Search Results (965)

Forging plays a crucial role in various industries, including aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, and defense. We investigated the effect of post-processing forging on microstructural and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel forging preforms fabricated by laser powder bed fusion. The as-built samples were subjected to hot forging in order to refine the microstructure and enhance mechanical performance. Detailed characterization was performed using Electron Backscatter Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, Tensile testing, and Hardness Testing. Substantial grain refinement (up to 97%) was observed, in addition to a reduction in porosity. The forging process effectively transformed the columnar grain morphology into equiaxed grains, increased yield and ultimate tensile strengths of 560 MPa and 740 MPa, representing 27% and 32% improvements, respectively, with a corresponding decrease in elongation to 32% from 47%. The horizontally built samples achieved the highest yield strength of 605 MPa but slightly lower UTS 710 MPa, representing 32% and 5% increment and decrease in ductility to 28% from 37.5%. These trends reflect the combined effects of work hardening and grain refinement, which enhance strength at the expense of ductility. Full article

This study addresses the dual sociological challenges of the silver digital divide and intergenerational estrangement in aging societies. Through a Participatory Action Research project, it explores and evaluates the AI-Enhanced Intergenerational Digital Inclusion (AI-IDI) framework as a mechanism for fostering social cohesion. Findings indicate that socio-emotional scaffolding from students, rather than technical instruction, was instrumental in reducing older adults’ technology anxiety, while students’ civic responsibility increased in line with the quality of collaboration. Interpreting these findings through the lens of Digital Symbiosis highlights how youth’s digital fluency and elders’ life wisdom can function as mutually reinforcing assets. Positioned as conceptual development and exploratory empirical research, this study reframes AI not as a mere tool but as a mediating resource for dialogue and solidarity. It contributes to sociological debates on technology and intergenerational relations while offering a transferable model for advancing digital equity and community cohesion. Full article

Background: In the 19th century, pulmonary tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in Europe, responsible for up to one-quarter of all mortality. Before Robert Koch’s discovery of the tubercle bacillus in 1882 and the advent of effective therapies, treatment relied on rest, high-caloric diets, and sanatoria. Objectives: This study aims to reconstruct the medical biography of Dr. Șerban Eminovici (1841–1874), Romanian physician and elder brother of poet Mihai Eminescu, and to contextualize his life and death within the broader history of tuberculosis and pre-antibiotic medical practice. Methods: We conducted a historical case study using archival sources, including university registers from Erlangen, Munich, and Vienna, hospital admission records from the Charité Hospital in Berlin, and contemporaneous correspondence. Secondary literature on the history of tuberculosis and the Eminovici family was also reviewed. Results: Eminovici pursued medical studies across Central Europe, obtaining his doctorate in Vienna and later practicing medicine in Berlin, where he was a member of the Berliner Medizinische Gesellschaft. Despite early signs of respiratory illness, treated at spa resorts such as Gleichenberg, his condition progressed to advanced pulmonary tuberculosis with neuropsychiatric complications. Hospital records confirm his admission to the Charité on 10 October 1874, and his death from “Lungenschwindsucht” (pulmonary tuberculosis) on 29 November 1874, at age 33. His trajectory illustrates both the transnational mobility of Romanian intellectual elites and the therapeutic limitations of pre-antibiotic medicine. Conclusions: The case of Dr. Șerban Eminovici highlights the devastating impact of tuberculosis on 19th-century intellectuals, the reliance on lifestyle-based therapies before the discovery of the tubercle bacillus, and the importance of Central European medical networks in shaping Romanian professional identities. Beyond its biographical significance, this case underscores the persistent social and cultural burden of tuberculosis in Eastern Europe. Full article

Dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are growing health concerns in Canada’s aging population. Over 700,000 Canadians currently live with dementia, and this number is expected to rise. As the older adult population increases, coupled with an already strained healthcare system, there is a pressing need for innovative tools that support aging in place. This study explored the feasibility and acceptability of using a Digital Human (DH) conversational agent, combined with AI-driven speech analysis, to monitor cognitive function, anxiety, and depression in cognitively healthy community-dwelling older adults (CDOA) aged 65 and older. Sixty older adults participated in up to three in-person sessions over six months, interacting with the DH through journaling and picture description tasks. Afterward, 51 of the participants completed structured interviews about their experiences and perceptions of the DH and AI more generally. Findings showed that 84% enjoyed interacting with the DH, and 96% expressed interest in learning more about AI in healthcare. While participants were open and curious about AI, 67% voiced concerns about AI replacing human interaction in healthcare. Most found the DH friendly, though reactions to its appearance varied. Overall, participants viewed AI as a promising tool, provided it complements, rather than replaces, human interactions. Full article

Objectives: Prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease COVID-19 is a public health priority. The efficacy of non-pharmaceutical interventions such as wearing face masks to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection has been well established in controlled settings. However, evidence for the effectiveness of face masks in preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission within real-world settings is limited and mixed. The present systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of face mask policies and mask wearing to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission and COVID-19 in real-world settings. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, scientific databases, and gray literature, were searched through June 2023. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) studies/reports written in or translated to English; (2) prospectively assessed incidence of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19; (3) assessed the behavior and/or policy of mask-wearing; and (4) conducted in community/public settings (i.e., not laboratory). Studies were excluded if they did not parse out data specific to the effect of mask wearing (behavior and/or policy) and subsequent SARS-CoV-2 transmission or COVID-19 disease or if they relied solely on statistical models to estimate the effects of mask wearing on transmission. A total of 2616 studies were initially identified, and 470 met inclusion and exclusion criteria for full-text review. The vote counting method was used to evaluate effectiveness, and risk of bias was assessed using JBI critical appraisal tools. Results: A total of 79 unique studies met the final inclusion criteria, and their data were abstracted and evaluated. Study settings included community/neighborhood settings (n = 34, 43%), healthcare settings (n = 30, 38%), and school/universities (n = 15, 19%). A majority of studies (n = 61, 77%) provided evidence to support the effectiveness of wearing face masks and/or face mask policies to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and/or prevention of COVID-19. Effectiveness of mask wearing did not vary substantially by study design (67–100%), type of mask (77–100%), or setting (80–91%), while 85% of masking policies specifically reported a benefit. Conclusions: This systematic literature review supports public health recommendations and policies that encourage the public to wear face masks to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 in multiple real-world settings. Effective communication strategies are needed to encourage and support the use of face masks by the general public, particularly during peak infection cycles. Full article

This paper explores African spirituality by examining its core values, traditions, and healing methodologies. Employing a qualitative research design and ethnographic method, data were collected through individual interviews with twelve parents (Sample 1) and a focus group discussion with fifteen community members and traditional leaders (Sample 2) in a deeply rural African community in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Participants were recruited with the assistance of community elders for their in-depth knowledge of this faith tradition. Thematic analysis generated three overarching themes: understanding African spirituality; spiritual beliefs and practices within African spirituality; and healing methodologies. The findings reveal a complex system of interconnected beliefs and practices that shape African communal life, highlighting the role of spiritual rituals in sustaining the well-being of families and communities. Full article

Background/Rationale: Transnational caregiving may be influenced by religious beliefs and cultural traditions that frame elder care as both a moral and religious obligation. While migration alters caregiving dynamics, religious teachings and cultural expectations remain central in guiding transnational caregiving practices. This study examines how Christian Nigerians who have immigrated to Canada navigate caregiving responsibilities within a transnational context, integrating their religion, cultural values, and the practical realities of crossing borders. Methods: This study employed a predominantly qualitative narrative approach, drawing on in-depth interviews with Nigerian Christian immigrants (N = 10) providing transnational care. Data collection involved a pre-interview survey and semi-structured interviews, providing the opportunity for participants to share their lived experiences. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurring themes related to the role of religion and culture in caregiving, ensuring a comprehensive exploration of participants’ perspectives. Findings: Caregiving is shaped by religious duty and cultural obligation, reinforced by biblical teachings and cultural values. Participants view elder care as a moral responsibility, tied to spiritual rewards and familial duty. Despite migration demands, family-based care remains preferred over institutional care, with social stigma attached to neglecting elders. Conclusions: Religion and culture remain integral to transnational caregiving practices, sustaining caregiving responsibilities despite migration-related realities. While religious teachings provide moral guidance and emotional support, cultural expectations reinforce caregiving as a collective and intergenerational duty. Policies and resources are needed that support transnational caregivers, ensuring they can fulfill their caregiving roles while adapting to new sociocultural environments. Policymakers should prioritize the implementation of policies and programs to support transnational caregivers, including family reunification measures, caregiving-related travel provisions, culturally tailored eldercare services, diaspora–local collaborations, organized caregiver support groups, and financial mechanisms such as tax incentives for remittances dedicated to elder care. Full article

Background: The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) has proven to be a valuable tool for providing a more comprehensive health evaluation of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) recipients. Methods: We prospectively developed and tested a new Simplified Geriatric Score-4 (SGS-4) on 135 consecutive patients aged ≥50 years who underwent allo-SCT between 2020 and 2023. Each CGA component was individually analyzed for its association with overall survival (OS), non-relapse mortality (NRM), and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR). Then, we performed a two-factor analysis (FA) using oblimin rotation and Bartlett estimation on all CGA components and sex. Based on component weights, a simplified geriatric score-4 score (SGS-4) was created: [Gait Speed] + 2 × [Hand Grip] + Geriatric 8 + 1.5 × [Sex]. ROC analysis defined three fitness groups, frail (≤13), prefrail (>13–22.5), and fit (>22.5). Results: Reduced hand grip strength and impaired mini mental state examination (MMSE) were associated with worse OS and higher NRM. Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13) and Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL) scores also indicated poorer OS, though with uneven group sizes. Other CGA domains and the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation–Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) showed no significant prognostic value. The SGS-4 effectively stratified patients into three fitness groups, with those in the frail category experiencing lower OS and an increased risk of relapse. Conclusions: The new Simplified Geriatric Score-4 (SGS-4) based on three CGA domains (gait speed, hand grip, Geriatric 8) and sex effectively predicts OS and CIR risk in patients aged ≥50 years undergoing allo-SCT. The study’s small sample size and disease heterogeneity warrant further validation in larger cohorts. Full article

Older adults often face significant challenges in understanding medical information due to cognitive aging and limited health literacy. Existing simplification models, while effective in general domains, cannot adapt content for elderly users, frequently overlooking narrative tone, readability constraints, and semantic fidelity. In this work, we propose GENSIM—a Generative Expert-Narrated Simplification Model tailored for age-adapted medical text simplification. GENSIM introduces a modular architecture that integrates a Dual-Stream Encoder, which fuses biomedical semantics with elder-friendly linguistic patterns; a Persona-Tuned Narrative Decoder, which controls tone, clarity, and empathy; and a Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback (RLHF) framework guided by dual discriminators for factual alignment and age-specific readability. Trained on a triad of corpora—SimpleDC, PLABA, and a custom NIH-SeniorHealth corpus—GENSIM achieves state-of-the-art performance on SARI, FKGL, BERTScore, and BLEU across multiple test sets. Ablation studies confirm the individual and synergistic value of each component, while structured human evaluations demonstrate that GENSIM produces outputs rated significantly higher in faithfulness, simplicity, and demographic suitability. This work represents the first unified framework for elderly-centered medical text simplification and marks a paradigm shift toward inclusive, user-aligned generation for health communication. Full article

Critical thinking, as a crucial component of 21st-century core competencies, poses significant challenges for effective assessment in educational evaluation. This study proposes an automated assessment method for critical thinking in middle school Chinese language based on a Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers—Convolutional Neural Network (BERT-CNN) hybrid model, achieving a multi-dimensional quantitative assessment of students’ critical thinking performance in writing through the synergistic effect of deep semantic encoding and local feature extraction. The research constructs an annotated dataset containing 4827 argumentative essays from three middle school grades, employing expert scoring across nine dimensions of the Paul–Elder framework, and designs three types of logic chain extraction algorithms: argument–evidence mapping, causal reasoning chains, and rebuttal–support structures. Experimental results demonstrate that the BERT-CNN hybrid model achieves a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.872 in overall assessment tasks and an average F1 score of 0.770 in logic chain recognition tasks, outperforming the traditional baseline methods tested in our experiments. Ablation experiments confirm the hierarchical contributions of semantic features (31.2%), syntactic features (24.1%), and logical markers (18.9%), while revealing the model’s limitations in assessing higher-order cognitive dimensions. The findings provide a feasible technical solution for the intelligent assessment of critical thinking, offering significant theoretical value and practical implications for advancing educational evaluation reform and personalized instruction. Full article

Internal combustion engines remain a predominant source of global energy consumption, contributing substantially to both operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions. This work evaluates a nanomaterial-based engine oil additive that reduces friction and wear and increases torque, horsepower, and fuel efficiency. This novel nano oil additive contains functionalized carbon nanotubes and hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets that are dispersed in base oil using a proprietary ultrasonication process. Block-on-ring tests performed by multiple testing facilities demonstrated up to a 17% decrease in coefficient of friction and up to a 78% decrease in wear compared to the base oil after treating with the nano oil additive. Thermal properties enhancement by the nano oil additive was evaluated and increases up to 17 °C in thermal stability were obtained. Additionally, the nano oil additive increased torque and horsepower by an average of 7% in motorcycles and 2.4% in pickup trucks. Most importantly, the nano oil additive demonstrated improvements in fuel economy in both gasoline and diesel engines, with laboratory tests reporting 3–5% increases and practical field tests on a commercial truck fleet reporting an average of a 6% increase. The improved engine efficiency leads to reduced turbo temperature in heavy diesel engines and prolonged engine life expectancy and will significantly improve global environmental sustainability. Full article

In this study, we utilized survey data from three Shenzhen communities to investigate how the built community environment influences elderly physical activity and social capital in China’s high-density urban settings. Based on this, we analyzed how the spatial characteristics of the built environment affect the formation and structure of social capital. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the influencing factors and pathways of the built environment on social capital, with physical activity being a mediating factor. The results show that the built environment significantly affects physical activity, which in turn promotes social capital. Key attributes such as the green space ratio, building density, land-use mixture, and street density positively influence both physical activity and social capital. Additionally, the distribution of the surrounding environment and activity space within the community will influence the structural features of social capital by affecting the structure of social networks. Consequently, communities with different spatial layout features will develop social capital with distinct structures. This study also highlights the importance of community design in fostering social interactions and trust among the elderly. These findings offer valuable guidance for urban design and policy planning to support active aging and social inclusion in rapidly urbanizing societies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Dysglycemia including pre-diabetes mellitus (Pre-DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with insulin resistance. This study aimed to support personalized early diagnosis of dysglycemia by proposing optimal, sex- and age-specific cutoff values for Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and Homeostatic Model Assessment of Beta-Cell Function (HOMA-β) in Koreans aged ≥65 years. Methods: This study analyzed 3862 older Koreans from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (2019–2021), excluding those with prior diabetes or medication. The participants were classified into normal and dysglycemia groups, based on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Sex- and age-specific optimal cutoff values were determined using Youden’s Index (YI) and area under the curve (AUC). Results: For T2DM, the optimal HOMA-IR cutoff was 2.25 for men and 2.03 for women, with strong discriminative performance (AUCs: 0.828 and 0.823, respectively). Stratifying cutoff values further by sex and age improved the diagnostic accuracy (AUC > 0.83 in most subgroups), underscoring the value of tailored thresholds. For pre-DM, the HOMA-IR cutoff was 1.73 in men and 1.85 in women (AUCs: 0.682 and 0.665, respectively). Age- and sex-specific cutoffs modestly improved AUCs, particularly in men (up to 0.7), although the improvement was less consistent among women. HOMA-β showed no significant association with dysglycemia, and no meaningful cutoff values were identified. Conclusions: HOMA-IR is a promising marker for the early identification of dysglycemia in older adults when interpreted through a personalized lens. Applying sex- and age-specific cutoff values enhances diagnostic precision and supports a more individualized approach to metabolic risk assessment. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to validate these personalized thresholds and to optimize early detection strategies in diverse populations. Full article

The rapid adoption of Metaverse technologies in healthcare, particularly for elder safety monitoring, has introduced new security challenges related to the authenticity of virtual representations. As healthcare providers increasingly rely on avatars and digital twins to monitor and interact with elderly patients remotely, ensuring the integrity of these virtual entities becomes paramount. This paper introduces SAVE (Securing Avatars in Virtual Environments), an emerging framework that leverages environmental fingerprinting based on Electric Network Frequency (ENF) signals to authenticate avatars and detect potential deepfake attacks in virtual healthcare settings. Unlike conventional authentication methods that rely solely on digital credentials, SAVE anchors virtual entities to the physical world by utilizing the unique temporal and spatial characteristics of ENF signals. We implement and evaluate SAVE in a Microverse-based nursing home environment designed for monitoring elderly individuals living alone. We evaluated SAVE using a prototype system with Raspberry Pi devices and multiple environmental sensors, demonstrating effectiveness across three attack scenarios in a 30-minute experimental window. Through the experimental evaluation of three distinct attack scenarios, unauthorized device attacks, device ID spoofing, and replay attacks using intercepted data, our system demonstrates high detection accuracy with minimal false positives. Results show that by comparing ENF fingerprints embedded in transmitted data with reference ENF signals, SAVE can effectively identify tampering and ensure the authenticity of avatar updates in real time. The SAVE approach enhances the security of virtual healthcare monitoring without requiring additional user intervention, making it particularly suitable for elderly care applications where ease of use is essential. Our findings highlight the potential of physical environmental fingerprints as a robust security layer for virtual healthcare systems, contributing to safer and more trustworthy remote monitoring solutions for vulnerable populations. Full article

Bone health is a key determinant of success in spine surgery, making preoperative assessment of bone quality essential to optimal surgical risk stratification. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based vertebral bone quality (VBQ) score offers a novel approach to assess bone health in spine surgery candidates. The ability of MRI to assess bone quality without exposure to ionizing radiation makes it a potentially advantageous alternative to other traditional measures of bone density. VBQ has additionally shown potential to predict adverse outcomes, such as fragility fractures, instrumentation failure, subsidence and proximal junctional kyphosis. Variations of VBQ, such as endplate bone quality, S1 VBQ, and cervical VBQ, provide targeted insights at specific anatomical regions and potentially enhance the predictive accuracy of VBQ. However, clinical application of VBQ is limited by variability in MRI systems, patient-specific factors, and lack of standardized threshold values. This review aims to critically evaluate VBQ scores as an opportunistic, MRI-based assessment of bone health and its potential role in predicting surgical outcomes. While VBQ may provide some valuable insights into bone health, its role in preoperative risk assessment likely remains supplementary and requires further research to establish clinical validity and optimal cutoffs. Full article