lives of 2.08 and 2.78 days. The pre-harvest intervals (PHIs) were determined to be 9 days for DFZ and 12 days for PCZ. Based on risk assessment and Health Risk Index (HRI) calculations, the withholding periods for using treated tomato fruits for human consumption were extended to 15 days for DFZ treatment and reduced to 9 days for PCZ. Notably, tomato fruits treated with PCZ or DFZ could be safely consumed one day after application if processed into paste. However, other forms of processing, including washing with water, acetic acid (5%), and sodium carbonate (5%) for 5 min, significantly reduced the residue levels of the tested fungicides. Moreover, the tested fungicides not only significantly reduced the levels of macro- and micronutrients in tomato fruits but also altered the quality parameters of the tomatoes. These findings could guide the safe and responsible use of PCZ and DFZ in tomatoes, helping to prevent potential health risks to consumers. Full article

Side-Channel-based Anomaly Detection (SCAD) offers a powerful and non-intrusive means of detecting unauthorized behavior in IoT and cyber–physical systems. It leverages signals that emerge from physical activity—such as electromagnetic (EM) emissions or power consumption traces—as passive indicators of software execution integrity. This capability is particularly critical in IoT/IIoT environments, where large fleets of deployed devices are at heightened risk of firmware tampering, malicious code injection, and stealthy post-deployment compromise. However, its deployment remains constrained by the costly and time-consuming need to re-fingerprint whenever a program is updated or modified, as fingerprinting involves a precision-intensive manual capturing process for each execution path. To address this challenge, we propose a generative modeling framework that synthesizes realistic EM signals for newly introduced or updated execution paths. Our approach utilizes a Conditional Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Network with Gradient Penalty (CWGAN-GP) framework trained on real EM traces that are conditioned on Execution State Descriptors (ESDs) that encode instruction sequences, operands, and register values. Comprehensive evaluations at instruction-level granularity demonstrate that our approach generates synthetic signals that faithfully reproduce the distinctive features of real EM emissions—achieving 85–92% similarity to real emanations. The inclusion of ESD conditioning further improves fidelity, reducing the similarity distance by ∼$13\%$. To gauge SCAD utility, we train a basic semi-supervised detector on the synthetic signals and find ROC-AUC results within ±1% of detectors trained on real EM data across varying noise conditions. Furthermore, the proposed 1DCNNGAN model (a CWGAN-GP variant) achieves faster training and reduced memory requirements compared with the previously leading ResGAN. Full article

The efficiency of centrifugal pumps is strongly influenced by impeller blade design; however, studies on double-curvature impellers remain limited. This research evaluates the impact of double-curvature impellers on pump performance through experimental measurements. Five impeller configurations were tested experimentally, and their hydraulic behavior was analyzed at three rotational speeds: 1400, 1700, and 1900 rpm. For each impeller–speed combination, 12 measurement points were recorded, capturing suction and discharge pressures, flow rate, rotational velocity, electrical parameters, and power consumption. Additionally, four impellers with double-curvature designs of 15%, 25%, and 35% were developed to improve flow guidance between blades and enhance the hydraulic performance of the pump. Quantitatively, the double-curvature impellers demonstrated performance improvements over the baseline configuration, achieving increases in hydraulic head of approximately 5–10% and peak efficiency gains of 4–8 percentage points (equivalent to 10–18% relative improvement), particularly in mid-range flow conditions. These enhancements confirm the beneficial role of blade double curvature in reducing internal losses and improving flow guidance. The results were used to derive head–flow and efficiency–flow relationships, demonstrating that specific double-curvature configurations can enhance pump performance compared to the original design. Full article

Ureaplasma species are associated with various reproductive health issues, while human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers. Data on the association between Ureaplasma species and HPV are limited in South Africa. This study investigated the prevalence of Ureaplasma urealyticum (U. urealyticum), Ureaplasma parvum (U. parvum), and HPV coinfection and their associated factors, among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A total of 214 participants were retrospectively recruited, and secondary data on HPV, U. urealyticum, U. parvum, demographics, and sexual behavior were used. HPV was detected using the Roche Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test, while U. urealyticum and U. parvum were detected using Allplex™ sexually transmitted infection (STI) essential Assay. Statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism Version 8.0.1.244. The prevalence of U. urealyticum was 43.9% (94/214) and increased significantly with age (p = 0.036, R² = 0.8497); while U. parvum prevalence was 68.7% (147/214) and was not influenced by age. Having four to six lifetime sexual partners (PR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.04–3.00, p = 0.043) was associated with increased risk of U. urealyticum. A proportion of 36.3% (77/212) had HPV-U. urealyticum coinfection and its risk was increased among those with 3–6 lifetime sexual partners (PR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.10–2.53, p = 0.017), 2–4 new partners past three months (PR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.19–2.42, p = 0.021); vaginal sexual intercourse frequency past 1-month (2–3 vaginal intercourse: PR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.06–2.53, p = 0.037; 4–10 vaginal intercourse: PR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.83–1.91, p = 0.005) and alcohol consumption (PR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.20–3.28, p = 0.004). U. urealyticum positives had a significantly higher risk of HPV types targeted by Cervarix^® HPV vaccine than negatives (PR: 2.56, 95% CI: 1.23–5.37, p = 0.013), Gardasil^®4 (PR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.25–3.75, p = 0.006) and Gardasil^®9 (PR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.25–2.32, p = 0.001). AGYW of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa had high prevalence of U. urealyticum-HPV and U. parvum-HPV coinfections. Ureaplasma species coinfection was associated with HPV prevalence and distribution of genotypes. The U. urealyticum prevalence and its coinfection with HPV were associated with sexual behavior. Data from this study could contribute to the design of sexual health and STI interventions and could serve as a baseline for future epidemiological studies, which include ongoing surveillance of HPV genotype prevalence to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of HPV vaccination programs in the population. Full article

Chronic stress is a major risk factor contributing to cellular changes in the brain that precipitate the emergence of various behavioral changes, including anxiety and anhedonia—symptoms relevant to mood disorders including major depression—however the sequence and trajectory of early molecular changes is poorly characterized. Using the chronic restraint stress (CRS) model in mice (N = 6–8/sex/group), we assessed the impact of 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, or 35 days of CRS at the behavioral level on the emergence of anxiety-like and anhedonia-like phenotypes. While 7 days of CRS was sufficient to induce anxiety-like behaviors in the PhenoTyper test, anhedonia-like deficits in the sucrose consumption test were only observed after 35 days of CRS. We also investigated the underlying molecular changes in the prefrontal cortex, a limbic brain region highly sensitive to stress, using Western blot and qPCR. We found that protein or RNA levels of several markers known to be implicated in the pathology of depression, and markers of synapses (post synaptic density protein 95 (PSD95), synapsin-1 (SYN1), vesicular glutamate transporter-1 (VGLUT1), and gephyrin (GPHN)); GABAergic inhibitory interneurons (somatostatin (SST), parvalbumin (PV), glutamic acid decarboxylase-67 (GAD67), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)); and astroglia (glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), glutamate transporter-1 (GLT1), and glutamine synthase (GS)) were gradually reduced by CRS. Interestingly, all three astroglial markers were negatively correlated with anhedonia-like behaviors, while SYN1 and GPHN negatively correlated with anxiety-like behaviors. GLT1, VGLUT1, SYN1, and GAD67 negatively correlated with Z-emotionality scores. Exploratory between-marker correlations and integrative network analyses revealed that CRS effects might be driven by different compartments (synaptic, GABAergic and astroglial) depending on sex. Our study demonstrates that CRS induces dynamic changes that can be observed at the behavioral and molecular levels, and that male and female mice, while exhibiting similar symptoms, may experience different underlying pathologies. Full article

The adoption of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offers a sustainable pathway to zero-emission propulsion, supporting aviation decarbonization by replacing battery or fossil fuel systems with efficient hydrogen technology. This work presents the development, validation, and application of a comprehensive dynamic model of a 1 kW open-cathode PEMFC system, including complete balance of plant (BOP) and control logic for four cooling fans, a purge valve, and a short-circuit unit (SCU). The model was validated through extensive experiments with step, triangular, and real-world UAV current profiles. Under steady-state conditions, it reproduces stack voltage with a <1 V average error and a temperature of 2.5 °C. Dynamic modeling accurately predicts fan behavior, purge/SCU events, and transient voltage drops. Applied to a 25 min UAV flight, the model quantifies reactant-management impacts: purge events increase H₂ usage by 4.8%, with SCU raising total to 5.6% above stoichiometric consumption. Altitude analysis shows ambient temperature reduction dominates the oxygen partial pressure effects, yielding net cell voltage increase under current-based fan control. These insights underscore explicit BOP and ambient modeling for accurate UAV endurance estimation and strategy optimization, providing a basis for future altitude-chamber validation. By enabling precise BOP dynamics simulation and H₂ optimization, this model advances the achievement of affordable clean energy, facilitating an extended endurance with minimal environmental impact. Full article

Background: Childhood overweight and obesity represent growing public health challenges globally, driven by complex interactions between demographic, behavioral, and familial factors. This study assessed the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among school-aged children and adolescents attending urban schools in the Aseer Region of Saudi Arabia (Abha and Khamis Mushait). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 413 urban school students aged 6–18 years. Anthropometric measurements were obtained using standardized procedures, and lifestyle behaviors were assessed through a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and multivariate binary logistic regression. Variables with p < 0.05 in univariate analysis, alongside conceptually relevant predictors, were included in the final model. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. Results: The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity was high, particularly among older age groups and secondary-school students. Significant associations were found between BMI category and age, school level, parental education, and family history of obesity. Lifestyle behaviors including fast-food consumption, low fruit and vegetable intake, prolonged screen time, and short sleep duration showed strong relationships with overweight/obesity. In the adjusted model, key predictors included frequent fast-food intake (AOR = 2.74), low fruit/vegetable intake (AOR = 2.20), physical inactivity (AOR = 1.70), high screen time (AOR = 2.40), short sleep duration (AOR = 1.55), and positive family history of obesity (AOR = 3.10). Conclusions: Childhood overweight and obesity in the Aseer Region are influenced by both modifiable lifestyle behaviors and familial predisposition. Targeted interventions promoting healthy dietary habits, adequate physical activity, reduced screen time, and sufficient sleep are essential. Preventive strategies should prioritize adolescents and children with a family history of obesity to effectively reduce obesity risk. Full article

Addressing the data scarcity and complex consumption characteristics in mid-to-long-term electricity load forecasting for new canals, this study proposes a novel model based on navigation traffic volume cascade mapping. A multidimensional feature matrix integrating economic indicators, meteorological factors, and facility constraints is established, with canal similarity quantified via integrated constraint optimization weighting to derive multisource fusion weights. These enable freight volume prediction through feature migration using comprehensive transportation sharing. The “freight volume–lockage volume–electricity consumption” cascade then applies tonnage-based mapping to capture vessel evolution trends, generating lockage volume forecasts. Core consumption components are predicted through a mechanistic-data hybrid model for ship lock operations and a three-layer “Node–Behavior–Energy” framework for shore power system characterization, integrated with auxiliary consumption to produce the operational mid-to-long-term load forecast. Case analysis of the Pinglu Canal (2027–2050) reveals an overall “rapid-growth-then-stabilization” electricity consumption trend, where shore power’s proportion surges from 24.1% (2027) to 67.8% (2050)—confirming its decarbonization centrality—while lock system consumption declines from 28.6% to 17.2% reflecting efficiency gains from vessel upsizing and strict adherence to navigation intensity constraints.The model provides foundations for green canal energy deployment, proving essential for establishing eco-friendly waterborne logistics. Full article

This systematic literature review explores the impacts of autonomous and connected mobility systems on sustainable road transportation. The evaluation process involves a multifaceted analysis, encompassing the assessment of their capacity to mitigate accidents, energy consumption, emissions, and urban traffic congestion. As a novel approach, this paper analyses the parameters of user acceptance of technology and how these are reflected in the overall impacts of automated and connected driving. Thus, based on a behavioral intention to use the new technology model, we aim to analyze the state of the art of the overall impacts that may be correlated with individual interests. To this end, a multi-factor approach is applied and potential interactions between factors that may arise are studied in a holistic and quantitative assessment of their combined effects on transportation systems. This impact assessment is a significant challenge, as numerous factors come into play, leading to conflicting effects. Since there is no significant penetration of vehicles with medium or high levels of automation, conclusions are often obtained through simulations or estimates based on hypotheses that must be considered when analyzing the results and can lead to significant dispersion. The results confirm that these technologies can substantially improve road safety, traffic efficiency, and environmental performance. However, their large-scale deployment will critically depend on the establishment of coherent regulatory frameworks, infrastructural readiness, and societal acceptance. Comprehensive stakeholder collaboration, incorporating industry, regulatory authorities, and society, is essential to successfully address existing concerns, facilitate technological integration, and maximize the societal benefits of these transformative mobility systems. Full article

Globally, the consumption of foods containing probiotics has increased significantly due to their well-recognized health benefits, including the modulation of gut microbiota and immune function. However, despite strong scientific support, daily massive adherence to probiotic food remains limited, mainly because of their suboptimal sensory appeal and the huge variability in consumer expectations. Sensory attributes—flavor, aroma, texture, and appearance—strongly influence liking, purchase, and the habitual consumption necessary for probiotics to exert the physiological effects for which they are consumed. The present narrative review explores the complex, multidimensional interplay between sensory features, consumer perception, and probiotic efficacy. By integrating evidence from nutritional science, microbiology, sensory science, and behavioral psychology, we outline how technological innovation and sensory optimization can improve both product acceptability and adherence. We also discuss how cross-modal perception, the cultural framework, and labeling influence hedonic responses. Finally, we highlight emerging directions, such as sensory-driven strain selection, omics-based flavor profiling, and personalized sensory nutrition, as tools to bridge the gap between scientific efficacy and consumer satisfaction. Improving the sensory design of probiotic foods is pivotal to translate microbiome science into meaningful, sustainable dietary behaviors that support the nutrition–gut–immunity axis. Full article

This study investigates sustainable consumption patterns across different generations (Centennials, Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers) and genders in Colombia, an emerging country. Using a quantitative approach, a 38-item questionnaire was administered to 736 participants. Multinomial regression analysis revealed statistically significant differences in sustainable consumption patterns based on generation and gender. Generation Z prefers buying and extending the use of second-hand clothing, while Generation Y focuses on reducing excessive consumption. Generations X and Baby Boomers are motivated by preserving resources for future generations and researching sustainable products before purchasing. Women show a greater inclination toward sustainable consumption than men. These findings contribute to understanding generational and gender differences in sustainable consumption behaviors within an emerging market context. Full article

The current investigation examines pathways linking individual risk factors, namely maladaptive emotion regulation, behavior problems, and drinking motives, with adolescents’ alcohol consumption. In a cross-sectional design, 243 adolescents attending secondary school in Germany completed questionnaires. The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire was used to assess maladaptive emotion regulation, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for assessing internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and the Drinking Motives Questionnaire Revised for assessing the four drinking motives, namely social, enhancement, coping, and conformity motives. Adolescents also reported their daily and problematic alcohol consumption. The path analysis revealed that maladaptive emotion regulation was positively associated with both internalizing and externalizing problems, and all four drinking motives. Externalizing problems were positively associated with adolescents’ enhancement and coping motives, and their alcohol consumption. Internalizing problems were only negatively associated with enhancement motives. Only coping motives were positively associated with alcohol consumption. Moreover, maladaptive emotion regulation had an indirect effect on alcohol consumption, via externalizing problems and coping motives. The findings emphasize the interactions between the risk factors in contributing to adolescent alcohol consumption, underscoring the importance of targeting emotion regulation and coping motives in substance use prevention efforts prior and during adolescence. Full article

This study proposes two optimization models and a column-generation algorithm, applied at the root node, to support tactical planning in sawmills by dynamically generating log cutting patterns aligned with sustainability and efficiency objectives. Starting from an industrial dataset containing 160 cutting patterns, the methodology iteratively incorporates new geometrically feasible configurations guided by the dual prices of a primary model, explicitly considering log supply, product demand, and alternative tactical criteria. Three computational experiments were conducted. The first assesses the convergence behavior of the algorithm and shows reductions in total log consumption of up to 31% as new patterns are generated. The second demonstrates that strategies aimed at minimizing log usage and residues can achieve near-optimal solutions with only 20–25 patterns, since additional configurations provide marginal improvements while increasing setup time and operational complexity. The third experiment confirms that near-optimal performance can be reached with a moderate number of active patterns, facilitating practical implementation in industrial settings. Overall, the proposed methodology offers a flexible and sustainability-oriented decision-support tool for sawmill tactical planning, improving raw-material utilization, reducing residues, and enhancing alignment between supply and demand while maintaining operational feasibility. Full article

Background: Lower urinary tract infections (LUTIs) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have been associated with histamine-producing gut dysbiosis, characterized by an overgrowth of histaminogenic bacteria and opportunistic fungi. This study examines the relationship between histaminogenic microbial imbalance, dietary factors, and LUTIs in women with IBS, emphasizing the potential nutritional contributions to microbiota modulation. Methods: A cohort of 188 women was evaluated by analyzing the intestinal microbiota associated with sporadic and recurrent lower urinary tract infections and irritable bowel syndrome, along with a questionnaire on risky eating behaviors. Results: Dysbiosis was associated with an overgrowth of histamine-producing bacteria (Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp., Clostridium spp.) and Candida albicans, along with a depletion of protective taxa (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium). Dysbiosis, characterized by an increase in histamine-producing bacteria (Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp., Clostridium spp.) and Candida albicans, together with a depletion of protective taxa (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium), has been associated with lower urinary tract infections and irritable bowel syndrome. Regarding the increase in histaminogenic flora, significant associations with dietary factors concerned only the frequent consumption of fast food. Conclusions: These findings highlight the role of histamine-driven dysbiosis in sustaining chronic inflammation and susceptibility to LUTIs and IBS, supporting microbiota modulation as a potential preventive and therapeutic strategy. Full article