Search Results (3,691)

Self-injection-locked (SIL) VCSELs enable optically coupled apertures to operate as a coherent supermode, combining the high power of multi-aperture devices with quasi-single-mode emission, narrowing far-field beam divergence, and simplified coupling into single-mode fiber. In this work, SIL VCSELs operating near 850 and 880 nm were characterized to examine whether their chirp properties remain favorable for extended-reach short-wavelength transmission. More than 29% coupling efficiency into a single-mode fiber (Hi780) was achieved for both devices using a two-lens coupling arrangement. Link transfer functions were measured over a long single-mode fiber, Hi780, and via a standard single-mode fiber, with fundamental-mode launch via a spliced section of Hi780. The dominant transient chirp behavior is preserved for SIL VCSEL similar to the case of single-mode (SM) VCSEL and multi-aperture (MA) SM VCSELs. A unified full-spectrum fitting method was introduced to extract physically consistent chirp and chromatic-dispersion parameters from shallow transfer-function dips, with the chirp parameter determined to be approximately −2.6. Using the 850 nm SIL VCSEL, 32G NRZ transmission over 1 km of a standard single-mode fiber with fundamental mode launch was demonstrated. Compared with the back-to-back configuration, the 1 km link produced a more open eye and improved 7-tap FFE equalized Gaussian BER from 7.56 × 10⁻¹³ to 1.53 × 10⁻¹⁴, confirming chirp–dispersion-induced bandwidth enhancement. Full article

With the continuous increase in renewable energy penetration, the traditional distribution network is gradually evolving into the active distribution network. Facing increasingly severe regulation pressure, relying solely on resource allocation from a single side of the distribution network can no longer provide adequate flexibility support. As an effective carrier integrating sources and loads, collaborative mutual assistance between the microgrid and the distribution network has become an inevitable trend to tap the flexibility potential of multiple entities. However, the current insufficient coordination of multi-type flexibility resources and the lack of deep interaction between the distribution network and the microgrid limit system flexibility, affecting the secure operation of the power grid. Therefore, this paper proposes an active distribution network–microgrid collaborative planning method for flexibility enhancement. Firstly, a collaborative optimal allocation model of nodal and grid-level flexibility resources for the active distribution network is established. The upper tier minimizes the annualized comprehensive cost, while the lower tier minimizes the annual operational cost and optimizes flexibility indices, comprehensively considering constraints like equipment investment, system security, and flexibility supply–demand balance. Secondly, the coupling relationship between the distribution network and the microgrid is established through tie-lines to construct the active distribution network–microgrid collaborative planning model. Finally, an accelerated and robust analytical target cascading solution strategy is proposed. By constructing a balancing coefficient, it eliminates the algorithm’s sensitivity to initial penalty weights, effectively improving the stability and efficiency of the model solution. Case study analysis verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method. Full article

Background/Objectives: Pressure overload (PO) and volume overload (VO) represent important mechanisms underlying right ventricular (RV) failure; however, long-term comparative data regarding their distinct pathophysiological consequences remain limited. This study aimed to compare the long-term effects of PO versus VO in a large animal model. Methods: Juvenile sheep were randomly assigned to either a PO group (n = 7) or a VO group (n = 8). PO was induced by pulmonary artery banding, whereas VO was induced by pulmonary leaflet perforation (n = 4) or transannular patch (TAP) reconstruction (n = 4). Both VO procedures resulted in moderate-to-severe pulmonary regurgitation with comparable acute hemodynamic profiles and were therefore analyzed as a single VO group for the long-term assessment. Six animals from each group completed the follow-up period. Animals were evaluated preoperatively and at one-year follow-up using invasive hemodynamic monitoring, blood gas analysis, and echocardiography, followed by postmortem histological analysis of the myocardium. Results: Both models resulted in significant reductions in stroke volume index, cardiac index, RV stroke work index, ScvO₂ and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). Similarly, the TAPSE/RV systolic pressure (RVSP) ratio decreased in both groups but was significantly lower in the PO group than in the VO group (p = 0.0022). Moreover, PO showed more pronounced RV diastolic dysfunction, characterized by a significant increase in right atrial pressure from baseline (p = 0.0313) and higher RV diastolic pressure compared to VO (p = 0.0065). In contrast, VO showed a greater impact on left ventricular (LV) geometry and diastolic filling, evidenced by reduced transmitral filling (p = 0.0313) and a lower indexed LV internal diameter compared to PO (p = 0.0411). Histological analysis revealed myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis in both groups, as well as clusters of multinucleated cardiomyocyte-like cells showing preferential ventricular distribution according to overload physiology. Conclusions: Chronic PO and VO induced distinct phenotypes of RV dysfunction with differential ventricular adaptation and remodelling patterns. Full article

Biochar-supported rare earth oxides are herein assessed as heterogeneous catalysts for the UV-assisted Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation (UV-CWPO) treatment of pharmaceuticals under mild conditions. Catalysts were synthesized by two different pyrolysis methods (activated carbon-assisted oxygen-limited pyrolysis in a muffle furnace, and inert-gas pyrolysis in a tubular furnace under nitrogen flow), and characterized by XRD, SEM, and N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms. Their performance in assisting 385 nm UVA-LED CWPO treatment of acetaminophen (ACE), diclofenac (DCF), and metamizole (MTZ) was assessed under circumneutral pH conditions. The biochar-supported cerium-loaded catalyst prepared by oxygen-limited pyrolysis reported the highest activity, achieving 80% ACE and 70% DCF removals within 120 min of treatment, whereas MTZ was completely removed in less than 10 min, with only 16% of the removal attributable to adsorption. Superoxide radicals dominated the degradation mechanism, and photogenerated holes and hydroxyl radicals contributed moderately. Catalyst stability (minimal activity loss and negligible cerium leaching) was confirmed over five consecutive reuses. Degradation efficiency decreased ≈12–18% because of radical scavenging losses caused by the content of inorganic ions and organic matter in tap, river, and WWTP effluent waters. Treated effluents addressed lower toxicity than untreated solutions, reinforcing the environmental safety of this treatment strategy. Full article

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor was developed for the selective detection of promethazine (PMZ) through deliberate regulation of template–monomer interactions during the molecular imprinting process. Various functional monomer systems were systematically evaluated to optimize intermolecular recognition, among which the combination of 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP) and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AAMPS) exhibited the strongest interaction toward PMZ. Furthermore, protonation of PMZ using hydrochloric acid significantly enhanced electrostatic complexation between the template and functional monomers, leading to improved pre-polymerization organization, more effective imprinting-site formation and high selectivity towards target analytes. The resulting MIP-QCM sensor exhibited a linear response toward PMZ over the concentration range of 50–2000 ppb with a correlation coefficient (R²) of 0.99148 and a detection limit of 27.4 ppb. The sensor demonstrated favorable selectivity against structurally related compounds, strong anti-interference performance under highly competitive matrix conditions, and excellent regeneration stability, retaining 97.9% of its original response after ten regeneration cycles. Recovery studies in spiked tap water and carbonated beverage samples yielded recoveries ranging from 94.7% to 112.6%. These results demonstrate that regulating template ionization and template–monomer interactions is an effective strategy for improving imprinting-site quality and molecular recognition performance. The proposed approach provides new insight into the rational design of highly selective MIPs for basic pharmaceutical compounds and offers a promising platform for environmental, pharmaceutical and forensic monitoring applications. Full article

Microalgae are promising platforms for producing biomass and biochemicals, but changes in component concentrations may reflect biomass accumulation, shifts in composition, or both. This study developed a low-dimensional X–ρ–A allocation model for jointly describing and predicting dry biomass (X), protein (P), and lipid (L) dynamics. The model was parameterized and evaluated using mixotrophic Tris–acetate–phosphate (TAP) batch cultures of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strain CC-400. The model uses two composition-derived indices: ρ, the fraction of dry biomass represented by the measured protein–lipid module, and A, the lipid fraction within this module. Model comparison favored a formulation in which ρ was constant over time within each condition. The light-response model was calibrated at 30, 100, and 300 μE m⁻² s⁻¹ and evaluated against an independently generated 500 μE m⁻² s⁻¹ dataset from the same experimental system to assess predictive performance beyond the calibration range. Validation R² values were 0.9374, 0.9616, and 0.9321 for dry biomass, protein, and lipid, respectively. Under nitrogen starvation, biomass and protein accumulation were suppressed, whereas A increased, indicating lipid enrichment within the measured protein–lipid module. Within this experimental system, the model provides an interpretable framework for predicting light-dependent biomass, protein, and lipid dynamics and distinguishing biomass-driven increases in component concentrations from shifts in protein–lipid allocation. Full article

Smart textile interfaces hold promise for battery-free wearable interaction, yet their adoption is limited by complex fabrication and insufficient on-body evaluation. We present TriboTex, a low-cost spray-patterning workflow that forms nylon–Cu–nylon triboelectric stacks on cotton textiles using laser-cut PET stencils and commercially available materials. The core consumables cost approximately USD 0.003/cm², and sensor geometry can be rapidly iterated by modifying only the digital stencil. Controlled characterization across nine devices from three fabrication batches showed a peak open-circuit voltage of 52.3 V and a maximum power density of 1870 µW/m² at 4 GΩ. The output retained 96.1% of its initial voltage after 1000 bending cycles and 94.2% after 24 h of simplified saline immersion. Three-sample environmental sweeps showed voltage amplitudes of 41.9–43.7 V from 15 to 45 °C, with a decrease to 27.7 V at 0 °C; the humidity response remained within 92.7–104.5% of the 20% RH value over 20–60% RH but decreased to 19.9% at 70% RH. Two wearable prototypes were developed: a single-electrode garment sleeve recognized tap, double-tap, and swipe gestures with 95.0% accuracy across 1200 trials from 12 participants; a single-electrode insole generated action-dependent peak voltages up to 123 V under repeated foot loading and was connected through a rectification and voltage-regulation module to charge a battery. Across the two 12-participant studies, attachment and fit stability emerged as shared integration requirements, while participant feedback and controlled humidity measurements highlighted moisture management as a priority for reliable on-body sensing and energy capture. The primary contribution is an accessible, low-cost, and geometry-flexible route for early-stage wearable sensing experiments and application demonstrations, supported by documented fabrication, electrical characterization, and human-centered evaluation. Full article

This paper presents a smartphone-based sonar-sensing system for contactless monitoring of respiration and gesture-based user activity, using a single commercial phone with no hardware modification. A 20 kHz audio signal is transmitted from the phone’s speaker and reflections are captured by its microphone; motion-induced Doppler shifts are recovered using an envelope detection method that removes the need for a reference copy of the transmitted signal and improves robustness to transmitter frequency drift. Actuator experiments at a target distance around 50 cm demonstrated motion sensitivity at two conditions, 6 mm at 0.15 Hz and 2 mm at 0.6 Hz, with a measured signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 21.7 dB. Respiration rate detected by the system was compared against a pulse oximeter across two subjects, with an error within 0.1 Hz of the reference. Gesture-based interactions (tapping, scrolling, typing, talking) were analyzed using short-time Fourier transform features as a first step toward device authentication. Distance and direction estimation are outside the scope of this work and are identified as directions for future development. Full article

Post-COVID symptoms frequently include cognitive complaints, yet evidence on objectively measured cognitive performance in large samples of young adults remains limited. This study examined associations between self-reported post-COVID consequences and objective cognitive performance in university students, with particular attention to acute COVID-19 severity. The sample comprised 7482 students aged 17–23 years: 3945 reported no previous COVID-19, 1676 reported previous COVID-19 without post-COVID consequences, and 1861 reported previous COVID-19 with post-COVID consequences. Visuospatial working memory was assessed using the Corsi Block Tapping Test (CTB), and choice-response performance was assessed using accuracy and mean correct-response latency in a four-choice reaction time task. Analyses accounted for age, sex, and clustering by university; among previously infected participants, models additionally adjusted for perceived acute COVID-19 severity. The primary adjusted analyses included 7117 participants for CTB and 6361 participants for the cleaned choice-response accuracy and latency analyses. In the three-group analysis, students reporting post-COVID consequences had slightly lower CTB scores than those without previous COVID-19 (B = −0.146, 95% CI [−0.277, −0.015], p = 0.029), although the effect was small and was not fully robust in an ordinal sensitivity model (OR = 0.91, 95% CI [0.82, 1.00], p = 0.052). No reduction in choice-response accuracy or robust slowing of response latency was observed in the post-COVID consequence group. Among previously infected participants, post-COVID consequences were not significantly associated with CTB performance (B = −0.149, 95% CI [−0.311, 0.013], p = 0.071), choice-response accuracy (OR = 0.80, 95% CI [0.60, 1.07], p = 0.126), or response latency (−0.79%, 95% CI [−2.06%, 0.49%], p = 0.224) after adjustment for acute severity, age, and sex; none of these associations remained significant after false discovery rate correction. Acute COVID-19 severity was likewise not significantly associated with the cognitive outcomes. Overall, self-reported post-COVID consequences were associated with, at most, small and outcome-dependent differences in objective cognitive performance in this young university sample. The findings do not support a broad objective cognitive deficit associated with self-reported post-COVID consequences after accounting for acute disease severity and demographic factors. Full article

The TP63 locus generates TAp63 and ΔNp63 isoforms through alternative promoter usage, but the cis-regulatory features that confer differential promoter responsiveness remain incompletely defined. Here, we functionally dissected distal TAp63-associated and proximal ΔNp63-associated TP63 promoter regions using reporter-based assays in A549 cells. Rabbit TP63 promoter fragments were selected from distal and proximal promoter-associated regions and analyzed by serial deletion and site-directed mutagenesis. Deletion mapping identified discrete promoter intervals that positively or negatively affected reporter activity, while motif perturbation revealed promoter-context-dependent contributions of predicted FOXA1/2, NKX2–1, SOX9, and TP63-related regulatory elements. Endogenous ChIP-qPCR at corresponding human TP63 promoter-associated regions provided local enrichment evidence for selected transcription-factor-associated signals, and FOXA2 or SOX9 depletion shifted endogenous TAp63 and ΔNp63 protein abundance. These findings identify candidate TP63 promoter intervals and transcription-factor-responsive motifs that differentially affect dual-promoter reporter output. The study provides a promoter-level framework for investigating how TP63 promoter responsiveness is influenced by promoter architecture, motif composition, and cellular regulatory background within a heterologous reporter context, while highlighting the need for future validation in more physiological human epithelial systems. Full article

Background/Objectives: The present study aimed to describe a novel screening test for amusia and compare test performance between Greek children with learning difficulties and typical school-aged children. Additionally, it examined whether variables such as sex, age, and formal music education affect musical processing skills. Methods: We describe the construction and pilot testing of a musical processing screening tool consisting of seven tasks tapping on discreet auditory processing processes: “dissonant intervals”, “out of tone”, “interval discrimination”, “musical semantic memory”, “rhythm”, “melodic completion”, and “emotion”. The study sample included 200 participants: 100 typical students and 100 students with learning difficulties. Results: As expected, only 8% of typical students scored low, compared to 59% of the students with learning difficulties, indicating a possible relationship between the two conditions. Furthermore, factors such as gender and music education did not significantly affect musical processing performance, whereas age and type of learning disorder did. Conclusions: This condensed screening tool holds high practical and scientific value for efficiently identifying amusia deficits. It offers a viable comparative assessment for clinical and educational settings and can be effectively applied to both pediatric and general populations. Full article

Secondary explosives such as 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane (RDX) and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) were commonly used in the production of many types of munitions during World War II and still continue to be used, for example, 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane (HMX) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). After the war, numerous remaining munitions were disposed of by dumping them into the Baltic Sea. The same was true for the Black Sea, but due to a lack of documentation about these dumpsites, the awareness of hazards and knowledge about the scale of the problem have significantly increased in the last 30 years. After decades spent in salty water, the shells of said projectiles corroded, and currently, they pose a risk of environmental contamination and explosion. Because of this, new underwater detection methods that are reliable, quick, remote and, at the same time, insensitive to the external interference of sea water are needed. The detection of explosives used in projectiles can be performed using field Raman spectrometers. Raman spectroscopy is an analytical method that is non-invasive: it allows one to perform analysis without taking samples out of the projectile. Field detectors are water-resistant due to the frequent need for decontamination. Therefore, in this study, a ThermoScientific Gemini analyzer (Waltham, MA, USA) was used. The purpose of the study was to determine how the Raman spectra of pressed explosives are influenced by two main factors: the distance between the Raman probe and the sample and the type of medium that stands between the Raman probe and the sample. For the purpose of this study, four explosives: TNT, RDX, PETN, and HMX were tested through various layers of distilled water, tap water, silica dispersion, Black Sea water and, finally, Baltic Sea water. Full article

Leveraging advances in artificial intelligence algorithms, distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) based on phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (Φ-OTDR) has achieved high event-recognition accuracy through a variety of learning models. Nevertheless, further improving the accuracy of multi-event recognition remains a persistent challenge. In this paper, we propose a Dual-Domain Fusion Network (DD-FusNet) for vibration event recognition in Φ-OTDR sensing systems. To fully capture signal dynamics, the model simultaneously processes time- and frequency-domain representations, employing a crucial cross-attention mechanism to bridge these branches and enable dynamic, learnable interactions. Experimental results based on a six-class field engineering vibration event dataset collected by Φ-OTDR, containing car events, manual tapping, road breaker, excavation, leaking and noise, demonstrate that the proposed method achieves an average accuracy of 99.12%, significantly outperforming baseline methods by approximately 3 to 10 percentage points in accuracy, thereby ensuring the accuracy of multi-event recognition. We believe the proposed DD-FusNet will advance the recognition capabilities of Φ-OTDR systems in complex industrial sensing applications. Full article

Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) increasingly require on-board policies capable of engagement-level tactical decisions under discrete mission-system constraints. Most existing systems, however, remain rule-based and predictable, and many maritime reinforcement learning studies still focus on low-level continuous control. This paper proposes TAP-DDQN, a GRU-enhanced dueling deep Q-network trained with a multiplicative Tactical Approach Potential (TAP) and a dynamic target curriculum for discrete tactical decision-making in adversarial maritime engagements. The proposed TAP couples a desired engagement-range ring with an aspect-aware tactical term so that angular shaping becomes active mainly inside the tactical band, providing dense guidance without encouraging irrelevant long-range aspect optimization. The method is implemented through the non-invasive TRNLE wrapper, which enables learning and deployment without modifying the legacy combat-management software stack. In a 1-vs-1 surface-engagement scenario, the proposed agent achieves a DGAR of $54.87\pm 4.19\%$ and consistently outperforms feedforward and non-TAP baselines on reward-aligned diagnostics and maneuver consistency; relative to the strongest learning baseline (DQN+MLP without TAP), the improvement is $8.13$ percentage points. Qualitative analyses further show that the learned policy approaches the desired engagement ring, stabilizes a favorable stern-quarter geometry, and exhibits more coherent maneuver behavior than rule-based or additive-reward baselines. These results support multiplicative TAP shaping as an effective and deployment-compatible approach for USV tactical autonomy and intelligent adversary generation in naval training environments. Full article

Addressing the safety limitations and operational challenges associated with online particulate matter sampling in high-pressure natural gas pipelines, this paper proposes and systematically investigates a non-intrusive, safe sampling alternative utilizing existing pressure gauge tapping ports. Through experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) numerical analyses, the influence of velocity ratio R (ratio of sampling velocity to pipeline gas velocity), pipeline flow velocity V₀, and port orientation on sampling efficiency η (ratio of sampled concentration to true concentration) was examined. Results show that sampling via a pressure gauge port exhibits a trend contrary to traditional isokinetic sampling: efficiency increases significantly with R. At R = 2, particles below 10 μm are effectively collected, with notably improved capture for larger particles. Flow field analysis reveals that efficiency enhancement originates from a recirculation zone upstream, expansion of the high-pressure zone downstream, and a “wall impaction–bounce–recapture” mechanism under high R conditions. An empirical efficiency formula was established based on experimental data, with prediction errors below 15%. In field tests at a gas transmission station, applying this correction increased the evaluated filtration efficiency from 9.4% to 50.2%, effectively restoring true operating conditions. This study provides a reliable theoretical basis and practical technical solution for safe, convenient, and accurate particulate monitoring in natural gas pipelines. Full article