Search Results (18,167)

Building facades and construction materials are continuously exposed to airborne particulate matter, organic pollutants, and microbial colonization, which cause progressive soiling, aesthetic degradation, and structural deterioration while imposing high maintenance and energy burdens. Photocatalytic titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has emerged as the most widely studied material for imparting self-cleaning functionality to building surfaces, owing to its ability to mineralize adsorbed contaminants under solar irradiation and to modulate surface wettability. This narrative review provides a structured account of TiO₂-based self-cleaning coatings for building materials, organized around three complementary themes: surface mechanisms, performance metrics, and outdoor durability. We first rationalize the two intertwined self-cleaning mechanisms—photocatalytic oxidative degradation and photoinduced superhydrophilicity—and their combination with physically repellent (superhydrophobic/superamphiphobic) wetting states. We then survey the principal coating-design strategies, including morphology and facet engineering, SiO₂-TiO₂ composites, metal/non-metal doping and heterojunction construction for visible-light activation, and dual-functional photocatalytic–superhydrophobic systems, and their integration into cementitious substrates, natural stone and cultural heritage, and transparent glass/photovoltaic surfaces. The quantitative metrics used to benchmark self-cleaning performance—water contact angle, dye photodegradation, NO_x and VOC abatement, and antimicrobial activity—are critically discussed together with the limitations of standardized laboratory tests. Finally, we analyze the weathering-induced deactivation pathways (photocatalyst leaching, surface contamination by soluble salts, and UV aging of organic matrices) and the emerging strategies for durable coatings, including inorganic binders, light-driven hydration, and defect- and heterojunction-engineered photocatalysts. The review concludes with an outlook on the open challenges that must be addressed to translate these coatings from laboratory demonstrations to long-lived, large-scale building applications. Full article

Background/Objectives: This scoping review aimed to map the existing evidence on the aims, characteristics, outcomes and implementation facilitators and barriers of peer-support interventions designed to promote self-management in individuals living with an intestinal ostomy. Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported according to the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A systematic literature search was conducted in December 2025 in the MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL (EBSCOhost) and APA PsycINFO (ProQuest) databases. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods design studies written in any language were eligible for inclusion, with no restrictions on publication date, language or geographical location. Rayyan was used for duplicate removal and reference management. A total of 944 titles and abstracts were screened independently by two reviewers. Fifty-three full-text studies were assessed for eligibility. Data were extracted and synthesised descriptively and narratively. Results: Fourteen eligible publications were included, representing a range of study designs, including randomised controlled trials (n = 6), observational (n = 2) and quasi-experimental (n = 1) designs, feasibility, and economic evaluation studies. Studies were conducted primarily in the USA (n = 7), followed by Turkey (n = 3). Most peer-support interventions aimed to improve quality of life (n = 6). Peer-support interventions varied considerably in delivery mode, duration, facilitation, and intervention content. Interventions were delivered by peers alone (n = 2) or involved peers in collaboration with healthcare professionals or as part of multicomponent interventions and included face-to-face, remote, and other delivery formats, ranging from a single visit to a four-month duration. Several publications reported improvements in quality of life and self-management. Structured intervention content was reported to facilitate implementation, whereas accessibility and technological barriers were reported to limit intervention delivery. Conclusions: Peer-support interventions may represent a promising approach for supporting self-management among individuals living with an ostomy, particularly with several publications reporting improvements in self-management related outcomes. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously given the heterogeneity of intervention characteristics and study designs, together with the absence of critical appraisal of included publications. Future research should identify core components of peer-support interventions and evaluate their longer-term outcomes across diverse healthcare and cultural contexts. Full article

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) remain one of the leading causes of pediatric consultations, emergency department visits, and hospital admissions worldwide, imposing a substantial clinical, organizational, and economic burden on healthcare systems. Although most ARIs are self-limiting viral illnesses, their high incidence during childhood continues to challenge both primary care pediatricians and hospital services. In recent years, the epidemiology and prevention of pediatric respiratory infections have evolved considerably following the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of nirsevimab immunization against RSV, while RespiVirNet has strengthened national respiratory-virus surveillance. These developments reinforce the need for integrated models of care. This narrative perspective discusses the current epidemiology and burden of pediatric ARIs, predominantly within the Italian healthcare setting, and examines the complementary roles of family and hospital pediatricians in clinical assessment, risk stratification, appropriate referral, and continuity of care. Particular attention is paid to antimicrobial stewardship and strategies to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Preventive strategies, including RSV prevention and influenza, pneumococcal, and pertussis vaccination, are also considered as integral components of coordinated pediatric respiratory care. Finally, we discuss how surveillance, preventive interventions, shared referral criteria, structured information transfer, and measurable quality indicators could support more coordinated primary–hospital care and provide a framework for prospective evaluation. Full article

Bioactive polysaccharides (e.g., fucoidan, β-glucans, and medicinal plant polysaccharides) contain functional groups that interact with drug molecules, and some also retain their own biological activities. Through reversible noncovalent interactions, they can associate with small-molecule drugs and form supramolecular nanocomplexes, defined here as nanoscale assemblies in which the polysaccharide is a main structural component and its association with the drug contributes to assembly or drug retention. Multicomponent composites and bulk local matrices are discussed separately as related or extended systems. The review covers hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic association, electrostatic complexation, π–π stacking, and the cooperation among these interactions, together with the effects of pH, ionic strength, concentration, and solvent composition. Nanoprecipitation/solvent exchange, polyelectrolyte complexation, direct aqueous self-assembly, and microfluidic-assisted assembly are compared with respect to nanostructure formation, process control, and reproducibility. Molecular, colloidal, solid-state, and computational evidence is examined together when interpreting structure–assembly–performance relationships. Reported advantages include improved drug dispersibility, colloidal stability, release control, bioavailability, cellular uptake, biodistribution, and safety. In some systems, the polysaccharide itself may also contribute to therapeutic effects in tumors, inflammatory diseases, and wound healing. Related local-matrix systems are considered separately. Further development of these nanocomplexes will require better quantitative analysis of assembly mechanisms, more consistent polysaccharide characterization, careful biocompatibility assessment, scalable preparation, and longer-term safety evaluation. Full article

This study reports the development of an intelligent dual-layer wound dressing engineered to achieve active wound repair. The self-standing dressing integrates a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric electrospun membrane with a multifunctional hydrogel based on interfacial fusion. The PVDF layer converted mechanical energy derived from human body movement into electrical stimulation, which dramatically motivated the controlled release of diclofenac sodium (DFs) encapsulated in the hydrogel. The relatively small diameter fibers and network caused strong connection with the hydrogel and smooth transfer of electricity. When a positive potential of 1.5 V was applied, up to a 55 μg mL⁻¹ cumulative amount of DFs was released, about five times higher than that only based on drug diffusion. This enhanced release rate resulted from the cooperation of accelerated drug migration under electrically driven and dynamic changes of the gel’s microstructure, which was the result of reversible behavior of borate bonds within the hydrogel. Consequently, the hydrogel exhibited self-healing properties and a tensile strain of up to 600%, much higher than that of conventional hydrogels. Under mechanical motivation, the dressing exhibited enhanced DFs release ability, confirming the piezoelectric transition and controlled drug release abilities. Therefore, the present work offers an innovative solution for the intelligent management of chronic wounds. Full article

This study examines the direct and indirect associations of green leadership with green performance and organizational sustainability through green work climate and green innovative behavior. Drawing on Social Information Processing Theory, it specifies a bounded associational framework that differentiates leadership-related environmental cues, employee-perceived workplace context, self-reported behavioral action, and employee-assessed organization-referent outcomes. Data were collected from 798 employees working in five-star hotels and licensed travel agencies in Saudi Arabia and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal positive associations among all focal constructs. Green leadership is most strongly associated with green work climate, while green innovative behavior is more closely associated with green performance than with organizational sustainability. All hypothesized specific and theoretically ordered serial indirect coefficients are statistically significant, including the extended association linking green leadership with organizational sustainability through green work climate, green innovative behavior, and green performance. By jointly estimating direct, specific indirect, and serial indirect associations, the study differentiates the perceptual and behavioral functions of green work climate and green innovative behavior and distinguishes green performance from broader organizational sustainability. From a sustainable development perspective, the findings identify employee-assessed organizational conditions associated with resource efficiency, waste reduction, environmentally oriented innovation, continuing environmental and social responsibility, local economic participation, and community well-being. These areas are relevant particularly to Sustainable Development Goals 8, 9, 12, and 13. However, because sustainable development was not directly measured, these implications concern the potential contribution of organizational practices to sustainable development rather than verified destination- or societal-level development outcomes. Full article

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly embedded in higher education, but the association between students’ efficacy beliefs for AI-supported learning and their self-perceived digital creative functioning remains under-specified. This cross-sectional study tested a domain-specific efficacy account and examined a broad, study-specific AI learning risk-awareness measure as an exploratory boundary condition. Survey data from 920 Chinese higher education students were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and regression-based conditional process analysis with 5000 bootstrap resamples. The four focal measures showed a statistically distinguishable four-factor structure, although digital creative self-efficacy and self-perceived digital creative functioning remained conceptually close. AI learning self-efficacy was positively associated with self-perceived digital creative functioning, with a smaller statistical indirect association through digital creative self-efficacy. At mean risk awareness, the model-implied indirect point estimate was 0.177, compared with a direct association of 0.612. Conditional indirect point estimates decreased modestly from 0.196 to 0.157 as risk awareness increased. The conventional index of moderated mediation was negative and small and is interpreted here only as a statistical index of change in the conditional indirect association. These findings are consistent with a domain-specific efficacy account while indicating that the indirect component was meaningful but non-dominant. Single-wave self-reports preclude causal inference and do not constitute evidence of objectively rated creativity. Full article

We present a comparative exposition of Riemannian and Lorentzian geometries, organized through successive levels of increasing structure. Beginning with scalar products on vector spaces, we proceed through smooth manifolds, left-invariant metrics on Lie groups, homogeneous spaces and contact metric geometry. At each level, we emphasize which notions and results survive the transition from positive-definite to Lorentzian signature, which ones fail, and the mechanisms responsible for these differences. Recurring themes include: the emergence of causal structures, the loss of diagonalizability of self-adjoint operators, the failure of the equivalence between metric and geodesic completeness, and the topological obstruction to the existence of Lorentzian metrics on compact manifolds. Particular attention is devoted to the classification of three-dimensional homogeneous spaces, including Bianchi–Cartan–Vranceanu spaces and their Lorentzian counterparts, and to the contact metric setting, where an additional geometric structure restores a correspondence between the Riemannian and Lorentzian theories. Full article

In the Selection-Stitch Model (SSM), baryonic matter is a $K=4$ remnant trapped in a tetrahedral void of the $K=12$ FCC vacuum lattice. We examine the second interstitial site, the octahedral void, as a candidate dark matter trap. Its bonded subgraph is the complete tripartite graph $K_{2,2,2}$. Four structural properties follow from its symmetry. Two are exact: the defect is self-conjugate, and it has no first-order electric dipole. Two are weaker and are stated as such: the electromagnetic coupling is suppressed at dipole order rather than at all orders, and the mechanism that generates SU(3) color for the tetrahedral baryon has no counterpart here. A closed inclusion–exclusion expansion on $K_{2,2,2}$ gives the structural count $C_{\mathrm{DM}}=25·144-30·10+8·8=3364$. It terminates at third order because the octahedron’s six vertices forbid a four-matching. Under one stated assumption, the standing-information postulate, this corresponds to $m_{\mathrm{DM}}=(3364/1836)\times m_p=1.719$ GeV with the proton mass as the sole calibration input and no cosmological fitting.The same geometry fixes the annihilation channel. Two octahedral defects can meet only along a shared octahedron edge, and of the four cages their interface admits, only the two tetrahedra are products of the merger. The residual therefore has mass $m_p$, and the only channel producing a line gives $E_{\gamma }=1.591$ GeV. A recently reported $1.5$–$1.6$ GeV gamma-ray line has weighted centroid $1.578\pm 0.048$ GeV, which is $0.3\sigma$ away. No observational input enters the derivation. Full article

Underwater point cloud registration using Multibeam Echosounder (MBES) data is fundamental to marine exploration and seafloor mapping. However, MBES point clouds present unique challenges compared to terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR): high noise levels, low overlap rates, and strongly anisotropic distributions caused by the strip-like sonar scanning pattern. These characteristics degrade existing registration algorithms, which predominantly assume locally isotropic point distributions. To address these challenges, this paper proposes Anisotropic Kernel Point Convolution (A-KPConv), a novel operator tailored to the strip-like structure of MBES point clouds. A-KPConv uses Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to estimate local geometric principal directions and constructs an affine transformation that adapts the convolution kernel shape and orientation to align with the local geometry, thereby shifting feature extraction from isotropic aggregation to structure-aware feature learning along the principal structural directions. Building upon this operator, we integrate A-KPConv into Predator—a framework for low-overlap registration—to develop A-Predator, in which the standard isotropic KPConv in the first three encoder layers is replaced with A-KPConv so that structure-aware feature learning is performed where geometric information is most salient. Extensive experiments on the public Dotson-east dataset and a self-collected LiQuan Lake (LQL) MBES dataset demonstrate that A-Predator achieves the highest registration recall among the evaluated methods. On Dotson-east, recall improves from 31.63% to 59.55% under 10% overlap, with consistently low translation and rotation errors. Ablation studies support the effectiveness of A-KPConv relative to the evaluated anisotropic operators, and cross-dataset experiments suggest more effective transfer than the evaluated baselines from Dotson-east to the rescaled LQL-MBES data without fine-tuning. Full article

Long-term monitoring provides a unique opportunity to distinguish persistent ecological processes from short-term fluctuations in forest insect dynamics. However, the extent to which local insect populations persist through time and the mechanisms regulating their occupancy remain poorly understood. Using a 13-year dataset from the Polish ICP Forests network, we investigated temporal and spatial dynamics of insect occurrence in alder stands. We quantified persistence at tree and plot levels, evaluated signatures of density-dependent regulation, and assessed spatial structure using generalized additive models, logistic regression, transition analyses, and spatial autocorrelation metrics. Insect occurrence exhibited exceptionally strong temporal persistence. Occurrence in the previous year was the dominant predictor of current occurrence across all modeling approaches. Persistence patterns differed between plot and tree levels, with transition analyses revealing greater long-term stability at the level of monitoring plots, consistent with the long-term stability of local populations despite turnover among host trees. Occupancy dynamics were consistent with negative density-dependent regulation, with local populations fluctuating around a stable equilibrium occupancy of approximately 75%. Although year-to-year changes occurred regularly, most fluctuations were relatively small and rarely resulted in complete disappearance of populations from occupied locations. Insect occurrence also exhibited pronounced spatial structure. Occupancy remained significantly clustered throughout the study period, indicating persistent regional differences in local population abundance. In contrast, annual changes in occupancy showed only weak spatial autocorrelation, suggesting that short-term dynamics were driven primarily by local ecological processes rather than by highly synchronized regional fluctuations. Our results indicate that infestation patterns in alder stands are consistent with persistent and self-regulating local herbivore populations that remain associated with the same forest stands over extended periods. Long-term dynamics are governed primarily by temporal persistence, density-dependent feedback, and stable spatial structure rather than by repeated cycles of colonization and extinction. These findings highlight the importance of long-term monitoring for understanding population persistence and provide new insight into the processes maintaining herbivore populations in forest ecosystems. Full article

Background/Objectives: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common pregnancy complications and requires sustained patient engagement to achieve optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes. This narrative review synthesized current evidence on patient engagement strategies and developed clinical principles for implementing patient-centered care across the GDM care continuum. Methods: A domain-based narrative review was conducted using the Consensus literature search platform. A total of 5359 records were identified. After multi-phase screening for relevance and eligibility, 37 studies, including systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and qualitative research, were included. Evidence was synthesized across four domains: universal screening and linkage to care, whole-person assessment, digital patient engagement, and postpartum transition. Results: Universal screening consistently detected more women with GDM than risk-based approaches, although greater detection alone did not consistently improve maternal or neonatal outcomes. Evidence supported structured patient education, culturally responsive communication, self-management support, and active clinician feedback as key components of effective engagement. Digital health interventions, including telehealth, mobile applications, and remote monitoring, improved adherence, self-management, patient satisfaction, and, in many studies, glycemic control when integrated with clinician oversight. Postpartum follow-up remained a persistent gap despite evidence supporting reminder systems and coordinated care transitions. These findings informed a stepped clinical care pathway tailored to low-resource community health settings. Conclusions: Current evidence supports several components of patient-centered GDM care that informed a proposed stepped clinical care pathway integrating early identification, whole-person assessment, structured education, self-management support, digital engagement, and coordinated postpartum care. Many recommended strategies can be implemented using existing personnel and low-cost digital technologies, although additional implementation research is needed to evaluate culturally tailored interventions and long-term effectiveness in underserved populations. Full article

Generative AI is increasingly embedded in knowledge work, yet employees may interpret the same technology either as a resource that extends their capabilities or as a threat involving replacement or monitoring. The psychological pathways linking this interpretation to job engagement and job embeddedness remain underexplored. Drawing on job demands–resources theory, this study positions perceived generative AI complementarity as a technology-based job resource and examines whether it is associated with job engagement and embeddedness through psychological empowerment and psychological safety. Data were collected through a cross-sectional online survey of 428 employees of digital platform service organizations in South Korea. A latent-variable structural equation model was used to evaluate the measurement model and all hypothesized associations, and path-specific indirect associations were tested using bias-corrected bootstrap resampling. Perceived generative AI complementarity was positively associated with both psychological resources, and both resources were positively associated with job engagement and job embeddedness. All four indirect associations were supported, whereas neither residual direct association was distinguishable from zero once measurement error was modeled; the two pathways did not differ significantly in magnitude. Because the data are cross-sectional, single-source, and self-reported, the findings describe associations consistent with the proposed model rather than causal effects. Full article

The rapid digitalization of health resources highlights the need to understand health information adoption in Indonesia. This study examines trust-related HBM belief pathways and Health Information Access Behavior (HIAB) as both a direct predictor and a moderator. Survey data from 260 respondents across urban, suburban, and rural settings were analyzed using PLS-SEM, with 20 semi-structured interviews used for interpretive context. Perceived benefits, cues to action, and self-efficacy significantly increased adoption, and HIAB had a significant positive direct effect. Moderation was limited: only the perceived barriers and HIAB interaction was significant and negative (β = −0.123, p = 0.023), while the other five interactions were not significant. Thus, access behavior does not uniformly strengthen trust-related HBM pathways; its moderating role is specific to perceived barriers. Full article

Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is a fibrotic disorder resulting from aberrant repair following injury to the endometrial basal layer, leading to menstrual abnormalities, infertility, recurrent miscarriage, and pregnancy complications. Although hysteroscopic adhesiolysis remains the primary clinical treatment, the rate of postoperative re–adhesion is still high, especially in patients with moderate–to–severe IUA. Moreover, mechanical separation alone is often insufficient to restore intact endometrial architecture and reproductive function. Hydrogels, with their hydrated three–dimensional networks, extracellular matrix (ECM)–mimicking properties, injectability, biodegradability, tissue adhesion, and tunable delivery capacity, have evolved from passive barrier materials into multifunctional therapeutic platforms capable of regulating the pathological microenvironment and promoting tissue regeneration. Recent advances in responsive, self–healing, adhesive, antioxidant, and bioactive cargo–loaded hydrogels have expanded their applications from preventing adhesion formation toward functional endometrial reconstruction. In this review, we summarize recent progress in hydrogel–based IUA therapy, focusing on material composition, structural design, functional modification, therapeutic mechanisms, and translational considerations. Particular emphasis is placed on disease–informed hydrogel engineering strategies that integrate the unique anatomical characteristics of the uterine cavity, injury–associated microenvironment, and dynamic stages of endometrial repair. This perspective provides insights into the development of next–generation hydrogel systems for preventing re–adhesion and restoring reproductive function. Full article