Search Results (938)

Skin temperature measurement is a complex issue. Skin tissue is one of the main thermoregulatory organs and takes major responsibility for heat exchange in the organism. Accurate skin temperature measurement may contribute to better estimation of deep core temperature, which is why enhancing possibilities of skin temperature measurement is considered substantial. However, the real value of the skin temperature can be influenced by many biological and non-biological factors. Some of the external factors such as extensive wind or extreme ambient temperature may significantly influence the raw value of the skin temperature regardless of the choice of the measuring point. Despite that, abnormal thermoregulatory behaviour can occur due to internal body stresses and reactions. Whilst internal influence is even more difficult to track than external factors, it is crucial to monitor and identify the thermal stresses in a correct way. The paper proposes a wrist temperature measurement system. The system consists of a sensory part placed in a housing adapted to the shape of the wrist. The sensory component enables contact measurement of wrist skin temperature under the assumed experimental conditions. The housing is designed to provide stable positioning of the sensory component relative to the wrist while simultaneously isolating it from external conditions. The paper presents the results of a case study concerning human thermoregulation, quantifying the thermal response of the hand under low-temperature exposure in temperature chamber and during the subsequent rewarming phase after removal. During the experiment, temperature measurements of both hands were recorded. One of the co-authors participated in this case experiment. The temperature measurement results were compared between the hand subjected to thermal stress and the hand not exposed to low temperatures. Differences in the participant response to repeated thermal stress are demonstrated. The results highlight the complexity of the human body’s thermoregulation process in extremely cold environments. Full article

Background: A compact, in-house-developed ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) system using eight 36 W Philips low-pressure mercury UV-C lamps with a peak emission at 253.7 nm was developed for effective sterilization of bacteria and fungi using a wireless mode of operation. Methods: Under controlled laboratory conditions, the system was tested against representative biofilm-forming microorganisms, including Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli K12, and a multidrug-resistant Candida albicans M-207 isolate. Microbial viability was assessed using colony-forming unit (CFU) enumeration and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, with structural changes analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cultures were exposed to 253.7 nm UV-C radiation at distances of 1–5 m for 15–90 min. Results: UV-C exposure resulted in time- and distance-dependent reductions in viable counts for all tested organisms, as determined by CFU analysis. At 1 m and 15 min exposure, viable counts for all tested organisms were reduced below the limit of detection (LOD) of the CFU assay, indicating substantial microbial inactivation under the tested conditions. Reduced efficacy was observed at increased distances (3 m and 5 m), with log₁₀ reductions varying depending on organism and exposure conditions. Residual metabolic activity detected by the MTT assay suggests the presence of non-proliferating or damaged cells, consistent with the different endpoints measured by the two assays. The SEM analysis further revealed disruption of biofilm architecture and reduction in cell density with increasing UV dose. Conclusions: The UVGI system demonstrated dose-dependent inactivation of biofilm-forming microorganisms under controlled conditions, supporting its proof-of-concept efficacy. Further studies are required to evaluate performance under real-world conditions. Full article

Background and Objectives: Dysfunction of the airway epithelial barrier is increasingly recognized as an early pathogenic mechanism in allergic respiratory diseases. Although individual aeroallergens such as ragweed (RW) pollen and house dust mite (HDM) are known to impair epithelial integrity, the effects of combined exposure, more reflective of real-world conditions, remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of single versus combined allergen exposure on airway epithelial barrier function using a multimodal experimental approach. Materials and Methods: Differentiated normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells were exposed to RW (100 µg/mL), HDM (100 µg/mL), or a combined extract (RW + HDM; total 100 µg/mL). Barrier function under air–liquid interface conditions was assessed by transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), while real-time cellular responses were evaluated using xCELLigence impedance monitoring. Structural alterations were examined by occludin-based immunofluorescence imaging, and transcriptional changes associated with epithelial stress and inflammation were analyzed by RT-qPCR. Results: Allergen exposure induced time- and concentration-dependent impairment of epithelial barrier function. Combined exposure resulted in the most pronounced and sustained reduction in TEER and impedance measurements. These functional changes were accompanied by disruption of tight junction organization and coordinated transcriptional modulation of genes involved in inflammatory and stress responses. Conclusions: Combined exposure to RW and HDM extracts induced more severe and persistent epithelial barrier dysfunction than individual allergens. These findings support the role of the airway epithelium as a central regulator of allergic airway disease and highlight barrier disruption as an early pathogenic event. The multimodal framework applied in this study provides an integrated platform for investigating epithelial responses to complex environmental exposures. Full article

Considerable progress has been made in predicting nominal NVH behavior in electric drivetrains, but the acoustic scatter observed across manufactured units remains insufficiently understood. In practice, nominally identical drive units may still exhibit noticeably different tonal behavior because small deviations in gears, shafts, bearings, fits, centering features, or assembly phase modify the excitation, transfer, and radiation mechanisms of the system. This review examines how manufacturing and assembly variability influences NVH performance in electric drive units and e-axles, with particular focus on the rotor–shaft–gear–bearing–housing system. Unlike broader EV NVH reviews, the present work focuses specifically on variability-induced acoustic scatter and its propagation along the drivetrain NVH generation and transmission path. To support transparency and consistency, the literature search and selection process followed a structured, PRISMA-inspired approach across Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and SAE Mobilus for the 2015–2026 period. From 387 identified records, 50 studies were retained after duplicate removal, screening, and full-text assessment. The selected literature was synthesized into eight thematic categories: imbalance; run-out and eccentricity; bearing clearance and preload; spline and pilot centering; thermal effects; phase indexing; transmission error and sidebands; and end-of-line NVH diagnostics. The reviewed literature shows that manufacturing- and assembly-induced deviations can significantly alter transmission error, sideband structure, shaft-order content, and final tonal response, even when individual components remain within nominal tolerance limits. Beyond synthesizing the evidence base, the review organizes existing modeling and diagnostic practices into a structured framework for variability-aware NVH assessment, based on explicit deviation parameterization, hierarchical model fidelity, intermediate excitation metrics, thermal-state awareness, and closer integration with production and measurement data. Overall, the findings support a shift from nominal NVH assessment toward robustness-oriented, production-representative interpretation and future prediction of acoustic scatter in electric drivetrains. Full article

Background/Objectives: Delivering consistent preclinical instruction for implant attachment procedures can be challenging in large dental cohorts. This report describes the development and implementation of institutionally produced training tools designed to support Locator housing pick-up exercises for second-year predoctoral dental students. Methods: Modified typodont-based simulation tools were integrated into the preclinical curriculum. Clear dentures and gypsum models were fabricated to allow visualization of seating relationships and identification of common interferences. Complete seating of the denture was verified using inspection windows, flange evaluation, and polyvinylsiloxane disclosing materials before housings were incorporated with autopolymerizing acrylic resin. After each session, components were collected, inspected, and prepared for reuse in subsequent cycles. Learner perceptions were obtained through an anonymous voluntary survey. Results: The configuration enabled visualization of seating conditions and identification of misalignment during the exercise. Removal of anterior teeth reduced material use and emphasized posterior stabilization during the pick-up procedure. Of 83 learners, 28 completed the survey (34% response rate), with responses tending toward agreement across items (mean range: 4.5–4.9/5), indicating favorable learner perceptions of the exercise and its organization within the scheduled laboratory period. Across three academic cycles, six dentures required replacement, whereas all gypsum models remained serviceable and no additional fabrication was necessary. Conclusions: This structured simulation approach provided an alternative method for delivering Locator housing pick-up training in a high-volume preclinical environment. The model allowed repeated implementation of the exercise across academic cycles. Full article

Against the backdrop of rapid global urbanization, peri-urban villages universally face the dual dilemmas of landscape homogenization and the imbalance between heritage preservation and functional renewal. As a typical representative, the “Shanghai-style Jiangnan” villages feature an open water–land chessboard pattern and linear water-house parallel organization, which are distinctly different from the closed and introverted texture of traditional Suzhou-Hangzhou water towns. Such villages urgently need to balance the continuation of the original spatial fabric and the adaptation of modern functions. Existing studies on rural landscapes mostly focus on the static vertical identification of single elements, lacking a systematic quantitative analysis of the horizontal topological relationships among multiple elements, making it difficult to accurately define the spatial boundaries between preservation and renewal. This study takes Xinyuan Village in Jinshan District, Shanghai, as an empirical subject to construct a model for the vertical gene decoding of the “Point-Line-Network” and horizontal topology coupling of “Surface Gene.” By introducing a landscape sensitivity assessment combined with the Entropy Weight Method (EWM) and GIS (Geographic Information System) spatial Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), a quantifiable landscape control heat map is generated. The study identifies the nested original fabric structure of the “house-water-field-forest-road” and the spatial landscape differentiation characteristics in Xinyuan Village and delineates three-tier differentiated zoning controls through dual-verified heat maps. Validated based on Xinyuan Village, this method effectively resolves the conflict between rural preservation and renewal and realizes the transformation from static museum-style preservation to refined adaptive zoning. It provides specific practical strategies for the renewal of “Shanghai-style Jiangnan” villages and offers a quantitative morphological reference for enhancing the spatial resilience and living heritage of peri-urban villages, while its cross-regional transferability needs further verification. Full article

Hair follicles (HFs) are highly accessible mini-organs that house diverse somatic and stem cell populations with broad therapeutic potential. In this study, we investigate the untapped utility of plucked HFs as a non-invasive tissue source for regenerative medicine. We demonstrate the successful isolation and expansion of keratinocytes and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from plucked follicles using an enzyme-free explant culture method. HF-derived keratinocytes retained their epithelial identity and were efficiently reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These iPSCs were further directed toward definitive endoderm and pancreatic progenitor fates, confirming their robust autologous regenerative capacity. Flow cytometric analysis of HF-MSCs validated a characteristic mesenchymal profile, and these cells exhibited classical trilineage plasticity alongside the ability to differentiate into dopaminergic neural progenitors. Furthermore, proteomic and vesicular characterization of the autologous HF secretome (aHFS) revealed a rich enrichment of regenerative cytokines and exosomes. The aHFS demonstrated potent wound-healing bioactivity in vitro. Collectively, these findings establish the plucked hair follicle as a highly practical, scalable source for both cell-based and cell-free therapies, highlighting the clinical value of early-stage follicular biobanking for personalized medicine. Full article

In the renewal of rural self-built houses, dispersed construction patterns, insufficient design guidance, and resource constraints often lead to tensions between individual building needs and the overall settlement landscape. Grounded in the theory of spatial self-organization, this study proposes a roof interface renewal framework of “Clustering–Collaboration–self-organization,” and takes Dianju Village in Anning City, Yunnan Province, as a case study to explore how limited architectural interventions can address the fragmentation of roof landscapes in rural settlements. This research adopts a mixed-method approach combining ethnographic fieldwork, resident design observation, and post-occupancy evaluation (POE). The POE was conducted with 16 participating households, focusing on residents’ perceptions of roof usability, visual order, material acceptance, opportunities for neighborhood interaction, and maintenance issues. The findings indicate that residents generally perceive that continuous roof treatment, the application of bamboo–timber materials, and adjustable structural units have improved the usability of roof spaces, while enhancing their recognition of the overall village image and the expression of local materials. At the same time, residents’ feedback suggests that the long-term performance of bamboo–timber materials still depends on continuous maintenance and appropriate structural protection. The contribution of this study lies in translating spatial self-organization theory into a participatory and locally adaptive process of rural landscape renewal. Rather than providing a directly replicable roof typology, this case offers exploratory insights into key interface identification, resident negotiation, and localized construction strategies for the renewal of rural self-built houses in developing and transitional contexts. Full article

This paper introduces a comparative analysis of urban housing conflicts across eight major Canadian cities, Toronto, Vancouver, Québec, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, St. John’s, and Halifax, over a 20-year period. Using Large Language Models (LLMs), we implement a structured workflow to extract, classify, and organize more than one thousand conflict instances from diverse textual sources, including municipal reports, media archives, and non-governmental organization publications. The methodological contribution lies in demonstrating how an LLM-assisted pipeline, combining schema-based extraction, prompt perturbation, and a two-phase calibration procedure, can generate structured, multi-city conflict datasets while addressing challenges such as output homogenization and sensitivity to prompt design. The findings highlight both shared national tendencies and city-specific configurations with post-2020 conflicts intensifying. Overall, the study proposes a transparent workflow for applying LLMs to conflict-related text analysis and offers an exploratory overview of the spatial, temporal, and semantic regularities of housing conflicts in Canadian cities. Full article

This study presents a headset-type biofluorometric gas sensor incorporating a CMOS camera for continuous, non-invasive monitoring of transcutaneous ethanol from the ear canal. The sensor employs alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to catalyze the NAD⁺-to-NADH conversion during ethanol oxidation, enabling quantitative measurement through NADH fluorescence detection (λ_ex = 340 nm, λ_em = 490 nm). The integrated system comprises a wireless CMOS camera, an ADH-immobilized cotton mesh enzyme membrane, UV-LED excitation source, optical bandpass filters, and a dual convex lens assembly housed in a 3D-printed headset powered by a lithium battery. Key improvements include a 3.5-fold enhancement in fluorescence collection efficiency achieved through optimized dual convex lens configuration. Systematic screening of seven cotton mesh materials identified Iwatsuki cotton mesh as the optimal enzyme immobilization substrate, exhibiting minimal autofluorescence and 14.2-fold higher water retention capacity compared to H-PTFE membranes. The glutaraldehyde-crosslinked ADH-immobilized cotton mesh maintained enzymatic activity for over 45 min with a 10-fold improvement in signal-to-noise ratio. The system demonstrated a dynamic detection range spanning 10 ppb to 10 ppm for gaseous ethanol and exhibited high selectivity against interfering volatile organic compounds in skin gas, including methanol, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, and acetone. Human experiments validated the system’s practical performance. Following alcohol consumption, subjects wore the device for 50 min while real-time fluorescence monitoring captured dynamic ethanol concentration changes in the ear canal. The dose-dependent fluorescence response—approximately 2-fold higher at 0.4 g/kg versus 0.04 g/kg alcohol intake—correlated well with calibration data. This headset-type biofluorometric sensor enables unrestrained continuous monitoring of ear canal ethanol, providing a novel wearable platform for alcohol metabolism assessment with potential applications in health monitoring and clinical research. Full article

Introduction: HIV remains a public health concern despite several decades of effort. In sub-Saharan Africa, where political, environmental, and economic challenges persist, progress toward “Getting to Zero,” including zero new infections and zero HIV-related deaths, has been significantly slow. Although sub-Saharan Africa has seen the successful implementation of HIV/AIDS interventions across behavioral, biomedical, and structural approaches, there has been limited focus on housing insecurity—the inability to access safe, affordable, and stable housing—and mental health among people living with HIV, despite the critical role of housing insecurity in overall health and well-being. Therefore, this study explores how housing insecurity shapes mental health experiences among PLHIV in Kisumu. Methods: Using a qualitative approach, we purposively recruited 70 individuals from households participating in the Pamoja community-based organization’s Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) project. We then conducted in-depth interviews (IDIs) with 30 participants and 4 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 40 adult participants living with HIV (ALHIV). Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim, translated from Luo into English, and uploaded to Atlas.TI v.23, a qualitative data analysis software. We then performed thematic analysis guided by grounded theory. Results: Our findings showed that housing insecurity was a significant issue for individuals living with HIV. The majority of participants experienced heightened feelings of worry, shame, fear, anxiety, stress, and depression, which negatively impacted their adherence to HIV treatment and care. While some participants showed resilience through acceptance and disclosure, limited resources and ongoing insecurity heightened vulnerability to mental health issues. Discussions: These findings underscore the importance of housing in HIV care programs and offer valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers. The findings highlight the need to incorporate housing stability and mental health support into HIV programs. Full article

The continuous and reliable monitoring of soil organic carbon and soil respiration is vital for sustainable agricultural and environmental management. However, current manual methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming. This work focuses on the development of a fully automated robotic platform for in situ measurement of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) and Soil Respiration (${\mathbf{R}}_s$). The system consists of a four-wheeled mobile platform, equipped with a robotic arm, and custom sampling and measurement tools. The platform is designed with a protected central opening that houses an on-board laboratory, enabling automated surface cleaning, soil drilling, sample collection and homogenization, SOC spectroscopy analysis, and chamber-based soil respiration measurement. The platform is equipped with a high-force mechanical insertion mechanism capable of operating a range of tools designed for soil treatment and penetration. These tools include a soil surface scraper, a soil respiration chamber, and a soil drilling unit. The mobile robotic laboratory system enables the sequential deployment of these tools in any desired order, providing flexible and efficient in-field operation. Full article

In the European Union, mandatory labeling of food and feed products is required when authorized genetically modified organisms (GMOs) exceed 0.9% per ingredient, necessitating reliable analytical methods for official control laboratories. Event-specific PCR assays validated according to ISO/IEC 17025 are the reference approach for GMO detection, identification, and quantification. The growing use of digital PCR (dPCR) has encouraged the adaptation of real-time PCR methods to dPCR-based strategies, as dPCR enables absolute quantification without calibration standards, shows reduced sensitivity to inhibitors, and allows for the design of a multiplex assay. In this study, an in-house validation of a duplex dPCR assay targeting the maize GM event NK603 and the HMG reference gene was performed on three platforms: Bio-Rad QX200™ (Pleasanton, CA, USA), Qiagen QIAcuity (Venlo, The Netherlands), and Thermo Fisher QuantStudio Absolute Q (Waltham, MA, USA). All validation parameters met the Joint Research Centre (JRC) acceptance criteria. In particular, this assay demonstrated high specificity, sensitivity (limit of quantification or LOQ < 35 copies per reaction), precision, and trueness (RSDr and bias <25%). The data indicate that the duplex dPCR assay can be used for routine GMO analysis and future collaborative validation studies. Full article

Graph-based spatial analysis formalizes relations among spatial units, but the formation of these units and their boundary correspondences remains under-specified. This study defines the structural stage preceding relational abstraction and establishes the conditions under which spatial units and boundary correspondences become analytically determinate. It then develops a layered spatial articulation procedure that derives spatial objects from plan-encoded architectural information by differentiating topographic substrate, building frame, spatial enclosure, and relational boundary conditions. These are organized into a base spatial graph. The topology of this graph is fixed by articulation, and its edges encode admissible relational mode combinations. Using traditional Korean housing (hanok) as an illustrative reference for the proposed methodology, the study shows that heterogeneous spatial conditions can be consistently articulated into a unified structural domain prior to relational abstraction. The resulting base spatial graph defines a finite but combinatorially extensive space of admissible relational configurations. Within this domain, graph-domain operations act without expanding the articulated structure, while certain operations may reduce it through structural transformation. The study shows that spatial units cannot be treated as pre-given entities but must be structurally constituted. By formalizing this prior stage, the study establishes explicit structural preconditions for graph-based spatial analysis and provides a consistent analytical domain for subsequent spatial interpretation. Full article

Skeletal muscle development and physiological homeostasis are profoundly influenced by environmental cues. Among these factors, ambient temperature represents a critical determinant of growth performance and metabolic adaptation in mammals. However, the effects of different ambient temperature ranges on skeletal muscle characteristics and on responses across multiple visceral tissues remain poorly understood. In this study, five ambient temperature conditions (16 °C, 20 °C, 24 °C, 28 °C, and 32 °C) were established to investigate their physiological impacts in a mouse model. Our results demonstrate that ambient temperature markedly influences growth performance and skeletal muscle phenotype. Notably, mice housed at 20 °C showed relatively preserved grip strength and a shift in myofiber cross-sectional area distribution, although these findings did not consistently indicate superior skeletal muscle development across all indices. Further analysis revealed that ambient temperature significantly modulated the expression profiles of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms in skeletal muscle. Specifically, cold exposure was associated with an upregulation of the slow-twitch-related MyHC I, whereas heat stress correlated with an elevation of the fast-twitch-related MyHC IIb. Functional assessments indicated that exposure to colder or hotter conditions was associated with impaired muscle performance, as reflected by reduced grip strength at 16 °C, 28 °C, and 32 °C, and decreased endurance capacity at 28 °C and 32 °C. Histological analyses of major visceral organs revealed no obvious structural alterations in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, or kidney across temperature conditions. However, exposure to thermal extremes (16 °C and 32 °C) significantly reduced intestinal villus height, suggesting compromised intestinal integrity under temperature stress. Collectively, these findings indicate that ambient temperature is associated with multi-tissue changes in skeletal muscle characteristics, functional performance, and intestinal morphology. This study provides new insights into how environmental temperature modulates tissue adaptation and physiological homeostasis in mammals. Full article