Search Results (1,599)

Condition monitoring and fault detection in wind turbines are essential for reducing repair and maintenance costs. Early detection of faults enables timely interventions before the damage worsens. However, existing methods often rely on costly scheduled inspections or lack the ability to effectively detect early stage damage, particularly under different operational speeds. This article presents a methodology based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and empirical mode decomposition (EMD) of vibration signals for the detection of blade crack damage. The proposed approach involves acquiring vibration signals under four conditions: healthy, light, intermediate, and severe damage. EMD is then applied to extract time–frequency representations of the signals, which are subsequently converted into images. These images are analyzed by a CNN to classify the condition of the wind turbine blades. To enhance the final CNN architecture, various image sizes and configuration parameters are evaluated to balance computational load and classification accuracy. The results demonstrate that combining vibration signal images, generated using the EMD method, with CNN models enables accurate classification of blade conditions, achieving 99.5% accuracy while maintaining a favorable trade-off between performance and complexity. Full article

Due to the effect of room acoustics on musical interpretation, a musician’s rehearsal may be greatly enhanced by leveraging virtual and augmented reality technology. This paper presents a preliminary study on a rehearsal tool designed for musicians, enabling practice in a virtual acoustic environment with audience-positioned playback. Fourteen participants, both professional and non-professional musicians, were recruited to practice with the rehearsal tool prior to performing in an unfamiliar venue. Throughout the rehearsal, the subjects either played in a virtual environment that matched the acoustics of the performance venue or one that was acoustically different. A control group rehearsed in an acoustically dry room with no virtual acoustic environment. The tool’s effectiveness was evaluated with two 16-item questionnaires that assessed quality, usefulness, satisfaction with the rehearsal, and aspects of the performance. Findings indicate that rehearsing in a virtual acoustic environment that matches the performance venue improves acoustic awareness during the performance and enhances ease and comfort on stage compared to practising in a different environment. These results support the integration of virtual acoustics in rehearsal tools to help musicians better adapt their performance to concert settings. Full article

Our purpose is to evaluate the binocular contrast sensitivity function (CSF) in a presbyopic population and compare the results obtained with four different simultaneous-vision center-near multifocal contact lens (MCL) designs for distance vision under two illumination conditions. Additionally, chromatic CSF (red-green and blue-yellow) was evaluated. A randomized crossover pilot study was conducted. Four daily disposable lens designs, based on simultaneous-vision and center-near correction, were compared. The achromatic contrast sensitivity function (CSF) was measured binocularly using the CSV1000e test under two lighting conditions: room light on and off. Chromatic CSF was measured using the OptoPad-CSF test. Comparison of achromatic results with room lighting showed a statistically significant difference only for 3 cpd (p = 0.03) between the baseline visit (with spectacles) and all MCLs. Comparison of achromatic results without room lighting showed no statistically significant differences between the baseline and all MCLs for any spatial frequency (p > 0.05 in all cases). Comparison of CSF-T results showed a statistically significant difference only for 4 cpd (p = 0.002). Comparison of CSF-D results showed no statistically significant difference for all frequencies (p > 0.05 in all cases). The MCL designs analyzed provided satisfactory achromatic contrast sensitivity results for distance vision, similar to those obtained with spectacles, with no remarkable differences between designs. Chromatic contrast sensitivity for the red-green and blue-yellow mechanisms revealed some differences from the baseline that should be further investigated in future studies. Full article

Background: The importance of lymph node dissection (LND) at the time of radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma (UC) is widely accepted despite known risks. The therapeutic benefits of LND for variant subtype bladder cancer (VBC), a heterogenous and distinct set of diseases, are not well established. We aim to characterize the impact of LND on overall survival across VBC subtypes. Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried for all cases of variant subtype bladder cancer managed with radical cystectomy between 2004 and 2020, using the International Classification of Disease-O-3 morphological codes. The cases were stratified by receipt of individual variant subtypes. The primary outcome was overall survival associated with pathologic nodal status and receipt of nodal dissection. A Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards analysis were used for survival analyses. Results: A total of 30,911 patients with VBC that were managed with radical cystectomy were included in our analysis. The pNx rates ranged from 33.1% in the micropapillary subtype, 42.2% in the sarcomatoid subtype, 68.4% in the squamous subtype, 48.9% in the adenocarcinoma subtype, and 56.2% in the neuroendocrine subtype. The median OS was higher in those that received a nodal dissection across subtypes but was statistically significant only for the squamous (71.0 [68.0 vs. 74.0] vs. 37.2 [33.6 vs. 40.9] months p < 0.001) and adenocarcinoma (45.9 [32.9 vs. 59.0] vs. 37.9 [28.6 vs. 47.1] months p = 0.037) subtypes. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, LN dissection was associated with improved OS for the squamous (0.50 (0.44–0.58) p < 0.001) and adenocarcinoma (0.65 [0.45–0.93) p = 0.030) subtypes. Conclusions: The role of LND across VBC subtypes is not clearly defined and warrants further investigation to develop a more risk-adaptive approach. We demonstrate heterogeneity with respect to the OS benefit associated with LND at the time of surgery. Among certain VBC subtypes, LND may not offer a significant therapeutic benefit, while LND in squamous and adenocarcinoma VBCs is correlated with improved survival. Full article

Background: Colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) represents a major clinical challenge in oncology, affecting 25–50% of colorectal cancer patients and significantly impacting survival. While multimodal therapies—including surgical resection, systemic chemotherapy, and local ablative techniques—have improved outcomes, prognosis remains heterogeneous due to variations in tumor biology, patient factors, and institutional practices. Methods: This review synthesizes current evidence on prognostic factors influencing CRLM management, encompassing clinical (e.g., tumor burden, anatomic distribution, timing of metastases), biological (e.g., CEA levels, inflammatory markers), and molecular (e.g., RAS/BRAF mutations, MSI status, HER2 alterations) determinants. Results: Key findings highlight the critical role of molecular profiling in guiding therapeutic decisions, with RAS/BRAF mutations predicting resistance to anti-EGFR therapies and MSI-H status indicating potential responsiveness to immunotherapy. Emerging tools like circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and radiomics offer promise for dynamic risk stratification and early recurrence detection, while the gut microbiome is increasingly recognized as a modulator of treatment response. Conclusions: Despite advancements, challenges persist in standardizing resectability criteria and integrating multidisciplinary approaches. Current guidelines (NCCN, ESMO, ASCO) emphasize personalized strategies but lack granularity in terms of incorporating novel biomarkers. This exhaustive review underscores the imperative for the development of a unified, biomarker-integrated framework to refine CRLM management and improve long-term outcomes. Full article

Considering the high plasticity of FoxP3⁺ regulatory T (Treg) cells and Interleukin (IL)-17-producing Th17 cells, we hypothesized that a Th17 inflammatory milieu may impair the functional properties of Treg cells in chronic inflammatory arthritides. Therefore, a cross-sectional explorative analysis was set up in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsoA), rheumatoid arthritis, or spondyloarthritis to investigate the features of Th17 and Treg cells. T cell subpopulation counts, FOXP3 mRNA expression, CpG methylation of the FOXP3 gene, and the suppressive capacity of isolated Treg cells were determined. Ex vivo analysis of PsoA-derived peripheral blood lymphocytes showed a Th17-mediated inflammation. It was accompanied by demethylation of the FOXP3 promotor and Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR) in Treg cells which, however, resulted neither in elevated FOXP3 mRNA expression nor in increased suppressive Treg cell capacity. To clarify this conundrum, in vitro stimulation of isolated Treg cells with Th17-inducing cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-23, TGFβ), recombinant IL-17, or the anti-IL-17A antibody secukinumab was performed, demonstrating that cell culture conditions polarizing towards Th17, but not IL-17 itself, impair the suppressive function of Treg cells, accompanied by diminished FOXP3 mRNA expression due to hypermethylation of the FOXP3 promotor and TSDR. This potential causal relationship between Th17 inflammation and impaired Treg cell function requires attention regarding the development of immunomodulatory therapies. Full article

Lubrication between the rail gauge face and wheel flange is necessary to improve vehicle performance and reduce component wear. One way to achieve this is to use a solid stick loaded against the wheel flange. This paper details twin-disc testing of eight stick products according to Annex H of EN 15427-2-1:2022 (previously Annex L of EN 16028:2012) and then describes a new assessment methodology using conditions more relevant to field application. EN 15427-2-1:2022 specifies a test involving the application of the product during wheel–rail specimen contact. Once a specified time has elapsed, product application ceases, and performance is assessed as the time taken for the friction coefficient to return to a nominal dry value. This is described as “retentivity”. In the new test, the product is applied whilst wheel and rail are out of contact, to allow the product to build up on the wheel, then the specimens are put into contact, under conditions representing 150 m of continuous, heavy flange contact; this process is repeated a set number of times. The new test showed that products that failed the current friction criteria successfully protect the wheel and rail from wear, which is ultimately the aim of the product application. Full article

Background/Objectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain condition in which executive function (EF) alterations have been reported, though strikingly, relationships between simple executive functions (EFs) (updating, inhibition, and mental flexibility) and high-order ones, such as planning and problem-solving, have not been addressed yet in this population. This research aimed to firstly explore how low-level EFs play a role in planning and problem-solving performances. Methods: Thirty FMS patients and thirty healthy participants completed a series of neuropsychological tests evaluating low- and high-order EFs. Clinical and emotional symptoms were assessed with self-report questionnaires, while pain and fatigue levels were measured with numerical scales. Importantly, specific drug restrictions were accounted for. Results: Patients scored lower in most neurocognitive tests, with statistical significance noted only for visuospatial working memory (WM) and two planning and problem-solving tests. Pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances showed important effects on most of the cognitive outcomes. Multiple regression analyses reflected that planning and problem-solving were successfully and partially predicted by updating, inhibition, and mental flexibility (though differences emerged between tasks). Conclusions: Our study confirms the presence of cognitive impairments in FMS, especially in high-order EFs, supporting patients’ complaints. Clinical symptoms play a role in FMS dyscognition but do not explain it completely. For the first time, as far as the authors know, simple EF influences on planning and problem-solving tests have been described for FMS patients. These results might help in unraveling the dysexecutive profile in FMS to design more adjusted treatment options. Full article

Sustainable agriculture requires replacing agrochemicals with environmentally friendly products. One alternative is bacterial inoculants with plant-growth-promoting (PGP) activity. Bacterial consortia offer advantages over single-strain inoculants, as they possess more PGP traits and allow the exploitation of bacterial synergies. Synthetic bacterial communities (SynComs) can be used as inoculants that are thoroughly characterized and assessed for efficiency and safety. Here, we describe the construction of a SynCom composed of seven bacterial strains isolated from the rhizosphere of tomato plants and other orchard vegetables. The strains were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as Pseudomonas spp. (two isolates), Rhizobium sp., Ensifer sp., Microbacterium sp., Agromyces sp., and Chryseobacterium sp. The metagenome of the combined strains was sequenced, allowing the identification of PGP traits and the assembly of their individual genomes. These traits included nutrient mobilization, phytostimulation, and biocontrol. When inoculated into tomato plants in an agricultural soil, the SynCom caused minor effects in soil and rhizosphere bacterial communities. However, it had a high impact on the gene expression pattern of tomato plants. These effects were more significant at the systemic than at the local level, indicating a priming effect in the plant, as signaling through jasmonic acid and ethylene appeared to be altered. Full article

Background: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a complex, disabling condition marked by non-specific symptoms in response to low-level chemical exposures. It often leads to substantial impairments in quality of life, psychological health, and daily functioning. Although non-pharmacological approaches—such as lifestyle and psychological interventions—are widely used, their clinical effectiveness remains unclear. Objective: We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of lifestyle-based approaches in improving clinical and psychosocial outcomes in adults with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD420251013537). Literature searches were carried out in MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate between March and April 2025. Eligible studies included adults (≥18 years) with a confirmed diagnosis of MCS and reported outcomes such as perceived stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, or quality of life. Methodological quality and risk of bias were independently assessed using the PEDro scale, NIH Quality Assessment Tool, CEBMa checklist, and Cochrane RoB 2.0. Results: Twelve studies (N = 378) met the inclusion criteria. Cognitive and behavioral therapies demonstrated the most consistent evidence of efficacy, with reductions in symptom severity, maladaptive cognitive patterns, and functional limitations. Mindfulness-based stress reduction showed favorable outcomes, while other mindfulness-based interventions yielded mixed results. Exposure-based therapies contributed to increased chemical tolerance and reduced avoidance behavior. Electromagnetic and biomedical approaches demonstrated preliminary but limited effectiveness. Aromatherapy was well tolerated and perceived as relaxing, though its clinical impact was modest. Conclusions: Cognitive and behavioral therapies appear to be most effective among lifestyle-based interventions for MCS/IEI. However, study heterogeneity limits the generalizability of findings, underscoring the need for more rigorous research. Full article

Electroporation-mediated gene delivery is a cornerstone of synthetic biology, offering several advantages over other methods: higher efficiencies, broader applicability, and simpler sample preparation. Yet, electroporation protocols are often challenging to integrate into highly multiplexed workflows, owing to limitations in their scalability and tunability. These challenges ultimately increase the time and cost per transformation. As a result, rapidly screening genetic libraries, exploring combinatorial designs, or optimizing electroporation parameters requires extensive iterations, consuming large quantities of expensive custom-made DNA and cell lines or primary cells. To address these limitations, we have developed a High-Throughput Microfluidic Electroporation (HTME) platform that includes a 384-well electroporation plate (E-Plate) and control electronics capable of rapidly electroporating all wells in under a minute with individual control of each well. Fabricated using scalable and cost-effective printed-circuit-board (PCB) technology, the E-Plate significantly reduces consumable costs and reagent consumption by operating on nano to microliter volumes. Furthermore, individually addressable wells facilitate rapid exploration of large sets of experimental conditions to optimize electroporation for different cell types and plasmid concentrations/types. Use of the standard 384-well footprint makes the platform easily integrable into automated workflows, thereby enabling end-to-end automation. We demonstrate transformation of E. coli with pUC19 to validate the HTME’s core functionality, achieving at least a single colony forming unit in more than 99% of wells and confirming the platform’s ability to rapidly perform hundreds of electroporations with customizable conditions. This work highlights the HTME’s potential to significantly accelerate synthetic biology Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycles by mitigating the transformation/transfection bottleneck. Full article

Background/Objectives: The incidence of cardiac morbimortality in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is unknown. Methods: We analyze the characteristics, incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of cardiac events in AML patients treated for second-line (2L) or third-line (3L) episodes. Results: Among 327 2L AML patients (median age 62 years old), 135 experienced cardiac events, with an incidence of 38.6% non-fatal and 1.3% fatal events at 6 months. The grade 1–2 incidence was 16.8%, and the grade 3–4 incidence was 23.5% at 6 months. Overall, 207 cardiac events occurred in the 2L cohort, the most frequent being hypertension (n = 45), bradycardia (n = 39), QTc prolongation (n = 35), heart failure (n = 33), syncope/presyncope (n = 22), arrhythmia (n = 18), and myocardial ischemia (n = 8). Median OS in the 2L cohort was 9.4 months, 21.4 months in patients with grade 1–2, 8.8 months in patients without a cardiac event, 7.6 months in grade 3–4 patients, and 2.1 months with in 5 patients (p = 0.0035). The multivariate analysis showed prior cardiologic antecedents (p = 0.013), intensive 2L chemotherapy (p = 0.01), and inclusion in a 2L clinical trial (p < 0.001) as independent risk factors for non-fatal cardiac events. Among 189 patients of the 3L cohort, the incidence of non-fatal and fatal cardiac events was 49.2% and 0% at 6 months, respectively. Non-fatal cardiac events were more frequent in patients with prior cardiac antecedents (p = 0.004). Conclusions: In summary, cardiotoxicity is a frequent and challenging complication in R/R AML patients. We identified the risk factors that could be relevant to implementing risk-adapted management guidelines, aiming to reduce morbi-mortality in this difficult-to-treat setting. Full article

Background: We evaluated the utility of HNSCC LN R2* relaxation times to infer the oxygenation status of LN non-invasively at baseline and when breathing air and 100% oxygen to predict chemoradiotherapeutic locoregional response at 2 years. Hypoxia within LNs has been associated with poorer outcomes following CRT. Deoxyhaemoglobin decreases MRI transverse relaxation time (T2*) (lengthening inverse, R2*). Methods: A total of 54 patients underwent 1.5T-MRI before CRT. Conventional MR sequences were supplemented with T2* sequences breathing both air and 100% oxygen; pathological nodes identified in consensus were volumetrically contoured to T2* parametric maps. Results: Patients followed-up with for >2 years were categorised by multidisciplinary consensus into post-therapy complete local response (CR; n = 32/54) and local nodal disease relapse (RD; n = 22/54). Our data demonstrated, by R2*, that nodes that sustained post-therapy CR are significantly more hypoxic compared with relapsing nodes and paradoxically demonstrate a significant increase in hypoxia on 100% oxygen. Pre-treatment LN short axis diameter, various qualitative descriptors of malignancy, and quantitative DWI were not useful in discriminating successful response to CRT. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a significant differential response to 100% oxygen and higher baseline R2* LN measurements could be exploited in risk stratification prior to CRT, and future work could be directed towards understanding the contrast mechanisms of R2* imaging, underpinning the observed differences in the context of hypoxia. Full article

The increasing demand for sustainable materials has intensified the interest in natural fiber-reinforced composites (NFRCs) as environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic composites. However, NFRCs often face limitations in thermal stability, restricting their use in high-temperature environments. To address this, the present study explores the hybridization of cellulosic flax fibers with protein-based wool fibers to improve thermal stability without compromising mechanical integrity. Wool–flax hybrid composites were fabricated using a bio-based epoxy resin through a resin infusion technique with different fiber proportions. The flexural properties of these composites were evaluated under varying temperature conditions to assess the influence of fiber composition and thermal conditions. This study specifically examined the impact of wool fiber content on the flexural performance of the composites under thermal conditions, including behavior near and above the matrix’s glass transition temperature. The results showed that the flexural properties of the hybrid biocomposites were significantly affected by temperature. Compared with specimens tested at room temperature, the flexural modulus of all variants decreased by 85–94%, while the flexural strength declined by 79–85% at 120 °C, depending on the variant. The composite variant with a higher wool content (variant 3W) exhibited enhanced flexural performance, demonstrating an average of 15% greater flexural strength than other variants at 60 °C and 5% higher at 120 °C. These findings suggest that incorporating wool fibers into flax-based composites can effectively improve thermal stability while maintaining flexural properties, supporting the development of sustainable biocomposites for structural applications. Full article

The use of gait analysis to differentiate among paediatric populations with neurological and developmental conditions such as idiopathic toe walking (ITW), cerebral palsy (CP), and hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) remains challenging due to the insufficient precision of current diagnostic approaches, leading in some cases to misdiagnosis. Existing methods often isolate the analysis of gait variables, overlooking the whole complexity of biomechanical patterns and variations in motor control strategies. While previous studies have explored the use of statistical physics principles for the analysis of impaired gait patterns, gaps remain in integrating both kinematic and kinetic information or benchmarking these approaches against Deep Learning models. This study evaluates the robustness of statistical physics metrics in differentiating between normal and abnormal gait patterns and quantifies how the data source affects model performance. The analysis was conducted using gait data sets from two research institutions in Madrid and Dublin, with a total of 81 children with ITW, 300 with CP, 20 with HSP, and 127 typically developing children as controls. From each kinematic and kinetic time series, Shannon’s entropy, permutation entropy, weighted permutation entropy, and time irreversibility metrics were derived and used with Random Forest models. The classification accuracy of these features was compared to a ResNet Deep Learning model. Further analyses explored the effects of inter-laboratory comparisons and the spatiotemporal resolution of time series on classification performance and evaluated the impact of age and walking speed with linear mixed models. The results revealed that statistical physics metrics were able to differentiate among impaired gait patterns, achieving classification scores comparable to ResNet. The effects of walking speed and age on gait predictability and temporal organisation were observed as disease-specific patterns. However, performance differences across laboratories limit the generalisation of the trained models. These findings highlight the value of statistical physics metrics in the classification of children with different toe walking conditions and point towards the need of multimetric integration to improve diagnostic accuracy and gain a more comprehensive understanding of gait disorders. Full article