Search Results (3,610)

In the process of revitalizing historic districts, creating a healthy living environment requires a focus on the microclimate comfort of historic districts. Microclimate comfort refers to the comprehensive physiological perception and psychological satisfaction of climate elements such as heat, wind, and humidity under specific local environmental conditions, typically within a spatial range of horizontal scale < 100 m and vertical scale < 10 m. Among these, wind environment quality, as a key factor influencing pedestrian health experiences and cultural tourism appeal, holds particular research value. This study takes the Dabao Island Courtyard District in Qingdao as its subject, employing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation methods from the artificial intelligence (AI) technology framework for modeling. CFD is a numerical method based on computer simulation, which solves fluid control equations (such as the Navier–Stokes equations) through iterative optimization to achieve high-fidelity simulation of physical environments such as airflow, turbulence, and heat transfer. A three-dimensional geometric model of the Dabao Island courtyard district was established, and boundary conditions were set based on local meteorological data. Numerical simulations were conducted to analyze the wind environment before and after the renovation of different layouts, functional spaces, and spatial scales (individual courtyards, clustered courtyards, and surrounding neighborhoods) of the courtyard district. The results indicate that factors such as building layout, street orientation, and renovation strategies significantly influence the wind environment of the Dabao Island neighborhood courtyards, thereby affecting residents’ perceptions of wind comfort. For example, unreasonable building layouts can lead to excessive local wind speeds or vortex phenomena, reducing wind comfort, whereas reasonable renovation and update strategies can facilitate the introduction of wind corridors into the historical courtyard buildings, improving wind environment quality. This study contributes to better protection and utilization of traditional neighborhoods during urban renewal processes, creating a more comfortable wind environment for residents, providing scientific decision-making support for the renovation of historical neighborhoods under the Healthy China strategy, and offering methodological references for wind environment research in other similar traditional neighborhoods. Full article

With increasing digitalization of learning environments, concerns regarding the psychological effect of seductive interface design on the motivational level and cognitive health of learners have been raised. This research investigates the effects of certain persuasive and adaptive design elements, i.e., Perceived Persuasiveness of Platform Design (PPS), Frequency of Nudge Exposure (NE), and Perceived Personalization (PP), on intrinsic motivation in virtual learning environments (INTR). We draw on Self-Determination Theory, Cognitive Load Theory, and Persuasive Systems Design to develop and test a conceptual model featuring cognitive overload (COG) and perceived autonomy (PAUTO) as mediating variables. We used a cross-sectional survey of university students (N = 740) and used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) for data analysis. The findings show that all three predictors have significant impacts on intrinsic motivation, with PP as the strongest direct predictor. Mediation analyses produced complementary effects for NE and PP in that these traits not only boosted motivation directly, but also autonomy, and they decreased cognitive overload. Alternatively, PPS showed competitive mediation, boosting motivation directly but lowering it indirectly by increasing overload and decreasing autonomy. Multi-Group Analysis also revealed that such effects differ by gender, age, education, digital literacy, exposure to persuasive features, and use frequency of the platform. The results underscore the imperative for educational technology design to reduce cognitive load and support user control, especially for subgroups at risk. Interface designers, teachers, and policymakers who are interested in supporting healthy and ethical digital learning environments are provided with implications. This work is part of the new generation of research in the field of the ethical design of impactful education technologies, focusing on the balance between motivational-enabling functions and the psychological needs of users. Full article

The ban on antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in poultry farming has prompted the search for effective, natural alternatives. Essential oils (EOs), such as those from oregano (Origanum vulgare: OVEO) and rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus: ROEO), possess antimicrobial and antioxidant properties that may contribute to intestinal health and pathogen control. This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of OVEO and ROEO, individually and combined, against six Escherichia coli and six Salmonella typhimurium strains isolated from healthy poultry via cloacal swabs, as well as E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. typhimurium ATCC 14028 strains. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined at five pH levels (7.4–5) simulating avian gastrointestinal tract conditions. EO composition was determined by GC-FID-MS. Checkerboard assays revealed partial or full synergistic effects at most pH, especially under acidic environments (pH ≤ 5.5), where the fractional inhibitory concentration (ΣFIC) values often indicated synergy. No antagonistic interactions were observed. These results suggest that OVEO and ROEO combinations are promising candidates to replace AGPs in poultry, particularly because of their enhanced efficacy under gastrointestinal pH. The strategic use of EO blends may reduce pathogen load, support performance, and limit antimicrobial resistance development, suggesting their potential as natural alternatives to AGPs under One Health principles. Full article

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major contributor to global cancer mortality. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota is a key modulator of liver disease progression and a promising source of non-invasive biomarkers. However, regional disparities in microbial profiles, influenced by ethnicity, diet, and environment, limit the generalizability of the existing data. This study aimed to characterize gut microbiota alterations in Thai patients with advanced untreated HCC compared to healthy individuals. Method: Fecal samples from 27 untreated Thai advanced HCC patients were collected, and data from 31 healthy individuals retrieved from a previous study were employed. Gut microbiota profiles were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results: Alpha diversity was significantly reduced in HCC patients (p < 0.001). At the phylum level, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were enriched in HCC, whereas Actinobacteria were more abundant in controls. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota levels were positively correlated with serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, whereas Firmicutes were negatively correlated with ALBI scores. Conclusions: Thai patients with advanced HCC exhibited distinct gut microbial signatures, characterized by dysbiosis and expansion of Proteobacteria. These findings support the role of the gut microbiota as a potential non-invasive biomarker for disease severity and prognosis in HCC, underscoring the importance of population-specific microbial studies. Full article

Cognitive flexibility—the ability to adapt cognitive strategies and behavioral responses in changing environments—is a key component of executive function, supporting rule updating and conflict resolution. Individuals with substance addiction often exhibit behavioral rigidity and reduced adaptability, reflecting impairments in this domain. This study examined cognitive flexibility in individuals with methamphetamine dependence through three behavioral tasks—intra-dimensional task switching, extra-dimensional task switching, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)—in combination with a subjective self-report measure. Results showed that, compared to healthy controls, methamphetamine-dependent individuals demonstrated elevated reaction time switch costs in Intra-dimensional Task Switching and increased accuracy switch costs in Extra-dimensional Task Switching, as well as more perseverative and non-perseverative errors in the WCST. These findings suggested not only reduced performances in explicitly cued rule updating and strategic shifting but also deficits in feedback-driven learning and inflexibility in cognitive set shifting on methamphetamine-dependent individuals. Moreover, their self-reported cognitive flexibility scores were aligned with their objective performance, significantly lower than healthy controls. In summary, these findings revealed consistent cognitive flexibility impairments at both behavioral and subjective levels in individuals with methamphetamine dependence, indicating a core executive dysfunction that may undermine adaptive functioning in real-life contexts. The study offers critical insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying addiction and provides a theoretical foundation for targeted cognitive interventions. Full article

As society ages, there is a growing concern about the comfort and health of elderly people. Although populations around the world, including Slovenia, are rapidly aging, evidence that increasing longevity is being accompanied by an extended period of good health is scarce. An increasing number of older adults live with chronic diseases, functional limitations, or frailty. In 2025, Slovenia launched the project Systemic Approach to Frailty with a Focus on Pre-Frailty for Healthy and Hight-Quality Ageing, within the European Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027, aiming to address frailty through multidimensional and community-based interventions. In addition to presenting the project framework, this paper provides an analytical preliminary review of existing literature, critically reflecting on research gaps in the field. The main aim of this paper is to explore the possibilities for creating healthy living environments that support the prevention and management of frailty. The project’s core innovation lies in the integration of public health principles into urban planning and design through a structured, community-based approach and the use of the Living Environmental Assessment (OBO) Tool. This tool enables urban planners, municipalities, and local communities to collaboratively evaluate and co-design living environments (e.g., optimizing walkability, green space access, barrier-free design, and social amenities) to build resilience and independence among older adults. Designing inclusive, accessible, and health-promoting environments can help to prevent frailty and improve well-being across all age groups. Full article

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a leading cause of mortality and disability, recognizes a primary, immediate injury due to external forces, and a secondary phase that includes inflammation that can lead to complications such as the post-traumatic confusional state (PTCS), potentially impacting long-term neurological recovery. An earlier identification of these complications, including PTCS, upon admission to intensive rehabilitation units (IRU) could possibly allow the design of personalized rehabilitation protocols in the immediate post-acute phase of moderate-to-severe TBI. The present study aims to identify potential biomarkers to distinguish between TBI patients with and without PTCS. We analyzed cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in neuroinflammation (IL-6, IL-1β, IL-10 cytokines), neuroendocrine function (norepinephrine, NE, epinephrine, E, dopamine), and neurogenesis (glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, GDNF, insuline-like growth factor 1, IGF-1, nerve growth factor, NGF, brain-derived growth factor, BDNF) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), comparing results between 29 TBI patients (17 with PTCS and 12 non-confused) and 34 healthy controls (HC), and correlating results with an actigraphy-derived sleep efficiency parameter. In TBI patients compared to HC, serum concentration of (1) pro-inflammatory IL-1β cytokine was significantly increased while that of anti-inflammatory IL-10 cytokine was significantly decreased; (2) NE, E and DA were significantly increased; (3) GDNF, NGF and IGF-1 were significantly increased while that of BDNF was significantly decreased. Importantly, IL-10 serum concentration was significantly lower in PTCS than in non-confused patients, correlating positively with an improved actigraphy-derived sleep efficiency parameter. An anti-inflammatory environment may be associated with better prognosis after TBI. Full article

Background/Objectives: Youth perceptions of their environments provide critical insight into the social and physical determinants of health. This study investigated how Hispanic and African American children conceptualize health within their neighborhood and school settings. Methods: A total of 44 participants (29 Hispanic, 15 African American; Mean age = 9.27 years, SD = 1.28 years) participated in a photovoice project, capturing photographs and quotes in response to two guiding prompts: (1) “What does your dream of a healthy community look like?” and (2) “What should we do to make your community healthier?” Results: Thematic analysis of participants’ quotes and photographs yielded four overarching themes across both neighborhood and school environments: (1) access to nutritious food options, (2) opportunities for physical activity and recreation, (3) clean and safe spaces, and (4) access to extracurricular and community-based programs. A fifth theme, emergency preparedness and response, emerged uniquely within school context. Participants also proposed context-specific solutions to address identified health concerns. Conclusions: These findings emphasize the importance of environmental context in shaping child and preadolescent health perceptions and priorities. The results support the development of children and adolescent-informed, community-level interventions aimed at improving environmental health conditions, particularly in underserved communities disproportionately affected by poverty and structural inequities. Full article

With the rapid development of the sports industry and the in-depth implementation of the national fitness strategy, sports flooring—as a core component of sports venues—significantly impacts athletic safety and performance. This paper reviews four kinds of popular used sports flooring that are mainly differentiated by their material composition. We summarize the structure, mechanical properties based on international and national standards, environmental adaptability, green sustainability, and smart functionality of the sports flooring. This study compares similarities and differences in international and domestic standardization systems, and analyzes key challenges in multifunctional integration, green sustainability, smart interactivity, and standardized development. Furthermore, future directions in this area, including multi-scale performance modeling, modular smart systems, green material alternatives, and personalized scenario adaptation, are proposed in this study. This work provides theoretical support and technical references for sports facility engineering, smart venue construction, and healthy sports environments. Full article

Background/Objectives: Following the recent publication of reassuring outcomes from the ARA MED 330 protocol regarding long-term insulin use in pilots, combined with continuous advancements in diabetes technology, European aeromedical examiners are increasingly optimistic about establishing more flexible medical requirements for insulin-treated aviation professionals. These professionals have historically been considered unfit for duty due to hypoglycemic risks. According to current research, hypoglycemia, the primary incapacitation risk for flight crew, is considered virtually non-existent among air traffic controllers (ATCOs). Additionally, stress-induced hyperglycemia also represents a low-frequency risk in these professionals, who are experienced in managing highly stressful operational environments. This study presents a narrative review examining stress and its metabolic effects in healthy individuals, ATCOs, and people with diabetes (PwD). Methods: This narrative review was conducted based on a comprehensive PubMed search performed by two independent reviewers (GAR and AM) spanning January 2023 to January 2025. The search strategy focused on English-language, peer-reviewed studies involving human participants and addressed stress, glucose regulation, and occupational factors in ATCOs and people with diabetes. Additional relevant articles were identified through reference screening. A total of 33 studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies focusing solely on oxidative or molecular mechanisms were excluded from the analysis. Results: Stressful events consistently triggered the expected hyperglycemic reaction in both healthy individuals and PwD. However, the literature indicates ATCOs demonstrate remarkable stress resilience and adaptation to the demanding conditions of their work environment, suggesting a unique occupational profile regarding metabolic stress responses. Conclusions: These findings contribute valuable insights to ongoing discussions regarding aeromedical fitness standards. The evidence suggests that ATCOs may not face the same metabolic risks as flight crews, indicating that current medical certification processes for insulin-treated aviation professionals warrant reconsideration in light of this emerging evidence. This research supports the potential for more individualized, occupation-specific aeromedical standards that better reflect the actual risk profiles of different aviation roles. Full article

Background: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a complex psychiatric condition with multifactorial origins, with a high proportion of patients reporting early trauma. Stressors such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can shape the epigenetic landscape including DNA methylation (DNAm) and act on gene expression. DNAm is increasingly being investigated as a molecular link between environmental exposures such as ACE and psychiatric outcomes. Differential DNAm of the gene PR domain zinc finger protein 8 (PRDM8), a histone methyltransferase, has recently been reported to be sensitive to early life trauma. Its role in BPD, especially in the context of ACE, remains to be elucidated. Methods: This study investigated DNAm patterns of PRDM8 in peripheral blood and saliva obtained from BPD patients undergoing Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) compared to healthy control (HC) participants. Associations with ACE and BPD symptom severity were assessed, and therapy-related changes in DNAm were examined. Results: At baseline, BPD patients demonstrated significant hypomethylation of PRDM8 in blood relative to the HC group. Following DBT, a nominally significant increase in DNAm was observed, aligning with inversely correlated symptom severity. No significant differences in saliva were detected. ACE was not associated with PRDM8 DNAm. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that PRDM8 DNAm might be associated with BPD and therapeutic intervention but not with ACE. Together with prior research, the results underscore the importance of future investigation of gene–environment interactions and the functional significance of PRDM8 regulation in the pathophysiology of BPD. Full article

Accurate, real-time, and cost-effective detection and counting of pre-weaning piglets are critical for improving piglet survival rates. However, achieving this remains technically challenging due to high computational demands, frequent occlusion, social behaviors, and cluttered backgrounds in commercial farming environments. To address these challenges, this study proposes a lightweight and attention-enhanced piglet detection and counting network based on an improved YOLOv8n architecture. The design includes three key innovations: (i) the standard C2f modules in the backbone were replaced with an efficient novel Multi-Scale Spatial Pyramid Attention (MSPA) module to enhance the multi-scale feature representation while a maintaining low computational cost; (ii) an improved Gather-and-Distribute (GD) mechanism was incorporated into the neck to facilitate feature fusion and accelerate inference; and (iii) the detection head and the sample assignment strategy were optimized to align the classification and localization tasks better, thereby improving the overall performance. Experiments on the custom dataset demonstrated the model’s superiority over state-of-the-art counterparts, achieving 88.5% precision and a 93.8% $mA{P}_{0.5}$. Furthermore, ablation studies showed that the model reduced the parameters, floating point operations (FLOPs), and model size by 58.45%, 46.91% and 56.45% compared to those of the baseline YOLOv8n, respectively, while achieving a 2.6% improvement in the detection precision and a 4.41% reduction in the counting MAE. The trained model was deployed on a Raspberry Pi 4B with $ncnn$ to verify the effectiveness of the lightweight design, reaching an average inference speed of <87 ms per image. These findings confirm that the proposed method offers a practical, scalable solution for intelligent pig farming, combining a high accuracy, efficiency, and real-time performance in resource-limited environments. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sequence learning, the ability to pick up on regularities in our environment to facilitate behavior, is critically dependent on striatal structures in the brain, with the putamen emerging as a critical hub for implicit sequence learning. As the putamen is known to shrink with age, and age-related declines in sequence learning abilities are common, it has been hypothesized that the structural integrity of the putamen is likely related to sequence learning outcomes. However, the structural literature is sparse. One reason may be that traditional structural imaging measures, like volume, are not sufficiently sensitive to measure changes that are related to performance outcomes. We propose that magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), an emerging neuroimaging tool that provides quantitative measures of microstructural integrity, may fill this gap. Methods: In this study, both sequence learning abilities and the structural integrity of the putamen were assessed in 61 cognitively healthy middle-aged and older adults (range: 45–78 years old). Sequence learning was measured via performance on the Serial Reaction Time Task. Putamen integrity was assessed in two ways: first, via standard structural volume assessments, and second, via MRE measures of tissue integrity. Results: Age significantly correlated with both putamen volume and stiffness but not sequence learning scores. While sequence learning scores did not correlate with volume, MRE-derived measures of putamen stiffness were significantly correlated with learning outcomes such that individuals with stiffer putamen showed higher learning scores. A series of control analyses were performed to highlight the specificity and sensitivity of this putamen stiffness–sequence learning relationship. Conclusions: Together these data indicate that microstructural changes that occur in the putamen as we age may contribute to changes in sequence learning outcomes. Full article

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is a pathogen with serious impacts on soybean yields, yet traditional field-based assessment is labor-intensive and often ineffective for early interventions, and the existing spectral vegetation indices (VIs) also lack the ability to accurately detect SCN infested plants. This study aimed to develop an improved detection method using hyperspectral data. A greenhouse-based experiment was designed to collect 100 hyperspectral datasets from 20 soybean plants inoculated with four SCN egg levels (0–10,000) from the 68th to 97th day after planting. Based on spectral similarity and inoculation levels, three stress classes were defined as proxies for actual plant stress: healthy (0 egg), moderate (1000 and 5000 eggs), and severe (10,000 eggs). These classifications are based on predefined inoculation thresholds and spectral trends, which may not fully align with direct physiological stress measurements due to inherent variability in individual plant responses. Through analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), feature selection, and classification comparison, a new spectral VI, called SCNVI, was proposed using bands 338 nm and 665 nm. The SCNVI coupled with eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) achieved an accurate classification of 70% for three classes and outperformed the 12 traditional VIs. These findings suggest that integrating the SCNVI and XGBoost algorithm provides the potential for improving the detection of SCN infestation, though further validation in field environments is required to confirm its practical applicability. Full article

Objectives: Despite the importance of food environments in shaping dietary behaviors and diet-related noncommunicable diseases, no standardized and validated method has been used to assess this policy domain in China. This study aimed to benchmark China’s food retail policies against international benchmarking to identify implementation gaps and propose evidence-based strategies for improving food environments. Methods: Using the standardized and validated Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI), we assessed four food retail indicators: restrictive zoning for fast-food outlets (RETAIL 1), healthy food accessibility (RETAIL 2), institutional support systems (RETAIL 3), and food service promotion (RETAIL 4). A multidisciplinary expert panel (n = 13) from academia, public health, and industry conducted structured assessments using a standardized scoring tool (1–5). Scores were converted to implementation percentages and categorized into four levels. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and mean ± SD) were summarized. Results: Sixteen food retail policies were analyzed, with 62.5% (n = 10) of provincial policies focusing on fast-food zoning and healthy food access, and 37.5% (n = 6) of national policies targeting government support and healthy food promotion. Regulations comprised 55% (n = 11), mainly addressing zoning and access, while guidelines accounted for 45% (n = 9), primarily promotional. Overall, the food retail domain was rated as low level (2.3 ± 1.1, 45.8% implementation). Among the four indicators, healthy food access in outlets (2.6 ± 1.3, 52.4%) and promotion of healthy food in services (2.5 ± 1.0, 50.8%) were at medium implementation levels. In contrast, local fast-food zoning restrictions (1.7 ± 0.6, 33.8%) and government support for healthy food (2.3 ± 1.1, 46.2%) remained at low levels. Conclusions: China’s food retail policies showed inconsistent implementation levels, with strong provincial execution in accessibility and promotion but weak national coordination in zoning and support systems. To align with the WHO and China’s goals, priorities are unified national frameworks, enforceable standards, equity-focused monitoring, and strengthened multi-sector collaboration. Full article