Abstract: The establishment of wave mechanics theory in microwave absorption research carries significance that transcends mere error correction. While refuting impedance matching theory eliminates false explanatory frameworks, the deeper contribution of wave mechanics theory lies in fundamentally redirecting research methodology and objectives. This essay argues that the true value of wave mechanics theory emerges not from what it negates—the impedance matching framework, the treatment of return loss (RL) as material property, the attribution of film thickness effects to material structure—but from what it enables: a reoriented research paradigm that investigates optimal relationships between complex permittivity, complex permeability, frequency response characteristics, and microwave absorption performance. The profound contribution of wave mechanics theory is methodological: it transforms microwave absorption research from a descriptive cataloging of material structures into a rigorous investigation of how material composition and structural design influence the frequency response characteristics of electromagnetic properties. This reorientation represents the genuine theoretical advancement that the field requires.

Abstract: Since its inception in the 19th century, the concept of ecology has continuously expanded in scope—from individual organisms to the biosphere—and deepened in focus, shifting from organism-environment interactions to the structures and functions of ecosystems. As an interdisciplinary concept prone to controversy and revision, ecology plays a pivotal role in advancing ecological civilization. However, the absence of a mechanism-based and time-appropriate definition has hindered the integration of cross-hierarchical research and the response to practical demands amid global environmental changes. This paper briefly reviews the origin and evolutionary context of the ecology concept and identifies the limitations of previous definitions. It then elaborates on the essence of ecology, and proposes an updated redefinition: Ecology explores the structures and functions (material cycling and energy flow) of the bio-hierarchy (total ecosystems), which is co-shaped by information-mediated feedback regulation between organisms and their biotic and abiotic environments, self-organization and structuralization, as well as human-nature coupling, and provides theoretical foundation and practical solutions for the harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. Finally, the paper outlines future research directions centered on establishing a unified, cross-hierarchical ecological theoretical framework to support ecological civilization construction and global eco-environmental governance.

Abstract: SHANK3-related disorder within the Phelan-McDermid syndrome spectrum is clinically heterogeneous and commonly includes severe expressive language impairment, hypotonia, motor coordination difficulties, sensory features, sleep disturbance, reduced pain expression, and regression in a subset of affected individuals. However, a potential dystonic contribution to expressive language impairment, orofacial dysfunction, other motor abnormalities, and illness-associated functional deterioration has not been systematically examined. Case Presentation: We report a 7-year-old girl whose early presentation was dominated by severe expressive language delay. Receptive communication, social reciprocity and practical problem-solving appeared substantially stronger than expressive output suggested. Longitudinal features included fine-motor incoordination, toe walking, intermittent atypical hand movements, sensory reactivity, overload-associated dysregulation and prolonged mouthing/oral exploration of objects. During febrile illness in March 2025, she developed painful gait deterioration, continuous toe walking, dystonic hand posturing and worsening orofacial motor function. Low-dose levodopa was initiated because dopa-responsive dystonia or a related dopaminergic disorder was clinically considered. Following initiation of levodopa, improvements were observed across several functional domains that had shown only slow progress or prolonged plateau phases during the preceding years. Short-read whole-genome sequencing identified a heterozygous pathogenic SHANK3 frameshift variant, NM_001372044.2:c.3904dup, with the predicted protein consequence NP_001358973.1:p.(Ala1302fs). With continued levodopa and later trihexyphenidyl, further gains were observed across gait stability, orofacial control, spoken language output, sensory tolerance and functional participation; the previously persistent mouthing/oral exploration was no longer observed after dopaminergic treatment had been established. Conclusion: Across neurodevelopmental disorders of diverse genetic aetiology and across age groups, the co-occurrence of marked expressive language impairment, orofacial dysfunction, and fine- or gross-motor abnormalities should prompt targeted assessment for dystonia or another movement disorder. Such motor manifestations may represent a convergent and potentially modifiable component of the clinical phenotype, including previously unrecognized impairment of speech-motor control. The multidomain improvement observed following initiation of levodopa in this case of SHANK3-related disorder was clinically meaningful and hypothesis-generating and warrants prospective investigation.

Abstract: Osteoporosis is a major skeletal disorder. Increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiota-derived mechanisms may contribute to bone remodeling. The biological rationale for a gut–bone axis is well supported, but the clinical relevance of microbiome-targeted interventions remains uncertain. In this narrative review, we focus on prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics. We searched in the literature the progress from mechanistic observations to measurable skeletal outcomes in humans. We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for literature published mainly between 2021 and 2026. We included also earlier studies when they were important for the mechanistic framework. The evidence was evaluated according to intervention type and outcome. We focused on bone turnover markers, bone mineral density, and the duration of exposure required for these outcomes to become clinically meaningful. Recent randomized trials and meta-analyses were also compared in a semi-quantitative synthesis to show where findings are consistent and where they remain conflicting.

Abstract: The parallel evolution of agenda-setting and gatekeeping theory constitutes one of the most consequential intellectual trajectories in communication studies, yet the two traditions have developed largely in isolation from each other despite their deep functional interdependence. This paper undertakes a critical, integrative review of both traditions across the period 2000 to 2025, a quarter-century defined by the migration of public discourse from institutionally controlled media environments to algorithmically mediated digital platforms. Drawing on a structured synthesis of peer-reviewed scholarship, including the landmark platform-experiment literature of 2021–2025, the paper traces the transformation of gatekeeping from a process enacted by identifiable human decision-makers within institutional hierarchies to a distributed, computationally governed phenomenon in which algorithms, platform architectures, and user behaviors jointly determine the visibility of information. Simultaneously, it examines the reconfiguration of agenda-setting from a linear transfer of salience between media institutions and mass publics to a recursive, networked process shaped by personalization technologies, platform-specific affordances, and the fragmentation of formerly unified audiences into algorithmically constituted micro-publics. The paper introduces the concept of salience agency as an integrative meta-theoretical framework capable of capturing the convergence of gatekeeping and agenda-setting within contemporary communication systems. It argues that the algorithmic mediation of information visibility represents not merely a technological augmentation of existing communicative processes but a structural transformation that demands new theoretical vocabularies, new empirical methodologies, and new normative commitments. Implications for communication scholarship, media management, regulatory policy, and democratic governance are discussed, and priorities for future research are identified.

Abstract: We propose least surprisal as an inferential principle for recovering physical laws. Just as least action selects a history given a Lagrangian, accumulated surprisal selects the Lagrangian given a displacement from a reference.

Abstract: Matter, energy, and information, on the one hand, and the interplay between natural selection and self-organization, on the other, have given rise to modules, which constitute the fundamental units of interaction, organization, and function, as well as the primary targets of natural selection throughout chemical, biological, and cultural evolution. Based on the forms of structural information that enable their emergence, modules can be classified into huit types: (a) chemical modules (l) genetic and epigenetic modules, (c) cell, (d) neural, (f) mental modules, (g) moduloma (m) and affordance modules (n). Through interactions among modules and between modules and their environment, semantic (meaningful) modular information emerges. It is this semantic information that enables modules to acquire and maintain stability as both physical and abstract entities. The emergence and persistence of both material and immaterial (abstract) modules occur only at a specific point in time, when structural information is matched with the corresponding energy. This relationship is described by the law of modular stability. Modules acquire and preserve stability when the structural information responsible for establishing the relationships among the elements of their structure, considered as systems, corresponds to the energy required to maintain those relationships, while semantic modular information reaches its maximum value. One of the principal implications of this law is that the creative role of natural selection and modular stability is expressed primarily during the first stage of module formation, when the module is established as a replicator, rather than during the second stage, when it functions as an interactor and its fitness is determined.

Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly being integrated into university curricula, yet quantitative indicators of AI use reveal little about how learners use AI as a learning resource or what educational outcomes follow. This cross-sectional study of 212 university students enrolled in AI-integrated courses examined the associations of AI literacy, instructor feedback, the proportion of in-class AI use, and total weekly AI use time with self-perceived cognitive learning outcomes, measured across the six cognitive processes of the revised Bloom's taxonomy (remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create). Confirmatory factor analyses supported largely acceptable multidimensional and higher-order structures for self-perceived cognitive learning outcomes and AI literacy, although discriminant validity between some factors was limited. A regression model with the four predictors explained 46.3% of the variance in overall self-perceived cognitive learning outcomes (R²=.463). When all predictors were considered simultaneously, only AI literacy showed a significant positive association (B=.615, 95% CI [.475, .754], p< .001); instructor feedback and the two AI use indicators did not. AI literacy remained significantly associated with all six cognitive domains after Benjamini–Hochberg correction. These findings suggest that universities should distinguish the quantity of AI use from learners' capacity to understand, evaluate, and self-regulate their use of AI.

Abstract: Compact development is often treated as a low-carbon strategy, yet high-density cities may face new carbon pressures as vertical development, agglomeration, and cross-district commuting intensify. This study examines Taipei using 27,239 100 m × 100 m grid cells and 1980–2025 data integrating Historical GIS, remote sensing, official LOD1 building models, energy statistics, and anonymized commuting origin–destination data. XGBoost, TreeSHAP, multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR), CASA, and network analysis served as complementary instruments. The carbon-emission compound annual growth rates of existing built-up cells were 2.994% in the historic western districts and 2.890% in the emerging eastern districts (p = 0.104); the larger long-term increase in the east (approximately 195% versus 166%) is more consistent with extensive-margin expansion. TreeSHAP identified breakpoints at 12.83 for nighttime lights, 197.67 buildings/km² for building density, and 99.61 for FAR × Nightlight. MGWR achieved an adjusted R² of 0.886 and revealed marked multiscale spatial non-stationarity. Commuting flows further indicated cross-boundary carbon-burden asymmetry. The findings recast compact-city benefits as contingent on development margins, morphological thresholds, spatial scale, and functional urban networks. As an observational reconstruction, the study supports predictive and spatial associations rather than strict causal effects.

Abstract: The preventive conservation of ground-level archaeological sites requires not only protection from direct weathering but also effective control of the surrounding micro-climate. Conventional archaeological coverings generally fail to provide adequate environmental stability while generating significant physical, visual, and environmental impacts. This study presents an integrated methodology for the design, optimization, and validation of a lightweight double-layer covering conceived as a climate-responsive environmental system rather than a passive protective shelter. The proposed workflow integrates parametric optimization of geometry and materiality, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), environmental monitoring, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, and experimental validation. The methodology was applied to the 1st c. CE Roman Tomb of the Two Families, located within the Carmona Archaeological Complex (Spain), where the environmental performance of the covering was evaluated through more than one year of in situ monitoring and numerical simulations. The results demonstrate that the proposed solution effectively moderates the site's microclimate while significantly reducing environmental impacts and material consumption compared with conventional protective structures. The close agreement between monitored and simulated data validates the proposed design methodology and confirms the reliability of the environmental models. This research demonstrates that lightweight archaeological coverings can be conceived as climate-responsive environmental infrastructures, providing a transferable methodological framework for preventive conservation that integrates structural efficiency, environmental control and sustainability from the earliest stages of the design process.

Abstract: We present a rigorous mathematical proof that the spacetime metric \(g_{\mu\nu}\) of General Relativity and the fundamental kinetic field \(\nu^\mu\) of the Fundamental Speed Theory (FST) are not two distinct entities, but rather two mathematically equivalent descriptions of the same underlying physical reality. Starting from the foundational FST paper---validated on 171 SPARC galaxies with \(\chi^2_\nu = 0.170\) across five hierarchical validation levels---we establish six central theorems: 1. The Metric--Kinetic Map (Theorem 1): The spacetime metric \(g_{\mu\nu}\) is uniquely determined by the kinetic field \(\tilde{\nu}\) and its gradients via an explicit, closed-form expression derived from the FST velocity relation (Eq.28 of the foundational paper). 2. The Einstein Correspondence (Theorem 2): The Einstein tensor \(G_{\mu\nu}\) computed from this metric satisfies \(G_{\mu\nu} = \frac{8\pi G}{c^4} T_{\mu\nu}^{(V)}\) exactly when \(\tilde{\nu}\) obeys the FST field equation, with \(T_{\mu\nu}^{(V)}\) given by Eq. (6) of the foundational paper. The proof establishes that this correspondence requires the fundamental relation \(\beta_{\text{eff}} = |\lambda|\nu_0^2/(6c_1)\), which is precisely Eq. (18) of the foundational paper. 3. The Invertibility Theorem (Theorem 3): The map from \(\tilde{\nu}\) to \(g_{\mu\nu}\) is bijective in the weak-field regime; no two distinct field configurations produce the same metric, and every weak-field spherically symmetric metric corresponds to a unique field configuration. 4. The Cosmological Extension (Theorem 4): For a homogeneous, time-dependent kinetic field, the same map generates the FLRW cosmological metric. The modified Friedmann equations emerge naturally, with the kinetic field providing both an effective dark energy density and a slowly evolving equation of state. 5. The Gravitational Wave Correspondence (Theorem 5): Linear perturbations of the kinetic field produce metric perturbations satisfying the wave equation \(\Box h_{\mu\nu}^{\text{TT}} = 0\). Gravitational waves are thus identified as propagating perturbations of the kinetic field. 6. The Gravitational Lensing Theorem (Theorem 6): Weak lensing masses equal FST dynamical masses without dark matter. For 19 SPARC galaxies with published weak lensing masses, the median lensing-to-dynamical mass ratio at 300 kpc is \(\mathbf{1.09}\) (all galaxies), while the median for the 15-galaxy reliable subset is \(\mathbf{0.88}\). This demonstrates that FST explains gravitational lensing without dark matter for the majority of well-measured galaxies. We further present the exact static spherical reduction of the coupled Einstein-FST system and prove a screened near--Schwarzschild limit showing that the kinetic-field stress is parametrically suppressed in the high-density phase, yielding an exterior metric that is a controlled perturbation of Schwarzschild in all Solar-System regimes. Complete dimensional analysis in SI units is given throughout, and the detailed component-level reductions (including the spherical reduction of \(T_{\mu\nu}^{(V)}\) from the master formula Eq. (10) are provided in the appendices. The results establish that spacetime is not a fundamental entity but the perceptual manifestation of the kinetic field.

Abstract: This study develops an integrated Explain–Predict–Classify framework to investigate the determinants, territorial heterogeneity, and predictability of regional innovation performance. Using Regional Innovation Scoreboard data for 246 regional units across 31 European countries over 2016–2023, the analysis combines panel-data econometrics, unsupervised clustering, and supervised machine-learning regression. The Summary Innovation Index (SII) is examined alongside indicators capturing scientific collaboration, non-R&D innovation expenditure, SME product and process innovation, collaborative networks, design applications, innovative sales, and environmental conditions. Econometric results show positive and statistically significant associations across all selected innovation dimensions. The Hausman test favors fixed effects over random effects, while the dynamic specification indicates significant persistence in regional innovation performance, although instrument-validity diagnostics require caution. The clustering analysis compares six algorithms using multiple internal validation criteria. K-Means provides the strongest overall solution, with R² = 0.6301, a Calinski–Harabasz index of 370.60, and relatively balanced cluster sizes, revealing ten heterogeneous and partially overlapping regional innovation profiles. The predictive analysis compares seven regression algorithms. K-Nearest Neighbors achieves the strongest test performance (R² = 0.9482; RMSE = 7.90; MAE = 4.793), followed by Random Forest (R² = 0.9289). Permutation importance identifies international scientific co-publications, design applications, and SME collaboration as the most influential KNN predictors. Overall, the findings demonstrate that regional innovation combines common systematic relationships with heterogeneous territorial configurations and nonlinear predictive structures. Integrating econometrics, clustering, and machine learning therefore provides a richer empirical basis for understanding regional innovation and designing differentiated, place-sensitive innovation policies.

Abstract: Background: Leigh syndrome is an uncommon mitochondrial neurodegenerative disease resulting from impaired cellular energy production, particularly abnormalities affecting oxidative phosphorylation. Among the nuclear genes implicated in the disorder, SURF1 is a recognized cause of childhood-onset disease and is frequently associated with lesions affecting the brainstem. Objective: This case report presents an unusual clinical phenotype of genetically confirmed SURF1 -related Leigh syndrome, with particular emphasis on ocular dyspraxia and clinically significant disturbances occurring during sleep. Materials and methods: Clinical records from a pediatric patient investigated for a suspected mitochondrial disease were retrospectively examined. The evaluation included neurological assessment, metabolic investigations, electrophysiological studies, serial brain magnetic resonance imaging, and molecular genetic testing. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to establish the underlying genetic diagnosis. Results: A 4-year-and-10-month-old boy was found to carry a homozygous pathogenic variant in SURF1. His clinical course was characterized by progressive motor deterioration, brainstem dysfunction, ocular dyspraxia, and recurrent nocturnal disturbances. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated symmetric bilateral abnormalities affecting the brainstem and pyramidal pathways, findings compatible with Leigh syndrome. Lactate levels remained persistently elevated, ranging from 2.7 to 8.6 mmol/L. The coexistence of ocular dyspraxia and prominent sleep-related symptoms represents an uncommon clinical pattern within the SURF1 -related Leigh syndrome spectrum. Conclusion: The present case contributes to the expanding clinical spectrum associated with SURF1 -related Leigh syndrome. It also emphasizes the value of careful assessment of ocular motor function and sleep behavior when evaluating children with suspected mitochondrial disease.

Abstract: Recursive self-improvement is commonly framed as repeated self-modification that yields progressively greater capability. That framing leaves a prior methodological problem unresolved: how can a system distinguish a genuine improvement from a change that merely satisfies an evaluation procedure that the same system helped construct? This paper reports a seven-cycle instrumented experiment using a governed implementation of the Reinforcement Learning Contour (RLC), a framework previously proposed for traceable transformation of the mechanisms governing future inquiry rather than optimization of a scalar reward. A cryptographically frozen baseline, RLC0, was subjected to bounded cycles of observation, measurement, diagnosis, preregistration, sandboxed candidate construction, evaluation, decision, post-cycle integrity checking, and independent human promotion. Candidate changes were prohibited from directly modifying their parent states, the Sigma-sensitive governance layer, authoritative external systems, or historical evidence. The seven-cycle trace produced four promoted states (RLC1-RLC4), one failed non-promoted transition, a prospective revision of the integrity boundary, and two consecutive independent NO_CHANGE outcomes. The failed third cycle was retained rather than rewritten; forensic analysis identified a mismatch between immutable-reference assumptions and volatile operational artifacts, leading to Boundary v1.1. Subsequent cycles resumed from the last valid parent and added boundary-aware inheritance validation and deterministic resource/effect evidence reconciliation. Cycles 6 and 7 found no new qualifying deficiency within the bounded search protocol and created no successor state. The experiment does not demonstrate artificial general intelligence, unbounded or exponential recursive growth, or permanent saturation. It supports a narrower claim: under the tested conditions, a human-governed recursive architecture can accumulate several validated operational capabilities while preserving failure, revising measurement boundaries prospectively, preventing automatic promotion, and terminating repeated searches without manufacturing an improvement when the evidence does not support one.

Abstract: Marine invertebrates, particularly the sea cucumber (Isostichopus badionotus), represent a rich reservoir of bioactive collagen peptides with high biomedical potential. This study employed a combined proteomic and computational polypharmacology approach to identify and optimize low-molecular-weight (LMW) collagen peptides for regenerative and metabolic applications. LC-MS/MS analysis of a 1–3 kDa enzymatic hydrolysate derived exclusively from purified I. badionotus body wall collagen successfully identified Alpha-2 collagen as the primary constituent. Crucially, the analysis revealed the natural presence of both the angiogenic RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) and osteogenic GPR (Gly-Pro-Arg) motifs. In silico blind molecular docking demonstrated that the native sequences possessed moderate polypharmacological affinities for Integrin α_V β_3, Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Rational structural modification yielded optimized variants (Loc1d and Loc2g) with vastly superior thermodynamic binding scores. Ultimately, a dual-motif chimeric peptide, Loc3a (YGPRGDPRG), was designed, achieving unparalleled binding against ACE (−225.12), DPP4 (−217.25), and Integrin α_V β₃ (−183.93). Physicochemical and ADMET profiling confirmed these peptides are exceptionally stable (Loc3a Instability Index = −36.17), non-allergenic, and possess a pharmacokinetic profile uniquely suited for safe, localized topical application. Supported by systems biology protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, these findings position the rationally designed I. badionotus collagen derivatives as highly promising, multi-target therapeutic candidates for the simultaneous management of chronic wounds, oxidative stress, and metabolic dysregulation.

Abstract: Background: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive dysfunction, and psychological symptoms. Despite its considerable prevalence and clinical burden, the biological mechanisms underlying FMS remain incompletely understood, and no validated biomarkers are currently available for its diagnosis, prognosis, or clinical monitoring. Objective: This narrative review aimed to synthesize and critically examine the available evidence on inflammatory, immune-related, and neurobiological biomarkers associated with FMS. Methods: A narrative review of the scientific literature was conducted. Relevant studies published between 1999 and 2026 were identified through searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using terms related to fibromyalgia, biological biomarkers, inflammation, immune dysregulation, neuroinflammation, neuroplasticity, and neural injury. Original studies examining molecular, inflammatory, immune-related, or neurobiological biomarkers in individuals with FMS were considered. The available evidence was narratively synthesized according to the biological functions of the biomarkers, the biological samples analyzed, their associations with clinical manifestations, and their potential diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic relevance. Results: The literature has examined a wide range of biomarkers in blood, serum, plasma, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid, skin biopsies, and peripheral blood cells. Findings regarding classical inflammatory biomarkers, including C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukins, and chemokines, have been heterogeneous and, in some cases, contradictory. Nevertheless, several emerging biomarkers, such as triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1, colony-stimulating factor-1, interleukin-31, interleukin-33, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and neurofilament light chain, have shown potentially relevant alterations in individuals with FMS. Biomarkers associated with neuroplasticity, glial activation, and neural injury, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor and matrix metalloproteinases, have also displayed abnormal concentrations, although the evidence remains inconsistent. Several biomarkers have been associated with pain severity, fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depression, suggesting relationships between biological alterations and the heterogeneous clinical manifestations of FMS. Conclusions: The available evidence supports the involvement of inflammatory, immune, and neurobiological processes in the pathophysiology of FMS. However, methodological variability, small and heterogeneous samples, differences in biological specimens and analytical procedures, and the limited replication of individual biomarkers currently preclude their clinical application. FMS should therefore be understood as a multifactorial and heterogeneous condition involving complex interactions among immune dysregulation, neuroinflammation, glial activation, and maladaptive neuroplasticity. Future longitudinal and multicenter studies integrating inflammatory, immune-related, and neurobiological biomarkers with detailed clinical phenotyping are needed to identify clinically meaningful subgroups and facilitate the development of personalized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Maternal immunization is a public health priority within Panama's Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), yet coverage among pregnant women remains below target and little local evidence is available on perceptions and practices among women engaged in antenatal care. We aimed to describe vaccination-related perceptions, attitudes and practices in an urban, predominantly private-care sample and to explore factors associated with acceptance. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 204 pregnant women aged ≥18 years, recruited by convenience sampling and surveyed with an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. Vaccine acceptance was defined as having received or intending to receive at least one recommended vaccine during the current pregnancy. Participant characteristics were summarized descriptively; bivariate analyses and multivariable Poisson regression with robust variance estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Acceptance was 93.1% (190/204). Most participants had higher education (88.2%) and private antenatal care (77.9%); all reported antenatal care. Healthcare professionals were the main information source (92.6%) and most trusted source (98.0%). A vaccination recommendation was reported by 84.3% of participants; 96.5% of reported recommendations came from healthcare professionals. Influenza was most frequently received (56.9%), RSV most frequently planned (51.5%), and COVID-19 most frequently refused (47.1%). Recommendation was associated with acceptance (adjusted PR 1.22; 95% CI 1.02–1.45; p = 0.029), but may reflect broader access to high-quality care. Conclusions: In this selected urban sample, acceptance was high among women engaged in antenatal care. The findings cannot characterize national acceptance; improving coverage likely requires equitable access to antenatal care, evidence-based counseling, recommendations, and vaccination opportunities.

Abstract: An LLM producing the response pattern associated with a human psychological effect is not the same claim as the LLM possessing that bias. We present PsyAgentBench, a benchmark that re-runs classic psychology experiments on LLM agents under a factorial design built to separate these: each paradigm is run with the paradigm explicitly labeled in the prompt (named) or framed as a routine task (blind), and on the literal textbook version of the task (canonical) or a structurally matched variant written to reduce lexical and scenario overlap with likely training data (counterfactual), crossed with a persona manipulation. Across five completed paradigms, evaluated on up to three open-weight model families with 41,904 trials released, apparently human-like effects arise through qualitatively different routes rather than one susceptibility: paradigm-label gating with explicit override (Asch conformity, 0 percent blind to 83.3 percent named on gpt-oss-120B), knowledge-dependent signal reliance (anchoring, exactly zero on grounded facts versus near total on invented quantities, a pattern equally consistent with rational use of the only available signal), amplification on novel content under labeling (framing), robust absence (sunk cost), and safety-mediated selection where refusal itself is the primary finding (minimal-group allocation). A one-sentence persona change (agreeableness, framed as an instruction rather than a verified trait manipulation) eliminates, dampens, or reverses these effects depending on which effect it is, arguing against any single response-bias account. We further formalize, and in two cases document empirically, three ways a psychology paradigm can fail to port to LLM agents: persona dominance, population collapse, and safety selection. We argue scalar bias-susceptibility scores obscure this structure and report replication profiles instead.

Abstract: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has transformed soil microbial ecology by revealing taxonomic and functional diversity that was largely inaccessible through cultivation-based approaches. However, greater sequencing resolution alone does not explain why particular microbial assemblages repeatedly emerge under specific soil and environmental conditions. This review examines the current state of NGS-based soil microbiome characterization and introduces Hierarchical Environmental Filtering (HEF) as a framework for interpreting microbial community assembly. We discuss advances from amplicon sequencing to shotgun metagenomics, long-read sequencing, multi-omics, and computational analysis, together with limitations related to sampling, DNA extraction, primer selection, sequencing depth, bioinformatics, reference databases, and relic DNA. Within HEF, pedogenesis establishes the physicochemical template for microbial assembly, while climate, vegetation, rhizosphere processes, and biological interactions act as secondary filters. Anthropogenic disturbances may modify or partially override these natural filters, promoting community reassembly and ecological convergence. Soil microbiomes should therefore be interpreted as dynamic outcomes of environmental selection across spatial and temporal scales. Integrating standardized NGS workflows with functional multi-omics and predictive computation should advance soil microbiome research from descriptive inventories toward a mechanistic understanding of community assembly.

Abstract: This was an interventional consecutive case series including 63 patients (70 eyes) who underwent enhancement of uveoscleral outflow by rerouting aqueous humor (AH) flow from the anterior chamber (AC) to the suprachoroidal space (SCS) without detaching the ciliary body from the scleral spur. Long-term outcomes were evaluated retrospectively. Inclusion required a minimum follow-up of 6 months, with data collected longitudinally for up to 36 months after baseline. In addition to evaluating the safety and efficacy of the applied technique, the role of the scleral, episcleral and conjunctival lymphatic vessels (CLVs) in suprachoroidal drainage was assessed clinically and using optical coherence tomography (OCT) technologies. The primary outcome was the proportion of eyes with a final IOP < 18 mm Hg and a > 20% reduction in IOP with the same or fewer medications compared to baseline. This outcome was achieved in 90.1, 88.3, 90.4, 93.5, 96.2 and 100% of cases at months 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36, respectively. No bleb formation occurred after surgery in any of the cases. Intra- and postoperative complications were rare and easily manageable. Transparent CLVs arising directly from the sclera and far from the surgical site were visible on biomicroscopy in the superior bulbar conjunctiva in 52.9% of eyes (37/70). Long-lasting CLVs were related to higher values of intraocular pressure (IOP). In comparison to the preoperative evaluation, when no CLVs were identified on OCT, they were identified in 94.6% of eyes after surgery. Long-term CLV’s identification on OCT was related to a long-term decrease in IOP and less additional hypotensive medication. The technique was safe and effective in achieving a long-term reduction in IOP and decreasing the medication burden. A novel SCS–scleral–episcleral–CLV outflow route was identified for suprachoroidal drainage.