Search Results (26,383)

Background: Plant-rich dietary patterns are widely associated with metabolic and gastrointestinal health benefits. However, individuals consuming predominantly plant-based foods may also experience chronic low-dose exposure to dietary pesticide residues. At the same time, physical activity is recognized as an important lifestyle factor influencing metabolic health and gut microbiome composition. How microbiome features and microbiome-related metabolic profiles vary according to physical activity level in adults consuming plant-rich diets and reporting gastrointestinal symptoms remains insufficiently characterized. Objective: To explore associations between physical activity level, gut microbiome characteristics, and urinary organic acid patterns in adults consuming predominantly plant-rich diets and experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms, within a cohort characterized by comparable estimated dietary pesticide exposure used as a contextual dietary background variable. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 93 adults consuming ≥50% plant-based foods for at least six months and reporting persistent gastrointestinal symptoms. Participants were stratified according to physical activity level using WHO-based thresholds (<150 vs. ≥150 min/week of moderate-intensity activity). Stool microbiota were assessed using a targeted quantitative PCR panel, and microbial diversity was summarized using a laboratory-derived Shannon index. A voluntary subgroup (n = 50) underwent targeted urinary organic acid analysis (LC–MS/MS). Dietary pesticide exposure was indirectly estimated using national surveillance data combined with individual dietary records and was applied uniformly across groups. Analyses were primarily descriptive and exploratory; results are presented as associations. Results: Estimated dietary pesticide exposure did not differ between physical activity groups. Participants with lower physical activity were older and exhibited lower microbial diversity and a higher prevalence of reduced abundance in selected commensal taxa. Differences were observed in selected intermediary organic acid markers, while no statistically significant difference was found for the bile acid-related indicator. Several cross-domain correlations were identified between microbial features and metabolite patterns. However, given the cross-sectional design, age imbalance between groups, and subgroup-based metabolomic analyses, the findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating rather than indicative of independent effects of physical activity. Conclusions: In adults consuming plant-rich diets and reporting gastrointestinal symptoms, physical activity level was associated with distinct microbiome and microbiome-related metabolic patterns under comparable estimated dietary pesticide exposure. These findings highlight the potential contribution of lifestyle factors to interindividual variability in gut microbial and metabolic profiles, while underscoring the need for age-adjusted, longitudinal, and biomarker-based studies to clarify directionality and mechanisms. Full article

Accurate time-series simulation of carbon emissions for both the whole society and the electricity industry is pivotal for realizing China’s “Dual Carbon” goals. This research constructs a hybrid simulation architecture integrating factor decomposition with deep learning to quantify emission trajectories for both the whole society and the electricity industry in Anhui Province. First, the extended Kaya identity and Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) are employed to analyze socioeconomic drivers. The decomposition analysis indicates that per capita income is the primary driver of carbon emissions, whereas energy intensity exerts the strongest inhibitory effect. Subsequently, Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) is applied to the nonstationary emission series to produce multi-scale sub-signals, which are then fed into a predictive model comprising a Bayesian-optimized (BO) Transformer coupled with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. The study establishes three distinct evolution scenarios: Moderate Sustainability (MS), Business as Usual (BAU), and Strong Economic Growth (SEG). Simulation results indicate that under MS, carbon emissions from the whole society and the electricity industry peak in 2029 at 435.2 Mt and 2030 at 281.2 Mt, respectively. Conversely, the SEG scenario delays the peak of the whole society to 2034, while the electricity industry fails to peak before 2035. These findings reveal significant risks of temporal asynchrony between the whole society and the electricity industry peaks, providing robust methodological support for regional decarbonization planning. Full article

The compatibility of insecticides with biological control agents is a critical component of integrated pest management (IPM). In this study, the lethal and sublethal effects of acrinactrin, chlorantraniliprole, flupyradifurone, pyriproxyfen, spinosad, and spiromesifen on the egg stage of Orius niger (Wollf) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) were evaluated under laboratory conditions. Egg hatchability, immature survival, reproductive performance, and population parameters were analyzed using the age-stage, two-sex life table. Egg hatchability was lowest in the acrinactrin treatment (51%) and highest in the pyriproxyfen treatment (93%). Nymphal survival varied from 0% to 80%, with acrinactrin causing complete mortality and a significant reduction in spinosad, while the highest nymphal survival and population growth was recorded in spiromesifen treatment. The intrinsic rate of increase (r, day⁻¹) was 0.00, 0.05, 0.05, 0.08, 0.004, and 0.06 for acrinactrin, chlorantraniliprole, flupyradifurone, pyriproxyfen, spinosad, and spiromesifen, respectively, while fecundity (F, eggs female⁻¹) values were 0, 15.20, 15.83, 42.32, 10.37, and 21.85, respectively. According to the International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC) classification, acrinactrin was harmful, spinosad moderately harmful, and the remaining insecticides slightly harmful to O. niger eggs. Pyriproxyfen and spiromesifen were the most compatible with IPM programs. Caution is warranted for chlorantraniliprole due to its effects on reproductive parameters, whereas spinosad and acrinactrin should be avoided on O. niger eggs. Full article

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common inherited disease and a leading known cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young adults and athletes. While genetic testing has advanced rapidly in the past decade, the yield of genetic testing remains low. The Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen) initiative has become a leading resource for defining the clinical relevance of genetic variants with expert groups focusing on evaluating the strength of evidence for each HCM implicated gene. With the rise of large biobanks and population databases, genetic discovery has been significantly advanced. However, whether these databases can be used to validate gene–disease associations curated by ClinGen and provide evidence for novel gene–disease associations remains unclear. Objectives: Here, we utilized a publicly available database containing 748,879 individuals across three large biobanks (All of Us, UK biobank, Mass General Brigham biobank). Methods: We tested the association of rare coding variants in each gene in the HCM ClinGen panel with HCM. In total, 38 genes were tested, and Bonferroni correction was applied accordingly. Results: Of the 12 genes with definitive evidence for HCM (e.g., MYBPC3, MYH7, TNNT2, ALPK3), 8 (67%) demonstrated nominally significant association with HCM on a population level, and 5 (42%) remained significant after Bonferroni correction, further supporting the validity of these genes in HCM panels. Several definitive genes which are much less commonly affected in HCM (CSRP3, MYL3, ACTC1, TPM1, FHOD3, MYL2, and TNNC1) did not pass our Bonferroni corrected-significance threshold, but all had positively associated effect sizes with HCM. No genes deemed to have moderate or limited evidence had any significant associations with HCM even before Bonferroni correction. Conclusions: Altogether, we show that large biobanks and population databases generally recapitulate established gene–disease associations for HCM and support the ClinGen group’s gene curations. The utilization of such publicly accessible databases represents an additional tool for assessing gene validity in monogenic cardiac disorders with an established phenotype, although it may have limited sensitivity and should not be solely relied on. Full article

Fifth-generation (5G) networks enable railway digitalization but face signal degradation challenges in high-mobility environments. While the existing literature attributes degradation primarily to Doppler frequency shifts, this study presents empirical evidence challenging this paradigm. Analysis of 13.7 million 5G New Radio measurements across 370 km of Estonian railway reveals that visible cell density, not velocity, dominates signal quality degradation. Nine geographic hotspots exhibit 5.4–18.0 dB degradation at moderate velocities (54–66 km/h, mean 60.2 km/h) with zero high-speed measurements, excluding the Doppler effect as the reason behind service quality degradation. Cell complexity demonstrates a 3.25× stronger correlation with degradation (r = −0.390) than velocity (r = −0.120), consistent with automatic frequency control tracking instability under high cell ID churn rates (40–115 visible cells per location), though direct confirmation of this mechanism requires access to internal modem frequency-lock state data. Frequency band analysis shows that 700 MHz is optimal at 98.1% of locations, with a 19 dB advantage over 3.5 GHz. Degradation mechanism decomposition reveals within-cell effects (60%, 7.85 dB) and handover boundary effects (40%, 2–6 dB). The findings challenge velocity-centric optimization paradigms and recommend network planning focused on cell overlap reduction rather than Doppler compensation enhancement. Practical recommendations include 700 MHz prioritization, handover parameter optimization, and geographic targeting of identified hotspots for European railway 5G deployment. Full article

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia worldwide and has a substantial genetic component. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified more than 100 susceptibility loci; however, replication across populations remains variable, suggesting potential population-specific differences in the genetic determinants of AF. To date, no whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based study has evaluated AF susceptibility in a Polish population. Methods: We performed WGS (mean coverage 35×) in 233 unrelated individuals recruited within the Thousand Polish Genomes Project, including 56 patients with non-valvular AF and 177 controls without AF. After quality control and linkage disequilibrium pruning within a cardiovascular gene panel, 19,395 variants were analyzed. Association testing was performed using logistic regression adjusted for age and sex, applying both false discovery rate and Bonferroni correction thresholds. Results: No variants reached statistical significance for association with AF after correction for multiple evaluation. Previously reported susceptibility loci were not replicated in this cohort. Age was strongly associated with AF risk, whereas sex showed no significant effect. Given the relatively modest sample size, the study was primarily powered to detect variants with moderate or large effect sizes; smaller genetic effects reported in large GWASs may remain undetected. Conclusions: This pilot WGS-based study provides an initial exploration of AF-associated genetic variation in a Polish population. The absence of significant associations likely reflects the importance of further investigation in larger and well-characterized Central–Eastern European cohorts before genetic risk stratification approaches can be broadly applied across populations. Full article

Against the backdrop of the in-depth adjustment of the global energy pattern and the accelerated advancement of the energy transition, coupled with the frequent occurrence of extreme climate events and the continuous intensification of risks such as supply fluctuations and external shocks faced by urban energy systems, improving urban energy resilience has become a core measure for all countries to address the vulnerability of energy systems and promote urban sustainable development. As a core technical carrier of intelligent manufacturing, the enabling role of industrial robots (IRs) in enhancing urban energy resilience (UER) has also become an important research topic in the field of the energy economy. This paper takes 280 prefecture-level and above cities in China from 2009 to 2023 as research samples and empirically examines their impact effects by constructing a Double Machine Learning (DML) model, transmission mechanism, and moderating effect of IRs on UER and ensures the reliability of conclusions through various robustness tests. The research findings indicate that IRs significantly promote the improvement of UER; industrial structure upgrading and green technology innovation are the main mediating paths, verifying how IRs affect UER from two different aspects and both environmental regulation (ER) and science expenditure (SE) positively moderate the promoting effect of IRs on UER, with the coefficients of the interaction terms being significantly positive. Robustness tests show that the core conclusions are highly reliable. This study fills the research gap in the transmission mechanism between IRs and UER and provides empirical evidence for the formulation of relevant policies. Accordingly, it is proposed that governments should strengthen the policy support for the application of industrial robots in high-energy-consuming industries, optimize the synergy mechanism between environmental regulation and scientific and technological expenditure, guide the deep integration of industrial robots with industrial structure upgrading and green technology innovation, and formulate differentiated promotion strategies based on regional energy resilience characteristics and industrial development foundations, so as to fully release the energy-resilience-improvement effect of industrial robots. Full article

Hypersaline culture media used for cultivation of Dunaliella salina represent complex multicomponent aqueous systems whose cooling–heating phase behavior remains insufficiently characterized. In this study, the thermal transitions of two biologically relevant hypersaline media (Artari and Ramaraj) were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and cryomicroscopy. The media were examined at NaCl concentrations of 1.5, 2.0, and 4.0 M, corresponding to moderate to highly concentrated brine conditions comparable to natural salt lakes and evaporative basins. DSC analysis revealed pronounced salinity-dependent suppression of ice crystallization and modification of melting transitions relative to classical NaCl–water systems. Increased NaCl concentration reduced recrystallization during heating and shifted peak temperatures, indicating kinetic and compositional effects in the unfrozen fraction. Rapid cooling promoted formation of partially amorphous phases, consistent with limited vitrification in highly concentrated media. Cryomicroscopy directly confirmed changes in ice morphology, nucleation density, and crystal growth dynamics under varying salinity and thermal histories. The combined calorimetric and microscopic approach demonstrates that complete hypersaline cultivation media exhibit phase behavior that cannot be fully extrapolated from simplified binary systems. These findings provide new insight into the physicochemical stability of multicomponent brines during cooling and highlight the critical role of salinity and thermal history in controlling crystallization pathways in hypersaline aqueous environments. Full article

This study investigates the ESG rating effect on firm financing by evaluating rating divergence data from five rating agencies, focusing on China’s A-share listed firms spanning 2018–2023. Empirical findings reveal: (1) ESG rating divergence has negatively exacerbated the financing constraints of enterprises. (2) Economic policy uncertainty in China moderates this relationship, significantly amplifying the financing constraint effect of ESG rating divergence. (3) Parallel intermediation tests the negative impact of information asymmetry and debt capital costs jointly transmitting discrepancies. (4) Deeper analysis shows non-state-owned enterprises, small-scale businesses, firms in less financially marketized regions, and entities with high rating divergence face more notable effects. This study explores the internal operation logic of ESG rating discrepancies on corporate financing constraints through two parallel channels of information asymmetry and debt capital cost. The research conclusions provide empirical support for regulators to promote the standardization of ESG information disclosure, assist investors in improving the risk pricing system, and improve the efficiency of market resource allocation. Full article

Safety performance remains a persistent challenge in the construction industry due to hazardous working conditions, dynamic site environments, and complex organizational structures. Despite regulatory advances and technical safety controls, accident rates remain high, suggesting that formal mechanisms alone are insufficient. Addressing this gap, this study examines safety accountability as a central organizational mechanism and investigates how it influences construction workers’ safety performance through behavioral processes and leadership conditions. Drawing on accountability theory and social learning theory, we propose a moderated parallel mediation model in which safety monitoring and safety learning function as mediators, while inclusive leadership behavior serves as a contextual moderator. Data were collected from 629 construction workers employed in large-scale projects in Istanbul and Ankara, Türkiye, using a two-wave survey design to mitigate common method bias. Hypotheses were tested using confirmatory factor analysis and Hayes’ PROCESS macro. The results indicate that safety accountability does not exert a significant direct effect on safety performance; rather, its influence is fully transmitted through safety monitoring and safety learning, with monitoring emerging as the stronger mediating mechanism. Moreover, inclusive leadership behavior significantly strengthens the accountability-driven pathways leading to improved safety outcomes. By integrating accountability structures, behavioral processes, and leadership context, this study advances construction safety research and provides evidence-based guidance for enhancing occupational safety performance in high-risk construction environments. Full article

Dihydroquercetin (DHQ) is a promising object for the development of a treatment for patients with obesity and prediabetes requiring a moderate therapeutic effect. This paper reports a clinical case of DHQ application in a 30-year-old Caucasian male and proposes a molecular mechanism of its anti-obesity effect. DHQ was administrated as a dietary supplement at a dose of 100–200 mg/day during 3 months with treatment interruption for 1 month. The data collected one month before the treatment were used as a control. The molecular aspects were studied via molecular docking with β₃-adrenoceptor (ADRB3, PDB ID: 9IJE) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARG, PDB ID: 2ZNO) and molecular dynamic simulation under conditions mimicking a human cellular environment. A pronounced weight decrease up to 0.73 kg/week was observed during DHQ administration. The highest affinity to ADRB3 was observed for the non-ionized H2aH3e-conformation of 2S,3R-DHQ (–8.846 kcal/mol). Molecules with 2S-configuration demonstrate 0.332 kcal/mol higher affinity to PPARG compared to 2R-stereoisomers. The intermolecular complex with cis-DHQ demonstrated higher stability in molecular dynamics simulation. The insights gained from this study may contribute to our understanding of flavonoids not merely as antioxidants but also as active ingredients that selectively interact with receptors. If future investigations confirm these results, they may serve as a foundation for developing a new class of anti-obesity remedies that act via ADRB3. Full article

Background: Automated discharge instructions are increasingly used to support post-discharge communication, patient education, and nursing follow-up, yet the current state remains unidentified. This systematic review explores the types of automated discharge instructions used and their effectiveness in enhancing patient engagement and reducing readmission, emergency department visits and reoperation rates. Methods: A systematic search was conducted on 15 April 2025, using Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL, following PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria required peer-reviewed original research evaluating the utilization of automated patient discharge instructions following hospital admission or surgical stay. Exclusion criteria included correspondence, reviews, educational materials, not peer-reviewed, retracted reports, not retrievable, and no English translation. Risk of bias was assessed independently using NIH, JBI, ROB-2, and ROBINS-I tools. Two investigators independently conducted the screening, extraction, and synthesis of results using Endnote and Microsoft Excel. Results: Of the 1252 records identified, 13 studies were selected for analysis. There was a total of 34,386 patients across a diverse range of healthcare settings and clinical contexts. The average sample size per study was approximately 4912, with study samples ranging from 16 to 13,188 patients. The modalities of discharge instructions included automated phone calls (23.1%) and/or text messages (53.8%), as well as printed out auto-generated summaries (15.4%). Patient engagement was generally high, with automated phone calls showing the most consistent interaction, with completion rates ranging from 44% to 56%, often prompting clinical follow-up. SMS tools demonstrated strong scalability and response rates up to 87%. Two studies reported on hospital readmission outcomes and only a single study reported on emergency department revisit rates, while none assessed reoperation outcomes. Among those reporting readmission, automated phone calls and SMS were associated with lower or proxy-reduced readmission rates. Included studies had low to moderate levels of bias. Conclusions: While evidence on clinical outcomes such as readmissions, emergency department revisits, and reoperations remains limited and inconclusive, automated discharge tools—particularly phone calls and SMS—consistently demonstrated high patient engagement. Automated discharge tools show promise for supporting transitional care, discharge education, and post-discharge monitoring, highlighting the future role of automated tools in nursing workflows to support follow-up, escalation, and continuity of care. Full article

This study investigated the effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) supplementation on various indicators in coral trout (Plectropomus leopardus), including growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, muscle and skin morphology, inflammatory immune gene expression, as well as immune and antioxidant responses. In the experiment, fish were fed diets supplemented with different concentrations of LBP (0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, and 1%) over a designated experimental period. The results showed that moderate supplementation of LBP significantly improved growth performance, with the optimal concentration being around 0.243%, achieving the highest specific growth rate. LBP supplementation also enhanced intestinal digestive enzyme activity, such as trypsin in the 0.1% and 1% groups, and α-amylase in the 0.5% group. Additionally, LBP improved the nutritional composition of muscle, with the 1% group showing higher crude protein content and the 0.2–1% groups having lower crude fat content. Moderate LBP supplementation improved skin color and pigmentation, increasing the brightness, redness, and yellowness of the dorsal skin, as well as boosting carotenoid and astaxanthin concentrations. It also enhanced the immune and antioxidant functions of the skin (e.g., SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, AKP, and LZ) and improved the immune functions of the mucus (e.g., C3, C4, IgM, IgT, AKP, and LZ). Furthermore, the expression of key pro-inflammatory genes, such as TNF-α and IL-1β, was reduced. These findings suggest that LBP can serve as a natural feed additive to enhance the overall quality and health of coral trout, contributing to sustainable aquaculture practices. Full article

Introduction: Salmonella may contaminate livestock feed at several stages of production, transport and storage. Formaldehyde is an effective anti-Salmonella feed treatment, but it is now banned for this use in Europe. Organic acid-based additives are an alternative. Gap Statement: The efficacy of organic acid feed additives against natural Salmonella feed contamination is uncertain due to a paucity of reported work investigating low levels of infection that may be relevant for real-world situations. Aim: To compare the anti-Salmonella effects of feed additives based on formaldehyde versus those based on organic acids. Methodology: Experimental contamination of poultry feed with one of three Salmonella serovars at moderate (between 10 and 200 CFU/g) or low (around 1 CFU/g) levels was preceded (‘prevention’ mode) or followed (‘decontamination’ mode) by application of commercial antimicrobial additives. Storage at room temperature for 24 h was followed by pre-enrichment then culture. Results: Organic acid-based products at recommended application rates only eliminated detectable Salmonella from samples with the lowest degree of contamination. The effect was partial, with a proportion of samples still yielding Salmonella in most experiments, and only one such product showed efficacy above 50% of samples for the decontamination mode. The two formaldehyde-based products showed partial efficacy against moderate contamination, and one was entirely effective against low-level contamination even at its lower inclusion rate. Conclusions: Organic acid-based feed additives have a lesser anti-Salmonella effect than formaldehyde-based products at their respective recommended inclusion rates. However, some non-formaldehyde products may be substantially effective against a low, natural degree of contamination. Impact Statement: Chemical suppression of Salmonella in animal feed is an important element of measures to safeguard livestock health and, consequentially, public health too. The European ban on using formaldehyde for this purpose has necessitated the use of alternative products. The present work includes very low levels of Salmonella in feed, possibly mimicking natural contamination, to show that under these circumstances some such alternatives may be as efficacious as formaldehyde products. Full article

The rapid evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) underscores the need for antivirals that are resilient to resistance. Current Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapies primarily target single viral mechanisms, leaving gaps in efficacy. Here, we developed a Deep Learning-based Activity Screening Model (DLASM), which integrates graph convolutional network with machine learning to identify SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors, using experimental 3-chymotrypsin-like (3CL) main protease assay data. The optimized DLASMs virtually screened ~170,000 compounds from diverse in-house collections and yielded novel hits, several of which not only inhibited the 3CL protease but also blocked viral entry by interfering with heparan sulfate-mediated host interactions. These activities were validated through multiple assays, including 3CL enzymatic inhibition, SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped particle entry, α-synuclein fibril uptake as a proxy for endocytosis, live virus cytopathic effect, heparan sulfate-dependent entry assay, and a 3D human lung mucociliary tissue model. Molecular docking studies elucidated binding modes at the 3CL protease active site, while molecular dynamics simulations provided insights into compound–heparan sulfate interactions. The identified compounds represent early-stage hits with moderate potency that demonstrate dual-mechanism antiviral activity. Together, these findings establish dual-target inhibition as a promising antiviral strategy, offering not only enhanced potency but also reduced risk of resistance. Moreover, our DLASM framework provides a generalizable pipeline for identifying chemically diverse scaffolds and for broader applications beyond SARS-CoV-2. Full article