Search Results (4,297)

Background: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) refers to a progressive liver injury syndrome induced by chronic excessive alcohol intake. Current treatment options are mainly limited to symptom management, and there are safety risks associated with long-term use. Hence, there is an urgent demand to discover new therapeutic targets and investigate natural active substances. Isorhamnetin (IS) is an O-methylated flavonoid, and its specific structure confers unique biological activities and relatively good oral bioavailability, making it a potential natural candidate for the prevention of metabolic liver diseases. However, few studies have explored the application and action mechanism of IS in the intervention of alcoholic liver injury and intestinal flora imbalance. Methods: This work established a mouse model of chronic alcoholic liver injury to evaluate the beneficial effects of IS on hepatic injury, oxidative stress, and intestinal flora disturbance. Results: The results showed that IS intervention therapy can alleviate the symptoms of increased liver index, ALT, AST, TC, and TG levels due to alcohol intake. Furthermore, IS can alleviate liver oxidative stress caused by alcohol consumption, thereby protecting the liver of mice. Intestinal analysis in mice revealed that IS elevated the expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and Claudin-1, thereby attenuating alcohol-induced intestinal hyperpermeability and LPS translocation. This further suppressed the activation of the hepatic LPS/TLR4 signaling pathway and decreased the production of TNF-α and IL-1β. Meanwhile, IS significantly improved the intestinal flora disorder induced by alcohol in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the EtOH group, IS treatment, particularly at the high dose (EISH), significantly increased the Ace, Chao1, Shannon, and Simpson indices. Conclusions: Consistently, NMDS analysis based on the OTU level showed that the IS-treated groups clustered away from the EtOH group and shifted toward the Control group, indicating a partial restoration of the overall microbial community structure toward that of healthy controls. In terms of species composition, IS treatment enriched beneficial microbial communities and inhibited the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, efficiently restoring intestinal flora homeostasis. Collectively, these findings suggested that the hepatoprotective effects of IS were closely associated with the amelioration of gut microbiota dysbiosis and intestinal barrier function, pointing to a potential involvement of the gut–liver axis, although its causal contribution remains to be confirmed by further mechanistic studies (e.g., microbiota depletion or fecal microbiota transplantation). The findings not only provide new scientific evidence for the hepatoprotective effects of isorhamnetin but also offer a preliminary theoretical basis for the development of natural products potentially targeting the gut–liver axis. Full article

Background/Objectives: University students face academic, social, and lifestyle-related demands with the potential to influence affective functioning. Mood states provide information on everyday emotional profiles and may be associated with physical activity (PA) and sleep. This study analysed mood states and examined their relationship with physical activity, sleep quality, and sleep duration, considering sociodemographic and academic variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1469 university students from Granada, Spain. Mood states were assessed using the Profile of Mood States, physical activity with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form, and sleep quality and duration with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Mann–Whitney U tests, Kruskal–Wallis H tests, and Spearman’s rho correlations were performed. Results: Poor sleep quality was observed in 81.4% of participants, while mean sleep duration was 6.96 ± 1.18 h/night. Students with poor sleep quality showed higher scores in depression, fatigue, anger, and tension than those with good sleep quality (all p < 0.001), whereas students with good sleep quality showed higher vigour (13.79 ± 5.39 vs. 11.59 ± 5.36; p < 0.001). Inactive/low-PA students showed higher depression and fatigue scores than more active groups, whereas the high-PA group showed the highest vigour scores. Conclusions: Mood-state profiles were associated with sleep quality, PA, and psychosocial and academic factors. Health promotion strategies in higher education should prioritise sleep quality, accessible PA, recovery, time management, and support for vulnerable profiles. Full article

Aging is characterized by gradual shifts in cellular and physiological processes, even in individuals who remain apparently clinically healthy. These changes reflect a coordinated decline in metabolic efficiency, immune regulation, organ function, psychological resilience, and sleep integrity, domains increasingly recognized as interconnected determinants of apparently healthy aging. This study explored age- and sex-associated patterns in multidimensional physiological domains and gut microbiota features among 45 apparently healthy middle-aged and elderly participants across four age–sex groups (middle-aged males, n = 13; middle-aged females, n = 11; elderly males, n = 13; elderly females, n = 8). Comprehensive clinical, metabolic, inflammatory, hepato-renal, psychological, and sleep parameters were standardized into domain-specific Z-scores, which were integrated into a composite multidimensional physiological health index (MPHI), a systems-level physiological index developed as a proxy for physiological processes associated with mitochondrial function and apparently healthy aging rather than a direct measure of mitochondrial biology. Whole-metagenome sequencing and MetaPhlAn-based taxonomic profiling were used to characterize gut microbiota composition and diversity. Despite no statistically significant overall differences among the four age–sex groups in multivariate analysis (MANOVA, p = 0.103) and gut microbial community structure (PERMANOVA, p = 0.651), descriptive variation was observed across several physiological domains, while microbiota–host associations remained exploratory and nominal after FDR correction. Middle-aged males showed comparatively less favorable metabolic and inflammatory profiles, while selected psychosocial and sleep-related measures showed variation across the age–sex groups, particularly among elderly females. Principal component analysis (PCA) of domain scores indicated multidimensional physiological variation influenced by inflammatory, metabolic, and hepato-renal indices, although substantial overlap was observed among the age–sex groups. The MPHI showed descriptive variation across the groups, with elderly males showing the highest composite scores and middle-aged females the lowest. Overall, the apparently healthy cohort showed subtle variation across interconnected physiological domains in the absence of overt differences in gut microbial community structure. These findings support the potential utility of composite physiological indices for exploratory characterization of multidimensional physiological variation during aging, while highlighting the need for validation in larger independent cohorts and against direct mitochondrial biomarkers. Full article

Background: Biological therapies have substantially improved clinical outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, the relationship between long-term biologic therapy, disease remission, and gut microbiome characteristics remains incompletely understood. This pilot study aimed to characterize the taxonomic composition and taxonomically inferred functional microbiome features of patients with IBD receiving long-term biologic therapy and achieving clinical and biological remission at the time of microbiome assessment. Methods: Patients with IBD receiving long-term biologic therapy and achieving clinical and biological remission at the time of microbiome assessment were prospectively enrolled. Gut microbiome composition was assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Functional microbiome profiling included microbial diversity (Shannon index), fecal pH, Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and bacterial groups associated with short-chain fatty acid production, mucin degradation, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) production. Comparative analyses between disease phenotypes and biologic therapies were performed using non-parametric statistical methods. Results: Fifteen patients with IBD were included, comprising eight patients with ulcerative colitis and seven with Crohn’s disease. Several microbiome features were outside the laboratory-specific reference intervals despite clinical and biological remission at the time of microbiome assessment. Shannon diversity values were below the laboratory-specific reference threshold in 60.0% of patients, while taxa associated with mucin degradation, lactate production, and LPS production were outside the respective reference intervals in 66.7%, 53.3%, and 46.7% of patients. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was outside the reference interval in 46.7% of patients. The gut microbiota was predominantly composed of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, with considerable interindividual variability in taxonomic composition and taxonomically inferred functional features. No statistically significant differences were identified between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis or between biologic therapies after false discovery rate correction. Conclusions: Patients with IBD receiving long-term biologic therapy and achieving clinical and biological remission at the time of microbiome assessment exhibited substantial interindividual variability in taxonomic composition and taxonomically inferred functional microbiome features. Several parameters were outside laboratory-specific reference intervals; however, the cross-sectional design and absence of pre-treatment and matched healthy control samples preclude conclusions regarding microbiome restoration or treatment-related effects. These findings support further longitudinal investigation of microbiome characteristics during biologic therapy. Full article

In the era of the digital economy, data has become a fundamental resource, a critical factor of production, and a key driver of socio-economic development. As the volume of data generated and collected increases, issues concerning data security and privacy protection have gained widespread attention. To enhance data security during storage and retrieval, this study proposes an improved ciphertext index construction scheme based on the Verifiable Delay Function (VDF) and Learning with Errors (LWE). The scheme employs k-flat partitioning to organize multidimensional structured data and constructs group-level ciphertext indexes based on attribute coverage values. VDF-generated salts and attribute-specific LWE keys derived through a Key Derivation Function (KDF) are combined with randomized encryption to reduce the correlation leakage associated with deterministic indexes. During retrieval, the server performs homomorphic subtraction on ciphertext indexes, while the client determines equality by comparing the resulting noise with a decision threshold. Role-based access control (RBAC) is incorporated to enforce attribute-level key isolation and unauthorized-access rejection. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme achieves effective ciphertext equality queries without directly exposing plaintext index values, while maintaining acceptable computational overhead. Full article

This study sought to document the psychometric properties of scores on the French Version of the Physical Literacy Self-Description questionnaire. A sample of 191 French-speaking Canadian and French children, aged 5–12 years, participated in this study. Results from an exploratory factor analytic solution supported a two-factor solution encompassing (a) perceived confidence and value; and (b) perceived skills competence. Subsequent analyses supported the weak, strong and strict invariance of this solution as a function of sex, and its weak, strong, and partial strict invariance (one item was less reliable in France) across countries. The results also revealed meaningful differences in terms of latent variances (showing more inter-individual variability in Canada and among boys) and covariances (showing stronger correlations in France and among boys) across grouping variables. Results further revealed a lack of differential item functioning as a function of age and time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activities, but minimal evidence of differential item functioning as a function of body mass index (on two items). Moreover, Canadian children scored higher on perceived confidence and value and lower on perceived skills competence, while younger children scored higher on perceived skills competence. Likewise, children spending more time in moderate physical activity scored higher in the perceived confidence and value factor, while those spending more time in vigorous physical activity scored higher on the perceived skills competence factor. Finally, results supported the convergent validity of scores obtained on the French Physical Literacy Self-Description questionnaire in relation to parental ratings of children’s overall, cognitive, and motor physical literacy. Full article

Reliability assessment of ship equipment is often constrained by insufficient or unavailable failure data, particularly for highly reliable components with extremely low failure frequencies. To support the use of reference information from similar equipment in subsequent reliability analysis, this study proposes a domain-guided multi-type feature-fusion framework for ship equipment clustering. The proposed framework addresses the heterogeneous nature of ship equipment records by integrating textual, categorical, and numerical attributes into a unified representation. Specifically, equipment names and specification/model information are represented using character-level TF-IDF features; categorical attributes are encoded through One-Hot representation, and numerical attributes are processed using logarithmic transformation and standardization. Six engineering attributes, including equipment name, specification/model information, technical category, measurement unit, number of installations per platform, and reference unit price, are incorporated into the fused feature space. In addition, a domain-knowledge-driven feature-group weighting mechanism is introduced to emphasize attributes that directly reflect functional and technical similarities, especially equipment names and specification/model information. K-Means clustering is then performed in the weighted fused feature space, and the number of clusters is determined by jointly considering the Silhouette Coefficient, Calinski–Harabasz index, Davies–Bouldin index, and cluster-size distribution. Experiments on 1345 practical ship equipment samples show that K = 36 provides a reasonable balance among clustering structure, candidate-set availability, engineering consistency, and stability under random initialization. Compared with the equal-weight scheme, Attribute-Weighted K-Means, K-Prototypes, and Gower-based hierarchical clustering, the proposed framework achieves higher equipment-name and specification/model similarities while maintaining meaningful technical-category consistency. These results indicate that the proposed framework can effectively identify latent functional and technical similarity relationships among ship equipment and provide candidate reference sets for reliability assessment under sparse failure data conditions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome associated with functional decline, dependency, and adverse health outcomes in older adults. Community-based nursing interventions may help prevent or delay frailty by promoting physical activity, health education, and self-care. This exploratory study aimed to describe pre–post changes in frailty status and functional capacity following a community-based nursing intervention among community-dwelling older women. Methods: An exploratory uncontrolled pre–post study was conducted in Spain. Of 35 community-dwelling, non-institutionalized women aged ≥65 years who underwent baseline assessment, 23 provided complete baseline and post-intervention data and were included in the final pre–post analysis. The intervention consisted of a 16-week nursing programme with weekly group sessions focused on adapted physical exercise, health education, and self-care. Frailty was assessed using the FRAIL Scale. Four available components of the Fried phenotype were examined as secondary frailty-related measures. Functional capacity was evaluated using the Barthel Index and the Lawton and Brody Scale. Results: Among the 23 participants included in the final paired pre–post analysis, the proportion classified as frail according to the FRAIL Scale decreased from 47.8% at baseline to 8.7% at post-intervention assessment, while the proportion classified as robust increased from 17.4% to 30.4%. Nine of the eleven participants classified as frail at baseline moved to a less severe frailty category at follow-up. Frailty status changed significantly across the three FRAIL categories (p < 0.001). Additional analyses showed a decrease in difficulty walking 100 m (43.5% to 8.7%; p = 0.008) and in low physical activity (60.9% to 26.1%; p = 0.021). Functional capacity did not change significantly. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the programme. Conclusions: Favourable pre–post changes in FRAIL status and selected frailty-related measures were observed among participants who completed the study, while functional capacity remained stable. Given the exploratory uncontrolled design, small analytical sample, and participant attrition, these findings should not be interpreted as evidence of intervention effectiveness. Larger controlled studies are required to determine whether the observed changes can be attributed to the intervention. Full article

This study examined long-term changes in floristic composition and hydrological conditions following reforestation in the Yangju Forest Watershed Experimental Catchment, Republic of Korea. The analysis integrated repeated floristic surveys spanning approximately 50 years’ hydrological record from the same experimental catchment. Floristic surveys conducted at 9, 19, 26, 40, and 50 years after reforestation were analyzed using taxonomic and functional-group richness, Sørensen similarity, and zeta diversity, while streamflow records from 1984–2019 were evaluated using flow-duration curves (FDCs) and hydrological indices. Floristic richness increased from 54 taxa in the 1980s to 122 taxa in the 2020s (2.3-fold), with family- and genus-level richness increasing approximately 1.7- and 2.1-fold, respectively. Floristic similarity was highest between adjacent survey periods, whereas the greatest compositional turnover occurred between the 1980s and 2020s. Life-form and root-system representation increased over time, and wetland indicator species appeared approximately 25 years after reforestation. Hydrological change was characterized by increased runoff duration, a decreased flow-duration index, and a progressive increase in the dormant-season runoff ratio. Across four overlapping survey periods, plant species richness, the weighted root-system richness index (R), and wetland indicator species richness showed concurrent temporal patterns with hydrological variables, including fewer relatively low-discharge days and higher drought-flow discharge (Q355) and dormant-season runoff ratios. These long-term records reveal concurrent trajectories of floristic development and increasing streamflow persistence during five decades of forest development, demonstrating the value of integrating repeated floristic observations with long-term hydrological monitoring to evaluate forest restoration. Full article

Background: Ipsilateral graft retear after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) remains a major concern in athletes, while the relationship between postoperative mechanical and functional measures and retear remains uncertain. Methods: This cohort study included 48 athletes after primary unilateral ACLR with hamstring-tendon autograft. Follow-up was scheduled at 6, 9, and 12 months (184 ± 13, 276 ± 17, and 368 ± 22 days), and the analytic export retained one postoperative value per athlete for GNRB side-to-side laxity at 250 N, concentric isokinetic quadriceps limb symmetry index (LSI) at 60°/s, single-leg hop-for-distance LSI, and patient-reported outcomes, without preserving the originating visit. MRI-confirmed ipsilateral graft retear was recorded within 24 months after clinically suspected reinjury; retear dates were not retained. Results: Fourteen athletes (29.2%) sustained a retear. Quadriceps LSI was lower in the retear group than in the no-retear group (81.3 ± 7.5% vs. 88.1 ± 9.0%; p = 0.011), and each 1-SD higher quadriceps LSI was associated with lower retear odds (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.21–0.89). In an exploratory threshold analysis, quadriceps LSI < 85% was associated with a higher retear proportion (RR 3.21, 95% CI 1.17–8.82). Associations for knee laxity, hop performance, and patient-reported outcomes were not statistically robust. Conclusions: Postoperative quadriceps symmetry showed the clearest association with 24-month graft-retear status. However, because the originating measurement visit and retear dates were unavailable, temporal precedence could not be established, and the exploratory <85% LSI finding should not be interpreted as a validated return-to-sport threshold. Full article

Biopolymers functionalized with chromophores exhibit interesting optical properties with a high potential for applications in photonics. Quinoline yellow (QY), sunset yellow (SY) and riboflavin (RB) are commonly used as colorants in the food industry, which makes them suitable candidates for the development and manufacture of environmentally friendly devices for integrated photonics. The incorporation of these dyes into a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) matrix could significantly contribute to enhance the optical response and sensitivity of the obtained composites. This enhancement is mainly due to the interaction between the conjugated π-electrons from the aromatic groups of the chromophores and the DNA matrix. Also, it may influence the appearance of interesting molecular structural arrangements and modify the local electronic environment. The linear optical analysis was performed by UV-Vis, fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies. At the same time, the pump–probe interferometric method was used to study the light-induced refractive index modification. Full article

This study investigated whether black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFL; Hermetia illucens L.) produced on polyphenol-rich agro-industrial by-products could enhance broiler meat lipid quality and oxidative stability during refrigerated storage. A total of 200 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were allocated to five dietary treatments: control diet, 5% standard full-fat BSFL meal, 10% standard full-fat BSFL meal, 10% full-fat BSFL meals produced on olive leaf and spent tea residues, and 10% defatted BSFL meal. Compared with standard full-fat BSFL meal, the olive leaf–spent tea BSFL meal showed markedly higher total phenolic content (6.74 vs. 1.82 mg GAE/g DM), DPPH radical-scavenging activity (54.80 vs. 22.40%) and ABTS antioxidant capacity (38.20 vs. 15.60 umol TE/g DM), together with lower peroxide value (1.46 vs. 2.38 meq O₂/kg lipid) and TBARS (0.24 vs. 0.39 mg MDA/kg meal). Also, when compared with 10% standard full-fat BSFL meal, the olive leaf–spent tea BSFL meal improved final body weight (2592.8 vs. 2511.6 g) and feed conversion ratio (1.53 vs. 1.58). Breast meat from this group contained higher oleic acid (40.52 vs. 37.48%) and a-linolenic acid (1.72 vs. 1.29%), while showing a lower n-6/n-3 ratio (11.81 vs. 14.49) and thrombogenicity index (0.78 vs. 0.92). After 10 days of refrigerated storage, breast meat from birds fed the polyphenol-enriched BSFL meal showed markedly lower oxidative deterioration, as indicated by reduced TBARS values (0.60 vs. 1.12 mg MDA/kg), protein carbonyl formation (2.16 vs. 3.35 nmol/mg protein) and hexanal abundance (5.10 vs. 11.90 a.u.; internal-standard-normalized peak area). This treatment also better-preserved redness, as reflected by higher CIE values (3.52 vs. 2.40), compared to the control group. Overall, these results suggest that substrate-tailored BSFL meal may serve as a functional feed ingredient for improving the lipid quality of broilers’ breast meat and delaying oxidation-driven quality deterioration during refrigerated storage. Full article

Background: The association between habitual physical activity duration and cardiac structure and diastolic function remains incompletely characterized. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between self-reported weekly physical activity duration and echocardiographic parameters in adults aged ≥ 45 years. Methods: This exploratory cross-sectional study included 84 adults recruited from a cardiology outpatient clinic and classified into three groups according to weekly physical activity duration: <4 h/week (Group A, n = 32), 4–12 h/week (Group B, n = 28), and >12 h/week (Group C, n = 24). All participants underwent transthoracic echocardiography. Multivariable analyses were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and smoking. Exploratory natural cubic spline analyses evaluated physical activity as a continuous exposure. Results: Participants reporting 4–12 h/week generally showed the most favorable echocardiographic profile. Significant between-group differences after false discovery rate correction were observed for several indices of cardiac remodeling and diastolic function. The proportions of participants classified as having left ventricular diastolic dysfunction according to the original clinical echocardiographic assessment were 37.5%, 32.1%, and 75.0% in Groups A, B, and C, respectively (p = 0.004; q = 0.006). After adjustment, Group C had higher odds of being classified as having diastolic dysfunction than Group B (OR = 8.246; 95% CI: 2.118–32.096; p = 0.002). Spline analyses demonstrated significant non-linear associations for LVMI, RWT, mean E/e′, and lateral e′ velocity. Conclusions: Weekly physical activity duration was associated with cardiac remodeling and diastolic function. Intermediate activity duration was associated with a more favorable echocardiographic profile; however, these exploratory findings do not establish an optimal exercise dose or harmful effects of higher activity. Full article

Freshwater lakes worldwide are undergoing rapid degradation, raising concerns about the effectiveness of recent large-scale conservation interventions. China’s ‘10-year fishing ban’ represents one of the world’s most ambitious fishery moratoria, yet its ecosystem-level consequences remain poorly quantified. Using data from the two seasonal surveys conducted in Dongting Lake in 2019, we applied a mass-balanced Ecopath with Ecosim model to evaluate how fishing closure, and its combination with multi-species stock enhancement, affects trophic structure, energy flows, and system stability from 2021 to 2030. Simulations show that the closure-only scenario nearly doubles total ecosystem production, yet yields limited improvement in maturity indicators, reflecting a slow recovery of food web complexity. Across the tested closure-plus-enhancement scenarios, the highest projected system omnivory index occurred under scenario S5 (from 0.24 to 0.27), whereas the highest projected Shannon diversity index (from 0.59 to 0.64) and total transfer efficiency (from 10.80% to 11.12%) occurred under scenario S1, relative to the 2019 baseline. Based on the level-wise responses of the L9 treatments, a recommended combined scenario consisting of 1.04 t bighead carp, 4.30 t grass carp, and 1.14 t silver carp, with no additional black carp stocking, was constructed. Under this scenario, the model projected enhanced biomass recovery and a shorter restructuring period for key functional groups. Our study provides a reference for predicting ecosystem responses following the ‘10-year fishing ban’ and also provides data for ecosystem-based assessments for stock enhancement. Full article

Background/Objectives: Restricting anterior knee displacement is a common squat cue, but it redistributes rather than reduces mechanical demand, and comparative evidence is largely acute. This exploratory trial compared the short-term functional effects in healthy, active young adults. Methods: Sixty participants were randomized to unrestricted or restricted anterior knee displacement, or usual activity (three-arm, single-centre). Both exercise groups completed 18 remotely supervised bodyweight squat sessions over six weeks (720 repetitions; 100% session adherence among completers). The primary outcome was low-back-related disability (Oswestry Disability Index); 21 exploratory secondary outcomes covered pressure pain threshold, Y Balance Test reach, exertion, and jump flight time. Follow-up scores were compared by one-way analysis of variance, unadjusted for baseline, with post hoc ANCOVA sensitivity analyses as supplementary. Results: Fifty-seven of the 60 randomized participants completed the trial and were analysed (n = 19, 18, and 20). Follow-up Oswestry scores did not differ among groups, F(2,54) = 1.999, p = 0.145, η² = 0.069; the largest pairwise difference was −2.9 percentage points (95% CI −5.9 to 0.0). Baseline disability was minimal (floor effect). In the unadjusted analysis, only the left-hamstring pressure pain threshold reached p < 0.05, not surviving multiplicity adjustment; baseline-adjusted sensitivity analyses left the primary result unchanged while strengthening several exercise-versus-control contrasts, two below the adjusted threshold—all exploratory. Comparable changes occurred in the untreated control group. Conclusions: Within the conditions of this short-term bodyweight-squat intervention, restricting anterior knee displacement provided no detectable advantage, and no clinically important between-group difference. The trial was not an equivalence study. Full article