Explore the vast range of titles available.

Medically underserved people with type 2 diabetes mellitus face limited access to group-based diabetes care, placing them at risk for poor disease control and complications. Immersive technology and telemedicine solutions could bridge this gap. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of diabetes medical group visits (DMGVs) delivered in an immersive telemedicine platform versus an in-person (IP) setting and establish the noninferiority of the technology-enabled approach for changes in hemoglobin A (HbA ) and physical activity (measured in metabolic equivalent of task [MET]) at 6 months. This study is a noninferiority randomized controlled trial conducted from February 2017 to December 2019 at an urban safety net health system and community health center. We enrolled adult women (aged ≥18 years) who self-reported African American or Black race or Hispanic or Latina ethnicity and had type 2 diabetes mellitus and HbA ≥8%. Participants attended 8 weekly DMGVs, which included diabetes self-management education, peer support, and clinician counseling using a culturally adapted curriculum in English or Spanish. In-person participants convened in clinical settings, while virtual world (VW) participants met remotely via an avatar-driven, 3D VW linked to video teleconferencing. Follow-up occurred 6 months post enrollment. Primary outcomes were mean changes in HbA and physical activity at 6 months, with noninferiority margins of 0.7% and 12 MET-hours, respectively. Secondary outcomes included changes in diabetes distress and depressive symptoms. Of 309 female participants (mean age 55, SD 10.6 years; n=195, 63% African American or Black; n=105, 34% Hispanic or Latina; n=151 IP; and n=158 in VW), 207 (67%) met per-protocol criteria. In the intention-to-treat analysis, we confirmed noninferiority for primary outcomes. We found similar improvements in mean HbA by group at 6 months (IP: -0.8%, SD 1.9%; VW: -0.5%, SD 1.8%; mean difference 0.3, 97.5% CI -∞ to 0.3; P<.001). However, there were no detectable improvements in physical activity (IP: -6.5, SD 43.6; VW: -9.6, SD 44.8 MET-hours; mean difference -3.1, 97.5% CI -6.9 to ∞; P=.02). The proportion of participants with significant diabetes distress and depressive symptoms at 6 months decreased in both groups. In this noninferiority randomized controlled trial, immersive telemedicine was a noninferior platform for delivering diabetes care, eliciting comparable glycemic control improvement, and enhancing patient engagement, compared to IP DMGVs. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02726425; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02726425.

The generic term “melanin“ describes a black pigment of biological origin, although some melanins can be brown or even yellow. The pigment is characterized as a heterogenic polymer of phenolic or indolic nature, and the classification of eu-, pheo- and allo- melanin is broadly accepted. This classification is based on the chemical composition of the monomer subunit structure of the pigment. Due to the high heterogeneity of melanins, their analytical characterization can be a challenging task. In the present work, we synthesized the current information about the analytical methods which can be applied in melanin analysis workflow, from extraction and purification to high-throughput methods, such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass-spectrometry or pyrolysis gas chromatography. Our thorough comparative evaluation of analytical data published so far on melanin analysis has proven to be a difficult task in terms of finding equivalent results, even when the same matrix was used. Moreover, we emphasize the importance of prior knowledge of melanin types and properties in order to select a valid experimental design using analytical methods that are able to deliver reliable results and draw consistent conclusions.

This paper explores the value of imperfections and curated decay in the conservation of architecture and public art as vehicles of cultural memory. While conventional heritage practice treats physical degradation as a threat, newer conservation ethics argue for embracing material impermanence within an aesthetics of care. We examine how acknowledging patina, weathering, and even structural decline can become an act of care, maintaining the “spirit” and authenticity of a place. The theoretical framework integrated the aesthetics of imperfection, including concepts like the Japanese wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in the incomplete and impermanent, critical heritage theory (which questions whose memories and values are preserved or excluded) and cultural memory studies (notably Nora’s notion of lieux de mémoire, where material sites become symbolic elements of communal memory). Methodologically, the article is grounded by two case-study video essays, Imperfections (Genoa) and Scars (Nicosia), as instruments of research, which provide visual analyses of decayed architectural environments. These examples illustrate how curated decay can transform abandoned buildings and war-scarred urban zones into powerful mnemonic devices, provoking reflection on history, identity and the ethics of preservation. Despite extensive theorisation of patina/age-value and curated decay, recent heritage debates offer limited operational criteria for distinguishing intentional curated decay from unmanaged neglect in lived urban conservation contexts. Drawing on ethics and aesthetics of care, this article asks if and how care can be operationalised into a decision framework for urban conservation and tests this framework through two selected buildings: Albergo dei Poveri (Genoa) and Home for Cooperation (Nicosia). The authors argue that caring for heritage does not always mean restoring it to an as-new state; curating ageing and traces of time can support remembrance, resilience, and reconciliation, enriching heritage’s role in future urban imaginaries.

The emergence of bacterial resistance has motivated researchers to discover new antibacterial agents. Nowadays, fluoroquinolones keep their status as one of the essential classes of antibacterial agents. The new generations of fluoroquinolones are valuable therapeutic tools with a spectrum of activity, including Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and atypical bacteria. This review article surveys the design of fluoroquinolone hybrids with other antibacterial agents or active compounds and underlines the new hybrids’ antibacterial properties. Antibiotic fluoroquinolone hybrids have several advantages over combined antibiotic therapy. Thus, some challenges related to joining two different molecules are under study. Structurally, the obtained hybrids may contain a cleavable or non-cleavable linker, an essential element for their pharmacokinetic properties and mechanism of action. The design of hybrids seems to provide promising antibacterial agents helpful in the fight against more virulent and resistant strains. These hybrid structures have proven superior antibacterial activity and less susceptibility to bacterial resistance than the component molecules. In addition, fluoroquinolone hybrids have demonstrated other biological effects such as anti-HIV, antifungal, antiplasmodic/antimalarial, and antitumor activity. Many fluoroquinolone hybrids are in various phases of clinical trials, raising hopes that new antibacterial agents will be approved shortly.

Maritime transport is one of the main activities of the blue economy, which plays an important role in the EU. In this paper, we aim to assess the impact of maritime transport, related investment, and air pollution on economic growth within 20 countries of the European Union, using eight panel data regression models from 2007 to 2018. Our results confirm that maritime transport, air pollutants (NOx and SO2) from maritime transport, and investment in maritime port infrastructure are indeed positively correlated with economic growth. In other words, an increase of 10% in these factors has generated an associated increase in economic growth rate of around 1.6%, 0.4%, 0.8%, and 0.7% respectively. Alongside the intensity of economic maritime activities, pollution is positively correlated with economic growth, and thus it is recommended that policymakers and other involved stakeholders act to diminish environmental impacts in this sector using green investment in port infrastructure and ecological ships, in accordance with the current European trends and concerns.

Mid-century Brutalist buildings are frequently documented as objects of form, yet their contested reception and lived memory are less often addressed in architectural education. This article analyses the results of an interdisciplinary experiment centred on McMahon Hall during the summer school Rhetorical Machine + the Hyperlocal at the University of Washington. The method pairs UAV and close-range photogrammetry with a retrieval-augmented, persona-based generative AI workflow to produce a polyvocal narrative grounded in curated site-specific sources. The article argues that this combined method offers a transferable pedagogical model through which students can document both the measurable and intangible dimensions of the built environment while developing technical, interpretive, and ethical competencies.

Hydrogels represent 3D polymeric networks specially designed for various medical applications. Due to their porous structure, they are able to swollen and to entrap large amounts of therapeutic agents and other molecules. In addition, their biocompatibility and biodegradability properties, together with a controlled release profile, make hydrogels a potential drug delivery system. In vivo studies have demonstrated their effectiveness as curing platforms for various diseases and affections. In addition, the results of the clinical trials are very encouraging and promising for the use of hydrogels as future target therapy strategies.

McMahon Hall, an iconic Brutalist dormitory at the University of Washington, has become the site of an interdisciplinary experiment in cultural memory and machine-assisted storytelling. This article presents a method that combines remote sensing with AI-generated voices to produce a polyvocal narrative of architecture through the perspective of the building itself, its material (concrete), an architect, a journalist, and a bird. Drone photogrammetry and generated 3D models were combined with generative AI (text, image, and voice) to reconstruct the site digitally and imaginatively (AI-driven speculative narratives). Through speculative storytelling, the article and the project explore how cultural memory and perception of built heritage can be augmented by machines, offering plural perspectives that challenge singular historical narratives. The Introduction situates the work at the intersection of digital heritage documentation, AI storytelling, epistemology in machine learning, and spatial computing, emphasizing the perception of heritage through different actors. The Theoretical Framework draws on literature in photogrammetry for heritage preservation, polyvocal narrative, and knowledge frameworks of AI. The Materials and Methods detail the workflow: capturing McMahon Hall via UAV photogrammetry, producing a 3D model, and generating character-driven narratives with large language models and voice synthesis. The resulting multi-voiced narrative and its thematic insights are described. In the Discussion, the implications of this approach for architectural heritage interpretation are considered, including its capacity to amplify diverse voices and the risks of bias or hyperreality in AI-generated narratives. The study argues that this polyvocal, machine-augmented storytelling expands the toolkit of remote sensing and digital heritage by not only documenting the tangible form of the built environment but also speculating on its intangible cultural memory. The Conclusions reflect on how merging spatial computing techniques with AI narratives can support new modes of engagement with architecture, positioning this work as a building block toward richer human-machine co-created heritage experiences.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the percent of inorganic filler by weight (wt. %) and by volume (vol. %) of 11 flowable resin composites (FRCs) and their mechanical properties. To establish the correlation, the quantity of inorganic filler was determined by combustion and shape/size analyzed by SEM images. The compressive strength (CS), flexural strength (FS), and flexural modulus (FM) were determined. The CS values were between 182.87-310.38 MPa, the FS values ranged between 59.59 and 96.95 MPa, and the FM values were between 2.34 and 6.23 GPa. The percentage of inorganic filler registered values situated between 52.25 and 69.64 wt. % and 35.35 and 53.50 vol. %. There was a very good correlation between CS, FS, and FM vs. the inorganic filler by wt. % and vol. %. (R2 = 0.8899–0.9483). The highest regression was obtained for the FM values vs. vol. %. SEM images of the tested FRCs showed hybrid inorganic filler for Filtek Supreme XT (A3) and StarFlow (A2) and a homogeneous type of inorganic filler for the other investigated materials. All of the FS values were above 50 MPa, the ISO 4049/2019 limit for FRCs.

Background and Objectives: Serum biomarker discovery in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a critical unmet need, as over 80% of patients present with unresectable disease. Serum proteomics offers a promising approach for identifying circulating biomarkers associated with early-stage disease; however, clinical translation has been limited by inconsistent validation and the absence of clinically relevant comparator populations. Materials and Methods: We performed a discovery-phase study using data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry-based serum proteomics in 35 patients with resectable, non-metastatic PDAC and 34 non-cancer controls without hepato-biliary-pancreatic disease. Following quality filtering (≥80% detection threshold), 407 proteins were retained for analysis. Differential abundance was assessed using Welch’s t-test with Benjamini–Hochberg correction (FDR < 0.01, |FC| ≥ 1.5). Diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and logistic regression with repeated stratified 5-fold cross-validation (100 repetitions) and bootstrap resampling (1000 iterations). Functional enrichment analysis was performed using g:Profiler. Results: Ninety proteins were significantly altered in PDAC (50 increased, 40 decreased). Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H3 (ITIH3) demonstrated the highest individual diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.90), followed by coagulation factor XIII A chain (F13A1; AUC = 0.89) and ferritin light chain (FTL; AUC = 0.86). Functional enrichment revealed significant overrepresentation of secretory granule lumen components (adjusted p = 0.001) and complement/coagulation pathways (adjusted p < 0.001). An enrichment-guided three-protein panel (ITIH3, F13A1, and FTL) achieved an AUC of 0.98 (95% CI: 0.95–1.00), with a cross-validated mean AUC of 0.96, sensitivity of 83% (95% CI: 66.4–93.4%), and specificity of 100% (95% CI: 89.7–100%) within the discovery cohort. Conclusions: This discovery-phase study identifies a biologically coherent serum protein signature enriched for secretory granule lumen components in resectable PDAC. The three-protein panel demonstrates strong internal validation performance; however, these estimates may be optimistic due to feature selection performed prior to cross-validation. External validation in independent cohorts—including chronic pancreatitis controls and parallel CA19-9 assessment—will be essential to determine clinical applicability.