Search Results (2,910)

Soil structural instability in reservoir riparian zones, induced by water level fluctuations, threatens sustainable land use by accelerating land degradation. This study examined the impact of water-level variations on soil aggregate composition and stability based on key indicators, including water-stable aggregate content (WSAC), mean weight diameter (MWD), and geometric mean diameter (GMD). The Savinov dry sieving, Yoder wet sieving, and Le Bissonnais (LB) methods were employed for analysis. Results indicated that, with decreasing water levels and increasing soil layer, aggregates larger than 5 mm decreased, while aggregates smaller than 0.25 mm increased. Rising water levels and increasing soil layer corresponded to reductions in soil stability indicators (MWD, GMD, and WSAC), highlighting a trend toward soil structural instability. The LB method revealed the lowest aggregate stability under rapid wetting and the highest under slow wetting conditions. Correlation analysis showed that soil organic matter positively correlated with the relative mechanical breakdown index (RMI) (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with the relative slaking index (RSI), whereas soil pH was negatively correlated with both RMI and RSI (p < 0.05). Comparative analysis of aggregate stability methods demonstrated that results from the dry sieving method closely resembled those from the SW treatment of the LB method, whereas the wet sieving method closely aligned with the FW (Fast Wetting) treatment of the LB method. The Le Bissonnais method not only reflected the outcomes of dry and wet sieving methods but also effectively distinguished the mechanisms of aggregate breakdown. The study concluded that prolonged flooding intensified aggregate dispersion, with mechanical breakdown influenced by water levels and soil layer. Dispersion and mechanical breakdown represent primary mechanisms of soil aggregate instability, further exacerbated by fluctuating water levels. By elucidating degradation mechanisms, this research provides actionable insights for preserving soil health, safeguarding water resources, and promoting sustainable agricultural in ecologically vulnerable reservoir regions of the Yangtze River Basin. Full article

Hypothermia-related deaths present significant diagnostic challenges due to non-specific and often inconsistent autopsy findings. This study investigated the histological and immunohistochemical alterations associated with primary and secondary hypothermia in an experimental Rattus norvegicus model, focusing on the effects of benzodiazepine and alcohol ingestion. Twenty-one male rats were divided into three groups: control (K), benzodiazepine-treated (B), and alcohol-treated (A). After two weeks of substance administration, hypothermia was induced and multiple organ samples were analyzed. Histologically, renal tissue showed hydropic and vacuolar degeneration, congestion, and acute tubular injury across all groups, with no significant differences in E-cadherin expression. Lung samples revealed congestion, emphysema, and hemorrhage, with more pronounced vascular congestion in the alcohol and benzodiazepine groups. Cardiac tissue exhibited vacuolar degeneration and protein denaturation, particularly in substance-exposed animals. The spleen showed preserved architecture but increased erythrocyte infiltration and significantly elevated myeloperoxidase (MPO)-positive granulocytes in the intoxicated groups. Liver samples demonstrated congestion, focal necrosis, and subcapsular hemorrhage, especially in the alcohol group. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed statistically significant differences in MPO expression in both lung and spleen tissues, with the highest levels observed in the benzodiazepine group. Similarly, CK7 and CK20 expression in the gastroesophageal junction was significantly elevated in both alcohol- and benzodiazepine-treated animals compared to the controls. In contrast, E-cadherin expression in the kidney did not differ significantly among the groups. These findings suggest that specific histological and immunohistochemical patterns, particularly involving pulmonary, cardiac, hepatic, and splenic tissues, may help differentiate primary hypothermia from substance-related secondary hypothermia. The study underscores the value of integrating toxicological, histological, and molecular analyses to enhance the forensic assessment of hypothermia-related fatalities. Future research should aim to validate these markers in human autopsy series and explore additional molecular indicators to refine diagnostic accuracy in forensic pathology. Full article

To enhance the effectiveness of sustainable preservation of modified corn wet distillers’ grains plus solubles (mcWDGS), various additives were tested under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In Experiment I, the mcWDGS was stored under aerobic conditions for 5 days at 25 °C. Treatments included different organic acids applied at 0.3% or 0.6% of fresh matter (FM). In Experiment II, the mcWDGS was ensiled anaerobically for 8 weeks at 25 °C using organic acids, a commercial acid mixture, or a microbial inoculant at 0.2% FM. In aerobic conditions, the best preservability was achieved with propionic and formic acids at 0.6% FM, as indicated by the lowest temperature, pH, and microbial counts on days 3 and 5 (p ≤ 0.01). Under anaerobic storage, the highest lactic acid concentrations were recorded in the control, citric acid, and commercial acid mixture variants (p ≤ 0.01). Acetic acid levels were highest in the control (p ≤ 0.01). The highest NH3-N content was found in the formic acid variant and the lowest in the inoculant variant (p ≤ 0.01). Aerobic stability after ensiling was greatest in the control and propionic acid groups (p ≤ 0.01). Nutritional analysis showed that the citric acid group had the highest dry matter content (p ≤ 0.01), while the control group contained the most crude protein (p ≤ 0.01) and saturated fatty acids (p ≤ 0.05). The propionic acid and commercial acid mixture variants had the highest unsaturated fatty acids (p ≤ 0.05). Antioxidant capacity was also greatest in the control (p ≤ 0.01). In conclusion, mcWDGS can be effectively preserved aerobically with 0.6% FM of propionic or formic acid, and anaerobically via ensiling, even without additives. These findings support its potential as a stable and nutritious feed ingredient. Full article

To address the issues in existing 3D point cloud facet generation networks, specifically, the tendency to produce a large number of empty facets and the uncertainty in facet count, this paper proposes a novel deep learning framework for robust facet segmentation. Based on the generated facet set, two exploratory applications are further developed. First, to overcome the bottleneck where inaccurate empty-facet detection impairs the downsampling performance, a facet-abstracted downsampling method is introduced. By using a learned facet classifier to filter out and discard empty facets, retaining only non-empty surface facets, and fusing point coordinates and local features within each facet, the method achieves significant compression of point cloud data while preserving essential geometric information. Second, to solve the insufficient precision in organ segmentation within crop point clouds, a facet growth-based segmentation algorithm is designed. The network first predicts the edge scores for the facets to determine the seed facets. The facets are then iteratively expanded according to adjacent-facet similarity until a complete organ region is enclosed, thereby enhancing the accuracy of segmentation across semantic boundaries. Finally, the proposed facet segmentation network is trained and validated using a synthetic dataset. Experiments show that, compared with traditional methods, the proposed approach significantly outperforms both downsampling accuracy and instance segmentation performance. In various crop scenarios, it demonstrates excellent geometric fidelity and semantic consistency, as well as strong generalization ability and practical application potential, providing new ideas for in-depth applications of facet-level features in 3D point cloud analysis. Full article

Job stress and burnout are major challenges in today’s workplaces. While most interventions adopt a clinical or deficit-based approach, this meta-analysis takes a positive perspective by examining the effectiveness of Positive Psychological Interventions (PPIs). A total of 24 studies conducted in workplace settings were analyzed to assess the impact of PPIs on psychological well-being, subjective well-being, and job performance. The results showed significant and sustained improvements across all three outcomes, with moderate effect sizes: subjective well-being (g = 0.50, 95% CI [0.18, 0.81]), psychological well-being (g = 0.46, 95% CI [0.15, 0.78]), and performance (g = 0.42, 95% CI [0.21, 0.62]). Higher effects were found for in-person interventions and those conducted in Western contexts. No significant moderation was observed for structural factors (e.g., implementation level: Individual, Group, Leader, or Organization [IGLO]) or sample characteristics (e.g., gender), among other variables examined. These findings highlight the relevance of PPIs for promoting well-being and sustaining performance, which may reflect the preservation of personal resources in the face of occupational stressors. Regardless of type, well-designed interventions may be key to fostering healthier workplace environments—especially when delivered face-to-face. Full article

Transformers have been extensively utilized as encoders in medical image segmentation; however, the information that an encoder can capture is inherently limited. In this study, we propose MINTFormer, which introduces a Heterogeneous encoder that integratesCSWin and MaxViT to fully exploit the potential of encoders with different encoding methodologies. Additionally, we observed that the encoder output contains substantial redundant information. To address this, we designed a Demodulate Bridge (DB) to filter out redundant information from feature maps. Furthermore, we developed a multi-Scale Sampling Decoder (SSD) capable of preserving information about organs of varying sizes during upsampling and accurately restoring their shapes. This study demonstrates the superior performance of MINTFormer across several datasets, including Synapse, ACDC, Kvasir-SEG, and skin lesion segmentation datasets. Full article

Cell-free biosensors harness the selectivity of cellular machinery without living cells’ constraints, offering advantages in environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, and biotechnological applications. This review examines recent advances in cell-free biosensor development, highlighting their ability to detect diverse analytes including heavy metals, organic pollutants, pathogens, and clinical biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity. We analyze technological innovations in cell-free protein synthesis optimization, preservation strategies, and field deployment methods that have enhanced sensitivity, and practical applicability. The integration of synthetic biology approaches has enabled complex signal processing, multiplexed detection, and novel sensor designs including riboswitches, split reporter systems, and metabolic sensing modules. Emerging materials such as supported lipid bilayers, hydrogels, and artificial cells are expanding biosensor capabilities through microcompartmentalization and electronic integration. Despite significant progress, challenges remain in standardization, sample interference mitigation, and cost reduction. Future opportunities include smartphone integration, enhanced preservation methods, and hybrid sensing platforms. Cell-free biosensors hold particular promise for point-of-care diagnostics in resource-limited settings, environmental monitoring applications, and food safety testing, representing essential tools for addressing global challenges in healthcare, environmental protection, and biosecurity. Full article

Background/Objectives: Nonoperative management (NOM) of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) who achieve a complete clinical response (cCR) to total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) has been shown to be oncologically safe and is an attractive treatment option for patients. However, identifying responders to TNT that may benefit from nonoperative management is clinically challenging. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing has shown promise in detecting minimal residual disease but has not yet been studied extensively within this clinical context. Methods: This is a single-institution retrospective case series study of LARC patients treated with TNT from 2019 to 2023 who underwent ctDNA testing as an adjunct to standard clinical response assessments. Results: A total of 28 patients had ctDNA testing as part of their response assessments after TNT. In total, 9 patients had positive ctDNA, and 19 patients had negative ctDNA during surveillance. Baseline characteristics of these two groups were not different. In this study, 6/9 (67%) patients who had positive ctDNA required surgery for residual rectal cancer, whereas only 4/19 (21%) patients who had negative ctDNA required surgery (p = 0.035). Conclusions: ctDNA testing has the potential to detect MRD in LARC patients treated with TNT. Full article

Lychee (Lychee chinensis Sonn.) is a tropical fruit highly appreciated for its vivid red color, sweet flavor, and nutritional properties. However, it is highly perishable, with postharvest losses often due to oxidative browning and dehydration. This study evaluated the organic olive oil coating (OC), a natural lipidic system with the potential to act as a precursor for organogel development, combined with polyamide/polyethylene (PA/PE) packaging under passive modified atmosphere. Fruits were harvested at commercial maturity and divided into two groups: OC-treated and untreated control (CTR). Both groups were stored at 5 ± 1 °C and 90 ± 5% relative humidity and analyzed on days 0, 3, 6, and 9. The OC-treated fruits showed significantly better retention of physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensory qualities. The coating reduced oxidative stress and enzymatic browning, preserving color and firmness. The PA/PE packaging regulated gas exchange, lowering oxygen levels and delaying respiration and ripening. As a result, OC fruits had lower weight loss, a slower increase in browning index and maturity index, and better visual and sensory scores than the CTR group. This dual strategy proved effective in extending shelf life while maintaining the fruit’s appearance, flavor, and nutritional value. It represents a sustainable and natural approach to enhancing the postharvest stability of lychee. Full article

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of different types of sourdough (I to IV), developed with a specific starter culture (including Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Levilactobacillus brevis, and Candida famata), on bread fermentation performance and shelf-life. Real-time tracking of multiple parameters (pH, dough rising, ethanol release, and total titratable acidity) was monitored by a smart fermentation oven. The impact of the different treatments on the lactic acid, acetic acid, and ethanol content of the breads were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography analysis. In addition, the bio-preservation capacity of the breads contaminated with fungi was analyzed. The results show that liquid sourdough (D3: Type 2) and backslopped sourdough (D4: Type 3) increased significantly (p < 0.05) in dough rise, dough acidification (lower pH, higher titratable acidity), production of organic acids (lactic and acetic), and presented the optimal fermentation quotient. These findings were substantiated by chemometric analysis, which successfully clustered the starters based on performance and revealed a strong positive correlation between acetic acid production and dough-rise, highlighting the superior heterofermentative profile of D3 and D4. These types of sourdough also stood out for their antifungal capacity, preventing the visible growth of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium commune for up to 10 days after inoculation. Full article

Barium chloride (BaCl₂), a known environmental pollutant, induces organ-specific oxidative stress through disruption of redox homeostasis. This study evaluated the protective effects and safety profile of sodium copper chlorophyllin (SCC) and ascorbic acid (ASC) against BaCl₂-induced oxidative damage in the liver and brain of mice using a two-phase experimental protocol. Animals received either SCC (40 mg/kg), ASC (160 mg/kg), or their combination for 14 days prior to BaCl₂ exposure (150 mg/L in drinking water for 7 days), allowing evaluation of both preventive and therapeutic effects. Toxicological and behavioral assessments confirmed the absence of systemic toxicity or neurobehavioral alterations following supplementation. Body weight, liver and kidney indices, and biochemical markers (Aspartate Aminotransferase (ASAT), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALAT), creatinine) remained within physiological ranges, and no anxiogenic or locomotor effects were observed. In the brain, BaCl₂ exposure significantly increased SOD (+49%), CAT (+66%), GPx (+24%), and GSH (+26%) compared to controls, reflecting a robust compensatory antioxidant response. Although lipid peroxidation (MDA) showed a non-significant increase, SCC, ASC, and their combination reduced MDA levels by 42%, 37%, and 55%, respectively. These treatments normalized antioxidant enzyme activities and GSH, indicating an effective neuroprotective effect. In contrast, the liver exhibited a different oxidative profile. BaCl₂ exposure increased MDA levels by 80% and GSH by 34%, with no activation of SOD, CAT, or GPx. Histological analysis revealed extensive hepatocellular necrosis, vacuolization, and inflammatory infiltration. SCC significantly reduced hepatic MDA by 39% and preserved tissue architecture, while ASC alone or combined with SCC exacerbated inflammation and depleted hepatic GSH by 71% and 78%, respectively, relative to BaCl₂-exposed controls. Collectively, these results highlight a differential, organ-specific response to BaCl₂-induced oxidative stress and the therapeutic potential of SCC and ASC. SCC emerged as a safer and more effective agent, particularly in hepatic protection, while both antioxidants demonstrated neuroprotective effects when used individually or in combination. Full article

Pupillometry is commonly used to evaluate cognitive effort, attention, and facial expression response, offering valuable insights into human performance. The combination of eye tracking and facial expression data under the iMotions platform provides great opportunities for multimodal research. However, there is a lack of standardized pipelines for managing pupillometry data on a multimodal platform. Preprocessing pupil data in multimodal platforms poses challenges like timestamp misalignment, missing data, and inconsistencies across multiple data sources. To address these challenges, the authors introduced a systematic preprocessing pipeline for pupil diameter measurements collected using iMotions 10 (version 10.1.38911.4) during an endoscopy simulation task. The pipeline involves artifact removal, outlier detection using advanced methods such as the Median Absolute Deviation (MAD) and Moving Average (MA) algorithm filtering, interpolation of missing data using the Piecewise Cubic Hermite Interpolating Polynomial (PCHIP), and mean pupil diameter calculation through linear regression, as well as normalization of mean pupil diameter and integration of the pupil diameter dataset with facial expression data. By following these steps, the pipeline enhances data quality, reduces noise, and facilitates the seamless integration of pupillometry other multimodal datasets. In conclusion, this pipeline provides a detailed and organized preprocessing method that improves data reliability while preserving important information for further analysis. Full article

Locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) remains a major clinical challenge due to its high risk of local recurrence and distant metastasis. Although total mesorectal excision (TME) has been established as the gold standard surgical approach, high recurrence rates associated with surgery alone have driven the development of multimodal preoperative strategies, such as radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy. More recently, total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT)—which integrates systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy prior to surgery—and non-operative management (NOM) for patients who achieve a clinical complete response (cCR) have further expanded treatment options. These advances aim not only to improve oncologic outcomes but also to enhance quality of life (QOL) by reducing long-term morbidity and preserving organ function. However, several unresolved issues persist, including the optimal sequencing of therapies, precise risk stratification, accurate evaluation of treatment response, and effective surveillance protocols for NOM. The advent of molecular biomarkers, next-generation sequencing, and artificial intelligence (AI) presents new opportunities for individualized treatment and more accurate prognostication. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the current status of preoperative treatment for LARC, critically examines emerging strategies and their supporting evidence, and discusses future directions to optimize both oncological and patient-centered outcomes. By integrating clinical, molecular, and technological advances, the management of rectal cancer is moving toward truly personalized medicine. Full article

The development of big data analytics in healthcare has created a demand for privacy-conscious and scalable machine learning algorithms that can allow the use of patient information across different healthcare organizations. In this study, the difficulties that come with traditional federated learning frameworks in healthcare sectors, such as scalability, computational effectiveness, and preserving patient privacy for numerous healthcare systems, are discussed. In this work, a new conceptual model known as Hierarchical Federated Learning (HFL) for large, integrated healthcare organizations that include several institutions is proposed. The first level of aggregation forms regional centers where local updates are first collected and then sent to the second level of aggregation to form the global update, thus reducing the message-passing traffic and improving the scalability of the HFL architecture. Furthermore, the HFL framework leveraged more robust privacy characteristics such as Local Differential Privacy (LDP), Gaussian Differential Privacy (GDP), Secure Multi-Party Computation (SMPC) and Homomorphic Encryption (HE). In addition, a Novel Aggregated Gradient Perturbation Mechanism is presented to alleviate noise in model updates and maintain privacy and utility. The performance of the proposed HFL framework is evaluated on real-life healthcare datasets and an artificial dataset created using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), showing that the proposed HFL framework is better than other methods. Our approach provided an accuracy of around 97% and 30% less privacy leakage compared to the existing models of FLBM-IoT and PPFLB. The proposed HFL approach can help to find the optimal balance between privacy and model performance, which is crucial for healthcare applications and scalable and secure solutions. Full article

We investigated the dispersal ability of Euphydryas aurinia provincialis in a local-scale analysis within a single habitat patch of the Colfiorito highlands metapopulation. Our findings indicate that inside a single node, the organization of nesting patches can be conceptualized as a metapopulation itself, where reproductive sites, despite their spatial proximity, can act as either source or sink habitats depending on environmental conditions. We conducted fieldwork in six nesting patches inside a single node, capturing, marking, and recapturing individuals to assess their spatial distribution and movement tendencies at a large landscape scale. We found a high degree of site fidelity among individuals, with many recaptures occurring within the original marking site, but also a sex-based difference in movement patterns; females dispersed farther than males, likely driven by reproductive strategies, while males remained more localized, prioritizing mate-searching. Our findings suggest a complex dynamic in habitat connectivity: pastures and abandoned fields, despite being open, seem to act like sink areas, while breeding sites with shrub and tree cover act as source habitats, offering optimal conditions for reproduction. Individuals, especially females, from these source areas were later compelled to disperse into open habitats, highlighting a nuanced interaction between landscape structure and population dynamics. These results highlight the importance of maintaining habitat corridors to support metapopulation dynamics and prevent genetic isolation; the abandonment of traditional grazing practices is leading to the rapid closure of these source habitats, posing a severe risk of local extinction. Conservation efforts should prioritize the preservation of these source habitats to ensure the long-term viability of E. a. provincialis populations in fragmented landscapes. Full article