Search Results (118)

The multiscale interactive system composed of wind, leaves, and droplets serves as a critical dynamic unit in precision orchard spraying. Its coupling mechanisms fundamentally influence pesticide transport pathways, deposition patterns, and drift behavior within crop canopies, forming the foundational basis for achieving intelligent and site-specific spraying operations. This review systematically examines the synergistic dynamics across three hierarchical scales: Droplet–leaf surface wetting and adhesion at the microscale; leaf cluster motion responses at the mesoscale; and the modulation of airflow and spray plume diffusion by canopy architecture at the macroscale. Key variables affecting spray performance—such as wind speed and turbulence structure, leaf biomechanical properties, droplet size and electrostatic characteristics, and spatial canopy heterogeneity—are identified and analyzed. Furthermore, current advances in multiscale modeling approaches and their corresponding experimental validation techniques are critically evaluated, along with their practical boundaries of applicability. Results indicate that while substantial progress has been made at individual scales, significant bottlenecks remain in the integration of cross-scale models, real-time acquisition of critical parameters, and the establishment of high-fidelity experimental platforms. Future research should prioritize the development of unified coupling frameworks, the integration of physics-based and data-driven modeling strategies, and the deployment of multimodal sensing technologies for real-time intelligent spray decision-making. These efforts are expected to provide both theoretical foundations and technological support for advancing precision and intelligent orchard spraying systems. Full article

In wind-assisted orchard spraying operations, the dynamic response of leaves—manifested through changes in their posture—critically influences droplet deposition on both sides of the leaf surface and the penetration depth into the canopy. These factors are pivotal in determining spray coverage and the spatial distribution of pesticide efficacy. However, current research lacks comprehensive quantification and correlation analysis of the temporal response characteristics of leaves under wind disturbances. To address this gap, a systematic analytical framework was proposed, integrating real-time leaf segmentation and tracking, geometric feature quantification, and statistical correlation modeling. High-frame-rate videos of fluttering leaves were acquired under controlled wind conditions, and background segmentation was performed using principal component analysis (PCA) followed by clustering in the reduced feature space. A fine-tuned Segment Anything Model 2 (SAM2-FT) was employed to extract dynamic leaf masks and enable frame-by-frame tracking. Based on the extracted masks, time series of leaf area and inclination angle were constructed. Subsequently, regression analysis, cross-correlation functions, and Granger causality tests were applied to investigate cooperative responses and potential driving relationships among leaves. Results showed that the SAM2-FT model significantly outperformed the YOLO series in segmentation accuracy, achieving a precision of 98.7% and recall of 97.48%. Leaf area exhibited strong linear coupling and directional causality, while angular responses showed weaker correlations but demonstrated localized synchronization. This study offers a methodological foundation for quantifying temporal dynamics in wind–leaf systems and provides theoretical insights for the adaptive control and optimization of intelligent spraying strategies. Full article

Two-phase expansion processes have emerged as a promising technology for enhancing energy efficiency in power generation, refrigeration, waste heat recovery systems (for example, partially evaporated organic Rankine cycle, organic flash cycle, and trilateral flash cycle), oil and gas, and other applications. However, despite their potential, widespread adoption is hindered by inherent challenges, particularly energy losses that reduce operational efficiency. This review systematically evaluates the current state of two-phase expansion technologies, focusing on the root causes, impacts, and mitigation strategies for expansion losses. This work used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Using the PRISMA framework, 52 relevant publications were identified from Scopus and Web of Science to conduct the systematic review. A preliminary co-occurrence analysis of keywords was also conducted using VOSviewer version 1.6.20. Three clusters were observed in this co-occurrence analysis. However, the results may not be significant. Therefore, the extended work was done through a comprehensive analysis of experimental and simulation studies from the literature. This study identifies critical loss mechanisms in key components of two-phase expanders, such as the nozzle, diffuser, rotor, working chamber, and vaneless space. Also, losses arising from wetness, such as droplet formation, interfacial friction, and non-equilibrium phase transitions, are examined. These phenomena degrade performance by disrupting flow stability, increasing entropy generation, and causing mechanical erosion. Several losses in the turbine and volumetric expanders operating in two-phase conditions are reported. Ejectors, throttling valves, and flashing flow systems that exhibit similar challenges of losses are also discussed. This review discusses the mitigation and the strategy to minimize the two-phase expansion losses. The geometry of the inlet of the two-phase expanders plays an important role, which also needs improvement to minimize losses. The review highlights recent advancements in addressing these challenges and shows optimization opportunities for further research. Full article

Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) filler, which increases volume and collagen synthesis, is used for skin rejuvenation. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) contains precursors that differentiate into mature adipocytes that secrete adiponectin, which modulates SAT function and increases adipogenesis. During aging, adiponectin and precursor cell functions decrease, reducing adipogenesis and facial volume. Adiponectin also increases collagen synthesis by stimulating fibroblasts. After hydrogen peroxide treatment to induce senescent adipocytes (3T3-L1) and aged skin, follow-up PLLA treatment increased adipogenesis by stimulating the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (NRF2)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ)/CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) pathway. This resulted in increased adiponectin secretion, which promoted collagen synthesis and mitigated the loss of SAT volume. In the senescent adipocyte, PLLA increased NRF2/PPARγ/C/EBPα, adipogenesis factors (fatty acid binding protein 4, lipoprotein lipase, and cluster of differentiation 36), lipogenesis factors (ATP citrate lyase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and fatty acid synthase), adiponectin, and lipid droplet size. Treatment of senescent fibroblasts with conditioned medium from PLLA-treated adipocytes increased collagen1 and 3 and decreased matrix metalloproteinase1 and 3 expressions. Similarly, PLLA increased NRF2/PPARγ/C/EBPα, adipogenesis, and lipogenesis factors in aged mouse SAT. Also, PLLA increased adiponectin and adipocyte numbers without hypertrophy and increased collagen accumulation and dermal thickness. In summary, PLLA increased adipogenesis and adiponectin, which increased the volume of SAT and collagen synthesis, thereby rejuvenating aged skin. Full article

PDE11A is a little-studied phosphodiesterase sub-family that breaks down cAMP/cGMP, with the PDE11A4 isoform enriched in the memory-related hippocampal formation. Age-related increases in PDE11A expression occur in human and rodent hippocampus and cause age-related cognitive decline of social memories. Interestingly, age-related increases in PDE11A4 protein ectopically accumulate in spherical clusters that group together in the brain to form linear filamentous patterns termed “PDE11A4 ghost axons”. The biophysical/physiochemical mechanisms underlying this age-related clustering are not known. Here, we determine if age-related clustering of PDE11A4 reflects liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS; biomolecular condensation), and if PDE11A inhibitors can reverse this LLPS. We show human and mouse PDE11A4 exhibit several LLPS-promoting sequence features, including intrinsically disordered regions, non-covalent pi–pi interactions, and prion-like domains that were particularly enriched in the N-terminal regulatory region. Further, multiple bioinformatic tools predict PDE11A4 undergoes LLPS. Consistent with these predictions, aging-like PDE11A4 clusters in HT22 hippocampal neuronal cells were membraneless spherical droplets that progressively fuse over time in a concentration-dependent manner. Deletion of the N-terminal intrinsically disordered region prevented PDE11A4 LLPS despite equal protein expression between WT and mutant constructs. 1,6-hexanediol, along with tadalafil and BC11-38 that inhibit PDE11A4, reversed PDE11A4 LLPS in HT22 hippocampal neuronal cells. Interestingly, PDE11A4 inhibitors reverse PDE11A4 LLPS independently of increasing cAMP/cGMP levels via catalytic inhibition. Importantly, orally dosed tadalafil reduced PDE11A4 ghost axons in old mouse ventral hippocampus by 50%. Thus, PDE11A4 exhibits the four defining criteria of LLPS, and PDE11A inhibitors reverse this age-related phenotype both in vitro and in vivo. Full article

In recent years, emerging digital microfluidic technology has shown great application potential in fields such as biology and medicine due to its simple structure, sample-saving properties, ease of integration, and wide range of manipulation. Currently, due to potential faults in chips during production and usage, as well as high safety requirements in their application domains, thorough testing of chips is essential. This study records data using a machine vision-based digital microfluidic driving control system. As chip usage frequency rises, device degradation introduces seasonal and trend patterns in droplet motion time data, complicating predictive modeling. This paper first employs the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) clustering algorithm to analyze the droplet motion time data in digital microfluidic systems. Subsequently, principal component analysis (PCA) is applied for dimensionality reduction on the clustered data. Using the INFORMER model, we predict changes in droplet motion time and conduct correlation analysis, comparing results with traditional long short-term memory (LSTM), frequency-enhanced decomposed transformer (FEDformer), inverted transformer (iTransformer), INFORMER, and DBSCAN-INFORMER prediction models. Experimental results show that the DBSCAN-PCA-INFORMER model substantially outperforms LSTM and other benchmark models in prediction accuracy. It achieves an R² of 0.9864, an MSE of 3.1925, and an MAE of 1.3661, indicating an excellent fit between predicted and observed values.The results demonstrate that the DBSCAN-PCA-INFORMER model achieves higher prediction accuracy than traditional LSTM and other approaches, effectively identifying the health status of experimental devices and accurately predicting failure times, underscoring its efficacy and superiority. Full article

This study focuses on a low-permeability sandstone reservoir in the Changqing Oilfield, aiming to elucidate the formation mechanism and occurrence state of residual oil during late-stage waterflooding development, thereby providing theoretical guidance for refined residual oil recovery. By integrating scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and digital core analysis, the oil–water occurrence state and dynamic characteristics during waterflooding were systematically investigated. NMR was employed to determine fluid distribution within core pores, while CT scanning was utilized to construct a 3D digital core model, enabling the identification of microscopic residual oil displacement and occurrence states at different flooding stages. The oil displacement efficiency was further analyzed based on variations in oil–water distribution and occurrence states within the core. The results demonstrate that pore and throat size and connectivity are the primary factors governing reservoir permeability. After high-pore-volume (PV) waterflooding, microscopic residual oil predominantly exists as dispersed droplets, films, and small-scale clusters or columns. Although prolonged high-PV waterflooding effectively expands the sweep volume, localized displacement efficiency declines, and reservoir heterogeneity adversely affects sweep volume maintenance. The post-flooding residual oil characteristics are collectively determined by the core’s local connectivity, wettability, and pore–throat morphology. This research systematically analyzes the occurrence patterns and evolutionary trends of residual oil in low-permeability reservoirs during long-term waterflooding, providing critical theoretical insights and technical support for enhanced oil recovery and residual oil exploitation. Full article

While protein-stabilized emulsions have demonstrated potential for various applications in food, their poor lipid oxidation remains a major challenge. The relationship between the architecture of polyphenolic compounds and their capacity to suppress lipid oxidation has not received extensive scrutiny. In this research, pea protein isolate (PPI)–polyphenol complexes were synthesized to examine their capability of maintaining emulsion stability and suppressing lipid oxidation. The collective evidence from fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations pointed towards non-covalent and self-initiated interactions between the polyphenols and PPI. The presence of additional hydroxyl groups on the polyphenols could significantly boost the extent of these interactions. Specific clusters in PPI and polyphenols which might have formed hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Polyphenols also reduced the interfacial tension and increased the surface hydrophobicity of the complex, thus driving more proteins to adsorb at the oil–water interface. The PPI-rosmarinic acid (RA)-stabilized emulsion had a smaller droplet size and higher electrostatic repulsion, enabling it to resist droplet aggregation. This emulsion stood out as having the most robust stability amongst all PPI-polyphenol emulsions and proved highly efficient in preventing lipid oxidation. This study bolsters the viability of employing polyphenol and pea protein-stabilized emulsions in developing new food products. Full article

This study prepared palm stearin/linseed oil-based margarines (PST/LO-BMs) and palm stearin/linseed oil oleogel-based margarines (PST/LO-OBM) by incorporating varying proportions (20–60% oil phase) of linseed oil (LO) and LO-based oleogel, respectively. By comparing PST/LO-OBMs and PST/LO-BMs, it was found that the introduction of phytosterol–γ-oryzanol (PO) complexes and glycerol monostearate (GMS) to PST/LO-OBM induced three distinct crystalline morphologies: needle-like crystals, spherical crystals, and cluster-type crystals. These crystal assemblies synergistically constructed a robust three-dimensional network, effectively entrapping both aqueous droplets and liquid oil fractions while substantially reinforcing the structural integrity of PST/LO-OBM. Notably, the incorporated gelators modified the crystallization behavior, where GMS likely served as a nucleating site promoting triglyceride crystallization. This structural modulation yielded favorable β’-form crystal polymorphism, which is critically associated with enhanced textural properties. Comparative analysis with commercial margarine revealed that the PST45/LO40-OBM formulation exhibited comparable rheological performance, crystalline type, and thermal properties, while demonstrating superior nutritional characteristics, containing elevated levels of α-linolenic acid (23.54%), phytosterol (1410 mg/100 g), and γ-oryzanol (2110 mg/100 g). These findings provide fundamental insights for margarine alternatives with nutritional attributes. Full article

Lipid droplets (LDs) are cytoplasmic organelles responsible primarily for the storage of neutral lipids, such as triacyclglycerols (TAGs). Derived from the endoplasmic reticulum bilayer, LDs are composed of a hydrophobic lipid core encased by a phospholipid monolayer and surface-associated proteins. To date, only a relatively few LD ‘coat’ proteins in plants have been identified and characterized, most of which come from studies of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. To expand our knowledge of the plant LD proteome, the LD-associated protein (LDAP) family from the tung tree (Vernicia fordii), whose seeds are rich in a commercially valuable TAG containing the conjugated fatty acid α-eleostearic acid (C18:3Δ^{9cis,11trans,13trans} [α-ESA]), was identified and characterized. Based on the tung tree transcriptome, three LDAP isoforms (VfLDAP1-3) were elucidated and the encoded proteins distinctly clustered into three clades along with their respective isoforms from other angiosperm species. Ectopic expression of the VfLDAPs in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves revealed that they localized specifically to LDs and influenced LD numbers and sizes, as well as increasing TAG content and altering TAG fatty acid composition. Interestingly, in a partially reconstructed TAG-ESA biosynthetic pathway, the co-expression of VfLDAP3 and, to a lesser degree, VfLDAP2, significantly increased the content of α-ESA stored within the LDs. These results suggest that the VfLDAPs can influence the steady-state content and composition of TAG in plant cells and that certain LDAP isoforms may have evolved to more efficiently package TAGs into LDs containing unusual fatty acids, such as α-ESA. Full article

The presence of asphaltene, especially in heavy crude oil, causes difficulties in the de-watering/desalting process, which is the initial step of crude oil pretreatment. This study investigates the effect of asphaltenes on the stability of crude oil emulsions using a simulated oil system composed of toluene and n-heptane. It was found that asphaltenes behave like conventional surfactants, adsorbing at the oil–water interface and reducing interfacial tension. The critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of W/O emulsions formed from a toluene and n-heptane mixture (7:3 volume ratio) was found to be 0.05 g/L. When the asphaltene concentration was greater than CAC, the asphaltene aggregated into clusters, forming a viscoelastic interface film that enhanced the strength of the emulsion droplets. At an asphaltene concentration of 0.01 g/L, the storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) were 1.12 Pa·s and 8.94 Pa·s, respectively. The storage modulus G′ was less than the loss modulus G″, indicating that the viscoelastic nature of the emulsion, and both the G′ and G″ of the emulsions increased with the increasing asphaltene concentration. When the concentration reached 11 g/L, G′ and G″ were 1033 Pa·s and 416 Pa·s, respectively, with G′ exceeding G″, indicating that the emulsion became more stable. Moreover, increasing the solvent aromaticity led to a rise in the CAC of asphaltene, which was favorable for breaking emulsions. The findings imply that reducing the asphaltene content at the interfaces of oil–water by adding an aromatic solvent or blending with light crude oil is a feasible way to break the emulsion and further dewater and desalt. Full article

The capture of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) is essential in the separation and detection of MNPs for applications such as magnetic biosensing. The sensitivity of magnetic biosensors inherently depends upon the distribution of captured MNPs within the sensing area. We previously demonstrated that the distribution of MNPs captured from evaporating droplets by ferromagnetic antidot nanostructures can be controlled via an external magnetic field. In this paper, we demonstrate the capture of magnetic nanoparticles from a microfluidic flow by four variants of antidot array nanostructures etched into 30 nm thick Permalloy films. The nanostructures were exposed to 130 nm MNP clusters passing through microfluidic channels with square cross-sections of 400 μm × 400 μm. In the presence of a parallel magnetic field, up to 83.1% of nanoparticles were captured inside the antidot holes. Significantly higher proportions of nanoparticles were captured within the antidots from the flow than when applying the nanoparticles via droplets. In the parallel field configuration, MNPs can be focused into the regularly spaced antidot indents in the nanostructure, which may be useful when detecting or observing MNPs and their conjugates. Conversely, up to 84% of MNPs were caught outside of antidots under a perpendicular magnetic field. Antidot nanostructures under this perpendicular configuration show potential for MNP filtration applications. Full article

The ultrastructural organization of the nuclei of the tegmental region in juvenile chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) was examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The dorsal tegmental nuclei (DTN), the nucleus of fasciculus longitudinalis medialis (NFLM), and the nucleus of the oculomotor nerve (NIII) were studied. The ultrastructural examination provided detailed ultrastructural characteristics of neurons forming the tegmental nuclei and showed neuro–glial relationships in them. Neurons of three size types with a high metabolic rate, characterized by the presence of numerous mitochondria, polyribosomes, Golgi apparatus, and cytoplasmic inclusions (vacuoles, lipid droplets, and dense bodies), were distinguished. It was found that large interneurons of the NFLM formed contacts with protoplasmic astrocytes. Excitatory synaptic structures were identified in the tegmentum and their detailed characteristic are provided for the first time. Microglia-like cells were found in the NIII. The ultrastructural characteristics of neurogenic zones of the tegmentum of juvenile chum salmon were also determined for the first time. In the neurogenic zones of the tegmentum, adult-type neural stem progenitor cells (aNSPCs) corresponding to cells of types III and IVa Danio rerio. In the neurogenic zones of the tegmentum, neuroepithelial-like cells (NECs) corresponding to cells previously described from the zebrafish cerebellum were found and characterized. In the tegmentum of juvenile chum salmon, patterns of paracrine neurosecretion were observed and their ultrastructural characteristics were recorded. Patterns of apoptosis in large neurons of the tegmentum were examined by TEM. Using immunohistochemical (IHC) labeling of the brain lipid-binding protein (BLBP) and aromatase B (AroB), patterns of their expression in the tegmentum of intact animals and in the post-traumatic period after acute injury to the medulla oblongata were characterized. The response to brainstem injury in chum salmon was found to activate multiple signaling pathways, which significantly increases the BLBP and AroB expression in various regions of the tegmentum and valvula cerebelli. However, post-traumatic patterns of BLBP and AroB localizations are not the same. In addition to a general increase in BLBP expression in the tegmental parenchyma, BLBP overexpression was observed in the rostro-lateral tegmental neurogenic zone (RLTNZ), while AroB expression in the RLTNZ was completely absent. Another difference was the peripheral overexpression of AroB and the formation of dense reactive clusters in the ventro-medial zone of the tegmentum. Thus, in the post-traumatic period, various pathways were activated whose components were putative candidates for inducers of the “astrocyte-like” response in the juvenile chum salmon brain that are similar to those present in the mammalian brain. In this case, BLBP acted as a factor enhancing the differentiation of both radial glia and neurons. Estradiol from AroB+ astrocytes exerted paracrine neuroprotective effects through the potential inhibition of inflammatory processes. These results indicate a new role for neuronal aromatization as a mechanism preventing the development of neuroinflammation. Moreover, our findings support the hypothesis that BLBP is a factor enhancing neuronal and glial differentiation in the post-traumatic period in the chum salmon brain. Full article

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities, including visceral obesity, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. In this regard, visceral white adipose tissue (vWAT) plays a critical role, influencing energy metabolism, immunomodulation, and oxidative stress. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are key players in these processes within vWAT. While second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) have significantly improved treatments for mental health disorders, their chronic use is associated with an increased risk of MetS. In this study, we explored the impact of SGAs on ADSCs to better understand their role in MetS and identify potential therapeutic targets. Our findings reveal that olanzapine disrupts lipid droplet formation during adipogenic differentiation, impairing insulin receptor endocytosis, turnover, and signaling. SGAs also alter the endolysosomal compartment, leading to acidic vesicle accumulation and increased lysosomal biogenesis through TFEB activation. PKCζ is crucial for the SGA-induced nuclear translocation of TFEB and acidic vesicle formation. Notably, inhibiting PKCζ restored insulin receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, normalized receptor turnover, and improved downstream signaling following olanzapine treatment. This activation of PKCζ by olanzapine is driven by increased phosphatidic acid synthesis via phospholipase D (PLD), following G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling activation. Overall, olanzapine and clozapine disrupt endolysosomal homeostasis and insulin signaling in a PKCζ-dependent manner. These findings highlight SGAs as valuable tools for uncovering cellular dysfunction in vWAT during MetS and may guide the development of new therapeutic strategies to mitigate the metabolic side effects of these drugs. Full article

Porcine skeletal muscle development is closely linked to meat production efficiency and quality. The accumulation of porcine intramuscular fat is influenced by the hyperplasia and hypertrophy of adipocytes within the muscle. However, the cellular profiles corresponding to the two stages of muscle development remain undetermined. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) can elucidate cell subsets in tissues, capture gene expression at the individual cell level, and provide innovative perspectives for studying muscle and intramuscular fat formation. In this study, a total of 78,302 nuclei and 9 clusters of cells, which included fibro/adipogenic progenitor (FAP), myonuclei, adipocytes, and other cell types, of Xidu black pigs, were identified on Day 1 and Day 180. The pattern of cell clustering varied between the two developmental stages. Notably, the percentage of adipocytes in the Day 180 group was higher than in the Day 1 group (0.51% vs. 0.15%). Pseudo-time sequence analysis indicated that FAPs could differentiate into adipocytes and myonuclei cells, respectively. The THRSP gene was identified as a biomarker for swine intramuscular fat cells, and its down-regulation resulted in significant reduction in lipid droplet formation in porcine preadipocytes. Our research provides new insights into the cellular characteristics of intramuscular fat formation, which may facilitate the development of novel strategies to enhance intramuscular fat deposition and improve pork quality. Full article