Search Results (1,850)

Background: Past studies have documented the antimicrobial effects of dimethyl sulfoxide (D.M.SO). However, the side effects and toxicity profiles of DMSO in vivo have been a significant deterrent for its wide-ranging clinical use. Dimethyl sulfone (DMSO-2), a natural metabolite of DMSO, is currently used as a safe dietary supplement due to its antioxidant properties and multimodal mechanisms of action. While DMSO displays antimicrobial activity, little is known concerning DMSO-2’s antimicrobial effect. Thus, this investigation compares the antimicrobial effects of DMSO and DMSO-2 on the growth and viability of the pathogenic anaerobic bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and their cytotoxic effect on human oral epithelial (OKF6/TERT-2) cells. Methods: P. gingivalis was grown in TSBY media in the presence of DMSO or DMSO-2 (0–4%) for planktonic growth and viability determinations. OKF6/TERT-2 cells were expanded in vitro and similarly exposed to DMSO or DMSO-2 for viability studies. Results: After 24 h exposure to DMSO or DMSO-2, growth of P. gingivalis is inhibited by 57% and 77%, respectively, while viability is inhibited by 55% and 62%. In contrast, 24 h exposure to similar concentrations of DMSO or DMSO-2 induces 5% and 2% cytotoxicity in OKF6/TERT-2 cells, respectively. Conclusions: Both DMSO and DMSO-2 inhibit the growth and viability of P. gingivalis but show minimal toxic effect on OKF6/TERT-2 cells. Therefore, the utility of these two natural compounds as antimicrobial agents against anaerobic pathogens should be further investigated. Full article

Canine prostatic carcinoma is a highly aggressive neoplasm with a strong tendency to metastasize, most commonly to regional lymph nodes, lungs, and bones. However, skeletal muscle and myocardial involvement are rarely reported. This report describes an 11-year-old intact male Maltese dog with a two-month history of anorexia and lethargy, referred for further evaluation after failing to respond to piroxicam therapy. Diagnostic imaging revealed a prostatic mass and multiple rim-enhancing lesions in the epaxial musculature and left ventricular wall, without evidence of metastasis to the lymph nodes, lungs, or other visceral organs. Hemostatic analysis indicated a hypercoagulable state. Postmortem examination confirmed metastatic prostatic carcinoma involving the semispinalis, multifidus, and myocardium. Histologically, the neoplastic cells exhibited similar morphology at the primary and metastatic sites. Immunohistochemistry revealed strong cytokeratin expression and absence of uroplakin III, consistent with a non-urothelial epithelial origin. No evidence of lymphatic involvement was observed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented case of canine prostatic carcinoma with exclusive myotropic and myocardial metastases. These findings suggest a possible hematogenous metastatic route and highlight the importance of including muscle and cardiac tissues in staging protocols for canine prostatic carcinoma, even when lymphadenopathy or pulmonary lesions are absent. Full article

This study combines a multidisciplinary approach to Pyrenean and Alpine glacial lakes to characterize the sensitivity of Late Glacial to Holocene subaquatic flood deposits in deltaic environments to slope failures triggered either by earthquakes, rockfalls, or snow avalanches. To clarify the possible interactions between environmental changes and these natural hazards in mountain and piedmont lakes, we analyze the lacustrine sedimentary records of key historical events and discuss the recurrence of similar regional events in the past. High-resolution seismic profiles and sediment cores from large perialpine lakes (Bourget, Geneva, and Constance) and from small mountain lakes in the French Alps and the Pyrenees were used to establish a conceptual model linking environmental changes, tributary flood sedimentary processes, subaquatic deltaic depocenters, and potentially tsunamigenic mass-wasting deposits. These findings illustrate the specific signatures of the largest French earthquakes in 1660 CE (northern Pyrenees) and in 1822 CE (western Alps) and suggest their recurrence during the Holocene. In addition, the regional record in the Aiguilles Rouges massif near Mont Blanc of the tsunamigenic 1584 CE Aigle earthquake in Lake Geneva may be used to better document a similar Celtic event ca. 2300 Cal BP at the border between Switzerland and France. Full article

Enterprise document management faces a significant challenge: traditional clustering methods focus solely on content similarity while ignoring organizational context, such as priority, workflow status, and temporal relevance. This paper introduces FLACON (Flag-Aware Context-sensitive Clustering), an information-theoretic approach that captures multi-dimensional document context through a six-dimensional flag system encompassing Type, Domain, Priority, Status, Relationship, and Temporal dimensions. FLACON formalizes document clustering as an entropy minimization problem, where the objective is to group documents with similar contextual characteristics. The approach combines a composite distance function—integrating semantic content, contextual flags, and temporal factors—with adaptive hierarchical clustering and efficient incremental updates. This design addresses key limitations of existing solutions, including context-aware systems that lack domain-specific intelligence and LLM-based methods that require prohibitive computational resources. Evaluation across nine dataset variations demonstrates notable improvements over traditional methods, including a 7.8-fold improvement in clustering quality (Silhouette Score: 0.311 vs. 0.040) and performance comparable to GPT-4 (89% of quality) while being ~7× faster (60 s vs. 420 s for 10 K documents). FLACON achieves $O\left(mlogn\right)$ complexity for incremental updates affecting $m$ documents and provides deterministic behavior, which is suitable for compliance requirements. Consistent performance across business emails, technical discussions, and financial news confirms the practical viability of this approach for large-scale enterprise document organization. Full article

This paper examines how sustainable leadership and strategic sustainability integration are framed and supported for SMEs in the EU. We apply comparative document analysis (CDA) to 35 policy, industry, and NGO reports published in 2020–2025 for Germany, Sweden, Poland, and Spain. Multi-level materials (EU, national, industry/NGO) were thematically coded, and the synthesis is presented in a multi-level conceptual framework linking policies, leadership, strategy, barriers, and transferable practices. The analysis indicates systematic differences in institutional maturity: Sweden and Germany display denser, more navigable support ecosystems and clearer leadership narratives, whereas Poland and Spain exhibit greater fragmentation and a more compliance-oriented framing. Instrument menus are broadly similar (grants/co-funding, concessional finance, advisory vouchers, training, standards/toolkits, green public procurement), yet accessibility and measurement strength diverge; outcome tracking (e.g., energy savings, CO₂e avoided) is more consistent in Sweden/Germany than in Poland/Spain. Green–digital coupling is pivotal: sequencing “on-ramps” (advisory/vouchers) into innovation finance accelerates adoption; where such on-ramps are thin, uptake concentrates among already prepared firms. Implications follow for policy design and practice: prioritize simple entry points for micro- and small enterprises, strengthen monitoring with meaningful KPIs, and ensure regional parity in access to finance and advisory. For SME leaders, role-modeling, employee development, and experimentation help embed sustainability when formal structures are lean. Beyond mapping patterns, this study provides an auditable operationalization of sustainable leadership for document analysis and a transferable framework to compare policy mixes and ecosystem readiness across countries. Full article

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a type of biomass composed entirely of cellulose. This characteristic favors the presence of a multitude of active sites, which facilitate the exchange of heavy metals present in polluting effluents. Upon contact with water contaminated with metals such as chromium, arsenic, and lead, among others, this biomass offers a potential solution to the environmental problem of industrial pollutants in water. This is particularly pertinent given the well-documented harmful effects of heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems. In this context, the objective is to determine the impact of temperature on Cr (IV) adsorption using bacterial cellulose biomass as an adsorbent, under different temperature scenarios, similar to the conditions of discharge of contaminated effluents into rivers, lagoons, and wetlands. In this study, the biomass was previously characterized through FTIR and SEM images, and isothermal models were subsequently evaluated along with batch adsorption kinetics. The findings demonstrate that bacterial cellulose biomass has great potential for Cr (VI) removal at various temperatures, with an adsorption capacity of 140 mg/g at high temperatures and a reduction of up to 125 mg/g at low temperatures. The findings of this study constitute a valuable contribution to decision-making when considering the expansion of these treatment processes, facilitating this task by offering a comparative analysis of effluent discharge conditions in relation to various scenarios involving contaminated liquid temperatures. The use of this biomaterial in an environmental sustainability initiative focused on water resource conservation is a very promising prospect. Full article

The European Union air transport sector has been repeatedly exposed to major disruptions such as the 2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and volatile energy prices. Strengthening resilience has, therefore, become a strategic priority. This study examines how strategic energy investments—covering renewable energy, sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), electrification, hydrogen technologies, and advanced infrastructure—contribute to the resilience of the EU air transport system. The methodology integrates both primary and secondary data from EU policy documents, ICAO and IATA databases, Eurostat, and national statistics. A multi-criteria evaluation was applied using four key performance indicators: emission reduction efficiency (ER), annual exposure index (AEI), investment performance index (IPI), and net present value (NPV). Projects were assessed through Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), complemented by sensitivity analysis. The results show that the Pioneer project delivers the strongest environmental and financial outcomes, ranking first in ER, AEI, and NPV. Hermes performs best in job creation and social impact, while BioOstrand achieves substantial absolute CO₂ reductions but lower cost efficiency. TULIPS shows limited effectiveness across all indicators. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that rankings remain robust under alternative weighting scenarios. The findings underscore that project design and alignment with resilience objectives matter more than investment size. Strategic energy investments should, therefore, be prioritized not only for decarbonization but also for their ability to reinforce both technological and socio-economic resilience, providing a reliable foundation for a sustainable and crisis-resistant EU air transport sector. Full article

Background/Objectives: The identification of a decedent through skeletal analysis is dependent on accurate estimation of demographic characteristics, including biological sex. The most well-known sex estimation technique using the pubic bone is the Phenice method. In 2012, it was revised by Klales and colleagues and a logistic regression equation to predict sex was applied. Later, a program that estimates sex from Klales’ scoring with a random forest model, MorphoPASSE, was developed by Klales. Methods: Here we compare the accuracy of the original and revised methods, along with MorphoPASSE, using a contemporary sample of Northern Italians with documented sex. We further test the assertions by Phenice that his method is easy to employ for new observers and that ambiguity can be applied when characteristics do not morphologically fit into the categories of the method. Accuracy, error, bias, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated for each approach, along with McNemar’s tests for paired data, which compared documented sex and estimated sex. A linear weighted Cohen’s Kappa measured the differences in scoring between a new observer and an experienced observer. Results: Phenice’s method achieved higher accuracy (97%) than the Klales method and MorphoPASSE (86% each), as well as higher sensitivity and specificity, and lower error and bias. All McNemar’s tests conducted were not significant. The new observer demonstrated a similar accuracy (93%) to the experienced observer (97%). Furthermore, comparisons of Phenice’s scoring with ambiguity indicate its superior performance for capturing variation over the Klales method and MorphoPASSE. Conclusions: Phenice’s method is recommended in forensic anthropology and bioarchaeological contexts, particularly in Milan. Full article

This paper explores the initial steps of transgenerational language change in exile by comparing the varieties of “Common” Tibetan as spoken by parents born in Amdo, Tibet, and by their teenager children, born in Tibet or in South Asia, who arrived in France at an early age and who have spent all or most of their schooling in France. In these families, the parents speak a variety of Amdo Tibetan as their first language, which does not allow for inter-comprehension with “Common” Tibetan. They have acquired “Common” Tibetan during their stay in South Asia before they moved to France. The paper follows a descriptive approach to analyze the structural (dis)similarities between the parents’ and the children’s varieties of “Common” Tibetan. It also documents intra-generational variation (1) within the parents’ generation, where we can observe a variable extent of retention for Amdo Tibetic features, and (2) within the children’s generation, where variation is usually due more to the (often contact-induced) linguistic changes than to the retention of some of their parents’ linguistic features. Full article

The introduction of Poland (2004) and Croatia (2013) into the European Union presented the challenge of modernising ageing rail rolling stock equipped with DC traction motors, operating under limited financial and technical resources. In both countries, older and modernised vehicles remain largely equipped with DC traction motors: in Poland, about 86% of electric locomotives, 77% of EMUs, 68% of trams, 29% of metro trains (expected to fall to 0% by 2025), and 8% of trolleybuses use this technology. Although these numbers have declined rapidly over the last decade, DC traction motors have played a crucial transitional role, enabling effective modernisation and extending vehicle life while postponing the costly purchase of new AC-motor rolling stock. In 2022, Ukraine became an EU candidate country and faced similar challenges in aligning its transport sector with European standards. This review analyses the re-engineering strategies adopted in Poland and Croatia, focusing on the technical, organisational, and policy measures that supported sustainable fleet renewal. Using a comparative method based on documentation, case studies, and reports (2004–2024), this study shows that re-engineering can extend service life by 15–25 years, reduce energy use by up to 20%, and improve reliability by 30–40%. Recommendations are outlined for Ukraine’s future modernisation strategy. Full article

Background and Objectives: Orthodontic auxiliaries create plaque-retentive niches that may amplify biofilm accumulation and inflame adjacent soft tissues. While cross-sectional comparisons suggest higher palatal burden beneath acrylic elements, less is known about real-world patterns accumulated across years of routine care. We retrospectively evaluated periodontal and palatal outcomes, and, in a microbiology sub-sample, site-specific colonization, across three device types: molar bands, Nance buttons, and removable acrylic plates. Methods: We reviewed 2022–2025 records from a university orthodontic service, including consecutive patients aged 18–30 years with documented pre-placement and 6-month follow-up indices. Groups were bands (n = 92), Nance (n = 78), acrylic (n = 76). Standardized charted measures were abstracted: Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP%), probing depth (PD), and palatal erythema grade (0–3). A laboratory sub-sample (n = 174 visits) had archived swabs cultured for total aerobic counts (log₁₀ CFU/cm²) at the device, adjacent enamel, and palatal mucosa; Streptococcus mutans burden was available from qPCR (log₁₀ copies/mL). Results: Baseline characteristics were similar, except for longer wear at follow-up in Nance (10.1 ± 4.0 months) vs. bands (8.7 ± 3.2) and acrylic (6.9 ± 3.0; p < 0.001). At 6 months, device type was associated with greater worsening of PI and GI (both p < 0.001) and with higher palatal erythema (bands 0.7 ± 0.5; Nance 1.6 ± 0.8; acrylic 1.9 ± 0.7; p < 0.001). Microbiologically, palatal mucosal colonization was lowest with bands (3.3 ± 0.5), higher with Nance (4.9 ± 0.6), and highest with acrylic (5.0 ± 0.7; p < 0.001); S. mutans mirrored this gradient (p < 0.001). Palatal CFU correlated with erythema (ρ = 0.6, p < 0.001) and ΔGI (ρ = 0.5, p < 0.001). In adjusted models, acrylic (OR 6.7, 95% CI 3.5–12.8) and Nance (OR 4.9, 2.5–9.3) independently predicted erythema ≥2; recent prophylaxis reduced odds (OR 0.6, 0.3–0.9). Conclusions: In this single-center cohort, palate-contacting designs were associated with higher palatal biomass and erythema than bands. These associations support device-tailored hygiene considerations and proactive palatal surveillance, particularly for acrylic components. Full article

The apodid sea cucumber Chiridota laevis has been a documented member of endobenthic marine communities in northern waters for over a century and the rare studies available on its biology identify it as distinctive species and promising model for research. The present study sought to elucidate fundamental aspects of its life history that remained unresolved. Adults were determined to be protandric, with individuals primarily demonstrating solely male or female gametes from winter (close to spawning) to the spring and summer months before undergoing a sex change in the fall months. Additionally, gametes of both sexes reached maturity synchronously in late winter (February to March). In mesocosms, free spawning occurred in February, as the temperature reached ~2.0 °C. The negatively buoyant eggs were encased in a sticky casing and fell to the sediment where they adhered to each other to form a mat on the muddy substratum. The realized fecundity was ~15,000 offspring. Development was lecithotrophic, demersal, and abbreviated, characterized by the absence of a pelagic larval stage. Embryos reached the gastrula stage after about 7 days post fertilization; the calcareous ring appeared at 6 weeks, and juveniles hatched from the sticky casing at 7 weeks, immediately becoming endobenthic. The size of late embryos and juveniles remained similar (~350 μm) until they began actively feeding at about 10 weeks of age. Feeding juveniles more than doubled in size in the first week (740 μm), reached 3.5 mm by year one, and measured up to 11 mm by year two. This growth rate suggests that it may take this species up to 7 years to reach adult size at ~24 mm contracted length. Full article

Background: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is the most common valvular abnormality in the general population and has been linked to mitral regurgitation, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Its prevalence and prognostic significance in athletes remain uncertain, raising important questions for pre-participation screening, eligibility for competition, and long-term follow-up. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE databases from inception through August 2025 for original studies reporting MVP prevalence in athletes, diagnosed by echocardiography or pathological assessment. Data on study characteristics, diagnostic definitions, prevalence, arrhythmias, and outcomes were independently extracted by three reviewers. Methodological quality was appraised using the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results: Twelve studies published between 1987 and 2024 met inclusion criteria, enrolling 19,463 athletes from diverse sports and competitive levels. A total of 407 MVP cases were identified, corresponding to a crude pooled prevalence of 2.4%. Prevalence estimates varied substantially (0.2–20%), reflecting heterogeneity in study populations and diagnostic definitions. When all studies were pooled using a random-effects model, the overall prevalence was 2.0% (95% CI 1.2–2.8%). A sensitivity analysis restricted to contemporary, unselected athletic cohorts yielded a prevalence of 1.1% (95% CI 0.4–1.9%), closely aligning with population-based estimates. Ventricular arrhythmias were more frequent than supraventricular arrhythmias, particularly in association with bileaflet prolapse, leaflet thickening, or significant mitral regurgitation. Most athletes were asymptomatic, and only one prospective study provided long-term follow-up, confirming a generally benign prognosis, though rare adverse events (atrial fibrillation, valve surgery) were documented. Conclusions: MVP is relatively uncommon in athletes and occurs at rates similar to the general population. In most cases, prognosis is favorable and should not preclude sports participation. Nonetheless, recognition of high-risk phenotypes with arrhythmogenic potential highlights the need for individualized evaluation and tailored surveillance strategies in sports cardiology practice. Full article

With the rapid growth of LLM-based chatbots and their applications in fields such as health, education, and entertainment, there is a growing interest in developing systems capable of mimicking human behavior through conversation and natural language interaction. These chatbots are available in several languages, such as English, French, and Spanish. Unfortunately, Arabic chatbots—especially those that understand Arabic dialects—are still very limited. In this paper, we develop a chatbot for the Moroccan Arabic dialect, specifically designed for the public sector, such as the fiscal domain and government administration. These institutions require tools to reduce communication loads, limit human assistance, and minimize the time needed to find documents or complete payment procedures. Our optimized chatbot combines recent technologies like LLMs and semantic similarity. It supports Moroccan citizens by providing responses in the Moroccan dialect (Darija), both in text and speech, without requiring extensive resources. It also supports other citizens in French, Spanish, and English. Our chatbot was tested in a real use case in the tax domain, and the results were satisfactory, especially considering the general complexity of the Arabic language and the particular challenges of the Moroccan dialect. Full article

Objective: To determine whether oral vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of glucocorticoid (GC)-associated severe adverse events (SAEs) in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) included in the Spanish ARTESER registry. Methods: The ARTESER registry collected data from patients diagnosed with GCA across 26 Spanish public hospitals between June 2013 and March 2019. SAEs were defined as fatal, life-threatening, or requiring hospitalization. Patients were categorized according to the use or non-use of oral vitamin D supplements. Incidence rates (IRs) of SAEs were expressed per person-year with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Cox proportional hazards models assessed vitamin D supplementation and its interaction with cumulative glucocorticoid dose. Results: Of 1568 patients (mean age 76.9 ± 8.1 years; 70.1% women) receiving GC, 120 (7.6%) experienced SAEs (IR 0.039; 95% CI 0.033–0.047). Vitamin D supplementation was documented in 1186 (75.6%) compared with 382 (24.4%) non-supplemented patients. SAE incidence was similar in supplemented (n = 89; 7.5%; IR 0.038, 95% CI 0.030–0.046) and non-supplemented patients (n = 31; 8.1%; IR 0.045, 95% CI 0.031–0.064) (p = 0.387). Multivariable Cox regression showed a significant interaction between vitamin D supplementation and cumulative glucocorticoid dose (interaction term HR 0.90; p = 0.033), consistent with a dose-dependent protective effect. Conclusions: Vitamin D supplementation was not independently associated with a lower incidence of GC-related SAEs, likely due to residual confounding factors. However, the interaction with cumulative GC exposure suggests a modulatory effect. Prospective studies incorporating stratified baseline vitamin D assessments are warranted. Full article