Search Results (595)

The submandibular glands (SMGs), along with the parotid and sublingual glands, generate the majority of saliva and play critical roles in maintaining oral and systemic health. Despite their physiological importance, long-term therapeutic options for salivary gland dysfunction remain limited, highlighting the need for a deeper molecular understanding of SMG biology, particularly in humans. To address this knowledge gap, we have performed transcriptomic- and epigenomic-based analyses and molecular characterization of the human SMG. Our integrated analysis of multiorgan RNA-sequencing datasets has identified an SMG-enriched gene expression signature comprising 289 protein-coding and 75 long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes that include both known regulators of salivary gland function and several novel candidates ripe for future exploration. To complement these transcriptomic studies, we have generated chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) datasets of key histone modifications on human SMGs. Our epigenomic analyses have allowed us to identify genome-wide enhancers and super-enhancers that are likely to drive genes and regulatory pathways that are important in human SMG biology. Finally, comparative analysis with mouse and human SMG and other tissue datasets reveals evolutionary conserved gene and regulatory networks, underscoring fundamental mechanisms of salivary gland biology. Collectively, this study offers a valuable knowledge-based resource that can facilitate targeted research on salivary gland dysfunction in human patients. Full article

Background/Objectives: End-of-life (EoL) experiences are critically important for everyone involved, giving rise to a set of needs that extend far beyond bio-physiological aspects, to encompass the spiritual dimension as the core of human beings. Understanding the processes of spiritual awakening (SA) assists palliative care professionals in enhancing the quality of care provided to individuals with life-threatening illnesses, as well as to their families. SA is a fundamental occurrence linked to the fulfilment of our spiritual needs when facing an existential crisis, such as the proximity of death. However, its conceptual boundaries need to be clarified to provide qualified and humanized palliative care. Therefore, this study aims to identify the key attributes, antecedents, consequents, and empirical referents of SA at EoL, as well as to clarify the concept’s existing ambiguities. Methods: Walker and Avant’s eight-step concept analysis was used. A literature search was conducted in May 2025 across three databases (PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus). Results: Following the review, 21 articles were included for analysis. The concept analysis revealed four main attribute domains: (1) sensory–perceptual domain; (2) affective/cognitive domain; (3) relational domain; and (4) transcendental domain. Moreover, spiritual consciousness and the existential matrix were antecedents to this concept; revaluation of beliefs, finding spiritual serenity and inner freedom, fostering spiritual growth, and the desire to leave a legacy were its consequences. Conclusions: The concept of SA at the EoL reveals itself to be a complex and multifactorial phenomenon, with a profound impact on a person’s confrontation with finitude. Recognizing and integrating SA into palliative care allows for a more comprehensive understanding of human consciousness. To deal with SA experiences in healthcare settings, a multifaceted approach is needed. This encompasses acknowledging spirituality as a determinant of health, including spiritual care in standard practice, and offering education and training on spiritual care competence for healthcare practitioners. Further transdisciplinary research should be undertaken to explore SA phenomenological variations, guide clinical interventions, and evaluate SA impacts on spiritual well-being and spiritual growth. Full article

Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) is a powerful magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique for assessing tissue composition in the human body. For imaging short-T2 tissues in the musculoskeletal (MSK) system, ultrashort echo time (UTE) imaging plays a key role. However, UTE-based QSM (UTE-QSM) often involves repeated acquisitions, making it vulnerable to inter-scan motion. In this study, we investigate the effects of motion on UTE-QSM and introduce strategies to reduce motion-induced artifacts. Eight healthy male volunteers underwent UTE-QSM imaging of the knee joint, while an additional seven participated in imaging of the ankle joint. UTE-QSM was conducted using multiple echo acquisitions, including both UTE and gradient-recalled echoes, and processed using the iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) and morphology-enabled dipole inversion (MEDI) algorithms. To assess the impact of motion, datasets were reconstructed both with and without motion correction. Furthermore, we evaluated a two-step UTE-QSM approach that incorporates tissue boundary information. This method applies edge detection, excludes pixels near detected edges, and performs a two-step QSM reconstruction to reduce motion-induced streaking artifacts. In participants exhibiting substantial inter-scan motion, prominent streaking artifacts were evident. Applying motion registration markedly reduced these artifacts in both knee and ankle UTE-QSM. Additionally, the two-step UTE-QSM approach, which integrates tissue boundary information, further enhanced image quality by mitigating residual streaking artifacts. These results indicate that motion-induced errors near tissue boundaries play a key role in generating streaking artifacts in UTE-QSM. Inter-scan motion poses a fundamental challenge in UTE-QSM due to the need for multiple acquisitions. However, applying motion registration along with a two-step QSM approach that excludes tissue boundaries can effectively suppress motion-induced streaking artifacts, thereby improving the accuracy of musculoskeletal tissue characterization. Full article

Advanced composite materials and manufacturing technologies are critical to sustain human presence in space. Mechanical testing and analysis are needed to elucidate the effect of processing parameters on composites’ material properties. In this study, test specimens are 3D printed via a fused-filament fabrication (FFF) approach from a basalt moon dust-polylactic acid (BMD-PLA) composite filament and from pure PLA filament. Compression and tensile testing were conducted to determine the yield strength, ultimate strength, and Young’s modulus of specimens fabricated under several processing conditions. The maximum compressive yield strength for the BMD-reinforced samples is 27.68 MPa with print parameters of 100% infill, one shell, and 90° print orientation. The maximum compressive yield strength for the PLA samples is 63.05 MPa with print parameters of 100% infill, three shells, and 0° print orientation. The composite samples exhibit an increase in strength when layer lines are aligned with loading axis, whereas the PLA samples decreased in strength. This indicates a fundamental difference in how the composite behaves in comparison to the pure matrix material. In tension, test specimens have unpredictable failure modes and often broke outside the gauge length. A portion of the tension test data is included to help guide future work. Full article

Healthcare access is a fundamental human right, yet barriers often negatively impact health, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan, where maternal mortality remains a crisis. This study aimed to identify factors influencing healthcare access barriers among married women aged 15–49 years using spatial analysis. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2017-18 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS), which included an unweighted sample of 8127 women. Healthcare access barriers were identified as the outcome variable. Results: A spatial analysis using ArcGIS 10.7.1 and SaTScan identified clustered distributions, with concentration areas identified in Gilgit Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Punjab, and Balochistan. SaTScan highlighted primary clusters in FATA, Southern KPK, Northern Balochistan, and Eastern Punjab. Geographically Weighted Regression identified women who had five or more living children, respondents who did not have four or more antenatal care (ANC) visits, respondents who experienced a lower income (wealth index), respondents who did not participate in decision-making, respondents with a primary education, and respondents who accepted domestic violence as the significant predictors of healthcare access barriers. Conclusions: To improve women’s healthcare access, integrated policy interventions are needed, addressing socioeconomic disparities, strengthening national health policies, empowering women, and expanding healthcare accessibility. Strengthening health insurance and economic empowerment is crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

Eye tracking, a fundamental process in gaze analysis, involves measuring the point of gaze or eye motion. It is crucial in numerous applications, including human–computer interaction (HCI), education, health care, and virtual reality. This study delves into eye-tracking concepts, terminology, performance parameters, applications, and techniques, focusing on modern and efficient approaches such as video-oculography (VOG)-based systems, deep learning models for gaze estimation, wearable and cost-effective devices, and integration with virtual/augmented reality and assistive technologies. These contemporary methods, prevalent for over two decades, significantly contribute to developing cutting-edge eye-tracking applications. The findings underscore the significance of diverse eye-tracking techniques in advancing eye-tracking applications. They leverage machine learning to glean insights from existing data, enhance decision-making, and minimize the need for manual calibration during tracking. Furthermore, the study explores and recommends strategies to address limitations/challenges inherent in specific eye-tracking methods and applications. Finally, the study outlines future directions for leveraging eye tracking across various developed applications, highlighting its potential to continue evolving and enriching user experiences. Full article

Human skin microbiome plays a fundamental role in maintaining skin health, immunity, and appearance. While current microbiome-friendly cosmetics emphasize the use of probiotics and prebiotics, recent advances in bioengineering are paving the way for a new generation of personalized and sustainable skincare solutions. This evolution is increasingly necessary given the limitations of conventional dermatological treatments in addressing individual variability. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), synthetic biology, and high-throughput microbiome sequencing now enable precise skin analysis and the development of tailored, more effective cosmetic formulations. This review critically examines these technological breakthroughs, including genetic modification of microbial strains, engineered delivery systems, and quorum sensing modulation, with a focus on their cosmetic and therapeutic applications. These innovations not only facilitate product customization but also reduce environmental impact by minimizing resource use, synthetic chemicals, and testing burdens aligning with sustainability goals. Several structured tables synthesize the latest findings on microbial targets, bioengineered ingredients, delivery platforms, and mechanistic pathways, providing a practical reference for researchers and product developers. Additionally, this review addresses key regulatory and safety considerations, particularly those associated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in cosmetic products. It highlights the need for region-specific clinical trials, toxicity assessments, and microbial safety screening to ensure consumer protection. While current frameworks offer a foundation, further ethical and environmental guidelines may be necessary as synthetic biology advances. Thus, AI-integrated synthetic biology and microbiome transplantation emerge as transformative pathways for advancing sustainable, personalized skincare innovation. Full article

This study presents the development of a Digital Twin (DT) framework that is capable of generating and adjusting simulation models of production processes and systems automatically and in real-time. A Machine Vision (MV) system is used to detect newly added or already existing production module locations and rotations, as well as changes in both their location and rotations. This subsystem primarily functions as an External database and is used for new Asset Administrative Shell (AAS) creation, housing, and data gathering, which also includes a visualization platform. Tecnomatix Plant Simulation (TPS) is used for simulation model building, simulation execution, and high-level scheduling based on work orders and technological plans. Different subsystems were integrated into the DT framework using fast and reliable communication protocols. The automation of the proposed framework significantly reduces manual intervention, thus eliminating human factors, reducing the time needed for model creation, improving simulation fidelity, and providing the fundamentals for robust connectivity within the DT framework. The findings highlight the transformative potential of this method for streamlining simulation processes and enhancing system adaptability in complex environments. Full article

Clean water and uncontaminated soil are fundamental for sustaining life on Earth and are essential for assuring human health, and the use of sustainable adsorption materials has emerged as an effective strategy to reduce the volume of effluents released into the environment. Cellulose–bentonite composites have shown significant promise in water purification due to their high adsorption capacity, structural stability, and eco-friendly nature, making them an effective material for the removal of a wide range of pollutants from contaminated water. The most commonly employed methods of fabrication of cellulose–bentonite composites include solution casting, in situ polymerization, and electrospinning. Wastewater typically contains a variety of toxic contaminants, including synthetic dyes such as Congo red and methylene blue, heavy metals such as Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni, pesticides, and oils. Cellulose–bentonite composites offer an economical and efficient solution for the removal of these pollutants, owing to their synergistic properties—especially when compared to other adsorbents such as activated carbon, nanographene oxide, and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). However, a systematic evaluation of their fabrication strategies, adsorption mechanisms, and application-related studies remains lacking. Also, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive review that consolidates recent findings on the removal of environmental contaminants and highlights both individual and combined adsorption efficiencies. Therefore, this work focuses on cellulose–bentonite composites as highly promising materials for developing sustainable, high-performance adsorbents tailored for advanced water treatment technologies. Full article

Petroleum hydrocarbon pollution is a serious environmental and human health problem. In recent decades, the impact of this substance has been profound and persistent, affecting the balance of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and leading to significant physical and psychosocial effects among the population. Natural sources (crude oil, natural gas, forest fires, and volcanic eruptions) and anthropogenic (road traffic, smoking, pesticide use, oil drilling, underground water leaks, improper oil spills, industrial and mining waste water washing, etc.), the molar weight of the hydrocarbon, and the physicochemical properties are important factors in determining the degree of pollution. The effects of pollution on the environment consist of altering the fundamental structures for sustaining life (infertile lands, climate change, and loss of biodiversity). In terms of human health, diseases of the following systems occur: respiratory (asthma, bronchitis), cardiovascular (stroke, heart attack), pulmonary (infections, cancer), and premature death. To reduce contamination, sustainable intervention must be carried out in the early stages of the pollution-control process. These include physical techniques (isolation, soil vapor extraction, solvent extraction, soil washing), chemical techniques (dispersants–surfactants, chemical oxidation, solidification/stabilization, thermal desorption), biological techniques (bioremediation, phytoremediation), and indigenous absorbents (peat, straw, wood sawdust, natural zeolites, clays, hemp fibers, granular slag, Adabline II OS). Due to the significant environmental consequences, decisions regarding the treatment of contaminated sites should be made by environmental experts, who must consider factors such as treatment costs, environmental protection regulations, resource recovery, and social implications. Public awareness is also crucial, as citizens need to understand the severity of the issue. They must address the sources of pollution to develop sustainable solutions for ecosystem decontamination. By protecting the environment, we are also safeguarding human nature. Full article

Emotion recognition capabilities in multimodal AI systems are crucial for developing culturally responsive educational technologies yet remain underexplored for Arabic language contexts, where culturally appropriate learning tools are critically needed. This study evaluated the emotion recognition performance of two advanced multimodal large language models, GPT-4o and Gemini 1.5 Pro, when processing Arabic children’s storybook illustrations. We assessed both models across three prompting strategies (zero-shot, few-shot, and chain-of-thought) using 75 images from seven Arabic storybooks, comparing model predictions with human annotations based on Plutchik’s emotional framework. GPT-4o consistently outperformed Gemini across all conditions, achieving the highest macro F1-score of 59% with chain-of-thought prompting compared to Gemini’s best performance of 43%. Error analysis revealed systematic misclassification patterns, with valence inversions accounting for 60.7% of errors, while both models struggled with culturally nuanced emotions and ambiguous narrative contexts. These findings highlight fundamental limitations in current models’ cultural understanding and emphasize the need for culturally sensitive training approaches to develop effective emotion-aware educational technologies for Arabic-speaking learners. Full article

Water plays a fundamental role in sustaining biological processes, ecological functions, and economic systems. However, the progressive pollution of water sources compromises these functions, posing significant threats to water purity, human well-being, and environmental sustainability. Human activities, such as industrial waste, agriculture, and urbanization, alongside natural processes, are major contributors to the deterioration of surface water quality, which in turn leads to environmental and economic risks. The decline in water quality results in issues such as waterborne diseases, loss of biodiversity, and a shortage of clean water for consumption and industrial use. This paper emphasizes the critical need for maintaining good water quality and the importance of implementing effective strategies for the removal of physical, chemical, and biological contaminants. In response, this work presents an intelligent embedded system (electronic control unit, ECU) developed as part of a modular filtration system designed to improve surface water quality, provide more precise water analyses, and perform tests within a controlled environment. Full article

Human–environment interactions in antiquity were fundamentally shaped by environmental constraints, with spatial patterns of human construction works reflecting strategic resource optimization. This study employed Geographic Information System (GIS) and binary logistic regression (BLR) to analyze the siting principles of ancient postal buildings in Fujian, China, integrating related environmental factors of elevation, slope, relief amplitude, and distance to rivers. The results revealed significant spatial differentiation, with elevation exhibiting the strongest influence on siting preference, followed by slope, relief amplitude, and distance to rivers. Clustering patterns along coasts and rivers indicated a strategic balance between transmission efficiency and military defense needs. The applicability of the integrated GIS–BLR approach in studying the ancient postal system demonstrates its extensibility to other ancient settlement systems while offering insights for contemporary conservation practice and sustainable development. Full article

Assessing habitat quality and quantifying human disturbance are fundamental prerequisites for ecological conservation. However, existing studies predominantly focus on single dimensions. There is an urgent need to integrate habitat quality and human disturbance, and quantify their spatially coupled coordination relationships to address the disconnect between them in current research. As a critical ecological reserve in southeastern China, Fujian Province faces threats of ecological degradation. This study employed the InVEST model to evaluate habitat quality in Fujian from 1980 to 2020, utilized a human disturbance index to quantify spatiotemporal patterns of anthropogenic activities, analyzed their changes using landscape indices, and applied coupling coordination analysis to examine their interrelationships. Machine learning and geographically weighted regression were further integrated to identify driving factors of coupling coordination patterns. The results showed that: (1) Habitat quality remained relatively high while human disturbance levels stayed low throughout 1980–2020, though both showed gradual deterioration over time, particularly during 2010–2020, with riverine and coastal eastern regions exhibiting the lowest habitat quality and highest disturbance levels. (2) Coupling coordination relationships predominantly exhibited synergy, with moderate imbalance zones concentrated in the eastern coastal areas. Temporally, regions with lower imbalance expanded significantly during 2010–2020. (3) Landscape metric analysis revealed declining dominance of high-quality habitat/low-disturbance/synergistic zones, contrasted by increased fragmentation of low-quality habitat/high-disturbance/imbalanced zones. (4) Socioeconomic factors exerted stronger influence on coupling coordination patterns than natural environmental variables, proximity to urban areas, road density, and nighttime light indices. Each driver displayed spatially variable positive/negative effects. The results enhance our understanding of human–nature sustainable development dynamics, urban expansion–ecological conservation trade-offs, and provide methodological insights for regional ecological management and achieving sustainable development goals. Full article

This study systematically documented macrofungal diversity in Beijing, China (field surveys conducted from 2020 to 2024) using line-transect and random sampling. A total of 1056 species were identified, spanning 2 phyla, 7 classes, 25 orders, 109 families, and 286 genera. The inventory includes 12 new species, 456 new records for Beijing, 79 new records for China, and comprises 116 edible, 56 edible–medicinal, 123 medicinal, and 58 poisonous species. Among these, 542 species were assessed against China’s Macrofungi Redlist, revealing eight species needing conservation attention (seven Near Threatened, one Vulnerable). Analysis revealed stark differences in dominant taxa between natural ecosystems (protected areas) and urban green spaces/parks. In natural areas, macrofungi are dominated by 31 families (e.g., Russulaceae, Cortinariaceae) and 47 genera (e.g., Russula, Cortinarius). Ectomycorrhizal lineages prevailed, highlighting their critical role in forest nutrient cycling, plant symbiosis, and ecosystem integrity. In urban areas, 10 families (e.g., Agaricaceae, Psathyrellaceae) and 17 genera (e.g., Leucocoprinus, Coprinellus) were dominant. Saprotrophic genera dominated, indicating their adaptation to decomposing organic matter in human-modified habitats and the provision of ecosystem services. The study demonstrates relatively high macrofungal diversity in Beijing. The distinct functional guild composition—ectomycorrhizal dominance in natural areas versus saprotrophic prevalence in urban zones—reveals complementary ecosystem functions and underscores the conservation value of protected habitats for maintaining vital mycorrhizal networks. These findings provide fundamental data and scientific support for regional biodiversity conservation and sustainable macrofungal resource development. Full article