Search Results (69,946)

Healthcare-associated bacterial conjunctivitis is an underrecognized yet preventable infection in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). This study aimed to determine the incidence, risk factors, microbiological profile, and treatment approaches of healthcare-associated bacterial conjunctivitis in neonates. This descriptive, cross-sectional study included neonates diagnosed with bacterial conjunctivitis and followed in the NICU between January 2019 and January 2024. Pathogens were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and antimicrobial susceptibility determined using VITEK 2 according to EUCAST breakpoints. During the five-year period, 104 (2.5%) of 4107 neonates admitted to the NICU developed healthcare-associated bacterial conjunctivitis. Of the pathogens isolated in cultures, 70.2% were Gram-positive bacteria, with coagulase-negative staphylococci being the most common (52.9%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Serratia marcescens. Empirical treatment consisted of 0.3% topical gentamicin eye drops. In resistant cases, fortified vancomycin drops (32.7%), 0.5% moxifloxacin (4.8%), or 0.3% tobramycin (1.9%) eye drops were administered according to antibiogram results. Compared with Gram-positive infections, Gram-negative conjunctivitis was associated with longer durations of intubation, orogastric feeding, and hospitalization. These findings indicate a predominance of Gram-positive pathogens in NICU-acquired neonatal conjunctivitis, while Gram-negative infections confer greater clinical burden. Fortified antibiotic eye drops are an effective treatment option for resistant cases in high-risk newborns. Full article

Symbiotic dinoflagellates from the family Symbiodiniaceae play a central role in coral reef ecosystems by forming mutualistic relationships with reef invertebrates, particularly stony corals. These relationships underpin reef productivity in nutrient-poor waters but are vulnerable to disruption from marine heatwaves and climate change. While laboratory culturing of symbionts has enabled controlled studies of thermal stress, prolonged culturing may lead to physiological changes that do not reflect in hospite conditions. Here, we examined the thermal stress responses of two axenic cultures of Symbiodinium A1, freshly isolated and long-term cultured (2.5 years), originally from the jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda in the Red Sea. Both cultures were exposed to a daily temperature increase of 1 °C, up to 37 °C. Freshly isolated symbionts consistently showed higher photochemical efficiency (0.515 ± 0.007) and growth rates (1.68 ± 0.60 µ day⁻¹) compared to long-term cultured cells (0.401 ± 0.007; −2.25 ± 0.38 µ day⁻¹), which collapsed at 37 °C. Heat stress also led to decreases in O₂ and increases in pCO₂ across treatments. Long-term cultured symbionts exhibited greater lipid body accumulation, suggesting a shift to anaerobic metabolism. These findings demonstrate that extended batch culturing alters symbiont physiology and stress responses, highlighting the need to consider culture history in experimental designs to avoid bias in interpreting holobiont resilience. Full article

Plant-derived nanovesicles (PDNVs) are increasingly recognized as mediators of intercellular communication in plants, where they play roles in defense, signaling, and cell wall remodeling. In addition, PDNVs are gaining increasing attention for their biomedical potential, both as natural delivery systems and as bioactive entities, with promising applications in inflammatory disorders and cancer. In this study, we isolated carob nanovesicles (CbNVs) from the apoplastic fluid of carob pods (Ceratonia siliqua L.) using vacuum infiltration centrifugation followed by tangential flow filtration and size-exclusion chromatography. Morphological and biophysical analyses revealed spherical vesicles, while proteomic profiling identified 197 proteins, including suggested PDNV markers such as annexin, HSP70, GAPDH, elongation factors, malate dehydrogenase, and TET-8. These proteins were enriched in metabolic processes, stress responses, and cell wall modification pathways. Protein–protein interaction analysis further linked HSP70 to pectinesterases, reinforcing their role in cell wall remodeling and stress adaptation. Functionally, CbNVs were non-cytotoxic to human macrophages, keratinocytes, and intestinal cells. Notably, CbNVs significantly reduced LPS-induced NF-κB expression in macrophages and promoted wound closure in keratinocytes, with superior efficacy compared to the carob bioactive compound D-pinitol. These findings suggest that CbNVs harbor a synergistic cargo of bioactive molecules with anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties, highlighting their potential as natural nanotherapeutics. Full article

Biological invasions are among the most pervasive threats to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human well-being. Despite international policy efforts, the number of introductions continues to rise worldwide. Mountains, once considered resistant to biological invasions due to harsh climates and isolation, are becoming increasingly vulnerable. Human activities—tourism, infrastructure development, and land-use change—combined with climate warming, are creating new pathways and suitable conditions for non-native plants to spread upslope. Global evidence shows a rapid increase in alien species richness in mountain ecosystems, with some taxa shifting elevation by hundreds of meters. The problem of biological invasions becomes critical when considering that mountains harbor nearly a quarter of the planet’s total biodiversity. This issue is even more concerning in biodiversity hotspots such as the Mediterranean Basin, where mountains present an exceptionally high rate of endemism and have served as glacial refugia. The Pyrenees exemplify this dynamic: historically shaped by millennia of human activity, they now face growing pressures from tourism and climate change. Recent cataloging efforts reveal 771 alien taxa, surpassing figures for larger ranges like the Alps. These findings challenge long-held assumptions about mountain resilience and underscore the urgent need for coordinated monitoring, early detection, and management strategies—including citizen science initiatives—to mitigate ecological impacts and protect mountain biodiversity under accelerating global change. Full article

Soil salinization represents a significant abiotic constraint to global agricultural sustainability. The potential of extremophile plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) to alleviate such stress in maize was investigated in this study. Siderophore-producing PGPB enhance plant growth and improve the rhizosphere microenvironment by increasing nutrient availability and inducing systemic resistance. Two salt-tolerant, high-siderophore-producing PGPB strains, Bacillus toyonensis TRM58010 and Peribacillus frigoritolerans TRM58009, were isolated and identified from soil samples collected on the Pamir Plateau. In this study, we found that B. toyonensis TRM58010 synthesized catechol-type siderophores, which enhanced iron availability for maize in saline–alkaline conditions, thereby improving iron nutrition and directly promoting root and stem growth under salt stress. P. frigoritolerans TRM58009 produced hydroxamate-type siderophores, which increased maize iron uptake and stimulated antioxidant enzyme activity, mitigating oxidative stress caused by salinity and alkalinity and supporting overall plant health. Both strains demonstrated robust tolerance to extreme alkaline and saline conditions. Hydroponic and pot experiments showed that these strains significantly improved maize germination rate, root and stem development, plant height, leaf growth, antioxidant enzyme activities, and chlorophyll content under saline–alkaline stress. Notably, the application of P. frigoritolerans TRM58009 bacterial suspension increased maize leaf catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities by 15.712%, 11.584%, and 2.820%, respectively (all p < 0.05), while decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA) content by 15.685% (p < 0.05). P. frigoritolerans TRM58009 elevated chlorophyll a content by 23.4% (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate the potential of extremophile PGPB strains to mitigate the impact of saline–alkaline stress on maize growth. The distinct growth-promoting effects of these strains, isolated from Pamir Plateau meadow soils, present a promising strategy for bioremediation of saline–alkaline lands and the development of efficient microbial fertilizers. By advancing the use of salt-tolerant siderophore-producing bacteria, this study lays the foundation for innovative approaches to enhance crop resilience and productivity in challenging environments. Full article

The objective of the study was to discover novel umami and umami-enhancing peptides in soy sauce and to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying their umami-enhancing effect. Soy sauce peptides were isolated by resin adsorption and ethanol elution, identified by UPLC-MS/MS, and screened with multiple virtual tools. Results showed that 159 peptides were identified, and four of them, GAAGAAD, HQADGKS, GDDDEVEAAM, and MPPTEPECEK, were predicted to have a potential umami taste. Subsequently, the electronic tongue results suggested GAAGAAD having the strongest umami taste, followed by MPPTEPECEK, GDDDEVEAAM, and HQADGKS. Moreover, GAAGAAD, HQADGKS, and MPPTEPECEK all enhanced umami in sodium glutamate solution, with GAAGAAD showing the most potent effect, increasing umami intensity by 22.3%. Molecular docking revealed that GAAGAAD exhibited a lower binding energy when docked to the T1R1/T1R3–Glu complex compared to T1R1/T1R3 alone, mainly due to the production of more hydrogen bond interactions to enhance its stability, which may be the reason for its umami-enhancing effect. Furthermore, the peptide enhanced the stability of the receptor-Glu complex, potentially explaining its ability to enhance the umami of Glu. This work provides mechanistic insight into the enhancement of umami by soy sauce peptides, highlighting their potential as ingredients for seasoning formulations. Full article

Root-associated microbes play a crucial role in plant growth, stress resistance and the accumulation of secondary metabolites. In this study, LC-MS analysis revealed that soil provenance exerts a decisive influence on the content of flavonoids and astragalosides in Astragalus membranaceus. Transplant assays revealed that each soil type acted as a selective filter, assembling distinct microbial communities in both the rhizosphere and root of Astragalus membranaceus. The rhizosphere taxa selected from Yangling soil specifically enhanced flavonoid levels, whereas the root taxa selected from TanChang soil drove higher astragaloside accumulation. SourceTracker revealed that seedling root-endosphere ASVs served as the primary inoculum for later communities, confirming strong priority effects among early colonizers. Keystones tightly linked to both metabolite contents and biomass belonging to Caulobacteraceae, Acidimicrobiia, Sutterellaceae, Bradyrhizobium, Sphingomonas and Mesorhizobium were isolated, and the SynComs were constructed. In Tanchang soil, SynComs inoculation raised Astragaloside IV (AST IV) and Calycosin-7-glucoside (CAG) contents by 52.30% and 55.73%, respectively; in Yangling soil, the same consortium increased Astragaloside I (AST I), Astragaloside II (AST II), AST IV and CAG by 29.38%, 39.04%, 54.97% and 58.98% compared to the uninoculated controls. Collectively, our work charts the transplantation-driven dynamics of root-associated bacterial communities and medicinal metabolites, pinpoints keystones that govern ingredient accumulation and delivers validated microbial strains for enhancing the quality and pharmaceutical value of Astragalus mongholicus. Full article

Background and Objectives: Regional anesthesia is one of the critical alternatives for managing severe pain in patients with hip fractures. Femoral nerve block (FNB) is a common technique, and pericapsular nerve group block (PENG) has emerged as a promising alternative. However, the comparative efficacy of these techniques in extracapsular hip fractures, which have a distinct innervation pattern from intracapsular fractures, is not well established. Thus, we compared the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided FNB and PENG blocks in emergency department (ED) patients with extracapsular hip fractures. Methods: This single-center, retrospective observational study was conducted from 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2021. We included adult patients presenting to the ED with an acute, isolated extracapsular hip fracture who received FNB or PENG. The primary outcome was pain reduction, analyzed by pain trajectory analysis according to the pain intensity difference (PID) at multiple time points (0, 15, 30, 60, and 120 min) and a time-to-event analysis for meaningful pain relief (PID ≥ 4). Secondary outcomes included rescue morphine consumption, ED length of stay (LOS), and hospital LOS. Results: Thirty-nine patients were included (21 FNB; 18 PENG). The FNB group demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in pain scores over time than the PENG group (likelihood ratio test p < 0.001). In the time-to-event analysis, median time to meaningful pain relief was 1 min in the FNB group versus 114 min in the PENG group. Cox proportional hazards modeling demonstrated that the FNB group achieved meaningful pain relief 2.40 times faster than the PENG group (HR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.06–5.44, p = 0.03). There were no significant differences between the groups in rescue morphine use, ED LOS, or hospital LOS after multivariable adjustment. Conclusions: In this retrospective observational study of patients with extracapsular hip fractures, FNB was associated with more rapid and effective pain relief than PENG. These findings suggest that FNB may be considered a favorable regional analgesic technique for these patients, though prospective randomized trials are needed to establish definitive treatment recommendations. Full article

This paper presents two new step-up DC–DC converters that have high voltage gains and low voltage stresses across their main switches with respect to their output voltages. These high voltage gains are achieved with the help of voltage multiplier cells (VMCs). By inserting VMCs that are switched inductors (SIs) and switched capacitors (SCs), the voltage gains increased substantially compared to the conventional converters, such as the traditional boost converter (TBC), Luo converter, or Zeta converter. Furthermore, the TBC has a voltage stress across its main switch that equals the output voltage, while the two proposed step-up converters have voltage stresses across their main switches that are lower than their output voltages. An extended converter is obtained from the main topology, which has a higher voltage gain than the main one. This paper investigates both topologies in continuous conduction mode (CCM) operation and shows a detailed analysis deriving the voltage gain and the voltage stress between the switches. In the main topology, when the duty ratio (D) is $0.75$, the output voltage equals around thirty times the input voltage. In the extended topology, when D is $0.75$, the output voltage equals around sixty times the input voltage. The voltage stresses across the main switches in both topologies are half of their output voltages when D is $0.75$. Simulation models using Matlab/Simulink are carried out for both the main and extended topologies, showing how these agree with the theoretical derivations. Full article

Tight oil reservoirs are widely recognized as a critical successor in global unconventional energy development and are generally characterized by distinct geological features, including fine pore throats, pronounced heterogeneity, and a high concentration of clay minerals (e.g., montmorillonite and mixed-layer illite/smectite). Severe hydration, swelling, and fines migration are readily induced during water injection or conventional water-based fluid operations, thereby resulting in irreversible impairment of reservoir permeability. Despite the excellent injectivity and capacity for viscosity reduction associated with CO₂ flooding, sweep efficiency is severely compromised by viscous fingering and gas channeling, which are induced by the inherent low viscosity of the gas. While CO₂ foam technology is widely acknowledged as a pivotal solution for addressing mobility control challenges, its implementation is hindered by a primary technical bottleneck: the incompatibility between traditional water-based foam systems and strongly water-sensitive reservoirs. A dual challenge comprising water injectivity constraints and gas channeling is presented by strongly water-sensitive tight oil reservoirs. To address these impediments, three emerging low-damage CO₂ foam systems are critically evaluated in this review. First, the synergistic mechanisms of novel quaternary ammonium salts and polymers in inhibiting clay hydration and enhancing foam stability within modified water-based systems are elucidated. Next, the physical isolation strategy of substituting the water phase with a non-aqueous phase (oil/organic solvent) in organic emulsion systems is analyzed, highlighting advantages in wettability alteration and the mitigation of water blocking. Finally, the prospect of waterless operations using CO₂-soluble foam systems—wherein supercritical CO₂ is utilized as a surfactant carrier to generate foam or viscosify fluids via in situ formation water—is discussed. It is revealed by comparative analysis that: (1) Modified water-based systems are identified as the most economically viable option for reservoirs with moderate water sensitivity, wherein cationic stabilizers are utilized to inhibit hydration; (2) Superior wettability alteration and the elimination of aqueous phase damage are provided by organic emulsion systems, rendering them ideal for ultra-sensitive, high-value reservoirs, despite higher solvent costs; (3) CO₂-soluble systems are recognized as the future direction for “waterless” flooding, specifically tailored for ultra-tight formations (<0.1 mD) where injectivity is critical. Current challenges, such as surfactant solubility, high-temperature stability, and cost control, are identified through a comparative analysis of these three systems with respect to structure-activity relationships, rheological properties, damage control capabilities, and economic feasibility. What is more, an outlook is provided on the molecular design of future environmentally sustainable, cost-effective CO₂-philic materials and smart injection strategies. Consequently, theoretical foundations and technical support are established for the efficient exploitation of strongly water-sensitive tight oil reservoirs. By bridging the gap between reservoir damage control and mobility enhancement, this study identifies viable strategies for enhanced oil recovery. Crucially, it supports carbon neutrality and sustainable energy targets via CCUS integration. Full article

Adaptivity is a key component of social human–robot interaction (HRI) towards achieving more natural and human-like interactions. Current interactive systems tend to rely on preset and repetitive verbal communication and isolated nonverbal interactions, which results in unappealing engagement. This study proposes an integrated framework that combines a coordinated nonverbal interaction system based on real-time emotion expression with a fine-tuned large language model-based verbal communication system, resulting in more engaging and context-aware interaction. The design utilises the MiRo-E as the zoomorphic social interaction platform, with the aim of enhancing the consistency across verbal and nonverbal modalities and improving user engagement through adaptive and emotionally aligned responses. To evaluate the effectiveness of the approach, a user study was conducted with tasks designed to assess user engagement, task performance, and the perceived naturalness of interaction. Task performance metrics and subjective questionnaire responses indicate that the framework significantly enhances user experience, improving task completion rates, engagement, and perceived naturalness. Full article

Impaired bone healing is a major challenge in orthopedic and trauma surgery, often causing long-term disability and high costs. While autologous bone grafting is the gold standard, it is limited by donor site morbidity, low availability, and surgical risks. As an alternative, surgical site-released tissue (SSRT) collected intraoperatively offers a readily available source of regenerative cells and bioactive factors. This study investigates the potential of SSRT-derived mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-like cells and their extracellular vesicles (EVs) to support bone healing in a cell-free approach. SSRT samples from 30 patients undergoing elective hip replacement were collected using a surgical vacuum filter. MSC-like cells were isolated and characterized based on International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) criteria. Interestingly, many SSRT-derived MSC-like cells expressed CD34, a marker typically absent in cultured MSCs but linked to tissue-resident stromal cells, suggesting distinct regenerative properties. These cells also showed slow proliferation rates (P1: 8.7 ± 3.2 days; P2: 8.2 ± 5.4 days). EVs were isolated from osteogenically stimulated (EVs^MSC/O+) and unstimulated (EVs^MSC/O−) MSCs over three weeks. Antibody profiling revealed distinct cargo compositions, with a notable enrichment of CD13+ EVs in the stimulated group. Further in vivo and functional studies are needed to clarify underlying mechanisms and confirm therapeutic efficacy. Full article

Network slicing is a core enabler of multi-tenant 5th Generation (5G) architectures, allowing heterogeneous services to coexist over shared infrastructure. However, ensuring effective isolation between slices remains a critical security challenge, as failures may enable cross-slice interference, data leakage, or cascading service disruption. This article analyses security vulnerabilities affecting 5G network slicing from a risk-oriented perspective, with particular emphasis on isolation weaknesses across orchestration, virtualization, network, and interface layers. Due to the technical immaturity and instability of current open-source slicing platforms, experimental validation of security mechanisms proved infeasible. These limitations are therefore treated as empirical evidence informing a structured vulnerability taxonomy and a qualitative risk assessment grounded in confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Building on this analysis, the article proposes a conceptual security framework that integrates defence-in-depth, zero-trust principles, continuous monitoring, and adaptive response mechanisms to enforce isolation dynamically. Aligned with established standards and regulatory references, the framework provides a coherent theoretical foundation for future experimental validation and the secure design of resilient 5G network slicing architectures. Full article

This paper presents a systematic comparative study of optical character recognition (OCR) architectures for Korean license plate recognition under identical detection conditions. Although recent automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) systems increasingly adopt Transformer-based decoders, it remains unclear whether performance differences arise primarily from sequence modeling strategies or from backbone feature representations. To address this issue, we employ a unified YOLOv12-based license plate detector and evaluate multiple OCR configurations, including a CNN with an Attention-LSTM decoder and a MobileNetV3 with a Transformer decoder. To ensure a fair comparison, a controlled ablation study is conducted in which the CNN backbone is fixed to ResNet-18 while varying only the sequence decoder. Experiments are performed on both static image datasets and tracking-based sequential datasets, assessing recognition accuracy, error characteristics, and processing speed across GPU and embedded platforms. The results demonstrate that the effectiveness of sequence decoders is highly dataset-dependent and strongly influenced by feature quality and region-of-interest (ROI) stability. Quantitative analysis further shows that tracking-induced error accumulation dominates OCR performance in sequential recognition scenarios. Moreover, Korean license plate–specific error patterns reveal failure modes not captured by generic OCR benchmarks. Finally, experiments on embedded platforms indicate that Transformer-based OCR models introduce significant computational and memory overhead, limiting their suitability for real-time deployment. These findings suggest that robust license plate recognition requires joint consideration of detection, tracking, and recognition rather than isolated optimization of OCR architectures. Full article

The rapid integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies is transforming electrical power systems into intelligent, interconnected, and data-driven infrastructures, enabling advanced monitoring, control, and optimization across the entire energy value chain. IoT-based smart electrical systems enable advanced monitoring, control, and optimization of energy generation, distribution, and consumption, while also introducing new challenges related to interoperability, security, scalability, and data management. Despite the growing body of literature, existing surveys typically address these challenges in isolation, focusing on individual technological or operational aspects and thus failing to capture their strong cross-dependencies in real-world deployments. This paper delivers a comprehensive survey that systematically analyzes and interrelates nine key dimensions that prior literature largely examines in separate silos: architectural models, communication protocols, reference standards, cybersecurity and privacy mechanisms, data processing paradigms (edge, fog, and cloud), interoperability solutions, energy management strategies, application scenarios, and future research directions. Unlike conventional reviews confined to single-layer or domain-specific perspectives, this survey adopts a holistic, cross-layer approach, explicitly linking architectural choices, protocol stacks, interoperability frameworks, and security mechanisms with application and energy management requirements. Full article