In this paper, we study the dynamics and bifurcation of a two-dimensional discrete-time predator-prey model. The existence and local stability of the equilibrium points of the model are analyzed algebraically. It is shown that the model can undergo a transcritical bifurcation at equilibrium point on the $x$-axis and a Neimark-Sacker bifurcation in a small neighborhood of the unique positive equilibrium point. Some numerical simulations are presented to illustrate our theoretical results.  

Steatosis extends beyond the liver to the pancreas, heart, and skeletal muscle, yet prevailing definitions remain narrowly organ-focused. This narrative review introduces the Metabolic Steatotic Axis (MSA) as a framework that captures the dynamic, bidirectional interactions among these organs, driving systemic metabolic dysfunction. We synthesize evidence linking lipotoxicity, inflammatory signaling, and endocrine cross-talk into a self-amplifying network accelerating insulin resistance, β-cell failure, and cardiometabolic risk. The MSA concept provides a rationale for axis-based staging systems and composite biomarker panels to quantify cumulative disease burden better and refine risk stratification. We highlight phenotypic heterogeneity within MSA stages, the possible hierarchy of organ vulnerability, and the implications for prognosis and therapy. Viewing pharmacological and lifestyle interventions through the MSA lens reframes them as systemic modulators rather than organ-specific treatments, underscoring the need for multi-organ endpoints in clinical trials. Finally, we outline priorities for longitudinal imaging, multi-omics integration, and global harmonization to translate the MSA from a conceptual construct to a clinically actionable paradigm. By unifying fragmented observations into a systemic model, the MSA has the potential to reshape disease classification, therapeutic strategies, and precision medicine in metabolic disorders.

Central and Eastern United States (CEUS) earthquakes are less common than those in the tectonically active West Coast, but their significance is elevated due to higher population densities, less-attenuating bedrock geology, variable site-amplification effects, and a higher proportion of structures prone to damage from shaking. Associating CEUS earthquake focal mechanisms with causative crustal faults is challenging due to a lack of mapped faults. Aftershock productivity of CEUS earthquakes is difficult to predict because it is highly variable, displaying globally typical behavior in some regions (Wu et al., 2015; Wu and Chapman, 2017) and low decay rates (Stein and Liu, 2009; Calais et al., 2016; Toda and Stein, 2018) in others. Here, we study the aftershock sequence of an unusual Mw 4.24 CEUS earthquake that occurred below the Atlantic Coastal Plain east of Dover, Delaware, in late 2017. We analyze data from a temporary 14-station network and use template matching to search for aftershocks, which we locate using a custom 1D velocity model. We find aftershock locations favoring slip on a northwest–southeast-striking fault oblique to the presumed fault where the mainshock was located. We document an unusually low a value and large magnitude difference between the mainshock and the largest aftershock, as well as an average aftershock decay p value. Factors proposed to explain variations in aftershock productivity include fault alignment relative to the prevailing stress field (Hardebeck, 2010) and low productivity after a high stress drop (Wetzler et al., 2018). We test these hypotheses in relation to the 2017 Delaware earthquake aftershocks, showing the Delaware earthquake had a stress drop of 35 MPa, normal for an intraplate region (Boyd et al., 2017), and had favorable alignment for aftershock thrust faulting. We therefore propose a small fault of possible pre-Mesozoic origin, limiting the productivity observed.

Background The IMPULSE trial investigated the effectiveness and implementation of a digital psychosocial intervention (DIALOG+) for people with psychosis in five Southeast European countries. DIALOG+ significantly improved patients’ quality of life after four treatment sessions. The process evaluation reported here aimed to assess contextual influences on intervention delivery during the trial, to explain the trial findings and generate hypotheses about mechanisms of action by exploring acceptability from the perspectives of clinicians who delivered it and trial participants who received it, and fidelity (was the intervention delivered and received as planned?). Method A mixed-methods process evaluation was conducted in accordance with the published protocol, guided by theoretical frameworks and the Medical Research Council’s guidance for complex interventions. To explore the role of context, data were analysed about the participating services, policy documents, and from focus groups with key stakeholders. Semi-structured interviews with clinicians and patients were conducted to explore acceptability. Process data (format and content of sessions) were analysed to assess intervention fidelity. Data analysis included descriptive methods, framework and content analysis, and triangulation. Results Several attributes of context related to health services, including resource limitations, funding priorities, reliance on paper records and lack of community support, potentially negatively impacted DIALOG+ acceptability, fidelity and outcomes. Contextual enablers were also identified, including an appetite for change among key stakeholders that can help overcome contextual barriers. Acceptability of the psychosocial intervention was moderate to high and fidelity was high. Conclusions Intervention acceptability is likely to have played a key role in ensuring high fidelity, which in turn likely contributed to the intervention’s positive impact on patients’ quality of life. The high fidelity confirms that the IMPULSE trial findings provide a valid assessment of the intervention as designed. While the identified contextual barriers appear not to have impaired intervention fidelity, acceptability and outcomes, they could pose challenges to the long-term sustainability of the intervention. Trial registration Retrospectively registered on 29 March 2021, ISRCTN11913964

Rapid detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a crucial tool in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance, helping to limit the spread of resistance and guide treatment decisions. Here, we report the design, synthesis, and electrochemical evaluation of β-lactam-based redox-activatable probes for detecting β-lactamase activity. The probes incorporate a β-lactam core linked to redox reporters through cleavable linkages, enabling signal generation upon enzymatic hydrolysis. High-performance liquid chromatography and differential pulse voltammetry analyses were used to assess time-dependent activation and concentration-dependent responses against commercial β-lactamase blends and metallo-β-lactamases. Selected probes, bearing cephalosporin recognition motifs and maltol redox reporters, were further evaluated against clinical isolates, demonstrating selective activation in carbapenemase-producing strains. To extend the platform toward solid-state biosensing, an azide-functionalized analog was clicked on alkyne-modified glassy carbon electrodes. Stepwise surface functionalization and immobilization were validated electrochemically using model redox reporters, confirming their activity. The immobilized probe retained responsiveness, demonstrating the feasibility of integrating this sensing strategy into solid-state diagnostic devices. By integrating stable cephalosporin scaffolds with redox-reporter signaling, this work introduces a novel probe system that unites chemical probe design with surface-based electrochemical sensing, providing a strong foundation for the development of portable, point-of-care diagnostics for β-lactamase-mediated antibiotic resistance.

Focusing on the interplay between individual, organisational and relational dimensions, this study investigates the drivers of crisis-resilience in businesses owned by women. Using a mixed-methods approach, a quantitative survey is combined with qualitative interviews, in order to expose the key factors shaping resilience, including transformational leadership skills, individual passion and perseverance, a familial organisational culture and social support networks. Our analysis of the findings indicates perseverance and passion drive transformational leadership, which itself fosters organisational resilience through robustness, agility and integrity. Future research could consider the institutional dimensions of resilience, particularly across different cultural and economic contexts. Practitioners, women entrepreneurs, can employ these insights to create targeted strategies that enhance resilience and sustainability in times of crisis. This study augments the existing literature on the importance of resilience in leadership, illustrating the critical role of gendered experiences and social support structures play in women-owned businesses. Furthermore, it bridges the gap between theoretical models and real-world contexts by demonstrating how resilience is useful in practice.

This exploratory study examines how emotional arousal, triggered by environmental threat appeals, relates to consumer attitudes toward sustainable brands and their willingness to pay (WTP). Grounded in Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), the research employs a multi‐method approach that integrates biometric data, specifically Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) and Facial Expression Analysis (FEA), with traditional survey measures. The study was conducted with a sample of 38 undergraduate students (52.6% female; 47.4% male), aged between 21 and 25 years, who voluntarily participated in a laboratory experiment. While emotional arousal alone did not significantly predict attitudinal or behavioral outcomes, its effect was contingent upon individual differences. In particular, consumer conscientiousness was found to strengthen the relationship between emotional arousal and positive brand attitudes, while consumer dispositional CSR skepticism attenuated the role of emotions for WTP. These findings offer new insights into the emotion–cognition–behavior pathway in sustainable consumption and demonstrate the importance of trait‐based segmentation in sustainability marketing. By combining neurophysiological tools with established psychological theory, this study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how consumers process, interpret, and act upon emotionally charged environmental messaging.

Perfluorohexyloctane (F6H8) is a semifluorinated alkane increasingly used in medical applications. Emerging evidence, however, indicates that this compound can persist in biological systems and influence cellular processes. These observations suggest that the exceptional stability of F6H8, while beneficial for medical performance, may also have implications for long-term biological and health outcomes.

BACKGROUND Fractional flow reserve (FFR)-negative coronary lesions are usually managed medically. Lesion-specific plaque characterization and FFR changes over time remain elusive. AIMS To assess disease progression in FFR-negative lesions over a two-year period using FFR derived from coronary CT angiography (CCTA) (FFRct) and to investigate whether FFR decline over a two-year period is associated with plaque characteristics. METHODS This single-center prospective study included patients undergoing coronary angiography with one or more invasive intermediate lesions (FFR 0.81-0.90) in non-stented, non-culprit coronary arteries. Two years after the index procedure, patients underwent CCTA with FFRct and quantitative plaque analysis. RESULTS We enrolled 131 patients (152 vessels). Two-year follow-up with FFRct and plaque analysis was available in 68 (52 ​%) patients (73 vessels). Compared to invasive FFR at baseline, FFRct at 2y follow-up was significantly lower (median difference -0.06) at vessel level analysis (p ​< ​0.001). FFR declined in 55 (75 ​%) lesions. The 35 study vessels with an FFRct≤0.80 ​at 2-year follow-up had higher total percent atheroma volume (PAV) (41 ​% vs. 23 ​%; p ​= ​0.002) and more high-risk plaque composition, including noncalcified PAV (30 ​% vs. 18 ​%; p ​= ​0.002), and low-attenuation PAV (1.1 ​% vs. 0.7 ​%; p ​= ​0.046) compared to vessels with an FFRct>0.80 (n ​= ​38). Rates of study vessel revascularization in the 131 patients were 6.9 ​% at 2 years and 15.1 ​% after 4.9 years of follow-up after index procedure. CONCLUSIONS Rates of coronary revascularization are substantial in patients with medically managed intermediate lesions. In this selected cohort, an FFRct ≤0.80 ​at two-year follow-up was associated with higher plaque burden and presence of high-risk plaque composition.