Search Results (22,970)

The objective of this study was to explore the effect of the assembly sequences of wall materials on the structure and properties of Antarctic krill peptide (AKP)-loaded ovalbumin (OVA)–chitosan (CS) nanoparticles (NPs). Two AKP-loaded NPs (CS/OVA-AKP and OVA/CS-AKP) were prepared by changing the sequences of OVA and CS. The results confirmed that CS/OVA-AKP had a smaller particle size (291 nm vs. 320 nm), lower polydispersity index (0.233 vs. 0.282), higher absolute zeta potential (34.4 mV vs. 32.1 mV), and higher encapsulation efficiency (81.6% vs. 75.4%) than OVA/CS-AKP. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that AKP was encapsulated in an amorphous state within the NPs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions were the primary driving forces for nanoparticle formation, with CS/OVA-AKP demonstrating a stronger OVA fluorescence quenching effect. Compared with OVA/CS-AKP, CS/OVA-AKP exhibited better redispersibility, and CS/OVA-AKP showed greater stability under various environmental factors (thermal treatment, salt concentration, pH, and storage time). During simulated gastrointestinal digestion, CS/OVA-AKP effectively protected AKP from gastric degradation and showed a higher AKP release rate in simulated intestinal fluid (61.1%) than OVA/CS-AKP (53.0%). The release followed the Korsmeyer–Peppas model, with OVA/CS-AKP exhibiting non-Fickian diffusion (n = 0.7500), and CS/OVA-AKP approached Case II transport (n = 0.9889), indicating erosion-controlled release behavior. CS/OVA-AKP also demonstrated higher hypoglycemic activity, with inhibition rates of 41.1%, 37.5%, and 36.1% for α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and DPP-IV, respectively. These findings underscore the important influence of wall-material assembly sequences on the structure and properties of AKP-loaded NPs, offering valuable insights for the development of bioactive peptide delivery systems. Full article

In this work, we designed non-viral gene delivery vector systems based on three poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-ran-poly[2-(3-butenyl)-2-oxazoline] copolymers functionalized by primary, secondary, and tertiary amino groups. The impact of copolymer structure and composition was sought through the examination of basic physicochemical and biological parameters. The complexation ability of copolymers with plasmid DNA was studied by ethidium bromide quenching assay. The polyplex particles size and ζ-potential were determined by dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering. The release ability of copolymers was assessed by competitive displacement of DNA using dextran sulfate. The biological performance of amino-functionalized poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-ran-poly[2-(3-butenyl)-2-oxazoline] based gene delivery systems was evaluated, and their behavior under various environmental conditions, such as pH and ionic strength, was investigated. Cytotoxicity was assessed in two human lung-derived cell lines, and the ability of the copolymers to mediate plasmid DNA delivery and expression was examined. The resulting polyplex nanoparticles exhibited the ability to release DNA molecules and sensitivity to alterations in pH and ionic strength. All systems showed high biocompatibility and were able to mediate plasmid DNA delivery, resulting in detectable EGFP expression in vitro. The vector properties were found to be driven by a multifactorial interplay among hydrophobic character, thermoresponsive behavior, polymer mobility, charge accessibility, intracellular environmental responsiveness, secondary structure effects, etc. The copolymer bearing primary amino groups displayed a distinct balance between DNA binding and release, characterized by moderate complex stability and enhanced sensitivity to environmental changes. These findings provide mechanistic insight into how amino functionality and polymer structure influence the structure–property–behavior relationships of polyoxazoline-based non-viral gene delivery systems. Full article

The iconic Dali’s painting The Temptation of St. Anthony dated 1946, housed in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium since 1965, displays worrying surface conditions in specific areas, notably the figure of St. Anthony. The problematic paint layers similarly exhibit uneven transparency and a rugged surface irrespective of their color, raising questions about whether these features reflect deliberate artistic intent or material degradation. To evidence potential degradation mechanisms and to identify the associated painting materials, Dali’s picture has been investigated through a large panel of imaging and analytical techniques, including digital microscopy, MA-XRF, Raman and FT-IR spectroscopies, XRD and Py-GC–MS. The obtained results were subsequently assessed against the material and technical information collected from Dali’s 50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship, as well as against archival photographs. By combining historical and multi-analytical approaches, it was possible to diagnose the altered condition of the artwork, but above all to determine when and how the deterioration patterns took place. Visible changes of appearance occurred prior to 1965 and were most probably already initiated during the curing and drying processes of the paint films. The present study tends to demonstrate the key roles of mobile resin acids from amber, reactive zinc oxide pigment suspected of containing crystal defects, uncured lead-white-rich underlayers, and chlorine environmental contamination, regarding the early and peculiar degradation behavior observed on Dali’s masterpiece. Full article

Closed-basin lakes are highly sensitive to climatic variability, yet for the Lake Van Basin (Türkiye), the dynamic and spatially heterogeneous linkages among atmospheric drivers and lake-level changes (particularly their lag structure and predictive directionality) remain insufficiently quantified in a unified multivariate setting. This study examines how temperature and precipitation jointly influence hydrological behavior in the Lake Van Basin using a multi-station Vector Autoregression (VAR) framework. By integrating long-term observations from multiple meteorological stations, the analysis explicitly captures the spatial heterogeneity that characterizes this complex endorheic system and provides a consistent basis for comparing station-specific dynamics. The results show strong persistence in lake-level dynamics across specifications, with lagged lake-level coefficients of 0.2595 to 0.3685 (p < 0.01), indicating a buffered endorheic response. Temperature exhibits a highly consistent seasonal dependence across stations, reflected by a uniformly negative and significant four-month temperature lag in the temperature equations (−0.34 to −0.42, p < 0.01). Granger-causality tests further indicate robust bidirectional coupling between temperature and precipitation in all station specifications (p < 0.01 and typically p ≤ 0.05), while climate-to-lake-level linkages remain spatially heterogeneous but are statistically supported across both Tatvan-based and Gevas-based specifications (Tatvan-Tatvan: p < 0.01 for both climate variables; Tatvan-Ahlat: temperature p = 0.000; Gevas-Van, Gevas-Ercis, and Gevas-Muradiye: temperature p = 0.000 and precipitation p = 0.013, 0.008, and 0.015, respectively). Distinct station-level patterns further demonstrate that topographical differences modulate the strength and direction of climate–hydrology linkages across the basin. By providing a coherent, causally consistent understanding of these interactions and explicitly incorporating season-specific VAR and Granger-causality evidence, this study offers a transferable methodological framework for analyzing climate-sensitive lake systems and highlights the need to incorporate temperature-driven processes into water-management and climate-adaptation strategies in endorheic basins. Full article

Background: Children with emotional disturbance (ED) frequently display highly unpredictable behaviors compared to other children. The magnitude and unpredictability of childhood ED make finding effective management strategies difficult for parents. Prior research has examined parents’ stress and the children’s behaviors in schools, but we know very little about how parents manage at home. Methods: This qualitative study used Naturalistic Inquiry to explore how parents respond to the challenges which arise at home due to childhood ED. Eight mothers raising 10 children with ED were recruited nationally. Data were gathered through semi-structured, individual interviews. Results: Consequences-based parenting strategies were unsuccessful, but mothers achieved greater success with pre-planned, intentional responses and adapting the child’s environment. Mothers learned their child’s world view was very different than their own. This realization caused mothers’ perspective toward their child to change. Mothers saw their child as struggling with a problem, instead of simply being defiant. The perception shift allowed mothers to approach situations with greater compassion and inner peace. Conclusions: The findings provide suggestions for pediatric healthcare providers who work with such parents seeking assistance and advice. Full article

Background and Objectives: Psychosocial symptoms and oral behaviors can complicate routine dental care, yet available screeners yield multiple separate scores. Explainable artificial intelligence offers a pragmatic way to integrate such multidomain measures into a single, auditable output that can support screening-oriented stratification and standardized documentation (non-diagnostic). Therefore, we aimed to develop an interpretable, deterministic Mamdani fuzzy inference system (FIS) integrating GAD-7, PHQ-9, and OBC-21 into a 0–10 psychobehavioral composite score (PCS) to support screening-oriented stratification and standardized documentation (non-diagnostic). Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional multicenter study in 18 private dental clinics in Romania (October 2024–March 2025; n = 460). A rule-based Mamdani Type-1 FIS was specified a priori (48 rules; triangular membership functions; centroid defuzzification) without supervised training. Internal evaluation assessed coherence across severity strata, robustness to predefined input perturbations (±1 point; ±5%) and membership-function variation (±10%), and benchmarking against linear composites (Z-mean; PCA PC1). Results: Median PCS was 2.30 (IQR 2.03–3.56). PCS correlated with GAD-7 (Spearman ρ = 0.886), PHQ-9 (ρ = 0.792), and OBC-21 (ρ = 0.687) (all p < 0.001), increased monotonically across anxiety and depression severity strata, and was higher in high OBC-21 risk. Robustness was excellent under input perturbations (ICC(3,1) = 0.983 for ±1 point; 0.992 for ±5%) and high under ±10% membership-function variation (ICC(3,1) = 0.959). Concordance with linear baselines was high (Spearman ρ = 0.956 for Z-mean; 0.955 for PCA PC1), with a small systematic nonlinearity at higher scores. Conclusions: PCS provides a fully auditable, rule-based integration of three patient-reported measures with coherent internal behavior and robustness to plausible measurement noise and specification changes. This study reports internal evaluation of a deterministic, rule-based aggregation; external clinical validation against independent outcomes is required before any clinical utility claims. Full article

Cable-suspended structures are important auxiliary structures for the construction of long-span arch bridges. Due to topographic constraints, the cable-suspended structure of Liuchehe Bridge adopts an asymmetric structure form with a main span of 736 m. Nevertheless, research focusing on the mechanical behavior of large-span asymmetric cable hoisting structures remains limited at present. Under unfavorable loads, including temperature and cable saddle friction, tower buckling failure may occur in cable hoisting structures as a result of overstress. In addition, inappropriate changes in physical parameters and temperature of the main cable will alter its sag and consequently compromise construction precision. For the sake of the safety of the cable hoisting structure, a temperature gradient experiment was conducted on the steel pipes of the prefabricated tower by virtue of a practical engineering project. The change rule of the measured point temperature was analyzed, a temperature gradient pattern for tower steel pipes was proposed, and the deficiencies of the specifications were compensated for. On this basis, the effects of variations in temperature, main cable weight, main cable elastic modulus, guy cable tension, and saddle friction resistance on the mechanical behavior of the cable-suspended structure were analyzed. According to the temperature tests on the tower steel pipes, the maximum radial temperature gradient of the steel pipe section reaches 15 °C, which is higher than the thermal gradient value stipulated in the codes. Moreover, the steel pipe stress under the thermal gradient model proposed in the current research is greater than that under the thermal gradient model in the codes. The steel tube stress under the temperature gradient model adopted in this study is 7.6 times that specified in the design code. Temperature and the elastic modulus of the main cable have a significant influence on the mid-span deformation of the main cable. For every 1 °C temperature variation, the vertical displacement at the main cable mid-span changes by 25 mm. During the construction of the main cable, the sag of the main cable should be adjusted according to the rule governing temperature’s influence on the mid-span of the main cable to avoid elevation deviations of the main cable arising from temperature. Saddle frictional resistance exerts a notable effect on tower deformation, guy cable tension, and tower stress. At a friction coefficient of 0.3, the stress caused by friction in the steel tube at the tower bottom constitutes 35.1% of the total stress under the maximum design hoisting load. During construction, the free rotation of rollers at the saddle should be ensured to reduce the mechanical response of the structure. The findings of this study can provide a basis for the design and construction of long-span asymmetric cable-suspended structures. Full article

Fatigue behaviors in asphalt mixtures are influenced by multiple factors, including strain level, strain waveform, and temperature, as well as rest periods. This complexity makes the analysis and interpretation of fatigue data particularly challenging. Dissipated energy (DE) is effective for developing unified fatigue models that characterize asphalt mixture behavior across varying temperatures and strain levels. However, its applicability requires further validation across a broader range of loading scenarios, especially those involving diverse strain waveforms and rest periods. This research aimed to apply the dissipated energy method to analyze fatigue behaviors of asphalt mixture subjected to extended combinations of strain waveforms and temperatures, as well as rest periods. It was found that strain waveform significantly impacts DE values and the rate of DE variation in asphalt mixtures, which contributes to differences in fatigue life at varying strain waveforms. The initial DE (IDE) indicator establishes a distinct correlation with the fatigue life of the asphalt mixture, unaffected by strain waveforms or strain levels. However, this IDE-fatigue life relationship is influenced by rest periods and temperatures. Longer rest periods shift the IDE-fatigue life curve toward a higher fatigue life, indicating improved performance. Through IDE analysis, a generalized model was formulated to represent IDE-fatigue life relationships across broad strain waveforms and strain levels, as well as rest periods, facilitating fatigue life prediction under changing conditions. This research provides valuable insights into the fatigue characteristics and underlying mechanisms of asphalt mixtures from an energy perspective. Full article

Large Language Models are increasingly used for high-level robotic reasoning, yet their latency and stochasticity complicate their direct use in low-level control. Moreover, extracting actionable navigation cues from multimodal context incurs inference costs that are challenging for embedded platforms. We present a plug-and-play framework that augments a finite-state machine with asynchronous velocity suggestions generated by a Large Language Model, using an off-the-shelf DistilGPT-2 model running on-device on a Jetson AGX Orin. The system extracts task-relevant cues from the current context and integrates them only if they satisfy deadline, schema, and kinematic validation, thereby preserving a deterministic 50 Hz control loop with a <5 ms fallback path. We compare multiple Large Language Models for embedded robot control and quantify trade-offs among model size, inference time, and output validity. To assess whether the Large Language Models add value beyond signal processing, we include an ablation against a standard smoothing baseline; the results indicate that the Large Language Models contribute anticipatory, context-dependent adjustments that are not captured by filtering alone. Experiments in Gazebo and on a real TurtleBot3 reduce the final position error from 0.246 m to 0.159 m and improve trajectory efficiency from 0.821 to 0.901 without increasing control-loop latency. Approximately 80% of the Large Language Models’ outputs pass validation and are applied. Overall, the framework reduces developer effort by enabling behavioral changes at the prompt level while maintaining interpretable, robust edge-based navigation. Full article

Parkinson disease (PD) and mood disorders represent two substantial global health burdens that increasingly co-occur as both conditions rise in prevalence worldwide. Diagnosing Parkinson disease in patients with pre-existing mood disorders is clinically challenging due to overlapping symptoms, medication effects, and shared neurobiological mechanisms. Apathy, psychomotor slowing, and fatigue may mimic depressive symptoms, leading to delayed recognition of early parkinsonism. Development of an underlying neurodegenerative disorder could account for some treatment-resistant symptoms or treatment failures if not recognized. Therefore, the identification of PD will change the treatment and management plan significantly. Accurate diagnosis of PD requires a detailed neurologic examination focusing on bradykinesia, rigidity, and resting tremor, supported when appropriate by dopamine transporter imaging (DaT scan) or other emerging biomarkers. Understanding the temporal relationship between psychiatric and motor features helps differentiate prodromal PD from primary mood disorders. Management of patients with both mood disorders and PD integrates dopaminergic replacement therapy for motor symptoms with individualized treatment of psychiatric comorbidities. Levodopa remains the cornerstone for motor control, while dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors, and COMT inhibitors can be added as needed. For depression and anxiety, SSRIs and SNRIs are first-line choices; quetiapine or clozapine are preferred when treatment for psychosis is necessary. Intentional, thoughtful polypharmacy is frequently required. Non-pharmacologic interventions—including cognitive behavioral therapy, structured exercise, and patient–caregiver education—enhance mood, function, and quality of life. Multidisciplinary collaboration between neurology, psychiatry, and allied health professionals is essential for optimal outcomes. This review offers guidance to healthcare providers as well as other interested parties involved in patients with mood disorders who may also be developing or have PD, especially to those who may have limited access to neurologic resources. Full article

Global efforts to mitigate climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels have intensified interest in sustainable, urban-compatible wind energy technologies. Conventional wind turbines, however, remain limited in densely populated environments due to acoustic emissions, mechanical complexity, cost, and risks to avian wildlife. This study proposes and numerically evaluates a bladeless wind turbine concept based on vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs) as a simplified alternative to conventional bladed systems. The proposed design replaces rotating blades with a vertical mast that undergoes wind-induced oscillations, which are passively converted into unidirectional rotational motion using a cylindrical cam (CCAM) mechanism. The aerodynamic behavior and structural response of the system are investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA) under low-wind-speed conditions representative of urban environments. The numerical results indicate well-defined flow separation and wake formation conducive to VIV, along with low stress and displacement levels in the mast, supporting reliable mechanical engagement with the CCAM mechanism. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of mechanically rectified VIV-based bladeless wind turbines and highlight their potential as low-noise, low-impact solutions for decentralized and urban wind energy applications. Full article

The need for efficient water management is critical today, as this resource faces increasing scarcity due to population growth, pollution, climate change, depletion, and overexploitation of water resources. This further exacerbates the problem of intermittent water supply (IWS), where consumers receive running water for less than 24 h a day, 7 days a week, affecting more than one billion people worldwide. This article presents the development and implementation of a smart water metering and monitoring system (SWMMS) for households affected by IWS. The system comprises IoT devices that record water levels and consumption and supply events in real time; cloud computing services to store and process the readings taken by the IoT devices; and a mobile application that allows users to view the available volume, consult their daily consumption history, and receive alerts for prolonged consumption time, overflows, and low water levels. The system was implemented for 115 days in a home suffering from an IWS, where a lower number of consumption events were recorded during the first 40 days of monitoring due to an initial behavioral response to continuous observation (Hawthorne effect), rather than an improvement in efficiency induced by the system. Full article

To support the integration of high shares of renewable energy and enhance the operational flexibility of thermal power systems, thermosyphon have been considered as promising high-efficiency heat transfer components for thermal energy storage applications. In this study, a water-based thermosyphon motivated by molten-salt thermal energy storage scenarios is investigated numerically to clarify its internal heat-transfer behavior under different operating conditions. A two-dimensional CFD model is established based on the Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) multiphase approach coupled with the Lee phase-change model. The effects of heating power (3.5–5.0 kW) and liquid filling ratio (25–40%) on wall temperature distribution and thermal resistance characteristics are systematically analyzed. The results indicate that increasing the filling ratio improves the uniformity of the evaporator wall temperature, and a filling ratio of 40% leads to a relatively favorable liquid distribution and the lowest total thermal resistance within the investigated range. The evaporator thermal resistance exhibits a “decrease–increase” trend with heating power and reaches a minimum value of 1.019 × 10⁻⁴ K/W at 4.5 kW, while the condenser thermal resistance decreases monotonically with in-creasing heating power. This study provides comparative numerical insights into the coupled effects of heating power and filling ratio on thermosyphon performance, offering a reference for the component-level design and parameter selection of heat pipe heat exchangers in molten-salt-related thermal energy storage systems. Full article

Rural shrinkage is increasingly expressed through changing residential mobility, housing under occupancy, and intermittent dwelling use, rather than a simple linear process of permanent outmigration and abandonment. Yet empirical measurement of occupancy dynamics and the service-mediated mechanisms shaping residence stability remains limited. This study proposes an evidence-driven and explainable assessment framework that links energy-informed occupancy dynamics with settlement building area and mechanism identification, using Fuyuan City as a case study. Daily electricity consumption time series from 2021 to 2024 are used to infer occupancy dynamics and detect behavioral signatures of long term residence, seasonal residence, return visits, and vacancy. Shape-based temporal clustering identifies six occupancy trajectories, revealing pronounced heterogeneity in mobility rhythms within the rural settlement system. Settlement vacancy-related built-environment changes are characterized from 2 m remote sensing imagery, using a trained YOLO-based building detection workflow, producing settlement-level total building area as a physical indicator of the development intensity. Integrating these behavioral measures with multi-source spatial factors, the mechanism model shows that development, governance, and environmental conditions influence residence stability primarily through service provision. Among service domains, education services exhibit the strongest direct association with long-term residence stability, while transport and daily life services show modest positive effects and healthcare presents a smaller positive effect. Development conditions positively promote all service types, whereas governance and environmental context display differentiated and, in some pathways, opposing effects across services. Overall, the framework enables interpretable monitoring of rural shrinkage dynamics by jointly quantifying occupancy trajectories, settlement morphology, and service-mediated pathways shaping residential outcomes. Full article

The rapid development of archaeology in China has led to the excavation of numerous fragmented porcelain artifacts, for which adhesive materials play a critical role in conservation and restoration. The long-term stability of these adhesives directly affects the structural safety and visual integrity of restored objects. In this study, four adhesives widely used in Chinese conservation practice—epoxy resin Hezhong AAA, epoxy resin Hongxing 509, acrylic resin Paraloid B-72, and cyanoacrylate adhesive 502—were systematically investigated through simulated cyclic aging experiments. A multi-analytical approach was employed, including ultra-depth-of-field microscopy, CIE Lab* colorimetric analysis, pencil hardness testing, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results reveal distinct aging behaviors among different adhesive types. Epoxy resin adhesives exhibit high initial hardness and pronounced hardening during aging, with coating hardness increasing from the B range to the H range after 15 aging cycles; however, they also show significant yellowing, with total color differences (ΔE) exceeding 10 and dominated by increases in the b* parameter. Paraloid B-72 maintains excellent color stability throughout aging, with ΔE values consistently below 2, although it shows limited thermal stability and delayed physical stabilization. The cyanoacrylate adhesive 502 demonstrates rapid curing and minimal discoloration but undergoes embrittlement and interfacial debonding during aging, indicating reduced long-term bonding reliability. By correlating macroscopic performance evolution with molecular-level chemical changes, this study elucidates the aging mechanisms of commonly used restoration adhesives and provides a scientific basis for adhesive selection, risk assessment, and long–term preservation strategies in porcelain conservation. Full article