Search Results (29,860)

Background: Dietary crude protein (CP) acts as a key nutritional factor that affects the growth performance and liver metabolism of fattening Hu sheep, with metabolizable energy (ME) representing a major confounding factor in CP-related responses. To isolate the specific effects of CP on liver metabolism and minimize energy–protein interactions, we standardized dietary ME at 9.4 MJ/kg dry matter. Methods: We then established three isoenergetic CP concentrations: 11.07%, 13.07%, and 15.11%. A total of ninety 4-month-old male Hu sheep (with an initial body weight of 27.09 ± 1.83 kg) were allocated at random to three dietary treatment groups, each containing 30 animals distributed across three replicate pens, and fed pelleted total mixed rations (PTMRs) for 75 days under pen conditions in southern Xinjiang. Exploratory combined transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling of liver tissue was conducted to characterize how graded CP levels modulate growth traits and hepatic metabolic pathways, thereby identifying the appropriate dietary CP level for efficient and sustainable fattening of Hu sheep in this region. Result: Results indicated that animals fed the 15.11% CP diet showed a significantly higher average daily gain (ADG) and cumulative weight gain compared with those fed 11.07% or 13.07% CP (p < 0.05). Exploratory multi-omics enrichment analysis demonstrated significant overrepresentation (p < 0.05) of differentially expressed genes and metabolites in key biological pathways—including bile secretion, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling, steroid biosynthesis, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling, and oxidative stress-related and oxidative phosphorylation. Correlation analyses characterized two hub genes—ATP6AP1 and LOC101119853—that were significantly and negatively correlated with ADG (p < 0.05), whereas two metabolites—calcidiol and ADP—displayed significant positive relationships with ADG (p < 0.05). Pathway-level comparisons further demonstrated that both the 13.07% vs. 15.11% CP and the 11.07% vs. 15.11% CP contrasts yielded significant enrichment in AMPK signaling and steroid biosynthesis. Notably, calcidiol and ADP both declined numerically in the 13.07% vs. 15.11% CP comparison, whereas only ADP reached statistical significance in the 11.07% vs. 15.11% CP contrast. Conclusions: Collectively, under an ME level of 9.4 MJ/kg, a dietary CP concentration of 15.11% contributes to favorable growth of 4-month-old fattening Hu sheep housed in pens in southern Xinjiang. This level is associated with improved growth performance and coordinated regulation of central hepatic regulatory networks—particularly those involved in energy homeostasis and steroidogenesis—thereby supporting metabolic stability without compromising animal health or production efficiency. These findings provide a preliminary molecular basis for precision protein nutrition in Hu sheep feeding systems and offer translational insights for optimizing ruminant nutrition under arid and semi-arid environmental constraints. All correlations indicate potential associations, not causal relationships. Full article

High-performance ethanol sensors with low power consumption show critical applications in environmental monitoring, personal health diagnosis, industry and traffic safety. Herein, MoO₃/Nb₂C MXene heterojunction gas-sensing materials were constructed via a one-step hydrothermal method for MoO₃ nanotube synthesis. The dominant facets of MoO₃ were shifted from the (040) orientation in MoO₃ nanotubes to the (110) and (021) orientations in the MoO₃/Nb₂C MXene composite. Nb₂C nanosheets provide a large number of crystallization sites, preventing the growth of MoO₃ nanotubes during synthesis, inducing a strategic facet release. The sensing performance shows MoO₃/Nb₂C MXene composite reduces the operating temperature down to 120 °C. The 15 wt% Nb₂C MXene-precursor-mixed MoO₃ sensor exhibits an enhanced response of 6.1 toward 100 ppm ethanol, which is higher than that of pristine MoO₃ nanotubes at 120 °C, with response and recovery times of 19 s and 72 s, respectively. The sensors show high selectivity toward ethanol over other VOC gases and good long-term stability over 30 days. This work confirms that crystal engineering is an effective method for reducing operating temperature and enhancing gas-sensing performance, and the sensor shows potential application for ethanol sensing. Full article

Widespread exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is a growing public health concern, but its link to muscle damage remains largely unexplored. As PFAS exposure is associated with liver dysfunction, which is an established risk factor for muscle damage, we examined their associations and potential mediating pathways. A total of 1261 participants were recruited from Guangdong province, China, from November 2018 to August 2019 and examined for muscle mass, strength, serum PFAS levels, and biomarkers of liver function. The key results demonstrated significant positive associations between serum PFAS exposure and sarcopenia risk. Specifically, a per ln ng/mL increase in linear perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), branch PFOS, and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was associated with adjusted odds ratios of 2.32 (95% CI: 1.77 to 3.00), 2.18 (95% CI: 1.67 to 2.90) and 3.01 (95% CI: 1.96 to 4.70), respectively. Analysis of PFAS mixtures via the BKMR model revealed a linear dose–response relationship of sarcopenia, with PFOS and PFOA being the primary contributor. Importantly, mediation analyses showed that liver function biomarkers served as significant mediators of the PFAS–sarcopenia association. Notably, liver synthesis function markers (albumin and globin) mediated a substantial proportion of the association, ranging from 3.48% to 82.42%, whereas liver injury markers (aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase) accounted for only 1.93–15.44%. This study underscores the need to be aware of the increased risk of muscle damage associated with PFAS exposure, which may primarily operate through liver function abnormalities. Full article

Background: Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution during pregnancy has been strongly associated with oxidative-stress-mediated adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate systemic oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity in pregnant women residing in a highly polluted area (Kozani) compared with a less polluted region (Grevena) in Western Macedonia, Greece. Methods: Oxidative stress was assessed using derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs), while antioxidant capacity was evaluated through biological antioxidant potential (BAP). Results: The findings of the study demonstrated that pregnant women in the polluted area exhibited elevated d-ROMs levels and significantly reduced BAP levels compared with controls. Although unadjusted oxidative stress differences were not statistically significant, adjusted analyses revealed significantly higher oxidative stress in the exposed group. These results suggest that air pollution exposure is associated with systemic redox homeostasis, primarily through depletion of antioxidant defenses. Conclusions: This study provides novel biomonitoring evidence linking environmental exposure to redox imbalance during pregnancy. As Western Macedonia transitions to a post-lignite era, the decrease in air pollution is anticipated to lead to significant improvements in public health, while these findings establish an important baseline for evaluating the effectiveness of environmental and public health interventions. Full article

Communities worldwide are increasingly required to support populations spanning multiple generations while maintaining social cohesion in the context of rapid demographic ageing and urban transformation. Although frameworks for age-friendly or inclusive environments have gained international traction, existing evaluation methods seldom integrate the environmental qualities necessary for all-age-friendliness with the spatial and social conditions that enable cross-generational interaction. This study addresses this gap by developing a dual-lens evaluation framework that quantifies both fundamental environmental attributes and the interaction potential embedded within community spaces. Grounded in field investigations, spatial analysis, expert consultation, and user surveys, the study establishes a hierarchical indicator system comprising nineteen prerequisite indicators and sixteen enhancement indicators across five dimensions: site accessibility, spatial integration, environmental comfort, safety and health, and participation and inclusion. To operationalize the framework, a combined Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process and multi-objective optimization model was employed, enabling the representation of interdependencies between essential conditions and value-enhancing features. Application of the framework to 24 community cases in Shanghai and Florence reveals both shared structural patterns and distinctive cultural influences: Shanghai demonstrates strengths in walkability and health-supportive infrastructure, whereas Florence excels in natural contact and environmentally integrated spatial typologies. The findings underscore the necessity of balanced environmental performance for achieving high-quality, all-age-friendly community spaces with strong cross-generational engagement potential. The proposed framework provides a replicable and analytically rigorous tool for environmental and social impact assessment, offering guidance for planners, policymakers, and designers seeking to promote inclusive, resilient, and socially cohesive community environments. Full article

Adhesive joints are widely used in structural applications. However, they are susceptible to degradation under service loads and adverse environmental conditions, leading to eventual catastrophic failure. Thus, the advancement of monitoring tools that can deliver real-time data on the deterioration of adhesive joints is crucial for enhancing the reliability of structures. This study investigated the feasibility of using electrical impedance responses to monitor integrity degradation under tensile and fatigue loading in single-lap adhesive joints in aluminum alloy and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) specimens. Previous works on electrical impedance monitoring of adhesive joint integrity invariably employed conductive adhesives. Theoretical considerations based on the concept of a capacitive system indicate that electrical impedance monitoring may still be feasible even if the joint is non-conductive. This has important implications as it suggests that the structural health of many existing ordinary adhesive joints may be amenable to impedance-based monitoring. To test this possibility, neat epoxy adhesive joints without the addition of conductive constituents were fabricated with aluminum and composite adherends. The specimens were subjected to tensile and fatigue degradation while the impedance responses under different excitation frequencies were monitored. The results showed that impedance monitoring is insensitive for detecting damage during tensile failure because the onset of debonding that produces a detectable impedance change occurs too close to the unstable final failure. For fatigue cycling, debonding developed at an early stage and evolved in a stable manner, and the impedance gradually increased with the number of fatigue cycles, reflecting the development of fatigue damage. These findings indicate that impedance-based monitoring on non-conductive adhesive joints has strong potential for tracking structural integrity degradation, particularly for fatigue loading. Full article

A neighborhood’s built environment can challenge the mobility of older mobility-challenged adults (due to knee osteoarthritis and falls), reducing their participation and quality of life. The Built Environment in Falls and arthrITis (BE-FIT) study aims to understand the neighborhood influence on the mobility, participation, and psychosocial health of older adults with knee osteoarthritis and/or falls. BE-FIT comprises four work packages (WPs). WP1 quantitatively explores relationships among environmental-, social-, and person-related factors and participation outcomes of its intended population. WP2 employs qualitative methods to comprehend the relationships among WP1’s variables. Via a combination of wearable sensor technology and qualitative geospatial methods, WP3 aims to characterize its population’s movement behavior, mobility, functional activity of daily living, and lived experiences of residing in a mature neighborhood. Finally, WP4 engages crucial stakeholders to co-develop evidence-based recommendations to inform public health, urban planning, and aging policies and implementation. BE-FIT could benefit societies with rising incidence of knee osteoarthritis and falls by improving neighborhoods and lives of older mobility-challenged residents. Full article

Wind turbine blades serve as the core components of wind energy conversion systems, and their safe and stable operation is pivotal to the operational efficiency and reliability of wind farms. However, prolonged operation in harsh environmental conditions such as strong winds, heavy rainfall, ultraviolet radiation, and temperature fluctuations renders wind turbine blades susceptible to fatigue damage and structural failure. Aiming at the drawbacks of traditional electromagnetic sensors, including their vulnerability to lightning strikes and poor corrosion resistance, as well as the elastic modulus mismatch between existing fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-encapsulated sensors and wind turbine blade structures, this study selects the ethylene–propylene–diene monomer (EPDM) as the encapsulation material to develop EPDM-FBG strain sensors. The effectiveness of the proposed sensor in blade strain monitoring is ultimately verified via static load model tests on small-scale wind turbine blades. Test results demonstrate that the EPDM-FBG strain sensor exhibits excellent static strain sensing performance, with its test results being highly consistent with those of bare FBG sensors and a relative error of less than 5%, which can fully meet the practical requirements of static strain monitoring for wind turbine blades. This research provides a novel and reliable monitoring method for the health monitoring of wind turbine blades. Full article

Communities in Mississippi located near petrochemical refining facilities face ongoing risks from heavy metal contamination in soils, threatening environmental quality, food safety, and public health. This pilot study evaluated the phytoremediation potential of Nerium oleander and cabbage (Brassica oleracea) in a residential fence-line community within the Cherokee Forest subdivision of East Pascagoula, Mississippi, impacted by long-term petrochemical and shipyard activities. Plants were grown directly in contaminated garden soils under natural field conditions. Soil and plant tissue concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni) were measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) (PerkinElmer, Waltham, MA, USA). Phytoremediation effectiveness was assessed through removal efficiency, translocation factor, and bioaccumulation factor. Results showed significant reductions (p < 0.01) in all soil metals, with cadmium removal exceeding 97%. Nerium oleander exhibited substantially higher metal uptake and translocation capacity than cabbage, achieving a maximum cadmium translocation factor of 9.99 and bioaccumulation factors up to 5.67. In contrast, cabbage showed lower translocation efficiency, suggesting that limited remediation potential but suitability as a food crop after soil treatment. These findings highlight Nerium oleander as an effective, sustainable, and community-acceptable phytoremediation solution. Full article

Edible mushrooms are highly valued for their nutritional properties, yet their exceptional capacity to bioaccumulate heavy metals necessitates rigorous safety assessments of commercially available products. This study evaluates the concentrations of Cd, Pb, Hg, and As in 164 samples of commercial dried mushrooms to assess consumer health risks. Analysis of six species revealed that contamination levels are significantly influenced by taxonomic factors, supplier variability, and certification status. While median concentrations across most species remain within safety thresholds, Boletus edulis and Suillus spp. exhibited the highest accumulation of Cd and As, respectively. A critical finding was an incidental, extreme As concentration (369.048 mg·kg⁻¹) in Imleria badia, resulting in a Hazard Index (HI) of 63.57, far exceeding the safety limit of 1. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.01) were observed between organic and conventional products, with certified samples showing lower Hg and As levels. Although moderate consumption of most batches is safe, the high variability between producers and the presence of toxicological outliers underscore the urgent need for rigorous monitoring of harvesting areas. These findings suggest that organic certification enhances food safety and highlight the necessity for targeted nutritional guidelines. Full article

The increasing resistance of mosquito vectors to synthetic insecticides poses a major challenge to vector control and global public health, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable, environmentally safe alternatives. This study evaluated the larvicidal activity of aqueous, ethanolic, methanolic, and hydroethanolic extracts of Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton leaves against Aedes aegypti larvae. Significant variations in activity were observed across extraction solvent, ecological zone, and harvest season, with hydroethanolic extracts—particularly those collected in Kombissiri during the dry season—exhibiting the lowest LC₅₀ values among the tested extracts (LC₅₀ < 1600 ppm), indicating moderate larvicidal activity. Phytochemical profiling by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) revealed the presence of several classes of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, sterols/triterpenes, saponins, coumarins, alkaloids, and cardenolides. Correlation analysis revealed strong negative correlations between larvicidal activity and the concentrations of flavonoids and phenolic compounds, suggesting that higher levels of these metabolites are associated with increased larvicidal effectiveness and may contribute to the observed bioactivity, although these associations remain correlative and do not establish direct causality. These findings highlight the potential of C. procera as a source of plant-based larvicides and demonstrate the influence of environmental factors on their efficacy. From an environmental health perspective, such plant-derived solutions could provide preliminary data for the future optimization of sustainable vector control strategies, while reducing ecological impact and reliance on synthetic insecticides. Full article

Population ageing has renewed interest in the capability approach (CA) as a framework for understanding wellbeing in later life. Yet research applying the CA to ageing remains fragmented, and its empirical focus is still not well understood. This study examines how CA-based ageing research has developed and how it explains capability constraints and adaptive responses in later life. Using Web of Science Core Collection records from 2000 to 2025, we combine comparative bibliometric analysis with a focused qualitative interpretive synthesis. A general CA corpus (n = 3416) was first constructed and then refined to identify a CA-in-ageing subset (n = 142). The bibliometric results suggest that CA-in-ageing research is more problem-oriented than the broader CA literature, with health and care evaluation, as well as mobility and accessibility, emerging as particularly prominent thematic concentrations in the retrieved corpus. The qualitative synthesis of five appraised studies further shows how capability loss may be experienced in everyday life through shrinking life-space, disrupted social participation, and threats to dignity. It also identifies adaptive strategies through which older adults rebuild routines, negotiate selective support, and re-establish participation through enabling environments and services. Given the small qualitative corpus, its reliance on several COVID-19-related studies, and its Western empirical contexts, the findings should be read as an explanatory account of possible mechanisms rather than as a comprehensive representation of later-life capability loss across all ageing settings. By integrating bibliometric mapping with qualitative evidence, this study clarifies how the CA has been operationalised in ageing research and highlights the importance of environmental accessibility, service stability, and participation opportunities in sustaining wellbeing in later life. Full article

Post-disaster reconstruction generates extraordinary demand for construction materials, often necessitating the rapid deployment of temporary concrete production facilities. While these systems are operationally essential for rebuilding, their environmental and public health impacts remain insufficiently examined through structured and reproducible analytical approaches. This study develops an integrated qualitative-dominant environmental risk assessment framework combining systematic documentary analysis, environmental pathway modeling, semi-quantitative risk scoring, and comparative benchmarking against established environmental health standards. Focusing on the reconstruction process following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in Türkiye, the study identifies and evaluates major environmental exposure pathways, including particulate matter emissions, wastewater discharge, soil degradation, and noise pollution. A semi-quantitative risk assessment model based on probability, severity, and exposure duration is applied to classify the relative intensity of identified environmental risks under post-disaster operational conditions. The findings demonstrate that accelerated reconstruction processes, emergency regulatory flexibility, and rapid industrial deployment substantially amplify cumulative environmental pressures in already vulnerable post-disaster environments. In response, the study proposes an integrated governance and engineering framework aimed at reducing environmental impacts while maintaining reconstruction efficiency. Methodological transparency is ensured through explicit documentation of data sources, screening procedures, analytical criteria, and risk classification logic. The study also acknowledges the limitations associated with restricted access to primary field measurements in post-disaster environments and therefore adopts a triangulated documentary and comparative analytical strategy. The proposed framework offers a transferable model for evaluating temporary industrial infrastructures in post-disaster reconstruction systems globally. Full article

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of heart failure, but up to 50% of cases have no definitive etiology. Genetic susceptibility alone does not account for phenotypic inconsistency, so a ‘two-hit’ model has been proposed to explore the spectrum of gene-environment interactions. Certain triggers, such as alcohol, chemotherapy agents, and viral myocarditis, are well-established second hits in the pathogenesis of DCM. The exposome, which encompasses environmental and social exposures across the lifespan, provides a more comprehensive framework to understand these interactions. In patients with DCM, air pollution and heavy metals have already been associated with higher rates of mortality and heart failure hospitalization. Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are novel components of the exposome. They form from the degradation of plastics and enter the circulatory system primarily through ingestion and inhalation. They have recently been found in human cardiovascular tissue, including atherosclerotic plaques and the myocardium. In vivo and in vitro models consistently demonstrate that MNPs induce oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and calcium dysregulation. These pathways are shared with established cardiotoxins and converge on cardiomyocyte death, fibrosis, and eccentric ventricular remodeling, which is consistent with the pathogenesis and phenotype of DCM. In genetically susceptible individuals, MNP exposure may therefore contribute to the progression from subclinical myocardial injury to overt systolic dysfunction. This narrative review synthesizes preclinical mechanistic evidence linking MNP exposure to myocardial injury, compares the underlying mechanisms with those of other environmental pollutants and cardiovascular toxins, and integrates these findings within the proposed ‘two-hit’ model of DCM. Whether MNP exposure contributes to DCM in humans remains to be established, but understanding the potential consequences of MNPs has important implications for prevention, therapeutic development and health policy. Standardization of detection methods, chronic low-dose exposure models, and prospective human studies using functional cardiac assessment are needed before translating these experimental findings into clinical practice. Full article

Background: Physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour are major public health concerns associated with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases, reduced quality of life, and substantial healthcare burden. In recent years, technology-based interventions, including wearable devices, mobile health applications, artificial intelligence-driven systems, and adaptive digital platforms, have been increasingly adopted to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary time in adult populations. However, the evidence remains fragmented across intervention types, behavioural targets, and population groups. The aim of this scoping review was to map the recent literature on digital interventions designed to promote active lifestyles in adults, with a specific focus on their reported impact on physical activity promotion and sedentary behaviour reduction. Methods: This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A literature search was performed in PubMed and Scopus using a predefined search strategy combining terms related to digital technologies, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and adult populations. Studies published in English between 2022 and 2026 were considered. After removal of duplicates and screening of titles and abstracts, full texts were assessed according to predefined eligibility criteria. Data were charted descriptively and synthesised narratively to identify the main intervention models and emerging research trends. Results: The search identified 887 records, of which 35 studies were included in the final synthesis. The literature included was grouped into four broad categories: wearable devices and mHealth tools for monitoring and goal-setting; adaptive interventions based on Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions, artificial intelligence, and gamification; advanced technologies such as Internet of Things systems and exoskeleton-based approaches; and hybrid interventions combining digital tools with human support or environmental modifications. Overall, technology-based interventions were generally associated with increases in step count, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and adherence to movement-related behaviours. In contrast, their effectiveness in reducing sedentary behaviour was less consistent and appeared to depend more strongly on context-sensitive prompting, posture-focused strategies, and multicomponent or hybrid intervention models. Conclusions: Digital health interventions represent a promising strategy for promoting physical activity in adults, but their impact on sedentary behaviour reduction remains more limited and heterogeneous. The findings suggest that simply increasing exercise is not sufficient to address prolonged sitting and that more tailored, adaptive, and context-aware approaches are needed. Future research should prioritise methodological standardisation, longer follow-up periods, and interventions specifically designed to interrupt sedentary time across different adult populations. Full article