Search Results (3,958)

Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) play a critical role in maritime monitoring, environmental protection, and emergency response, necessitating accurate scene understanding in complex aquatic environments. Conventional semantic segmentation methods often fail to capture global context and lack physical boundary consistency, limiting real-world performance. This paper proposes USV-Seg, a unified segmentation framework integrating a vision-language model, the Segment Anything Model (SAM), DINOv2-based visual features, and a physically constrained refinement module. We design a task-specific <Describe> Token to enable fine-grained semantic reasoning of navigation scenes, considering USV-to-shore distance, landform complexity, and water surface texture. A mask selection algorithm based on multi-layer Intersection-over-Prediction (IoP) heads improves segmentation precision across sky, water, and obstacle regions. A boundary-aware correction module refines outputs using estimated sky-water and land-water boundaries, enhancing robustness and realism. Unlike prior works that simply apply vision-language or geometric post-processing in isolation, USV-Seg integrates structured scene reasoning and scene-aware boundary constraints into a unified and physically consistent framework. Experiments on a real-world USV dataset demonstrate that USV-Seg outperforms state-of-the-art methods, achieving 96.30% mIoU in challenging near-shore scenarios. Full article

This study examines wind speed trends based on seven mandatory pressure levels of the atmosphere for Brazil from 1980 to 2022 using radiosonde and climate reanalysis products. The results show that austral summer (DJF) and winter (JJA) wind speed trends are predominately influenced by upper tropospheric circulations in each reanalysis model. A vertical wind profile shows that the lowest wind speed trend changes occur below 500 hPa, while the largest wind speed trend tendencies develop in the upper troposphere (400–200 hPa). To further quantify this finding, a spatial profile of wind speed change is developed through a three-dimensional model. The model shows that two synoptic features are possibly controlling upper-level air trends across Brazil. During summer, decreased (increased) upper-level wind speeds across southern and northeastern (central-west and southeastern) Brazil are related to changes in temperature and geopotential heights occurring in proximity of the Bolivian high. This anticyclone gradually dissipates and the role of the subtropical jet stream affects upper-level wind trends across the subtropical latitudes of Brazil during winter. Finally, an upper-level wind analysis is also conducted to support the geographical findings shown in the three-dimensional wind trend model. The results provide a foundation for understanding how wind speeds vary not only from a vertical but also from a spatial (horizontal) perspective across Brazil. Full article

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial relationship between the incisive canal (IC) and apical region of the maxillary central incisors in the Korean population, using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. The findings are intended to inform and improve the planning and execution of immediate implant placement in the maxillary esthetic zone. Materials and methods: CBCT data were collected from 94 patients (48 men, 46 women) aged 20–79 years at Gangnam Dental Clinic, Seoul, South Korea. The sample was divided according to age into three groups: 20–39 years, 40–59 years, and 60–79 years. Exclusion criteria included missing maxillary anterior teeth, severe crowding, periodontitis, pathology, and image artifacts. Measurements of the distance from the root apex to the incisive canal (RIC-11-P, RIC-21-P) and from the root apex to the buccal bone (RBB-11-B, RBB-21-B) were taken from CBCT images. Statistical analyses were conducted using Welch’s t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The mean distances from the root apex to the incisive canal were 3.77 mm (RIC-11-P) and 3.62 mm (RIC-21-P), while the mean distances to the buccal bone were 0.86 mm and 0.94 mm, respectively. Males exhibited significantly greater distances compared to females, both in the NPC-to-root apex and buccal bone measurements. Age-related variations were observed, with younger individuals showing shorter distances from the IC to the root apex. However, ANOVA tests and Pearson correlation analysis indicated no statistically significant correlation in these distances across different age groups. The study highlights significant gender differences in maxillary central incisor anatomy, with males having larger distances from the root apex to both the IC and buccal bone, which has implications for implant placement. While age-related changes were observed, they did not significantly affect the mean distances in a statistically meaningful way. Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for personalized treatment planning in immediate implant placement, particularly in relation to gender and age. Comparisons with other population studies suggest that these anatomical differences may be consistent across various ethnic groups, though individual variance factors should still be considered. Full article

Background: This paper examines the human and safety culture factors of the seemingly intractable problem of foreign object retention in surgery. Objectives: It reports selected findings of the FOR-RaM (Foreign Object Retention—Reduction and Mitigation) research project, which sought to discover and understand challenges to Foreign Object Management across surgical and maternity settings in Irish hospitals and to recommend changes to address these challenges. Methods: This paper presents the findings from surgical settings in one hospital site. A qualitative action research study was conducted with a wide range of stakeholders in the study hospital; the qualitative methods included 18 Semi-structured interviews with hospital staff, structured observations in surgical settings and Action Learning Sets to validate the data collected. Result: The results highlight a number of safety culture and human factors considerations which may facilitate or hinder Foreign Object Management, such as (individual and team) Goals, the Processes required for successful Foreign Object Management, Culture, Teamwork, Information Management, and Training. Full article

Human methyltransferase-like protein 16 (METTL16) installs N⁶-methyladenosine on U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) and other RNAs. Multiple X-ray crystal structures of METTL16 have been published; however, we do not yet fully understand the structure–function relationships of specific residues. We designed 38 mutants, including seven cancer-associated mutants, and used electrophoretic mobility shift assays and single-turnover kinetic assays to better understand the functional roles of specific domains and amino acid residues in binding to U6 snRNA, formation of the METTL16•U6 snRNA•S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) complex, and the rate of methylation. While point mutations in the methyltransferase domain mildly weaken the binding of METTL16 to U6 snRNA, the C-terminal vertebrate conserved regions (VCRs), particularly the arginine-rich region (R382 to R388), mediate cooperative binding and contribute more to RNA binding. All METTL16 K-loop mutants displayed tighter SAM binding, suggesting that the K-loop blocks SAM binding. In addition, residues E133 and F227 are critical for stabilizing SAM binding. Mutations in the ₁₈₄NPPF₁₈₇ catalytic core and R282A abolished methyltransferase activity. Two METTL16 somatic cancer-associated mutants (G110C and R241Dfs*2) displayed reduced methylation activity. This mutational analysis expands our understanding of how specific domains and residues contribute to substrate-binding activity and methylation of U6 snRNA catalyzed by METTL16. Full article

Inverted (p-i-n) CsPbI_xBr_3−x (x = 0~3) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are of growing interest due to their excellent thermal stability and optoelectronic performance. However, they suffer from severe energy level mismatch and significant interfacial energy losses at the bottom hole transport layers (HTLs). Herein, we propose a strategy to simultaneously enhance the crystallinity of CsPbI_2.85Br_0.15 and facilitate hole extraction at the HTL/CsPbI_2.85Br_0.15 interface by incorporating semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) onto [2-(3,6-dimethoxy-9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl] phosphonic acid (MeO-2PACz) HTL. The unique electrical properties of SWCNTs enable the MeO-2PACz/SWCNT HTL to achieve high conductivity, optimal energy level alignment, and an adaptable surface. Consequently, the defect density is reduced, hole extraction is accelerated, and interfacial charge recombination is effectively suppressed. As a result, these synergistic benefits boost the power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 15.74% to 18.78%. Moreover, unencapsulated devices retained 92.35% of their initial PCE after 150 h of storage in ambient air and 89.03% after accelerated aging at 85 °C for 10 h. These findings highlight the strong potential of SWCNTs as an effective interlayer for inverted CsPbI_2.85Br_0.15 PSCs and provide a promising strategy for designing high-performance HTLs by integrating SWCNTs with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Full article

OCT4 is a critical transcription factor for early embryonic development and pluripotency. Previous studies have shown that the regulation of OCT4 by the transcription factor GATA4 is species-specific in pigs. This study aimed to further investigate whether there are other transcription factors that co-regulate the transcription of OCT4 with GATA4 in pigs. A CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) sgRNA library was designed and constructed, containing 5056 sgRNAs targeting the promoter region of 1264 transcription factors in pigs. Then, a pig PK15 cell line was engineered with a single-copy OCT4 promoter-driven EGFP reporter at the ROSA26 locus, combined with the dCas9-SAM system for transcriptional activation. The CRISPRa sgRNA lentiviral library was used to screen for transcription factors, with or without GATA4 overexpression. Flow cytometry combined with high-throughput sequencing identified MYC, SOX2, and PRDM14 as activators and OTX2 and CDX2 as repressors of OCT4. In the presence of GATA4, transcription factors such as SALL4 and STAT3 showed synergistic activation. Functional validation confirmed that HOXD13 upregulates OCT4, while OTX2 inhibits it. GATA4 and SALL4 synergistically enhance OCT4 expression. These findings provide new insights into combinatorial mechanisms that control the transcriptional regulation of OCT4 in pigs. Full article

Lipids, together with water and proteins, constitute the essential structure of cell membranes, and in the CNS, critically contribute to the production, function, and maintenance of the myelin sheath. Myelin produced by oligodendrocytes (OLs) acts as an electric insulator and assures proper conduction of information. Three major fractions of myelin lipids are cholesterol, phospholipids, and glycolipids. These lipids not only sculpt the myelin landscape as a structural support for proteins, but they also play a crucial role in molecular interactions underlying processes of protein trafficking and signal transductions. The high lipid content of myelin makes it susceptible to lipid metabolism disorders. Disorders in systemic and local lipid metabolism may lead to loss of myelin integrity and stability, and potentially to CNS demyelination seen in neurodegenerative diseases, notably progressive multiple sclerosis, for which there are few effective therapies. Precise interactions among disorders in lipid metabolism, function of oligodendrocytes, and demyelination/remyelination events, including de novo myelin formation and myelin remodeling processes, may lay the foundation for novel therapeutics for progressive MS and other demyelinating CNS conditions. Full article

Interpreting chemical analysis results to identify ignitable liquid (IL) residues in fire debris samples is challenging, owing to the complex chemical composition of ILs and the diverse sample matrices. This work investigated a transfer learning approach with convolutional neural networks (CNNs), pre-trained for image recognition, to classify gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS) data transformed into scalogram images. A small data set containing neat gasoline samples with diluted concentrations and burned Nylon carpets with varying weights was prepared to retrain six CNNs: GoogLeNet, AlexNet, SqueezeNet, VGG-16, ResNet-50, and Inception-v3. The classification tasks involved two classes: “positive of gasoline” and “negative of gasoline.” The results demonstrated that the CNNs performed very well in predicting the trained class data. When predicting untrained intra-laboratory class data, GoogLeNet had the highest accuracy (0.98 ± 0.01), precision (1.00 ± 0.01), sensitivity (0.97 ± 0.01), and specificity (1.00 ± 0.00). When predicting untrained inter-laboratory class data, GoogLeNet exhibited a sensitivity of 1.00 ± 0.00, while ResNet-50 achieved 0.94 ± 0.01 for neat gasoline. For simulated fire debris samples, both models attained sensitivities of 0.86 ± 0.02 and 0.89 ± 0.02, respectively. The new deep transfer learning approach enables automated pattern recognition in GC/MS data, facilitates high-throughput forensic analysis, and improves consistency in interpretation across various laboratories, making it a valuable tool for fire debris analysis. Full article

The giant moray eel (GME; Gymnothorax javanicus) is an important marine species that plays a key ecological role in reef systems and is a valued food source for indigenous communities. However, it is well-known that GMEs pose a food safety risk due to their ability to accumulate high levels of ciguatoxins (CTXs), the toxins known to cause ciguatera poisoning. This study assessed the age, CTX levels, elemental composition, and nutritional profile of seven GME specimens collected from Muri Lagoon, Rarotonga (Cook Islands), representing the most detailed compositional investigation on this species. Age was determined for the three largest specimens, with the oldest being 39 years old. All specimens contained ciguatoxins, with Type I (CTX4A derivatives), Type II (CTX3C derivatives), algal-ciguatoxins, and biotransformed metabolites being detected. There was a higher CTX content in the liver samples compared to flesh samples, with the longest–heaviest specimen containing the highest levels. The CTX1B level observed in flesh samples of all seven eel specimens exceeded the recommended safe guidance level proposed by the USFDA. A similar ciguatoxin profile was observed across flesh sections, with the belly flap or top loin containing the highest levels of CTXs in most specimens. No bioactive metabolites produced by co-occurring harmful microalgae, including regulated shellfish toxins, were detected. Elemental analysis determined the presence of 21 elements, including arsenic, low levels of mercury, and the volcanic elements rubidium and strontium. Nutritionally, the GMEs were shown to be a lean protein source; however, due to the ubiquitous bioaccumulation of CTXs, they pose a food safety risk to consumers. Full article

Background: Genetic factors pertinent to Parkinson’s disease (PD) might predispose an individual to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Humans who are heterozygous for the glucocerebrosidase 1 (GBA) L444P Gaucher mutation have an increased PD risk and elevated levels of alpha synuclein (aSyn). Mice that are heterozygous for the GBA mutation and express aSyn with the A53T mutation show elevated anxiety levels at 20 months of age compared to those expressing only A53T. Objective: This study aims to assess whether A53T and A53T-L444P affect the risk of developing PTSD phenotypes and whether sex and age modulate this risk. Methods: Young (5.1 ± 0.2 months) and older (11.3 ± 0.2 months) A53T and GBA L444P female and male mice were tested for fear learning and memory extinction in the contextual fear conditioning and passive avoidance paradigms. Subsequently, the mice were tested for measures of activity and anxiety in the open field and for depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test. Results: In the contextual fear memory extinction paradigm, only young A53T female mice showed contextual fear memory extinction, while older A53T female mice showed increased activity levels over subsequent days. In the passive avoidance memory paradigm, no mice showed extinction of passive avoidance memory. When the frequency of entering the more anxiety-provoking center of the open field was analyzed, a test history x sex x age interaction was observed. In the forced swim test, test history affected the depressive-like behavior in mice trained; there was more depressive-like behavior in mice trained in the contextual fear memory extinction paradigm than in mice trained in the passive avoidance memory extinction paradigm. Moreover, there was an effect of age with more depressive-like behavior in older than in younger mice, and an effect of genotype with more depressive-like behavior in A53T-L444P compared to A53T mice. When cortical phosphorylated tau (pS 199) levels were analyzed, there was an effects of genotype, a sex x age interaction, and ant age x test history interaction. Conclusions: A53T and A53T-L444P affect the risk of developing PTSD phenotypes. Fear extinction test history, genotype, and age affect depressive-like behavior and tau pathology. Full article

This study investigates how Spanish heritage language (SHL) learners, and second language (L2) learners cognitively and socially engage with texts through collaborative digital annotations. Conducted in two advanced online writing courses with forty students, the study employed Perusall, a social annotation platform, to examine reading behaviors and peer interactions. Quantitative analysis revealed both similarities and differences in strategy use: while both groups demonstrated equal levels of interaction, SHL learners favored Evaluating and Connecting strategies, suggesting reflective, experience-based engagement, whereas L2 learners more frequently used Questioning and Translating strategies, indicating a more analytical approach. Survey responses further highlighted perceived gains in vocabulary, motivation, grammar, and academic language awareness. These findings challenge deficit-based assumptions about SHL literacy and underscore the value of integrating culturally relevant, digitally mediated tasks in language instruction. The study affirms that collaborative annotation not only fosters cognitive engagement but also promotes social presence and academic identity development. It offers practical recommendations for grouping, scaffolding, and platform use, and contributes to a broader understanding of how digital tools can support inclusive, meaningful reading experiences for diverse learners in the twenty-first-century classroom. Full article

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adults is well characterized and associated with multisystem dysfunction. A subset of patients develop post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC, or long COVID), marked by persistent and fluctuating organ system abnormalities. In children, distinct clinical and pathophysiological features of COVID-19 and long COVID are increasingly recognized, though knowledge remains limited relative to adults. The exponential expansion of the COVID-19 literature has made comprehensive appraisal by individual researchers increasingly unfeasible, highlighting the need for new approaches to evidence synthesis. Large language models (LLMs) such as the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) can process vast amounts of text, offering potential utility in this domain. Earlier versions of GPT, however, have been prone to generating fabricated references or misrepresentations of primary data. To evaluate the potential of more advanced models, we systematically applied GPT-4 to summarize studies on pediatric long COVID published between January 2022 and January 2025. Articles were identified in PubMed, and full-text PDFs were retrieved from publishers. GPT-4-generated summaries were cross-checked against the results sections of the original reports to ensure accuracy before incorporation into a structured review framework. This methodology demonstrates how LLMs may augment traditional literature review by improving efficiency and coverage in rapidly evolving fields, provided that outputs are subjected to rigorous human verification. Full article

Over the decades, cattle have not been considered primary hosts for influenza A viruses (IAV), and their role in influenza epidemiology has been largely unrecognized. While bovines are known reservoirs for influenza D virus, the recent emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in U.S. dairy cattle marks an alarming shift in influenza ecology. Since March 2024, this virus has affected thousands of dairy cows, causing clinical signs such as fever, reduced feed intake, drastic declines in milk production, and abnormal milk appearance. Evidence suggests that the virus may be replicated within mammary tissue, raising urgent concerns about milk safety, foodborne transmission, and occupational exposure. This review highlights the unprecedented expansion of viruses into bovine populations, exploring the potential for host adaptation, and interconnected roles of pets, peridomestic animals, and human exposure within shared environments. The potential impacts on dairy production, food safety, and zoonotic spillover highlight the urgent need for integrated One Health surveillance to stay ahead of this evolving threat. Full article

Background/Objectives: Fecal peritonitis following penetrating abdominal trauma is a serious condition that often results in sepsis and organ failure. The aim of our study was to develop a novel conscious porcine model of sepsis and organ dysfunction caused by multiple penetrating injuries to the small and large intestines. Methods: Twelve female Yorkshire pigs (average weight 50.6 ± 6.5 kg) were divided into two groups: Penetrating Abdominal Trauma (PAT) (n = 8) and Control (n = 4). All surgical procedures were performed under anesthesia with adequate analgesia. In the PAT group, the small and large intestines were punctured, and feces mixed with saline were introduced into the abdominal cavity to induce peritonitis. The Control group received sham surgery with only saline solution. The animals were observed in a conscious state over a period of 72 h, vital parameters were recorded, and blood samples were taken regularly. We adapted a pig-specific SOFA score and developed pig-specific SIRS criteria and NEWS2 score to assess organ function. The model was validated by independent investigators. Results: The survival rate in the PAT group was 75%, with an average survival time of 58.5 h, while all animals in the Control group survived to euthanasia. Monitoring showed pathophysiological changes, such as tachycardia, leucopenia, and thrombocytopenia, indicative of sepsis and organ dysfunction. Blinded investigators independently confirmed the model’s validity. Conclusions: A new swine model of penetrating abdominal trauma and sepsis has been successfully developed that demonstrates significant physiological and immunologic changes comparable to human sepsis. This new model provides a realistic platform for future research into sepsis, its diagnostics, and the evaluation of therapeutic strategies. Full article