Search Results (3,540)

Air knives are extensively employed in many cold rolling or tin plate production lines for drying purposes. Generally, these systems are oversized, resulting in excessive energy consumption, a consequence of insufficient understanding of their performance. Considering this deficiency, an empirical exploration was initiated to analyze the functionality of an air knife oriented perpendicularly to a given surface. Given the scarcity of information within the current body of literature, particular emphasis was placed on the regions affected by the finite dimensions of the device. Impingement pressure distributions were measured at the midspan plane and planes parallel to the midspan but extending beyond the projection of the air knife. The midspan impingement pressure profile aligned with the established bell-shaped distribution, whereas the outcomes beyond the air knife’s projection conformed to an analytically fitted similarity principle. Consequently, the mathematical formulations introduced in this study facilitate the mapping of the impingement pressure within the whole impingement plane, encompassing areas influenced by the finite length of the air knife, thereby representing the innovative contribution of this research. Full article

Background: Hand burns are a key criterion for immediate referral to tertiary burn centres in Australia, New Zealand, and internationally, yet few studies have examined how paediatric burn epidemiology, surgical management, and length of stay (LOS) differ according to the extent of hand involvement. The objective of this study was to describe and compare the demographic profiles, burn injury characteristics, and clinical management between three groups: children with (1) burns involving only the hands, (2) burns involving the hands and other sites, and (3) burns not involving the hands who were admitted to the paediatric Burns Service of Western Australia (BSWA) over a 10-year period. Methods: This cross-sectional study included all burn admissions to the state paediatric burn unit between July 2012 and June 2022. Descriptive statistics and univariate regression used to compare groups. A multivariate log-linear regression model was used to assess the independent association between hand involvement and length of hospital stay, adjusting for identified confounders. T Results: Children with burns isolated to the hands were younger, had a smaller percentage of total body surface area (%TBSA), were more likely to have sustained contact or friction burns, and were more likely to undergo skin grafting procedures compared to those with burns involving the hands and other sites, and those with burns not involving the hands. Despite these differences, hand involvement was not identified as an independent predictor of initial LOS. Conclusion: Paediatric patients with hand burns did not have longer initial hospital admissions than those without hand involvement. Future research needs to assess longer term impacts of hand burns. Full article

This study presents a surrogate-assisted evolutionary optimization framework for parametric design under limited data conditions, integrating computational fluid dynamics (CFD), machine learning, and evolutionary algorithms to optimize spiked blunt body geometries in supersonic flow. A dataset of CFD simulations covering a range of Mach numbers and geometric ratios, including spike length () and diameter (), was used to train regression-based surrogate models.Among the evaluated models, the Gradient Boosting Regressor (GBR) achieved the highest predictive accuracy (, RMSE = 0.00775), effectively capturing the nonlinear relationship between flow conditions, geometry, and drag coefficient (). The trained surrogate model was coupled with three evolutionary algorithms—Differential Evolution (DE), Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES), and Genetic Algorithm (GA)—to identify optimal geometric configurations across different Mach regimes. To validate the proposed framework, the optimal solutions obtained from the surrogate-based optimization were re-evaluated using CFD simulations. A strong agreement between predicted and simulated drag coefficients was observed, confirming the reliability of the surrogate model for guiding optimization within the explored design space. The results reveal consistent geometric trends, with the optimal spike length ratio decreasing as Mach number increases, while the diameter ratio converges to a narrow range around . Additionally, SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis identified as the most influential parameter affecting drag, followed by Mach number and , supporting the physical interpretation of the flow behavior. Overall, the proposed framework demonstrates that the integration of CFD, machine learning, and evolutionary algorithms provides an efficient and reliable approach for geometric optimization in supersonic applications, enabling accurate design exploration with a limited number of high-fidelity simulations. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the acute and chronic toxic effects of two thermodynamic inhibitors (methanol and ethylene glycol) widely used in deep-sea oil and gas operations on two typical marine fish species, the medaka (Oryzias melastigma) and the yellowstripe goby (Mugilogobius chulae), to assess their potential ecological risks in marine environments. The 96-h median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) was determined through acute toxicity tests. A 56-day chronic toxicity test was conducted to evaluate the effects on fish growth (body length) and the antioxidant defense system, specifically the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). The results revealed marked species-specific differences. In terms of acute toxicity, medaka exhibited exceptionally high sensitivity to ethylene glycol (LC₅₀ 15.77 g/L), while the yellowstripe goby showed greater tolerance (LC₅₀ 22.17 g/L). Chronic exposure led to concentration-dependent growth inhibition in both species, and medaka showed significantly higher mortality than yellowstripe goby. Under methanol exposure, medaka exhibited significantly higher mortality (30–45%) than yellowstripe goby (5–20%). When exposed to ethylene glycol, medaka showed markedly high mortality (55–85%), while yellowstripe goby mortality remained below 15%. At the molecular level, both chemicals induced oxidative stress, but the response patterns of the antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) were species-specific, indicating differences in toxic mechanisms and detoxification capacities. Methanol and ethylene glycol pose non-negligible ecotoxicological risks to marine fish, and the toxicity intensity is influenced by species specificity, exposure concentration, and the effectiveness of the antioxidant defense system. This study emphasizes that environmental risk assessments for such chemicals must fully account for species differences and sublethal effects, providing critical scientific evidence for formulating precise environmental safety standards for marine hydrocarbon exploitation. Full article

This study investigated the adaptation of culinary culture and behavioral adjustment to Turkish cuisine among international students. The sample comprised 82 students (61.0% males; 39.0% females) from over 20 countries across Europe, Central Asia, South/Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, all enrolled at Erciyes University. Data collection involved a sociodemographic questionnaire, assessments of food consumption frequency and cooking methods, and the Culinary Culture Adaptation Assessment Inventory. Results indicate that adaptation to Turkish cuisine occurs through a selective and gradual behavioral process. Higher adaptation levels were observed for basic dietary components (bread, soup, rice, yoghurt, and tea), whereas adoption of starch- and sugar-heavy dietary patterns was more limited. Gender comparisons revealed significantly higher scores for meat-heavy and starch-heavy dietary patterns among males (p = 0.048 and p = 0.031, respectively). In contrast, regional origin, economic status, and language proficiency were not significantly associated with culinary acculturation levels. Comparisons based on length of residence identified significant differences in meat-heavy and starch-heavy dietary patterns (p = 0.034 and p = 0.008, respectively). Cooking behaviors remained stable for boiling, grilling, and baking, while frying and roasting decreased. Reported changes in portion perception and body weight suggest that culinary acculturation may extend beyond food choice to broader eating behaviors. Based on these results, an AI-supported interactive platform was developed to facilitate culturally comparable food matching between Turkish and global cuisines. These findings may inform the development of culturally sensitive strategies to support culinary adaptation among international students. Full article

Background and aim: Chest CT is a major contributor to population radiation exposure. Conventional, pooled diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) do not account for inter-individual variability in body habitus and are typically used retrospectively. We evaluated dose behavior in adult chest CT, derived BMI-stratified local DRLs, and developed models to enable AI-assisted, prescan dose prediction. Methods: Consecutive adult chest CT examinations from a single center were analyzed. Dose indices (CTDIvol, DLP) and patient factors (BMI, weight, height, age, sex; scan length and planned technical parameters where available) were extracted. DRLs were defined as the 75th percentile overall and within BMI categories (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese). Group differences were assessed using non-parametric tests; associations were examined using correlation analysis. Supervised learning (e.g., Random Forest, Gradient Boosting) was trained to predict CTDIvol and DLP from routinely available variables. Results: BMI-stratified DRLs increased monotonically with habitus: underweight 444.95 mGy·cm/9.60 mGy; normal 513.00/11.55; overweight 756.08/14.65; obese 931.60/20.25 (DLP/CTDIvol). Differences across BMI groups were significant for DLP (H = 31.53, p < 0.001) and CTDIvol (H = 33.61, p < 0.001). DLP correlated moderately with weight and BMI (r ≈ 0.54–0.56, p < 0.001), with a weaker association for age; height was not a meaningful predictor. No sex-based differences in CTDIvol or DLP were observed. Predictive models estimated CTDIvol and DLP with high performance (R² up to ~0.79 and ~0.77, respectively), enabling comparison of predicted dose against BMI-matched DRLs before acquisition. Conclusions: Size-aware, BMI-stratified DRLs provide clinically interpretable investigation levels that avoid pitfalls of pooled benchmarks. Coupled with robust prediction of individualized dose from routine variables, this framework supports a shift from retrospective audit to prospective, point-of-care dose governance and protocol optimization in chest CT. Full article

Meaningful partitioning of 2D binary shapes remains a challenging problem in shape analysis because many existing methods rely mainly on local geometric rules or skeleton simplification, which often struggle to separate the main body of a shape from its protruding parts in a perceptually meaningful way. This limitation becomes more evident in shapes with thin limbs, branching structures, or irregular extensions, where preserving topology while achieving human-consistent decomposition is difficult. We present a fully automatic framework for the hierarchical partitioning of 2D binary shapes into semantically meaningful core bodies and protruding limbs (tails). The pipeline begins by generating candidate structural lines through multi-directional centroid tracking along horizontal, vertical, and diagonal (±45°) bands. Three direction-specific Sugeno fuzzy controllers first evaluate these lines based on normalized length, angular alignment, and minimum distance to the boundary. A second pair of fuzzy systems then classifies segments as either tails or core parts using thickness statistics derived from the distance transform. For ambiguous merged tail groups, iterative midpoint splitting is applied until stable labeling is achieved. High-curvature boundary corners are then detected via signed turning-angle analysis, and candidate cutting rays are assessed through exact region splitting, tail area measurement, and label purity analysis. An adaptive third-stage fuzzy controller ranks these candidates according to cut length, purity, and area. The highest-scoring non-overlapping cuts are executed iteratively, progressively peeling peripheral parts while preserving the overall topology and symmetry of the shape. The proposed framework is evaluated on a targeted subset of 32 categories from the 2D Shape Structure Dataset Results on this evaluated subset indicate that the method produces coherent and topologically consistent partitions, with competitive agreement with the available human-annotated references. This training-free framework provides an interpretable tool for 2D shape analysis, with potential applications in object recognition, computer animation, and symmetry studies. Full article

The circulatory system of cuttlefish (family Sepiidae) has been extensively studied; however, a comprehensive anatomical reconstruction of bobtail squids (family Sepiolidae) remains limited despite their ecological and evolutionary importance within Decapodiformes. This study reconstructs the circulatory architecture of sepiolids through comparative histological analysis and documents microorganisms or parasites associated with renal tissues. Two bobtail squid species, Rossia bipapillata and Sepiolina nipponensis, were examined using serial histological sections, while four cuttlefish species—Sepia lycidas, Sepia esculenta, Sepia japonica, and Sepia tenuipes—were analyzed for comparative purposes. Morphometric parameters, including sex, total length, and mantle length, were recorded prior to histological processing. Branchial hearts and renal appendages were sectioned using serial microtomy (~120 sections per specimen) and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid–Schiff, Masson’s trichrome, and Giemsa to visualize vascular continuity and tissue organization. Histological observations confirmed vascular connections between the gills, branchial hearts, the systemic heart, and renal appendages, enabling reconstruction of the sepiolid circulatory pathway. In addition, the light organ characteristic of Sepiolidae was identified as a tissue receiving oxygenated blood within the circulatory network. Renal tissues revealed the presence of parasitic organisms, including Dicyema in cuttlefish and ciliates of the genus Chromidina in bobtail squids. Morphological observations revealed structural diversity in Chromidina, including characteristic spiral anterior features and variation in body form, as well as developmental variation in nuclear number relative to body length in dicyemids. These findings provide new insights into cephalopod circulatory organization, parasite diversity, and host–parasite interactions. Full article

Background and objectives: Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a well-established transdiagnostic process in anxiety (ANX) and major depressive disorder (MDD), and has been increasingly implicated in anorexia nervosa (AN). However, most previous research including patients with AN has relied on total or subscale scores from eating disorder measures, which obscures how specific eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction symptoms relate to distinct facets of IU. The primary objective of the present study was to characterize item-level networks linking eating attitudes, body dissatisfaction, and IU in a pooled clinical mental health sample, alongside a control group (CG). Methods: Data were drawn from a sample including individuals with symptoms related to AN (N = 105), MDD (N = 97), and ANX (N = 240), a comorbid group (N = 84) with symptoms of two or more of these conditions, and a CG (N = 842). Separate item-level networks were estimated for clinical and control groups, and network structure and centrality indices were compared. Results: Network analyses revealed distinct organizational patterns between the clinical and control subsamples. Although both networks showed identical diameters, the clinical network exhibited a shorter average path length and higher clustering, indicating stronger local connectivity, whereas the control network showed higher modularity. In the clinical subsample, nodes related to binge eating, post-eating guilt, and IU emerged as the most central and acted as key connectors between clusters. In contrast, the control network displayed a more distributed centrality pattern, suggesting a more integrated and homogeneous network organization. Conclusions: This study provides new evidence to refine our understanding of how IU relates to eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction across diagnostic mental health boundaries. Identifying highly influential psychopathological symptoms across eating, mood, and anxiety disorders, as well as bridge nodes linking these mental health domains, is important for understanding transdiagnostic symptom dynamics. These insights may inform the development of more sensitive screening and diagnostic tools, as well as targeted intervention points to support more personalized and mechanism-focused treatments. Full article

To address the inherent inefficiencies and high error rates associated with manual biomass estimation in Litopenaeus vannamei aquaculture, this study presents a highly sophisticated automated framework based on an enhanced U-Net framework. We propose the DCRAG-UNetmodel, which integrates Dilated Convolutions to expand the receptive field, and a Residual-hybrid Attention Gate (RAG) to effectively suppress underwater noise while reinforcing edge features. The framework integrates a morphological skeleton extraction algorithm with sub-pixel geometric correction to achieve precise body length measurements, which are subsequently used for weight prediction via a robust regression model. Experimental results demonstrate that DCRAG-UNet achieves a Dice coefficient of 98.55% and an mIoU of 98.72%. Furthermore, the average relative errors for body length and weight estimation were 1.12% and 6.92%, respectively. These findings validate the model’s reliability and effectiveness for non-invasive biomass monitoring in intelligent aquaculture environments. Full article

Background: The benefits of metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) in people with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 50 kg/m² are not well-established, with concerns of increased risk and poorer weight loss. The optimal surgical type (gastric bypass [GB] versus sleeve gastrectomy [SG]) is unclear, with studies comparing complication rates, weight loss, and glycaemic outcomes reporting mixed results. Methods: Participants with a BMI ≥ 50 kg/m² undergoing MBS (SG or GB) from 2008 to 2022 were recruited. Demographics, anthropometrics, biochemistry, and diabetes status were analysed at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months post-operatively. Surgical outcomes and complications were analysed. Results: The study included n = 184, with BMI ≥ 50 kg/m² (57.6% female, age 38.6 ± 10.5 years, and BMI 55.3 ± 6.0 kg/m²). Pre-operatively, 21.1% had pre-diabetes, and 33.2% had diabetes (mean HbA1c 8.0 ± 1.7%). Most subjects (89.1%) underwent SG. The overall 30-day adverse event rate was 4.9%, with a higher, but not statistically significant, rate in the GB group (15.0% vs 3.7%, p = 0.061). The GB group had a longer length of stay (GB =4.5 ± 0.6 days, SG = 3.1 ± 0.2, and p = 0.023). The rate of revisional surgery was 2.7%, with no significant difference between groups. The follow-up rate was 67.9% at 12 months and 51.1% at 24 months. The average %total weight loss (%TWL) at 12 months (27.4 ± 9.0%, SG = 27.6 ± 9.0%, GB = 26.0 ± 9.4%, and p = 0.481) and 24 months (27.1 ± 10.9%, SG = 27.4 ± 11.1%, GB = 24.9 ± 8.9%, and p = 0.495) were similar between groups. The GB group had a larger HbA1c reduction (3.2 ± 1.1%) than SG (1.9 ±1.3%, p = 0.030) but no difference in diabetes remission rates (69.2% at 12 months, 76.7% at 24 months). Conclusions: MBS is safe and effective for individuals with a BMI ≥ 50 kg/m², with low complication rates and good weight loss and glycaemic outcomes at 2 years. No statistically significant differences in %TWL, diabetes remission, or complication rates were noted between SG and GB groups, though results are limited by the small number of participants who underwent GB. Full article

Rock fracture mechanics and the associated energy-release behavior play a key role in ensuring safe extraction in underground coal mining. Hydraulic fracturing generates prefabricated fracture networks in competent rock strata, thereby modifying fracture propagation patterns and reducing the failure resistance of the strata. In this study, standardized three-point bending tests were conducted to investigate the fracture behavior of pre-cracked sandstone specimens with different crack morphologies, quantities, and spacings. New crack initiation occurred mainly at the midspan in specimens containing horizontal prefabricated cracks, whereas inclined prefabricated cracks promoted crack initiation from the crack tips. Although horizontal crack length did not exhibit a clear monotonic effect on load-bearing capacity, the overall capacity decreased with increasing crack density or decreasing crack spacing. Vertical cracks further reduced load-bearing performance, particularly at relatively small crack spacings. The strain response exhibited a non-monotonic relationship with horizontal crack parameters, increasing first and then decreasing with increasing crack length and spacing, while showing a positive correlation with vertical crack spacing. Dissipated energy was negatively correlated with prefabricated crack angle, accounting for 92.65%, 89.10%, and 94.03% of the total input energy. With increasing crack length, the proportion of dissipated energy first increased and then decreased, with values of 92.65%, 90.77%, 92.52%, and 96.13%. Energy dissipation decreased with increasing horizontal crack spacing but increased with vertical crack spacing. Numerical simulations further showed that both horizontal and vertical fractures generated by ground fracturing promoted timely strata failure, while vertical fractures were more effective in facilitating overburden fracture propagation and reducing the bearing capacity of the rock strata and advance coal body by more than 13%. These findings provide a mechanistic basis for the control of thick and competent hard-roof strata. Full article

Breeding in bird species inhabiting the temperate climate zone is strongly seasonally regulated. One such species is the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), widely maintained in aviary systems and of considerable importance in game management. The aim of this study was to determine seasonal variability in selected morphological traits of male common pheasants and to assess their relationship with vocalisation parameters during the annual cycle. The study was conducted on males kept under aviary conditions. Traits related to reproductive condition were analysed, including testicular mass and facial wattle height, together with mating vocalisations. The results revealed clear seasonal variation in the analysed traits. A gradual increase in body mass and spur length was observed from summer to winter, reflecting the maturation of young males and accumulation of energy reserves before the breeding season. The highest values of reproductive parameters, particularly testicular mass and wattle height, were recorded in spring, indicating peak hormonal activity and full sexual maturity. In June, a marked regression of these traits and a decline in the somatic condition traits were observed, corresponding to the end of the breeding season. Changes in vocal activity followed a similar pattern, suggesting a link between acoustic parameters and seasonal reproductive dynamics. Full article

Plant-based diets are generally associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases; however, the relationship between a vegan diet and genome integrity remains insufficiently characterized. In this cross-sectional study, we assessed primary DNA damage in peripheral blood cells of vegans and omnivores. A total of 62 apparently healthy adults were included: 31 vegans (median vegan diet duration 4.5 years) and 31 omnivores matched for sex and smoking status. DNA damage was assessed using the alkaline comet assay under standardized conditions and expressed as tail intensity (% tail DNA), tail length, tail moment, and total comet area. Tail intensity was significantly higher in vegans than in omnivores (B = 1.98; 95% CI 0.19 to 3.76; p = 0.031) after adjustment for age, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and alcohol consumption. Within the vegan group, longer duration of adherence to a vegan diet was positively associated with tail intensity, independent of age (B = 0.23; 95% CI 0.03 to 0.43; p = 0.026). These findings suggest that adherence to a vegan diet and its duration may be associated with higher levels of primary DNA damage; however, these results should be interpreted with caution given the observational design and modest sample size. Full article

The biomechanics of frog jumping has been a subject of significant interest in both biology and engineering, driven by the high efficiency of their movement. This study presents the dynamic simulation of a frog’s complete jump cycle, from take-off to landing and re-stabilization, to advance the development of bio-inspired jumping robots for irregular terrains. As a primary contribution, and unlike previous studies that focus exclusively on the propulsion phase, this work addresses all stages, using direct servomotor actuation without mechanical energy storage. Biological joint kinematics were mathematically characterized using Cubic Smoothing Splines. By empirically tuning the smoothing parameter (p), the trajectories achieved the continuous differentiability required for electromechanical actuation. These curves were implemented into a 3D multibody simulation (Altair Inspire), where a PID-based tracking framework managed the mechanically nonlinear multibody dynamics governing the jump (arising from contact forces, impacts, and time-varying inertial effects) to ensure stabilization during the complex landing phase. Validating the model against previous studies, the simulation successfully achieved a maximum horizontal jump distance of 24.12 cm (4.02 body lengths) and a peak velocity of 1.45 m/s. The kinematic fidelity of the model was mathematically validated, yielding a maximum Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) of 4.121% relative to biological reference trajectories. Furthermore, the robustness of the landing and re-stabilization phases was demonstrated through a continuous double jump covering a total distance of 45.83 cm. Finally, a dynamic scaling analysis was performed to evaluate the feasibility of implementing real motors. Ultimately, this study establishes a mathematically robust framework for replicating frog-inspired jumping dynamics, contributing a transferable methodology for the design and control of articulated bio-inspired robotic systems. Full article