Search Results (11,276)

The anti-Markovnikov addition of thiyl radicals, generated via one-electron oxidation of thiols, to C=C double bonds is a useful method for synthesizing unsymmetrical sulfides and has been widely applied in the preparation of pharmaceuticals and functional materials. However, conventional radical thiol–ene reactions require metal-based photoinitiators or organic photosensitizers, raising concerns about product isolation and environmental impact. Herein, we demonstrate an initiator-free thiol–ene coupling via electrochemical oxidation of thiols. Using a microfluidic electrochemical reactor, the electrochemically generated thiyl radicals undergo rapid and selective addition to alkenes, affording thioethers in reasonable yields. Substrate scope studies involving 13 alkenes and 13 thiols indicate that thiol acidity (pK_a), alkene electronic properties, and steric effects play key roles in determining reaction efficiency. Although further optimization is required to improve yields and broaden substrate scope, this electrochemical approach highlights the potential of thiol–ene coupling as a sustainable tool in green synthetic chemistry. Full article

Phosphatidylinositol-binding clathrin assembly protein (PICALM) is a clathrin adaptor essential for clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have consistently identified PICALM as one of the most significant genetic susceptibility loci for late-onset sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the functional impact of the most validated AD-associated variant, rs3851179, remains unclear. Here, we examined PICALM mRNA and protein expression in post-mortem AD brains with reference to rs3851179 genotype. We found that PICALM mRNA levels were significantly increased in AD brains compared with controls, and that the protective rs3851179T allele was associated with reduced PICALM mRNA levels relative to the non-protective rs3851179C allele. In contrast, PICALM levels were significantly reduced in AD brain lysates compared with controls. PICALM expression did not significantly differ between carriers of the protective and non-protective alleles. Analysis of the mRNA-to-protein ratio revealed a significant dissociation between transcript and protein levels, suggesting relatively reduced protein expression efficiency in cases carrying the non-protective CC genotype. To assess whether reduced PICALM levels influence tau pathology, we used Picalm heterozygous knockout (Picalm+/−) mice, which express approximately 50% of the wild-type Picalm protein. Following stereotaxic injection of pathological tau extracted from AD brains, both wild-type and Picalm+/− mice developed tau pathology; however, the extent of tau accumulation did not significantly differ between genotypes. Together, these findings indicate that although PICALM protein level is reduced in AD, this reduction does not appear to affect tau propagation in this model. Therefore, the AD susceptibility associated with PICALM variant likely arises from mechanisms other than tau spread, possibly involving other aspects of autophagy, endocytic or vascular function. Full article

The selective hydrogenolysis of glucose into 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PG) constitutes a significant yet challenging transformation in biomass valorization, as it involves a highly coupled network of isomerization, C-C bond cleavage, and hydrogenation steps. Herein, a highly efficient Ni-CeO₂ catalyst supported by basic Al₂O₃ is developed via a urea-assisted precipitation strategy. Systematic catalytic evaluation and comprehensive characterization reveal that this synthesis method markedly enhances Ni dispersion and hydrogen activation capacity, while CeO₂ modification modulates the electronic state of Ni and introduces strong Lewis basic sites associated with oxygen vacancies. The synergistic interplay between Ni and CeO₂ effectively promotes glucose isomerization and retro-aldol condensation while maintaining sufficient hydrogenation activity. As a result, the optimized catalyst achieves a 1,2-PG yield of 45.1% with over 99% glucose conversion under optimal hydrothermal reaction conditions. Moreover, the catalyst exhibits relatively stable catalytic performance over four consecutive runs. This work elucidates key structure–activity relationships in multifunctional Ni-based catalysts and provides design principles for efficient biomass-derived polyol production. Full article

Unsteady turbulent flows are present in most engineering applications of practical relevance. In aeronautics, these applications span the speed range from subsonic to hypersonic flows. Thus, it is important that our mathematical models and numerical techniques can represent the various flow regimes in a seamless way. The latter is the main motivation of the current paper, which extends the PANS turbulence model to compressible and high-speed flows. The new model, called BPANS-CC, blends the (k,ε) and (k,ω) versions of PANS. In addition, compressibility correction is added to the new model to expand its simulation range into the compressible high-speed flow regime. The new model was implemented in various CFD software, both academic and commercial. Several well-known benchmark problems were used to test the new model, and the results are in good agreement with experimental data. Full article

Conventional cigarette smoke and electronic cigarette vapor contain toxic compounds that may impair immune function, particularly in the spleen. This study evaluated histopathological changes in the spleen in male white rats (Rattus norvegicus, n = 32) divided into four groups: control, conventional-cigarette smoke (CCS), electronic cigarette vapor (ECS), and transitional cigarette smoke (TCS). The TCS group was sequentially exposed to CCS for 15 days followed by ECS for 15 days, with twice-daily exposure. Spleen tissues were analyzed semi-quantitatively using ImageJ and statistically using the Kruskal–Wallis test after Shapiro–Wilk normality testing. Comparisons among the four groups showed significant differences in necrosis (p = 0.025) and vascular degeneration (p = 0.027). In contrast, hemosiderin, congestion, stretching, and vacuolization parameters did not show statistically significant differences among groups (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that switching from conventional cigarettes to e-cigarettes does not protect against splenic damage and may exacerbate immune dysfunction due to cumulative toxic exposure. Full article

A dynamic filtering system that can choose in real time between two different noise filters depending on the dynamics of the measured environment is presented. Unlike other adaptive filters approaches, this system does not require prior knowledge of the environment beyond noise characteristics. We implemented this system into a Brillouin optical time-domain analysis (BOTDA) sensing scheme using a closed-circuit control system for dynamic tracking of the Brillouin Frequency Shift (BFS) along the sensing fiber using a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller. Through experiments and numerical simulations, we compare this method to the filtering capabilities of P and PI controllers chosen as optimal in a previous work for closed-circuit BOTDA (CC-BOTDA). Results show that the adaptive noise filter provides a dynamic response comparable to the other controllers, while increasing noise suppression by a factor between 30% and beyond 100%, showing how an adaptive system can improve suppression with only knowledge of the measurement noise. Full article

Current agricultural irrigation management practices are often extensive, and traditional soil moisture content (SMC) monitoring methods are inefficient, so there is a pressing need for innovative approaches in precision irrigation. This study proposes a Multi-Feature Fusion Network (MFF-Net) for SMC inversion. The model uses a designed Channel-Changeable Residual Block (ResBlockCC) to construct a multi-branch feature extraction and fusion architecture. Integrating the Channel Squeeze and Spatial Excitation (sSE) attention module with U-Net-like skip connections, MFF-Net inverts root-zone SMC from summer maize leaf images. Field experiments were conducted in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, from 2024 to 2025, under three irrigation treatments: 60–70% θ_fc, 70–90% θ_fc, and 60–90% θ_fc (θ_fc denotes field capacity). This study shows that (1) MFF-Net achieved its smallest inversion error under the 60–70% θ_fc treatment, suggesting the inversion was most effective when SMC variation was small and relatively low; (2) MFF-Net demonstrated superior performance to several benchmark models, achieving an R² of 0.84; and (3) the ablation study confirmed that each feature branch and the sSE attention module contributed positively to model performance. MFF-Net thus offers a technological reference for real-time precision irrigation and shows promise for field SMC inversion in summer maize. Full article

This paper presents a microstructural, mineralogical, and mechanical study of low-carbon autoclaved concrete (AC), achieved by partially or fully replacing ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with ground-granulated blast furnace slag (BFS) and substituting lime with calcium carbide slag (CCS). Fourteen mixes were produced and evaluated in the green state and after autoclaving. Quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) using the Rietveld method, density, compressive strength, and life cycle assessment (LCA) were conducted. Results show that mixes containing BFS achieve green strengths equal to or higher than the OPC reference, ensuring integrity during autoclaving. Using BFS with an adequate calcium supply promotes the formation of pre-autoclave portlandite, which in turn favors tobermorite development and yields post-autoclave strengths comparable to the OPC reference. Partial lime replacement with CCS (50%) maintains mineralogy and strength, whereas excessive CCS may reduce available portlandite and lower strength. Life-cycle assessment indicates that raw material supply dominates emissions and that removing OPC cuts total CO₂ by 44% without compromising mechanical performance. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of OPC-lean/OPC-free, lime-optimized autoclaved concretes with substantially lower embodied impacts. Full article

Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) have gained considerable attention as promising power sources for sustainable energy conversion due to their high energy density, low toxicity, and renewable ethanol feedstock. However, the sluggish ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) kinetics and the formation of strongly adsorbed intermediates (e.g., CO*, CH_x*) severely hinder catalytic efficiency and durability. Rhodium (Rh)-based catalysts stand out for their balanced intermediate adsorption, efficient C–C bond cleavage, and superior CO tolerance arising from their unique electronic structure. This review summarizes recent advances in Rh-based EOR catalysts, including monometallic Rh nanostructures, Rh-based alloys, and Rh–support composites. The effects of morphology, alloying, and metal–support interactions on activity, selectivity, and stability are discussed in detail. Strategies for structural and electronic regulation—such as nanoscale design, alloying modulation and interfacial engineering—are highlighted to enhance catalytic performance. Finally, current challenges and future directions are outlined, emphasizing the need for Rh-based catalysts with high activity, selectivity and stability, integrating in situ characterization with theoretical modeling. This work provides insights into the structure–activity relationships of Rh-based catalysts and guidance for designing efficient and durable anode catalysts for practical DEFC applications. Full article

This paper investigates how external shocks propagate through fiscal transmission mechanisms in a commodity-dependent economy within a dynamic macroeconomic framework. The study contributes to the literature on macroeconomic fluctuations by examining the interaction between external revenue volatility, fiscal behavior, and institutional features in shaping short-run dynamics and medium-term outcomes. A Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) model is developed and calibrated to the Ecuadorian economy. The framework explicitly incorporates procyclical fiscal behavior, public capital accumulation, and endogenous spending efficiency, allowing for a structural analysis of fiscal transmission channels under external and productivity shocks. Counterfactual simulations are employed to assess the role of fiscal policy design and institutional constraints. The results show that while productivity shocks remain a key driver of output fluctuations, external revenue shocks significantly influence macroeconomic volatility through fiscal channels. Procyclical fiscal responses amplify fluctuations by reducing public investment and spending efficiency, slowing public capital accumulation and prolonging output contractions. Alternative fiscal configurations mitigate short-run volatility, although their effectiveness depends critically on institutional features governing spending efficiency. Overall, the analysis highlights that macroeconomic dynamics in resource-dependent economies are shaped not only by external shocks, but also by the interaction between fiscal policy design and institutional capacity. Integrating these elements into DSGE models provides a more comprehensive understanding of fiscal transmission mechanisms and macroeconomic volatility. Full article

Digital twin (DT) technology is recognized for its transformative potential to enhance efficiency in the construction process. However, the full potential of DT in construction practices remains largely unrealised. Moreover, few studies explore how DT success factors affect efficiency improvement (EI), energy optimization (EO), and cost control (CC) in the context of economic strength (ES). The study applied a hybrid research method to examine the impact of key DT success factors on EI, EO, and CC under the moderation of ES. After a critical literature review, five key DT success factors were identified. Then, 490 valid questionnaires were analyzed with the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) to assess how success factors affect DT effectiveness. This is complemented using extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) to assess prediction accuracy and understand which factors most influenced EI, EO, and CC. Research shows that ES exerts a significant positive influence on the relationships between most success factors and performance outcomes. High levels of ES enhance the contribution of success factors to performance in EI, EO, and CC. Resource management (RM) has a strong influence on EI and EO, but a weaker influence on CC; process optimization (PO) has the strongest influence on EO, a moderate influence on CC, and the weakest influence on EI; real-time monitoring (R-Tm) primarily affects EI; sustainable design (SD) has a comprehensive and significant regulatory effect on EI, EO, and CC; and predictive maintenance (PM) has a strong influence on both EI and CC. In practice, it offers practical guidance for implementing DT and supports policy and resource planning for building stakeholders. Full article

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer, accounting for approximately 75–80% of all renal carcinomas, and is often diagnosed incidentally on abdominal imaging, such as abdominal ultrasound or CT scan. Among other types of renal cancer, ccRCC is recognized to be highly aggressive due to its metastatic potential, which leads to a poor prognosis and an increased mortality rate. The most common sites of ccRCC metastasis are the lung, lymph nodes, bone, liver, and adrenal glands. Clear cell RCC is the most frequent primary tumor associated with secondary pancreatic involvement, while overall, pancreatic metastases represent only 2–5% of all malignant pancreatic lesions. These metastases often occur many years after nephrectomy and may present as solitary or oligometastatic disease, frequently displaying a paradoxically favorable prognosis compared with other metastatic sites. The present narrative review we conducted emerged from presentations of ccRCC with pancreatic distant metastases, potentially labeled as primary pancreatic tumors on imaging studies, mimicking pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors due to the hypervascular nature of ccRCC. Four patients were investigated in our clinic for suspicious pancreatic lesions identified on CT imaging, involving both the head and body of the pancreas. The definitive diagnosis was established by performing endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) or fine-needle biopsy (FNB) and histopathological analysis of the collected tissue samples. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) has emerged as a pivotal tool for obtaining tissue diagnosis, particularly when cross-sectional imaging is inconclusive. Through a synthesis of clinical data and literature, this article underscores the essential diagnostic role of EUS-guided tissue acquisition and its impact on therapeutic decision-making. Full article

In the current context of the energy transition, the reuse of offshore oil and gas (O&G) structures that have reached the end of their operational life presents new engineering challenges. Many projects aim to adapt existing facilities for a range of alternative uses. This paper outlines guidelines for identifying the most suitable conversion options aligned with the goals of the ongoing energy transition, focusing on the Italian offshore area. The study promotes the reuse—instead of partial or full removal—of existing offshore platforms originally built for the exploitation of hydrocarbon reservoirs. From an engineering perspective, the project describes the development of guidelines based on an innovative methodology to identify new uses for both offshore oil and gas platforms and the depleted reservoirs, with a focus on safety and environmental impact. The guidelines identify the most suitable and effective conversion option for the platform–reservoir system under consideration. To ensure a realistic approach, the developed methodology allows one to identify the preferable conversion option even when some piece of information is missing or incomplete, as often happens in the early stages of a feasibility study. The screening process provides an associated level of uncertainty related to the degree of data incompleteness. The outcome is a complete evaluation procedure divided into five phases: definition of criteria; assignment of an importance scale to determine how critical each criterion is; connection of indices and weights to each criterion; and analysis of the relationships between them. The guidelines are implemented in a software tool that supports and simplifies the decision-making process. The results are very promising. The developed methodology and the related guidelines applied to a case study have proven to be an effective decision-support for analysts. The study shows that it is possible to identify the most suitable conversion option from a technical, engineering, and operational point of view while also considering its environmental impact and safety implications. Full article

The recent review by Veron et al. (2025) posits that quantitative genomic evidence used to understand coral evolution should be secondary to species hypotheses derived from expert opinion based on field experience. The authors argue that morphological “biological entities” should take precedence over molecular evidence when conflicts arise. This perspective required the rejection of extensive, independent molecular datasets that have progressively converged on a robust evolutionary framework for reef corals. Here, we reaffirm how prioritising subjective visual assessments over quantitative genetic and genomic data is methodologically unsound and scientifically regressive. We reject the framing of this perspective as “morphology versus molecules”. Rather, it is a fundamental divergence between two opposing philosophies: a static system anchored in non-reproducible expert judgement, and an integrative framework where genetic data provide the necessary independent test of morphological hypotheses. We show how a reliance on “field entities” obscures true morphological patterns by failing to distinguish between phenotypic plasticity, convergence, and evolutionary divergence. Effective taxonomy requires species hypotheses to be testable, and to stand or fall on the strength of reproducible evidence. Such a framework does not replace morphology; it validates it by providing an explicit, testable basis for evaluating morphological hypotheses. The integration of testable, reproducible molecular analysis with other lines of evidence including morphology is the benchmark of modern taxonomy across all Kingdoms of Life. We address the logical inconsistencies in the general arguments put forward by Veron et al. (2025) and refute their specific rejection of recent Acropora species-level revision with reproducible data. Full article

The transition toward a Circular Economy (CE) has received significant attention from academia, industry, and policymakers; however, manufacturing practices remain predominantly linear, generating waste and inefficiencies. This study addresses the lack of accessible sustainability assessment methods by introducing the Circularity Calculator (CC), a novel tool for evaluating circular strategies during the early phases of process development. Unlike existing assessment frameworks, which often require extensive data and customization, the CC can be integrated directly to existing processes to combine environmental and economic impact into a streamlined evaluation process for early decision-making. The research involves collaboration with a leading German automotive manufacturer. Site visits and interviews enabled the identification of material flows and primary waste streams, which informed the definition of relevant indicators. The CC generates a dimensionless index, enabling comparison and prioritization of proposed scenarios without relying on supply-chain-wide data, which is often unavailable at early stages. Implications demonstrate the adaptability of the CC across industrial contexts, supporting conceptual planning and operational phases. Its intuitive design facilitates adoption by practitioners without extensive expertise in sustainability. The tool represents an advance in CE assessment, contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9, 12, and 17 by promoting sustainable industrial practices, resource circularity, and collaborative evaluation frameworks. Full article