Search Results (590)

Background/Objectives: Historically, echocardiographic imaging of the right heart has been challenging because its abnormal geometry is not conducive to reproducible anatomical and functional assessment. With the development of advanced echocardiographic techniques, it is now possible to complete an integrated assessment of the right heart that has fewer assumptions, resulting in increased accuracy and precision. Echocardiography continues to be the first-line imaging modality for diagnostic analysis and the management of acute and chronic right heart failure because of its portability, versatility, and affordability compared to cardiac computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear scintigraphy, and positron emission tomography. Virtually all echocardiographic parameters have been well-validated and have demonstrated prognostic significance. The goal of this narrative review of the echocardiographic parameters of the right heart chambers and hemodynamic alterations associated with right ventricular dysfunction is to present information that must be acquired during each examination to deliver a comprehensive assessment of the right heart and to discuss their clinical significance in right heart failure. Methods: Using a literature search in the PubMed database from 1985 to 2025 and the Cochrane database, which included but was not limited to terminology that are descriptive of right heart anatomy and function, disease states involving acute and chronic right heart failure and pulmonary hypertension, and the application of conventional and advanced echocardiographic modalities that strive to elucidate the pathophysiology of right heart failure, we reviewed randomized control trials, observational retrospective and prospective cohort studies, societal guidelines, and systematic review articles. Conclusions: In addition to the conventional 2-dimensional echocardiography and color, spectral, and tissue Doppler measurements, a contemporary echocardiographic assessment of a patient with suspected or proven right heart failure must include 3-dimensional echocardiographic-derived measurements, speckle-tracking echocardiography strain analysis, and hemodynamics parameters to not only characterize the right heart anatomy but to also determine the underlying pathophysiology of right heart failure. Complete and point-of-care echocardiography is available in virtually all clinical settings for routine care, but this imaging tool is particularly indispensable in the emergency department, intensive care units, and operating room, where it can provide an immediate assessment of right ventricular function and associated hemodynamic changes to assist with real-time management decisions. Full article

The study of historical monuments within both architectural and literary frameworks reveals a dynamic interplay between scientific observation and artistic interpretation—a vital characteristic of travel writing/the travelogue. This approach, exemplified by British traveler and writer Henry Finnis Blosse Lynch (1862–1913), reflects how factual detail and creative representation are seamlessly integrated in depictions of sites, landscapes, and cultural scenes. This case study highlights Lynch as a pioneering explorer who authored the first comprehensive volume on Armenian architecture and as a writer who vividly portrayed Armenian monuments through both verbal description and photographic imagery, becoming the first traveler to document such sites using photography. Additionally, this paper emphasizes the significance of Lynch’s detailed accounts of architectural monuments, churches, monasteries, cities, villages, populations, religious communities, and educational institutions in vivid language. The careful study of his work can contribute meaningfully to the investigation of the travelogue as a literary genre and to the preservation and protection of the architectural heritage of historical and contemporary Armenia, particularly in regions facing cultural or political threats. Full article

The taxonomy of Laccaria laccata, the type species of the genus Laccaria, has long been ambiguous due to the absence of a reference sequence and the reliance on early, morphology-based descriptions. To resolve this issue, we selected a Code-compliant lectotype for Agaricus laccatus—the basionym of L. laccata—from Schaeffer’s 1762 illustration cited in Fries’ sanctioning work. Given the limitations of this historical material for modern species interpretation, we also designated an epitype based on Singer’s collection C4083 (BAFC) from Femsjö, Sweden, which was previously but not effectively designated as the “lectotype” by Singer. This epitype is supported by detailed morphological descriptions, iconography, and newly generated nrITS, nrLSU, and RPB2 sequences, which have also been newly obtained from additional collections. Phylogenetic analyses consistently place the epitype of L. laccaria within a well-supported clade, herein designated as/Laccaria laccata, which includes sequences previously reported as falling within the “proxima 1 clade”. This integrative approach, combining historical typification with modern molecular and morphological data, stabilizes the nomenclature of L. laccata and provides a robust foundation for future studies of this ecologically and economically important genus of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Full article

In recent studies, public health has been considered a key stakeholder in climate mitigation and adaptation in cities since they are more exposed to the impact of climate change. Nurses represent a vast majority of public health professionals, playing a key role in health promotion that allows them to influence individuals, families, and communities in adopting healthier behaviours and decarbonized lifestyles. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to map the existing evidence on nursing interventions, which are being led or implemented to reduce the health risks related to climate change in urban areas. The present review follows the JBI methodological framework, including a search on PubMed, MEDLINE complete, CINAHL Complete, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine), and RCAAP. Hand searched references were also considered, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies between January 2014 and October 2024, for a more contemporary perspective. A three-step search strategy and data extraction tool were used by two independent reviewers. Twenty-seven studies in English and Portuguese were eligible for inclusion, all targeting a population of professionals with nursing-related roles: two case studies, one Delphi panel, one descriptive study, one historical research paper, two using a methodological design format, four narrative reviews, one observational study, nine review articles, three scoping reviews, and three systematic reviews. Eight categories of nursing interventions that contribute to decarbonized lifestyles, reducing health risks in relation to climate change, were acknowledged. Nurses play a key role in empowering individuals, families, and communities, promoting climate awareness and literacy, supporting health policy change, advocating for the most vulnerable and engaging in environmental activism, using evidence-based research, and taking advantage of marketing strategies and social media. Full article

Loess deposits in China, covering extensive regions, exhibit distinctive physical and mechanical characteristics, including collapsibility and reduced mechanical strength. These properties contribute to heightened susceptibility to slope-related geological hazards, such as landslides and collapses, in these areas. The widespread distribution and challenging prevention of these geological disasters have emerged as significant impediments to both public safety and economic development in China. Moreover, geological disaster data originates from diverse sources and exists in substantial fragmented, decentralized, and unstructured formats, including textual records and graphical representations. These datasets exhibit complex structures and heterogeneous formats yet suffer from inadequate organization and storage due to the absence of unified descriptive standards. The lack of systematic categorization and standardized representation significantly hinders effective data integration and knowledge extraction across different sources. To address these challenges, this study proposes a novel loess slope stability assessment method employing a dendrogram neural network (GNN-TreeNet) integrated with knowledge graph technology. The methodology progresses through three phases: (1) construction of a multi-domain knowledge graph integrating a large number of loess slopes with historical disaster records, instability factor relationships, and empirical parameter correlations; (2) generation of expressive node embeddings capturing inherent connections via graph neural networks; (3) development and training of the GNN-TreeNet architecture that leverages the graph’s enhanced representation capacity for stability evaluation. This structured framework enables cross-disciplinary data synthesis and interpretable slope stability analysis through a systematic integration of geological, geographical, and empirical knowledge components. Full article

Oral tradition stories hold a vital place in language education, offering rich repositories of linguistic, cultural, and historical knowledge. In the Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) context, their inclusion provides dynamic opportunities to explore diversity, foster critical and creative thinking, and challenge dominant epistemologies. Despite their pedagogical potential, these narratives remain largely absent from formal curricula, with most SFL textbooks still privileging canonical works, particularly those from the Latin American Boom or European literary texts. This article aims to provide practical guidance for SFL instructors on designing effective, culturally responsive materials for the teaching of vocabulary. Drawing on a methodological framework for material design and a cognitive approach to vocabulary learning, I present original pedagogical material based on a Colombian oral tradition story about the witches of La Jagua (Huila, Colombia) to inspire educators to integrate oral tradition stories into their classrooms. As argued throughout, oral narratives not only support vocabulary acquisition and intercultural competence but also offer students meaningful engagement with the values, worldviews, and linguistic diversity that shape Colombian culture. This approach redefines language teaching through a more descriptive, contextualized, and culturally grounded lens, equipping learners with pragmatic, communicative, and intercultural skills essential for the 21st century. My goal with this article is to advocate for teacher agency in material creation, emphasizing that educators are uniquely positioned to design pedagogical resources that reflect their own cultural realities and local knowledge and to adapt them meaningfully to their students’ needs. Full article

Substation equipment defect detection is a critical aspect of ensuring the reliability and stability of modern power grids. However, existing deep-learning-based detection methods often face significant challenges in real-world deployment, primarily due to low detection accuracy and inconsistent anomaly definitions across different substation environments. To address these limitations, this paper proposes the Language-Guided Enhanced Anomaly Power Equipment Detection Network (LEAD-Net), a novel framework that leverages text-guided learning during training to significantly improve defect detection performance. Unlike traditional methods, LEAD-Net integrates textual descriptions of defects, such as historical maintenance records or inspection reports, as auxiliary guidance during training. A key innovation is the Language-Guided Anomaly Feature Enhancement Module (LAFEM), which refines channel attention using these text features. Crucially, LEAD-Net operates solely on image data during inference, ensuring practical applicability. Experiments on a real-world substation dataset, comprising 8307 image–text pairs and encompassing a diverse range of defect categories encountered in operational substation environments, demonstrate that LEAD-Net significantly outperforms state-of-the-art object detection methods (Faster R-CNN, YOLOv9, DETR, and Deformable DETR), achieving a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 79.51%. Ablation studies confirm the contributions of both LAFEM and the training-time text guidance. The results highlight the effectiveness and novelty of using training-time defect descriptions to enhance visual anomaly detection without requiring text input at inference. Full article

The leafhopper genus Renonus is one of the rarest genera in the leafhopper tribe Athysanini. The Mexican endemic monotypic species, Renonus rubraviridis DeLong, is historically known from few localities, and since the original description, no additional data has been provided. During an ongoing survey conducted in western Mexico over the Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests, including the surroundings of the Estación de Biología Chamela (IB-UNAM), specimens of R. rubraviridis and others that do not morphologically fit with previously described species were collected. Herein, a new endemic species to Mexico, Renonus cuixmalensis sp. nov., is described and illustrated in detail. In addition, morphological notes of R. rubraviridis, the key to species, a map of distribution, a habitat description, and a discussion about the strong influence on distribution through the Seasonally Tropical Dry Forest are given. Full article

Antimicrobial resistance is a threat to probiotic microorganisms due to their potential role in harboring and transmitting resistance genes. This study focuses on two Bifidobacterium species (B. animalis subsp. lactis and B. longum) by analyzing 657 Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values extracted from research articles indexed in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, published since 2014, and considering 17 different antibiotics. MIC values were used for descriptive statistical analysis (boxplots and violin plots) to evaluate both inter- and intraspecies distributions. The results showed an overall increase in MIC values compared to historical data, with B. longum exhibiting high resistance to tetracyclines and streptomycin—approximately 25% to 50% of the strains had MIC values > EFSA cut-offs. The violin plots revealed the presence of resistant subpopulations, particularly within B. longum. These findings support the relevance of longitudinal MIC analysis as a tool for detecting early shifts in antimicrobial susceptibility and highlight the importance of data-driven approaches for microbiological risk assessment in probiotic applications. Full article

Background: Suicidal behavior presents a significant dilemma in the context of Alzheimer’s disease. Numerous ethical discussions have emerged regarding euthanasia for patients suffering from neurodegenerative conditions, and research indicates an elevated incidence of suicide in the early stages of dementia. However, there remains a gap in knowledge concerning the historical prevalence of suicidal ideations or attempts among individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. This study aims to investigate the historical patterns of suicidal behavior and the associated factors across the lifespan in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: This study is an excerpt from a case–control research study, where the sample size was calculated at 150 participants, with 75 in the case group and 75 in the control group. Here, the descriptive statistics for the first third of the sample, 50 participants, are discussed. Results: Among the participants in the case group, 12.5% reported having suicidal ideation throughout life, compared to 24% in the control group (OR for suicidal ideation = 0.432 [0.095–1.966]). Additionally, among the participants in the case group, 4% reported having attempted suicide at some point in their life, compared to 8% in the control group (OR for suicide attempts = 0.479 [0.41–5.652]). People with Alzheimer’s disease tended to have a worse quality of life but less suicidality. Conclusions: It appears that suicidal behavior is inversely related to the risk of developing suicidal intentions. The odds ratio data demonstrate the need for a larger sample size to determine whether there is a difference in the history of suicide throughout the lives of people with Alzheimer’s disease and among the general population. Full article

Landscape visualization plays a crucial role in various scientific and artistic fields, including geography, environmental sciences, and digital arts. Recent advancements in computer graphics have enabled more sophisticated approaches to landscape representation. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) image generation has further improved accessibility for researchers, allowing efficient creation of landscape visualizations. This study presents a comprehensive workflow for the rapid and cost-effective generation of photorealistic still images. The methodology combines AI applications, computational techniques, and photographic methods to reconstruct the historical landscapes of the Great Hungarian Plain, one of Europe’s most significantly altered regions. The most accurate and visually compelling results are achieved by using historical maps and drone imagery as compositional and stylistic references, alongside a suite of AI tools tailored to specific tasks. These high-quality landscape visualizations offer significant potential for scientific research and public communication, providing both aesthetic and informative value. The article, which primarily presents a methodological description, does not contain numerical results. To test the method, we applied a procedure: we ran the algorithm on a current topographic map of a sample area and compared the resulting image with the view model provided by Google Earth. Full article

Understanding morphological descriptions of plants documented by ancient peoples over 1000 years ago and identifying the species they described are critical for reconstructing the natural geographic distribution of plant taxa, tracking taxonomic variations, and inferring historical climate dynamics. Analyzing shifts in plant communities and climatic conditions during this period is essential to unravel the interplay among floristic composition, climate fluctuations, and anthropogenic impacts. However, research in this field remains limited, with greater emphasis placed on plant taxa from hundreds of millions of years ago. Investigations into flora and climate during the last two millennia are sparse, and pre-millennial climatic conditions remain poorly characterized. In this study, a historical text written 1475 years ago was analyzed to compile plant names and morphological features, followed by taxonomic identification. The research identified three gymnosperm species (one in Pinaceae, two in Cupressaceae), 1 Tamaricaceae species (dicotyledon), and 19 dicotyledon species. However, three plant groups could only be identified at the genus level. Using textual analysis and woody plant coexistence methods, the climate of 1475 years ago in western Henan Province, located in the middle-lower Yellow River basin in East Asia, was reconstructed. Results indicate that the mean temperature of the coldest month (MTCM) was approximately 1.3 °C higher than modern values. In comparison, the mean temperature of the warmest month (MTWM) and mean annual temperature (MAT) were lower than present-day levels. This suggests slightly cooler overall conditions with milder seasonal extremes in ancient Luoyang—a finding supported by contemporaneous studies. Furthermore, annual precipitation (AP), precipitation of the warmest quarter (PWQ), and precipitation of the coldest quarter (PCQ) in the Luoyang region 1475 years ago exceeded modern measurements, despite the area’s monsoonal climate. This suggests significantly higher atmospheric moisture content in ancient air masses compared to today. This study provides floristic and climatic baseline data for advancing our understanding of global climate variability at millennial scales. Full article

Most health studies use cross-sectional data to examine neighborhood context because of the difficulty of collecting and analyzing longitudinal data; this prevents an examination of historical trends that may influence health outcomes. Using the Neighborhood Change Database, we categorized longitudinal (1990–2010) poverty and White concentration trajectories (long-term low, long-term moderate, long-term high, increasing, or decreasing) for Texas census tracts and linked them to tract-level health-related characteristics (social determinants of health [SDOH] in 2010, health risk and preventive behaviors [HRPB] in 2017, and health status/outcomes [HSO] in 2017) from multiple sources (N = 2961 tracts). We conducted univariate and bivariate descriptive analyses, followed by linear regressions adjusted for population density. SDOH, HRPB, and HSO measures varied widely across census tracts. Both poverty and White concentration trajectories were strongly and consistently associated with a wide range of SDOH. Long-term high-poverty and low-White tracts showed the greatest disadvantages, while long-term low-poverty and high-White tracts had the most advantages. Neighborhoods undergoing changes in poverty or White concentrations, either increasing or decreasing, had less advantageous SDOH compared with long-term low-poverty or long-term high-White neighborhoods. While associations between poverty, White concentration trajectories, and SDOH were consistent, those with HRPB and HSO were less so. Understanding impact of the relationships between longitudinal neighborhood poverty and racial/ethnic composition on health can benefit stakeholders designing policy proposals and intervention strategies. Full article

This study presents a novel methodology for determining zonal electricity generation and capacity requirements corresponding to forecasted annual production in an integrated power system (IPS). The proposed model combines the statistical analysis of historical daily load patterns with a calibration technique to translate forecast total demand into zonal powers (base, semi-peak and peak). A representative reference daily electrical load graph (ELG) is selected from retrospective data using least squares criteria, and a calibration factor α = W_x/W_ie scales its zonal outputs to match the forecasted annual generation W_x. The innovation lies in this combination of historical ELG identification and calibration for accurate zonal power prediction. Applying the model to Ukrainian IPS data yields high accuracy: a zonal power error below 1.02% and a generation error below 0.39%. Key contributions include explicitly stating the research questions and hypotheses, providing a schematic procedural description and discussing model limitations (e.g., treatment of renewable variability and omission of meteorological/astronomical factors). Future work is outlined to incorporate unforeseen factors (e.g., post-war demand shifts, electric vehicle adoption) into the forecasting framework. Full article

The One Health approach is rapidly gaining the attention of the scientific community worldwide and is expected to be a major model of scientific reasoning in the 21st century, concerning medical, veterinary and environmental issues. The basic concept of One Health, that humans, animals and their environments are parts of the same natural world affecting each other, is rooted in most ethnic as well as in many religious traditions. Despite this unity and for historical reasons, medical, veterinary and environmental sciences developed independently. The One Health concept tries to reunite these and many other relevant sciences, aiming at a deeper understanding of the interconnection between the natural world, humans and animal health. The dynamic interplay between a host’s microbiome, the microbiomes of other hosts, and environmental microbial communities profoundly influences the host health, given the essential physiological functions the microbiome performs within the organism. The biodiversity of microbiomes is broad and complex. The different areas of the skin, the upper and lower respiratory systems, the ocular cavity, the oral cavity, the gastrointestinal tract and finally the urogenital system of pets and humans alike are niches where a multitude of microorganisms indigenous and transient—commensals and pathogens, thrive in a dynamic antagonistic balance of populations of different phyla, orders, genera and species. The description of these microbiomes attempted in this article is not meant to be exhaustive but rather demonstrative of their complexity. The study of microbiomes is a necessary step towards the One Health approach to pets and humans. Yet, despite the progress made on that subject, the scientific community faces challenges, such as the limitations of studies performed, the scarcity of studies concerning the microbiomes of cats, the multitude of environmental factors affecting the results and others. The two new terms proposed in this article, the “familiome” and the “oikiome”, will aid in the One Health theoretical analysis as well as in its practical approach. The authors strongly believe that new technological breakthroughs, like Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), will significantly help to overcome these hazards. Full article