Search Results (3,011)

Red blood cells (RBCs) are sensitive biomarkers of human health, influenced by urbanization and agricultural exposures. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) within an exposome framework, we examined RBC morphology in residents of an industrialized area of Thessaloniki, Greece, and in a rural population primarily exposed to agricultural stressors. Blood samples and questionnaires covering demographics, lifestyle, and environmental factors were statistically analyzed. SEM revealed moderate morphological alterations without significant differences between groups. Observed features were associated with longer residence duration and suboptimal nutrition, suggesting subclinical cellular stress. Integrating these findings into exposome research may clarify cumulative industrial and agricultural impacts on RBC morphology. Full article

Landfill tire fires are complex environmental disasters generating toxic pollutants with severe health risks. This study quantified emission dynamics and toxicological consequences of a large-scale tire fire in an urban ecosystem. A comprehensive source-to-receptor approach was applied, integrating Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) atmospheric dispersion modeling with comparison against air quality monitoring data. Soil samples collected from the fireground and surrounding urban allotment gardens were analyzed for tire-specific tracers (Zn) and 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Human health risks were assessed using Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR), Toxic Equivalency Quotient (TEQ), and Mutagenic Equivalency Quotient (MEQ) metrics. Fire emissions were dominated by particulate matter (PM₁₀: 1.34 t) and PAHs (17.7 kg). Soil at the fire site showed severe contamination (Σ PAHs: 148.9 mg/kg), with benzo[a]pyrene as the primary carcinogen. The cumulative ILCR for children reached 9.7 × 10⁻⁴, exceeding the commonly used upper regulatory benchmark of 10⁻⁴. Dermal contact was identified as the dominant exposure pathway for pyrogenic PAHs. Elevated risk levels persisted at distal residential sites (ILCR: 10⁻⁵–10⁻⁴), indicating long-term environmental contamination Ecological risk quotients (RQ) exceeded unity for PAHs across all fire-impacted locations and for Zn and Cu in the immediate vicinity of the fire scene. These findings demonstrate that acute tire fire events can evolve into persistent terrestrial health hazards, highlighting the critical role of dermal exposure in PAH uptake and the need for long-term environmental monitoring and adaptive land-use management strategies to mitigate chronic health risks in urban populations. Full article

Sustainable public access to rock art caves requires an evaluation of how visitor presence alters cave microclimates. This study analyzed the response of Santián Cave (Cantabria, northern Spain) to controlled experimental visits conducted during the seasonal phase of reduced cave ventilation and elevated background CO₂. Visitor impact showed a strong spatial contrast: Sector I exhibited only minor thermal anomalies (0.01–0.02 °C), whereas the inner decorated sector recorded mean increases of 0.11 °C in Conjunto I and 0.28 °C in Conjunto II, with a maximum of 0.37 °C. CO₂ showed the clearest cumulative behavior, with daily increases of 268–368 ppm in Conjunto I and 327–376 ppm in Conjunto II, incomplete overnight recovery, and delayed propagation into connected sectors. Suspended particles also increased with visit intensity, from values below 300 particles L⁻¹ for spaced groups of five visitors to a maximum of 686 particles L⁻¹ and recovery times of 13.6 h for consecutive groups of 6–8 visitors. The results show that the most stable cave areas are highly sensitive to visits, cumulative effects become significant without adequate recovery time, and CO₂ serves as the best short-term indicator for access management. The proposed thresholds should be considered preliminary and seasonally dependent. Full article

Introduction: Long-term ecological changes in estuarine communities are primarily driven by anthropogenic and environmental pressures. While abundance-based indicators are commonly used to assess these shifts, they often mask underlying ecological aspects related to age and/or size dynamics that may not necessarily be reflected in the abundance-based approach. Objective: This work tested a size-based indicator approach to examine the long-term changes in the size structure of the Mondego estuarine fish community (Portugal), using a 22-year dataset (2003 to 2025). Methodology: To capture the whole size structure, eight size-based indicators were applied, including mean length (MeanL), length at the 10th percentile (L10), median length (MedianL), length at the 90th percentile (L90), mean length of the 90th percentile (Lmax), size spectrum, the Large Fish index, and the Shannon index of length classes, at community and species levels and subsequently considered these in relation with with local and large-scale environmental factors. Results: Linear models identified a sharp, consistent decline in the overall size of the community, significantly correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAO) and increasing estuarine water temperatures. A dynamic factor analysis (DFA) further identified one common trend across species for all indicators, corroborating the decrease in the overall size of the community while also acknowledging contrasting responses from different species, suggesting a heterogenous response across the fish community. Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of size-based indicators when assessing long-term ecological changes in marine ecosystems, allowing us to better understand how size structures shift, their relationship with a changing environment, and the long-term ecological outcomes in terms of community stability, resilience, recruitment, and ecosystem functioning. Full article

Non-thermal millimeter-wave (MMW) irradiation represents a promising non-invasive strategy for cancer therapy, yet its effects in physiologically relevant 3D systems remain poorly defined. Here, we evaluated the biological impact of MMW exposure in 3D non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) spheroids (NCI-H1299, A549) and normal WI-38 fibroblasts under active cooling to suppress bulk heating. We demonstrate that cellular responses are governed primarily by power density (PD), irradiation geometry, and genotype-dependent susceptibility. High-PD pyramidal horn (PH) irradiation (~4.9 mW/cm²) induced rapid apoptosis, metabolic collapse, and near-complete loss of clonogenic survival, whereas lower-PD waveguide (WG) irradiation (~0.6 mW/cm²) produced depth-limited, cumulative cytotoxicity. Surviving cancer cells exhibited robust senescence-associated growth arrest, particularly in p53-deficient NCI-H1299 cells, indicating a dual apoptotic–senescent anti-proliferative response. In contrast, WI-38 fibroblasts showed minimal apoptosis and only transient stress-associated senescence, confirming selective tumor vulnerability. Mechanistic modeling suggests that MMW energy couples to glycan-rich membrane domains, generating localized electromagnetic hotspots that trigger calcium influx, mitochondrial dysfunction, and depth-dependent apoptosis. These findings establish a mechanistic basis for selective, non-thermal MMW-induced cytotoxicity in 3D NSCLC models and support further preclinical development of MMW-based therapeutic strategies. Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of varying inclusion levels of soybean hull pellets (SHP) with annual ryegrass baleage (BAL) on animal performance and digestive kinetics in beef cattle. In Experiment 1 (Exp. 1), 60 weaned mixed-sex beef calves were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: 0.0%, 0.5%, or 1.0% body weight (BW) SHP with ad libitum access to BAL for 48 days (d). Animal performance, including BW, dry matter intake (DMI), and average daily gain (ADG), was evaluated for the duration of the study. In Experiment 2 (Exp. 2), six ruminally cannulated beef steers received the same treatments utilized in Exp. 1. Steers were dosed with ytterbium (Yb)-labeled BAL to evaluate ruminal passage rate across three 24 d periods. All data were analyzed using SAS 9.4. In Exp. 1, total BAL intake decreased in calves supplemented with SHP, while cumulative ADG increased from 0.30 (0.0% BW SHP) to 0.54 (0.5% BW SHP) and 0.74 kg/d (1.0% BW SHP), respectively. Final BW at D47 also increased as SHP inclusion increased. In Exp. 2, ruminal retention time decreased from 38.0 h (0.0% BW SHP) to 15.1 h (1.0% BW SHP), while cecum-to-proximal colon passage rate did not differ among treatments (p = 0.06). Baleage DMI did not differ between treatments. Results suggest that SHP supplementation improved calf performance despite reduced BAL intake in Exp. 1, with the greatest cumulative ADG observed in calves supplemented with 1.0% BW SHP. In Exp. 2, 1.0% BW SHP produced the greatest effects on passage rate kinetics, while BAL DMI was unaffected by SHP supplementation. Full article

Background: Healthcare-associated bloodstream infections (HABSIs) are among the main categories of nosocomial infections. This analysis aims to identify the clinical characteristics of patients in the emergency department (ED) who will develop a HABSI during their hospital stay. Methods: Main outcome measures were HABSI and the cumulative survival rate at 30 days. The features tested in a logistic model were age, sex, vitals by the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), priority levels, main complaints, comorbidities by the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), trauma-related disease, main diagnosis and ED length of stay. Results: In 414 (2.3%) out of 18,304 patients, aged 75 (16) years, mean (SD), a diagnosis of HABSI was recorded. HABSIs occurred in subjects with main diagnosis of diseases of the respiratory system (N = 116; 28.0%), digestive system (N = 72; 17.4%), and circulatory system (N = 68; 16.4%). The main key clinical features selected by the logistic model were: NEWS > 6, diagnosis of neoplasms, CCI > 4, and diagnosis of diseases of the digestive system. The ROC curve for the HABSI risk score was 0.703 ± 0.027 in predicting the outcome, (sensitivity 79%, specificity 51%, at optimal cut-off score). The overall hazard mortality risk was twofold higher in patients with HABSIs (hazard ratio: 2.319; 95% confidence interval: 1.871–2.875; p-value: <0.001). The overall 30-day survival rate was lower among patients with HABSIs (33%) vs. non-HABSI patients (62%). Conclusions: A group of main clinical features in subjects without suspect of infectious disease in the ED are associated with HABSIs. These features negatively impact survival rate during hospital stays. Full article

Organic vegetable cultivation requires soil management strategies that improve carbon balance and suppress soilborne diseases. This study evaluated the efficacy of acidified microbial biochar pellets (ABPM) in enhancing net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) and suppressing clubroot disease (Plasmodiophora brassicae) during organic Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis) cultivation. In a field-scale evaluation, three treatments were compared: guano fertilizer (control), ABPM 27 (inoculated with Pseudomonas fluorescens 22BCO027), and ABPM 86 (inoculated with Bacillus megaterium 22BCO086). Soil incorporation of ABPM 27 and ABPM 86 significantly increased soil carbon sequestration by 29.1% and 22.4%, respectively, while simultaneously reducing cumulative greenhouse gas emissions under the experimental conditions. This resulted in positive NECB values of 2.63 and 2.94 t CO₂-eq ha⁻¹, suggesting enhanced carbon retention potential within the studied cultivation system. Beyond its impact on carbon dynamics, ABPM 27 increased marketable yield by 8.6% (77.4 t ha⁻¹) and reduced clubroot incidence by 46.2%. Rhizosphere microbial analysis revealed that ABPM 27 promoted late-season microbial diversity and the persistence of beneficial Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. populations. These findings suggest the potential multifunctional role of microbially engineered biochar pellets in improving crop production, carbon retention, and pathogen suppression under organic cultivation conditions. However, these findings are based on a single-season field experiment and NECB-based carbon balance estimates, and therefore require validation across multiple growing seasons and cultivation environments. Full article

Introduction: Synthetic cathinones (SC) are an emerging class of neuroactive contaminants increasingly detected in aquatic systems due to their widespread recreational use. Their continuous release at ng–µg L⁻¹ levels is particularly concerning, as these compounds are specifically designed to alter neural function, raising the likelihood of subtle yet ecologically relevant effects in non-target organisms. Among them, 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is one of the most-reported SC in wastewater and surface waters. Nevertheless, its chiral nature has been largely overlooked in ecotoxicological studies, despite growing evidence that enantiomers can differ markedly in biological activity, potentially leading to underestimated environmental risks. Objective: The ecotoxicological impact of racemic MDPV ((R,S)-MDPV) and its separate enantiomers ((R)-MDPV and (S)-MDPV) were examined using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model, focusing on survival and embryonic development. Methodology: Zebrafish embryos, at approximately 3-hours post-fertilization (hpf), were exposed over 96 h to environmentally relevant concentrations of MDPV forms (0.18−2.8 μg L⁻¹). Each treatment and control group included 50 animals distributed across 5 replicates. Mortality was assessed at multiple developmental stages (7, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h), along with cumulative mortality. Developmental endpoints included spontaneous movements (24 h), heartbeat (48 h), and hatching rate (48 and 72 h), quantified using stereomicroscopy and video analysis. Results: MDPV showed concentration and enantioselective effects, with (S)-MDPV being the most toxic. Behavioral and cardiac responses varied across forms, while hatching depended on concentration and time without a clear enantioselective pattern. Conclusions: MDPV disrupts early zebrafish development, impairing survival and embryonic development in a concentration-dependent and enantioselective manner, with (S)-MDPV demonstrating greater toxicity. These findings emphasize the importance of considering chirality in the environmental risk assessment of psychoactive contaminants such as SC, as enantiomer-specific effects may influence organism fitness, survival, and broader ecological outcomes. Full article

In the context of global climate change and rapid urbanization, urban outdoor thermal environment issues in summer have become increasingly severe. Shading has been widely recognized as an effective strategy for improving outdoor thermal comfort, yet existing evaluation methods still suffer from limitations in adaptability and accuracy. Taking Chongqing, a typical hot-humid city in China, as a case study, this paper proposes an evaluation method that accounts for human thermal adaptation, introducing three complementary indicators, namely Universal Thermal Climate Index Load (UTCIL), cumulative UTCIL (cUTCIL), and Heat Stress Duration (HSD). Focusing on four shading-related urban canyon morphological factors—orientation, aspect ratio (H/W), building asymmetry, and leaf area index (LAI) of street trees—a series of simulation scenarios was designed to quantitatively explore their impacts on summer outdoor thermal comfort. The applicability and reliability of the ENVI-met model for block-scale outdoor thermal environment simulation were validated by comparing field-measured microclimate data with simulation results. The findings demonstrate that all four morphological factors substantially influence the outdoor thermal environment. Canyon orientation considerably affects thermal comfort, with a 30° clockwise deviation from the north–south yielding optimal conditions, whereas the east–west (90°) orientation produces the poorest thermal environment, with a maximum UTCI of approximately 48.9 °C. For aspect ratio, thermal comfort improves continuously as H/W increases, with the benefit stabilizing beyond H/W = 3.5. Building asymmetry also plays a notable role: raising building height on one side can effectively reduce outdoor thermal stress, and canyons with taller west-side buildings show better thermal performance under the same asymmetry ratio. Furthermore, street tree shading and aspect ratio exhibit a synergistic cooling effect, where high LAI (e.g., 4.77) reduces UTCI_max by approximately 1.8 °C at H/W = 1, but this benefit diminishes as H/W increases. The optimal outdoor thermal environment is achieved through the combination of a high aspect ratio and high LAI. These findings provide a quantitative basis and design references for optimizing outdoor thermal comfort in Chongqing. In addition, the quantitative evaluation proposed method can offer a methodological reference for other hot-humid regions. Full article

The study aimed to analyze how peasant economies in the municipality of Caicedonia recognize, classify, and manage functional biodiversity associated with coffee, plantain, and orange production systems to propose a contextualized framework for species accounting and ecological cost assessment within the coffee ecosystem. A qualitative interpretive approach with exploratory quantitative support was adopted through an exploratory descriptive design and participatory action research methodology. The study integrated 21 semi structured interviews conducted with producers managing approximately 61 associated crop units distributed across diversified farming systems. Data collection included field visits, direct observation, participatory species identification exercises, and thematic interviews focused on ecological functions, agricultural practices, biodiversity management, and perceived environmental impacts. The methodological framework additionally incorporated thematic coding, functional species classification, ecological cost identification, process and strategy mapping, descriptive frequency analysis, and multiple correspondence analysis to explore relationships among crop systems, species, ecological functions, management practices, and environmental pressures. The findings indicate that producers develop consistent empirical classifications regarding pests, pollinators, biological control organisms, and ecological indicators while recognizing cumulative ecological impacts associated with intensive agricultural practices. Quantitative exploration analysis revealed differentiated ecological configurations according to crop system and biodiversity management dynamics, supporting contextualized biodiversity accounting for sustainable agronomic decision making. Full article

Geological disasters are frequently triggered in steep mountainous mining areas due to the coupling effects of underground excavation and slope stability, yet the applicability of traditional rock movement theories in such terrains remains unclear. This study investigates an extremely steep coal mine in southwestern China, integrating engineering geological surveys, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) measurements, InSAR monitoring, and rock movement theoretical calculations to analyze the impact of mining on mountain deformation and slope stability. The results show that the study area exhibits steep slopes (55–85°) and gently inclined, reverse-layered rock masses controlled by structural fracture zones, creating a geological environment prone to mining-induced landslides. The 1151 working face lies at a depth of 286–470 m, with a protective coal pillar of approximately 160 m left between the excavation and the cliff zone. InSAR monitoring indicates cumulative LOS deformation rates of −0.98 to 0.55 cm/a, with subsidence concentrated above the working face, while existing landslides in the cliff zone show no significant deformation. Comparison between theoretical calculations and InSAR inversion reveals that InSAR boundary angles (downslope 61–68°, upslope 67–73°) exceed theoretical predictions (downslope 48–52°, upslope 55°), indicating that complex topography and rock mass structure constrain mining-induced deformation propagation. The findings demonstrate that appropriately designed protective coal pillars and avoidance of unstable slopes can effectively mitigate the impact of mining-induced disturbances on existing hazards. This study provides valuable reference for landslide risk assessment and disaster prevention in extremely steep mining regions. Full article

We present a path-based curvature representation of the gravitational bending of light in black-hole (BH) spacetimes. The bending angle is written as a one-dimensional line integral of the optical Gaussian curvature ${\mathcal{K}}_{\mathrm{opt}}$ along the photon trajectory, weighted by a geometric kernel $W(r,b)$. This representation sits within the Gibbons–Werner Gauss–Bonnet (GB) optical-geometry family rather than alongside it: the kernel is fixed by a co-area reduction of the GB surface integral along an undeflected reference path, and the single new computational object is the resulting radial integral together with its cumulative, directly plottable reading of how the deflection builds up along the ray. With the lever-arm choice $W=\sqrt{r^2-b^2}$, the integral reproduces $\hat{\alpha }=4M/b$ for every static, asymptotically flat metric (Theorem 1) and evaluates in closed form for Schwarzschild, Reissner–Nordström (RN), and equatorial Kerr. The representation becomes reliable at a large impact parameter; at the small impact parameters relevant to horizon-scale imaging, it is not numerically competitive with the standard expansions, a limitation we quantify. Beyond leading order the kernel must import information from the bent geodesic, after which the scheme reconstructs the known perturbative series; the second-order mismatch in the lever-arm result therefore measures, rather than hides, the deformation of the photon path away from the straight-line reference. Finite source–observer distances enter through the Ono–Ishihara–Asada (OIA) construction, and a winding-sum continuation outlines the route toward the strong-deflection regime, whose closed-form reduction is left to future work. Full article

The extensive development of high-speed railway (HSR) networks often necessitates construction activities adjacent to operational lines. However, existing studies have mostly focused on the substructure construction phase, lacking systematic consideration of cumulative effects throughout the construction process. This study proposes an integrated framework for risk-informed monitoring throughout the full construction process. The framework integrates the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), triangular fuzzy numbers, and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation to construct a quantitative risk assessment model, decomposing the construction process into hierarchical risk factors and quantifying the weights of each factor. Furthermore, a non-contact real-time monitoring system based on Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is designed and deployed, enabling high-frequency, high-precision three-dimensional pier deformation measurement. Applied to a new bridge crossing the Beijing–Shanghai HSR, the risk model identified pile cap and pier construction as the highest-risk stage (weight: 0.311). The DIC system, validated against total station measurements (relative error < 5%), recorded cumulative pier deformations across 31 construction stages, all remaining within the ±1.2 mm early warning threshold, thereby validating the proposed risk assessment model. The integrated AHP-Fuzzy and DIC framework provides a robust paradigm for proactive risk management, confirming that risk-informed monitoring ensures construction impacts on existing HSR infrastructure remain within safe limits. Full article

Background and objectives: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has become the standard approach for cervical staging in patients with early-stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). Although it demonstrates diagnostic accuracy exceeding 90% in referral centres, the occurrence of false-negative (FN) results undermines oncological safety and adversely impacts patient prognosis. This scoping review aims to synthesise and evaluate the scientific evidence regarding the risk factors and technical errors that underpin FN incidence. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus and Web of Science for studies published between 2000 and 2025, adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Primary clinical and observational studies specifically addressing the variables and aetiology of diagnostic failure in SLNB for early-stage OCSCC (cT1-T2 N0) were included. Results: Twenty-seven studies were included in the final qualitative synthesis. Four critical domains characterising FN risk were elucidated, facilitating risk-stratified selection and surveillance strategies: (1) Clinical and tumour factors: Depth of invasion >4–5 mm, T3–T4 tumour size, and prior cervical anatomical disruption. (2) Surgical factors: Insufficient sentinel lymph node (SLN) harvest (≤2 SLNs), lack of exhaustive lymphatic basin exploration, the initial learning curve, and the exclusive use of non-isotopic tracers. (3) Anatomical factors: Floor of the mouth tumours and the radioactive shine-through effect. (4) Histopathological protocol: Suboptimal ultrastaging, insufficient frozen section biopsy, and limitations in rapid molecular techniques. Overall, studies using standardised protocols report a false-negative rate between 5% and 15%. Conclusions: FN events in SLNB are multifactorial and predictable phenomena, arising from cumulative vulnerabilities along the diagnostic continuum. The technique achieves an optimal diagnostic yield in cT1–T2 N0 cases without prior cervical treatment when applied under optimal conditions. However, methodological heterogeneity in the literature limits the interpretation of the results and partially constrains their clinical application. Full article