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20 pages, 51749 KB

Open AccessArticle

Decoding the Shear Strength of Sand–Concrete Interfaces: The Role of Surface Texture and Bentonite

by M.J. Siahdashti and Adolfo Foriero

J 2026, 9(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/j9020019 - 15 Jun 2026

Viewed by 186

Bentonite slurry is frequently used as a support fluid in the construction of drilled shafts. During the piling process, the slurry acts as a sealant and slightly penetrates the nearby soil. However, the degree to which bentonite slurry penetrates the soil affects the [...] Read more.

Bentonite slurry is frequently used as a support fluid in the construction of drilled shafts. During the piling process, the slurry acts as a sealant and slightly penetrates the nearby soil. However, the degree to which bentonite slurry penetrates the soil affects the resulting frictional capacity of the bored piles. This experimental study examines the extent of this phenomenon, arising from the formation of what is typically known as the bentonite filter cake or mud cake. The frictional properties of the filter cake are examined through three groups of direct shear tests, employing three pre-cast concrete blocks positioned on a sand layer that has been subject to bentonite slurry for varying durations. To ensure comparison, a similar pre-cast concrete block was utilized in each test series, resulting in uniform surface roughness in the concrete. A handheld surface roughness device was utilized to measure the roughness profile of each concrete block, assessing the surface roughness of all concrete surfaces. The outcomes of the direct shear test performed were subsequently normalized based on the assessed roughness of the concrete surface. Experimental results showed that the friction capacity of the soil–concrete interface for granular materials (“sand–concrete interface”) decreases with longer exposure to bentonite slurry. Specifically, the shear strength is inversely proportional to the square root of the bentonite slurry exposure time. Tests on the internal friction angle of Québec Valcartier granitic sand and the friction angles at sand–concrete interfaces with and without bentonite slurry exposure revealed that the non-exposed sand–concrete interface achieves a peak friction angle equal to 77% of the peak internal friction angle of Québec Valcartier granitic sand. This value represents 69% and 60% of the peak friction angle of the sand tested for bentonite exposure durations of 2 and 4 h, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Engineering)

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24 pages, 5874 KB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Cyclic Triaxial Tests with Constant and Variable Cell Pressure

by Carmine P. Polito

J 2026, 9(2), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/j9020018 - 13 Jun 2026

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Abstract

Cyclic triaxial tests are often used to evaluate the behavior of soils under seismic loads. The stress conditions imposed on a soil specimen during a cyclic triaxial test, however, are very different than those acting on an element of soil during an earthquake. [...] Read more.

Cyclic triaxial tests are often used to evaluate the behavior of soils under seismic loads. The stress conditions imposed on a soil specimen during a cyclic triaxial test, however, are very different than those acting on an element of soil during an earthquake. One major difference is that the element in the field is subjected to a change in total confining stress, whereas in a conventional cyclic triaxial test the total confining stress (as applied through the cell pressure) is held constant. This use of constant cell pressure is usually justified by the assumption that in a saturated specimen the change in total stress is offset by a change in pore pressure, thus resulting in no change in the effective confining stress or liquefaction susceptibility. A laboratory study using cyclic triaxial tests was conducted on several soils to assess the validity of this assumption. For each soil, two series of stress-controlled cyclic triaxial tests were run: one set with a constant cell pressure, and thus a constant total confining stress, and a second set with a variable total stress/cell pressure. These tests were then compared in terms of both the resulting cyclic resistance curves and the amount of energy dissipated to trigger liquefaction. It was found that the two conditions of confining stress yielded results that were not statistically different. Therefore, the assumption that the change in pore pressure caused by the variation in total stress is offset by the change in pore pressure and thus results in no change in effective stress or liquefaction susceptibility appears valid. Based on these findings, cyclic triaxial tests performed with constant cell pressure, and thus a constant total confining stress, provide valid results for liquefaction analyses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Engineering)

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12 pages, 1807 KB

Open AccessCommunication

Factors Associated with Frailty Risk Based on Admission Information Using Diagnosis Procedure Combination Data: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

by Ryuichiro Hosoya, Takao Tobe, Yoshimi Ichimaru, Tetuzi Suzuki, Takashi Saita, Takahiro Otani, Ayumi Ozeki, Shigeki Yamada, Masaaki Kurihara and Hajime Kagaya

J 2026, 9(2), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/j9020017 - 1 Jun 2026

Viewed by 362

Abstract

Frailty is a geriatric syndrome associated with adverse outcomes, particularly in super-aged societies. Hospitalization-related inactivity may contribute to frailty progression and worsen prognosis and post-discharge quality of life; however, frailty identification at admission is challenging. This study used diagnosis procedure combination (DPC) data [...] Read more.

Frailty is a geriatric syndrome associated with adverse outcomes, particularly in super-aged societies. Hospitalization-related inactivity may contribute to frailty progression and worsen prognosis and post-discharge quality of life; however, frailty identification at admission is challenging. This study used diagnosis procedure combination (DPC) data to examine associations between patient and medication factors at admission and hospitalization-induced frailty. The cohort comprised patients aged ≥65 years hospitalized at Shonantobu General Hospital with records of oral medication prescribed or brought in at admission. Four PRISMA-7 frailty risk index items were evaluated. Patients meeting at least three criteria were defined as the frailty risk group. Bivariate and multivariate analyses assessed the influence of patient background and medication categories on frailty risk. The frailty risk group included 888/1948 cases. Risk and nonrisk groups differed significantly in sex, age, and body mass index (BMI). Logistic regression analysis showed that low BMI, antithrombotics, mineral supplements, and antiparkinsonian drugs were associated with frailty risk, although the findings for male sex and advanced age should be interpreted cautiously because these variables were included as components of the modified frailty-risk definition. Patient background and medication information from DPC data at admission may contribute to future frailty risk estimation. Future prospective studies using detailed clinical data and machine learning models are needed to clarify the relationship between medication use and frailty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Multi-Omics in Precision Medicine)

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39 pages, 34629 KB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Scaling Tendencies by Mixing Seawater and Aquifer Water in Reservoirs and Porous Media

by Abdul-Muaizz Koray, Hamid Rahnema, Emmanuel Appiah Kubi, Adewale Amosu and Oshokoya Gbenga

J 2026, 9(2), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/j9020016 - 26 May 2026

Viewed by 247

Abstract

Waterflooding in oilfields for oil displacement and reservoir pressure maintenance has led to the production of scale in several reservoirs. The formation of scale occurs both in the porous media of the reservoir and in the production equipment, leading to production disruptions that [...] Read more.

Waterflooding in oilfields for oil displacement and reservoir pressure maintenance has led to the production of scale in several reservoirs. The formation of scale occurs both in the porous media of the reservoir and in the production equipment, leading to production disruptions that result in a decline in revenue. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of mixing samples of seawater and aquifer water. This is achieved by conducting turbidity, salinity, pH, and zeta potential measurements. The risk of self-precipitation of the prepared samples was assessed using the PHREEQC program. A PVT cell was used to assess the impact of temperature and pressure on the prepared seawater and aquifer samples. When 40% of the seawater sample was combined with 60% of the aquifer water sample, the turbidity findings indicated maximum precipitation. The amount of precipitation dropped as temperature and pressure increased. To assess the impact of scale formation on the permeability of a Berea sandstone core, a core flooding experiment was conducted employing liquid and gas as the flowing fluid. Additionally, SEM and EDS analyses were used to examine the shape and composition of scale. It was found that SO₄²⁻ and Ca²⁺ ions predominated in scale precipitation. Full article

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23 pages, 2173 KB

Open AccessReview

Mechanistic Insights into Off-the-Shelf vs. Personalized mRNA Cancer Vaccines: A Comparative Review of BNT111 and BNT122

by Cheska Jane A. Cudog, Trisha Anne A. Arcilla, Angel Mae D. Gregorio, Samantha D. Ramos, Eunice S. Salazar, Jenny L. Sindingan, Marianne Joy L. Tubalinal, Huai-Ying Huang, Po-Hua Wu, Hoang Minh, Kuo-Pin Chuang and Brian Harvey Avanceña Villanueva

J 2026, 9(2), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/j9020015 - 22 May 2026

Viewed by 941

Abstract

mRNA vaccines are a relevant approach in cancer immunotherapy, using messenger RNA to induce immune responses against tumor-associated antigens. In this review, BNT111 and BNT122 are compared as representative off-the-shelf and personalized models. BNT111 is a fixed mRNA vaccine that has demonstrated significant [...] Read more.

mRNA vaccines are a relevant approach in cancer immunotherapy, using messenger RNA to induce immune responses against tumor-associated antigens. In this review, BNT111 and BNT122 are compared as representative off-the-shelf and personalized models. BNT111 is a fixed mRNA vaccine that has demonstrated significant antitumor efficacy against shared melanoma antigens, particularly when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors. It allows a standardized production via in vitro transcription (IVT) in a cell-free system. Conversely, BNT122 is a personalized vaccine designed to match an individual’s tumor mutations by targeting patient-specific neoantigens to elicit more robust immune responses. It has significant suitability in the adjuvant setting to target minimal residual disease. Despite favorable safety and immunogenicity, the effectiveness of these vaccines is influenced by various factors, including tumor heterogeneity, differences in antigen expression, off-target effects on mRNA-LNP distribution, molecular instability, and complex manufacturing constraints. Neither approach can be directly considered as the definitive optimal vaccine. A comprehensive analysis of their strengths and limitations is vital for a balanced and objective future research direction. Collectively, this emphasizes the need for further improvements in vaccine design and strategies, prioritizing high-quality, safe, and accessible treatments for every cancer-based patient and ensuring their successful integration into healthcare. Full article

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19 pages, 4841 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mining Patient Narratives to Analyze Lifestyle–Blood Glucose Relationships: An LLM-Based Text Mining Framework

by Kazuyuki Matsumoto, Minoru Yoshida and Chikaho Karino

J 2026, 9(2), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/j9020014 - 13 May 2026

Viewed by 647

Abstract

Lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes are closely influenced by daily habits, yet the complex interactions between lifestyle factors and blood glucose variation remain insufficiently quantified. This study proposes a natural language processing (NLP) framework that analyzes long-form illness blogs to identify lifestyle factors [...] Read more.

Lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes are closely influenced by daily habits, yet the complex interactions between lifestyle factors and blood glucose variation remain insufficiently quantified. This study proposes a natural language processing (NLP) framework that analyzes long-form illness blogs to identify lifestyle factors associated with elevated blood glucose levels. Diabetes-related narratives were collected from a Japanese illness blog portal (TOBYO) and processed through GPT-4o-based automated labeling, BERT-series contextual embeddings, and LightGBM classification. For Type 2 Diabetes classification, the model achieved an F1-score of 0.73 using JMedRoBERTa embeddings, outperforming baseline models (BERT = 0.70; Twitter-RoBERTa = 0.65). Key factors contributing to glucose elevation were identified through feature importance analysis, with dietary behavior, lack of exercise, poor sleep, and stress emerging as major contributors. These findings demonstrate the potential of combining large language models with structured machine learning to extract health-relevant knowledge from patient narratives. The proposed approach contributes to preventive healthcare by offering interpretable, data-driven insights into lifestyle–glycemic relationships, and provides a foundation for personalized diabetes risk monitoring and AI-based health management applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Computer Science & Mathematics)

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26 pages, 903 KB

Open AccessReview

The Impact of Precision Livestock Farming Technologies on Productivity, Animal Welfare, and Environmental Sustainability

by Fernando Mata

J 2026, 9(2), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/j9020013 - 5 May 2026

Viewed by 2637

Abstract

Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) has emerged as an approach in modern animal production, integrating advanced technologies such as sensors, automation, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to enable continuous, individualised monitoring of livestock and their environment. This review examines the impact of PLF technologies [...] Read more.

Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) has emerged as an approach in modern animal production, integrating advanced technologies such as sensors, automation, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to enable continuous, individualised monitoring of livestock and their environment. This review examines the impact of PLF technologies on three critical dimensions of livestock systems: productivity, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability. PLF applications, including wearable and environmental sensors, automated feeding and milking systems, and video-based monitoring, allow for early detection of health and behavioural deviations, optimisation of feed efficiency, and improved reproductive and disease management. These technologies support proactive, data-driven decision-making that enhances productivity while promoting animal welfare and reducing the environmental footprint of livestock production. Despite these benefits, the adoption of PLF faces significant challenges, including high initial investment costs, technical limitations, system integration issues, data ownership and privacy concerns, and ethical considerations related to automation. Future research and policy efforts should focus on developing cost-effective, scalable solutions, standardised data frameworks, and supportive regulatory measures to enable equitable and responsible implementation across diverse production systems. By addressing these challenges, PLF offers a pathway towards more efficient, welfare-oriented, and environmentally sustainable livestock production, contributing to global food security and resilient agricultural systems. Full article

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13 pages, 2375 KB

Open AccessOpinion

CsPbI₃ Perovskites at the Edge of Commercialization: Persistent Barriers, Multidisciplinary Solutions, and the Emerging Role of AI

by Carlo Spampinato

J 2026, 9(2), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/j9020012 - 13 Apr 2026

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1099

Abstract

All-inorganic cesium lead iodide (CsPbI₃) has been investigated for more than a decade as an absorber for perovskite photovoltaics thanks to its attractive bandgap, thermal robustness compared with hybrid perovskites, and compatibility with tandem concepts. Yet, despite remarkable efficiency progress, CsPbI [...] Read more.

All-inorganic cesium lead iodide (CsPbI₃) has been investigated for more than a decade as an absorber for perovskite photovoltaics thanks to its attractive bandgap, thermal robustness compared with hybrid perovskites, and compatibility with tandem concepts. Yet, despite remarkable efficiency progress, CsPbI₃ remains far from widespread commercialization. The core roadblock is the metastability of the photoactive black perovskite phases (α/γ/β) against transformation to the photoinactive yellow δ-phase under realistic conditions, amplified by defect chemistry, ion migration, and interfacial reactions. Additional barriers arise from scale-up constraints (film uniformity, throughput, solvent management), long-term operational stability (humidity, heat, UV, bias), and environmental/safety requirements, especially lead containment, sequestration, and end-of-life strategies. This review critically analyzes the intertwined physical, chemical, and engineering factors that still limit CsPbI₃ deployment, with emphasis on how solutions in one domain can fail without co-design in others. This review summarizes state-of-the-art stabilization strategies (size/strain engineering, additive/doping routes, surface/interface passivation, and encapsulation), highlight scalable manufacturing pathways including solvent-minimized and vacuum-assisted approaches, and discuss lead-mitigation technologies such as Pb-adsorbing functional layers. Finally, I argue that artificial intelligence (AI)—from machine-learning stability models to process monitoring, robotic optimization, and digital twins—has become essential to navigate the enormous parameter space of CsPbI₃ materials and manufacturing. It concludes with actionable recommendations and future directions toward bankable, scalable, and sustainable CsPbI₃ photovoltaics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Chemistry & Material Sciences)

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14 pages, 1036 KB

Open AccessArticle

Residual Dp71 Expression Is Sufficient to Preserve Retinal Vascular Homeostasis in a Mouse Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

by Brahim El Mathari, Julia Kuzniar, Ramin Tadayoni, Aurélie Goyenvalle, Alvaro Rendon and Ophélie Vacca

J 2026, 9(2), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/j9020011 - 1 Apr 2026

Viewed by 871

Abstract

The dystrophin gene encodes multiple dystrophin isoforms with tissue-specific functions, including several shorter isoforms expressed in the central nervous system and retina. While Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has historically been characterized as a primary myopathy resulting from loss of the full-length dystrophin Dp427, [...] Read more.

The dystrophin gene encodes multiple dystrophin isoforms with tissue-specific functions, including several shorter isoforms expressed in the central nervous system and retina. While Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has historically been characterized as a primary myopathy resulting from loss of the full-length dystrophin Dp427, increasing clinical evidence indicates that dysfunction of shorter dystrophin isoforms contributes to significant extramuscular pathology, including retinal disease. In particular, loss of the Dp71 isoform has been implicated in retinal inflammation, blood–retinal barrier breakdown, and pathological angiogenesis. In this study, we investigated whether low-level residual expression of Dp71 is sufficient to mitigate retinal inflammation in the mdx3Cv mouse model, which displays reduced—but not absent—expression of multiple dystrophin isoforms. Western blot analysis revealed that mdx3Cv retinas express approximately 4% of wild-type Dp71 protein levels. Despite this marked reduction, mdx3Cv mice did not exhibit the inflammatory phenotype previously observed in Dp71-null mice. Retinal VEGF protein levels and VEGF receptor (FLT-1 and KDR) mRNA expression were preserved, while VEGF mRNA levels were modestly reduced. Furthermore, expression of inflammatory markers ICAM-1 and ALOX5AP, leukocyte adhesion to retinal vasculature, Aquaporin-4 expression, and BRB permeability to albumin were all comparable to wild-type littermates. Together, these findings demonstrate that minimal residual expression of Dp71 is sufficient to preserve retinal vascular homeostasis and prevent inflammatory and permeability defects in the mdx3Cv retina. These results further suggest that partial dystrophin restoration—at levels achievable with current exon-skipping or gene-based therapies—may be adequate to prevent or attenuate retinal pathology in DMD, providing a realistic and clinically relevant therapeutic target. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Biology & Life Sciences)

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