Search Results (6,304)

Against the global backdrop of carbon neutrality and the green transition of the construction sector, modern timber-framed buildings have emerged as a core enabler of sustainable construction. However, a systematic synthesis of research on indoor hygrothermal environments and thermal comfort in such buildings remains lacking, and the underlying coupling mechanisms—as well as pathways for performance optimization—are still insufficiently understood. To address these gaps, this study aims to systematically characterize and evaluate the performance features of indoor thermal and moisture environments in modern timber buildings, and to identify the key influencing factors and their underlying mechanisms. In accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines for systematic reviews, this study identified and analyzed 203 high-quality peer-reviewed publications retrieved from three major academic databases, covering the period 2010–2025. Specifically, the literature search was conducted across the Web of Science, Scopus, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and visualization analysis was performed using VOSviewer 1.6.20 software. The results indicate that timber-framed buildings exhibit distinctive indoor hygrothermal characteristics: rapid temperature response, strong humidity buffering capacity, and superior thermal insulation performance compared with concrete structures, enabling indoor relative humidity to remain stably within the thermally comfortable range. Nevertheless, challenges persist, including summer overheating and elevated risks of mold growth under hot-humid conditions. Furthermore, the PMV model demonstrates significant predictive deviation for thermal comfort in timber-framed buildings; its application thus requires calibration incorporating both the hygrothermal properties of timber materials and occupants’ psychological adaptation. This study synthesizes the current state of research, identifies key influencing factors, and proposes climate-responsive optimization strategies to advance the development of robust thermal comfort models and support the low-energy, high-comfort design of timber-framed buildings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major microvascular complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and remains an important cause of preventable visual impairment. Region-specific data on the incidence and clinical predictors of DR among patients with T1DM in Saudi Arabia remain limited. This study aimed to determine the incidence of DR and identify associated demographic and systemic risk factors among patients with T1DM at a tertiary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 449 patients with T1DM aged ≥9 years who were followed at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, between 2015 and 2025. Patients were selected using a consecutive non-probability sampling technique. Data were extracted from the BESTCare 2.0A electronic medical record system and supplemented, when required, by phone-based interviews to verify selected clinical and demographic variables. Patients were classified as controls without DR or cases with DR, including non-vision-threatening DR and vision-threatening DR (VTDR), according to the International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale. Multivariable logistic regression, Cox proportional hazards models, and temporal trend analysis were performed, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The overall incidence rate of DR was 92.66 per 1000 person-years, with similar rates among males and females. In multivariable logistic regression, older age at T1DM diagnosis, longer diabetes duration, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and albuminuria were independently associated with DR. Mean HbA1c and HbA1c variability were not independently associated with DR after adjustment. In Cox regression, older age at T1DM diagnosis was associated with higher hazards of both DR and VTDR, while hypertension was associated with VTDR. Among patients with DR, younger age at T1DM diagnosis was associated with higher odds of proliferative disease in exploratory severity analysis. Conclusions: DR was common among patients with T1DM in this tertiary-care cohort and was mainly associated with disease duration, age at diagnosis, and systemic vascular comorbidities. These findings support the importance of routine ophthalmologic screening and integrated management of systemic risk factors in patients with T1DM. Full article

Mixed Reality (MR) technologies are increasingly used in construction to support inspection, visualization, and coordination. Despite growing adoption, the scientific understanding of how construction professionals evaluate the perceived value of MR technologies remains limited, particularly in the early stages of implementation. This study addresses the research gap by examining the scientific and applied dimensions of MR value, with a focus on usability and adaptability in construction environments. A cross-sectional survey of 129 construction professionals was conducted, and the data were analyzed using statistical methods including T-tests, exploratory factor analysis, and regression modelling. The results show that perceived value is not significantly influenced by device modality but is strongly determined by usability factors, particularly ease of use (β = 0.330, p = 0.003) and adaptability to site conditions (β = 0.206, p = 0.029). These findings contribute to scientific literature by conceptualizing perceived value as a multi-dimensional construct and provide practical insights for optimizing MR adoption in construction workflows. The study provides exploratory empirical evidence supporting user-centered design considerations for MR implementation and highlights the importance of contextual robustness for technology adoption in construction environments. Full article

Evaluations of medical artificial intelligence (AI) explanations often rely on self-reported trust, perceived usefulness, acceptance, or final decision outcomes, while less directly characterizing whether users check evidence around AI outputs during decision making. In AI-assisted chest radiograph interpretation, a critical process-level question is whether users return from the AI output to the original image evidence when further scrutiny is needed. To address this question, we examined whether verifiable explanations—explanations designed to make AI recommendations checkable against the original image evidence—are associated with process markers of visual evidence checking in AI-assisted chest radiograph interpretation using eye-tracking and human-factors process measures. A 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment manipulated verifiable explanations (present vs. absent) and risk context (high vs. low), with AI recommendation correctness embedded at the trial level. Fifty-six clinically trained participants each completed 24 interpretation trials. Analyses focused primarily on gaze transitions between the AI output and the original image and dwell time on the original image, with response time and exploratory verification-related behavioral states used as auxiliary process measures. Verifiable explanations did not simply increase acceptance of AI recommendations. Instead, when AI recommendations were incorrect, they were most clearly associated with more frequent AI–image transitions and longer absolute dwell time on the original image evidence. Exploratory state-based analyses further suggested a lower tendency toward no-verify adopt under incorrect AI recommendations, but these findings were treated as complementary rather than primary evidence. Overall, the value of verifiable explanations lies not only in final decisions but in whether they make AI recommendations more inspectable against the original evidence. These findings provide eye-tracking evidence consistent with visual evidence checking in AI-assisted diagnostic interfaces and underscore the value of process-sensitive human-factors measures in medical AI evaluation. Full article

As the inner driving factor of space vitality, environmental perception can be expressed in many ways. Given the current lack of in-depth research on related perceptions, the study integrated theoretical origin and empirical study methods to clarify the role that preference played as the common foundation of different expression ways of environmental perception. The study also explored the interaction mechanism of different preference expression ways in the “quality-to-vitality” pathway and significant environmental characteristics of them, so as to realize the transformation from landscape design to urban vitality. Key findings indicate that: (1) Three environmental preference expressions—emotion, satisfaction, and behavioral preference—collectively lend credence to a significant chain mediation pathway (“emotion → satisfaction → behavioral preference”) in the quality-to-vitality process; (2) Pedestrian safety infrastructure (e.g., traffic barricades, well-maintained pavements) could ensure perceived security and walking activities; (3) Cultural/recreational facilities mean complementary legibility-enhancing elements (appropriate spatial enclosure, pleasant color schemes, architectural coherence) to evoke positive affect; (4) Streetscape diversity and visual interest might mitigate monotony induced by excessive block length, serving as vital vitality catalysts in some degree. Full article

Background/Objectives: Digital health technologies may support physical activity participation among people with disabilities, yet their adoption remains limited because of accessibility, usability, and implementation barriers. This study examined factors associated with the intention to adopt digital health technologies for physical activity among people with disabilities using an integrated Technology Acceptance Model–Theory of Planned Behavior framework. Methods: Data were collected from 362 individuals with physical, visual, or hearing impairments who participated in community-based sports programs in South Korea. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the integrated model, and indirect effects were examined using bias-corrected bootstrapping. Results: The final model showed acceptable fit. Perceived ease of use was positively associated with perceived usefulness, and both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness were positively associated with attitude and perceived behavioral control. Attitude and subjective norm were positively associated with intention to adopt digital health technologies, whereas perceived behavioral control showed a significant inverse association. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were indirectly associated with intention primarily through attitude. Conclusions: The integrated framework provided a useful, although incomplete, explanation of digital health technology adoption intention among people with disabilities and suggests that perceived control may operate differently in disability-related digital health contexts. Adoption strategies should emphasize perceived benefits, positive user evaluations, accessible design, social support, and implementation conditions that reduce structural barriers to physical activity and health management. Full article

Fine-grained vehicle orientation estimation is widely reported with strong in-domain accuracy, yet performance degrades substantially when models are applied across datasets; the relative contributions of visual domain shift and annotation label incompatibility to this degradation remain poorly understood. A controlled cross-dataset benchmark was conducted using two publicly available datasets—Car Full View (CFV) and Freiburg Static Cars 52 v1.1 (UnsupCar)—under a fixed ConvNeXt-Small predictor with a varied training source, test target, and image preprocessing strategy. All conditions were evaluated with five-fold cross-validation at the vehicle-instance level. Annotation label incompatibility was identified as the dominant source of transfer error: correcting the angular convention mismatch in UnsupCar orientation labels reduced cross-dataset circular mean absolute error (CMAE) by approximately $3.5$–$4.5^{\circ }$. Crop protocol was a similarly large factor—train/test crop mismatch raised CMAE into the 9–${12}^{\circ }$ range. Square cropping with mirrored boundary padding provided the most robust preprocessing across both in-domain and cross-dataset conditions. After label harmonization, a residual transfer gap of approximately $2^{\circ }$ remained, with a consistent directional asymmetry favoring the UnsupCar-to-CFV transfer direction. Joint training on both harmonized datasets achieved the best-balanced performance ($3.{77}^{\circ }$ on CFV; $5.{38}^{\circ }$ on UnsupCar). These results demonstrate that instance-level splitting, explicit label harmonization, and consistent crop definition are necessary preconditions for credible cross-dataset vehicle orientation evaluation. Full article

Background: Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a leading cause of vision loss. Although real-world data on faricimab, a bispecific antibody targeting vascular endothelial growth factor-A and Angiopoietin-2, are expanding, its long-term durability in routine clinical practice has not yet been fully established. We evaluated effectiveness, anatomic response and treatment durability of first-line faricimab in treatment-naïve DME. Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study of treatment-naïve DME eyes initiated on intravitreal faricimab (August 2023–October 2024) in a real-world setting. After a loading phase, eyes were managed with a treat-and-extend or pro re nata regimen. The primary endpoint was retreatment interval at 48 weeks. Secondary endpoints were retreatment interval at weeks 12, 24 and 36; change in visual acuity (VA); central subfield thickness (CST); and optical coherence tomography (OCT) fluid. Results: Fifty-two eyes from 40 consecutive patients were included (baseline VA 65.96 ± 13.55 letters; CST 426.56 ± 106.72 µm). Mean injections were 4.02 ± 1.11 between months 1–6 and 1.90 ± 0.98 between months 7–12. VA improved by +8.46, +7.57, +7.65 and +7.72 letters at 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks (all p < 0.0001), respectively. Relative CST decreased by −28.05%, −27.01%, −29.46% and −25.22% at the same time points (all p < 0.0001). At week 48, 15.4% of eyes were on a treatment interval of less than 12 weeks, 23.1% were between 12 and 16 weeks, and 46.1% were on 16 or more weeks; 15.4% were managed PRN. Conclusions: First-line faricimab in treatment-naïve DME in a real-world setting yielded clinically meaningful and durable extensions in treatment intervals, alongside sustained functional and anatomical improvements. Full article

Modern scanning microscopes and robotic scanning systems increasingly use visual recognition and machine learning technologies to extract complex data from acquired images. This study examined sensor data fusion in optical imaging to detect and control the deviation of the position of the tool during various micro-manipulations for biologic and microscale engineering. The sensor data fusion study was performed using a scanning micro-robotic system with an integrated optical microscope and a vision sensor providing an image of the object’s bottom. The bottom vision sensor is a typical complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor sensor that is used to observe micrometer-sized semi-transparent objects. The challenge for sensor fusion in such a study is not only data fusion, but also the trajectory deviation inherent in directing the manipulator in the X and Y directions according to the selected trajectory. The data fusion method was applied to estimate deviations from the given trajectory of the scanning microscope. The unique novelty of this work is that an additional vision sensor is used to increase the accuracy of positioning determination of a scanning micro-robotic system, placed under the semi-transparent object, using the fusion of the obtained data, thus additionally controlling the objective deviations. By testing several known data fusion methods, a unique solution was achieved. The proposed sensor fusion method achieved a positioning accuracy of less than 0.5 μm at speeds up to 5 mm/s. Experimental results demonstrate that the system maintains high stability. This quantitative performance proves the system’s suitability for high-precision biological micro-manipulation, where mechanical drift was previously a limiting factor. Full article

Gold nanospheres (AuNPs) and gold nanoflowers (AuNFs) are widely used as platforms for DNA aptamer functionalization, while conjugation behavior and colloidal tolerance remain important factors affecting subsequent sensing-oriented optimization. In this study, 82-nt thiolated DNA aptamer constructs bearing either 3′-SH or 5′-SH terminal modification were immobilized onto citrate-stabilized AuNPs and AuNFs under matched stepwise salt-aging conditions. Apparent nanoparticle-associated DNA output was estimated by Qubit-based measurement of unbound ssDNA in the supernatant and expressed as mass-based loading output (ng). Under the tested stock-dispersion conditions, AuNP samples showed higher apparent conjugation output than AuNF samples. Specifically, the apparent conjugation yields for AuNPs were 80.65 ± 1.64% (3′-SH) and 84.76 ± 1.98% (5′-SH), whereas those for AuNFs were 66.64 ± 3.36% (3′-SH) and 73.65 ± 1.36% (5′-SH). The corresponding apparent DNA loading outputs were 2329.7 ± 47.4 ng and 2448.7 ± 57.1 ng for AuNPs, and 1925.1 ± 97.0 ng and 2127.4 ± 39.3 ng for AuNFs. DLS size increases and zeta potential shifts toward more negative values were consistent with the formation of a DNA-associated interfacial layer, while TEM images supported morphology retention after conjugation. A qualitative visual salt-challenge assessment indicated that aptamer-functionalized nanoparticles displayed improved resistance to salt-induced aggregation relative to bare particles under the tested conditions. Because the commercially supplied AuNP and AuNF dispersions were not normalized to identical particle number or accessible surface area, the reported values should be interpreted as comparative apparent outputs rather than intrinsic loading capacities. Within this scope, the present study provides a convenient preliminary materials-level evaluation of thiolated aptamer conjugation behavior and may support future glyphosate aptasensor optimization. Full article

Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats (ω-6 PUFAs) are vital for many physiological functions, but their impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is controversial. Eryptosis alters blood viscosity by providing a procoagulant surface and leads to anemia, which is a recognized risk factor for CVD. This study examines the toxic mechanisms of adrenic acid (ADR), an ω-6 PUFA enriched in inflammatory and oxidative conditions, in red blood cells (RBCs). Purified RBCs were prepared from healthy volunteers and treated with 10–100 μM of ADR for 24 h at 37 °C under various physiological conditions. Eryptotic markers were studied through flow cytometry including Ca²⁺ (Fluo4/AM), loss of volume (forward scatter), phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure (annexin-V-FITC), and oxidative stress (H₂DCFDA). Moreover, hemolytic markers were measured by colorimetric methods, whereas cellular morphology was visualized using a scanning electron microscope. ADR led to significant Ca²⁺ elevation, cell shrinkage and schistocyte formation, PS externalization, hemolysis, and oxidative stress. While guanosine, heparin, and NSC 23766 prevented eryptosis and hemolysis, melatonin, ATP, adenine, and L-NAME only prevented eryptosis. Conversely, mannitol and urea exacerbated eryptosis, whereas caffeine, mannitol, and urea under Ca²⁺ deprivation and membrane potential dissipation aggravated hemolysis. ADR induces erythrocyte membrane injury and eryptosis through Ca²⁺ elevation, oxidative stress, and metabolic exhaustion subject to inhibition by the Rac1 GTPase/NOS/COX pathway. Altogether, these findings present a novel mechanistic link between lipid dysregulation and RBC dysfunction which may improve dietary strategies to prevent and manage CVD. Full article

Background/Objectives: Children and young people (CYP) with long-term physical health conditions (LTCs) are at greater risk of psychosocial difficulties. Systematic reviews on adults with LTCs have supported acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in improving several psychosocial outcomes. This systematic review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of ACT for CYP-reported psychosocial outcomes among CYP with LTCs. It also examined the factors associated with the effects and the quantitative acceptability of the included ACT interventions. Methods: Eligible studies used a quantitative experimental design to evaluate ACT for CYP-reported psychosocial outcomes in CYP (≤18 years old) with LTCs. Only studies published in English in peer-reviewed journals, from any year, were included. CINAHL (EBSCO), Cochrane Library, Embase (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid) and PsycInfo (Ovid) were systematically searched. Google Scholar and Web of Science were also searched, and forward and backward citation searching was completed for included papers. Research quality was appraised using Cochrane risk-of-bias tools. Results were narratively synthesised. Results: Sixteen studies (nine randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and seven non-RCTs) from 19 reports met inclusion criteria, with 777 participants and five LTCs (chronic pain, diabetes, cancer, obesity and visual impairment). Findings provided preliminary support for the effectiveness of ACT on most CYP-reported psychosocial outcomes studied. Seven studies considered factors associated with intervention effects, with mixed findings. Acceptability was supported in the three studies that assessed it quantitatively. However, almost all studies had overall high/serious risk-of-bias ratings. Conclusions: There is preliminary evidence supporting potential benefits of ACT for improving psychosocial outcomes in CYP with LTCs, with limited but supportive findings for its acceptability. However, findings are constrained by high/serious risk of bias and small sample sizes. Larger, high-quality trials with active controls and longer follow-ups are needed to inform future care pathways. Registration: This systematic review was pre-registered (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023425918). Full article

This study investigates consumer acceptance of insect-based foods, focusing on changes in visual evaluation after information disclosure and the influence of sociodemographic, attitudinal, and knowledge-related factors. An online survey among Italian consumers (n = 350) assessed the visual attractiveness of a cupcake containing 10%w/w Tenebrio molitor flour before (PRE) and after (POST) disclosure of the insect ingredient. Attractiveness decreased from 2.6 to 2.0, with 79% of POST evaluations in the lowest appeal categories. Women expressed more negative POST ratings and experienced a larger decline in attractiveness (Δ = POST−PRE), indicating greater sensitivity to information disclosure than men. The change in attractiveness (Δ) was linked to psychological variables: negative attitudes showed moderate negative correlations with Δ (r ≈ −0.3 to −0.6), whereas higher knowledge of regulatory, nutritional, and environmental aspects showed positive correlations (r ≈ +0.3 to +0.7), mitigating the decrease. Principal Component Analysis revealed two latent dimensions: PC1 (61.6%), representing an attitudinal continuum from aversion to acceptance, and PC2 (33.3%), reflecting differences in awareness. Respondents with higher PC1 and PC2 scores showed attenuated Δ values, indicating greater resilience to the disclosure effect. Overall, findings highlight a gap between visual familiarity and acceptance, shaped by emotions, knowledge, and gender-specific sensitivities. Full article

Background: Proprioceptive input from cervical muscles plays a vital role in postural control and coordinated movement. A defect in cervical proprioception, known as joint position error (JPE), is often associated with neck pain. However, the presence of JPE in asymptomatic individuals with varying severities of text neck or forward head posture (FHP) remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the presence and correlation of JPE in healthy female university students with different levels of text neck severity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 68 female students aged 18–25 years. Participants were categorized into four groups (normal posture, mild, moderate, and severe text neck) through visual observational assessment. JPE was measured in sitting and standing positions using three tools: an inclinometer, a smartphone-based goniometer, and a laser beam. Correlational and comparative analyses were conducted across all groups and measurement tools. Results: The results demonstrated the presence of JPE in all groups, regardless of text neck severity, with no statistically significant differences between them. Additionally, correlation analysis showed no or weak non-significant relationships between JPE and text neck severity across all measurement tools. Conclusions: Cervical JPE may be present in young adults regardless of their text neck posture, and no significant correlation was found between the severity of text neck and proprioceptive deficit. These findings suggest that text neck alone may not be a predictive factor for impaired cervical proprioception in asymptomatic individuals. Early screening remains important, but further research is needed to understand contributing factors and long-term implications. Full article

“Laws” of geography such as Tobler’s First Law (spatial autocorrelation) and Zhu’s Third Law (environmental similarity) offer fundamental principles for spatial prediction and mapping, yet their implications for digital soil mapping (DSM) are often opaque because the underlying principles and mechanisms of DSM models are rarely inspectable in typical DSM workflows. This study presents an interactive geovisualization portal that demystifies Tobler’s Law, Zhu’s Law, and a combined formulation in spatial prediction processes, using soil organic matter (SOM) concentration prediction in Xuancheng, China, as a case study. The portal integrates multiple DSM frameworks that operationalize two geographic laws—inverse distance weighting (IDW), individual predictive soil mapping (iPSM), an iPSM-IDW hybrid, ordinary kriging (OK), and regression kriging (RK)—and couples them with user-configurable parameters such as neighborhood size, distance-decay factor, and variogram model. The portal provides coordinated, interactive views that link SOM predictions to dynamic map and diagnostic statistical charts for explaining location-level predictions, visualizing the manifestation of geographic laws in constructing local predictions, examining weight allocation patterns, and assessing overall prediction accuracy. Additionally, a built-in sensitivity analysis enables users to investigate and understand the effects of varying the geographic law, modeling framework, and modeling parameters on prediction results. This geovisualization portal advances interpretable DSM by rendering its underlying geographic principles, model mechanics, and parameter influences visually inspectable. Full article