Search Results (12,075)

In the context of aircraft engine technologies, sprays are used to inject water into the engine cycle to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions. Accurate specification of droplet injection boundary conditions is therefore essential for reliable numerical predictions. This study presents a numerical validation of a water spray configuration previously characterized using phase Doppler anemometry. An Euler/Lagrange approach is applied to simulate the spray using two distinct injection strategies: an array of injector points (Case 1) and a solid-cone injector (Case 2). Numerical results are compared with experimental data to assess droplet size and velocity distributions. Both approaches capture the main spray characteristics, while Case 1 provides improved agreement due to a more accurate representation of the injection conditions. In addition, the influence of droplet–droplet collisions is investigated using different collision-regime maps. While the collision models lead to significantly different collision outcomes, only minor differences are observed in spray characteristics, with noticeable deviations occurring in the downstream region. Overall, the results demonstrate the importance of accurate injection modeling for reliable spray predictions, while simpler injection approaches remain viable with reduced accuracy. The influence of collision modeling is limited under the present conditions and for the investigated spray metrics, providing insight into its role and limitations in polydisperse sprays. Full article

All-solid-state lithium–sulfur batteries (ASSLSBs) couple the high theoretical energy density of sulfur (2600 Wh kg⁻¹) with the safety and polysulfide-shuttle suppression advantages of solid electrolytes (SEs). In practice, however, sluggish solid-state conversion kinetics, chemo-mechanical degradation in composite cathodes, and large solid–solid interfacial resistance remain the principal barriers to practical implementation. This review systematically examines recent progress across the three key components of ASSLSBs: cathodes, solid electrolytes, and interfaces. For cathodes, S/C composite design strategies and alternative active materials—including Li₂S, metal sulfides, and organosulfur compounds—are discussed. For solid electrolytes, inorganic (sulfide, oxide, halide, and hydride), polymer, and hybrid composite systems are compared. For interfaces, physical strategies (stack pressure, compliant interlayers, three-dimensional cathode architectures) and chemical strategies (cathode–SE and Li metal–SE interphase engineering, in situ stabilization) are evaluated. Outstanding challenges and design guidelines for next-generation ASSLSBs are discussed. Full article

Scaffolds designed for mechanically demanding soft tissue engineering applications should integrate mechanical support, efficient mass transfer, and good cellular compatibility. This work presents a one-pot method based on “radical-free click chemistry + carbodiimide coupling” to produce a double-network (DN) PEG–alginate cryogel. The PEG network is formed by a Michael addition reaction between thiol-based crosslinker and 8-arm PEG-acrylate. The second network is covalently crosslinked through EDC/NHS-mediated coupling of carboxyl groups in alginate and adipic acid dihydrazide (AAD). The subsequent freezing and gelation of the gel precursor at sub-zero temperatures results in an ice templated cryogel with an interconnected macroporous network. These cryogels demonstrate high elasticity, compressive modulus and rapid swelling equilibrium in aqueous environments, as well as controlled degradation under physiological conditions. Compared to the classical Ca²⁺ ion crosslinking systems, the covalent linking of the alginate in the double-network cryogel shows advantages in mechanical and structural stability. In addition, it is cell-compatible and allows culture of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with homogeneous infiltration. Furthermore, the double-network cryogels supports chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs upon treatment with chondrogenic media or macrophage-conditioned media for a short period of time. These results indicate that crosslinking chemistry and polymer composition can be used to modulate the balance between mechanical performance and degradation behavior, while maintaining cytocompatibility and an interconnected macroporous network, thereby providing a scaffold design strategy for applications that require coordinated mechanical support and mass transfer, such as cartilage-related tissue engineering. Full article

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a lethal disease of poultry that has recently spilled over into mammals, including dairy cattle and humans, heightening concerns for livestock health, food security, and pandemic emergence. While vaccines that induce neutralizing antibodies against hemagglutinin and neuraminidase provide strain-specific protection, durable cross-subtype immunity requires T-cell responses targeting conserved internal antigens such as nucleoprotein (NP). To leverage these conserved targets, we utilized a previously engineered mosaic nucleoprotein (MNP) incorporating T-cell epitopes from thousands of influenza A virus (IAV) strains, conferring broad protection against epidemic (H3N2) and pandemic (H1N1) IAV in mice. Here, we tested whether precision adjuvancy could differentially imprint adaptive immunity to MNP in cattle. Combination formulations paired the carbomer-based nano-emulsion Adjuplex (ADJ) with either a STING agonist (cyclic dinucleotides; CdN) or a TLR4 agonist (glucopyranosyl lipid A; GLA) to program distinct inflammatory milieus. Both formulations elicited circulating IFN-γ–producing T cell responses and NP-specific antibodies in serum and milk. However, STING activation via CdN generated more potent and consistent cellular and humoral immunity than TLR4 engagement. These data demonstrate that selective activation of innate sensing pathways functionally imprints adaptive immune magnitude and quality in a large animal host. By advancing a broadly protective, T-cell-focused vaccine strategy in cattle, this work supports a One Health framework to mitigate H5N1 transmission risk at the human–animal interface. Full article

The Chang 8 tight oil reservoir in the Xifeng area of the Ordos Basin is characterized by poor reservoir properties, making conventional water flooding ineffective for efficient reservoir development. CO₂ flooding is therefore considered an important approach for enhancing oil recovery in tight reservoirs. However, suitable development strategies for direct CO₂ injection in undeveloped reservoir areas remain insufficiently understood. In this study, compositional numerical simulation combined with a single-factor sensitivity analysis was employed to investigate the effects of key parameters, including well pattern configuration, fracturing parameters, injection–production strategy, and gas injection modes. The results indicate that an inverted nine-spot well pattern with vertical well injection and vertical well production, a well spacing of 500 m, and a row spacing of 200 m can achieve relatively favorable areal and vertical sweep performance. A fracture half-length of 80 m, fracture widths of 0.003–0.005 m, and fracturing treatment before initial production help balance early-stage productivity and gas channeling control. Maintaining an injection rate of 0.03–0.04 PV/a, an oil production rate of 2–3 m³/d, and a bottomhole flowing pressure of 13–14 MPa is beneficial for maintaining reservoir energy and stabilizing displacement-front propagation. Based on neighboring field development experience, switching from continuous CO₂ injection to water–alternating–gas (WAG) injection during the mid-development stage can improve mobility control and enlarge the CO₂ swept volume. Under the current geological model and simulation conditions, the recommended development strategy predicts a recovery factor of 35.43% over a 30-year production period. The results provide reasonable parameter ranges and an engineering reference for direct CO₂ flooding development in the Chang 8 tight oil reservoir and similar reservoirs. Full article

This paper investigates classical and Bayesian inferences for the parameters and reliability metrics of the Hjorth distribution using a new censoring mechanism called the adaptive progressive first-failure censoring scheme. This new strategy combines guaranteed observation of a fixed number of failures with adaptive control of test duration, providing a flexible and practically efficient framework for modern reliability experiments. The Hjorth distribution is considered due to its capability to model various hazard-rate shapes within a simple two-parameter structure. Maximum likelihood estimation is developed, and approximate confidence intervals are constructed using normal approximation and logarithmic transformation methods based on the observed Fisher information matrix and the delta method. A Bayesian framework is also established using independent gamma prior distributions, with posterior inference carried out through maximum a posteriori estimation and Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation. Bayes estimates and both equal-tail and highest-posterior-density credible intervals are obtained. The performance of the proposed methods is evaluated through simulation studies and illustrated using real lifetime data from an engineering domain consisting of the tensile strength of polyester fibers, demonstrating their effectiveness under adaptive censoring settings. Full article

Cutaneous tissue engineering has advanced from simple coverage substitutes to increasingly complex living constructs, yet the field remains constrained by a decisive problem: timely and durable perfusion. Many engineered skin substitutes can appear vascular in static culture or in small-animal models. However, they still fail when blood flow must be established quickly enough to rescue cells across clinically relevant tissue thickness. Rather than re-catalog platforms already summarized in recent reviews, this critical narrative review reframes the field around perfusion as the master functional endpoint rather than vessel density alone. We analyze the vascularization bottleneck as a sequence, internal network formation, host inosculation, flow initiation, and perfusion stability—and use that sequence to reassess biomaterial design, cell-based strategies, immunomodulation, decellularized matrices, bioprinting, microfluidics, and prevascularization. We intentionally distinguish implantable skin substitutes from perfused in vitro platforms such as skin-on-chip systems, arguing that these are linked but non-interchangeable application spaces with different success criteria. Building on this distinction, we propose a research agenda centered on functional benchmarking of perfusion, spatiotemporal coordination of scaffold dynamics, immune–mural–lymphatic–vascular crosstalk, scalable hierarchical vascular fabrication, and predictive human test platforms. The central argument is that translation will depend not on ever more isolated pro-angiogenic interventions but on integrated systems that survive the ischemic interval, connect rapidly, tolerate blood entry, maintain a workable inflow–outflow balance, and remodel into a stable, skin-specific microvasculature. Full article

Flooding has become increasingly severe due to rapid urbanization and changing hydrological conditions, necessitating effective and sustainable mitigation strategies. This study investigates the hydraulic performance of a hybrid flood defense system comprising a dike, a moat, and vegetation under varying surface roughness conditions. The results demonstrate that increasing roughness significantly enhances flood mitigation performance by improving energy dissipation and delaying the propagation of floodwater. A maximum energy reduction of approximately 75.56% and a delay in floodwater arrival of up to 65% were observed under higher roughness conditions. In contrast, increasing flow intensity reduced system efficiency, highlighting the importance of optimizing roughness under varying hydraulic conditions. The findings reveal that surface roughness is the dominant factor controlling flow resistance, turbulence generation, and hydraulic jump formation within the system. The novelty of this study lies in systematically quantifying the combined effect of roughness across structural and vegetative components within a hybrid defense framework. These results provide a practical basis for the design and optimization of eco-engineered flood defense systems, offering a cost-effective approach for reducing flood risk in riverine environments. Full article

Underwater acoustic (UWA) channels are inherently complex, with pronounced variability arising from multipath propagation, time variability, Doppler effects, and nonstationary ocean conditions. Such variability often leads to unstable communication reliability when conventional single-carrier signaling and fixed reception strategies are employed. In practical UWA environments, performance degradation may occur when channel characteristics deviate from the assumed regime, thereby limiting system robustness. To address this reliability challenge, this study develops an unequal-rate frequency–phase keying (URFPK) signaling strategy that combines a low-rate frequency component with a high-rate phase component. A corresponding receiver structure is designed, employing parallel coherent and noncoherent processing to enhance robustness under dynamic channel conditions. In addition, a reduced-complexity noncoherent procedure is introduced to improve computational efficiency. Simulation results demonstrate substantially improved robustness under severe UWA distortions. Full-scale sea trials further validate the engineering effectiveness of the proposed approach, achieving communication success rate improvements of $18.62$% and $9.39$% over baseline schemes within short intervals and maintaining an overall success rate exceeding 91% over extended transmissions. These results indicate that the URFPK signaling strategy provides a practical and robust mechanism for improving UWA link reliability in dynamic UWA channels. Full article

Geometric monitoring of slender support structures, particularly steel lattice transmission towers, is a critical component of power infrastructure diagnostics. Such structures are susceptible to environmental influences and long-term deformation processes, which necessitates precise assessment of their geometric axis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) scanner class and point cloud registration strategy on the determination of the geometric axis of a steel high-voltage lattice transmission tower (hereafter LTT). Unlike previous studies focused primarily on TLS-based axis reconstruction, this work introduces a comparative assessment of registration strategies, an error propagation model, and the proposed Axis Drift Index (ADI) as quantitative indicators of axis stability. The analysis was based on data obtained using a tachymetric method (reference), a compact scanner (Leica BLK360), and a survey-grade scanner (Riegl VZ-400i). The comparison included planimetric axis deviation, consistency of deformation direction, variation in results with height, and the influence of registration quality. The results show that TLS measurements performed using a survey-grade scanner and target-based registration exhibit high agreement with tachymetric results. In contrast, cloud-to-cloud registration without a stable reference framework leads to cumulative errors and instability of the reconstructed axis, particularly in the upper parts of the structure. The observed deviations in the BLK360 dataset were dominated by registration-related geometric instability rather than unequivocal structural deformation signals. The findings indicate that the accuracy of geometric axis determination in slender structures is governed more by the adopted point cloud registration strategy than by the scanner class itself. The proposed ADI parameter and linear error propagation model additionally enabled a quantitative assessment of geometric consistency with height. From an engineering perspective, this highlights the importance of stable reference systems and appropriate survey design in high-precision TLS applications. Although the study was conducted on a single lattice tower, the results provide practical insight into the reliability of TLS workflows for slender structures characterized by discontinuous geometry and high sensitivity to registration errors. Full article

Platinum ditelluride (PtTe₂) is an emerging topological semimetal with intriguing optoelectronic properties. Scalable and controllable growth techniques are fundamental for its technological exploitation. Here, we synthesize large-area PtTe₂ films by tellurization of pre-deposited platinum layers. By selectively modifying the tellurization parameters, we demonstrate the possibility of controlling the layer orientation of tellurized films and of introducing microscopic corrugation in the PtTe₂ film. The first result is obtained by increasing the thermal budget of the process, which changes PtTe₂ preferential crystalline orientation from (001) to (1−13)/(103) growth directions. The latter result is achieved by modifying the heating rate of the process at a fixed growth temperature equal to 550 °C. From the Raman analysis of a wrinkled sample, we find the coexistence of tensile and compressive strains depending on the corrugation site. The demonstrated control over grain orientation and microscopic corrugation provides a powerful strategy to tailor the structural and strain landscape of topological semimetals, providing a robust platform for strain engineering. Full article

Contrast detection autofocus (CDAF) performance in industrial machine vision is shaped by platform capability as well as by the focus measure and search strategy. CDAF is analyzed through a platform capability framework and a unified frame-level transaction chain across three platforms: a capability upper-bound platform (P1), a bridging platform (P2), and an industrial black-box platform (P3). In experiments covering six scene categories, four initial conditions, five fixed-rule strategies, and 30 repetitions per condition, the dominant observable tail on P3 is localized after control submission, in the command-to-actuation segment. On P2, controlled one-factor perturbations using a physically calibrated sample position mismatch intensity (σ_align) and an actuation chain variability coordinate (λ_act) reproduce the main P3 degradation directions, providing a mechanism-level account in terms of sample position mismatch and command-to-actuation variability. Platform capability sets the reachable performance boundary, within which strategies trade speed, final quality, and failure risk. On P3, S1–S4 form the main engineering trade-off band, whereas S5 shows condition-dependent upper-quantile quality gains without a stable frontier advantage. The resulting deployment logic combines capability tiering, segment-wise bottleneck localization, and strategy band selection and treats CDAF as a capability-conditioned speed–quality–risk trade-off rather than a platform-independent strategy ranking. Full article

Scorpion venom peptides, with their stable disulfide backbone, compact structural framework, and highly selective regulation of ion channels, have long been regarded as important molecular probes in neuropharmacology. However, recent studies have revealed their potential for regulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and neuroprotection, making them a new research frontier. In this article, we focus on scorpion venom peptides as drugs, constructing an integrated knowledge framework from structural classification to clinical translation. First, scorpion venom peptides are systematically classified based on cysteine arrangement patterns and three-dimensional folding topology, and their structure–activity relationships are summarized. Based on this, the molecular mechanisms by which scorpion venom peptides regulate ion channels are systematically analyzed. We review the emerging pharmacological activities of scorpion venom peptides. Of particular note, the representative molecule SVHRSP has shown multi-target synergistic antioxidant and neuroprotective activity in models of Parkinson’s disease. We also systematically evaluate the application of engineering strategies, including cyclisation modification, nanodelivery, recombinant expression, and AI-assisted optimization, to overcome the translational bottlenecks in the development of scorpion venom peptides. However, it should be noted that most SVHRSP-related findings have been reported by a single research group; independent replication, pharmacokinetic characterization, and human efficacy data are still lacking. Its IND approval permits clinical investigation but does not yet constitute proven therapeutic benefit in patients. By integrating molecular structure, redox regulation mechanisms, and translational medicine perspectives, this review aims at providing a theoretical basis and practical pathways for scorpion venom peptides as precision therapeutic molecules for oxidative stress-related diseases. Full article

The extreme thermal environment during the underground coal gasification (UCG) process poses a severe threat to the stability of the gasification cavity and the integrity of the surrounding rock. This paper aims to reveal the thermo-mechanical response characteristics and damage evolution mechanism of sandstone under true triaxial unloading conditions following exposure to high temperatures. Sandstone specimens were thermally pre-treated at five temperature gradients (25 °C, 200 °C, 400 °C, 600 °C, and 800 °C) and subsequently subjected to true triaxial loading and unloading experiments. The effects of varying temperatures on the strength, deformation parameters, dilation angle evolution, and macroscopic failure modes of the sandstone were systematically analyzed. The results indicate a significant critical transition point in the mechanical behavior of the sandstone at 400 °C. Below this threshold, thermal-induced microcrack closure leads to an increase in peak strength (with the peak strength at 800 °C increasing by approximately 67% compared to room temperature). Conversely, above 400 °C, thermal damage to the mineral grains intensifies, causing the crack propagation pattern to transition from brittle shear to a complex tension-shear splitting mode, accompanied by severe dilatancy (with a generalized Poisson’s ratio exceeding 0.8). Based on these findings, this study proposes a stage-wise damage evolution model alongside a targeted zonal support strategy, recommending the application of high-prestressed support in high-temperature zones above 400 °C to suppress tensile failure. Ultimately, this research provides a crucial theoretical basis for evaluating the long-term stability of high-temperature underground engineering projects and ensuring operational safety. Full article

Exosomes are small vesicles released by cells that have attracted growing interest as drug delivery vehicles, particularly for brain diseases, where getting therapeutics across the BBB remains a fundamental problem. While conventional platforms such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and viral vectors often suffer from immune clearance and poor brain accumulation, engineered exosomes leverage natural cellular transport mechanisms to cross the BBB, protect cargo from degradation, and enable biocompatible interactions with target cells. This review takes a mechanistic and translational look at how exosomes are being engineered for CNS disorders, with a particular focus on glioblastoma. We cover exosome biogenesis through ESCRT-dependent and ESCRT-independent pathways, and how the competition between Rab27-driven secretion and Rab7-driven lysosomal degradation determines how many exosomes a cell releases, which has direct consequences for therapeutic production. We then discuss cargo loading strategies, from genetic approaches where donor cells are engineered to package specific molecules during biogenesis to physical methods like electroporation and sonication applied to isolated vesicles, alongside surface modification techniques for directing exosomes toward specific cell types. In glioblastoma, engineered exosomes have shown real promise for delivering chemotherapeutics across the BBB, targeting glioma stem cells, enabling CRISPR-based gene editing, and functioning as combined treatment and imaging tools. Applications in stroke and neurodegenerative diseases, where engineered exosomes carrying microRNAs and neuroprotective cargo have produced encouraging preclinical results, are also discussed. Scalable manufacturing and consistent targeting remain the hardest unsolved problems, and we outline emerging approaches including bioreactor-based production, programmable cargo loading, and patient-specific exosome design that are beginning to address these gaps. Overall, the progress reviewed here suggests that engineered exosomes are moving from an interesting biological concept toward a practically viable platform for CNS drug delivery. Full article