Search Results (219,533)

Astragalus root rot is a soil-borne disease primarily caused by Fusarium spp., which severely hampers the sustainable development of the Astragalus industry. F. acuminatum is a predominant pathogen causing this disease. To elucidate the genetic variation and adaptive evolutionary characteristics of F. acuminatum from different geographical origins, this study conducted whole-genome resequencing analysis on 28 isolates of F. acuminatum collected from four major Astragalus production regions. Approximately 124.9 Gb of high-quality sequencing data were obtained, and a large number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected. Population genetic analysis revealed that strains from different regions did not form strictly geographically specific clusters, exhibiting a complex mixed distribution pattern. Nucleotide polymorphism analysis indicated that the Dingxi, Gansu (GD) population possessed the highest nucleotide diversity (π) value, reflecting the richest genetic diversity. Fixation index (Fst) analysis revealed significant genetic differentiation (Fst > 0.15) among populations from different provinces, suggesting that geographic isolation may be a contributing factor to restricted gene flow between pathogenic isolates in these regions. Tajima’s D positive values suggest a deviation from neutrality, consistent with balancing selection or population contraction. Ka/Ks analysis further revealed that the majority of genes exhibited Ka/Ks > 1, differing from the typical pattern of purifying selection dominance. This study revealed the genetic variation and selection signals of F. acuminatum isolates from different geographical origins, observed significant genetic differentiation between the Gansu and Ningxia populations, and identified a large number of genes that may be subject to positive selection. Full article

Objective: To review the literature on palliative care protocols and models of care for pregnant women and their fetuses with life-limiting conditions. Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE and Virtual Health Library (VHL)—BIREME/SciELO/LILACS, using the descriptors “palliative care” and “prenatal care”. Studies of all designs published between February 2015 and May 2025 were considered for inclusion. Articles in languages other than Portuguese, English, and Spanish, duplicates, and those that did not discuss care protocols or experiences in perinatal palliative care for life-limiting fetal conditions starting from prenatal care were excluded. Articles were selected through title, abstract, and full-text screening. Results: Twenty-one studies focused on prenatal care were selected, presenting protocols and experiences of care in palliative fetal medicine. Most addressed the diagnosis of life-limiting fetal malformations, prenatal care, birth and delivery plan, perinatal grief and the puerperium. Across the included studies, a recurring emphasis on individualized, patient and family-centered approaches was identified, reflecting core principles of personalized medicine. Tailoring communication, care planning, and bereavement support to the specific clinical, genetic, cultural, and psychosocial profile of each dyad emerged as a structural characteristic of effective perinatal palliative care models. Conclusions: There is a scarcity of specific palliative care protocols for pregnancy, indicating a need to expand studies. The reviewed literature can contribute to the creation and adaptation of palliative care protocols and models for pregnant women and their fetuses with life-limiting conditions, may support more consistent care planning, improved communication, and better alignment with parental values. Full article

Background: High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) can be subdivided into four prognostic molecular subtypes based on gene expression: C1/Mesenchymal (C1.MES), C2/Immunoreactive (C2.IMM), C4/Differentiated (C4.DIF) and C5/Proliferative (C5.PRO), each representing distinct biological characteristics with immune and stromal microenvironments. PrOTYPE enables prognosis and treatment guidance from biopsy material. Metastatic biopsies are often more accessible than primary adnexal sampling; their utility assumes stable tumor-intrinsic properties relative to the primary. Metastases may diverge due to microenvironmental pressure as well as the site-specific subtype dynamics. Methods: Treatment-naïve HGSOC specimens from 138 patients were profiled using the 55-gene nanostring PrOTYPE assay at adnexal, contralateral adnexal, and/or metastatic sites. Results: Adnexal PrOTYPE yielded expected distributions (21% C1.MES, 31% C2.IMM, 23% C4.DIF, 25% C5.PRO) with moderate reproducibility (κ = 0.49). Same-site replicate analysis showed substantial reproducibility (κ = 0.7). Non-adnexal sites were enriched for immune/mesenchymal subtypes (C1.MES/C2.IMM, 36/63 cases), most prominently at the omentum (24/32 C1.MES). C5.PRO was distinctly underrepresented at non-adnexal sites. Subtype shifts from adnexal to extra-adnexal sites were enriched for the second-place adnexal type prediction (p < 0.001). Detailed 55-gene analysis showed POSTN/CTSK were most commonly upregulated across metastatic sites. EMT pathway enrichment increased with metastatic distance (from adnexa to omentum, adj p < 0.05), paralleling—but independent of—C1.MES predominance. Conclusions: Adnexal PrOTYPE showed good stability. However, non-random subtype shifts and EMT enrichment at metastatic sites suggest dissemination selects pre-existing transcriptional plasticity rather than acquiring states de novo as HGSOC adapts to new microenvironments. Microenvironment changes may help predict metastatic potential and should be considered for precision medicine targeting. Full article

Stigma, including ageism and dementia-related stigma, operates as a behavioral determinant shaping beliefs, expectations and actions across the life course. This narrative conceptual synthesis draws on World Health Organization frameworks and selected literature to examine how stigma influences behavior at individual and professional levels. Ageism reinforces assumptions of decline and dependency, which may be internalized, reducing engagement in health-promoting behaviors. Dementia stigma contributes to delayed help-seeking, underdiagnosis, and therapeutic nihilism, influencing clinical decision-making and access to rehabilitation and psychosocial interventions. Addressing stigma is critical to modifying behavior, improving care engagement, and supporting inclusive, person-centered approaches to healthy aging and dementia. Full article

Selective breeding in Persian cats has led to extreme brachycephalic features, often associated with clinically relevant disorders. However, comprehensive anatomical studies evaluating the skull as a whole remain limited. The present study aimed to perform a morphological and morphometric comparison of the skull in Persian and Domestic Shorthair cats. Fifteen adult feline skulls, including 10 Persian and 5 Domestic Shorthair specimens, were obtained through anatomical preparation procedures and analyzed through detailed morphological observation and morphometric measurements. The results revealed consistent and marked differences between the two groups. Persian cats exhibited a rounded skull with a pronounced reduction in the facial region and frequent deviations of the craniofacial axis. Prognathism and malocclusion were observed in the majority of Persian specimens, often presenting as a reverse scissor bite. In addition, the nasal bone aperture was frequently displaced dorsally, suggesting an alteration of the anatomical relationships within the nasal region. These findings provide anatomical evidence supporting the predisposition of Persian cats to respiratory, dental, and ocular disorders and highlight the structural consequences of selective breeding on craniofacial morphology. Full article

Background/Objectives: While the 2024 international expert consensus acknowledges that operator-managed sedation (OMS) may provide equal safety to anesthesiologist-directed care, it emphasizes clinical judgment over numerical risk scores alone, yet supporting institutional data remain limited. We evaluated the safety outcomes and risk factors for adverse events (AEs) during OMS at a single tertiary center. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 342 cardiac catheterization procedures in pediatric patients under six years of age performed under OMS between 2020 and 2022. Results: A total of 342 cardiac catheterization procedures were performed in 307 patients, of which 30.4% were diagnostic. The overall incidence of AEs was 7.0%, and all events were successfully managed with complete recovery. In the univariate analysis, neonatal age (OR = 13.5, p < 0.001), body weight ≤ 10 kg (OR = 3.04, p = 0.01), and genetic abnormalities (OR = 3.92, p = 0.023) were identified as significant risk factors. Neonatal age and genetic abnormalities remained significant in the multivariate analysis. The incidence of AEs increased with higher Catheterization Risk Score for Pediatrics (CRISP) scores, showing a significant linear trend (p < 0.001), whereas no sedation-related AEs occurred in patients with scores below 2. Conversion to GA occurred only in patients with CRISP scores above 5. Conclusions: OMS can be performed safely across a wide CRISP score range in experienced centers. Neonatal age and genetic abnormalities were associated with increased AE risk; however, case selection should be guided by each patient’s overall clinical picture rather than any single risk factor alone. Full article

Background: Evidence on powered wearable exoskeleton gait training in patients with chronic hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is virtually absent, and existing studies have focused on macroscopic functional outcomes while neglecting joint-level neuromuscular force-generation characteristics such as rate of force development (RFD). Objective: To examine the effects of a six-week powered exoskeleton gait training program on isometric hip strength and RFD, sit-to-stand (STS) performance, frontal-plane hip strength, and center-of-pressure (CoP) dynamics in a patient with chronic HIE-induced quadriparesis. Methods: A case report with pre- and post-intervention evaluation was conducted. A 47-year-old male with chronic HIE-induced quadriparesis (onset 2017) completed 18 sessions (three per week, six weeks) of powered lower-limb exoskeleton gait training. Outcomes included isometric hip peak force and RFD (DynaMo, Vald Performance), STS peak force and body mass-normalized RFD (ForceDecks, Vald Performance), frontal-plane hip strength (ForceFrame, Vald Performance), and CoP path length and mean velocity. Results: Hip extension peak force increased by 247–256% bilaterally, and hip extension RFD increased by 174–188%, whereas hip flexion peak force showed minimal change (+3.3–5.2%). Body mass-normalized STS RFD increased by 250% (10 to 35 N·s⁻¹·kg⁻¹), representing the largest relative gain. Hip abduction strength increased by 27.1–36.8% with improved bilateral symmetry; hip adduction imbalance reversed from right to left dominance. CoP path length and mean velocity each decreased by 3.7%. Conclusions: Six weeks of powered exoskeleton gait training selectively enhanced time-dependent neuromuscular output—particularly RFD—beyond maximal strength gains, with meaningful improvements in functional weight acceptance during STS. These findings support exoskeleton-based training as a promising rehabilitation strategy for patients with chronic CNS injury. Full article

This paper develops a theoretical framework for corporate financial resilience under incomplete-market conditions, in which firm-specific equity derivatives are structurally unavailable or only weakly developed. Using the Romanian capital market and the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BSE) as a focal context rather than as the paper’s sole relevance, the study links Tobin’s q, liquidity policy, capital structure, ESG governance, and the domestic quasi-risk-free benchmark ($R_f^{ROM}$) to explain how firms may partly support financial flexibility when direct hedging instruments are missing. This is a conceptual framework paper: it does not provide empirical tests or validated firm-level results but instead formulates empirically testable propositions (P1–P4) and a future empirical research agenda. Building on selective hedging theory, Tobin’s q investment theory ESG finance and organisational resilience research, the framework identifies six assumptions of the classical model that are violated and four limitations affecting q measurement on the BSE. Within thin and illiquid markets, Tobin’s q is treated as a noisy, imperfect valuation signal rather than as a precise decision threshold. The paper contributes by delimiting the scope conditions under which classical q-based and selective-hedging assumptions weaken in derivative-constrained markets by reframing financial flexibility as a conditional resilience mechanism rather than a hedge substitute and by specifying falsifiable propositions for future empirical testing in the Romanian capital-market context. Full article

The growing application of nanotechnology in wood modification has led to significant improvements in the durability, fire resistance, and biological stability of wood-based building materials, such as glued laminated timber (GLT), as well as related chemical products, including fire retardants and anticorrosion preservatives. While numerous review papers have focused on material performance and functionalisation strategies, a comprehensive analysis of the research methodologies employed in this field remains limited. This review addresses this gap by systematically examining the experimental and analytical methods used in studies on nanomaterial-modified wood surface treatments. Scientific articles published and indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases within the last ten years were selected using keywords related to wood, nanotechnology, and surface applications simulating industrial timber treatment processes applied in factories and construction sites. Publications were screened according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study selection process was conducted according to the PRISMA methodology, and 74 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were selected for the final analysis. Extracted methodological features were coded and analysed using frequency-based descriptive statistics. Considerable methodological heterogeneity was observed among the analysed studies. Softwood species, TiO₂- and ZnO-based nanomaterials, and brushing or immersion treatments represented the most frequently investigated research configurations. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), often combined with EDS and XRD analyses, occupied a central role within the analytical framework of nanomodified wood research. In contrast, long-term durability assessments, biological resistance testing, and fire-performance evaluations were comparatively underrepresented. The review also revealed substantial variability in the use of testing standards and statistical methods. By linking research methodologies to normative requirements for construction materials, this work provides a methodological framework supporting future research, standardisation, certification, and commercial implementation of nanomaterial-based wood protection systems. Full article

Colloidal gold dietary supplements intended for oral consumption are increasingly marketed as nano-enabled products, yet their physicochemical characteristics and biological effects remain insufficiently documented. In this study, commercially available colloidal gold supplements produced and marketed in Romania (30, 55, and 110 mg/L) were investigated to determine their classification as nanomaterials and to assess their preliminary biological effects in the context of oral exposure. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a narrow particle size distribution (4–11 nm), while SAED and EDX confirmed the presence of metallic gold nanoparticles. UV-VIS spectroscopy showed the characteristic surface plasmon resonance, supported by comparison with citrate-stabilized reference AuNPs (5–20 nm). DLS and zeta potential measurements indicated stable electrostatically stabilized colloids. According to the current EU definition, the number-based size distribution supports classification as nanomaterials. Manufacturer-recommended daily intakes were compared with doses reported in the literature using HED conversion to contextualize oral exposure. In vitro assays showed no pronounced acute cytotoxic or antitumoral effects on HCT-8 cells and no inhibitory effects on selected LAB. However, increased cytotoxicity was observed in HEK293 cells exposed to the dietary supplement formulation compared with the corresponding standard AuNP formulation. These results underscore the importance of considering cell-specific responses when evaluating the safety of nano-enabled dietary supplements and support the need for long-term toxicological studies. Full article

Reliable and rapid forecasting of wind turbine output power is vital for operators, particularly day-ahead and intraday market scheduling and reserve allocation. However, the inherent unpredictability, intermittency, and volatility of wind turbine output make forecasting processes difficult. To address this challenge, this study proposes a Sinusoidal Representation Network (SIREN)-based forecasting model for high-accuracy, rapid direct multi-horizon forecasting of wind turbine output power. SIREN is selected due to the periodic and symmetrical mathematical structure of its sinusoidal activation function, which allows the model to represent both low-frequency trends and high-frequency sudden changes in wind energy data. To improve data quality, compensate for asymmetric fluctuations in wind data, and provide more suitable inputs for SIREN training. Several preprocessing steps are utilized before feeding the data into the model. The proposed preprocessing step includes a moving median filter, robust scaling based on median and interquartile range, Winsorizing clipping, and a Hampel filter to reduce the effects of instantaneous noise, outliers, and local peaks without disrupting temporal continuity. Subsequently, a Savitzky–Golay smoothing is applied to attenuate high-frequency measurement noise while preserving curvature, local peaks, and physically meaningful short-term dynamics in the data. The sliding-window approach is used to formulate the multi-horizon forecasting problem directly, and a direct h-step-ahead forecasting architecture is designed, preserving structural symmetry in the time series. The SIREN is trained and tested using MATLAB with the help of two different datasets: Dataset-1 has a 10 min resolution for 1 year, and Dataset-2 has a 1 h resolution for 15 years. The forecast horizon parameter h is considered separately for each step, and the proposed SIREN is independently trained, validated, and tested for each target horizon while maintaining chronological order. The results demonstrate that the proposed model is able to yield high forecast performance for a wide spectrum of horizons ranging from 10 min to 15 days. The accuracy of the proposed model for Dataset-1 is R² of 99.6%, MSE of 0.085%, MAE of 1.7%, and MAPE of 12%, while for Dataset-2, the accuracy is R² of 98.8%, MSE of 0.3%, MAE of 3.6%, and MAPE of 23%. Ablation and sensitivity analyses are conducted to evaluate the impact of the basic components used in the proposed model on forecasting performance. In addition, combative experiments are performed using traditional time series, ML, and DL forecasting techniques to better assess the contribution of the model. The obtained results show that the SIREN-based direct forecasting approach provides strong learning capability, as well as high forecasting accuracy, for both high-resolution and low-resolution wind power data. Overall, its ability to capture the symmetric and periodic characteristics inherent in wind turbine power data makes it a promising alternative for multi-horizon wind power forecasting applications. Full article

Feature selection (FS) is a pivotal preprocessing task in data mining aimed at identifying optimal feature subsets to improve model generalization and reduce computational overhead. However, its NP-hard nature poses significant challenges for traditional optimizers in terms of search efficiency and solution quality. The Harris Hawks Optimization (HHO) algorithm is a state-of-the-art population-based metaheuristic method that demonstrates powerful capabilities in various optimization challenges. Despite its advantages, HHO encounters problems such as early stagnation and reduced accuracy. To mitigate these problems, we introduce an advanced algorithm called the Hybrid Strategy Harris Hawks Optimization (HSHHO). The HSHHO combines three key enhancements to support global search diversity and local refinement: (1) an exploration mechanism that utilizes the Self-Parameterized Map (SPM) alongside a dynamic logarithmic spiral to expand search breadth; (2) a nonlinear adjustment to the escape energy parameter for improved phase equilibrium; and (3) an elite perturbation approach that uses Cauchy–Gaussian mutation to strengthen local optimization and solution quality. We assessed HSHHO against eight well-known algorithms on 30 benchmark functions, where it exhibited superior results in the majority of cases. Finally, HSHHO is applied to address 18 feature selection tasks. The results demonstrated that HSHHO achieved highly competitive outcomes in terms of objective values, feature subset size, and classification performance in most datasets, reaching an average accuracy of 94.47%. Full article

Nitrogen deposition continuously alters the invasibility of terrestrial ecosystems, but how the composition of local plant functional groups regulates this process by root-associated microbial during invasion, especially under the background of resource changes, remains unclear. This study focused on the invasive plant Cenchrus spinifex Cav. and conducted an interactive experiment using nitrogen addition and four different functional group combinations of local plant communities. The results show that the community with the closest phylogenetic distance (PD = 189) had the strongest resistance to invasion. Nitrogen addition was the core factor driving invasion (total effect 0.86), which promoted invasion by increasing soil nitrogen pools and altering microbial community structure. The role of leguminous plants changed fundamentally with nitrogen availability; they were competitors under low-nitrogen conditions, while under high-nitrogen conditions, they transformed into “synergistic invaders” by shaping the root-associated environment rich in microorganisms such as Proteobacteria that facilitate rapid nutrient turnover. Plant nitrogen and phosphorus content (PNP) is a key indicator reflecting the nutrient absorption capacity of invasive plants and is closely related to invasion success. It significantly promotes the ability of root resources acquisition. The study shows that invasion success depends on the dynamic balance among resource input, the phylogenetic background of the local community, and the microbial feedback regulated by it. Future ecological management should consider the coordinated regulation of aboveground functional group selection and underground microbial processes. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated telehealth adoption, but disparities in digital access hinder its potential, especially for older adults in nonmetropolitan areas. This study examined associations between sociodemographic factors and access to select digital resources among nonmetropolitan Medicare beneficiaries. This cross-sectional study used the 2022 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Public Use File, including 1732 Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 in nonmetropolitan areas. The dependent variable of digital access was categorized as (1) access to both a computer/tablet and the internet, (2) access to either, and (3) access to neither. A survey-weighted multinomial logit model was conducted to examine associations between sociodemographic factors and digital access, with no access to either a computer/tablet or the internet as the reference category. Approximately 71.7% of nonmetropolitan beneficiaries had both computer/tablet and internet access, 14.4% had one or the other, and 13.9% had neither. About one-third of study beneficiaries lacked full digital access. Older age, male, minority race/ethnicity, lower education, and lower income were associated with reduced digital access among nonmetropolitan beneficiaries. Targeted interventions to expand digital access for these at-risk populations are needed. Full article

Moisture content (MC) is an important indicator affecting the quality of dried lemon slices. To achieve rapid and non-destructive MC detection, this study developed a lemon slice MC detection model based on the fusion of image texture and spectral features. A total of 240 lemon slices were dried at 80 ${}^{\circ }$C, and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) data and reference MC values were collected at different drying times. Competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), successive projections algorithm (SPA), and uninformative variable elimination (UVE) were used to select characteristic wavelengths. Image texture features were extracted using the gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), and the spectral features and image texture features were concatenated and fused. Kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) was then applied to reduce the dimensionality of the fused feature set. Finally, support vector machine (SVM), general regression neural network (GRNN), and partial least squares (PLS) models were established for MC detection. The results showed that the spectral-feature-based models achieved good predictive performance. The image texture-feature-based models also demonstrated predictive capability, whereas spectral–texture feature fusion further improved prediction accuracy. Among all models, the PLS model based on the spectral–texture fused features achieved the best performance, with a coefficient of determination of prediction ($R_p^2$) of 0.9890 and a root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.1916 g/g in the prediction set. These results indicate that HSI combined with spectral–texture feature fusion provides a promising approach for rapid MC detection in lemon slices. Full article