Search Results (151,992)

Intracranial aneurysms are common vascular lesions with a highly variable natural history. While most unruptured intracranial aneurysms remain stable throughout life, a biologically aggressive subset progresses to growth and rupture, resulting in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage with substantial morbidity and mortality. Contemporary evidence demonstrates that aneurysm behavior is dynamic rather than static and reflects the interaction of hemodynamic forces, inflammatory vascular remodeling, genetic susceptibility, and environmental risk factors. Rupture risk is not constant over time and may be highest early after aneurysm formation, followed by a period of relative quiescence in selected lesions. Traditional population-based risk estimates have therefore evolved toward individualized risk stratification incorporating aneurysm size, location, morphology, growth, patient-specific factors, and emerging imaging and computational biomarkers. This chapter reviews the epidemiology, pathobiology, growth patterns, and rupture risk of intracranial aneurysms, integrating foundational observational studies with recent advances in genetics, vessel wall imaging, and predictive modeling. Understanding the natural history of brain aneurysms is essential for balancing the risks of observation against intervention and for guiding future innovations in aneurysm management. Full article

Objectives: Seawater-immersed burn wounds are highly susceptible to contamination, persistent inflammation, oxidative stress, and delayed healing, while current irrigation solutions remain suboptimal for such acute injuries. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanisms of plasma-activated water (PAW) as a novel irrigation strategy for these complex wounds. Methods: The antibacterial efficacy of PAW against marine pathogens was first evaluated in vitro. Subsequently, a rat model of seawater-immersed burn injury was established in male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats to assess the therapeutic effects of PAW irrigation on wound healing, infection control, and underlying biological mechanisms. Results: In vitro, PAW significantly eradicated two major marine pathogens, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus (p < 0.001). In vivo, PAW markedly accelerated wound closure, achieving complete healing in 23.60 ± 6.50 days vs. 38.67 ± 2.08 days (Normal saline group) and 58.33 ± 10.97 days (Model group) (p < 0.05). PAW significantly reduced bacterial burden, modulated inflammation by decreasing interleukin-6 and increasing interleukin-10, and alleviated oxidative stress, as evidenced by reduced malondialdehyde levels and enhanced superoxide dismutase activity. Histological evaluation demonstrated enhanced re-epithelialization, collagen deposition, and increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1. No adverse effects on serum biochemistry or major organ histopathology were observed. Conclusions: PAW may be a safe, promising, and multifunctional irrigation strategy that promotes seawater-immersed burn healing through coordinated antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and pro-angiogenic effects, highlighting its strong potential for clinical translation. Full article

Sustainable development is a core objective of European Union (EU) policy, making energy transition performance a key analytical and policy issue. This article examines the role of energy and the energy sector in Poland’s sustainable development through an indicator-based empirical assessment for 2010–2024 in a comparative EU context. In addition to the national analysis, Poland’s trajectories are positioned against the EU-27 average and selected Central and Eastern European (CEE) economies in order to assess whether the observed changes represent relative progress, convergence, or persistent lagging. The study combines a harmonised indicator framework with formal trend tests, structural-break analysis, a simplified additive LMDI decomposition, and exploratory cross-indicator analysis. The results show strong improvement in macro-level energy efficiency, continued growth in the renewable-energy share, and a reduction in the emissions intensity of energy use, while also revealing an asymmetric transition pattern in which transport remains less stable and energy self-reliance declines. From a comparative perspective, Poland performs relatively strongly in economy-wide, energy-efficiency improvement, but less favourably in renewable-energy deployment than the EU-27 average and the selected CEE comparators. Overall, the findings point to measurable progress in efficiency and decarbonisation alongside persistent tensions between sectoral adjustment, renewable energy expansion, and energy security. Full article

Urbanization, together with shifts in rainfall patterns, has become an increasingly important driver of hydrological extremes in many rapidly developing tropical regions. In the Cimanceuri River Basin, Tangerang Regency, Indonesia, these processes have intensified over the last decade, raising concerns regarding flood risk. This study examines the combined influence of urban expansion and rainfall variability on flood dynamics over 2013–2025. Multi temporal land use classification based on Landsat imagery indicates a pronounced growth of impervious surfaces, primarily driven by rapid urban development and the conversion of agricultural land. To assess the hydrological consequences of these changes, rainfall–runoff processes and flood inundation were simulated using the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS–CN) method within a coupled HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS 2D modelling framework. Simulations were performed for multiple temporal conditions and design rainfall scenarios. Model calibration relied on observed flood events recorded in March 2025 in the Mustika Residential Area, Tangerang. The results suggest that urbanization has contributed to measurable increases in both peak discharge and inundation extent. Between 2013 and 2025, impervious surface coverage expanded by approximately 67%, accompanied by a rise in the composite Curve Number from 85.86 to 86.63 and an estimated 5.2% increase in flood extent. Also, the design rainfall increased from 85.01 to 90.95 with an average increase of 7.34%. Comparison between simulated inundation patterns and aerial imagery shows satisfactory agreement, with an average deviation of less than 10%, indicating acceptable model performance. Hydrologic analyses generated two discharge scenarios, consisting of event-based flow from the 5 March 2025 rainfall data and return-period flows derived from design rainfall under different rainfall-shift periods. The rainfall-shift analysis quantified changes in design rainfall and corresponding discharge using progressively updated rainfall records. Together, the results emphasize the combined effects of urban expansion and shifting rainfall patterns on flood dynamics, underscoring the need for adaptive land-use planning and climate-responsive water management in rapidly urbanizing catchments. Full article

Chronic liver injury is characterized by sustained activation of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling within the fibrotic microenvironment, yet the contribution of TGF-β-associated metabolic remodeling to hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation remains incompletely understood. Here, we investigated whether TGF-β signaling is associated with lipid metabolic remodeling in HSCs and whether pirfenidone (PFD) interferes with this process. We found that TGF-β1 was spatially associated with lipid accumulation in fibrotic liver tissue and that TGF-β1/2 promoted HSC proliferation. In vitro, TGF-β1/2 coordinately upregulated sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) and fatty acid synthase (FASN), accompanied by increased intracellular lipid accumulation and enhanced oleic acid (OA)-associated lipid responses. Low-dose OA further activated AKT/ERK/p70 S6K signaling in HSCs, whereas PFD attenuated these signaling events. In parallel, PFD suppressed TGF-β-associated lipid accumulation in vitro, reduced SREBP1/FASN expression in activated HSC-rich regions in vivo, and alleviated CCl₄-induced liver fibrosis. Together, these findings support a model in which TGF-β-associated lipogenic remodeling contributes to HSC activation and suggest that interference with this metabolic state may represent one component of the antifibrotic action of pirfenidone. Full article

Advanced gastric (GAC) or gastroesophageal junction (GEJAC) adenocarcinoma continues to carry a poor prognosis. Understanding GAC/GEJAC at the molecular level has provided a new understanding and the basis for individualized approaches to treatment. The current biomarker-driven therapy focuses on four areas: microsatellite instability (MSI), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) combined positive score, and claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2). However, because of improving technology, the focus has shifted to cancer cell-surface proteins and peptides. Each of these GAC/GEJAC subgroups provides a different treatment pathway. The agents utilized to treat advanced GAC/GEJAC include immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) therapy, as well as bispecific antibodies (BsAbs), but they are certainly not limited to the above. Drug development has shifted in recent years to establish different mechanisms that are attempting more sophisticated and targeted approaches, such as BsAbs and ADCs. Meanwhile, the development of cytotoxics has tapered off. Along with these developments in drug therapy, more therapies directed at CLDN18.2, HER2, MSI, EGFR, HER3 and trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (TROP2) are underway. Here we review future areas in advanced GAC, including zanidatamab’s potential role in HER2-positive advanced GAC and deciphering the abundance of anti-CLDN18.2, extending beyond investigative therapies. Full article

Agricultural performance is often interpreted through agronomic inputs and technological progress; however, the translation of knowledge into production depends on the structural environments in which food systems operate. This study examined the association between food-security-related publication activity and crop production across global income settings from 2000 to 2025, while testing whether governance, health-system, and financial indicators modify that association. A longitudinal ecological panel was constructed, integrating 61,158 Scopus-indexed peer-reviewed articles on food security and related dimensions of healthy food access and availability with 23 crop production indicators grouped into staple, horticultural, and commodity domains. Income-stratified regression models were followed by hierarchical mixed-effects models and moderator screening. In exploratory stratified models, 67 of 92 income-specific associations reached nominal significance; however, only 5 of those 67 associations (7.5%) remained statistically significant after multilevel modelling and false discovery rate correction. Robust associations were concentrated in selected staple and horticultural outcomes, whereas most commodity indicators lost significance after hierarchical adjustment. Structural moderators related to territorial control, corruption, healthy life expectancy, health researcher density, healthcare access and quality, and official development assistance shifted the conditional slopes linking publication activity to crop output. These findings do not support a uniform linear relationship between publication growth and production volume. Instead, they suggest that the alignment between research ecosystems and agricultural output is structurally conditioned and likely mediated by institutional capacity, health-system resilience, and implementation environments. The ecological design, the use of publication counts as an indirect proxy, and the reliance on production volume rather than yield or efficiency should be considered when interpreting these results. Full article

Abiotic stress factors, including drought and salinity, severely limit crop productivity worldwide. Furthermore, the extensive use of herbicides, such as glyphosate, disrupts beneficial soil microbiota, further impairing crop growth. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) represent a sustainable and efficient strategy to enhance crop yields, particularly under unfavorable environmental and soil conditions. In this study, we characterized Paenibacillus sp. JSM-10, newly isolated from glyphosate-exposed agricultural soil, for its stress tolerance and plant growth-promoting potential, including its morphology examined using complementary microscopy techniques. The strain tolerated up to 0.5 g/L glyphosate, 15 g/L NaCl, and 100 g/L polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) without significant growth inhibition (p > 0.05), demonstrating robust resilience to such multiple abiotic stresses. Beyond its tolerance, the strain exhibited several beneficial characteristics, including indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) synthesis, siderophore production, and inorganic phosphate solubilization. Furthermore, both living cells and culture filtrates of JSM-10 exhibited a positive trend toward enhancing buckwheat growth under normal and saline conditions, with effect sizes ranging from Hedges’ g = 0.56−0.92. In addition, JSM-10 exhibited antagonistic activity against a range of pathogenic microorganisms, including Nigrospora oryzae, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Alternaria spp., and Escherichia coli. Altogether, these characteristics highlight the Paenibacillus sp. JSM-10 strain and its culture filtrates as promising candidates for application in organic farming aimed at promoting plant growth and improving stress tolerance via plant–microbe interactions. Full article

Early-onset infection caused by Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) may occur during gestation or delivery and can lead to severe neonatal sepsis, meningitis, or pneumonia. Discordant GBS infections in twin gestations are rare. We report a fatal case of early-onset GBS infection in dichorionic–diamniotic twins conceived via IVF and delivered by caesarean section at 32 weeks’ gestation due to discordant fetal growth and abnormal Doppler indices in Twin A (Umbilical Artery PI = 1.4; Middle Cerebral Artery PI = 1.5). Twin A had Apgar scores of 3, 5, and 5 and rapidly developed tachycardia, respiratory distress, and systemic infection, while Twin B, with Apgar scores of 7, 8, and 9, remained clinically stable. Both infants were admitted to the NICU and underwent routine blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid testing. Despite the prompt initiation of parenteral ceftriaxone and respiratory support, Twin A deteriorated rapidly and died within 28 h. GBS was isolated from Twin A’s blood culture, and maternal placental tissue and high vaginal samples collected before antibiotic administration also grew GBS, with all isolates demonstrating identical antimicrobial resistance profiles. Molecular analysis revealed matching rib1 and alp2/3 gene patterns in isolates from the mother and Twin A. Maternal anovaginal immunochromatography at delivery was positive, whereas screening cultures obtained at 29 weeks’ gestation were negative. This case highlights the limitations of culture-based GBS screening in high-risk pregnancies and preterm deliveries and underscores the potential value of molecular assays and point-of-care testing to improve detection of S. agalactiae throughout pregnancy and the peripartum period. Emerging preventive strategies, including modulation of the genital microbiome and maternal vaccination aligned with WHO recommendations, may further reduce the burden of neonatal GBS disease. Full article

Hydrochar has emerged as a promising carbonaceous amendment to enhance soil quality, yet its short-term effects on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics and microbial functioning remain poorly understood. Here, a 77-day greenhouse pot experiment was conducted using a Cambisol cultivated with sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under two irrigation regimes simulating well-irrigated (WI) and water-deficit (WD) scenarios. Two doses of chicken-manure-derived hydrochar (3.25 and 6.5 t ha⁻¹, corresponding to 2.35 and 4.69 g kg⁻¹ of dry soil, respectively) and mineral fertilizer (MF) treatments providing equivalent N inputs were evaluated. Hydrochar promoted microbial growth and enhanced enzymatic and respiratory activities despite its low apparent C and nutrient input. After 77 days under WI, the addition of 6.5 t ha⁻¹ hydrochar enhanced the activity of phenol oxidase (POA) and acid phosphomonesterase (AcPA). Concomitantly, the availability of soluble C and N increased, whereas total organic C (TOC) and N decreased relative to the initial values. These responses may suggest enhanced mineralization potentially related to early-stage priming processes. The increase in POA relative to β-glucosidase is in line with a functional shift from a predominant degradation of labile compounds towards an increased oxidation of more complex structures. This interpretation is supported by solid-state ¹³C NMR data, revealing a higher degradation index of the soil organic matter. Under WD, the overall effects of hydrochar were attenuated or suppressed, particularly those related to C and N dynamics, emphasizing the interactive influence of moisture and amendment dose. Overall, our results show that hydrochar can modulate short-term soil biochemical processes, partly through enhanced microbial responses. Full article

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling plays a central role in inflammation, immunity, cell survival, and cancer progression. Its constitutive activation is frequently observed in breast cancer, contributing to tumor growth, treatment resistance, and metastasis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and may modulate NF-κB signaling in a subtype-specific or -independent manner. The aim of the study was to identify miRNAs that may potentially regulate the activity of genes associated with NF-κB signaling across five molecular subtypes of breast cancer in Polish women. Tumor and matched normal tissue samples were collected from 405 patients with five breast cancer subtypes: luminal A (n = 130), HER2-negative luminal B (n = 100), HER2-positive luminal B (n = 96), non-luminal HER2-positive (n = 36), and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC, n = 43). Expression profile of selected NF-κB-related genes were evaluated using mRNA microarrays and RT-qPCR. Protein levels were assessed by ELISA. Candidate regulatory miRNAs were identified via miRNA microarrays and validated using the miRDB database. A consistent upregulation of MAP3K7, TAB2, TNFAIP3, CSNK2A1, BCL2L1, XIAP, CXCL2, and PLAU was observed across all subtypes, suggesting activation of canonical NF-κB signaling. Downregulation of specific miRNAs, miR-1297 and miR-30a (targeting MAP3K7), miR-134 (TAB2), miR-125b (TNFAIP3), and miR-4329 (XIAP), may contribute to this deregulation. For CSNK2A1, BCL2L1, CXCL2, and PLAU, no regulatory miRNAs meeting our criteria were identified. Our study reveals a subtype-independent activation of the canonical NF-κB signaling pathway in breast cancer, underpinned by consistent upregulation of key components (at both the transcript and protein levels. Dysregulation of specific miRNAs likely contributes to this altered gene expression. These findings suggest the presence of a common NF-κB-driven oncogenic program across molecular subtypes, with potential implications for developing miRNA-based therapeutic strategies targeting inflammation, survival signaling, and treatment resistance in breast cancer. Full article

This study investigates the direct impact of financial repression on economic growth in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) using a lagged composite repression index and panel fixed-effects regressions. Contrary to theoretical expectations, lagged repression exhibits a significantly positive association with GDP growth in the main model, with robustness checks confirming no negative direct effect. The findings suggest that in pegged currency unions, repression may support growth through public channels or forced savings, offsetting private crowding-out, while capital formation remains a key driver. This effect, contrasting with repression’s negative impact on investment, highlights union-specific resilience and calls for calibrated reforms to balance stability with deepening. Full article

Pinyon–juniper (PJ) woodlands, one of the most extensive mature and old-growth woodland types in the Western United States, provide critical ecological, cultural, and economic benefits but face increasing threats from climate change, altered disturbance regimes, invasive species, and pests. We developed the PJ Woodland Climate Adaptation Management Menu, a decision support tool designed to guide adaptive, climate-informed management of PJ ecosystems, particularly within the Colorado Plateau ecoregion. The menu was created through an iterative, collaborative process involving literature review, integration of strategies from existing adaptation frameworks, and extensive input from scientists, land managers, and community partners during workshops and focus groups. The menu links specific, evidence-based approaches to each of six broad strategies, including soliciting community input, mitigating disturbance, enhancing and maintaining biodiversity, conserving ecotones, timing actions for optimal outcomes, and accepting climate-driven changes when appropriate. It is intended for use with the Adaptation Workbook to help managers connect local goals and climate vulnerabilities to tailored management tactics. Hypothetical scenarios demonstrate the menu’s application to contrasting PJ woodland conditions, from die-off events to old-growth maintenance. Lessons learned during development underscore the value of early stakeholder engagement, cross-sector collaboration, and balancing diverse ecological objectives. This menu offers a flexible, transferable framework to strengthen climate resilience in PJ woodlands and serves as a model that could improve adaptation planning in other dryland forest ecosystems. Full article

Despite growing emphasis on democratic citizenship education in South Korea, limited research has examined the social and psychological factors influencing children’s democratic citizenship—defined here as awareness of and willingness to engage in societal issues as responsible community members. This study examines the relationship between parent–child communication and democratic citizenship, focusing on the mediating roles of growth mindset and peer relationships among South Korean elementary school students. A total of 212 students in grades four to six completed a cross-sectional survey assessing parental communication, democratic citizenship (operationalized as civic awareness and community engagement), growth mindset, and peer relationships. Serial-multiple-mediation analysis was conducted to evaluate the mediating effects of growth mindset and peer relationships. The results indicated that positive parent–child communication was associated with higher levels of democratic citizenship and that growth mindset and peer relationships jointly mediated this relationship in a serial manner. These findings highlight the importance of fostering open parent–child communication, encouraging a growth mindset, and promoting positive peer relationships to enhance democratic citizenship development in children. Given the cross-sectional design, causal inferences should be interpreted with caution, and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these relationships. Full article