With the establishment of additive manufacturing technologies, new dimethacrylate (DMA) -based materials are increasingly being used in dentistry, among others for the fabrication of partial and complete dentures. In this study, six printable DMA-based materials (Freeprint® denture impact (DDI), Freeprint® denture 385 (DD), FotoDent denture (DRE), IMPRIMO® LC Denture (SIL), V-Print dentbase (VPR), and Optiprint Laviva (DOL)) were compared with two millable Polymethylmethacrylat (PMMA) - based reference materials (Vita Vionic Base (VIO), Ivotion Base (IVO)) regarding their mechanical properties (Vickers hardness HV1, Martens hardness HM, Indentation creep CIT, Indentation modulus EIT, Elastic and plastic deformation work Wplast and Welast), surface texture (arithmetical mean height Sa), and optical properties (color change ΔE00, Translucency TP00) before and after a simulated one-year combined aging process. While the printed DMA-based materials (especially DOL, VPR, DD) initially exhibited significantly higher HM, HV1 and EIT, thereby showing superior dimensional stability, the milled PMMA materials (VIO, IVO) were characterized by a more ductile behavior (highest Wplast). After one year of aging, the milled PMMA remained largely stable or tended to show improved properties, whereas most printed DMA-based materials exhibited a decrease in hardness and an increase in roughness. Consequently, the printed systems offer high initial stiffness but require more rigorous hygiene management in the long term. Despite their lower hardness, milled PMMA appears to be prosthetically more predictable due to its higher proportion of plastic deformation and superior long-term chemical stability.

The present study investigates uranium concentrations in 345 drinking water samples collected from the Dausa and Sawai Madhopur districts of Rajasthan, India, and assesses the associated radiological and chemical health risks. The measurement of uranium concentrations was performed using the light-emitting diode fluorimetric method (Model LF-2a). The uranium concentrations vary between 0.52 and 222 µg L-1, with an arithmetic mean of 14.8 µg L-1, and a median 7.7 µg L-1. This investigation found that 12.2% of the samples exceeded the World Health Organization guideline value of 30 µg L-1. The assessment of radiation dose considered the differing water intake patterns among various age groups, indicating that infants are the most vulnerable to uranium-induced health impacts. The average excess cancer risk obtained in the present study is lower than the value prescribed by India's Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (1.67 × 10-4). The results indicate that the mean daily intake of uranium varied between 0.01 and 6.33 µg kg-1 d-1, and hazard quotient analysis indicated potential chemical toxicity risks in 9.6% of the samples. Uranium was found to be positively related to total dissolved solids.

Background/Objectives: Reconstruction of elongated soft-tissue defects requires flaps that provide sufficient longitudinal reach without excessive width or donor-site morbidity. We describe a modified latissimus dorsi (LD) flap in which a narrow, longitudinally oriented muscle cuff is incorporated along the long axis of the skin paddle to act as a vascular carrier, and evaluate its clinical feasibility and reliability. Methods: This retrospective case series included consecutive patients who underwent soft-tissue reconstruction with an LD flap incorporating a longitudinal muscle component beneath an elongated skin paddle at a single tertiary center between March 2020 and August 2025. The same longitudinal muscle-cuff concept was applied across a spectrum of muscle harvest: most flaps were muscle-sparing LD (msLD; limited longitudinal muscle segment with preservation of the horizontal thoracodorsal nerve branch), while a wider cuff requiring sacrifice of both nerve branches resulted when the cuff extended proximal to the thoracodorsal bifurcation and was designated musculocutaneous LD (mcLD). Outcomes included flap survival, partial skin-paddle necrosis, operative time, donor-site closure method, and donor-site morbidity. In an exploratory subgroup analysis, the cohort was divided at a skin-paddle length-to-width ratio of 2.5 and compared using Welch's t-test and Fisher's exact test. Results: Twenty-five flaps were analyzed (21 msLD, 84.0%; 4 mcLD, 16.0%). The mean patient age was 54.0 ± 19.9 years, and scar contracture was the most common etiology (56.0%), with the lower leg the most common defect site (44.0%). The mean skin-paddle dimensions were 26.8 ± 3.2 × 11.4 ± 1.8 cm (mean area, 305.3 ± 63.8 cm[2]), and the mean operative time was 154.8 ± 49.7 minutes. No total flap loss occurred, and partial necrosis of limited extent developed in two patients (8.0%). Primary donor-site closure was achieved in 14 patients (56.0%). Because long-axis length was comparable between groups, the ≥2.5 group had a narrower skin paddle (10.0 ± 0.4 vs. 12.9 ± 1.5 cm) and smaller flap area (273.5 ± 43.7 vs. 339.7 ± 65.6 cm[2]) as an arithmetic consequence of the group definition; primary donor-site closure was more frequent in this group (76.9% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.047, unadjusted), and partial necrosis did not differ (7.7% vs. 8.3%, p = 1.00). No clinically significant donor-site functional complaints were documented in the medical records over a mean follow-up of 15.0 ± 8.8 months, and the mean QuickDASH score was 2.82 ± 3.10 (range, 0-11.36), although the questionnaire was administered postoperatively only and no objective strength or range-of-motion testing was performed. Conclusions: Harvest of long, relatively narrow LD skin paddles using a longitudinally oriented muscle cuff was feasible and was associated with favorable flap survival in this series, with no total flap loss and a low rate of limited partial necrosis. Because the design retains most of the muscle and, in the msLD configuration, its horizontal motor innervation while avoiding extensive intramuscular perforator dissection, it may represent a practical option for elongated soft-tissue defects; the absence of a control group and of objective perfusion or shoulder-function assessment precludes conclusions about mechanism or superiority.

Objectives: To characterize age-stratified reference patterns in dual-task performance and dual-task cost across the adult lifespan using a standardized digital assessment. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in 400 healthy participants aged 18 to 94 years from Spain and Ecuador. Participants performed a digital dual-task test combining a motor task (cursor control to hit a virtual target) and a cognitive task (arithmetic operations). Performance was assessed under single-task (ST) and dual-task (DT) conditions. Dual-task cost (DTC) was calculated separately for the motor and cognitive components, together with a composite Mean DTC. Participants were grouped into seven age categories for descriptive age-stratified analyses, and differences were assessed using one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons. In addition, multiple linear regression analyses were performed with age treated as a continuous variable and sex as a covariate. Results: Motor and cognitive performance was lower across older age groups under both ST and DT conditions. DTC differed significantly across age groups (p < 0.001), with larger differences becoming apparent at older ages. Cognitive DTC showed a marked increase across older age groups, indicating substantial age-associated cognitive interference under dual-task conditions. Mean DTC increased from 28.1% in participants aged 18-29 years to 63.2% in those aged ≥80 years. Age remained significantly associated with Motor DTC (B = 0.506 per year; 95% CI 0.422-0.589; p < 0.001), Cognitive DTC (B = 0.582; 95% CI 0.497-0.667; p < 0.001), and Mean DTC (B = 0.544; 95% CI 0.483-0.604; p < 0.001) after adjustment for sex. Although adjusted DTC levels differed between sexes, no significant age × sex interaction was observed. Conclusions: Digital dual-task performance differed substantially across age groups, with higher dual-task costs observed at older ages. These findings provide age-stratified reference data for this specific digital cognitive-motor paradigm and support its further investigation as a scalable measure of cognitive-motor interference. Further psychometric, longitudinal, and clinical validation is required before the Dualtask Test can be established as a clinical biomarker or used to distinguish physiological age-associated differences from pathological cognitive decline.

Background/Objectives: Left atrial (LA) low-voltage area quantification is time-consuming and threshold-dependent. We investigated whether mean left atrial bipolar voltage, as a marker of atrial cardiomyopathy, is associated with prior ischemic stroke and compared its performance with low-voltage area percentage (LVA%). Methods: In this single-center retrospective cross-sectional study, 259 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation were enrolled. Mean LA voltage was calculated as the arithmetic mean of all bipolar voltage points acquired during electroanatomic mapping. LVA% was defined as the proportion of LA surface area with voltage < 0.5 mV. Associations with prior ischemic stroke were assessed using Firth's penalized logistic regression. Results: The median age was 67 years and 31.7% were women. Twenty-nine patients (11.2%) had prior ischemic stroke. Patients with prior stroke had significantly lower mean LA voltage (0.5 [0.4-0.8] vs. 1.0 [0.6-1.3] mV, p < 0.001). After adjustment for CHA2DS2-VASc components, mean LA voltage remained independently associated with prior stroke (odds ratio 0.12, 95% confidence interval 0.03-0.38; p < 0.001). Mean LA voltage and LVA% showed comparable discrimination (area under the curve 0.743 vs. 0.717; p = 0.392), but adding mean LA voltage to the LVA%-only model improved model fit (likelihood ratio test p = 0.024). Conclusions: In this cross-sectional cohort, lower mean LA voltage was independently associated with prior ischemic stroke and may better reflect the extent of underlying atrial remodeling than LVA%.

Mathematics anxiety and test anxiety are associated with poorer mathematics performance. This study investigated whether a brief bout of moderate-intensity physical activity reduces momentary nervousness and improves subsequent mathematics performance. Sixty young adults (18-29 years) were randomly assigned to either a 10-min cycling condition or a passive sedentary control condition.

This study investigates radon and thoron exhalation from soil, along with radon and radium concentrations in groundwater, across 23 sampling locations in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, using a scintillation-based Smart RnDuo detector. Radon mass exhalation rates ranged between 17 ± 1.3 and 91.1 ± 4.7 mBq/kg/h, with a mean of 37.7 ± 2.1 mBq/kg/h, below the reported global average. In contrast, thoron exhalation rates ranged from 1755 ± 193 to 8410 ± 409 mBq/m[2]/s, with a mean of 4126.23.83 ± 278.52 mBq/m[2]/s, exceeding the global average. Groundwater radon concentrations varied from 9.4 ± 1.4 to 219.0 ± 5.5 Bq/L, yielding an arithmetic mean of 91.4 Bq/L and a geometric mean of 75.3 Bq/L; several sites approached or exceeded the WHO guideline threshold of 100 Bq/L. Gamma radiation levels averaged 179.7 nSv/h, above the Indian baseline but corresponding to an annual effective dose of 440.9 μSv/y, which remains below the ICRP public dose limit of 1 mSv/y. These findings underscore the influence of local hydrogeological conditions and soil characteristics on radon variability and highlight the need for continued monitoring and mitigation strategies in groundwater-dependent communities.

Microemulsions formed by water/polyoxyethylene tert-octylphenyl ether (TX-100)/n-hexanol/n-hexane were characterized and applied to polish the subsurface damage layer of the potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) single crystal. Effects of the mass ratio of TX-100-to-n-hexanol (Km), pH and temperature on the phase behavior of these systems were studied by pseudo-ternary phase diagrams and dynamic light scattering. The size of a single-phase region area was largest when Km = 3 : 2, pH = 3, at 25 °C. The type of microemulsions and reactivity between KDP and acid in water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsions (MEs) were determined by conductivity. The salt-carrying capacity of W/O MEs was investigated by acid-base titration. The static etching rate (SER) of the KDP crystal was calculated to be 709.6 nm min[-1]. The micropolarity of W/O MEs was explored by a solvent chromogenic approach. XRD showed that the excess peaks of the subsurface layer of the KDP crystal (200) and (211) were eliminated after polishing. The root mean square roughness (Rq) and arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) of the KDP crystal were reduced from 1.67 nm and 1.19 nm to 1.58 nm and 1.15 nm, respectively.

The crucial feature of seersucker woven fabrics is their surface geometry. In such kinds of woven fabrics, the puckered stripes appear in the warp direction, separated by stripes of smooth fabric. There are practically no methods to assess the seersucker effect and the reproducibility of this effect. In this work, an optical profilometer enabling non-contact assessment of surface geometry was used to measure the shape of the puckered stripes of example seersucker woven fabrics. Waviness amplitude parameters, such as the arithmetic mean height of individual points within the evaluation area, root mean square deviation of points' height within the evaluated area, maximum waviness height, maximum peak height, maximum valley depth, skewness and kurtosis, were analyzed for the puckered stripes of the fabrics. Profiles along the puckered stripes were created to analyze their shape. The results showed that weft yarn type influences the waviness amplitude parameters and shape of the puckered stripes in a statistically significant way. To summarize the results, weft yarns with higher linear density provide the most intense seersucker effect, meaning a wave with the greatest peak height and greatest trough depth. Conversely, weft yarns with the lowest linear density provide less variation in peak height and valley depth but the highest wave frequency. However, the observed differences are associated with the weft yarn type, with linear density being only one of several possible explanatory factors.

Fe-based amorphous soft magnets have long been investigated with respect to alloy design and processing strategies to enhance saturation polarization (Js) while preserving the amorphous phase essential for excellent soft magnetic properties and superior performance. This study demonstrates that Fe80B13Si7 melt-spun ribbons, containing a moderately high ferromagnetic fraction (~80 at%), display excellent amorphous stability, impressive soft magnetic behavior, and extremely low energy losses when processed under a highly efficient quenching atmosphere provided by helium. With the identical processing parameters, soft magnetic ribbons produced in helium gas provide a fully amorphous structure, whereas the ribbons synthesized in nitrogen undergo partial crystallization. The helium-quenched samples exhibit an exceptionally low mean coercivity (Hc) of ~1.3 A/m, in contrast to the nitrogen-quenched ones (mean Hc~14 A/m). The attained maximum permeability (μmax) in helium (28.4 ± 1.3 (×10[3])) is even comparable with commercial Metglas 2605SA1 (33.3 ± 4.8 (×10[3])). The average saturation polarization (Js) of the ribbons fabricated in both helium (~1.63 T) and nitrogen (~1.61 T) gases exceeds the commercial reference (~1.55 T). The helium environment showcases an excellent surface profile relative to nitrogen-induced quenching, which even shows a lower arithmetic mean surface height (Sa) than the reference material. Furthermore, the optimum annealing window for minimizing coercivity is found to lie approximately 15 to 20 K below the Curie temperatures (Tc) of the respective specimens. Core loss (Pcore) measurements reveal substantial loss reduction in helium-quenched ribbons relative to nitrogen-quenched ones and even slightly lower than Metglas 2605SA1 at a lower polarization level (J~0.5 T). Therefore, this work establishes a comprehensive understanding of how helium and nitrogen gases, as quenching environments, influence the amorphous formation, magnetic softness, surface morphology, and energy losses of an alloy with a relatively high Fe content from the Fe-B-Si family to harness the material's maximum potential.