Research works

Probable sarcopenia, depressive symptoms, and nutritional status as independent predictors of dysphagia risk in community-dwelling older adults

Abstract Background Dysphagia is a critical geriatric syndrome associated with an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and mortality in older adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) parameter...

A Comparative Review and Benchmarking Evaluation of Step Detection Methods for Longitudinal Gait Assessment

Gait analysis based on inertial measurement units (IMUs) enables scalable longitudinal gait assessment, with step detection as a foundational component. However, an understanding of available step detection methods and their comparative performance across sensor placements, clini...

Application of Emerging Technologies for Effective Job Performance by Business Educators in Rivers State Universities

The study investigated application of emerging technologies for effective job performance by Business Educators in Rivers State Universities. The study was carried out in Rivers State. Three specific objectives were posed, three research questions were answered and three null hyp...

Introducing the Peace Observatory: Peace Negotiations and Mediation in Armed Conflicts

This article introduces the Peace Observatory, a new global dataset that captures over 10,000 rounds of peace negotiations in interstate, intrastate, and non-state conflicts between 1989 and 2023 with regular updates planned for additional years. The Peace Observatory disaggregat...

LAGS-YOLO: An End-to-End Low-Light Vehicle Detection Model with Luminance-Adaptive Glare Suppression

Vehicle detection under low-light conditions is a critical component of visual perception for Level 3+ autonomous vehicles. Under low-light conditions, existing detection methods are unable to simultaneously enhance illumination in dark areas and suppress overexposure from strong...

Efficacy of Buccal Infiltration of 4% Articaine in Therapeutic Extraction of Maxillary Premolars - A Comparative Study

Abstract Introduction: Pain, being an unpleasant emotional experience, has been the focus of all treatments since time immemorial. The administration of palatal anaesthesia is rated as one of the most painful injections in dentistry. The aim of the present study was to validate w...

Use of plasma chromogranin a epitopes vasostatin and catestatin as biomarkers for catecholamine-producing tumours in dogs

Abstract Background Differentiation of catecholamine-producing tumours from other adrenal tumours remains difficult. Chromogranin A (CgA) is a marker for catecholamine secretion in the body. An assay for quantification of the CgA epitopes vasostatin and catestatin has been valida...

Coupling hydrothermal carbonization and anaerobic digestion for cooking plantain peel valorization: enhanced methane production and soil carbon dynamics

The valorization of cooking plantain ( Musa paradisiaca ) peel biomass (MPB) remains underexplored despite its abundance and nutrient-rich composition. This study evaluated an integrated hydrothermal carbonization (HTC)–anaerobic digestion (AD) approach for MPB valorization, targ...

Immune-related gene expression links anxiety, depression, and pain outcomes in adolescence

Abstract Background: Chronic pain and internalising disorders such as anxiety and depression frequently co-occur during adolescence. Although prospective associations between internalising symptoms and later pain have been reported previously, the biological mechanisms underlying...

Research on Disturbance Control of Electro-Hydraulic Servo Systems Based on Fractional-Order Sliding Mode Control

To improve the disturbance rejection performance of valve-controlled cylinder electro-hydraulic servo systems under external disturbances and load variations, this paper proposes a fractional-order sliding mode control (FOSMC) strategy. A system model with dual-inertia compensati...

Catalytic Metal–Organic Framework Membranes: Advances in Electrocatalysis, Photocatalysis, and Thermocatalysis

Metal–organic framework (MOF) membranes combine the structural designability of MOFs with a continuous membrane architecture that integrates reactant enrichment, active-site accessibility, and product separation. This review surveys catalytic MOF membranes reported from 2016 to 2...

IgG4-related lesion of the retroperitoneum, ureter, and kidney, mimicking infiltrating endometriosis

Urinary tract endometriosis is rare, and ureteral involvement is particularly insidious due to its asymptomatic nature. The absence of symptoms can lead to ureteral stricture, hydronephrosis, chronic kidney disease up to end-stage renal failure, and irreversible loss of kidney fu...

Unsuccessful Lysogen Formation for Subcluster C1 Phage, Cleatunium

We present negative experimental data on attempts to raise lysogens for phage Cleatunium, a subcluster C1 phage isolated using Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155

Correlation of Proprioception with Functional and Patient-Reported Measures in Knee Osteoarthritis: An Observational Study Protocol

Introduction Proprioceptive deficits alter neuromuscular control, potentially worsening disability in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Impaired proprioception can impact motor performance, especially goal-directed movements. The present study aims to examine the correlation between pro...

Direct Measurements and Analysis of Catalyst Diffusion and Reaction Fronts in Chemically Amplified Resists

Abstract The propagation of both catalyst diffusion and reaction fronts in a polymeric chemically amplified resist (CAR) is evaluated by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) depth profiling, and is compared with the propagation of catalyst diffusion fronts in...

Plant invasions threaten a critically imperiled inland salt marsh ecosystem

Abstract Inland salt marshes (ISM) form in non-arid regions when mineral soil is infiltrated by salt-saturated groundwater that rises to the surface in natural saltwater springs or seeps. ISMs were historically found across the eastern USA but presently the few remaining intact a...

Effects of Structured Functional Turning Practice Within a Time-Matched Exercise Program on Functional Mobility, Gait Speed, and Balance in Early-Stage Parkinson’s Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background/Objectives: Turning frequently precipitates falls in Parkinson’s disease (PD) but is rarely trained systematically. We examined whether replacing part of a conventional exercise session with structured turning practice improves functional mobility, gait speed, and bala...

Decreased precipitation frequency increases nitrogen loss across degraded grasslands in a two-year mesocosm experiment

Soil inorganic nitrogen (N) is frequently lost from grasslands through gaseous emissions and leaching, both strongly regulated by precipitation, reducing soil nutrient availability and influencing offsite environments. Amid declining precipitation frequency and widespread grassla...

A comprehensive scientific overview of cement stabilization additives for oil wells

Abstract Additives play a fundamental role in the cementing of oil wells by enhancing the physical and chemical properties of cement slurries. Thus, this study conducts a bibliometric analysis of scientific articles on oil well cementing over recent decades. The bibliometric anal...

Naming Nature: Exploring the Flexibility of Ethnoclassifications of Mammals in Guinea-Bissau

Naming non-human beings enables humans to relate to and establish relationships with different organisms, and is a way of classifying the world around them. Understanding how different groups of people carry out ethnoclassifications of non-human animals is important for establish...