Search Results (14,421)

This study investigated the genetic diversity and population structure of five Hainan indigenous pig breeds (147 individuals from 7 populations representing 5 breeds: 3 Duntou pig subpopulations (DT-DZ, DT-SJ, and DT-SG) and four additional breeds (Wuzhishan, Wenchang, Lingao, and Tunchang)) to address germplasm conservation needs driven by exotic crossbreeding, African swine fever, and inadequate genetic evaluation. After strict quality screening, we used 147 qualified samples for microsatellite genotyping and 104 samples for mtDNA D-loop sequencing. The analyses integrated 17 FAO-recommended microsatellite markers and mtDNA D-loop sequencing. In total, 15 out of 17 loci exhibited high polymorphism (PIC > 0.6), with Wuzhishan pigs exhibiting the highest genetic diversity (He = 0.666, I = 1.279). Pairwise Fst values indicated significant genetic differentiation among all populations (p < 0.05), and AMOVA attributed 87.32% of the genetic variation to within-population differences. Three complementary clustering methods (UPGMA, PCoA, and STRUCTURE with the optimal K value of 2 identified via the ΔK algorithm) divided the populations into two clades, clearly separating the Duntou subpopulations from other breeds. mtDNA D-loop sequencing of 104 individuals yielded a 1175 bp fragment, identifying 12 haplotypes and a high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.688) low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.00193) pattern; Lingao pigs showed no genetic variation, while Duntou and Wuzhishan pigs had the highest Hd. NJ phylogenetic analysis indicated that Hainan pigs form an independent subclade within Chinese indigenous pigs, closely related to Luchuan pigs. These findings confirm the high overall genetic diversity and distinct population-level divergence in Hainan pigs, with Duntou pigs representing a unique lineage. This work provides a scientific basis for targeted conservation strategies, including prioritizing the conservation of Duntou and Wuzhishan pigs and restoring genetic variation in Lingao pigs. Full article

Introduction: Type II odontoid process fractures are common in the adult population, and anterior screw fixation aims to restore C1–C2 complex stability while preserving cervical motion. This study focuses on the numerical analysis of odontoid fractures, evaluating the structural behavior after anterior screw fixation using finite element simulations. Methods: Forty-eight patients (males, females, 74 years old on average) diagnosed with type II odontoid fractures and treated surgically between 2015 and 2023 were included in the study. Various loading conditions (magnitude and direction) were simulated to analyze displacements and stress distributions after screw insertion. Results: Screw fixation significantly fixes fractured vertebrae, but stress and deformation are considerably larger than in unfractured cases. Posterior oblique loads produced the highest stress concentrations, particularly at the base of the odontoid and the screw-bone interface. Male models exhibited greater total deformations and stresses under the same loading conditions, suggesting relevant biomechanical differences based on sex. Conclusions: Anterior odontoid screw fixation provides effective stabilization in type II odontoid fractures, although its performance depends on factors such as load vector and patient-specific anatomical characteristics. These findings support the use of FEM simulation as a valuable tool for personalized surgical analysis. Full article

The calibration of suspension geometry involves highly nonlinear kinematic relationships and leads to challenging optimization landscapes that are difficult to explore efficiently with classical local methods. Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) provides a unified discrete formulation that enables the use of a wide range of metaheuristic solvers, but its practical behavior in realistic engineering-inspired problems remains insufficiently benchmarked. This paper presents a computational benchmarking study of classical, parallel, and hybrid metaheuristic solvers applied to a QUBO-formulated double wishbone suspension geometry problem. A symbolic multi-body kinematic model is constructed and discretized into a large-scale QUBO instance capturing camber and caster tracking objectives across multiple roll conditions. Using a fixed low-resolution binary encoding, we systematically evaluate solver performance in terms of objective value, runtime, and time-to-solution trade-offs. The benchmark includes standard simulated annealing and tabu search, parallel simulated annealing, population-based annealing, bandit-controlled hybrid heuristics, and continuous-relaxation-based ADMM methods with and without annealing refinement. Extensive experiments conducted on a Euro-HPC pre-exascale system demonstrate that parallel and hybrid solvers can achieve substantial reductions in wall-clock time—often exceeding two orders of magnitude—while attaining objective values comparable to classical simulated annealing. The results reveal clear trade-offs between solution quality and computational efficiency, and highlight how solver structure influences performance on large QUBO instances derived from symbolic engineering models. Rather than focusing on final design optimality, this study provides a reproducible reference benchmark and practical insights into solver behavior for QUBO-based engineering optimization problems. Full article

Phthalate esters (PAEs), ubiquitous plastic additives, have emerged as persistent contaminants in aquatic ecosystems, yet their propagation from molecular initiating events to ecosystem-level collapse remains poorly integrated. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the source-to-sink dynamics of PAEs, revealing a critical paradox in their bioaccumulation patterns: unlike classical persistent organic pollutants, high molecular weight PAEs exhibit distinct trophic dilution rather than biomagnification along food webs, driven by metabolic biotransformation in higher trophic organisms. Despite this dilution, PAEs trigger a bottom-up toxicity cascade. Driven by molecular initiating events, PAEs induce a range of adverse effects at the individual level, including immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, metabolic dysfunction, and trans-trophic oxidative stress. Crucially, prolonged exposure drives epigenetic reprogramming, which reduces reproductive output, thereby threatening long-term population recruitment. These individual and population deficits could escalate into higher ecological consequences, specifically by diminishing benthic biological control over phytoplankton, dampening energy transfer efficiency, and simplifying community structure, thereby posing a potential threat to primary productivity and aquatic ecosystem sustainability. Despite recent advances, critical knowledge gaps remain, particularly regarding their cascading impacts on ecosystem services, as well as synergistic interactions between PAEs and other contaminants. In order to validate laboratory results with actual ecological risk assessments, future research should incorporate multi-scale models and quantitative adverse outcome Pathways as well as their synergistic interactions between PAEs and other contaminants, and advanced in vitro systems such as organoids. Resolving these issues is essential to reducing the risks that PAEs pose to aquatic environments. Full article

Key parameters were estimated separately for the European eel, Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758) subpopulations across freshwater and brackish environments within the Eastern Adriatic Eel Management Unit (EMU: EA). Between 2023 and 2024, European eel sampling was carried out at 23 locations along the Croatian coast (N = 678). Ages ranged from 1 to 13 years in freshwater and 1 to 8 years in brackish waters. The population structure was dominated by undifferentiated (42.8%) in freshwater and females (46.3%) in brackish habitats. Eels in freshwater exhibited a significantly higher b-coefficient in their length–weight relationship and better condition. Based on the otolith annuli patterns, age classes 3 to 5 predominated in both groups. A slightly longer asymptotic length and lower growth rate were found for the freshwater group compared to a shorter length and higher growth rate in the brackish habitat. Natural mortality was estimated at 0.174 ± 0.09 year⁻¹ and 0.191 ± 0.133 year⁻¹ for brackish and freshwater habitats, respectively. Total mortality was higher in freshwater (0.86 year⁻¹) in comparison with the brackish (0.83 year⁻¹) habitat. According to obtained results, more than 50% of eels aged three years are under exploitation. The maximum Yield per Recruit (Y/R) was 0.082 g/recruit in brackish at L_c = 44.88 cm, and a current L_c is 19.4 cm in the samples. In freshwater, Y/R peaked at 0.042 g/recruit at L_c = 55.49 and a current L_c 11.1 cm. It is recommended, following a precautionary approach to management, that the current fishing practices change in order to increase the minimum landing size (MLS), at least to 45 cm (above the current official MLS of 35 cm), to increase the fishing yield, and directly enhance population resilience. Findings emphasise the need for sustainable eel management policies considering different subpopulation parameters along the freshwater/brackish gradient at a small spatial scale when proposing and implementing stock management measures. Full article

Burrows are tunnels or holes excavated into the ground by certain types of animals, to be used as habitation or temporary refuge, or as a by-product of their locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, and can be found in nearly every biome and among various biological interaction types. River bank burrowing weakens the soil structure, increases the risk of erosion, and may lead to bank retreat and landslides. Currently, burrow watching, mapping, and prevention are human-only activities, and there are no conventional data or information systems designed for this purpose. In this paper, we design, implement, and test a novel AI-based solution that, starting with drone-acquired imagery, allows the user to automatically identify and map potentially dangerous burrows in the target area, and lays the basis for the digitization and systematic conservation of such information, to be later used for intervention and planning. Our solution contributes to the environmental sustainability of rivers, especially close to densely populated areas. Full article

Taxus cuspidata is a threatened subalpine conifer in South Korea, necessitating evidence-based restoration strategies to counter the impacts of climate change. In this study, we assessed 13 natural populations using 15 polymorphic nuclear simple sequence repeat (nSSR) markers developed in Taxus species and spatial autocorrelation analysis to provide a scientific foundation for conservation. The results showed an intermediate level of genetic diversity, with the Mt. Gariwangsan population exhibiting higher diversity. This highlights its priority as a source for restoration materials. Bayesian clustering supported four distinct management units. Spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed significant positive genetic structure within approximately 50 m, indicating a localized genetic patch size. Based on these results, we suggest maintaining a minimum 50 m sampling distance during seed collection to avoid collecting closely related individuals and to reduce the risk of genetic homogeneity in restoration materials. Such restoration strategies informed by spatial genetic structure and broader genetic data are critical for enhancing the long-term resilience of T. cuspidata in the face of accelerating environmental shifts. Full article

Nitrogen (N) is an essential yield-limiting factor in maize, and identifying genes that improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is critical for sustainable agriculture and environmental protection. However, the genetic basis of NUE in maize remains poorly understood. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a mixed linear model (MLM) controlling for population structure and kinship, based on an association panel of 282 maize inbred lines genotyped via the Maize 50K GBTS array (53,162 SNPs). Ten NUE-related traits (grain yield, hundred-kernel weight, ear length, ear diameter, kernel row number, kernel number per row, SPAD value, ASI, plant height, ear height) were evaluated under two N levels during the 2024–2025 growing seasons. The GWAS analysis detected 122 significant SNPs in gene regions linked to low N tolerance under the studied conditions. Linkage disequilibrium analysis and functional annotation narrowed down 26 candidate genes, whose GO and KEGG enrichment analyses (Fisher’s exact test) identified three core genes (Zm00001d027880, Zm00001d034047, Zm00001d010574). Furthermore, several inbred lines (H1710, 23N272, and 23N41) demonstrating superior low-nitrogen tolerance were identified. The primary subsequent focus in future research for these genetic materials will be their utilization to breed new cultivars with enhanced nitrogen use efficiency. Full article

This study aims to verify whether there is a statistically significant relationship between COVID-19 mortality rates, the Human Development Index (HDI), and population age across the World Health Organisation (WHO) member states. Despite the extensive literature on COVID-19 mortality and socio-demographic indicators, few studies explicitly integrate count data diagnostics, zero-inflation mechanisms, and multilevel longitudinal modelling to jointly capture cross-country heterogeneity and temporal dynamics. This study addresses this gap by applying a structured modelling framework that combines negative binomial, zero-inflated, and multilevel regression models to the WHO country-level data. For this purpose, two different statistical techniques were applied, namely: negative binomial regression modelling, zero-inflated negative binomial type for daily temporal exposure on 20 July 2020 and 20 July 2022, before and after the application of the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine; and multilevel regression for two-level repeated measures data. Negative binomial regression estimates indicate statistically significant positive associations between HDI, age, and COVID-19 mortality rates before the application of the first dose of the vaccine. The variance decomposition from the definition of an unconditional model indicates significant variability in the occurrences of infection and death and between countries/states over time. Full article

Background/Objectives: Greece has been a major host country for refugee populations, operating under conditions of limited resources and strained healthcare services. Refugee women residing in accommodation facilities face barriers to accessing primary prevention and health promotion services, including limited health literacy and cultural and linguistic challenges. This study aimed to assess the level of primary prevention and health promotion among refugee women living in accommodation facilities in Greece and to identify their health needs and barriers to accessing healthcare services. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 adult refugee women residing in the Malakasa accommodation facility in Greece. Participants voluntarily agreed to take part in the study. Data were collected between December 2024 and March 2025 using a structured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, primary prevention, health promotion, and barriers to healthcare access. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. The study was approved by the relevant ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. Results: The study included 150 refugee women, primarily young adults with low educational attainment. Familiarity with primary prevention was reported as moderate or lower by the majority of participants, with only 24% indicating high or excellent familiarity, while familiarity with health promotion was even lower (8%). Participation in preventive practices varied, with 42.7% reporting frequent health check-ups; however, uptake of key preventive behaviors remained limited, including vaccination (30%) and adoption of a healthy diet (32.7%). During their stay in Greece, 97.3% participated in regular health check-ups, 32.7% adopted a healthy diet and 30% were vaccinated. Cardiovascular and gynecological conditions were the most frequently reported health problems (76.7% and 73.3%, respectively). The most prominent barrier to healthcare access was long distance from health facilities (97.3%), followed by lack of information or health education (24.7%). Conclusions: The study identified low levels of preventive health knowledge and limited uptake of key preventive practices among refugee women, alongside persistent barriers to healthcare access, underscoring the need for targeted and culturally sensitive health promotion interventions. Full article

The replacement of fishmeal with plant protein is widely regarded as a key strategy for sustainable aquaculture. However, carnivorous marine fish often show limited tolerance to fishmeal-free diets. Here, we investigated growth performance, hepatic physiological responses, and molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation to a soy protein concentrate-based diet (SPCD) in golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus). An 8-week feeding trial was conducted under communal rearing conditions, followed by the phenotypic stratification of SPCD-fed fish into high- and low-growth subgroups. Growth performance, serum biochemical indices, and liver histology were assessed, and integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed on liver tissue. At the population level, the SPCD resulted in reduced growth, a lower feed intake, and decreased feed utilization efficiency compared with a fishmeal-based diet. Notably, marked inter-individual variation was observed: fish fed the SPCD exhibited significantly lower final body weights and a higher FCR compared with the FMD group (p < 0.001), and pronounced growth divergence was observed between the PB and PS subgroups, with a subset of SPCD-fed fish maintaining growth comparable to fishmeal-fed controls, whereas others exhibited severely constrained growth. Divergent phenotypes were associated with distinct hepatic alterations, including aggravated vacuolation, the enrichment of tight junction-related and immune regulatory pathways, and the broad reprogramming of lipid metabolism. Integrated multi-omics analysis identified arachidonic acid metabolism as the most significantly perturbed pathway, characterized by altered membrane phospholipid composition, the upregulation of RARRES3L, increased COX/LOX-derived eicosanoids, and the suppression of the CYP–EET branch. Collectively, these findings indicate that soy protein replacement induces coordinated hepatic structural and metabolic remodeling, with tight junction disruption and arachidonic acid metabolic reprogramming contributing to inflammatory imbalance and divergent growth phenotypes in T. ovatus. Full article

Background/Objectives: Dupilumab-related ocular surface disease (DROSD) is a significant safety challenge in atopic dermatitis (AD) management, potentially leading to treatment interruption despite cutaneous efficacy. This narrative review evaluates risk stratification and management strategies to standardize monitoring and preserve long-term drug persistence. Methods: A search of PubMed/MEDLINE was conducted from inception to 31 December 2025. Evidence was synthesized from clinical trials, pooled safety analyses, and real-world registries, focusing on risk factors, monitoring tools, and interdisciplinary management algorithms for DROSD in AD populations. Results: Clinical trials identify conjunctivitis as a reproducible, context-dependent signal enriched in AD populations. Real-world data highlight that ocular symptoms disproportionately drive treatment dissatisfaction and discontinuation. Clinical vigilance must extend throughout the treatment course; while many cases appear early, a significant proportion develops between 8–16 weeks, with late-onset manifestations reported up to 12 months after initiation. Effective management relies on baseline risk documentation—including prior ocular history and AD phenotype—and the implementation of stepwise, severity-based “treat-through” protocols. Conclusions: Managing DROSD is a critical strategy for maintaining treatment persistence. Integration of routine baseline risk capture, continuous symptom surveillance, and structured multidisciplinary escalation pathways is essential to maximize ocular safety and long-term therapeutic outcomes in AD. Full article

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest solid tumours, driven by late diagnosis, early metastatic dissemination, and profound resistance to systemic therapies. Increasing evidence indicates that these hallmarks are not solely tumour cell intrinsic but are critically orchestrated by a complex and highly dynamic tumour microenvironment (TME) composed of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) subtypes, immune cells, endothelial and neuronal elements, and a dense extracellular matrix (ECM). This review provides an integrated overview of the cellular and acellular components of the PDAC TME and delineates how their reciprocal crosstalk drives desmoplasia, immune suppression, metabolic reprogramming, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), pre-metastatic niche formation, and metastatic outgrowth. Particular emphasis is placed on the context-dependent roles of stromal and immune niches in modulating drug delivery, chemoresistance, and failure of immunotherapy, highlighting why indiscriminate stromal depletion has yielded paradoxical outcomes. Building on these mechanistic insights, the review critically examines emerging therapeutic strategies targeting PSCs, CAF subsets, ECM components, myeloid and lymphoid populations, and key signalling pathways, including approaches that normalize stroma, reprogram immunity, or exploit nanocarrier-based delivery systems. Finally, a structured framework is proposed for rational TME-targeted combination regimens that integrate cytotoxic, targeted, and immunotherapeutic agents to overcome current therapeutic barriers in PDAC. Full article

Synchronous emergence is a widespread adaptive strategy in cicadas, yet the proximate cues governing its timing in urban environments remain poorly understood. We examined the emergence phenology of three common urban cicada species (Cryptotympana atrata, Hyalessa maculaticollis, Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata) across two urban parks with contrasting habitat structure (a closed-canopy urban forest park vs. an open urban park) in Seoul, South Korea, over three summers (2015–2017). Despite interannual variation in rainfall amount and timing, peak emergence consistently occurred about two weeks after the monsoon rainfall peak. Poisson generalized estimating equation (GEE) analyses confirmed that antecedent precipitation at a 2–3-week lag significantly increased emergence counts across all three species, while precipitation one week prior had no significant effect. Emergence synchrony varied among species and habitat conditions, but the rainfall–emergence lag relationship was robust across years and sites. These findings demonstrate that precipitation timing is a key driver of peak cicada emergence in urban habitats. As East Asia experiences increasingly variable monsoon rainfall under climate change, understanding precipitation-based phenological cues will be essential for predicting the dynamics of urban insect populations. Full article

The lightweight design of box-type double-girder overhead crane main girders is important for improving load-carrying capacity, reducing energy consumption, and enhancing transportation efficiency. However, the structural optimization of crane main girders involves multiple constraints and strong nonlinearity, which often leads to slow convergence and premature stagnation when using traditional optimization methods. To address these issues, a multi-strategy improved dung beetle optimization algorithm (MSIDBO) is proposed for the lightweight design of overhead crane main girders. First, the search mechanism and inherent limitations of the standard dung beetle optimization (DBO) algorithm are analyzed. Subsequently, several enhancement strategies are introduced, including hybrid chaotic population initialization; reflective boundary handling; adaptive quantum jump updating; adaptive hybrid updating; and a staged control strategy for search intensity. These strategies are designed to enhance population diversity and achieve a better balance between global exploration and local exploitation. The performance of MSIDBO was evaluated on 29 CEC2017 benchmark functions. The results show that MSIDBO generally converges faster on 25 functions and reaches the global optimum on 24 functions among the compared algorithms. Finally, based on mechanical analysis and design specifications of overhead crane main girders, a constrained structural optimization model is established. The lightweight design optimization is carried out, and finite element simulations were conducted using ANSYS Workbench to verify the effectiveness and engineering feasibility of the optimized design. The results show that the proposed MSIDBO algorithm exhibits enhanced stability and convergence performance, achieving a weight reduction of 19.4% in the main girder under the specified design configuration, meeting satisfying strength and safety requirements. Full article