Search Results (105)

Background/Objective: Asthma-related quality of life is related to multiple clinical, physiological, and behavioral factors. Nonetheless, the domain-specific associations of asthma control, inhaler adherence, lung function, and demographic characteristics remain poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the adjusted associations of asthma control, inhaler adherence, lung function, and age with individual domains of asthma-related quality of life. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 92 adults with asthma who demonstrated correct inhaler technique and adequate knowledge of their prescribed inhaler regimen. Asthma control was measured using the Asthma Control Test (ACT), inhaler adherence using the Test of Adherence to Inhalers (TAI), and quality of life using the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). Pulmonary function was determined through spirometry. Spearman correlation analyses were initially conducted to identify associations between variables. Subsequently, separate multivariable linear regression models were created for each AQLQ domain, including ACT score, TAI score, age, and FEV₁ % predicted as predictors. Results: A total of 92 adult patients with asthma were studied. Asthma control was significantly positively correlated with all AQLQ domains (all p < 0.001). In multivariable analyses, ACT had the largest absolute standardized coefficient within each of the four domain-specific models (standardized β range: 0.339–0.791). After adjustment, age was associated with the activity limitation and symptom domains, whereas FEV₁ % predicted was associated only with the environmental stimuli domain. Inhaler adherence showed an inverse association with emotional functioning in the fully adjusted model (B = −0.094, 95% CI −0.158–−0.031; p = 0.0038). However, this association was absent in the bivariate analysis and in a sensitivity model excluding ACT (B = −0.015, 95% CI −0.067–0.037; p = 0.562), suggesting a possible suppression effect. Conclusions: ACT showed the largest standardized association within each domain-specific model, although the magnitude of its associations with the symptom and activity-limitation domains may partly reflect conceptual overlap between the instruments. The inverse TAI–emotional-functioning coefficient was model-dependent, did not meet the conservative multiplicity benchmark, and should be considered exploratory and hypothesis-generating. Additionally, lung function and age showed domain-specific associations, highlighting the need for a comprehensive, multidimensional approach in asthma management. Full article

Background: Mechanosensitive ion channels PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 are key mediators of mechanotransduction, which converts physical forces into cellular signals involved in proprioception, touch, vascular function, and other physiological processes. Mutations in human PIEZO proteins are linked to various diseases, such as hereditary xerocytosis, lymphatic dysplasia, and proprioceptive dysfunction. However, the role of intrinsic disorder in the regulation of these proteins and their susceptibility for disease-associated mutations remains unclear. Methods: We analyzed canonical human PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 protein sequences using machine learning, neural network, and energy-based disorder predictors, together with the prediction of disorder-mediated binding regions, phase separation propensity, interaction networks, evolutionary conservation, clinically annotated human variants, and peptide structural modeling. Results: Both proteins showed moderate intrinsic disorder, with PIEZO2 having slightly greater disorder propensity and higher predicted phase separation potential. Intrinsically disordered regions frequently overlapped binding-prone segments and post-translational modification sites, supporting regulatory functions. Evolutionary comparisons showed strong conservation of PIEZO proteins, while selected disordered regions retained disorder propensity despite greater sequence variability. Disease-causing variants mainly affected the ordered regions of both proteins, whereas disordered regions contained proportionally more benign variants and relatively few pathogenic mutations. The modeling of mutations within disordered hotspots showed altered local conformational tendencies, indicating that some disease variants may disrupt dynamic interaction interfaces rather than global structure. Interaction network analysis linked both proteins to enriched mechanotransduction, ion transport, and cytoskeletal pathways. Conclusions: Overall, our findings identify intrinsic disorder as an underappreciated feature of PIEZO channel biology and provide a framework for interpreting PIEZO-associated channelopathies. PIEZO proteins also perfectly illustrate the proteoform concept, where one gene yields a highly diverse kit of mechanosensitive molecular tools. While humans only have two primary PIEZO genes (PIEZO1 and PIEZO2), the body generates a vast array of functional variations. Full article

A variable-to-variable (V2V) length code parses a source sequence into phrases of variable length and maps each phrase to a binary codeword of, generally, a different random length. After encoding n phrases, the realized compression ratio $R_n={\Lambda }_n/{\Sigma }_n$—total codeword length over total source-symbol count—is the finite-sample counterpart of the code’s asymptotic rate $\rho$, to which it converges only as $n\to \infty$. This paper first derives exact formulas for all integer moments of $R_n$ for a given discrete memoryless source (DMS). Specifically, we obtain a closed-form formula for every moment $\mathbb{E}\left\{R_n^k\right\}$ as a one-dimensional integral involving only single-phrase moment generating functions of the pair $(L,\mathcal{l})$—the phrase length, in source symbols, and codeword length, in bits. From these moments we derive an Edgeworth approximation to the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of $R_n$ that is substantially more accurate than the central limit theorem (CLT) approximation. Using the Laplace method of integration, we also derive explicit closed-form formulas for the bias constant $C={\lim }_{n\to \infty }n(\mathbb{E}\left\{R_n\right\}-\rho )$ and for the variance constant ${\lim }_{n\to \infty }n·\mathrm{Var}\left\{R_n\right\}$. The analysis extends to Markov sources via state-indexed matrices with a redundancy formula obtained in closed form. On the coding-theoretic side, we cast V2V length codes as finite-state encoders and apply a generalized Kraft inequality for a compression-rate lower bound, and give a structural decomposition of the bias coefficient that separates cleanly across variable-to-fixed (V2F) length codes, fixed-to-variable (F2V) length codes, and V2V length codes. Applied to the Khodak code of Bugeaud, Drmota, and Szpankowski, this decomposition shows that its improved performance is reflected in its smaller bias constant. Full article

Basilar trunk aneurysms (BTAs) are rare intracranial aneurysms. These aneurysms pose substantial clinical risk because they are located close to vital cranial structures and perfusion-sensitive perforating arteries. In addition, outcomes from BTA repair are dependent upon several factors, which include proximity to the brainstem, preservation of perforators, corridor access to the aneurysm, successful clipping of the aneurysm through reconstruction, the need for intraoperative rescue manoeuvres and the ability of the patient to recover from complications. Many previous studies have documented the outcomes associated with BTA repair; however, few studies have examined how the anatomy of the BTA directly relates to surgical decisions made by surgeons. Therefore, we developed an explainable AI framework for documenting surgeon reasoning regarding the open microsurgical treatment of BTAs. The primary objective was to develop and internally evaluate an explainable microsurgical intelligence framework for structuring surgeon reasoning during open microsurgical treatment of BTAs. The secondary objectives were to explore the relationships between the proposed constructs and postoperative pontine infarction, angiographic occlusion, functional outcome, hidden disability, operative difficulty, and composite technical-safety failure. Methods: We retrospectively analysed the cases of 31 adult patients who underwent open microsurgical treatment of a basilar trunk aneurysm at our hospital between October 1999 and March 2025. The cohort included 18 women (58.1%) and 13 men (41.9%), with a median age of 55 years (interquartile range, 44–63 years); 14 patients (45.2%) presented with ruptured aneurysms. A database containing more than 300 variables collected information about each patient’s imaging studies, operative strategies employed during surgery, intraoperative events encountered during surgery, intraoperative angiographic verification, occurrence of new injuries or complications resulting from surgery, and degree of recovery in each patient. Temporally separated scores were generated to quantify perforator-aware hazard, compression burden imposed by proximity to the brainstem, constraints imposed by corridors available for clipping of the BTA, burden imposed by clip reconstruction, degree of surgical precision adjusted based on the need for rescue manoeuvres, degree of dataset/model readiness, and degree of case-level learning density. The framework was evaluated internally using methods that included leave-one-out cross-validation, Firth regression modelling, Bayesian modelling, bootstrap optimism correction, calibration assessments using Brier score, decision-curve analysis, evaluations of explainability, conformal uncertainty estimation, and retrieval of similar cases. Results: Complete occlusion of the aneurysm was successfully achieved in 27 patients (87.1%), whereas residual neck or sac remained in four patients (12.9%). New pontine infarction occurred in six patients (19.4%), including four perforator-related infarctions (12.9%). A favourable last-follow-up modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0–2 was achieved in 25 patients (80.6%); however, hidden disability was noted in 11 of these 25 patients (44.0%). Mortality was 6.5% and was limited to two patients with high-grade rupture. PAH-S-pre predicted pontine infarction (OR, 1.19 for every five-point increase; leave-one-out cross-validated AUC, 0.92). The composite technical-safety failure model had an ROC AUC of 0.91, optimism-corrected AUC of 0.88, calibration slope of 0.96, Brier score of 0.10, and permutation p < 0.001. Explainability indicated that PAH-S-pre, BPCI, and CCR represented the most important features. Conformal prediction resulted in abstention from prediction in four patients (12.9%). Conclusions: Expert microsurgical thought processes involved in repairing BTAs can be systematised and recorded into time-relevant and clinically meaningful measures that preserve anatomical interpretability. Clinical use will require external validation before implementation; however, this framework may provide a clinically interpretable foundation for risk-adapted planning, verification, surveillance, education, and future decision-support research for complex neurovascular surgery. Full article

We investigate the Hyers–Ulam stability of a functional equation motivated by the semi-parallelogram law, a three-variable identity that extends the classical quadratic equation. Our first result shows that every solution of this equation splits uniquely as the sum of an additive mapping and a quadratic mapping. Under natural growth conditions on the error term, we obtain stability estimates via two classical routes: the direct method and the fixed point alternative in generalized metric spaces. What makes the three-variable setting worthwhile is that it accommodates asymmetric control functions, for instance, $\phi (x_1,x_2,x_3)=\parallel x_1-x_2{\parallel }^p{\parallel x_3\parallel }^p$, which cannot be captured by the standard two-variable quadratic equation. This extra freedom proves useful when perturbations depend on the relative position of the variables, rather than on each variable separately. We also examine power-type perturbations in detail. The analysis reveals a critical exponent $p=2$: when $p<2$, stability holds with explicit constants; at $p=2$, the contraction argument breaks down, pointing to an intrinsic limitation of the method. Several examples accompany the main results, among them a closer look at the role of the critical exponent and a visual discussion of how asymmetric controls arise in practice. Full article

To address three major industry pain points—the lack of quantified profit-sharing standards in the two-stage pricing under the separation model of military research and production, the absence of stable Nash equilibrium in single-layer synchronous optimization, and insufficient incentives for full-cycle process optimization in design units—this paper constructs a two-level Stackelberg leader–follower game model with the general contracting unit as the leader and design and general contracting units as followers. This aligns with current prototype incentives and phased pricing policies for production rewards and penalties. At the theoretical level, it improves the complete proof system for the two-stage concave profit two-level Stackelberg Nash equilibrium, distinguishes the mathematical differences in equilibrium existence between sequential decision-making and synchronous optimization, and extracts general rules for phased differentiated profit sharing: high-innovation segments should be allocated more profit weight; simply maximizing total alliance profit may cause imbalanced interests, while introducing a minimum net profit-weighted objective can achieve Pareto improvements without profit loss. This conclusion can be applied to multi-stage general contracting scenarios across industries, such as EPC and military–civil collaborative innovation, enriching the basic theory of profit sharing and hierarchical games. Theoretically, the existence of the lower-level Nash equilibrium is proven using Brouwer’s fixed-point theorem, and combining it with the strictly monotonically decreasing feature of the best response function, uniqueness of the equilibrium is derived. Multiple sets of differentiated initial values are simulated to rule out multi-equilibrium bifurcation risk. The model incorporates the military’s reward and penalty policies as rigid exogenous constraints, sets dual individual rationality constraints of ‘cooperative profit greater than baseline profit with no allocation, and both parties’ net profit non-negative,’ and introduces differentiated cost-reduction efficiency and quadratic increasing effort costs to characterize the heterogeneous input of the two types of development entities. For models with piecewise nonlinearity and multi-constraint nonconvex structures, this paper modifies the standard PSO into a Bi-PSO solving framework through hierarchical temporal adaptation. It does not innovate the underlying particle update mechanism and is only used to match the sequential decision order of the leader–follower game. By comparing five algorithms—IPM, GA, SA, DE, and adaptive PSO—through 20 repeated simulations: gradient-based interior point methods easily get stuck in locally invalid solutions that violate cooperation thresholds; differential evolution has the best numerical global search performance, but all general evolutionary algorithms optimize allocation and effort variables simultaneously, disrupting the Stackelberg hierarchical timing. Only Bi-PSO maintains consistent game logic. Using a pricing case for a certain type of equipment and jointly calibrating all parameters with policy documents, three simulation scenarios were set up: no allocation, equal 50/50 split, and single-layer profit maximization. Under the no-allocation mode, R&D investment from the design unit drops to zero and alliance benefits plummet; a blanket equal split ignores differences in technical contributions across two stages, leading to clear efficiency losses; single-layer optimization only pursues total profit maximization, causing a severe imbalance in profit distribution. The two-layer basic framework can achieve the upper limit of alliance benefits, and by adding a weighted optimization goal that considers both total profit and cooperation fairness, it can achieve equal net profits for both parties without reducing overall profit. Through single-parameter sweeps and two-factor heatmap simulations, the study further revealed the coupled effects of main party efficiency and mass production rewards and penalties on equilibrium input and optimal sharing ranges. A robust check was performed by replacing the logarithmic concave output function, producing a standardized allocation range resilient to parameter perturbations: optimal split for the prototype stage is 0.4–0.6 for the design unit, and for mass production stage 0.7–0.9. The findings suggest that high-contribution stages in multi-phase collaboration contracts should receive more benefits, and a weighted fairness objective can achieve Pareto improvements. These conclusions can extend to multi-stage collaboration scenarios such as EPC and military–civilian cooperation. Theoretically, this research further completes the equilibrium proof system for two-party concave payoff two-layer games, providing a new reference for the theory of phased differentiated benefit-sharing contracts in the military sector. Methodologically, it proposes a two-layer intelligent solving tool adapted to leader–follower sequential decisions, effectively mitigating issues where single-layer model equilibria fail or analytical algorithms struggle with multi-constraint nonconvex games. The results can provide quantitative support for the military, general contracting unit, and design unit in drafting equipment incentive pricing contracts and managing full-cycle cost collaboration. Full article

This study investigates the forced transverse vibration of a thin rotating annular disc subjected to time-varying point forces that are fixed in space and act perpendicular to the disc surface. Earlier analytical treatments of this problem have almost always been restricted to a single support condition, most often the clamped–free disc of a hard-disk drive. The boundary conditions of the disc have not been treated as a design variable of the forced response. The contribution of this work is to remove that restriction: the same generalised Galerkin formulation is applied to clamped–clamped, clamped–free and free–clamped rotating annular discs, and the sensitivity of the forced response to the excitation parameters is compared across all three. The governing differential equation, which includes gyroscopic coupling and the membrane stresses induced by rotation, is nondimensionalised and solved by the Galerkin method with polynomial radial trial functions. The modal equations are then integrated in state-space form with light modal damping. The physical transverse response at a fixed observation point is characterised by power spectral density diagrams assembled into waterfall plots, and the corresponding steady-state harmonic responses are obtained in closed form from the frequency-domain resolvent of the same state-space model. The formulation is verified against an independent radial finite-element model for all three boundary conditions and against published rotating clamped–free natural frequencies. The central finding concerns how the excitation parameters act on the response. The excitation frequency, the radial position of a force, and the angular separation and phase of a pair of forces act as largely independent levers. The quantitative sensitivity to each lever, however, is set by the boundary conditions, as is the force placement that minimises a chosen travelling-wave family. The radial position that minimises the excitation of a chosen radial family is governed by the interior node of that mode, which lies at $r\approx 52$, 68 and 44 mm for the clamped–clamped, clamped–free and free–clamped discs, respectively, and does not in general coincide with a free edge. Angular separation, by contrast, suppresses a nodal-diameter family in a manner that is essentially boundary-condition independent. The parameter dependences are shown to be steady-state properties: the driven spectral line of the finite-duration records reproduces the resolvent solution to within $0.09$ dB. Full article

The monthly CHIRPS ver. 2 gridded rainfall dataset from 1981 to 2016 was employed to analyze distinct precipitation variability patterns and regimes in semi-arid Botswana. An S-mode eigen analysis was performed on the correlation matrix of the rainfall data to extract principal components. The principal component scores (pc-scores) were further rotated using the Varimax eigen analysis method to yield unique precipitation patterns. The rotated pc-scores indicated three separate sub-regions displaying varying precipitation patterns over time. The application of non-hierarchal clustering (K-means) on the pc-scores identified four distinct zones characterized by unique rainfall patterns. A regional frequency study of rainfall in the sub-regions was performed using L-moments. Probabilistic analysis was utilized to model annual rainfall using six common regional frequency analysis probability distribution functions (pdfs): Pearson Type 3 (PE III); three-parameter Weibull; generalized; extreme value (GEV), normal (GNO), logistic (GLO), and Pareto (GPA). The pdfs that demonstrated the optimal correspondence were determined by the goodness-of-fit test, utilizing the Z-statistic. Each cluster displayed unique pdfs and goodness-of-fit pdfs, with the GLO, GEV, GNO, and Weibull offering the most precise representations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sexual health is frequently under-addressed after stroke, despite its relevance to intimacy, identity, relationships, and rehabilitation. This convergent mixed-methods study integrated sex-specific screening with descriptive narrative material to examine sexual functioning and patient-reported concerns in clinical rehabilitation. Methods: Twenty-six adults were assessed: ten with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), sixteen with an International Index of Erectile Function six-item field (IIEF-6), and ten with analyzable semi-structured interview responses. The sex-specific measures were analyzed separately. Continuous variables were summarized by median and interquartile range; nonparametric correlations and group comparisons underwent Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate correction. Quantitative and qualitative findings were integrated in a participant-level joint display. This integration yielded case-level meta-inferences rather than inferential mixed-methods testing in this sample. Results: Nine of ten FSFI profiles and nine of sixteen IIEF-6 profiles met the respective exploratory threshold for possible dysfunction. No association or group comparison remained statistically significant after correction. Six of eighteen threshold-positive profiles had analyzable interviews, twelve represented narrative silence, and four interviewed participants were threshold-negative. Narratives documented fear, embarrassment, reduced desire or sexual frequency, relational or communication change, support needs, clinical sequelae, and positive or neutral adaptation. Screening and narratives showed convergence, complementarity, and divergence: low scores did not establish personal distress, whereas concerns could occur above a threshold. Conclusions: Responsive sexual rehabilitation should combine confidential, permission-based, patient-led screening and narrative inquiry with individualized information, optional support, appropriate referral, and reassessment according to readiness. These preliminary, hypothesis-generating findings do not validate an intervention or support confirmatory inference. Full article

Seasonal epidemics and high variability of influenza viruses pose a severe threat to global public health security. Neuraminidase, a key functional enzyme in the life cycle of influenza viruses, represents an important target for anti-influenza drug development. Given the continuous emergence of drug-resistant strains against first-line clinical neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) such as oseltamivir, there is an urgent need to develop novel, broad-spectrum, and resistance-overcoming NAIs. Natural products, characterized by structural diversity and a wide range of biological activities, provide abundant resources for the discovery of new NAIs. Recent advances in computer-aided drug design, intelligent analytical platforms, and modern screening technologies have accelerated the identification of natural product-derived NAIs. In particular, biosensor-based strategies, including electrochemical, fluorescence, bioluminescence, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering biosensors, have demonstrated significant advantages in sensitivity, selectivity, rapid response, and high-throughput screening. In combination with computational methods and experimental approaches such as affinity ultrafiltration and activity-guided separation, these technologies have promoted the development of intelligent, precise, and multimodal screening platforms. Looking forward, the integration of biosensor-based high-throughput screening platforms with artificial intelligence algorithms is expected to drive the next generation of natural product screening platforms and facilitate the efficient discovery and clinical translation of novel NAIs. This paper systematically reviews the research progress of screening strategies for natural product-derived NAIs; introduces representative natural active NAIs, including phenols, terpenoids, and alkaloids; and prospects future development directions, aiming to provide a scientific reference for the efficient discovery of NAIs from natural products. Full article

Background: Head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) contain time and level cues and may be utilized in automatic algorithms to identify locations of sound, a desirable feature for next-generation hearing devices. Due to substantial variability in individual head sizes and ear acoustics, individualized HRTFs are expected to provide the best localization results. However, acquiring individualized HRTFs for each user is time-consuming. Methods: This study constructed three binaural and/or monaural algorithms suitable for hearing devices. A linear classifier was trained on HRTF databases from a subset of subjects and used to predict sound locations for other individuals to evaluate cross-subject variability. Results: Using the CIPIC Database, a “two-step” method achieved a horizontal localization error of 1.0° and a vertical error of 30.4° sequentially. With the 3D3A Database, the horizontal and vertical errors were 5.6° and 36.5°, respectively. Both datasets yielded improved accuracy when frontal and rear hemifields were simulated separately, with trends remaining consistent across databases. When subjects were grouped by gender, classifiers trained on women’s HRTFs performed well in predicting men’s localization, whereas classifiers trained on men’s HRTFs resulted in significantly larger errors. Conclusions: These findings offer insights into the localization cues embedded in HRTFs and demonstrate the influences of inter-subject variability for spatial hearing devices. Full article

Background/Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a well-established prognostic marker in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC); however, the short-term treatment response remains heterogeneous, particularly among HPV-positive patients. Given the high prevalence of malnutrition in head and neck cancer, this study examined whether baseline nutritional status, body composition and functional status were associated with early treatment response in OPSCC according to HPV status. Methods: A prospective observational multicenter cohort study of newly diagnosed OPSCC patients eligible for curative-intent treatment was conducted at three tertiary hospitals in Barcelona, Spain. Baseline assessments comprised anthropometry, computed tomography (CT)-based body composition at L3, functional performance tests, systemic inflammatory biomarkers and nutritional diagnosis by the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). Early treatment response, assessed around 12 weeks post-therapy, was classified as complete remission (CR) or non-complete remission (NCR). Classification tree analyses were performed separately by HPV status. Results: Of 101 enrolled patients, 97 completed post-treatment assessment, of whom 51% were HPV-positive. Among HPV-positive patients, PG-SGA score was the main discriminating variable for early response within the classification tree model, with CR achieved in 74% of patients scoring <6 versus 33% of those scoring ≥6 (AUC 0.68, 95% CI 0.55–0.82). Conversely, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) and age were the primary discriminating variables in HPV-negative patients (AUC 0.81, 95% CI 0.70–0.93). In both HPV subgroups, body composition and inflammatory markers were not retained in the analysis once nutritional and functional status were considered. Conclusions: PG-SGA-defined nutritional status was associated with early treatment response in HPV-positive patients, while functional status was the main variable retained in HPV-negative patients. These findings support the potential clinical value of standardized nutritional assessment in OPSCC and suggest that early identification of poor nutritional status or functional impairment may help refine supportive care planning at treatment initiation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Patient experience is increasingly recognised as a key dimension of healthcare quality, yet most tools fail to capture its temporal and processual nature, limiting its contribution to system improvement. This study aimed to demonstrate how a biographical approach to patient experience can generate actionable insights for improving care pathways. Specifically, we sought to: (i) identify and characterise distinct types of prehospital care pathways among patients hospitalised for COVID-19; (ii) identify patient-perceived significant events and safety issues; and (iii) generate structured variables to inform a subsequent quantitative phase. Methods: We conducted semi-structured biographical interviews with 31 patients hospitalised for COVID-19 in two French university hospitals. Data were collected using a life-events calendar (LEC), enabling day-by-day reconstruction of symptoms, healthcare contacts, and decision-making processes. Thematic analysis was performed with multidisciplinary triangulation. The qualitative phase identified three pathway types and the key mechanisms underlying each; these patterns were subsequently confirmed in a separate quantitative follow-up study (n = 312) using state sequence analysis. Results: Three distinct pathway types emerged: short (≤3 days), intermediate (4–9 days), and long (≥10 days). Delayed pathways were associated with repeated false-negative tests, underestimation of severity, and silent hypoxaemia. Across all pathways, patient experience suggested critical system-level failures, including diagnostic delays and inadequate escalation of care. Notably, in many cases, hospitalisation was triggered by a relative rather than a healthcare professional. These findings highlight the role of patient and social context as key components of care pathways. Conclusions: When captured longitudinally, patient experience may provide actionable insights into healthcare system functioning, suggesting structural mismatches between clinical trajectories and care responses. The life-events calendar method offers a replicable framework for transforming patient experience data into clinically and organisationally relevant knowledge. Integrating such approaches into healthcare evaluation could enhance patient safety, improve care coordination, and support more responsive care systems beyond COVID-19. Full article

A non-homogeneous fractional differential equation with a variable coefficient involving a Caputo fractional derivative is considered. The equation is first transformed into an integral equation and then solved using the method of successive approximations. The obtained general solution involves a generalized Mittag–Leffler-type function and Meijer G-functions. Example solutions corresponding to particular choices of the non-homogeneous term are presented. As an application of the considered non-homogeneous equation, direct and inverse source problems are studied. The solutions are expressed in the form of series expansions using an orthogonal basis obtained through separation of variables. Illustrative examples for the direct and inverse problems are also presented for specific choices of the initial and final time data and the source function. Full article

This study applied Rasch modeling to examine the psychometric properties of two spatial assessments, the Mental Rotation Test (MRT) and Object Assembly (OA), and used group comparisons to explore demographic patterns across the MRT, OA, and Surface Development (SD). Participants were 123 students in Grades 3–8 recruited from university-affiliated summer programs. For the MRT and OA, most items showed acceptable model–data fit, with infit mean square values generally within the expected range of 0.70 to 1.30, although a small number of items displayed evidence of underfit or overfit. Wright maps indicated generally appropriate alignment between item difficulty and participant ability, supporting the usefulness of these measures for distinguishing low-to-moderate levels of spatial skill. Group comparisons based on Rasch-derived theta estimates showed a substantial overlap across gender and race groups on the MRT and OA, with small and non-significant differences. SD raw-score comparisons showed similarly modest subgroup differences. To evaluate measurement invariance at the item level, separate Rasch tree analyses were conducted for the MRT and OA using gender and race as potential splitting variables. Methodologically, the study contributes by combining Rasch-based evaluation of item functioning with exploratory subgroup visualization to examine how spatial assessment performance may vary across demographic groups while maintaining consistency with the psychometric assumptions of the model. Overall, the findings support the value of Rasch-based methods for evaluating the measurement quality of spatial assessments and demonstrate that limited mean group differences at the overall score level can coexist with meaningful item-level noninvariance. Full article