Search Results (91,314)

Image captioning using deep learning bridges computer vision and natural language processing, enabling machines to generate human-like textual descriptions for images. While significant progress has been made in English, in Arabic, the image captioning field remains under-explored due to the language’s morphological complexity, right-to-left script, and scarcity of annotated datasets. This paper addresses this gap by adapting the BLIP-2 (Bootstrapped Language—Image Pre-training) model for Arabic caption generation, leveraging machine-translated datasets, like Flickr 30k, to overcome resource limitations. BLIP-2 combines a vision transformer (ViT) for image encoding and a CamelBERT large language model (LLM) for text generation, enhanced by a lightweight Querying Transformer (Q-Former) for cross-modal alignment. Despite challenges such as translation artifacts and linguistic nuances, our experiments demonstrate promising results in generating coherent Arabic captions. In short, this study highlights the potential of BLIP-2 for multilingual applications while underscoring the need for native Arabic datasets and further optimization. Ultimately, this work contributes to advancing inclusive artificial intelligence technologies for Arabic-speaking communities, with applications in assistive tools, education, and content creation. Full article

Salinity stress impairs maize growth by inducing osmotic stress, pigment degradation, and ionic imbalance, particularly during early seedling development. This study investigated the morpho-physiological and ionic responses of different maize genotypes exposed to increasing salinity levels (control, 3, 6, and 9 dS/m) at the seedling stage. Salinity caused a reduction in biomass accumulation (shoot fresh weight and shoot dry weight), plant height, and K⁺/Na⁺ ratio, with pronounced effects under severe stress. Significant genotypic variability was detected for photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoids) growth traits, and ionic regulation, indicating diverse physiological adaptation strategies. Stress tolerance indices and multivariate analysis revealed that chlorophyll stability, carotenoid accumulation, and maintenance of ionic homeostasis (K⁺/Na⁺ ratio) were the dominant physiological determinants of salinity tolerance. Additionally, principal component analysis showed a shift from biomass-driven variation under non-stress conditions to pigment- and ion-driven variation under higher salinity. Based on the results, genotypes BML 6 and HKI 163 maintained higher pigment content and improved K⁺/Na⁺ balance, enabling better growth under saline conditions. These findings highlight key physiological traits underlying salinity tolerance and provide insight into early-stage adaptive mechanisms in maize. Full article

The food packaging industry requires sustainable solutions to reduce plastic waste and replace synthetic additives. This study addresses the need for scalable methods to transform conventional polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging into active food preservation systems using natural biocides. Commercial PET packaging was surface-activated using industrial-scale corona treatment, followed by coating with natural biocides—carvacrol (CV) and trans-cinnamaldehyde (tCN). The resulting active packaging materials (PET-CV and PET-tCN) were characterized using XRD, FTIR, SEM, AFM, and desorption kinetics. Packaging properties including mechanical strength, oxygen barrier, antioxidant (DPPH), and antibacterial activity (against S. aureus and E. coli) were evaluated. Real-food preservation tests were conducted using fresh minced pork (4 °C, 6 days) and table olives (23 °C, 21 days), monitoring microbiological (TVC), colorimetric (CIE L*a*b*), and pH changes. Corona treatment successfully anchored both biocides through physical adsorption, with tCN exhibiting stronger surface interaction (desorption energy: 128.0 kJ/mol). Both coatings significantly improved oxygen barrier properties (61% reduction for PET-CV, 80% for PET-tCN). PET-tCN demonstrated superior antibacterial activity (inhibition zones: 15.0 mm against E. coli). In pork preservation, PET-tCN achieved a 2-log reduction in TVC, maintained meat redness (a*: 12.80 vs. 5.10 for control), and stabilized pH. For olives, PET-tCN reduced TVC by 2.35 log cycles and preserved green color. This corona-assisted coating approach, demonstrated here at laboratory scale, successfully transforms inert PET into multi-functional active packaging with potent antimicrobial, antioxidant, and barrier properties, significantly extending food shelf-life and offering a sustainable solution for reducing food waste. Full article

This study evaluated eleven resin cements used as core build-up materials by examining the following properties: (a) push-out force between root dentin and the fiber post; (b) pull-out force between the fiber post and the core build-up material; (c) shear bond strength of the resin cement to root dentin; (d) flexural strength of the resin cement; and (e) flexural modulus of elasticity of the resin cement. The purpose of this investigation was to clarify the relationships between recently available universal adhesives, core build-up materials, resin cements, and fiber posts. All experiments were performed at two evaluation periods: after 1 day of water storage (Base) and after 20,000 thermocycles (TC 20k). For the push-out test, simulated post spaces were prepared in single-rooted human premolars. The specimens were sectioned perpendicular to the long axis into 2 mm-thick slices and then subjected to push-out testing to assess the bond strength of the dentin–resin cement–fiber post complex. No significant differences in bonding performance were found between Base and TC 20k. These findings suggest that universal adhesives used for pretreatment of multiple substrates in fiber post cementation can provide not only strong but also durable adhesion over time. 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

Infrared small target detection is a critical task in remote sensing. However, it remains highly challenging due to low contrast, heavy background clutter, and large variations in target scale. Traditional convolutional networks are inadequate for joint modeling, as they cannot effectively capture both fine structural details and global contextual dependencies. To address these issues, we propose FSGPNet, a frequency–spatial domain jointly guided perceptual network that explicitly exploits complementary representations in both the frequency and spatial domains. Specifically, a Frequency–Spatial Enhancement Module (FSEM) is introduced to strengthen target details while suppressing background interference through high-frequency enhancement and Perona–Malik diffusion. To enhance global context modeling, we propose a Multi-Scale Global Perception (MSGP) module that integrates non-local attention with multi-scale dilated convolutions, enabling robust background modeling. Furthermore, a Gabor Transformer Attention Module (GTAM) is designed to achieve selective frequency–spatial feature aggregation via self-attention over multi-directional and multi-scale Gabor responses, effectively highlighting discriminative structures of various small targets. Extensive experiments are conducted on two benchmark datasets (IRSTD-1K and NUDT-SIRST) that cover typical remote sensing infrared scenarios. Quantitative and qualitative results demonstrate that FSGPNet consistently outperforms state-of-the-art methods across multiple evaluation metrics. These findings validate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed FSGPNet for detecting small infrared targets in remote sensing applications. Full article

In highly automated driving systems (ADSs), drivers’ ability to resume manual driving remains a road safety issue. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no existing computational model to predict which drivers require more than the 4 seconds mandated by United Nations Regulation No. 157 to regain manual control. To address this challenge, we developed a Random Forest model that predicts takeover time using measurable human factors. Three controlled driving simulator experiments were conducted in which participants engaged in distinct tasks—texting, drinking, and traffic monitoring—before responding to a takeover request. During the experiments, we collected human factor features, including gaze behavior, age, and scores, from the self-reported driving behavior questionnaire (K-DBQ). The Random Forest classifier achieved 77% accuracy. Recursive feature elimination selected 10 dominant predictors; notably, engaging in non-driving-related tasks, reduced on-road gaze, and older age were significantly associated with longer takeover times. Although K-DBQ scores were not directly correlated with takeover time, their inclusion improved model robustness, consistent with ensemble learning from weak yet complementary signals. The proposed model can be integrated into advanced driver assistance systems (ADASs) to proactively identify drivers likely to exceed the 4-second takeover window, support targeted interventions, and enhance human-centered transition safety in ADSs. Full article

We developed an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE)-based multiphysics model for evaporation from a contact-line-pinned sessile drop of neat water subject to a vertically oriented sinusoidal alternating current (AC) electric field applied across parallel-plate electrodes. The framework fully couples electrostatics, incompressible flow, heat transfer with evaporative cooling, and transient vapour transport in air, and includes an instantaneous, voltage-controlled electrowetting contact-angle response under constant-contact-radius conditions. Validation against published data shows that the model captures both pinned-droplet evaporation and electrically induced deformation. Because Maxwell traction scales with the squared electric-field magnitude, droplet height and contact angle exhibit a robust 2:1 frequency-doubled response, producing two peak–trough events per voltage period. The resulting periodic deformation drives oscillatory interfacial shear and internal recirculation, yielding a synchronous double-peaked evaporative-flux waveform. Gas-side analysis quantifies a time-varying diffusion-layer thickness via a characteristic diffusion length; two thinning events per period coincide with flux maxima, indicating that AC enhancement is dominated by periodic compression of the vapour boundary layer and reduced gas-side mass-transfer resistance. Increasing voltage amplitude (0–60 kV) strongly accelerates volume loss, while frequency has a secondary effect: the cycle-averaged flux rises from 1 to 10 Hz but decreases slightly at 20 Hz due to phase lag and weaker boundary-layer modulation. Full article

A high-speed magnetic pump rated at 7800 r/min was studied. A numerical model was established, and a hydraulic, vibration, and noise testing system was set up to conduct flow simulations, noise, and vibration experiments at different speeds. The results show that increasing speed leads to a higher pressure difference between the pump chamber and the cooling circuit. Meanwhile, the turbulent kinetic energy at the impeller outlet increases. Despite an increase in energy loss, the loss ratio decreases, and overall efficiency improves. The internal flow noise collected by the outlet hydrophone mainly comes from Rotor–Stator Interference (RSI), and it can sensitively capture changes in rotational speed. The dominant frequency of the outlet noise agrees well with the blade frequency calculated from the set speed, with a maximum deviation of 0.26%. As the speed increases, the overall sound pressure level (OASPL) at the inlet and outlet and the Root Mean Square (RMS) acceleration values at the outlet and pump body generally increase, while the acceleration at the motor base shows a decreasing trend. The conclusions are helpful for the design and optimization of rotary machinery such as high-speed magnetic pumps. Full article

The Dibaya Granitic and Migmatitic Complex (DGMC), located in the Kanyiki–Kapangu sector of the Kasaï Shield (Congo–Kasaï Craton, Democratic Republic of the Congo), represents a key exposure of Neoarchean continental crust in Central Africa. Despite its geological importance, information on its petrology, geochronology, geochemistry, and structural evolution remains dispersed across historical studies. This contribution presents a structured geological synthesis based exclusively on previously published cartographic, petrographic, structural, and isotopic data. No new analytical data are introduced; rather, existing datasets are systematically compiled, critically reassessed, and integrated into a coherent tectono-thermal framework. Published Rb–Sr and U–Pb ages indicate high-grade metamorphism and widespread migmatitization at ca. 2.72 Ga, followed by granitoid emplacement at ca. 2.65 Ga. Documented mineral assemblages (garnet–biotite–plagioclase–quartz ± K-feldspar ± amphibole) and the absence of reported high-pressure index minerals support high-temperature, moderate-pressure metamorphism consistent with intracrustal reworking. Reported regional geochemical characteristics suggest high-K calc-alkaline, weakly to moderately peraluminous granitoids derived predominantly from reworking of older TTG-type crust. Structural relationships, particularly along the Malafudi corridor, demonstrate strong coupling between deformation, anatexis, and magma emplacement. Collectively, this synthesis formalizes a Neoarchean intracrustal reworking model and provides a structured analytical basis for future high-resolution petrochronological and geochemical investigations. Although no new quantitative datasets are presented, this study provides the first systematic integration of dispersed geological and isotopic information for the Dibaya Complex, establishing a transparent analytical framework for future high-resolution investigations. Full article

Porous medium combustion technology, renowned for high efficiency and low emissions, is widely applied in industrial and heating fields. This study numerically investigates pore-scale heat transfer, flame morphology, reaction rate distribution during standing combustion in a one-layer randomly packed bed, and flow parameter effects on flame behavior. A 3D randomly packed model (tube-to-particle diameter ratio D/d = 10) is developed using the discrete element method (DEM) and coupled with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to resolve pore-scale transport processes. Results show that exothermic combustion converts internal energy to kinetic energy, significantly accelerating pore-scale flow velocity in the combustion zone. Increasing the equivalence ratio enhances flame stability, elevating solid–fluid temperatures by 200 K and expanding the combustion zone volume by 20%. The pore Reynolds number promotes inertial mixing and heat redistribution, limiting the solid–fluid temperature difference to 10 K. Local flames evolve from dispersed to wrinkled and undulating. These findings elucidate pore-scale combustion dynamics and guide packed-bed reactor design and optimization. Full article

The wide voltage range of energy storage batteries, as currently required in the electric vehicle industry, presents significant challenges for the optimal design of the dual active bridge (DAB) converters used in bidirectional DC–DC (BCD) plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) chargers and home energy management systems (HEMS) applications. This article proposes a DAB converter with an enhanced single-phase-shift (ESPS) modulation that extends the operating voltage range while maintaining zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) conditions by including a DC-blocking capacitor and modifying the trigger sequence of the bridge converter on the secondary side. The operational modes of this modulation scheme are presented, and a control strategy is developed to extend the ZVS range. To validate the concept, a 3.7 kW, 100 kHz prototype is designed and tested, interfacing a 400 V DC bus with a 400–800 V battery. Using 1200 V silicon carbide (SiC) devices, the prototype achieves a peak efficiency of 95.5%. Full article

The efficient recovery of rare earth elements from associated rare-earth-bearing phosphate ores is of paramount importance for expanding the supply of rare earth resources. In contrast to conventional studies that focus on extracting rare earths either from phosphate concentrates or from phosphogypsum generated during the sulfuric acid wet-process, this study takes as its subject the rare-earth-enriched residue—an intermediate product obtained after the selective leaching of phosphorus via the hydrochloric acid route—from a rare-earth-bearing phosphate ore in Zhijin, Guizhou Province. The occurrence states, leaching behavior, and kinetic mechanisms of rare earth elements within this residue were systematically elucidated. Analyses using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) and aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) reveal that rare earth elements are hosted in residual fluorapatite and newly formed CaF₂ through isomorphic substitution. The substitution of REE³⁺ for Ca²⁺ induces lattice contraction in CaF₂, with the interplanar spacing decreasing from 0.27 nm to 0.26 nm. Through single-factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM) optimization, the optimal leaching conditions were determined to be a temperature of 80 °C, a leaching time of 120 min, a hydrochloric acid dosage of 160% of the theoretical requirement, a solid–liquid ratio of 1:6, and a agitation speed of 500 r·min⁻¹. Under these conditions, the leaching efficiency of rare earth elements reached as high as 92.69%. Kinetic analysis indicates that the leaching process follows the shrinking-core model, with the rate controlled by diffusion through the solid product layer. The apparent activation energy was calculated to be 37.2 kJ·mol⁻¹, characteristic of a diffusion-controlled process. Furthermore, response surface analysis of variance confirms that leaching temperature and time are the most significant factors influencing rare earth leaching. This study elucidates, from multiple perspectives, the leaching mechanism of rare earth elements from enriched residues within a hydrochloric acid system, thereby providing important theoretical support for the efficient recovery and process optimization of rare earth resources from associated phosphate ores. Full article

Background/Objectives: FcγRIIIA presents a single nucleotide polymorphism at position 158 (V/F), which affects its binding affinity to the fragment crystallizable (Fc) of antibodies (Abs). In the presence of immune complexes, FcγRIIIA can mediate the inflammatory signaling, severity of bone disease, and osteoclastogenic activity. Based on this functional relevance, we hypothesized that the FcγRIIIA F158V polymorphism may influence the clinical presentation of multiple myeloma (MM). Methods: FcγRIIIA F158V genotyping was performed on genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood samples of patients affected by MM or asymptomatic conditions named MGUS and SMM. We compared the allele frequency of FcγRIIIA-F158V polymorphism in 72 MM, 42 MGUS and 31 SMM and evaluated the association with clinical features and occurrence of high-risk chromosome abnormalities. Targeted NGS mutation analysis was performed on genomic DNA isolated from purified CD138⁺ bone marrow plasma cells (BMPCs) of 41 patients, to evaluate the association between somatic mutations and the FcγRIIIA F158V genotype. Results: the FcγRIIIA-158 V/V homozygous genotype was associated with high-risk cytogenetics, anemia, high beta-2 microglobulin levels, and more than 10 osteolytic lesions. V/V homozygous genotype was significantly associated with at least one mutation in RAS pathway genes (N-RAS, K-RAS or B-RAF). In the immune microenvironment, patients carrying the V/V homozygous genotype had a higher percentage of CD14⁺CD16⁺⁺ non-conventional inflammatory monocytes than the V/F or FF genotype. Conclusions: Our study contributes to a better understanding of the interactions between genetic variants, tumor microenvironment, and therapeutic response in plasma cell dyscrasias, to identify molecular biomarkers for precision medicine in MM, MGUS and SMM. Full article

Background/Objectives: Vestibular disorders can have functional consequences for children, including balance and gross motor delays, academic difficulties and behavioral manifestations; however, they are frequently undiagnosed in children. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the feasibility and clinical utility of performing a non-instrumented dynamic visual acuity (DVA) test as a primary screening tool for children and to examine typical performance on this non-instrumented DVA test in a large sample of children ages 2 through 13 years. Methods: A clinical DVA test was administered to a convenience sample of 208 children aged 2–13 years. Static visual acuity was assessed using a standard Snellen or LEA eye chart, depending on the child’s ability to read letters. Dynamic visual acuity was then measured while the examiner manually rotated the child’s head at 2 Hz (240 bpm). DVA was calculated as the number of lines of visual acuity lost with head movement. Results: All children aged 4 years and older and 67% of 3-year-olds successfully completed DVA testing. Most 2-year-olds and 33% of 3-year-olds were unable to complete DVA testing. Although the number of visual acuity lines lost with rotational head oscillations at 2 Hz varied between age groups, Kruskal–Wallis test indicated no significant difference in DVA scores between age groups (K = 12.721, DF = 9, P = 0.176). Ninety percent of children who were able to perform DVA testing lost two or fewer lines of visual acuity with head rotations consistent with adult norms. Conclusions: This method of DVA testing is an easily accessible and promising clinically feasible screening tool for identifying children with vestibular dysfunction. The authors recommend widespread vestibular screening of children to facilitate rapid referral for diagnosis and treatment of children with vestibular dysfunction. Full article