Search Results (115,711)

Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and levels of depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms among dentists at an academic institution, and to identify demographic and work-related factors correlated with these psychological conditions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among full-time dentists teaching at King Saud University (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire that captured demographic and work-related variables, alongside the validated 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and multiple linear regression to determine significant associations. Results: A total of 114 participants completed the questionnaire, of which 86.8% were faculty and the rest non-faculty. The prevalence of depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms was 21.9%, 32.5%, and 34.2%, respectively, predominantly at moderate levels. The prevalence of at least one subscale was 44.7%, and a significant correlation was found for the co-occurrence of the three subscales (p < 0.001). Regression analysis indicated three correlates of stress: dissatisfaction, female sex, and choosing a career in academia were significantly associated with the stress scores (p < 0.05). No significant factors were correlated with the anxiety or depression subscales. While females and dissatisfied participants reported higher scores for stress, intending to work in academia as a primary career choice was significantly correlated with lower levels of stress, highlighting the potential importance of intrinsic motivation for academia. Conclusions: A considerable proportion of participants experience depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, suggesting the need for targeted institutional strategies to support mental well-being, particularly among vulnerable groups. Full article

Fluvial sand bodies represent one of the most significant reservoir types in hydrocarbon exploration. Restricted by climatic conditions, sedimentary environments and the properties of provenance parent rocks, sedimentary characteristics and sand-body architectures exhibit substantial spatial variations across different river systems and along individual river segments. Research on modern sedimentary processes of the Weihe River provides critical insights for advancing continental fluvial sedimentology theories and reconstructing paleoriver sedimentary models for analogous basins. Integrating high-resolution satellite image interpretation combined with systematic field geological surveys across typical river reaches, this study systematically characterizes the spatial differentiation of river patterns, sedimentary signatures, sand-body architectures and their primary controlling factors within the Weihe Basin. The results reveal a distinct three-segment spatial differentiation pattern of fluvial styles in the Weihe Basin: braided rivers dominate the Baoji–Zhouzhi reach; low-sinuosity meandering rivers occur in the reach from Zhouzhi to Lintong; and high-sinuosity meandering rivers prevail in the downstream segments below Lintong. Unique hydrodynamic regimes associated with each river type control sedimentary partitioning and sand-body development. Braided rivers feature intense hydrodynamic force and coarse-grained sediments, with sedimentary assemblages consisting of gravelly channel deposits, mid-channel bars and floodplain deposits, which form thick stacked sand bodies via multi-stage sedimentary superimposition. Low-sinuosity meandering rivers possess moderate hydrodynamic energy and are dominated by sandy-gravel deposits, yielding a complete sedimentary succession composed of channel fills, point bars, natural levees and floodplains. High-sinuosity meandering rivers are characterized by weak hydrodynamic conditions and fine grain sizes dominated by sandstone and mudstone units, developing diverse sedimentary facies including channels, crevasse splays and oxbow lake deposits. The spatial heterogeneity of the sedimentary system across the Weihe Basin is synergistically controlled by the channel gradient, provenance attributes, sediment grain size and sediment concentration. This study clarifies the sedimentary evolutionary laws of modern rivers under semi-arid and semi-humid climatic conditions, enriches fundamental fluvial sedimentology theories, and supplies a modern sedimentary analog for paleoriver identification, paleoenvironmental reconstruction and hydrocarbon exploration targeting fluvial reservoir systems. Full article

Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of global mortality, which has growing driving interest in dietary natural products for potential chemopreventive and complementary approaches. Cherries (Prunus species) are rich in bioactive phytochemicals, notably anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids, and the flavonols quercetin and kaempferol. This review aims to examine and discuss current research on the molecular targets and mechanisms of action of whole cherry extracts and their primary flavonols quercetin and kaempferol across various breast cancer subtypes. Preclinical studies indicate that these compounds exert multi-targeted effects by inducing apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation, and suppressing metastatic pathways. Additionally, these flavonols show potential in reversing multidrug resistance. A whole-food approach highlights the candidate synergistic properties of these phytochemical complexes, but low oral bioavailability and rapid metabolism severely limit their clinical translation. Therefore, utilizing innovative drug delivery systems remains crucial to improving their stability, absorption, and overall therapeutic efficacy. Full article

This study examined the effects of dietary carbohydrate levels on growth performance, immune response, and antioxidant capacity of male giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Prawns with an initial body weight of 15.04 ± 0.08 g were fed for 9 weeks on five isonitrogenous, isolipidic diets formulated to contain 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% carbohydrate (designated CHO10–CHO30). Weight gain rate and specific growth rate rose from CHO10 to CHO20 and then declined (peak in CHO20); broken-line regression of weight gain rate estimated the optimal dietary carbohydrate level at approximately 19.36% under the present experimental conditions. Moderate carbohydrate inclusion (15–20%) enhanced hepatopancreatic total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities together with the transcription of cu/znsod, cat and glutathione peroxidase (gsh-px), whereas levels ≥ 25% lowered these defenses and raised hepatopancreatic malondialdehyde (MDA). High-carbohydrate diets also increased hemolymph glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, progressively altered the mRNA expression of genes involved in the Toll-like receptor (TLR)/myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) signaling pathway (upregulated tlr, myd88, relish and tumor necrosis factor; downregulated inhibitor of NF-κB alpha (IκB-α)), and altered the expression of apoptosis-related genes (downregulated B-cell lymphoma 2 (bcl-2), upregulated caspase-3). These results suggest that M. rosenbergii has an estimated optimal dietary carbohydrate level of approximately 19.36% under the present experimental conditions; intakes at or above 25% are associated with compromised hepatopancreatic health and growth, likely through the induction of oxidative stress, altered transcription of TLR/MyD88 pathway-related genes, and changes in apoptosis-related gene expression. Full article

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) of the cervicoscapular girdle—most typically involving the upper trapezius and the rhomboid muscles—is among the most frequent causes of chronic regional musculoskeletal pain, yet the mainstays of interventional treatment (dry needling, local anesthetic trigger point injection, corticosteroid, botulinum toxin) act principally on nociceptive transmission or on the contractile taut band rather than on the disordered tissue biology that sustains it. Two injectable biologics with fundamentally different design logic have been proposed to fill this gap. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous, polypharmacological concentrate that delivers a supraphysiological bolus of platelet α-granule growth factors and leukocyte-dependent immunomodulators. Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) is a standardized, allogeneic-source (salmonid sperm DNA) low-molecular-weight deoxyribonucleotide mixture that acts through a single defined molecular target, the adenosine A2A receptor, supplemented by nucleoside salvage. This narrative review contrasts the two agents across four axes: (i) molecular and cellular mechanism; (ii) the biological plausibility of each in the specific microenvironment of the myofascial trigger point (MTrP)—an acidic, hypoxic, sensitizer-rich focus; (iii) the current clinical evidence in MPS and, by extension, across tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, knee osteoarthritis, and acute muscle injury; and (iv) practical translational considerations including standardization, regulatory status, cost, and trial design. We conclude that PRP has the broader and methodologically stronger clinical evidence base in tendon and joint indications but is undermined by preparation heterogeneity and by consistently negative results in acute muscle injury, whereas PDRN offers reproducibility, an anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic profile that maps plausibly, based on preclinical evidence, onto MTrP pathophysiology, though direct validation in human myofascial tissue is lacking, and an excellent safety record, but is supported almost entirely by small, short-horizon, and frequently non-randomized studies. Neither agent can currently be recommended as standard care for trapezius or rhomboid MPS. We propose a mechanistic rationale and a concrete trial framework, including muscle-specific ultrasound-guided delivery, pressure pain threshold and Neck Disability Index as co-primary endpoints, and mandatory injectate characterization, for the head-to-head studies that the field now requires. Full article

Commercial format diversity serves as a key indicator indicative of the health and resilience of the commercial structure in rail transit station areas. This study focuses on the rail transit station areas in Shanghai, integrates multi-source geospatial data with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), and systematically examines the differential influence paths of six categories of factors—urban form, location, facility configuration, passenger flow, land rent, and commercial spatial form—on commercial format diversity between urban core and suburban areas. Multi-group analysis (MGA) is further used to test whether path coefficients differ across concentric zones around stations. The findings are as follows: (1) Passenger flow characteristics are the primary contributing factors to commercial format diversity and serve as a key mediator through which most other factors influence diversity. Location characteristics, particularly the distance to the rail transit station, primarily play a moderating role to commercial format richness. Urban form characteristics function as the “spatial framework” providing a fundamental regulatory influence, with significant interaction effects with station distance. (2) In urban core areas, the temporal rhythm of passenger flow dominates: weekday passenger flow is positively associated with commercial format richness, whereas weekend passenger flow shows a more complex pattern—associated with an increase in format count but declines in both diversity and dominance concentration, indicating a structural reorganization rather than a simple directional effect. In suburban areas, an initial increase followed by a decrease is observed, with an “optimal synergistic zone” existing approximately 600–1000 m from stations where rail transit and other public service facilities jointly promote commercial format diversity. (3) Land rent is mainly associated with the number of format categories rather than their evenness or dominance. These findings reveal systematic differences in the influence paths of commercial format diversity between urban core and suburban rail transit station areas, as well as the distance-dependent zonal variation patterns of these effects, providing empirical evidence for differentiated spatial design in the context of station-city integration. Full article

Vertical shear of the zonal wind across the equatorial tropopause over the Indian Ocean to the Maritime Continent is caused by a combination of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of the stratosphere and the seasonal cycle and interannual variability of the upper troposphere. The Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) has been previously observed to be more active during the easterly than the westerly phase of the QBO. Kelvin waves interacting with the background flow explain most of the propagation characteristics of the MJO in the equatorial upper troposphere. This work assesses the hypothesis that Kelvin wave propagation under conditions of easterly wind in both the upper troposphere and stratosphere maintains the upper tropospheric MJO circulation, but that this signal is disrupted with westerly wind shear that likely includes critical layers that would prevent Kelvin wave energy from passing. Linear regression of reanalysis data against an MJO index shows more coherent downward propagating Kelvin waves during easterly shear and no Kelvin-wave-like signal near the tropopause during conditions expected to include critical layers there. Historical analysis of this vertical shear shows that it is the primary focus of enhanced MJO variance with the easterly QBO, yielding the seasonally enhanced signal December through February and the erratic variability from year to year due to tropospheric contributions to shear. A wavenumber frequency spectrum analysis of lower stratospheric zonal wind shows that power shifts from high to low frequency between QBO westerly to easterly phases, consistent with Kelvin waves propagating at the phase speed range of the MJO during easterly QBO. Full article

The increasing performance requirements of electric vehicle powertrains demand lightweight, efficient, and low-noise transmission systems. High-speed electric drive unit concepts offer significant potential for reducing motor size and mass by shifting torque generation to higher rotational speeds. However, this approach places increased demands on gearbox power density, efficiency, and noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance. This work investigates the NVH behaviour of a compact, high-speed automotive gearbox with a focus on planetary gear stages. Although planetary stages offer high compactness, their complex kinematics can lead to pronounced NVH challenges. In particular, sequentially phased gear meshing results in characteristic sideband components whose orders can be predicted analytically, while their amplitudes remain difficult to estimate reliably during the design phase, necessitating experimental validation. Several NVH-oriented design measures, including high-contact-ratio gearing and low-NVH microgeometry, are applied to a two-stage gearbox comprising a planetary and a cylindrical gear stage. Peak-to-peak transmission error is used as a primary NVH design metric. The planetary stage is analysed in detail to assess the influence of sequential phasing on sideband components in the dynamic response and resulting vibration behaviour. The NVH-oriented gearbox is tested on a bench, with housing accelerations used to analyse planetary sidebands, providing insights into the NVH potential of compact, high-speed gearboxes and the role of sequential phasing in the vibration response. Full article

Background/Objectives: University students are particularly vulnerable to unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, including poor dietary habits, insufficient physical activity, and prolonged sedentary time. While these three behaviours have each been extensively studied individually, the extent to which they have been jointly investigated as distinct constructs in the same undergraduate populations remains unclear. This scoping review aimed to map the available evidence jointly addressing dietary habits, sedentary behaviour, and physical activity among undergraduate university students. Methods: Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a systematic search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus (search date: 27 June 2026), covering records published between 2014 and 2026 in English. Studies were eligible if they measured all three constructs (diet, sedentary behaviour, and physical activity) as distinct outcomes in undergraduate populations aged 18 years or older. Results: Of 1910 records identified, 70 studies met the eligibility criteria, comprising 62 primary studies and 8 ongoing study protocols. The primary studies spanned 26 countries across five continents, and most used cross-sectional designs; only one intervention study was identified. Across studies, inadequate diet, low physical activity, and elevated sedentary time were common and frequently co-occurred within individuals, with associations reported for mental health, body image, and weight-related outcomes. Sedentary behaviour was the construct most often absent from otherwise relevant studies and was consistently elevated when measured. Conclusions: Across the 62 primary studies spanning 26 countries, a broadly consistent pattern of suboptimal diet, insufficient physical activity, and elevated sedentary time was observed among undergraduate students. Full article

AI-assisted renewal of living vernacular settlements must preserve regional identity and historical layering while keeping professional judgment central; however, current facade-generation studies rarely connect field-derived architectural knowledge, controllable data construction, and subsequent design development within one verifiable workflow. Taking Yun’ao Town as a case study, this study develops a Grasshopper–Pix2Pix method for preliminary renewal of principal (front) facades—the primary public-facing elevations—in a hot-humid coastal setting exposed to disaster-prone weather, which is treated only as maintenance and renewal background rather than as a generative input, constraint, or performance metric. Field surveys documented 310 representative buildings and 1240 facade images. Typological and component analyses informed 160 parametric base models, which were expanded into 870 Facade Semantic Layout (FSL)–Building Elevation (BE) image pairs using four fixed parameters and eleven groups of linked parameters. The dataset was allocated at approximately 80%/10%/10% for training, validation, and testing at the base-model-group level to reduce information leakage, and Pix2Pix was trained for 1000 epochs. Across six representative cases, SSIM ranged from 0.33 to 0.65, with a descriptive mean of 0.54; these values do not represent aggregate validation- or test-set performance. Qualitative inspection identified distorted openings, incomplete balcony edges, interrupted roof lines, unclear railing relationships, ornamental discontinuity, and occasional component overlap. A mini-program and Huangang Road application examined how selected outputs could enter a human-supervised sequence of preliminary comparison, professional screening, manual correction, three-dimensional modeling, and technical drawing development. The contribution is a field-informed, human-supervised generative workflow rather than autonomous design; its outputs remain preliminary visual references requiring measured-survey, conservation, structural, environmental, material, and construction verification. Full article

Contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) is an important complication of renal angiography in patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (RAS). We investigated the associations of the triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index, atherogenic coefficient (AC) and lipoprotein combined index (LCI) with CA-AKI in this population. This retrospective single-center study included 147 consecutive patients with atherosclerotic RAS undergoing renal angiography with or without renal artery intervention. CA-AKI was defined using a creatinine-based definition based on serum creatinine changes within 48–72 h after contrast exposure. Continuous variables were retained in their continuous form in the primary logistic regression analyses, and separate multivariable models were constructed for the TyG index, AC, and LCI, each adjusted for chronic kidney disease (CKD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and contrast volume. Firth penalized logistic regression was performed as a sensitivity analysis. CA-AKI occurred in 22 patients (15.0%). In the adjusted model, a higher TyG index was associated with increased odds of CA-AKI (OR 4.263 per 1-unit increase, 95% CI 1.120–16.228; p = 0.034), whereas AC (OR 1.581, 95% CI 0.891–2.807; p = 0.118) and LCI (OR 1.047 per 10,000-unit increase, 95% CI 0.966–1.136; p = 0.264) were not significantly associated with CA-AKI. The association of the TyG index with CA-AKI remained significant in Firth penalized logistic regression (OR 3.48, 95% CI 1.17–14.33; p = 0.020). Higher contrast volume and lower LVEF were consistently associated with CA-AKI across the multivariable models. These findings suggest that the TyG index is associated with susceptibility to CA-AKI in patients with atherosclerotic RAS, although prospective validation is required before clinical application. Full article

Oilseed meal, the primary by-product of oil extraction, is rich in protein, dietary fiber, and minerals, offering significant development potential. However, its application in high-value feed and food is severely restricted due to anti-nutritional factors, leading to resource waste and environmental issues. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) provides a green and efficient approach for the high-value utilization of oilseed meal. This review comprehensively discusses the entire process of strain selection, fermentation strategies, and application of active products in the SSF of oilseed meal. Regarding strain selection, Bacillus spp. degrade macromolecular proteins and inhibit microbial contamination through protease and antimicrobial peptide production. Lactobacillus spp. enhance flavor and safety by producing acids and flavor compounds. Aspergillus spp. decompose cell walls and degrade phytate using their cellulase and phytase systems. For fermentation strategies, mixed fermentation achieves functional complementarity, enzyme–fungus synergy enhances substrate conversion, segmented fermentation optimizes the microbial environment, and physical field assistance boosts enzyme activity, collectively improving fermentation efficiency and nutritional quality. In product applications, fermented oilseed meal serves as both high-quality protein feed and a source of functional peptides and active polysaccharides with antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities, showing potential for functional foods and biomedicine. In conclusion, SSF technology effectively degrades anti-nutritional factors, improving the nutritional value and adding value to oilseed meal, thus representing a key strategy for resource conversion. Future efforts should prioritize high-performance strain selection, intelligent process monitoring, and green preparation of active products to promote industrial application and sustainable development. Full article

Background/Objectives: Myeloproliferative neoplasms are a group of clonal myeloid malignancies that affect bone marrow and include polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). PV is caused in most patients by the JAK2-V617F mutation and is characterized at the phenotypic level by overproduction and accumulation of red blood cells. PV is associated with significant morbidity, including risk of thrombotic events and of hematologic evolution (myelofibrotic or leukemic transformation) and reduced survival. In addition to the JAK2-V617F mutation, PV patients display additional molecular abnormalities. The aim of this study is to review recent studies investigating molecular abnormalities observed in PV. Methods: An extensive search of the most recent literature was performed, selecting and critically analyzing the most relevant studies. Results: The studies carried out in recent years have provided an extensive molecular analysis of PV, showing its heterogeneity, characterized in many patients by the presence of additional cytogenetic and gene mutations that contribute to the disease development and evolution. Conclusions: PV is a complex disease that needs to be carefully characterized at the molecular level at diagnosis, to be monitored in time to predict the risk for thrombotic complications and hematologic evolution and to receive an adequate treatment. Full article

Neuroendocrine and circadian dysfunctions are thought to underlie bipolar disorder (BD) and could be implemented as markers of complex symptom conditions, including the presence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) comorbidity. The primary objective of this study was to investigate neuroendocrine profiles in different BD phenotypes through the measure of nocturnal urinary levels of Cortisol (stress-response factor) and 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s; light/dark signal) in euthymic BD patients diagnosed with PTSD (PTSD group) or with major depressive episodes without trauma symptoms (DEP group). Both groups were compared against healthy controls (CTL). Nighttime urinary levels of aMT6s and Cortisol were analyzed by competitive ELISA, with ensuing values normalized for specific gravity. The Cortisol-to-aMT6s ratio (Cort/aMT6s) was calculated as an exploratory proxy for the homeostatic balance between HPA-mediated catabolic/coping activities and Melatonin-related reparative functions. Clinical severity and psychosocial activities were assessed by using mood HAM-D, YMRS, trauma IES-R and functioning WSAS scales. Results revealed distinct biological patterns: PTSD subjects showed increased nocturnal Cortisol compared to DEP and CTL groups, whereas DEP patients exhibited lower aMT6s levels and an elevated Cort/aMT6s ratio. Cortisol and aMT6s correlated positively in PTSD, while the ratio correlated positively with Cortisol solely in controls. Clinically, Cortisol correlated positively with IES-R and functional impairment (WSAS), whereas aMT6s correlated negatively with HAM-D and YMRS scores. Present findings suggest a possible neuroendocrine divergence in BD patients with depression versus PTSD: nocturnal Melatonin deficiency may be associated with depression, while HPA-axis hyperactivity and altered crosstalk between the two systems may characterize PTSD comorbidity, with the Cort/aMT6s ratio as a potential index of impaired daily functioning. These results could be promising for the use of biomarkers linked to allostatic and circadian responses within the BD spectrum. Full article

Indoor exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a major environmental-health concern in Northern China, where severe ambient pollution, coal-based district heating and diverse residential building stocks coexist. Previous studies have been constrained by small numbers of independent residences, limited geographic coverage, and predominantly pairwise (bivariate) analyses. This study presents a seasonal monitoring campaign covering 48 residences across eight Northern Chinese cities. Paired indoor and outdoor PM2.5 was measured at 5 min intervals and aggregated to 31,094 valid hourly observations (from 32,256 scheduled hourly slots after exclusion of 1162 h with missing or invalid 5 min readings) over seven consecutive days in four seasons, alongside building, behavioural and meteorological covariates. Because repeated hourly measurements are clustered within residences, the primary analysis is a linear mixed-effects model (LMM) with a residence-level random intercept and a first-order autoregressive residual structure (marginal R² = 0.71; conditional R² = 0.91; intra-class correlation = 0.34), supported by ordinary-least-squares (OLS) models with CR2 finite-cluster-robust standard errors and a daily average sensitivity analysis. Adjusted LMM coefficients indicate that outdoor PM2.5 (β = 0.872, p < 0.001), window-open fraction (β = 0.548, p < 0.001) and cooking events (β = 0.046, p < 0.001) were positively, and air-purifier operation (purifier-on fraction β = −0.902, p < 0.001) was negatively, associated with indoor PM2.5; continuous purifier operation was associated with 59.4% lower indoor PM2.5 (an observational association, not a causal effect). Building-level infiltration factors (F_inf) averaged 0.28 ± 0.15. Estimated outdoor contributions to indoor PM2.5 ranged from 54.8% to 66.3% across an assumed penetration factor of p = 0.6–1.0 (60.7% at p = 0.8), peaking in the heating season. The mass-balance analysis estimated a median deposition rate of 0.53 h⁻¹ and a median air change rate of 0.52 h⁻¹ (window-open periods > 2 h⁻¹); these are model-derived, not directly measured quantities. These findings provide multivariable, cluster-aware evidence for envelope airtightness, informed window operation and correct air-purifier use to reduce residential PM2.5 exposure in Northern China. Full article