Search Results (737)

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence has intensified the demand for hardware systems capable of emulating brain-like information processing with high accuracy, energy efficiency, and reliability. Neuromorphic computing based on memristive artificial synapses has emerged as a promising approach to overcome the limitations of conventional von Neumann architectures. Although inorganic and oxide-based synaptic memristors have been widely explored for neuromorphic systems, they often suffer from poor linearity, asymmetric potentiation/depression behavior, limited conductance states, and device variability, which restrict learning accuracy and scalability. In contrast, polymer-based memristors have gained significant attention owing to their intrinsic advantages, including mechanical flexibility, molecular tunability, controllable electronic/ionic transport, low-temperature processability, and compatibility with large-area fabrication. This review critically examines recent advances in polymer—based memristive materials and devices for achieving linear and symmetric artificial synaptic behavior. Polymer synapses are classified into pure polymer, polymer composite, and polymer-hybrid systems through a mechanism to function framework. Rather than providing a general compilation of organic memristor studies, this review analyzes how polymer chemistry, ion-migration control, trap state distribution, redox activity, electrode selection, active layer thickness, and interface engineering govern conductance update linearity, symmetry, and uniformity. Fundamental switching mechanisms, material classifications, device architectures, key synaptic characteristics, and system-level neuromorphic performance, including pattern-recognition applications, are critically discussed. By explicitly linking material and device design to conductance update fidelity, learning accuracy, training convergence, and pattern-recognition reliability, this review provides practical design guidelines and future perspectives for next-generation polymer-based neuromorphic hardware with improved linearity, symmetry, reliability, and scalability. Full article

Mean atomic bond strain (MABS), based on the globally averaged bond length, has recently emerged as a new strain metric that retains clear physical meaning even as severe atomic neighborhood reconstruction occurs. It has been shown to exhibit a nearly perfect linear relationship with global stress throughout the elastic and plastic deformation in single-crystal face-centered cubic (FCC) metals, contradicting conventional expectations based on nonlinear dislocation activity. Whether this near-linear relationship holds in other materials stands out as an important and intriguing question. In this study, we examine the MABS–stress relationship in representative unary, binary, and ternary metallic glasses (MGs), where neither a crystal structure nor dislocations are present. Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of uniaxial tensile tests and statistical analysis of millions of atomic bonds are performed. Irrespective of their differing compositions, all the MGs exhibit a persistent near-linear relationship between total MABS (all bonds included) and global stress up to fracture, even in the presence of significant local nonaffine displacements (shear transformation zones and shear bands), with the Pearson correlation coefficient consistently exceeding 0.99. Unlike the nonaffine displacements, the spatial distribution of individual atomic bond strain does not localize under the uniaxial loading. In the MGs containing more than one element, MABS computed for a single bond type may not correlate as linearly with global stress as total MABS. The results demonstrate that the persistent near-linear total MABS–stress relationship over the entire deformation process, recently discovered in single-crystal FCC metals, also applies to MGs despite their vastly different atomic structures. This strengthens the candidacy of total MABS as a universal stress descriptor across materials classes and deformation regimes. With further development and implementation in atomistic simulations and constitutive modeling, the MABS concept has the potential to reshape our understanding of materials mechanics and generate new insights into the design of stronger, tougher, and more thermally and chemically stable materials. Full article

Plasma-assisted nitrogen fixation has emerged as a promising strategy for sustainable nitrate production. However, the coexistence of multiple interfaces and complex multi-step reaction pathways within the plasma-liquid system often leads to the formation of mixed nitrogen species, posing a significant challenge for achieving high product selectivity. In this study, a dual-cell reactor was introduced in liquid-phase plasma (LPP) system, enabling selective product distribution. Optical emission spectroscopy revealed pronounced signals corresponding to the second positive system (SPS) of N₂ and the first negative system (FNS) of N₂⁺, indicative of strong plasma excitation and ionization processes that facilitated the formation of reactive nitrogen oxide intermediates. These species were subsequently converted into aqueous NO₂⁻ and further oxidized into NO₃⁻ only in the reaction cell where reactive species are generated. The effects of key parameters, including electrode material, treatment time, solution pH, and discharge conditions, were comprehensively evaluated. As a result, the reaction cell achieved a nitrate selectivity of 98.9%, whereas the absorption cell achieved a nitrite selectivity of 100%. Findings from EPR and scavenger analyses collectively provide a detailed mechanistic understanding of LPP-driven nitrogen fixation and highlight the importance of controlling plasma parameters to achieve highly selective production of nitrogen compounds. Full article

Fertilizer coating is an emerging strategy in fertilizer management in the quest to decrease their loss and environmental impact. Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a significant greenhouse gas, and agricultural soils happen to be an important anthropogenic source of N₂O gases, mainly because of the use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers such as urea. This study examined the effects of double urea coating with nano-sulfur (NS) and organic materials; lignite, biochar and compost on N₂O fluxes from silt loam and sandy loam soils. N₂O fluxes were measured using an N₂O analyzer in a controlled environment for a period of 26 days. Cumulative N₂O fluxes were calculated for different treatments (nano-sulfur; NS, NS + lignite, NS + biochar, and NS + compost) as coatings on urea fertilizer with propagated uncertainties. Sandy loam soil had higher maximum N₂O emission (155.64 µg N m⁻² h⁻¹) compared to silt loam soil (24.47 µg N m⁻² h⁻¹). Uncoated urea and urea + NS coating resulted in higher N₂O emissions in both soils. Meanwhile, NS + organic second layer coatings decreased the N₂O fluxes, especially in sandy loam soil. The second organic layer coatings lowered the N₂O emissions with relatively lower effects in silt loam soil (3.8–7.0%) and a higher reduction in sandy loam soil (35.2–41.5%). Among the second organic coating materials, NS + lignite performed best, followed by NS + biochar and NS + compost. The results indicate that the urea coating as fertilizer management strategy as well as soil texture have considerable effects on fertilizer-induced N₂O emissions. The present study does not address the individual effects of organic coatings on N₂O emissions; furthermore, the characterization of the size distribution and morphology of the synthesized nano-sulfur, as well as the physicochemical properties (e.g., particle size, pH, C/N ratio, elemental composition) of the lignite, biochar, and compost coating materials, are omitted. The results of these analyses, together with the physical and chemical characterization of the produced organo-mineral fertilizers, will be presented in a forthcoming paper. Full article

Hard carbon has been widely recognized as the most commercially viable anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs); however, its inherently low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE), typically 60–90%, remains a critical bottleneck constraining practical full-cell deployment. While extensive research has addressed ICE optimization, existing reviews have predominantly focused on individual precursor types or isolated strategies, lacking a unified cross-precursor comparative framework. This review systematically deconstructs the complete causal continua—from chemical composition through carbonization trajectories and microstructural evolution to ultimate ICE outcomes—across five major precursor categories: biomass, synthetic resins, pitches, coal-based materials, and saccharides. An “SSA-closed pore–defect” three-parameter trade-off framework is proposed to elucidate the microstructural origins of precursor-dependent ICE divergences. Cross-categorical benchmarking reveals that resin-based precursors achieve the highest ICE (95%) through ultra-low specific surface area and extensive closed porosity, pitch-based systems deliver the most consistent ICE distribution (86–91%), and coal-derived carbons are confined to the lowest tier (78–85%). The differentiated efficacy of carbonization conditions and post-treatment strategies across precursor types is critically evaluated, demonstrating that optimal process selection is inextricably linked to precursor taxonomy. Building upon these analyses, a precursor selection decision roadmap targeting three application-specific ICE thresholds is constructed, providing actionable guidance for matching precursor–process combinations to industrial requirements. The comparative framework is grounded in 25 representative studies selected through explicit inclusion criteria (detailed in the Introduction), and its predictive utility is illustrated for emerging precursor candidates beyond the five canonical categories. This cross-precursor perspective offers a systematic reference for accelerating the commercialization of hard carbon anodes in SIBs. Full article

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers have recently emerged as a promising reinforcement material in fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC). To investigate the synergistic effects and reinforcing mechanisms of fibers with different elastic moduli within the concrete matrix, a series of hybrid fiber-reinforced concrete (HFRC) specimens were prepared by incorporating 0.25 vol%, 0.5 vol%, and 0.75 vol% carbon fibers (CFs) or polypropylene (PP) fibers into concrete containing 1 vol% UHMWPE fibers. The mechanical performance of the prepared composites was systematically evaluated through compressive, splitting tensile, flexural, and drop-weight impact tests. The experimental results indicate that concrete reinforced solely with UHMWPE fibers exhibits higher compressive strength but lower tensile strength, flexural strength, ductility, and impact toughness than the hybrid fiber systems. For both UHMWPE-CF and UHMWPE-PP hybrid concretes, the initial cracking impact resistance and failure impact resistance increased progressively with increasing CF or PP content. At equivalent fiber volume fractions, UHMWPE-PP hybrid concrete demonstrated superior resistance to initial cracking, whereas UHMWPE-CF hybrid concrete exhibited better post-failure impact resistance. Furthermore, fractal theory was employed to quantitatively characterize the impact damage behavior of HFRC specimens. The impact damage evolution equation is established by using the two-parameter Weibull distribution model. The findings provide theoretical and experimental support for the design and optimization of hybrid fiber-reinforced concrete subjected to impact loading. Full article

Faced with the challenges of cross-cultural communication of public opinion in emergency events, traditional sentiment recognition methods struggle to accurately capture the complex semantics under multi-lingual and multi-symbol systems. This paper takes the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar in 2025 as a case study. It constructs a multi-dimensional public opinion annotation framework that integrates four types of semantic information—time, space, subject, and sentiment—by extracting data from multi-source textual materials, including social media, news reports, and government announcements. Building on this foundation, we design an improved Model-Agnostic Meta-Learning (MAML) model that incorporates cultural features to enhance sentiment recognition performance in low-resource cross-linguistic scenarios. Experimental results show that the model outperforms traditional methods in terms of sentiment classification accuracy, cultural semantic deviation rate and metaphor recognition ability. Furthermore, the research reveals the coupling mechanism of public opinion communication of “cultural modulation–agenda game”, and clarifies the influence paths and weight distributions among multiple subjects. The research results provide theoretical support and practical paths for improving the governance capacity of cross-border public opinion in emergency events and the construction of multilingual monitoring models. Full article

The study of human well-being and its contributing factors is becoming increasingly important for psychologists. However, the authors of previous studies have primarily focused on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being; in comparison, the value correlates of spiritual well-being remain insufficiently studied, particularly across developmental stages. In the present study, we examined associations between spiritual well-being and basic individual values in a Russian-speaking convenience sample and compared these associations in adolescents/emerging adults and adults. Materials and methods: The study involved 197 respondents aged 14–21 (72 women (17.8 ± 1.7 years) and 125 men (17.9 ± 1.3 years)) and 762 respondents aged 22–72 (689 women (44.4 ± 10.1 years) and 73 men (40.6 ± 10.4 years)). Data were collected in 2024 within a cross-sectional study using an online self-report questionnaire distributed via Russian-language VKontakte and Telegram communities. Spiritual well-being was assessed using the adapted Spiritual Well-Being Scale, and values were assessed using the adapted Portrait Value Questionnaire, combined with standard statistical procedures. Results: Interpersonal conformity exhibited the strongest positive association with spiritual well-being, particularly in the younger group at the bivariate level and in the full-sample multivariable model. Face/reputation and openness to change were negative multivariable correlates of spiritual well-being. Compared with adolescents and emerging adults, adults exhibited weaker positive links between spiritual well-being and conservation-related values and more clearly negative links with hedonism, achievement, face/reputation, and self-enhancement. Conclusion: Spiritual well-being in this Russian-speaking online sample was most consistently associated with interpersonal harmony and was inversely associated with face/reputation and openness to change. These patterns should be interpreted as associative, context-bound, and developmentally sensitive rather than causal or population-representative, especially given the marked sex imbalance between the developmental groups. Full article

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous combustion-derived contaminants that represent a significant cross-cutting threat to human, animal, and environmental health. Viewed through an explicit One Health lens, this review shows how the shared combustion sources, evolutionarily conserved toxicological mechanisms, and food-web linkages connecting environmental contamination to wildlife and human exposure justify an integrated, cross-domain approach to PAH risk assessment and management. PAHs are generated predominantly through incomplete combustion of organic materials and are globally distributed through atmospheric transport, aquatic runoff, and food-web transfer, persisting in soils and sediments for decades. The present review synthesizes current knowledge on PAHs through an explicit One Health lens, examining shared sources, environmental fate, and convergent health effects across species and health domains, while also highlighting the need to move beyond the classical US EPA priority PAHs to include high-molecular-weight PAHs (>302 Da), alkylated homologues, and transformation products such as oxy- and nitro-PAHs. Common pathways such as dietary intake of grilled and smoked foods, inhalation of contaminated air, and occupational exposure create parallel toxicological burdens in both human and wildlife populations, particularly through genotoxic mechanisms mediated by aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation and CYP1A1/CYP1B1-catalyzed bioactivation to reactive diol epoxides. The resulting DNA adduct formation links environmental PAH exposure to carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, immunosuppression, and developmental impairment across vertebrate species with remarkable mechanistic consistency. Wildlife, especially fish, marine mammals, and seabirds, serve as critical sentinels for environmental PAH contamination, while simultaneously facing direct health impacts on immune function, reproduction, and population viability. Vulnerable human populations, including children, subsistence communities, occupational workers, and residents near combustion-intensive industries, bear disproportionate burdens reflecting underlying environmental justice concerns. Integrated intervention strategies encompassing source control, dietary exposure reduction, site remediation, and coordinated biomonitoring are urgently needed. By incorporating emerging PAH classes with distinct persistence, trophic behavior, and toxicological potency, the One Health paradigm provides a more comprehensive conceptual framework for modern environmental surveillance, food safety, and integrated risk assessment, recognizing that the health of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is inseparable from that of the animals and humans within them. Full article

High water-content silty soft soils are widely distributed across coastal regions. Their low strength and high compressibility render them unsuitable for direct use as foundation or subgrade materials. While ordinary Portland cement is the most prevalent chemical stabilizer for ground improvement, its manufacturing process generates substantial CO₂ emissions, significantly exacerbating global climate change. While limestone calcined clay cement (LC³) has emerged as a promising low-carbon alternative in concrete engineering, its multicomponent hydration mechanisms and engineering applicability for geotechnical soft soil stabilization remain a critical knowledge gap. To address this, this study investigates the application of LC³ in ground improvement by systematically evaluating and comparing three novel LC³ blends formulated with distinct types of calcined clay. The mechanical properties of LC³-stabilized soft soil were investigated through unconfined compressive strength and direct shear tests. Furthermore, the underlying stabilization mechanisms and microstructural evolution were revealed using X-ray diffraction and supplementary microanalytical techniques. The results demonstrated that LC³ significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of soft soils by generating abundant C-S-H and C-A-S-H gels, which bound soil particles into a stable, interlocking network. Among the evaluate variants, the calcined kaolin-based cement (LC³-K) exhibited the highest pozzolanic activity, providing to be the optimal stabilizer. However, this stabilization effect was dosage dependent; while an appropriate LC³ application markedly improved soil strength, excessive dosage or elevated clinker proportions induced a highly alkaline environment. This led to charge over-neutralization and deflocculation, ultimately compromising the structural integrity and mechanical performance of the solidified soil. The findings of this study provide a solid theoretical foundation for the application of eco-friendly LC³ in soft soil stabilization, promoting the broader adoption of sustainable, low carbon geomaterials in geotechnical engineering. Full article

Against the backdrop of global energy structure decarbonization, distributed transformation, and the rapid development of low-power electronic devices and sensor networks, micro-energy supply and intelligent sensing have emerged as critical bottlenecks limiting their large-scale application. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), leveraging advantages such as compatibility with diverse materials and adaptability to flexible and miniaturized fabrication, can efficiently harvest widely available low-frequency, low-amplitude distributed mechanical energy in the environment. Additionally, they exhibit self-powered sensing characteristics, where output signals are directly correlated with external physical quantities, demonstrating unique strengths in the fields of micro-/nano-energy and intelligent monitoring. This article systematically reviews the research progress in TENGs; elucidates their working modes and power generation principles; summarizes material design, structural optimization, and performance enhancement strategies for efficient energy harvesting; and outlines the current state of self-powered sensing technologies. It highlights their engineering applications in intelligent monitoring scenarios such as drones, marine environments, infrastructure, and wearable devices. Addressing the existing technical bottlenecks and theoretical challenges in integrated energy harvesting–sensing–monitoring systems, the paper envisions future trends toward high performance, integration, and intelligence, providing valuable insights for fundamental research on and engineering applications of TENGs in micro-energy supply and intelligent monitoring. Full article

Background and Objectives: Candiduria is a common health problem especially among hospitalized patients. In the era of rising azole resistance, evidence from Saudi Arabia remains limited concerning Candida species. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of Candida isolated from urine culture and to explore species distribution in relation to clinical characteristics. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 188353 urine samples from 2013 to 2023. Using medical records, data on age, gender, hospitalization status, and urine sample type were collected. Identification of Candida species was performed by VITEK Mass Spectrometry (bioMerieux Inc.). Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of candiduria. A p value below 0.05 at a 95% CI was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 1667 urine samples with significant Candida growth were reported. It accounted for 0.88% of all organisms grown from urine culture and 30% of Candida grown from various body sites. Candida albicans was the most frequently identified species (n = 920, 55.2%), followed by C. tropicalis (n = 374, 22.4%), C. krusei (n = 80, 4.8%), C. glabrata (n = 78, 4.7%), and C. parapsilosis (n = 41, 2.5%). However, the rate was not stable throughout the years, and non-albicans Candida (NAC) was often the most prevalent. Female gender was the strongest predictor of candiduria (OR and AOR 1.81, 95% CI 1.46–2.25), whereas significantly lower odds were seen in elderly patients and in random urine specimens. The species distribution of NAC did not seem to change with age, gender, type of specimen, or hospitalization status. Conclusions: Among all Candida spp. isolated in the lab, 30 out of every 100 originated from urine culture, with a significant risk associated with females. The increasing prevalence of emerging Candida species in tertiary care settings can provide clinicians with valuable insights for the diagnosis and management of Candida UTI. Full article

Intergenerational equity has become central to contemporary sustainability discourse and climate litigation, as courts increasingly confront whether present generations may legitimately deplete ecological resources in ways that impose irreversible burdens on those yet to come. This article argues that the normative structure underlying contemporary intergenerational climate claims reflects a recurring institutional logic identifiable much earlier in legal history. Focusing on the Gortyn Code (5th century BCE), one of the earliest and most extensive surviving Greek law codes, the analysis reveals how rules governing property, inheritance, guardianship, and family relations constructed an architecture of intergenerational continuity through enforceable constraints on present authority over inherited assets. The Code restricted alienation of inherited assets, structured succession through fixed distributive formulas, and imposed mechanisms designed to preserve the material foundations of future social existence. These provisions are then interpreted in relation to contemporary sustainability frameworks, emphasizing trusteeship, burden inheritance, and ecological thresholds. The article considers recent climate litigation to illustrate how modern courts increasingly translate intergenerational commitments into enforceable duties through functionally equivalent reasoning. The findings suggest that climate adjudication represents a modern manifestation of a deeper logic already visible in the Gortyn Code, one that emerges regardless of whether the resource at stake is owned or unowned, and that this parallel carries implications for the design and institutional anchoring of intergenerational obligations in contemporary climate governance. Full article

High-manganese steel has emerged as a potential alternative material to austenitic stainless steel for liquid hydrogen storage and transportation environments, owing to its superior mechanical characteristics and limited hydrogen diffusivity. However, its hydrogen embrittlement (HE) susceptibility limits its engineering applications. This study investigates the effect of microstructural regulation through trace titanium (Ti, 0.021 wt%) addition on HE resistance in high-manganese steel. By means of Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), TEM, SEM, and Slow Strain Rate Tensile (SSRT) tests, the effects of Ti on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and HE susceptibility of high-manganese steel are systematically investigated. The results show that the addition of Ti did not significantly alter the average austenite grain size or phase composition, but it generated a large number of Ti(C,N) nanoscale precipitates with sizes ranging from 20 to 70 nm within the matrix. The elongation loss of the 25Mn-Ti specimen was significantly lower than that of the 25Mn specimen when hydrogen-charged for 72 h, decreasing from 18.4% to 9.3%. The fracture surfaces consistently exhibited ductile dimple morphology, whereas 25Mn steel demonstrated significant cleavage-induced brittle fracture. EBSD analysis revealed that hydrogen-charged 25Mn-Ti steel exhibited higher Kernel Average Misorientation (KAM) value retention rate and more uniform grain strain distribution, indicating enhanced microstructural deformation compatibility. The main mechanism was that Ti pre-formed nanoscale Ti(C,N) precipitates during the preparation of 25Mn high-manganese steel, which played a key role in inhibiting HE. These precipitates altered hydrogen diffusion behavior and distribution patterns, reduced stress concentration levels, and inhibited hydrogen-induced crack initiation. This work is of great significance for improving the HE resistance of high-manganese steels. Full article

Background and Objectives: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) exhibits heterogeneous and sometimes unpredictable metastatic behavior, involving both common and uncommon anatomic sites. Institutional analyses of histopathologically confirmed metastatic RCC may improve diagnostic recognition and clinical awareness. This study aimed to characterize the metastatic distribution and histopathologic features of RCC diagnosed in a single tertiary center over a five-year period. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of the pathology database of the Department of Pathology, “Pius Brînzeu” Emergency County Hospital, Timișoara, was performed to identify all histologically confirmed cases of metastatic RCC diagnosed between January 2020 and December 2024. Case identification was based on pathology reports of metastatic lesions. In a subset of cases, corresponding pathology reports of the primary renal tumor were available and reviewed. Histopathological data collected included WHO/ISUP grade, tumor necrosis, sarcomatoid and/or rhabdoid differentiation, vascular invasion, surgical margin status, tumor size, and pathological T stage (pT). Exploratory analyses were performed to assess associations between metastatic site and selected histopathological features. Results: Thirty-two cases of metastatic RCC were identified, all demonstrating clear cell morphology. The mean patient age was 62.9 years, with a marked male predominance. Among cases with available primary tumor data, high WHO/ISUP grade and adverse histopathologic features were frequently observed. The most common metastatic sites in our institution were the brain and bone, followed by the adrenal gland, lymph nodes, and liver. Less frequent metastatic involvement included the pancreas, testis, vagina, skin, and peritoneum. Exploratory analyses did not demonstrate statistically significant associations between metastatic site and tumor grade, necrosis, or sarcomatoid/rhabdoid differentiation; however, descriptive trends were observed, including the association of brain metastases with high-grade tumors and the high prevalence of tumor necrosis across metastatic sites. Conclusions: This pathology-based retrospective series highlights the broad metastatic spectrum of RCC, including both typical and rare anatomic sites. The predominance of clear cell morphology and the frequent association with adverse histopathologic features support the link between aggressive tumor biology and metastatic disease. Although no statistically significant associations were identified, the observed patterns suggest potential relationships between metastatic distribution and tumor characteristics, warranting further investigation in larger studies. Full article