Browse Articles

Investigation on gear geometric morphology and normal deviation analysis of tooth flanks in gear skiving

General theoretical framework linking macroscopic stress to microscopic strand conformations in unentangled elastomers

Rare ST124 and ST586 lineages co-circulate with the dominant ST2 clone among extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in Iran

Abstract Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) poses a critical global threat, necessitating precise molecular surveillance. This study investigated the clonal diversity and resistance mechanisms of A. baumannii in Northwestern Iran. A total of 89 non-duplicate isolates were collected from ICU patients (May 2024–June 2025). Susceptibility testing was performed per CLSI guidelines, and resistance determinants ( bla OXA−23 , bla PER , bla TEM , etc.) were screened by PCR. Clonal lineages were identified using Pasteur Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST). The isolates exhibited alarming resistance rates, with 95.5% classified as CRAB and 91% as extensively drug-resistant (XDR). The bla OXA−23 carbapenemase was the predominant resistance driver (95.5%). MLST analysis of representative isolates identified ST2 (12/16, 75%) as the dominant lineage strictly within the purposively selected subset. Significantly, this study provides the first report of rare sequence types ST124 and ST586 in Iran. While bla OXA−23 -producing ST2 remains the primary endemic threat, the emergence of these rare singletons acts as an early warning indicator for the introduction of previously undetected genetic reservoirs. Colistin retained the highest in vitro activity (97.8% intermediate/colistin-active), emphasizing its crucial role as a last-resort therapy.

Possible solution to the gallium anomaly moving beyond the leptonic wave-function factorization

Communication-efficient distributed secondary control for accurate reactive and harmonic power sharing in stand-alone AC microgrids under switching communication topologies

Magnetic turbulence boosts supernova signals of axionphoton conversion

Economic impact and vaccination benefits of Sheep and Goat Pox (SGP) in India: a stochastic assessment

Promote or prevent? A regulatory focus perspective on managerial risk taking

This study examines the heterogeneity of CEOs’ risk attitudes and how fixed versus variable compensation components shape their strategic risk-taking, as part of corporate governance policy. Building on psychological Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT) and established management frameworks, we developed a conceptual model with six hypotheses. We applied a validated Polish Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) dictionary to measure CEOs’ promotion and prevention focus through content analysis of their shareholder letters. Our dataset covers 82 companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) from 2011 to 2020, analyzed using longitudinal panel data. The results confirmed that a CEO’s regulatory focus is a significant motivational factor in strategic risk-taking. Promotion-focused CEOs tend to pursue bolder, riskier decisions, increasing the firm’s strategic risk, whereas prevention-focused CEOs are more cautious and inclined to mitigate risk, aligning with prior findings in the literature. Moreover, these relationships are moderated by compensation structure. Higher fixed salaries are associated with reduced strategic risk, reinforcing risk aversion, while larger annual bonuses are associated with greater risk-taking. In particular, fixed compensation strengthened the natural risk-avoidant tendencies of prevention-focused CEOs, suggesting that higher guaranteed income reinforces a cautious strategy. Unexpectedly, large annual bonuses did not temper the risk appetite of promotion-focused CEOs; instead, bonuses amplified their risk-taking, indicating that intrinsic motivation can outweigh extrinsic incentives for risk moderation. These findings underscore the need for tailoring executive compensation policies to individual CEOs’ risk preferences. Fixed salaries may temper excessive risk-taking in promotion-focused CEOs, while performance-based bonuses may motivate otherwise cautious, prevention-focused CEOs to undertake strategic risks. Such insights are valuable for refining corporate governance strategies in European public firms, especially in Poland, to better align CEO behavior with shareholder interests.

Discovery and validation of circulating protein markers of chronic kidney disease in domestic cats

Correction: The spatial spillover effect and its attenuation boundary of urban economy on port efficiency

Integrating validated scores with clinical parameters to predict NIV weaning outcomes: a prospective study in the respiratory ICU

Abstract Early prediction of successful weaning from non-invasive ventilation (NIV) remains challenging in patients with acute respiratory failure. This study evaluated clinical, laboratory, and severity-score predictors of NIV weaning outcomes among patients admitted to the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU). This prospective observational cross-sectional study included 150 adult patients with acute respiratory failure, admitted to the RICU and required NIV for > 24 h between April 2024 and March 2025. Clinical characteristics, arterial blood gases, laboratory findings, ventilator settings, and APACHE II score were recorded. HACOR score was assessed after one hour of NIV discontinuation. Patients were classified into successful or failed weaning groups. Successful weaning occurred in 99 patients, while 51 experienced weaning failure. Failure was significantly associated with older age ( p  = 0.001), decompensated cor pulmonale ( p  = 0.003), lower hemoglobin and serum albumin levels ( p  = 0.008 and p  = 0.005, respectively), higher APACHE II score (18.3 ± 3, p  < 0.001), and higher HACOR score (8.1 ± 2.1, p  < 0.001). Previous invasive mechanical ventilation ≥ 2 times was also significantly associated with failure ( p  = 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified age, serum albumin, APACHE II score, HACOR score, and previous invasive ventilation as independent predictors of weaning outcome. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed good predictive performance for HACOR (AUC 81.6%) and APACHE II (AUC 76.2%) scores ( p  < 0.001 for both). Older age, poor nutritional status, previous invasive ventilation, high APACHE II score, and HACOR score independently predict NIV weaning failure. The incorporating of HACOR score into NIV weaning protocols may improve clinical decision-making and potentially reduce adverse outcomes associated with delayed recognition of respiratory deterioration.

Applications of the Behavior Change Wheel in promoting physical activity among children and adolescents: A scoping review

Background Physical inactivity among children and adolescents remains a major global public health concern, yet the ways in which behavioral theory is applied to inform physical activity (PA) interventions are often insufficiently described. The Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) model provides a systematic framework for linking behavioral determinants to intervention content, but its application in PA promotion for this population has not been comprehensively mapped. Methods This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported following the PRISMA-ScR guideline. Seven electronic databases were searched for studies published since 2011 that explicitly applied the BCW to promote PA among children and adolescents. Data were charted on study characteristics, targeted components of the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) model, BCW intervention functions, behavior change techniques, and implementation outcomes. Results Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most applications focused on intervention development, co-design, or feasibility rather than effectiveness evaluation. Psychological capability and reflective motivation were the most frequently targeted COM-B components, and education, training, and enablement were the dominant intervention functions. Commonly used behavior change techniques included goal setting, action planning, self-monitoring, feedback, and social support. Functions involving coercion or restriction were rarely used. Reporting of implementation outcomes was inconsistent, with limited attention to reach, penetration, and sustainability. Conclusions In studies using the BCW framework, PA interventions for children and adolescents predominantly emphasize individual-level self-regulation strategies, with less focus on opportunity-level change and implementation sustainability. Greater transparency in theoretical mapping and stronger integration of implementation considerations are needed to enhance the translation of theory-based interventions into practice.

Hierarchical supergraph neural networks for link prediction

‘Us and them’: A realist interview study exploring how and why health system factors influence dentists’ participation in state funded, contracted primary dental care for low-income populations in Ireland

Objectives To identify and explain the health system factors influencing private general dental practitioners (GDPs) engagement in state-funded, contracted primary oral healthcare for low-income adults in Ireland, in which circumstances, for which groups, how and why. Methods Nineteen realist interviews were conducted with frontline GDPs, health system actors and academic subject experts from Ireland and elsewhere. Collected data were then transcribed, coded, and analysed to generate context–mechanism–outcome configurations (CMOCs) and develop an overarching realist programme theory to explain causation. Results Thirteen individual and abstracted CMOCs were crafted and subsequently consolidated into five high level CMOCs. GDPs’ engagement with state funded care is influenced by a myriad of complex health system contextual factors. These include low political and resource commitment to oral health; cost containment measures characterised by limited and outdated baskets of care and low remuneration; overtly bureaucratic oversight or contract administrative processes; adversarial communications and the absence of consultative mechanisms between the health system and GDPs. Other factors such as oral healthcare ‘market’ dynamics, GDPs’ professional networks and community ties can also influence engagement in state care. Conclusion As Ireland looks to reform its primary oral healthcare system to widen population access to care and meet national oral health policy and WHO commitments on oral health, the findings of this study provide health system leaders with evidence to leverage system change and increase or sustain GDPs’ engagement in state care. Leveraging such change has the potential to improve access to care for vulnerable populations and reduce oral health inequalities.

Urinary apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage reflects renal inflammation and tubular damage in ANCA-associated vasculitis

Incremental diagnostic yield of bone scintigraphy after standard radiologic imaging in patients with fall trauma at a Level I trauma center

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the incremental diagnostic yield of bone scintigraphy (BS) performed after standard radiologic imaging (SRI) modalities, including radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, in patients with fall trauma presenting to a Level I trauma center. Methods Three hundred eight patients with fall trauma who underwent BS after SRI were retrospectively enrolled. The presence and number of bone injuries across six skeletal regions were evaluated using both SRI and BS. Bone injuries were evaluated according to three imaging-based categories: SRI alone, SRI − /BS + , and SRI + BS. Imaging-derived bone parameters included the total number of regions with bone injuries, the total number of injured bones, and the Imaging Bone Index (IBI) score. Correlations between these imaging-derived bone parameters and four trauma scores were analyzed, and differences in imaging-derived bone parameters were examined according to the cutoff values of each trauma score. Results The imaging-derived bone parameters in the SRI + BS category were significantly higher than those in the SRI alone category. Imaging-derived bone parameters in both the SRI alone and SRI + BS categories showed significant correlations with all trauma scores, with significantly stronger correlations for the total number of injured bones and IBI scores in the SRI + BS category. Patients with severe trauma exhibited significantly higher imaging-derived bone parameters in the SRI − /BS+ category. Conclusions Performing BS after SRI provided incremental diagnostic yield by detecting additional bone injuries not identified on preceding SRI and yielded quantitative imaging-derived bone parameters associated with trauma severity in this Level I trauma center cohort of patients with fall trauma.

Multivariate influenza forecasting using time-series foundation models: a comparative study with classical statistical models using 11 years of surveillance data in Hong Kong

Microbial communities in the rhizosphere of three Mentha species: Links to soil properties and essential oil profiles

Mentha species are widely cultivated aromatic plants valued for their essential oils and antimicrobial properties. However, despite their agricultural and pharmacological significance, limited information is available on how different Mentha species influence rhizosphere microbial communities and their relationships with soil physicochemical parameters and essential oil composition. In this study, we examined the rhizosphere microbiota of three closely related taxa – Mentha  ×  villosa B10, M. spicata B17, and M. suaveolens J17 – cultivated under uniform field conditions. Rhizosphere and bulk soils were analyzed for physicochemical properties, microbial composition (16S rRNA, ITS sequencing), essential oils (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), and arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization. Bacterial communities were dominated by the phyla Actinomycetota, Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteriota, Bacillota, and Chloroflexota, while fungal communities were primarily composed of Ascomycota, Mortierellomycota, Basidiomycota, and Rozellomycota. Rhizosphere soils exhibited higher fungal diversity than bulk soils, with Glomeromycota detected exclusively in rhizosphere. Microbial community composition differed significantly among Mentha taxa: M. spicata B17 displayed the lowest bacterial diversity, the most distinct microbial assemblages, and the highest arbuscular mycorrhiza colonization. Soil properties – particularly humus content, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium – were strongly correlated with bacterial diversity, while fungal communities showed weaker associations. Integration of essential oil data revealed genotype-dependent chemical profiles: Mentha  ×  villosa B10 and M. spicata B17 were characterized by high proportions of L-carvone and limonene, whereas M. suaveolens J17 was dominated by cis-piperitone epoxide and piperitenone oxide. Together, these findings demonstrate that even closely related Mentha cultivars can harbor distinct rhizosphere microbiota, associated with both plant chemical traits and soil characteristics. This study highlights the complex interactions between aromatic plants, soil chemistry, and microbial communities, offering novel insights into plant-soil-microbe interactions in medicinal and aromatic crop systems.

Acoustic iso-propagation vortices for robust underwater communications

Response of PIP aquaporins to long-term cold stress in two citrus rootstocks

Cold is one of the most impactful abiotic stresses causing significant crop losses. Additionally, it is a major limiting factor, reducing cultivation areas, especially for tropical and subtropical species such as citrus. In this study, we conducted a physiological assessment of water balance, photosynthesis, fluorescence, and transcriptomic data, to further understand the response of aquaporins in the Valencia Delta Seedless variety grafted onto two rootstocks: Citrus macrophylla and Carrizo citrange, considered sensitive and tolerant rootstocks, respectively. After 6 weeks of exposure to 1°C with a photoperiod of 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness, measurements were taken of CO 2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, substomatal CO 2 concentration, transpiration rate, and photosynthetic apparatus damage (Fv/Fm). In addition, plant water balance was quantified by measuring water potential (Ψw), osmotic potential (Ψπ), and relative water content (RWC%). Finally, gene quantification was performed for three previously selected aquaporins ( PIP1–2, PIP2–2, and PIP2–5 ), which our laboratory has formerly associated with cold acclimation and, consequently, with tolerance. Cold temperatures lead to stomatal closure, reduced transpiration, and a significantly decreased osmotic potential (Ψπ), like what occurs under conditions of extreme drought, as the plant seeks to prevent water loss through transpiration. However, the stem water potential (Ψw) and relative water content (RWC) often remain at levels typical of actively growing plants under adequate irrigation conditions. Gene expression and physiological results suggests that plants grafted onto Carrizo citrange rootstock exhibit a better cold response and increased acclimation, leading to the overexpression of aquaporins PIP1–2 , PIP2–2 , and PIP2–5 .