Sort by

Article
Engineering
Control and Systems Engineering

Andrés Manuel Salas-Espinales

,

Ricardo Vázquez-Martín

,

Anthony Mandow

Abstract: High-quality RGB–thermal infrared (RGB-T) semantic segmentation datasets are crucial for search-and-rescue (SAR) applications, yet their development is hindered by the scarcity of annotated ground truth and by the challenges of thermal-camera calibration, which typically depends on heated targets with limited geometric definition. Recent approaches, such as MATT, focus on transferring SAM-based RGB masks to multi-spectral data, but they do not fully address the need for robust cross-modal alignment, quality control, or human-in-the-loop reliability assessment in RGB-T segmentation. To fill this gap, we propose a general annotation methodology that performs geometric alignment of RGB-T pairs, combines model-based proposals with interactive refinement, and incorporates annotation cost and systematic quality checks using inter-annotator agreement. In this methodology, multimodal alignment is ensured through feature-based matching and homography estimation. Annotation integrates automatic proposals and guided refinement, and final masks undergo quantitative cost and quality control before being used in downstream model training. The proposed methodology was evaluated on a SAR-oriented RGB-T dataset comprising 306 image pairs. Consistent cross-modal alignment was achieved via SuperGlue-based matching and homography estimation, enabling the implementation of a SAM2-based semi-automatic annotation pipeline in Label Studio. Results across two annotators show that the proposed approach reduces annotation time by 21% while achieving a high annotation quality mean IoU = 74.9%) and a high inter-annotator agreement (mean pixel accuracy = 88.4%, Cohen's kappa = 83%). The curated labels were then used to benchmark two representative RGB-T segmentation models. These findings demonstrate the practical value of the proposed methodology and establish a reproducible framework for generating reliable RGB-T semantic segmentation datasets, complementing and extending recent multispectral auto-labeling approaches.

Article
Engineering
Bioengineering

Moreno-Teruel M.A.

,

López-Martínez A.

,

Ávalos-Sánchez E.

,

Molina-Aiz F.D.

,

Valera D.L.

,

Proost K.

,

Peilleron F.

,

Baptista F.

Abstract: Mediterranean greenhouses are characterized by the use of passive climate control techniques, thus avoiding energy inputs that would make crop production more expensive. This study was carried out in Almería (Spain), in a greenhouse divided in two sectors. (West sector: with double roof with a pink spectrum converter film combined with an increased ventilation surface, ratio of vent surface/greenhouse surface SV/SC = 26.0%; East sector: acted as a control with only standard ventilation surface, SV/SC = 16.6%). This study analysed the effect of a double roof and an increased ventilation surface on the main fungal diseases in different crops (Solanum lycopersicum L., Capsicum annuum L., and Cucumis sativus L.). Different diseases were found that develop naturally, powdery mildew (Leveillula taurica) in both the tomato and the pepper crop, and early blight (Alternaria linariae) only in the tomato crop. In the case of cucumber crop, three diseases that developed naturally were found, (i) downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis), (ii) powdery mildew (Podosphaera xanthii) and (iii) gummy stem blight (Stagonosporopsis spp). The sector that combined the double roof and the increased ventilation surface had lower disease levels compared to the control sector, with statistically significant differences.

Review
Medicine and Pharmacology
Internal Medicine

Aleksandar Cirovic

,

Petar Milovanovic

,

Soisungwan Satarug

Abstract: Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant that enters the circulation from the lungs and gastrointestinal tract. For most people, staple foods form the main route of Cd exposure. Current evidence suggests that Cd may increase the prevalence of iron deficiency and anemia in environmentally exposed people. Concerningly, intravenous iron administration to treat iron deficiency anemia has resulted in adverse bone outcomes in a higher-than-expected frequency; for which reasons remain unclear. The bone-derived hormone, fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), the regulator of vitamin D and phosphate homeostasis, has been speculatively implicated, given that anemia, iron deficiency and inflammatory conditions all are known to increase FGF23 expression levels in osteoblasts. Additionally, early studies demonstrated that Cd increased FGF23 expression by osteoblast-like cells and suppressed FGF23 cleavage leading to an abrupt rise in serum FGF23, which, in turn, mediated an effect of Cd on tubular phosphate reabsorption. In this review, experimental breakthrough studies showing Cd-induced iron deficiency, and a reduction in iron absorption by Cd are summarized together with intestinal absorption of Cd, and an increment of Cd uptake and Cd body burden in those with low body iron stores. Potential contributions of Cd, anemia and iron deficiency in the context of hypophosphatemic osteomalacia development after intravenous iron supplementation, are discussed. Mechanism of Cd-induced ferroptosis in pathogenesis of osteoporosis, emphasizing heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)/bilirubin axis and zinc deficiency are presented.

Article
Medicine and Pharmacology
Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems

Marcelo L C Vieira

,

Ana C T Rodrigues

,

Edgar Daminelo

,

Adriana Reche

,

Gustavo P Almeida

,

Alessandra J Oliveira

,

Luiz O A Santos

,

Rafael B Piveta

,

Rodrigo A C Meirelles

,

Cláudia G Monaco

+10 authors

Abstract: Background: There is paucity of information concerning automatic mitral valve apparatus analysis of patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). Objectives: We aimed to study with an automatic three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) dedicated software patients with moderate and severe mitral regurgitation when compared to patients with no structural cardiac chamber alterations (patients with patent foramen ovale (PFO) who underwent TEE) . Methods: We employed a TEE software dedicated to automatic analysis of 34 parameters of the mitral valve apparatus comparing MVP patients with moderate and severe mitral regurgitation and patients with PFO without cardiac chamber structural alterations. Mitral valve effective regurgitant orifice (ERO) and regurgitant volume were correlated to automatic MVP parameters. Results: 59 MVP patients and 43 PFO patients were analysed. All MVP patients presented P2 mitral valve prolapse, 15 (25.4 % ) with both posterior and anterior prolapse. Twenty-seven automatic parameters (79%) were different concerning MVP and PFO patients (p< 0.05): diameters, area, perimeter, height, angle, coaptation width, lenght, closure line lenght, annulus. ERO was 0.43 + 0.11 cm2 , and regurgitant volume: 62.2 + 14.9 ml/beat. Automatic analysis correlated to 75 percentile ERO MVP patients (ERO> 0.48 cm2): Posterior Leafltet Area (r:0.74, p:0.031); Posterior Leafltet Lenght (r:0.73, p:0.032); Tenting area (r:0,41, p:0.048). Conclusions: Automatic mitral valve parameters analysis were different concerning MVP and no structural cardiac chamber (PFO) patients. 75 percentile ERO MVP patients (ERO> 0.48 cm2) correlated to posterior leaflet parameters.This anatomic information could be useful to planning and surgical treatment of mitral valve prolapse patients.

Article
Medicine and Pharmacology
Medicine and Pharmacology

Talita Alvarenga Valdes

,

Sabrina Mendes Botelho

,

Keli Lima

,

Carlos Alberto Montanari

,

João Agostinho Machado Neto

,

Andrei Leitão

Abstract: Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly neoplasias in the male population. Despite the availability of therapies that increase the long-term survival of patients with localized tumors, metastatic prostate cancer is challenging to treat. A previous study revealed that the 2-aminopyridine derivative (named Neq0440) inhibited the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway and presented selective cytotoxicity toward the metastatic prostate cancer cell line PC-3. Here, we further analyzed the mechanism of action of these molecules by using cell-based colorimetric, fluorometric, epifluorescence microscopy, and Western blot assays. Mitochondrial depolarization increased the AMPK level at 24 h inhibition with Neq0440, which led to the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway downregulation after 48 h. The phosphorylation was inhibited for AKT and the downstream quinases (S6RP and 4EBP1) from the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, which can work together with the mitochondrial depolarization, lowering the pH of the medium, increasing ROS levels, and translocating the lysosomes toward the nucleus to trigger cell death. Therefore, Neq0440 can be used as a lead compound to obtain derivatives with a novel anticancer mechanism of action.

Article
Public Health and Healthcare
Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation

Bauer Richárd

,

Ruppert Bálint István

,

Kilvinger Bálint

,

Petrov Árpád

,

Barthalos István

,

László Suszter

,

Ihász Ferenc

,

Zoltán Alföldi

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Soccer is a team sport that places significant physical demands on players. Players cover greater distances at higher speeds, and the number of high-intensity movements is increasing. The present study analyzed the locomotor and mechanical variables of Hungarian second division professional soccer players over three seasons (2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25), using Catapult Vector S7 and processing data from 94 matches. Methods: We included 94 matches in the study (2022/23: N=38; 2023/24: N=29; 2024/25: N=27), in which only the data of players who played the entire matches were analyzed, excluding red card matches. Performance data was collected using Catapult Vector S7 10 Hz GNNS system. Results: The median average distance covered decreased continuously from the 2022/23 season (10.210 m) to the 2024/25 season (9.795 m) (H (2) = 14.14, p&lt;0.001, Rank ε² = 0.152, medium effect size). The median Player Load decreased from 1002 (2022/23 and 2023/24) to 846 in the 2024/25 season (H (2) = 55.64, p&lt;0.001, Rank ε² = 0589, very large effect size). The median acceleration-deceleration effort (Accel + Decel) decreased from 220.8 (2022/23) to 199.0 (2024/25) (H (2) = 26.81, p&lt;0.001, Rank ε² = 0.288, effect size). Conclusion: There was a significant seasonal decrease in match load variables. The most pronounced decrease occurred in the mechanical indicator. These results may provide useful insights into the physical demands of matches.

Article
Computer Science and Mathematics
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Milena Nikolic

,

Marina Marjanovic

,

Zarko Radjenovic

Abstract: Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) prediction is a fundamental challenge in hospitality analytics, supporting revenue management, personalization, and long-term customer relationship strategies. However, existing models predominantly rely on structured behavioral data while overlooking the emotional intelligence embedded in guest narratives. This study proposes an interpretable multimodal deep learning framework that bridges behavioral and emotional intelligence for CLV prediction by integrating structured booking records with unstructured hotel review text. The proposed architecture combines a multilayer perceptron for behavioral feature encoding with a transformer-based language model for textual representation, followed by a cross-modal attention fusion mechanism. Model interpretability is ensured through SHAP analysis for structured attributes, LIME for local textual explanations, and attention visualization for modality interaction analysis. Experimental evaluation on large-scale hospitality datasets demonstrates that the proposed multimodal framework consistently outperforms traditional machine learning models, unimodal deep learning baselines and classical ensemble learners, achieving predictive improvements ranging from approximately 15 to 30 percent across evaluation metrics and a notable increase in goodness of fit. The results confirm that emotional intelligence extracted from guest reviews significantly enhances CLV prediction and provides actionable insights for hospitality decision making, supporting the deployment of transparent and explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) systems for strategic customer value management.

Article
Biology and Life Sciences
Virology

Tahir Bhatti

Abstract: Pemivibart (VYD222) and its successor, VYD2311, target a shared, evolutionarily vulnerable epitope in the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). Although VYD2311 an IND features an Fc-mediated half-life extension and demonstrates a reported 17-fold increase in in-vitro neutralization potency over pemivibart (marketed as Pemgarda™, VYD222), both antibodies engage identical contact residues such as R346, K444, F456, and F486, making them equally susceptible to the same escape pathways. Although Fc‑engineering strategies can enhance serum half‑life, they do not alter the vulnerable epitope specificity shared by these antibodies. To assess the real-world durability of this therapeutic axis, we conducted mass-scale genomic surveillance across 9,398,268 global SARS-CoV-2 spike sequences spanning January 2020 through September 2025 (Q3 2025), including 26,514 non-INSDC Chinese submissions. Using a reference-aligned, codon-resolved pipeline anchored to Wuhan-Hu-1 (YP_009724390.1), we systematically mapped the emergence, co-occurrence, and global fixation of 11 experimentally validated escape residues. Mutational constellations were stratified by haplotype tier (1/5 to 5/5), lineage, geography, and time to reconstruct the evolutionary trajectory of resistance. Our analysis reveals that pemivibart/VYD2311 resistance is now near-ubiquitous: 94.8% of 2025 isolates harbor ≥3 of the 5 core escape mutations (R346T, S371F, K444T, N460K, F486P), and over 95% of high-tier (≥3/5) escape genomes belong to KP.3-descendant lineages - embedding resistance as a baseline feature of the contemporary virome. Critically, we identified natural isolates carrying the complete 5/5 escape haplotype, including a clonal cluster in Puerto Rico as early as late 2023 - predating both the EUA for pemivibart (March 2024) and the IND clearance for VYD2311 (October 2025). In China, distinct but functionally convergent substitutions (S501T, S500T, S417T) dominate, illustrating regional pathways to the same outcome: the therapeutic failure. We cataloged 116 unique escape constellations, with up to eight co-occurring mutations, and confirmed that dominant 2024 - 2025 lineages - including LB.1, LB.1.81, and KP.3.1.1 - routinely carry 4 - 5 escape residues. Notably, Invivyd’s efficacy models rely on neutralization titers against JN.1, a variant already displaced by mid-2024; yet the targeted epitope was substantially eroded in circulating strains well before clinical deployment. The FDA’s August 2024 imposition of a 90% national susceptibility threshold for pemivibart use implicitly acknowledges this pre-existing vulnerability. We conclude that single-epitope monoclonal antibodies like VYD222 and VYD2311 are inherently fragile against the deterministic forces of SARS-CoV-2 evolution. Prolonged serum exposure enabled by Fc engineering cannot overcome pre-existing binding loss and may instead accelerate escape in immunocompromised hosts. Sustainable pandemic preparedness demands a strategic pivot: away from iterative, reactive optimization of single-target antibodies, and toward multi-epitope cocktails or therapeutics designed using co-evolving residue networks. This study provides a definitive, global evidence base for retiring lineage reactive mAbs in favor of evolutionarily resilient countermeasures.

Article
Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

Tashari ter Braack

,

Donald L Margolis

Abstract: Background: Impact wrenches are widely used in construction and automotive industries, yet they generate harmful vibrations that pose health risks to operators and reduce tool usability. Methods: A practical, low-order bond graph model of impact-wrench dynamics is developed, capturing interactions among the motor, hammer, anvil, and hand/arm constraints. The model is validated against measurements during bolt setting in a steel plate. Results: Predictions match measured RMS accelerations and spectral modes up to 200 Hz with errors within 11%. Analysis attributes the dominant vibration sources to rotational and translational impacts between the hammer and anvil; notably, the translational (z-axis) impact contributes substantially to felt vibration while not being required for bolt tightening. Conclusions: The model provides physical insight into vibration origins and supports actionable design decisions (e.g., eliminating the linear impact, adding rotational damping/control) consistent with ISO 28927-13:2022 testing practice.

Article
Computer Science and Mathematics
Software

Robin Nunkesser

Abstract: Mobile Software Engineering has emerged as a distinct subfield, raising questions about the transferability of its research findings to general Software Engineering. This paper addresses the challenge of evaluating the generalizability of mobile-specific research, using Green Computing as a representative case. We propose a systematic method that combines a mapping study to identify potentially overlooked mobile-specific papers with a focused literature review to assess their broader relevance. Applying this approach, we find that several mobile-specific studies offer insights applicable beyond their original context, particularly in areas such as energy efficiency guidelines, measurement, and trade-offs. The results demonstrate that systematic identification and evaluation can reveal valuable contributions for the wider Software Engineering community. The proposed method provides a structured framework for future research to assess the generalizability of findings from specialized domains, fostering greater integration and knowledge transfer across Software Engineering disciplines.

Article
Medicine and Pharmacology
Endocrinology and Metabolism

Anda Mihaela Naciu

,

Eleonora Sargentini

,

Marco Bravi

,

Annunziata Nusca

,

Francesco Grigioni

,

Luigi Bonifazi Meffe

,

Nicola Napoli

,

Andrea Palermo

,

Gaia Tabacco

Abstract:

Background. Both primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and chronic hypoparathyroidism (HypoPT) are associated with the onset and development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Especially PHPT is accompanied by the presence of elevated atherothrombotic risk, while the importance of traditional and new anthropometric indices to reflect the cardiovascular risk remains uncertain in this condition. This study aims to investigate whether novel and traditional anthropometric indices distinguish PHPT and their correlation with atherothrombotic risk. Methods. 40 Subjects with HypoPT, 40 PHPT and 40 age- and sex-matched control subjects were consecutively enrolled for the evaluation of flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and carotid intimal-media thickness (IMT). A blood sample was collected for calcium-phosphate metabolism, PTH, TSH and 25-hydroxy vitamin D evaluation. Physical examination was performed to obtain traditional anthropometric parameters and derived indices of adiposity and cardiometabolic risk (waist height ratio (WHtR) and waist hip ratio (WHR) and conicity index (CI)). Results. The PHPT group showed higher central adiposity indices (WHtR p=0.002, and CI p=0.008). Among patients with parathyroid disorders, PHPT subjects display the highest reduction of FMD (p<0.001) and a marked increase of IMT (p<0.001). In the Ctrl group, WHtR showed a weak-to-moderate positive association with IMT (r=0.381, p=0.018). In the PHPT group, no anthropometric index was significantly correlated with IMT or FMD (all p>0.05). Conclusions. WHtR and CI provide evidence of increased central fat adiposity in PHPT but do not account for impaired atherothrombotic risk, indicating that anthropometric indices may lack relevance to cardiovascular risk in this condition and emphasising the importance of a specific assessment profile.

Article
Business, Economics and Management
Other

Abhi Gaikwad

Abstract: Distributed projects spanning time zones and cultures strain communication, coordination, and control, demanding project management practices that explicitly govern stakeholder alignment, information flow, and decision cadence. This paper synthesizes evidence on how iterative delivery rituals can be embedded within PM governance—linking standups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives to communication plans, risk registers, change control, and visibility dashboards—to raise predictability in global initiatives. A practical framework maps collaboration tooling (e.g., video, messaging, shared wikis) to specific PM objectives, while outlining mitigations for language barriers, cultural divergence, and trust deficits common to dispersed teams. Reported benefits include clearer requirements, faster feedback cycles, improved knowledge sharing, and higher transparency, counterbalanced by recurring risks such as time-zone friction, uneven tool access, and coordination overheads, with checklists provided for PMOs to operationalize at scale. The contribution equips project planners and delivery leads with actionable playbooks to achieve scope, schedule, and quality targets under high uncertainty—without relying on co-location.

Article
Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

Abhijit Gaikwad

Abstract: This paper investigates the structured deployment of a project oversight framework within a small-scale enterprise characterized by low project management maturity and limited resource capacity. Adopting a hybrid operational strategy that blends predictive planning with agile responsiveness, the study documents the customization and implementation of a digital project tracking platform tailored to diverse project environments. Data were gathered through embedded organizational roles, unstructured feedback loops, and direct observation, capturing stakeholder challenges and behavioral resistance during change adoption. The findings reveal critical gaps in formal process uptake, technology assimilation, and leadership alignment. Based on experiential evidence, a revised integration roadmap is proposed, emphasizing incremental adoption, simplification of planning tools, and deeper managerial engagement. This research contributes actionable insights for small enterprises aiming to institutionalize project governance systems aligned with operational realities.

Article
Engineering
Civil Engineering

Ching-Chuan Huang

Abstract: Performance based evaluation of reinforced soil retaining structures often relies on numerical analyses that demand substantial time and expert effort, largely due to the complex interactions among soils, reinforcements, facings, and seismic loading. This study introduces an efficient approach for developing seismic resisting capacity curves for geosynthetic reinforced slopes with rigid facings, using a computer program built on the Force Equilibrium based Finite Displacement Method (FFDM). Positioned between conventional, non performance based limit equilibrium methods (LEM) and the more computationally intensive finite element method (FEM), the FFDM offers a practical platform for performance based seismic assessment in engineering design. The method is demonstrated through a re examination of the Tanada Wall, a geosynthetic reinforced soil retaining wall with a full-height rigid panel facing (GRS-FHR) that experienced strong shaking during the 1995 Hyogoken Nambu earthquake (ML = 7.2). Using only parameters available in published databases, the FFDM generates realistic seis-mic resistance curves and directly computes seismic displacements. Three advantages distinguish the FFDM from traditional LEM based Newmark approaches: (1) explicit incorporation of peak soil strength and post peak degradation along the slip surface, eliminating the need for empirical “operational” strength adjustments; (2) direct use of peak ground acceleration (HPGA/g) as input, avoiding reliance on empirically selected seismic coefficients; and (3) capability for back analysis, enabling soil strength and de-formation parameters to be calibrated from small observed displacements (on the order of 10⁻³ m) during medium scale earthquakes and subsequently used to predict structural response under more severe ground shaking.

Article
Social Sciences
Library and Information Sciences

Khalid Saqr

Abstract:

Research integrity is currently besieged by a surge in synthetic manuscripts. A forensic workflow is operationalized herein to isolate and quantify ``computer-aided'' misconduct within the global scholarly record. A corpus of \( N=3,974 \) retracted DOIs sourced from the Retraction Watch Database was analyzed, with records cross-linked to institutional metadata via the OpenAlex API. Through the application of fractional attribution modeling and the calculation of Shannon entropy (\( H \)) for retraction rationales, a distinct geographic schism in fraud typologies was identified. High-output hubs, specifically China and India, exhibit high reason entropy (\( H > 4.2 \)), where ``Computer-Aided Content'' frequently clusters with established ``Paper Mill'' signatures. These AI-driven retractions exhibit a compressed median Time-to-Retraction (TTR) of \( \sim \)600 days, nearly twice as fast as the \( 1,300 \)+ day latencies observed in the US and Japan---where retractions remain skewed toward complex image and data manipulation. The data suggests that while traditional fraud has not been replaced by generative AI, it has been effectively industrialized. It is concluded that current post-publication filters fail to keep pace with the near-zero marginal cost of synthetic content, necessitating a shift toward provenance-based verification.

Article
Social Sciences
Gender and Sexuality Studies

Ana Belén Cruz Valiño

Abstract: The role of women in conflict and peacebuilding has been insufficiently explored, despite their substantial contributions. Women’s experiences during conflict frequently strengthen communities in post-conflict settings, where they play a crucial role in mediation, reconciliation, and transitional justice, drawing on their social capital and knowledge of international law. This paper examines the intersection of religion, gender, and development through a case study of Guinea-Bissau, a paradigmatic example within the Lusophone world. It analyses women’s participation in political power from the struggle for independence to the present, highlighting their evolving social and political roles. The family institution, which is central to Guinean society, assigns women significant responsibility and commitment, reinforcing their leadership through long-standing traditional alliances. Using a historical approach complemented by a gender perspective, the study identifies both progress and regression in the country’s development, closely linked to women’s participation in public spaces as an indicator of democratic quality and social advancement. The analysis focuses on four key outcomes: food security; improved access to basic services such as health, education, and nutrition; enhanced resilience of rural communities—particularly women and youth—to climate and socio-economic challenges; and the strengthening of social protection systems. These priorities align with Guinea-Bissau’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda, particularly Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, and 4, and inform emerging approaches to international cooperation centered on resilience and vulnerability.

Article
Biology and Life Sciences
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Caleb Wyckoff

,

Christopher Osgood

,

Ellen Jing

,

Michael Stacey

Abstract:

Chondrosarcoma, glioblastoma, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and cholangiocarcinoma, cancers all contain mutations in the gene isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2). The mutant IDH2 enzyme metabolizes alpha-ketoglutarate (αKG) into the potent oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D2HG) in the mitochondria of these cancers. Mitochondrial-mediated transfer between cancer and recipient cells is a significant event that impacts the metabolism of both cell types. The presence of intercellular nanotubular structures between IDH2 mutant chondrosarcoma cells motivated investigation into mitochondria-mediated physiological alterations resulting from mitochondrial transfer to immune cells. Mitochondrial transfer is a two-way process, and we hypothesized that mitochondria derived from IDH2-mutant chondrosarcoma cells co-cultured with normal cells occurred between cells through tunneling nanotubes. We further hypothesize that disruption of the actin cytoskeleton will inhibit this transfer. Our objectives were 1). Quantify the exchange and directionality of mitochondria via nanotubes between IDH2 mutant cells and wild-type cells and modulate transfer via cytoskeletal inhibitors, and 2) measure metabolic changes in cells following transfer. The experimental data acquired here increased our understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind the progression of IDH2 cancers as they interact with normal cells in the tumor microenvironment, advancing our understanding of intercellular communication in cancer biology.

Article
Environmental and Earth Sciences
Sustainable Science and Technology

Carolina Barreto Leite

Abstract: Agriculture in Europe needs to progress towards a new business system, where sustainable agricultural practices are the driving force behind this business. These sustainable practices will contribute to Europe's climate neutrality by 2050. Carbon farming has practices that help to sequester CO2 in the soil and mitigate CO2 from the atmosphere. Increasing SOC (Soil organic carbon) in soil through carbon farming practices will promote soil quality and fertility, which is essential for soil ecosystem services protection. This study aims to identify new proposals, such as technical and policy instruments, that help promote carbon farming practices through a bibliometric analysis of carbon farming, as there is a gap in bibliometric review studies on carbon farming in the scientific literature. The bibliometric analysis results showed that the principal common terms include “carbon farming,” “carbon sequestration, “climate change” and "Australia” and there is a lack of terms related with carbon credit market and adaptation from farmers. Australia is the country with the most published carbon farming documents. Carbon farming aims to be an eco-agrosystem to be broadly embraced by farmers.

Article
Physical Sciences
Theoretical Physics

Israel Fried

Abstract: The motivation for investigating the issues presented in this article stemmed from a discovery that resulted from using the magnetic flux quantum, that combine the Planck's constant and the Elementary charge. It led to a new relationship between the combined expressions, it reviled that the mass of the electron is associated with the magnitude of the square of the magnetic flux quantum. Also, It revile a novel significance of the vacuum permittivity constant (in SI units), that relies also on an analogy to the kinetic theory of gases. By using the concept of the nucleus motion around the center of mass shared with the electron in the Hydrogen atom, along with defineing the orbital angular momentum of the proton at the trajectory around the center of mass, yield a velocity of the proton at this trajectory, and also a new physical constant which fulfill a similar role like the fine structure constant. The new constant yield results for the proton and neutron masses and their radii. Another aspect presented in a briefly way, demonstrates the connection between the square of the magnetic flux quantum through the Bohr radius that provides a novel significance of the wave function in the atom. This paper presents also a new perspective on the internal structure of the proton and neutron with their quarks, and on the origin of the weak force bosons associated with this internal structure. The proton, neutron and all baryons consist of two energy levels on which the Up and Down quarks are in orbit, and a third energy level that equal to ~ 80 [Gev], that plays a central role in the decay process via the weak force. The results are in full accordance with the results published by NIST CODATA 2018 that I’ve used, validating the results.

Article
Public Health and Healthcare
Public Health and Health Services

Matheus Hortélio

,

Maria da Conceição Chagas de Almeida

,

Sheila Maria Alvim Matos

,

Cristiano Penas Seara Pitanga

,

Ciro Oliveira Queiroz

,

Francisco José Gondim Pitanga

Abstract:

Diabetes mellitus is a serious chronic disease whose main characteristic is hyperglycemia (increased blood glucose), accompanied by changes in lipid and protein metabolism. For individuals with diabetes mellitus, physical activity provides significant benefits and is an essential tool for metabolic management. Daily step counting, measured with AI support through wearable devices, can be an important metric of physical activity for the prevention and treatment of this disease if performed regularly and respecting a minimum daily amount. Objective: To investigate the association between daily steps and diabetes and to determine what minimum amount should be performed daily for a protective effect in participants of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health. Methods: The study was cross-sectional and participants from the 2nd segment (2016-2018) were analyzed, with a sample of 12,636 participants. The dependent variable was diabetes, assessed by laboratory tests, and the independent variable was daily steps counting, assessed by accelerometry. The associations between the dependent and independent variables were analyzed using logistic regression. The odds ratio with 95% CI was estimated. Results: An association was found between daily steps and diabetes (OR = 0.76, CI = 0.70-0.83), in addition to the cutoff point of 6,880 with area under the ROC curve = 0.58 (CI = 0.57-0.59). Conclusion: Based on the results found in this study, we can conclude that the number of daily steps has a protective effect against diabetes, especially in men and women with abdominal obesity and in men with moderate/vigorous leisure-time physical activity.

of 5,423

Prerpints.org logo

Preprints.org is a free preprint server supported by MDPI in Basel, Switzerland.

Subscribe

Disclaimer

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Privacy Settings

© 2026 MDPI (Basel, Switzerland) unless otherwise stated