Search Results (1,845)

The intricate interaction of a host’s microbiome, the microbiomes of other hosts, and environmental microbial populations significantly impacts host health, given the essential physiological functions the microbiome performs within the organism. The oral microbiome of domesticated animals is also influenced by a variety of host and environmental factors. This study investigated the characteristics of the oral microbiome of dogs and cats under comparable and disparate living conditions, emphasizing the description of diversity patterns, taxonomic composition, and predicted functional profiles. Oral buccal swabs were collected from four groups of companion animals (n = 5 per group): dogs housed alone in single-pet households (Group A), dogs cohabiting with cats in multi-pet households (Group B), cats cohabiting with dogs from the same households (Group C), and cats housed alone in single-pet households (Group D). The cohabiting groups were derived from five multi-pet households, with one dog and one cat sampled from each household. Amplicon sequence variations (ASVs) were used for downstream analysis after 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Rarefaction curve behavior indicated proper sequencing depth. Alpha diversity varied by group (Shannon index, p = 0.045), with Groups C and D having larger diversity. A Beta diversity study revealed community composition differences (Bray–Curtis dissimilarity, R² = 0.257, p = 0.001), with some overlap between groupings. In all samples, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Fusobacteriota dominated the microbiome. The relative abundance of Fusobacterium, Porphyromonas, and Pasteurella varied across groups. Core microbiome analysis identified limited overlap of core ASVs between groups, with most taxa being group-specific. Functional prediction using PICRUSt2 suggested differences in predicted metabolic and cellular pathways. Overall, these exploratory findings suggest that the oral microbiome of companion animals may be influenced by host species and cohabitation conditions. Although limited by the small sample size, the study provides preliminary insights into microbial diversity, community structure, and predicted functional profiles that may inform future One Health-oriented investigations. Full article

Residential energy consumption exhibits substantial behavioral uncertainty and temporal heterogeneity, which pose challenges for demand-side management and residential load profiling. However, existing studies often focus on isolated temporal or spatial scales and predominantly employ hard clustering methods based on geometric distance metrics. To address these limitations, this study proposes a multi-scale residential load profiling framework utilizing the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) and nearly three years of hourly electricity consumption data from 13 residential buildings in Vancouver. First, schedule-driven and seasonal variations in residential energy consumption were examined through multi-temporal comparative analyses and paired-sample t-tests. The results indicate statistically significant differences between working-time and non-working-time energy consumption patterns in most buildings (p < 0.001). Second, individual-building clustering was performed to identify long-term intra-building daily load evolution characteristics, revealing 2–5 typical daily profiles across different households. Finally, inter-building clustering identified three representative residential groups characterized by low-energy stable patterns, high-energy intensive patterns, and intermediate commuting-oriented patterns. The average daily energy consumption levels of the three clusters were 13.11 kWh, 36.74 kWh, and 21.61 kWh, respectively. The proposed framework provides a data-driven approach for understanding residential energy-use heterogeneity across multiple scales and offers potential guidance for residential demand-side management and urban low-carbon energy planning. Full article

Background/Objectives: Excess weight and dyslipidemia are health conditions growing worldwide in children, including indigenous populations. The concern is their related comorbidities, which could appear at an early age. Given limited information on Seri children, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of excess weight and dyslipidemia, and to identify factors associated with BMI-for-age Z-score and dyslipidemia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among Seri children aged 3–11 years. For prevalence analysis, the BMI-for-age Z-score was calculated as an indicator of excess weight. Dyslipidemia was assessed only in school-age children. Information was collected on potential associated variables, including maternal nutritional status, children’s sleep behaviors, physical activity, diet, and cardiovascular health, as well as household characteristics such as the modernity index and food insecurity. Results: A total of 154 Seri children were evaluated. Among preschoolers, 18.8% were classified at risk of overweight. In school-age children, the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity was 32.8%. Maternal BMI and weight, the modernity index, and being a boy were positively associated with the BMI-for-age Z-score, whereas having food insecurity, cardiovascular health score, and sleep time were negatively associated. Dyslipidemia prevalence was 46.1% among school-age Seri children. Having dyslipidemia was positively associated with maternal BMI, percentage of energy intake from ultra-processed products, paternal occupation as a merchant, and child age, and negatively associated with the number of remunerative maternal economic activities. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence on the prevalence of excess weight and dyslipidemia and their associated factors among Seri children and may inform future research and health strategies in Seri and other vulnerable populations. Full article

Background: Dengue infection is an expanding public health threat in Indonesia, increasingly reported in semi-urban areas undergoing rapid demographic and environmental change, where household-level determinants remain poorly characterised. Methods: We conducted a case–control study in the Deli Serdang district, North Sumatra, evaluating sociodemographic and environmental risk factors for dengue. Patients admitted to the district referral hospital (July–September 2024) were screened via medical records. Laboratory-confirmed dengue cases were compared with non-dengue febrile controls. Housing conditions and sociodemographic characteristics were assessed using a validated electronic questionnaire with photographic documentation. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent risk factors. Results: Of 238 individuals screened, 39 dengue cases and 78 controls were enrolled. Male sex (aOR 6.7, 95% CI 1.3–33.7), student status (aOR 7.8, 95% CI 1.1–56.5), absence of window screens (aOR 12.9, 95% CI 3.1–53.8), and surrounding vegetation (aOR 7.3, 95% CI 1.7–31.9) were independently associated with dengue infection. Rural residence was overrepresented among cases, suggesting expansion beyond traditional urban boundaries. Conclusions: Dengue risk in a transitional setting is shaped by demographic exposure and modifiable structural vulnerabilities. Integrated prevention strategies, including window screening, covered water storage, environmental management, and school-based vector control, are needed in rapidly urbanising districts. Full article

Parallel multi-blade centrifugal fans present a challenge in simultaneously reducing aerodynamic noise and maintaining efficiency. This study presents a multi-objective optimization using a radial basis function (RBF)-assisted Bayesian optimization framework, with three volute parameters (tongue radius, tongue clearance, and axial gap) as design variables. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) combined with the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings (FW-H) acoustic analogy was employed to evaluate noise and total pressure efficiency. To reduce computational cost, an RBF surrogate model was constructed from 30 Latin hypercube samples, achieving leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) R² values of 0.978 and 0.995 for noise and efficiency, respectively. A Bayesian search using the log expected hypervolume improvement (logEHVI) acquisition function was performed on the RBF response surfaces, converging to a hypervolume of approximately 0.72, consistent with an NSGA-II benchmark. Based on household fan requirements, a 70/30 noise-efficiency weighting was adopted, yielding RBF-predicted values of 59.04 dB and 0.545 for the selected low-noise-preference candidate. An independent CFD recalculation yielded 59.19 dB and 0.554. The SPL at the characteristic frequency of 2550 Hz was reduced by 9.9 dB. Flow field analysis revealed that the optimized tongue clearance weakened the impingement on the volute tongue and suppressed unsteady vortex shedding. This framework provides an efficient strategy for multi-objective aerodynamic and acoustic optimization of parallel centrifugal fan systems. Full article

Ecologically fragile areas typically overlap with impoverished zones, rendering them susceptible to a vicious cycle of ecological degradation and poverty aggravation. Reasonable and diversified ecological compensation methods are closely associated with improved livelihood resilience among rural households in sandy areas. Building on this, we take three leagues and cities in Inner Mongolia with severe sandy desertification as the study area. OLS regression and mediating effect models are employed to examine the impact of diversified ecological compensation methods on the livelihood resilience of rural households in sandy areas, as well as the underlying mechanisms and heterogeneity. The results demonstrate that (1) diversified ecological compensation methods exert a significant positive effect on the livelihood resilience of rural households in sandy areas; (2) perceived fairness and livelihood diversity mediate the association between diversified ecological compensation methods and the livelihood resilience of rural households in sandy areas; (3) the effects of diversified ecological compensation methods on the livelihood resilience of rural households in sandy areas vary significantly across compensation modalities, beneficiary groups, and regions. Specifically, capacity-building compensation exerts a significantly stronger effect than direct-transfer compensation; poverty-alleviated households benefit more than general households; and the effects are significantly stronger in western Inner Mongolia than in eastern Inner Mongolia. Therefore, in optimizing ecological compensation policies in sandy areas, it is suggested to enhance the embedding depth of industrial and technical compensation, and to explore differentiated compensation pathways based on regional market capacity and household group characteristics, thereby promoting sustainable livelihood development for rural households in sandy areas. Full article

Digital financial services have expanded rapidly across emerging economies and are often presented as tools for advancing women’s economic inclusion. However, the extent to which digital finance is associated with lower gender inequality depends on the broader structural conditions in which women live and work. This study examines the relationship between digital financial participation, labor market integration, and gender inequality in Brazil using nationally representative microdata from the 2025 Global Findex survey. Three outcomes are examined: digital account ownership, use of any digital payment, and engagement in merchant digital payments. Multivariate logit models show moderate gender gaps at early stages of digital financial participation. However, these gaps are not uniform across the population. The interaction results show that gender differences are concentrated mainly among individuals outside employment and among those without internet access. Among employed and digitally connected individuals, the gender gap becomes small and statistically insignificant across the three outcomes. A nonlinear decomposition shows that observable socioeconomic characteristics explain only a small share of the aggregate gender gap, especially for account ownership and any digital payment use. Additional robustness checks using probit and complementary log-log models support the main pattern of results. This suggests that the gender gap cannot be explained only by differences in education, income, employment, or internet access, and may also reflect unobserved household, institutional, or social constraints. The findings suggest that digital finance alone does not equalize participation. Rather, women’s digital financial participation is closely associated with their position in the labor market and their access to digital infrastructure. Because the analysis is based on cross-sectional data, the results should be interpreted as conditional associations rather than causal effects. Digital financial expansion is therefore more likely to support gender inclusion when it is linked to broader policies that strengthen women’s labor force attachment, digital connectivity, and economic autonomy. Full article

Social disconnection, encompassing both loneliness and social isolation, is increasingly recognised as an important public health concern. While employment provides opportunities for social participation and role engagement, less is known about how different forms of labour market detachment relate to subjective and objective dimensions of social connection in later working life. This study examined the association between labour force attachment and both loneliness and social isolation among Australians aged 50–64 years using cross-sectional data from Wave 22 (2022) of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey (n = 3362). Participants were classified into labour force attachment groups including in work, underemployed hidden workers, unemployed hidden workers, discouraged workers, those not wanting work, and other. Survey-weighted logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted predicted probabilities of loneliness and social isolation across labour force groups. After adjustment for sociodemographic and health characteristics, predicted probabilities of loneliness were elevated across hidden worker subtypes relative to those in paid employment, with point estimates 10–13 percentage points higher across categories. Differences in social isolation between hidden worker subtypes and those in paid work were small in magnitude. The highest adjusted predicted probability of social isolation was observed among individuals who reported not wanting work. These findings suggest that, in later working life, labour market marginalisation is associated more strongly with subjective experiences of social disconnection than with the structural availability of social contact. Interventions to reduce loneliness among older working-age adults may benefit from recognising the institutional functions of paid work alongside approaches targeting social contact. Full article

Accurate short-term forecasting of residential electricity demand is increasingly important for smart distribution systems, particularly in the context of demand-side management and flexibility-oriented grid operation. In this study, a high-resolution forecasting framework is proposed in which household electricity demand is classified into fixed, shiftable, and adjustable load categories and forecasted together with total load. A one-minute-resolution synthetic residential load dataset is generated using the Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST) demand model for households with two to five occupants over a 31-day winter period in January. The appliance-level demand data are grouped according to operational characteristics and integrated into a representative four-bus distribution feeder. Minute-level power flow analysis is then performed to calculate technical losses, which are incorporated into the forecasting dataset together with meteorological variables (temperature, wind speed, and solar irradiance) and temporal descriptors. Using this multi-input structure, random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), feed-forward neural network (FFNN), and long short-term memory (LSTM) models are comparatively evaluated for the prediction of fixed, shiftable, adjustable, and total residential loads. Model performance is assessed using root mean square error (RMSE) and Pearson correlation coefficient (R), while mean absolute error (MAE) is additionally reported for the final test set. The results show that the LSTM model provided the most consistent overall forecasting performance, particularly for shiftable, adjustable, and total load estimation, while RF yielded competitive results for fixed-load correlation and short-window forecasting in Buses 1 and 2. In contrast, SVM and FFNN exhibited weaker generalization performance across several load categories. The proposed framework provides a practical foundation for the development of dynamic pricing mechanisms that consider load-type-based controllability levels. Overall, the findings demonstrate that integrating load categorization with meteorological, temporal, and technical loss information provides a robust and reproducible framework for smart grid applications such as demand-side management, peak load mitigation, and flexibility-aware residential load analysis. Full article

Parental burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion and a sense of detachment, is a significant challenge for families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While traditional research often focuses on socioeconomic status, this study examines how physical living conditions and household characteristics influence burnout levels in the Turkish context. A relational survey model was conducted with 131 parents of children with ASD. Data were collected via online surveys using a Sociodemographic Data Form and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which was adapted to the parenting role. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to identify variables predicting total burnout scores. The analysis revealed that most sociodemographic variables, including income, education level, and parental age, did not significantly predict burnout. However, the “number of rooms in the house” was identified as the only statistically significant predictor (p = 0.033). Specifically, as the number of rooms increased, the total burnout scores of parents significantly decreased. The findings suggest that physical living space serves as a critical “spatial resource” and a protective factor against parental burnout. For families of children with ASD, having a private area for self-regulation is more decisive for mental health than economic status alone. Future support strategies should prioritize improving the quality of life through spatial arrangements and respite services. Full article

Objectives: Food insecurity (FI) among college students is an emerging global public health concern. While the burden is international in scope, this systematic review evaluates the prevalence of FI in college populations in the United States (U.S.) and examines the suitability of commonly used FI assessment tools for this population. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted (up to April 2026) in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 Abstracts checklist. Eligible studies were peer-reviewed research articles published between 2005 and 2026, conducted in the U.S., written in English, and including college or university students with sample sizes ≥ 30. Studies were required to use validated FI assessment tools developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or Health Watch. Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools and only studies rated as moderate or high quality were included. Results were synthesized by grouping studies according to the FI assessment tools used. Results: Thirty studies met the inclusion criteria (total n = 213,624 students surveyed). FI prevalence among U.S. college students ranged from 14% to 72.9%. Variability in estimates was influenced by the assessment tool used, demographic characteristics, institutional settings, and regional socioeconomic differences. Shorter screening instruments, including the USDA six-Item Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) Short Form and Hunger Vital Sign, demonstrated greater variability in reported FI prevalence (47% and 41%, respectively) compared with longer assessment measures. Higher FI prevalence was also more frequently reported among students of color, those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and female students. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate FI is prevalent among college students. Limitations of the current study include restriction to three databases, exclusion of pre-2005 studies, and inclusion of only U.S.-based studies. Variability in assessment methods, as well as consideration of confounding variables (e.g., socioeconomics, demographics and institutional settings), underscores the need for context-specific tools tailored to this population to inform effective interventions and policies globally. Full article

In the highly climate- and ecology-sensitive eastern margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), understanding the adaptation behaviors of agro-pastoralists is crucial for reconfiguring human–climate–ecosystem interactions. However, existing studies often overlook the bounded rationality of micro-level decision-makers. Based on behavioral decision theory, this study constructs a “Perception–Capital–Adaptation” analytical framework. Utilizing micro-survey data from 890 agro-pastoralist households and employing Multinomial Logit (MNL) and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) models, this paper systematically explores how environmental risk perception and livelihood capital are jointly associated with livelihood strategy choices and land-use behaviors. The findings reveal that (1) risk perception exhibits significant heterogeneity: sudden risks show a strong association with risk-avoidance transitions, whereas gradual risks often manifest as traditional livelihood lock-in due to “cognitive lag.” (2) The moderation of capital exhibits non-linear characteristics: physical and natural capital correspond to path dependence on existing production, while financial capital may be associated with expansionary behaviors, reflecting “maladaptation” in specific contexts. (3) Their interaction corresponds to a duality of adaptation pathways: a coordinated pathway (balancing ecological conservation and livestock reduction) and a conflictive pathway (maintaining production scale). Accordingly, a “risk-capital” trade-off matrix is constructed to identify four typical adaptation patterns: risk-avoidance transformation, path-dependent persistence, resilience-driven expansion, and fragile maintenance. This study demonstrates that climate adaptation essentially reflects the dynamic trade-offs made by boundedly rational actors between cognitive constraints and capital structures, providing a novel micro-behavioral perspective for avoiding maladaptation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often face sustained emotional, practical, and social demands. However, evidence from Romania remains limited, particularly regarding the combined assessment of caregiver burden, emotional distress, and coping strategies of parents. This exploratory study compared these outcomes between parents of children/adolescents with ASD and parents of typically developing children and examined whether coping patterns varied according to selected sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional comparative study in Târgu-Mureș, Romania, between 2024 and 2025. The sample included 92 parents: 46 parents of children/adolescents with clinician-confirmed ASD and 46 parents of typically developing children. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), and the Strategic Approach to Coping Scale (SACS). DASS-21 data were available for 44 ASD caregivers and 46 controls. Between-group comparisons were performed using t-tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, chi-square tests, or Fisher’s exact tests, as appropriate. Results: The groups were comparable in sex, age, residence, number of children, and household size, but differed significantly in marital status and educational level. Clinically relevant caregiver burden (CBI ≥ 36) was more frequent among parents of children with ASD than among controls (30% vs. 17%), although this difference was not statistically significant. Parents of children with ASD showed trend-level higher depressive and anxiety symptoms, with small effect sizes, whereas stress scores were similar between groups. Coping patterns varied according to sociodemographic characteristics. Marital status was associated with aggressive coping, urban residence was associated with indirect and aggressive coping, and number of children was associated with seeking social support. Conclusions: Parents of children with ASD showed a higher proportion of clinically relevant caregiver burden and trend-level elevations in depressive and anxiety symptoms, while stress scores were comparable between groups. Exploratory adjusted analyses suggested that ASD caregiver status remained associated with caregiver burden and depressive symptoms after controlling for educational level and marital status. Coping strategies appeared heterogeneous and context-dependent. Given the exploratory design, modest sample size, and multiple comparisons, these findings should be interpreted as preliminary and hypothesis-generating. Full article

Inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with increased risk of chronic disease. Yet, many individuals consume below the recommended intake according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). This study aimed to examine the association of adherence to the DGA (2020–2025) recommendations for fruit and vegetable (FV) intake of 1.5–2 cups of fruits and 2–3 cups of vegetables daily for adults among caretakers with a child(ren) living in households eligible for a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 85 caretakers with children in an urban neighborhood of low-income in the Bronx, New York (NY). Log-binomial regressions demonstrated that having more children (RR 1.36; 95% CI 1.15–1.59), younger children (RR 1.22; 95% CI 1.07–1.39), or children participating in a school lunch program (RR 1.47; 95% CI 1.16–1.85) was positively associated with caretakers’ probability of adhering to the DGA recommendations for FV intake. Our study highlights the eating behaviors of families living with children ≤ 10 years of age, many of whom were participating in a school lunch program, and underscores the dietary benefits associated with these characteristics. Full article

In this study, we examine the persistence of gendered inequality in unpaid domestic work among employed individuals during Thailand’s 2004–2014 structural transformation, a period shaped by major reforms in education and healthcare. We provide new evidence from middle-income Southeast Asia, where gender norms remain strong but empirical evidence is still limited, especially for marriage and labor market segregation. Methodologically, we use repeated cross-sectional data from Thailand’s Time Use Survey (N = 57,555) and pooled OLS models with survey-year fixed effects under alternative sample definitions. Our results reveal a large and persistent gender gap across all specifications. Marriage is associated with substantially higher amounts of unpaid domestic work for women, while labor market segregation displays gendered dynamics: employment in female-dominated industries and female household headship are associated with lower domestic work burdens, whereas employment in male-dominated industries shows no robust association with women’s unpaid domestic work time. Although the raw gender gap narrowed over the ten-year period, the adjusted gap widened after accounting for individual, employment, and household characteristics, suggesting that compositional improvements among women masked a deepening relative domestic burden. These findings suggest that economic development alone may not automatically reduce gender inequality within households, with important implications for labor markets and social policies in developing economies. Full article