Search Results (9,742)

Periodic visual inspections are currently conducted to maintain the condition of railway bridges. These inspections rely on direct visual assessments by human inspectors, often requiring specialized equipment such as aerial ladders. However, this method is not only time-consuming and costly but also involves significant safety risks. Therefore, there is a growing need for a more efficient and reliable alternative to traditional visual inspections of railway bridges. In this study, we evaluated and compared the performance of damage detection using U-Net-based deep learning models on images captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The target damage types include cracks, concrete spalling and delamination, water leakage, exposed reinforcement, and paint peeling. To enable multi-class segmentation, the U-Net model was trained using three different loss functions: Cross-Entropy Loss, Focal Loss, and Intersection over Union (IoU) Loss. We compared these methods to determine their ability to distinguish actual structural damage from environmental factors and surface contamination, particularly under real-world site conditions. The results showed that the U-Net model trained with IoU Loss outperformed the others in terms of detection accuracy. When applied to field inspection scenarios, this approach demonstrates strong potential for objective and precise damage detection. Furthermore, the use of UAVs in the inspection process is expected to significantly reduce both time and cost in railway infrastructure maintenance. Future research will focus on extending the detection capabilities to additional damage types such as efflorescence and corrosion, aiming to ultimately replace manual visual inspections of railway bridge surfaces with deep-learning-based methods. Full article

Background/Objectives: Curcumin (CUR) is well known for its therapeutic properties, particularly attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in managing chronic diseases such as arthritis. While CUR application for biomedical purposes is well known, the phytochemical has several restrictions given its poor water solubility, physicochemical instability, and low bioavailability. These limitations have led to innovative formulations, with nanocarriers emerging as a promising alternative. For this reason, this study aimed to address the potential advantages of associating CUR with nanocarrier systems in managing arthritis through a scoping review. Methods: A systematic literature search of preclinical (in vivo) and clinical studies was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (December 2024). General inclusion criteria include using CUR or natural derivatives in nano-based formulations for arthritis treatment. These elements lead to the question: “What is the impact of the association of CUR or derivatives in nanocarriers in treating arthritis?”. Results: From an initial 536 articles, 34 were selected for further analysis (31 preclinical investigations and three randomized clinical trials). Most studies used pure CUR (25/34), associated with organic (30/34) nanocarrier systems. Remarkably, nanoparticles (16/34) and nanoemulsions (5/34) were emphasized. The formulations were primarily presented in liquid form (23/34) and were generally administered to animal models through intra-articular injection (11/31). Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA) was the most frequently utilized among the various models to induce arthritis-like joint damage. The findings indicate that associating CUR or its derivatives with nanocarrier systems enhances its pharmacological efficacy through controlled release and enhanced solubility, bioavailability, and stability. Moreover, the encapsulation of CUR showed better results in most cases than in its free form. Nonetheless, most studies were restricted to the preclinical model, not providing direct evidence in humans. Additionally, inadequate information and clarity presented considerable challenges for preclinical evidence, which was confirmed by SYRCLE’s bias detection tools. Conclusions: Hence, this scoping review highlights the anti-arthritic effects of CUR nanocarriers as a promising alternative for improved treatment. Full article

The shear characteristics of the frozen soil–concrete interface are core parameters in frost heave resistance design in cold-region engineering, and the influence mechanism of interface roughness on these characteristics is not clear. In this study, the regulatory effect of different roughness levels (R-0 to R-4) on the interfacial freezing strength was quantitatively analyzed for the first time through direct shear tests, and the evolution characteristics of the contribution ratio of the ice cementation strength were revealed. The results show that the peak shear strength of the interface increases significantly with the roughness (when the normal stress is 400 kPa and the water content is 14%, the increase in R-4 is 47.7% compared with R-0); the ice cementation strength increases synchronously and its contribution ratio increases with the increase in roughness. Although the absolute value of the residual strength increase is small, the relative amplitude is larger (178.5% increase under the same working conditions). The peak cohesion increased significantly with the roughness (R-0 to R-4 increased by 268.6%), while the residual cohesion decreased. The peak and residual internal friction angle increased slightly with the roughness. The study clarifies the differential influence mechanism of roughness on the interface’s shear parameters and provides a key quantitative basis for the anti-frost heave design of engineering interfaces in cold regions. Full article

LPG fuel supply systems are increasingly important for improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions in the shipping industry. The primary objective of this research is to investigate the heat transfer phenomena to enhance the thermal performance of double-pipe heat exchangers (DPHEs) in LPG fuel supply systems. This study investigates the heat transfer performance of a glycol–steam double-pipe heat exchanger (DPHE) within an LPG fuel supply system under varying operating conditions. A computational model and methodology were developed and validated by comparing the numerical results with experimental data obtained from commissioning tests. Additionally, the effects of turbulence models and parametric variations were evaluated by analyzing the glycol–water mixing ratio and flow direction—both of which are critical operational parameters for DPHE systems. Numerical validation against the commissioning data showed a deviation of ±2% under parallel-flow conditions, confirming the reliability of the proposed model. With respect to the glycol–water mixing ratio and flow configuration, thermal conductance (UA) decreased by approximately 11% in parallel flow and 13% in counter flow for every 20% increase in glycol concentration. Furthermore, parallel flow exhibited approximately 0.6% higher outlet temperatures than counter flow, indicating superior heat transfer efficiency under parallel-flow conditions. Finally, the heat transfer behavior of the DPHE was further examined by considering the effects of geometric characteristics, pipe material, and fluid properties. This study offers significant contributions to the engineering design of double-pipe heat exchanger systems for LPG fuel supply applications. Full article

This work aims to highlight the effects of nonlinearity on the crest shape of large directional water wave events. To simulate such events, we chose to focus frequencies on a pre-determined time step over a wavefield with randomised phases, running the simulations with HOS-ocean, a fully nonlinear potential flow solver. By also applying a phase separation scheme, we were able to identify the contributions of the various orders of nonlinearity to the formation of these large wave events. The findings show a significant change in the shape of these large water waves compared to linear theory, particularly in shallower water depth. In addition, the phase separation reveals the increased significance of high-order harmonics in finite water depths compared to deep water. Full article

Background: Asprosin is a relatively recently discovered glucogenic adipokine secreted during fasting that plays an important role in various biochemical processes in the body, including those connected with obesity and insulin resistance. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the associations between selected hormonal, anthropometric, and lifestyle-related parameters and serum asprosin concentration. As studies concerning fertility and asprosin have so far been limited to men or women with PCOS, its role in the general female population remains largely unexplored. The direction of this exploration was thus pointed toward possible connections with female fertility. Methods: The case-control study group included 56 women of reproductive age (25–42 years), who were patients of the Reproductive Health Clinic and the Clinic of Endocrinology, Diabetology, and Internal Medicine of the Medical University of Białystok, Poland. The levels of selected hormones, including anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and testosterone, body composition parameters, and a lifestyle parameter—night fasting duration—were assessed to test their associations with serum asprosin concentration. Results: A weak negative correlation was found between AMH level and serum asprosin concentration, suggesting a potential link between asprosin and ovarian reserve. Furthermore, a moderate positive correlation was found between the percentage of total body water (TBW) and serum asprosin concentration. No significant associations were observed between the levels of the other tested hormones and serum asprosin concentration, or between body composition parameters or night fasting duration and serum asprosin concentration. The multivariate model designed in the study shows that AMH, TBW, and night fasting duration explain 23.4% of asprosin variability. Conclusions: Although the nature of the study is exploratory, the findings indicate that the role of asprosin in the female population—particularly its role in fertility—requires further research. Not only is the number of available studies on asprosin insufficient, but the results of this study partly contradict what is known about the hormone from previous studies, which were largely performed with male cohorts. In addition, the results of this study suggest that asprosin may indeed be involved in mechanisms related to female fertility, particularly those connected with ovarian reserve. Nevertheless, studies performed in larger, more homogeneous populations are necessary to confirm the role of asprosin in women, including its association with female fertility. Full article

Due to the increasing demand for agricultural water, the water availability for winter and spring irrigation of cotton fields has decreased. Consequently, dry seeding followed by irrigation (DSSI) has become a widespread cotton cultivation technique in Xinjiang. This study focused on the interaction between soil particles and cotton seeding equipment under DSSI in Xinjiang. The discrete element method (DEM) simulation framework was employed to compare the performance of the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) model and Bonding model in simulating contact between soil particles. The models’ ability to simulate the angle of repose was investigated, and shear tests were conducted. The simulation results showed that both models had comparable repose angles, with relative errors of 0.59% for the JKR model and 0.36% for the contact model. However, the contact model demonstrated superior predictive accuracy in simulating direct shear test results, predicting an internal friction angle of 35.8°, with a relative error of 5.8% compared to experimental measurements. In contrast, the JKR model exhibited a larger error. The Bonding model provides a more accurate description of soil particle contact. Subsoiler penetration tests showed that the maximum penetration force was 467.2 N, closely matching the simulation result of 485.3 N, which validates the reliability of the model parameters. The proposed soil simulation framework and calibrated parameters accurately represented soil mechanical properties, providing a robust basis for discrete element modeling and structural optimization of soil-tool interactions in cotton field tillage machinery. Full article

Payments for Watershed services (PWSs) have been emerging as a critical tool for environmental governance in watershed, yet their comparative effectiveness across implementation models has remained poorly understood. Based on a comparative analysis of Eco-Compensation (EC) and Payments for Ecosystem Services (PESs) frameworks, examining both theoretical foundations and implementation practices, this study aims to quantitatively assess and compare the effectiveness of two dominant PWSs models—the EC-like model (Phase I: October 2008–April 2017) and the PESs-like model (Phase II: 2017–December 2021). Using the Liaohe River in China as a case study, utilizing ecosystem service value (ESV) as an indicator and employing the corrected unit-value transfer method, we compare the effectiveness of different PWSs models from October 2008 to December 2021. The results reveal the following: (1) Policy Efficiency: The PESs-like model demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness than the EC-like model, with annual average increases in ESV of 3.23 billion CNY (491 million USD) and 1.79 billion CNY (272 million USD). (2) Functional Drivers: Water regulation (45.1% of total ESV growth) and climate regulation (24.3%) were dominant services, with PESs-like interventions enhancing multifunctionality. (3) Stakeholder Impact: In the PESs-like model, the cities implementing inter-county direct payment showed higher growth efficiency than those without it. The operational efficiency of PWSs increases with the number of participating stakeholders, which explains why the PESs-like model demonstrates higher effectiveness than the EC-like model. Our findings offer empirical evidence and actionable policy implications for designing effective PWSs models across global watershed ecosystems. Full article

The increasing use of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), and personal care products (PCPs) has led to the widespread presence of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in aquatic environments, posing a significant global challenge for environmental conservation. In recent years, advanced materials-based nanofiltration (NF) technologies have emerged as a promising solution for water and wastewater treatment. This review begins by examining the sources of OMPs, as well as the risk of OMPs. Subsequently, the key criteria of NF membranes for OMPs are discussed, with a focus on the roles of pore size, charge property, molecular interaction, and hydrophilicity in the separation performance. Against that background, this review summarizes and analyzes recent advancements in materials such as metal organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), graphene oxide (GO), MXenes, hybrid materials, and environmentally friendly materials. It highlights the porous nature and structural diversity of organic framework materials, the advantage of inorganic layered materials in forming controllable nanochannels through stacking, the synergistic effects of hybrid materials, and the importance of green materials. Finally, the challenges related to the performance optimization, scalable fabrication, environmental sustainability, and complex separation of advanced materials-based membranes for OMP removal are discussed, along with future research directions and potential breakthroughs. Full article

Ultrafine bubbles (UFBs) represent an emerging technology with unique physicochemical properties. This study investigated the effects of air-filled UFBs infused in drinking water on gut microbiota composition and the associated health markers in Sprague Dawley rats over a 12-week period. Using a two-phase design, UFB concentration was increased from 1.7 × 10⁶ to 6.5 × 10⁹ UFBs/mL at week 7 to assess dose-dependent effects. Administration of UFBs in drinking water induced significant shifts in gut microbiome populations, characterized by increased Bacteroidetes (+122% weeks 8–12) and decreased Firmicutes (−43% weeks 8–12) compared to controls. These microbial shifts coincided with enhanced short-chain fatty acid production (butyrate +56.0%, p ≤ 0.001; valerate +63.1%, p ≤ 0.01) and reduced inflammatory markers (TNF-α −84.0%, p ≤ 0.05; IL-1β −41.0%, p ≤ 0.05; IL-10 −69.8%, p ≤ 0.05). UFB effects demonstrated systematic concentration-dependent threshold responses, with 85.7% of parameters exhibiting directional reversals between low (1.7 × 10⁶ UFBs/mL) and high (6.5 × 10⁹ UFBs/mL) concentration phases rather than linear dose–response relationships. The systematic nature of these threshold effects, with 71.4% of parameters achieving statistical significance (p ≤ 0.05), indicates concentration-dependent biological mechanisms rather than random effects on gut biology. Despite current metagenomic techniques identifying only 25% of the total gut microbiome, the observed changes in characterized species and metabolites demonstrate UFB technology’s therapeutic potential for conditions requiring microbiome modulation, providing new insights into UFB influence on complex biological systems. Full article

The efficiency of electric motors is highly dependent on their operating temperature, with lower temperatures contributing to enhanced performance, reliability, and extended service life. This study presents a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art cooling technologies and evaluates their impact on the thermal behavior of a commercial motor–generator system in high-demand applications. A baseline model of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) was developed using MotorCAD 2023^® software, which was supported by reverse engineering techniques to accurately replicate the motor’s physical and thermal characteristics. Subsequently, multiple cooling strategies were simulated under consistent operating conditions to assess their effectiveness. These strategies include conventional axial water jackets as well as advanced oil-based methods such as shaft cooling and direct oil spray to the windings. The integration of these systems in hybrid configurations was also explored to maximize thermal efficiency. Simulation results reveal that hybrid cooling significantly reduces the temperature of critical components such as stator windings and permanent magnets. This reduction in thermal stress improves current efficiency, power output, and torque capacity, enabling reliable motor operation across a broader range of speeds and under sustained high-load conditions. The findings highlight the effectiveness of hybrid cooling systems in optimizing both thermal management and operational performance of electric machines. Full article

The gyroid minimal surface is one type of triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS). TPMS is a minimal surface replicated in the three main directions of the Cartesian coordinate system. The minimal surface is a surface stretched between two objects, known as the smallest possible area (e.g., a soap bubble with a saddle shape stretched between two parallel circles). The complicated shape of the TPMS makes its production possible only by additive methods (3D printing). This article presents the results of experimental studies on heat transfer and flow resistance in a heat exchanger made of stainless steel. The heat exchange surface, a TPMS gyroid, separates two working media: hot and cold water. The water flow rate was varied in the range from 8 kg/h to 25 kg/h (Re = 246–1171). The water temperature at the inlet to the exchanger was maintained at a constant level of 8.8 ± 0.3 °C and 49.5 ± 0.5 °C for cold and hot water, respectively. The effect of water flow rate on the change in its temperature, the heat output of the exchanger, the average heat transfer coefficient, pressure drop, and overall resistance factor was presented. Full article

Environmental monitoring plays a key role in understanding and mitigating the effects of climate change, pollution, and resource mismanagement. The growth of printed sensor technologies offers an innovative approach to addressing these challenges due to their low cost, flexibility, and scalability. Printed sensors enable the real-time monitoring of air, water, soil, and climate, providing significant data for data-driven decision-making technologies and policy development to improve the quality of the environment. The development of new materials, such as graphene, conductive polymers, and biodegradable substrates, has significantly enhanced the environmental applications of printed sensors by improving sensitivity, enabling flexible designs, and supporting eco-friendly and disposable solutions. The development of inkjet, screen, and roll-to-roll printing technologies has also contributed to the achievement of mass production without sacrificing quality or performance. This review presents the current progress in printed sensors for environmental applications, with a focus on technological advances, challenges, applications, and future directions. Moreover, the paper also discusses the challenges that still exist due to several issues, e.g., sensitivity, stability, power supply, and environmental sustainability. Printed sensors have the potential to revolutionize ecological monitoring, as evidenced by recent innovations such as Internet of Things (IoT) integration, self-powered designs, and AI-enhanced data analytics. By addressing these issues, printed sensors can develop a better understanding of environmental systems and help promote the UN sustainable development goals. Full article

The precise synthesis of non-precious metal single-atom electrocatalysts is crucial for enhancing the yield of highly active reactive oxygen species (ROSs). Conventional oxidation methods, such as Fenton or NaClO processes, suffer from poor efficiency, high energy demand, and secondary pollution. In contrast, heterogeneous electro-Fenton systems based on cascade oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs), which require low operational voltage and cause pollutant degradation through both direct electron transfer and ROS generation, have emerged as a promising alternative. Recent studies showed that carbon cathodes decorated with atomically dispersed transition metals can effectively integrate the excellent conductivity of carbon supports with the tunable surface chemistry of metal centers. However, the electronic structure of active sites intrinsically hinders the simultaneous achievement of high activity and selectivity in cascade ORRs. This review summarizes the advances, specifically from 2020 to 2025, in understanding the mechanism of cascade ORRs and the synthesis of transition metal-based single-atom catalysts in cathode electrocatalysis for efficient wastewater treatment, and discusses the key factors affecting treatment performance. While employing atomically engineered cathodes is a promising approach for energy-efficient wastewater treatment, future efforts should overcome the barriers in active site control and long-term stability of the catalysts to fully exploit their potential in addressing water pollution challenges. Full article

Liquid calcium aluminate cement (LCAC) is an innovative material technology with significant potential for varied applications in civil engineering. However, despite its promising results, a significant gap remains in the direct application of LCAC as a concrete binder. The primary catalysts for LCAC are sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH). Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the effects of sodium and potassium ions on alkali–aggregate reactions in concrete structures. This study evaluated the durability of liquid calcium aluminate cement concrete catalyzed using four different concentrations of NaOH (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0%) as experimental variables, incorporating a control group of traditional concrete with a water–cement ratio of 0.64. The findings indicate that NaOH catalysis in the concrete significantly trigger alkali–aggregate reactions, leading to volume expansion. Furthermore, it increased chloride ion penetration and porosity in the concrete. These effects were more notable with the increase in NaOH concentration. The results suggested that NaOH catalysis can enhance certain chemical reactions within the concrete matrix; however, its concentration must be carefully controlled to mitigate adverse effects. The NaOH dosage should be limited to 0.5% to ensure optimal durability of the concrete. This study emphasizes the crucial importance of precisely balancing catalyst concentration to maintain the long-term durability and performance of liquid calcium aluminate cement concrete in structural applications. Full article