Search Results (6,443)

Low back pain (LBP) is a common cause of activity limitation in individuals that can result in socioeconomic costs up to $200 billion per year. Most cases of LBP lack a known underlying pathology. The L4/L5 motion segment is the most impaired lumbar segment, likely due to high load-bearing function. The ability to model L4/L5 compressive loading from surface electromyography (sEMG) data during dynamic activity may add to the understanding of LBP. Eight volunteers with no history of LBP participated in this study. Muscle activity of the erector spinae, rectus abdominus, and external obliques were recorded by a wireless EMG system (Trigno, Delsys, Natick, MA, USA) during a straight-leg stoop-to-stand task. L4/L5 compressive loading was estimated using a subject-specific sEMG model and validated by comparison with an AnyBody model and publicly available data from OrthoLoad. A specific trendline showed a significant decrease in percent error of estimated force for all muscles. Significantly lower impulse values were estimated by the AnyBody model than the sEMG subject-specific model (p = 0.007). Although our sEMG model was subject to high variability, loading values largely remained within those reported in the literature. Significant variation was found comparing the sEMG model with the AnyBody model, which may validate continued development and testing of personalized measurements of L4/L5 loading. Full article

Background/Objectives: Evaluating the feasibility of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) represents a critical next step for advancing human–animal interaction (HAI) science and rigorously exploring the role of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) in psychiatric acute care. This study presents strategies for conducting a pilot RCT comparing an animal-assisted intervention involving dogs (AAI) with an active conversational control (CC), which incorporated conversation with a human volunteer, and treatment as usual (TU) for improving mental health outcomes in psychiatrically hospitalized adults. Methods: We recruited participants from an acute-care psychiatric unit at an academic medical center. AAI and CC were delivered by volunteer handlers with and without their registered therapy dogs. Feasibility data included number of recruitment contacts, recruitment rate, and reasons for non-enrollment. We describe recruitment challenges encountered and mitigating strategies for successful study completion. Results: Recruitment occurred over 23 months with a goal of 60 participants participating in at least one intervention day. A total of 264 patients were referred to the study and 72 enrolled. The additional 12 people were recruited to replace participants who did not complete any intervention days and did not provide any intervention data. Study recruitment goals were met with a recruitment rate of 27.30%. Conclusions: Research to improve the lives of patients in acute psychiatric care is a vital public health goal, yet RCTs are difficult to conduct in acute care settings. Studies like this strengthen HAI and psychiatric science by providing a roadmap for implementing successful AAI RCT designs. Full article

The growth and development of breast cancer are accompanied by an increase in oxidative stress. A close relationship is known to exist between the biological activity of several antioxidant enzymes and the regulation of estrogen-mediated signaling in breast cancer. The aim of this study was to study the activity of salivary antioxidant enzymes and the level of lipid peroxidation products in breast cancer before and after surgical treatment. The study included 115 patients with breast cancer (58.7 ± 10.9 years) and 60 healthy volunteers (51.8 ± 12.1 years). Saliva samples were obtained again from 53 patients 4 weeks after surgery. The content of lipid peroxidation products, catalase activity, total antioxidant activity (AOA) and total peroxidase activity (TPA) in saliva were analyzed before and after breast cancer surgery. An increase in lipid peroxidation products in saliva was observed with positive estrogen receptor expression. For the first time, it was shown that in patients with breast cancer, the levels of salivary TPA and AOA increased, which is likely due to the important role of the salivary glands in antioxidant protection. It can be speculated that the effectiveness of antioxidant defense was associated with estrogen and progesterone receptor expression and was reduced in prognostically unfavorable breast cancer phenotypes (non-luminal and triple-negative breast cancer). Full article

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis are at increased risk for severe influenza, and underlying immune dysfunction may limit vaccine-induced protection. Methods: This observational open-label study evaluated immune responses in 93 hemodialysis patients vaccinated with seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) during the 2019–2020 (n = 22) and 2023–2024 (n = 71) seasons. Immune responses were comprehensively assessed using hemagglutination inhibition and microneutralization assays to measure antibody levels, together with flow cytometry analysis of key immune cell populations, including plasmablasts, T-follicular helper cells (Tfh), and effector memory T cells (Tem). Results: During the 2019–2020 season, antibody responses in hemodialysis patients were comparable to those in healthy volunteers in both younger (18–60 years) and older (over 60) age groups. By day 7 post-vaccination, there was a pronounced increase in activated Tfh1 cells, coinciding with a surge in plasmablasts and a rise in antigen-specific B cells. This was accompanied by a T-cell response mediated by IFNγ-producing and polyfunctional CD4+ Tem cells. In the 2023–2024 season, revaccination was associated with higher baseline antibody levels but did not alter subsequent response kinetics to A/H1N1pdm, A/H3N2, and B/Yamagata antigens. In contrast, responses to B/Victoria were higher in revaccinated patients throughout the entire observation period. Conclusions: Our findings confirm that standard-dose IIV vaccination is beneficial for hemodialysis patients, inducing robust and adequate humoral and T-cell immune responses. Full article

Objectives: Lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, cognitive engagement, social interaction, diet, sleep, and vascular risk management are increasingly recognized as contributors to cognitive aging and dementia risk. Although many middle-aged and older adults express interest in maintaining brain health, less is known about their beliefs about brain-healthy behaviors or their preferences for receiving multicomponent brain health interventions. This study examined adults’ ratings of the usefulness of a wide range of lifestyle activities for brain health and their preferred formats for receiving support. Methods: A 60-item online survey was administered to compensated volunteers aged 40 years and older through a commercial provider. The questionnaire assessed perceived usefulness of lifestyle-based brain health activities and preferred intervention delivery formats. The analytic sample included 761 respondents. Descriptive statistics were computed for all ratings and differences by age group and gender were tested using MANOVA with post hoc comparisons adjusted for multiple testing. Results: Participants endorsed many lifestyle activities as helpful for brain health. Mentally stimulating activities, good sleep, stress management, and creative activities received the highest ratings, whereas strength training, meditation, language learning, and computer-based cognitive training were rated lower. Aerobic exercise and mentally stimulating activities were most frequently selected as the single most important activity. Significant effects of age, gender, and their interaction were observed, with younger men and older women generally rating activities more favorably. With respect to desire for services, over half of participants preferred receiving a cognitive assessment, and many favored online education or app-based tools. Conclusions: Middle-aged and older adults recognize a wide range of lifestyle factors as potentially beneficial for brain health and express strong interest in structured support, particularly assessments and digital resources. These findings can inform the design of flexible, multicomponent brain health interventions aligned with adults’ preferences and priorities. Full article

Background/Objectives: Moderate consumption of fermented beverages such as traditional beer has been associated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in inflammation and oxidative stress, yet the impact of moderate fermented beverage consumption on blood miRNA profiles remains poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of regular, moderate intake of traditional and alcohol-free beer on whole blood miRNA levels in healthy adults. Methods: Whole blood samples were collected at baseline and after a 4-week intervention with alcohol-free beer and traditional beer in healthy overweight/obese adults (n = 36). miRNA profiling was performed using Affymetrix in a discovery subset, followed by targeted validation using real-time PCR in the full cohort. Bioinformatics and system biology analysis were applied to explore potential functional associations. Results: After traditional beer consumption, 202 miRNAs showed differential expression compared to baseline (p < 0.05). Eighteen miRNAs with changes ≥1.5-fold and the two miRNAs with the lowest p-values (p < 0.005) were selected for further analysis. Of them, the six miRNAs with the most consistent expression patterns were validated by real-time PCR. Moderate beer intake was associated with increased levels of miR-144-5p and miR-19a-3p in the overall population. Sex-stratified analyses suggested a tendency toward higher levels in these miRNAs in women following traditional beer intake. In silico analysis showed that predicted target genes of these miRNAs are involved in pathways related to immune regulation and inflammatory signaling. Conclusions: Moderate beer consumption is associated with consistent changes in whole-blood miRNA expression, particularly miR-144-5p and miR-19a-3p, in a healthy overweight/obese population. These findings support a potential role for epigenetic modulation in the biological response to moderate beer intake and provide a basis for future mechanistic studies. Full article

Marine plastic pollution poses severe ecological and economic threats, while people with disabilities (PwDs) often face limited meaningful employment opportunities. This study evaluated a unique social enterprise in Japan that addresses both challenges through upcycling marine plastic waste into accessories while providing employment for PwDs. Using the Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology, we assessed the project’s social and environmental impacts over one year (2020). Data was collected through stakeholder surveys, interviews, and operational records. The analysis identified 15 outcomes across six stakeholder groups, including income generation, environmental awareness-raising, and sustained volunteer engagement. The project achieved an SROI ratio of 3.50, indicating that every JPY 1 invested generated JPY 3.50 in social value. Media exposure (30.5%), employment income (25.6%), and volunteer motivation (18.5%) comprised 74% of the total value. Despite processing only 50 kg of marine plastic annually, the project demonstrated significant symbolic impact through behavior change and public awareness. Key challenges include limited production capacity, wage constraints, and gender-biased consumer demographics. This case illustrates how small-scale, community-based upcycling initiatives can generate multidimensional social value by integrating environmental conservation with social inclusion objectives. Full article

Artemisia absinthium L. is a medicinal plant well known for the bitterness of its sesquiterpenoids. To mask its intense taste while preserving these active compounds, an ethanolic extract (AAE) was prepared, and two microencapsulation techniques (spray drying and ionotropic gelation) were investigated under different process conditions. The best-performing formulation was selected for larger-scale production and a characterisation of the microparticles (MPs) was carried out. MPs were then incorporated into baked products (biscuits), which were subsequently characterised for proximate composition, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AA). Bitter compounds were quantified through HPLC-DAD. A panel test was conducted on 50 volunteers, which compiled a satisfactory questionnaire. Ionotropic gelation proved to be the most suitable technique for producing AAE alginate-based MPs for incorporation into biscuit dough, yielding a product with a desirable particle size and flowability. The biscuits still retained a significant amount of TPC and AA, indicating that microencapsulation is a suitable strategy. Data from the acceptance questionnaire revealed that biscuits containing MPs loaded with absinthin-rich extract were comparable to the control ones regarding overall acceptance. In conclusion, a promising product was developed that effectively masks the bitterness of appetite-modulating bioactive compounds, with significant health-promoting potential. However, further investigation into the biological effects (e.g., hormonal responses, feelings of hunger, etc.) of these baked products is required. Full article

Background/Objectives: Menstrual blood, a periodic uterine discharge, represents a non-invasive source for an indication of the functional status of the endometrium. While menstrual blood-derived stem cells have been extensively characterized and menstrual blood is considered a diagnostic material for the analysis of gynecologic pathology in research studies, it is not routinely used in clinical settings. To develop novel noninvasive diagnostic tools for endometrial status assessment, we aimed to characterize the morphological and molecular markers of menstrual blood. Methods: Menstrual blood samples were obtained from healthy volunteers and characterized macroscopically and microscopically using smears (May-Grunwald-Giemsa staining), confocal microscopy, and imaging flow cytometry (cluster of differentiation [CD]90, CD45, fibrin). Clot dissociation was performed to analyze the cellular composition of clots. Results: We morphologically characterized menstrual blood cells and identified three uterine-derived cells and cell cluster types (endometrial stromal, endometrial epithelial, and vaginal epithelial). Additionally, we confirmed the specificity of CD90 for endometrial stromal cell populations, which were separately characterized in the supernatant and menstrual blood clots using light and confocal microscopy, and we analyzed the composition of the menstrual blood supernatant and dissociated clots using imaging flow cytometry. Conclusions: The results of this study may serve as a foundation for the development of new non-invasive diagnostic tools for endometrial pathology for the potential support or replacement of highly invasive procedures, such as diagnostic dilation and curettage. Full article

Latent, i.e., asymptomatic Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection might accelerate or modulate the aging process of cognitive and sensory functions involving pro-inflammatory immune responses. For evaluating a potential role of latent T. gondii infection in immunological aging, we determined T. gondii antibody levels and immunosenescence biomarkers in a cross-sectional sample of 584 volunteers aged 20–70 years from the Dortmund Vital Study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05155397) representing the regional population. One-hundred-sixty-one participants were seropositive, representing an overall 28% latent T. gondii seroprevalence, which did not significantly differ between males and females, but increased with age. Consequently, seropositive individuals were older than the seronegative participants. Latent T. gondii infection exhibited significant bivariate associations with the composite immune age index IMMAX pointing to accelerated immune aging in seropositive individuals. In addition, IMMAX increased with age and in males. However, associations of latent T. gondii infection with immunosenescence biomarkers disappeared when adjusting the analyses for sex and age. Moreover, the non-significant interaction between T. gondii status and age when predicting biomarker levels indicated that latent T. gondii infection did not modify the immunosenescence trend. Summarized, our results suggest that latent T. gondii infection is unlikely to modulate immune aging concerning cellular senescence in otherwise healthy working-age adults. Full article

Second language acquisition (SLA) is critical for refugee integration and a determinant of health and health care access. Although numerous studies have examined language barriers and health communication, the reciprocal relationship between health and second language acquisition remains underexplored in public health research. This qualitative study draws on interviews with twenty Syrian refugees (nine men and eleven women, aged 22–65) resettled in Norway. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Two overarching themes were identified: (1) Learning under strain: health problems and post-migratory stressors constrained SLA; and (2) Relational support: reciprocal interactions with neighbours, colleagues, and volunteers enabled both language learning and functional health. These social arenas acted as low-threshold, health-promoting settings that mitigated isolation and strengthened belonging. The study highlights that language operates as a social determinant of health: inclusive, relational spaces facilitate both SLA and health by enhancing communicative participation and access to care. Refugee integration policy should therefore support accessible community spaces outside formal education to strengthen social inclusion, health literacy and refugees’ ability to navigate health and welfare services. Full article

Continuous respiratory rate (RR) monitoring can improve the detection of clinical events, such as pulmonary infections, cardiac arrests, and sleep apnoea. Wi-Fi-based systems offer a low-cost, contactless alternative to radar and video. However, existing studies are limited to narrow respiratory ranges and small-scale validation. We present VitalCSI, a vital sign monitoring system using off-the-shelf, low-power Wi-Fi hardware. We recorded 15 healthy university athlete volunteers and developed RR estimation algorithms benchmarked against nasal airflow sensors. VitalCSI uses a consumer Wi-Fi access point and a Raspberry Pi computer to capture channel state information (CSI). We estimated the RR from CSI via principal component analysis (PCA), spectral peak detection, and breath (counting in 30 s windows), which were then fused by a multidimensional Kalman filter. VitalCSI showed strong agreement with airflow references ($r^2=0.93$, MAE = 1.20 brpm), tracking RR across 6–33 brpm and outperforming prior Wi-Fi studies. VitalCSI demonstrates the feasibility of RR monitoring with a single-antenna, single-board microcomputer as the Wi-Fi transmitter. It is the first validated system for continuous, contactless RR monitoring using consumer-grade Wi-Fi over an extended respiratory range, paving the way for use in both home and sports monitoring contexts. Full article

This study introduces SquareSwish, a smooth, self-gated activation $f\left(x\right)=x\sigma {\left(x\right)}^2$, and benchmarks it against ten established activations (ReLU, LeakyReLU, ELU, SELU, GELU, Snake, LearnSnake, Swish, Mish, Hard-Swish) across six CNN architectures (EfficientNet-B1/B4, EfficientNet-V2-M/S, ResNet-50, and Xception) under a uniform transfer-learning protocol. Two geographically grounded datasets are used in this study. FuelRiskMap-TR comprises 7686 satellite images of urban fuel stations in Türkiye, which is semantically enriched with the OpenStreetMap context and YOLOv8-Small rooftop segmentation (mAP@0.50 = 0.724) to support AI-enabled, ICT-integrated risk screening. In a similar fashion, FuelRiskMap-UK is collected, comprising 2374 images. Risk scores are normalized and thresholded to form balanced High/Low-Risk labels for supervised training. Across identical training settings, SquareSwish achieves a top-1 validation accuracy of 0.909 on EfficientNet-B1 for FuelRiskMap-TR and reaches 0.920 when combined with SELU in a simple softmax-probability ensemble, outperforming the other activations under the same protocol. By squaring the sigmoid gate, SquareSwish more strongly attenuates mildly negative activations while preserving smooth, non-vanishing gradients, tightening decision boundaries in noisy, semantically enriched Earth-observation settings. Beyond classification, the resulting city-scale risk layers provide actionable geospatial outputs that can support inspection prioritization and integration with municipal GIS, offering a reproducible and low-cost safety-planning approach built on openly available imagery and volunteered geographic information. Full article

Background/Objectives: Accurate plantar pressure assessment is essential for injury prevention and rehabilitation monitoring in sports. Wearable sensor technologies, such as DAid^® Smart Socks, offer portable, real-time biomechanical feedback and enable data collection in field conditions. However, there is limited evidence on their level of agreement with a gold standard in measuring the foot plantar center of pressure (CoP) in football-specific tasks. This study aimed to determine the preliminary validity of DAid^® Smart Socks compared with a gold-standard force platform in measuring plantar center of pressure (CoP) during functional football FIFA 11+ Part 2 exercises. Methods: Ten male volunteer youth football players (mean age 12.2 ± 0.42 years; height 158.7 ± 7.72 cm; weight 46.46 ± 8.78 kg; shoe size EU 39.8 ± 2.68) from the Latvian Football Federation Youth League participated. Eight players had right-leg dominance, two had left-leg dominance; three reported past lower-limb injuries. Plantar pressure was measured simultaneously using DAid^® Smart Socks and a 1.5 m entry-level force platform with a calibration factor of 3.2. Center of pressure (CoP) data from the force platform were recorded using Footscan software version 9.10.4. Participants performed two selected FIFA 11+ Part 2 exercises—a single-leg squat (unilateral) and a squat with heel raise, performed bilaterally—under standardized conditions. Each exercise was performed twice, with sock removal and reapplication between trials. Agreement between the DAid^® Smart Socks and the force platform was examined using waveform synchronization, root mean square error (RMSE), Bland–Altman analysis, and Lin’s Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC) to quantify both relative waveform correspondence and absolute CoP measurement accuracy. Results: Across 160 paired recordings, the DAid^® Smart Socks showed moderate-to-high correlation with the force platform for relative CoP dynamics, with 79% of waveforms demonstrating CCC ≥ 0.60. Absolute agreement was limited, with only 16% of recordings reaching CCC ≥ 0.90, and RMSE values ranging from 2.1 to 18.9 mm (X) and 4.3–34.2 mm (Y). Conclusions: DAid^® Smart Socks showed moderate-to-high correspondence with the force platform in capturing the directional and temporal characteristics of plantar CoP during functional football tasks, with agreement varying across individuals. Full article

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often diagnosed after significant lung damage has already occurred, highlighting a need for minimally invasive biomarkers for early detection of COPD development. This study aims to identify transcriptional biomarkers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). A Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was performed on the GSE146560 transcriptomic dataset. Hub genes were cross-validated using independent transcriptomic data (GSE94916), topology analysis of a COPD-related protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, and a text-mining approach. The top candidate genes were validated using RT-qPCR in a clinical cohort, consisting of 28 COPD patients and 13 healthy volunteers, and their diagnostic value was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. WGCNA identified four gene modules significantly correlated with COPD, the functional annotation of which revealed their enrichment in immune and tissue remodeling pathways. Further analysis of the PPI network topology structure and gene expression revealed a hub gene signature that was significantly upregulated in PBMCs of COPD patients, including MDM2 (6.3-fold, p < 0.001), FKBP5 (7.0-fold, p < 0.001), and CTNNA1 (10.0-fold, p < 0.001). ROC analysis demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for these genes, with AUC values of 0.849, p < 0.001, for MDM2, 0.957, p < 0.001, for FKBP5, and 0.958, p < 0.001, for CTNNA1. MDM2, FKBP5, and CTNNA1 represent promising, readily accessible PBMC biomarkers for COPD diagnosis. Full article