Search Results (2,045)

Background: The lead breakage (LB) during transvenous lead extraction (TLE) increases procedural complexity, increases the risk of complications, and decreases procedural efficiency. This study aimed to identify protective and risk factors for the breakage of cardiac electronic device leads during extraction. Methods: Data were sourced from the EXTRACT prospective registry for TLE procedures conducted between January 2016 and June 2025. A total of 702 consecutive TLE procedures involving 1375 leads were enrolled. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent protective and risk factors and develop a model to predict the occurrence of LB during TLE. Results: In the analysed group, 56 (7.98%) of 702 TLE procedures were disrupted by the breakage of at least one lead. The model showed a lower lead breakage rate in procedures when an atrial lead was simultaneously extracted, a locking stylet was used, and when the procedure was conducted in older patients or those who had undergone prior cardiac surgery. Higher risk of LB was proven in the following cases: the extraction of leads implanted a long time ago; the extraction of VDD-type leads; the extraction of abandoned leads; extraction during a prolonged procedure. Occurrence of lead breakage may lead to pericardial effusion requiring intervention, acute kidney injury, or leaving remnants of the leads. Conclusions: Lead breakage is an underestimated procedural difficulty that can occur during transvenous lead extraction. In this study, several clinical and procedural variables were independently associated with lead breakage. Abandoned leads, VDD leads, and prolonged procedure time were associated with increased risk. In contrast, older age, use of a locking stylet, atrial lead extraction, prior cardiac surgery, and later year of implantation demonstrated independent protective associations. Full article

This study assessed the fermentation performance of five lactic acid bacteria (Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Lb. helveticus, Lb. casei, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) in camel milk (CM) and bovine milk (BM) at 42 °C for 48 h. Fluorescence microscopy revealed lower bacterial viability in fermented CM compared to BM. Acidification kinetics varied significantly between CM and BM, and proteolysis was more pronounced in fermented CM (p < 0.001), with OPA concentrations ~1.3–1.5-fold greater in CM across all strains during fermentation. Scanning electron microscopy revealed more porous, loose protein matrices in fermented CM than in BM, in line with the rheological analyses showing weaker gel networks and lower rheological strength in fermented CM. Lb. casei demonstrated superior adaptability, enhanced viability, balanced acidification, and favorable rheological properties in both milks, highlighting its potential as a possible starter or adjunct culture in fermented dairy products. Full article

To address the clinical urgency of simultaneously monitoring multiple biomarkers in chronic wound infections, this study presents the innovative development of an electrochemical sensor based on a MWCNTs/MXene/PVA composite hydrogel. A dual-channel conductive network is constructed via the electrostatic self-assembly of the two-dimensional material MXene and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). This strategy not only enhances the charge transfer efficiency but also effectively suppresses the aggregation of MWCNTs and exposes the electrocatalytic active sites. Additionally, the thermal annealing process is incorporated to facilitate the ordered arrangement of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocrystalline domains, strengthening the hydrogen bond-mediated interfacial adhesion and resolving the issues of hydrogel swelling and delamination. The detection limit (LOD) of the optimized sensor (MWCNTs_0.6/MXene_0.4/PVA) for pyocyanin (PCN) within complex biological matrices, including phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), Luria–Bertani (LB) broth, and saliva, was decreased to a range of 0.84~0.98 μM. Leveraging the disparities in the characteristic oxidation potentials (ΔE > 0.3 V) of PCN, uric acid (UA), and histamine (HA) in simulated wound exudate (SWE), the multi-component synchronous detection functionality of the non-specific sensor was expanded for the first time. This study offers a high-precision and multi-parameter integrated approach for point-of-care testing (POCT) of wound infections. Full article

This paper explores the economic feasibility of Additive Manufacturing (AM) for producing prismatic battery cell housings, specifically targeting small production runs. A comprehensive cost analysis was conducted to compare AM with Tool-Based Manufacturing (TM) processes for battery cell caps and cans. This analysis takes various factors, including tooling, materials, machinery, labor, and part finishing costs, into account. The study demonstrates that AM offers significant economic advantages over TM for single-digit and low double-digit batch sizes, primarily due to the absence of expensive tooling costs associated with TM. AM-produced battery cell cans continue to be cost-effective even for medium-sized production runs. Additionally, AM allows for the integration of sensors directly within battery cell caps, providing enhanced real-time monitoring capabilities–an important benefit for development purposes. Further analysis, assuming a best-case scenario, indicated potential cost savings through the use of increased layer heights and faster recoating and scanning speeds, which enhances the economic appeal of AM. Overall, the findings suggest that AM is particularly beneficial for the production of battery cell housings in low- to mid-volume ranges, emphasizing its strategic importance for flexible manufacturing requirements and research-intensive applications. Full article

University dormitories, as crucial living spaces for students, significantly influence their physical and mental health based on the quality of spatial design. However, whether the use of an upper bunk (UB) or lower bunk (LB) induces differential physiological and psychological effects remains unclear. This study aimed to measure participants’ physiological and psychological responses in UB and LB environments to explore the differential impact of bunk bed positions on student comfort. A crossover experiment was conducted with 28 participants (14 male, 14 female). Dormitory scenes were recreated using point cloud scanning and virtual reality technology, and a crossover experimental design was implemented. Physiological and psychological responses during the use of UB and LB spaces were measured via heart rate variability (HRV), electroencephalography (EEG), and the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Key findings indicated that the UB space promoted a state of deeper relaxation, evidenced by significantly higher Delta activity (p = 0.039) and lower heart rate (p = 0.042) compared to the LB. Psychologically, participants reported significantly higher vitality (Vigor, p = 0.032) and lower total mood disturbance (TMD, p = 0.038) in the UB. Conversely, the LB environment tended to trigger neural alertness, with significantly elevated High Beta waves (p = 0.009). Furthermore, gender significantly moderated emotional responses, particularly for Vigor (p = 0.045). Overall, from the perspective of promoting physical and mental health, the UB space provided greater comfort than the LB. These findings offer empirical evidence to inform the optimization of dormitory spatial design. Full article

The conversion of biowaste into biofertilizer offers a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilizers by supporting nutrient recycling and agricultural productivity. However, industrial pelletization can compromise the viability of microorganisms essential for biofertilizer function. In this study, a 40/60 (dry wt%) blend of biochar and commercial potting mix (biowaste blend) was used to produce a biochar biofertilizer (BCBF) through pelletization. Microbial population dynamics were then assessed at different stages of the BCBF pelletization process and under variations in key pelleting parameters—moisture content (15–35%), die surface temperature (70–180 °C), and feed rate (75–150 lb/h). The results showed that fungal and protozoan populations increased during the composting stage of BCBF, but declined to undetectable levels following drying and coating of the BCBF pellets. Bacterial populations increased after composting, but decreased substantially after pelleting and subsequent storage of the BCBF, while actinobacteria remained low throughout the pelletization process. Elevated temperatures and moisture loss were identified as major contributors to microbial inactivation during pelletization. These findings demonstrate that careful control of pelletization parameters is essential for maintaining microbial viability, thereby supporting the development of higher-quality, microbially active biochar-based biofertilizers. Full article

Calcium is essential for legume symbiotic nitrogen fixation, acting as both a nutrient and a signal. Yet, how varying calcium levels—from deficiency to toxicity—affect the soybean ‘root-nodule-stem’ balance has not been fully elucidated. To investigate this mechanism, a two-year sand culture experiment was conducted with three treatments: low calcium (0.1 mmol/L), moderate calcium (1 mmol/L), and high calcium (10 mmol/L), to systematically analyze their effects on soybean plant growth, nitrogenase activity, and nitrogen fixation capacity. The results indicated that the moderate calcium treatment supported the best root growth and nodule development, with both leghemoglobin (Lb) content and specific nitrogenase activity (SNA) reaching their peak levels. Low calcium stress significantly inhibited root elongation, while poor nodule development accompanied by a decrease in Lb content, thereby suppressing nitrogen fixation potential. In contrast to the low calcium treatment, although high calcium treatment inhibited root growth, it significantly increased the allocation of total plant dry matter to the root system. Under high calcium treatment, the ureide content in nodules increased significantly, whereas the ureide content in stems decreased substantially. This distributional imbalance suggests that high calcium obstructed the long-distance transport of nitrogen fixation products, subsequently leading to a significant decline in nitrogenase activity through a negative metabolic feedback mechanism. Calcium deficiency primarily resulted in structural impairments in nodule development, whereas high calcium induced functional inhibition by blocking ureide transport. Maintaining calcium homeostasis is important for ensuring efficient nitrogen fixation and source-sink balance in soybeans. Full article

This article reports on how the length of the alkyl chain influences the morphological properties of thiol-stabilized silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and their subsequent effects on the performance and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). We synthesized thiol-stabilized Ag NPs by varying the alkyl chain length: 1-hexane thiol (C6), 1-octanethiol (C8), 1-decanethiol (C10), 1-dodecanethiol (C12), and 1-tetradecanethiol (C14), which we achieved using the two–phase Brust–Schiffrin method. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns confirm the formation of crystalline Ag NPs. A morphological study conducted using a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) demonstrated that smaller alkyl chain length thiols (C6, C8, and C10) tend to coalesce, while C12 shows better uniformity with no agglomeration. C14 produces larger nanoparticles. A distinct pressure-area isotherm was observed when Ag NPs were spread at the water/air interface of a Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) trough. After obtaining the monolayer formation pressure range, we coated the Nafion 117 membrane of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell with these nanoparticles to form monolayers of different Ag NPs (C6, C8, C12, C14) at various surface pressures (2 mN/m, 6 mN/m and 10 mN/m). Maximum power output enhancement was observed for C12, while other nanoparticles (C6, C8, C10, C14) did not exhibit noticeable power enhancement for PEMFCs. C12 Ag NPs deposited at surface pressure 6 mN/m give maximum power density increase (26.5%) at the fuel cell test station. In addition, we examined the carbon monoxide (CO) resistance test by mixing 0.1% CO with hydrogen (H2), and C12 Ag NPs showed the highest resistance to CO poisoning. However, no enhancement in power or CO tolerance was observed when C12 Ag NPs were coated by spray coating. These outcomes showcase that alkyl chain length plays a critical role in controlling the size and distribution of thiol-stabilized nanoparticles, which eventually has a direct impact on the performance and CO resistance of PEMFCs when applied to polymer electrolyte (Nafion 117). In addition, surface pressure during monolayer formation controls the distribution of Ag NPs (the distance between nanoparticles at the membrane interface), which is necessary to achieve catalytic activity for power improvement and to prevent platinum (Pt) poisoning by CO oxidation at ambient conditions. Full article

Fresh baby leaves are commercially marketed in various mixing ratios and packaging amounts, creating very distinct microenvironmental conditions that significantly affect the postharvest quality of the fresh product. This study investigated the synergistic effect of mixing ratio (50LB, 50% lettuce + 50% spinach; 75LB, 75% lettuce + 25% spinach; 100LB, 100% lettuce) and packaging amount (125F, 125 g; 250F, 250 g) on the antioxidant qualities of baby lettuce and spinach mixes during 9 days of storage at 4 °C. The results showed that 50LB × 250F inhibited the degradation of chlorophyll and carotenoids and preserved 28% higher total antioxidant capacity (TAC), 43% higher total phenolic compounds (TPC), and 20% higher vitamin C (Vit.C) than the mean values of all samples, resulting in 0.8% lower O₂ and 14.7% higher CO₂ levels at the end of storage. TPC, Vit.C, and carotenoids were the main contributors to TAC, with strong correlations (p < 0.001). The total bacterial (TB) and yeast + mold (Y + M) counts were only affected by the mixing ratios, with TB increasing by only 1 Log₁₀ cfu g⁻¹ FW, and Y + M remaining within the same order of magnitude over time. After 9 days of storage, the leaves were still fresh and marketable. This study not only provides a practical strategy for the fresh-cut industry to enhance product quality but also underscores the significance of multifactorial synergism in salad mix packaging. Full article

Devices equipped with the Global Positioning System (GPS) generate massive volumes of trajectory data on a daily basis, imposing substantial computational, network, and storage burdens. Online trajectory simplification reduces redundant points in a streaming manner while preserving essential spatial and temporal characteristics. A representative method in this line of research is Directed acyclic graph-based Online Trajectory Simplification (DOTS). However, DOTS does not preserve stay-related information and can incur high computational cost. To address these limitations, we propose Directed acyclic graph-based Online Trajectory Simplification with Stay Areas (DOTSSA), a fast online simplification method that integrates DOTS with an online stay area detection algorithm (SA). In DOTSSA, SA continuously monitors movement patterns to detect stay areas and segments the incoming trajectory accordingly, after which DOTS is applied to the extracted segments. This approach ensures the preservation of stay areas while reducing computational overhead through localized DAG construction. Experimental evaluations on a real-world dataset show that, compared with DOTS, DOTSSA can reduce compression time, while achieving comparable compression ratios and preserving key trajectory features. Full article

Background/Objectives: Alveolar macrophages represent the main path of defense in the peripheral pulmonary tissue, though their role in chronic inflammatory lung diseases shows that their protective function can turn pathological. This study focused on developing a system to passively target the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α through the local delivery of siRNA. Methods: An inhalable aspherical microparticle made up of mesoporous silica nanoparticles, crosslinked by an electrostatic LbL-system embedding the siRNA, was developed. Results: Through testing with the NGI, adequate aerodynamic properties with an MMAD as low as 3.37 µm could be determined, with a GSD as low as 1.46, suggesting a relatively small size distribution even during inhalation. To further understand the interaction of the microrods with the lung parenchyma and the resident cells, the disintegration of the rods in different simulant body fluids, their toxicity, and the cell uptake through dTHP-1 and A549 were observed. This showed slow but continuous disintegration, no toxicity in A549 cells, and high microrod uptake by dTHP-1 cells. To demonstrate the effect of the delivered siRNA on the release of TNF-α, ELISAs were carried out, establishing an inhibitory effect of the siRNA-carrying microcarrier system compared to those without siRNA or loaded with scrambled siRNA. To increase the efficacy of the siRNA, chloroquine as an endosomal escape-enhancing compound was loaded onto the mesoporous silica nanoparticles. This resulted in a significant improvement in siRNA inhibition. Conclusions: The developed formulation is able to reach the targeted structure and inhibit the secretion of TNF-α, with CQ increasing the inhibitory effect of the siRNA. Full article

Map matching is a fundamental technique for aligning noisy GPS trajectory data with digital road networks and constitutes a key component of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Location-Based Services (LBS). Nevertheless, existing approaches still suffer from notable limitations in complex environments, particularly urban and urban-like scenarios characterized by heterogeneous GPS noise and sparse observations, including inadequate adaptability to dynamically varying noise, unavoidable trade-offs between real-time efficiency and matching accuracy, and limited generalization capability across heterogeneous driving behaviors. To overcome these challenges, this paper presents a Meta-learning-driven Progressive map-Matching (MPM) method with a symmetry-aware design, which integrates a two-layer pattern-mining-based noise-robust meta-learning mechanism with a dynamic weight adjustment strategy. By explicitly modeling topological symmetry in road networks, symmetric trajectory patterns, and symmetric noise variation characteristics, the proposed method effectively enhances prior knowledge utilization, accelerates online adaptation, and achieves a more favorable balance between accuracy and computational efficiency. Extensive experiments on two real-world datasets demonstrate that MPM consistently outperforms state-of-the-art methods, achieving up to 10–15% improvement in matching accuracy while reducing online matching latency by over 30% in complex urban environments. Furthermore, the symmetry-aware design significantly improves robustness against asymmetric interference, thereby providing a reliable and scalable solution for high-precision map matching in complex and dynamic traffic environments. Full article

Pathogens that have developed resistance to antibiotics pose a threat to public health. The primary goal in preventing foodborne infections is to inhibit the growth of and, subsequently, eliminate antibiotic-resistant pathogens at every stage from production to consumption. Escherichia coli, which has acquired resistance to most known antibiotics, is frequently found in chicken meat. In many countries, due to unregulated antibiotic use in poultry farming, poor hygiene in slaughterhouses, or cross-contamination, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli has been identified as the causative agent in poultry-associated food poisoning. The need for more effective antimicrobial agents against this pathogen, which is resistant to existing antibiotics, has led to increased attention being paid to postbiotics produced by lactic acid bacteria, particularly bacteriocins. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial effects of postbiotics obtained from kefir-derived Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactococcus lactis against ESBL-positive E. coli. To achieve this, E. coli strains were isolated from raw chicken meat samples collected from the market using culture-based methods, and their antimicrobial resistance profiles were determined using the disk diffusion method. The ESBL positivity of the isolates was assessed using the double-disk synergy test. The antimicrobial activities of the postbiotics against the identified ESBL-positive E. coli strains were tested using the macro-dilution method to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values. ESBL-positive E. coli was detected in 48% of raw chicken meat samples. The antimicrobial effects of postbiotics were examined by disk diffusion, and postbiotics produced by 18 Lb. plantarum strains and 20 Lc. lactis strains showed strong antimicrobial activity. Significant differences in the antimicrobial effects of postbiotics were observed between the two species. Lb. plantarum postbiotics exhibited both bacteriostatic (concentration 60%) and bactericidal (concentration 80%) effects on ESBL-positive E. coli strains, whereas Lc. lactis postbiotics showed only bacteriostatic effects (80% concentration). Postbiotics derived from probiotic bacteria offer promising effects against multidrug-resistant E. coli due to their heat resistance, activity across different pH values, strong antimicrobial effects, affordability, and ease of production. Full article

This study investigates the effects of post-build heat treatments—such as annealing, quenching, and aging—on the microstructure and hardness of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Ti-6Al-4V. Specimens were subjected to annealing (950 °C, 1010 °C) or solution treatment/quenching (950 °C, 1010 °C), followed by aging (350–550 °C). Microstructural evolution was analyzed using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and Vickers hardness testing. Results showed that the as-built sample exhibited high hardness (365.2 HV_0.1) due to fine α′ martensite. Sub-β-transus annealing at 950 °C decomposed α′ into equilibrium α + 1.25% β (329 HV_0.1), while super-β-transus annealing at 1010 °C formed coarse lamellar structures of α + 1.5% β, yielding the lowest hardness (319 HV_0.1). Quenching from 1010 °C produced dominant α′ martensite with high hardness (371.6 HV_0.1). Notably, aging samples quenched from 950 °C increased hardness, peaking at 382.6 HV_0.1 at 450 °C due to precipitation, before decreasing to 364.4 HV_0.1 at 550 °C due to coarsening. These findings demonstrate that optimizing heat treatment temperatures is critical for controlling phase transformations and tailoring mechanical properties in additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V components. Full article

Bacillus cereus group strains are prolific producers of diverse bacteriocins with significant application potentials; however, their industrial utilization is often hampered by short production cycles and low yields. Using the leaderless bacteriocin toyoncin as a model, we systematically evaluated the impact of culture medium, temperature, and initial pH on its production. Our findings demonstrate that these factors critically affected yield, with no production under oligotrophic, acidic, or high-temperature conditions. Optimal production was achieved in MH medium (initial pH 8.5, 25 °C), significantly enhancing fermentation duration and yield compared to original conditions (LB medium, 30 °C, pH 7.0). Transcriptional analyses revealed that these improvements were attributable to extended transcription periods and increased transcript levels of the toyoncin gene cluster. Furthermore, we demonstrated that toyoncin disappearance in the supernatant is caused by transcriptional cessation and degradation by membrane-associated proteases. By combining optimized fermentation with protease inhibition, a high and stable toyoncin yield of 53.86 mg/L was achieved, representing a 3.07-fold increase over the initial yield (17.52 mg/L). This study establishes an integrated strategy to enhance bacteriocin production through simultaneous optimization of culture conditions and inhibition of enzymatic degradation, providing important insights for advancing bacteriocin development in the Bacillus cereus group. Full article