Search Results (26,524)

This paper presents a design methodology for the automatic control system of an airship, accounting for atmospheric disturbances and parametric modeling uncertainties. The derived design model is a linear stochastic system with multiplicative noise incorporating both the airship’s uncertain dynamics and the wind model. First, an $H_{\infty }$ state feedback control law is derived for the stochastic system to ensure robust stability and trajectory tracking performance. Subsequently, a robust Kalman filter is designed to estimate the turbulence model states based on available measurements. It is demonstrated that the optimal gain of this robust filter depends on the solution to a coupled system of specific Riccati and Lyapunov equations. Numerical results indicate improved heading-tracking performance for the considered turbulent simulation when the estimated wind-gust states are incorporated into the feedback law. Under parametric uncertainty, the robust Kalman-type filter also exhibits lower sensitivity of the heading-estimation error than the classical Kalman filter. Full article

Asymmetric heat transfer is an intrinsic and defining feature of phase change material (PCM) systems, arising from the nonlinear coupling between conduction, buoyancy-driven convection, interfacial motion, and geometric or operational non-uniformities. This review synthesizes the physical, numerical, and application-specific mechanisms through which asymmetry emerges and shapes the thermal behavior of PCM-based energy systems. We first examine the fundamental origins of asymmetry, highlighting how natural convection, material heterogeneity, and spatially uneven boundary conditions distort temperature fields and melt front evolution even in nominally symmetric enclosures. We then provide a comprehensive assessment of state-of-the-art modeling approaches—including full-domain CFD, advanced interface tracking methods, stability and bifurcation analysis, and reduced-order modeling—emphasizing their capacity to resolve asymmetric flow structures and capture the complex dynamics governing phase transition. Experimental observations from optical, infrared, and flow visualization techniques further validate the prevalence of asymmetric patterns and underscore the need for high-resolution multi-field datasets. Building upon these foundations, the review analyzes the implications of asymmetry across key energy applications such as thermal energy storage, building envelopes, solar receivers, electronics cooling, transportation systems, and industrial heat exchangers. We also provide a literature review on the importance of using multicriteria evaluation as a key tool in the design of multidimensional symmetric and asymmetric PCM systems. In this context, we address and analyze the performance criteria, evaluation metrics, case studies, and optimization strategies to be considered in the design of these systems. Finally, we identify critical research gaps—including multiphysics coupling, uncertainty quantification, CFD–machine learning integration, and the exploration of emerging asymmetric applications—and outline pathways toward next-generation PCM-based technologies that not only accommodate asymmetry but strategically exploit it for enhanced thermal performance. Full article

Food adulteration poses severe threats to the integrity and safety of global food supply chains. Innovations in analytical techniques, especially the rapid development of LAMP-based detection methods, are indispensable for addressing these risks. However, the dominant research paradigm, which has long prioritized accelerated amplification kinetics and ultralow detection limits, largely obscures a critical limitation: insufficient detection reliability when deployed in complex field environments. This review consolidates state-of-the-art advances targeting reliability optimization and delineates key technical strategies to construct robust, improved-reliability LAMP platforms for real-food testing. Specifically, we summarize critical factors at the reaction and readout levels that compromise the reliability of LAMP under realistic scenarios, such as inexperienced operators, degraded samples, matrices containing inhibitory substances, and uncontrolled environments. We further elaborate on effective solutions to bridge the reliability gap between laboratory validation and on-site deployment, which requires coordinated technical improvements throughout the full LAMP testing pipeline. Ultimately, we propose a forward-looking developmental principle for next-generation LAMP assays: analytical reliability and operational robustness should be elevated to equal priority alongside the traditionally pursued ultra-rapid amplification and high sensitivity. This balanced technical framework may help pave the way toward large-scale standardization of LAMP-enabled food authentication, although its presumptive results must be confirmed by an independent validated method before they can support regulatory enforcement or other formal decisions. Full article

Network Digital Twins (NDTs) require accurate, structured, and timely data from heterogeneous communication networks. However, many existing approaches assume that this information is already available and do not address the operational path needed to convert raw observations into deployable twin artifacts. This paper presents DANA, a lifecycle-aware data acquisition and transformation system for dedicated network devices and general-purpose systems hosting virtualized or containerized functions. Its key technical contribution is a unified workflow that coordinates centralized and distributed acquisition through a common, state-aware normalization layer. Each observation is associated with source, temporal, scenario, and lifecycle metadata, enabling the system to preserve the structural baseline used to construct the twin while processing runtime monitoring information separately. The normalized representation is decoupled from deployment-specific descriptor generation, while data and control exchanges follow a publish/subscribe communication model. The system is evaluated in two complementary controlled laboratory scenarios. The centralized workflow demonstrates accurate topology reconstruction and high agreement in network reachability, whereas the distributed workflow validates the complete path from host-level acquisition and normalization to descriptor generation and twin instantiation. Complementary local microbenchmarks characterize MQTT transport, fixed-load resource use, and stop/recovery event propagation to a test consumer while preserving the structural baseline. These results support the feasibility of the proposed workflow in the studied environments; large-scale operation and full synchronization of deployed NDTs require further experimental validation. Full article

This study examines whether and how ESG rating divergence affects corporate maturity mismatch between investment and financing, using panel data from China’s A-share listed firms over the period 2015–2023. We employ fixed-effects models as the baseline specification and further apply instrumental variable estimation, propensity score matching, and a battery of robustness checks to address endogeneity and robustness concerns. We also introduce media supervision as a moderating variable to examine its governance role. We establish five main findings. First, ESG rating divergence significantly aggravates corporate maturity mismatch. Second, the underlying mechanism operates through tightened financial constraints, deteriorated information transparency, and rigid operating costs, which force firms to expand short-term debt while contracting long-term liabilities. Third, heterogeneity analyses reveal stronger effects for non-state-owned enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, firms with low total factor productivity, and firms in less competitive industries. Fourth, media supervision, particularly positive media coverage, mitigates the severity of maturity mismatch by counteracting rating inconsistency, whereas negative coverage amplifies it. Fifth, ESG rating divergence reduces corporate investment efficiency, especially by exacerbating underinvestment, and increases expected default frequency and risk-taking propensity. These findings highlight ESG rating fragmentation as a systemic amplifier of financial risk that undermines corporate resilience and impedes progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 9 and SDG 13. Policy implications include harmonizing ESG rating standards, strengthening media-based external governance, and integrating sustainability information transparency into financial regulation to align corporate financing behavior with long-term sustainable investment. Full article

This article re-examines the national theory of Austro-Marxism as a response to the dual crisis of the late Habsburg Empire: the paralysis of imperial governance and the erosion of cross-national class solidarity. Karl Renner and Otto Bauer proposed a non-territorial federal scheme based on the personal principle and cultural autonomy, reconstructing the nation as a cultural community grounded in individual registration. By severing the link between nation, sovereignty and territory, they sought to reopen space for class politics while preserving the imperial state. The article argues that this scheme was an institutional proposal shaped by the specific contradictions of the Empire’s socio-economic structure. Its failure reveals a tension that recurs in contemporary discussions of non-territorial autonomy: the success or failure of institutional designs for plural societies is determined less by their internal coherence than by their capacity to respond to the material conditions of the societies they seek to govern. Full article

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-enclosed nanoparticles involved in intercellular communication and numerous physiological and pathological processes. Their molecular cargo reflects the state of the cell of origin, making EVs promising sources of biomarkers and potential therapeutic agents. However, efficient and selective isolation of EVs from complex biological fluids remains challenging. Immunoaffinity-based approaches offer high selectivity through the recognition of EV-associated surface markers by specific affinity ligands. In this study, silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles were functionalized with a mixture of five VHH–eGFP constructs and evaluated as a solid phase for immunoaffinity isolation of EVs from human plasma. Surface modification of the nanoparticles was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy, while protein-binding studies showed a maximum binding capacity (Qmax) of 118.2 mg/g. The developed material was then applied for EV isolation from plasma, and the resulting EV-enriched preparations were characterized by protein and lipid quantification, nanoparticle tracking analysis, flow cytometry, and atomic force microscopy. NTA revealed a median particle diameter of 124 nm and a particle concentration of 6.9 × 10⁹ particles/mL. The presence of the EV-associated markers CD9, CD63, and CD81, together with their reduced signal following Triton X-100 treatment, supported the vesicular nature of the isolated particles. The affinity material could be reused over five consecutive isolation cycles, and EVs could be detected from plasma volumes as low as 25 µL. These results demonstrate the potential of VHH-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles as a reusable and adaptable platform for immunoaffinity-based EV isolation from human plasma. Full article

Comminution is the most energy-intensive stage of mineral processing, and microwave-assisted comminution (MAC) can reduce grinding energy by selectively heating microwave-absorbing minerals within transparent gangue, generating thermal microcracks that improve liberation. MAC performance, however, depends on the ore mineralogy and surface, which fixed-parameter operation cannot accommodate. An integrated mechatronic “intelligent crusher” is presented unifying actuation (microwave source, feed system, adjustable crusher geometry), sensing (thermal infrared and hyperspectral imaging, HSI), and control (offline reinforcement learning). HSI-derived mineralogical features and infrared thermal features form the state of a behavior-regularized actor–critic (BRAC) controller trained offline on logged operating data to adjust the power, exposure, feed rate, and crusher setting. A two-dimensional coupled electromagnetic–thermal–mechanical finite-element study underpins the process model. It is executed with temperature-independent dielectric properties in a single staggered coupling pass, and so calibrates the damage law qualitatively rather than predicting stress quantitatively. It reproduces cracking thresholds from the literature and shows that thermal gradients decay with exposure time as (1 + t/$\tau$)^−0.57, so that damage at a constant dose falls from 0.63 to 0.02 as exposure lengthens from 0.25 to 16 s. On this basis, the phenomenological damage law, which had been exposure-insensitive, is corrected. On the FEA-calibrated simulator, the BRAC policy reduces the mean size targeting error by 62% (1.43 to 0.54 mm) and the total specific energy by 4.2% (6.50 to 6.22 kWh/t), averaged over five training seeds, relative to fixed-parameter operation, outperforms rule-based and behavior-cloning baselines, and generalizes to a simulated ore batch excluded from the training. The framework establishes a validated control architecture for adaptive MAC ahead of three-dimensional model extension and experimental deployment. Full article

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is characterized by hepatic steatosis, metabolic stress, and inflammation. Although free fatty acid (FFA)-based in vitro models are widely used, how OA:PA ratios shape hepatocellular phenotypes remains incompletely characterized. HepG2 cells were treated with oleic acid (OA), palmitic acid (PA), or four OA:PA mixtures (O1P1, O2P1, O3P2, O1P2) for 24 or 48 h. OA and OA:PA mixtures were evaluated at 500 μM total FFA (O2P1: 333.3 μM OA + 166.7 μM PA; O3P2: 300 μM OA + 200 μM PA), whereas PA alone was evaluated at 200 μM. Cell viability, lipid accumulation, ultrastructure, oxidative response, secreted cytokines, and molecular responses were evaluated. Distinct OA:PA ratios generated discrete hepatocellular states rather than a linear steatosis-to-lipotoxicity continuum. O3P2 produced a steatosis-dominant phenotype with pronounced lipid accumulation and relatively limited stress signaling. In contrast, O2P1 combined substantial lipid accumulation with elevated DCF fluorescence, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)-associated inflammatory signaling, and interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion, representing a pronounced stress-responsive phenotype with selected MASH-relevant features. Selected responses were also evaluated in SNU-449 cells, revealing cell-line-specific patterns. Collectively, these findings support a phenotype-oriented framework for OA:PA ratio selection in hepatocyte-based in vitro MASH modeling. Full article

Several prominent theories have asserted atypical arousal as a biological feature of autism. However, there is mixed evidence regarding atypical arousal patterns, particularly resting-state arousal, in autistic children, with research increasingly using psychophysiological measures, such as electrodermal activity (EDA), to help elucidate arousal levels in individuals who might not otherwise be able to identify such states. This study analyzed extant EDA data from 135 autistic children (6–12 years) collected during a baseline rest period in a dental environment to determine the relationships between tonic (mean skin conductance level; SCL) and phasic (frequency of non-specific skin conductance responses; NS-SCRs) arousal and participant characteristics, including sensory over-responsiveness, autism traits, expressive language, and general anxiety. EDA data were collected using pre-gelled electrodes placed on the distal phalanges of the participant’s non-dominant hand using the BIOPAC MP150 system. Data preprocessing and epoch analyses were conducted using BIOPAC AcqKnowledge software. Conditional linear and, for the outcome variable anxiety, quadratic growth models were used to assess the temporal (within-participant across observations) relationship between EDA and behavioral variables. The results revealed a significant time-by-autism trait interaction for SCL, as well as linear and quadratic relationships between anxiety and NS-SCRs. No significant relationships were found between EDA arousal parameters and sensory over-responsiveness or expressive language abilities. A significant covariance relationship between SCL and NS-SCR frequency was also observed. Collectively, these results support previous characterizations of unique, within-autism-population arousal profiles related to autism traits, anxiety, and tonic-to-phasic covariance patterns. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cancer remains a serious public health challenge in the United States. Six major cancers (female breast, colorectal, liver, lung/bronchus, pancreas, and prostate) account for a substantial proportion of the national cancer burden. Understanding the changes in the incidence of these cancers over time can provide insights for prevention and control. This study examined temporal trends in the cancer incidence according to age at onset and stage at diagnosis. Methods: This population-based study analyzed data from the United States Cancer Statistics database for 2001–2023, including all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Joinpoint regression was used to estimate annual percent changes (APCs) and average annual percent changes (AAPCs), with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), based on age-adjusted incidence rates per 100,000 people. Of note, incidence rates from 2020 data were excluded from the Joinpoint models because COVID-19 pandemic disruptions affected cancer screening, diagnosis, and reporting. Results: From 2001 to 2023, the incidence of lung and colorectal cancers declined, particularly among older adults (aged ≥50 years) (lung cancer: AAPC −2.09; 95% CI: −2.27, −1.90; colorectal cancer AAPC −2.70; 95% CI: −2.83, −2.56). In contrast, the incidence of colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancers increased among younger adults (aged <50 years), whereas the incidence of liver and lung cancer declined. Moreover, prostate cancer incidence declined over time despite modest rebound in recent years (AAPC 1.83; 95% CI: 0.53, 3.14). Stage-specific analyses revealed increasing rates of early-stage diagnoses for several cancers, while late-stage cancer incidence increased for pancreatic and colorectal cancers (especially among younger adults). Conclusions: Cancer incidence varied substantially by cancer type, age, and stage at diagnosis. The rising incidence of colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancers among younger adults underscores the need for continued research into risk factors, early detection, and prevention strategies. Full article

Aero-engine performance prediction provides an essential basis for condition assessment and health management during ground testing. Conventional component-level models require costly calibration, whereas purely data-driven models are prone to overfitting under data-scarce conditions and generally offer limited physical interpretability. To address these limitations, this study proposes a turbofan engine performance prediction method that integrates a component-topology prior with season-aware multi-source transfer learning. Based on the main gas-path connections and the mechanical coupling between the high- and low-pressure spools, a component-topology-informed fusion prediction model (Engine-BLT) is developed. It characterizes the dynamic coupling behavior of the entire engine through component-specific feature extraction, feature propagation along the gas-flow direction, and cross-component feature fusion. In addition, multiple source domains are constructed according to seasonal information, including ambient temperature, ambient pressure, and relative humidity. A similarity-based weighting strategy is then employed to improve model adaptability under small-sample transfer-learning conditions. Finally, a component-level GasTurb model is employed to provide an independent aerothermodynamic reference under representative steady-state operating conditions. The results show that Engine-BLT achieves R² values of 0.9650, 0.9991, and 0.9962 for corrected low-pressure-turbine outlet total temperature (T_5,corr), corrected net thrust (F_N,corr), and corrected high-pressure-compressor outlet total pressure (P_t3,corr), respectively, yielding the best overall prediction accuracy among the evaluated models. The season-aware weighted multi-source transfer learning (SWMT) strategy also provides the best overall performance among the investigated transfer-learning schemes. Under ground idle, maximum continuous thrust, and maximum takeoff thrust conditions, its mean absolute relative errors for P_t3,corr, T_5,corr, and F_N,corr are 1.17%, 0.99%, and 0.33%, respectively, which are comparable in magnitude to the steady-state aerothermodynamic reference obtained from the GasTurb model. The proposed method improves prediction accuracy under small-sample acceptance-test conditions while maintaining target-domain adaptability and physical interpretability. Full article

We examine how developer origin, citizenship-perspective instructions, and English versus Mandarin presentation shape sentiment scores from large language models (LLMs) for nationality-matched actions. Across two experiments using the same eleven-model panel, we collected 4,065,600 response records: 2,032,800 for the main corpus and 2,032,800 for the earlier corpus. Each corpus contains 26,400 bilingual stimulus rows, comprising 13,200 nationality-matched pairs across 22 event categories, two intended polarities, and three temporal frames, evaluated under seven conditions. Inference about developer origin uses ten models from the United States (US) and China and a nine-developer sensitivity analysis. In the main experiment, the English baseline developer-origin gap is $+0.698$ score points (exact model-label permutation $p=0.175$; developer-level $p=0.238$). Citizenship-perspective instructions produce language-averaged attribution changes of $+5.20$ points for the US persona and $-5.76$ for the China persona. All ten models shift in the requested direction in both English persona conditions; nine do so in each Mandarin condition. Mandarin changes absolute scoring, especially for positive-design items, while its average factorial effect on the paired attribution contrast is small and uncertain. The temporal origin interaction is also uncertain ($-0.142$ points; $p=0.587$), despite polarity-dependent temporal patterns. Non-numeric returns account for $0.064\%$ of main-experiment responses and occur only among hosted models. The experiments converge on substantial average persona steering and modest, uncertain baseline origin differences, with model-specific exceptions. Corpus content, persona wording, and collection period vary together, and reuse of the panel adds no independent origin units. The findings identify explicit perspective instructions as a consequential part of the scoring protocol within this fixed panel. The audit concerns nationality-matched generic scenarios and does not establish equivalence between origin groups or the absence of broader geopolitical bias. Full article

Planning lunar construction requires early screening decisions from sparse, instrument-dependent ground observations. This study presents a mechanics-informed evidence-to-decision procedure that separates direct observation, conventional mechanical interpretation, preliminary construction ground zoning, uncertainty closure, and asset-specific verification. Penetration profiles are compared only within a declared compatibility and depth domain. Before any additional state interpretation, density or porosity, grading, particle morphology, stratigraphy, terrain, clasts, disturbance, boundaries, probe configuration, and acquisition limits should be evaluated. A relative mechanical-state hypothesis, formerly described by the ${\mathrm{OCR}}^{*}$ analogy, is optional and may be retained only when a compatible response contrast remains after those controls are evaluated and when it changes a defined action beyond the direct observations. It is not a conventional overconsolidation ratio or a design parameter. A worked Apollo 16 example compares compatible Self-Recording Penetrometer records from Station 4 and Station 10/ALSEP over the common upper 20 cm. The published envelopes show a lower, more variable response at Station 4 and a higher, less variable response at Station 10. Density, terrain, and stratigraphic evidence provide plausible conventional explanations, while incomplete co-location and instrument-limited depth prevent demonstrating a residual state effect. The example therefore supports a Class C directional hypothesis and separate preliminary ground units, but no ordinal relative-state class. Station 4 requires denser lateral coverage and stratigraphic correlation; Station 10 requires greater reaction capacity and deeper investigation. These actions follow from the integrated evidence rather than from an ${\mathrm{OCR}}^{*}$ designation. The framework contributes an auditable stopping rule, an evidence ledger, and explicit measurements for upgrading, rejecting, or resolving each hypothesis. Design parameters and asset performance remain subject to standardized, project-specific testing. Full article

Background: Antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella enterica from chicken sources is an important One Health concern because poultry can serve as a route for transmission of resistant foodborne pathogens. This study analyzed whole-genome sequencing data from 4611 chicken-associated Salmonella enterica isolates in the United States from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Pathogen Isolates Browser across seven antimicrobials: tetracycline, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, ampicillin, ceftriaxone, nalidixic acid, and chloramphenicol. Methods: Principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering, and frequency-based bar-plot analysis were used to characterize gene-occurrence patterns and prioritize antimicrobial resistance (AMR), virulence, and stress-response genes. These prioritized genes were evaluated by logistic regression, and genotype–phenotype discrepancy analysis examined resistant isolates lacking expected antimicrobial-specific AMR genes using Fisher’s exact tests with Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate correction. Results: Resistant isolates shared broad genomic features: mdsA and mdsB were the most frequently detected AMR genes across all seven groups; virulence genes including invA, iroB, iroC, sinH, pipA, and avrA were repeatedly prominent; and golS, golT, and asr formed a common stress-response background. In the logistic regression models that predicted the probability that each Salmonella enterica isolate was resistant to a specific antimicrobial based on the presence or absence of selected genes, AMR-only models showed area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values of 0.926–0.995, combined virulence and stress-response models showed AUC values of 0.826–0.990, and models combining all three gene categories showed AUC values of 0.935–0.998. Discrepant isolates were uncommon (0.06–2.10%), but enriched virulence and stress-response genes included recurrent pco, sil, spv, and steB signals across multiple antimicrobial groups. Conclusions: These findings identify resistance-associated genomic backgrounds involving virulence and stress-response genes and demonstrate their predictive value when incorporated into gene-based models. The enriched genes provide candidates for future genomic and experimental investigations to test whether they contribute functionally to antimicrobial resistance, persistence, or co-selection in poultry-associated Salmonella enterica. Full article