Abstract: Geopolymers are a sustainable class of inorganic polymeric binders that are synthesized through the alkaline or acidic activation of aluminosilicate precursors. Although various materials have been explored as geopolymer precursors, the use of laterite from Mindanao, Philippines remains limited and underexplored. This study evaluated local laterite from Marawi City in the Philippines as a geopolymer precursor, determining the optimal calcination temperature to enhance reactivity. The laterite samples were calcined at 600, 700, and 800 °C for five hours, then activated with a blended potassium hydroxide (KOH)/sodium hydroxide (NaOH)/sodium silicate solution; and cast into disc molds. The resulting geopolymers were then tested using splitting tensile testing, and their physical, mineralogical, and microstructural properties were characterized. Experimental results showed that thermal activation at 700 °C completely dehydroxylated the kaolinite, resulting in highly reactive amorphous metakaolin, while maintaining the structural stability of the hematite. In contrast, calcination at 600 °C resulted in incomplete dehydroxylation, while thermal treatment at 800 °C induced over-calcination, promoting particle sintering, structural recrystallization, and cristobalite formation. The geopolymer synthesized from the 700 °C precursor (LT700) exhibited the greatest mechanical performance, with a mean splitting tensile strength of 0.6854 MPa, peaking at 0.7903 MPa. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed that the calcination temperature significantly influenced this indirect tensile performance (F-value = 6.55, p-value = 0.0310). This enhanced strength was consistent with the favorable textural properties of LT700, which had a specific surface area of 52.604 m²/g and a pore volume of 0.1703 cm³/g. These textural characteristics facilitated the penetration of the alkaline activator and the dissolution of the metakaolin, promoting the development of a relatively homogeneous, interconnected (N,K)-A-S-H gel matrix. This matrix is reinforced by stable hematite micro-fillers and secondary crystalline nepheline phases. Calcination at 700 °C is recommended to maximize precursor reactivity and mechanical performance in laterite-based geopolymers. Nevertheless, subsequent enhancement of activator levels, solid-to-liquid ratios, and curing parameters is necessary to reduce the substantial apparent porosity of 43.04%, eradicate drying-induced microcracking, and establish fundamental durability for structural applications.

Abstract: Background: Several recent proposals suggest that myelinated axons may conduct neural signals through a parallel optical or electromagnetic channel — via biophoton emission, cavity-enhanced generation, node-enriched gain chemistry, neuro-antennae, displacement currents, or opsin-based phototransduction — in addition to classical saltatory conduction. Methods: We constructed six independent computational falsification modules, each using measured material constants and deliberately generous upper-bound assumptions: (1) a photon-budget analysis; (2) a full-wave optical transmission sweep through the myelin wall (400 nm–10 um); (3) a Purcell-factor estimate for the myelin cavity; (4) a fluorophore-gain audit of all known neural chromophores; (5) a neuro-antenna radiation and displacement-current decomposition; and (6) an opsin audit across all endogenous photopigments; and (7) a decoherence audit of every quantum claim (thermal occupation, cavity coherence time, vibrational T2 vs emission lifetime). We further quantified the detectability of a hypothetical parallel channel via a stochastic jitter experiment (20,000 trials) and mapped the ephaptic-coupling regime with a two-axon dose-response simulation. Finally, we designed and power-analysed a dual-channel (biophoton-count and gamma-coherence) music-intervention study with head-to-head piece contrasts. Results: All eight constraints falsify an efficient parallel channel: mid-infrared transmission through the myelin wall is approximately 4 x 10^-97 per internode at the C-H stretch band; the Purcell factor is approximately 1.3 x 10^-6 (suppression, not enhancement); every neural fluorophore is a net absorber or at least 2.4 orders of magnitude short of required gain; neuro-antenna radiation is approximately 40 orders of magnitude below the required energy; and no endogenous opsin combines the required presence, kinetics and photon flux; and the thermal emitters' coherence time (approx 1 ps) collapses to essentially zero first-order coherence over any useable path, while lamellar path-length roughness accumulates pi-rad RMS phase error within a fraction of one internode — chaotic, mutually incoherent light carries no phase-locked information. The decoherence audit shows the cavity coherence time (Q/omega, 1-3 fs at biological Q) is approximately 2,000 times shorter than the internode transit, and vibrational T2 (approximately 2 ps) is 10^9 times shorter than the emission lifetime, so any cascade pair is emitted by a fully dephased classical source: the quantum version of the hypothesis is falsified independently of the classical one. A 5% photon-channel contribution is electrically invisible (jitter test), and ephaptic coupling transitions sharply from sub-threshold timing nudges to merged circuits near kappa = 0.1 with no intermediate 'separate-and-fast' window. In the study design, the photon channel requires approximately 10 subjects for 80% power while gamma coherence requires > 60, and head-to-head piece contrasts (sacred vocal vs classical) require 55–113 subjects. Conclusions: Fast parallel signal conduction in myelinated axons is excluded computationally across every physical mechanism proposed to date. What survives — ephaptic synchrony, volume transmission, and externally powered photobiomodulation — are modulatory, not conduction, channels, and we provide a power-quantified design for their experimental study.

Abstract: In this paper we introduce a new class of cryptographic primitives based on square-free prefixes in commutative and noncommutative monoids. The security of the proposed constructions relies on the difficulty of recovering a square-free prefix from a 1s-type factorization, which leads to a new computational problem, called the Square-Free Prefix Recovery Problem (SFPRP). We formalize SFPRP, present encryption and signature schemes based on this problem, and discuss complexity issues and open questions related to its commutative and noncommutative variants. These results constitute a first step towards cryptography based on structural properties of monoids.

Abstract: Background: This study characterized HBV and HIV molecular profiles and drug resistance mutations in South Kivu, DRC. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 3,421 participants aged 18–70 years. Serological testing was performed using ELISA, and viral loads (VL) were quantified by GeneXpert. Molecular analyses involved 132 HBV-positive and 383 HIV-positive samples. Nucleic acids were extracted using QIAamp® MiniElute®. HBV genotyping was performed by PCR, and HIV-1 sequencing using the Viroseq® system. Results: HBV prevalence was 7.4% and >8% in high-risk groups (PLHIV, sex workers, survivors of sexual violence). HBV VL was low in 76.3% and high in 23.7%. Genotype A predominated (87.1%), mainly subgenotype A1 (93.4%), followed by genotype E (12.9%). HIV prevalence was 3.5%, highest among women aged 26–45 years. Among ART patients, 60.7% had undetectable VL. HIV subtypes A1 (38.1%) and C (27.4%) were most frequent, with CRFs (CRF11_cpx: 6.5%; CRF26_A5U: 3.1%). Drug resistance was detected in 23.3% of ART-naïve and 70.0% of treated patients, with predominant NNRTI resistance followed by NRTI (52.5%) and PI (15.6%). Integrase-associated polymorphisms were found in 4.2%. key mutations were M184I/V (96.8%) and K103N (74.1%). Conclusion: HBV and HIV show substantial prevalence, marked genetic diversity, and significant drug resistance in South Kivu.

Abstract: In design applications, simulations enable rapid iterations and adjustments to device architecture, reducing the need for physical prototyping. The simulation of piezoelectric devices has traditionally relied on the Finite Element Method (FEM). Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) offer an alternative based on governing equations without requiring labeled solution data. This study develops a mixed PINN architecture for the static direct and converse piezoelectric responses of a PVDF bimorph cantilever. The network predicts two mechanical displacements, electric potential, three stress components, and two electric-displacement components. The methodology integrates the piezoelectric governing equations into a first-order loss formulation. The models are evaluated against coupled FEM solutions. For the converse effect, the relative L² errors in horizontal displacement, vertical displacement, and electric potential are 0.107, 0.150, and 0.045, respectively. For the direct effect, they are 0.117, 0.153, and 0.067. Compared with networks predicting only the two mechanical displacements and electric potential, the mixed configurations recover the mechanical response more accurately under the tested training conditions. However, discrepancies between independently predicted stresses and those reconstructed from displacement and potential derivatives from the PINN reveal incomplete physical consistency. These results support approximate displacement and potential prediction while identifying constitutive consistency as a remaining limitation.

Abstract: Background: There continues to be a growing number of systematic reviews with variable methodological quality. Using a systematic review to inform decision making relies on the quality of methods used to synthesize evidence. Tools that have been developed, such as AMSTAR 2, aim to assess the methodological quality and validity of systematic reviews of healthcare interventions. As this task takes time, use of large language models (LLMs) may help expedite the process. Objectives: We aim to test the ability of two LLMs, Claude Opus 5 and ChatGPT 5.5, to perform AMSTAR 2 assessments on a set of systematic reviews and to compare the accuracy to standard methods using human reviewers. As a secondary objective, we aim to explore the temporal consistency of the AMSTAR 2 assessments from each LLM over time (baseline and one month later).Methods: Our study sample includes open-access systematic reviews of interventions in pediatric populations. Our primary outcome is accuracy of each LLM’s AMSTAR 2 assessments as compared to a human reviewer process as the reference standard. Accuracy will be calculated as the total number of assessments of AMSTAR 2 items that correctly match the human reviewer team. Two humans will independently perform AMSTAR 2 assessments and come to consensus through discussion, or involvement with a third senior reviewer when required. A randomly selected subset of the systematic reviews will be used for the secondary objective exploring temporal consistency of the same LLM model versions over time. Results: AMSTAR 2 assessments will be performed on all 45 systematic reviews by each LLM and two human reviewers. Accuracy of the LLMs versus the human reference standard will be recorded for each AMSTAR 2 item. We will also identify whether there are common discrepancies for specific AMSTAR 2 items, and possible reasons (e.g., items requiring methodological judgement, vague methods reported in the systematic reviews, etc.). The temporal consistency for each model over time will be summarized narratively with descriptive statistics.Conclusion: Evaluating the methodological quality of systematic reviews with LLMs has the potential to more efficiently respond to the needs of decision-makers, by offsetting time spent performing AMSTAR 2 assessments, while maintaining accuracy. Our study will provide evidence to support or reject the use of LLMs to replace human reviewers in this process based on the accuracy of assessments, as well as whether responses are consistent over time. We will also identify AMSTAR 2 items that appear consistently problematic, where decision rules or adequate prompts are needed.

Abstract: Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) pollution is an important environmental challenge in rapidly urbanizing and industrializing regions; however, spatial inequalities, localized hotspots, and long-term trends remain insufficiently characterized in Jordan. This study evaluates ambient PM_2.5 variability across available locations within Jordan’s national air-quality monitoring network during 2018–2024, with emphasis on spatial distribution, hotspot identification, and temporal trends. Annual PM_2.5 observations from monitoring locations representing urban/residential, urban/traffic, industrial, and mixed industrial–urban environments were analyzed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric trend analysis, and comparative statistical tests. The study identified substantial spatial variability among monitoring locations, with several of the highest concentrations observed in industrial and mixed industrial–urban environments, although elevated concentrations were also observed in urban settings. Industrial-related sites showed a mean PM_2.5 concentration of 26.51 µg/m³ compared with 29.24 µg/m³ for urban-related sites; however, the difference was not statistically significant (Mann–Whitney U=297,p=0.604), indicating that elevated PM_2.5levels are influenced by multiple emission environments rather than industrial classification alone. Temporal analysis indicated a declining trend during 2018–2024, with a Sen’s slope of −1.67 µg/m³/year, although interpretation should consider the progressive expansion of monitoring coverage. Significant governorate-level differences demonstrated clear spatial inequality in PM_2.5 distribution, highlighting the need for targeted monitoring and location-specific air-quality management strategies in Jordan.

Abstract: This work proposes, as a theoretical hypothesis for further investigation, a comprehensive spectral formulation of the Lunet through three new directions: spectral decomposition, molecular coupling, and quantization. The Lunetics paradigm integrates ten foundational spectral entities into a single coherent system: the Sifri, the Lunet, the Lumin, the Noret, the Lunec, the Tunnels, the Aura, the Pulse, the Cycle, and the Lunetics itself. The first direction, spectral decomposition, explores the reverse processes of the Lunet, from the Lunet back to the photon, from the Noret back to the vacuum, and from the Lunec back to incoherence. The second direction, molecular coupling, explores the interaction of the Lunet with atoms, molecules, and crystals. The third direction, quantization, explores the quantization of the Lunet, the Noret, and the Lunec. The framework is grounded in the Zero Pairs Interaction Functional, Unified Spectral Alignment and Coherence, and Zigzag Zero–Fractional Zero (ZPIF-USAC-ZZFZ) framework, which derives spectral interactions from the non-trivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function. Advanced mathematical formulations are presented for each direction, including actions, field equations, and operators. Numerical simulations using the first 1,000 non- trivial zeta zeros illustrate the convergence of the proposed framework. This is a proposal, not a claim. It is intended to stimulate discussion and further investigation. It requires validation by the scientific community.

Abstract: Background: Pediatric pleural empyema remains a major complication of community-acquired pneumonia despite vaccination and advances in minimally invasive treatment. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on etiology, diagnosis, antimicrobial therapy, pleural drainage, fibrinolysis, and surgery. Methods: PubMed was searched from inception through July 2026 for English-language studies involving patients aged 0–18 years. Pediatric trials, observational studies, surveillance reports, guidelines, reviews, and relevant case series were considered. Of 42 publications assessed in full, 38 were included in the narrative synthesis. Results: Streptococcus pneumoniae, particularly serotype 3, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes remain the principal pathogens. Chest ultrasound is preferred for characterizing pleural collections and guiding intervention, whereas computed tomography is reserved for atypical disease or suspected complications. Small, uncomplicated effusions may respond to antibiotics alone; large, purulent, or clinically significant collections generally require source control. Image-guided small-bore catheter drainage with protocol-based urokinase or tissue plasminogen activator is effective for many loculated effusions. Pediatric evidence does not support routine addition of DNase. Comparative trials show broadly similar clinical outcomes for fibrinolysis and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, although heterogeneous protocols and limited sample sizes preclude identification of a universally superior strategy. Thoracotomy is rarely required. Conclusions: Management should integrate respiratory and septic severity, pleural anatomy, microbiology, adequacy of drainage, clinical trajectory, and local expertise rather than rely on rigid staging. Long-term recovery is excellent in most previously healthy children receiving timely treatment. Standardized definitions, pediatric outcome sets, multicenter comparative trials, validated predictors of treatment failure, and studies of antimicrobial duration remain important research priorities.

Abstract: Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) supply chains depend on injection nodes whose loss of capacity can propagate upstream as curtailment and network disruption. This design science study develops a digital twin ready predictive risk artifact that converts subsurface measurements into governed states rather than treating model probability as automatic authority. Eighteen slip events from two rough and one smooth fault were represented by seven mechanics aligned variables. Source domain leave one event out probabilities were mapped to Watch (60 s), Mitigate (30 s), and Hold (10 s) states using source calibrated negative exposure quantiles and persistence rules. A cross fitted Mahalanobis support gate identified states outside source experience. Rough to smooth Watch and Mitigate policies intercepted all six events with median warnings of 16.5 and 3.5 s and no pre horizon intervention burden. Smooth to rough policies also intercepted all twelve events but incurred 22.9 and 42.2 s/event of burden. At the 99th percentile support cutoff, support eligible coverage within 30 s was 91.7% versus 36.4% in reverse, and within 10 s it was 75.0% versus 11.7%. These specimen limited results support an Industry 5.0 architecture that separates predictive risk, domain validity, human authority, and physics based fallback.

Abstract: Assessing municipal implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) requires instruments that capture the perspectives of those involved in or affected by local governance. Developed for this purpose, the PICI-Q was evaluated in this cross-sectional study among 400 Italian stakeholders. Participants were randomly divided into two subsamples (n = 200 each) for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Ordinal reliability and associations with external variables were also assessed. The findings yielded a provisional 19-item, three-factor solution comprising Institutional Support, Accessibility and Inclusion, and Protection from Discrimination. The correlated three-factor model was retained provisionally, although fit varied across indices and In-stitutional Support substantially overlapped with Accessibility and Inclusion. Internal consistency was good (ordinal alpha = .802–.898). Higher PICI-Q scores showed associa-tions with fewer depressive symptoms and better physical and mental health-related quality of life, with small correlations. Exploratory comparisons of observed scores in-dicated higher ratings among participants with administrative roles. Although these findings provide preliminary psychometric evidence regarding PICI-Q reliability, fac-torial structure, and selected aspects of construct validity in participating municipalities, further research should examine factor distinctiveness, temporal stability, responsiveness, measurement invariance, and cross-cultural validity before PICI-Q can be recommended for policy evaluation or longitudinal monitoring.

Abstract: This manuscript unifies global registries with molecular kinetics to resolve the inverse comorbidity between cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. We propose this inversion represents a binary, tissue-specific allocation of cell survival strategies dictated by the solubility of the Filamin A (FLNA) cytoskeletal scaffolding network under systemic cobalamin insufficiency. Chronic exposure to trace environmental nitrous oxide (N2O) pollution passivates cobalamin, arresting the cell-autonomous one-carbon cycle. In post-mitotic neural architectures, this bioenergetic arrest forces membrane potential collapse and excitotoxic decay, activating caspase-3 to cleave the FLNA matrix into a divergent fragment pool. Specific cytosolic domains bind alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7nAChRs) to anchor toxic amyloid signaling, driving Alzheimer’s pathogenesis; concurrently, separate liberated 90-kDa C-terminal fragments (FLNA-90) translocate to the nucleus to execute a genomic tumor-suppressor checkpoint. Conversely, peripheral tissues with high metabolic plasticity escape collapse via malignant transformation. Upstream accumulation of the oncometabolite methylmalonic acid (MMA) acts as an epigenetic reprogrammer, driving TGF-β and SOX4 cascades to force KRAS transcription into constitutive overdrive. This active KRAS pool fuels downstream kinase networks that keep the peripheral FLNA matrix intact, soluble, and hyper-phosphorylated at Serine 2152 (pS2152) to complex with cytoplasmic Cyclin D1/CDK4 networks. This structural configuration shields the scaffold from caspase-3 cleavage, reconfiguring FLNA into an active motility engine driving invasive lamellipodia but stalls proteolytic processing and forces an absolute loss of the nuclear FLNA-90 tumor-suppressor brake, unleashing uninhibited c-Myc oncogenic transcription. Crucially, this malignant transformation functions as an active metabolic adaptation; the hyper-stabilization of the intact 280-kDa platform operates in tandem with the active downregulation of the MMAB protein via a direct, transcription-independent cytosolic protein interaction with SMAD4 to drive its proteasomal degradation entirely independent of canonical TGF-β signaling cascades. By shutting this internal gate, the cell prevents its own expanding somatic structure from natively consuming cobalamin cofactors, transforming the emerging biomass into a high-powered cytoplasmic motility engine and a strict systemic refinery sink. Using hyper-glycolytic GSH and NADPH reserves to forcefully reduce passivated corrin rings [Co(III) →Co(I)], the tumor coordinates active metastatic seeding to locate uncompromised nutrient sources and export bioavailable cobalamin via ABCC1 pumps, rescuing central neural networks from homeostatic collapse. Filamin A thus serves as the definitive structural, conformational, and proteomic switch governing this inverse disease matrix.

Abstract: Marine invertebrates and their microbial partners provide distinctive chemical scaffolds, but computational prioritization alone can overstate translational progress when experimental support and material supply remain limited. This critical narrative review proposes a linked-record framework for evaluating exact entity-indication pairs on two independent axes: therapeutic-evaluation stage (E1, in silico, to E4, human intervention) and production readiness (S1, discovery access, to S4, GMP or commercial manufacture). E records the highest stage documented in the reviewed sources, not evidence strength or therapeutic success. Computational contribution, evidence direction, study quality, provenance, and scenario-specific supply adequacy remain separate attributes; E and S are not combined into a composite score. Contrasting lineages involving halichondrin B and eribulin, (+)-aeroplysinin-1, a sea-star steroid, acanthomanzamine C, cynthichlorine, gukulenin A, and meridianin mixtures illustrate how uncertain chronology, test-article mismatch, incomplete validation, and poorly characterized production routes affect interpretation. A worked mass balance distinguishes physical access from the amount required for a defined experiment. Supply-by-design therefore integrates identity, route feasibility, demand, ecological constraints, and access obligations at nomination. The framework is preliminary and requires independent reliability and prospective utility testing.

Abstract: Background: The "avascular plane," which surgeons navigate during total mesorectal excision (TME) and robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), has conventionally been explained as a static boundary, such as an "embryological plane" where different developmental compartments adjoin, or a "fusion fascia" where tissues contact during embryogenesis. However, these classical models harbor fundamental contradictions; they cannot causally explain clinical facts such as why blood vessels cannot invade despite the mesenchyme sharing the same mesodermal origin, why only nerves remain, the continuity between the lateral ligament and the neurovascular bundle (NVB), and the pronounced bilateral asymmetry of the prehypogastric nerve fascia. Methods: This study is a theoretical-clinical hybrid investigation that integrates anatomy, embryology, materials science, mechanical modeling, and clinical perspectives. By extracting the temporal gap between the lamination timing of fetal pelvic connective tissue (fibrous period: the period between 13 and 20 weeks of gestation when connective tissue becomes fibrous) and the timing of nerve wiring establishment, we constructed a fetal mechanical field model combining the poroelastic transition of the extracellular matrix (ECM), the anomalous Poisson effect (orthogonal compression), and shear stress caused by organ movement. Furthermore, we theoretically verified the density, lamination, bilateral asymmetry, and neurovascular condensation patterns of cleavage planes by evaluating the consistency between this mechanical model and numerous intraoperative observations during TME and RARP. Results: Due to the phase transition of the ECM and the stiffening of the truncal skeleton between 13 and 20 gestational weeks, multiaxial tension accumulates in the mesenchymal tissue of the retroperitoneum and pelvis, causing simultaneous lamination via anomalous Poisson compression. Shear stress associated with the cyclic volumetric changes of organs concentrates at the lamination boundaries, physically destabilizing the anchoring of capillaries, thereby perpetuating an avascular state. Conversely, nerves establish their wiring prior to lamination and remain safely in the gliding plane because they withstand shear stress due to the robust perineurium. The three-layered fascia of the presacral space is formed as a mechanically inevitable structure through tension shadowing and passive lamination. While the lateral ligament holds a clinical function in fixing the rectum, it is reasonable to interpret that it is essentially a shear refuge formed between the rectal proper fascia and the prehypogastric nerve fascia, acting as the proximal root of the NVB. On the left side, strong tension is applied due to the mechanical anchor effect of the sigmoid mesocolon, forming a thin, sharp membrane. In contrast, tension on the right side is weak, often resulting in an indistinct membranous structure. Conclusion: The avascular plane is not a static embryological boundary but a "biomechanical fault line" carved continuously by the tension field, Poisson compression, and shear stress generated during fetal life, which physically inhibit the anchoring of angiogenesis. The act of a surgeon selecting a safe cleavage plane and preserving nerves is nothing less than intraoperatively tracing the mechanical structures formed during fetal development. This study provides a novel anatomical paradigm that dramatically enhances the safety of pelvic surgery.

Abstract: Panscape is presented as an integrated Rust-based command-line framework for processing and summarizing multiple pangenomic data types. Its functionality includes read and FASTQ preprocessing, motif and regular-expression scanning, alignment and annotation support, PAF- and GFA-based graph analysis, VCF comparison, and pangenome database construction. Benchmarking of an optimized implementation on a single-core system showed improved performance in 17 of 18 tested command–dataset combinations, with speedups ranging from 1.05-fold to 2.32-fold. These results suggest that workflow integration and implementation-level optimization can improve the accessibility and efficiency of pangenomic analyses.

Abstract: Bidirectional P3–P4 fusion continuously connects high-resolution features with semantic information from the adjacent level, providing cross-level information for small object detection. The channel kernels in the two directions adapt to their respective inputs, while this feature connection also provides a basis for cooperative learning. We propose controlled reverse-order gradient exchange to exploit the learning signal from the opposite endpoint while retaining independent kernels. Reverse-order mapping pairs opposite offsets in local channel interactions. Each receiver selects directions compatible with its own gradient and limits the auxiliary contribution relative to that norm. The mechanism operates only during training and leaves the inference path unchanged. In RT-DETR-R18 experiments on VisDrone2019-DET, with the original P4–P5 path retained, reverse-order exchange improves the 30-epoch mean mAP50 by 0.614 and mAP50-95 by 0.438 percentage points over independent kernels, and outperforms same-order exchange and two reception-control ablations. Under a common COCO-style reevaluation, the gains concentrate on small objects, whose AP rises by 0.779 percentage points, accompanied by 167 additional correct matches and reductions in duplicate, wrong-class, localization, and background errors. In the studied P3–P4 configuration, controlled reverse-order exchange thus turns an existing structural connection into useful training cooperation, improving small object detection in UAV imagery while preserving independent learning at both endpoints and leaving inference unchanged.

Abstract: Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Santa Sangre (1989) places a disputed blood cult, an armless martyr, and a mother–son performance at the center of a narrative of violence and release. This article examines how these religious images acquire authority through their relationships with bodies and repeated actions. Bringing ritual theory into dialogue with material approaches to religion and film color, it develops chromatic ritualization as a term for the way recurring colors connect sacred objects, bodily roles, and obligations across changing narrative situations. A qualitative analysis follows the red pool at the destroyed shrine, Concha’s identification with the wounded saint, Fénix’s performance as his mother’s arms, and the removal of his red artificial nails before the final surrender. The argument is that color helps transfer authority from a contested religious site to an intimate arrangement in which devotion becomes bodily obedience. The ending interrupts this arrangement without establishing an unmediated or entirely autonomous self. Liberation appears instead as the possibility of refusing one command while entering other relationships of assistance and accountability. This reading locates the film’s religious significance in the reorganization of embodied agency, while distinguishing represented transformation from untested claims about cinema’s therapeutic effects.

Abstract: Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are frequently complicated by high bacterial burden and biofilm, yet the practical implications for sharp debridement remain uncertain. This review examined where bacterial burden and biofilm are located in DFUs, how far debridement should extend, what may remain after debridement, and how often the procedure should be repeated. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and CENTRAL were searched, with additional targeted hand-searching, and 33 publications were included in the narrative synthesis. Results: The evidence showed that substantial bacterial burden may be present even in wounds without obvious clinical signs and may extend into the wound edge and periwound tissue. Biofilm-like structures have been demonstrated directly in DFU tissue, but direct clinical evidence of complete biofilm removal remains limited. Adequate debridement was associated with better healing, although no validated depth, fixed margin, or bleeding endpoint was identified. Studies measuring bacterial burden before and after debridement consistently suggested reduction rather than complete clearance. Evidence on frequency was less straightforward: large observational studies associated more frequent debridement with faster healing, whereas randomized evidence found no clear advantage of weekly over every-second-week debridement in selected neuropathic DFUs. Fluorescence imaging may help identify residual or clinically unsuspected bacterial burden and can alter the extent or location of debridement. Conclusions: Overall, sharp debridement remains an important part of DFU care, but the available evidence supports a flexible, wound-guided approach rather than rigid procedural rules. More work is needed to define objective endpoints for debridement adequacy, biofilm removal, and repeat treatment.

Abstract: Background. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease in which physical disability, psychological stress, impaired self-management, and reduced self-efficacy may interact over time. Peer education based on Pender’s Health Promotion Model (PHPM) has been investigated as a strategy for improving quality of life, stress management, and self-efficacy in patients with MS. Classical statistical analyses, however, normally represent observed outcomes by precise numerical summaries and consequently provide limited mathematical language for distinguishing measurement variability from genuine indeterminacy, incomplete information, or conflicting evidence. Objective. The objective of this paper is to develop a neutrosophic framework for representing and analysing clinical outcomes associated with peer education based on Pender’s Health Promotion Model. The framework is applied as a secondary mathematical interpretation of a previously published randomized controlled trial involving 90 patients with multiple sclerosis. Methods. A single-valued neutrosophic representation is developed in which each clinical outcome is characterized by a truth-membership component, an indeterminacy component, and a falsity-membership component. Neutrosophic representations are constructed for quality of life, stress management, and self-efficacy. We introduce neutrosophic change vectors, intervention-effect indices, an indeterminacy-adjusted health-promotion index, and sensitivity procedures. The published summary statistics are retained as the empirical basis; no individual patient-level observations are fabricated. Results. The published clinical study reported significant improvements in quality of life, stress management, and self-efficacy in the intervention group immediately after the educational intervention and at three-month follow-up, whereas corresponding changes in the control group were not statistically significant. The proposed neutrosophic framework preserves these observed directions while explicitly representing uncertainty surrounding the reported aggregate evidence. The resulting formulation makes it possible to distinguish a strong direction of observed change from the degree to which the available evidence remains indeterminate. Conclusions. Neutrosophic modelling provides a flexible mathematical language for clinical education research in which measurements may contain variability, incomplete information, contextual uncertainty, or heterogeneous patient responses. The framework should be regarded as a methodological extension and not as a replacement for conventional randomized-trial statistics. A definitive patient-level neutrosophic reanalysis requires access to the original individual-level dataset.

Abstract: Objective: Every estimate of the scope of sexual victimization depends on how “sexual assault” is defined, and disagreements over definition have produced dramatically divergent statistics that continue to shape policy. This review synthesizes a century of American scholarship (1920–2026) on the definition of sexual assault, tracing changes in legal definitions, measurement instruments and national data systems, trends in police reporting, and the resulting epidemiological evidence. Methods: A narrative, evidence-based review was conducted of seminal peer-reviewed studies, national surveys, and federal statistical reports, spanning the common-law rape doctrine and early Uniform Crime Reports, the rape law reform movements of the 1970s, the rise of behaviorally specific survey measurement, the national victimization and prevalence survey infrastructure, and contemporary debates over gender-neutral, consent-based, and inclusive definitions. Results: Formal definitions of rape evolved from a narrow, gendered offense requiring force, resistance, and corroboration to broader, gender-neutral, consent-based constructs encompassing incapacitation, coercion, and non-contact violations. This expansion coincided with rising prevalence estimates, increasing police reporting over recent decades, and formal recognition of acquaintance, marital, incapacitated, and drug-facilitated rape. However, definitional plurality across legal, administrative, and research frameworks persists, generating wide variation in estimates, under-acknowledgment of victimization by survivors, and persistent attrition of cases in the criminal justice system. Conclusions: The meaning of “sexual assault” remains contested and consequential. Progress in measurement has been substantial, yet the field still lacks a single standard definition, and epidemiological surveillance and reporting reforms must continue to address gaps between legal categories, survey instruments, and victim experiences.