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27 pages, 575 KB  
Review
Nicotine Withdrawal Syndrome in Intensive Care Patients—Preventive and Therapeutic Implications
by Renata Piotrkowska, Aneta Miszewska, Sandra Lange, Wioletta Mędrzycka-Dąbrowska and Sabina Krupa-Nurcek
Med. Sci. 2026, 14(3), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci14030374 (registering DOI) - 4 Jul 2026
Abstract
Introduction: Nicotine dependence is a chronic disorder with both psychological and somatic components which, in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting, may affect the course of treatment through mechanisms related both to long-term nicotine exposure and to the consequences of its abrupt cessation. [...] Read more.
Introduction: Nicotine dependence is a chronic disorder with both psychological and somatic components which, in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting, may affect the course of treatment through mechanisms related both to long-term nicotine exposure and to the consequences of its abrupt cessation. The aim was to collect and map the current knowledge on smoking-related complications, the prevalence of nicotine withdrawal symptoms in this group, and to identify and describe interventions used to prevent or alleviate nicotine withdrawal symptoms in patients hospitalised in the ICU. Methods: The review included sources retrieved from databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, published in English, that met the PCC criteria, with no time restrictions. Results: Forty-four sources were included. Twenty-nine contributed evidence on smoking-related status as an exposure or associated factor, five explicitly focused on abrupt nicotine cessation or nicotine withdrawal syndrome, and fifteen addressed interventions; categories overlapped. Delirium was the most frequently investigated outcome in smoking-related exposure studies. Withdrawal-focused sources reported or discussed nonspecific manifestations, including agitation, restlessness, anxiety, craving, and delirium-like presentations, but no validated ICU-specific diagnostic approach or robust prevalence estimate was identified. NRT was the only intervention evaluated. Conclusions: Smoking-related status was associated with agitation and delirium in several observational studies; however, heterogeneous exposure definitions and inconsistent evidence syntheses preclude causal or general prognostic conclusions. Evidence specific to nicotine withdrawal syndrome was limited, and the effectiveness and safety of NRT remain uncertain. Implications for clinical practice included routine identification of nicotine dependence at ICU admission, early monitoring of withdrawal symptoms, individualisation of sedation management, careful and selective consideration of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), education of the therapeutic team, planning of further care, and smoking cessation interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Nursing Research)
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47 pages, 7116 KB  
Review
Vision-Based Displacement Measurement for Structural Health Monitoring: A Metrology-Oriented Review of Uncertainty Quantification
by Arman Neyestani, Francesco Picariello, Ioan Tudosa, Michela Monaco, Luca De Vito and Mauro D’Arco
Buildings 2026, 16(13), 2659; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16132659 (registering DOI) - 4 Jul 2026
Abstract
This paper presents a metrology-oriented review of vision-based displacement and deformation measurement for civil structural health monitoring (SHM), with an emphasis on field robustness and uncertainty quantification (UQ). The review focuses on image- and video-based methods that convert visual information into quantitative physical [...] Read more.
This paper presents a metrology-oriented review of vision-based displacement and deformation measurement for civil structural health monitoring (SHM), with an emphasis on field robustness and uncertainty quantification (UQ). The review focuses on image- and video-based methods that convert visual information into quantitative physical measurements, such as displacement, strain, or derived dynamic indicators. The literature is organized according to the main stages of the measurement chain: image formation, image-plane motion estimation, and geometric conversion to metric motion. Within this framework, measurement pipelines are interpreted through three levels of geometric mapping, namely, a scalar scale-factor model, a planar homography-based model, and a full Jacobian-based model. The review synthesizes major method families, including marker-based and markerless tracking, feature-based tracking, optical flow, digital image correlation (DIC), phase-based motion magnification, edge-based estimators, fixed- and moving-camera configurations, UAV-based acquisition with ego-motion compensation, hybrid vision–sensor fusion, and deep-learning-enhanced pipelines. A structured taxonomy of uncertainty sources is then presented along the processing chain, covering camera geometry and calibration, imaging noise and blur, quantization, timing and synchronization, environmental disturbances, optical turbulence and heat haze, platform motion, algorithmic failure modes, and reference-sensor uncertainty. The paper also compares UQ practices, including GUM-aligned analytical propagation, Monte Carlo methods, DIC-specific error budgets, bootstrap and resampling strategies, and probabilistic deep learning. The main contribution of this review is to connect computer-vision-based displacement pipelines with metrological requirements by explicitly linking measurement models, uncertainty sources, UQ methods, and field-validation evidence within a unified framework. A practical uncertainty-budget template is compiled to support traceable reporting across different pipelines and deployment scenarios. The paper concludes with prioritized research gaps and future directions, including standardized benchmarks and datasets, traceable UQ for moving-camera systems, multi-sensor fusion with end-to-end uncertainty propagation, long-term drift characterization, optical-turbulence and adverse-weather modeling, validated subpixel limits at extreme range, probabilistic deep learning–metrology integration, and standardized reporting practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Structures and IoT-Based Health Monitoring for Buildings)
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34 pages, 7396 KB  
Article
A Dynamic Succession-Based Life-Cycle Simulation Model for Projecting Carbon Source–Sink Transitions in Urban Plant Communities
by Xiaxi Liuyang, Jiayu Lu and Yang Cao
Biology 2026, 15(13), 1072; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15131072 (registering DOI) - 4 Jul 2026
Abstract
Urban plant communities are widely regarded as important nature-based solutions for climate mitigation, yet their actual carbon benefits remain uncertain: vegetation growth is accompanied by carbon emissions from construction and long-term maintenance, and existing assessments rarely integrate community succession, interspecific competition, and maintenance-related [...] Read more.
Urban plant communities are widely regarded as important nature-based solutions for climate mitigation, yet their actual carbon benefits remain uncertain: vegetation growth is accompanied by carbon emissions from construction and long-term maintenance, and existing assessments rarely integrate community succession, interspecific competition, and maintenance-related emissions within a consistent life-cycle framework. To address these limitations, this study developed a dynamic succession-based life-cycle simulation model to project the 50-year carbon source–sink transitions of 150 typical urban plant communities in Tianjin, China. The model updates plant structural attributes—diameter at breast height, crown width, and tree height—iteratively by linking individual plant growth to environmental suitability and neighborhood competition through a Plant Health Index. Simulated structural trajectories were coupled with biomass equations and carbon content coefficients to estimate aboveground carbon sequestration, while construction and maintenance emissions were quantified using life cycle assessment, enabling evaluation of modeled net carbon balance rather than gross carbon sequestration alone. Under the modeled 50-year scenario, most communities were projected to act as carbon sources during the early stage but gradually shifted toward carbon sinks as biomass accumulated; 86.1% of the communities were projected to become net carbon sinks after 50 years (a scenario-based projection under specified growth, maintenance, and emission assumptions). The highest modeled net carbon balance reached 3186.08 kg C ha−1, whereas the weakest community remained a slight carbon source at −81.21 kg C ha−1. Vertical structural complexity and species richness were the strongest positive predictors of modeled net carbon balance, followed by three-dimensional green quantity and canopy closure. Among maintenance processes, fertilization was the dominant emission source, followed by pesticide application and irrigation; comparative scenario analysis showed that resource-saving maintenance consistently improved projected net carbon balance relative to high-maintenance management. These results suggest that low-carbon planting design should prioritize locally adapted species, multi-layered vertical structures, and adaptive maintenance over simply maximizing planting density or minimizing inputs. The results represent scenario-based projections of aboveground vegetation carbon balance; belowground biomass, soil carbon, litter carbon, dead organic matter, and parameter uncertainty were not fully incorporated, and future studies should address these limitations to improve the robustness and transferability of the proposed framework. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Ecology)
31 pages, 2330 KB  
Article
Future Projections of Lifecycle Cost and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Light-Duty Vehicles
by Karim Hamza, Kenneth Laberteaux, Kang-Ching Chu and Peter Benoliel
World Electr. Veh. J. 2026, 17(7), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/wevj17070347 - 3 Jul 2026
Abstract
Vehicles with electrified powertrains carry the promise of significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a lifecycle analysis (LCA) standpoint compared to conventional internal combustion engine (CICE) vehicles. However, trade-offs exist between different types of electrified powertrains in terms of cost, consumer [...] Read more.
Vehicles with electrified powertrains carry the promise of significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a lifecycle analysis (LCA) standpoint compared to conventional internal combustion engine (CICE) vehicles. However, trade-offs exist between different types of electrified powertrains in terms of cost, consumer acceptance, and GHG reduction efficacy for different operating conditions. The open-source tool CarGHG was developed with an aim to enable the exploration of a plethora of parametric study scenarios, including the cost of electrification technologies, different driving patterns and charging habits, and the cost and carbon intensity of electricity and fuel blends. This paper introduces the framework of CarGHG, then showcases total cost of ownership (TCO) and LCA GHG results for select models of light-duty vehicles. Another capability of CarGHG, which is the ability to estimate the performance of “virtual” vehicle models (perceived vehicle design specifications not yet on the market), is utilized to explore future scenarios of electrification and low-carbon fuel blends for Small Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), a popular light-duty vehicle segment in North America. With opportunities, but also uncertainties, in future scenarios, it is likely wise to continue pursuing multiple ways towards the reduction of LCA GHG. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Vehicle and Transportation Systems)
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25 pages, 4669 KB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Dongting Lake During the Flood Season Using Long Time Series SAR Imagery on Google Earth Engine
by Wei Li, Liangyu Chen, Yunfei Zhang, Bing Sui, Dongsheng Du, Yu Han and Leishi Chen
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(13), 2150; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18132150 - 2 Jul 2026
Viewed by 81
Abstract
Flood-season lake spatiotemporal dynamics are vital for ecological security and socioeconomic development, requiring consistent high-resolution monitoring. However, precipitation fluctuations and sediment turbidity significantly alter water quality, while blurred boundaries between water and floodplain wetlands challenge precise monitoring. To address these issues, this study [...] Read more.
Flood-season lake spatiotemporal dynamics are vital for ecological security and socioeconomic development, requiring consistent high-resolution monitoring. However, precipitation fluctuations and sediment turbidity significantly alter water quality, while blurred boundaries between water and floodplain wetlands challenge precise monitoring. To address these issues, this study proposes a water body extraction method leveraging polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar data. utilizes the maximum between-class variance algorithm for initial segmentation, optimizes the threshold via a genetic algorithm, and employs dynamic morphological operations to refine boundary details. The method was validated using 2015–2025 Sentinel-1 flood-season time series of Dongting Lake on Google Earth Engine. The results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves stable and accurate water extraction across various years and seasons, with an overall accuracy surpassing 0.93, confirming its robustness and broad applicability. Furthermore, the spatiotemporal hydrodynamics and driving mechanisms of Dongting Lake were analyzed by integrating the extracted water areas with multi-source data, including water level, precipitation, discharge, temperature, and sunshine duration. Findings indicate that the flood-season water area exhibited a fluctuating trend, initially increasing and subsequently decreasing, peaking at 2202.26 km2 in 2020 and dropping to 614.04 km2 in 2025, a pattern primarily driven by extreme meteorological events such as heavy rainfall and prolonged droughts. Spatially, inundation patterns were characterized by deeper water in the north and shallower depths in the south, separated by a topographically higher central region. Regression analysis revealed a robust correlation between water area and water level with an R2 of 0.931, providing a quantitative reference for water level estimation in ungauged regions. Additionally, discharge and precipitation were positively correlated with water area, whereas temperature and sunshine duration exerted a negligible influence. This study supports flood regulation in the Dongting Lake basin and provides a robust framework for analyzing lake dynamics using long-term SAR data. Full article
18 pages, 22440 KB  
Article
Estimation of Glacier Mass Balance in the Three-River Headwaters Region from 2000 to 2025 Based on ZiYuan-3 Satellite Data
by Da Liang, Lin Liu, Yu Liao, Xueyu Zhang, Zhengwei Li, Haihang Jing and Zhicai Luo
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(13), 2142; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18132142 - 2 Jul 2026
Viewed by 124
Abstract
Under the background of global climate warming, glaciers in the Three-River Headwaters Region, as a crucial component of the “Asian Water Tower,” exert profound influences on regional water resource security and ecological stability through their mass balance variations. Due to the scarcity of [...] Read more.
Under the background of global climate warming, glaciers in the Three-River Headwaters Region, as a crucial component of the “Asian Water Tower,” exert profound influences on regional water resource security and ecological stability through their mass balance variations. Due to the scarcity of in situ observations caused by the harsh high-altitude environment, long-term monitoring based on remote sensing techniques is urgently required. In this study, the geodetic method was employed, using the SRTM-C DEM acquired in 2000 as the reference, and recent glacier surface DEMs were generated from high-resolution ZiYuan-3 tri-stereo imagery obtained during 2024–2025. Through refined DEM co-registration, differencing, and systematic error corrections, the glacier mass balance in the Three-River Headwaters Region from 2000 to 2025 was systematically estimated. The results indicate that the glaciers in the study area exhibited an overall negative mass balance during the study period, with significant spatial heterogeneity. Among the sub-regions, the Lancang River source region experienced the most pronounced mass loss (−0.70 ± 0.07 m w.e. yr−1), whereas the Yellow River source region showed the lowest mass loss (−0.37 ± 0.09 m w.e. yr−1). Compared with earlier studies, glacier mass loss has accelerated in recent years and is closely associated with regional climatic characteristics. This study provides a scientific basis for understanding glacier changes and their hydrological and ecological impacts in the Three-River Headwaters Region. Full article
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30 pages, 1457 KB  
Article
Identifying the Key Determinants of Road Transport CO2 Emissions in a High-Altitude Region: Evidence from Qinghai, China
by Rui Zhu, Lei Wang, Pengyu Liang and Jianxun Zhang
Land 2026, 15(7), 1178; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15071178 - 30 Jun 2026
Viewed by 96
Abstract
Road transport is an important source of carbon emissions worldwide, yet the factors driving these emissions may differ under varying geographical conditions. Plateau regions are characterized by high altitude and strong spatial constraints, but their transport carbon emission mechanism remains insufficiently understood. Taking [...] Read more.
Road transport is an important source of carbon emissions worldwide, yet the factors driving these emissions may differ under varying geographical conditions. Plateau regions are characterized by high altitude and strong spatial constraints, but their transport carbon emission mechanism remains insufficiently understood. Taking Qinghai Province on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau as a case, this study estimates road transport CO2 emissions from 2003 to 2022 using annual statistical data. It constructs a multidimensional indicator system covering economic development, industrial structure, energy use, and road transport activity, and applies correlation analysis, PCA, and LASSO regression to diagnose variable relationships and identify key drivers. The results show that GDPI, VATSP, CVO, and TPT have stable positive effects on road transport CO2 emissions, indicating that economic expansion, transport services, vehicle ownership, and passenger mobility are the dominant drivers. Industrial and energy-related variables have more indirect and stage-dependent effects: NMI and NFMO are negatively associated with emissions, whereas NMEC has a weak positive effect. These findings suggest that, under the dispersed spatial development and long-distance transport dependence of plateau regions, emissions are more directly shaped by economic and transport activity than by short-term changes in energy structure. Low-carbon transport policy in Qinghai should therefore combine transport-demand management, more efficient transport organization, public-transport improvement, and gradual transport electrification. The results provide evidence for emission-reduction strategies in high-altitude and ecologically fragile regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Planning in Smart Cities and Sustainable Urban Design)
26 pages, 2040 KB  
Article
Empirically Calibrated Multi-Fidelity Fusion with Conformal Prediction Intervals for Reliability Assessment of Aerospace Dormant Components
by Shengpeng Zhang, Shuanglong Rong, Hao Li, Shuo Huang, Cheng-Wei Fei and Baiyang Zheng
Aerospace 2026, 13(7), 588; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13070588 - 30 Jun 2026
Viewed by 96
Abstract
Reliability prediction of aerospace dormant components requires fusing natural-storage observations at the operating temperature with accelerated-storage testing data at elevated temperatures. Existing scalar-weight fusion methods apply a global weight that cannot reflect the time-varying trustworthiness of the accelerated branch as Arrhenius extrapolation distance [...] Read more.
Reliability prediction of aerospace dormant components requires fusing natural-storage observations at the operating temperature with accelerated-storage testing data at elevated temperatures. Existing scalar-weight fusion methods apply a global weight that cannot reflect the time-varying trustworthiness of the accelerated branch as Arrhenius extrapolation distance grows. Physics-based fusion propagates accelerated-test scatter through least squares but leaves the dominant error source—the degradation-model form itself—unaccounted for, and no method in either class verifies the coverage of its intervals. This paper proposes an empirically calibrated multi-fidelity fusion that selects a mechanism-specific natural-branch degradation model by the corrected Akaike information criterion and augments the accelerated-branch variance with an additive model-form term fitted from natural-storage residuals. This term turns the fusion weight into a continuous, time-varying diagnostic that detects Arrhenius misspecification from training data alone and falls back safely to the natural-only estimate. Prediction intervals are calibrated by split-conformal prediction on a disjoint simulated population, giving finite-sample, distribution-free coverage, and the remaining-storage-life interval follows from the band’s first-passage time. On a 1000-run varying-truth simulation, the calibrated band attains 95.5% trajectory coverage at the narrowest band width among six methods; on the torsion-bar case, the fusion reaches a held-out RMSE of 0.045 N·m and a remaining-life interval of 10.4–12.6 years. The model-form variance ratio provides a single-number regime diagnostic across all cases. Full article
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32 pages, 4163 KB  
Article
A Bayesian Framework for Probabilistic Wind Turbine Technology Projections: Multi-Region Validation and Application to Climate-Aware Energy Yield Estimation
by Irene Schicker, Stefan Janisch and Annemarie Lexer
Energies 2026, 19(13), 3009; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19133009 - 25 Jun 2026
Viewed by 150
Abstract
Long-term energy system planning depends on projections of future wind turbine characteristics, yet existing approaches rely on either costly expert elicitation or deterministic trend extrapolation without formal uncertainty quantification. We present a Bayesian logistic framework that models the temporal evolution of hub height, [...] Read more.
Long-term energy system planning depends on projections of future wind turbine characteristics, yet existing approaches rely on either costly expert elicitation or deterministic trend extrapolation without formal uncertainty quantification. We present a Bayesian logistic framework that models the temporal evolution of hub height, rotor diameter, and specific power as physically constrained growth and decay processes, producing full posterior predictive distributions via Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling. The framework is validated across three major onshore wind markets: Austria (534 turbines, 2000–2025), Germany (31,202 turbines, 1988–2026), and the United States (71,457 turbines, 1986–2025); spanning different market structures, regulatory environments, and data availability. Systematic benchmarking against linear, polynomial, and maximum-likelihood alternatives demonstrates superior hindcast performance, particularly for long-range projections where physical saturation constraints become relevant. Prior sensitivity analysis reveals that posteriors are robust for data-rich regions but honestly reflect prior influence for small datasets, identifying where expert knowledge is essential. We extend the framework to climate-aware energy yield estimation by propagating turbine posteriors through synthetic power curves and site-specific wind resource projections under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, decomposing the total uncertainty into technology and climate components. When climate uncertainty is measured by scenario spread alone, technology uncertainty dominates. However, accounting for the full inter-model spread across 13 CMIP6 global climate models reveals that climate uncertainty becomes substantial (14–56%) and region-dependent, underscoring that both sources require explicit quantification. The open-source pipeline is designed for direct adoption in energy system planning workflows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section B1: Energy and Climate Change)
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23 pages, 9423 KB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Evaluation of Multi-Source Precipitation Products in the Sudan Sahel: Evidence from White Nile State
by Abdelbagi Yanes Fadlalmwlla Adam, Zoltán Gribovszki and Péter Kalicz
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(13), 2079; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18132079 - 25 Jun 2026
Viewed by 227
Abstract
Accurate rainfall estimates are essential for managing water resources and planning for climate risks in semi-arid regions, yet long-term gauge networks in these environments are often extremely limited. In this study, we evaluate three widely used multi-source precipitation datasets—CHIRPS, IMERG, and ERA5-Land—against long-term [...] Read more.
Accurate rainfall estimates are essential for managing water resources and planning for climate risks in semi-arid regions, yet long-term gauge networks in these environments are often extremely limited. In this study, we evaluate three widely used multi-source precipitation datasets—CHIRPS, IMERG, and ERA5-Land—against long-term observations from Ed Dueim and Kosti, the two main reference stations in White Nile State, central Sudan. The assessment covers monthly and annual scales across each product’s available record (1952–2022) and uses a broad set of metrics, including Pearson and Spearman correlations, NSE, KGE, RMSE, MAE, percent bias, and categorical detection scores (POD, FAR, CSI). All three datasets capture the region’s single-peak June–October monsoon pattern, but their accuracy differs sharply when it comes to rainfall amounts and year-to-year variability. CHIRPS performs best overall, with the strongest monthly efficiency scores of any product and a consistent, operationally correctable dry bias of 5–13%. IMERG shows strong monthly correlations but consistently overestimates rainfall by 25–42%, which leads to unreliable annual totals. ERA5-Land performs worst across nearly all metrics, with monthly NSE near or below zero, and frequent false alarms during the dry season. Taken together, the evidence points to CHIRPS as the most reliable dataset for routine hydro-climatic monitoring in White Nile State, while IMERG and ERA5-Land may still be useful in more specialized or time-specific applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Satellite Missions for Earth and Planetary Exploration)
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14 pages, 1282 KB  
Systematic Review
Efficacy and Safety of Octreotide for Gastrointestinal Bleeding Due to Portal Hypertension in Children—A Systematic Review
by Ann Kozak, Grace Nolder, Giusy Ranucci and Alessio Provenzani
Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19(7), 978; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19070978 - 24 Jun 2026
Viewed by 165
Abstract
Background: Portal hypertension can lead to complications such as ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, esophageal varices, and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, all of which are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Variceal bleeding is the most severe complication, with an estimated mortality of up to [...] Read more.
Background: Portal hypertension can lead to complications such as ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, esophageal varices, and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, all of which are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Variceal bleeding is the most severe complication, with an estimated mortality of up to 30%. In children, evidence-based guidelines for the management of GI bleeding secondary to portal hypertension are lacking. In this con-text, octreotide, a synthetic somatostatin analog approved for other indications, has been increasingly used off-label and represents a paradigmatic example of drug re-purposing in pediatrics. Methods: Following the 2020 PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review evaluated the efficacy and safety of octreotide for the treatment of portal hyperten-sion-related GI bleeding in children. A comprehensive search of six sources, including five bibliographic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EBSCOhost) and the ClinicalTrials.gov registry, was conducted to identify studies in-cluding pediatric patients with GI bleeding secondary to portal hypertension. Results: Three non-randomized observational studies were included, assessing bleeding recurrence, packed red blood cell requirements, and adverse events following octreotide admin-istration. Overall, 33 patients were analyzed, with a mean age of 6.3 years. One study reported a reduction in rebleeding episodes and transfusion requirements after oc-treotide treatment. Across all included studies, no serious adverse events were ob-served; mild and reversible hyperglycemia was the only reported drug-related effect. Quantitative synthesis was not feasible due to substantial heterogeneity, missing data, and a serious risk of bias, resulting in very low certainty of evidence. Conclusions: Octreotide may represent a feasible therapeutic option for portal hypertension-related GI bleeding in children; however, further prospective and standardized studies are needed to establish its long-term safety and efficacy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacovigilance in Drug Therapy and Adverse Reactions)
20 pages, 6758 KB  
Article
Wheel-AINS: A Vehicle Autonomous Positioning System Based on a Wheel-Mounted MIMU Array
by Guangmin Yuan, Guoyuan He, Xiangyang Guo, Ruijie Li, Chenyang Jiao and Xiaoying Li
Micromachines 2026, 17(7), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17070767 - 24 Jun 2026
Viewed by 223
Abstract
In satellite-denied environments such as urban canyons, tunnels, and underground parking facilities, achieving high-precision autonomous positioning for vehicles remains a critical challenge. Although high-precision inertial measurement units (IMUs) can provide accurate dead reckoning, their deployment is limited by cost, size, and power consumption, [...] Read more.
In satellite-denied environments such as urban canyons, tunnels, and underground parking facilities, achieving high-precision autonomous positioning for vehicles remains a critical challenge. Although high-precision inertial measurement units (IMUs) can provide accurate dead reckoning, their deployment is limited by cost, size, and power consumption, making low-cost, microelectromechanical systems IMUs (MIMUs) an attractive alternative solution. However, the single MIMU suffers from substantial measurement noise and bias instability, leading to rapid error divergence that cannot sustain long-term autonomous navigation. To address the above issues, this paper proposes an autonomous positioning system based on a wheel-mounted MIMU array (Wheel-AINS). The system adopts a differential layout in which multiple low-cost MIMU chips are installed at the center of each of the left and right rear wheels, forming redundant sensor arrays. By differentially fusing symmetrically mounted chips, common-mode noise and zero bias are effectively canceled while the wheel rotation provides natural rotational modulation. The fused gyroscope outputs and known wheel radius are then used to estimate the vehicle forward speed, replacing traditional odometers. The estimated wheel speed and vehicle kinematic constraints are then integrated within a Kalman filter framework to suppress the error divergence of the inertial navigation system. A dedicated embedded hardware prototype with multi-chip synchronous acquisition and wireless transmission was developed. Three groups of urban road tests with total distances of 0.85 km, 2.14 km, and 2.49 km were conducted. The results indicate that the average position drift rate of the Wheel-AINS is 0.50%, and the average heading RMSE is 12.2°. The closure error of the 2.49 km trajectory is 10.43 m, reduced by approximately 80% compared with a single MIMU. The ablation experiment reveals that the MIMU array fusion module is the primary source of accuracy improvement, reducing the position RMSE from 155.0 m to 10.1 m, while the dual-wheel distance constraint further optimizes the position RMSE to 8.2 m, but increases the heading RMSE from 13.3° to 13.6°. This demonstrates that the proposed method can substantially improve autonomous positioning accuracy while maintaining a notably low system cost, providing a viable technical pathway for long-endurance vehicle navigation in satellite-denied environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Devices and Applications, 4th Edition)
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30 pages, 5214 KB  
Systematic Review
Prevalence and Clinical Features of Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Lama Ali Buhran, Meshal Bader Almutairi, Shehata Farag Shehata, Syed Esam Mahmood, Awad Alsamghan and Ramy Mohamed Ghazy
Healthcare 2026, 14(13), 1826; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14131826 - 23 Jun 2026
Viewed by 272
Abstract
Background: Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS/PCOS) is the most common hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age and is linked to infertility as well as long-term metabolic and psychological problems. In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, rising obesity, dietary changes, and sedentary [...] Read more.
Background: Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS/PCOS) is the most common hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age and is linked to infertility as well as long-term metabolic and psychological problems. In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, rising obesity, dietary changes, and sedentary lifestyles may be increasing its burden. However, prevalence estimates remain highly inconsistent due to differences in diagnostic criteria and measurement methods rather than true variation in disease rates. Objective: This study aimed to describe the situation by systematically pooling available evidence on the prevalence of PMOS among women in GCC countries and by summarizing the range of clinical features reported across included studies. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We searched five major bibliographic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase) and the Google Scholar search engine for observational studies published up to 1 June 2026. Studies were eligible if they reported PMOS prevalence and related clinical features among women of reproductive age residing in GCC countries. After removing duplicates and screening 570 initially identified records, 25 studies met our inclusion criteria; 24 were included in the quantitative meta-analysis after excluding one high-risk study. Risk of bias was appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Prevalence Studies. A random-effects meta-analysis using the DerSimonian-Laird method, combined with the Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation, was used to estimate the pooled prevalence. Heterogeneity was quantified using the I2 statistic and Cochran’s Q test. Subgroup analyses explored differences by country, diagnostic method, study setting, and publication period. Meta-regression was used to identify study-level factors that explained between-study variability. Results: Across 24 studies involving 77,890 women, the pooled prevalence of PMOS was 17.59% (95% CI: 12.98–23.40%). Country-level estimates ranged from 6.56% in Oman to 23.0% in Saudi Arabia. Heterogeneity across all analyses was extremely high (I2 = 99.6%), and meta-regression identified the diagnostic tool as the single most important source of variation, explaining 42.7% of between-study variance. Studies using structured clinical criteria (Rotterdam or NIH) yielded prevalence estimates around 13–14%, while those relying on self-report or physician diagnosis without standardized criteria reported considerably higher figures (20–37%). Common clinical features included menstrual irregularity (up to 100% of PMOS cases in clinical cohorts), hirsutism (5–100%), acne and oily skin (17–74%), and obesity (17–73%). Awareness of PMOS among women in the region was highly variable, ranging from under 3% to nearly 100%. Conclusions: PMOS is a significant public health concern across the GCC region. The markedly higher pooled prevalence combined with high rates of obesity and metabolic risk in this population calls for urgent, coordinated action. Standardizing diagnostic practices, investing in population-level screening, and developing culturally tailored awareness programs are essential steps toward reducing the clinical and social burden of PMOS. Full article
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26 pages, 1294 KB  
Article
Burden and Trends of Genitourinary Cancers Across the Americas: A GBD 2023 Analysis of Regional Socioeconomic Gradients
by José Guzmán-Esquivel, Gustavo A. Hernández-Fuentes, Kayim Pineda-Urbina, Janet Diaz-Martinez, Carlos M. Hernandez-Suarez, Jesús Venegas-Ramírez, Gabriel Ceja-Espíritu, Iram P. Rodríguez-Sánchez, Margarita L. Martinez-Fierro, Idalia Garza-Veloz, Fabian Rojas-Larios, Alejandrina Rodríguez-Hernandez, Daniel A. Montes-Galindo and Iván Delgado-Enciso
Cancers 2026, 18(12), 2016; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18122016 - 22 Jun 2026
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Genitourinary cancers represent a major and growing source of cancer burden worldwide; however, important disparities persist across the Americas. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence, mortality, and disability burden of prostate, testicular, bladder, and kidney cancers across 38 countries and territories [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Genitourinary cancers represent a major and growing source of cancer burden worldwide; however, important disparities persist across the Americas. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence, mortality, and disability burden of prostate, testicular, bladder, and kidney cancers across 38 countries and territories using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 estimates, with emphasis on temporal trends and sociodemographic inequalities. Methods: A descriptive ecological study was conducted using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 estimates. Age-standardized incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates per 100,000 population were analyzed for prostate, bladder, kidney, and testicular cancers. Burden estimates were obtained from GBD 2023 data, and temporal trend analyses were conducted using age-standardized rates from 2000–2023. Temporal trends were assessed using weighted log-linear regression to estimate annual percentage changes (APCs) based on age-standardized rates from 2000–2023. Results: In 2023, prostate cancer accounted for the greatest genitourinary cancer burden across the Americas, with high incidence concentrated in high-income North America, whereas mortality and DALY rates were disproportionately elevated in Latin America and the Caribbean. Across all cancer types, high-SDI regions consistently exhibited higher incidence but more favorable mortality and disability profiles. Testicular cancer incidence increased across all SDI quintiles, although mortality reductions were mainly observed in high-SDI settings. Bladder and kidney cancers demonstrated similar epidemiological patterns, with declining mortality trends in high-income regions but persistent or increasing burden in lower-SDI countries. Mortality-to-incidence disparities remained substantial across Latin America and the Caribbean, which may reflect differences in healthcare resources, early detection, treatment availability, or other contextual factors not directly captured in the GBD database. National extremes included Bermuda prostate ASIR 170.63 and Dominica DALYs 1423.30 per 100,000. Conclusions: The burden of genitourinary cancers across the Americas remains strongly associated with socioeconomic inequalities. Although higher-resource settings have achieved important reductions in mortality and disability, these gains have not been equitably distributed across the region. Strengthening health system capacity, improving early diagnosis, and ensuring equitable access to evidence-based cancer care are essential to reduce avoidable mortality and improve long-term outcomes throughout the Americas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urological Cancer: Epidemiology and Genetics)
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Article
Integrated Control of EV Battery Chargers for Virtual Inertia and Vehicle-to-Grid Support Using Hybrid Energy Storage
by Chandra Babu Guttikonda, Pinni Srinivasa Varma, Malligunta Kiran Kumar, K. V. Govardhan Rao, Joon Ho Choi, E. Shiva Prasad and Ch. Rami Reddy
Actuators 2026, 15(6), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/act15060352 - 19 Jun 2026
Viewed by 248
Abstract
The increasing penetration of renewable energy sources and converter-interfaced loads has intensified the need for fast and reliable grid-support services. Although electric vehicle (EV) battery chargers have emerged as promising resources for Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) applications, existing solutions typically focus on individual services such [...] Read more.
The increasing penetration of renewable energy sources and converter-interfaced loads has intensified the need for fast and reliable grid-support services. Although electric vehicle (EV) battery chargers have emerged as promising resources for Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) applications, existing solutions typically focus on individual services such as virtual inertia or frequency regulation, while limited attention has been given to the coordinated provision of multiple ancillary services within a unified framework. Furthermore, the use of batteries alone for fast frequency support may accelerate battery degradation due to frequent high-power transients. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a hybrid energy storage-based EV battery charger architecture and a coordinated multi-timescale control strategy capable of simultaneously providing virtual inertia support, long-term frequency regulation, reactive power compensation, and harmonic mitigation. The proposed approach utilizes a DC-link capacitor to deliver fast inertial response while the battery supplies sustained frequency support, thereby reducing battery stress and improving energy management efficiency. An enhanced frequency estimation method based on a phase-locked loop combined with a low-pass filter is also introduced to improve dynamic performance. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy under various grid disturbances. The system achieves an equivalent virtual inertia constant of approximately 1.85 s and delivers up to 786 W of transient inertial support within 80 ms during frequency events. The enhanced frequency estimation method significantly reduces transient overshoot, while harmonic compensation limits the grid current and voltage total harmonic distortion to 1.50% and 3.23%, respectively. In addition, the controller provides up to 400 VAR of reactive power support during voltage disturbances while maintaining stable battery operation. These results demonstrate that the proposed EV battery charger can function as a multifunctional grid-support resource, enhancing frequency stability, voltage regulation, power quality, and overall V2G capability in future smart grids. Full article
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