Search Results (30,855)

In order to verify the feasibility of in situ repair of underwater local dry laser welding (ULDLW) on nuclear power reactor components, this work investigates the microstructure and mechanical properties of 304L austenitic stainless steel repaired by ULDLW using ER308L filler metal. Comprehensive comparison would be made between the ULDLW and conventional in-air laser welding to evaluate their applicability. The results demonstrate that the rapid cooling rate inherent to the underwater environment significantly influences solidification behavior and microstructural evolution. The weld metal (WM) solidifies in the ferritic–austenitic (FA) mode, with an increased proportion of lathy δ-ferrite at the expense of skeletal morphology compared to the in-air welds. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis reveals the substantial grain refinement in underwater welds, with average grain sizes of 39.4 μm versus 47.3 μm for in-air weld bead, accompanied by a higher fraction of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs). These microstructural modifications yield superior mechanical properties: underwater weld bead exhibits ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 685.6 MPa, elongation of 57.5%, and impact toughness of 22.6 J, significantly exceeding the corresponding values for in-air welds (663.9 MPa, 51.8%, and 18.6 J, respectively). Fractographic analysis confirms ductile fracture mechanisms in both conditions. The enhanced performance is attributed to grain refinement strengthening via the Hall–Petch relationship and the increased LAGBs fraction, which impedes dislocation motion and crack propagation. Full article

Electronic coupling within InAs/InP quantum dots (QDs) influences carrier lifetime and thus QD laser performance. In this work, vertical electronic coupling between QDs is theoretically investigated based on a structure of five-layer QD stacks. This analysis illustrates that the resonant tunneling, a consequence of coherent coupling between QDs, should be considered for carrier redistribution. The carrier tunneling time of ground states is estimated by studying two structures of uniform and chirped five-layer QD stacks. The impact of resonant tunneling on optical properties of InAs/InP QD Fabery–Perot (FP) lasers, such as threshold current, light power-current temperature dependence, and relative intensity noise, is investigated through a comparison of uniform and chirped QD lasers. It is found that the carrier resonant tunneling leads to an increase in the threshold current, low characteristic temperature, and high relative intensity noise. By using the chirped QD stacks, the optical properties are improved thanks to less resonant tunneling. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is implicated in glycemic control. However, its circulating levels and clinical significance in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remain controversial. We assessed plasma S1P levels in T2DM patients, its associations with metabolic parameters and complications, and explored its biomarker potential and non-linear (U-/J-shaped) relationships. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 140 patients with T2DM and 63 matching healthy controls. Plasma S1P was measured by competitive ELISA. Statistical analyses included comparisons, correlation, ROC analysis, multivariable logistic regression, and quadratic/spline regression for U-shaped relationships. Results: Plasma S1P was significantly elevated in T2DM patients [1256.7 (149.4–1510.0) ng/mL] compared to controls [1075.1 (202.0–1510.0) ng/mL; p < 0.001]. S1P correlated positively with age, disease duration, HbA1c, insulin resistance, TyG index, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and negatively with HDL-C. Patients with complications had higher S1P than those without (p = 0.001), with progressive increases from retinopathy to nephropathy to mixed complications. Insulin-treated patients exhibited the highest S1P levels (p < 0.001). ROC analysis showed moderate diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.724). S1P is an independent associated factor with complications (OR = 1.18 per 100 ng/mL, p = 0.003). Non-linear analysis revealed a U-shaped relationship with HDL-C (optimal S1P: 1100–1350 ng/mL) and a J-shaped relationship with complication risk (threshold ~1250 ng/mL). Conclusions: Plasma S1P is elevated in T2DM and correlates with disease severity, glycemic control, insulin resistance, and complications. S1P demonstrates moderate biomarker potential and exhibits non-linear U-/J-shaped relationships with metabolic parameters, suggesting an optimal therapeutic window of 1100–1280 ng/mL. These findings support S1P as a marker of cumulative disease burden and a potential therapeutic target. Full article

Accurate, high-resolution emission inventories are essential for air quality modeling and policy evaluation, yet national-scale inventories for Thailand remain limited in spatial and temporal detail. This study develops a comprehensive national emission inventory for Thailand in 2019 (EI–TH 2019), covering 12 major air pollutants and greenhouse gases across key sectors, including energy, transport, industry, agriculture, waste, and residential activities. The inventory is constructed using country-specific activity data from official statistics and sectoral surveys, combined with GAINS-consistent emission factors and control assumptions. Emissions are resolved at 1 × 1 km spatial resolution and monthly temporal resolution to capture Thailand-specific emission dynamics. The results show that emissions across major pollutants are dominated by a limited number of source groups, with biomass burning and residential solid-fuel use driving particulate matter, transport dominating NO_x and CO emissions, large-scale combustion and industry controlling SO₂ emissions, and agriculture contributing the majority of NH₃ emissions. Strong seasonal variability is observed in PM_2.5, CO, and NH₃, primarily driven by dry-season biomass burning, whereas NO_x and SO₂ exhibit relatively stable temporal patterns. The reliability of EI–TH 2019 is supported by a multi-dimensional evaluation framework. Temporal consistency is demonstrated through strong agreement between modeled PM_2.5 emissions and ground-based observations, as well as between NO_x emissions and satellite-derived TROPOMI NO₂ (r = 0.93; ρ = 0.96). Biomass burning timing is further validated using satellite fire activity (VIIRS), showing consistent seasonal patterns. Comparisons with global inventories (EDGAR v8.1, HTAP v3.2, and GFED5.1) reveal systematic differences in sectoral contributions, temporal profiles, and emission magnitudes, particularly for biomass burning, reflecting the importance of country-specific data and assumptions. Overall, EI–TH 2019 provides a robust, high-resolution, and policy-relevant emission dataset that improves the representation of emission processes in Thailand. The results highlight key priority sectors—biomass burning, transport, industry, and agriculture—for targeted emission-reduction strategies and support applications in chemical transport modeling, exposure assessment, and integrated air-quality and climate-policy analysis. Full article

Background and Aim: Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapy is commonly associated with skin toxicity, which may reflect treatment response. This study evaluated the prognostic significance of anti-EGFR-related skin toxicity in patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) receiving palliative chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 256 RAS wild-type mCRC patients treated with anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies at Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey (June 2011–February 2024). Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank comparisons. A landmark analysis at 2 months was performed to address guarantee-time bias. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify independent prognostic factors. Results: The median PFS was 17 months in patients with grade ≥ 2 skin toxicity versus 8 months in those with grade < 2 skin toxicity (p < 0.001). The median OS was 32 and 21 months, respectively (p < 0.001). In the landmark-adjusted multivariate analysis, grade ≥ 2 skin toxicity was an independent prognostic factor for both PFS (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.39–0.70, p < 0.001) and OS (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.37–0.68, p < 0.001). Additional independent factors for OS included albumin, LDH, peritoneal metastasis, age, tumor sidedness, and BMI. The objective response rates were 53.9% and 11.3% in the grade ≥ 2 and grade < 2 groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Grade ≥ 2 skin toxicity was significantly associated with longer PFS, OS, and a higher response rate, and was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. These findings suggest that skin toxicity may serve as a non-invasive marker of treatment efficacy. Prospective studies with time-dependent methodologies are needed to validate these results. Full article

Background and Objective: Active surveillance (AS) describes the active monitoring of men with low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PCa), before active management (AM) is needed due to disease progression. A substantial proportion of patients require a transition to AM within a few years of diagnosis. Proclarix is a blood-based diagnostic test that predicts clinically significant PCa (csPCa) and the Proclarix risk score has been shown to correlate with tumor aggressiveness. This study aimed to assess whether Proclarix can predict the likelihood of transition from AS to AM and to compare it to PSA density (PSAD). Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the Proclarix risk scores in serum samples from a Danish cohort of 132 men recruited from the PerPros prostate biobank. Most participants had low- to intermediate-risk PCa and were considered eligible for AS at diagnosis. Blood samples were collected before the initial biopsies, and clinical follow-up data were available for every patient for a minimum of 3 and up to 9.5 years. The primary endpoint was the ability of the Proclarix risk score to predict the transition from AS to AM. The secondary endpoint was to assess whether Proclarix could identify patients at risk of progression to csPCa. For both endpoints, PSA density was also included in the analysis for comparison. Results: Overall, 48 of 132 men (36%) transitioned from AS to AM during follow-up. A baseline Proclarix risk score of ≥50% was associated with a 79% estimated cumulative probability of switching to AM (HR = 4.4, 95% CI: 2.3–8.3, p < 0.001), compared to the 58% (HR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.7–5.7, p < 0.001) for PSAD At the 5-year follow-up, 82% of men with a Proclarix score ≥ 50% and 57% with PSAD ≥ 0.15 ng/mL/cm³ had progressed to AM. Additionally, 67% and 54% of men showed progression to csPCa with, respectively, Proclarix and PSAD at the confirmatory biopsy. In contrast, among men with a Proclarix score < 50%, only 28% progressed to AM and 32% to csPCa, whereas for PSAD < 0.15 ng/mL/cm³, 17% transitioned to AM and 23% progressed to csPCa. Conclusions: The Proclarix risk score may support clinical decision-making in AS by identifying patients at higher risk of progression and informing follow-up intensity. However, the results should be confirmed in a larger prospective study. Full article

Recently, two novel extensions of the Weibull distribution have been introduced through Manly’s exponential transformation, offering a flexible mechanism for modeling skewness, tail behavior, and complex hazard rate structures. In this study, we develop a comprehensive theoretical and inferential framework for one of these models, referred to as the Baker–T1 distribution, to establish it as a mature and practically viable lifetime model for reliability and survival analysis. While the Baker–T1 model exhibits remarkable flexibility in capturing skewness, tail behavior, and complex hazard rate shapes, its statistical properties and practical performance have not yet been systematically investigated. To bridge this gap, we derive a wide range of fundamental distributional characteristics, including reliability measures, hazard and reversed-hazard functions, quantiles, moments, skewness, kurtosis, dispersion indices, and order statistics, establishing the model’s analytical tractability and structural richness. An extensive inferential framework is introduced by implementing eight classical estimation techniques, and their finite-sample behavior is rigorously examined through a large-scale Monte Carlo simulation study under diverse parameter configurations. The practical relevance of the Baker–T1 model is further demonstrated using two genuine datasets from biomedical and engineering domains, where it consistently outperforms thirteen competing lifetime distributions according to likelihood-based and information-theoretic criteria. Full article

The first female flower node (FFFN) is a crucial trait affecting earliness and yield in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.). To identify the genetic locus and candidate gene controlling FFFN, we performed phenotypic and genetic analyses using two parental lines, ‘M144’ (average FFFN: 6.3 ± 2.0) and ‘K55’ (average FFFN: 22.0 ± 4.5), along with their F₁ hybrid and an F₂ population consisting of 317 individuals. The results show that the low FFFN trait was incompletely dominant over the high FFFN trait. Using BSA-seq, we mapped a FFFN locus to an interval of 18.8–22.5 Mb on chromosome 4. Fine mapping with KASP markers narrowed the McFFFN4.1 to a 73.05 kb interval between markers 25QP334 and 26QP20, which contained seven predicted genes. Transcriptome analysis revealed that only Moc04g29650, which is annotated as cytochrome b-c1 complex subunit Rieske, was differentially expressed between the parents within this mapping interval. Sequence comparison identified a single SNP (C > A) in the promoter region of Moc04g29650, which was located within a putative YAB1/FIL-binding motif. Given the known role of FILAMENTOUS FLOWER (FIL) in regulating floral transition in Arabidopsis thaliana, Moc04g29650 is proposed as the most likely candidate gene for McFFFN4.1. The KASP marker 26QP20, located near Moc04g29650, showed the strongest association with FFFN in the F₂ population, with a maximum LOD score of 5.45, and thus represents a valuable tool for marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding in bitter gourd. This study lays a foundation for cloning McFFFN4.1 and genetically improving early maturity in bitter gourd. Full article

Prefabricated steel structures have been increasingly adopted in modern construction due to their high efficiency, sustainability, and industrialized production. However, their construction quality and efficiency are often compromised by accumulated geometric deviations during fabrication, transportation, assembly, and welding, while traditional construction control and welding processes remain highly dependent on manual measurements and empirical operations. To address these challenges, this study proposes a digital construction framework for prefabricated steel structures, integrating high-precision three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and intelligent welding technologies. First, high-precision 3D laser scanning is employed to capture the as-built geometric information of prefabricated steel components, generating dense point cloud data for construction-stage deviation detection and quantitative comparison with BIM-based design models. Based on deviation analysis, a digital construction control strategy is established to support real-time feedback, error compensation, and assembly adjustment. An engineering case study involving a complex prefabricated steel structure is conducted to validate the proposed framework. The results demonstrate that the integrated digital construction and intelligent welding approach significantly improves assembly accuracy, weld positioning precision, and construction efficiency, while reducing manual intervention and error accumulation. Overall, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by proposing a unified closed-loop digital construction paradigm that integrates geometric perception, deviation-driven decision-making, and intelligent welding execution, thereby bridging the gap between construction control and robotic fabrication in prefabricated steel structures. Full article

The primary processing shapes the taste characteristics of coffee beans, while the regulation pathways remain unclear. Coffee beans processed by five methods—dry processing (DP), wet processing (WP), red honey (RH), black honey (BH) and anaerobic fermentation (AF)—were evaluated using electronic tongue analysis, sensory evaluation, and untargeted metabolomics. Sensory evaluation scores for mouthfeel, balance, and overall were higher in BH and AF. Conversely, the WP and DP exhibited heightened bitterness and astringency responses on the electronic tongue sensors, particularly for the former. The multigroup metabolomic comparison identified 808 DMs, and WGCNA revealed eight sensory-related modules containing 467 hub metabolites, mainly amino acids and derivatives, organic acids, alkaloids, and phenolic acids. KEGG analysis demonstrated that pathways such as caffeine metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism were the main pathways responsible for the metabolic differences. Further correlation analysis revealed potential flavor components closely associated with key taste characteristics. 1,3,4,5-tetrahydroxycyclohexanecarboxylic acid and Tyr demonstrated positive associations with bitterness, while TPC, TFC, Gly, and Met exhibited negative correlations with bitterness and astringency. Glu demonstrated a positive correlation with umami. These findings elucidate the material basis by which the primary processing modulates non-volatile compounds and taste perception, offering new insights into enhancing coffee quality. Full article

Future fusion power plants like DEMO must be remotely maintained for safety, including breeding blankets (BBs) weighing up to 180$\mathrm{t}$. The BB vertical transporter (BBVT), a crane-like redundant robot with 7 joints, has been previously designed for handling the five unique BB segments per sector. This includes grasping, preloading and collision-free spatial manipulation of BB segments in a space-constrained environment, necessitating advanced motion planning and real-time control. To achieve this, the challenge of obtaining accurate and performant inverse kinematic (IK) solutions for the redundant BBVT must be addressed. Therefore, a kinematic model is presented, and the redundant IK probelm is solved analytically for task-relevant cases, including derivation and analysis of the Jacobian. The model is verified by comparison with an MSC Adams model. Meanwhile, the analytical IK is found to be 53× to 84× faster than a gradient projection-based numerical solver in Matlab while providing multiple solutions. The IK and Jacobian are applied to create collision-free waypoints, verified in Matlab, for handling each BB segment while minimizing static joint loads in key configurations. A first-order estimate of the total BB handling time for a maintenance of nine days is calculated. These developments support the feasibility of the BBVT robot for the BB maintenance task in DEMO, and underpin future efforts in modelling dynamics and achieving real-time resilient control. Full article

Background: We present a retrospective radiographic analysis showcasing the ability to correct hallux valgus using the Lapidus arthrodesis without focused frontal plane rotation of the first metatarsal. Methods: A total of 33 feet in 30 patients who had undergone Lapidus arthrodesis for the treatment of hallux abducto valgus deformity from 1 August 2015 to 31 December 2020 were identified. The median age of the cohort was 55.4 years (range, 33–78 years), 23 were female (76.7%), three (10%) underwent bilateral Lapidus arthrodesis, and the median duration of follow-up was 15.9 months (range, 5–72 months). Results: The median (minimum, maximum) preoperative first intermetatarsal angle was 16° (13°, 28°), and at final follow-up it was 5° (0°, 6°) (p < 0.001). The median (minimum, maximum) preoperative hallux abductus angle was 37° (26°, 51°), and at final follow-up it was 8.5° (0°, 22.5°) (p < 0.001). The median (minimum, maximum) preoperative tibial sesamoid position was 6 (4, 7), and at final follow-up it was 3 (2, 5) (p = 0.001). Conclusions: We found the radiographic first metatarsal lateral round sign to be ambiguous. Qualitative comparison of the results of this investigation with prior studies describing outcomes following Lapidus arthrodesis with focused frontal plane rotation of the first metatarsal suggests that similar outcomes can be achieved without employment of a decisive frontal plane rotation of the first metatarsal. Our findings lead us to believe that correction of substantial hallux abducto valgus deformities can be accomplished using the Lapidus procedure combined with lateral release of the first metatarsophalangeal joint without focused derotation of the first metatarsal. Full article

Campylobacter is the primary bacterial cause of foodborne gastroenteritis globally. While international standards recommend a tiered approach for detection, emerging evidence suggests that selective protocols may introduce species-specific recovery biases. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the diagnostic performance of established culture-based detection protocols across diverse food matrices. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we searched multiple databases for studies reporting 2 × 2 diagnostic accuracy data through October 2024. Ten studies comprising 43 method comparisons and 4599 samples met the inclusion criteria. The overall pooled sensitivity was 95.8% (95% CI: 93.6–97.4%), and the specificity was 90.2% (95% CI: 86.8–92.9%). Even with a limited number of comparisons (n = 2), direct culture demonstrated high diagnostic sensitivity (99.1%) and significantly faster turnaround times. Crucially, selective enrichment exhibited a profound species-specific bias: C. jejuni showed 59.4 percent lower recovery than C. coli in Bolton broth, likely due to differential polymyxin B susceptibility. These findings highlight the importance of context-dependent method selection within the ISO 10272-1:2017 framework, suggesting that direct culture (Procedure C) should be prioritized for high-contamination matrices to ensure unbiased recovery of C. jejuni. Large-scale multicenter validation is warranted to confirm these exploratory findings for direct culture. Full article

Marine biofouling is a major global concern affecting the marine industry, the environment, and public health. The accumulation of organisms on submerged surfaces causes significant economic losses, including increased fuel consumption, higher pollutant emissions, and accelerated corrosion. Antifouling (AF) coatings with biocides are widely used to prevent this problem. However, many conventional biocides have been banned due to toxicity, creating an urgent need for environmentally friendly alternatives. In previous studies, we synthesized a gallic acid derivative and three flavonoids that showed AF activity against the settlement of mussel larvae (Mytilus galloprovincialis) together with low ecotoxicity. In the present work, to further assess their potential in marine coatings and exploit the advantages of nanocarriers in protecting and prolonging bioactive effects, these compounds were loaded into halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and incorporated into epoxy coatings. Coatings containing the same AF compounds in free form were also prepared for comparison. HNTs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and compound loading was quantified by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The resulting composites were analyzed by SEM and dynamic water contact angle measurements. Laboratory bioassays with M. galloprovincialis larvae showed that coatings containing HNT-loaded synthetic compounds generally reduced larval settlement more effectively than the corresponding coatings containing the same compounds directly dispersed in the epoxy matrix, with values below 20% after both 15 and 40 h of exposure for the best-performing formulation. These findings highlight the novelty of the proposed HNT-based delivery strategy for nature-inspired synthetic antifoulants and support its potential for the development of effective and environmentally safer AF coatings. Full article

Corporate risk prediction is a central problem in financial analysis and corporate risk management. This study proposes a functional approach in which firms are represented through multivariate financial trajectories constructed from retrospective windows of accounting indicators, over which a similarity measure is defined and incorporated into a k-nearest neighbors classifier. The target variable is derived from administrative records, combining reporting discontinuity and firm administrative status as a proxy for financial distress. The empirical application is conducted using data from firms in the tourism sector in Colombia and is evaluated through stratified cross-validation. The results show that the trajectory-based representation captures gradual patterns of financial deterioration and improves the performance of k-NN relative to its static variable counterpart. In addition, the approach enhances interpretability by enabling the identification of historically comparable firms and the analysis of the financial dimensions that explain their similarity. Overall, the model provides a complementary perspective for corporate risk analysis based on the comparison of financial trajectories. Full article