Search Results (16,619)

Background/Objectives: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and carotenoids are systemic indicators of metabolic and oxidative status, yet their influence on ocular tissue biomechanics remains unclear. This study investigated the relationships between systemic AGEs and skin carotenoid levels, as well as corneal biomechanical properties in glaucoma patients. Methods: A retrospective observational analysis was performed on 676 patients (1278 eyes) who attended the glaucoma clinic at Shimane University Hospital between May 2019 and August 2024. Fingertip skin autofluorescence (sAF)-based AGE scores using AGE Sensor^® and skin carotenoid scores using the Veggie Meter^® were collected as part of systemic evaluation. Corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure (IOPg), and corneal compensated intraocular pressure (IOPcc) were measured using the ocular response analyzer (ORA). Associations between systemic variables, AGEs, carotenoids, and ORA parameters were analyzed using univariate tests, mixed-effects regression models, and quartile-based comparisons. Results: The mean AGEs and carotenoid scores were 0.42 ± 0.10 arbitrary units and 338.5 ± 130.8 optical density units, respectively. Via a univariate analysis, an inverse association was found between carotenoid level and CRF; however, via multivariate analyses, neither AGEs nor carotenoid levels were associated with IOPg, IOPcc, CH, or CRF in any analysis. In contrast, demographic parameters showed significant associations with ORA parameters. Via quartile-based comparisons, a significant inverse correlation was found between AGEs and carotenoids (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: In conclusion, sAF-measured AGEs and skin carotenoids showed no remarkable associations with corneal biomechanical properties. AGEs and carotenoids demonstrated an inverse relationship with each other, and each marker was associated with several demographic parameters. Full article

Background/Objectives: Hemodynamic and neurohormonal factors, including renal perfusion and venous pressure, may affect diuretic response, which may be modulated by body position. This study aimed to assess whether supine versus upright positioning influences diuretic efficacy and neurohormonal activation during early decongestion in patients with AHF and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods: This single-center, prospective, pilot randomized study enrolled 12 hospitalized patients with decompensated HFrEF receiving guideline-directed medical therapy. Participants were randomized (1:1) to remain in either the supine or upright/seated position during intravenous furosemide administration (1 mg/kg: half of the dose administered as a bolus, half as a 2-h infusion). Serial measurements of urine volume, electrolyte excretion, and neurohormonal biomarkers (renin, aldosterone, catecholamines) were performed at baseline, 2, and 6 h after diuretic administration. Results: No significant differences were found between supine and upright groups in total urine output, urine dilution, sodium excretion, or weight change after 6 h. There were no statistically significant differences in renin and aldosterone levels across subsequent timepoints; however, renin concentration tended to be higher in upright than in supine individuals. Interestingly, supine participants demonstrated greater urinary adrenaline concentration after furosemide administration, alone and after adjustment for urinary creatinine. Conclusions: No clinically meaningful differences were found between supine versus upright position patients with AHF, receiving neurohormonal blockade. Full article

This study presents a detailed experimental investigation of wave impact loads generated by a 3D dam break flow over a dry horizontal bed. Three-dimensionality is induced by a rigid obstacle partially blocking the channel, tested in both symmetric and asymmetric configurations. Impact pressures have been measured at three transverse locations on a downstream vertical wall, and peak pressures, rise times, and pressure impulses have been statistically characterized based on repeated experiments until convergence is achieved. The results show that three-dimensional effects significantly modify the spatial distribution and intensity of impact pressures compared to classical 2D dam break cases. In the asymmetric configuration, the obstacle induces strong lateral redirection of the flow, leading to highly impulsive loads at unshielded locations and substantial pressure attenuation in shadowed regions. In contrast, the symmetric configuration produces more uniform pressure distributions with reduced peak values and weaker impulsive behavior. A probabilistic description of pressure peaks, rise times, and impulses is provided. The dataset offers new experimental benchmarks for the validation and calibration of numerical models aimed at predicting wave-induced structural loads in complex three-dimensional impact flows. Full article

Satellite communication systems experience significant signal degradation during rain events, a phenomenon that can be leveraged for meteorological applications. This study introduces a novel hybrid machine learning framework combining unsupervised clustering with cluster-specific supervised deep learning models to transform satellite signal attenuation into a predictive tool for rainfall prediction. Unlike conventional single-model approaches treating all atmospheric conditions uniformly, our methodology employs K-Means Clustering with the Elbow Method to identify four distinct atmospheric regimes based on Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) patterns from a 12-m Ku-band satellite ground station at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok, Thailand, combined with absolute pressure and hourly rainfall measurements. The dataset comprises 98,483 observations collected with 30-s temporal resolutions, providing comprehensive coverage of diverse tropical atmospheric conditions. The experimental platform integrates three subsystems: a receiver chain featuring a Low-Noise Block (LNB) converter and Software-Defined Radio (SDR) platform for real-time data acquisition; a control system with two-axis motorized pointing incorporating dual-encoder feedback; and a preprocessing workflow implementing data cleaning, K-Means Clustering (k = 4), Synthetic Minority Over-Sampling Technique (SMOTE) for balanced representation, and standardization. Specialized Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks trained for each identified cluster enable capture of regime-specific temporal dynamics. Experimental validation demonstrates substantial performance improvements, with cluster-specific LSTM models achieving R² values exceeding 0.92 across all atmospheric regimes. Comparative analysis confirms LSTM superiority over RNN and GRU. Classification performance evaluation reveals exceptional detection capabilities with Probability of Detection ranging from 0.75 to 0.99 and False Alarm Ratios below 0.23. This work presents a scalable approach to weather radar systems for tropical regions with limited ground-based infrastructure, particularly during rapid meteorological transitions characteristic of tropical climates. Full article

Spatial openness affects the subjective evaluation of soundscape, landscape, and thermal perceptions, leading to various restoration effects and recreational behaviors. However, the literature lacks studies investigating the effects of multisensory interactions under different levels of spatial openness in plazas on users’ behaviors in urban greenways. Thus, this study contributes to the enhancement of recreational experiences and the environmental design of urban greenways by examining the interaction between multisensory evaluations and recreational behaviors in greenway plazas with different levels of spatial openness. Three types of plazas (enclosed, semi-enclosed, open) were selected along an urban greenway to analyze interactions through in situ measurements, questionnaires, and behavior observation. The results showed that people rated the environment as the quietest and coolest in enclosed plazas, although the sound pressure level of these plazas was the highest. Furthermore, the visual evaluation (VE) was mostly correlated with acoustic evaluation (AE) in plazas with high openness, while the correlation effect between AE and thermal evaluation (TE) was only significant in enclosed plazas. In other words, AE was the key factor targeting the improvement in comfort in greenway plazas. Secondly, improving AE was more effective for stimulating the frequency of interactive activities in enclosed plazas, compared to improving TE. However, AE had a negative effect on the time that people were willing to spend on interactive activities in semi-enclosed plazas. Finally, these findings provide corresponding strategies for creating comfortable audio, visual, and thermal environments in greenway plazas with different levels of openness, as well as strategies for enhancing the recreational experiences of visitors. Full article

Gas injection is a well-established method for enhancing oil recovery by improving oil mobility, primarily through viscosity reduction. While its application in heavy oil reservoirs is extensively studied, the specific impact of carbon dioxide (CO₂) injection pressure on fluid viscosity reduction and the ultimate recovery factor from light oil reservoirs has not been fully investigated. To address this gap, this experimental study systematically explores the effects of CO₂ injection pressure and reservoir permeability on light oil recovery. This study conducted miscible, near-miscible, and immiscible gas injection experiments on two core samples with distinct permeabilities (13.4 md and 28 md), each saturated with light oil. CO₂ was injected at five different pressures, including conditions ranging from immiscible to initial reservoir pressure. The primary metrics for evaluation were the recovery factor (measured at gas breakthrough, end of injection, and abandonment pressure) and the viscosity reduction of the produced oil. The results conclusively demonstrate that CO₂ injection significantly enhances light oil production. A direct proportional relationship was established between both the injection pressure and the recovery factor and between permeability and overall oil production at the gas breakthrough. However, a key finding was the inverse relationship observed between permeability and viscosity reduction: the lower-permeability sample (13.4 md) consistently exhibited a greater percentage of viscosity reduction across all injection pressures than the higher-permeability sample (28 md). This unexpected trend is aligned with the inverse relationship between the permeability and the recovery factor after the gas breakthrough. This outcome suggests that enhanced CO₂ solubility, driven by higher confinement pressures within the nanopores of the lower-permeability rock, promotes a localized, near-miscible state. This effect was even evident during immiscible injection, where the low-permeability sample showed a noticeable viscosity reduction and superior long-term production. These findings highlight the critical role of pore-scale confinement in governing CO₂ miscibility and its associated viscosity reduction, which should be incorporated into enhanced oil recovery design for unconventional reservoirs. Full article

This study focuses on the recovery and digitization of three fragmentary meteorological datasets from the archives of the Royal Observatory of the Spanish Navy in Cádiz, covering selected days in 1776, 1788, and 1793. These records include temperature, pressure, and occasional wind observations originally linked to astronomical measurements. After manual transcription and quality control, the historical data were compared with long-term climate statistics from the period 1955–2021 for Cádiz. Despite the absence of metadata on instruments and installation, the 18th-century observations show reasonable agreement with present-day seasonal patterns, indicating their reliability. Wind data, although limited, were documented using an eight-point wind rose and terminology consistent with historical standards. These findings highlight the scientific and historical value of scattered early observations. They provide reference points for validating historical reanalysis and suggest that additional records may exist in naval archives. Continued efforts to recover such data will improve long-term climate reconstructions for southern Spain and beyond. Full article

Plasma nitriding is an advanced method to increase the hardness and wear resistance of different metal parts with complex shapes and geometries. The modelling is an appropriate approach for better understanding and improving such technologies based on multi-physical processes. Mathematical models of the coupled electromagnetic, fluid flow, and thermal processes in vacuum chambers for the low-temperature plasma treatment of metal parts have been developed. They were solved numerically via ANSYS/CFX software for a discretized solid and gas space of a plasma nitriding chamber. The specific electrical conductivity of the gas mixture, containing plasma, has been calibrated on the basis of an electrical model of the chamber and in situ measurements. The three-dimensional fields of pressure, temperature, velocity, turbulent characteristics, electric current density, and voltage in the chamber have been simulated and analysed. Methods for further development and application of the models and for technological and constructive enhancement of the plasma treatment technologies are discussed. Full article

Within the Rajidae family, the blonde ray (Raja brachyura) is considered one of the less resilient species to fishing pressure and other anthropogenic pressures, primarily due to its late maturity and large maximum size, which can exceed 120 cm total length. This is the first study to provide comprehensive insights into the reproductive biology of Raja brachyura in the continental waters of Portugal, with insights into its timing, maturity, and fecundity. It was determined that egg-laying occurs from February to November, with a peak observed between April and September. Males were reproductively active throughout the year, with highest proportions of active males observed between January and May. The length at first maturity was estimated at 95.2 cm for females and 90.0 cm for males, corresponding to 85% of the maximum observed length in each sex. The potential fecundity was estimated at 115 follicles per female per year, and evidence suggests that the species has a determinate fecundity. The findings reinforce the appropriateness of current management measures in Portuguese continental waters, namely seasonal closure when overlapping with the peak of the reproductive season (May and June), and provide valuable scientific support for future conservation and management measures. Full article

Individuals born after intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are at increased risk of long-term cardiovascular complications, including elevated blood pressure, endothelial dysfunction, and arterial stiffness. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), particularly endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs), play a critical role in maintaining vascular homeostasis. Previously, Simoncini et al. observed that in a rat model of IUGR, six-month-old males exhibited elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and microvascular rarefaction compared with control (CTRL) rats. These vascular alterations were accompanied by reduced numbers and impaired function of bone marrow-derived ECFCs, which were associated with oxidative stress and stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS). In contrast, IUGR females of the same age and from the same litter did not exhibit higher SBP or microvascular rarefaction, raising the question of whether ECFC dysfunction in IUGR female rats can be present without vascular alterations. So, we investigated ECFCs isolated from six-month-old female IUGR offspring (maternal 9% casein diet) and CTRL females (23% casein diet). To complete the vascular assessment, we performed in vivo and in vitro investigations. No alteration in pulse wave velocity (measured by echo-Doppler) was observed; however, IUGR females showed decreased aortic collagen and increased elastin content compared with CTRL. Regarding ECFCs, those from IUGR females maintained their endothelial identity (CD31⁺/CD146⁺ ratio among viable CD45⁻ cells) but exhibited slight alterations in progenitor marker expression (CD34) compared with those of CTRL females. Functionally, IUGR-ECFCs displayed a delayed proliferation phase between 6 and 24 h, while their ability to form capillary-like structures remained unchanged, however their capacity to form capillary-like structures was preserved. Regarding the nitric oxide (NO) pathway, a biologically relevant trend toward reduced NO levels and decreased endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression was observed, whereas oxidative stress and SIPS markers remained unchanged. Overall, these findings indicate that ECFCs from six-month-old female IUGR rats exhibit only minor functional alterations, which may contribute to vascular protection against increase SBP, microvascular rarefaction, and arterial stiffness. Full article

Background/Objectives: Fluid overload in critically ill patients is linked to adverse outcomes. While resuscitation strategies are well established, guidance for the de-resuscitation phase remains limited. This study aimed to identify clinical factors associated with diuretic response and achieving negative fluid balance (FB) in critically ill patients. Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study of ICU patients who received intravenous furosemide between 2017 and 2023. A CHAID (Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector) decision tree identified clinical variables associated with fluid removal after the first dose, and a mixed-effects model analyzed repeated measurements. Results: The cohort comprised 1764 patients over 6632 ICU days. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was the strongest predictor of negative FB. MAP ≤ 75 mmHg yielded minimal negative FB (−33 ± 1054 mL/24 h); MAP 75–90 mmHg yielded intermediate negative FB (−467 ± 1140 mL/24 h); and MAP > 90 mmHg produced the greatest negative FB (−899 ± 1415 mL/24 h; p < 0.001). Secondary associations varied by MAP: creatinine at low MAP, blood urea nitrogen at mid-range MAP, and SOFA score at high MAP, all inversely related to negative FB. In mixed-effects analyses, each 1 mmHg MAP increase was associated with 23.3 mL greater fluid removal (p < 0.001). Independent factors linked to reduced negative FB included vasopressor use (noradrenaline), elevated creatinine, and higher SOFA scores. Conclusions: In this cohort, MAP was significantly associated with the likelihood of achieving a negative fluid balance during de-resuscitation. Conversely, vasopressor use, renal dysfunction, and higher illness severity were linked to reduced diuretic responsiveness. These findings support individualized de-resuscitation strategies. Full article

Recent studies in the Romanian Western Carpathians have revealed increasing socio-demographic fragility in rural areas and small towns, driven by depopulation, population aging, and declining living standards. These trends stem from the legacy of forced collectivization and industrialization (1950–1990) and the post-1990 transition, which triggered extensive out-migration and the erosion of local socio-economic structures. This study examines the fragility of human communities in the Trascău Mountains in order to evaluate spatial, demographic, and economic recovery dynamics and to assess settlement vulnerability as a major obstacle to sustainable regional development. Fragility was measured using indicators of population density and change, age structure, accessibility, and socio-demographic dynamics, based on comparative data for the interval of 1977–2021. These variables were integrated into a composite development index (Id), derived from twelve indicators covering demography, economy, infrastructure, and living standards, enabling the hierarchical classification of settlements by degree of vulnerability. The methodological framework combines empirical and analytical methods, statistical, cartographic, bibliographic, and field-based analyses within evolutionary, structural–functional, and typological perspectives. The results identify the main drivers of decline, quantify their impacts, and outline development prospects and policy directions for reducing territorial disparities. Overall, fragile settlements emerge as critical pressure points that undermine sustainability, intensify regional instability, and increase risks related to migration and social cohesion. Full article

Background: There exists some inconsistent evidence on the relationship between altered cardiac morphology, its function, and frailty. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the associations among frailty, lean body mass, central arterial stiffness, and cardiac structure and geometry in older people with a normal ejection fraction. Methods: A total of 205 patients >65 years were enrolled into this ancillary analysis of the FRAPICA study and were assessed for frailty with the Fried phenotype scale. Left ventricular dimensions and geometry were assessed with two-dimensional echocardiography. Fat-free mass was measured using three-site skinfold method. Parametric and non-parametric statistics and analysis of covariance were used for statistical calculations. Results: Frail patients were older and women comprised the majority of the frail group. Frail men and women had comparable weight, height, fat-free mass, blood pressure, central blood pressure, and carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity to their non-frail counterparts. There was a linear correlation between the sum of frailty criteria and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (Spearman R = −0.17; p < 0.05) and relative wall thickness (Spearman R = 0.23; p < 0.05). In the analysis of covariance, frailty and gender were independently associated with left ventricular mass (gender: β of −0.37 and 95% CI of −0.50–−0.24 at p < 0.001), the left ventricular mass index (gender: β of −0.23 and 95% CI of −0.37–−0.09 at p < 0.001), and relative wall thickness (frailty: β of −0.15 and 95% CI of −0.29–−0.01 at p < 0.05; gender: β of 0.23 and 95% CI of 0.09–0.36 at p < 0.01). Frailty was associated with a shift in heart remodeling toward concentric remodeling/hypertrophy. Conclusions: Frailty is independently associated with thickening of the left ventricular walls and a diminished left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, which are features of concentric remodeling or hypertrophy. This association appears to be more pronounced in women. Such adverse cardiac remodeling may represent another phenotypic feature linked to frailty according to the phenotype frailty criteria. Full article

Today, PHB and its copolymers—potential plastic substitutes—are produced by fermenting sugar, which is not scalable to the volumes of plastic consumption. PHB from CH₄ can offer a sustainable process route, with CH₄ potentially produced from a variety of waste biomass streams through anaerobic digestion, gasification, and methanation. The high molar mass (M_w) of PHB is a key determinant of its mechanical properties, and strain, culture conditions and downstream processing influence it. In this work, the strain Methylocystis sp. GB 25 (DSMZ 7674) was grown on natural gas as the sole carbon and energy source and air (1:1) in a loop reactor with 350 L active fermentation volume, at 35 °C and ambient pressure. After two days of continuous growth, the bacteria were limited in P and N for 1, 2, and 2.5 days to determine the optimal conditions for PHB accumulation and the highest Mw as the target. The biomass was then centrifuged and spray-dried. For downstream processing, chloroform solvent extraction and selected enzymatic treatment were deployed, yielding ~40% PHB from the biomass. The PHB obtained by solvent extraction exhibited high average weight molar masses of M_w ~1.1–1.5 × 10⁶ g mol⁻¹. The highest M_w was obtained after one day of limitation, whereas enzyme treatment resulted in partially degraded PHB. Cold chloroform maceration, interesting due to energy savings, did not achieve sufficient extraction efficiency because it was unable to extract high-molar-mass PHB fractions. The extracted PHB has a high molar mass, more than double that of standard commercial PHB, and was characterized by DSC, which showed a high degree of crystallinity of up to 70% with a melting temperature of close to 180 °C. Mechanical tensile properties measurements, as well as dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), were performed. Degradation of the PHB by enzymes was also determined. Methanotrophic PHB is a promising bioplastics material. The high M_w can limit and delay polymer degradation in practical processing steps, making the material more versatile and robust. Full article

Background: Functional diversity of aquatic macrophytes can provide mechanistic insight into community assembly beyond taxonomic diversity metrics. Aims: We tested whether functional diversity indices can help infer the dominant processes shaping macrophyte communities along hydromorphological and physicochemical gradients, and whether these signals remain interpretable after accounting for species richness. Methods: We surveyed aquatic macrophytes in the Dnipro–Orilsky Nature Reserve (Ukraine) during four field campaigns in 2024 (453 sampling sites), measured key environmental characteristics, and calculated functional diversity indices from plant trait data. Results: The indices showed distinct responses consistent with environmental filtering, dispersal limitation related to reduced hydrological connectivity, and biotic interactions. Anthropogenic degradation was associated with functional simplification and shifts toward opportunistic trait syndromes. Conclusions: A complementary set of functional diversity indices can distinguish major community assembly mechanisms in macrophyte assemblages and supports more robust assessment of ecosystem condition under combined natural and anthropogenic pressures. Full article