Search Results (65,837)

The sea urchin embryo represents a well-established model organism widely applied in embryo toxicity assays, ecotoxicological investigations, and biomonitoring studies. These analyses are primarily based on the morphological evaluation of embryos, which is conventionally carried out by experts through light microscopy. However, this approach is both time-intensive and inherently subjective, as the outcomes strongly depend on the evaluator’s expertise and experience. With the increasing adoption of machine learning techniques in image classification tasks, this study investigates the applicability of machine-learning-based approaches for the classification of sea urchin embryo images. The dataset used in this work originates from a previous study examining the effects of nickel exposure on Paracentrotus lividus embryos, with concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 3.0 mM. Given the limited size of the available dataset, data augmentation techniques were applied to artificially expand the number of training samples. Subsequently, a convolutional neural network classification model was developed using both original and augmented images, and its performance was assessed using multiple evaluation metrics. The proposed model demonstrated strong performance, achieving a maximum F1 score of 0.976 and an accuracy of 0.988. These results indicate that machine-learning-based approaches can effectively support the classification of sea urchin embryo images even in data-constrained scenarios. Overall, this work contributes to the development of automated and objective methods for morphological assessment, with the potential to enhance both the reliability and efficiency of traditional evaluation procedures. Full article

Background: Long-term care facility (LTCF) residents are highly susceptible to healthcare-associated infections, and prevention is challenging given frailty, dementia, communal living, and resource constraints. Environmental surface and air contamination contribute to transmission. Novel no-touch automated disinfection technologies have been studied in hospitals, but evidence specific to LTCFs is scarce. This scoping review summarizes recent LTCF-focused interventions, their effectiveness, and implementation considerations. Methods: This scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist. We searched PubMed, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus for observational or experimental studies evaluating environmental disinfection in LTCFs/nursing homes, excluding body decolonization, non-LTCF settings, and reviews/protocols. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data via Covidence. This review has been registered on OSF (Open Science Framework). Results: Of 1491 records, 7 studies met the inclusion criteria (6 from the USA, 1 from Australia): one cluster randomized trial, one interrupted time series studies, three prospective observational studies, and two pre–post designs. Interventions included physical methods (HVAC-integrated UV/UVGI, continuous UVGI) and chemical approaches (dry hydrogen peroxide, room fogging plus chlorine dioxide wipes, hydrogen peroxide wipes). Outcomes were heterogeneous (surface SARS-CoV-2 RNA, COVID-19 attack/case rates, airborne/surface microbial loads, and one clinical endpoint—acute respiratory illness). Several studies reported reductions in environmental or airborne bioburden; however, UV-based studies did not demonstrate statistically significant reductions in clinical infections. Certainty was limited by small numbers, non-randomized designs, and diverse outcome measures. Conclusions: No-touch automated disinfection methods appear promising as supplements to standard infection prevention control bundles for reducing environmental contamination in LTCFs. Nevertheless, consistent clinical benefits are unproven. Rigorous, LTCF-tailored, adequately powered trials with standardized clinical and environmental outcomes, plus implementation and cost-effectiveness evaluations, are needed. Full article

Objectives: Tandem spinal stenosis (TSS) is often underdiagnosed and traditionally managed with multi-stage surgery (MSS). Single-stage surgery (SSS) is an alternative, but prior studies largely emphasize younger, healthier patients. This study evaluated perioperative and functional outcomes after SSS for TSS in a surgically diverse cohort. Methods: A retrospective chart review included 20 patients who underwent SSS for TSS at a single academic institution. Mean age was 63.75 years, and median modified frailty index was 2. Etiologies included degenerative, traumatic, and neoplastic disease across cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions. Outcomes included operative characteristics, complications, readmissions, and functional recovery measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scores. Results: The mean number of operated levels was 5.2, mean operative time was 232.4 min, total OR time was 355.1 min, and length of stay was 6.9 days. Surgical complications occurred in 15% of patients, medical complications in 25%, and 90-day readmission in 15%, with no 30-day mortality. Mean mJOA improved from 12.86 at baseline to 16.08 at first follow-up and 16.46 at 3 months; REML mixed-effects modeling showed a significant timepoint effect (F (4, 34.55) = 9.15, p < 0.001), with significant Sidak-adjusted improvement at both timepoints. VAS pain showed no significant longitudinal effect. Conclusions: SSS for TSS appears feasible in a real-world, surgically diverse cohort including older and moderately frail patients. These findings support individualized SSS candidacy assessment. Full article

After the invention of radioactive nuclear beams, studies on nuclei far from the stability line brought up many new phenomena not expected in nuclei near the stability line. Among them, neutron halos and changes in magic numbers were outstanding discoveries. To understand these phenomena, nuclear structure models needed many new developments such as the treatment of loosely bound systems and proton neutron asymmetry. One important question on the importance of the tensor interactions has been raised recently. In this review, I present evidence of tensor interactions in nucleon momentum distribution and the effects of tensor interactions on the structure of nuclei. In particular, the importance of 2p–2h configurations excited by the tensor interactions will be introduced. I show that the appearance and disappearance (blocking) of the 2p–2h configuration is responsible for the change in shell structure. I also present a recent experimental result that shows the existence of such configurations in ¹⁶O nuclei. Full article

Adding inspection trains to existing railway timetables is a complex task that must balance operational efficiency and service reliability, which are essential for the sustainable operation and maintenance of high-speed railway infrastructure. To address this challenge, a feasible region-based space–time network modeling approach is proposed for incorporating Comprehensive Inspection Trains (CITs) into existing railway schedules, aiming to enhance inspection efficiency while minimizing operational disruptions. Firstly, the constraints that need to be considered when scheduling for CIT are comprehensively analysed and modelled, and a mixed-integer nonlinear model with the objective of minimizing the total number of stops is constructed. In order to eliminate the difficulty of solving this model, based on the original space–time network method, more kinds of train event arcs are introduced to accurately portray the train operation process; in particular, the extra time consumed due to the acceleration and deceleration process is also reflected in the network construction process. The feasibility of various event arcs is evaluated with time windows, and the original problem finally transforms into the equivalent shortest path problem on a feasible event arc network. The processing procedure includes key stages, such as station space–time discretization, interval operation event processing, station capacity handling, and network simplification. The experimental results indicate that the approach effectively resolves all station capacity conflicts, compresses inspection durations, and optimizes the number of stops. Remarkably, the number of non-full-speed inspection sections is reduced by 43.16%, demonstrating the model’s efficiency. Additionally, the proposed approach is computationally efficient, improves timetable capacity utilization for infrastructure inspection, and supports the sustainable operation of high-speed railway systems. Full article

Background: Predicting long-term outcomes after pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal cancer remains challenging because existing prognostic methods lack precision. We developed and validated a prognostic scoring system derived from a major international meta-analysis to improve risk stratification and to evaluate the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy across risk groups. Methods: Using a Japanese registry of 819 patients who underwent lung resection between 2010 and 2019, we constructed a 0–13-point score based on eight variables including tumor size, number, biological markers, and intrathoracic lymph node status, which may require intraoperative or pathological confirmation. Granular data on chemotherapy regimens, timing, and duration were unavailable. Patients were classified as low, intermediate, or high risk. The primary analysis used inverse probability of treatment weighting to adjust for baseline imbalances; however, only 819 of 1657 patients (49.4%) had complete prognostic data, introducing potential selection bias. Results: The score separated patients into three groups with distinct five-year survival rates: 81.1% (low), 67.8% (intermediate), and 59.1% (high). In high-risk patients, chemotherapy was associated with improved overall survival but did not delay recurrence. In low-risk patients, chemotherapy correlated with reduced recurrence-free survival, a finding that persisted after adjustment. Conclusions: This validated scoring system aids individualized surgical decision making by identifying patients unlikely to benefit from routine postoperative chemotherapy. Observed survival advantages in high-risk patients may reflect selection of fitter individuals rather than direct treatment effects, underscoring the need to address selection bias in future trials. Full article

The Fukushima nuclear accident caused widespread radiocesium contamination, and subsequent decontamination reduced soil fertility by removing nutrient-rich topsoil. Although biological amendments have been widely investigated for soil improvement, their potential to restore crop productivity in decontaminated Fukushima soils remains poorly understood. This study evaluated a Bacillus-based biofertilizer (Yume-Bio) and an Aspergillus fermentation product (kouji) as biological amendments for restoring crop productivity in decontaminated soils. Pot and field experiments were conducted to assess their effects on the growth, mineral nutrition, and seed yield of Perilla frutescens grown in decontaminated Fukushima soils. In pot experiments, Yume-Bio showed no significant effects on plant growth, although slight root improvement was observed. In contrast, application of kouji alone or in combination with Yume-Bio significantly enhanced plant growth, increasing leaf number by 112% and improving biomass production. Nutrient accumulation was also promoted, with total N and Fe increasing by 170% and 194%, respectively. In field experiments at two sites in Fukushima, treatment effects were limited and generally non-significant. These results indicate that kouji has potential to enhance plant growth under controlled conditions, while the effectiveness of biological amendments under field conditions remains site-dependent, highlighting the need to optimize application strategies under heterogeneous soil conditions. Full article

Photovoltaic mounting structures operate in harsh environments, demanding high strength and elongation. However, a strength–graded product series within the same composition is lacking. Through Ti microalloying and heat treatment, we developed steels with strengths of 500–800 MPa and studied annealing effects at 640–740 °C. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) shows ferrite and cementite: with increasing temperature, ferrite changes from elongated to equiaxed via recovery and recrystallization, while cementite remains finely dispersed along grain boundaries. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) reveals TiC precipitates, which decrease in number but increase in size at higher temperatures. Grain refinement strengthening, dislocation strengthening, and precipitation strengthening are the primary strengthening mechanisms, contributing 91.2% and 94.4% to the yield strength after annealing at 640 °C and 720 °C, respectively. Within a wide annealing temperature range, the tensile strength fully covers the 550–650–750–800 MPa grades, with the corresponding elongation fluctuating between 12.4% and 25.3%, achieving a good strength–ductility balance. In summary, simply adding a single Ti element and adjusting the annealing temperature allows for the production of test steels with strengths ranging from 500 to 800 MPa and matched elongation. This approach not only reduces costs but also provides experimental evidence for the process development of a series of new steels for photovoltaic mounting brackets. Full article

To investigate the rutting resistance of Large Stone Asphalt Mixture (nominal maximum aggregate size of 53 mm, abbreviated as LSAM-50), this study evaluated the effects of temperature, load, and their interaction on the rutting performance of LSAM-50 through large-thickness rutting tests. It analyzed the characteristics of rutting deformation under varying thermal and loading conditions, established a permanent deformation-temperature-load dependency model, and explored the correlations between permanent deformation and high-temperature evaluation indicators. The findings indicate that the temperature-load interaction fundamentally alters the load-transfer mechanism between the viscoelastic matrix and coarse aggregates within LSAM-50, thereby activating the interlocking effect of its thick structural skeleton. The dynamic stability undergoes a pronounced reduction as temperature or load increases, peaking at a degradation rate of 40–57% within the 40–50 °C interval. Furthermore, the rutting deformation of the LSAM-50 mixture demonstrates significant temperature and load dependency; as the number of loading cycles increases, the deformation exhibits an initial rapid escalation before reaching a plateau. During temperature elevation and load escalation, the rutting deformation increases in a step-wise manner. Notably, the preliminary application of low temperatures and light loads imparts a substantial “training” effect on the material’s rutting resistance. Once the mixture is wheel-tracked to densification under high temperatures or heavy loads, negligible new deformation is generated during the subsequent cooling or unloading phases. Specifically, upon the initial unloading from 1.1 MPa to 0.9 MPa, the incremental deformation is merely 0.04 mm; upon further unloading to 0.7 MPa, the additional deformation approaches 0 mm. The established permanent deformation-temperature-load dependency model for LSAM-50 yields a high predictive correlation of 96%. Moreover, the permanent deformation exhibits robust linear relationships with 1-h rutting depth (R² = 0.95), compressive strength (R² = 0.91), and shear strength (R² = 0.97). These indicators can thus facilitate the rapid and precise estimation of permanent pavement deformation. Full article

Compared with mass spectrometry or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a promising alternative technique for inspection of preservatives in food safety. However, conventional SERS substrates based on metallic nanoparticles commonly suffer from complicated fabrication processes, long processing times, and high costs. Therefore, we propose a high-density porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) substrate prepared by one-step anodization process combined with pore widening to increase number of SERS hotspots on template. Through a rapid one-step anodization process conducted at 25 °C, the processing time and efficiency are greatly improved compared to conventional low temperature of 0–10 °C and two-step anodization method. By lowering the anodization voltage to 20 V, a high-density porous substrate is achieved, effectively enhancing the SERS signal intensity. Furthermore, we demonstrated that SERS signal intensities are affected by multiple correlated structural factors and significantly improved by lower anodization voltage with pore widening. The analytical enhancement factor is calculated as 1.18 × 10⁵ to 1.44 × 10⁷ on an AAO substrate prepared at 20 V with pore-widening process for 1000 and 0.1 ppm p-hydroxybenzoic acid, respectively. For the preservative detection of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, a detection limit of 100 ppb is achieved by a high-density AAO substrate prepared at 20 V, which is far below the regulatory limit of 600 ppm. Full article

The present study investigates heat transfer characteristics in the thermally developing region of a porous tube under the local thermal nonequilibrium (LTNE) model. The influence of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow on an electrically conducting fluid flowing through a porous medium under a transverse magnetic field is examined. Under the LTNE framework, two separate energy equations are employed to describe the temperature fields of the fluid and solid phases. The coupled governing equations are solved numerically using the Keller-box method. The results indicate that increasing the interphase heat transfer parameter strengthens thermal coupling between the fluid and solid phases, thereby reducing temperature differences and promoting local thermal equilibrium. In contrast, an increase in the Prandtl number reduces thermal diffusion, leading to larger temperature gradients and greater disparity between the two phases. Furthermore, the magnetic field suppresses both the velocity and temperature distributions through the Lorentz force. An increase in permeability reduces the velocity profiles due to the combined effects of the MHD and Prandtl numbers while increasing the temperature profiles. Increasing the interphase heat transfer rate drives the system from the LTNE to the LTE phase. The study confirms that LTNE effects play a significant role in thermal transfer processes in porous media and are relevant for various industrial heat transfer applications. Full article

Evaluating grouting effectiveness in deep shafts remains difficult because water-control performance is jointly governed by hydraulic response, seepage-path sealing, grout-body quality, and surrounding rock stability under complex hydrogeological conditions. In this study, an integrated evaluation and seepage analysis framework was developed for the Lianhuashan Phosphate Mine shaft project in Zhongxiang City, Hubei Province, China. Multi-source engineering data from hydrogeological observations, geophysical detection, construction records, and laboratory tests were used to evaluate six representative working faces, and a two-dimensional Darcy flow model was established to interpret the seepage-control mechanism. The evaluation results show differences among the treated sections: the auxiliary shaft at the −29.8 m outlet achieved the highest comprehensive score of 74.79, whereas the main shaft at +13 m showed the weakest performance, with a score of 50.16. Overall, three sections were rated as good, two as moderate, and one as poor. The dominant controls on grouting effectiveness are total shaft inflow, surrounding rock integrity/stability, seepage point number, and sealing-related indices. Numerical simulations further show that grouting reduced total shaft inflow from 6.6080 to 2.0198 m³/h, corresponding to a reduction of 69.43%, and shifted the main hydraulic-gradient concentration from the shaft wall to the outer boundary of the grouted ring. Reducing grouting ring permeability from 5.10 × 10⁻¹³ to 1.00 × 10⁻¹⁴ m² further lowered shaft inflow to 0.2929 m³/h and increased water-control efficiency to 95.57%, whereas increasing ring thickness from 8 to 16 m reduced shaft inflow from 2.7063 to 1.7260 m³/h. In addition, moving the water-rich zone away from the shaft reduced total inflow from 2.5503 m³/h at X_f = 10 m to 2.0079 m³/h at X_f = 26 m. These results indicate that effective shaft grouting depends on the coordinated control of inflow suppression, conductive-path sealing, and structural stabilization. The proposed framework provides a practical basis for grouting evaluation and water hazard control in deep shafts under complex hydrogeological conditions. Full article

Small-scale vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are increasingly essential for the “blue economy,” providing autonomous power to remote coastal communities, offshore platforms, and marine industries. However, the design of efficient Darrieus-type rotors is complicated by complex unsteady aerodynamics, particularly the phenomenon of dynamic stall. This study aims to establish and validate a cost-effective yet accurate mathematical modeling approach for simulating unsteady turbulent flow around a Darrieus H-rotor to support practical engineering applications. The research methodology integrates computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with physical experiments in a hydrodynamic channel. The numerical model utilizes the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations closed with the Strain-Adaptive Linear Spalart–Allmaras (SALSA) turbulence model, chosen for its efficiency in capturing flow separation. The system of initial equations was being devised relatively to an arbitrary curvilinear coordinate system. The pressure and velocity fields have been coordinated using the artificial compressibility method adapted to calculate non-stationary problems. Experimental verification was conducted in the GT-400 hydrodynamic tube using a three-bladed H-rotor model, where flow structures were visualized via the colored jet method at tip speed ratios λ ranging from 2 to 5 and Reynolds number 1470. The findings reveal that dynamic stall occurs over a significant portion of the blade trajectory, characterized by vortex generation at the leading edge and subsequent advection along the chord. Qualitative comparison demonstrates a high degree of correlation between the calculated vortex dynamics and physical flow spectra. These results confirm that the URANS-SALSA approach provides a rational compromise between computational cost and physical accuracy. Full article

This paper studies a vehicle routing problem with simultaneous pickup and delivery (VRPSPD), which has an important application in logistics and other areas. The problem is that the depot provides both forward supply service and reverse recovery service to customers, and determines the lowest-cost vehicle distribution routes that satisfy the needs of all customers on the basis of considering constraints. To solve this problem, we develop an improved ant colony optimization algorithm based on candidate strategy and grid search (ACO-CS). The candidate strategy of ACO-CS reduces the running cost and speeds up the convergence rate by limiting and reducing the number of unvisited nodes. At the same time, we propose to use the grid search method to tune the parameters to enhance the algorithm’s optimization capability and improve its performance. Three benchmark test problems are selected to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for solving different types and sizes of instances. The computational results show that the proposed algorithm is competitive in solving the Dethloff (2001) and Montane & Galveo (2006) test problems, and its solution quality, calculation time and algorithm stability are better than the variant algorithms in the literature. Finally, a practical case of logistics distribution is introduced to verify the reliability of the algorithm, and the results show that the ACO-CS can provide a more reasonable and economical solution. Full article

We present a theoretical study focused on the photoelectron spectrum of near-infrared (NIR) laser-driven ionization of hydrogen atoms by attosecond pulse trains composed of several HHs of the former. We analyze the effects of increasing the intensity of the NIR probe laser to account for the interference of multiple quantum pathways arising from mainbands formed in ionization by the attosecond pulse train within the strong-field approximation (SFA) beyond the commonly used first-order perturbative (in the NIR laser intensity) reconstruction of attosecond beating by interference of two-photon transitions (RABBIT). The structure of the energy bands formed in the photoelectron spectrum is governed by quantum interferences of the photoelectron wave packet released within one optical cycle of the NIR probe laser field—intracycle interference—and by the number of active high harmonic components, leading to higher-order Fourier contributions as a function of the NIR–XUV relative phase delay. We show that Fourier terms can be interpreted in terms of well-defined semiclassical trajectories. Our results demonstrate a significant departure from the standard two-path quantum-interference RABBIT picture, showing that both the phase-dependent oscillations of mainbands and sidebands and the extracted phase delays depend strongly on the probing laser intensity. The predictions of the SFA reveal that the above-threshold ionization bands exhibit systematic splitting and oscillation patterns as a function of the NIR intensity. SFA predictions are compared with results obtained within ab initio solutions of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE), showing an excellent agreement, which evidences the minor effect of the Coulomb potential of the remaining ion on the escaping photoelectron for high energy above-threshold ionization. The precise study of the SFA reference phases is essential for the determination of the effect of the Coulomb potential on the escaping photoelectron for what these findings provide new insights into attosecond chronoscopy in the strong-field regime. Full article