Search Results (15,144)

Background: The paediatric dentistry domain requires effective management of pain in children during invasive procedures such as the inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Buzzy BEE^TM in reducing pain perception during IANB in children. Methods: This crossover study recruited 38 children aged 6–10 years scheduled for bilateral dental procedures requiring IANB. The washout period was 7 days, and two visits were scheduled for procedures on either side. Two randomly allocated groups received the study intervention, with each group receiving it alternately at each visit. Outcomes measured were pulse rate; subjective pain assessment using the Wong–Baker FACES Rating Scale (WBS); objective pain assessment using the Sound, Eyes and Motor (SEM) scale; and parental rating of observed pain on a scale of 1–10. Results: A statistically significant reduction in pulse rate after IANB was observed in the Buzzy BEE group at the first (p = 0.02) and second (p = 0.002) visits. At the second visit, the WBS scores (p < 0.001) and ‘eye’ (p = 0.004) and ‘motor’ (p = 0.002) scores on the SEM scale were significantly reduced in the Buzzy BEE group. The crossover analysis identified a significant treatment effect on pulse rate (p < 0.001) and significant carryover effects on WBS and SEM scores (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The use of Buzzy BEE reduced pulse rates during IANB, suggesting a positive impact on children’s anxiety. The carryover effects in the current study limit the consistency of improvements in subjective and objective pain perceptions. Further studies with a larger sample size and an extended washout period are recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of Buzzy BEE in reducing pain perception during IANB. Full article

This study examines the association between corporate governance and financial performance and investigates whether real earnings management (REM) mediates this relationship in an emerging-market context. Using a balanced panel of 434 nonfinancial listed firms in Vietnam from 2020 to 2024, yielding 2170 firm-year observations, the study employs feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) after diagnostic tests indicate heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation. The Durbin–Wu–Hausman test does not indicate significant endogeneity in the current model specification. REM is measured using the Roychowdhury-based approach, and mediation effects are examined through sequential regressions. Tobin’s Q is used for robustness testing, and a two-step System GMM is used as an additional robustness test. The results show that board size, institutional ownership, and state ownership are positively associated with financial performance, while board independence is negatively associated with performance. Board financial expertise has no significant direct relationship with performance. REM is negatively associated with financial performance and serves as a mediating channel in the governance–performance relationship. The study contributes to the corporate governance literature by showing that REM can transmit governance effects to firm performance in an emerging market characterized by evolving enforcement, state ownership, and potential gaps between formal and substantive governance mechanisms. Full article

This paper investigates whether transcendent worldviews—those oriented toward a beyond—decline while immanent worldviews—those oriented toward this world—increase. We draw on an inventory spanning positions from theism and deism to naturalism and existentialism, administered seven times in West Germany (1982–2023) and six times in East Germany (1992–2023). In West Germany, existentialist worldviews ranked first, followed by naturalist, theist, and deist ones. While existentialist worldviews remained stable, transcendent worldviews declined and immanent ones grew, producing a substantial and growing advantage for immanent over transcendent orientations. In East Germany, existentialist and naturalist worldviews were markedly dominant, well above transcendent ones throughout the observation period. Both remained stable, while transcendent worldviews increased only minimally, leaving the gap largely intact. To test whether these period effects persist under controls, we employ OLS regressions with robust standard errors, accounting for cohort, age, church attendance and belonging, community size, parenthood, work engagement, education, and gender. In West Germany, transcendent worldviews declined and immanent ones increased non-monotonically. In East Germany, the pattern reversed: transcendent worldviews increased and immanent ones decreased non-monotonically. While mean levels do not differ significantly between the two regions, the direction and structure of effects do. The discussion addresses why transcendent worldviews are better explained than immanent ones, and what accounts for the divergent trajectories between East and West Germany. Full article

With the digital economy advancing at a fast pace, digital transformation plays a pivotal role in reinforcing firms’ innovation capability and promoting high-quality development. This study analyzes Chinese non-financial publicly listed firms on the A-share market over the period 2009–2023. Based on text mining of annual reports, this study constructs an index capturing digital transformation and empirically evaluate its impact on innovation output with firm and year fixed effects. The estimates suggest that digital transformation meaningfully increases firms’ innovation output; the inference is unchanged when applying instrumental-variable approaches and conducting extensive robustness checks. Mechanism analysis reveals two parallel channels: (1) the R&D investment mechanism, characterized by improvements in R&D intensity, capitalization rate, per capita efficiency, and investment growth; (2) the governance environment mechanism, reflected in enhanced internal control, improved information disclosure quality, and strengthened audit supervision. Once firms are stratified by characteristics, the estimated positive effect of digital transformation is most pronounced for firms with low financial constraints, large size, eastern locations, and state ownership. This study identifies both direct and indirect mechanisms linking digital transformation to innovation and highlights how firm- and region-specific features condition the magnitude of this effect, thereby offering empirical implications for corporate digitalization strategies and policy design. Full article

This study investigated balance control during the half squat by analyzing the relationship between the center of mass (CoM) and the center of pressure (CoP) in five experienced male weightlifters performing segmented squats at five load levels (20–80% 1 RM) across four Power-Based Training (PBT) exercises. The area of the 95% confidence ellipse was quantified using the Vicon motion capture system in conjunction with AMTI force plates. Given the small sample size (n = 5), a dual inference approach was implemented—frequentist repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) complemented by a unified adaptive Bayesian hierarchical model—to mitigate Type II error in low-power scenarios. Regarding the movement phase, a marked effect on center of pressure (CoP) stability was observed, as evidenced by both statistical approaches (frequentist: F(1.65, 6.59) = 19.44, p = 0.002, ηp² = 0.829; Bayesian: P(β_phase < 0) > 0.999). Although external load did not reach statistical significance in the frequentist analysis (p = 0.177, achieved power = 0.27), the Bayesian model provided moderate evidence of a positive impact (β_load = 0.059, 95% HDI [0.005, 0.115], p = 0.981). The area of the center of mass (CoM) ellipse showed no effects of interest. Limb asymmetries were significant and consistent throughout the experiment (frequentist: 48.01 ± 30.13%; Bayesian: 69.48%, 95% HDI [55.86%, 81.44%], P(AI > 20%) = 1.000) and were not modulated by the experimental condition. CoP-CoM coupling was stronger in the mediolateral direction than in the anteroposterior direction. The findings reveal that phase is the primary factor in postural stability, exerting a modest positive influence discernible only through low-powered probabilistic inference, and that the dual framework strengthens inferential robustness in small-sample biomechanical studies. Confirmatory studies with larger samples are recommended. Full article

Biomass-derived carbon dots (CDs) have attracted increasing attention in agriculture due to their simple synthesis and low environmental impact. In this study, CDs were synthesized from guava (Psidium guajava) leaves using a hydrothermal method (200 °C, 15 h). The particles had an average size of 6.17 nm and a quantum yield of 2.46%, confirming the successful synthesis of fluorescent carbon nanomaterials from the natural precursor. The effects of CDs on rice (Oryza sativa L., variety HT1) were evaluated through both seed treatment and field application. Soaking seeds in a 200 ppm CD solution for 24 h significantly enhanced shoot and root lengths (28.87 mm and 34.00 mm, respectively) among the tested treatments. In field trials, applying CDs at the same concentration also promoted plant growth, as evidenced by improvements in plant height, leaf development, tillering, and flag leaf characteristics. These changes were reflected in yield, with the highest grain yield of 6.13 t ha⁻¹ at 200 ppm, exceeding that of the control treatment. The observed positive effects may be due to enhanced photosynthetic activity and better control of oxidative processes in plants. Nevertheless, the effect was less pronounced at higher concentrations. This trend suggests a dose-dependent response. Full article

The subcellular localization of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is a central determinant of their function, yet its molecular determinants remain incompletely defined, and most existing predictors rely on the primary sequence. Because RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are the proximal effectors of RNA compartmentalization, this study tested whether the composition of RBPs bound to a lncRNA is predictive of its nuclear or cytoplasmic localization. Enhanced crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (eCLIP) occupancy for 139 RBPs in K562 cells was integrated with the cytoplasmic–nuclear relative concentration indices (CN-RCIs) derived from matched subcellular fractionation, and localization was modeled under chromosome-grouped cross-validation with nested regularization. RBP-occupancy composition predicted localization beyond the transcript size and total binding amount (incremental cross-validated coefficient of determination, delta-R-squared = 0.17; receiver-operating-characteristic area under the curve, AUC = 0.73, a moderate-strength association; Freedman–Lane permutation, p = 0.005). This increment persisted (delta-R-squared = 0.12; p = 0.005) against an expanded baseline that additionally absorbed the transcript abundance, intron content and exon number, indicating predictive information that is not reducible to these transcript features, and the classifier was well calibrated (Brier score = 0.10; expected calibration error = 0.02). The signed coefficient profile separated RBP function systematically: factors acting in nuclear processes (splicing, 3′-end processing, and nuclear-matrix association) carried negative, nuclear-direction weights, whereas factors acting in cytoplasmic processes (translation and messenger RNA stability) carried positive, cytoplasmic-direction weights (Mann–Whitney p = 0.013). The profile generalized across cell lines: a K562-trained model predicted HepG2 localization (transfer AUC = 0.71 using 76 shared RBPs), and HepG2 reproduced the association independently (AUC = 0.77). The association is correlational and of moderate strength; it is presented as an interpretable, RBP-occupancy-based complement to sequence-based predictors of lncRNA localization. Full article

Transposable elements (TEs) are inserted into the genome and may change its properties; those occurring in or near regulatory regions may also alter gene expression. Given the challenges of detecting insertions in short-read sequencing, we analyzed structural variants in polar and brown bear genomes by a reciprocal alignment of one species’ sample genomes to a reference sequence of the other species, thus inferring TE insertion as the other genome’s “deletions”. With this approach, we detected short interspersed elements (SINEs) belonging to the CAN SINE family as dominant fixed TEs. We observed a non-random distribution of CAN SINE insertion positions near both protein- and RNA-coding genes, where TEs often overlap UTRs or occur in their vicinity. In contrast, SINEs avoid coding sequences, suggesting TE insertions that would disrupt such sequences are under purifying selection. We used black bear as an outgroup and determined that most of the CAN SINE insertions in the polar bear genome were derived, since they are not present in black or brown bear, while there is no dominant trend for CAN SINE insertions in brown bear relative to the outgroup. Many of the genes with UTRs affected by CAN SINEs are potentially relevant to the differences between the species (body shape, size, etc.) or to Arctic-adaptation phenotypes such as fur color, metabolism, and the immune system. This supports a model that CAN SINEs have contributed to regulatory evolution in bears and provides further evidence of such events across carnivore genomes in the animal kingdom. Full article

Cultivar portfolio decisions and postharvest quality management in Kazakhstani fresh apple markets are made without locally validated consumer sensory benchmarks, limiting producers’ and breeders’ ability to align product design with regional consumer expectations. This exploratory study develops and pilot-tests a consumer sensory evaluation framework for fresh apple cultivars among young adults in an urban Kazakhstani context. Twenty-eight untrained adults evaluated firmness, crispness, juiciness, mealiness, sweetness, acidity, and aroma, alongside overall liking, using a 100 mm unstructured line scale, with reference-based calibration and triangle discrimination tests. Discrimination accuracy was high (96.4%; p < 0.001; d′ = 2.59), with no evidence of systematic anchoring bias, though this cannot be fully ruled out given the study design. Significant cultivar differences were observed for seven attributes (p < 0.01), with aroma showing no significant variation (p = 0.265). Crispness (⍴ = 0.44), sweetness (⍴ = 0.43), and juiciness (⍴ = 0.41) were the attributes most strongly and positively associated with overall liking, while mealiness exerted a negative influence (⍴ = −0.36). Exploratory factor analysis revealed three latent sensory dimensions—texture, taste, and aroma—explaining 71.22% of variance. Sex-based differences were limited to mealiness, acidity, and aroma. Given the small sample size and the absence of instrumental physicochemical measurements, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and hypothesis-generating rather than definitive. As one of the first consumer sensory evaluation frameworks piloted in a Kazakhstani population, this study provides preliminary insights and a methodological foundation for future, larger-scale research on cultivar selection, postharvest management, and consumer-oriented product development. Full article

The NaI(TI) detector is highly favored in gamma radiation detection and widely applied in fields such as environmental radiation monitoring, nuclear medicine, and laboratory gamma-ray spectroscopy. Its detection performance determines the results of quantitative gamma-ray detection, making it a crucial indicator in detector design and development. This study employs the Monte Carlo method and utilizes TopMC 1.0 software to establish a NaI(TI) detector model. First, the effects of crystal size, ray energy, cladding thickness, and distance on the detector’s detection efficiency were investigated. Subsequently, the energy resolution and peak-to-total ratio of the detector were simulated and calculated, with comparisons made to experimental values. The results indicate that all three detection efficiencies of the NaI(TI) detector are positively correlated with crystal size and exhibit an initial increase followed by a decrease with rising gamma-ray energy. Both the absolute detection efficiency and full-energy peak detection efficiency first increase and then decrease with increasing cladding thickness, while showing a negative correlation with detection distance. The intrinsic detection efficiency is almost unaffected by cladding thickness and initially rises before declining with increasing detection distance. The simulated values of energy resolution closely match experimental values, improving with higher gamma-ray energy. The deviation between simulated and experimental values for different source peak-to-total ratios remains within 6.25%, verifying the model’s reliability and the accuracy of simulation data. These findings provide valuable references and guidance for optimizing detection performance, conducting source-free efficiency calibration, and structural design of NaI(TI) detectors. Full article

Background: The tumor immune microenvironment, particularly the role of cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes, is crucial in cancer progression but remains poorly understood in pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs). The significance of CD8+ cell infiltration varies across PitNET subtypes, suggesting a complex interplay with tumor cell lineage. This study aimed to characterize the distribution of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes across different PitNET subtypes defined by the current WHO classification and to explore their association with clinicopathological features. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 40 surgically resected PitNETs. All cases were classified based on immunohistochemical expression of pituitary hormones and lineage-specific transcription factors (PIT-1, TPIT, SF-1). CD8+ lymphocyte density was quantified using immunohistochemistry and calculated as cells/mm². Exploratory statistical analysis was performed based on non-parametric tests to compare CD8+ cell density across tumor subtypes and with parameters like tumor size, invasiveness (Knosp grade), and proliferation index (Ki-67). Findings are to be treated as observational trends. Results: The highest density of CD8+ lymphocytes was observed in plurihormonal PIT-1-positive tumors [17.61 cells/mm² (IQR: 17.61–60.36)], followed by somatotroph [13.2 (6.6–15.72)] and mammosomatotroph [13.83 (0–21.38)] tumors. A difference in CD8+ density was found between PIT-1-positive and PIT-1-negative tumors (n1 = 34, n2 = 6, U = 49.5, p_exact = 0.050, r = 0.33); the medium effect size indicates a possible lineage-related trend. Another difference was observed between SF-1-positive and SF-1-negative tumors (p = 0.025), with SF-1 lineage tumors showing the lowest infiltration. No correlations were found between CD8+ density and tumor size, Knosp grade, or Ki-67 index. Conclusions: The distribution of intratumoral CD8+ T lymphocytes in PitNETs is highly heterogeneous and appears to be strongly dictated by the transcription factor-defined tumor lineage rather than by traditional clinicopathological markers of aggressiveness. PIT-1 lineage tumors harbor a more active immune microenvironment, while SF-1 lineage tumors are relatively ‘immune-poor’. These findings highlight the immunological diversity of PitNETs and support further investigation of the tumor immune landscape. Collaborative multi-institutional studies are required to validate these trends. Full article

Small ruminant production in Kosovo is predominantly extensive, and biosecurity practices remain poorly characterized. The emergence of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in Europe (beginning in 2024) and the first confirmed case in Kosovo (July 2025) highlight the urgent need for baseline biosecurity data to inform disease control. A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted on 63 small ruminant farms (53 meat-producing, 10 dairy-producing) across seven municipalities in Kosovo between September 2025 and February 2026. Biosecurity practices were assessed using the Biocheck.UGent™ questionnaire during direct on-farm visits. External (Ext) biosecurity scores (preventing pathogen introduction) were higher (p < 0.0001) than internal (Int) scores (limiting spread within farms). For external biosecurity, the highest scores were observed for purchase and reproduction (Ext A), intermediate scores existed for feed and water (Ext C) and visitors and farm workers (Ext D), and the lowest scores were found for transport and carcass removal (Ext B) and infrastructure (Ext E). For internal biosecurity, the highest scores were observed for lamb/kid management (Int H) and dairy management (Int I), followed by the management of adult animals (Int J); work organization (Int K) and reproduction management (Int G) formed an intermediate-low cluster, whereas disease management (Int F) scored the lowest. Benchmarking against the Biocheck.UGent™ worldwide database (predominantly intensive systems, thus not directly comparable) indicated that internal biosecurity and overall biosecurity levels were lower than the benchmark, while external biosecurity was comparable for some components. Given the convenience sample (36.4% response rate), findings are exploratory and are not directly generalizable. Larger herd size was positively correlated with external (ρ = 0.54, p < 0.0001), internal (ρ = 0.35, p = 0.005), and overall (ρ = 0.57, p < 0.0001) biosecurity scores. This first empirical biosecurity assessment of small ruminant farms in Kosovo reveals critical gaps in transport hygiene, disease management, and reproductive management pathways that enable PPR spread and perpetuate endemic zoonoses. The positive association between herd size and biosecurity may indicate structural barriers and/or knowledge gaps for small farms. Current biosecurity tools, designed for intensive systems, require adaptation for extensive production systems. These findings provide a baseline for targeted interventions, policy development, and validation of context-appropriate biosecurity instruments in Kosovo and similar extensive systems globally. Full article

Background and Objectives: The relationship between preoperative inflammatory markers and lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) in endometrioid-type endometrial cancer (EC) remains incompletely defined and warrants evaluation using robust statistical methods. This study aimed to evaluate the independent association of preoperative inflammatory markers, analyzed strictly as continuous variables, with the presence of LVSI, and to develop a refined predictive nomogram adjusted for established clinical confounders. Materials and Methods: Data from 156 patients who underwent standard staging surgery for endometrioid-type EC were retrospectively analysed. To preserve statistical power and avoid structural artifacts from data forcing, preoperative glucose-to-lymphocyte ratio (GLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were modeled on their original continuous scale. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for LVSI, adjusting for patient age and maximum tumor diameter. Internal validation was conducted using bootstrap resampling (1000 iterations). Results: In the multivariable logistic regression model, continuous PLR emerged as a significant independent risk factor for the presence of LVSI (adjusted OR: 1.013 per 1-unit increase, 95% CI: 1.001–1.024; p = 0.033). Among clinical parameters, maximum tumor diameter demonstrated the strongest independent association with LVSI (adjusted OR: 1.595 per 1 cm increase, 95% CI: 1.211–2.099; p = 0.001). Continuous NLR (p = 0.513) and GLR (p = 0.545) did not retain statistical significance due to overlapping explanatory variance and shared hematological components. The optimized 3-variable nomogram (PLR, tumor size, and age) demonstrated an apparent C-index of 0.816 (95% bootstrap CI: 0.719–0.920) and a robust optimism-corrected C-index of 0.794. The bootstrap-corrected calibration slope was 0.909, and Decision Curve Analysis (DCA) demonstrated a positive net clinical benefit across clinically relevant threshold probabilities. Conclusions: Preoperative PLR, evaluated as a continuous parameter, provides a statistically stable framework for preoperative risk stratification in endometrioid EC. When integrated with tumor size and age, the proposed nomogram demonstrates promising discriminative performance and potential clinical utility pending external validation for predicting LVSI. However, given the limited number of LVSI-positive events (n = 17), these findings should be regarded as exploratory and hypothesis-generating and require external validation before clinical use. Full article

This study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence and enterprise risk management maturity among risk leaders in Indonesia’s financial services sector, adopting a workplace accountability perspective to explain how leadership behavioural competencies support effective risk ownership, risk communication, and accountable risk decision-making. Drawing on survey data from 280 board-level executives holding the Qualified Risk Governance Professional credential, the study measures emotional intelligence using the Bar-On EQ-i and enterprise risk management maturity using the RIMS Risk Maturity Model. The findings reveal a strong and positive association between emotional intelligence and enterprise risk management maturity, with interpersonal competence and adaptability exhibiting the strongest associations with ERM maturity, while no significant differences are observed across job roles or organisational size. By empirically examining the association between leadership emotional capabilities and the institutionalisation of risk governance, the study contributes to global management and the literature on risk by extending enterprise risk management research beyond technical frameworks and compliance models, particularly within emerging market contexts. The results suggest that emotional intelligence may represent a transferable governance capability that is relevant to organisations operating in complex, uncertain, and globally interconnected environments. Practically, the study suggests that emotional intelligence development may represent a useful complement to leadership and risk capability programmes aimed at supporting risk culture, cross-functional engagement, and accountability. Full article

In processes related to the treatment of mineral materials, the crushing stage determines the ability to obtain the required particle-size fraction. At the same time, it is an exceptionally energy-intensive step (accounting for about 5% of global electricity consumption) and one that generates significant environmental impacts, particularly in the form of high noise levels and considerable dust emissions. This study focuses on acoustic issues associated with the operation of crushers equipped with materials of varying hardness. Noise level measurements were carried out and then compared with the machines’ operational parameters, such as reduction ratio, throughput, energy consumption, and grain-size distribution. The results indicate that the properties of the processed material have a significant influence on noise emission during the crushing process. The study included various types of materials, such as pebble, basalt, and granite (feed size 16–22 mm), as well as lower-strength materials, including aerated concrete, recycled concrete, and ceramic materials (average particle size of approximately 50 mm), enabling a comparative analysis under controlled operating conditions. The measured noise levels ranged from front position 105.3 dB and side position 105.2 dB, depending on the material type, with the highest values observed for [hard material, e.g., recycled concrete and basalt] and the lowest for [weak material, e.g., aerated concrete]. The differences between extreme cases reached up to the top position 107.6 dB, indicating a strong relationship between material properties and acoustic emission. These findings highlight the importance of material selection in crushing processes and provide a useful reference for reducing noise impact and improving the environmental performance of industrial aggregate production. Full article