Search Results (1,723)

Traditional Miao villages in southwest China are being reshaped by rural modernization, tourism development, and changing everyday practices, creating a need for architectural interventions that accommodate contemporary functions without reducing local culture to decorative motifs. This study examines Jiubai Village in Guizhou Province through the lens of vernacular reinterpretation and develops a design-driven pathway linking the identification of vernacular spatial elements, interpretation of socio-spatial meanings, refinement of design principles, and translation into contemporary architecture. The research combines documentary study, repeated field surveys, morphological and typological analysis, oral-history interviews, informal discussions, and architectural design experimentation. The results reveal a multi-scalar socio-spatial system linking topographic and material adaptation with village-scale collective spaces, ritual practices, and household-scale gathering around the huotang. They also show uneven modernization and the persistence of cultural and spatial values despite functional change. The proposed design intervention translates these relationships through an open collective ground floor, a reinterpreted huotang, terrain-responsive form, timber expression, and layered contemporary functions. This study suggests that relational reinterpretation, rather than formal imitation, may support cultural continuity and spatial sustainability in rural revitalization, while broader environmental, economic, and long-term social sustainability remains beyond the scope of this assessment. Full article

Objective: Implantoplasty smoothens exposed implant surfaces but disrupts the titanium oxide layer, reducing corrosion resistance, increasing ion release, and facilitating bacterial colonization. Restoring a stable and biologically favorable surface is therefore critical. Chemical agents capable of repassivating titanium may enhance surface integrity and antibacterial performance, yet the optimal agent remains unclear. This study evaluated the repassivation effects of common disinfectants on corrosion resistance, ion release, cytotoxicity, and antibacterial activity. Methods: One hundred twenty-eight discs underwent manual implantoplasty and were treated with citric acid (CA), ethylenediaminetetraace acid (EDTA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) or saline (S). Surface topography and wettability were analyzed using white-light interferometry and contact angle measurements. Corrosion behavior was assessed via open-circuit potential monitoring and potentiodynamic polarization in Hank’s solution. Titanium ion release was quantified over 21 days using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in human fibroblast and osteoblast cultures exposed to sample extracts. Bacterial adhesion and viability of Streptococcus sanguinis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy after 24 h and 48 h. Results: H₂O₂ increased surface roughness, while CA and EDTA showed no effect. All agents enhanced hydrophilicity, with CA and H₂O₂ producing the greatest increase in surface energy. CA showed the highest corrosion resistance and lowest ion release. No treatment exhibited cytotoxicity, and all reduced bacterial adhesion, with CA and H₂O₂ showing superior bactericidal activity. Conclusions: CA and H₂O₂ improved surface properties after implantoplasty, with CA providing the most favorable combination of corrosion resistance, minimal ion release and antibacterial effect. Full article

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launches the Saudi Architecture Map, which includes 19 architectural styles for the country’s main regions. These architectural styles are shaped by distinct climatic, material, and cultural determinants across the country. A deep dive into the architectural elements that define these styles reveals many similarities and nuances, making manual classification of modern buildings challenging. Despite the kingdom’s rich heritage, and since the launch of the Saudi Architecture Map and its contained styles and corresponding design guidelines, no operational digital pipeline currently exists for automated, quantitative, and reproducible classification of façade imagery against these styles. This limits heritage documentation and compliance monitoring at scale. This study attempts to fill this gap. We developed a deep-learning classification framework for building façade imagery considering the Saudi architectural styles. We curated a dataset of 3750 façade images, comprising 2320 full-building façade images and 1430 architectural-element images. We collected the data from online heritage repositories. We benchmarked five convolutional backbones (ResNet50, EfficientNetB0, EfficientNetV2M, ConvNeXtBase, and InceptionV3) under a unified two-stage transfer learning strategy. The first stage trained classifier heads on architectural-element images with frozen backbone weights, and the second stage fine-tuned the top 30% of backbone layers on full-building façade images. Among the five CNN backbones, ConvNeXtBase achieved the strongest performance across all four metrics, achieving 90.75% in overall accuracy, 88.06% in F1-Score, 92.05% in producer accuracy, and 86.65% in user accuracy. Ten of the eighteen styles exceeded 90% F1, and two styles—Bisha Desert and Tabuk Coast, both with very small corrected test counts (n = 6 and n = 1, respectively)—fell below 70%. These results indicate that ConvNeXtBase with two-stage transfer learning is a promising step toward automated documentation of Saudi architectural styles. Yet, further validation through ablation testing or calibration is needed before deployment for compliance monitoring. Full article

Forest landscapes used for recreation also provide climate-regulating services that are often absent from spatial planning. We mapped aboveground biomass density (AGBD) and aboveground carbon storage in the Postavaru-Piatra Mare mountain landscape near Brașov, Romania, using a cross-platform remote-sensing workflow. MLS point clouds from 16 plots served as an independent plot-level reference, UAV LiDAR acquired at 70, 120, and 150 m provided airborne comparisons, and GEDI L4A samples, Sentinel-2 predictors, and terrain variables were modelled in Google Earth Engine using Random Forest (RF) and Gradient Boosted Trees (GBT). GBT achieved R² = 0.34 and RMSE = 106.42 Mg ha⁻¹, whereas RF achieved R² = 0.33 and RMSE = 107.45 Mg ha⁻¹. These values indicate limited explanatory power; accordingly, the resulting 25 m maps are interpreted as landscape-scale screening products rather than operational stand inventories. Against MLS, RF produced an RMSE of 79.05 Mg ha⁻¹ and GBT 82.58 Mg ha⁻¹, while UAV estimates were positively biased at all tested flight heights. Mean carbon density peaked at 1200–1400 m and was highest in coniferous forest, whereas broadleaved and tree-cover classes contributed the largest total stock because of their larger area. The RF and GBT estimates differed by 2.3% in aggregated study-area carbon stock. Aboveground carbon storage was the only ecosystem service quantified. The resulting maps should be interpreted as landscape-scale screening layers and as ecological inputs for future studies integrating trail, visitor-use, participatory-mapping or perception data; they do not quantify cultural ecosystem services. Full article

Cross-platform cultural heritage systems must coordinate structured domain data, shared services, real-time 3D representation, and device-specific interaction. This paper presents a metadata-centered architecture for delivering a numismatic collection through responsive web, map, conventional 3D, and immersive WebXR interfaces. It combines a relational metadata and media layer, shared REST-based services, and device-adaptive clients. It was instantiated with 253 historical coins. Instead of storing a coin-specific 3D model for each record, Babylon.js generates lightweight geometry at runtime and maps paired obverse and reverse images onto its surfaces. Record identifiers, metadata, media references, and query logic are reused across desktop, mobile, and head-mounted display access. An implementation-level check confirmed that an updated record was available through the catalog, map-related view, and 3D/WebXR gallery without client-specific duplication. Complementary formative evaluations involved 97 web participants and 19 WebXR participants, with mean System Usability Scale scores of 80.41 and 83.55, respectively. Feedback identified object manipulation, information legibility, visual fidelity, and interaction comfort as refinement priorities. This study contributes a system-level approach that connects shared cultural heritage services with conventional and immersive clients without separate collection databases or content-management workflows. Full article

Contemporary rural public buildings in China are undergoing a critical transition from single-function administrative facilities to multifunctional hubs that integrate public services, industrial support, cultural inheritance, and community interaction. However, existing studies predominantly rely on isolated case descriptions or region-specific practices, lacking systematic synthesis of their functional composition and design mechanisms. To address this gap, this study adopts a qualitative multiple-case analysis of 42 representative rural public service buildings completed after 2018 across China’s five major climatic zones. Through a systematic three-layer coding framework—functional configuration, spatial organization, and environmental strategy—cross-case comparisons were conducted to identify recurring compositional patterns and design strategies. The findings reveal a hierarchical “Three-Core, Six-Auxiliary” functional composition pattern, anchored by convenience, production, and cultural services as cores, supplemented by skills transmission, digital stations, shared storage, exhibition sales, mutual-aid services, and reusable facilities. A four-type design strategy system is distilled: “sharing–activation” for functional complexity, “narrative–identity” for cultural locality, “region–prototype” for climate responsiveness, and “material–craftsmanship” for ecological inheritance. This framework not only clarifies the hierarchical organization between core and auxiliary functions but also demonstrates how these strategies synergistically optimize resource allocation, sustain vernacular heritage, and support low-carbon goals. This study provides a testable and transferable design paradigm, moving rural public building practices beyond empirical intuition toward evidence-based methodological guidance. Full article

Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has reshaped bacterial infectious disease diagnostics, yet important interpretive gaps remain regarding the relationship among molecular detection, cycle threshold (Ct) values, microbial viability, culture findings, and phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility. In particular, Ct values are frequently overinterpreted as direct surrogates for viable bacterial burden, and PCR–culture discordance may be interpreted without sufficient consideration of the distinct biological information provided by each method. This review therefore aims to clarify the complementary biological and analytical roles of PCR and bacterial culture, critically examine the determinants and limitations of Ct interpretation and PCR–culture discordance, and provide a practical framework for integrating molecular detection, culture, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) into clinically and stewardship-informed decision-making. The genotypic lens of PCR (detection of target nucleic acid and resistance genes) is contrasted with the phenotypic lens of bacterial culture and AST, emphasizing that genotype and phenotype distinguish biological layers and account for common PCR–culture discordance. Evidence on Ct variability, assay design, inhibition, and panel scope is synthesized to demonstrate why Ct is inherently assay-specific and non-portable across platforms. Accordingly, MIQE-aligned quality safeguards and assay-specific principles are presented to guide the interpretation of Ct values. Bedside decision tables then integrate Ct patterns, specimen sterility, and patient acuity to support treatment, observation, or additional testing. As a narrative review of heterogeneous evidence, this synthesis does not provide pooled estimates or a uniform risk-of-bias assessment. The proposed Ct categories and clinical framework should therefore be viewed as assay-specific guidance, not universally validated thresholds. Finally, a stepwise workflow is outlined in which PCR is used for rapid rule-in, while culture and AST are retained for confirmation, de-escalation, and dosing. This integrated approach reframes Ct as a qualified signal rather than a standalone truth, supporting faster yet biologically grounded and stewardship-consistent infectious disease management. Full article

Aquatic product safety is closely linked to human health, yet the effects of historical residual drugs in aquaculture pond sediment remain unclear. Malachite green (MG), a prohibited aquaculture drug, is rapidly converted to leucomalachite green (LMG) after illegal use and may persist in bottom sediment, raising the question of whether residue-positive sediment can cause positive detections in fish at harvest. In order to answer this question, we developed a time-dependent predictive model for the sediment–water–fish system based on a food web bioaccumulation model and a sediment–water equilibrium model. The model examines the relationship between historical MG residues in sediment and positive detections in aquatic products, and estimates LMG residue levels in fish at harvest. The reliability of this model was further validated through comparison with measured data. The results showed that when the sediment residue concentration was 227.48 μg/kg, the maximum LMG concentration in fish during the culture period reached 0.56 μg/kg, indicating a positive correlation with fish concentration. The closer the habitat water layer was to the sediment, the higher the risk of positive detection in fish; in the middle water layer, the LMG concentration in fish could reach 0.28 μg/kg, and, under ideal conditions, a two-fold relationship existed between the middle and lower water layers. Sediment organic carbon content determined the amount of LMG released into the water; when it was set to 0.0035, the initial LMG concentration in water was 0.07 μg/kg, showing a negative correlation with fish concentration. This study confirmed that a certain amount of residual malachite green in sediment could cause positive detection in mandarin fish during the culture period, which is consistent with the validation experiment. If the model predicted no positive detection at the pollutant concentration corresponding to the sediment of the positive detection pond, this would indicate that malachite green originated from other sources during the culture process; otherwise, the sediment may lead to the risk of positive detection in fish. One limitation of the model is that it may underestimate pollutant concentrations in fish during the early stages of aquaculture. In addition, its ability to predict the effects of combined pollutant exposure remains to be validated. The model developed here can be used to estimate residue levels of aquaculture drugs during the culture period and may provide regulatory authorities with a basis for distinguishing historical residues from illicit use, thereby improving the efficiency of aquatic product quality and safety supervision. Full article

The continual spermatogenesis throughout adulthood is ensured by a rare and unique cell group named spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), which undergo self-renewal and/or differentiate into sperm cells. SSCs also become a promising genetic source for the protection of animal biodiversity. However, the isolation and culture of SSCs in vitro is still a big challenge and poorly explored in rabbits. The main objective of this study was to isolate, culture, and deeply characterize SSCs obtained from rabbit testes. Briefly, rabbit testicular tissue was mechanically and enzymatically dissociated, and obtained testicular somatic and germ cells were cultured for a short term in culture media supplemented with specific molecular factors maintaining SSC self-renewal and proliferation (GDNF, GFRα-1, FGF2, etc.). Immunofluorescent and PCR techniques were used for molecular profiling of cultured SSCs, while TEM analysis revealed their ultrastructure. After a few weeks, round and grape-like SSC colonies emerged, growing on the feeder cell layer. Rabbit SSCs showed positive staining for DBA, GFRA1, PLZF, RET, PGP9.5, DAZL, and DDX4. Increased expression of additional SSC markers was noticed using RT-qPCR and dd PCR (RET, PLZF, PGP9.5, DAZL, DDX4, CDH1, CD9, CD14, CD90, c-kit, ALDH, SSEA-4, SALL4, OCT4, and SOX2), while ultrastructure typical for primitive undifferentiated cells was observed under TEM. In conclusion, we successfully established a method for rabbit SSC isolation, culture, and phenotyping, which might facilitate their collection for further cryopreservation. However, the self-renewal, proliferative, and differentiation capacities of cultured SSCs still need to be confirmed through an in vivo SSC transplantation experiment. Full article

Post-Byzantine portable icons are complex, multilayered heritage objects whose preservation may be influenced by interactions among their constituent materials, environmental conditions, and associated microorganisms. This study represents the first multidisciplinary investigation of this kind in Greece and examined five painted faces belonging to four post-Byzantine icons using a multidisciplinary approach combining environmental monitoring, stereomicroscopic and cross-sectional examination, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and micro-FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), culture-dependent microbiology, molecular identification, biofilm assessment, amplicon-based metabarcoding, and bacterial functional prediction. The results revealed substantial material and microbial heterogeneity among the examined icons and individual sampling locations. Material characterization revealed differences in the preparation layers, textile reinforcements, pigments, and surface coatings, including calcite, calcium sulfates, kaolinite, Prussian blue, Pb- and Fe-rich pigments, and HgS. Cultivable microorganisms showed variable biofilm-forming capacities. To address the minimal-sampling constraints inherent to cultural heritage objects, amplicon-based metabarcoding was used as a complementary approach to broaden microbial community characterization beyond the fraction recoverable by cultivation. Metabarcoding revealed diverse bacterial and fungal DNA signatures; however, these signatures indicate microbial association and do not, by themselves, demonstrate microbial viability, metabolic activity, or active biodeterioration. No single material- or conservation-related variable consistently explained the observed microbial patterns. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of considering microbial occurrence within the broader context of material composition, environmental conditions, and conservation state. This multidisciplinary approach provides a useful framework for contextualizing potential biological risk and supporting evidence-based preventive conservation strategies for painted wooden heritage objects. Full article

This study presents the technical–scientific investigation of a polychrome wooden sculpture attributed to Neroccio di Bartolomeo de’ Landi (1447–1500), a key figure in fifteenth-century Sienese art whose sculptural practice has remained analytically undocumented. The unpublished sculpture, likely representing Saint Ansanus and originally created in the 1470s, was historically reinterpreted as Saint Lazarus following its relocation to the former Hospital of San Lazzaro in Siena (Italy). A multi-analytical diagnostic campaign was undertaken to clarify its complex stratigraphy, guide conservation decisions, and reconstruct the artist’s original materials and techniques. The study integrated multispectral imaging, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, portable ED-XRF, mechanical stratigraphic assays, and cross-section microscopy, enabling a comprehensive reconstruction of both the original polychromy and subsequent repainting campaigns. Results revealed area-specific original paint systems, including a possible organic red lake on an alumina substrate, stable copper-based blue paint layers, and a sophisticated flesh-tone stratigraphy combining cinnabar-modulated “imprimitura” layers with lead-white-based upper tones. The analytical evidence also documented the material traces of the sculpture’s iconographic recontextualization and its post-industrial interventions, firmly dated by the presence of titanium dioxide associated with an iron-based blue compatible with Prussian blue. The conservation treatment, informed by stratigraphic and analytical data, enabled the selective removal of non-original layers while preserving historically significant early reworkings. The findings provide the earliest material characterisation of Neroccio’s polychrome technique, offering new insight into his workshop practice and laying the foundation for future comparative studies across media. More broadly, the study contributes to the technical literature on Italian Renaissance polychrome sculpture and demonstrates the interpretive value of integrated scientific methods in reconstructing the cultural biography of multilayered devotional artefacts. Full article

Background: Black communities in England experience health inequalities rooted in structural racism, socioeconomic deprivation, and systemic exclusion from health systems that fail to address their specific needs. Digital health technologies offer potential for reducing these disparities, yet the existing evidence reveals an absence of culturally appropriate digital interventions designed with and for Black communities in England. Objective: To synthesise evidence on the structural and cultural determinants of health inequality affecting Black people in England and examine the potential of health apps for delivering culturally appropriate health promotion. Methods: This is a purposive, critical narrative literature review, not a systematic review; it does not aim for exhaustive or fully reproducible search coverage but for a structured, purposive synthesis of the evidence base relevant to four thematic domains. Purposive sampling was used to identify literature across the PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and policy databases. Findings were thematically synthesised around four domains: structural determinants of health inequality; cultural diversity and representation within Black communities; digital inclusion and health app access; and theoretical frameworks for culturally appropriate intervention design. Findings: Three intertwined problems underpin the absence of culturally appropriate digital health tools for Black communities: structural exclusion from health systems; methodological shortcomings of aggregating heterogeneous populations under broad ethnic labels such as BAME; and the systematic exclusion of Black people from digital health design processes. We propose a multi-layered theoretical framework combining the Health Belief Model, Beattie’s community development paradigm, and McCurdie’s user-centred design principles to guide the co-design of a culturally appropriate health promotion app. Conclusions: A culturally appropriate health promotion app for Black communities in England appears to be a promising and potentially feasible direction, provided it is developed through authentic community partnership and grounded in theories that account for structural determinants of health; this conclusion is conceptual, and no user research, prototype testing, or feasibility study has yet been undertaken to confirm it. These are identified as necessary next steps rather than results already achieved. Full article

Background: Adolescence is a critical period for the development of self-determination, yet little is known about how autistic adolescents experience self-determination in non-Western contexts. Objective: This multiple case study explored self-determination among four autistic adolescents in Saudi Arabia through the lens of causal agency theory. Method: Each adolescent completed the Arabic version of the ARC Self-Determination Scale, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with each adolescent, a parent, and a special education teacher. Interview data were analysed using combined inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Results: Self-determination scores varied across adolescents, but all four rated themselves highest in self-regulation and lowest in psychological empowerment. Cross-case analysis of the interviews revealed three interrelated themes: beliefs and perceptions, actions and interactions, and adolescents’ sense of self-determination. The findings show that adults’ beliefs about adolescence, autism and the value of self-determination shaped everyday actions that either expanded or restricted opportunities for autonomy, competence and relatedness. Conclusions: The study extends current research by providing a culturally grounded, multi-layered account of self-determination among autistic adolescents in Saudi Arabia. Full article

Culture-independent techniques are playing a major role in exploring unique and novel microbial communities from complex ecosystems, leading to an outstanding impact on our basic understanding of the tree of life. Microbial communities are not extensively studied in layer chicken housing environments, particularly from the point of view of taxa carrying antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence genes and their functional potential. This study aimed to extract metagenomic-assembled genomes (MAGs) from the Illumina short-reads shotgun metagenomics sequenced data that originated from an Alberta poultry barn environment and then to study host tracking of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and the roles of genes involved in functions related to ammonia production, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-related pathways, sulfur metabolism, methane emission, stress and disinfectant-related pathways. A total of 251 high-quality MAGs were extracted, including 249 bacterial and two archaeal genomes from sequencing data of 30 metagenomic sequencing samples comprising 15 air and 15 manure samples collected from 15-layer farms. Interestingly 22 bacterial MAGs were not classified to species levels using GTDB-based classification. ARGs were mainly harbored by the genera Staphylococcus, Alistepes, Romboutsia, and Enterococcus. Bacteroides is a main taxon carrying ARGs in air samples. Ammonia production-related genes were mainly tracked in Staphylococcus, Ruminococcus and Corynebacterium genera. The assimilatory sulfate reduction genes responsible for sulfur metabolism and hydrogenase-related genes responsible for hydrogen cycling were traced from Staphylococcus originated from both air and manure. The current study provides characterizations of MAGs from a poultry housing environment by linking microbial taxa with virulence, resistance, and metabolic functions. The findings emphasize the role of microbiota in shaping gas emissions and AMR, with implications for poultry health and worker’s safety and the ultimate aim of sustainable poultry production. Full article

To support in situ lunar regolith resource utilization for a lunar base Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS), this study selected the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc commune and halophyte Suaeda salsa (L.) Pall. based on extremophile soil amelioration theory. Three cultivation treatments were established: Nostoc commune monoculture (Group A), co-culture of N. commune and S. salsa (Group B), and S. salsa monoculture (Group C). Stratified sampling (0–0.5 cm surface, 1–1.5 cm middle, 2–3 cm deep) was conducted on day 45 to quantify pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter, total nitrogen, available macro/meso/trace elements, and elemental correlation of plant residues. The results showed that both species survived in lunar regolith simulant; co-culture generated significant synergistic growth promotion for S. salsa. All treatments significantly reduced initial alkaline pH (8.80 ± 0.1). Group A neutralized surface/middle layers most effectively and maximized surface available N/K; Group C exhibited superior surface available P activation; Group B achieved uniform vertical pH/EC regulation and stable carbon–nitrogen residue accumulation. Residual biomass acted as a stable C/N reservoir and altered medium/trace element bioavailability via adsorption and complexation. Group A is suitable for N/K-deficient regolith, Group C for P-limited substrates, and Group B provides comprehensive long-term balanced nutrient supply matching CELSS demands. This study verifies extremophile-based lunar regolith bioremediation and provides differentiated amelioration strategies for lunar in situ resource utilization. Full article