Search Results (11,591)

Municipal wastewaters pose a severe risk to the environment and human health when discharged untreated. This is due to their high content of pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, which can cause diseases like cholera. Herein, the research and development of porphyrin-modified polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes was conducted to improve bacterial inactivation in complex municipal wastewater and enhance the fouling resistance and filtration performance. The synthesis and fabrication of porphyrin nanofillers and the resultant membrane characteristics were studied. The incorporation of porphyrin-based nanofillers improved the membrane’s hydrophilicity, morphology, and flux (247 Lm⁻² h⁻¹), with the membrane contact angle (CA) decreasing from 90° to ranging between 58° and 50°. The membrane performance was monitored for its flux, antifouling properties, reusability potential, municipal wastewater, and humic acid. The modified membranes demonstrated an effective application in wastewater treatment, achieving notable antibacterial activity, particularly under light exposure. The In-BP@SW/PES membrane demonstrated effective antimicrobial photodynamic effects against both Gram-positive S. aureus and Gram-negative E. coli. It achieved at least a 3-log reduction in bacterial viability, meeting Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards for efficient antimicrobial materials. Among the variants tested, membranes modified with In-PB@SW nanofillers exhibited superior antifouling properties with flux recovery ratios (FRRs) of 78.9% for the humic acid (HA) solution and 85% for the municipal wastewater (MWW), suggesting a strong potential for long-term filtration use. These results highlight the promise of porphyrin-functionalized membranes as multifunctional tools in advanced water treatment technologies. Full article

Ammonia emissions in poultry houses are common and pose health concerns for animals and workers. However, effective control of these emissions with sustainable products is lacking. Therefore, we investigated if an agricultural byproduct, cottonseed hulls, could be recycled through pyrolysis and used to remove ammonia from air. In this study, the efficacy of ammonia removal was observed using cottonseed hull biomaterials pyrolyzed at seven different temperatures: 250, 300, 350, 400, 500, 600, and 700 °C. In this study, ammonia was passed through a column filled with pyrolyzed material, and ammonia in the filtered air was monitored. The results showed that materials pyrolyzed at intermediate temperatures of 350 and 400 °C were the most efficient at ammonia removal and were able to adsorb approximately 3.7 mg NH₃/g of material. Despite extensive characterization, ammonia adsorption could not be linked to intrinsic material properties. Evaluation of the materials showed that the carbon in the pyrolyzed materials would be stable over time should the spent material be used as a soil amendment. Full article

Avocado (Persea americana), originally from Mesoamerica, has emerged as a focus of intense scientific and industrial interest due to its unique combination of nutritional richness, bioactive potential, and technological versatility. Its pulp, widely consumed across the globe, is notably abundant in monounsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid, which can comprise over two-thirds of its lipid content. In addition, it provides significant levels of dietary fiber, fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K, carotenoids, tocopherols, and phytosterols like β-sitosterol. These constituents are consistently associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, glycemic regulatory, and cardioprotective effects, supported by a growing body of experimental and clinical evidence. This review offers a comprehensive and critical synthesis of the chemical composition and functional properties of avocado, with particular emphasis on its lipid profile, phenolic compounds, and phytosterols. It also explores recent advances in environmentally sustainable extraction techniques, including ultrasound-assisted and microwave-assisted processes, as well as the application of natural deep eutectic solvents. These technologies have demonstrated improved efficiency in recovering bioactives while aligning with the principles of green chemistry. The use of avocado-derived ingredients in nanostructured delivery systems and their incorporation into functional foods, cosmetics, and health-promoting formulations is discussed in detail. Additionally, the potential of native cultivars and the application of precision nutrition strategies are identified as promising avenues for future innovation. Taken together, the findings underscore the avocado’s relevance as a high-value matrix for sustainable development. Future research should focus on optimizing extraction protocols, clarifying pharmacokinetic behavior, and ensuring long-term safety in diverse applications. Full article

Eutrophication has become the primary water quality issue for most of the freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems in the world. Caused by excessive nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs, it has a significant impact on aquatic ecosystems, resulting in algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and biodiversity loss. Zeolites have been identified as effective adsorbents for removal of these pollutants, improving water quality and ecosystem health. Kinetic and isotherm adsorption experiments were conducted to examine the adsorption efficiency of four zeolites of various origins (Greek, Slovakian, Turkish, and Bulgarian) and a specific modification (ZeoPhos) to determine the most effective material for N and P removal. The aim of the study is to discover the best zeolite for chemical adsorption in eutrophic waters by comparing their adsorption capacities and pollutant removal efficiencies along with SEM, TEM, and X-RD spectrographs. Slovakian ZeoPhos has been identified as the best-performing material for long-term and efficient water treatment systems for eutrophication management. Full article

As medical technology develops and digital demands grow, personal health records (PHRs) are becoming more patient-centered than before based on cloud-based health information exchanges. While enhancing data accessibility and sharing, these systems present privacy and security issues, including data breaches and unauthorized access. We developed a post-quantum, group-oriented encryption scheme using the Crystal-Kyber Key encapsulation mechanism (KEM). Leveraging lattice-based post-quantum cryptography, this scheme ensures quantum resilience and chosen ciphertext attack security for layered cloud PHR environments. It supports four encryption modes: individual, group, subgroup-specific, and authorized subgroup decryption, meeting diverse data access needs. With efficient key management requiring only one private key per user, the developed scheme strengthens the privacy and security of PHRs in a future-proof, flexible, and scalable manner. Full article

Ongoing changes in the distribution and abundance of several tick species of medical relevance in Canada have prompted the development of the eTick platform—an image-based crowd-sourcing public surveillance tool for Canada enabling rapid tick species identification by trained personnel, and public health guidance based on tick species and province of residence of the submitter. Considering that more than 100,000 images from over 73,500 identified records representing 25 tick species have been submitted to eTick since the public launch in 2018, a partial automation of the image processing workflow could save substantial human resources, especially as submission numbers have been steadily increasing since 2021. In this study, we evaluate an end-to-end artificial intelligence (AI) pipeline to support tick identification from eTick user-submitted images, characterized by heterogeneous quality and uncontrolled acquisition conditions. Our framework integrates (i) tick localization using a fine-tuned YOLOv7 object detection model, (ii) resolution enhancement of cropped images via super-resolution Generative Adversarial Networks (RealESRGAN and SwinIR), and (iii) image classification using deep convolutional (ResNet-50) and transformer-based (ViT) architectures across three datasets (12, 6, and 3 classes) of decreasing granularities in terms of taxonomic resolution, tick life stage, and specimen viewing angle. ViT consistently outperformed ResNet-50, especially in complex classification settings. The configuration yielding the best performance—relying on object detection without incorporating super-resolution—achieved a macro-averaged F1-score exceeding 86% in the 3-class model (Dermacentor sp., other species, bad images), with minimal critical misclassifications (0.7% of “other species” misclassified as Dermacentor). Given that Dermacentor ticks represent more than 60% of tick volume submitted on the eTick platform, the integration of a low granularity model in the processing workflow could save significant time while maintaining very high standards of identification accuracy. Our findings highlight the potential of combining modern AI methods to facilitate efficient and accurate tick image processing in community science platforms, while emphasizing the need to adapt model complexity and class resolution to task-specific constraints. Full article

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element critical for animal growth and immune function. This study investigated the dietary selenium requirement of juvenile large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) through an 8-week feeding trial. Five experimental diets were formulated by supplementing a basal diet with selenium polysaccharides (Se-PS) at 0, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mg/kg, resulting in analyzed Se concentrations of 0.35, 0.54, 0.71, 0.93, and 1.11 mg/kg, respectively. The results demonstrated that growth performance and feed efficiency improved with increasing dietary selenium, peaking at 0.93 mg/kg before declining at higher levels. Antioxidant enzyme activities—superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)—in serum and liver tissues exhibited a dose-dependent increase, reaching maximal levels at 1.11 mg/kg. Conversely, malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of oxidative stress, progressively decreased in both serum and liver, attaining its lowest concentration at 1.11 mg/kg, though this did not differ significantly from the 0.93 mg/kg group (p = 0.056). Tissue selenium accumulation was highest at these optimal dietary levels. Based on the growth performance, oxidative stress response, and tissue selenium retention, the recommended dietary selenium requirement for juvenile large yellow croaker is 0.93 mg/kg. These findings highlight the importance of optimal Se supplementation in aquafeeds to enhance growth and physiological health in farmed fish. Full article

Background/Objectives: For kidney transplantation, it is very important to provide effective post-transplantation interventions to help patients achieve continuous and efficient self-management. Therefore, we review the self-management interventions applied to kidney transplant recipients and suggest the optimal approach to increase the effectiveness of future self-management interventions. Design: Systematic review. Methods: Search terms and strategies included kidney transplantation; self-management; intervention; systematic review. We searched MEDLINE via PubMed, Excerpta Media dataBASE, Cochrane Register Controlled Trials, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and one domestic Korean database to identify studies of self-management interventions for kidney transplant recipients aged ≥ 18 years published in English or Korean until 14 May 2025. Two reviewers independently selected related studies and extracted relevant data. Identified studies were assessed for quality and bias. Results: Of 1340 studies identified, 27 with 1912 participants met the inclusion criteria. Educational interventions were the most common self-management interventions and were provided 3 months to 1 year after kidney transplantation; most interventions were administered by nurses. Outcome variables were divided into cognitive, behavioral, affective, and health outcomes. Educational interventions were effective in improving cognitive, behavioral, and affective aspects. Some differences were observed, depending on the study. Conclusions: We recommend that nurse-involved educational interventions be included when developing self-management interventions and guidelines for kidney transplant recipients in clinical and community nursing settings. Full article

Although organizational resilience is well established, refining the systematic quantitative evaluation of health systems resilience (HSR) remains an ongoing opportunity for advancement. Research either focuses on individual HSR indicators, such as social welfare policy, public expenditure, health insurance, healthcare quality, and technology, or broadly examines socio-economic factors, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive methodological approach. This study employed the Slacks-Based Measure (SBM) within Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to analyze efficiency by maximizing outputs. It systematically examined key HSR factors across countries, providing insights for improved policymaking and resource allocation. Taking a five-year (2016–2020) dataset that covered 55 to 56 countries and evaluating 17 indicators across governance, health systems, and economic aspects, the paper presents that all sixteen top-ranked countries with a perfect efficiency score of 1 belonged to the high-income group, with ten in Europe, highlighting regional HSR differences. This paper concludes that adequate economic resources form the foundation of HSR and ensure stability and sustained progress. A properly supported healthcare workforce is essential for significantly enhancing health systems and delivering quality care. Last, effective governance and the equitable allocation of resources are crucial for fostering sustainable development and strengthening HSR. Full article

Sleep is a vital physiological process for recovery and health. In people with knee osteoarthritis (OA), disrupted sleep is common and linked to worse clinical outcomes. Commercial sleep trackers provide an accessible option to monitor sleep in this population, but their accuracy for detecting sleep, wake, and sleep stages remains uncertain. This study compared nighttime sleep data from polysomnography (PSG) and Fitbit Sense in individuals with knee OA and insomnia. Data were collected from 53 participants (60.4% women, mean age 51 ± 8.2 years) over 62 nights using simultaneous PSG and Fitbit recording. Fitbit Sense showed high accuracy (85.76%) and sensitivity (95.95%) for detecting sleep but lower specificity (50.96%), indicating difficulty separating quiet wakefulness from sleep. Agreement with PSG was higher on nights with longer total sleep time, higher sleep efficiency, shorter sleep onset, and fewer awakenings, suggesting better performance when sleep is less fragmented. The device showed limited precision in classifying sleep stages, often misclassifying deep and REM sleep as light sleep. Despite these issues, Fitbit Sense may serve as a useful complementary tool for monitoring sleep duration, timing, and regularity in this population. However, sleep stage and fragmentation data should be interpreted cautiously in both clinical and research settings. Full article

Degradable fluorescent sensors present a promising portable approach for heavy metal ion detection, aiming to prevent secondary environmental pollution. Additionally, the excessive intake of ferric ions (Fe³⁺), an essential trace element for human health, poses critical health risks that urgently require effective monitoring. In this study, we developed a thermally degradable fluorescent hydrogel sensor (Eu-CDs@DPPG) based on europium-doped carbon dots (Eu-CDs). The Eu-CDs, synthesized via a hydrothermal method, exhibited selective fluorescence quenching by Fe³⁺ through the inner filter effect (IFE). Embedding Eu-CDs into the hydrogel significantly enhanced their stability and dispersibility in aqueous environments, effectively resolving issues related to aggregation and matrix interference in traditional sensing methods. The developed sensor demonstrated a broad linear detection range (0–2.5 µM), an extremely low detection limit (1.25 nM), and rapid response (<40 s). Furthermore, a smartphone-assisted LAB color analysis allowed portable, visual quantification of Fe³⁺ with a practical LOD of 6.588 nM. Importantly, the hydrogel was thermally degradable at 80 °C, thus minimizing environmental impact. The sensor’s practical applicability was validated by accurately detecting Fe³⁺ in spinach and human urine samples, achieving recoveries of 98.7–108.0% with low relative standard deviations. This work provides an efficient, portable, and sustainable sensing platform that overcomes the limitations inherent in conventional analytical methods. Full article

Machine learning and artificial intelligence have transformed fault detection and maintenance strategies for industrial machinery. This study applies well-established data-driven techniques to a rarely explored industrial application—the condition monitoring of high-precision paper cutting machines—enhancing condition-based maintenance to improve operational efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness. A key element of the proposed approach is the integration of an infrared pyrometer into vibration monitoring, utilizing accelerometer data to evaluate the state of health of machinery. Unlike traditional fault detection studies that focus on extreme degradation states, this work successfully identifies subtle deviations from optimal, which even expert technicians struggle to detect. Building on a feasibility study conducted with Tecnau SRL, a comprehensive diagnostic system suitable for industrial deployment is developed. Endurance tests pave the way for continuous monitoring under various operating conditions, enabling real-time industrial diagnostic applications. Multi-scale signal analysis highlights the significance of transient and steady-state phase detection, improving the effectiveness of real-time monitoring strategies. Despite the physical similarity of the classified states, simple time-series statistics combined with machine learning algorithms demonstrate high sensitivity to early-stage deviations, confirming the reliability of the approach. Additionally, a systematic analysis to downgrade acquisition system specifications identifies cost-effective sensor configurations, ensuring the feasibility of industrial implementation. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study evaluated the in vitro probiotic potential of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Probio87 (Probio87), focusing on its physiological robustness, safety, antimicrobial properties, and anticancer activity, with relevance to vaginal and cervical health. Methods: Tests included acid and bile salt tolerance, mucin adhesion, and carbohydrate utilization. Prebiotic preferences were assessed using FOS, GOS, and inulin. Antibiotic susceptibility was evaluated per EFSA standards. Antimicrobial activity of the cell-free supernatant (CFS) was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida species. Effects on Lactobacillus iners and L. crispatus were analyzed. Anticancer properties were assessed in HeLa, CaSki (HPV-positive), and C-33A (HPV-negative) cervical cancer cell lines through proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and cell cycle assays. Results: Probio87 showed strong acid and bile tolerance, efficient mucin adhesion, and broad carbohydrate utilization, favoring short-chain prebiotics like FOS and GOS over inulin. It met EFSA antibiotic safety standards. The CFS exhibited potent antimicrobial activity, including complete inhibition of Candida albicans. Probio87 selectively inhibited L. iners without affecting L. crispatus, indicating positive modulation of vaginal microbiota. In cervical cancer cells, the CFS significantly reduced proliferation and angiogenesis markers (p < 0.05), and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HPV-positive cells, with minimal effects on HPV-negative C-33A cells. Conclusions: Probio87 demonstrates strong probiotic potential, with safe, selective antimicrobial and anticancer effects. Its ability to modulate key microbial and cancer-related pathways supports its application in functional foods or therapeutic strategies for vaginal and cervical health. Full article

The problem of spreading harmful infections through contaminated surfaces has become more acute during the recent coronavirus pandemic. The design of self-cleaning materials, which can continuously decompose biological contaminants, is an urgent task for environmental protection and human health care. In this study, the surface of blended cotton/polyester fabric was functionalized with N-doped TiO₂ (TiO₂-N) nanoparticles using titanium(IV) isopropoxide as a binder to form durable photoactive coating and additionally decorated with Cu species to promote its self-cleaning properties. The photocatalytic ability of the material with photoactive coating was investigated in oxidation of acetone vapor, degradation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragments of various lengths, and inactivation of PA136 bacteriophage virus and Candida albicans fungi under visible light and ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation. The kinetic aspects of inactivation and degradation processes were studied using the methods of infrared (IR) spectroscopy, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), double-layer plaque assay, and ten-fold dilution. The results of experiments showed that the textile fabric modified with TiO₂-N photocatalyst exhibited photoinduced self-cleaning properties and provided efficient degradation of all studied contaminants under exposure to both UVA and visible light. Additional modification of the material with Cu species substantially improved its self-cleaning properties, even in the absence of light. Full article

Honey bees are essential pollinators for the ecosystem and food crops. However, their health and survival face threats from both biotic and abiotic stresses. Fungi, microsporidia, and bacteria might significantly contribute to colony losses. Therefore, rapid and sensitive diagnostic tools are crucial for effective disease management. In this study, molecular assays were developed to quickly and efficiently detect the main honey bee pathogens: Nosema ceranae, Aspergillus flavus, Paenibacillus larvae, and Black queen cell virus. In this context, new primer pairs were designed for use in quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR) reactions. Various protocols for extracting total nucleic acids from bee tissues were tested, indicating a CTAB-based protocol as the most efficient and cost-effective. Furthermore, excluding the head of the bee from the extraction, better results were obtained in terms of quantity and purity of extracted nucleic acids. These assays showed high specificity and sensitivity, detecting up to 250 fg of N. ceranae, 25 fg of P. larvae, and 2.5 pg of A. flavus DNA, and 5 pg of BQCV cDNA, without interference from bee DNA. These qPCR assays allowed pathogen detection within 3 h and at early stages of infection, supporting timely and efficient management interventions. Full article