Search Results (25,656)

Background: Anastomotic leakage remains a serious complication of colorectal surgery, often linked to impaired blood supply at the incision site. Objective: To develop and validate a reproducible rat model of colonic anastomotic leakage induced by graded mesocolon ischemia. Methods: Of 144 operated rats, 138 survived surgery and underwent end-to-end colonic anastomosis with five levels of mesocolon ligation (0–2 cm of unilateral mesocolic ischemia). Postoperative outcomes, including anastomotic integrity, abscess formation, and mortality, were assessed on postoperative day 10. Anastomotic bursting pressures were also measured in a subset of animals. Results: Leak rates increased with ischemia severity: 0% in controls, 16.7% at 0.2 cm, 42.6% at 0.4 cm, 95.8% at 1 cm, and 100% at 2 cm (p < 0.0001, trend test). Bursting pressures decreased progressively with increasing anastomotic severity. The 0.4 cm ischemia condition produced a reproducible intermediate leak rate suitable for experimental interventions. Conclusions: This rat model reliably induces graded anastomotic leaks and can serve as a platform for testing strategies to prevent leakage in high-risk colorectal surgery. Full article

The dynamism of adventure tourism necessitates the precise identification of areas with suitable natural, infrastructural, and service capacities for hosting activities. The aim of this study is to assess the multi-scenario spatial suitability for the sustainable development of adventure tourism camps using a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach. The datasets used included topographic, climatic, environmental, accessibility, natural and cultural attraction, and service infrastructure indicators. The relevant criteria were first standardized, and their weights were determined using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Subsequently, the layers were integrated through a Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) model. Four scenarios were designed for sensitivity analysis: the first scenario with balanced weight distribution (S_bal), the second prioritizing accessibility (S_acc), the third focusing on natural attractions (S_att), and the fourth emphasizing services (S_serv). The results indicated that approximately 21% and 9% of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province have high and very high potential for adventure activities, respectively, which were selected as initial options for the multi-scenario analysis. In the balanced (S_bal) scenario, 31% and 13% of the area of these options fell into high and very high suitability classes, respectively. The Service-Based Scenario (S_serv) increased the share of high and very high suitability areas to 34% and 19%, while Accessibility-Based Scenario (S_acc) reduced these classes to 27% and 10%. In the Attraction-Based Scenario (S_att), the areas in the high and very high suitability classes were 30% and 12%, respectively. The findings demonstrate that altering the priority of components can significantly change the spatial pattern of suitability, and sustainable planning of adventure tourism activities should be conducted based on management objectives and regional capacities. The proposed framework is generalizable to other regions and can serve as a basis for decision-making in balanced development, optimal infrastructure allocation, and sustainable management of adventure tourism. Full article

Concentrated natural rubber skim latex is a sustainable, value-added product derived from natural rubber latex processing, offering high rubber content, fine particle size, and shorter polymer chains compared to pure latex, making it suitable for diverse industrial applications. This study employed an environmentally friendly ultrafiltration method using composite membranes composed of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), titanium dioxide (TiO₂), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to concentrate skim latex without hazardous chemicals. The process generated two fractions: concentrated skim latex and skim serum. Membrane performance and fouling behavior were evaluated using FESEM-EDX and FTIR. Post-filtration analysis revealed significant latex particle deposition on the membrane surface, with elemental mapping confirming the presence of organic and inorganic residues. FTIR spectra indicated interaction between latex components and membrane functional groups, though the membrane’s structural integrity remained intact. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was assessed as a cleaning agent and demonstrated the effective partial restoration of membrane performance, as confirmed by flux recovery (PVDF-PVP-TiO₂ membrane recovered to a slightly higher flux of 7.35 L/m²h). These results highlight the membrane’s durability, fouling characteristics, and cleaning potential, supporting its reusability in latex processing. This study contributes to the development of sustainable separation technologies in the rubber industry, promoting circular economy and zero-discharge practices. Full article

Substantial tracts of fallow farmland remain unutilized across southwestern China throughout winter and spring. To explore a high-yield planting pattern for utilizing such fallow land, a cereal–legume intercropping experiment was conducted in Chengdu in 2021–2022 and in 2022–2023. This involved five different intercropping ratios of oat (Avena sativa) and common vetch (Vicia sativa) including 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100 based on seed number per unit area. The relative density, LER (land equivalent ratio), hay yield, nutritional composition and in vitro fermentation characteristics were assessed. The study revealed that the combination of oat and common vetch led to a significant enhancement in the production performance over the monocultures. At the flowering stage, the most balanced interspecific competition was observed at a ratio of 50:50. The ratio of 50:50 had the higher LER in the mixture—from 1.018 to 1.873—, which was significantly higher than the other two intercropping ratios in 2021–2022. At the flowing development stage in 2021–2022, the harvesting of mixed crops at the 50:50 ratio resulted in a significant higher crude protein yield, 1454.7 kg/hm², than the other intercropping ratios. As the growth stage continued, the mixture hay neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents increased, while the relative feed value and crude fat content decreased. The soluble sugar content increased with the prolongation of the growth stage and peaked at the jointing stage, and decreased with the decrease in the proportion of oat in the mixture. Additionally, the gas production showed an overall decreasing trend with the increase in the proportion of common vetch. The dry matter degradation rate in the mixture hay was overall higher than that of the monocultures, and the NH₃-N content showed an overall trend of increasing with the decrease with the intercropping ratio of oat. Consequently, the 50:50 ratio may be recommended as an oat-common vetch intercropping ratio suitable for utilizing fallow fields in southwestern China from October to April to produce high-quality forage. Full article

Urban trees deliver multiple ecosystem services. However, rapid climate change may alter species-specific growth suitability, necessitating climate-informed planting and management. We developed 1 km grid-based ensemble species distribution models (ensemble SDMS) for 18 tree species widely planted in South Korean cities and projected growth suitability under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5 across four future periods (2021–2040, 2041–2060, 2061–2080, 2081–2100) relative to a historical baseline (2000–2019). We quantified multidimensional redistribution signals from SDM outputs, including binary suitable area changes, centroid displacement, latitudinal boundary shifts, and mean suitability changes, using multivariate climatic predictors and complementary environmental variables. These indicators were integrated to classify species responses into four management-relevant types: Stable, Northward Expansion, Poleward Shift, Range Contraction. Model performance was generally high (AUC = 0.74–0.97). Although the median change in suitable area remained near 0%, interspecific variability increased toward later periods and under stronger forcing, with the largest dispersion under SSP3-7.0 (2041–2060). Stable type was most frequent overall (36.8–63.2%), but Northward Expansion increased to 42.1% under late-century SSP3-7.0, and Range Contraction reached 36.8% under mid-century SSP3-7.0. This indicator-based typology provides a practical basis for decision-support tools to prioritize climate-adaptive urban tree selection, replacement, and monitoring. Full article

Background: Although the concepts of meteoropathy and meteosensitivity are not included in official classifications, such as the ICD-11 or DSM-5, they are increasingly being studied as potential symptom complexes linking weather variability to health status. The METEO-Q questionnaire, originally developed in Italy, has been adapted in Japan and Turkey, where it has demonstrated satisfactory reliability parameters, although the authors emphasized the need for further verification of the tool’s temporal stability. The present study aimed to adapt METEO-Q to the Polish language and conduct a critical assessment of its factor structure, measurement invariance, and validity in clinical groups. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 1128 adults: healthy individuals (n = 711), cardiac outpatients (n = 194), and subclinical group with diagnosed mental disorders (n = 223). Data from healthy participants were divided into a training sample (n = 426) for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a test sample (n = 285) for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Measurement invariance was assessed in the clinical groups. Validity was verified through correlations with a list of 21 symptoms and measures of anxiety and worry about climate change. Results: A two-factor model (meteoropathy and meteosensitivity) was better fitted to the data than a one-factor model, which is consistent with findings from Italian, Japanese, and Turkish studies. However, absolute fit indices in the test sample indicated significant model misfit [CFA: χ² (43) = 210.192, p < 0.001, RMSEA = 0.120, CFI = 0.927], suggesting the presence of local errors in the tool’s structure. The reliability of the subscales was high (α from 0.86 to 0.93). Multi-group analyses suggested metric and scalar invariance. Patients with mental disorders obtained the highest scores, while cardiac outpatients reported a lower level of meteoropathy (M = 6.13) than healthy individuals (M = 7.24). Conclusions: METEO-Q demonstrates a stable two-factor structure and high internal consistency. The obtained RMSEA index (0.12), although indicative of some misfit, is similar to results obtained in other adaptations, such as the Japanese (RMSEA = 0.10) and the Turkish (RMSEA = 0.11), which suggests it is a consistent feature of this tool across different cultural contexts. Accordingly, the instrument is suitable for research purposes; however, its clinical application requires considerable caution and further work to optimize the model. Full article

Understanding knee kinematics during gait is essential for the design of prostheses, orthoses, and biomimetic mechanisms. In many biomechanical analyses, tibiofemoral motion is simplified to the sagittal plane, allowing the locus of the instantaneous center of rotation (ICR) to describe joint kinematics derived from the instantaneous axis of rotation (IAR). However, it remains unclear whether ICR trajectories obtained from simplified flexion–extension tasks can represent those observed during gait. This study analyzes the sagittal-plane trajectory of the tibiofemoral ICR during gait swing, standing swing, seated swing, and squat. Motion data from 21 healthy participants were captured using videogrammetry, and the instantaneous axis of rotation (IAR) was computed from homogeneous transformation matrices using the Mozzi–Chasles theorem. Sagittal-plane ICR trajectories were derived and compared within subjects across tasks. Significant differences were found between gait and all other movements in both trajectory shape and spatial position. The shape metric (S), which quantifies differences in trajectory geometry, showed mean values ranging from 0.82 to 1.04 with very large effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 2.90 to 4.47, p < 0.0001). The centroid distance metric (M), which measures the overall spatial displacement between trajectories, indicated positional differences ranging from 8.15 mm to 12.37 mm between trajectories also showing very large effect sizes (Cohen’s = 1.72–3.40, p < 0.0001). Additionally, the mean deviation of the IAR from the sagittal plane ranged from 14° to 18° during gait, whereas smaller deviations were observed in non–weight-bearing swing movements. These results demonstrate that tibiofemoral ICR trajectories are task-dependent and that simplified flexion–extension tasks do not fully reproduce the knee kinematics observed during gait. Consequently, the use of gait-derived ICR trajectories, together with their variability, provides a more suitable basis for the design and optimization of polycentric mechanisms, enabling the development of devices that more closely replicate real biomechanics and are potentially better adapted to the user. Full article

In this paper, a novel multiband microwave resonator is proposed and investigated for non-invasive glucose sensing applications. The structure is based on a compact, planar spiral-like geometry fed by a Coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission line, designed to support multiple resonant modes through nested concentric rings. A full electromagnetic model was developed to predict the resonance behavior analytically, achieving excellent agreement with Computer Simulated Technology (CST) simulations across four resonant frequencies (2.7, 6.44, 8.0, and 12.8 GHz). The sensor demonstrated high glucose sensitivity at multiple frequencies, with peak values reaching 0.05 dB/mg/dL and 0.038 dB/mg/dL at 10.1 GHz and 6.22 GHz, respectively. To enhance conformability and skin contact, the antenna was further transformed into a semi-cylindrical flexible form suitable for finger-wrapping. Despite the mechanical deformation, the structure preserved its resonance while offering enhanced near-field interaction with biological tissues. The folded sensor achieved a sensitivity of 0.032 dB/mg/dL at 5.25 GHz and a peak gain of 6.05 dB, validating its robustness for wearable deployment. The clear correlation between reflection magnitude and glucose level (with R > 0.99) confirms the sensor’s potential as a passive, multiband, and non-invasive glucose monitoring platform. The physics-informed residual deep learning framework significantly enhances prediction accuracy, achieving an RMSE of 0.28 mg/dL, MARD of 0.13%, and confining 100% of both training and holdout predictions within the <5% ISO-like risk region, thereby ensuring robust and clinically reliable non-invasive glucose estimation. Full article

The rapid expansion of the digital economy is reshaping the global production and trade system, bringing new opportunities for developing economies seeking to enhance their international competitiveness, while also posing structural challenges. This study focuses on China, a typical emerging economy, and uses provincial panel data from 2015 to 2024 to empirically examine how digital transformation and technological innovation jointly affect foreign trade competitiveness. The core variables are measured as follows: The digitalization level is constructed using principal component analysis (PCA) based on three dimensions: digital infrastructure, digital industrialization, and industrial digitization; technological innovation is proxied by the logarithm of technology market transaction volume. This study employs a fixed-effects model with interaction terms to estimate the independent effects of digitalization and technological innovation and to explore their interaction within the framework of the digital economy. The empirical results show that both digital transformation and technological innovation have a significant positive impact on foreign trade competitiveness. Specifically, a 10-point increase in the digitalization index is associated with an approximately 0.10-unit increase in the trade competitiveness index, and a 1% increase in technological innovation input is associated with an increase of 0.032–0.042 units. However, their interaction coefficient is significantly negative (−0.001, p < 0.01), indicating a substitution effect: an increase in technological innovation investment weakens the marginal contribution of digitalization to export competitiveness, and vice versa. Further heterogeneity analysis shows that the direct effects of digital transformation and technological innovation are more significant in less developed regions, while the substitution effect is stronger in economically developed regions. The findings suggest that policies promoting digital transformation and technological innovation should avoid a uniform approach and instead adopt coordinated and phased strategies that are suitable for regional development conditions. By providing new empirical evidence on the interaction between digital economy development and innovation investment, this study enriches the existing literature and offers policy implications for emerging economies seeking to achieve sustainable foreign trade development under increasing global trade uncertainty. Full article

The Dengying Formation gas reservoir in the Penglai gas field, located in the central Sichuan Basin, exhibits substantial resource potential and promising development prospects. This reservoir is characterized by well-developed fractures and dissolution cavities, strong heterogeneity, complex gas–water relationships, and widespread edge–bottom water. During production, edge–bottom water is prone to channeling and intrusion through high-permeability pathways, which severely constrains well productivity and overall gas recovery. To address these challenges, this study takes a fractured-vuggy carbonate edge–bottom water gas reservoir as an example. By integrating large-scale physical simulation with cross-scale numerical simulation, a rational production allocation method suitable for strongly heterogeneous gas reservoirs has been developed. The research results indicate that: (1) Large-scale physical simulation experiments demonstrate that for fractured-vuggy bottom water gas reservoirs, implementing rate reduction and pressure control after water breakthrough can effectively suppress water invasion and coning, extend the stable production period, and increase the recovery factor by approximately 16%; (2) Based on the dynamic characteristics of water invasion, key similarity criteria including the Bond number, capillary number, gravity–viscous force ratio, and geometric–temporal similarity ratio were selected to establish a scientific parameter design method for cross-scale numerical simulation; (3) By considering factors such as reservoir type and aquifer energy, single-well mechanistic models were used to determine appropriate production rates for individual wells, enabling rapid optimization of production allocation plans. This provides crucial guidance for efficient gas well development and surface facility planning. Full article

Ocular fungal diseases are associated with severe infection and pain and, in advanced stages, can lead to vision loss. Current treatment options are limited to the topical application of conventional drugs, and the bioavailability of these drugs is quite limited due to ocular barriers. In this study, a dual-drug nanodelivery system was developed to improve intraocular drug delivery by combining antifungal and anti-inflammatory therapies. Posaconazole (PSC), a broad-spectrum triazole antifungal agent, and dexketoprofen trometamol (DKP), a rapidly acting nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, were co-loaded onto polymeric micelles and then incorporated into electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVA/PVP) nanofiber intraocular implants. DSC, XRD, FTIR, and FESEM analyses showed that both APIs were successfully converted into nanofiber form without disrupting the micelle structure. Comparative studies with DKP solution and PSC commercial oral suspension (Noxafil^® 40 mg/mL) showed that the produced micelle-loaded nanofibers provided sustained release and significantly increased ex vivo ocular permeation and penetration. In vitro antifungal activity tests demonstrated efficacy against Candida albicans, and HET-CAM toxicity tests showed that the micelle-loaded nanofibers were non-irritating and suitable for ocular application. Overall, the micelle-loaded electrospun nanofiber ocular inserts developed in this study represent a promising platform for combined antifungal and anti-inflammatory ocular therapy. Full article

Background/Objective: Myopia has become a prominent public health issue in China, significantly impacting the visual health of children and adolescents. The condition is characterized by a high incidence rate, increasing prevalence, and a trend toward earlier onset, highlighting the critical need for early and accurate diagnosis. Current clinical diagnostic methods primarily depend on subjective evaluations by optometrists and the use of isolated parameters, leading to inefficiencies and inconsistent outcomes. Moreover, there remains a lack of diagnostic tools that can effectively integrate multi-parameter analysis while ensuring robust data privacy protection. This study aims to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic model that achieves objective, accurate, and safe diagnosis of myopia in children without cycloplegia through multi-parameter fusion and to enable local deployment. The proposed model is intended to be a reliable tool for clinical applications and large-scale screening projects, while ensuring strong protection of patient privacy. Methods: We built a transparent, rule-driven AI framework using clinical guidelines. Key ocular parameters—visual acuity, spherical equivalent, axial length, corneal curvature, and axial ratio—were encoded as logical rules in Python and incorporated via instruction fine-tuning. The model was trained and validated on retrospective clinical data (70% training, 15% validation, 15% test) using five algorithms: gradient boosting, logistic regression, random forest, SVM, and XGBoost. Performance was evaluated using accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and mean AUC across classes. Results: The model classifies refractive status into five categories: hyperopia, pre-myopia, mild, moderate, and high myopia. All five different algorithms demonstrated excellent diagnostic and classification performance. Gradient boosting achieved the best overall performance, with an accuracy of 98.67%, an F1 score of 98.67%, and a mean AUC of 0.957—outperforming all other models. Conclusions: This study successfully developed an artificial intelligence-based myopia diagnosis system for children under non-dilated pupil conditions. The system is interpretable and privacy-preserving, and has excellent diagnostic and classification performance, making it suitable for clinical decision support and large-scale screening applications. It has great potential to promote the development of early intervention, precision prevention, and control strategies for childhood myopia. Full article

Freshwater demand for cementing operations in the Delaware Basin continues to increase with expanding unconventional development, creating a high demand for an alternative source of water. This study develops a chemistry screening and operational framework to evaluate the reusability potential in cementing operations in the Delaware Basin. A three-tier screening system for the produced-water samples was established by using the major-ion chemistry, total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, and saturation index (SI) thresholds derived from the cement literature and American Petroleum Institute (API) guidelines. The results of the geochemical screening aid in classifying the water samples into four suitability categories: Excellent/Preferred, Good/Suitable, Moderate/Marginal, and Poor/Unsuitable. The results suggest that the samples obtained from the Loving, Pecos, Reeves, Eddy and Lea counties meet the criteria for reuse in cementing operations with minimal conditioning. To assess the feasibility of operational use, a probabilistic forecasting model was developed to predict the cement water demand in 2026 for the basin. Linear regression of historical drilling trends between 2015 and 2025 showcased that approximately 3595 new wells will be drilled, with an average well depth of 21,778 ft. To evaluate whether the produced-water volumes in the basin are adequate for reuse in cementing, a Monte Carlo simulation (10,000 iterations) estimated an annual cementing water requirement centered at 6.16 MMbbl/year (P50). Produced-water availability from wells classified as Excellent/Preferred was also modeled probabilistically, using uncertainty in the water–oil ratio (WOR), estimated ultimate recovery (EUR), and forecast duration. These results demonstrate the potential for produced-water reuse to reduce freshwater demand for cementing operations in the Delaware Basin. Full article

To develop a high-performance inorganic fireproof coating suitable for steel structures, this study utilized magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) as the matrix and introduced expanded perlite (EP) as a lightweight aggregate. The effects of EP content (40–55%) and magnesium-to-phosphorus ratio (M/P = 4:1–7:1) on the dry density, compressive strength, bond strength, and fire resistance of the coating were systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were employed to reveal the phase evolution and microstructure evolution mechanisms at high temperatures. The results indicate that increasing EP content significantly reduces the dry density and thermal conductivity of the coating, enhancing thermal insulation performance. However, excessive incorporation leads to the deterioration of mechanical properties, with an optimal EP content of 45%. The M/P ratio influences the interfacial bond strength and high-temperature structural stability by regulating the proportion of the hydration product K-struvite (KMgPO₄·6H₂O) and residual MgO. Compressive strength peaked at M/P = 6:1 (0.80 MPa), while bond strength was optimal at M/P = 5:1 (0.097 MPa), corresponding to the best fire resistance (back-side temperature of 180.4 °C). At high temperatures, K-struvite dehydrates and transforms into anhydrous KMgPO₄, which, together with residual MgO and crystallized SiO₂ from EP, forms a dense ceramic skeleton, ensuring the structural integrity of the coating. Comprehensive performance evaluation determined the optimal mix ratio as M/P = 5:1 and EP content = 45%. The coating with this ratio exhibits a dry density of approximately 560 kg/m³, a 14-day compressive strength of 0.53 MPa, a bond strength of 0.097 MPa, and a back-side temperature of 180.4 °C under flame exposure, demonstrating a favorable balance of lightweight character, mechanical integrity, and thermal insulation performance suitable for steel structure fire protection applications. Full article

The development of reliable electrochemical interfaces for biosensor applications requires materials that combine high conductivity, large effective surface area, and suitable platforms for biomolecule immobilization. In this work, a hybrid electrochemical platform based on screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) modified with electropolymerized polypyrrole (PPy) and electrodeposited silver particles (AgPs) is presented for the subsequent immobilization of Ki-67 antibodies. PPy films were synthesized under optimized electrochemical conditions, producing homogeneous, porous, and electrochemically stable coatings that significantly enhanced the doping/undoping processes from 0.3280 C/0.3284 C to 0.3281 C/0.3284 C for SPCE and SPCE-PPy, respectively. Subsequently, silver particles were deposited onto the PPy matrix, resulting in a well-dispersed and uniform distribution of AgPs, promoted by the interaction between Ag⁰ and the nitrogen groups in the polymer backbone. The synergistic combination of PPy and AgPs resulted in improved charge-transfer properties and enhanced electrochemical reversibility, thereby decreasing the peak-to-peak separation of the ferricyanide/ferrocyanide redox couple used as a probe by 40%. Immobilization of Ki-67 antibodies was achieved via direct interaction with AgPs, resulting in a marked passivation effect, as evidenced by the suppression of redox probe signals, confirming successful biofunctionalization. The proposed SPCE-PPy-AgP architecture provides a robust, reproducible, and versatile platform for antibody immobilization, as demonstrated by oxidation and reduction peaks with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 3.18% and 4.43%, respectively, highlighting its potential for developing label-free electrochemical immunosensors for clinically relevant proliferation biomarkers. Full article