Search Results (8,727)

Pythiosis is an emerging infectious disease caused by the oomycete Pythium insidiosum, affecting humans and animals primarily in subtropical and tropical regions. The pathogen is commonly found in swampy environments, and exposure can lead to diverse clinical manifestations. In humans, ocular and vascular infections predominate, whereas in animals, cutaneous/subcutaneous or gastrointestinal disease is more common. Medical therapy is frequently ineffective, and many patients require extensive surgical intervention. Advanced cases may progress to fatal outcomes. Therefore, early and accurate detection is critical for improving clinical management. This study evaluated a colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (c-LAMP) assay compared with an established multiplex PCR (m-PCR) assay for the detection of P. insidiosum in clinical specimens from animals with and without pythiosis. When tested on 47 frozen tissue samples, c-LAMP demonstrated superior diagnostic performance, with markedly greater sensitivity (83.9% vs. 41.9%), higher accuracy (78.7% vs. 61.7%), and a shorter turnaround time (65 vs. 180 min). However, c-LAMP yielded five false-positive results, likely due to nonspecific amplification or contamination. Improved sample-handling practices increased the specificity from 68.8% to 93.8%. In contrast, m-PCR showed perfect specificity (100.0%) but substantially lower sensitivity, resulting in a high false-negative rate. In conclusion, these preliminary findings suggest that c-LAMP is a promising rapid screening tool for suspected pythiosis, particularly in resource-limited settings. Nevertheless, confirmatory testing remains necessary for positive or equivocal c-LAMP results. Full article

We extended self-similar amplification to a large-mode-area tapered Yb-doped fiber (LMA T-YDF) with longitudinally decreasing nonlinearity. The theoretical analysis and numerical simulation demonstrate that T-YDFs with different nonlinearity profiles can achieve self-similar evolution, which is confirmed by a self-similar amplifier that employs two kinds of T-YDFs. Further experimental study indicates that the T-YDF with a large core diameter at the thin end can achieve self-similar evolution across a wide range of pump powers and generate 51 W average power, 34 fs nearly transform-limited (TL) pulses with 32 dB gain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first theoretical and experimental demonstration of self-similar amplification in T-YDFs. The high-gain feature of the T-YDF simplifies the laser system and can be used to build a compact all-fiber high-power femtosecond laser source. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly coronary artery disease (CAD), is increasingly linked to microvascular inflammation driven by interactions between immune, vascular, and neuroendocrine systems. Mast cells (MCs), strategically positioned near blood vessels, play pivotal roles in this process through the release of inflammatory and vasoactive mediators, contributing to increased vascular permeability, endothelial dysfunction, and tissue inflammation in conditions including ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) and CVD. This comprehensive review examines the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying MC-mediated microvascular inflammation, with emphasis on neuroimmune regulation through the heart–brain axis, and evaluates the therapeutic potential of flavonoids. Methods: A review of in vitro, animal, and clinical studies was conducted to assess MC-mediated cardiovascular pathology and the pharmacological effects of natural flavonoids on MC activation and microvascular inflammation. Results: Psychological and physical stress activates hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) signaling, directly triggering coronary MC degranulation via CRHR-1 and CRHR-2 receptors, while co-released neuropeptides, including neurotensin and urocortin, amplify this neuroimmune cascade. Traumatic brain injury, autonomic dysregulation, and atrial fibrillation further perpetuate this bidirectional heart–brain axis, linking neurological stress to microvascular injury and adverse cardiac remodeling. An autocrine–paracrine CRH amplification loop sustains chronic coronary microvascular inflammation, contributing to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and MC activation disease (MCAD)-related cardiovascular manifestations. Natural flavonoids were found to inhibit MC activation, suppress inflammatory mediator synthesis, and protect microvascular integrity through multiple molecular targets, including calcium signaling, transcription factors, oxidative stress pathways, and CRHR-1-mediated neuroimmune signaling. Conclusions: While challenges remain regarding bioavailability and standardization, multi-compound formulations targeting multiple risk factors hold promise for preventing CVD progression. Future research directions for advancing these natural compounds toward clinical implementation are identified. Full article

Antenatal screening for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) does not always reflect intrapartum colonisation status, and rapid molecular point-of-care tests (POCT) have been developed to enable real-time detection during labour. This prospective single-centre study evaluated the performance of six molecular assays (easyNat, FlashDetect, GenDx, GenPad, iPonatic, Revogene) and one antigen-based test (TZcheck) for intrapartum GBS detection under real-world conditions. Vaginal–rectal swabs were collected at admission from 104 women at ≥ 37 weeks of gestation and tested directly without prior enrichment, using conventional intrapartum culture as the reference standard. Diagnostic performance varied substantially across platforms, with positive percent agreement ranging from 0.0% to 80.6%, while negative percent agreement was generally high, except for GenDx. Seven culture-positive samples yielded negative results across all molecular assays, while one sample was consistently positive across multiple molecular platforms despite negative culture. Exploratory observations suggest that differences in lysis procedures may contribute to variability in assay performance, although this could not be formally assessed. These findings highlight the variability of intrapartum molecular POCT under routine conditions and underscore the need for cautious clinical interpretation and local validation prior to implementation. Full article

Dengue infection remains a major global health concern, with a subset of patients progressing from self-limited dengue fever to severe disease characterised by plasma leakage, shock, and organ dysfunction. The dengue non-structural protein 1 (NS1), a multifunctional glycoprotein expressed on infected cells and secreted into circulation, has emerged as a key mediator linking viral infection to immune-driven vascular pathology. This review synthesises experimental, animal, and human clinical evidence on NS1-driven immunopathogenesis, focusing on mechanisms leading to endothelial dysfunction and increased vascular permeability. NS1 modulates the complement system in a context-dependent manner, contributing to immune evasion by inhibiting terminal complement complex formation, while also promoting antibody-dependent complement activation associated with severe disease. Additionally, NS1 directly disrupts endothelial barrier integrity through disruption of adherens and tight junction architecture, Ang-2/Tie2 imbalance, activation of RhoA/ROCK (RhoA/Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase) signalling, and enzymatic degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx, with further amplification through inflammatory mediators. In addition, evidence shows that NS1 activates innate immune signalling, perturbs platelet biology and haemostasis, and forms pro-inflammatory complexes with lipoproteins. Moreover, anti-NS1 antibodies may be both protective and pathogenic. Collectively, these data position NS1-linked pathways as rational targets for adjunctive therapies and next-generation vaccines aimed at preventing vascular leakage and severe dengue infection. Full article

Field measurements of ship motions at berth are often sparse, heterogeneous, and collected across multiple vessels and locations, limiting the applicability of conventional response-modelling approaches. This study presents a statistical framework for analysing sea-state-conditioned motion responses using long-term monitoring data with incomplete overlap between degrees of freedom (DoF). Each DoF is analysed independently and conditioned on significant wave height ($H_s$) and peak wave period ($T_p$), with directional values retained across the full angular range (0–360°) and examined separately. A two-stage quality-control procedure combining plausibility checks and robust regression removes inconsistent response–sea-state pairs while preserving dominant behaviour. Motion response envelopes are derived by binning observations in sea-state space and computing median and upper-percentile statistics. To quantify sampling uncertainty, bootstrap resampling provides 95% confidence intervals for envelopes and derived metrics, ensuring robust comparative conclusions. Results show systematic growth in motion variability with increasing $H_s$, with surge exhibiting the strongest translational sensitivity and roll the largest amplification. Synthetic sea surfaces generated using a spectral random-phase approach reproduce prescribed sea-state characteristics, supporting physical interpretation. The study contributes a data-driven framework for heterogeneous berth datasets, robust quality control, uncertainty-aware response envelopes, and statistically consistent synthetic seas, aligning field-based monitoring with practical port operability assessment. Full article

This paper systematically reviews the research progress on the physiological functions, gene cloning, classification basis, and expression regulation mechanisms of laccase in edible and medicinal fungi. Laccase is a copper-containing polyphenol oxidase widely distributed in these fungi, characterized by broad-spectrum substrate catalytic activity and redox properties. It plays a central role in lignin degradation, pigment synthesis, and environmental pollutant treatment. Regarding gene cloning, researchers have successfully isolated and identified laccase genes from multiple species using techniques such as transcriptome sequencing, RACE amplification, and gene knockout. Expression regulation studies have revealed that laccase genes exhibit stage-specific expression patterns during mycelial growth, fruiting body development, and lignin degradation. In recent years, breakthroughs in genomics, transcriptomics, and gene editing technologies have greatly advanced research into the cloning, classification, and regulatory mechanisms of laccase genes. This article systematically reviews the diversity, clonal classification, and regulatory mechanisms of these genes, aiming to provide a reference for further research and industrial development of laccase in edible and medicinal fungi. Full article

Macrosteles fascifrons, a representative aster leafhopper frequently detected in rice-growing environments, is an economically significant insect that inhabits rice fields and plays a role in the ecology of crop pests and disease transmission. To expand the understanding of viral diversity associated with the aster leafhopper, we analyzed its virome using deep transcriptome sequencing. In addition to several previously reported viruses, we identified two previously unreported RNA viruses, tentatively designated as Macrosteles fascifrons hepe-like virus 1 (MfHV1) and Macrosteles fascifrons rhabdovirus 1 (MfRV1). The complete genome sequences of both genomes were obtained using overlapping RT-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Excluding the poly(A) tail, the genome of MfHV1 is 6688 nucleotides in length and exhibits a genomic organization characteristic of the family Hepeviridae, comprising three major open reading frames (ORFs) that encode a putative nonstructural polyprotein, a capsid protein, and a small accessory protein. The ORF encoding the capsid protein partially overlaps with the ORF encoding the small accessory protein, a genomic feature commonly observed in hepe-like viruses. The genome of MfRV1 is 14,984 nucleotides in length and displays the canonical genomic organization of the family Rhabdoviridae. An additional accessory ORF was identified between the putative M and G genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on polyprotein sequences placed MfHV1 within the Hepeviridae, most closely related to insect-associated hepe-like viruses, whereas MfRV1 clustered within the subfamily Deltarhabdovirinae. According to ICTV guidelines, virus classification is based on a combination of sequence divergence, phylogenetic relationships, and genome organization. MfHV1 and MfRV1 share low amino acid sequence identities with known viruses (maximum 36.07% for the MfHV1 polyprotein and 47.7% for the MfRV1 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase). Based on sequence divergence, genome organization, and phylogenetic placement, these viruses are classified as putative novel members of their respective families. This study expands the diversity of virus-associated sequences detected in M. fascifrons and provides additional genomic resources for understanding insect-associated RNA viruses. Full article

Plasma-sprayed yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings are critical to enhancing the performance of thermal barrier coatings in gas turbines and aero-engines; however, their service life is significantly constrained by microstructural evolution and multi-mechanism coupling effects. Focusing on plasma spraying process routes (atmospheric plasma spraying, APS; suspension plasma spraying/solution precursor plasma spraying, SPS/SPPS; low-pressure plasma spraying, LPPS) and key process parameters as primary input variables, this review systematically analyzes their regulatory roles in microstructural characteristics such as porosity and crack density. Available studies indicate that distinct process routes give rise to pronounced structural differences: the porosity of APS coatings is 10%–20%, that of SPS/SPPS coatings is 15%–30%, and that of LPPS coatings is 1%–8%. After thermal exposure above 1100 °C, the porosity decreases to 6%–12%, 8%–18%, and 0.5%–3%, respectively, while the thermal conductivity increases to a maximum of approximately 2.5 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹ and the Young’s modulus rises to 60–220 GPa. Further analysis reveals that mechanisms such as sintering densification, phase destabilization, thermally grown oxide (TGO) interfacial stress accumulation, and calcium–magnesium–alumino-silicate (CMAS) infiltration exert coupled amplification effects through microstructural evolution, thereby accelerating coating failure. On this basis, emerging regulation strategies are evaluated: the CMAS penetration depth of high-entropy oxides at 1300 °C for 5 h is only about 1/7 that of conventional YSZ, the thermal cycling life of self-healing coatings is enhanced by up to 4.2 times, and the crack density is reduced by approximately 35%. Finally, it is proposed that a quantitative prediction model integrating “structural parameters–evolution kinetics–service life” should be established, and that anti-sintering design, gradient structures, and functionalized systems be combined to enable the transition of YSZ coatings from empirical optimization to predictable design. Full article

Introduction: Caffeine is a widely consumed adenosine receptor antagonist with well-documented effects on arousal and performance, but its time-resolved neurophysiological signature across stages of information processing remains fragmented across event-related potential (ERP) paradigms. Objectives: This systematic and mechanistic review aimed to (i) identify and catalog human ERP studies testing caffeine effects, (ii) synthesize findings by task domain and ERP component family, and (iii) evaluate moderators including dose, timing, abstinence/withdrawal control, sleep status, and habitual use. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 and PRISMA-S, we searched multiple databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) from inception to 28 November 2025 and conducted a structured narrative synthesis using SWiM (Synthesis Without Meta-analysis, no prespecified quantitative pooling). Risk of bias was assessed using RoB-2 (Risk of Bias 2, including crossover extension) and ROBINS-I (Risk Of Bias In Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions). Of 761 records, 63 controlled human studies met the inclusion criteria. The evidence most consistently supported stage- and context-dependent modulation. Within the P3 family, target-related P3b/P300 latency was frequently shortened, or fatigue-related slowing was prevented, often without parallel increases in amplitude. P300 amplitude findings were mixed and context-dependent: amplitude was often unchanged in rested or low-demand paradigms, but increased or was restored when caffeine counteracted fatigue, sleep loss, sustained attention demands, or high workload. Preparatory activity (CNV/slow negativity) showed selective effects, while early sensory components were comparatively stable in many paradigms; higher doses (approximately 200–400 mg) were associated with weaker early auditory sensory gating in some studies. Conclusions: Across heterogeneous paradigms, caffeine was associated with context-dependent ERP changes rather than a uniform amplification of ERP amplitudes. The most consistent pattern was shorter or preserved latency of late positive ERP components, particularly in tasks requiring stimulus evaluation or target detection. In some fatigue, sleep deprivation, sustained attention, or high-demand paradigms, caffeine was also associated with larger or restored P300/P3b amplitudes. These findings are compatible with state-dependent changes in attentional engagement or stimulus evaluation, but mechanistic interpretation remains limited by heterogeneity in task paradigms, ERP definitions, dosing, abstinence procedures, and participant caffeine use profiles. Methodological heterogeneity, small samples, inconsistent control of habitual use and withdrawal, and the predominance of healthy young adult samples limit generalizability, particularly to children, older adults, clinical populations, and long-term high-dose caffeine users. Full article

In near-fault regions, intense vertical seismic excitation combined with the widespread lack of tensile capacity in bridge bearings can readily induce vertical separation between piers and girders. To systematically investigate the effect of such separation-and-impact phenomena on bridge seismic performance, this study develops a finite-element model in OpenSees and conducts a fragility analysis. Bearing constraint degradation is simulated by adjusting the bearings’ horizontal mechanical parameters between connected and unconnected states. Results indicate that when the excitation period approaches the bridge’s vertical natural period, pier–girder vertical separation is readily triggered, which in turn amplifies the structure’s horizontal dynamic response and leads to substantial increases in base moment and shear in the piers. This process not only alters horizontal relative displacements between piers and girders—exacerbating the risk of bearing damage—but also affects the shear and moment capacity demands on the piers. Fragility analysis shows that vertical separation raises the probabilities of reaching severe damage and complete collapse by 22.6% and 27.5%, respectively. Parametric studies further reveal that increased bearing damping exacerbates the adverse effects of vertical separation, with response amplification under varying PGA levels rising from 19.2% to 41.3%; conversely, increased bearing stiffness reduces the critical PGA required to trigger separation, thereby increasing the overall risk of structural failure. This study clarifies the mechanism of vertical separation and collision and provides a theoretical basis for seismic design and bearing selection for beam bridges in near-fault areas. Full article

Existing BEV perception methods unify multi-view information in a bird’s-eye-view coordinate system, yet their performance in dynamic traffic scenes remains limited by three major error sources: depth-noise amplification during image-to-BEV lifting, representation discontinuity caused by time-varying occlusion and visibility, and temporal drift induced by recursive fusion of historical BEV features. To address these issues while preserving computational tractability, we propose TriQuery-BEV, a modular enhancement framework over BEVFormer that improves BEV query modeling from the perspectives of geometric ambiguity, occlusion robustness, and temporal consistency. The proposed framework integrates three components: Query Mask (QM) for structured regularization in the BEV query space, depth-modulated hybrid positional encoding (DM-HPE) for geometry-aware positional representation, and a Temporal Query Filter (TQF) for uncertainty-aware temporal fusion. Experiments on the nuScenes benchmark demonstrate consistent improvements over BEVFormer across different model scales. TriQuery-BEV improves the nuScenes detection score (NDS) and mean average precision (mAP) by 5.4%/6.4% under the Tiny (ResNet-50) setting and by 6.0%/6.5% under the Base (ResNet-101) setting. It also reduces key true-positive error metrics, including mean translation error (mATE) by 2.9%/6.5%, mean orientation error (mAOE) by 5.7%/8.3%, and mean velocity error (mAVE) by 7.3%/15.0% for Tiny/Base, respectively. Extensive ablations further verify the effectiveness of DM-HPE, TQF, and QM, confirming improved robustness, geometric accuracy, and temporal consistency in highly dynamic environments. Full article

Meteorological archives often preserve abundant air-temperature records. However, verified pavement distress records are often unavailable. This makes it difficult to translate archive-scale temperature data into material thermal states that can support engineering screening and interpretation. This study develops a temperature-only probabilistic framework that links a national daily air-temperature background with asphalt and concrete thermal states through site-specific calibration. Northeast China was selected as the case study region, where synchronous 5-min observations of air, concrete, and asphalt temperatures were available from 2024 to 2025. Nationwide daily records from 1951 to 2019 place the air-temperature exposure background of the case study region in a national context. The case study region does not emerge as a dominant national hot-tail regime. Instead, it is characterized by colder minima and larger daily air-temperature ranges than the pooled national background. Under the same air-temperature exposure, asphalt showed stronger amplification of thermal peaks and diurnal cycling than concrete. In the case study region, both materials show a consistently cold-dominant screening pattern, with fluctuation screening secondary and hot screening limited. This qualitative ordering is preserved across weighting, archive-window, and transfer model sensitivity analyses, although hot and fluctuation magnitudes are less stable than the cold side estimates. The framework should therefore be interpreted as a thermal screening tool calibrated at a single monitored site, rather than as a universally validated distress or failure model. Full article

Objectives: Langerhans cell sarcoma (LCS) is a very rare, highly malignant tumor that originates from Langerhans cells. The differential diagnosis of LCS and Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) still faces limitations, and the molecular changes involved in LCS are unclear. Molecular biomarkers and immunophenotypes may help distinguish between LCS and LCH. In this manuscript, the pathological and molecular markers in LCS are explored. Methods: The expression patterns of ASPP1, ASPP2, and inhibitor of apoptosis-stimulating p53 protein (iASPP) were examined using the immunohistochemical method and immunofluorescence staining. Then, genetic features, such as B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase (BRAF) V600E, K-ras, and ROS proto-oncogene 1, receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1), were assayed using the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) method. Finally, whole-exon sequencing of LCS was performed. Results: Immunohistochemically, in all samples of LCS, ASPP2 was detected in ovoid and elliptic tumor cells. In the case of LCH, ASPP2 was expressed not only in ovoid and elliptic cells but also in histiocytic cells. The expression of iASPP was observed in five cases LCS (5/6), and no positive reaction was observed in the case of LCH. No ASPP1 expression was observed in LCH and LCS. During triple-color immunofluorescence analysis, ASPP2 and iASPP were co-expressed on Langerin⁺ LCS tumor cells. No mutations of BRAF V600E, K-ras, or ROS1 were detected in LCH and LCS. No gene mutation or rearrangement was detected in LCS except for the MAP2K1 gene. The mutation site was nonsynonymous in 607 bp of MAP2K1, resulting in a change from base G to A; thus, the amino acid E changed to K at the 203 site (4/6, 66.67%). Conclusions: Combined detection of ASPP2 and iASPP in tissue samples may provide valuable markers to differentiate between LCH and LCS. The MAP2K1 variants c.607G > A is the first potential marker to be reported in LCS. Full article

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by clonal hematopoietic dysregulation, amplification of chronic inflammation, and progressive remodeling of the bone marrow fibrotic niche, clinically manifesting as bone marrow failure, splenomegaly, and systemic inflammatory symptoms. Although Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors can alleviate symptom burden and reduce spleen size, they have limited capacity to eradicate malignant clones or reverse fibrosis. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains the only potentially curative option; however, its application is constrained by advanced age, comorbidities, unavailable donor, and transplant-related risks. Therefore, the development of disease-modifying therapeutic strategies has become a central focus in MF research. Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T)-cell therapy has demonstrated robust efficacy across various hematologic malignancies. Its application in MF holds the potential not only to selectively eliminate malignant hematopoietic clones but also to modulate the immunosuppressive and profibrotic microenvironment through advanced cellular engineering, thereby enabling a dual therapeutic paradigm involving both clonal control and microenvironmental reprogramming. In this context, potential targets and pathways include CD123, myeloproliferative leukemia protein (MPL), fibroblast activation protein (FAP), the TGF-β signaling axis, the CXCR4–CXCL12 niche-regulatory axis, and molecules associated with myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Future strategies may optimize both efficacy and safety through combinatorial approaches, including integration with JAK inhibitors, development of armored CAR-T constructs, and bridging to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Collectively, CAR-T-cell therapy offers a promising avenue for shifting MF management from symptomatic control toward true disease modification. Full article