Search Results (11,016)

Microleakage at the implant–abutment interface represents a potential pathway for bacterial penetration and may contribute to peri-implant inflammation, marginal bone loss, and mechanical complications such as screw loosening. The increasing clinical use of compatible prosthetic abutments as cost-effective alternatives to original components has raised concerns regarding their fit, sealing capacity, and mechanical stability at this interface. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate differences in sealing capacity and torque loss between original and non-original abutments in a mixed internal connection implant system and to investigate the applicability of a novel quantitative approach for assessing microleakage based on a hydraulic conductance perfusion system. Nine abutments, including four multi-unit and five screw-retained cementable abutments, were connected to Straumann Bone Level implants at two tightening torques (5 N·cm and 35 N·cm). Microleakage was quantified by measuring fluid transport across the implant–abutment interface using the perfusion system, and removal torque values were recorded after testing. Non-original abutments exhibited significantly greater microleakage than original abutments at both torque levels. Microleakage increased significantly when the installation torque was reduced to 5 N·cm. At the manufacturer-recommended torque, screw-retained cementable abutments demonstrated higher microleakage than multi-unit abutments. Non-original abutments also showed significantly greater torque loss. These findings suggest that original abutments provide improved sealing capacity and mechanical stability at the implant–abutment interface, while the hydraulic conductance perfusion system represents a promising quantitative tool for investigating microleakage. Full article

In intelligence research, the sharing of item response data from cognitive ability assessments is often restricted by privacy concerns, while traditional parametric simulation methods frequently fail to capture complex response dependencies. This study proposes a neural network copula (NNC) framework for generating synthetic dichotomous item response data that preserves essential psychometric properties without revealing sensitive examinee information. By decoupling the modeling of marginal item probabilities from the dependence structure using a deep autoencoder and kernel density estimation, the framework accommodates the discrete nature of binary item response data while minimizing distributional assumptions. Validation against large-scale empirical data demonstrated high correspondence across multiple facets. At the data consistency level, the NNC-based synthetic data reproduced total score distributions and inter-item correlations. Psychometrically, the method yielded consistent item characteristic curve parameter estimates, item fit statistics, and test information functions. Furthermore, Monte Carlo replications demonstrated algorithmic stability and inferential precision. Full article

Background: The integration of active breaks during the school day has been widely demonstrated to be effective in counteracting sedentary behaviors. The present study assessed the efficacy of a structured active breaks (ABs) intervention implemented during recess on multiple domains of Physical Literacy (PL) in primary-school children. Methods: A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with 139 children (aged 9–10 years). Classes were randomized into an Experimental Group (EG, n = 66) and a Control Group (CG, n = 73). The EG participated in an 8-week intervention (six sessions/week, ~10 min) consisting of coordinative and interdisciplinary motor tasks during recess. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included physical fitness (SLJ, 4 × 10 m SR, 6MWT, MBT), gross motor skills (TGMD-2), selective attention (Bell Test), physical activity levels (PAQ-C), physical self-perception (PSP), and enjoyment (PACES). Results: A mixed-design MANOVA revealed a significant multivariate Time × Group interaction (p < 0.001). Univariate analyses showed significant improvements in the EG compared to the CG for explosive strength (p < 0.001), agility (p < 0.001), Gross Motor Quotient (p = 0.003), and selective attention (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the EG demonstrated significant increases in physical activity levels, self-perception, and enjoyment (p < 0.05). No significant gender interaction was found, indicating equal effectiveness for boys and girls. Conclusions: Transforming recess into a structured opportunity for movement through ABs effectively enhances physical, cognitive, and affective domains. This intervention represents a sustainable strategy for Health-Promoting Schools to foster PL and psychophysical well-being without reducing curricular instruction time. Full article

The Teachers’ Beliefs and Intentions Questionnaire (TBIQ) assesses educators’ beliefs and intentions regarding the importance of sensitive interactions with young children. Understanding these beliefs is particularly relevant in contemporary educational contexts where teacher–child interactions are viewed as central to children’s learning and development. Despite its use in several countries, there is no validated Spanish version available. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and psychometrically validate a Spanish version of the TBIQ for early childhood education settings in Chile. Following international guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation, the questionnaire was translated into Spanish and administered to early childhood teachers and assistant teachers working in public early childhood education centers. The original two-factor structure (Beliefs and Intentions) was tested using confirmatory factor analyses with robust estimators for ordinal data. Results supported the two-factor model after removing six items with low factor loadings and indicated excellent model fit. Both scales demonstrated high internal consistency. However, measurement invariance across educator roles could not be established, and cross-group comparisons should be interpreted with caution. Despite this limitation, the Spanish version of the TBIQ demonstrates adequate validity and reliability and offers a brief and accessible instrument for research and for the assessment of educators’ beliefs and intentions regarding interaction quality in early childhood education. Full article

Mine disasters require urgent lifeline setup in confined tunnels, but manual rescue in unstable accident zones carries huge safety risks. Coal mine rescue robots (CMRRs) have become key equipment to replace manual rescue. However, traditional remote-controlled CMRRs suffer from low autonomy and weak environmental perception capability, which have become critical bottlenecks for field application. As an emerging technology in the mining field, digital twin enables high-precision virtual-real mapping and on-site operation guidance, providing a novel solution to the above problems. To realize autonomous navigation and digital twin visualization of the CMRR, this paper first carries out targeted hardware retrofits on the CMRR platform, upgrades environmental perception, communication transmission and motion control modules, and lays a solid hardware foundation for subsequent algorithm design and system implementation. Aiming at the complex post-disaster underground environment, a digital twin-integrated CMRR system is constructed. For intelligent autonomous navigation, this study investigates a 3D point cloud–based autonomous navigation framework and proposes a slope-fitting method as well as a maximum arrival probability obstacle avoidance method based on Bézier curve trajectories. For environmental visualization, a digital twin interactive interface is built to monitor gas and other environmental parameters in real time, and accurately reconstruct underground roadway structures based on point cloud data. This design not only ensures the robot’s autonomous obstacle avoidance but also helps rescuers grasp underground conditions in advance. Field tests in a simulated post-disaster mine with complex terrain show that the system can stably complete autonomous navigation tasks, maintain stable motion control under dynamic interference, and provide accurate and reliable environmental data for rescue decisions, verifying its feasibility and effectiveness in harsh mine rescue scenarios. Full article

Background: Body mass index (BMI) remains the standard tool for obesity screening; however, it does not account for body fat distribution or visceral adiposity, potentially leading to clinically relevant misclassification—particularly in young adults. Evidence on this issue in healthcare professionals is limited. Objective: To evaluate the extent of obesity misclassification when using BMI compared with alternative anthropometric and body composition indices, and to examine sex-specific associations between lifestyle factors and different adiposity phenotypes in young healthcare professionals. Methods: A large cross-sectional study was conducted in 12,874 medical residents, nursing residents, and age-matched controls (22–30 years). Obesity was defined using BMI (≥30 kg/m²), waist-to-height ratio (WtHR ≥ 0.5), Clínica Universidad de Navarra–Body Adiposity Estimator (CUN-BAE), body fat percentage, and bioimpedance-derived visceral fat. Multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, professional group, smoking, physical activity, and Mediterranean diet adherence were fitted separately for each adiposity definition. Sex interaction terms were formally tested. Agreement between indices was assessed using Cohen’s kappa. Results: Obesity prevalence varied substantially according to the index applied and was consistently higher when central or visceral adiposity measures were used. Agreement between BMI and alternative indices was only fair to moderate, with the lowest concordance observed for visceral fat (κ = 0.29; 95% CI 0.26–0.32). Male sex was strongly associated with visceral fat-defined obesity (aOR 4.76; 95% CI 3.82–5.92), while effect sizes were attenuated for BMI-defined obesity (aOR 1.41; 95% CI 1.32–1.51). Significant sex interactions were detected for visceral adiposity, particularly for physical activity (p = 0.001) and smoking (p = 0.002), indicating differential lifestyle associations according to fat distribution phenotype. Conclusions: BMI substantially underestimates clinically relevant central and visceral adiposity in young healthcare professionals. Sex-specific differences were observed in the association between lifestyle behaviors and visceral fat. These findings highlight the limitations of relying exclusively on BMI for obesity screening. Incorporating waist-based or body composition-derived measures may improve early risk identification and support targeted preventive strategies. Full article

During service in engineering fields, the performance of carbon black (CB)/silica-filled rubber suffers degradation because of the influence of aging. In the process of reproducing the mechanical behavior of CB/silica-filled rubber, many constitutive models have been proposed. However, the model selection strategy taking the aging effect into consideration is still unclear, especially the classical model selection strategy. In this work, the effects of thermo-oxidative and ultraviolet aging on the nonlinear viscoelasticity of CB/silica -filled rubber were investigated using dynamic mechanical analysis tests. It was found that aging conditions had a great effect on the nonlinear viscoelasticity of CB/silica -filled rubber. Meanwhile, the degradation mechanisms were discussed on the basis of the existing works. To accurately reproduce the nonlinear viscoelasticity degradation, classical models, such as the Kraus model and Maier–Göritz model, were used to describe the experimental data. In the reproducing process, fitting correlation coefficients and root mean square error were used to verify the reliability of classical models. Comparingsimulation results and experimental ones, it was found that the Maier–Göritz model was more reliable under all aging conditions. This work will contribute to a model selection strategy and a deeper understanding of the degradation mechanism. Full article

The increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases highlights the need to develop vascular grafts that match the mechanics of native vascular tissue and offer functional adaptability. This study reports the development and systematic optimization of a shape-memory polyurethane acrylate (PUA)-based photocurable resin for digital light processing (DLP)-based four-dimensional printing (4DP) applications. Resin formulations were designed by controlling hard/soft segment ratios, reactive diluent content, and crosslink density to position the glass transition temperature (T_g) within the physiological range (25–40 °C). Thermomechanical characterization was performed via dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile testing, while a full-factorial Design of Experiments (DoE) approach was applied to optimize DLP process parameters—namely layer thickness, exposure time, and post-curing time. The developed resin formulation yielded a T_g of 38 °C as determined by DMA. Following process optimization, regression models showed high statistical fit (R² > 99%), and experimental validation under optimal conditions (layer thickness: 82.83 µm, exposure time: 11 s, post-curing: 2 min) resulted in an elongation at break of 64.0 ± 3.4%, a Young’s modulus of 10.9 ± 0.1 MPa, and a tensile strength of 6.2 ± 0.3 MPa. The optimized system exhibited thermally triggerable shape memory behavior at near-body temperature, with mechanical properties consistent with natural arterial tissue benchmarks. These findings demonstrate a promising material design strategy for DLP-based 4D-printed vascular structures. Full article

Aedes aegypti transmits viruses to millions of people worldwide. Despite the availability of vaccines, control and monitoring of mosquitoes is mandatory, which in turn requires knowledge of microevolutionary population genetics. Genetic techniques permit the assessment of biological parameters directly linked to the epidemiological importance of the insect (polymorphism, migration, fitness). However, these techniques are costly to most health surveillance services. Even for research laboratories, genotyping and estimation of variability may be unfeasible and time consuming. We conjectured that the wing geometry of Ae. aegypti could serve as an alternative indicator of genetic variability in mosquitoes, as wing shape is a useful taxonomic marker determined by quantitative heritage. We investigated this conjecture by testing if wild Ae. aegypti populations with high genetic variability had higher wing morphological diversity than inbred colonised populations. Using wing geometric morphometrics and microsatellite DNA genotyping of some populational samples, we confirmed this conjecture. The morphological diversity index was partly correspondent with genetic variability indexes such as theta, gene diversity and alleles per locus. Our findings, although circumscribed to the populational samples studied, indicate that wing geometry may be used as a cheap and quick semi-quantitative proxy for genetic variability. Full article

Background: Carbonic Anhydrases (CAs) represent regulators of cell adaptation to hypoxia, pH regulation, and metabolic fitness. Among cancers, multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy sustained by hypoxia-driven metabolic adaptation, extracellular acidification, and redox imbalance. Tight regulation of tumor extracellular pH, mediated by Carbonic Anhydrases IX and XII, is crucial for myeloma survival, progression, and stemness, making these isoforms attractive therapeutic targets. Methods: We designed and synthesized a library of terpenoid-based hybrids by derivatizing chlorothymol and 4-isopropyl-3-methylphenol with either the natural coumarin umbelliferon or the 2,2′-dipicolylamine (DPA) scaffold. This chemical strategy aimed to selectively inhibit tumor-associated CAs IX/XII through coumarin- or DPA-mediated recognition, while terpenoid fragments were introduced to enhance lipophilicity, membrane permeability, and potential redox-modulating properties. The compounds were tested by a Stopped-Flow assay for CA inhibition, in cell-based assays for antiproliferative properties and by means of several antioxidant assays. Results: The most active compounds, connecting the coumarin core to a terpenoid tail, inhibited the targeted CAs in the nanomolar range, showing up higher selectivity over off-target isoforms (I and II). In studies performed on MM cell lines, selected derivatives reduced viability (IC₅₀ = 15.8–85.4 µM) and displayed favorable selectivity over normal cells. In silico investigations suggested that the compounds were able to interact selectively with the target enzymes. Conclusions: Collectively, these results support a dual-targeting strategy in which selective inhibition of tumor-associated CAs, combined with redox modulation, interferes with adaptive mechanisms of MM cells, providing a rational framework for the development of multifunctional agents against metabolically resilient hematological malignancies. Full article

Moth auditory systems, evolutionarily adapted and structurally diverse with ultrasonic sensitivity, underpin the development of acoustic-based pest management strategies. Here, based on hypotheses derived from previous findings, we tested whether and how audible sounds (music, bird chirp, noise; 0.25–1 kHz, 80/120 dB) affect the development, survival, behavior and fecundity, as well as the molecular responses, using both short-term and long-term exposure (three successive generations) experimental designs. Behavioral assays showed dose-specific responses: high-intensity (120 dB) bird chirp and noise suppressed larval and adult activity, while low-intensity (80 dB) counterparts promoted larval crawling. Long-term exposure revealed that bird chirp and noise significantly impaired fitness, reducing larval/pupal body weight, pupation/eclosion rates, and egg hatching rate, with 120 dB noise exerting the strongest effects; 80 dB music showed neutral or positive impacts. Transcriptomic analysis identified 71–235 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across treatment groups, with bird chirp and noise inducing more downregulated DEGs related to metabolism, immunity, and development. Notably, all cuticle-related DEGs in the 80 dB noise group and 53.2% in the 120 dB noise group were upregulated, suggesting stress-induced cuticular remodeling. GO/KEGG enrichment indicated distinct patterns: 80 dB music, bird chirp and 120 dB noise groups only had downregulated DEGs enriched in certain terms/pathways, mainly associated with cellular components; the 80 dB noise group had upregulated DEGs enriched in sensory, cuticle, metabolism and longevity-related terms/pathways, and downregulated DEGs in metabolism and human disease-related terms/pathways. Analysis of the expression patterns of all the longevity pathway-related genes suggested that sound stress induces lifespan regulation in this insect. These findings clarify S. frugiperda’s multidimensional responses to audible sound, providing a foundation for sound-based pest management. Full article

This work considers admissibility-enforcing reconstruction of reaction-channel subgroup levels on prescribed total-subgroup support and probabilities, a setting in which conventional exact reconstruction may produce negative reaction-channel levels. The proposed reconstruction relaxes conventional full matching by retaining selected low-order channel quantities associated with limiting dilution responses exactly, while fitting the remaining matching conditions in a constrained least-squares sense under nonnegativity. The exact-retention constraints are embedded through a null-space parametrization, which reduces the reconstruction to a convex optimization problem over the remaining degrees of freedom. Two variants are examined: a single-retention formulation, which is automatically feasible for nonnegative retained data, and a two-retention formulation, which is more restrictive and depends on compatibility with the fixed total-subgroup rule. Numerical tests for ${}^{238}\mathrm{U}$ capture data show that the proposed reconstruction removes the negative reaction-channel levels observed in the violating groups. Restoring admissibility entails deterioration in response accuracy relative to the unconstrained full-matching baseline, reflecting the trade-off between exact matching and nonnegativity on the fixed rule. Of the two variants considered, the single-retention formulation shows more stable overall behavior in the present comparison. In particular, for all violating cases at orders $N\ge 10$, it restores nonnegativity, with the reported 95th-percentile relative errors in the folded effective cross section not exceeding $8.90\times {10}^{-7}$. Full article

Expansive clay slopes are vulnerable to progressive strength loss induced by repeated wetting and drying, a mechanism that drives shallow failure in active moisture zones. Reproducing this degradation experimentally is time-consuming and resource-intensive. This study evaluates whether Fully Softened Strength (FSS) can serve as a practical substitute for five wet–dry cycles in expansive clay slope stability assessment. Direct shear tests were conducted on wet–dry-cycled and reconstituted FSS specimens across fourteen experimental water contents. Strength parameters were incorporated into homogeneous and heterogeneous limit equilibrium slope models, considering degraded layer thicknesses of 1–5 m and suspended water table conditions. Equivalence was assessed using root mean square error (RMSE), prediction bias, and physical representativeness. Five wet–dry cycles produced a dominant cohesion reduction of 70.4% with minor changes in friction angle, reaching a quasi-stationary degraded state. FSS reproduced an equivalent system response through mechanical compensation between cohesion and friction—not through equality of strength parameters—under shallow failure conditions. The best statistical fit was obtained at w = 43.5% (RMSE = 0.314); however, w = 42.0%, coinciding with the liquid limit, provided a physically more robust interpretation with near-zero bias. Equivalence was found to be valid only for normal stresses ≤ 50 kPa, representative of shallow failure depths of 1–4 m. Full article

Background and Objectives: Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction, and specific biomarkers could improve prognostic assessment in septic patients. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score is the standard tool for clinical sepsis monitoring. Recent studies highlight the need for its revision and the identification of rapid, specific, sensitive predictors of sepsis mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the significance of cardiac biomarkers alone or combined with the SOFA score for evaluating sepsis-related mortality. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective, single-center study with a relatively small sample size of 73 septic patients (Sepsis-3 criteria) hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU) and intermediate care unit (IMCU). All patients had standard laboratory parameters, cardiac biomarkers, and the SOFA score available upon admission. Statistical analyses included non-parametric Mann–Whitney U test, ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve analysis, Hanley & McNeil method and Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. Results: Lactate (p < 0.001) and SOFA (p < 0.001) showed the highest area under the curve (AUC) values, and all cardiac biomarkers had statistically significant AUCs (p < 0.05) for sepsis mortality prediction. A comparison of all ROC curves was conducted, but no statistically significant differences were observed. Adding hs-cTn (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin) and lactate to the SOFA score increased its AUC from 0.767 to 0.827 (p = 0.421). Conclusions: The results showed that non-survivors of sepsis had significantly higher levels of cardiac biomarkers compared to survivors. There were no statistically significant differences in the areas under the ROC curves among the three markers, or between the markers and SOFA. The addition of cardiac biomarkers to SOFA did not improve the discriminatory ability of the SOFA score. Further research with a larger sample size is required to validate and generalize the findings. Full article

Background/Objectives: The rapid expansion of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) is transforming oral biopharmaceutics by offering mechanistically rich, human-relevant tools that can reduce reliance on animal testing while improving translational confidence. Regulatory agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), are increasingly open to NAM-generated evidence, provided that methods are fit-for-purpose and scientifically justified. This review synthesizes current advances and evaluates how NAMs can be integrated across drug-development stages to enhance the prediction of oral absorption, formulation performance, and regulatory decision-making. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted across classical and emerging methodologies, including in vitro permeability and solubility models, organoids, organ-on-a-chip (OoC) systems, machine learning frameworks, and mechanistic approaches such as the physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) and biopharmaceutics (PBBM) models. Emphasis was placed on physiological relevance, predictive performance, validation status, and regulatory applicability. Results: Classical tools remain essential for the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS)-based biowaivers and risk-based assessments, yet they often lack physiological fidelity. NAMs provide enhanced representation of intestinal architecture, hydrodynamics, transporter activity, and metabolism. Organoids and microphysiological systems generate high-quality permeability and metabolic data, while computational NAMs enable scalable prediction of ADME properties and formulation behavior. When integrated into PBPK/PBBM models, these methods have great potential in predicting in vivo performance in humans. Evidence demonstrates that NAMs can refine, reduce, and, in specific contexts, replace animal studies without compromising scientific rigor. Conclusions: NAMs complement, rather than displace, classical biopharmaceutic tools, enabling a more mechanistic, human-centered, and ethically responsible framework for drug development. Their effective implementation will depend on continued validation, standardization, and regulatory harmonization as the field transitions toward fully NAM-supported biopharmaceutical assessment. Full article