Search Results (4,430)

Psychological stress is closely associated with intestinal barrier dysfunction, yet the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, using a 14-day restraint stress mouse model and an HT-29 cell model, we demonstrate that stress-induced elevation of serotonin (5-HT) disrupts intestinal mucosal barrier function through the 5-HT/HTR7/PPAR-γ/NLRP6/autophagy axis. Restraint stress significantly increased 5-HT levels in serum and intestinal tissues, accompanied by reduced goblet cell numbers, impaired mucin 2 secretion, and increased intestinal permeability. Mechanistically, 5-HT acts via HTR7 to downregulate PPAR-γ, which transcriptionally controls NLRP6, thereby suppressing NLRP6 inflammasome activity and autophagy. Pharmacological inhibition of 5-HT synthesis with PCPA or activation of PPAR-γ with rosiglitazone reversed these pathological phenotypes in vivo, and the 5-HT/HTR7/PPAR-γ axis was further validated in vitro. These findings establish a novel downstream mechanism linking psychological stress to NLRP6 inflammasome dysfunction, impaired autophagy, defective goblet cell function, and intestinal mucosal barrier damage. Full article

Industrial visual inspection requires not only accurate segmentation but also reliable and traceable decision making, since incorrect automatic refinements may lead to downstream manufacturing failures. Although segmentation foundation models achieve strong segmentation accuracy, they provide limited support for assessing whether refinement actions should be accepted, rejected, or escalated before deployment. To address this challenge, we propose AgenticInspect, a hybrid-audited agentic inspection framework that reformulates segmentation refinement as an action-level, risk-aware decision process. AgenticInspect treats an edge-deployable segmentation model as a replaceable skill. Based on the output of the segmentation skill, AgenticInspect introduces three task-specific decision modules, including uncertainty- and geometry-guided candidate generation, train-learned gating for high-risk refinement actions, and hybrid audit for risk-controlled mask selection. The hybrid audit layer integrates deterministic safety rules, train-learned safety gates, and selective large language model (LLM) review. The proposed framework provides action-level risk control and auditable decision making, with a traceable rationale for accepting, rejecting, or escalating candidate refinements. AgenticInspect was evaluated on a labeled connector-inspection dataset. The proposed refinement pipeline improved IoU from 0.9189303 to 0.9190180. The full hybrid policy reduced degraded refinements from 14 to 12 while maintaining nearly all performance gains (IoU = 0.9190131). Audit-component ablation attributes the observed reduction in IoU-degrading outputs to the train-learned risk veto, while LLM review serves as a selective, structured, and auditable assistive interface rather than an independently validated source of automatic improvement. These results position AgenticInspect as a risk-aware inspection framework that converts static segmentation outputs into auditable refinement decisions. Full article

Objectives: To develop and externally validate MRI-based radiomics and clinicoradiomics models for predicting pathological lymph node metastasis (LNM) in neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (NECC). Methods: This retrospective two-center study included 133 patients who underwent pretreatment pelvic MRI and pathological nodal assessment: 93 for development and 40 for external validation. Intratumoral and peritumoral features were extracted from T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images. Stratified nested fivefold cross-validation evaluated the complete revised selection process. Locked models were assessed for discrimination, calibration, and exploratory net benefit, with conventional MRI nodal assessment as a comparator. Results: Pathological LNM was present in 54/133 patients (40.6%). The selected radiomics-only k-nearest neighbors (KNN) model had an external AUC of 0.783 (95% CI, 0.630 to 0.935), accuracy of 0.800, sensitivity of 0.813, and specificity of 0.792. The complete selection procedure yielded an out-of-fold AUC of 0.731. External AUCs were 0.727 for the clinical/MRI model and 0.767 for the clinicoradiomics model; neither fusion model differed significantly from the clinical/MRI comparator. Conventional MRI sensitivity was 0.563, with no significant paired difference from the selected model (p = 0.125). External calibration was imperfect (Brier score, 0.186; slope, 0.672). Conclusions: MRI radiomics showed moderate external discrimination of pathological LNM in NECC. Adding clinical variables did not demonstrate further benefit. Multicenter validation, recalibration, and clinical-impact assessment are needed before clinical application. Full article

Climate change is intensifying environmental stresses, including drought, high temperature, and salinity, posing increasing challenges to plant growth and development. In addition to genetic variation, DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism that regulates gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence through the addition of methyl groups to the fifth carbon of cytosine. Genome-wide dynamic changes in DNA methylation and demethylation at CG, CHG, and CHH sites contribute to the regulation of stress-responsive transcriptional networks, thereby shaping plant phenotypes and facilitating the establishment of stress memory. In recent years, advances in methylome profiling and molecular validation have shifted research from describing DNA methylation changes to elucidating their regulatory mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the molecular mechanisms underlying the establishment, maintenance, and removal of DNA methylation, with a particular focus on its dynamic changes and regulatory roles in plant responses to cold, heat, drought, and salt stresses. It also compares the characteristics of DNA methylation responses across different types of stress and discusses their potential molecular mechanisms. Overall, DNA methylation represents an important regulatory layer in plant responses to abiotic challenges, and its dynamic changes are closely associated with plant adaptation, providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying stress adaptation. Full article

The red-claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, is a commercially valuable freshwater aquaculture species, with muscle flavor representing a core trait driving consumer preference and market value. Under identical farming conditions, same-batch crayfish commonly develop marked size divergence within and between sexes, but the impacts of this variation on muscle volatile flavor profiles remain largely unexplored. Here, C. quadricarinatus reared under consistent environmental conditions were categorized into four groups by body weight and sex: large-size female (GUBF), large-size male (GUBM), small-size female (GUSF), and small-size male (GUSM). Headspace solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS) was employed to profile volatile organic compounds. Multivariate statistical analysis, relative odor activity value calculation, metabolic pathway and network analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were combined to dissect flavor variation patterns, identify key aroma compounds, reveal underlying metabolic mechanisms, and screen potential biomarkers. Proximate composition analysis showed significant size differences in crude protein, lipid, moisture, and meat yield, with no significant sex differences. One hundred thirty-six volatile metabolites across 15 chemical categories were identified in all samples. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed clear separation among the four groups, suggesting that both body size and sex shape muscle volatile metabolite profiles, with stronger effects observed in females. Thirty-eight shared aroma-active compounds were detected, mainly including alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and aromatic hydrocarbons. The overall sensory profile was dominated by sweet-like notes, followed by fruity and green notes. Sex-related flavor differences were relatively slight in large-size crayfish but pronounced in small-size individuals. Large-size female crayfish had simpler flavor composition, while small-size females showed higher diversity and abundance of flavor compounds; size variation had limited effects on male flavor. Butanoate metabolism was significantly enriched in both the small-size sex comparison and female size comparison. Core metabolic frameworks were generally conserved across groups, but key hub metabolites differed by comparison type. This study systematically characterized the volatile flavor profiles of C. quadricarinatus muscle across different body sizes and sexes under controlled farming conditions, providing preliminary references for quality evaluation and premium aquaculture optimization of C. quadricarinatus. Full article

Background/Objectives: Glandular tissue component (GTC) has been incorporated into BI-RADS v2025 as part of breast tissue composition assessment, but visual grading remains subjective and does not provide continuous quantification. We developed and evaluated an ROI-guided, anatomically constrained deep learning framework for quantitative GTC assessment on breast ultrasound. Reader performance was compared between unaided and AI-assisted sessions. Methods: This retrospective single-center study included 421 ultrasound images from 114 women for model development and 150 women for clinical evaluation. The framework segmented fibroglandular tissue (FGT) and glandular tissue to calculate continuous GTC percentage and assign the corresponding image-derived P1–P4 category. Four model configurations were compared during model development using patient-level five-fold cross-validation. Standalone AI performance was evaluated against expert consensus. Two senior and two junior radiologists assessed the clinical cohort without and with AI assistance, separated by a 4-week washout period. Results: During model development, the anatomical constraint markedly improved anatomical consistency while quantitative error and segmentation performance remained comparable. In the clinical cohort, continuous GTC percentage showed an MAE of 3.88 percentage points and strong correlation with the reference percentage (Spearman ρ = 0.957, p < 0.001). Exact P1–P4 agreement was 78.0%, adjacent agreement was 99.3%, and weighted κ was 0.888. However, 26 of 36 reference P4 cases (72.2%) were underestimated. Exact agreement was significantly higher for all four readers in the second, AI-assisted session than in the first, unaided session (all p < 0.001). Conclusions: The framework enabled anatomically consistent continuous GTC quantification and categorical assessment on individual breast ultrasound images. Full article

Background: This study investigated the associations of oral health literacy and oral health knowledge with oral health-related behaviors and self-rated oral health among Chinese dental patients attending a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, China. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 323 adult dental patients from 1 December 2025 to 28 February 2026. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, oral health literacy, oral health knowledge, risk behaviors, preventive oral-health practices, and self-rated oral health. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha analysis, Spearman’s rank correlation, multiple linear regression, and ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Participants demonstrated relatively high levels of oral health literacy and oral health knowledge. Oral health literacy was positively correlated with oral health knowledge (ρ = 0.602, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with risk behaviors (ρ = −0.238, p < 0.001). Ordinal logistic regression analysis demonstrated that higher risk behavior scores were significantly associated with lower odds of reporting better self-rated oral health (Estimate = −0.104, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age (β = 0.180, p = 0.001), oral health literacy (β = −0.355, p < 0.001), and oral health knowledge (β = 0.199, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with risk behavior scores. Higher risk behavior scores were independently associated with poorer self-rated oral health (β = −0.214, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Chinese dental patients demonstrated satisfactory levels of oral health literacy and oral health knowledge. Higher oral health literacy was associated with fewer oral health-related risk behaviors, while greater engagement in risk behaviors was associated with poorer self-rated oral health. Full article

Arsenic contamination in drinking water poses a serious global public health threat, driving an urgent need for cost-effective technologies capable of efficient trace-level arsenic removal. In this study, a spherical iron–manganese composite adsorbent (SMF) was fabricated by loading FeOOH onto MnO₂-modified silica gel (S-MnO₂) via an in situ precipitation method, aiming to achieve rapid and high-capacity removal of trace As(V). The material was systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and other techniques, and its adsorption performance was evaluated through batch experiments. The results demonstrated that SMF possesses a large specific surface area (346.08 m²/g) and a well-developed mesoporous structure, with Fe–Mn oxides uniformly dispersed on the silica support in an amorphous form. SMF exhibited ultrafast adsorption kinetics, achieving nearly complete As(V) removal from drinking water (>99%) within 10 min across a broad pH range (2–12) and effectively reducing residual arsenic to below the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 10 μg/L. The adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, indicating a chemisorption-dominated monolayer adsorption mechanism. Furthermore, SMF demonstrated broad-spectrum removal capability toward other toxic metal(loid) ions, including As(III), Sb(III), Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), Hg(II), Zn(II), Fe(III), and Mn(II). These findings establish SMF as a promising granular adsorbent for the advanced treatment of arsenic-contaminated drinking water and industrial wastewater. Full article

Hydrocarbon sources and charging history remain uncertain in the Ordovician carbonate reservoirs of the Zhuangxi Buried Hill. We integrated biomarker analyses of eight crude oil and reservoir rock extract samples from seven wells with fluid inclusion observations, microthermometry, pressure–volume–temperature modelling and burial and thermal histories. Oil source comparisons used compiled reference ranges supplied by Sinopec Shengli Oilfield, rather than source rock measurements made by the authors. Exploratory PCA and Ward clustering summarised compositional relationships among the samples. Biomarker comparisons favour affinities with the lower submember of the third member (Es₃^x) and upper submember of the fourth member (Es₄^s) of the Shahejie Formation in the Gubei Sag, while other contributions remain possible. Contrasts among Majiagou oils suggest possible local variation in source affinity, although maturity and alteration may also contribute. Inclusion age estimates for four wells fall mainly within Guantao and Minghuazhen deposition during reburial after the Dongying Movement, with some estimates extending into the Quaternary. Their ranges describe the spread of individual inclusion estimates and may partly reflect homogenisation temperature dispersion. Palaeopressure coefficients range approximately from 0.8 to 1.2 and mostly cluster around unity under the 9.8 MPa/km reference gradient. These estimates depend on the empirical temperature correction, burial and thermal histories, and inclusion preservation. The observations are consistent with a regional model involving possible entry through faults and unconformity windows, but they do not establish specific migration routes or pathway connectivity as the principal control on hydrocarbon distribution. Full article

Accurate simulation of repetitive aircraft shock is needed to assess the environmental adaptability of aircraft equipment, especially at locations close to the excitation source. Conventional narrowband random-on-random (NOR) testing generates a stationary, approximately Gaussian waveform. Although its power spectral density (PSD) can satisfy the prescribed spectrum, it does not reproduce the high peaks, repeated pulse shape, and high kurtosis observed in near-field aircraft shock. This paper presents a time-domain windowed pulse (TDWP) synthesis method with a time-frequency joint optimization procedure. A stationary random carrier is generated from the initial PSD, and a physically motivated exponential window is used to impose the firing-rate-related pulse pattern. Windowing changes the spectrum, so a regularized spectral equalization is applied in a closed loop to bring the PSD of the final waveform back to the target spectrum. The window decay exponent is selected by minimizing errors in peak and kurtosis while enforcing PSD consistency. One set of field measurements and three laboratory tests were used for validation. Relative to the conventional method, TDWP reduced the absolute error in maximum peak, kurtosis, and fatigue-damage-equivalent response by 46.4, 51.2, and 53.9 percentage points, respectively. The results indicate that preserving the transient pulse sequence can improve the representation of near-source repetitive aircraft shock while maintaining the prescribed spectral requirement under the investigated conditions. Full article

The multilayer flux-barrier structure creates strong magnetic saliency in linear permanent magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance motors (PMa-SynRM-LMs). It offers high thrust density with a reduced permanent magnet volume, but it can also produce severe thrust ripple. This paper investigates the secondary structure to balance average thrust and thrust ripple. A sensitivity analysis is first performed. A reduced-order optimization framework that combines sensitivity screening with response surface methodology (RSM) is then used to reduce the number of optimization variables. To further suppress thrust ripple, a modular primary structure with an optimized staggered displacement is proposed, and several modular configurations are compared. The selected configuration reduces the thrust–ripple coefficient from 31.7% to 19.1%, corresponding to a reduction of 12.6 percentage points (39.7% relative), while the average thrust decreases from 302.6 N to 267.7 N (11.5%). A PMa-SynRM-LM prototype is manufactured and tested. The separately measured module back-EMFs provide preliminary experimental support for the electromagnetic model; synchronized series-connected measurements and closed-loop drive tests remain future work. Full article

The intrinsic defects in thermal barrier coating (TBC) seriously affect its thermal insulation performance and service life. In this work, four typical TBC models are developed based on the same image to quantitatively compare the effects of defects on insulation and interface damage. The coupling behavior of thermally grown oxide (TGO) and gradient thermal cycling is considered. The propagation and evolution of intrinsic, pore edge, and interface cracks in the multi-defect model are explored. Results indicate that intrinsic cracks cause a temperature difference of up to 15 °C on the flat coating surfaces. Intrinsic defects have no effect on interface temperature. Compared to the defect-free model, intrinsic cracks result in a maximum increase of 70% in normal stress near the interface and a 48% increase in shear stress. The fully damaged area in the POR-CR model is 40% higher than that in the HOM model. Based on the POR-CR model, which is closer to the real microstructure, the merging methods of internal and interface cracks are summarized into six types. The relevant results can provide important data support for a comprehensive understanding of the failure mechanism of in-service coatings and accurate prediction of service life. Full article

Perianal ulcers remain challenging to treat because of persistent moisture, high mobility, recurrent infection, and prolonged inflammation at the lesion site. Herein, we developed a mussel-inspired, paintable hydrogel dressing loaded with ginsenoside Rh1 for multifunctional perianal ulcer management. The hydrogel was constructed from dopamine, chitosan, graphene oxide (GO), and polyvinyl alcohol, forming a physically and chemically dual-crosslinked network with robust wet-tissue adhesion, shear-thinning behavior, and structural stability. Optimization of the GO content revealed that the formulation with 0.5 mg/mL GO exhibited the best overall balance of mechanical properties, drug release behavior, and biocompatibility. The hydrogel showed pH-responsive sustained release of Rh1, low hemolysis (<2.45%), good cytocompatibility, antioxidant activity, and rapid hemostatic capability. Under 808 nm near-infrared irradiation, the GO-containing hydrogel also displayed stable photothermal responsiveness and effective antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In a rat perianal ulcer model, the Rh1-loaded hydrogel significantly accelerated wound repair, achieving a healing rate of 96.78% by day 14. Histological analyses further confirmed enhanced re-epithelialisation, collagen deposition, and tissue remodeling after treatment. These results indicate that the DA/CS/GO/PVA-Rh1 hydrogel is a promising multifunctional dressing for the treatment of difficult-to-heal perianal ulcers. Full article

Cultivated land multifunctionality plays an important role in balancing food security, rural development, and ecological sustainability. However, existing studies often remain fragmented, with limited integration of long-term functional evolution, interfunctional relationships, coordination, and governance-oriented zoning. Using multi-source data from 2000 to 2024, this study examined the spatiotemporal evolution, synergy–trade-off relationships, coupling coordination, spatial associations, and functional zoning of cultivated land production, social, ecological, and landscape functions in Northeast China. The results show pronounced temporal fluctuations and spatial differentiation. Landscape function maintained the highest overall level, with a mean of approximately 0.82, while ecological function remained relatively high and stable. Production function fluctuated over time, whereas social function increased markedly in 2020 before declining slightly in 2024. Synergies dominated among production, ecological, and landscape functions, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.54 to 0.97, while social function remained weakly associated with the other functions (r < 0.22). The coupling coordination degree ranged from 0.639 to 0.665, indicating a moderate but relatively stable coordination level with clear regional differences. Functional zoning identified single-function-dominated, dual-function composite, multifunctional composite, and characteristic agricultural zones, accounting for 53.44%, 21.30%, 8.94%, and 16.33% of cultivated land, respectively. These findings provide a basis for shifting cultivated land management from uniform regulation toward differentiated governance that better coordinates agricultural production, ecological protection, and rural development. Full article

To ensure the safe operation of embankment projects in flood detention areas, this study systematically investigates the rehabilitation and filling works of the embankment on soft foundation in the Fuhua Area of the Huayang River flood detention basin. Given the high natural water content, large void ratio, low permeability, and low bearing capacity of the soft soil, both centrifugal model tests and numerical simulations were employed. The variations in foundation strength, pore water pressure, and embankment settlement were examined under three-stage filling surcharge conditions, comparing the untreated foundation and the foundation treated with prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) combined with surcharge preloading. The results show that, compared with the untreated foundation, the strength of the soft soil increases markedly after PVD plus surcharge preloading treatment. With increasing surcharge height, both the calculated and measured soil strengths increase with depth. Under the same surcharge preloading stabilization condition, the calculated values are greater than the measured ones at shallower depths, whereas the measured values exceed the calculated ones at greater depths, indicating that the theoretical calculations are conservative. Pore water pressure gradually rises with soil depth, yet the excess pore pressure induced by surcharge dissipates rapidly through PVDs, effectively accelerating the consolidation process. In terms of settlement, the treated soft foundation exhibits larger deformation during the preloading construction stage, which is intentionally induced to accelerate consolidation. This results in significantly smaller post-construction settlement compared with the untreated case, confirming that PVD treatment can effectively reduce long-term settlement. To further verify the reliability of the centrifugal model test results, finite-element numerical simulations were performed on the prototype section, and four settlement monitoring points and six pore-water-pressure monitoring points were selected for analysis. The simulation results show that the pore water pressure along the centreline of the old embankment (the non-drainage consolidation zone) is substantially higher than that under the new embankment (the drainage consolidation zone), demonstrating that PVD treatment can effectively lower pore water pressure and accelerate consolidation. These findings offer important technical support for soft foundation treatment and embankment filling projects. Full article