Advancing Open Science

Background/Objectives: Patients with Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) are often devastated by the unknown etiology coupled with the unknown pathway to recovery. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether abnormalities on the video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) performed early in the course of ISSNHL are associated with poorer hearing recovery. Methods: Forty-four patients with ISSNHL were prospectively enrolled between 2019 and 2022 following exclusion of differential diagnoses on clinical and MRI evaluation. vHIT was performed within 1–14 days of symptom onset and within 48 h of hospitalization. Recovery at six months was assessed both as a dichotomous outcome and by change in pure tone average (PTA). Group differences were analyzed using Fisher’s exact and Mann–Whitney U tests. A two-predictor logistic regression model examined the association between vHIT results, dizziness, and recovery. Results: Twelve patients exhibited abnormal vHIT findings. Abnormal vHIT was strongly associated with the presence of dizziness and with markedly poorer hearing recovery at six months. Patients with normal vHIT demonstrated substantially greater improvement in PTA thresholds compared with those showing abnormal results. Logistic regression further confirmed that abnormal vHIT was an independent predictor of reduced likelihood of hearing recovery, whereas dizziness alone did not independently influence outcomes. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that abnormal vHIT results in ISSNHL patients are linked to poor hearing recovery, which can enhance patient counseling regarding expectations. Although promising as a prognostic tool, we acknowledge our limited sample size and recommend validation in larger prospective cohorts.

The growing global population, along with evolving dietary trends and increasing concerns about health and the environment, underscores the urgent need to transform current food systems to minimize their environmental footprint and enhance global food security. This transformation has driven the development and demand for alternative food sources. In this context, alternative proteins emerge as promising options due to their production from plants, microorganisms, and insects, which potentially reduces the environmental impact of food production while supporting global food security. Nevertheless, the transition toward alternative proteins presents significant challenges related to the presence of antinutritional compounds, poor amino acid composition, lower digestibility, and undesirable organoleptic characteristics. Moreover, these new generations of alternative foods are highly processed, raising concerns about their nutritional adequacy compared to traditional products. In this context, fermentation technologies have emerged as promising tools to overcome these limitations. Traditional fermentation can degrade antinutritional factors, improve digestibility, and release bioactive compounds, allowing the production of new products with health-promoting properties. Beyond traditional fermentation, biomass fermentation to single-cell protein or microbial protein production represents a sustainable alternative, promoting a climate-friendly approach aligned with circular bioeconomy principles by upcycling various agro-industrial streams. Thus, this review discusses how microbial strategies (from traditional fermentation to cutting-edge microbial protein production) can enhance the nutritional properties of alternative protein-based foods. Emphasis is placed on the capacity of traditional fermentation to improve nutritional quality and bioactivity, mitigate undesirable sensory traits, and preserve or enhance micronutrient content. Additionally, integrating biomass fermentation and emerging precision fermentation positions microorganisms as valuable contributors to more nutritious and sustainable food systems.

Global CO₂ concentrations are gradually increasing, and forests, as the main terrestrial carbon pool, are attracting growing attention in mitigating climate change. However, the impacts of forest types, species diversity, structural diversity, and environmental factors on the carbon sequestration mechanisms of subtropical forests remain unclear. This study established 45 forest plots (20 m × 20 m) in Lishui City, aiming to investigate the relationships between forest diversity, environmental factors, and carbon storage of subtropical forests among different forest types. Results showed that coniferous forests had the lowest species diversity (0.86), which exhibited extremely significant differences from broad-leaved forests (1.47, p < 0.01) and coniferous broad-leaved mixed forests (1.58, p < 0.01). The carbon storage of broad-leaved forests was 97.50 t·ha⁻¹, which was higher than that of coniferous broad-leaved mixed forests (77.08 t·ha⁻¹) and coniferous forests (75.57 t·ha⁻¹). The carbon storage of coniferous forests was significantly positively affected by species diversity (p < 0.05). Tree height was the most significant structural diversity factor affecting forest carbon storage (p < 0.05). The results of the structural equation model (SEM) showed that the proportion of broad-leaved trees in forests and structural diversity had a significant positive effect on carbon storage (p < 0.01). Species diversity had a non-linear relationship with carbon storage. The ecological niche complementarity effect and selection effect interacted with changes in species diversity. When the species diversity was lower than 1.12 (Shannon–Wiener index), the ecological niche complementarity effect dominated and promoted carbon sequestration; when it was above this threshold, the selection effect dominated and weakened carbon sequestration. This study recommends prioritizing the planting of broad-leaved tree species during afforestation and paying attention to the current status of forest diversity.

The calmodulin-binding protein 60 (CBP60) family comprises essential Ca²⁺-responsive transcription factors that orchestrate salicylic acid (SA)-mediated immunity and broader stress responses. Despite being extensively characterized in model species, the CBP60 family remains poorly understood in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), a globally significant cucurbit crop highly susceptible to aphid infestation and fusarium wilt. In this study, we performed a comprehensive genome-wide identification and characterization of the CBP60 gene family in watermelon, identifying 16 putative ClaCBP60 members, all of which harbor the conserved calmodulin-binding domain. These genes are non-randomly distributed across chromosomes, featuring a prominent cluster of 10 members on chromosome 3. Phylogenetic analysis across seven cucurbit species categorized the CBP60 proteins into four distinct subfamilies, revealing both evolutionary conservation and lineage-specific diversification. Gene structure and conserved motif analyses revealed shared core domains with subfamily-specific variations, indicative of functional divergence. Furthermore, synteny analysis showed strong collinearity with cucumber and melon, reflecting the evolutionary stability of key CBP60 loci. Transcriptional profiling under F. oxysporum infection and aphid infestation revealed dynamic expression patterns, with ClaCBP60_01 and ClaCBP60_16 exhibiting rapid and robust induction during the early stages of both stresses. These findings indicated that ClaCBP60 genes operate in a coordinated yet diversified manner to modulate defense signaling against F. oxysporum and aphid attack. This study provides a systematic insight into CBP60 family members in watermelon, establishing a foundation for validation and molecular breeding aimed at enhancing biotic tolerance.

Background and Objectives: Current evidence remains insufficient to determine whether the impact of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on dental health is primarily mediated through oral hygiene and dietary habits or through direct effects of the disorder itself. This study examined the theoretical pathways through which ASD severity and toothbrushing-related and dietary-choice-related factors influence dental health in autistic children and adolescents. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 399 mothers reporting on their autistic children (aged 2–18 years, mean = 7.8). The exclusion criterion was being older than 18 years. Data included parent-reported data about ASD severity, dental health status, willingness to brush teeth, and dietary quality (assessed using the Diet Quality Inventory). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the direct and indirect effects of ASD severity on dental health, with probit regression coefficients estimated using the WLSMV method. Results: Parent-reported variables of ASD severity, diet quality, and toothbrushing willingness together explained 37% of the variance in dental health. The direct effect of ASD severity on dental health was 0.199 (p = 0.039). The indirect effect via toothbrushing was 0.137 (p = 0.006), and via diet quality, it was 0.070 (p = 0.020). The total indirect effect of ASD on dental health was 0.207 (p = 0.026), which was approximately as strong as the direct effect. The associations among the studied variables were statistically equivalent across sex and age groups. Conclusions: Parent-reported ASD severity shows significant association with dental health outcomes, both directly and indirectly, with toothbrushing behavior emerging as the primary mediator. Interventions that promote regular brushing (and, to a lesser extent, healthier eating) may help to reduce the dental health disparities associated with autism.

Introduction: Several studies have been conducted in the field of education for older adults, with an emphasis on teaching and learning processes related to the use of digital technologies. Among the relevant aspects to be considered in this context is the cognitive vulnerability of this age group in terms of digital security. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between cognitive aspects of older adults and their ability to identify digital risks, before and after participating in an educational intervention, as well as the effect of the intervention on cognition in this age group. Methodology: Analyses were conducted according to the educational intervention and control groups, further stratified by digital risk (SJT) and dementia risk, according to the ACE-R test. The Mann–Whitney test was used to identify possible differences in the likelihood of falling for digital scams, considering the dimensions generated by the simulations (SJT). Results: Overall, the educational intervention was effective for the media education dimension (delta −0.5), regardless of dementia risk. More specifically, a particular effect was observed in the post-intervention stage. Conclusions: The educational intervention was able to promote cognitive gains and reduce digital risks among older adults, particularly in the identification of misinformation, underscoring the importance of continuous and adapted programs to promote digital security in this population.

The problem of adequate quantitative analysis of anthropogenic film pollution of water areas according to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery is addressed here. A quantitative analysis of anthropogenic film pollution (AFP) in the studied coastal water areas of the north sector of the Black Sea and Avacha Gulf has been conducted. The analysis utilized a method that involved the statistical processing of data related to AFP identified within the cells of a regular spatial grid. Time series of Sentinel-1 SAR satellite imagery were used as initial data. Spatiotemporal distributions of the proposed quantitative criterion (e_AFP, ppm) have been calculated and analyzed. This criterion characterizes the intensity of AFP impact within the selected regions of marine waters based on measuring the relative frequency of an AFP event. Among them, the area of the emergency fuel oil spill that occurred in 2024–2025 near the Kerch Strait was investigated (e_AFP values near the wreckage of tankers reached ~13,000 ppm), as well as the area of the emergency oil spill near the Novorossiysk terminal that occurred in 2021 (e_AFP ≤ 6000 ppm). Accidents led to an approximately 3–6-fold increase in e_AFP values against the background level of 0–2000 ppm. The spatiotemporal variability of e_AFP across various water areas and under different conditions has been demonstrated and discussed.

Background: Visual impairment is linked to a broad spectrum of health conditions. Nevertheless, there is an absence of large cohort studies investigating cancer risk in the visually impaired compared to seeing controls. The aim of this study was to investigate whether visually impaired adults have an increased risk for various types of cancer, compared to seeing controls. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study comparing visually impaired adults aged 40 and over and 1:5 matched controls (by sex, birth year, and county of residence), between 2002 and 2018. Data were extracted from the Swedish National patient Registry, Statistics Sweden and from the Swedish Cause of Death Registry. A total of 48,493 adult Swedish men (44%) and women (56%), with a median age of 77 years (IQR: 64–86), with various degrees of visual impairment, from mild to total blindness, and 242,465 matched controls were followed up for a median of 5.1 (IQR 2.9–8.6) and 6.0 (IQR 3.6–9.8) years, respectively. The main outcomes included overall cancer incidence and incidence of different types of cancer. Results: Data analysis showed that visually impaired adults had an 18% significantly increased risk of any cancer (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.16–1.20) when compared to seeing controls. The risk was also significantly increased for most cancers, with HRs ranging from 2.59 (95% CI 2.21–3.03) for brain cancer to 1.19 (95% CI 1.11–1.27) for breast cancer. No interaction was observed between cancer of any type and sex (p = 0.47). An elevated risk for all cancers in the visually impaired was observed across all age-groups: HR of 1.37 (95% CI 1.30–1.43) for ages 40–64, HR 1.17 (95% CI 1.13–1.20) for ages 65–79, and HR 1.11 (95% CI 1.08–1.15) for ages over 80. The risk of death was 60% higher among the cases compared to controls (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.58–1.63). Conclusions: In this retrospective study of older adults, visual impairment was associated with increased cancer risk both overall and for specific types of cancer, in both sexes and across different age divisions of the cohort. These findings indicate the need for adjustments in health care polices in order to ensure equity in medical services.