Search Results (315)

Low-aspect-ratio flying-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are attractive drone platforms for civilian remote sensing, environmental monitoring, infrastructure inspection, disaster assessment, and persistent public-service monitoring because their integrated tailless layout offers high aerodynamic efficiency and payload volume. A trajectory-command-based three-loop nonlinear dynamic inversion (NDI) control architecture enhanced by a nonlinear disturbance observer (NDO) is designed to address the critical challenges of rapid time variation, strong nonlinearity, strong coupling, and restricted yaw authority in low-aspect-ratio flying-wing UAVs. The core innovation lies in the development of a trajectory-command-to-attitude kinematic mapping mechanism, integrated with the NDO for active torque compensation of lumped uncertainties and time-varying external disturbances. Leveraging a mathematical model of a low-aspect-ratio flying-wing UAV standard model, a three-loop NDI controller comprising angular rate, attitude, and trajectory command loops was designed based on the time-scale separation principle. The NDO was further designed to estimate lumped disturbances and provide feedforward compensation, thereby establishing an NDI-DO system that mitigates the high sensitivity of conventional NDI to modeling inaccuracies. Simulation and robustness tests involving typical high-angle-of-attack maneuvers (e.g., Cobra and Split-S maneuvers) demonstrated that the NDI-DO system achieved a reduction in angular-rate tracking error by over 77.2% compared to the baseline NDI. Furthermore, the permissible range of aerodynamic parameter perturbations was improved by 23%, significantly enhancing tracking fidelity and disturbance rejection. In a 3-DOF wind tunnel free-flight test, the NDI-DO system achieved a substantial expansion of the controllable angle-of-attack (attitude-stability) envelope from 72.9° to 99.19°, substantiating the high reliability and engineering utility of the control framework in post-stall nonlinear regimes. These results indicate that the proposed NDI-DO framework can support safer envelope expansion, autonomous upset recovery, and robust flight control for civilian flying-wing drones operating under uncertain aerodynamic and environmental conditions. Full article

For continuous crystallization of pharmaceutical and organic chemical compounds in a plug flow crystallizer, seed slurry, prepared in advance, is continuously fed into the crystallizer for controlled secondary nucleation and subsequently desired crystal properties. It is well known that the preparation of macro seed crystals using either the dry or wet method is a highly time-, energy- and material-intensive process, often taking many hours to prepare a 1 L seed slurry. The focus of this work is to examine whether how the seed slurry is made up could have any effect on the final crystal properties. We divide the seed slurry into two parts: the “saturation part” corresponds to the amount of solute required to establish solid–liquid equilibrium and is fully dissolved, and the “supersaturation part” involves a small amount of solid seed crystals in excess of the equilibrium saturation condition. The hypothesis states that if dissolved seed crystals have lost their surface properties (such as size, morphology, interfacial effects), the final crystal size distributions would then inherit that of the solid seed crystals. If this is true, this would provide a great and efficient shortcut for the lengthy and energy-intensive process of making up seed slurries, as product crystals from a previous batch of any size distribution could be used for the make-up of the saturation part of the seed slurry. Using adipic acid and L-glutamic acid with high and low solubilities, the hypothesis has been validated experimentally under batch conditions. Full article

The global energy system is undergoing a structural transformation as countries pursue decarbonization while safeguarding energy security and economic resilience. However, renewable energy transition performance remains difficult to assess because existing evidence is often fragmented across single indicators, capacity-based measures, or isolated policy dimensions, while transition outcomes are shaped by multiple environmental, economic, institutional, technological, and cost-related factors. This study addresses this gap by benchmarking renewable energy transition performance across G7 economies through an integrated multi-criteria decision-making framework. The proposed methodology combines distance-based CRITIC (D-CRITIC) for objective criteria weighting and COBRA for compromise-based ranking to translate heterogeneous transition indicators into transparent cross-country comparisons. Using a secondary dataset covering fourteen indicators and seven G7 economies, the framework first derives objective criterion weights from cross-country dispersion and distance-based inter-criteria dependence, and then ranks countries by measuring their compromise distances from positive ideal, negative ideal, and average solutions. Using fourteen indicators spanning renewable energy penetration, environmental pressure, economic conditions, governance capacity, technology cost feasibility, and innovation capability, the D-CRITIC results identify CO₂ emissions per capita as the most informative criterion, followed by the share of electricity generated by bioenergy, the share of primary energy consumption from renewable sources, and solar LCOE. The COBRA-based assessment ranks Canada first, followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Japan, the United States, and France. Robustness and sensitivity analyses show broad consistency in ranking patterns across alternative MCDM methods, while weight perturbation tests confirm that the ranking remains unchanged under ±5% and ±10% relative changes in criterion weights. These findings indicate that stronger renewable energy transition performance is associated with balanced progress across emissions reduction, renewable energy penetration, technology cost feasibility, institutional capacity, and innovation-related conditions, rather than superiority in a single indicator. The proposed framework offers a transparent and replicable tool for renewable energy transition benchmarking and evidence-based policy learning, while the results should be interpreted as cross-sectional comparative performance under the selected dataset and criteria rather than as a causal evaluation of specific policy instruments. Full article

Beginning with the notion that short-form video sites represent key digital commerce destinations for food influencers in general, there is very little research explaining how specific persuasion cues lead to varying degrees of consumer engagement. Based upon the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), Social Proof theory and the COBRA framework, this study aims to understand whether argument quality as a central-route cue and perceived emotional appeal as a peripheral-route cue affect consumption, contribution, creation engagement behaviors. Additionally, the study will determine if perceived post popularity, a platform-generated social proof signal, affects these relationships. A survey was conducted of 386 users of short food influencer videos. PLS-SEM analysis was performed on the survey data. Results indicated that both argument quality and perceived emotional appeal positively influence all three engagement levels. Perceived emotional appeal exerts a stronger effect, particularly on higher-engagement behaviors. The moderating effects of perceived post popularity were limited and applied solely to contribution, where it weakened the positive relationship between argument quality and contribution but strengthened the positive relationship between perceived emotional appeal and contribution. This study builds upon existing knowledge of how consumers respond to food influencer content by exploring differences between types of engagement and integrating platform-generated signals within an ELM-based theoretical model. Full article

The COBRA gene family is crucial for plant cell wall formation and stress adaptation. Although COBRA/COBL genes have been characterized in several plant species, their potential contribution to cell wall-mediated responses in woody plants under combined heat–drought stress remains largely unclear. In this study, eight COBRA genes (PbCOBRA1–PbCOBRA8) were systematically identified in Phoebe bournei, a highly valued timber species, and their potential stress-associated roles were investigated by integrating comparative genomic analysis, tissue expression profiling, transcriptome-based WGCNA, physiological stress indicators, qRT-PCR validation, functional enrichment analysis, and three-dimensional structure prediction. Crucially, Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) discovered three modules that responded to different pressures, involving a total of four PbCOBRA genes (PbCOBRA1, PbCOBRA4, PbCOBRA6, and PbCOBRA8). PbCOBRA6 and PbCOBRA8, meanwhile, were assigned to the same module, which was uniquely associated with combined stress. With contrasting kME values, these two genes may play different roles within this module. The three-dimensional structure prediction further revealed the structural basis for PbCOBRA function under stress conditions. Taken together, these findings identify PbCOBRA members as promising stress-responsive candidate genes potentially associated with heat, drought, and combined stress responses in P. bournei. This study provides a theoretical basis for future functional validation and offers candidate genes for exploring cell wall-mediated stress adaptation in this valuable woody species. Full article

The genetic and antigenic diversity of H5Nx HPAI Gs/GD lineage continues to be a great challenge facing conventional inactivated vaccines. To overcome this challenge, a recombinant herpes virus of turkey (rHVT) vaccine expressing the viral protein 2 (VP2) of infectious bursal disease (IBD) and H5, rHVT+IBD+H5, was developed using computationally optimized broadly reactive antigen (COBRA) technology. In the current study, the protective efficacy of a commercially available vector trivalent vaccine rHVT+IBD+H5 using COBRA technology was assessed. A total of 120 commercial broilers were divided equally into six groups (G1B–G6B). The chickens in G1B–G3B were challenged with the most recent circulating HPAI-H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4.b Egyptian isolate (GenBank accession No. OQ933425) at 28 days old (DO), while the chickens in G4B and G5B were kept as vaccinated (as G1B and G2B, respectively) and non-challenged, and G6B was the non-vaccinated non-challenged group. In G1B, the chickens were vaccinated with Vaxxitek^® rHVT+IBD+H5 at 1 DO and boostered with a commercially available subunit Baculovirus bivalent inactivated H5+ND (Volvac^® B.E.S.T AI+ND) at 10 DO and had a 100% survival rate. The standalone vaccinated chicken G2B, using rHVT+IBD+H5 at 1 DO, had a highly significant survival rate (90%) vs. 0% (100% mortality) in the non-vaccinated challenged control, G3B. All the vaccinated groups had higher seroconversion at 45 DO especially using H5-coated antigen plates for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. The viral shedding titers and time were evaluated using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in the collected oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs at 3, 5, 7, and 10 days post-challenge (DPC). In conclusion, vaccination with rHVT+IBD+H5 either as a standalone or when boostered with subunit Baculovirus bivalent inactivated ND+H5 resulted in 90 and 100% protection, respectively, without significant difference in the quantity and duration of viral shedding between both groups against HPAI-H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4.b experimental challenge in broilers. Full article

Animal tuberculosis caused by mycobacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) represents a significant challenge to both public and animal health. Although eradication programs focus predominantly on cattle, small ruminants, especially goats, may play a relevant role as reservoirs. This study aimed to characterize tuberculosis cases in small ruminants in Portugal diagnosed at the national reference laboratory for Tuberculosis (Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária) over the period from April 2012 to July 2023. In this study, samples from 79 animals suspected of TB (64 goats and 15 sheep) were analyzed by integrating histopathology; bacteriology; and, when applicable, PCR results, thereby allowing the distribution by species to be described, MTBC agents to be identified, and diagnostic agreement to be assessed. Of these samples, 29 positive cases (36.7%) were identified, all of them in goats (45.3% of goats tested), whereas no cases were confirmed in sheep. Mycobacterium caprae was the most frequently identified species (89.7%), followed by Mycobacterium bovis (10.3%). Geographic distribution was concentrated in the Alentejo (48.3%) and Norte (44.8%) regions, where 93.1% of cases occurred. Topographical analysis of lesions revealed respiratory tract involvement (lung and/or thoracic lymph nodes) in 82.7% of positive cases, with gross patterns including caseous/caseocalcified lesions (n = 11), necrosis (n = 9), and nodular granulomatous lesions (n = 10). Agreement between histopathology and bacteriology was 81.5%. Parasitic coinfections were observed in 24.1% of positive cases, complicating histopathological interpretation. The results of this study indicate goats, as opposed to sheep, as non-negligible reservoirs of TB, suggesting species-level differences that warrant targeted investigation. The predominance of respiratory lesions and the detection of extensive cavitary forms indicate potential aerogenous transmission with implications for multi-host systems. Diagnostic discordance and parasitic interference reinforce the need for combined testing methodologies. It is therefore advisable to consider the integration of goats into tuberculosis surveillance and control programs, with greater relevance in Alentejo and Norte. Full article

China plays a multifaceted and pivotal role in the global snake trade network, with its trade dynamics heavily influenced by domestic market demand and international regulatory policies. Based on official CITES trade data from 1975 to 2023, this study systematically analyzes the scale, species composition, source dynamics, and potential risks of China’s legal snake trade by using Whole Organism Equivalents (WOEs) and trade measures adjusted for reporting effort. The results show that the cumulative trade volume exceeded 11.7 million WOEs and that China’s role underwent a major transformation from a “supply center” in the early 1990s to a “consumption hub” by 2012. Export patterns were dominated by colubrid snakes (81.5% of total exports), with the oriental ratsnake (Ptyas mucosa) alone accounting for 56.8%; this reflects a distinctive trade landscape shaped by the domestic culture of “medicine and food homology.” Although the proportion of captive-bred individuals has increased since 2010, a dual-supply system comprising both wild-sourced and captive-bred individuals persists. Furthermore, we identified several misreported species, exemplified by the non-native common cobra Naja naja being recorded as wild-sourced exports from China. Notably, the live venomous snake trade exhibits an extreme geographic concentration, with over 93% of exports directed to Hong Kong, thereby posing significant biosecurity and public health risks. In conclusion, future governance should move beyond simple trade bans by utilizing molecular tools to correct identification biases and by implementing regulatory frameworks modeled on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. This approach will address biosecurity risks within the trade chain and help achieve a scientifically informed balance between ecological conservation and livelihood security. Full article

Fruit shape is determined by patterns of cell division and expansion during early development, yet the upstream transcription factors coordinating cell wall dynamics and cytoskeletal organization remain largely unknown. Here, we report that SlbHLH113, a bHLH transcription factor, positively regulates tomato fruit elongation. Overexpression (OE) of SlbHLH113 produced elongated fruits with increased length/width ratio, whereas RNAi lines exhibited flattened fruits. Histological analysis revealed that SlbHLH113 alters columella cell polarity—promoting elongated cell morphology without affecting cell area—and reduces columella–placenta width and locule width, without altering pericarp thickness. Transcriptomic profiling identified 87 differentially expressed genes in OE lines, with enrichment in cell wall-related processes. Notably, a pectate lyase gene (PL5) and an expansin gene (EXT90) were down-regulated, while genes involved in oriented cellulose deposition (COBRA4) and ethylene signaling were up-regulated. Importantly, SlbHLH113 physically interacts with the microtubule-associated protein SlIQD21a, as demonstrated by yeast two-hybrid and luciferase complementation assays. Finally, SlbHLH113 did not affect major nutrient contents in red-ripe fruits. Collectively, our findings identify SlbHLH113 as a novel regulator of tomato fruit shape that might act through cell polarity control, cell wall remodeling, and interaction with a microtubule-associated protein, offering a potential target for improving fruit morphology without compromising nutritional quality. Full article

Snakebite envenoming is a major yet neglected tropical disease in sub-Saharan Africa, where antivenom efficacy is critically limited by intraspecific venom variation shaped by local ecological pressures. Nigeria’s sharply contrasting Sudan Savanna (North) and Lowland Rainforest (South) provide an ideal natural system to investigate this variation, yet a comparative analysis of its medically important snakes has been lacking. We conducted an integrated proteomic and functional characterization of venoms from the puff adder (Bitis arietans) and black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) collected in Kaduna (North) and Ibadan (South). Using high-resolution LC-MS/MS, SDS-PAGE, and biochemical assays (phospholipase A₂, protease, fibrinogenolytic, hemolytic, and coagulation activities), we mapped region-specific venom compositions and characterized their functional activities. Bitis arietans displayed region-associated divergence: southern venom was enriched in serine proteases, whereas northern venom was dominated by lectins and distinct snake venom metalloproteinase isoforms. Naja nigricollis showed a conserved phospholipase A₂/three-finger toxins backbone, yet southern venoms exhibited elevated snake venom metalloproteinase III and L-amino acid oxidase. These molecular differences manifested functionally, with southern B. arietans venom showing higher protease activity than northern B. arietans, whereas southern and northern N. nigricollis venom exhibited similar protease activity but enhanced phospholipase A₂ activity in southern N. nigricollis. This work provides the first integrated proteomic and functional comparison of venoms from northern and southern Nigerian venom sample of B. arietans and N. nigricollis. While based on a limited number of individuals, the observed differences should be considered preliminary and indicative of potential regional trends rather than population-level characteristics. Full article

Animal venoms induce systemic inflammatory response syndrome through their interaction, inter alia, with pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) of the innate immune system. CD5 and CD6 are lymphoid members of the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich superfamily, endowed with PRR activity against microbial-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) derived from bacteria, fungi, viruses and/or parasites. In this study, we aimed to investigate CD5 and CD6 interaction with cobra (Naja haje), scorpion (Androctonus australis) and honeybee (Apis mellifera) venoms. Binding assays revealed direct, dose-dependent and specific interaction of soluble human CD5 and CD6 receptors with protein nature components from the three venoms. Proteomic analysis identified venom nerve growth factor, basic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and cobra venom factor, in cobra venom, and scorpion venom toxins targeting potassium (α-KTx 8.1) and sodium channels (Neurotoxin-1″ and G-TI) as potentially interacting components with CD5 and CD6. Further studies confirmed direct binding of bee venom main components, phospholipase A2 and melittin, to both soluble CD5 and CD6 receptors. Interestingly, in vitro PLA2 activity from cobra and bee venom was significantly reduced by both soluble CD5 and CD6 receptors. These findings broaden the PRR properties of CD5 and CD6 and support their potential involvement in envenomation pathophysiology. Full article

The Cape cobra (Naja nivea), one of Africa’s most lethal snakes, can cause rapid, life-threatening paralysis. However, the impact of this venom on platelet function and blood coagulation remains poorly understood. To address this gap, we investigated the enzymatic profiles and the impacts of N. nivea venom on multiple aspects of haemostasis using human whole blood. Our results illustrate that Cape cobra venom significantly increases clotting time in rotational thromboelastometry without affecting other coagulation parameters. This venom significantly inhibits platelet aggregation and activation yet does not exert cytotoxic effects on platelets. The venom was subsequently fractionated using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and the most potent purified fraction was identified as a cytotoxin (three-finger toxin) through mass spectrometry. This purified fraction showed an inhibitory effect on platelet activity. These findings highlight that N. nivea venom can induce haemotoxicity in addition to neurotoxicity. Moreover, three-finger toxins may be promising candidates for bioprospecting to develop novel antithrombotic agents. Full article

Background/Objectives: Onion (Allium cepa) peems are an underutilized by-product rich in polyphenols. This study evaluated the physicochemical profile, and bioactive potential (antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticoagulant) of Moroccan red onion peels using integrated in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches. Methods: Moisture, pH, ash content, and mineral elements were determined, followed by phytochemical screening and three extractions: decoction E0, aqueous Soxhlet E1, and hydroethanolic Soxhlet E2 (70/30; ethanol/water, v/v). The measurement of polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins was carried out using colorimetric methods, while the molecular profile was studied by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/UV-ESI-MS). Biological activities were determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and total antioxidant capacity assays (in vitro antioxidant); microdilution (antimicrobial); prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time (anticoagulant); and α-amylase/α-glucosidase enzymatic inhibition and oral glucose tolerance tests on normoglycemic rats. Also, acute toxicity was evaluated, and molecular interactions between these proteins and ligands (docking, molecular dynamics, and MM-PBSA) were analyzed. Results: Physicochemical analyses showed an acidic pH (3.06) and high ash content (15.21%), with the concentration of regulated elements remaining within FAO/WHO limits. The extractive content was between 6.90% E0 and 19.18% E2. The E1 extract had the maximum amount of total polyphenols (178.95 mg GAE/g); on the other hand, E2 was the richest in flavonoids by 121.43 mg QE/g. The HPLC/ESI-MS analysis of E0 revealed 20 compounds, among which flavonoids (84.93%) were predominant, with isorhamnetin (30.26%), followed by quercetin and its glycosylated forms. E1 showed the most potent antioxidant effects (IC₅₀ DPPH, 22.38 µg/mL, as that of ascorbic acid). The antibacterial activity of E0 was especially potent towards Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC 75 µg/mL). A mild dose-dependent anticoagulant effect was seen. Antidiabetic activity was found to be outstanding: α-amylase (IC₅₀ 62.75 µg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ 8.49 µg/mL, stronger than acarbose) inhibitions were corroborated in vivo by a considerable decrease in the glycemic area under the curve. The molecular docking study in silico demonstrated strong molecular interactions, especially for quercetin 4′-O-glucoside with good binding energies. Conclusions: A. cepa peels from Morocco can be considered a safe plant matrix containing bioactive flavonoids with strong antioxidant and selective antimicrobial activities and promising antidiabetic effects, supported by molecular modeling. Full article

Energy harvesting has emerged as a promising solution for powering aircraft structural health monitoring (SHM) systems by exploiting ambient vibration energy. This work presents a novel clustered piezoelectric energy harvester (CPEH) designed to enable autonomous sensing and wireless data transmission in aircraft structures. Aircraft sections experience complex, multiple vibration modes during flight; however, the proposed harvester is specifically designed to exploit the oscillatory motion of the vertical tail unit (VTU) of a VUT-100 Cobra aircraft during the cruise phase. The energy harvester employs a clustered piezoelectric cantilever configuration incorporating magnetic stiffness nonlinearity, which enhances vibration-induced strain and enables effective frequency tuning. The nonlinear magnetic interaction broadens the operational bandwidth and improves energy conversion performance under low excitation amplitudes. The system is tuned to operate over a broadband frequency range of 110–130 Hz, with optimal performance achieved at acceleration amplitudes of less than 0.5 g, corresponding to the measured VTU vibration levels during the cruise phase of the flight. An experimental prototype was tested in the laboratory under aircraft cruise-phase vibration conditions, successfully achieving maximum power of 0.041 mW at optimum resistance of 390 KΩ and 5.45 mJ of stored energy in a 1000 µF capacitor within 10 min, confirming the feasibility of the proposed harvester for aircraft SHM applications. Full article