Search Results (655)

This article examines how Chinese scholars and institutions selected Western musicological works for translation into Chinese and how these choices shaped the formation of musicology as a modern discipline in mainland China from 1900 to 2025. Drawing on disciplinary translation history, it asks which musicological works were translated, who selected and translated them, under what historical and institutional conditions they circulated, and how they contributed to the intellectual development of Chinese musicology. On the basis of translated works, publication records, archival materials, and the secondary literature, the article identifies four historical stages: technical transplantation (1900–1949), planned transplantation (1949–1978), critical transformation (1978–2010), and two-way dialogue (2010–2025). Each stage was shaped by a different configuration of ideology, academic demand, market forces, and translator agency. The article argues that the Chinese translation of Western musicological scholarship was never a passive import of foreign theories. Rather, it was a historically situated process in which Chinese scholars, translators, publishers, and institutions identified, adapted, and reorganized foreign musicological knowledge in response to local academic needs. The findings contribute to knowledge translation studies by offering a diachronic, multi-agent account of translation selection and by explaining how these choices helped shape modern Chinese musicology as a discipline. Full article

Table olive processing comprises multiple stages in which physical, chemical, and biological hazards may occur. Although risk assessment is a core element of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems, the selection of assessment tools remains insufficiently standardized. This study compared a 4 × 4 risk matrix and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for hazard evaluation in Spanish-style and Californian-style table olive processing. Hazards were assessed across 41 processing stages for Spanish-style olives and selected key stages for Californian-style olives using probability × severity in the 4 × 4 matrix and severity × occurrence × detection in FMEA. Significant hazards were further evaluated using the Codex Alimentarius decision tree to identify critical control points (CCPs) and strengthened prerequisite programs (PRPs). Both tools identified similar significant hazards, including biological hazards associated with fermentation, brine management, storage, container sealing, and heat treatment, as well as physical hazards from foreign bodies and chemical hazards related to heavy metals, pesticide residues, mycotoxins, and food-contact material migration. FMEA provided greater analytical detail through the detection parameter, whereas the 4 × 4 matrix was simpler and more practical for complex flow diagrams. Overall, both tools were suitable for HACCP-based risk assessment in table olive processing. Full article

The rise of Industry 4.0 has accelerated the adoption of intelligent automation in high-throughput manufacturing environments. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) rely heavily on magnetic guidance tracks, which are susceptible to wear, contamination, and structural degradation. These defects frequently cause AGV misalignment, emergency stops, and production downtime. This paper presents a lightweight, embedded, vision-based framework for real-time monitoring of AGV magnetic tracks using Raspberry Pi 4 cameras and Python-based computer vision algorithms. The system integrates grayscale intensity modeling, histogram-based MeanShift tracking, contour continuity analysis, and machine learning-assisted classification to detect missing segments, wear, and foreign object interference. Experimental validation on a 30 m test track and five years of industrial data (>3000 samples) demonstrate robust tracking, reliable anomaly detection, and zero false positives under nominal conditions. The proposed hybrid deterministic, ML architecture supports predictive maintenance, reduces downtime risk, and contributes to resilient Industry 4.0 material-handling systems. Full article

Introduction: Oral health in early childhood is essential. Parents, as the primary caregivers, must possess basic knowledge to achieve optimal oral health status. Objectives: The study aims to assess parents’ knowledge and perspectives on early childhood oral health and to evaluate how nationality and educational attainment influence their preventive habits and dental priorities within a nursery and primary school in the province of Huelva (Spain). Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 129 parents of children aged 3, 4, and 5 years from the aforementioned educational center. A modified questionnaire, validated by experts in the field, was used as the assessment tool. Results: Nationality and education were key determinants of oral health literacy. Spanish-born guardians reported significantly higher dental attendance for their children compared to foreign-born guardians (97.7% vs. 84.2%; p = 0.030). A profound cultural gap was observed in caries etiology: 71.1% of foreign-born respondents attributed caries to “infections or heredity,” while 98.4% of Spanish-born respondents correctly identified behavioral factors (p < 0.001). Regarding educational attainment, 75% of the high-education group prioritized functional health (posterior sector) compared to only 26.3% in the low-education group (p < 0.001). Additionally, a non-linear gap was found in knowledge of primary tooth complications, with the medium-education group showing the lowest awareness (34.8%; p = 0.047). Full article

Breast implants are among the most frequently used long-term implantable medical devices in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. In addition to correcting anatomical deficits, they have significant psychosocial effects, influencing body image, self-esteem, and quality of life, particularly in patients undergoing postmastectomy reconstruction. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the historical development, biological interactions, material characteristics, and clinical outcomes of breast implants. Early reconstructive attempts using foreign materials and injectable substances were associated with severe complications, underscoring the need for safer technologies. The introduction of silicone gel implants in the 1960s marked a pivotal advancement, followed by the development of saline-filled devices and highly cohesive silicone gels with enhanced mechanical stability. Key surgical considerations, including incision type and implant placement plane (subglandular, submuscular, dual-plane, and subfascial), are discussed in relation to aesthetic outcomes and complication risk. Emphasis is placed on the implant–tissue interface and the foreign body response (FBR), a process involving protein adsorption, immune cell activation, fibrous capsule formation, and potential chronic inflammation. Persistent inflammatory stimulation, often associated with bacterial biofilm formation, contributes to capsular contracture, the most common long-term complication. Additional adverse events include implant rupture, silicone gel bleed, granulomatous reactions, infection, hematoma, implant malposition, and rare but clinically significant conditions such as breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). The review also summarizes implant classification according to construction, filling material, shape, and surface topography, highlighting the influence of surface characteristics on host response and clinical outcomes. Advances in biomaterials, cohesive gel formulations, and surface engineering aim to enhance biocompatibility and long-term safety, supported by standardized mechanical and biological testing protocols. Full article

Mechanized harvesting in the industrial tomato sector is currently bottlenecked by excessive mechanical injuries and elevated levels of foreign materials generated during electro-mechanical combine harvesting operations. To combat these limitations, this comprehensive review explores recent breakthroughs in harvester-mounted smart grading systems engineered specifically for complex, open-field conditions. Rather than relying solely on conventional optical inspection, the study examines the transition toward advanced, heterogeneous edge-computing frameworks—incorporating FPGAs and embedded GPUs—deployed within electro-mechanical harvesting platforms. This architectural evolution plays a crucial role in mitigating unpredictable processing delays caused by intense operational vibrations, although achieving absolute real-time stability under extreme field conditions remains an ongoing challenge. To minimize bruising and physical deterioration, our analysis synthesizes findings from multi-scale explicit dynamic finite element simulations, unpacking the underlying microstructural failure modes of the crop. We illustrate how regulating applied forces via soft robotic effectors can help approach a ‘damage-free’ handling threshold, though empirical results vary depending on fruit maturity and dynamic operational speeds. Furthermore, coupling multi-modal sensor fusion with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) shows promising potential for non-destructive internal property evaluation under the vibration, dust, and throughput constraints of electro-mechanical harvesters, pending broader validation across diverse field datasets. Ultimately, by projecting future trends in onboard electro-mechanical harvester separation and advocating for a closer synergy between agronomic practices and machine engineering, this paper delivers a comprehensive blueprint for building next-generation, highly resilient, and gentle sorting machinery. Full article

Achieving hemostasis is crucial in neurosurgery, yet conventional methods are not always feasible, making topical hemostatic agents necessary. Current resorbable hemostatic agents allow effective hemostasis but must remain in situ to prevent rebleeding. This can provoke foreign body reactions leading to prolonged microglia-mediated neuroinflammation, which may exacerbate damage and delay recovery. It highlights the need for new hemostatic materials that can be removed after controlling bleeding while being safe for neurons and microglia. One candidate is Hemo-Ionic, a non-resorbable hemostatic compress composed of calcium alginate and zinc (Zn²⁺). Hemo-Ionic previously demonstrated effective in vitro and in vivo hemostasis, comparable to Surgicel and TachoSil, and pro-repair properties. In this study, Hemo-Ionic’s effect on neuronal and microglial cells was investigated in vitro. Results showed that Hemo-Ionic preserved cell viability and had an antioxidant capacity through protection from lipid peroxidation. Hemo-Ionic also reduced nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α) expression and release by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglial cells. Finally, neuronal viability was restored when exposed to supernatants of Hemo-Ionic-treated microglia. These findings indicate that Hemo-Ionic’s safety and capacity to reduce neuroinflammation, combined with its hemostatic efficacy and non-resorbable nature, make it a promising alternative to resorbable hemostatic agents used in neurosurgery. Full article

This study demonstrates how structured algorithmic optimization can enhance intelligent visual measurement systems in mining engineering. Real-time visual measurement of mining conveyor belts is critical for operational safety, yet achieving high-precision anomaly detection under complex environmental conditions remains a significant challenge. Conventional approaches often struggle to balance detection accuracy with computational efficiency due to inefficient feature representation and optimization strategies. To address this, this study proposes FDSE-DETR, a lightweight end-to-end framework designed for real-time anomaly evaluation. The framework eliminates Non-Maximum Suppression (NMS) to streamline inference. Specifically, this study introduces a deformation-aware sampling mechanism to enhance feature representation of irregular hazards, alongside a cost-effective multi-scale aggregation strategy to preserve fine cues within strict device budgets. Furthermore, a reformulated loss objective is developed to rebalance hard samples under severe class imbalance, improving the detection confidence. Experimental results on mining conveyor belt foreign object datasets show a 4.5% improvement in mean average precision (mAP), a 3.9% improvement in overall recall and a 22.5% reduction in computational cost, achieving 120.7 FPS. This study aims to address the problems of insufficient accuracy and low efficiency in real-time material flow measurements on mining conveyor belts under high-dust and low-illumination conditions. Full article

The study aimed to systematically analyze studies published between 2013 and 2025 on the second-grade primary school EFL curriculum in Türkiye. The study identified the strengths and weaknesses of the components of the English curriculum and examined the suggestions proposed regarding implementation issues. In order to answer the research questions, 27 studies were analyzed using content analysis, and their methodological characteristics were reviewed. The analysis revealed that the objectives constituted the strongest component of the second-grade English curriculum, whereas the assessment component was the weakest. The problems with the curriculum implementation include the incompatibility of the curriculum with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages, insufficient class hours, teachers’ inclusion of reading and writing skills even though they are not included in the learning outcomes, individual differences between students, students’ unpreparedness for foreign language learning, inadequate instructional materials, and parents’ lack of interest in foreign language education. The findings revealed that, while the curriculum is well-structured in terms of its objectives, its effectiveness is hindered by persistent challenges in assessment and implementation. This underscores the importance of improving the alignment between curricular intentions and instructional practices, highlights the need for targeted improvements in assessment practices, and offers practical insights for ongoing curriculum development efforts. Full article

Background: Low-dose CT scanning is a key tool in lung cancer screening, enabling the detection of clinically significant abnormalities in asymptomatic individuals and often prompting further diagnostic evaluation. Case Presentation: We describe the case of an 80-year-old man with a heavy smoking history who was found to have a new right middle lobe collapse on screening CT. Subsequent positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging demonstrated mild fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake (SUVmax 2.7), raising concern for a low-grade endobronchial malignancy versus mucoid impaction. Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed a large exophytic endobronchial mass occluding the airway. Histopathologic examination of the biopsy sample unexpectedly revealed vegetable material, consistent with chronic foreign-body aspiration. Discussion: Unrecognized aspiration events are relatively common in elderly adults and can mimic malignancy on imaging. This case highlights an important diagnostic pitfall: inflammatory endobronchial processes, including foreign-body granulomas, can demonstrate FDG uptake and mimic malignancy. Conclusion: Clinicians should maintain a broad differential diagnosis when evaluating PET-avid endobronchial lesions, especially in elderly patients. Full article

Conveyor belts are critical equipment in mining operations, where continuous and reliable material transport is essential for production efficiency. This systematic review aims to analyze computer vision-based techniques applied to conveyor belt condition monitoring. Following PRISMA guidelines, a search was conducted in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, and 80 studies were selected after applying predefined eligibility criteria. These studies were synthesized through quantitative bibliometric methods and structured qualitative thematic categorization. The findings reveal a significant increase in scientific output after 2020, as well as its geographic distribution and potentially the most influential contributions. The main research lines focus on damage detection, deviation detection, and foreign object detection. A clear transition is also observed from traditional image processing methods—such as filtering, segmentation, and geometric analysis—toward deep learning models, including YOLO, CenterNet, and hybrid architectures, with improvements in precision, speed, and stability. Nevertheless, challenges remain related to datasets representativeness, the heterogeneity of evaluation protocols, and variability in operational conditions. Finally, opportunities for advancement are identified through multimodal datasets, adaptive models, and lightweight solutions that facilitate integration into asset management systems and support scalable industrial adoption. Full article

This qualitative study investigates the challenges teachers face when teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) to deaf (in this article, deaf (lower case) refers to the audiological condition of hearing loss, whereas Deaf (capitalized) is used to denote individuals who identify as members of the Deaf community and share a common sign language and distinct cultural values) and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students in German schools for the Deaf. The study is situated within a structural–theoretical professionalization framework, which focuses on the relationship between institutional conditions, teacher education structures, and professional action. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 teachers of DHH students and the data were examined using qualitative content analysis. The findings reveal five central areas of challenge: (1) heterogeneity of the student body; (2) limited time (for preparing and adapting materials); (3) restricted subject-matter and sign-language competence, including missing links between EFL didactics and Deaf education in teacher training; (4) uncertainties surrounding the language design of EFL instruction, particularly the role of American Sign Language (ASL), German Sign Language (DGS), and written English; and (5) the lack of consistent, accessible exam formats and standards. Teachers report substantial insecurity due to the absence of coherent concepts, policy frameworks, and specialized training pathways, which fosters divergent classroom practices and tensions within teaching staff. The results highlight an urgent need for systematic integration of Deaf education, sign language training, and EFL pedagogy in teacher education, as well as for evidence-based guidelines on language classroom practice and assessment for DHH learners. Full article

Background/Objectives: Hernia and pelvic organ prolapse often involve defects necessitating reinforcement with synthetic materials. Polypropylene meshes of varying weights are commonly used in abdominal wall repair; however, their impact on tissue response, potentially linked to adverse events during wound healing, remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the tissue response to lightweight polypropylene (LWPP) and heavyweight polypropylene (HWPP) grafts used for abdominal wall defect closure in Wistar rats. Methods: Abdominal wall defects were surgically created in male Wistar rats and repaired using either LWPP (43 g/m²) or HWPP (76 g/m²) mesh. Three weeks post-implantation, tissue response and wound closure were evaluated across different phases by assessing expression of CD68, CD56, GATA-3, CD138, vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin, and collagen deposition. Results: HWPP promoted a more pronounced foreign body response, as evidenced by increased CD68, CD56, and CD138 expression, while LWPP improved tissue compliance, enhanced fibroblast migration, and increased vimentin-associated cellular activity. Conclusions: Three weeks post-implantation, HWPP was found to induce a stronger inflammatory response, whereas LWPP implantation was associated with increased vimentin expression, indicating differences in the balance between inflammation and extracellular matrix remodelling during early wound healing. Full article

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) plays a vital role in addressing global sustainability changes, and foreign language teaching may contribute to this process. Nevertheless, studies on the incorporation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in materials related to teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language (TTFL) are limited. This study examines the representation of the 17 SDGs in TTFL textbooks. A qualitative document analysis was conducted on the A1, B1, and C1 levels of the “Yeni İstanbul” textbook series across the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. The findings indicate a hierarchical distribution of SDG-related content across proficiency levels. At the beginner (A1) level, the social dimension with emphasis on urban integration themes (78.09%) is dominant, while at the advanced (C1) level, the economic dimension becomes more prominent (43.17%). The most striking result is that the environmental dimension remains the weakest area at all levels (A1: 6.67%; B1: 9.95%; C1: 10.93%). Environmental issues primarily appear as contextual vocabulary rather than critical sustainability content. Although the textbooks support socio-economic integration, they show limited alignment with sustainability literacy goals. The findings highlight the need for a more comprehensive integration of environmental sustainability themes in foreign language curricula. Full article

Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) is a hallmark of the evolution of parasitic plants, facilitated by the haustorial connection. While mitochondrial HGT is widespread, the extent of nuclear HGT and the long-term retention of foreign genetic material in holoparasitic lineages remain poorly understood. This study explores the genomic architecture of Prosopanche americana (Hydnoraceae), a non-photosynthetic holoparasite currently specialized on Fabaceae. Through a comparative phylogenomic approach integrating draft mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) and nuclear transcriptomes of P. americana, we identified a multi-layered landscape of foreign DNA. The mtDNA of P. americana contains 18 foreign regions (>500 bp) primarily derived from Solanales, Malvales, and Fabales. Notably, 13 of these regions are shared with P. panguanensis, indicating they were acquired in their common ancestor before speciation and ecological shift. In the nuclear genome, we identified 303 horizontally acquired transcripts (99 orthogroups) with high confidence. Functional analysis revealed an enrichment of foreign genes involved in metabolic pathways and plastid functions (e.g., photosystems and thylakoids) exclusively derived from the ancestral host order Solanales. Our results demonstrate that the genome of P. americana acts as a “molecular fossil,” preserving evidence of past ecological interactions with diverse host lineages. The disparity in HGT footprints between the current host (Fabaceae) and ancestral hosts suggests a period of high genomic plasticity followed by host specialization, providing new insights into the timing and dynamics of horizontal gene flow in holoparasitic Piperales. Full article