Search Results (10,757)

Against the global carbon neutrality target, predictive maintenance (PdM) of automotive engines represents a core technical strategy to advance the sustainable development of the automotive industry. Conventional single-modal diagnostic approaches for engine abnormal sound defects suffer from low accuracy and weak anti-interference capability. Existing multi-modal fusion methods fail to deeply mine the physical coupling between cross-modal features and often entail excessive model complexity, hindering deployment on resource-constrained on-board edge devices. To resolve these limitations, this study proposes a Physical Prior-Embedded Cross-Modal Attention (PPE-CMA) mechanism for lightweight multi-modal fusion diagnosis of engine abnormal sound defects. First, wavelet packet decomposition (WPD) and mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) are integrated to extract time-frequency features from engine audio signals, while a channel-pruned ResNet18 is employed to extract spatial features from engine thermal imaging and vibration visualization images. Second, the PPE-CMA module is designed to adaptively assign attention weights to audio and image features by exploiting the physical coupling between engine fault acoustic and visual characteristics, enabling efficient cross-modal feature fusion with redundant information suppression. A rigorous theoretical derivation is provided to link cosine similarity with the physical correlation of engine fault acoustic-visual features, justifying the attention weight constraint (β = 1 − α) from the perspective of fault feature physical coupling. Third, an improved lightweight XGBoost classifier is constructed for fault classification, and a hybrid data augmentation strategy customized for engine multi-modal data is proposed to address the small-sample challenge in industrial applications. Ablation experiments on ResNet18 pruning ratios verify the optimal trade-off between diagnostic performance and computational efficiency, while feature distribution analysis validates the authenticity and effectiveness of the hybrid augmentation strategy. Experimental results on a self-constructed multi-modal dataset show that the proposed method achieves 98.7% diagnostic accuracy and a 98.2% F1-score, retaining 96.5% accuracy under 90 dB high-level environmental noise, with an end-to-end inference speed of 0.8 ms per sample (including preprocessing, feature extraction, and classification). Cross-engine and cross-domain validation on a 2.0T diesel engine small-sample dataset and the open-source SEMFault-2024 dataset yield average accuracies of 94.8% and 95.2%, respectively, demonstrating strong generalization. This method effectively enhances the accuracy and robustness of engine abnormal sound defect diagnosis, offering a lightweight technical solution for on-board real-time fault diagnosis and in-plant online quality inspection. By reducing engine fault-induced energy loss and spare parts waste, it further promotes energy conservation and emission reduction in the automotive industry. Quantified experimental data on fuel efficiency improvement and carbon emission reduction are provided to substantiate the ecological benefits of the proposed framework. Full article

The NA64 experiment at the CERN H4 beamline recently started a high-energy positron-beam program to search for light dark matter particles through a thick-target, missing-energy measurement. To fulfill the energy resolution requirement of the physics measurement ${\sigma }_E/E\simeq 2.5\%/\sqrt{E\left[\mathrm{GeV}\right]}\oplus 0.5\%$ and cope with the constraints and performance requests of the NA64 setup, a new high-resolution homogeneous electromagnetic calorimeter PKR-CAL has been designed. The detector is based on PbWO₄ crystals, each read by multiple SiPM sensors to maximize the light collection. The PKR-CAL design has been optimized to mitigate and control unavoidable SiPM saturation effects at high light levels, as well as to minimize the gain fluctuations induced by instantaneous variations of the H4 beam intensity. The R&D program culminated in the construction of a small-scale prototype, POKERINO. In this work, we present the results from the experimental characterization campaign of the POKERINO, aiming at demonstrating that the obtained performances are compatible with the application requirements. Full article

The application of 3D data in pavement inspection represents an emerging trend. Acquiring and measuring the 3D information of pavement distress enables a more comprehensive assessment of severity, thereby allowing for accurate monitoring and evaluation of the pavement’s technical condition. Existing methods face challenges in high-cost pavement scanning and insufficient research on automated 3D distress segmentation. This study employed a consumer-grade action camera for data acquisition and constructed an engineering-aligned 3D point cloud dataset of pavements. Then a long-tail class imbalance mitigation strategy was introduced, integrating adaptive re-sampling with a weighted fusion loss function, effectively balancing minority class representation. The proposed network, named PointPaveSeg, was a dedicated point cloud processing architecture. A dual-stream feature fusion module was designed for the encoder layer, which decoupled geometric and semantic features to improve distress extraction capability. The network incorporated a hierarchical feature propagation structure enhanced by edge reinforcement, global interaction, and residual connections. Experimental results demonstrated that PointPaveSeg achieved an mIoU of 78.45% and an accuracy of 95.43%. In the field evaluation, post-processing and geometric information extraction were performed on the segmented point clouds. The results showed high consistency with manual measurements. Testing confirmed the method’s practical applicability in real-world projects, offering a new lightweight alternative for intelligent pavement monitoring and maintenance systems. Full article

Autophagy-mitophagy pathways are essential for regulating immune homeostasis. However, their contribution to population-level chronic low-grade systemic inflammation (SI) remains unclear. The objective was to investigate the association between variation in the genes related to the autophagy-mitophagy pathways and SI, and to examine whether lifestyle factors modify this relationship. We conducted genome-wide association studies and gene-set enrichment analyses using data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES, n = 28,102) and UK Biobank (UKBB, n = 343,892). SI was defined as an elevated white blood cell count or high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Using Core Longevity State Vectors (CLSVs)—gene sets representing immune-longevity pathways derived from comparative transcriptomic analysis—we tested six pathways and constructed a weighted genetic risk score (GRS) from significant variants. Gene–lifestyle interactions were examined with respect to major dietary and lifestyle factors. Among six CLSVs, only CLSV-2 (mitophagy and autophagy) showed a significant association with SI (β = 0.425, p = 0.008). Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in autophagy-mitophagy genes (INPP5D, ATG16L1, ATG7, AP3S1, OPTN, and VPS33A) were associated with SI in KoGES (p < 5 × 10⁻⁵), and ten SNPs (genes selected in KoGES plus RAB7A, ATG12, VPS33A, BECN1) reached genome-wide significance in UKBB (p < 5 × 10⁻⁸). A higher GRS was associated with increased SI in both cohorts and was strongly associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS, OR = 1.91 in KoGES; OR = 1.62 in UKBB). SI was characterized by neutrophilia with relative lymphopenia. In UKBB, significant gene–lifestyle interactions were observed for diet, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol (p < 0.01). Favorable lifestyle factors reduced SI most effectively in individuals with protective genotypes. Among individuals with a high vegetable/fruit intake, SI prevalence was 35%, 36%, and 38% in the negative-, zero-, and positive-GRS groups, respectively, compared with 36%, 45%, and 48% in the low-intake groups. In conclusion, genetic variations in autophagy-mitophagy pathways specifically influence SI. Genetic predisposition substantially modifies the benefits of lifestyle, underscoring the importance of integrating genetic and lifestyle factors in understanding SI susceptibility. Full article

Frequency-domain electromagnetic (FDEM) measurements for shallow subsurface exploration are frequently corrupted by noise, which masks weak secondary-field responses and degrades interpretation. We propose an electromagnetic diffusion CNN (EMDiC) for 1D multi-frequency FDEM denoising, where denoising is formulated as conditional diffusion-based generation. EMDiC combines an analytic frequency–spatial encoder, a Feature-wise Linear Modulation (FiLM)-conditioned convolutional hourglass backbone, and a physics-informed composite loss built on velocity loss to improve waveform reconstruction under severe noise. A reproducible synthetic dataset is constructed through layered-earth forward modeling with concentric Transmitter–Receiver (TX–RX) geometry, multiple target categories, and mixed noise waveforms. On synthetic benchmarks covering multiple noise levels and material types, EMDiC achieves the best overall performance in Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), and Normalized cross-correlation (NCC) among 1D U-Net, diffusion-based variants, and representative neural baselines, with the clearest gains under medium-to-strong noise and for targets with pronounced induction responses. Ablation experiments verify the complementary contributions of electromagnetic positional encoding (EMPE), FiLM conditioning, and the composite loss. Field data validation with a self-developed GEM-3 system further shows that EMDiC improves cross-frequency coherence and suppresses oscillations while preserving the main response characteristics. Full article

Dental tissue regeneration, particularly alveolar bone and gingival repair, remains a major challenge in regenerative medicine. 3D bioprinting offers patient-specific and anatomically precise constructs, representing an advanced alternative to conventional grafting. In this study, nanohydroxyapatite (nHA), chitosan (CS), and collagen (CoL) were combined to fabricate and characterize 3D bioprinted dental grafts. SEM revealed a highly porous, interconnected architecture favorable for cell infiltration and nutrient exchange. EDS confirmed Ca/P ratios of 2.06 for nHA/CoL and 1.83 for nHA/CS/CoL, both of which are above the stoichiometric 1.67, indicating the presence of additional mineral phases and ion substitutions. FTIR and XRD verified characteristic functional groups and crystalline phases, including B-type HA with carbonate substitution. Mechanical testing showed that pure nHA exhibited the lowest compressive strength, whereas CoL incorporation improved stiffness. The nHA/CS/CoL composite achieved the highest compressive strength, elastic modulus, and toughness, demonstrating superior mechanical resilience. DSC analysis indicated endothermic peaks at 106.49 °C and 351.91 °C, with enthalpy values (264.91 J/g and 15.09 J/g) surpassing those of nHA alone. TGA revealed ~28.8% weight loss across three degradation stages, confirming enhanced thermal stability. In vitro cytocompatibility testing using L929 fibroblasts validated the biocompatibility of the composites. Collectively, the synergy between bioceramics and biopolymers markedly improved both mechanical and thermal performance. These findings position the nHA/CS/CoL scaffold as a promising candidate for clinical applications in dental tissue regeneration. Unlike conventional grafting materials, this study introduces a synergistically optimized nHA/CS/CoL bio-ink formulation specifically designed for extrusion-based 3D bioprinting of patient-specific dental constructs. The core innovation lies in the precise integration of nHA within a dual-polymer matrix (CS/CoL), which bridges the gap between mechanical resilience and biological signaling, achieving a compressive strength that mimics native alveolar bone while maintaining high cytocompatibility. Full article

A compact dual-polarized beam-steerable patch antennas with filtering characteristics is proposed in this paper. By digging two orthogonal coupling slots on the ground plate, dual polarization is achieved while ensuring the isolation between the ports. By constructing properly arranged parallel microstrip resonators and open-circuited stubs, the effect of suppressing a broad stopband is produced. The beam steering characteristic is accomplished through the integration of a driven patch antenna with two dual-element metallic walls, each incorporating PIN diodes for electronic tuning. A prototype antenna has been fabricated to substantiate the efficacy of the proposed methodology. The simulated and measured results agree well, demonstrating good performance in terms of impedance bandwidth, stopband suppression, isolation and beam-steering capability. Under six radiation states, the proposed antenna operates from 2.3 GHz to 2.5 GHz with isolation exceeding 20 dB. Additionally, the antenna gain remains below −10 dBi over the 2.6 GHz to 10 GHz band, achieving out-of-band suppression greater than 15.8 dB within the wide stopband. When port 1 is excited, the antenna generates three distinct radiation patterns, enabling beam scanning at 0° and ±30° in the yoz plane. Similarly, exciting port 2 yields three radiation patterns, allowing beam scanning at 0° and ±30° in the xoz plane. This work presents the first integration of dual-polarized, beam-steering, and filtering characteristics into a single compact antenna. Full article

Generative AI is reshaping university teaching and creating tension around authority, evidence, and accountability when decisions are made using algorithms. From a student perspective, this study constructed a typology of distributed teacher–AI agency (TAI) and examined the discursive mechanisms that produce the illusion of teacher autonomy. A non-experimental, cross-sectional, explanatory study was conducted: a lexicometric analysis of the ALCESTE (IRAMUTEQ) questionnaire, using open-ended responses from 3120 students (Mexico, n = 2051; Ecuador, n = 1069), segmented into 1077 units, and analyzed using positioning theory. Co-agency was operationalized using Teacher Agency (A), Delegation to AI (D), Governance (G: disclosure, criteria, verification), and the Illusion Index (II = A/(D + G + 1)). Three configurations emerged: Immediate Customizer (28.8%) with very high A and minimal D/G (II = 25.4); Technological Literacy Facilitator (27.3%) with visible delegation and safeguards (II ≈ 2.0); and Operational Optimizer (43.9%) oriented toward accelerating tasks with moderate governance (II ≈ 2.7). The illusion was associated with the agentive erasure of AI and a rhetoric of immediacy/efficiency that replaced verifiable criteria. These findings transform the student voice into a criteria-based diagnostic tool for strengthening traceability, minimal verification, and responsible orchestration of AI in higher education. Full article

Milbemycin D is a promising 16-membered macrolide insecticide with reported superior efficacy, but its commercial development has been hindered by extremely low natural yields. This study aimed to construct a high-yielding microbial platform for milbemycin D production using combinatorial biosynthesis and advanced genome editing. An optimized CRISPR/Cas9-AcrIIA4 system was employed to seamlessly replace the aveA3 polyketide synthase (PKS) gene in the ivermectin B1b-producing strain Streptomyces avermitilis HU501 with the heterologous milA3 PKS from S. bingchenggensis. The engineered strain was validated genetically and metabolically, followed by high-throughput screening and fermentation optimization in various media. The biosynthesized compound was structurally confirmed by spectroscopy. Bioactivity was evaluated against Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, Hyphantria cunea, and Plutella xylostella. The engineered strain S. avermitilis HU501-M successfully shifted its major product to milbemycin D, reaching a final titer of 679.03 mg/L. Bioassays revealed that milbemycin D exhibited significantly enhanced potency, with LC₅₀ values 8–24% lower than those of milbemycin A3/A4. This work demonstrates an efficient CRISPR/Cas9-mediated PKS replacement strategy to achieve the high-yield production of milbemycin D, offering a promising microbial source and a generalizable framework for engineering complex polyketide pathways. This proof-of-concept establishes a foundation for future process development toward potential commercial application. Full article

Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) cables have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional prestressing tendons because of their high tensile strength, excellent corrosion resistance, and low self-weight. Their use is particularly advantageous in infrastructure exposed to aggressive environments, such as chloride-induced corrosion, where improved durability and reduced maintenance are critically required. In this study, a 10 mm diameter round-bar-type CFRP cable was developed using a pultrusion process, and its applicability to structural systems was comprehensively evaluated through material testing and field implementation. Mechanical performance was assessed through tensile, relaxation, and fatigue tests. The developed CFRP cable exhibited an average tensile strength of 3019 MPa and an elastic modulus of 176.9 GPa, demonstrating mechanical properties comparable to or better than those of conventional prestressing tendons. The final relaxation ratio was measured as 2.25%, satisfying the low-relaxation criterion specified in KS D 7002. In the fatigue test, the cable sustained 2,000,000 loading cycles under a stress range corresponding to 60–66% of the ultimate tensile strength without fracture or significant stiffness degradation, confirming its excellent fatigue durability. In addition, the developed CFRP cable was implemented in a cable-net structure to verify its constructability and structural applicability in practice. The field application confirmed that the lightweight CFRP cable enabled convenient transportation and installation, while stable prestress introduction was achieved using the same tensioning procedure as that for conventional steel cable systems. The results demonstrate the integrated feasibility of the developed CFRP cable in terms of both material performance and practical structural application. This study provides experimental evidence supporting the structural use of CFRP tendons and offers a technical basis for the future development of design provisions and broader infrastructure applications. Full article

Background/Objectives: Spotty liver disease (SLD), caused by Campylobacter hepaticus, is an emerging disease that leads to substantial production losses in the egg industry. The shift toward antibiotic-free and cage-free production systems has further intensified the impact of SLD. The current control measures largely rely on autogenous killed vaccines; however, their use is constrained by the slow and fastidious growth of C. hepaticus and inconsistent efficacy. To overcome these limitations, this study aimed to identify immunogenic mimotopes as vaccine candidates and express them on the surface of an avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) vector. Methods: To identify immunogenic mimotopes, Ph.D.-12 phage display peptide library was screened using the hyperimmune serum raised against killed whole-cell C. hepaticus in specific pathogen-free chickens. Subsequently, the outer membrane protein C (OmpC) of E. coli was used as a scaffold for constructing a surface display library. A single restriction site, PstI, located in the seventh external loop of OmpC, was strategically utilized to insert each 12-amino-acid mimotope with a six-histidine (6xHis) tag sequence at its N-terminus, generating ompC + mimotope fusion constructs. These constructs were cloned into the inducible expression vector pTrc and electroporated into an E. coli DH5α ∆ompC strain, which lacked ompC. The surface expression of the mimotopes was confirmed in vitro. The verified ompC + mimotope constructs were subsequently subcloned into the pYA3422 constitutive expression vector and electroporated into the APEC PSUO78 ∆aroA ∆asd vaccine vector strain. A chicken vaccination–challenge trial was conducted using nine groups of chickens, including an unvaccinated challenged control and an unvaccinated–unchallenged negative control. Each experimental group received a mixture of two recombinant E. coli strains carrying different mimotopes at a dose of 1 × 10⁹ CFU, which were administered orally twice at 16 and 18 weeks of age. Results: Fourteen immunogenic mimotopes corresponding to 13 different C. hepaticus proteins were identified as potential vaccine candidates. The expression of these mimotopes on the surface of the E. coli was successfully demonstrated using the OmpC-mediated surface display system. Of the 14 mimotopes tested, two flagellar-related peptides and one major outer membrane protein (MOMP)-derived peptide elicited significant immune responses and conferred protection against the C. hepaticus challenge. Conclusions: We successfully developed a functional E. coli surface display system that was capable of expressing 12-amino-acid mimotopes of C. hepaticus, providing a robust platform for evaluating vaccine candidates against SLD. Immunogenicity and efficacy studies in chickens demonstrated that three identified mimotopes conferred protection against C. hepaticus colonization of the bile and liver. Future in vivo investigations are necessary to develop and evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a multivalent mimotope vaccine consisting of three identified mimotopes against both C. hepaticus and APEC, utilizing the ΔaroA Δasd APEC PSU078 strain as the vaccine vector. Full article

The development of biomimetic scaffolds requires balancing structural integrity with biological signaling. This study evaluates kefiran, a microbial exopolysaccharide, as a bioactive component in establishing printing feasibility of 3D composite constructs. Kefiran from Romanian artisanal cultures was characterized via ¹H-NMR, HPLC, and SEM/TEM, confirming a high-quality hexasaccharide repeating unit. Three composite inks (K100, K70, and K50) were developed by integrating kefiran, chondroitin sulfate, and Si-substituted hydroxyapatite into an alginate matrix and processed using a Bio X 3D-printer. Results showed that higher kefiran concentrations improved printing feasibility, providing enhanced structural fidelity and stability during the layer-by-layer deposition process. All bioprinted scaffolds demonstrated high cytocompatibility with L929 fibroblasts, maintaining viability above 70%. Notably, kefiran exhibited dual-functional therapeutic potential: concentrations above 500 mg/L showed a concentration-dependent antiproliferative effect against HT-29 cells at 72 h while remaining safe for normal cells. These findings establish kefiran-based biomaterial inks as robust, bioactive platforms for regenerative medicine. By enhancing both the mechanical printability of alginate composites and the biological response of cultured cells, kefiran proves to be a versatile component for advanced tissue engineering and potential biological activity applications. Full article

Hydrogel-based scaffolds are central to three-dimensional (3D) epithelial culture systems, yet commonly used matrices such as Matrigel^® suffer from batch variability, undefined composition, and limited translational relevance. Here, we comparatively evaluated an animal-free nanocellulose hydrogel (GrowDex^®) and Matrigel^® in a hybrid vascularized intestinal–chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. Pre-cultured epithelial–immune constructs (Caco-2/HT29-MTX with immune components) were embedded in both matrices and grafted onto the CAM for 72 h. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that nanocellulose-based constructs maintained more cohesive epithelial coverage, improved scaffold integrity, and yielded a more continuous cytokeratin-positive layer at the scaffold–CAM interface. In contrast, Matrigel^® constructs frequently exhibited heterogeneous epithelial distribution and central discontinuities. While both matrices enabled CAM engraftment, the chemically defined nanocellulose hydrogel demonstrated enhanced structural robustness during in vivo exposure and histological processing. These findings highlight the suitability of standardized nanocellulose hydrogels for reproducible scaffold-based epithelial models in vascularized environments. Full article

Background/Objectives: The Arabidopsis thaliana GDS1 (Growth, Development and Splicing 1) gene has recently been identified as a key regulator linking nitrate signaling to leaf senescence. However, a systematic analysis of the GDS1 gene family in maize (Zea mays L.) is lacking. This study aims to identify and characterize the ZmGDS1 gene family in maize, providing a foundation for functional studies on their roles in growth, development, and low-nitrogen-induced leaf senescence. Methods: Putative ZmGDS1 family members were identified by searching the maize B73 reference genome using BLASTP (version 2.11.0+) and HMMER (version 3.4), with the Arabidopsis GDS1 protein sequence as the query. Candidate sequences were verified for the presence of the conserved zf-CCCH domain using NCBI CD-Search and SMART. Phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, conserved motifs, chromosomal distribution, collinearity, and promoter cis elements were comprehensively analyzed using MEGA 11, TBtools (version 1.098), MEME (version 5.5.9), and PlantCARE. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using the maximum likelihood (ML) method with the LG+G+I model and 1000 bootstrap replicates. Results: Thirteen ZmGDS1 genes were identified, distributed unevenly across eight maize chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis classified the ZmGDS1 proteins into four distinct groups (A–D), revealing a lineage-specific expansion in group D. While all members contained the conserved zf-CCCH domain, their motif compositions varied considerably; ZmGDS1.1 exhibited the most complex structure, whereas ZmGDS1.12 had the most simplified. Subcellular localization predictions indicated that most ZmGDS1 proteins are targeted to the nucleus, consistent with a potential role as transcription factors. Promoter analysis revealed an abundance of cis elements associated with light response, hormone signaling (methyl jasmonate, abscisic acid, auxin), and stress responses. Notably, phylogenetically related genes tended to share similar cis-element profiles. Conclusions: This genome-wide analysis provides the first characterization of the ZmGDS1 gene family in maize. The observed structural conservation and diversity, together with regulatory elements linked to senescence-associated signals, support the hypothesis that ZmGDS1 genes may contribute to leaf senescence, particularly under low-nitrogen conditions. These findings provide a basis for future functional validation studies. Full article

Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), a typical organophosphate flame retardant, has been listed as an emerging pollutant, yet its biodegradation remains poorly studied. Herein, an efficient TPHP-degrading marine bacterium, Pseudomonas abyssi RL-WG04, was isolated from mangrove sediments, which could degrade 95.22% of 100 mg/L TPHP within 120 h. RL-WG04 exhibited good tolerance to varied environmental conditions, maintaining over 70% TPHP degradation percentages (100 mg/L, 7 d) across 20–50 °C, pH 7.0–9.0, and salinity 2.0–4.0% (NaCl, w/v). Organic solvents (p-xylene, biphenyl, toluene and ethyl acetate, 0.5% v/v) had a negligible impact, whereas metal ions (Mn²⁺, Fe³⁺, Ca²⁺, Cu²⁺, Mg²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Co²⁺) strongly inhibited degradation, especially at 1 mM. Under optimized conditions, TPHP degradation by RL-WG04 followed the improved Gompertz model (R² = 0.99927). Metabolite identification indicated that RL-WG04 transformed TPHP into phenol but failed to utilize phenol for growth because of the phenol 2-monooxygenase deficiency. Nevertheless, the constructed consortia of RL-WG04 and Pseudomonas sp. RL-LY03 (phenol-degrading bacterium) achieved complete TPHP degradation and cell proliferation. Additionally, RL-WG04 could efficiently remove TPHP (25 mg/kg) from clay and sandy mangrove sediments with 100% and 90.04% removal percentages, respectively. Overall, this work provides novel insights into the fate of TPHP and a potential approach for its remediation. Full article