Search Results (523)

Recent laboratory experiments in an intermediate-scale Hele-Shaw cell, designed to represent a coarse sand aquifer, demonstrate that mixing-induced calcite precipitation leads to the formation of a self-organized, heterogeneous porous medium. This morphology, characterized by elongated carbonate structures and internal preferential flow channels, induces strong anomalous transport features, including early solute arrival, distinct double-peak breakthrough curves, and pronounced tailing. In this article, we investigate the link between this precipitation-induced heterogeneity and solute transport by implementing varying permeability scenarios, derived from experimental image analysis, into a transport model. Our analysis reveals that while a standard dual-permeability approach, which simply delineates the total precipitated area, captures the flow diversion responsible for the emergence of the double peak, it fails to reproduce the transition between peaks and the late-time tailing. To address this, we introduce a novel triple-permeability model that incorporates internal preferential flow channels within the high-precipitation zones. By resolving the internal structure of these zones, the triple-permeability model accurately captures the dual-peak transition and tailing behavior. These findings provide critical insights for applications such as geological carbon sequestration and enhanced oil recovery. Although determining exact internal structures in field settings is challenging, our results demonstrate that effective transport models must account for the internal heterogeneity of high-precipitation zones, rather than treating them as uniform barriers, to accurately predict the channeling effects that govern injectivity and long-term storage security. Full article

The current research discusses the thematic alignment of narratives and its impact on user engagement in gamified apps, using NLP Game-with-a-Purpose (GWAP) as the experimental environment. The experimental game is made up of a three-dimensional environment wherein a scene-based narrative is contextually integrated with the game world, and there is no such integration in the case of a non-scene-based narrative. Quantitative data gathered from 80 participants shows that a scene-based narrative contributes much better to user engagement, scoring higher in Focused Attention (FA) and Reward (RW) compared to the non-scene-based narrative. These findings are supported by qualitative feedback and think-aloud protocols, which showed that the participants found the scene-based narrative to be more engaging and involved than the non-scene-based material. Even though there were no statistically significant differences in cognitive load, trends of mental demand and frustration were observed indicating that thematic alignment has the potential to streamline the user experience. These findings have design implications in developing narrative-based gamified systems that can be used to improve interaction in language-related tasks. Full article

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder that impacts patient health and imposes a burden on families and healthcare systems. The diagnosis of OSA is usually performed through overnight polysomnography (PSG) in a hospital setting. In recent years, OSA detection using a single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) has been explored. The advantage of this method is that patients can be measured in home environments. Thus, the aim of this study was to predict occurrences of sleep apnea with parameters extracted from previous single-lead ECG measurements. The parameters were the R-R interval (RRI) and R-wave amplitude (RwA). The dataset was the single-lead ECG Apnea-ECG Database, and a stacking hybrid architecture (SHA) including three gated recurrent neural network architectures (GRNNAs) and logistic regression was proposed to improve the accuracy of OSA detection. Three GRNNAs used three different recurrent neural networks: Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and Bidirectional GRU (BiGRU). The challenge of this method was in exploring how many minutes of previous RRI and RwA measurements (n minutes) have the best performance in predicting occurrences of sleep apnea in the future (h minutes). The results showed that the SHA under an n of 20 min had the best performance in predicting occurrences of sleep apnea in the following 10 min: the SHA achieved a precision of 95.79%, sensitivity of 94.74%, specificity of 97.48%, F₁-score of 95.26%, and accuracy of 96.45%. The proposed SHA was successful in predicting future sleep apnea occurrence with a single-lead ECG. Thus, this approach could be used in the development of wearable sleep monitors for the management of sleep apnea. Full article

The increasing crisis of antimicrobial resistance requires innovative therapeutic strategies that can overcome the limitations of conventional antibiotics. Based on our previous finding that AP10 (a derivative of AP29) possesses antimicrobial activity but lacks thermal stability, we rationally redesigned ten new AP10 analogues to enhance functional robustness while maintaining efficacy. Among these, AP10RW is identified as the optimal candidate due to its exceptional broad-spectrum activity against both drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens. Structural analysis reveals that AP10RW adopts an environmentally responsive conformation, transitioning from random coil to amphiphilic α-helix in membrane-mimicking environments, while demonstrating remarkable stability under challenges including serum exposure, varying pH, high salt concentrations, and thermal stress. Mechanistic studies indicate that AP10RW exerts its effects through multiple bactericidal mechanisms involving initial high-affinity binding to bacterial characteristic molecules (LTA, LPS and PGN), followed by rapid membrane depolarization, ultrastructural damage and the induction of lethal oxidative stress. Notably, this potent antimicrobial efficacy is coupled with exceptional biosafety, demonstrating little hemolysis and negligible cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. This systematic optimization represents a significant advancement in antimicrobial peptide engineering. We have successfully transformed a thermally unstable peptide into a robust therapeutic candidate and positioned AP10RW as a promising clinical candidate for addressing the growing threat of multidrug-resistant infections. Full article

Anguilla japonica is a catadromous fish, and the Yangtze River Estuary serves as a crucial passage for A. japonica migrating downstream to the sea. A large number of adult A. japonica appear on the market during the peak migration period. Due to the lack of effective discrimination basis, it is difficult to distinguish the source of samples in market supervision. Therefore, there is an urgent need to trace the origin of A. japonica from different water bodies. This study analyzed muscle elemental fingerprints of 21 elements to determine the geographical origin of A. japonica. The results showed that A. japonica from different habitats had distinct elemental compositions in their muscles. Specifically, A. japonica from estuary waters (EW) was characterized by significantly higher levels of V and Hg compared to other water bodies. Na was identified as a key discriminant element among different habitats, with its content significantly increasing in river waters (RW), EW, and offshore waters (OW), respectively. Discriminant analysis selected four discriminant elements (V, Hg, Na and Cu) from 21 elemental compositions, among which V, Hg, and Na were the three key distinguishing elements. Based on the composition of these four discriminant elements in the muscles of A. japonica from different habitats, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were applied and validated, successfully achieving rapid and accurate origin tracing and verification for new samples, achieving 100% classification accuracy. Therefore, the application of muscle EFA can achieve the geographical traceability of A. japonica from different habitats. The analytical method and verification process for origin tracing established in this study can be successfully applied to market supervision for tracing the origin of samples with unknown sources. Full article

This paper introduces the dynamic hygrothermal performances of existing walls in humid climates using the EN ISO 15026 procedure. Water content, mould formation and freezing risk were investigated considering rock wool (RW) and expanded polystyrene (EPS) allocated at different points of two typologies of existing walls requiring renovation. Results show that RW is recommended for insulation on the external side, whereas EPS is more suitable for the internal side. A freezing risk occurs in massive walls insulated internally with RW in severe winter climates. Mould formation appears in the initial phases on the renovated side, driven by the built-in humidity of the new layers. Wall thermal transmittance shows large fluctuations, especially in lightweight structures renovated with EPS, reaching an increase of over 22% at the beginning of the heating period, driven by EPS water content peaks of 1.9 kg/m² in cold climates when installed on the external side, achieved in a stabilized regime and independently from the wall’s technical solution. Outcomes confirm transient hygrothermal analysis as the recommended approach to evaluate the component behaviour over a long-term projection, facilitating sizing in the design phase and ensuring compliance with regulations for retrofitted elements. Full article

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health concern, which complicates treatment of microbial infections and wounds. Conventional therapies are no longer effective against drug resistant microbes; hence, novel antimicrobial approaches are urgently required. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) offer stronger antimicrobial activity, and in situ synthesis improves stability, uniformity, cost efficiency, and bioactivity while minimising contamination. These features make AgNPs well-suited for incorporation into textiles and wound dressings. Red wine extract (RW-E), rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds was used to hydrothermally synthesise RW-AgNPs and RW-AgNPs-loaded on cotton (RWALC) by optimising pH and RW-E concentration. Characterisation was performed using UV–Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and High Resolution and Scanning electron microscopy (HR-TEM and SEM). Antibacterial activities were evaluated against human pathogens through agar disc diffusion assay for RWALC and microdilution assay for RW-AgNPs. RWALC showed higher potency against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, with inhibition zones of 12.33 ± 1.15 to 23.5 ± 5.15 mm, that surpassed those of ciprofloxacin (10 ± 3 to 19.17 ± 1.39 mm at 10 μg/mL). RW-AgNPs exhibited low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC: 0.195–3.125 μg/mL) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC: 0.78–6.25 μg/mL). Preincubation with β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) inhibited the antibacterial activity of RWALC, suggesting that thiolated molecules are involved in AgNPs-mediated effects. This study demonstrated that green-synthesised RW-AgNPs, incorporated in situ into cotton, conferred strong antibacterial properties, warranting further investigation into their mechanisms of action. Full article

In inland waters, Atmospheric Correction (AC), including Adjacency Effect (AE) correction, is a major challenge for water quality retrieval using optical satellite data. This study evaluated three image pre-processing options for turbidity retrieval in the St. Lawrence River using Sentinel-2 (S2) and Landsat 8/9 (L8/9) imagery with the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) model: (1) No pre-processing, i.e., use of Top-of-Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance, (2) AC pre-processing, obtaining water-leaving reflectance (R_w) from AC for the Operational Land Imager lite (ACOLITE)’s Dark Spectrum Fitting (DSF) technique, and (3) AE pre-processing, correcting for the AE using T-Mart before obtaining R_w from DSF. Results demonstrated that AE pre-processing outperformed the other two options. For L8/9, AE pre-processing reduced the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and improved the median symmetric accuracy (ε) by 48.8% and 19.0%, respectively, compared with AC pre-processing, and by 48.5% and 50.7%, respectively, compared with No pre-processing. For S2, AE pre-processing performed better than AC pre-processing and also outperformed No pre-processing, reducing RMSE by 28.4% and ε by 50.8%. However, No pre-processing yielded the lowest absolute symmetric signed percentage bias (|β|) among all pre-processing options. Analysis indicated that AE pre-processing yielded superior performance within 0–300 m from shore than other options, where the AE influence is strongest. Turbidity maps generated using AE pre-processing were smoother and less noisy compared to the other pre-processing options, particularly in cloud-adjacent regions. Overall, our findings suggest that incorporating AE correction through T-Mart improves the performance of the LightGBM model for turbidity retrieval from both L8/9 and S2 imagery in the St. Lawrence River, compared to the alternative pre-processing options. Full article

Against the backdrop of increasingly evident climate change and frequent extreme weather events, flash floods have emerged as a major challenge for flood disaster prevention and mitigation in China. Flash flood early warning systems are crucial means to address this challenge, primarily comprising rainfall-based warnings (RW) and discharge-based warnings (DW). To support precise flash flood warnings, this study compares the effectiveness of RW and DW and summarizes their applicable scenarios through both case study analysis and model simulations. The results demonstrate that DW outperforms RW under the following scenarios: ① During persistent moderate-intensity rainfall events when antecedent soil moisture is moderate to high, RW is prone to missed or delayed warnings. ② When rainfall exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity, RW tends to produce false alarms. Conversely, RW outperforms DW in the following scenarios: ① For localized short-duration heavy rainfall events, DW is prone to missed or delayed warnings. ② In basins where numerous small- and medium-sized reservoirs exist upstream without operational data, DW is prone to false alarms. ③ When sparse or unevenly distributed rain gauges result in poor representativeness of areal rainfall, DW is prone to missed warnings. To enhance flash flood disaster management, future warning systems should integrate both RW and DW approaches to deliver more timely, reliable, and scientifically grounded warning information for local authorities. Full article

This study investigates the carbonation degree of reclaimed water (RW) and its potential use as mixing water for cementitious materials under controlled laboratory conditions using a simplified CO₂ injection method. To reproduce the chemical environment of actual RW, a synthetic reclaimed water (SRW) system with a cement-to-sand ratio of 8:2 was prepared and used throughout the evaluation. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the cementitious solids suspended in SRW exhibit high reactivity with CO₂, achieving a net CO₂ uptake of 16.8%, equivalent to 8.31 g of CO₂ sequestered per kilogram of RW. The use of untreated RW as mixing water slightly reduced flowability and increased superplasticizer demand compared with distilled water, whereas carbonation treatment of RW improved workability and mitigated the rapid initial setting typically observed with untreated RW. Notably, replacing 3% of the cement with carbonated RW solids did not cause any reduction in compressive strength, indicating that the carbonated solids can be incorporated without compromising mechanical performance. These results confirm that the CaCO₃ formed during RW carbonation remains stably retained within mortar and concrete, demonstrating the feasibility of using carbonated RW as a dual-function material—serving both as mixing water and as a medium for CO₂ sequestration. Full article

Reproductive traits are essential in dairy cattle breeding, and improving body conformation is considered beneficial for reproductive performance. This study systematically analyzed the genetic relationships between six key conformation traits—stature (ST), body depth (BD), loin strength (LS), rump angle (RA), rump width (RW), bone quality (BQ)—and reproductive performance in 1631 Jersey cattle from China. Heritability estimates for conformation traits ranged from 0.05 to 0.62. We identified significant phenotypic and genetic correlations between conformation and reproductive traits, and regression analyses confirmed the predictive value of conformation traits for reproductive outcomes. Genome-wide association studies detected 24 significant SNPs associated with ST, RW, RA, and BQ. Subsequent bioinformatics analysis revealed seven candidate genes (AZIN1, OR2H1, HS6ST3, ERCC4, KCNH5, KRT19, KRT35) involved in embryonic development and estrous cycle regulation. Notably, incorporating six SNPs, which are linked to these candidate genes, into genomic prediction models significantly improved the accuracy for predicting Age at First Calving (AFC) and Gestation Length (GL). These results elucidate the shared genetic basis of conformation and reproduction, providing theoretical support for using conformation traits in marker-assisted selection to enhance reproductive efficiency in Jersey cattle. Full article

This paper reviews tab-to-busbar interconnections in lithium-ion battery packs, focusing on resistance welding (RW), laser beam welding (LBW), and ultrasonic welding (USW). The functional roles of tabs and busbars and typical material choices (Al-, Cu-, and Ni-plated Cu) are outlined. Subsequently, the processes are compared in terms of heat input, interfacial metallurgy, electrical resistance, mechanical robustness, and manufacturability. USW, as a solid-state method, suppresses porosity and limits Al-Cu intermetallic growth, but is sensitive to thickness, stack geometry, and tool wear. LBW enables high-speed, automated production with precise energy delivery, yet requires careful control to mitigate spatter, porosity, and brittle IMCs in dissimilar joints. RW remains cost-effective and flexible but can suffer from electrode wear and variability with highly conductive stacks. This review also summarizes the effect of the busbar material (Al versus Cu) and thickness on the connection resistance and temperature increase under a high current. No single process is universally superior, and the selection should match the stack-up, reliability targets, and production constraints. This paper aims to provide an overview of recent and conventional research trends for each welding method and to introduce selected non-traditional approaches, thereby presenting a range of viable options for future applications. Full article

This paper describes an approach for developing decision support systems (DSS) for strategic and tactical operating room (OR) planning and scheduling problems. These problems involve assigning amounts of time and specific time blocks in the ORs to surgical specialties and/or surgeons. A four-phase iterative software development lifecycle (SDLC) approach is used to develop a DSS that has a graphical user interface, a data management system, and optimization and simulation systems that incorporate mathematical programming models, solution methods, and discrete event simulation models. Results from the computational experience show that the plans generated by the DSS utilize at least 78% of the available OR time on average and use the downstream recovery ward (RW) beds in a balanced way that never exceeds the number of available beds. Full article

This study focuses on improving the operational properties of a magnesium potassium phosphate (MPP) matrix MgKPO₄ × 6H₂O for the immobilization of radioactive waste (RW) by introducing detonation nanodiamonds (NDs). The study evaluates the impact of NDs on the phase composition of the resulting composite based on the MPP matrix (further referred to as MPP-ND composite), as well as its compressive and flexural strength, porosity, thermal conductivity, and leaching resistance to actinides (²³⁹Pu, ²³⁸U) and europium (as a lanthanide simulator). It was found that the optimal content of NDs in the composite is 1 wt%, along with 20 wt% of wollastonite as a reinforcing additive. This MPP-ND composite exhibited high compressive and flexural strengths of 24 and 4 MPa, respectively, a thermal conductivity coefficient of (0.5–1.0) W/(m∙K) in the interval of (47–510) °C, and a minimal open porosity of no more than 5%. An increase in hydrolytic stability to leaching of actinides and europium due to their prior sorption on NDs was observed. The leaching rates of ²³⁹Pu, ²³⁸U, and Eu from the MPP-ND composite on the 28th day of sample contact with water were 3.5 × 10⁻⁶, 1.5 × 10⁻⁴, and 4.0 × 10⁻⁶ g/(cm²·day), respectively. Thus, for the first time, data on the influence of NDs on the physicochemical properties and hydrolytic stability of MPP-ND composite demonstrating the practical applicability of this composite for RW immobilization have been obtained. Full article

Background/Objectives: We describe the real-world survival and utilization of lung biopsy in Medicare patients with unresected stage I-IIB (N0) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving primary stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in the US. Methods: Patients (aged ≥66 years) with unresected stage I-IIB (N0) NSCLC who received primary SBRT were identified in the SEER-Medicare database (2007–2020) and followed from SBRT initiation until death/data end. Outcomes included overall and disease-stage-specific real-world event-free survival (rwEFS), overall survival (OS), lung cancer-specific cumulative incidence of death, and time to death or distant metastasis (TDDM). rwEFS, OS, and TDDM were described using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Median times from lung biopsy to SBRT were summarized. Results: Of 3014 patients (median follow-up: 2.9 years), 2302 (76.4%), 454 (15.1%), 168 (5.6%), and 90 (3.0%) had stage IA, IB, IIA, and IIB disease, respectively. The mean age at diagnosis was 77.3 years, 37.7% were male, and 86.9% were White. Overall, the 5-year rwEFS rate was 23.8% (median 26.2 months), the 5-year OS rate was 42.3% (median 48.9 months), and the 5-year lung cancer-specific cumulative incidence of death was 25.3%. rwEFS and OS rates declined with more advanced disease stage at diagnosis. Most patients (90.1%) underwent lung biopsy within 12 months before SBRT. Conclusions: Among older US patients with unresected NSCLC receiving SBRT, prognosis remains limited, with many deaths due to non-lung cancer causes. Recurrence and survival were lower among subgroups with more advanced disease. These findings benchmark real-world outcomes for future studies assessing novel strategies in this patient population. Full article