Search Results (215,055)

This work presents the design of a compact, wideband circular microstrip patch antenna for microwave imaging-based brain tumor detection. The main contribution is the development of a compact antenna structure incorporating enhanced ground-plane slot modifications, which significantly improves impedance bandwidth while maintaining a small electrical size, making it highly suitable for medical imaging systems. In addition, the study integrates antenna design, safety evaluation, and microwave imaging analysis within a unified framework to assess tumor localization feasibility using a realistic head model in CST Microwave Studio. The proposed antenna is fabricated on an FR-4 substrate with dimensions of 37 × 54.5 × 1.6 mm³, corresponding to an electrical size of 0.176λ × 0.260λ × 0.0076λ at the lowest operating frequency of 1.43 GHz. Ground-plane slot enhancements are introduced to achieve wideband performance, resulting in an impedance bandwidth from 1.43 to 4 GHz and a fractional bandwidth of 94.7%. The antenna exhibits a maximum realized gain of 3.7 dB. To evaluate its suitability for medical applications, specific absorption rate (SAR) analysis is performed using a realistic human head model at multiple antenna positions and at 1.5, 2.1, 2.5, 3.3, and 3.9 GHz frequencies. The computed SAR values range from 0.109 to 1.56 W/kg averaged over 10 g of tissue, satisfying the IEEE C95.1 safety guideline limit of 2 W/kg. For tumor detection assessment, time-domain simulations are conducted in CST Microwave Studio using a monostatic radar configuration, where the antenna operates as both transmitter and receiver at twelve angular positions around the head with 30° increments. The collected scattered signals are processed using the Delay-and-Sum (DAS) beamforming algorithm to reconstruct dielectric contrast maps and localize the tumor. It should be noted that the tumor-imaging demonstrations presented in this work are based on numerical simulations, while experimental validation is limited to the characterization of the fabricated antenna. Nevertheless, the findings indicate that the proposed antenna is a promising candidate for noninvasive, low-cost microwave brain tumor imaging applications. Full article

Traditional villages in the Jiangnan region have experienced significant spatial transformation under rural revitalization, yet thermal environment regulation in public spaces remains insufficiently addressed. This study examines how spatial morphology influences microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort during summer and proposes evidence-based climate-responsive strategies. Three representative provincial-level traditional villages in Wuxi—Yaogeli Village, Zhu Village, and Huangtutang Ancient Village Area—were selected as case studies. Public spaces were classified into open, semi-open, and semi-private types according to spatial openness. Field microclimate measurements and thermal comfort surveys were conducted, and Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) was calculated to evaluate thermal conditions. Results show that rural public spaces generally experience significant summer heat stress, with PET exceeding the neutral range during most daytime periods. Spatial openness is significantly positively correlated with PET, identifying solar radiation as the dominant thermal driver. Water bodies provide cooling benefits within limited spatial ranges, constrained by configuration and ventilation conditions. Ecological and composite surfaces reduce heat accumulation compared to single materials. These findings indicate that thermal comfort in rural public spaces is a multi-factor and interaction-driven process, providing empirical support for climate-adaptive rural renewal. Full article

Background: Protein phosphatase 2Cs (PP2Cs) constitutes the largest phosphatase family in plants, playing a pivotal role in signal transduction. Within this family, the PP2C.D subfamily exerts significant influence on cell elongation and stress adaptation by mediating the ‘SAUR-PP2C.D-H+-ATPase’ regulatory module in the auxin signaling pathway. In rice, OsPP2C61 is a PP2C member whose molecular features and potential regulatory context remain unclear. Methods: Our study conducted a preliminary characterization of OsPP2C61 through integrated bioinformatics analysis, spatiotemporal expression profiling, and subcellular localization experiments in tobacco leaf cell. Results: OsPP2C61 encodes a 377-amino-acid protein predicted to be hydrophilic, basic, and structurally unstable. Secondary-structure prediction identified three major elements with random coils as the predominant component, whereas 3D modeling indicated alternating α-helices and β-sheets consistent with a canonical PP2C fold. Phylogenetic inference placed OsPP2C61 within the PP2C.D clade and revealed conserved motifs shared with OsPP2C25, OsPP2C28, and OsPP2C39. Promoter analysis showed enrichment of abscisic acid (ABA)- and methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-responsive elements along with multiple stress-related cis-regulatory motifs. Spatiotemporal expression analysis showed that OsPP2C61 is highly expressed in roots. Subcellular localization assays further demonstrated that the OsPP2C61-GFP fusion protein localizes to the nucleus and the plasma membrane when transiently expressed in epidermal cells of Nicotiana benthamiana. Conclusions: This work delivers the first comprehensive characterization of OsPP2C61, establishing a foundation for mechanistic studies and positioning OsPP2C61 as a candidate gene for rice improvement. Full article

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic value of conventional ultrasound (CUS) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) features in differentiating benign from malignant Bethesda III/IV thyroid nodules, and to identify independent predictors of malignancy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 164 surgically confirmed Bethesda III/IV thyroid nodules. CUS and CEUS features were evaluated by two experienced radiologists blinded to pathological outcomes. Univariate analysis compared features between benign and malignant groups. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors. Diagnostic models were constructed based on CUS alone, CEUS alone, and their combination, with performance evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for each model. Results: The malignancy rate was 48.8% (80/164). Multivariate analysis identified microcalcifications (OR = 4.815, p < 0.001), aspect ratio >1 (OR = 2.499, p = 0.028), and irregular shape (OR = 2.465, p = 0.035) as independent risk factors, while older age (OR = 0.926 per year, p < 0.001) was protective. The CUS model achieved an AUC of 0.815 with high sensitivity (91.3%) and NPV (87.7%). The CEUS model performed poorly (AUC = 0.609). The combined model (AUC = 0.823) showed no significant improvement over CUS alone (p > 0.05). Physician subjective diagnosis based on CEUS TI-RADS yielded an AUC of 0.775. Conclusions: Conventional ultrasound features provide good diagnostic value for Bethesda III/IV nodules, with high sensitivity and NPV suitable for clinical screening. The addition of CEUS offered limited incremental benefit in this specific population, suggesting that the diagnostic value of CEUS for differentiating benign from malignant cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules (ITNs) may be limited. Full article

Cochlear implantation (CI) effectively restores hearing across the whole lifespan but may be followed by vestibular complaints, especially in adult recipients. The aim of this narrative review is to provide a comprehensive characterization of vestibular complaints after CI in adults, collecting clinical and instrumental data, as well as discussing the risk factors for their development. From data reported in the literature, we defined five recurring clinical presentations of postoperative vestibular disturbances (phenotypes): acute postoperative vestibular syndrome, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), delayed Ménière-like vertigo attributable to secondary endolymphatic hydrops, chronic postoperative disequilibrium, and stimulation-linked vertigo. According to the different pathogeneses underlying each presentation, the management of postoperative vestibular complaints should be phenotype-guided, including short-course vestibular suppressants and early mobilisation for acute presentations; canalith repositioning for BPPV; empiric therapy for hydropic-like episodes; and vestibular rehabilitation when imbalance is persistent, programming changes for stimulation-linked symptoms. Alongside this phenotype-driven approach, subjective symptoms are common across cohorts but are usually transient and persistent disability is uncommon. Furthermore, instrumental data across the studies indicate that objective abnormalities cluster in otolith and low-frequency canal measures: Cervical, ocular VEMP, and caloric responses are more often impaired than high-frequency canal function on vHIT, confirming histopathological studies showing preferential saccular involvement during the insertion of the electrode array. The risk of postoperative vestibular complaints not only appears to be modulated more by patient-related factors, especially pre-existing vestibular loss, but also by the aetiology of deafness, or age, rather than by device characteristics; atraumatic surgical approaches may further reduce this risk. This review emphasizes that future research on vestibular complaints after CI should adopt standardized phenotypes when evaluating symptoms, objective vestibular function, falls, and quality of life. Additionally, it should correlate these outcomes with hypothetical risk factors and detailed surgical reports. Full article

Background/Objectives: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) develops gradually over many years through a prolonged preclinical phase, yet traditional static risk scores often fail to capture these dynamic metabolic trajectories. We propose a longitudinal deep learning framework to predict the 10-year risk of Type 2 diabetes onset defined by comprehensive ADA criteria by modeling the physiological acceleration of routine clinical biomarkers. Methods: Utilizing an 18-year longitudinal dataset from the community-based Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) cohort, we selected $N=4354$ participants with complete follow-up records, ensuring high data integrity without requiring synthetic data augmentation. We constructed a 3-dimensional tensor of 21 non-invasive clinical variables spanning a 6-year observation window. To resolve the inherent precision-recall trade-offs of individual models, we developed a stacking ensemble that integrates Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) architectures via a logistic regression meta-learner. To evaluate the added value of longitudinal modeling, we compared this dynamic framework against a static XGBoost baseline that only saw the most recent data. Results: Evaluated on an independent test set ($n=874$), the ensemble significantly outperformed baseline models, achieving an overall accuracy of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.88–0.92) and an AUROC of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.93–0.95). By harmonizing LSTM’s sensitivity and GRU’s precision, the model yielded an exceptional Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 0.97, a sensitivity of 0.80, and a specificity of 0.98. Conclusions: This framework provides a highly accurate, resource-efficient triage instrument for T2D screening, thereby reducing unnecessary clinical alerts and improving screening efficiency. Full article

Background: Tumour volume percentage (TVP) is considered an important pathological parameter, particularly in prostate cancer, representing the ratio of tumour volume to the total gland, and it can be used to measure the quantity of malignancy. Previous reports have already demonstrated that an elevated tumour volume percentage is associated with unfavourable factors, including extraprostatic extension, positive surgical margins, and lymph node metastasis. The independent value of TVP, especially in high-risk prostate cancer treated by radical prostatectomy, remains an area of active research, despite established prognostic factors such as PSA, ISUP grade, and TNM stage. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 159 high-risk prostate cancer patients who underwent open or laparoscopic radical prostatectomy between January 2016 and January 2025 at the Clinic of Urology of Targu Mures. High-risk patients were defined as those with ISUP grade 4–5 or PSA >20 ng/mL or clinical stage ≥T2c or stage cT3–4 and/or lymph node metastasis. Tumour volume percentage was calculated from the final pathology result and was determined as the proportion of prostate cancer volume relative to the total prostate volume. Clinical and pathological features, including PSA, ISUP grade, TNM stage, surgical margin, and lymph node involvement, were reported. To assess TVP as an indicator of tumour aggressiveness, univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 159 high-risk prostate cancer patients (100%), with a median age of 66 years, who underwent open or laparoscopic radical prostatectomy were included. The median tumour volume percentage was 7.6%, and the median prostate volume was 43.8 cc. On univariate analysis, patients with extraprostatic extension (p < 0.001), positive surgical margins (p = 0.005), a higher ISUP grade (p < 0.001), and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.006) exhibited higher TVP compared to their counterparts. A significant correlation was also observed between TVP and the number of positive biopsy cores (p < 0.001), a higher PSA value (p = 0.005), and a younger age (p = 0.041). Conversely, no correlation was identified between TVP and perioperative factors such as hospital stay, surgery duration, ICU days, type of approach, or positive urine culture. Two regression models on multivariate analyses were performed with TVP as the dependent variable. In the continuous variable model (Adjusted R² = 0.43, p < 0.001), independent predictors of higher TVP were the number of positive biopsy cores (B = 0.54, p < 0.001), the number of positive lymph nodes (B = 2.59, p < 0.001), and surgical margin dimension (B = 1.19, p < 0.001). Age, PSA, and perioperative variables showed no significant correlation with TVP on multivariate analysis. In the categorical regression model (Adjusted R² = 0.438), statistical significance was confirmed (F-test, p < 0.001). Independent predictors of increased tumour volume percentage included ISUP grade 5 in the effect-coded model (B = +6.60, 95% CI: 0.96–12.25, p = 0.022), and pathological TNM stage pT4 (B = +24.70, 95% CI: 17.69–31.70, p < 0.001). ROC analysis showed limited-to-moderate discrimination for positive surgical margins (AUC = 0.655; 95% CI 0.565–0.744; p = 0.001) and stronger discrimination for pN1 (AUC = 0.793; 95% CI 0.650–0.936; p = 0.002). The Youden-derived cut-offs were 4.90% for positive surgical margins and 5.77% for lymph-node metastasis. Conclusions: Tumour volume percentage is significantly associated with several adverse pathological features in high-risk prostate cancer. Rather than a standalone biomarker, its association with adverse pathological features underscores its potential role in risk stratification models, and the incorporation into pathology reports and prognostic nomograms may improve clinical decision-making. Full article

During circumferential tensioning of prestressing strands in U-shaped aqueducts, longitudinal tensile stresses may develop and impair crack resistance. Most existing studies rely on three-dimensional finite element (FE) simulations. Although accurate, FE modeling is time-consuming and unsuitable for rapid scheme evaluation during construction. To overcome this limitation, the U-shaped aqueduct was first simplified as a cylindrical shell and the feasibility of this idealization was verified. An approximate analytical solution was then derived from cylindrical shell theory to predict the longitudinal stress induced by circumferential prestressing. Practical factors, including non-uniform wall thickness, non-equidistant strand spacing, and strand positional deviations, were incorporated to improve engineering applicability. FE results confirm good agreement, with RMSE of 0.055–0.169 MPa and NRMSE of 2.3–19.6%, where the upper bound occurs only in localized regions. The method was further applied to an engineering project to optimize the tensioning scheme. With a rational interval-tensioning procedure, the peak longitudinal tensile stress was reduced by 31.6%. Overall, the proposed approach enables rapid stress estimation and supports preliminary screening and optimization of circumferential tensioning schemes. Full article

Understanding how migratory waterbird species co-vary through time can reveal guild structure and guide monitoring in dynamic coastal wetlands, yet seasonal phenology can inflate simple co-occurrence signals. Here, we used standardized monthly bird counts from Yongan Wetland, Taiwan (36 survey months across two survey blocks: November 2014 and January–August 2015, and October 2016–December 2018) to infer de-seasonalized interspecific associations. We analyzed 50 regularly recorded species and a focal subset of 13 shorebirds and ducks. For each species, we transformed raw counts to monthly anomalies that remove recurrent seasonal patterns, then quantified pairwise Spearman correlations and controlled multiple testing using Benjamini–Hochberg FDR (q ≤ 0.05) to construct association networks. The anomaly-based network revealed strong guild structure: positive links were concentrated within dabbling ducks and within shorebirds, consistent with shared habitat use and foraging regimes, whereas negative links were fewer and suggested potential niche partitioning or spatiotemporal segregation. Robustness analyses (moving-block bootstrap stability, a circular-shift null comparison, and log-transformed anomaly sensitivity) supported that the main network patterns were unlikely to arise from chance alignment. Our framework provides a transparent, time-series–based approach for disentangling phenology from association inference, offering a practical framework for wetland monitoring and hypothesis generation about waterbird community dynamics. Full article

Tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) is widely used as a plasticizer, flame retardant, and lubricant additive, but has been reported to impair spermatogenesis. However, how TOCP affects spermatogenesis remains unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanism by which TOCP disrupts spermatogenesis. In order to achieve this, adult male mice were orally administered TOCP at doses of 0, 200, or 400 mg/kg for two weeks, and we found that TOCP exposure reduced the number of germ cells and decreased sperm density. Moreover, the numbers of PCNA-positive cells and phospho-histone H3 (Ser10)-positive cells in mouse testicular tissues were significantly decreased following TOCP treatment, indicating that germ cell proliferation may be impaired. In addition, TOCP did not affect the protein expression of neuropathy target esterase (NTE) in testicular tissues but markedly inhibited its enzymatic activity (by approximately 30% relative to the control level). In vitro experiments further demonstrate that TOCP suppressed cell proliferation and mitotic progression in mouse GC-1 spg cells and excessively activated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Treatment with 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA), an ER stress inhibitor, partially reversed the TOCP-induced inhibition of cell proliferation and mitosis. Furthermore, TOCP inhibited NTE activity in GC-1 spg cells, and NTE knockdown produced a phenotype similar to that observed after TOCP exposure, characterized by suppressed cell proliferation and mitotic progression. Surprisingly, ER stress was not activated in GC-1 spg cells following NTE knockdown. Collectively, these findings suggest that TOCP may impair spermatogenesis by inhibiting the proliferation and mitotic progression of mouse germ cells, potentially through mechanisms involving excessive activation of ER stress or suppression of NTE activity. Full article

We present a temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) study of solution-grown CsPbBr₃ bulk crystal and thin film, using one-photon and two-photon excitations. Twin planes are observed in X-ray diffraction spectra in crystal. In analyzing PL peak position and spectral widths as function of temperature, we find that the electron–phonon interaction is generally stronger in CsPbBr₃ crystals than in films. Moreover, with one photon excitation, emissions from excitons and trapped excitons are observed in CsPbBr₃ crystal. Under two-photon excitation, only the emissions from trapped excitons are observed in bulk crystal. Our work demonstrates that two-photon excitation PL is more sensitive to the trapped excitons inside CsPbBr₃, implicating an optical method to probe the inside quality of the crystal. Full article

In the vehicle electrification sector, the precise and reliable control of e-motors is of the utmost importance for ensuring the efficient and safe operation of the whole electric vehicle drivetrain. Specifically, the assessment of the absolute rotor position of the permanent magnet-based synchronous motors is necessary for precise e-motor control, which is strongly determined by the precision of the sensing device used for the absolute rotor position assessment. Magnetic rotational position sensing devices/encoders are predominantly used in the automotive sector. The accuracy of a magnetic-based rotational position sensing device can be affected by defects/errors which may occur during its manufacturing and/or assembly process. These defects may in turn affect the accuracy of the e-motor’s control and operation. The primary objective of this study was to numerically and experimentally design and investigate the accuracy of a magnetic-based off-axis rotational position sensing device intended for the control of a new permanent magnet e-motor, which was developed for a two-wheeler electric vehicle drivetrain. First, a 3D parametric numerical model of a magnetic rotational position sensing device mounted on the motor shaft was built by virtue of the finite element method (FEM). Based on numerical simulations, the appropriate dimensions of the magnetic ring were determined and the possible errors which may have occurred during its manufacturing process have been numerically imposed and analyzed. Second, the rotor position sensing device was prototyped based on the recommendations obtained with the 3D FEM model. Finally, the accuracy of the designed rotational position device was then experimentally assessed by comparing it to a standardized end-of-shaft rotational position encoder. To evaluate the influence of the possible errors on the e-motor rotor position measurement, the output characteristics of the motor torque as a function of its rotational speed of a real permanent magnet e-motor were experimentally assessed using two different rotational position devices. Based on the numerical end experimental results, we identified the manufacturing errors of the magnetic ring and analyzed their influence on the resulting output characteristics of the e-motor. The results revealed that the magnetic ring eccentricity and its magnetization process could affect the accuracy of the e-motor’s output torque characteristics. Full article

In 2021, Quanzhou, China, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Using the Motivation–Opportunity–Ability (MOA) theoretical framework, this study examines how motivation, opportunity, and ability factors influence community participation (CP) in conserving and developing tourist attractions. Quanzhou's World Heritage Site (WHS) was chosen as the case study, while Social Media Involvement (SMI) was selected as a moderator for this analysis. Through PLS-SEM, a total of 405 valid responses were examined and evaluated. The findings show that based on the MOA framework, Motivation Positive Perceptions (MPP), Opportunity (OPP), Awareness (AAW), and Knowledge (AKN) have significant positive effects on CP, whereas Motivation Negative Perceptions (MNP) exert a significant negative effect on CP and Motivation Interest (MINT) does not achieve statistical significance. Additionally, all motivation, opportunity, and ability factors have significant positive moderating relationships with CP through SMI. Hence, this study confirms that the MOA framework is applicable to the context of Chinese World Heritage Sites; it extends the current understanding of how social media can play a role in the governance of cultural heritage (CH). Thus, this study provides both a theoretical basis and practical considerations for CP in the sustainable conservation and tourism development of WHSs. Full article

Background: Epstein-Barr virus-related acute pharyngotonsillitis is common in children and adolescents and is generally managed successfully with positive outcomes by both ENT specialists and pediatricians. However, a variety of acute, life-threatening complications can occur, including upper airway obstruction and infectious or immune-mediated sequelae. Methods: This paper describes our recent experience with four pediatric patients presenting with severe ENT manifestations of infectious mononucleosis (IM) that led to life-threatening complications, all of whom were hospitalized and managed at our tertiary pediatric hospital between January 2022 and April 2025. Results: We report four cases (two boys and two girls) aged 5 to 16 years, hospitalized with complicated EBV-related pharyngotonsillitis. Presentations included respiratory distress (cases 1 and 2), hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis resulting in death (case 3), and a retropharyngeal abscess (case 4). Conclusions: The prognosis of IM in the pediatric population is generally favourable. However, acute, life-threatening complications may arise. In such cases, timely and coordinated multidisciplinary management involving ENT specialists, pediatricians, and anesthesiologists is crucial. Full article

Map conflation is essential for integrating heterogeneous road datasets, but it often requires region- and data-specific algorithm design to automate the complex identification of feature-to-feature correspondences. This effort is increased when only cartographic products are available instead of GIS-ready vectors since both digitization or matching corresponding features manually are labor-intensive. In this study, we assess the performance of a multimodal LLM, GPT-5 “thinking” mode for map conflation directly on a PDF map where road networks from TomTom and OpenStreetMap are embedded as colored polylines. We instruct the LLM to interpret the PDF, extract road geometries and their identifiers, and generate both strict 1:1 and flexible M:N matches. In any hybrid-patterned network cases located around Bosphorus, Istanbul, while M:N matching process increased the number of matches, it also increased false positives and lowered overall F1 scores. In contrast, 1:1 matching produced more balanced correctness-completeness results. The model achieves its highest performance in the cellular-patterned networks. The results show that LLM-based matching can detect a substantial share of true correspondences in such a challenging hybrid setting, but performance clearly depends on the matching strategy: strict or flexible. It highlights both the potential promise and the current limitations of matching embedded road lines. Full article