Search Results (1,368)

Background/Objectives: Macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel2) is a progressive parafoveal retinal disorder with emerging evidence supporting broader neurodegenerative and metabolic involvement. Given the vulnerability of cochlear structures to systemic and microvascular stressors, this study aimed to investigate whether MacTel2 is associated with measurable auditory dysfunction. Methods: This prospective case–control study included 42 participants: 21 patients with clinically and multimodally confirmed MacTel2 and 21 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. All participants underwent standardized audiological assessment, including tympanometry, conventional and extended high-frequency pure-tone audiometry (0.5–16 kHz), distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE; 0.5–8 kHz), and click-evoked auditory brainstem response (ABR). Hearing loss was graded using the World Health Organization (WHO) classification based on PTA4 (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz), and a clinically relevant cutoff of PTA4 > 25 dB HL was additionally applied. DPOAE responses were considered absent when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was <6 dB. Results: The MacTel2 and control groups were comparable with respect to age and sex distribution. Patients with MacTel2 demonstrated significantly higher air-conduction thresholds than controls across both conventional and extended high frequencies, with the largest differences observed in the extended high-frequency range (10–16 kHz). PTA4 values were significantly higher in the MacTel2 group in both better- and worse-hearing ears, and the prevalence of clinically relevant hearing loss (PTA4 > 25 dB HL) was significantly greater among MacTel2 patients. DPOAE amplitudes were markedly reduced at all tested frequencies (0.5–8 kHz) in the MacTel2 group, and frequency-specific DPOAE absence/reduction (SNR < 6 dB) was substantially more frequent in MacTel2 than in controls. In contrast, ABR wave I and wave V latencies and the I–V interpeak interval did not differ significantly between groups, suggesting preserved brainstem-level auditory conduction. Within the MacTel2 cohort, no significant correlations were observed between the disease grade and audiological measures. Conclusions: MacTel2 was associated with significantly impaired peripheral auditory function, characterized by elevated conventional and extended high-frequency thresholds and pronounced reductions or the absence of DPOAE responses, while ABR parameters remained comparable to those of controls. These findings support a predominantly cochlear (outer hair cell-related) involvement in MacTel2 and suggest that auditory screening including conventional pure-tone audiometry, with consideration of extended high-frequency audiometry and otoacoustic emissions when feasible, may be clinically relevant in this population. Full article

Clients need to visit project sites periodically during construction to visualize progress and identify deviations from expectations. However, physical site visits are time-consuming, costly, and potentially unsafe, especially for remote and overseas projects. More fundamentally, existing remote-site-visit solutions focus primarily on automatic recognition and visualization, while insufficiently addressing the scientific challenge of how heterogeneous, dynamic site data can be fused and operationalized to support timely, collaborative decision making. This research proposes a framework for clients’ remote site visits. It develops an RASE system that enables multi-source data fusion and real-time collaborative decision support by integrating UAVs, 360° cameras, BIM, and VR/AR technologies. RASE allows clients to synchronize real-world visual data with BIM models within predefined scenes, annotate issues directly on BIM components, and seamlessly switch among heterogeneous image-capture sources to maintain situational awareness in highly dynamic construction environments. The proposed framework emphasizes an operational data-fusion mechanism and an interaction paradigm that reduces the cognitive and coordination burdens of remote decision making. A case study shows that RASE reduces site-visit time by 78.0%, though initial equipment costs increase total expenses by 44.1%. Sensitivity analyses indicate that projects with greater remoteness or higher visit frequency significantly improve both time and cost effectiveness. The core contribution of RASE lies in enabling a scalable, operational data-fusion mechanism that supports collaboration for remote site visits, with the associated issues for the corresponding BIM components. Automatic image and voice recognition functionality may be incorporated with RASE to improve the efficiency of system control, textual input, and BIM association in the future. Full article

In intensive commercial pig production systems, the spatial distribution of elimination and lying behaviors plays a crucial role in pen hygiene, management efficiency, and animal welfare. Pen partition design and the provision of hiding facilities are key structural factors that may influence pigs’ spatial preferences; however, systematic evaluations of their combined effects remain limited. A total of 108 growing–finishing pigs were used in a 3 × 2 factorial design to assess the effects of different partition types and hiding facility configurations, as well as their interaction, on the spatial distribution of elimination and lying behaviors. Behavioral data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical methods. The results showed that partition type and hiding facilities significantly influenced the spatial patterns of elimination and lying behaviors (p < 0.05), whereas no significant effects were observed on total daily elimination duration, elimination frequency, or lying posture distribution (p > 0.05). Elimination behavior was predominantly concentrated in the slatted floor area. The combination of a front-closed partition with a hiding facility significantly increased the proportion of disturbed elimination events (16.2 ± 14.3%), which was higher than that observed in the open partition combined with a hiding facility (7.9 ± 7.6%, p < 0.05). In contrast, the rear-closed partition design was associated with atypical elimination occurring on the solid floor area. Overall, pigs showed a clear preference for lying on the solid floor. The front-closed partition combined with a hiding facility significantly reduced the proportion of lying on the solid floor (64.6 ± 8.5%), whereas the open partition combined with a hiding facility resulted in a higher-than-average proportion of solid-floor lying behavior (80.6 ± 8.9%). These findings indicate that an open partition design combined with a hiding facility is more effective in maintaining functional separation between elimination and resting areas while reducing disturbed elimination events. This study provides experimental evidence to support structural optimization of growing–finishing pig housing, contributing to improved pen hygiene and enhanced animal welfare. Full article

Electrocardiography (ECG) is a key biosensing technique for assessing cardiac function and autonomic activity. Accurate detection of R-peaks and precise calculation of R-R intervals (RRIs) are essential for heart rate variability (HRV) analysis; however, automated detection algorithms remain vulnerable to local misdetections, such as false positives or missed beats (false negatives), caused by noise, baseline fluctuations, or waveform variability. Conventional correction approaches based on filter or threshold adjustment may introduce new errors outside the target region, highlighting the need for an intuitive and localized manual correction capability. To address this issue, we developed a prototype graphical user interface (GUI)-based ECG viewer implemented in Fortran for high computational efficiency. The system enables interactive insertion and deletion of detected R-peaks, with recalculation of the RRI time series and automatic updating of related analyses, including power spectral density, histograms, Lorenz plots, and polar plots. Validation using synthetic ECG signals at four sampling frequencies (125–1000 Hz) and three display time scales (2, 5, and 10 s) demonstrated correction errors below 0.7% and stable update times within 20–30 ms. When applied to real ECG recordings from the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database (records 115, 122, and 209; MLII lead), the GUI-derived RRIs achieved accuracies exceeding 0.985 at a strict ±10 ms tolerance and reached 1.000 at ±20 ms or higher, including recordings with frequent atrial premature contractions. These results indicate that the proposed system provides reliable feedback for localized correction of R-peak misdetections without altering the underlying ECG signal. The proposed algorithm may support future research and experimental applications in biosignal processing. Full article

Knee osteoarthritis is a leading cause of pain and functional limitation in older adults, and exercise is widely recommended as a core component of conservative management; however, the optimal frequency of aerobic and strengthening exercise remains unclear. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between exercise frequency, pain, and functional outcomes in older adults with knee osteoarthritis. Participants aged ≥60 years with a clinical diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis were recruited from a tertiary university hospital in Thailand. Exercise frequency over the previous four weeks was categorized as none, 1–2 times per week, 3–6 times per week, or every day. Outcomes were assessed using the Thai version of the modified Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Brief Pain Inventory. Nonparametric analyses and multivariable regression analyses adjusted for age, body mass index, and comorbidities were performed. A total of 140 participants were included, of whom 68.6% reported engaging in aerobic exercise, and 56.4% performed knee-strengthening exercises. Higher frequency of aerobic exercise was significantly associated with lower pain severity, reduced pain interference, and better WOMAC total and subdomain scores (p < 0.05). A graded association pattern was observed, with the greatest benefits seen in participants performing aerobic exercise 3–6 times per week. No significant associations were identified between knee strengthening exercise frequency and pain and functional outcomes. These findings suggest that frequent aerobic exercise is associated with reduced pain and improved function in older adults with knee osteoarthritis, supporting its role in primary care and rehabilitation management. Full article

This split-mouth pilot study evaluated implant stability using resonance frequency analysis (ISQ), Periotest measurements (PTV), and CBCT imaging as a supportive descriptive modality. Twenty patients requiring implant placement in the anterior maxilla underwent bilateral augmentation with deproteinized bovine bone mineral, with an adjunctive polynucleotide–hyaluronic acid complex applied at one site and the contralateral site serving as control. Implants were placed after a standardized 6-month healing period. Implant stability was recorded at placement and during follow-up. Test sites showed slightly higher ISQ values and more negative PTV values at placement, followed by progressive stabilization in both groups during healing. Parallel trends of increasing ISQ and decreasing PTV values were observed over time. CBCT was used exclusively for intra-patient comparative and morphologic assessment. Within the limitations of this pilot design, implant stability measurements should be interpreted as functional indicators of the implant–bone complex during early healing. The combined use of ISQ and Periotest measurements may support longitudinal monitoring of implant stability in routine clinical practice. Further studies with larger cohorts and extended follow-up are warranted. Full article

Accurate carbon price predictions are vital for supporting the effective functioning of the carbon market. Most existing studies rely on point-valued modeling, thus failing to fully explore interval-valued data and mixed-frequency information. To address this limitation, this paper proposes a new interval-valued carbon price forecasting paradigm and presents a mixed-frequency data-driven stacking ensemble forecasting system. The data preprocessing module in this system was designed to remove noise through signal decomposition and reconstruction. Additionally, the mixed-frequency modeling module integrates a mixed-frequency model, statistical model, and artificial intelligence model, which can fully utilize the significant potential of mixed-frequency information and overcome the limitations that result from selecting only one type of basic model. Moreover, a stacking ensemble learning module is proposed to fully exploit the advantages of the mixed-frequency modeling module, thereby providing more accurate forecasting results. Comparative experiments were performed and discussed based on the real carbon market, proving that the developed mixed-frequency data-driven stacking ensemble forecasting system outperforms other advanced methods and could provide an effective technique for improving carbon market management. Full article

This study investigates the synergistic use of Fischer–Tropsch wax (FTW) and recycled rubber powder (RP) as dual modifiers in stone mastic asphalt (SMA11) to improve its mechanical and functional performance. Rheological analysis demonstrated that an FTW content of 4% achieves the optimal balance of high-temperature rutting resistance, aging resistance, and workability, with a binder viscosity of 1.6 Pa·s at 135 °C. When incorporated into SMA11 mixtures at 15%, RP yielded the best overall mechanical performance, including a reduction in rut depth to 1.22 mm and a 25% decrease in wheel tracking slope (WTS). The 15% RP mixtures also exhibited superior long-term skid resistance (μ_m = 0.329 after 180,000 polishing cycles, corresponding to a 13% reduction in braking distance) and enhanced thermal cracking resistance (failure temperature improved by 8.0 °C to −32.7 °C). An RP content of 5% maximized moisture resistance (ITSR = 100%), while 10% RP produced the highest mid-frequency sound absorption coefficient (α = 0.050). The hybrid modification system enables a 20 °C reduction in production temperature, consistent with published data on wax-based warm-mix technologies, and is associated with reduced energy consumption and lower emissions. The approach simultaneously supports sustainable pavement design through the high-value reuse of waste tire rubber. Full article

Context/Objectives: Pectus excavatum (PE), the most common anterior chest wall deformity in children and adolescents, impacts posture and is frequently associated with axial deviations due to biomechanical alterations of the spine and the properties of the involved musculature. Methods: We assessed 35 patients with PE with a Haller index below 3.25, aged between 5 and 17 years, who completed a three months specialized physical exercise program after proper training and instruction by a specialist. All patients were assessed before starting the exercise program and at the end of the treatment. The assessment method used was myotonometry, employing the MyotonPRO device, targeting the trapezius muscle with all three fascicles and the pectoralis major muscle both on the left and the right side, measuring: frequency (Hz), stiffness (N/m), decrement, relaxation time (ms), and the ratio between relaxation time and deformation time (creep). Results: The analysis of myotonometric parameters reveals a pattern of selective adaptation, predominantly involving the left hemibody in most of the groups analyzed, without significant functional imbalances. This asymmetry may reflect either the functional predominance of the left hemibody during participants’ daily activities or increased activation induced by the exercise program; however, by the end of the intervention, bilateral stability was observed in most parameters. Conclusions: A three-month physical exercise program in children and adolescents with PE results in improvements in muscle properties, particularly in the pectoralis major and middle trapezius muscles bilaterally, and contributes to the restoration of functional symmetry, thereby supporting the effectiveness of the exercise program in optimizing neuromuscular control, tissue elasticity, and scapular stability. Full article

Background: Bulbar dysfunction is a major complication of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study aimed to develop and validate a simple, smartphone-based task for the objective assessment of tongue movements and to examine their association with clinical variables. Methods: 37 ALS patients and 20 age- and sex-matched controls performed a tongue lateralization task, recorded with a smartphone. A deep-learning U-Net++-based model was used for segmentation and feature extraction. The frequency and maximum amplitude of tongue movements were quantified. Clinical measures included the ALS Functional Rating Scale-revised (ALSFRS-r) bulbar sub-scores, tongue fasciculations, jaw jerk, and tongue “spasticity”. Between-group differences and associations between tongue metrics and clinical features were assessed. Results: The U-Net++-based model achieved robust segmentation performance. Patients showed lower tongue movement frequency than controls (0.14 vs. 0.40, t = −9.58, p < 0.001). Normalized frequency was associated with dysarthria (t = −3.13, p = 0.003) but not dysphagia (t = −1.05, p = 0.30). Normalized frequency (t = 2.77, p = 0.009) and tongue “spasticity” (t = −2.57, p = 0.015) were both associated with speech performance in a multiple-regression model (R = 0.51, adjusted R² = 0.43). Conclusions: Our method provides an objective, minimally invasive measure of bulbar function in ALS, which correlates with clinical ratings and may detect subtle impairments not captured by standard assessments. This approach offers a promising tool for remote monitoring and may support more effective disease management. Full article

Objective: Adolescence is a high-risk period for problematic eating behaviours, including overeating. However, few studies have explored adolescent perceptions of these eating behaviours and whether there is a shared understanding between adolescents and parents. This study aimed to investigate perceptions of eating behaviours, focusing on overeating, in Australian adolescents and parents. Method: Adolescents aged 13–19 years, and parents of adolescents, participated in two interviews for exploration and thematic deepening of participant perceptions, underpinned by Integrated Knowledge Translation Framework principles. Interviews explored perceptions of overeating and other eating behaviours, including help-seeking and stigma. Data were analysed thematically. Results: Twelve adolescents (59% female) and seven parents (100% female) participated in the interviews, with three major themes emerging. In theme 1, “perceptions of overeating”, interpretations of overeating varied; however, both adolescents and parents associated problematic overeating with increased frequency and impacts on functioning. Discrepancies between adolescent and parent perceptions of overeating terms such as binge eating were present. In theme 2, “beliefs about overeating”, adolescents felt that broaching the topic of overeating and help-seeking for overeating to be more challenging than restrictive eating disorders due to stigma. In theme 3, “perceptions of other eating behaviours”, there were differences between how adolescents perceived healthy eating and dieting compared to parents. Discussion: Differences in adolescent and parent understanding of eating behaviour terminology highlights a need for a shared language to support appropriate detection of problematic eating behaviours. There is a need for prevention and early intervention approaches that promote awareness and accessible support pathways for overeating to prevent progression to an eating disorder. Full article

This study aims to analyze the effect of individuals’ digital capital on life satisfaction in the digital global marketing environment and to structurally verify the mediating effects of digital self-efficacy and the level of E-commerce utilization in this process. For this purpose, data from the 2023 Digital Divide Survey conducted by Statistics Korea was utilized, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analyses were conducted. The results indicate that the sub-factors of digital capital—digital competence, digital support resources, and social capital—all have significant positive effects on digital self-efficacy. Furthermore, digital self-efficacy exerts a significant positive influence on both the level of E-commerce utilization and life satisfaction. In addition, the level of E-commerce utilization was found to have a modest but statistically significant direct effect on life satisfaction. Mediation analysis based on SEM revealed that digital self-efficacy functions as a key mediating mechanism linking digital capital to life satisfaction. While indirect effects through digital self-efficacy were consistently supported, the sequential mediation pathway involving both digital self-efficacy and E-commerce utilization level appeared relatively weak, suggesting that psychological confidence plays a more central role than behavioral usage alone. Overall, these findings suggest that digital capital extends beyond mere access to technology or frequency of use and forms a structural pathway influencing quality of life primarily through psychological empowerment and, to a lesser extent, digital behavioral engagement. This study contributes to digital divide research by presenting an integrated analytical framework connecting digital capital, digital self-efficacy, E-commerce utilization level, and life satisfaction, and provides empirical evidence supporting the importance of policies and educational interventions that enhance individuals’ digital self-efficacy alongside practical e-commerce-based digital education. Full article

Background: Pigs are economically critical livestock andan optimal model for investigating the development and diversification of antibody repertoires. The Rongchang (RC) pig, a nationally protected indigenous breed in China, possesses unique genetic characteristics, yet genomic-level research on its antibody repertoire remains limited, as most porcine antibody studies have focused on Landrace pigs. Methods: To decipher the genetic features of the antibody library in RC pigs, we used immunogenomic high-throughput sequencing to systematically analyze the antibody repertoires of five healthy purebred pig breeds, including two indigenous breeds (RC and BM) and three commercial breeds (Yorkshire, Duroc, and Landrace), with a focus on comparing conserved patterns and breed-specific differences in V(D)J gene utilization between Rongchang pigs and the other four breeds. Results: All five breeds exhibited a strong preference for a conserved subset of core IGHV genes. Notably, this study detected functional IGHJ3 expression (0.40.8%) in all examined breeds, contradicting the conventional view that only IGHJ5 is functional in porcine antibody repertoires. Among them, RC pigs showed the lowest IGHJ3 frequency. Furthermore, RC pigs ranked second in antibody repertoire diversity among the five breeds, implying abundant antigen-binding specificity, and exhibited the lowest CDR3 proportion, indicating breed-specific V(D)J recombination preferences. Conclusions: These results clarify the conserved and breed-specific characteristics of RC pig antibody repertoires, establishing a basis for exploring the genetic regulation of V(D)J-mediated antibody repertoire changes under varied immune conditions. This work also provides genomic support for the rational utilization of RC pig genetic resources. Full article

With the global energy structure transitioning toward low-carbon and sustainable development, improving the stability and predictability of renewable energy generation has become a key challenge for achieving carbon neutrality goals. However, photovoltaic power output exhibits significant variability and uncertainty, and accurate power forecasting is of great significance for optimizing grid dispatch, improving renewable energy integration capacity, and reducing system reserve requirements. Therefore, this paper proposes a multi-stage prediction model that integrates Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD), Improved Whale Optimization Algorithm-based Variational Mode Decomposition (IWOA-VMD), and an Improved Sparrow Search Algorithm (ISSA)-optimized Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit (BiGRU) network. Specifically, EEMD is first used to decompose the photovoltaic power sequence to extract Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs); then, the residual IMF is further decomposed using IWOA-optimized VMD to enhance low-frequency modeling capability; next, ISSA adaptively optimizes the hidden layer dimensions and learning rate of the BiGRU; Finally, each component is predicted individually, and the overall power sequence is reconstructed. Experimental results based on publicly available real photovoltaic data demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms BiGRU and several hybrid models in terms of MAE and RMSE. The research findings contribute to improving the accuracy of photovoltaic power forecasting, thereby providing technical support for the low-carbon transition and sustainable development of energy systems. Full article

Low-frequency acoustic fields—common in ventilation ducts, building façades, and industrial infrastructure—remain an underutilized source for ambient energy harvesting, particularly in humid environments where conventional contact-based or mechanically resonant harvesters may degrade over time. This study introduces a theoretical framework for converting acoustic pressure oscillations into electrical power through acoustic–electrokinetic coupling and proposes the Acoustic Baroionic Harvester (ABH) as a solid-state concept combining a Helmholtz resonator with a charged nanoporous membrane. The model is derived from coupled electrokinetic and fluid-mechanical governing relations, leading to closed-form expressions for the open-circuit voltage, internal electrokinetic resistance, and maximum deliverable power as functions of membrane surface charge, electrolyte properties, pore geometry, and resonance-induced pressure amplification. Numerical simulations are performed to validate the analytical scaling laws and to determine operating regimes that maximize power transfer to an external load. Under representative low-frequency acoustic excitation, the ABH predicts open-circuit voltages on the order of tens of millivolts and maximum power densities in the sub-microwatt-per-square-centimeter range. A compact CAD conceptual design tuned to approximately 120 Hz with a moderate resonance quality factor supports the feasibility of practical integration. The proposed approach enables micro-power generation from persistent low-frequency acoustic sources and provides a physically grounded pathway for self-powered sensing applications in built and industrial environments. Full article