Search Results (2,186)

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely used endocrine-disrupting chemical that has been linked to oxidative stress and inflammation. This study investigated whether carvacrol (CAR), a natural monoterpene with antioxidant potential, mitigates BPA-induced hepatorenal toxicity in rats. Forty-two male Wistar albino rats were allocated into six groups (n = 7/group): control, vehicle (corn oil), BPA (25 mg/kg/day), and BPA co-administered with CAR (12.5, 25, or 50 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage for 30 days. Oxidative status was assessed in liver and kidney homogenates by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). In addition, histopathological evaluations were performed, and pro-inflammatory gene expression (NF-κB, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) was quantified by RT-qPCR. BPA induced a consistent pro-oxidant pattern, including increased hepatic MDA with depleted antioxidant defenses, and upregulated inflammatory transcripts. Carvacrol attenuated these alterations in a dose-dependent manner, and the CAR50 group was associated with statistically supported improvements across the oxidative stress panel, pro-inflammatory transcript expression, and histopathology scores. Overall, these findings identify carvacrol as a candidate for further preclinical evaluation against BPA-triggered oxidative and inflammatory disturbances in vivo; however, human-relevant extrapolation will require careful attention to dose scaling, bioavailability, and metabolism. Full article

In general, condition monitoring (CM) and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) are often treated as separate disciplines, despite the fact that both rely on vibration measurements. CM relies on broadband statistical metrics such as RMS, kurtosis, and envelope analysis to detect faults. Meanwhile, NVH investigates tonal excitation mechanisms related to gear mesh frequency (GMF) and its modulation components. In this study, we investigate whether a numerical relationship can be established between classical CM indicators and physically based tonal excitation indicators derived from frequency–domain analysis. Using healthy and damaged benchmark gearbox recordings, Spearman correlation analysis was performed between broadband metrics and GMF-related tonal features, including GMF-band energy and absolute sideband energy. Results show moderate but statistically significant correlations between RMS, envelope peak amplitude, and tonal indicators, whereas kurtosis exhibits no meaningful association. Additionally, tonal response amplification in the damaged gearbox is shown to be non-uniformly distributed across sensor locations, indicating sensor-dependent structural sensitivity rather than uniform response growth. These findings demonstrate that broadband CM indicators partially encode changes in tonal excitation-related response, establishing a reproducible data-driven bridge between diagnostic condition monitoring and NVH excitation analysis. Full article

Dynamic economic growth and climate change increase pressure on water resources, posing a challenge to achieving sustainable development goals, especially in regions with diverse hydrological conditions and development trajectories. This study aims to quantitatively assess the dynamic asymmetry between water management efficiency and the level of sustainable development in the European Union and the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) countries, with particular emphasis on cumulative mechanisms, regional divergence, and the potential low equilibrium trap. The values of the analysed indicators were calculated for 2015, 2021, and 2022, and subsequently their changes were determined for 2021/2015 and 2022/2021. This study was conducted using Eurostat data, applying the CRITIC method for objective weight determination, the TOPSIS technique for constructing synthetic measures, the Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests to assess inter-group differences, and linear regression to identify dependencies. Countries were grouped according to the dynamics of changes in the synthetic water management index. The results indicate a clear asymmetry: the water sector is characterised by a cumulative mechanism and strong divergence (particularly evident in the short period), whereas sustainable development remains significantly more stable, homogeneous, and weakly linearly correlated with previous water achievements. In 3SI countries, a higher rate of improvement in water indicators was observed compared to the rest of the EU; however, no significant synergy with progress in sustainable development was found. The negative impact of the Water Exploitation Index on sustainable development is statistically noticeable but does not confirm the existence of a clear “low equilibrium trap” across the entire 3SI region. This study highlights the need for regionally differentiated, asymmetrical water policies and the integration of water management with broader ecological transformation strategies. Full article

This study examines whether international food price dynamics provide a reliable signal of undernourishment and human development outcomes relevant to the attainment of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by 2030. We apply wavelet coherence analysis to the FAO Food Price Index and the prevalence of undernourishment (SDG Indicator 2.1.1) over 2001–2023, testing statistical significance against an AR(1) red-noise null hypothesis. Hybrid ARIMA–Random Forest models generate probabilistic price forecasts through 2030. Despite strong raw coherence (R² ≈ 0.77), only 7.8% of time–frequency cells achieve statistical significance, indicating that apparent co-movement largely reflects autocorrelation rather than substantive dependence. Where significant coherence emerges, it concentrates at medium-run horizons (3–6 years), consistent with undernourishment as a habitual dietary adequacy measure linked to sustained affordability pressures affecting health, productivity, and human capital formation. Rolling correlation analysis reveals suggestive evidence of a regime change around 2012—from negative to positive correlation—coinciding with a slowdown in progress toward reducing hunger, although the 5-year rolling windows yield only 19 observations, limiting the power of formal structural break tests. Price forecasts exhibit rapidly widening confidence intervals (by ±131 index points by 2030), underscoring fundamental limits to predictability. The annual PoU series comprises only 23 observations, which constrains the estimation of long-run (8–12-year) wavelet cycles; results at those horizons should therefore be interpreted with caution. These findings caution against mechanistic inferences from global price indices to hunger and human development outcomes, redirecting policy emphasis toward domestic transmission channels and nutrition-sensitive safety nets. Full article

Accurate feature selection is critical for machine learning in medical diagnosis, yet conventional methods often fail to capture complex non-linear relationships in biomedical data. This study introduces an advanced feature selection approach that integrates distance correlation with adaptive weighting to enhance cardiac arrhythmia detection. The proposed method ranks features based on distance correlation, applies an inverse penalty weighting scheme to suppress highly correlated features while emphasizing moderately correlated ones, and incorporates RBF kernel transformation followed by LASSO refinement. Fifteen feature selection techniques were evaluated on an electrocardiographic database of 279 morphological and physiological features using 4-fold cross-validation with a neural network classifier. The proposed method outperformed all alternatives, including the best conventional approach, by effectively capturing non-linear dependencies, mitigating multicollinearity and overfitting, and leveraging synergistic kernel-based interaction modeling with sparse selection. These results demonstrate that combining statistical dependence measures, adaptive regularization, and non-linear transformations provides a robust framework for feature selection in cardiac arrhythmia classification and broader medical informatics applications. Full article

Background: Campylobacter jejuni, a leading foodborne pathogen in poultry, relies heavily on iron for survival and colonizes the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Iron supplementation in poultry diets can inadvertently promote pathogen growth, particularly when excess or poorly absorbed iron accumulates in the lower GIT. Encapsulated iron products, such as SQM^® Iron, offer a controlled-release mechanism that may mitigate this risk by reducing iron availability to microbes. Objective: This study evaluated the effects of free (FeSO₄) versus polysaccharide–iron complex (PIC) on C. jejuni growth under iron-limited conditions, hypothesizing that encapsulated iron would support slower and more limited bacterial proliferation due to delayed iron release. Methods: Growth kinetics of C. jejuni ATCC 700819 were assessed in chelated Mueller–Hinton broth supplemented with three iron concentrations (10, 20, and 50 ppm) of FeSO₄, PIC, or PIC matrix without iron. Optical density was measured every 20 min over 48 h under microaerophilic conditions. Maximum growth rate (µmax) and carrying capacity (K) were derived using non-linear curve modeling. ANOVA evaluated statistical significance with Tukey’s HSD post hoc comparisons. Results: Free iron (FeSO₄) consistently supported the highest µmax and K values across both trials, indicating rapid and robust C. jejuni proliferation. The effect of encapsulated iron was variable: at higher concentrations (50 ppm) it approached FeSO₄ performance, but at lower concentrations (10 ppm) its effect differed markedly between trials, sometimes supporting growth comparable to free iron and sometimes supporting substantially slower growth. The PIC matrix alone did not promote growth. These variable results indicate that the relationship between encapsulated iron and C. jejuni proliferation is complex and concentration-dependent. Conclusions: Free iron consistently promotes robust C. jejuni growth due to immediate bioavailability. The impact of encapsulated iron on C. jejuni proliferation is nuanced and variable, particularly at lower concentrations, suggesting its role in pathogen control is not straightforward and requires further investigation under controlled conditions. Furthermore, in vivo research is warranted to validate its utility in poultry pathogen management strategies. Full article

This cross-sectional exploratory study aimed to explore the association between inflammatory biomarkers and multidimensional psychological burden in informal primary caregivers of dependent older adults in an emergency department. We included 78 caregivers and up to 89 controls. Multidimensional psychological burden (perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and caregiver burden) was assessed using standardized instruments. Morning serum levels of cortisol, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and C-reactive Protein, were measured. Statistical analyses included between-group comparisons (Mann–Whitney U test), correlations (Spearman rank correlation coefficient), and hierarchical block regression adjusted for obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in the caregiver group. Multiplicity was addressed using the False Discovery Rate (FDR) procedure, and the findings were validated through 1000 bootstrap resamples. Caregivers had significantly higher levels of TNF-α compared to controls (p = 0.021), a finding confirmed by bootstrap analysis (95% CI: −2.6730 to −0.2940). IL-6 levels were positively correlated with trait anxiety (p = 0.007) and caregiver burden (p = 0.019). Comorbidity-adjusted hierarchical regression confirmed significant associations between IL-6 levels and trait anxiety and caregiver burden (ΔR² = 0.123, p = 0.007), although these associations did not remain significant after adjustment for FDR. Caregivers showed elevated levels of TNF-α and exploratory associations between IL-6, trait anxiety, and caregiver burden, justifying confirmation in studies with a larger number of participants. Full article

Impulsive noise significantly degrades the performance of power line communication (PLC) systems due to their non-Gaussian amplitude distribution, burst clustering, and inherent temporal dependence. Conventional statistical and spectral models often describe marginal behavior but do not fully account for the underlying temporal organization of such noise processes. This paper introduces an ensemble-based non-linear dynamical framework for the short-window characterization of impulsive PLC noise using delay-embedded phase-space reconstruction (PSR). Rather than relying on extended stationary recordings, the analysis is conducted across multiple independent short-duration acquisition windows obtained from indoor low-voltage networks. For each realization, the delay parameter is selected using average mutual information, and the embedding dimension is determined through the false nearest neighbors (FNN) criterion. The reconstructed trajectories are then examined using correlation dimension estimation, largest Lyapunov exponent analysis, and recurrence quantification measures. The resulting non-linear descriptors reveal structured phase-space organization and low-dimensional dynamical characteristics that are not readily observable in the original time-domain representation. In addition, these findings show that short-window PLC data preserve meaningful dynamical characteristics and support the use of non-linear geometric descriptors for impulsive PLC noise analysis and future mitigation approaches. Full article

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has been widely applied to injection–production profile monitoring in horizontal wells because it provides continuous full-wellbore coverage, real-time acquisition, and straightforward long-term deployment. In practical downhole operations, however, DAS measurements are frequently compromised by optical-signal attenuation, loss of fiber–casing/formation coupling, and environmental noise. Meanwhile, the mechanisms governing flow-induced acoustic responses remain insufficiently understood, which continues to impede quantitative diagnosis and interpretation of injection–production profiles based on DAS data. To address these challenges, this study performed controlled laboratory-scale physical simulation experiments of single-phase flow in a horizontal wellbore, systematically investigating DAS acoustic responses under two wellbore diameters (25 mm and 50 mm) and a range of flow velocities. Power spectral density (PSD) was derived using the fast Fourier transform to identify flow-sensitive characteristic frequency bands, and frequency-band energy (FBE) was further used to establish an optimal quantitative relationship with flow velocity. The results show that: (1) DAS energy is dominated by low-frequency components (<100 Hz), with the total energy increasing nonlinearly as flow velocity rises, accompanied by a progressive broadening of the characteristic bands; (2) the feature bands identified using an adaptive method based on energy difference statistics applied to PSD frequency-domain features exhibit a higher signal-to-noise ratio and greater physical clarity than traditional wide frequency bands; furthermore, by employing a feature band merging strategy, the distribution characteristics of flow energy can be captured more comprehensively; and (3) FBE exhibits a strong nonlinear dependence on flow velocity, with a power-law model delivering the best theoretical fit, whereas a cubic model (FBE ∝ V³) achieves high accuracy and robustness for practical applications. The proposed workflow—“PSD peak identification–characteristic band delineation–FBE regression”—establishes a methodological foundation for quantitative DAS-based monitoring of horizontal-well injection–production profiles in both laboratory and field settings, and it provides a basis for subsequent intelligent monitoring and interpretation under multiphase-flow conditions. Full article

Collective cell migration plays essential roles in morphogenesis, wound healing, angiogenesis, and cancer invasion, yet quantitative measurement of leader–follower interaction strength and range remains challenging due to the lack of direct and scalable methods. Here, we present a microfabricated branch selection platform combined with a probabilistic analysis framework to quantitatively measure intercellular coupling in migrating single-cell trains. Cells migrate through microchannels with a width of one cell and encounter symmetric T-junctions at which each follower cell selects either the same branch as the preceding cell or the opposite branch. We show that branch selection sequences are captured by a first-order Markov process, with the resulting run length (cluster size) statistics following a geometric form determined by an interaction-dependent transition probability. This relationship enables direct estimation of an effective interaction parameter without requiring force measurements or molecular labeling. Monte Carlo simulations confirm that interaction strength is primarily encoded in run length statistics rather than overall left/right occupancy in symmetric junctions. Experiments with epithelial MDCK cells and endothelial MS-1 cells reveal distinct interaction signatures: MS-1 cells show significant repulsive coupling, whereas MDCK cells exhibit at most a weak attractive tendency at the leader-first follower interface, while rear clusters display repulsive signatures. Cluster order-resolved analysis further indicates that interaction effects are spatially localized near the front and do not propagate as sustained attraction along the train. These results establish the proposed platform as a scalable method for quantitative measurement of interaction strength and interaction localization in collective cell migration. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sex differences in lung cancer incidence and outcomes are well recognized, yet the relative contributions of sex chromosomes and gonadal sex remain incompletely defined. We aimed to disentangle chromosomal complement and hormonal sex in urethane-induced lung tumorigenesis using the Four Core Genotypes mouse model. Methods: Mice (6–8 weeks old) with independently varied chromosomal complement (XX vs. XY) and gonadal sex received urethane (1 g/kg body weight) weekly for 10 weeks and were evaluated after a 20-week latency period. Tumor multiplicity, tumor area, normalized tumor burden, and Ki-67 proliferation indices were quantified histologically. Hepatic Cyp2e1 expression was measured to assess carcinogen bioactivation. Tumor mutations were analyzed by Sanger sequencing. RAS Q61R immunoreactivity and ERK phosphorylation were evaluated to assess oncogenic signaling. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cellularity was analyzed. Survival was monitored. Statistical analyses tested the main effects of chromosomal complement, gonadal sex, and their interaction. Results: Tumor multiplicity (p = 0.0729), tumor area (p = 0.5302), normalized tumor burden (p = 0.5316), and Ki-67 indices (p = 0.6551) did not differ among genotypes. Hepatic Cyp2e1 expression was comparable across groups (genotype p = 0.076; treatment p = 0.445). Sanger sequencing confirmed canonical Kras Q61R mutations. Anti-RAS (Q61R) immunohistochemistry revealed a significant genotype effect on mutant RAS expression (F(3,23) = 3.48, p = 0.032), with the highest H-scores observed in XYF mice compared with male gonadal genotypes; ERK phosphorylation did not differ. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis revealed increased lymphocytes after urethane exposure without genotype-dependent effects. Survival differed significantly, with XX females demonstrating prolonged survival relative to XY males. Conclusions: Sex influenced survival independently of tumor burden, indicating that sex-associated differences in lung cancer outcomes are likely driven by systemic or microenvironmental factors rather than tumor-intrinsic growth mechanisms. Full article

Background/Objectives: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a rare but severe complication of antiresorptive therapy for osteoporosis. This study investigated bacterial adhesion and microbial composition on two suture materials and their potential impact on early wound healing following tooth extraction in patients receiving antiresorptive therapy. Methods: In this prospective exploratory clinical study with partially randomized allocation, female patients undergoing antiresorptive therapy were evaluated for clinical parameters, including the Mombelli Plaque Index (MPI), Mombelli Bleeding Index (MBI), oral smear analysis, and Early Wound Healing Score (EHS). Suture samples (Vicryl and Monocryl, Ethicon, Germany) were removed after 10 days, measured, and weighed. Bacterial DNA was isolated and quantified by qPCR targeting the albumin and 16S rRNA genes. In addition, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed to assess the microbial community composition. Statistical and bioinformatic analyses were conducted to compare materials and evaluate the clustering patterns. Results: Fifty-two suture samples were analyzed. Vicryl exhibited significantly higher 16S rRNA gene copy numbers than Monocryl, indicating increased bacterial colonization, whereas albumin gene copy numbers were significantly higher in Monocryl. The suture weight correlated primarily with albumin gene copy numbers. Amplicon sequencing revealed no material-dependent differences in the microbial composition; instead, samples clustered predominantly by patient, particularly in split-mouth cases. The wound healing outcomes based on the EHS were comparable between materials. Conclusions: Although Vicryl and Monocryl differ in bacterial load and host material deposition, the microbial community composition is primarily patient-specific and the clinical healing outcomes are similar. Surgical management and patient-related factors appear more critical than suture material selection. Full article

Background: Human lead exposure is a multi-pathway phenomenon that integrates internal biological burden with persistent residential environmental reservoirs. Although individual lead metrics have been linked to cardiometabolic dysfunction, current research often fails to capture the ‘exposome’ reality of joint, nonlinear, and interaction-dependent effects on metabolic outcomes like BMI. Objectives: To evaluate associations between biological (blood and urinary) and residential dust (window and floor) lead measures and BMI, and to characterize nonlinear and interaction-dependent mixture effects using Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR). Methods: We analyzed data from NHANES 2001–2002, a nationally representative survey of the U.S. noninstitutionalized civilian population. Window and floor dust lead (µg/ft²) were obtained from the NHANES household dust component, and blood lead (µg/dL) and urinary lead (µg/L) were measured using standardized NHANES laboratory protocols. BMI was calculated from measured height and weight. Missing data were addressed using multivariate imputation by chained equations. Descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regression were used to estimate adjusted associations between individual lead metrics and BMI, controlling for age, gender, income, race/ethnicity, and education. BKMR was then applied to evaluate joint mixture effects, estimate univariate and bivariate exposure–response functions, and quantify relative exposure importance using posterior inclusion probabilities (PIPs). Results: In covariate-adjusted linear regression, blood lead (β = −0.485; 95% CI: −0.566, −0.405; p < 0.001) and window dust lead (β = −0.00047; 95% CI: −0.00067, −0.00026; p < 0.001) were inversely associated with BMI, whereas floor dust lead was positively associated (β = 0.258; 95% CI: 0.209, 0.306; p < 0.001). Urinary lead was inversely but not significantly associated with BMI (β = −0.111; 95% CI: −0.235, 0.013; p = 0.079). In BKMR, blood lead was the dominant contributor, with a posterior inclusion probability (PIP; proportion of iterations in which an exposure is selected) of 1.00. Window dust lead showed modest inclusion (PIP = 0.26), whereas urinary and floor dust lead were not selected (PIP = 0.00). Exposure–response functions indicated modest nonlinearity for blood lead and greater divergence for the blood lead–window dust lead pairing at higher exposure levels. The overall mixture effect declined across increasing joint exposure quantiles, crossing the null near the median and becoming increasingly negative at higher mixture levels. Conclusions: In our study, lead metrics showed heterogeneous associations with BMI, and BKMR indicated that internal lead burden (blood lead) primarily drove mixture-related BMI patterns, with evidence that window dust lead may modify mixture effects at higher co-exposure levels. These findings support evaluating multiple lead exposure pathways jointly and using flexible mixture models to capture nonlinear and interaction-dependent relationships with BMI. Full article

Background: The Lapidus procedure has become a cornerstone in the surgical management of hallux valgus, especially in cases with associated tarsometatarsal instability. This study investigated and compared the radiographic outcomes of three distinct Lapidus constructs, aiming to provide valuable insights into the optimal fusion configurations for achieving long-term stability improvement and maintaining the intermetatarsal angle (IMA) postoperatively. Methods: In this retrospective study, the objective was to assess and compare the outcomes of three different fusion constructs used in the Lapidus procedure: group 1, transverse screw fixation; group 2, metatarsal cuneiform screw fixation; and group 3, combined transverse and metatarsal cuneiform screw fixation. The study encompassed 32 feet: 11 in group 1, 8 in group 2, and 13 in group 3. The primary focus was to evaluate postoperative stability through radiographic imaging complemented by clinical assessments and an examination of complications. Statistical analyses were used to compare outcomes across the three fixation groups immediately, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Results: Radiographic assessments demonstrated successful fusion, and patients reported improvements in pain and function and overall satisfaction with the procedure. Complication rates were within an acceptable range. The IMA in all three groups exhibited a significant reduction postoperatively compared with preoperative measurements. Group 3 demonstrated a notably stronger initial reduction in the IMA compared with groups 1 and 2, and they maintained a statistically significantly more stable IMA value and exhibited a lower recurrence rate compared with the other two groups 1 year postoperatively. Conclusions: These findings endorse the use of Lapidus fusion with these three constructs, particularly with combined transverse and metatarsal cuneiform screw fixation, as a dependable and efficacious surgical approach in addressing hallux valgus with concomitant tarsometatarsal instability. Full article

Numerous metrics, such as visitor numbers, tourism net profit, and hotel occupancy rates, are included in the dataset presented in this study, which covers 77 provinces. A baseline-based concept of shock recovery is introduced to measure impact and recovery paths in different regions. Recurrent neural networks incorporate engineered elements that capture seasonality, trend dynamics, shock strength, volatility, and recovery timing. Importantly, latent spatial heterogeneity and cross-regional dependencies are learned within a single architecture by integrating province-level spatiotemporal embeddings. To jointly forecast tourism demand and net profit, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) models are created. Using a time-preserving evaluation technique, model performance is assessed against statistical time-series baselines and XGBoost. In early 2020, the results show a structural break that exceeded the 95% decline, along with significantly unequal recovery patterns. The suggested deep learning models surpass baselines by roughly 22–28% in RMSE and 14–16% in MAPE, exhibiting superior ability in capturing spatial heterogeneity and nonlinear recovery dynamics. Full article