Search Results (11,302)

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a recurring mechanism in neuronal vulnerability and in the toxicity of several neuroactive compounds, yet lesions at different respiratory-chain nodes are commonly treated as a single bioenergetic defect. Whether pharmacological perturbation at distinct nodes leaves neuronal cells in distinguishable metabolic states has not been examined across all five complexes in one system. Undifferentiated SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells were exposed to five compounds selected as pharmacological perturbagens nominally directed at Complexes I–V: MPTP, 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), antimycin A, sodium azide and oligomycin, each titrated to approximately 80% viability (24 h, except 3-NP at 12 h). Inhibitors were then removed, and cells were labelled for 24 h with [U-¹³C₆]glucose. Positional ¹³C-NMR was combined with pyruvate carboxylase (PC) and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) enzyme-capacity assays in parallel extracts from the same biological replicates (n = 3 per group). The design is a single-factor, six-level layout in which five exposures share one vehicle control; labelling data were log2-transformed and analysed by one-way ANOVA with Dunnett many-to-one contrasts (error df = 12), with Hedges’ g and 95% confidence intervals, and group structure was tested by permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA). PERMANOVA demonstrated a significant overall effect of exposure group on the multivariate labelling matrix (pseudo-F = 18.77, p = 0.0001, 9999 permutations), and principal component analysis of the seven complete-case metabolites showed visually distinct group structure (PC1 65.9%, PC2 19.3%; 85.3% cumulative). Oligomycin produced the most distinct positional phenotype, preserving the PDH-associated glutamate C4 readout (107.2% of control, p = 0.971) while nearly doubling the PC-associated glutamate C3 readout (197.7%, p = 0.004; Hedges’ g = 17.8, 95% CI 5.3–30.2), concordant with PC capacity at approximately 138% and PDH capacity at approximately 60% of control. Azide produced the strongest reduction in glutamate C4 labelling (31.9%, p < 0.001; g = −8.3); antimycin A produced the broadest suppression of labelling; 3-NP produced accumulation of ¹³C-labelled succinate that was undetectable in the control. MPTP gave the weakest phenotype, with most of its individual comparisons not surviving the shared-control analysis. Exposure to compounds directed at different respiratory nodes leaves neuronal cells in non-equivalent post-exposure ¹³C-labelling states that positional ¹³C-NMR resolves. Because tracing followed washout, because the compounds are not fully selective and because the enzyme assays report capacity rather than flux, these are compound-defined post-exposure metabolic states and not measurements of complex-specific flux. Full article

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different auditory conditions on pattern-reversal visual evoked potential (PVEP) responses among healthy adults. Methods: This repeated-measure design with a fixed baseline and randomized order of the two auditory conditions was conducted at the Retina Clinic, Ophthalmology Department, Tertiary Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Healthy adults with no systemic or ocular diseases aged 20–60 years were included. All participants underwent comprehensive visual and ocular assessment, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit-lamp examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT), screening audiometry, and a PVEP test conducted under three auditory conditions: silence, Quran recitation, and music exposure. P100 latency and amplitude were recorded using 1° and 0.25° stimulation sizes. Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric statistics. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Significant differences in PVEP amplitude responses were observed across auditory conditions, particularly at the 1° stimulation size. The Friedman test demonstrated significant amplitude differences at the 1° stimulation size (χ² = 16.379, p < 0.001), with silence producing adjusted significantly higher amplitudes compared with Quran recitation and music exposure (p = 0.001 and p = 0.003), respectively. Significant positive correlations were identified between BCVA and P100 amplitude at Quran exposure (r = 0.178, p < 0.05) only at the 0.25° stimulation size. Conclusions: The stimulus size can be sensitive in revealing auditory-related changes in different retinal areas of functional visual pathway alterations. In comparison to baseline (silence), which generally produces the highest amplitudes, both auditory conditions (Quran recitation and music) were associated with lower P100 amplitude, while no significant difference was observed between Quran recitation and music. Full article

This paper presents a set of algorithms and models for the comprehensive assessment of the environmental situation in urbanised areas subject to anthropogenic impacts from industrial and transport facilities. The proposed mechanism combining fuzzy logic and neural network predictive models, with subsequent spatial visualization of the results using GIS technologies, enabling a shift from traditional component-by-component assessments to a holistic spatio-temporal characterisation of the environmental situation, with the possibility of formulating well-founded management measures. An algorithm for generating management scenarios has been developed, ensuring a closed-loop cycle: monitoring—integrated assessment—forecasting—development of environmental protection measures. The algorithm was tested using field environmental monitoring data from urban areas, collected at 82 road sections (2023–2025), for which motor vehicle traffic was identified as the primary source of anthropogenic pressure. Forty-three mathematical models were developed based on an artificial neural network, which achieved a coefficient of determination of 0.75–0.82 on a test data sample. Spatial visualisation of the results was implemented in the ArcMap 10.8 GIS system, whilst modelling was carried out in the MatLab environment. The objective of this study is to develop a set of tools for a comprehensive assessment of the environmental conditions in urbanized areas. The proposed set of tools can be expanded to include other components, however, testing is currently limited to two components (CO and noise) in a single city (Oryol, Russia). Full article

Reading comprehension among deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students may depend partly on how semantic information embedded in Chinese characters is used. This cross-sectional study examined associations among working-memory updating, semantic and phonetic radical awareness, and reading comprehension, with exploratory comparisons across broad communication-mode groups. Fifty-two DHH middle school students completed a 2-back task, radical-awareness measures, along with grade-specific reading tests. Reading scores were standardized within grade; balanced 2-back accuracy served as the updating index. Parallel and conditional indirect-association models were estimated with 5000 bootstrap resamples. Updating was positively associated with both types of radical awareness but showed no significant total or direct association with reading comprehension. Semantic radical awareness was positively associated with reading comprehension and showed a significant specific statistical indirect association between updating and reading comprehension. The specific indirect association via phonetic radical awareness was not significant, whereas the contrast between the two specific indirect associations was significant. Exploratory moderation analyses indicated stronger associations among students who reported daily sign language use. Overall, these findings provide preliminary evidence of associations between visual–semantic processing, updating, communication mode, and reading comprehension among DHH students, and may inform instruction aimed at supporting their reading comprehension. Full article

Reliable quality monitoring at the front end of sustainable cold chains requires direct observations of product condition in addition to environmental measurements. This study developed an energy-efficient edge vision system for six coffee fruit ripeness and visible-condition classes on an RK3576 neural processing unit (NPU). YOLO11 was reconfigured by combining a Branch-Integrated Feature Aggregation module for fine-grained representation, a YOLOv10-derived Cross-Stage Partial Network with Compact Inverted Block for efficient multi-scale fusion, and a Simplified Regression Head with reduced regression channels. On a public benchmark derived from 996 source images, YOLO11 and YOLO11BCS yielded mean average precision values at an intersection-over-union threshold of 0.5 (mAP50) of 81.5% and 83.2%, respectively, under the matched 320-pixel protocol. At a 640-pixel input, the computational complexity decreased from 6.3 to 5.5 giga floating-point operations. The largest class-level mAP50 difference was 9.7 percentage points for overripe fruit. Under controlled synthetic degradations, the model produced higher point estimates than YOLO11 for illumination variation and rain, whereas severe Gaussian noise and motion blur remained limiting. Board-input measurements showed throughput increases of 24.2% and 22.1% at 640- and 320-pixel inputs, respectively. The 320-pixel system reached 50.3 frames per second and 10.06 frames per second per watt. Within the supplied benchmark, the matched evaluation supports a comparative assessment of the models, while source-image correspondences across partitions define the scope of the reported absolute metrics. Within these boundaries, the results support low-power visual quality monitoring near the point of harvest. Full article

This study investigates the corrosion inhibition performance of a sustainable green extract derived from Spent Coffee Silverskin (SCS) using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantified Caffeine (43.9 mg/g), α-Tocopherol (36.69 mg/g), Chlorogenic acid (6.9 mg/g), and Hyperoside (4.98 mg/g) as the primary bioactive ingredients. Weight loss metrics showed a dramatic drop in corrosion rate from 4.35 mg cm⁻² h⁻¹ (blank) to 0.28 mg cm⁻² h⁻¹ at the optimum concentration of 300 mg L⁻¹ in a highly aggressive 1.0 M HCl environment, delivering a maximum efficiency of 93.5% at 298 K. Extended immersion tests proved remarkable short-term stability of the protective phytochemical film, maintaining an inhibition efficiency of 92.1% after 48 h of continuous exposure in the aggressive acidic medium. For comparison across techniques, maximum inhibition efficiencies of 95.4% and 96.8% were obtained from potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), respectively. Importantly, these values are strictly method-dependent, reflecting the distinct physical parameters measured by each technique, and do not imply direct equivalence. Potentiodynamic polarization curves revealed mixed-type inhibitor characteristics, suppressing both anodic iron dissolution and cathodic hydrogen evolution. Notably, the corrosion current density (j_corr) dropped from 521.00 to 23.97 uA cm⁻², while the shift in the corrosion potential (E_corr) remained within 50 mV. EIS studies confirmed charge-transfer control, showing a rise in charge transfer resistance (R_ct) from 23.3 to 728.0 ohm.cm² paired with a drop in constant phase element (CPE) values from 642 to 218 uF cm⁻², demonstrating the displacement of surface water molecules by a dense, protective organic film. Thermodynamic evaluation indicated a drop in efficiency at elevated temperatures (90.7% at 328 K) alongside an increase in activation energy (E_a) from 9.99 to 20.16 kJ mol⁻¹. Adsorption behaviour strictly obeyed the Freundlich isotherm with the standard Gibbs free energy of adsorption (∆G^o_ads) −17.35 kJ mol⁻¹. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) visually confirmed a remarkably smooth and uniform protected metal surface, free from the severe pitting and deep cracks seen in the blank. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy mathematically backed this visual barrier, showing a drop in oxygen content from 28.55% to 3.35%, alongside a sharp rise in surface carbon (10.55%) and nitrogen (1.69%) originating from the adsorbed phytochemical network. Density Functional Theory (DFT) modeling supported the inhibition mechanism at the molecular level, confirming Hyperoside and Chlorogenic acid as the driving reactive variants for electron transfer and iron d-orbital coordinate bonding. Full article

Background/Objectives: To evaluate midterm clinical, radiographic, and safety outcomes after transarticular trephonic plasty (TTP)-assisted percutaneous endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (PE-LIF) for lumbar degenerative disease. Methods: This retrospective single-center cohort included 130 patients with complete clinical and imaging assessments and at least 24 months of follow-up. Clinical outcomes included back and leg pain visual analog scales, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) component scores, and modified MacNab outcomes. Radiographic measurements and computed tomography-based Bridwell fusion grades were assessed. Linear mixed-effects models included categorical visits, a patient-specific random intercept, and adjustment for final follow-up duration; multiple comparisons used Holm correction. Results: Median follow-up was 42.5 months (interquartile range, 36.0–50.75; range, 29–60). Mean operative time was 133.45 ± 15.63 min. Estimated blood loss derived from preoperative-to-postoperative-day-1 hematocrit change was 323.76 ± 66.24 mL. The estimated final-versus-preoperative ODI change was −40.15 points (95% confidence interval, −41.02 to −39.29). Clinical scores and radiographic measurements differed from baseline at all postoperative visits (all adjusted p < 0.05). Pain scores decreased from the early assessment to 6 months; functional and quality-of-life scores changed through 12 months, with a further increase in the SF-36 physical component score at final follow-up. Bridwell grade I or II fusion occurred in 118 patients (90.8%), and 119 (91.5%) had excellent or good MacNab outcomes. Complications occurred in 10 patients (7.7%); 2 required reoperation (1.5%). Conclusions: The analyzed cohort had sustained clinical improvement after TTP-assisted PE-LIF, with fusion, complication, and reoperation rates of 90.8%, 7.7%, and 1.5%, respectively. Controlled studies are needed to determine the contribution of TTP to these outcomes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Manual dexterity is closely associated with cognitive function and frailty among older adults, highlighting the importance of finger rehabilitation and broader sensorimotor training in older adults. This study investigated whether a real-time visual augmented feedback system for finger movements used during a finger-tapping task could enhance tapping performance in older adults. The study also aimed to examine whether feedback effects differ between the relatively simple simultaneous tapping task and the more demanding alternating tapping task. Methods: Participants included 37 middle-aged and older adults aged 60 years or older (7 men, 30 women). A magnetic sensor-based finger-tapping device was used to measure finger-tapping performance while participants received real-time feedback on their finger movements. Performance was evaluated using speed-related indices, including the number of taps, and coordination-related measures. Results: A significant Task × Feedback interaction in tap number was observed in the nondominant hand but not the dominant hand. Feedback increased tap number during alternating tapping in both hands, but not during simultaneous tapping; coordination measures were unchanged. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the real-time visual feedback system for finger movement may lead to immediate improvements in finger motor performance among older adults. They also suggest task-dependent feedback effects, with a significant Task × Feedback interaction observed only in the nondominant hand. Future studies should analyze differences based on movement type and investigate the persistence of these effects. Full article

Background/Objectives: Observation is generally recommended for asymptomatic meningiomas, but evidence from incidental meningiomas is derived largely from heterogeneous intracranial locations and may not directly apply to tumors involving the anterior visual pathway. We investigated whether preoperative visual status remained associated with postoperative visual function after adjustment for baseline clinical and anatomical differences in this location-specific subgroup. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 146 patients who underwent resection of skull base meningiomas contacting or compressing the optic nerve and/or chiasm. Preoperative visual status was categorized by comprehensive ophthalmologic evaluation as normal visual function or visual dysfunction. The primary outcome was postoperative normal visual function, defined as preservation of normal vision in patients with normal preoperative visual function and complete recovery in those with preoperative visual dysfunction. Multivariable logistic regression was performed, and propensity score matching was conducted using age, sex, tumor volume, tumor laterality, and optic canal involvement. Results: Propensity score matching yielded 48 matched pairs with adequate balance across all measured covariates (all standardized mean differences < 0.1). Postoperative normal visual function was preserved or achieved in 95.8% of patients with normal preoperative visual function versus 31.3% of those with preoperative visual dysfunction (exact McNemar p < 0.001). Favorable visual outcome occurred in 95.8% versus 77.1%, respectively (p = 0.0225). Conclusions: Among surgically treated patients, normal preoperative visual function remained strongly associated with postoperative normal visual function after adjustment for measured clinical and anatomical differences. These findings do not establish that earlier surgery improves visual outcomes or define an optimal surgical timing strategy, but suggest that preoperative visual status and tumor anatomy should be considered in individualized management decisions. Full article

The process of image denoising is very crucial in the field of image processing, since noise tends to adversely affect both the appearance and structure of images that are applied in different fields of study such as science and engineering. In this research paper, we present a new hybrid image-denoising scheme called Modified Total Generalized Variation (MTGV) for the restoration of noisy images. The proposed methodology makes use of the BM3D model along with a Modified Total Generalized Variation model to achieve better noise reduction while retaining image features, edges and other details. In the proposed scheme, the BM3D model is first applied to reduce the noise in the observed image. The mean of the observed image and the one obtained after applying the BM3D model is computed, which is further used in the restoration process using the proposed MTGV model. In order to measure the effectiveness of the suggested technique, the computational experiments were performed under different noise levels. The proposed approach is quantitatively analyzed in comparison with the BM3D and TGV approaches based on the metrics of PSNR and SSIM as well as computation time. Moreover, visual comparisons and intensity profiles along the horizontal and vertical directions are provided for selected examples of both low-noisy and high-noisy images. From the results of the experiment one can see that using the new MTGV technique results in noise suppression, preserving structural and intensity characteristics of original images. Full article

Background and Purpose: Abnormality in the motion of the inferior papillary muscle was found in an early study of mitral valve prolapse (MVP). We visually observed an abnormal movement not only in the inferior wall but also in the anterolateral and inferolateral basal walls in several patients with MVP. Therefore, the aim of this work was to analyze these findings using strain (Speckle Tracking—STE). Methods: A total of 60 MVP patients having a superior systolic displacement of the posterior leaflet, in whole or in part of the scallops, of at least 2 mm, and 20 normal subjects as controls were included. Longitudinal strain was calculated in the three apical views (Philips iE 33 Matrix—implemented strain software). The strain in the three abovementioned basal segments was measured at 160 ms from the beginning of systole (mid-systole), and then we averaged their values to form a “triad” of averaged values that could be subsequently compared among the groups for statistical calculations. The Global Longitudinal Strain (GLS) was also calculated for all subjects. The Mann–Whitney U-test was used for comparisons. A “p” value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: According to the strain patterns, we were able to identify two distinct groups in MVP patients: Group 1 had a “paradoxical” strain at 160 ms (=positive, that means “mechanical stretching”) in at least a single segment of the aforementioned “triad” of basal segments (n = 35), and Group 2 had not a “paradoxical” strain (n = 25) in any of the aforementioned “triad” segments at the same mid-systolic point. Statistical significance was found between Group 1 and Group 2 at 160 ms and at the peak (p < 0.0001 for both) and the same was found for GLS (p < 0.01). Group 1 vs. controls, as expected, displayed a significant difference in the strain at 160 ms (p < 0.0001) while Group 2 vs. controls did not differ significantly, even at the peak. Conclusions: According to our results, we found in our MVP population (more than half of the patients) that some MVP patients have a “paradoxical” strain (=mechanical stretching) in at least a single segment of the basal inferior-to-lateral segments (that we have named the “triad”) in mid-systole, whereas others do not. The passive continuous stretching of myocardial cells is known to lead, with time, to the replacement of cells by fibrosis (and fibrosis is a condition that is well known to be a source of arrhythmias, and even malignant). Previous Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) studies already reported the presence of fibrosis in the same basal wall segments in some MVP patients. Thus, considering our strain results, in MVP patients, but only in those with ventricular arrhythmias, it is indicated, in our opinion the strain should be analyzed, as it is an inexpensive tool. If the strain is found to be “paradoxical” even in a single segment of what we have named the “triad”, a further evaluation with CMR (even if expensive) is recommended to look for the presence of fibrosis. Strain analysis is indicated because these findings may have implications for prognosis, further evaluation of arrhythmias and the selection of appropriate therapy. Full article

While ankle proprioception training on wobble boards is widely used in chronic ankle instability rehabilitation, objective and real-time instrumented assessment and biofeedback are still largely restricted to expensive laboratory-grade platforms or custom hardware. The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to present the design of a free, open-source smartphone-based system for ankle stability assessment and real-time biofeedback training; (2) to assess its accuracy in tracking the dynamic tilt of a wobble board during a single-leg stability test. The system was implemented through the Blockly-based visual programming editor of phyphox and deployed via the phyphox app. The smartphone’s quaternion-based attitude sensor was used to measure wobble board tilt in the mediolateral (roll) and anteroposterior (pitch) directions at 100 Hz, computing stability metrics and providing real-time audio biofeedback triggered by a user-defined isotropic threshold. Validation against the Biodex Balance System SD was performed in eleven healthy participants performing a single-leg stance protocol with both legs. Biofeedback was disabled to isolate tilt measurement accuracy. Roll and Pitch waveform similarity and accuracy were quantified using the linear fit method and root mean square difference (RMSD), respectively. The linear fit method yielded mean R² of 0.929 ± 0.043 and 0.958 ± 0.038, amplitude ratios (a₁) of 0.943 ± 0.038 and 0.953 ± 0.039, and offsets (a₀) of −0.000 ± 0.029° and −0.004 ± 0.046° for Roll and Pitch respectively. RMSD was 0.275 ± 0.195° and 0.246 ± 0.210°, indicating high validity in tracking wobble board tilt. The experiment is freely available as a QR code for direct use through the phyphox app and as an editable source file. Full article

Background/Objectives: Musculoskeletal pain and balance impairments are common in patients referred for cardiac rehabilitation (CR), but their influence on early exercise participation and aerobic capacity remains unclear. This study examined whether pain and muscle mass are associated with initial exercise tolerance test (ETT) participation and VO₂ peak. Methods: This retrospective, single-center cohort included 162 of 189 patients referred to CR after percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction; 105 who completed a symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test were analyzed for VO₂ peak. Pain intensity was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS 0–10), and the skeletal muscle index (SMI) was measured using a bioelectrical impedance analysis. Determinants of ETT participation and VO₂ peak were evaluated using multivariable logistic and linear regressions, respectively, with pain analyzed as a binary, three-category, and continuous variable. Results: More than half the patients reported musculoskeletal pain during physical activity, and 24.7% had balance problems. Patients with pain (VAS 1–10) had lower appendicular skeletal muscle mass and poorer functional status than pain-free patients. Among the 105 who completed the ETT, the pain group showed significantly lower workload-estimated metabolic equivalents [METs (Q)], respiratory exchange ratios, and peak minute ventilation and a shorter exercise time, but VO₂ peak did not differ between the groups. ETT participation rates were similar across pain categories (63.4%, 67.2%, and 63.0% for VAS 0, 1–5, and 6–10, respectively). In the multivariable logistic regression, older age, hypertension, and low SMI scores were independently associated with reduced ETT participation. In the linear regression, age was the only significant predictor of VO₂ peak; the SMI score showed a borderline association (p = 0.065), but pain intensity was not independently associated with VO₂ peak. Conclusions: Musculoskeletal pain is prevalent among patients entering CR after myocardial infarction, and it is accompanied by low muscle mass and functional limitations. However, after adjustment, pain itself was not an independent determinant of ETT participation or VO₂ peak. Low SMI scores were independently associated with reduced test participation and showed only a borderline association with aerobic capacity. These cross-sectional findings should be regarded as hypothesis-generating. Full article

Illustrated stories support children’s learning. They also aid digital publishing and preserve regional narratives. However, manual illustration is costly and difficult to scale. Diffusion models offer an alternative. Yet, they often omit narrative details. They may also alter recurring characters across scenes. This work tries to find answers to three research questions concerning diffusion-based story visualization. First, we study how scene segmentation and part-of-speech filtering influence narrative alignment. Second, we evaluate IP-Adapter and consistent self-attention for cross-scene identity preservation and examine their trade-offs with scene diversity and narrative fidelity. Finally, we propose an attention-guided prompt-repair method that measures the grounding of required entities, attributes, relations, and character states and then iteratively revises prompts. Our experiments indicate that image conditioning improves character continuity but can restrict scene variation. The proposed framework converts diffusion attention from a post hoc explanation into an automatic signal for diagnosing and repairing story prompts. Full article

Low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) require compact multimodal inference for perception, environment understanding, and planning-oriented reasoning. Vision-language models (VLMs) provide a shared interface for these tasks, but long visual-token sequences increase language-model prefill computation, sequence-dependent memory traffic, and visual key-value (KV) storage. Generic pruning often treats feature similarity as redundancy. In UAV imagery, similar patches may represent independent small-object instances, structural transitions may affect planning decisions, and distributed scene context may support environment classification. UAV-ESPrune is a training-free, before-LLM framework that reduces visual tokens while preserving such evidence. It combines visual saliency, local peak evidence, structural-transition cues, peak-budget anti-collapse, weighted geometric-feature coreset selection, and residual condensation. Experiments use Qwen2.5-VL-7Bon three selected MM-UAVBench subtasks: referring expression counting, environment state classification, and ground target planning, with token retention from 15% to 75%. At 25% retention, UAV-ESPrune retains the full-token counting accuracy of 30.86%, reaches 74.92% for environment classification, and obtains 40.62% for planning. At this retention ratio, independently measured end-to-end inference time decreases from 671.67 to 591.47 ms, a reduction of 11.94%. Visual KV storage decreases by 75.2% relative to full-token inference. These results support evidence-preserving token reduction for UAV vision-language reasoning. Full article