Search Results (9,232)

Background/Objectives: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and predictability of lower incisor intrusion with clear aligners in permanent dentition, addressing one of the most challenging aspects of vertical tooth movement control in the mandibular anterior region. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane) according to PRISMA guidelines. Eight clinical studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-I, and certainty of evidence was graded with GRADE. Key outcomes included the amount of achieved versus planned intrusion, predictability, treatment protocols, use of auxiliaries, and patient-related factors such as age and compliance. Results: Reported mean intrusion values ranged from 0.4 to 1.5 mm, with predictability between 35% and 65%. The effectiveness of intrusion was influenced by the magnitude of planned movement, auxiliaries (e.g., attachments, elastics), refinement strategies, and patient-specific factors. Substantial heterogeneity was present in measurement methods (CBCT, cephalometry, digital models) and clinical protocols (aligner change intervals, refinement frequency), preventing meta-analysis. Seven of the eight studies were rated as having a serious risk of bias, and the overall certainty of evidence was moderate to low. Long-term outcomes and patient-centered measures were not adequately assessed. Conclusions: Within the limitations of the available evidence, lower incisor intrusion with clear aligners may be considered a feasible orthodontic option when supported by biomechanically informed clinical management. However, conclusions should be interpreted with caution due to heterogeneity, high risk of bias, and lack of long-term data. Further standardized studies with longer follow-up are required to strengthen reliability and clinical applicability. Full article

The global demand for innovative underwater applications is increasing, encompassing scientific research, commercial endeavors, and defense operations. A significant challenge these applications face is fulfilling the energy requirements of underwater devices. This challenge extends beyond powering individual devices to include the entire network of underwater robotic sensors. These devices have varying energy needs; some are mobile while others are stationary, and they operate under diverse environmental conditions, such as different depths, temperatures, pressures, currents, and salinity levels. This paper compares the latest state-of-the-art research on powering underwater devices, addressing the challenges and practical considerations. It examines two primary approaches: first, energy harvesting from the natural environment, and second, the use of wireless power transfer (WPT). While energy harvesting methods have been established, their effectiveness greatly depends on the specific environment in which they are deployed, making them less viable as a universal solution. On the other hand, WPT presents its challenges, particularly as its efficiency diminishes with distance. Nonetheless, it remains a promising option, and further research is essential to explore its potential, including the integration of other technologies to develop hybrid solutions that leverage multiple power sources. Full article

Academic stress arises from students facing academic demands and is linked to various academic and psychological factors. However, research has yet to explore its potential correlations with somatization, overall health issues, studying strategies, academic procrastination, academic performance, and intelligence scores. The objective of this study was to determine the potential correlations between such variables with academic stress in a sample of health sciences university students. University students of different bachelor’s programs were invited to participate; they fulfilled an electronic questionnaire with personal and psychological variables, including academic stress, and performed an intelligence test, which measures verbal and non-verbal intelligence. Finally, their academic achievement was measured with the grade point average (GPA). A total of 437 students were included, of which 296 (67.7%) were women, with a mean age of 20.36 ± 2.61 years old. Academic stress was higher in women than in men and showed moderate positive correlations with anxiety, depression, and somatization and a low positive correlation with the sum of diseases. It also showed a low negative correlation with sleep quality. In addition, academic stress correlated negatively with self-motivation, emotion perception, and emotion management as well as with active coping, positive relations with others, and the studying strategies (self-regulation, effort regulation, critical thinking, and time and study environment). We also observed a low positive correlation between academic stress and academic procrastination, which was higher in women than in men. No correlations were found with GPA or intelligence scores. In conclusion, academic stress was positively correlated with somatization, depression, anxiety, the sum of diseases, and academic procrastination; it was negatively correlated with emotional intelligence (mainly self-motivation), active coping, and specific studying strategies. Full article

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), produced by the anaerobic spore-forming bacterium Clostridium botulinum, are among the most potent known biological toxins. BoNTs cause lethal botulism via contaminated food, wound infections, or infant intestinal colonization, posing significant threats to public health. Although the mouse bioassay is still being considered as the gold standard for detecting BoNTs, its drawbacks, including the lengthy experimental duration, high costs, and ethical issues, highlight the urgent need to develop alternative methods to fulfill the detection requirements. In recent years, frequent botulism poisoning incidents haves put forward higher requirements for detection technology. On-site detection is expected to be rapid and immediate, while laboratory detection requires high sensitivity and serotype discrimination capabilities. This review comprehensively introduces current detection approaches, including mouse bioassay, cell-based assays, immunological methods, endopeptidase–mass spectrometry, biosensors, chromatography, and mass spectrometry techniques. Notably, cell-based assays have been used for the potency testing of commercialized botulinum toxin type A and are considered the most promising alternative to the mouse bioassay. Biosensors based on nanomaterials demonstrate advantages in real-time detection due to their rapid response and portability, while endopeptidase–mass spectrometry achieves high sensitivity and effective serotype identification by specifically recognizing toxin-cleaved substrates. Future works shall aim to completely replace MBA, developing a detection system suitable for multiple scenarios such as clinical diagnosis, food safety monitoring, and environmental monitoring. The detection methods should also have matrix compatibility and serotype discrimination capabilities. Full article

The article presents Modified Scaled Adaptive Daqrouq Wavelet (MSADW) as an autonomous wavelet framework to overcome the analysis obstacles of traditional wavelets (Morlet and Daubechies) for signals with non-stationary characteristics. MSADW adjusts its waveform shape and frequency in real time based on the specific characteristics of the signal, allowing it to outperform conventional wavelet methods. The system reaches adaptability through three core methods featuring gradient-dependent scale adjustments for fast transient detection and smooth regions, and instantaneous frequency monitoring achieved by a combination of STFT and Hilbert transforms and an iterative error reduction process using gradient descent and genetic algorithms. Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) combined with Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) extracts features from ECG and speech signals. Throughout this process, MSADW maintains great time precision to detect transients as well as maintain sensitivity for the audio’s base stability. Testing MSADW in practical use reveals its superior performance because it detects R-peaks accurately within 0.01 s through zero-crossing methods, which combine P/T-wave detection with effective ECG signal segmentation and noise-free reconstructed speech ($\mathit{MSE:} 1.17\times {10}^{-31}$). The localized parameterization framework of MSADW, enabled by feedback refinement, fulfills missing aspects in biomedical signal evaluation and creates space for low-cost real-time evaluation methods for medical devices and arrhythmia and ischemic detection platforms. The theoretical backbone for MSADW establishes itself because this work shows how wavelet analysis can transition toward managing non-stationary and noise-prone domains. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), characterized by progressive cognitive decline and functional impairment, is the most prevalent cause of dementia, and it poses a significant socioeconomic and caregiving burden on patients, families, and healthcare systems. Notwithstanding comprehensive research, the precise causes underlying AD remain ambiguous. Evidence increasingly indicates that AD is a multifactorial and heterogeneous disease involving a mix of genetic and environmental factors. The amyloid-cascade hypothesis, neuroinflammation and immunity, vascular pathology, and oxidative stress all fulfill significant functions in the onset and development of AD. This review primarily examines the critical pathogenesis, key biomarkers, and novel therapeutic strategies of Alzheimer’s disease to inform future research directions. Full article

Many organizations execute multiple projects simultaneously, competing for limited resources, including specialized and expensive equipment. Managing such multi-project environments requires advanced planning and decision-making. An additional difficulty is taking into account the possibility and profitability of using internal and external resources. The construction industry is a particularly demanding example of this scenario, where simultaneously executed projects must share high-value equipment with limited availability. Project management planning with resource allocation is supported by various types of IT tools. ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems are particularly useful in this regard, as they use the organization’s transaction data directly, but only offer basic project support. Therefore, it is necessary to extend their functionality in order to fulfill the expected functional requirements of business users, with particular emphasis on the provision of a consistent, graphically supported interface. This article proposes an algorithm to support decision-making on equipment allocation in a multi-project environment, taking into account the use of own and third-party equipment. A case study is presented demonstrating the practical implementation of the proposed solution in the IFS Applications ERP system. The developed extension supports users through graphical and numerical presentation of machine workloads across multiple projects. Full article

Drawing on experience–satisfaction–loyalty, this study models how specific digital retail interface attributes translate into behavioural outcomes. Survey data from Portuguese online shoppers were analysed with PLS-SEM to test a formative–reflective framework linking Interactivity and Technologies, Trust–Security–Privacy, Fulfilment and Service Quality, Usability and Web Design, Personalisation and Customisation and Omnichannel Integration to customer experience (CX), customer satisfaction (CS), customer loyalty (CL) and electronic word of mouth (eWOM). The model explains 62.6% of CX, 70.1% of CS and 66.7% of CL. CX is strongly associated with CS and CS, in turn, with CL; associations with eWOM are non-significant, revealing a theoretical blind spot around advocacy. Interactivity and Technologies, Trust–Security–Privacy and Fulfilment and Service Quality emerge as the most significant antecedents of CX, whereas Omnichannel Integration is inert. The findings advance digital commerce theory by decoupling advocacy from evaluative satisfaction and by reconceptualising integration as multidimensional. Practically, they prioritise investment in interactive, secure and fulfilment capabilities while signalling that loyalty is not associated with advocacy. This study concludes by outlining measurement refinements and longitudinal avenues to capture social–motivational drivers of eWOM. Full article

Lawns have evolved from medieval European grasslands into globally accepted urban green surfaces, serving recreational, aesthetic and cultural purposes. Today lawn surfaces are essential components of public urban green space (PUGS), fulfilling ecosystem services such as urban heat mitigation, carbon sequestration and social well-being. However, their ecological and resource-intensive disservices, particularly in dry climates, have prompted growing concerns among environmental scientists, urban planners and landscape designers. In water-scarce regions like Perth, Western Australia, traditional lawns face increasing scrutiny due to their high irrigation demands and limited ecological diversity. This study contributed to the transdisciplinary LAWN as Cultural and Ecological Phenomenon project, focusing on the perspectives of professionals, landscape architects, park managers, turf producers and researchers responsible for the planning, design and management of urban lawn in PUGS. Using qualitative methods (semi-structured in-depth interviews), the research explores expert insights on the values, challenges and future trajectories of lawn use in a warming, drying climate. The interviews included 21 participants. Findings indicate that while professionals acknowledge lawns’ continued relevance for sports and active recreation, water scarcity is a major concern influencing design and species selection. Alternatives such as drought-tolerant plants, hard landscaping and multifunctional green spaces are increasingly considered for non-sporting areas. Despite growing concerns, the ideal lawn is still envisioned as an expansive, green, soft surface, mirroring entrenched public preferences. This study underscores the need to balance environmental sustainability with public preference and cultural expectations of green lawns. Balancing expert insights with public attitudes is vital for developing adaptive, water-conscious landscape design strategies suited to future urban planning and environmental conditions in Mediterranean climates. Full article

Background/Objectives: Home mechanical ventilation (HMV) is a therapeutic approach that enables individuals with chronic respiratory failure to be cared for in home settings, thereby improving their quality of life. However, it also imposes a substantial burden on informal caregivers. This scoping review aimed to explore and synthesize current research on the psychosocial well-being of informal caregivers of adults receiving HMV and to identify existing knowledge gaps. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, six electronic databases were systematically searched without language or date restrictions. Eligible studies were original, peer-reviewed publications focusing on informal caregivers of adults receiving HMV. Relevant data were extracted and analyzed. Results: A total of 38 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of caregivers were women, most commonly spouses or partners. Caregivers frequently experienced high levels of burden, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and reduced quality of life. Common challenges included social isolation, sleep disturbances, and financial difficulties. Caregivers employed a range of coping strategies, both adaptive and maladaptive. Many reported unmet needs, particularly in the areas of psychological, informational, and professional support. Conclusions: Providing care for individuals receiving HMV is complex and demanding. While some caregivers find meaning and fulfillment in their role, many experience significant physical, emotional, and psychological challenges. These findings highlight the urgent need for comprehensive, individualized interventions aimed at reducing caregiver burden, enhancing quality of life, and ensuring better integration of caregivers into the broader care continuum. Full article

Suture materials are of pivotal importance in the process of wound healing, as they provide support to growing tissue. The application of suture materials is an intricate process that extends beyond mere closure of skin wounds. Rather, it encompasses a wide range of surgical procedures. It is evident that suture materials possess a high degree of versatility, as evidenced by their application in a broad range of surgical disciplines, including, but not limited to, plastic surgery, neurosurgery, vascular surgery and ocular surgery. Additionally, their application extends to wound treatment and the repair of the musculo-skeletal system and the urogenital tract. This review underscores the pivotal role of sutures in contemporary medicine and surgery. The selection of suture material must be made with the utmost attention to the physical and biological characteristics of the material concerned. The process is characterised by a multifaceted evaluation encompassing the following: first, the assessment of the wound in question; secondly, the healing rate of different tissue types; and thirdly, a thorough appraisal of the patient’s overall physical condition. Advances in suture material technology have given rise to a wider range of sutures, thereby enhancing the existing array of options. Simultaneously, suture needles have undergone a progressive process of technological refinement, resulting in a more comprehensive range of alternatives with a heightened level of precision for specific applications in tissue engineering. Recent experimental investigations have employed an animal model, underpinned by biomechanical analysis. It is evident from the findings of these studies that absorbable sutures fulfil a scaffolding function. The hypothesis concerning the biomimetic function of the materials under investigation was corroborated by the results of biomechanical behaviour and histological examination. This review explores the functionality of both absorbable sutures and novel polymers, investigating their potential application as scaffolding materials within clinical contexts. Full article

Pharmacy technicians (PT) are vital to the efficient and safe operation of hospital pharmacy services, fulfilling a range of technical and clinical responsibilities that directly impact patient care. However, increasing healthcare demands have underscored the importance of adequate staffing levels to sustain service quality and safeguard patient outcomes. This perspective paper explores how appropriate staffing levels for PT in hospital settings are essential and important to support safe, efficient care and a sustainable workforce. It compares evidence-informed staffing models, highlights real-world benchmarks, and proposes governance recommendations to guide policies that strengthen pharmacy services. Recommendations are made to inform clinical governance, suggesting that staffing policies, continuous training, and professional development programs are essential to supporting PT effectiveness and retention. The findings advocate for regulated staffing ratios and governance measures to foster an environment where PTs can deliver high-quality care and uphold safety standards within hospital pharmacies. Full article

Background: First-Line Nurse Managers (FLNMs) have been recognised as key contributors to achieving organisational objectives, serving as vital intermediaries between management, staff, and patients. Assessing whether the Span of Control (SOC) is appropriate and providing the necessary support for FLNMs to fulfil their responsibilities poses a considerable challenge for healthcare organisations. No tool exists in Spain to guide decisions regarding FLNM’s SOC and resource needs. The aim of this study is to design a tool for assessing the span of control of first-line nurse managers in hospitals. Methods: This study employed a tool development and content validation design to create the EASOC-Nursing instrument (Eliges Aragón SOC tool). The study was conducted in three stages: an integrative literature review, followed by a national Delphi study with 43 experts in nursing management, and finally, focus group discussions. Results: A tool was created to assess first-line nurse managers’ (FLNM) span of control (SOC) using 13 key indicators, organised into four categories: unit (operations and resources, conflicts, and logging and monitoring of activities), professional (staff and competencies), FLNM (autonomy, education, and leadership), and organisation (support systems, education, and research). It includes a total of 31 items and determines SOC adequacy by establishing cut-off points that classify it as below acceptable, appropriate, or excessive. When the SOC is inadequate, the tool provides specific recommendations for support measures, such as the provision of administrative personnel or the appointment of a co-leader. Conclusions: The EASOC-Nursing tool offers a comprehensive evaluation of the core dimensions of the FLNM role and its responsibilities in Spain. Furthermore, it delivers practical guidance on the most suitable types of support to facilitate the attainment of optimal outcomes for both patients and healthcare organisations. In light of the global nursing shortage, the availability of a robust and context-sensitive instrument to assess the SOC enables hospital nursing management to allocate resources more strategically, thereby enhancing working conditions for professionals and contributing to improved patient care outcomes. Full article

In this research, thermoplastic waste (polyethylene and propylene) from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was used to manufacture polymer composite materials that included talc, fly ash, and elastomers, with tailored electromagnetic interference shielding properties, for the potential use for electric car components. A distribution of inorganic components within the polymer structures without particle clustering were observed, illustrating an effective melt compounding process. The gradual replacement of talc with fly ash lowered both the fluidity index and the softening temperature values. The increase in fly ash content resulted in higher values of both permittivity and dielectric loss factor. The novelty was related to a significant increase in both dielectric characteristics at increased quantities of fly ash at higher temperatures, an aspect more relevant at higher frequencies where they approached a steady value. The permittivity values surpassed five, and the dielectric loss factor values exceeded 0.04, fulfilling the requirements for their application in electrical equipment. The recipes containing 10% fly ash may guarantee an electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of at least 99% within the frequency domain of 0.1–4 GHz. Composites with greater amounts of fly ash can conduct heat more efficiently, leading to improved diffusivity and thermal conductivity values, with significant thermal conductivity values surpassing 0.2 W/(m*K). Finally, it was concluded that the composites with 10% talc, 10% fly ash, and elastomer using recycled high-density polyethylene might be the best choice for electric vehicle parts, in line with all required standards for these uses. Full article

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), how firms can better fulfill corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of AI and the role of CSR in firms have attracted increasing attention. This study explored the role of CSR and AI adoption in the impact of political connections on innovation performance. Using a sample of 269 Chinese private firms, it found that CSR mediated the positive relationship between political connections and innovation performance. AI adoption positively moderates the facilitating effects of political connections on CSR and CSR on innovation performance. The findings of the study not only investigate the mechanism through which unique political connections (the establishment of Party organizations in firms) in Chinese private firms, viewed from a CSR perspective, influence innovation but also explore the moderating role of AI in this mechanism, suggesting that AI can enhance the positive impact of political connections on innovation via CSR. Full article