Search Results (1,200)

The advancement of reactive powder concrete (RPC) technology primarily focuses on modifications to its conventional composition. This involves substituting Portland cement (CEM I) with alternative cement types and finely ground mineral additives, as well as replacing quartz aggregate with another type of aggregate. The paper presents an analysis of the properties of RPC obtaining using waste sand and powder generated during the processing of aggregates from migmatite-amphibolite rock. Research into RPC mixtures revealed that in one scenario, replacing quartz powder with waste powder resulted in a significant increase in flexural strength by 23%, although there was a slight decrease in compressive strength by 7%. However, when both quartz powder and quartz sand were substituted with waste powder and waste sand, there was a 14% reduction in compressive strength, while flexural strength increased, albeit to a much lesser extent. The analysis of mineral composition and microstructure of migmatite-amphibolite waste powder and sand revealed that the primary factor contributing to the increase in flexural strength is the presence of biotite in a flake shape form. The microscopy images clearly show hydration products gathering mainly at the rims of biotite flakes and not on their smooth surfaces. The reason could be better availability for hydration products attachment and lower steric hindrance to the rims of single biotite flakes instead of its large packets. Conversely, the reduction in RPC compressive strength, resulting from the substitution of quartz sand with migmatite-amphibolite waste sand, can be attributed mainly to the lower compressive strength of the waste sand itself. Test results indicate that the waste powder generated during the production of migmatite-amphibolite aggregates, which contains fine flakes of biotite, can be utilised as a mineral admixture in concrete, thereby enhancing its flexural strength. Full article

The aim was to evaluate the shear-bond strength (SBS) of experimental short fiber-reinforced CAD/CAM composites (SFRC-CAD) and commercial CAD/CAM composites (Cerasmart 270) to different luting resin composites before and after hydrothermal aging. Discs (2 mm) obtained from SFRC-CAD and Cerasmart 270 were air-particle abraded and treated with a primer (G-CEM One Enhancing Primer) with or without universal adhesive (G2 Bond). A fiber-reinforced flowable composite (everX Flow) and a self-adhesive resin cement (G-CEM One) were used as luting materials under direct or indirect curing conditions. Thirty-two experimental groups were determined based on restorative material, bonding protocol, luting resin, curing technique, and aging procedure (n = 8/group). SBS was measured after 24 h of water storage or following hydrothermal aging. Data were analyzed using nonparametric statistical tests (p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences in SBS were observed between everX Flow and G-CEM One regardless of the bond application (p > 0.05). SFRC-CAD bonded with everX Flow and universal adhesive demonstrated significantly higher SBS than the corresponding Cerasmart groups (p < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were observed between comparable groups when G-CEM One was used. Failure mode analysis showed predominantly adhesive and mixed failures, with no cohesive failures within SFRC-CAD. Overall, the everX Flow proved to be an effective luting material, indicating that this material may be suitable for luting CAD/CAM indirect restorations. Full article

Background and Objectives: Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) provides both morphological and functional information and may reflect breast cancer biology similarly to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods: This single-center retrospective study included 399 women with Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category 0 screening mammograms who subsequently underwent CEM. A total of 76 malignant lesions (68 invasive cancers, 8 ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)) with complete imaging and pathology data were analyzed. Invasive cancers were classified into luminal A, luminal B, luminal B/Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-positive, HER2-enriched, and triple-negative, and grouped as luminal (Group 1) versus HER2-positive/triple-negative (Group 2). Results: Luminal subtypes predominated (47 of 68, 69%), while 21 of 68 (31%) were HER2-positive or triple-negative. Most cancers appeared as masses with spiculated margins and heterogeneous enhancement. Significant differences were observed in mass shape (p = 0.03) and internal enhancement (p = 0.01). Luminal tumors were more often irregular and spiculated with heterogeneous enhancement, whereas the HER2-positive/triple-negative tumors more frequently appeared round with rim or homogeneous enhancement. Deep learning-derived malignancy scores (iCAD ProFound AI^®) demonstrated good diagnostic performance (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.744, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.654–0.821, p < 0.001). The median AI score was significantly higher in malignant compared with benign lesions (70% [interquartile range (IQR) 47–93] vs. 38% [IQR 25–61]; Mann–Whitney U test, p < 0.001). Among malignant lesions, iCAD scores varied across molecular subtypes, with higher median values observed in Group 1 versus Group 2 (87% vs. 55%), although the difference was not statistically significant (Mann–Whitney U test, p = 0.35). Conclusions: CEM features mirrored subtype-specific phenotypes previously described with MRI, supporting its role as a practical tool for enhanced tumor characterization. Although certain imaging and AI-derived parameters differed descriptively across subtypes, no statistically significant differences were observed. As deep-learning models continue to evolve, the integration of AI-enhanced CEM into clinical workflows holds strong potential to improve lesion characterization and risk stratification in personalized breast cancer diagnostics. Full article

The maturation and motility of epididymal sperm (ES) cells are largely driven by changes in protein expression. This study aimed to analyze the proteomic profile of canine (Canis lupus familiaris) ES across groups characterized by different progressive motility (PMOT) values to identify motility-related sperm proteins (MRSPs). ES were obtained from the epididymal semen of 19 dogs. The motility and movement parameters of ejaculated sperm (ES) were evaluated using computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA). Samples were classified into two groups: good sperm motility (GSM), defined as PMOT% ≥ 55%, and poor sperm motility (PSM), defined as PMOT < 55%. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the first two components could explain 88.1% of the total variance between the GSM and PSM groups. Protein profiling of ES was performed using NanoUPLC-Q-TOF/MS. Significant statistical differences were demonstrated between the GSM and PSM groups for the TMOT (p = 0.039) and PMOT (p < 0.001). For five common proteins, their abundance was estimated to be higher in the GSM group than in the PSM group: ACTB (p = 0.2732), CRISP2 (p = 0.1558), LTF (p = 0.2661) and significantly higher: ce10 (p = 0.009) and NPC2 (p < 0.0044). These findings may be used to develop diagnostic MRSP-based tests related to ES quality in assisted reproduction techniques in dogs. Full article

The CRISPR–Cas9 system has significantly advanced genome editing but remains constrained by its requirement for specific protospacer adjacent motifs (PAMs). To overcome this limitation, PAM-relaxed nucleases, including the novel near-PAMless chimeric SpRYc, have been developed. Here, we evaluated SpRYc editing activity across multiple experimental systems, including human HEK293 and CEM-R5 cells, as well as Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells and embryos. In HEK293 cells, SpRYc exhibited broad PAM compatibility, enabling editing at non-canonical PAMs, albeit with reduced and variable efficiency at canonical NGG sites compared to SpCas9. This context dependency was more pronounced in CEM-R5 T cells, where SpRYc activity at endogenous CXCR4 and B2M loci was largely restricted to NGG PAMs. In contrast, unlike SpCas9, SpRYc displayed negligible genome-editing activity in Drosophila embryos in vivo. Notably, the transcriptional activator dSpRYc-VPR showed robust activity in Drosophila S2 cells at both canonical and non-canonical PAMs. Reduced chromatin occupancy of dSpRYc-VPR suggests a balance between expanded PAM recognition and DNA-binding stability, providing a mechanistic explanation for context-dependent performance of SpRYc. Overall, our results highlight that expanded targeting flexibility comes at the cost of variable efficiency, underscoring the need for extensive locus- and context-specific validation of PAM-relaxed genome-editing tools. Full article

This systematic review examined how the Travel Cost Method (TCM) works together with other valuation methods, such as stated and declared preferences, to improve estimates of total economic value (TEV). Despite the widespread use of TCM, no systematic synthesis has examined how its integration with complementary methods enhances TEV estimation across different ecosystems and geographical contexts. Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted searches in Scopus and Web of Science, identifying 245 records. After the screening process, 57 studies remained for analysis. Results show that 74% of the studies combined TCM with Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), and 12.3% with Choice Experiment (CEM). Three chronological phases were identified: early domination by the United States (1985–2000), international expansion and diversification (2001–2015), and recent methodological innovation led by China (2016–2024). Forest and recreational ecosystems accounted for 25% of applications, followed by marine-coastal (21%). Within cultural ecosystem services, the subcategory of physical and experiential interactions predominates with 63.1%. Comparative analysis indicates that TCM systematically produces higher and more variable monetary estimates than CVM, reflecting its sensitivity to travel behavior and spatial scale, while stated preference methods provide more stable estimates of non-use values. Persistent methodological limitations include non-probabilistic sampling and uneven ecosystem coverage. This review advances the literature by providing the first comprehensive synthesis of integrated TCM applications, demonstrating how methodological combinations strengthen TEV estimation beyond single-method approaches. The findings offer practical guidance for policymakers designing environmental impact assessments, environmental managers selecting valuation tools tailored to ecosystem and management objectives, and researchers seeking standardized and robust frameworks for integrated ecosystem service valuation. Full article

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum graminicola (Ces.) G.W.Wils is a significant disease of maize (Zea mays) worldwide. To obtain an efficient biocontrol strain and elucidate its mechanisms, 103 bacterial isolates were obtained from soil samples collected in the Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang, China. Among these, Bacillus atrophaeus F4’s fermentation broth had the highest efficacy in controlling maize anthracnose, reaching 79.78%. To further investigate biocontrol mechanisms of F4 strain, its complete genome was sequenced, assembled, and annotated. Lipopeptides extracted from the fermentation broth of F4 were found to strongly inhibit the growth of hyphae and the germination of conidia in the pathogen. Microscopic and biochemical analyses indicated that the lipopeptide extract inhibited chitin synthesis and disrupted the integrity of the cell wall and membrane, thereby exerting antifungal effects. Further MALDI-TOF MS analysis identified antimicrobial compounds, including surfactin, iturin, and fengycin B, in the lipopeptide extract. Furthermore, plate antagonistic test showed that F4 strain exhibited broad-spectrum antagonistic activity against multiple plant pathogenic fungi. F4 strain also displayed motility, biofilm-forming capacity, and the ability to produce extracellular enzymes such as proteases and amylases, which are associated with biocontrol activity. These findings suggest the significant potential of B. atrophaeus F4 as a biocontrol agent against maize anthracnose. Full article

Chirality remains the most neglected axis of pesticide residue science. Many active ingredients are sold as racemates although their enantiomers differ in potency, persistence, transport, and toxicology; as a result, total concentration is a poor surrogate for risk. This review synthesizes green and enantioselective strategies spanning the full analytical–remediation continuum. We survey solvent-minimized sample preparation approaches (SPME/TF-SPME, FPSE, µSPE, DLLME with DES/NADES), MS-compatible chiral separations (immobilized polysaccharide CSPs in LC and SFC, cyclodextrin-based selectors in GC, CE/CEC), and HRMS-enabled confirmation and suspect screening. Complex matrices (e.g., fermented beverages such as wine and high-sugar products) are critically discussed, together with practical matrix-tolerant workflows and the complementary role of chiral GC for hydrophobic residues. We then examine emerging enantioselective materials—MIPs, MOFs/COFs, and cyclodextrin-based sorbents—for extraction and preconcentration and evaluate stereoselective removal via adsorption, biodegradation, and chiral photocatalysis. Finally, we propose toxicity-weighted enantiomeric fraction (EF) metrics for decision-making, outline EF-aware green treatment strategies, and identify metrological and regulatory priorities (CRMs, ring trial protocols, FAIR data). Our thesis is simple: to reduce hazards efficiently and sustainably, laboratories and practitioners must measure—and manage—pesticide residues in the chiral dimension. Full article

This in vitro study investigated the fracture resistance of three ceramic-reinforced polymer (CRP) crowns—Cerasmart^® 270 (CE; milled), VarseoSmile Crown Plus^® (VS; 3D-printed) and the newly developed Hassawat-01 (HS; 3D-printed)—luted with cements of different elastic moduli. The principal hypothesis was that neither the CRP type nor the modulus of cement would significantly affect fracture resistance. Ninety-nine mandibular first molar resin dies were restored with 1 mm thick CE, VS, or HS crowns (n = 33 each) and luted with Maxcem Elite^®, RelyX Unicem^®, or Ketac Cem^® (n = 11 per subgroup). Occlusal cement morphology was evaluated using Micro-CT. Fracture resistance was measured using a universal testing machine. Crowns luted with Maxcem or RelyX withstood forces >2000 N without visible failure. Ketac-luted crowns showed reduced fracture resistance. CE-Ketac fractured in 4 of 11 specimens. VS-Ketac exhibited cracks or complete fractures (1795.2 ± 156.7 N), whereas HS-Ketac showed only superficial cracking (1732.6 ± 127.3 N). CRP crowns luted with lower-modulus resin cements demonstrated superior fracture resistance compared with those luted with glass-ionomer. VS exhibited both cracking and occasional complete fractures, whereas HS exhibited only surface cracking. All materials withstood loads greater than typical masticatory forces, supporting HS as a promising alternative within the CRP. Full article

Metabolomics, which is typically referred to as the post-genomic methodology addressing low-molecular-weight metabolites, became a powerful tool in post-genomic research over the last two decades. Indeed, the state-of-the-art metabolomics relies on several well-established complementary platforms—nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, liquid and gas chromatography coupled on-line with mass spectrometry (LC- and GC-MS, respectively), and capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry (CE-MS). Among them, GC-MS represents one of the oldest and most well-established techniques currently employed in the metabolomics of volatile compounds and non-volatiles—polar low-molecular-weight metabolites, which can be efficiently converted in volatile form by comprehensive derivatization of polar functional groups. Currently, GC-MS is established as the principal analytical method for characterizing primary plant metabolism, although other methods also contribute significantly to determining the complete metabolite profile. Therefore, here, we address the role of GC-MS in plant metabolomics and its potential for the profiling of low-molecular-weight metabolites. Further, we comprehensively review the methods of sample preparation with special emphasis on extraction and derivatization approaches, which are currently employed to improve the method performance and its metabolome coverage. Full article

Reducing CO₂ emissions from cement production is currently one of the major challenges faced by the cement industry. One approach to lowering these emissions is to reduce the clinker factor by incorporating alternative mineral additives into cement. Consequently, there is a growing interest in the use of copper slags (CSs) as supplementary cementitious materials. Therefore, this study investigates the properties of cements containing substantial amounts of copper slag (up to 60%) and, for comparison, the same proportions of granulated blast furnace slag. The inclusion of substantial amounts of CS results both from the lack of studies in this area and from the potential benefits associated with the utilization of larger quantities of copper slag. The chemical, phase, and particle size composition of CS and granulated blast furnace slag added to CEM I 42.5 cement from the Odra cement plant in amounts of 20%, 40%, and 60% by weight were compared. The pozzolanic activity index of the copper slag and the hydraulic activity index of the blast furnace slag were determined. The high pozzolanic activity of the CS was attributed to its high degree of vitrification (nearly 100%). In contrast, the lower hydraulic activity of the blast furnace slag was explained by its lower glass phase content (about 90% by mass). A gradual decrease in the total heat of hydration released within the first two days was observed with increasing slag content in the cement, slightly more pronounced for copper slags. However, at later stages (2–28 days), XRD analysis indicated higher hydration activity in cements containing copper slag, resulting from its strong pozzolanic reactivity. Cements with copper slag also showed slightly lower water demand compared to those with blast furnace slag. An increase in setting time was observed with higher slag content, more noticeable for blast furnace slag. The type and amount of slag in cement reduce both yield stress and plastic viscosity. Greater reductions were observed at higher slag content. Moreover, copper slag caused greater paste fluidity, attributed to the lower amount of fine particles fraction. The addition of slag decreased flexural and compressive strength in the early period (up to 7 days), this reduction being proportional to slag content. After 90 days, mortars containing 20% and 40% copper slag achieved strength values exceeding that of the reference mortar by 4%. In contrast, at a 60% CS content, a 5% decrease was observed, while for cement with 60% BFS the decrease was 11%. This indicates that a lower copper slag content in the cement (40%) is more favorable in terms of strength. Full article

Contagious ecthyma (CE) is a widespread, highly contagious zoonotic skin disease of small ruminants caused by the Orf virus (ORFV), leading to substantial economic losses and welfare concerns. There is no specific treatment, with topical antiseptics and oral or parenteral antibiotics often administered for preventing secondary infections, risking antimicrobial resistance. This study assessed the effect of treating CE in lambs with an antibiotic-free topical anaesthetic/antiseptic formulation (Tri-Solfen^®; T-S; Medical Ethics, Australia/MultiSolfen^®; M-S; Dechra, UK). Serum amyloid A (SAA), a marker of systemic inflammation, was measured in both experimentally and naturally infected lambs allocated to treated and untreated groups. Samples were collected prior to (T0) and at 2 (T2), 7 (T7) and 14 (T14) days post-treatment in experimentally infected lambs and at T0, 10 (T10) and 20 (T20) days post-treatment in naturally affected lambs. In the experimental infection, SAA concentrations were lower in the treated group than in controls at T7 and significantly lower at T14. In the natural outbreak, SAA concentrations significantly decreased over time in the treated group, with a consistent trend toward lower values than in controls. These findings indicate that this therapeutic formulation reduces systemic inflammatory responses in lambs affected by CE, supporting its use as an alternative to antibiotics. Full article

The main goal of the research was to determine whether it was possible to reduce the cement content in mortar without compromising strength parameters. This is crucial for reducing the carbon footprint associated with cement production. In this article, the authors presented the results of research evaluating the effect of selected mineral additives on the strength properties of standard mortar after 7, 28, and 56 days of curing. The analysis of the effect of mineral additives was performed for CEM II and CEM III cements and seven selected mineral additives: white microsilica, Mikrosill+ microsilica, limestone powder, glass powder, glass granulate, and basalt powder. The study considered the use of mineral additives at 10% and 20% by weight of cement as a substitute. During the analysis of the test results, it was observed that the use of white microsilica and Mikrosill+ at 10% and 20% increased strength by approximately 50% compared to the reference samples. Importantly, strength was 50% higher with a 20% reduction in cement content. A positive effect of additives on strength parameters was observed only for CEMII cement. In the case of CEMIII cement, mineral additives reduce compressive strength. Full article

Mid-Neoproterozoic magmatism provides important constraints for revealing the break-up history of the Rodinia supercontinent. Large-sized mid-Neoproterozoic magmatic rocks are distributed within the Dabie Orogen located on the northern Yangtze Block. This study performed zircon LA-ICP-MS geochronology, whole-rock major and trace elements, and zircon Lu-Hf isotope analyses on orthogneisses with a mid-Neoproterozoic protolith age of the northern Dabie Orogen. The analysis results show that the intrusion times of mid-Neoproterozoic granitoids and mafic rocks are all ~750 Ma, with ε_Hf(t) values ranging from −6.60 to −2.57 and a two-stage Hf model age of ~1.8 Ga. They are characterized by light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment and heavy rare earth element (HREE) depletion. In the primitive mantle-normalized trace element diagram, these rocks are enriched in La, Ce, Th, K, Zr, Nd, and Sm and depleted in Nb, Ta, P, Ti, and Sr, with negative Eu anomaly or no significant Eu anomaly. Based on the discrimination diagrams, most of the samples are plotted into the A-type granite field, and which was formed in a post-orogenic extension setting. Comprehensive analysis shows that these mid-Neoproterozoic magmatic rocks were produced by melting of juvenile crust of the Paleoproterozoic and late Mesoproterozoic, having a heterogeneous distribution of δ¹⁸O, indicating that these rocks were developed mainly through high-temperature meteoric-hydrothermal alteration during syn-rift magmatic activity. Full article

Productive landscapes are an important part of intangible cultural heritage, and their protection and inheritance are of great significance to the prosperity and sustainable development of national culture. It not only reflects the wisdom accumulated through the long-term interaction between human production activities and the natural environment, but also carries a strong symbolic meaning of rural culture. However, current research and investigation on productive landscapes still rely mainly on field surveys and manual records conducted by experts and scholars. This process is time-consuming and costly, and it is difficult to achieve efficient and systematic analysis and comparison, especially when dealing with large-scale and diverse types of landscapes. To address this problem, this study takes the Inner Mongolia region as the main research area and builds a productive landscape feature data framework that reflects the diversity of rural production activities and cultural landscapes. The framework covers four major types of landscapes: agriculture, animal husbandry, fishery and hunting, and sideline production and processing. Based on artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies, this study conducts comparative experiments on several convolutional neural network models to evaluate their classification performance and adaptability in complex rural environments. The results show that the improved CEM-ResNet50 model performs better than the other models in terms of accuracy, stability, and feature recognition ability, demonstrating stronger generalization and robustness. Through a semantic clustering approach in image classification, the model’s recognition process is visually interpreted, revealing the clustering patterns and possible sources of confusion among different landscape elements in the semantic space. This study reduces the time and economic cost of traditional field investigations and achieves efficient and intelligent recognition of rural productive landscapes. It also provides a new technical approach for the digital protection and cultural heritage transmission of productive landscapes, offering valuable references for future research in related fields. Full article