Fracture fixation, then and now: When implants learn to heal.

Morphological identification and distribution of telocytes in testis and epididymis of Small-tailed Han sheep before and after sexual maturation.

Pathology-responsive light-triggered conjunctival adhesive implantable hydrogels for effective anti-scarring after glaucoma filtering surgery.

This paper critically reviews existing work in sensor-based emotional dysregulation monitoring to support caregivers of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A systematic literature search was conducted across six databases (Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, ACM Digital Library, Web of Science, and PubMed) covering publications from January 1, 2016, to September 30, 2025. Thirty-two studies met inclusion criteria, comprising 27 focused on sensor-based emotional dysregulation detection and 5 addressing intervention or support mechanisms. These studies suggest that sensor-based technologies have potential for continuous physiological monitoring, facilitating early detection and intervention to support emotional dysregulation episodes. Critical deficiencies were identified in real-time alerting capabilities, autonomous intervention deployment, self-regulation framework integration, system reliability, long-term sustainability, user interface design, and cross-environment scalability. There is a significant need to develop real-time emotion monitoring systems to empower caregivers in delivering timely, targeted interventions for individuals diagnosed with ASD. Future research should prioritise the development of real-time alert systems, autonomous intervention protocols, and solutions optimised for reliability, sustainability, usability, and adaptability across heterogeneous care settings.

Urinary chlorine at hospital admission as a predictor of diuretic resistance and clinical evolution in acute heart failure.

Cholestatic liver diseases (CLDs) are characterized by impaired bile acid (BA) homeostasis, chronic inflammation, and progressive fibrosis, for which effective pharmacological options remain limited. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) offers modest benefits and obeticholic acid (OCA) is constrained by tolerability issues, underscoring the need for novel therapeutics. This study evaluated the hepatoprotective effects and underlying mechanisms of Bruceine D (BD), a natural quassinoid compound, in murine models of cholestasis. Two complementary models were employed: Multidrug resistance protein 2 knockout (Mdr2-/-) mice and α-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced cholestasis. Serum biochemistry, histopathology, bile acid profiling, and ultrastructural analyses were performed to assess hepatocellular injury and fibrosis. Mechanistic studies included gene and protein expression analyses, functional FXR luciferase reporter assays with pharmacological antagonism, and in vitro hepatocyte assays to interrogate BA metabolism, inflammatory responses, and FXR-dependent signaling. BD significantly reduced alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (TBIL) in both models, whereas direct bilirubin (DBIL) remained unaffected. Histological analyses demonstrated marked attenuation of hepatocellular injury, bile duct proliferation, fibrosis, and macrophage infiltration. Notably, BD selectively suppressed classical BA synthesis enzymes (CYP7A1, CYP8B1, CYP27A1), while sparing CYP7B1 and major BA transporters. Quantitative BA profiling revealed a shift from hydrophobic, hepatotoxic species (CDCA, DCA, CA) toward hydrophilic and conjugated bile acids (TUDCA, TDCA, β-TMCA), accompanied by restoration of canalicular ultrastructure. BD attenuated inflammatory cytokines and chemokines and reduced fibrogenic responses. Mechanistically, BD functionally restored FXR signaling and reactivated the FXR-SHP-FGF15/19 feedback axis suppressed under cholestatic conditions. Short-term toxicological evaluation revealed no significant adverse effects in major organs. BD ameliorates cholestatic liver injury by selectively inhibiting classical BA synthesis, quantitatively remodeling the BA pool toward a less hepatotoxic profile, and suppressing inflammation and fibrosis through functional restoration of FXR-dependent feedback signaling. Its synthesis-centered mechanism and favorable short-term safety profile support BD as a promising therapeutic candidate for cholestatic liver diseases.

Family support and teacher support in Vietnamese math education: Gendered pathways through math anxiety to math achievement based on PISA 2022.

Recent advances in hydrogel therapy for traumatic brain injury.

Semi-degradable biomimetic double-layer small diameter vascular graft for arteriovenous fistula in large animals.

Spring ligament repair with and without augmentation demonstrates favorable outcomes in progressive collapsing flatfoot disorder: A systematic review.

Mantis shrimp saddle-mimetic amorphous calcium (zinc) phosphate/chitin scaffolds with superior mechanical properties and bioactivity for bone regeneration.

Lactate, a key metabolite of glycolysis in tumor cells, plays a dual role in cancer progression. On one hand, it contributes to the formation of an acidic tumor microenvironment that fosters tumorigenesis and malignancy. On the other, it promotes tumor progression through protein lactylation, a recently identified post-translational modification. Consequently, targeting lactate metabolism and lactylation represents a critical therapeutic method in oncology. Advances in nanomedicine have opened new possibilities for precise modulation of lactate metabolism. Nanomedicine-based strategies enable the regulation of lactate production, transport, and clearance, thereby offering effective tools for tumor suppression. Additionally, the lactate induced lactylation orchestrated by lactyl-CoA, lactyltransferases, and delactylases offer more refined targets for investigating approaches to inhibit tumor progression. In this review, we comprehensively summarize recent developments in nanomedicine-based strategies for lactate metabolism modulation and the mechanism of lactylation regulation. We suppose the design of multifunctional nanoplatforms capable of simultaneously regulating lactate levels and lactylation could integrate metabolic and epigenetic interventions to disrupt lactate-driven tumor support mechanisms precisely and effectively for advancing cancer treatment paradigms.

The rapid increase in the use of computerized systems in supply chains has revealed a significant number of cybersecurity weaknesses, particularly where large enterprises interact with their small-scale vendors. This paper examines the gaps and weaknesses in cybersecurity integration across different supply chain partners. Through qualitative analysis of existing literature, case studies, and industry frameworks, the research identifies the limitations of traditional compliance-based approaches, such as the fundamental restraints faced by small vendors, limited budgets, technical expertise, and cybersecurity awareness. The study proposes a tiered, partnership-oriented framework that reframes cybersecurity integration from punitive compliance requirements to collaborative support mechanisms for large enterprises and small-scale vendors. Key findings propose that successful integration requires (1) risk-based vendor categorization, (2) proportionate security requirements, (3) shared resource models, and (4) continuous relationship management. The paper concludes that the ability to withstand, recover from, or adapt to cyber-attacks and system failures in modern supply chains depends on transforming vendor relationships from transactional compliance to strategic partnerships, with large firms assuming greater responsibility for capability building across their extended digital ecosystem. Practical recommendations include developing scalable assessment tools, creating cybersecurity knowledge sharing platforms, and establishing clear governance structures that balance security requirements with vendor sustainability.

This review examines the profound psychosocial impacts of parental loss on children, focusing on the emotional, cognitive, and social challenges encountered during the grieving process. Parental loss is a traumatic event that triggers a range of responses, including depression, anxiety, academic decline, social isolation, and cognitive impairments. The study highlights the critical role of structured support mechanisms in facilitating healthy grief processing. Open communication, professional support, peer networks, and family solidarity are essential for mitigating the adverse effects of loss. Therapeutic approaches, such as open-ended questions, reflective listening, and age-appropriate interventions like play therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), family-based interventions, school-based programs, and grief camps, are effective in helping children express emotions and build resilience. These interventions address developmental differences, enabling children to process grief in a manner suited to their cognitive and emotional maturity. The review underscores the need for enhanced support systems, emphasizing the importance of educating parents, teachers, and mental health professionals about supporting grieving children. Cultural factors significantly influence grief responses, and further research into these dynamics is necessary to develop more effective, tailored interventions. In conclusion, comprehensive and individualized support is crucial to minimize the long-term negative impacts of parental loss. By fostering emotional expression, strengthening social support, and promoting psychological resilience, these interventions can help children navigate their grief and achieve long-term emotional well-being.

ABSTRACT Nature-based destinations are increasingly regarded as appropriate contexts for advancing sustainable tourism; however, demand-side segmentation approaches that explicitly incorporate sustainability dimensions remain limited. This study examines how tourists’ knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, and willingness to pay in relation to sustainability can be combined within a multidimensional segmentation framework. Based on survey data from 1188 tourists visiting a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Southern Europe, a Two-Step Cluster Analysis identifies three distinct segments: sustainable supporter tourists, individualistic tourists, and critical tourists. The results reveal a persistent attitude – behaviour gap. Although sustainability awareness and favourable attitudes are widespread, more than 70% of tourists across all segments are unwilling to pay more for sustainable options. Socioeconomic characteristics – particularly education, income, and age – emerge as stronger predictors of willingness to pay than pro-sustainability orientations alone. Notably, the introduction of fiscal incentives significantly increases willingness to pay, especially among sustainability-oriented tourists, underscoring the importance of extrinsic mechanisms in shaping economic support for sustainability initiatives. By empirically demonstrating how sustainability-based segmentation can inform demand-driven management strategies, this study contributes to the international literature on sustainable tourism. The findings offer transferable insights for protected and nature-based destinations, highlighting the need for differentiated policy approaches that combine economic incentives with communication and behavioural strategies to engage heterogeneous tourist segments.

Abstract Time synchronization performance of sensors determines the overall efficiency of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). A scientific topology can provide solid support for time synchronization mechanism. Traditional WSNs face the challenges of insufficient accuracy and excessive energy consumption. This paper proposes a time synchronization optimization algorithm based on constructing the nearest $K$-neighboring (NKN) network topology. First, the $\mathrm{k}$-means clustering method is employed to group all the nodes. Each node communicates with its $K$ nearest neighbors in one group. Then, a node identification mechanism is used to distinguish among reference nodes, neighborhood nodes and receiving nodes. Within each group, local time synchronization is achieved between receiving nodes and the reference node via two-way information exchange. Additionally, neighborhood nodes act as information gateways, forwarding synchronization data from reference nodes via the cross-domain interaction mechanism to achieve multi-region time synchronization. Experimental results show that the proposed topology requires less synchronization convergence time than some typical topologies. Compared with the classical time synchronization algorithm, the algorithm has higher synchronization accuracy and lower energy consumption.

ABSTRACT Information technology facilitates participation in various scientific tasks in the online communities of citizen science (CS) projects. Previous research suggests that the production of scientific knowledge is more robust when participants are engaged not only in the scientific activities of data collection, but also in data analysis. However, only few participants engage in data analysis. Although their motivation and attitudes might influence participants’ engagement, little is known about how motivation and attitudes are related to engagement in different scientific activities. Using latent profiles of engagement and multinomial logistic regression analysis of motivation and attitudes, we show that the influence of motivation and attitudes differs between the activities of data collection and data analysis. Intrinsic motivation and positive attitudes promoted active engagement in data collection, but had opposite effects in data analysis. These findings suggest that citizens’ engagement levels and the driving factors vary between different scientific activities. Implications highlight the need for different support strategies to enhance citizen participation in full scientific processes, and point to potential structural adjustments in CS project designs. This research underscores the importance of tailored motivational and support mechanisms to enhance citizen engagement in data analysis for better learning and a more robust knowledge production.

Passive thermal management systems that utilize phase change materials (PCMs) demonstrate significant potential in addressing the challenges of electronic overheating, but the low associated thermal conductivity and liquid PCM leakage hinder practical applications. Aerogel encapsulation can deal with these technical limitations, but the aerogels exhibit structural collapse under thermal-mechanical stress. In this study, a biomimetic honeycomb strategy is proposed for the fabrication of mechanically robust and thermally conductive honeycomb graphene/calcium alginate aerogels used in PCM encapsulation. The synergy associated with biomimetic structure and compositional strengthening delivers a honeycomb aerogel with a specific strength of 19.2 kN m kg-1 at 20% strain. The deposition of a continuous graphene layer on the honeycomb walls generates efficient thermal conductive pathways. Following paraffin encapsulation, the phase change composite demonstrates a post-phase-change compressive strength of 2.49 MPa, an enhanced thermal conductivity (4.18Wm-1K-1), and a high melting enthalpy (199.0 J g-1). The resultant composite exhibits a multifunctional synergy in mechanical support, thermal conduction, and heat storage. The proposed biomimetic honeycomb strategy can serve as a controllable and flexible approach to constructing aerogels with coupled mechanical robustness and multifunctional capabilities.

Despite global recognition of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), its endorsement in national policy, and the availability of dedicated funding, higher education institutions (HEIs) continue to engage with conceptual ambiguity and uneven patterns of SoTL development. In the Global South, this has prompted sustained reflection and sector-wide efforts to strengthen SoTL cultures. This paper reports on a qualitative, external multi-institutional benchmarking study involving SoTL coordinators from selected South African public universities who participated in a two-day reflective workshop to examine SoTL institutional cultures, support mechanisms, and programme goals. The study is framed by John Biggs’ notion of the Reflexive Institution (RI) and Margaret Archer’s Social Realism (SR). A basic search commenced in 2023 with a desktop review of institutional SoTL websites and targeted email enquiries. Insights from this preliminary phase informed the purposive selection of HEIs with well-established SoTL programmes, whose representatives subsequently convened to explore the SoTL cultures within their respective contexts. Findings indicate that the institutionalisation of SoTL in South African HEIs reflects significant variation shaped by differing contexts and resource conditions. These variations, the paper argues, are less signs of conceptual confusion than adaptive responses that foster reflective practice and strengthen faculty agency. However, without a coherent strategy, embedded structures, and sustained resourcing, SoTL risks remaining peripheral to disciplinary research. The paper contributes to sectoral efforts to motivate new theoretical insights and transformative practices that advance SoTL in ways that are both impactful and locally relevant.

Abstract Coastal towns are becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate-induced hazards such as storm surges and coastal floods. These hazards lead to the destruction of critical infrastructure, social stability, and livelihoods. In response, researchers, practitioners, and policy makers have emphasised the need for sustainable financing to address the impact of climate-induced hazards in at-risk communities. Yet little scholarly attention has been given to the mechanisms deployed at both household and institutional levels to cope with and recover from the impact of climate-induced hazards. This study examines the impact of storm surges in coastal communities in Ghana and explores various mechanisms deployed to finance household coping mechanisms. The paper employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative data with quantitative data from household surveys, to assess the socioeconomic impact of storm surges. Results reveal that 78% of respondents experienced significant income losses, with 57% reporting school dropout among dependents and 26% expressing concerns about food insecurity. Property damage, especially to housing and fishing gear, has severely affected livelihoods. Despite available climate finance mechanisms, only 16% identified government support during crises, while 54% sought assistance from informal networks like friends and family. Systemic challenges, including inefficient bureaucratic processes and inadequate institutional capacity, hinder effective climate financial assistance and other support mechanisms. The study suggests prioritising sustainable recovery initiatives, strengthening local institutional capacity, and integrating climate funding into community-based strategies to enhance resilience, ultimately contributing to a better understanding of climate resilience and offering actionable recommendations for foreign donors, NGOs, and policymakers to support Ghana's coastal communities.