Search Results (175)

Background: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are prevalent among aging men and negatively affect quality of life. Salvia miltiorrhiza extract (SAGX), which exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has been developed as a functional ingredient to improve LUTS. However, comparative clinical data against established standards, such as saw palmetto, are currently lacking. Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of SAGX with saw palmetto extract in men with LUTS. Methods: In this randomized, parallel-group pilot study, 30 men with LUTS were assigned to receive either 400 mg of SAGX or 320 mg of saw palmetto extract once daily for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and the LUTS-related quality-of-life (QoL) score. Secondary outcomes included changes in the erectile function assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). Safety was evaluated by monitoring adverse events. Results: SAGX supplementation resulted in a significantly greater reduction in total IPSS compared with the saw palmetto group (p = 0.031), with notable improvements in storage symptoms (p = 0.003) and QoL (p = 0.035). Erectile function also improved significantly in the SAGX group (p = 0.005). All adverse events were mild and transient, with treatment-related events occurring less frequently in the SAGX group. Conclusions: Although this study was a pilot study with a limited cohort, these findings provide preliminary evidence for the use of SAGX as a functional ingredient for supporting urinary health in men with LUTS. Full article

Balancing low segment wear with stable cutting forces remains a challenge in granite sawing. This work compares diamond-impregnated saw segments produced by microwave– hybrid sintering (MWHS) and hot pressing (HP) when cutting Rosa Porriño granite. Tests were performed under tap-water cooling (22 L min⁻¹) while varying peripheral speed (20–40 m s⁻¹), feed speed (22–38 mm s⁻¹), and cutting depth (9–18 mm). Cutting forces were recorded during successive slots, and wear was quantified as mass loss per machined area (1.2–3.0 m² per test). MWHS segments exhibited lower wear than HP segments, with reductions up to ~20%, consistent with improved diamond retention and reduced binder exposure to debris-driven abrasion. Under higher cutting severity, however, MWHS segments developed higher forces, indicating reduced grit renewal and progressive blunting, plausibly linked to stronger diamond–matrix bonding and the low-friability diamond grade used. In contrast, HP segments operated at lower forces but showed higher wear, consistent with greater surface renewal through controlled grit release. Tuning diamond friability and matrix compliance in MWHS is proposed to stabilize forces while preserving the wear advantage. Overall, MWHS is a viable route for granite cutting segments, but further optimization is required to achieve HP-equivalent behavior across the tested conditions. Full article

Sulfide-alkaline wastewater (SAW) from petrochemical plants, particularly from pyrolysis and hydrotreating units, presents a significant environmental challenge due to its high toxicity, extreme alkalinity (pH > 12), and high concentrations of sulfides and organic pollutants. Traditional treatment methods like acid neutralization or air oxidation are often inefficient, generate secondary waste, or fail to recover valuable components. This study investigates the effectiveness of a novel electrochemical system for the simultaneous treatment of SAW and recovery of valuable products. A lab-scale four-chamber electrodialyzer, equipped with cation-exchange membranes and nickel bipolar electrodes, was designed and tested using real industrial wastewater. The wastewater was characterized by a pH of 13.06, chemical oxygen demand of 12,600 mg/L, and a sulfide content of approximately 5000 mg/L. The process leverages anodic oxidation to convert sulfide ions into elemental sulfur, while sodium cations migrate through cation-exchange membranes to the cathodic compartments. There, water reduction generates high-purity hydrogen (≥99.9%) and a concentrated, purified sodium hydroxide solution. The results demonstrate the ineffectiveness of electrodialysis with anion-exchange membranes due to rapid membrane degradation. In contrast, the proposed electrodialyzer with bipolar electrodes achieved excellent performance: a caustic soda solution with a concentration of 2.3–2.5% was recovered with a current efficiency of 83–85%, containing only trace amounts of sulfides (0.0052%) and organic impurities (0.053%). The process completely removed the original sulfide alkalinity. The study confirms the chemical and mechanical stability of the cation-exchange membranes under harsh SAW conditions. The proposed technology offers a path towards a closed-loop system in refineries by enabling the reuse of recovered caustic, utilization of hydrogen, and potential recovery of sulfur, aligning with the principles of green chemistry and circular economy. Full article

Urban underground sewage pipelines often suffer from defects such as cracks, irregular joint misalignment, and stratified sedimentation blockages, which may lead to pipeline bursts, sewage overflow, and water pollution. Timely detection of abnormal defects in sewage pipelines is critical to ensuring public health and environmental sustainability. Vision-based sewage pipeline defect detection plays a crucial role in modern urban wastewater treatment systems. However, it still faces challenges such as limited feature extraction capabilities, insufficient multi-scale defect characterization, and poor positioning stability when dealing with low-contrast images and in environments with severe background interference. To address this issue, this study proposes an enhanced SAW-YOLOv8l model that integrates RT-DETR (real-time detection Transformer) with CNN (convolutional neural network) architecture. First, a C2f_SCA module improves the long-distance feature extraction capability and localization precision. Second, an AIFI-PRBN module enhances global feature correlation through attention-mechanism-based intra-scale feature interaction and reduces computational complexity using lightweight techniques. Finally, an adaptive dynamic weighted loss function based on Wise-IoU (weighted intersection over union) further improves training convergence and robustness by balancing the gradient distribution of samples. Experiments on a mixed dataset comprising Sewer-ML and industrial images demonstrate that the SAW-YOLOv8l model achieved mAP@0.5 of 86.2% and precision of 84.4%, which were improvements of 2.4% and 6.6% respectively over the baseline model, significantly enhancing the detection performance of abnormal defects in sewage pipelines. Full article

Large-diameter longitudinal submerged arc welded (LSAW) pipes represent a critical component of long-distance oil and gas transmission pipelines. To enhance the forming efficiency of the JCO (J-shape to C-shape to O-shape) forming process for LSAW pipes, and to reduce residual straight segment in order to minimize the ovality of the formed pipes, an asymmetric four-point air bending (AFB) process was proposed. In this process, one end of the sheet contacts the dies with a straight segment, while the other end contacts a circular arc segment. The distribution of bending moments and mechanical model under different bending stages were analyzed, and analytical formulas for the main forming indexes before and after springback were derived. Experimental and finite element simulation verification were conducted for the AFB process. The results indicated that the error between the experimental and simulation results and the theoretical results was small, and the variation trends were consistent. Furthermore, the ellipticity of the pipes formed by the AFB process was less than 0.66%, which is obviously lower than that of the pipe formed by the symmetric four-point air bending (SFB) process. The forming quality and production efficiency of the pipe is improved, thereby proving the feasibility and reliability of the AFB process and promoting the development of LSAW pipe JCO forming processes. Full article

This paper presents a cover lens concept for camera modules based on surface acoustic waves (SAW) to mitigate the degradation of physical AI optical sensor field-of-view performance caused by surface contamination. The proposed approach utilizes a single-phase unidirectional transducer (SPUDT) that intentionally breaks left–right symmetry through a geometrically asymmetric electrode array to generate SAW, thereby removing droplet contamination. First, the acoustic streaming induced inside a single sessile droplet by the SAW was visualized, and the dynamic behavior of the droplet upon SAW actuation was observed using a high-speed camera. The internal flow developed into a recirculating vortex structure with directional deflection relative to the SAW propagation direction, indicating a symmetry-broken streaming pattern rather than a purely symmetric circulation. Upon the application of the SAW, the droplet was confirmed to move a total of 7.2 mm along the SAW propagation direction, accompanied by interfacial deformation and oscillation. Next, an analysis of transport trajectories for five sessile droplets dispensed at different y-coordinates ($y_1$–$y_5$) revealed that all droplets were transported along the x-axis regardless of their initial positions. Furthermore, the analysis of transport velocity as a function of droplet viscosity (1 $\mathrm{c}\mathrm{P}$ and 10 $\mathrm{c}\mathrm{P}$) and volume (2$\mathrm{\mu }\mathrm{L}$, 4$\mathrm{\mu }\mathrm{L}$, and 6 $\mathrm{\mu }\mathrm{L}$) demonstrated that the transport velocity gradually increased with driving voltage but decreased as viscosity increased under identical actuation conditions. Finally, the proposed cover lens was applied to an automotive front camera module to verify its effectiveness in improving object recognition performance by removing surface contamination. Based on its simple structure and driving principle, the proposed technology is deemed to be expandable as a surface contamination cleaning technology for various physical AI perception systems, including intelligent security cameras and drone camera lenses. Full article

Background/Objectives: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to pose a significant challenge for infection prevention, particularly because of its ability to persist on surfaces and form resilient biofilms. Although bacteriophages have attracted renewed interest as alternatives or complements to chemical disinfectants, their applied use requires careful assessment of antimicrobial performance, formulation tolerance, and genomic context. Methods: Staphylococcus-infecting bacteriophages were isolated from environmental sources and examined against reference Staphylococcus isolates. Two phage isolates, designated MRSA-W3 and SA-W2, displayed lytic activity against a broad subset of clinical MRSA strains. Using a time-resolved agar-based infection assay, phage exposure resulted in a multiplicity-of-infection-dependent decline in viable MRSA populations. Results: Time-resolved infection assays revealed a multiplicity-of-infection-dependent reduction in viable MRSA, with a pronounced decrease observed approximately 40 min post-infection. At this time point, phage-treated cultures showed a reduction of 1.2–1.8 log₁₀ CFU/mL relative to untreated controls (mean Δlog₁₀ = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1–1.9), while control cultures remained stable. Quantitative biofilm assays demonstrated that both phages reduced biofilm biomass compared with untreated conditions, with inhibition values ranging from 20% to 45% across isolates (p ≤ 0.05), reflecting strain-dependent but reproducible effects. Assessment of formulation compatibility indicated that both phages retained infectivity following exposure to sodium dodecyl sulfate, Triton X-100, and Tween 80, whereas ethanol (≥10%) and higher concentrations of dimethyl sulfoxide were associated with rapid loss of activity. In surface disinfection models, selected phage–surfactant formulations achieved a maximum reduction of 2.18 log₁₀ CFU/cm² compared with untreated controls (p ≤ 0.05). Infection-coupled whole-genome sequencing of MRSA-infecting phage MRSA-W3 produced a high-quality assembly (99.99% completeness; 0.13% contamination) and revealed a mosaic genome containing incomplete prophage-like regions, which were interpreted conservatively as evidence of shared phage ancestry rather than active temperate behavior. Conclusions: Therefore, these findings suggest that bacteriophage-based approaches may be feasible for MRSA surface decontamination, while clearly emphasizing the need for context-specific validation before practical implementation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Interest in the use of nutraceuticals and phytotherapy for the management of andrological diseases has increased markedly in recent years. In particular, growing attention has been directed toward the treatment of patients affected by erectile dysfunction (ED), male infertility, chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), and induratio penis plastica (IPP). However, several areas of uncertainty remain. This narrative review aims to examine the role of nutraceuticals and phytotherapeutic agents in the management of andrological disorders. Methods: A narrative review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane CENTRAL, and EMBASE to identify relevant studies published over the past 25 years. Only articles published in English and involving adult populations were included in the analysis. Results: Nutraceuticals and phytotherapeutic compounds have been extensively investigated in the current literature, and certain formulations—particularly specific combinations—have been evaluated in high-quality studies. Conversely, other compounds lack sufficient scientific evidence and therefore should not be recommended in routine clinical practice. In the management of ED, the following compounds, administered either alone or in combination, have demonstrated clinically significant effects: Panax ginseng, Tribulus terrestris, L-arginine, and Withania somnifera. L-carnitine, combined with micronutrients, antioxidants, and various traditional herbal supplements, appears to be an effective therapeutic option for male infertility and subfertility. Pollen extracts play an important role in the management of CP/CPPS, while carnitine, coenzyme Q10, silymarin, bromelain, and curcumin show promising potential in the treatment of IPP. Conclusions: Nutraceuticals and phytotherapeutic agents may provide favorable outcomes in the management of andrological diseases. Although current evidence is encouraging, larger prospective studies employing standardized protocols and treatment schedules are required to confirm long-term efficacy and to optimize therapeutic strategies. Full article

In metal band sawing, higher cutting speeds increase frictional heat at sliding guide blocks. Recirculating water-miscible metalworking fluids (MWFs) often lack fine filtration and accumulate debris that can enter the guide–band interface. A 1 L coolant sample collected after 22.5 m² of cutting contained a particle load of 0.438 g/L; optical sizing yielded a number-median maximum Feret diameter of 345 µm, with particles up to 1.5 mm. Compared with typical guide clearances (~0.1 mm), these sizes imply frequent ingress/bridging and three-body interactions. The coolant viscosity follows an Andrade relation and decreases by ~2% K⁻¹ around 40 °C. HFRR tribometry indicates low steady-state friction (µ ≈ 0.12), comparable to cutting oil. Together, these results provide quantitative design inputs for next-generation guide clearances and targeted filtration/coolant-delivery concepts in high-speed band sawing. Full article

Background: All major international and national guidelines recommend supervised exercise therapy (SET) for intermittent claudication (IC) as a first line of treatment, with revascularisation options to be considered for those who do not respond. Revascularisation incurs complication risks and additional costs; therefore, the need to correctly identify individuals who potentially may progress to revascularisation following SET would be of benefit. This retrospective cohort study aimed to review responses and subsequent revascularisation for individuals with IC following completion of SET. Methods: Retrospective data was collated for individuals who received hospital-based SET between 2016 and 2020. Demographics, Pain Onset Distance (POD), revascularisation (pre- and post-completion of SET) and quality of life (QoL) were calculated. Results: A total of 142 individuals were included; of those, 38 had diabetes, 48 were current smokers and 42 were female. Individuals who had a ≥75% improvement in POD were less likely to need revascularisation (p < 0.019). Gender, diabetes, and age did not imply likelihood of preventing revascularisation. Those who smoked were significantly less likely to go on to further revascularisation (p < 0.05) and those who had previous revascularisation surgery (n = 25) were significantly more likely to require further revascularisation (p = 0.0071) (32% compared with 10%). A mean positive improvement (1.77%) was seen in the EQ5D5L overall health percentage score for individuals who avoided surgery. Conclusions: Individuals who saw a ≥75% in POD were statistically less likely to require revascularisation post-SET. Improvements in QoL increase the probability of avoiding revascularisation. Full article

The saw-scaled viper Echis carinatus, one of the “Big Four” causes of snakebites in India, is found from Sri Lanka to eastern Iraq. To investigate clinical reports regarding the limited efficacy of Indian polyvalent antivenom (IPAV) against envenomation in Echis carinatus sochureki (ECS) in northwestern India, we obtained 22 snakes from three locations in Rajasthan and identified 148–174 toxin isoforms belonging to 21–25 toxin families in their venom using a bottom-up proteomics approach. All samples showed a high abundance of snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs), particularly SVMP class III. Other major components were phospholipases A₂, L-amino-acid oxidases, snake venom serine proteases and snaclecs (C-type lectins). Variation in venom composition among locations in Rajasthan, compared to E. c. carinatus (ECC) from southern India, was primarily due to differences in the relative abundance of these toxin families. Recognition of all venom components by IPAV was poor at lower antivenom concentrations. Notably, SVMP classes II and III were poorly recognized at all venom-to-antivenom ratios in all ECS venoms, and a plasma clotting assay revealed poor neutralization of procoagulant activity. This collaborative study highlights the need for the development of regional antivenoms to effectively treat snakebites in northwestern India. Full article

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare but aggressive soft tissue sarcoma of the abdomen. With an asymptomatic course and rapid dissemination, DSRCT’s prognosis is poor at diagnosis. This study characterizes the demographic variation and genomic profile of DSRCT to guide studies into diagnosis and treatment. The AACR GENIE database was utilized to identify genetic alterations in DSRCT. Data was queried to identify disease prevalence by different demographic variables. Information was collected on frequency of somatic mutations and copy number alterations, rates of mutation co-occurrence, and mutations seen in primary and metastatic samples. ARID1A, TP53, ATM, TERT, and FGFR4 were the most frequently identified somatic mutations. Copy number alterations seen in DSRCT were commonly homozygous deletions in tumor suppressor genes. Independent of sex, WT1 mutations were most common. Non-White patients saw single occurrences of many mutations but recurrent ones in ANKRD11 and KMT2C. Co-occurrence was found between FGFR4 and EP300. Moreover, primary tumor samples had exclusive mutations in AKAP9, KDM2B, MAGED1, MKI67, PCLO, and TRAF1. Metastatic samples had exclusive mutations in FIP1L1 and NRIP1. Our data highlights mutational variation across demographic cohorts. These patterns are vital to future studies into identifying diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets. Full article

With the aim to investigate the immunomodulatory potential of selenitetriglycerides (SeTG), a new lipophilic Se (IV) compound, 30 sheep (15 sheep/treatment) were used in a completely random design to receive the SeGT supplement as follows: (1) no SeGT supplement (Control) and (2) daily dosage of 2 mL of SeGT (equivalent to 1 mg Se/kg BW) during the first 7 days of the evaluation, which lasted 28 d. Individually, blood samples were collected on days 0, 14, and 28 to measure and assess parameters of innate cellular and humoral immunity, including respiratory burst activity (RBA) and potential killing activity (PKA) of monocytes and granulocytes, proliferative response of lymphocytes stimulated with ConA (Concovalin A) and LPS (lipopolisaccharidde), lysozyme activity, ceruloplasmin activity, and gamma globulin levels. From the 14th day, supplemental SeTG saw significant increases (p ≤ 0.001) in RBA and PKA parameters, as well as enhanced proliferative responses of lymphocytes compared with controls. Both innate humoral immunity (elevated lysozyme activity) and adaptive humoral immunity (increased gamma globulin levels) were positively influenced (p ≤ 0.01), whereas ceruloplasmin activity remained unchanged. Under the conditions in which the current experiment was carried out, SeGT showed good promise to modulate immunity in a short period (28 d). Further research should explore experiments with a greater number of animals over long-term periods of evaluation under production system conditions. Full article

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that requires its emissions to be mitigated. A significant source for methane emissions is in the form of the biogas that is produced from anaerobic digestion in wastewater reclamation and landfill facilities. Biogas has a high valorization potential in the form of its bioconversion into ectoines, an active ingredient in skin care products, by halotolerant alkaliphilic methanotrophs. Cultures of Methylotuvimicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z were grown in bench scale stirred-tank reactors to determine factors to improve methane uptake and removal. Tangential flow filtration was also implemented for a bio-milking method to recover ectoine from culture media. Methane uptake and reactor productivity increased, with a temperature of 28 °C compared with 21 °C. Decreasing the methane gas bubble diameter by decreasing the sparger pore size from 1 mm to 0.5 µm significantly improved methane removal and reactor productivity by increasing mass transfer. Premixing methane and air before sparging into the reactor saw a higher removal of methane, while sparging methane and air separately created an increase in reactor productivity. Maximum methane removal efficiency was observed to be 70.56% ± 0.54 which translated to a CH₄-EC of 93.82 ± 3.36 g CH₄ m⁻³ h⁻¹. Maximum ectoine yields was observed to be 0.579 mg ectoine L⁻¹ h⁻¹. Full article

The dairy industry faces challenges from mastitis, which affects milk quality. Somatic Cell Counts (SCCs) are key indicators of udder health, subclinical mastitis presence, and legal thresholds. However, limited research has explored geographic disparities and temporal patterns in SCCs across the USA, despite their critical role in informing targeted herd management strategies, optimizing policy interventions, and ensuring consistent milk quality standards. This study aimed to examine temporal trends and geographic disparities in median weighted SCCs (mwSCCs) across USA states. This study analyzes SCC data using records from the Dairy Herd Improvement Association across 42–45 states between 2011 and 2023. State-level differences in mwSCCs were examined, with temporal changes assessed using percent differences between 2011 and 2023. Moran’s I and Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) were used to identify spatial clusters of states with high and low mwSCCs. The mwSCCs decreased by 24.8%, from 234,000 cells/mL in 2011 to 176,000 cells/mL in 2023, with significant reductions in Virginia and Georgia, while Tennessee and South Carolina had minimal declines. However, Texas, California, and Colorado saw increases, with Colorado rising by 147.9%. Spatial clustering revealed high mwSCCs in the southeast and low levels in the northeast, highlighting the need for region-specific strategies. Full article