Search Results (216)

Background: Temporomandibular disorders are a generic term referred to clinical conditions involving the jaw muscles and temporomandibular joint with multifactorial pattern and genetic background. The aim of this observational study was to investigate the correlation between craniomandibular disorders and the presence of occlusal alterations. A clinical evaluation of the occlusal and articular status of the patients was carried out, integrating the latter with the electromyographic recording the activity of the masseter and temporalis muscles. Methods: A clinical observational study on 20 adults assessed temporomandibular disorders using DC/TMD criteria, anamnesis, clinical exams, occlusal and electromyographic analyses. Occlusion was evaluated morphologically and functionally. Electromyography tested static/dynamic muscle activity. Data were statistically analyzed using t-tests and Pearson correlation (p < 0.05). Results: Electromyographic analysis revealed significant differences between subjects with and without visual correction, suggesting that visual input influences masticatory muscle activity. Correlations emerged between occlusal asymmetries and neuromuscular parameters. These findings highlight clinical implications for mandibular function, muscle symmetry, and the potential for therapeutic rebalancing through targeted interventions. Conclusions: The study demonstrates a significant correlation between visual–motor integration and masticatory muscle efficiency. It emphasizes lateralized neuromuscular activation’s influence on occlusal contact distribution. Moreover, it identifies mandibular torsion–endfeel inverse correlation as a potential diagnostic marker for craniomandibular dysfunctions via surface electromyography. Full article

The presence of Active Galaxy Nuclei (AGN) can affect the morphological classification of galaxies. This work aims to determine how the contribution of AGN affects the most-used morphological parameters down to the redshift of z ∼ 2 in COSMOS-like conditions. We use a sample of >2000 local non-active galaxies, with a well-known visual morphological classification, and add an AGN as an unresolved component that contributes to the total galaxy flux with 5–75%. We moved all the galaxies to lower magnitudes (higher redshifts) to map the conditions in the COSMOS field, and we measured six morphological parameters. The greatest impact on morphology occurs when considering the combined effect of magnitude, redshift, and AGN, with spiral galaxies being the most affected. In general, all the concentration parameters change significantly if the AGN contribution is >25% and the magnitude > 23. We find that the GINI coefficient is the most stable in terms of AGN and magnitude/redshift, followed by the moment of light (M20), Conselice–Bershady (CCON), and finally the Abraham (CABR) concentration indexes. We find that, when using morphological parameters, the combination of CABR, CCON, and asymmetry is the most effective in classifying active galaxies at high-redshift, followed by a combination of CABR and GINI. Full article

Maintaining body symmetry in sports characterized by high lateralization is crucial for optimizing long-term athletic performance and mitigating injury risk. This study aimed to evaluate the extent of morphological asymmetry in anthropometric features among elite professional fencers. Additionally, the presence of functional asymmetry and its associations with morphological asymmetry were assessed. Thirty-two Polish adult female fencers, aged 18–33 yrs, were examined. Data collection involved a questionnaire survey, anthropometric measurements, calculation of anthropological indices, and assessment of functional asymmetry. For the 24 bilateral anthropometric features, small differences were found in seven characteristics: foot length, subscapular skinfold thickness, upper arm circumference, minimum and maximum forearm circumference, upper limb length, and arm circumference in tension. Morphological asymmetry index did not exceed 5%. Left-sided lateralization of either the upper or lower limbs was associated with significantly high asymmetry, specifically indicating larger minimum forearm circumferences in the right limb. Continuous, individualized monitoring of morphological asymmetry and its direction in athletes is essential, demanding concurrent consideration of functional lateralization. This ongoing assessment establishes a critical baseline for evaluating training adaptations, reducing injury susceptibility, and optimizing rehabilitation strategies. Deeper investigation of symmetry within non-dominant limbs is warranted to enhance our understanding. Full article

Background/Objectives: Facial asymmetry is known to cause not only deformities in the facial skeleton but also alterations in the cranial vault. However, limited research has explored the association between mandibular asymmetry and cranial vault deformation. This study aimed to evaluate the three-dimensional craniofacial morphology, including the cranial vault, in patients with skeletal mandibular prognathism using computed tomography (CT) imaging. Methods: Patients were classified into two groups: those with facial asymmetry (ANB ≤ 0°, Menton deviation ≥ 4 mm) and those without (ANB ≤ 0°, Menton deviation < 3 mm). Reference planes were established in three orthogonal directions, and distances from anatomical landmarks on the maxilla and mandible to each reference plane were measured. Additionally, the cranial vault was segmented into four regions, and the volume of each section was calculated. Results: Compared with the symmetric group, the asymmetric group exhibited significant lateral displacement in the maxilla and both anteroposterior and lateral displacements in the mandible. Furthermore, a significant difference in the posterior cranial vault volume between the left and right sides was observed in the asymmetric group. A moderate positive correlation (r = 0.543, p = 0.045) was also found between the direction of mandibular deviation and the direction of posterior cranial vault deformation. Conclusions: A moderate positive correlation (r = 0.543, p = 0.045) was observed between mandibular deviation and posterior cranial vault asymmetry. These findings may suggest that the cranial vault morphology may influence facial asymmetry, and it may serve as one of the considerations for discussing the necessity of early intervention for cranial vault deformity during infancy. Full article

Grafting is widely used as a breeding method to enhance productivity and resilience. However, the mechanisms of graft healing remain poorly understood. In this study, we performed Malus domestica (‘Hanfu’) homograft and observed morphological and anatomical changes during the healing process in the graft junction within 40 days after grafting (DAG). The results showed that the healing process was divided into two phases: 0–20 days (callus proliferation phase) and 20–40 days (vascular bundle reconnection phase). During the early stage (20 DAG), gene expression exhibited asymmetry between the scion and rootstock, whereas synchronization occurred in the late stage (40 DAG). Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of the scion and rootstock during these two critical phases identified that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in “Carbon fixation by Calvin cycle” and “photosynthesis-related pathways”, while differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) were clustered in “Galactose metabolism”, implying a critical role of carbohydrates in grafting. Genes encoding enzymes involved in sugar biosynthesis, such as amylase (MdAMY), invertase (MdINV), galactinol synthase (MdGS), raffinose synthase (MdRS), and stachyose synthase (MdSS), were generally more highly expressed during Phase I than Phase II. In contrast, genes encoding enzymes related to sugar consumption, such as fructose kinases (MdSUS), cellulose synthases (MdCESA), and galacturonosyltransferase (MdGAUT), showed weak expression in Phase I but were strongly activated in Phase II. Glucose, sucrose, galactose, and melibiose levels increased significantly at 20 DAG compared with 0 DAG and subsequently decreased by 40 DAG. Exogenous application of 0.5% sucrose, raffinose, or melibiose significantly enhanced vascular bundle reconnection rates at 7 DAG compared with the control group (p < 0.01), confirming the pivotal role of sugar metabolism in graft healing. Full article

Accurate segmentation of pavement cracks from high-resolution remote sensing imagery plays a crucial role in automated road condition assessment and infrastructure maintenance. However, crack structures often exhibit asymmetry, irregular morphology, and multi-scale variations, posing significant challenges to conventional CNN-based methods in real-world environments. Specifically, the proposed ETAFHrNet focuses on two predominant pavement-distress morphologies—linear cracks (transverse and longitudinal) and alligator cracks—and has been empirically validated on their intersections and branching patterns over both asphalt and concrete road surfaces. In this work, we present ETAFHrNet, a novel attention-guided segmentation network designed to address the limitations of traditional architectures in detecting fine-grained and asymmetric patterns. ETAFHrNet integrates Transformer-based global attention and multi-scale hybrid feature fusion, enhancing both contextual perception and detail sensitivity. The network introduces two key modules: the Efficient Hybrid Attention Transformer (EHAT), which captures long-range dependencies, and the Cross-Scale Hybrid Attention Module (CSHAM), which adaptively fuses features across spatial resolutions. To support model training and benchmarking, we also propose QD-Crack, a high-resolution, pixel-level annotated dataset collected from real-world road inspection scenarios. Experimental results show that ETAFHrNet significantly outperforms existing methods—including U-Net, DeepLabv3+, and HRNet—in both segmentation accuracy and generalization ability. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of interpretable, multi-scale attention architectures in complex object detection and image classification tasks, making our approach relevant for broader applications, such as autonomous driving, remote sensing, and smart infrastructure systems. Full article

Background/Objectives: Morphological spinal alterations in adolescents, including idiopathic scoliosis (IS) and postural scoliotic attitudes (paramorphisms), may be associated with leg length discrepancy (LLD) and breast asymmetry (BA). This study aimed to assess the prevalence and characteristics of LLD and BA in adolescents with spinal paramorphisms and dysmorphisms (IS), and to explore associations between these asymmetries and spinal curve features. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted. Adolescents aged 10–18 years were included. LLD was measured clinically via direct tape measurement and, when necessary, ultrasound. BA was assessed via visual inspection. Spinal deformities were characterized via clinical and radiological examination. Results: Among the 44 participants, 26 (60%) had IS and 18 (40%) had postural scoliotic attitudes. LLD was present in 79.5% (mean 0.7 ± 0.6 cm; all mild). BA was observed in 14% of the sample. LLD was more frequent in IS (87%) than in postural scoliotic attitudes (72%). In lumbar postural curves, the shorter limb was consistently ipsilateral to the curve convexity. In IS, no consistent association was found between LLD and curve characteristics. BA was slightly more prevalent in IS (19%) than postural scoliotic attitudes (17%), with no consistent pattern relative to curve convexity. Conclusions: Mild LLD is common in adolescents with spinal asymmetries and reflects general population norms. While LLD may influence compensatory postural curves, it does not appear to affect IS curve patterns or severity. BA is more frequent in IS, but shows variable association with curve features. Considering LLD and BA prevalence in adolescents with spinal asymmetries routine assessment is warranted, though their impact on IS progression is limited. Full article

Background: The morphology of the occipital condyles (OCs) and foramen magnum (FM) is critical for neurosurgical planning and forensic identification. However, pooled reference values and the impact of study-level moderators on morphometric estimates remain underexplored. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to estimate pooled morphometric values of the OCs and FM. Databases were searched for studies reporting relevant data in adult human subjects. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled means and mean differences (MDs) by sex and side (left vs. right). Risk of bias and study quality were assessed. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on study design (osteological vs. imaging) and geographical region. Meta-CART (classification and regression trees) was used to explore moderator interactions and identify data-driven subgroups contributing to heterogeneity. Results: A total of 61 studies comprising 8010 adult skulls met the inclusion criteria. Substantial heterogeneity was observed across studies; most were assessed as having low-to-moderate methodological quality and a high risk of bias. The pooled mean values were as follows: OC length (OCL): 21.51 mm, OC width (OCW): 11.23 mm, OC thickness (OCT): 9.11 mm, FM length (FML): 35.02 mm, and FM width (FMW): 28.94 mm. Morphometric values reported in imaging-based studies were consistently lower than those from osteological studies. Evident sexual dimorphism was identified, with males exhibiting larger dimensions than females. The most pronounced sex-based mean differences (MDs)—approximately 2 mm—were found in OCL, FML, and FMW. In contrast, differences in OCT and OCW were under 1 mm. No significant side-related asymmetries were observed overall. Subgroup analysis revealed that sex-related MDs were more prominent in imaging studies, particularly for the right OCL and OCW. Meta-CART analysis identified study design as the strongest moderator for OCL, OCW, and FML. Sexual dimorphism was more pronounced in imaging studies but statistically insignificant in osteological samples. Furthermore, sex emerged as a stronger predictor for OCL than OCW, while geographical region had a greater impact on OCW. For OCT, geographical region was the main influencing factor, whereas sex was the primary moderator for FMW. Conclusions: OC and FM morphometry exhibit substantial heterogeneity across studies. Imaging-based methods more effectively detect sex-related differences, underscoring their utility in forensic identification and neurosurgical planning. These findings emphasize the need for more standardized, high-quality morphometric research to support population-specific anatomical reference data. Full article

The sunny–shady slope effect (SSSE) disrupts the thermal balance of permafrost subgrades, resulting in asymmetric thaw plates that lead to structural deformations such as longitudinal cracking and slope instability along the Qinghai–Tibet Highway (QTH). This study proposes three morphological indicators—road shoulder thawing depth difference (RSTDD), offset distance (OD), and active layer thickness difference (ALTD)—to quantitatively characterize the asymmetry of thaw plates. Through integrating remote sensing data and large-scale geological survey results with an earth–atmosphere coupled numerical model and a random forest (RF) prediction framework, we assessed the spatial distribution of thaw asymmetry along the permafrost section of the QTH. The results indicate the following: (1) The ALTD values are overall very small and almost unaffected by the SSSE. The RSTDD increases with mean annual ground temperature (MAGT) before stabilizing, while the OD shows no significant response to the MAGT. The RSTDD and OD ranges are 0–3.38 m and 0–8.65 m, respectively, and they are greatly affected by the SSSE. (2) The RSTDD and OD show obvious spatial differences in different geographical regions of the QTH. An RSTDD greater than 2 m is concentrated in the Xidatan Faulted Basin and Chumar River High Plain. An OD greater than 3 m is mainly distributed from the Chumar River High Plain to the Tongtian River Basin. (4) The RSTDD and OD are most affected by subgrade orientation with importance values of 49.84% and 51.80%, respectively. The importance of the effect of mean average ground temperature (MAGT) on the active layer thickness is 80.58%. Full article

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is treated with various forms of conservative care or surgery, depending on the degree of severity. When AIS is detected early, it can be monitored and initially treated with reduced invasiveness to prevent further progression. AIS manifests itself through deformations of the trunk, which are mostly identified as asymmetries in manual clinical examination. Torsobarography is a new pressure-based surface topographic system for posture analysis and evaluates such associated morphologic asymmetries. The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic validity of torsobarography by examining correlation of extracted torsobarographic indices with the Cobb angle and its ability to differentiate between different severities of scoliosis: no scoliosis, mild scoliosis, and moderate scoliosis. A total of 87 subjects (51 females and 36 males) were examined with torsobarography. Six torsobarographic indices were calculated for all subjects: torsobarography angle (TBA), sagittal imbalance index (SII), torso asymmetry index (TAI), shoulder asymmetry angle (SAA), waist asymmetry angle (WAA), and pelvis asymmetry Angle (PAA). These indices were correlated with the Cobb angle, and the differences between severities were statistically analyzed. Three out of six indices (TBA, TAI, and WAA) were able to significantly distinguish between mild and moderate scoliosis. Additionally, those indices showed moderate correlation ($\rho$ = 0.37–0.50) with the Cobb angle measurements. The WAA was the only statistically significant index capable of differentiating between no scoliosis and moderate scoliosis. This study is the first to demonstrate that torsobarography can distinguish between different severities of scoliosis and thus identify a scoliotic deformity that requires bracing over monitoring. Full article

(1) Background: Condylar fracture healing pattern classification in children and adolescents is primarily based on the radiological assessment of condylar morphology; however, recent studies showed the presence of a poor correlation between post-treatment radiological findings and clinical temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. The present case series aimed to correlate the condylar morphology, shape, and trabecular bone density with the skeletal asymmetry and the clinical recovery of two growing patients with unilateral condylar fractures undergoing orthopedic treatment with the Balters Bionator appliance. (2) Methods: Pre- and post-treatment (12 months) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of two growing patients with unilateral condylar fracture were retrieved; both patients were treated with the Balters Bionator appliance for one year. Morphological evaluation of the condylar healing pattern was carried out on CBCT reconstructions of the mandible. Condylar remodeling and skeletal asymmetry were assessed through linear measurements performed on pre- and post-treatment CBCT scans; then, fractal analysis (FA) was employed to assess the condylar trabecular bone density on orthopantomographies (OPTs). Clinical and TMJ functional evaluation were retrieved from patients’ records from before and at the end of the treatment (12 months). (3) Results: Conservative treatment of condylar fractures in growing patients led to an increased bone density of the condylar heads, regardless of the post-treatment size and morphology of the injured condyles. Patient one presented an unchanged condylar morphology on the affected side, while patient two’s condyle was slightly spherical. The qualitative results were confirmed by quantitative measurements on CBCTs. The radiological healing patterns were associated with slightly different functional outcomes. Both patients also exhibited an improvement in skeletal asymmetry and TMJ function. (4) Conclusions: According to the findings in the present study, the condylar remodeling and bone apposition after conservative treatment of condylar fractures in growing patients can exhibit different radiological and functional outcomes. Indeed, an unchanged morphology of the condylar head is more likely to determine a physiological TMJ recovery. Full article

Light curve analysis of defunct satellites is critical for characterizing their rotational motion. An accurate understanding of this aspect will benefit active debris removal and on-orbit servicing missions as part of the solution to the space debris issue. In this study, we explored the attitude behavior of inactive GLONASS satellites, specifically a repeating pattern observed in their spin period evolution. We utilized a large amount of data available in the light curve database maintained by the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB). The morphology of the inactive GLONASS light curves typically features four peaks in two pairs and is presumably attributed to the presence of four evenly distributed thermal control flaps or radiators on the satellite bus. The analysis of the periods extracted from the light curves shows that nearly all of the inactive GLONASS satellites are rotating and exhibit a periodic oscillating pattern in their spin period evolution with an increasing or decreasing secular trend. Through modeling and simulation, we found that the periodic pattern is likely a result of canted solar panels that provide an asymmetry in the satellite model and enable a wind wheel or fan-like mechanism to operate. The secular trend is a consequence of differing values of the specular reflection coefficients of the front and back sides of the solar panels. Assuming an empirical model describing the spin period evolution of 18 selected objects, we found significant variations in the average spin period and amplitude of the oscillations, which range from 8.11 s to 469.58 s and 1.10 s to 513.24 s, respectively. However, the average oscillation period remains relatively constant at around 1 year. Notably, the average spin period correlates well with the average amplitude. The empirical model can be used to extrapolate the spin period in the future, assuming that the oscillating pattern is preserved and roughly shows a linear trend. Full article

The asb5 gene, a member of the Asb protein subfamily characterized by six ankyrin repeat domains, is highly conserved and comprises two subtypes, asb5a and asb5b, in zebrafish. Our previous research has demonstrated that a deficiency of the asb5 gene significantly impairs early cardiac contractile function, highlighting its close relationship with heart development. Zebrafish asb5 expression was disrupted by both morpholino (MO) antisense oligomer-mediated knockdown and a CRISPR-Cas9 system. A high-throughput RNA-Seq analysis was used to analyze the possible molecular regulatory mechanism of asb5 gene deletion leading to left–right (L-R) asymmetry defects in the heart. Whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH) was conducted to evaluate gene expression patterns of Nodal signaling components and the positions of heart organs. Heart looping was defective in zebrafish asb5 morphants. Rescue experiments in the asb5-deficiency group (inactivating both asb5a and asb5b) demonstrated that the injection of either asb5a-mRNA or asb5b-mRNA alone was insufficient to rectify the abnormal L-R asymmetry of the heart. In contrast, the simultaneous injection of both asb5a-mRNA and asb5b-mRNA successfully rescued the morphological phenotype. A high-throughput RNA-Seq analysis of embryos at 48 h post fertilization (hpf) revealed that numerous genes associated with L-R asymmetry exhibited expression imbalances in the asb5-deficiency group. WISH further confirmed that the expression of genes such as fli1a, acta1b, hand2, has2, prrx1a, notch1b, and foxa3 were upregulated, while the expression of mei2a and tal1 was downregulated. These results indicated that loss of the asb5 gene in zebrafish led to the disordered development of L-R asymmetry in the heart, resulting in an imbalance in the expression of genes associated with the regulation of L-R asymmetry. Subsequently, we examined the expression patterns of classical Nodal signaling pathway-related genes using WISH. The results showed that the midline barrier factor gene lefty1 was downregulated at early stages in the asb5-deficiency group, and the expression of spaw and lefty2, which are specific to the left lateral plate mesoderm (LPM), was disrupted. This study reveals that the two subtypes of the asb5 gene in zebrafish, asb5a and asb5b, interact and jointly regulate the establishment of early cardiac L-R asymmetry through the Nodal-spaw-lefty signaling pathway. Full article

Background/Objectives: Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by deficits in perception and advanced cognitive functions. Prior studies have reported abnormal lateralization in cortical morphology and functional connectivity in schizophrenia. However, it remains unclear whether schizophrenia affects hemispheric asymmetry in the hierarchical organization of functional connectome. Methods: Here, we apply a gradient mapping framework to the hemispheric functional connectome to estimate the first three gradients, which characterize unimodal-to-transmodal, visual-to-somatomotor, and somatomotor/default mode-to-multiple demand hierarchy axes. We then assess between-group differences in intra- and inter-hemispheric asymmetries of these three functional gradients. Results: We find that, compared to healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia exhibit significantly altered hemispheric asymmetry in functional gradient across multiple networks, including the dorsal attention, ventral attention, visual, and control networks. Region-level analyses further reveal that patients with schizophrenia show significantly abnormal hemispheric gradient asymmetries in several cortical regions in the dorsal prefrontal gyrus, medial superior frontal gyrus, and somatomotor areas. Lastly, we find that hemispheric asymmetries in functional gradients can differentiate between patients and healthy controls and predict the severity of positive symptoms in schizophrenia. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings suggest that schizophrenia is associated with altered hemispheric asymmetry in functional hierarchy, providing novel perspectives for understanding the atypical brain lateralization in schizophrenia. Full article

High-resolution bathymetric surveys are interpreted to describe the morphology and movement of a field of sand waves near San Francisco, CA, USA. The sand wave size, shape, orientation, and migration are described. Portions of the field are nearly two dimensional, but the overall field is three dimensional, with changes in sand wave size, orientation, and structure. The trough-to-crest height of individual sand waves ranges from 2 to 9 m. There are a range of wavelengths and orientations. The dominant wavelength ranges from 90 to 100 m, and the orientation clusters around two directions: 40 and 68 degrees. The field is found to be highly dynamic but with stable characteristics over at least decadal timescales. A previously demonstrated paradox between sand wave shape asymmetry and migration direction is revisited using new measurements, showing that reversals in shape asymmetry were accompanied by changes in crest migration direction in one of seven surveys. Full article