Search Results (8,766)

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive malignant brain tumor accounting for 15% of all brain tumors and 50% of all gliomas. The exact cause of GBM is not fully understood but risk factors include age, genetic mutations, exposure to ionizing radiation, and certain genetic disorders. Symptoms of GBM include headaches, seizures, cognitive impairment, and weaknesses on one side of the body. Myeloid cells account for 30–50% of the tumor mass and are instrumental in shaping the complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Inflammation in the TME is an important driver of tumor growth and invasion; however, as the environment evolves, the immunosuppressive TME poses a significant hurdle as it hinders the immune-mediated killing of tumor cells. Our work utilizes neuroimmune organoids containing neurons, astrocytes, microglia, and vascular-like cells, to which we add patient-derived GBM cells and/or iPSC-derived macrophages to model the GBM TME. Model characterization was performed using single-cell RNA sequencing and supernatant proteomics to determine cell-specific changes during coculturing. Our findings are consistent with this 7-day coculture model recapitulating key aspects of GBM early tumor establishment and immune activation, with transcriptomic and secretome signatures suggestive of an emerging immune evasion phenotype. Full article

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) exert dual biological functions in plants. Though they form toxic byproducts of aerobic metabolism, ROS also serve as indispensable secondary messengers that orchestrate stress acclimation programs. For decades, plant physiologists operated under a pervasive assumption that constitutive and non-compartmentalized upregulation of antioxidant capacity would universally enhance abiotic stress tolerance. This long-standing dogma has now been thoroughly overturned. A growing body of evidence shows that sustained, global high antioxidant activity often impairs adaptation rather than helping it. In this review, we replace the simplistic “more antioxidants equal better tolerance” framework with a dynamic model of cellular redox homeostasis. We dissect three interconnected mechanisms though which unrestrained ROS scavenging generates deleterious phenotypic outcomes. First, indiscriminate clearance blunts transient ROS pulses and propagating ROS waves, the core signaling events acquired to trigger systemic acquired acclimation (SAA). Second, continuous antioxidant biosynthesis drains finite carbon skeletons, NADPH, and ATP pools, exacerbating evolutionary growth-defense resource trade-offs. Third, non-specific bulk ROS scavenging erases compartment-specific organellar retrograde signals, which rely on tightly controlled spatial and temporal ROS fluctuations. We concurrently define physiological boundary conditions where robust antioxidant activity remains vital for plant survival under extreme stress. Rather than advocating for the complete suppression of ROS detoxification, our analysis advocates context-dependent fine-tuning of redox signaling networks. We also summarize emerging precision redox monitoring and genetic engineering tools, and outline translational breeding pipelines to develop climate-resilient crops that balance stress survival and yield stability. This work delivers novel conceptual perspectives to advance fundamental plant redox biology. Full article

With the increasing demand for clean energy and low-carbon transportation, next-generation vehicles integrating high-frequency electronic systems have become more complex, raising concerns about in-vehicle electromagnetic exposure. This paper reviews high-frequency devices operating in the 30 kHz–300 GHz range and systematically analyzes the spatial distribution and key frequency characteristics of electromagnetic sources in vehicles. The results show that, even under worst-case conditions, electromagnetic exposure levels for occupants remain well below the safety limits defined by ICNIRP. For example, in a worst-case 5.9 GHz V2V communication scenario, the driver’s head SAR_10g reaches 0.981 W/kg (9.81% of the ICNIRP occupational limit), while the whole-body SAR is only 0.008728 W/kg with negligible temperature rise. Other systems, including 5G-V2X, automotive radar, and mobile phones, also produce exposure levels far below safety thresholds. These findings suggest that RF exposure levels for vehicle occupants remain low relative to current guideline limits under the assessed scenarios. However, key challenges remain, including limited studies on multi-source exposure, insufficient data on vulnerable populations, simplified simulation conditions, lack of standardized validation methods, and inadequate assessment of emerging technologies. This work provides a quantitative basis for future safety standards and highlights critical research directions. Full article

Polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) is a versatile route for densifying carbon–carbon composites (C/CCs) and ultra-high-temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs), particularly SiC and UHTC-based systems. It operates at comparatively low temperatures, accommodates complex shapes, and is more cost-effective than chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). However, conventional PIP has intrinsic limitations, including low ceramic or char yield, significant shrinkage and gas evolution during pyrolysis, and the need for many infiltration–pyrolysis cycles to reach useful densities. Recent strategies to reduce these drawbacks include graded-concentration and high-pressure PIP, as well as hybrid CVI–PIP and PIP–reactive melt infiltration (RMI) schemes. In parallel, a separate body of work has shown that vacuum-assisted and vibration-assisted infiltration can improve impregnation quality in carbon or ceramic fiber preforms and in carbon-based UHTCMCs. Yet, these advances are rarely synthesized from a PIP-centered, manufacturing-focused perspective or systematically extended to the densification of porous C/C structures, particularly when high-viscosity modified phenolic or particle-laden preceramic precursors are used. This review summarizes the state of the art in PIP densification and processing–structure–property relationships in modified C/CCs or UHTCMCs and related high-temperature composites. It then examines vacuum- and vibration-assisted infiltration concepts, extracts the underlying fluid- and pore-scale mechanisms, and proposes design principles for enhanced PIP equipment and processes tailored to porous and modified C/C systems for space and defense thermal protection. Full article

This article examines the art of Paul Hoecker (1854–1910) as a visual negotiation of queer desire, repression, and transgression in late 19th-century Germany. One of the first progressive professors at the Munich Art Academy, Hoecker remains an understudied figure in queer art history. In a private letter to the sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld, he acknowledged his same-sex desire. Focusing on his recurrent depictions of handsome young men—often in the guise of Pierrot—alongside his numerous images of nuns, this article reads Hoecker’s work as a site of tension between desire, Catholic imagery, and social constraint. It further addresses the allegations surrounding the use of a male sex worker as a model for a depiction of the Virgin Mary. Finally, Hoecker’s later, more overtly erotic works, mostly produced for Jacques d’Adelswärd-Fersen, will also be considered, interrogating their problematic aspects, particularly the sexualization of youthful bodies. This research is conducted as part of the Paul Hoecker research group at the Forum Queeres Archiv München. Full article

Powder X-ray diffraction was used to validate the crystal structure of iron metal powder and to demonstrate a transparent workflow for extracting crystallographic and microstructural information from a simple laboratory dataset. The diffraction profile collected over the angular range of approximately 36° to 95° contains three dominant reflections located at 2θ = 44.850°, 65.218°, and 82.540°. Conversion of the peak positions into d-spacings using Bragg’s law gives values of approximately 2.020 Å, 1.430 Å, and 1.170 Å. The squared-sine ratios, when referenced to the first reflection, follow the sequence of 1:2:3, which is characteristic of the allowed reflections of a body-centered cubic lattice when multiplied by the first allowed value of N = h² + k² + l² = 2. Therefore, the peaks are assigned to the (110), (200), and (211) reflections of α-Fe. The extracted lattice constants are 2.853, 2.860, and 2.865 Å, yielding an average value of 2.859 Å, which is close to the accepted room-temperature value of approximately 2.866 Å for α-Fe. Peak-width calculations based on the observed, instrument-uncorrected FWHM values are included only as illustrative apparent line-broadening indicators. Because an external instrumental standard was not measured under identical conditions, no quantitative coherent-domain size or microstrain is claimed. The Williamson–Hall treatment is therefore used only to demonstrate the sensitivity of size-strain interpretation to peak breadth, profile selection, and the limited number of available reflections. The intensity hierarchy was analyzed using the body-centered cubic-structure factor, reflection multiplicity, Fe atomic form factor, and Lorentz polarization correction. The comparison between calculated and experimental intensities shows stronger disagreement than the lattice-parameter analysis, illustrating the greater sensitivity of intensity analysis to preferred orientation, specimen preparation, peak-profile selection, and background treatment. The work provides a publication-style reconstruction of an iron powder XRD experiment, connecting peak fitting, indexing, lattice-parameter determination, crystallite size estimation, size-strain analysis, and intensity interpretation in a single critical framework. Full article

Wild mushrooms collected from urban and peri-urban green spaces may represent environmentally exposed biological matrices for hazardous metal(loid)s, but their interpretation is complicated by taxonomic heterogeneity, tissue partitioning and left-censored analytical data. This study evaluated As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn in wild mushrooms from Leicester/Leicestershire, UK, using a reconstructed fruiting-body-level dataset designed to avoid double counting paired cap/stem records. The central question was whether taxon- and tissue-aware multielement profiling alters screening-level exposure interpretation compared with a pooled edible-relevant summary. In total, 121 fruiting-body-level units were evaluated on a dry-weight basis. Cu, Mn and Zn were detected in all units, while Cd and Pb were detected in 117/121 and 106/121 units, respectively. V, Cr and Ni were detected in 84/121, 70/121 and 64/121 units, whereas As, Co and Be showed substantial censoring. Be was not interpreted distributionally. Central concentrations selected under the censored-data framework were 1.856 mg kg⁻¹ for Cd, 71.142 mg kg⁻¹ for Cu, 14.318 mg kg⁻¹ for Mn, 3.874 mg kg⁻¹ for Ni, 2.171 mg kg⁻¹ for Pb, 0.104 mg kg⁻¹ for V and 97.506 mg kg⁻¹ for Zn. Taxon-level profiles showed marked heterogeneity, and paired tissue analysis in Agaricus bitorquis showed higher cap than stem concentrations for Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. The primary PCA was restricted to well-detected elements (Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, V and Zn), explaining 73.92% of total variance across the first three components. Sensitivity analyses showed that the overall PCA configuration remained stable across alternative treatments of censored observations and after exclusion of flagged extreme records, although some loading magnitudes showed moderate variation. Under the 300 g fresh-weight week⁻¹ scenario, Cd represented 47.3% of the EFSA tolerable weekly intake of 2.5 µg kg⁻¹ bw week⁻¹ in the pooled edible-relevant population (N = 43) and 50.9% in Agaricus bitorquis; however, taxon-specific screening changed both the magnitude and ranking of the principal threshold-based drivers, with Cu becoming the leading driver for Coprinopsis atramentaria and Marasmius oreades. None of the primary or exploratory park-level soil–mushroom associations remained statistically significant after false-discovery-rate correction in the harmonised eight-park analysis. Overall, the findings partially support the working hypothesis: taxon- and tissue-aware profiling improved screening-level interpretation, whereas park-level soil context did not provide robust evidence of prediction or transfer. The fruiting-body-level, censored-data-aware framework provides a transparent basis for exposure screening, although uncertainties related to speciation, bioaccessibility, moisture assumptions and analytical interferences remain. Full article

The first natural frequency is the most important vibration parameter during the design of suspensions. It has a major impact on vehicle ride comfort and handling. This paper presents the results of the effects of different bushings’ elastic characteristics of the natural frequencies of a front-independent quarter MacPherson suspension system. The natural frequencies and mode shapes were obtained using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). A simulation study was conducted, taking into account the elastic characteristics of bushings and an analysis with two rubber bushings within the mounting of the arm (Case I), and a rubber bushing and a polyurethane bushing (Case II). The natural frequencies were also determined by Frequency Response Function (FRF) analysis. FRF analysis was performed using experimentally obtained acceleration and time data of the body. The experiment was conducted using a suspension tester and a measuring system. FEA was performed using SolidWorks 2023. The results were compared and analyzed. Full article

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as the core active component of endotoxins from Gram-negative bacteria, serves as a mandatory quality control indicator in the biological safety evaluation of blood- and body fluid-contacting medical devices. Its rapid and accurate detection is of paramount importance for ensuring clinical patient safety and meeting global regulatory compliance requirements. Traditional endotoxin detection methods have inherent limitations, including poor anti-interference capability against medical device-specific matrices, limited automation capacity, and narrow regulatory applicability, which hinder their utility in meeting the practical demands of the modern medical device industry for high-throughput online quality control and on-site rapid screening. This review focuses on medical device-specific regulatory requirements, characteristics of extract matrices, and full-process quality control scenarios, and systematically summarizes the research progress in novel LPS-targeted biosensing detection technologies. By constructing a three-layer technical framework (biological recognition, interface engineering, and system integration), we provide a comparative assessment of four mainstream technologies—TLR4 biomimetic sensing, genetically engineered elements, EIS, and microfluidics—based on their matrix compatibility, automation potential, and regulatory compliance. It deeply analyzes the core role of microfluidic integration technology in driving the upgrading of detection systems towards automation, miniaturization and compliance, and objectively evaluates the applicability and limitations of various technologies in medical device scenarios. Unlike general reviews on LPS detection, this work specifically addresses endotoxin testing within the medical device quality control context. We systematically examine device-specific matrix interferences and regulatory landscapes, synthesizing cutting-edge research with critical analysis of industrialization bottlenecks. This review provides a theoretical foundation and technical roadmap for developing next-generation, pharmacopeial-compliant rapid automated endotoxin detection platforms—accelerating the advancement of medical device safety standards. Full article

Memtranstors are emerging higher-order memory elements that establish a state-dependent constitutive relationship between electric charge and magnetic flux, making them attractive for adaptive analog electronics, neuromorphic computing, nonlinear dynamical systems, and memory-enabled signal processing applications. However, existing memtranstor emulators predominantly rely on operational amplifiers, analog multipliers, current conveyors, or behavioral models, leading to increased circuit complexity and limited suitability for monolithic CMOS integration. This paper presents a unified transistor-level dynamic-threshold MOS (DTMOS) framework for realizing both charge-controlled and flux-controlled memtranstor emulators. The proposed architectures synthesize direct and inverse memtranstances through capacitive state integration, state-dependent DTMOS conductance modulation, and current-domain affine processing, thereby eliminating the need for composite active building blocks. Closed-form analytical expressions are derived for both constitutive relations and explicitly related to transistor-level parameters, bias conditions, and state-storage elements. The theoretical framework is further supported by comprehensive analyses of channel-length modulation, finite output resistance, device mismatch, DTMOS body-effect deviations, leakage mechanisms, pseudo-resistor non-idealities, parasitic capacitances, and small-signal stability. Cadence Virtuoso simulations performed in a 180 nm triple-well CMOS technology validate the analytical predictions and demonstrate the characteristic butterfly shaped pinched hysteresis loops of both emulators. The proposed circuits operate from a single 0.8 V supply while dissipating approximately 22 μW and 36 μW for the charge-controlled and flux-controlled realizations, respectively, and exhibit electronic tunability, together with robustness against process and temperature variations. Representative implementations of reconfigurable frequency-selective circuits and a memtranstor-based envelope detector further demonstrate the practical applicability of the proposed architectures. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this work presents the first unified transistor-level DTMOS constitutive synthesis framework for realizing both direct and inverse memtranstive behavior, providing a scalable foundation for future adaptive mixed-signal integrated circuits, programmable analog memory systems, neuromorphic hardware, and in-memory computing platforms. Full article

The present work focuses on investigating U–Pb and Lu–Hf ages of zircon grains obtained from Au mineralized granitic rocks from Alta Floresta Gold Province (AFGP), in the Amazonia craton, Brazil. Also, detrital zircon grains from recent Au-rich sediments were analyzed for U–Pb ages and Lu–Hf isotopic signatures to apply to regional gold exploration in the AFGP to define targets consisting of deep-seated mineralized bodies using isotopic tracers. U–Pb ages of magmatic rocks, obtained from zircon grains, indicate crystallization ages ranging from 1896 Ma to 1825 Ma for rocks associated with gold deposits, and TDM model ages between 2.65 and 1.96 Ga and εHf values between +8.0 and −4.6. U–Pb ages obtained from 89 detrital zircon grains indicate peaks at 2055–1980 Ma, 1889–1985 Ma, 1790–1700 Ma, and 1600–1550 Ma. The first group is related to the basement, represented by the rocks of the Cuiu-Cuiu Complex (TDM 2.0–1.9 Ga and εHf from +8.7 to −1.32). The second group concerns the mineralized magmatic rocks in the AFPG, and the ages range from 18,896 to 1825 Ma, TDM ages ranging from 2.90 to 2.75 Ga, and the εHf values from +15 to −8. The age ranging from 1790 to 1700 is associated with anorogenic magmatism (TDM 2.0–1.9 Ga and εHf from +5.36 to −8.46). The youngest group comprises ages from 1600 to 1550 Ma, probably correlated to the Serra da Providencia suite with TDM of 1,6 to 1,50 Ga and εHf from +5,0 to −10. In this way, it was possible to identify the age range of detrital zircon grains concerning the ages of mineralized granites and characterize the Hf signatures associated with the mineralization processes. In this sense, the zircon grains associated with the magmatic processes responsible for the concentration of noble metals exhibited U–Pb ages and ε_Hf values interpreted as having been generated in magmas originating from a depleted mantle. As suggested in the literature, the magma characteristics reported here are coherent with a hot, hydrous, Fe-rich, high-K calc-alkaline, and subvolcanic emplacement. Based on the model that correlates gold deposits with porphyritic magmatic processes, significant discoveries with world-class volumes may result from better characterization of the deposit types found in the province. Full article

Small harvesting compartments and steep terrain in South Korea favor harvesting systems in which a single machine performs multiple processes. Multifunctional systems based on small tracked excavators, equipped with a grapple saw for felling and a clambunk skidder for extraction, have therefore been increasingly adopted to address labor shortages and to improve operational safety. However, because these base machines lack a chassis suspension system and their operator seats provide limited vibration isolation, operators of small-excavator-based systems may be exposed to elevated levels of whole-body vibration (WBV) and shock vibration. This study quantified operator ride-vibration exposure and assessed the associated health risks during small-excavator-based timber harvesting in accordance with ISO 2631-1; the assessment was based on measured vibration exposure rather than on direct medical evaluation. Tri-axial accelerations were measured simultaneously at the operator seat and the cab floor of a 5-ton-class excavator over eight workdays, and one representative workday was analyzed at the work-element level. The harvesting process was divided into timber felling (machine travel, positioning, clearing, and cutting and bunching) and timber extraction (machine travel on forest roads, machine travel on skid trails, and loading and unloading). Exposure was evaluated using the frequency-weighted root-mean-square (RMS) acceleration, the crest factor (CF), and the total vibration dose value (TVDV). The CF exceeded 9 for all work elements, indicating shock-dominated vibration and justifying the TVDV as the primary evaluation metric. Timber extraction generated higher vibration exposure than timber felling, and the seat TVDV differed significantly among the work elements within each operation (p < 0.001). The highest seat TVDV occurred during loading and unloading (123.05 m/s^1.75), exceeding the upper ISO 2631-1 Health Guidance Caution Zone limit for an 8-h exposure by more than eight times, and all major work elements exceeded the ISO 2631-1 health guidance limits. To our knowledge, this study provides the first work-element-level quantification of WBV exposure for small-excavator-based timber harvesting systems in South Korea. The findings underscore the need for improved seat suspension systems, vibration mitigation technologies, and vibration-aware work planning strategies. Full article

Zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf) and tellurium (Te) are environmentally and technologically relevant elements whose occurrence in wild macrofungi remains insufficiently characterised. This study investigated their concentrations, distribution and multielement relationships in wild mushroom fruiting bodies collected from urban and peri-urban green spaces in Leicester and Leicestershire, England, together with contextual topsoil geochemistry. Acid-recoverable concentrations were determined through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in 121 fruiting-body-level mushroom units and 26 independent site-level composite topsoils. Zr and Hf were detected above their respective working limits of detection in all mushroom units and topsoil composites, whereas Te was detected in 118/121 mushroom units but remained below the working limit of detection in all topsoil composites. Median mushroom concentrations were 170 ng g⁻¹ dry weight for Zr, 270 ng g⁻¹ for Hf and 110 ng g⁻¹ for Te. Comparatively elevated concentrations were observed in Panaeolina foenisecii collected from Abbey and Braunstone Parks and in Mycena citrinomarginata from Victoria Park, while Agaricus bitorquis from St Augustine Road showed lower and less variable concentrations. Park-level concentrations were strongly correlated across the three elements (Spearman’s ρ = 0.819–0.885; all BH-adjusted q < 0.001), and the first principal component accounted for 93.4% of the total variance, consistent with the strong inter-element correlations. However, contextual soil–mushroom comparisons for Zr and Hf were inconclusive because of limited site overlap and spatial mismatch, and no direct inference regarding environmental source or soil-to-mushroom transfer was supported. These findings establish an exploratory baseline for Zr, Hf and Te in wild mushrooms and demonstrate the value of taxon- and site-resolved fungal biomonitoring for under-characterised environmental elements. Full article

Testicular adrenal rest tumors (TARTs) are a frequent and clinically relevant complication of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), particularly its classic forms due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Although histologically benign, these masses develop within the rete testis and can progressively compress the seminiferous tubules, leading to fibrosis and, when longstanding, permanent gonadal injury and obstructive azoospermia; they are the foremost cause of impaired fertility in men with classic CAH. Their frequency increases with age, from approximately 25% in childhood to 46% in adulthood. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the pathogenesis, predisposing factors and diagnostic work-up of TARTs, focusing on two practical questions: the appropriate age to begin monitoring and the imaging tools best suited to it. Sustained ACTH excess is regarded as the dominant growth-promoting signal, while the salt-wasting phenotype, severe CYP21A2 variants and inadequate disease control emerge as the principal predisposing factors. Although current guidelines advise ultrasound monitoring from adolescence, a growing body of pediatric data shows that TARTs can be detected well before puberty in patients at greatest risk. Scrotal ultrasonography remains the first-line technique, complemented by CEUS, elastography and MRI in selected cases. We outline a pragmatic, risk-adapted monitoring scheme and argue that earlier, childhood assessment in the highest-risk patients may help to safeguard future fertility, an approach that still awaits prospective confirmation. Full article

Tea, derived from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, is a non-alcoholic beverage rich in pharmacologically active bioactive components. This plant contains many bioactive components, such as xanthine alkaloids, tea polyphenols, L-theanine, theaflavins, tea polysaccharides, and volatile oils. Evidence indicates that these bioactive constituents contribute to various physiological benefits, including body weight regulation, anti-fatigue properties, hypoglycemic action, antitumor and neuroprotective potentials, improvement of vascular function, and attenuation of airway-induced organ obstruction. Up to now, research has systematically confirmed and summarized the functions of xanthine alkaloids, tea polyphenols, and L-theanine. However, much less attention has been given to theaflavins and tea polysaccharides. This review therefore focuses on how theaflavins and tea polysaccharides work in the human body and what they do, as well as how these two types of compounds are metabolized in tea plants. Overall, this work provides a new perspective on the study of bioactive components in tea and builds a useful foundation for a deeper understanding of how these components act in the human body. Full article