Research works

A Multinational Study of Orientation-Aware Deep Learning for Automated Detection of Retained Roots and Periodontal Bone Loss

Introduction and aims Accurate radiographic assessment of retained roots (RR) and periodontally compromised teeth (PCT) are critical for dental diagnosis. This study aimed to develop and evaluate deep learning models for the automated detection and classification of these patholo...

Capillary hemangioma of the breast presenting as a new mass on screening mammography: A case report with imaging-pathology correlation

Capillary hemangioma of the breast is a rare benign vascular lesion that may be detected as a new mass at screening mammography. We report a 74-year-old asymptomatic woman with a newly developed 0.7-cm mass in the posterior left breast. Diagnostic mammography showed an oval, equa...

Effects of slackline training on trunk muscle endurance, dynamic balance, and physical performance in young adults: a randomized controlled trial

This study aimed to investigate the effects of slackline training on trunk muscle endurance, dynamic balance, and physical performance parameters in young adults. Forty participants were randomly assigned to the slackline group or a control group. The slackline group completed 18...

Motivational mechanism underlying parents’ curricular orientation in preschool education: Insights from expectancy-value theory

The decisions parents make regarding the types of content areas they prioritize in their child’s education are influenced by deeper motivational factors that are rooted in their own expectations and values. Guided by expectancy-value theory, this cross-sectional study identified...

A quality improvement initiative to improve glycemic control across four family and community medicine centers in the Armed Forces Hospitals Southern Region, Saudi Arabia

In Q1 2023, poorly controlled T2DM (HbA1c > 9%) affected 11–20% of patients across four Family and Community Medicine (FCM) Centers of the Armed Forces Hospital Southern Region (AFHSR); two centers already exceeded the Ministry of Defense Health Services (MODHS) benchmark of < 15...

Characterizing concrete lining damage in underground high-pressure hydrogen storage lined rock caverns with validated numerical models

Large-scale underground high-pressure hydrogen storage is critical for low-carbon energy transition, while lined rock caverns (LRCs) are the core infrastructure for high-pressure hydrogen and compressed air energy storage. Severe tensile damage of concrete lining under 10–20 MPa...

A high-resolution stalagmite record of hydrological drought in northern China around 6.6 ka BP

The Holocene Climatic Optimum was punctuated by significant decadal-to centennial-scale climate variability, despite its overall warm and humid conditions. However, the spatiotemporal patterns and underlying dynamics of these fluctuations, particularly in the northern fringe of t...

Medical students’ experiences of clinical assessment in teaching hospitals affiliated with Lorestan University of Medical Sciences: a qualitative content analysis

Clinical assessment plays a central role in developing medical students’ clinical competence and professional identity. However, students’ experiences of clinical assessment remain insufficiently understood, particularly in resource-constrained teaching hospitals. This study expl...

Mind the gap: Estimating misreporting and unreported artisanal landings of the overexploited Chilean hake (Merluccius gayi gayi)

The Chilean hake ( Merluccius gayi gayi ) fishery is a socio-economically important component of the artisanal sector, yet the stock remains chronically depleted despite increasingly stringent management. A key obstacle to recovery is the pervasive uncertainty in fishing mortalit...

Manganese-modified biochar enhances white-rot fungi-mediated lignocellulose humification: insights from molecular transformation and multi-omics analyses

Humic substance formation is essential for soil health, yet natural humification is slow, and synthetic production is often inefficient. White-rot fungi (WRF)-mediated lignocellulose humification shows potential but is limited by slow substrate degradation. Given the high biocata...

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of cracked posterior teeth among adult patients referred to selected endodontic centres in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Cracked posterior teeth represent a persistent diagnostic and therapeutic challenge in dental practice. When undetected, crack propagation may result in pulpal and periapical complications. Epidemiological data on cracked teeth in Saudi and Middle Eastern populations remain limit...

The liver-heart-lung axis in pulmonary arterial hypertension: bidirectional mechanisms, prognostic biomarkers, and clinical integration

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is increasingly recognized as a systemic disorder. Liver involvement in PAH is common, ranging from subclinical cholestatic abnormalities and impaired synthetic function to congestive hepatopathy and cardiac cirrhosis, and these changes close...

Anxiety state-related task disengagement varies with trait anxiety

Cognitively demanding tasks are often perceived as costly, leading to effort avoidance, particularly in populations with motivational impairments. Research on anxiety and cognitive effort are mixed: some suggest anxiety increases effort cost, while others indicate it can motivate...

UDSQ: a secure and efficient user-defined dynamic skyline query in online medical diagnosis

With the rapid development of information technology, online medical diagnosis services have become increasingly prevalent. These services improve healthcare accessibility for patients in regions with limited medical resources. However, online medical diagnosis still faces signif...

Integrating physiological and proteomics signatures for understanding drought, salinity and alkalinity stress tolerance mechanisms in lentil

Abiotic stresses—such as drought, salinity, and alkalinity severely limit global lentil production by impairing physiological processes including osmolytes accumulation, chlorophyll synthesis, H 2 O 2 production and antioxidant activities. However, no proteomic signature studies...

Selecting the myopic target for an enhanced monofocal IOL in highly myopic eyes: -2.0 D versus − 3.0 D

To determine the optimal myopic target refraction for enhanced monofocal IOL implantation in highly myopic cataract patients. A retrospective comparative study was conducted in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, China. Cataract patients with axial length (AL) ≥ 26 mm who underwent phac...

Reliability-aware dual-representation DCE-MRI segmentation with disagreement-guided quality control for breast tumor delineation

Automated breast tumor segmentation on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) may support quantitative imaging analysis, but case-level segmentation failures remain a concern in heterogeneous multicenter data. We evaluated a reliability-aware dual-represen...

Hydration sequence controls polymer-induced water repellency and hydraulic response in illite-rich clay

Although geomaterial hydrophobisation is well established, the role of hydration sequence in polymer-induced water repellency of illite-rich clay remains insufficiently constrained. A butyl-acetate-assisted polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) formulation was applied to a multi-mineral il...

Numerical investigation of heat transfer performance in a segmentally baffled shell-and-tube heat exchanger using Di- and tri-hybrid nanofluids: a comparative analysis of round and twisted tube arrangements

The growing global energy demand requires compact heat exchangers with high thermal performance and low pumping-power requirements. Shell-and-tube heat exchangers (STHXs) are widely used in industrial thermal systems, while baffles, twisted tubes, and hybrid nanofluids (HNFs) are...

Engineered nickel foam dual-function electrode optimised electron transfer and biohydrogen evolution in single chambers microbial electrolysis cells

The widespread deployment of microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) for sustainable H 2 production is critically hindered by the reliance on costly platinum-based electrodes. Herein, we develop a ferric oxyhydroxide-intercalated cobalt phosphide composite supported on nickel foam (F...