Search Results (72,480)

The sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) plays a critical dual role in liver function: maintaining bile acid (BA) enterohepatic circulation and acting as a receptor for the entry of hepatitis B and D viruses into hepatocytes. This review outlines the impact of various post-translational modifications (PTMs) of NTCP—including phosphorylation, oligomerization, ubiquitination, and glycosylation—on its dynamic regulatory network. These modifications coordinate the modulation of NTCP’s membrane localization, stability, conformational state, and protein interactions, precisely controlling its functions in BA uptake and viral invasion. Targeting this PTM network presents a promising strategy for next-generation therapies that selectively inhibit viral infection while preserving BA transport, overcoming the limitations of conventional inhibitors that indiscriminately disrupt virus–NTCP interactions. By synthesizing recent insights into NTCP PTM research, this article highlights its role as a central regulator of its bifunctional properties and reveals potential avenues for precision therapies in viral hepatitis, cholestasis, and related liver diseases. However, most existing evidence is derived from in vitro or cell-based models, whereas in vivo studies and clinical validation remain limited; thus, the translational feasibility of strategies targeting post-translational modifications of NTCP still requires further investigation. Full article

Since their initial discovery in 2003, carbon quantum dots (CDs) have attracted significant attention due to their unique optical properties and potential biomedical applications. This review critically examines the past 20 years of research on CDs, with a particular focus on cytotoxicity studies from the last decade. CDs, typically less than 10 nm in size, have been synthesized from various organic and inorganic precursors using multiple methods, including hydrothermal, microwave, and chemical reduction techniques. Their properties can be finely tuned by modifying synthesis parameters and incorporating dopants. The preliminary studies on the biological effects of CDs were published in 2013, highlighting their antibacterial properties and low toxicity in certain contexts. Subsequent research has explored their bioactivity, including their application in drug delivery, bioimaging, and photothermal therapy. However, the cytotoxicity of CDs remains a critical area of investigation. Further studies have demonstrated that surface functional groups, charge, concentration, and size significantly influence their interaction with biological systems. For instance, CDs with positive surface charges exhibit higher cellular uptake and greater cytotoxicity compared to their negatively charged counterparts. In vivo studies utilizing animal models such as zebrafish, mice, and planarians have provided valuable insights into the potential toxicological impacts of CDs. The results indicate that while CDs generally exhibit low toxicity at certain concentrations, high doses can lead to adverse effects, including oxidative stress, organ damage, and disrupted cellular functions. Notably, the route of administration (oral, intravenous, or intraperitoneal) also affects the observed toxicity profiles. The goal of this review is to integrate the results of various studies to provide a balanced perspective on the potential risks and benefits of CDs, guiding future research and applications in nanomedicine. This review underscores the necessity for standardized and comprehensive toxicological evaluations of CDs to fully understand their safety and efficacy for biomedical applications. Full article

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly incorporated into nutrition research and practice; however, the extent of its clinical integration and impact on health outcomes remains unclear. This systematic review evaluated how AI-based systems have been implemented in human nutritional interventions and summarized reported outcomes. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, SpringerLink, JMIR, and MDPI were searched from January 2020 to March 2025 (search completed in March 2025). Randomized controlled trials and prospective or retrospective cohort studies published in English or Spanish were included if they evaluated AI-driven nutritional interventions in human populations and reported health-related outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2 and ROBINS-I. A qualitative synthesis was performed. Results: Sixteen studies involving 10,863 participants were included. Most were randomized controlled trials targeting metabolic disorders, particularly type 2 diabetes and obesity. Eleven studies evaluated metabolic outcomes, including HbA1c, body weight, fat mass, lipid levels, and insulin resistance indices. Six studies assessed gastrointestinal symptom severity scores, and two examined quality-of-life or patient-reported outcomes. Several trials reported short-term improvements favoring AI-supported interventions in glycemic control, weight reduction, and symptom severity. However, effects were heterogeneous and often observed within multimodal programs, limiting attribution of outcomes solely to the AI component. Conclusions: AI integration in nutrition remains in an early phase of clinical implementation. Although preliminary findings suggest potential benefits, interpretation should be cautious given methodological heterogeneity and moderate-to-high risk of bias across studies. Larger, rigorously designed investigations are required to determine sustained clinical effectiveness. Full article

In the U.S., extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related fatalities. Farmers, ranchers and other outdoor workers who are exposed to the elements and engaged in strenuous physical activity are disproportionately impacted. This manuscript summarizes the number and severity of heat-related illnesses and injuries collected through the AgInjuryNews.org system, highlights their characteristics, provides recommendations for farmworkers and employers, and calls for future research. Heat-related illness cases from 2016–2024 were analyzed. Fourteen agricultural heat-related incidents covered by U.S. media were identified. Most incidents took place in June and July. A content analysis was conducted to identify news articles that included mention of prevention strategies, laws and regulations related to working conditions, or OSHA. Over half of the cases were from southern states. Eleven of the incidents involved male farmworkers, one involved a male farmer, and two involved first responders (gender unspecified). All of the farmer/farmworker incidents were single-victim fatalities. Seven articles mentioned prevention strategies, ten mentioned laws or regulations, and nine mentioned OSHA, often cursory. These findings suggest that media reports provide a limited and selective image of agricultural heat-related injuries, with coverage emphasizing fatalities and investigation information more often than prevention. Full article

Concerns regarding the safety, environmental impacts, and long-term sustainability of pesticide-dependent crop protection have intensified interest in biological control, which suppresses pest populations using natural enemies (predators, parasitoids, and pathogens) within integrated pest management (IPM) programs. This bibliometric study maps the development of biological control research from 2000 to 2025 using records retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. The publication trends, collaboration structures, leading countries and institutions, core journals, keyword co-occurrence and clustering, citation bursts, and influential cited references were examined using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. The results show a pronounced increase in publication output after 2011, indicating rapid expansion and consolidation of the field in the last decade. Keyword analyses reveal a thematic shift toward ecosystem-based framing, reflected by the growing prominence of terms such as ecosystem services, habitat management, and ecological intensification, which emphasize landscape- and management-oriented approaches to enhancing pest suppression. Cited-reference patterns highlight the persistent influence of the foundational literature on habitat manipulation, landscape complexity, and conservation biological control. Despite the field’s growth, research gaps remain in integrating biological control with emerging bioengineering tools and explicitly accounting for climate-driven variability across regions and production systems. Full article

Research on low-concentration CO₂ capture technology is of great significance for China to achieve “carbon peak and carbon neutrality”. However, there are currently two challenges in low-concentration CO₂ capture technology: high energy consumption and significant methane loss. Therefore, in this study, a numerical simulation method is used to establish the reaction model of the piperazine-activated N-methyl diethanolamine (abbreviated as MDEA-PZ) system with CO₂ using Aspen HYSYS industrial software, taking shale gas from a production area as the raw material gas. Single-factor sensitivity analysis is conducted to study the impact of N-methyl diethanolamine (abbreviated as MDEA) mass fraction, piperazine (abbreviated as PZ) mass fraction, CO₂ absorption temperature, and amine liquid regeneration temperature on the process. The results show that when the N-methyl diethanolamine mass fraction is between 37% and 42% and the piperazine mass fraction is between 2.5% and 5%, the regeneration energy consumption is lower and methane loss is smaller. For the raw material gas in this study, the recommended optimal amine liquid mass ratio is 40% of N-methyl diethanolamine + 3% of piperazine. Under this condition, the preferred absorption temperature is 46 °C, the amine liquid circulation rate is 45 m³/h, and the regeneration temperature is 118 °C, resulting in a significant reduction in the total energy consumption by 8.9% compared with the initial value. Full article

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the impact of Pilates-based exercise on mental health, psychological well-being, and quality of life (QoL) across clinical and healthy populations. Thirty-two randomized and quasi-experimental trials (total N = 1264) were included, representing adolescents, adults, and older adults across diverse clinical and non-clinical groups. Outcomes encompassed depressive symptoms, anxiety, QoL, self-esteem, and well-being. The unadjusted random-effects model indicated a suggestive but statistically inconclusive overall effect (p = 0.061). However, adjusting for outcome type via meta-regression yielded a statistically significant pooled effect (g = 0.393, p = 0.023). Substantial heterogeneity remained across studies (I² = 91.7%). Meta-regression identified outcome type as the only significant moderator, whereas age group, delivery mode, and clinical status did not significantly influence the pooled effect. Subgroup analyses suggested comparable benefits between remote and in-person delivery formats in general adult samples. Evidence from individual studies indicated that supervised, face-to-face instruction may be advantageous for older adults. Low-frequency programs, including once-weekly sessions, were also associated with improvements, although variability in intervention duration and structure limits conclusions regarding optimal dosage. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the stability of the pooled effect. Overall, the findings support Pilates as a feasible exercise modality with demonstrated benefits for positive psychosocial outcomes (QoL and self-esteem), while evidence for negative psychological indicators (e.g., depression, anxiety) remains limited or non-significant. Future research should standardize outcome measures, report training parameters consistently, and examine contextual factors contributing to heterogeneity in psychosocial responses. Full article

Given the challenges associated with the transferability of specific emission modeling tools between different regions, developing accurate local emission models utilizing field measurements has become increasingly relevant for effectively reflecting local conditions. In this study, we employed a comprehensive benchmarking approach, drawing on an extensive set of on-road experiments encompassing various vehicle types. More specifically, this study aims to (1) conduct a thorough review of alternative modeling techniques used for modeling second-by-second fuel consumption and emission measures across different vehicle categories and (2) assess and compare the performance of identified modeling methods, employing either internal (OBD) or external (GPS) variables, and evaluate the impact of lag effects. Moreover, (3) we make available the collected data, preprocessing codes, and an implementation example as open-source resources for the research community to facilitate reproducibility. The outcomes of this research are expected to offer guidelines for both practical modeling applications and for future work. Full article

Enterprise spatial data supply chains (SDSCs) increasingly support high-stakes decision-making; yet, the provenance in operational geospatial systems is often fragmented across metadata records, workflow logs, and application-specific formats. This limits traceability, reproducibility, auditability, and fitness-for-purpose assessment, particularly when organisations need to explain how spatial products were created, with which parameters, spatial references, and dependencies. This study proposes the Enterprise Spatial Data Provenance Knowledge Infrastructure (ESDPKI), a standards-aligned framework that treats provenance as enterprise knowledge infrastructure rather than passive metadata. Using a design science research approach, the study synthesised the literature-derived requirements, standards-based interoperability constraints, and representative spatial data supply chain workflows to develop four artefacts: a six-layer reference architecture, the GeoPROV minimal semantic profile, a validation-gated ingestion and governance mechanism, and a reproducible evaluation blueprint with service-level objectives. Together, these artefacts support provenance capture, semantic normalisation, validation, queryable lineage, catalogue linkage, and policy-aware disclosure across enterprise environments. The resulting design makes geospatial operations, parameters, geometry, and coordinate reference system context machine-actionable, enabling lineage tracing, impact analysis, discovery-time fitness-for-purpose assessment, and stronger governance at scale. ESDPKI therefore provides a coherent architectural pathway for operationalising trustworthy, explainable, and scalable spatial provenance in enterprise settings. Full article

Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Jacks. ex Andrews) is a tropical orchid of high economic value, with an annual production of 8000 to 10,000 t and a market exceeding 800 million USD in over 40 countries. In vitro propagation has strengthened the innovation, production, and conservation of this species. Bibliometrics, as a quantitative approach, systematically examines the patterns, dynamics, and evolutionary trends of scientific production. A systematic search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science until December 2025, using the terms “vanilla” and “micropropagation”. A total of 53 documents were identified in Scopus (1997–2025) and 39 in Web of Science (2000–2025). The evaluated indicators included: year of publication, country of origin, language, areas, main categories, document typology, authorship, and keyword distribution. VOSviewer was used for keyword analysis to identify author collaboration networks and emerging trends. The years with the most information were 2024 and 2025, with Mexico and India standing out prominently. The main thematic areas were Agricultural and Biological Sciences, and the role of researcher Ramírez-Mosqueda was highlighted. The keywords with the highest correlation and impact were bioreactors, vanillin, and cryopreservation. This bibliometric study provides a comprehensive perspective on scientific production related to vanilla micropropagation. The results highlight the multidisciplinary nature of biotechnology applied to this crop, integrating contributions from various areas of knowledge for the benefit of the main actors in the value chain. Full article

This research explores the impact of ownership structure on the financial performance of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in North African markets, a key emerging region that remains insufficiently examined in the academic literature. Drawing on agency theory, signalling theory, and liquidity theory, the study investigates how different shareholder configurations—particularly managerial shareholding, ownership concentration, institutional investor presence, and float—influence both initial underpricing and long-run market performance. Based on a sample of 228 IPO transactions conducted between 2005 and 2023 across six countries (Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, and Mauritania), the research adopts a quantitative methodology grounded in a hypothetico-deductive approach. The findings support the signalling theory premise that managerial retention constitutes a credible quality signal, showing a strong positive relationship between post-IPO managerial shareholding (MOWN) and long-run performance measured by the 36-month Buy-and-Hold Abnormal Return (BHAR). Ownership concentration (CONC) reduces underpricing while improving long-term performance, reflecting stronger governance discipline. Institutional investor presence (INST) exerts a significant direct effect on both performance dimensions. Conversely, firm size shows no direct significant effect, a result consistent with the institutional specificities of North African markets. These findings underscore the complex mechanisms behind IPO success in this context and offer practical and theoretical implications regarding governance practices and institutional frameworks. The study also outlines avenues for future research, including a deeper examination of regional governance dynamics. Full article

Global urban development has fully entered the stage of stock renewal, and the synergy between public health and historic heritage conservation has become a core issue of urban sustainable development in the post-pandemic era. As special spatial units carrying urban cultural memories, historic districts generally face problems such as chaotic traffic functions, a lack of slow traffic spaces, and insufficient public health support. Existing studies lack a public health-oriented special evaluation system and a sustainable renewal path adapted to their characteristics. This paper systematically sorts out eight core impact paths of street built environment elements on public health and constructs a healthy street evaluation system for historic districts, including six dimensions (transportation facilities, green squares, ancillary facilities, street-front commerce, urban furniture, and street network) and 30 core elements combined with the spatial and cultural characteristics of historic districts. Taking five typical streets in the Liuhe Area of Hankou Historic District as an empirical case, a comprehensive evaluation is carried out using a combination of quantitative surveys, questionnaire surveys, and spatial analyses. The results show that the overall health performance of street space in the study area is low, with extremely unbalanced development across dimensions. The core shortcomings are concentrated in incomplete slow traffic systems, lack of public spaces, prominent parking chaos, and fragmented historic styles, and the health problems of streets with different functional types show significant typological differentiation characteristics. Based on this, this paper proposes five systematic renewal strategies, transportation system optimization, public space improvement, landscape system perfection, historic style activation, and long-term mechanism construction, for achieving the synergistic goals of historic culture conservation, public health promotion, and urban sustainable development. This study not only enriches the theoretical system of research on healthy spaces in historic districts but also provides a referable evaluation framework and practical approach for modern historic districts in China and other similar historic districts with comparable spatial textures and functional characteristics. Full article

Aiming at the significant variation in clay content within the orebody of the Letpadaung copper mine in Monywa, Myanmar, this study conducted comprehensive research on ore classification based on clay content and its impact on bio-heap leaching performance. Pressure filtration tests confirmed that clay content is a critical factor affecting ore permeability and copper leaching efficiency. Accordingly, a classification standard centered on clay content was established based on the ore properties of the Letpadaung Copper Mine, categorizing the ore into four types: low-clay ore (<3%), medium-clay ore Type 1 (3%–10%), medium-clay ore Type 2 (10%–25%), and high-clay ore (>25%). Corresponding differentiated stacking strategies were proposed and applied for the first time in industrial operations at a scale of several hundred thousand tons. Industrial practice results demonstrated that, compared with the unclassified mixed ore with a leaching efficiency of 45.92%, the implementation of classified heap leaching increased the copper leaching rates of low-clay ore and medium-to-high-clay ore to 68.07% and 63.41%, respectively. Moreover, multi-layer heap leaching within the same leaching unit showed consistent leaching efficiency across different layers after ore classification. These results further validate that ore classification based on clay content combined with differentiated heap leaching processes serves as a vital technical approach for ensuring efficient and stable heap leaching operations at the Letpadaung copper mine. Full article

Social workers are an integrated part of the criminal justice system. In this field, criminal justice social workers (CJSWs) face challenges related to structure and professional autonomy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, correctional services (CS) implemented strict infection control measures through early releases, lockdowns in prisons with isolation, and the cessation of visits. This research explores how CJSWs experienced working during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a specific focus on perceived influence on their working conditions, changes in users’ needs, and adaptation to new demands related to infection control. This is a mixed-methods study of a small sample of social workers in Norway’s criminal justice sector (N = 75). Findings indicated that they experienced a negative impact of COVID-19 on their contact with colleagues and their target group, as well as on their ability to provide services to the latter. In addition, there is an indication of a heavier workload for CJSWs during COVID-19. Our results are analysed using the job demand–resource model (JD-R). The results suggest that infection control measures created additional demands and strain on CJSWs in caring for vulnerable and at-risk groups, while at the same time reducing contact with their own colleagues and supervisors, experiencing what we address as a ‘double negative’. Full article

Background: Communication, language, and speech disorders are highly prevalent in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and substantially impact social, educational, and community participation. However, few studies have systematically characterized communicative and linguistic profiles using standardized assessments. This paper outlines the work of the ‘Italian CP & Language Network’ over the last two years, focusing on identifying research priorities, developing specialized assessment protocols, and proposing a shared classification system for speech and language disorders in children with CP. Methods: A survey was sent to 11 specialized centers to investigate clinical practices and assessment tools. Based on the results and an extensive literature review, the group developed three age- and complexity-based diagnostic protocols and a shared classification system. Results: The survey highlighted high variability in test selection, especially for speech and pragmatic assessment, and a significant need for ad hoc tools for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Three standardized protocols were defined: (1) early language (<48 months), (2) school-age language and pragmatics (4–12 years), and (3) minimally verbal children (6–12 years). A multi-level classification system for language and speech disorders was proposed to improve diagnostic consistency. Conclusions: Standardizing assessment is a critical step toward early identification of communicative vulnerabilities to guide tailored interventions and promote participation and quality of life across developmental stages. The group provides a framework for prospective multicenter data collection to correlate linguistic and speech phenotypes with neuroradiological features and motor outcomes. Full article