Search Results (3,497)

Small-diameter vascular grafts often fail due to thrombosis and compliance mismatch. Decellularized plant scaffolds are a biocompatible, sustainable alternative. Leatherleaf viburnum leaves provide natural architecture and mechanical integrity suitable for tissue-engineered vessels. However, the persistence of immunogenic plant biomolecules and limited degradability remain barriers to clinical use. This study tested whether mild heat treatment improves scaffold biocompatibility without compromising mechanical performance. Decellularized leatherleaf viburnum scaffolds were treated at 30–40 °C in 5% NaOH for 15–60 min and then evaluated via tensile testing, burst pressure analysis, scanning electron microscopy, histology, and in vitro assays with white blood cells and endothelial cells. Scaffold properties were compared to those of untreated controls. Heat treatment did not significantly affect scaffold thickness but decreased fiber area fraction and diameter across all anatomical layers. Scaffolds treated at 30–35 °C for ≤30 min retained >90% of tensile strength and achieved burst pressures ≥820 mmHg, exceeding physiological arterial pressures. Heat treatment reduced surface fractal dimension while increasing entropy and lacunarity, producing a smoother but more heterogeneous microarchitecture. White blood cell viability increased up to 2.5-fold and endothelial cell seeding efficiency improved with treatment duration, with 60 min producing near-confluent monolayers. Mild alkaline heat treatment therefore improved immune compatibility and endothelialization while preserving mechanical integrity, offering a simple, scalable modification to advance plant-derived scaffolds for grafting. Full article

This study investigates the air filtration capabilities of fibrous membranes fabricated via electrospinning, with a focus on optimizing processing parameters. Specifically, Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), a well-characterized biodegradable polyester, was electrospun to produce membranes exhibiting precisely controlled surface microstructures. The optimal fiber morphology was attained under conditions of a 20 kV applied electric field, a solution flow rate of 0.5 mL·h⁻¹, a polymer concentration of 13 wt.%, and a needle inner diameter of 0.21 mm. The microstructural features of the electrospun PHBV membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Complementary analysis via ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy confirmed that the membranes comprised pure 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) copolymerized with 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) terminal units, with 3HV mole fractions ranging from 17% to 50%. The incorporation of different molar percentages of 3HV in PHBV membrane significantly enhances its durability, as evidenced by Ball Burst Strength (BBS) measurements, with an elongation at burst that is 65–86% greater than that of ASTM F2100 level 3 mask. The nanofibrous membranes exhibited a controlled pore size distribution, indicating their potential suitability for air filtration applications. Particle filtration efficiency (PFE) assessments under standard atmospheric pressure conditions showed that the optimized electrospun PHBV membranes achieved filtration efficiencies exceeding 98%. Additionally, the influence of 3HV content on biodegradation behavior was evaluated through soil burial tests conducted over 90 days. Results indicated that membranes with lower 3HV content (17 mol.%) experienced the greatest weight loss, suggesting accelerated degradation in natural soil environments. Full article

The ability of common carp to withstand both short-term and long-term oxygen deprivation has been well documented; however, the potential genetic mechanisms behind common carp’s hypoxia response remain unclear. Therefore, to understand the possible genetic foundation of their response to hypoxia, comparative genomic analyses were conducted among six common carp varieties: Color, Songpu, European, Yellow, Mirror, and Hebao common carps. We identified 118 single-copy orthologous positively selected genes (PSGs) (dN/dS > 1) in all common carps under study, with GO functions directly related to the cellular responses to hypoxia in Color and European common carp PSGs, such as oxygen transport activity, oxygen binding activity, respiratory burst activity, and superoxide anion production. The Bayes Empirical Bayes (BEB) technique identified possible amino acid substitutions in mitochondrial and hypoxic genes under positive selection. Exonic and intronic structural variations (SVs) were discovered in the CYGB2 hypoxia-related gene of Color and European common carps, as well as in several mitochondrial genes, including MRPL20, MRPL32, NSUN3, GUF1, TMEM17B, PDE12, ACAD6, and COX10 of Color, European, Songpu, Yellow, and Hebao common carps. Moreover, Color common carp and Songpu common carp were found to share the greatest percentage of collinear genes (49.8%), with seven Songpu common carp chromosomes (chr A2, chr A9, chr A13, chr B13, chr B15, chr B2, and chr B12) showing distinct translocation events with the corresponding chromosomes of Color common carp. Additionally, we found 570 translocation sites that contained 3572 translocation-related genes in Color common carp, some of which are directly relevant to mitochondrial and hypoxic GO functions and KEGG pathways. Our results offer strong genome-wide evidence of the possible evolutionary response of Cyprinus carpio to hypoxia, providing important insights into the potential molecular mechanisms that explain their survival in hypoxic environments and guiding future research into carp hypoxia tolerance. Full article

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are increasingly being defined not only in terms of metabolic or purely vascular disorders, but also as complex immunometabolic disorders. One of the most groundbreaking discoveries in recent years is the role of neutrophil extracellular networks (NETs/NENs) as a key link between chronic vascular wall inflammation and thrombotic processes. In this article, we present a synthetic overview of the latest data on the biology of NETs/NENs and their impact on the development of atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction, and the mechanisms of immunothrombosis. We highlight how these structures contribute to the weakening of atherosclerotic plaque stability, impaired endothelial barrier integrity, platelet activation, and the initiation of the coagulation cascade. We also discuss the modulating role of classic risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and exposure to tobacco smoke, which may increase the formation or hinder the elimination of NETs/NENs. We also focus on the practical application of this knowledge: we present biomarkers associated with the presence of NETs/NENs (cfDNA, MPO–DNA complexes, CitH3, NE), which may be useful in diagnostics and risk stratification, and we discuss innovative therapeutic strategies. In addition to classic methods for indirectly inhibiting NET/NEN formation (antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory, and immunometabolic agents), we present experimental approaches aimed at their neutralization and removal (e.g., DNase I, elastase, and myeloperoxidase inhibitors). We pay particular attention to the context of cardiac and cardiac surgical procedures (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention-PCI, coronary artery bypass grafting-CABG), where rapid NET/NEN bursts can increase the risk of acute thrombotic complications. The overall evidence indicates that NETs/NENs represent an innovative and promising research and therapeutic target, allowing us to view cardiovascular diseases in a new light—as a dynamic interaction of inflammatory, atherosclerotic, and thrombotic processes. This opens up new possibilities in diagnostics, combination treatment and personalisation of therapy, although further research and standardization of detection methods remain necessary. Full article

Urban water distribution networks (WDNs) are increasingly vulnerable to diverse disruptions, including pipe leaks/bursts and cyber–physical failures. A critical step in a resilience-based approach against these disruptions is the rapid and reliable identification of failures and their types for the timely implementation of emergency or recovery actions. This study proposes a framework for sensor placement and multiple failure type classification in WDNs. It applies a wrapper-based feature selection (recursive feature elimination) with Random Forest (RF–RFE) to find the best sensor locations and employs an Autoencoder–Random Forest (AE–RF) framework for failure type identification. The framework was tested on the C-town WDN using the failure type scenarios of pipe leakage, cyberattacks, and physical attacks, which were generated using EPANET-CPA and WNTR models. The results showed a higher performance of the framework for single failure events, with accuracy of 0.99 for leakage, 0.98 for cyberattacks, and 0.95 for physical attacks, while the performance for multiple failure classification was lower, but still acceptable, with a performance accuracy of 0.90. The reduced performance was attributed to the model’s difficulty in distinguishing failure types when they produced hydraulically similar consequences. The proposed framework combining sensor placement and multiple failure identification will contribute to advance the existing data-driven approaches and to strengthen urban WDN resilience to conventional and cyber–physical disruptions. Full article

As one of the key vectors for the transmission of Dengue fever, Aedes albopictus is highly ecologically adaptable. The development of environmentally compatible biological defence and control technologies has therefore become an urgent need for vector biological control worldwide. This study constructed and used double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) expression vectors targeting the cyp314a1 and cyp315a1 genes of Ae. albopictus to transform Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlorella vulgaris, achieving RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated gene silencing. The efficacy of the RNAi recombinant algal strain biocide against Ae. albopictus was evaluated by administering it to Ae. albopictus larvae. The results showed that the oral administration of the cyp314a1 and cyp315a1 RNAi recombinant C. reinhardtii/C. vulgaris strains was lethal to Ae. albopictus larvae and severely affected their pupation and emergence. The recombinant algal strains triggered a burst of ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) in the mosquitoes’ bodies, resulting in significant increases in the activities of the superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxiredoxin (POD) and catalase (CAT), as well as significant upregulation of the mRNA levels of the CME pathway genes in larvae. In the simulated field experiment, the number of Ae. albopictus was reduced from 1000 to 0 in 16 weeks by the RNAi recombinant Chlorella, which effectively controlled the population of mosquitoes. Meanwhile, the levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) in the test water decreased significantly. High-throughput sequencing analyses of 18S rDNA and 16S rDNA showed that, with the release of RNAi recombinant Chlorella into the test water, the biotic community restructuring dominated by resource competition caused by algal bloom, as well as the proliferation of anaerobic bacteria and the decline of aerobic bacteria triggered by anaerobic conditions, are the main trends in the changes in the test water. This study is an important addition to the use of RNAi recombinant microalgae as a biocide. Full article

Composite pressure vessels have attracted significant attention in recent years owing to their lightweight characteristics and superior mechanical performance. However, analyzing composite layers remains challenging due to complex filament-winding (FW) pattern structures and the associated high computational costs. This study introduces a homogenization method to achieve cross-scale modeling of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) layers, accounting for both lay-up sequence and in-plane FW diamond-shaped form. The stacking sequence in an FW Type IV composite pressure vessel is numerically investigated through ply modeling and cross-scale homogenization. The composite tank structure, featuring a polyamide PA66 liner, is designed for a working pressure of 70 MPa and comprises 12 helical winding layers and 17 hoop winding layers. An FW cross-undulation representative volume element (RVE) is developed based on actual in-plane mesostructures, suggesting an equivalent laminate RVE effective elastic modulus. Furthermore, six different lay-up sequences are numerically compared using ply models and fully and partially homogenized models. The structural displacements in both radial and axial directions are validated across all modeling approaches. The partial homogenization method successfully captures the detailed fiber-direction stress distribution in the innermost two hoop or helical layers. By applying the Hashin tensile failure criterion, the burst pressure of the composite tank is evaluated, revealing 7.56% deviation between the partial homogenization model and the ply model. Fatigue life analysis of the Type IV composite pressure vessel is conducted using ABAQUS^® coupled with FE-SAFE, incorporating an S-N curve for polyamide PA66. The results indicate that the fatigue cycles of the liner exhibit only 0.28% variation across different stacking sequences, demonstrating that homogenization has a negligible impact on liner lifecycle predictions. The proposed cross-scale modeling framework offers an effective approach for multiscale simulation of FW composite pressure vessels, balancing computational efficiency with accuracy. Full article

Autosomal-dominant sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy (ADSHE) was the first distinct genetic epilepsy proven to be caused by mutation of the CHRNA4 gene, originally reported in 1994. In the past three decades, pathomechanisms of ADSHE associated with mutant nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) have been explored via various studies, including in vitro experiments and genetic rodent models. However, findings emphasize that functional abnormalities of ADSHE-mutant nAChRs alone cannot generate ictogenesis; rather, development of abnormalities in various other transmission systems induced by ADSHE-mutant nAChRs during the neurodevelopmental process before the ADSHE onset is involved in development of epileptogenesis/ictogenesis. Intra-thalamic GABAergic disinhibition induced by loss-of-function of S284L-mutant nAChRs (S286L-mutant nAChRs in rat ADSHE models) contributes to enhancing propagation of physiological ripple-burst high-frequency oscillation (HFO) and Erk signaling during sleep, leading to enhancement of the trafficking of pannexin1, connexin43, and P2X7 purinergic receptor to the astroglial plasma membrane. The combination of activation of physiological ripple-HFO and upregulation of astroglial hemichannels under the GABAergic disinhibition plays an important role in generation of epileptogenic fast-ripple-HFO during sleep. Therefore, loss-of-function of the S284L-mutation alone cannot drive ictogenesis but contributes to the development of epileptogenesis as an initial abnormality. Based on these recent findings using genetic rat ADSHE models, harboring the rat S286L-mutant Chrna4 corresponding to the human S284L-mutant CHRNA4, this report proposes hypothetical pathomechanisms of ADSHE. Full article

Undetected cracks in railroad wheels pose significant safety and economic risks, while current inspection methods are limited by cost, coverage, or contact requirements. This study explores the use of passive, air-coupled ultrasonic acoustic (UA) sensors for detecting wheel damage on stationary or moving wheels. Two controlled datasets of wheelsets, one with clear damage and another with early, service-induced defects, were tested using hammer impacts. An automated system identified high-energy bursts and extracted features in both time and frequency domains, such as decay rate, spectral centroid, and entropy. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of UAE (ultrasonic acoustic emission) techniques through Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) visualization, hypothesis testing with effect sizes, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. The decay rate consistently proved to be the most effective discriminator, achieving near-perfect classification of severely damaged wheels and maintaining meaningful separation for early defects. Spectral features provided additional information but were less decisive. The frequency spectrum characteristics were effective across both axial and radial sensor orientations, with ultrasonic frequencies (20–80 kHz) offering higher spectral fidelity than sonic frequencies (1–20 kHz). This work establishes a validated “ground-truth” signature essential for developing a practical wayside detection system. The findings guide a targeted engineering approach to physically isolate this known signature from ambient noise and develop advanced models for reliable in-motion detection. Full article

Ilex verticillata (winterberry) is a valuable ornamental shrub increasingly threatened by leaf blight, a disease that compromises its aesthetic and economic value. While fungal pathogens like Alternaria alternata are known to cause leaf blight in horticultural crops, their role in I. verticillata and the host’s defense mechanisms have not been fully characterized. Our study investigated the pathogen-host interaction by identifying the causal agent and examining the physiological and molecular defense mechanisms of I. verticillata. Through morphological and multi-locus molecular analyses (ITS, TEF1-α, G3PDH, RPB2), A. alternata was confirmed as the primary pathogen, fulfilling Koch’s postulates. Pathogenicity assays revealed distinct disease progression stages, from necrotic lesions to tissue degradation. Transcriptomic profiling uncovered dynamic host responses, with early upregulation of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and transcripts encoding antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT), followed by downregulation of metabolic pathway genes. Phytohormone analysis highlighted intricate crosstalk, with salicylic acid (SA) peaking during mid-infection and jasmonic acid (JA) rebounding later, reflecting a coordinated defense strategy. Additionally, the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA), an indicator of membrane lipid peroxidation, surged early, indicating membrane damage, while sustained induction of antioxidant enzymes suggested adaptive responses. The key finding was distinct phytohormone crosstalk, characterized by a mid-infection SA peak followed by a late JA rebound, alongside an early oxidative burst marked by MDA accumulation and sustained antioxidant enzyme activity. These findings provide a framework for understanding I. verticillata’s defense mechanisms and offer insights for developing targeted disease management strategies, such as resistant cultivar breeding or hormone-mediated interventions. Full article

Aquaculture is an important food sector, which involves the commercial production of fish for consumption. Tilapias (Oreochromis sp.) are hardy and are one of the most commonly produced fishes in the aquaculture industry. Disease outbreaks caused by Streptococcus agalactiae, however, widely affect tilapia farms, resulting in high mortality. Consequently, this may lead to the misuse of antibiotics for the prevention of disease or overuse of antibiotics when used for the treatment of fishes, contributing to antibiotic resistance. In this study, date palm pits, a waste product from the date palm industry, were tested for potential antibacterial activity against S. agalactiae and for their ability to act as an immune enhancer in vitro through the use of the head kidney and serum from healthy adult tilapias. An in vivo study was performed by dividing tilapias into two groups, consisting of infected S. agalactiae and uninfected S. agalactiae. Each group consisted of extract-fed and distilled-water-fed tilapia. Then, the serum, spleen and head kidney were isolated from both groups and tested for their respiratory burst, lysozyme and myeloperoxidase activities. The results from this study indicate that the Raziz methanol extract at a concentration of 1 g/mL inhibited the growth of S. agalactiae, and concentrations of 10 mg/mL, 2 mg/mL and 0.016 mg/mL displayed the highest respiratory burst, lysozyme and myeloperoxidase activities, respectively, in vitro. In the infected group, extract-fed tilapias showed a significant effect on respiratory burst activity and lysozyme activity compared to the distilled-water-fed tilapias, while no significant activity was observed in the uninfected group. In conclusion, the Raziz methanol extract has promising potential to act as an antibacterial agent, and it enhanced the innate immune function during active infection of S. agalactiae. Full article

Indoor environmental quality in offices, comprising thermal, acoustic, lighting, and air quality domains, is known to influence human comfort, yet the relative importance of their sub-factors—particularly in severe cold regions—remains unclear. This study addresses this gap by integrating objective (Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation, CRITIC) and subjective (Analytic Hierarchy Process, AHP) weighting methods, supported by field measurements and questionnaire surveys in open-plan offices in three provinces in northeastern China. Cluster analysis categorized acoustic sub-factors into outdoor traffic, outdoor entertainment, people conversation, burst sound, and people movement. Results show that temperature is the dominant thermal comfort driver (39.7% CRITIC; 45.5% AHP), exceeding air velocity and humidity, which had nearly equal influence. Indoor sound exerted greater impact than outdoor sound, with people conversation ranked highest among indoor noise sources, and burst sound and movement showing similar but slightly lower weights. Natural light outweighed artificial light in importance (54.2% CRITIC; 61.0% AHP), while air freshness and pollution were nearly equally influential. Compared to CRITIC, AHP produced more dispersed weights, reflecting subjective bias toward pronounced differences. These findings provide a quantitative basis for prioritizing environmental design interventions—such as controlling indoor conversational noise, optimizing natural lighting, and stabilizing temperature—to enhance comfort in offices in severe cold regions. Full article

This study introduces a single-step method to synthesize guar gum-based interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels, achieving simultaneous Diels–Alder crosslinking and amoxicillin (AMOX) encapsulation under mild conditions. To evaluate the influence of porogen addition on IPN structure, drug loading and release, twenty-one formulations were developed, including AMOX loading (25% or 40% w/w relative to the polymer) and biocompatible porogens incorporation [polyethylene glycol (PEG) or sucrose at 5%, 10%, or 50% w/w]. All crosslinked IPN hydrogels formed robust gels, unlike non-crosslinked controls. Porogen choice strongly influenced hydrogel performance: PEG quadrupled the swelling index while enhancing storage modulus (up to 10,054 Pa) and complex viscosity (up to 1302 Pa·s), whereas high sucrose concentrations produced soft, ductile networks with critical strains above 20% and swelling indices up to 1895%. All hydrogels released AMOX at levels above MIC₅₀ for H. pylori. PEG-based IPN provided superior drug delivery profiles, with extended AMOX release (t₅₀ up to 15.5 h at pH 5.0), while sucrose-rich matrices exhibited faster burst release and disintegration. Single-step (pre-loading) AMOX during synthesis improved release control compared to post-loading. These findings highlight the potential of one-pot IPN synthesis with porogen modulation offering a promising gastroretentive platforms for sustained AMOX delivery against H. pylori. Full article

Smart tourism destinations, shaped by the integration of tourism and information technology, have become a central theme in international academic research. This study employs bibliometric methods using CiteSpace to conduct co-authorship, co-citation, keyword co-occurrence, and burst analyses, with the aim of mapping the knowledge structure and research evolution of the field. Drawing on 232 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection (2013–2025), the results reveal a shift from technology-centered approaches toward themes of visitor experience, collaborative governance, and sustainable development. The Universitat d’Alacant (Spain) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (China) have emerged as leading research hubs, with Ivars-Baidal and colleagues as major contributors. Foundational studies by Buhalis and Gretzel continue to shape the domain. Keyword trends highlight increasing attention to technological efficiency and sustainable ethics. Overall, the study traces the developmental trajectory of smart tourism destinations, proposes a systematic knowledge framework, and identifies future directions for theoretical integration and methodological innovation. The findings provide both conceptual insights for academic research and strategic guidance for destination governance and policy. Full article

This study analyzes the spectral properties of word-initial and intervocalic ejectives in Wolaytta, an Omotic language of southern Ethiopia. Using tokens embedded in three vowel contexts, we examined mean burst intensity, spectral moments, and vowel perturbation following ejection. Results show that ejectives adjacent to high front vowels were produced with greater intensity, supporting the hypothesis that increased oral cavity tenseness correlates with acoustic energy. Centroid and standard deviation differentiate place of articulation, while skewness and kurtosis distinguish singleton from geminate ejectives. Post-ejective vowel pitch and spectral tilt varied systematically with the ejectives’ place of articulation, indicating creaky phonation induced by ejection. Overall, the findings enhance our understanding of factors impacting acoustic features of ejectives. Full article