Search Results (1,929)

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing offers mask-free, high-resolution deposition across a broad range of ink viscosities, yet combining void-free filling of high-aspect-ratio through-glass vias (TGVs) with ultrafine drop-on-demand (DOD) line printing on the same platform requires balancing conflicting requirements: for example, high field strengths to drive ink into deep and narrow vias; sufficiently high ink viscosity to prevent gravity-induced leakage; and stable meniscus dynamics to avoid satellite droplets and charge accumulation on the glass surface. By coupling electrostatic field analysis with transient level-set simulations, we establish a dimensionless regime map that delineates stable cone-jetting regime; these predictions are validated by high-speed imaging and surface profilometry. Operating within this window, the platform achieves complete, void-free filling of 200 µm × 1.52 mm TGVs and continuous 10 µm-wide traces in a single print pass. Demonstrating its capabilities, we fabricate transparent Ku-band substrate-integrated waveguide antennas on borosilicate glass: the printed vias and arc feed elements exhibit a reflection coefficient minimum of –18 dB at 14.2 GHz, a –10 dB bandwidth of 12.8–16.2 GHz, and an 8 dBi peak gain with 37° beam tilt, closely matching full-wave predictions. This physics-driven, all-in-one EHD approach provides a scalable route to high-performance, glass-integrated RF devices and transparent electronics. Full article

Introduction: Living with coeliac disease (CD) requires lifelong adherence to a strict gluten-free diet (GFD). This study assessed GFD adherence, symptom burden, autoimmune comorbidities, and dietetic support among Hellenic CD patients. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was completed by 272 adults with CD. Adherence was measured using the Hellenic version of the Celiac Dietary Adherence Test (H-CDAT). Results: The mean H-CDAT score was 13.5 ± 3.5. Good adherence was observed in 44.9% of participants, while 14.3% showed poor adherence. Symptom burden was high: 39.3% reported partial symptom resolution and 3.7% had ongoing symptoms. Among patients, 25.0% had multiple autoimmune conditions, ranging from two to four. Dietetic support was limited: 61.5% were not referred to a dietitian at diagnosis, and 75.4% had no regular follow-up. Higher H-CDAT scores, indicating poorer adherence, were significantly associated with younger age (p = 0.014), earlier diagnosis (p = 0.01), and ongoing symptoms (p < 0.01). Age at diagnosis was also positively associated with autoimmune comorbidity count. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for earlier diagnosis, improved access to structured dietetic support, and individualized care to optimize GFD adherence and improve outcomes in patients with CD. Full article

The time-domain electromagnetic method has been widely applied in mineral exploration, oil, and gas fields in recent years. However, its response characteristics remain unclear, and there is an urgent need to study the response characteristics of the borehole-surface transient electromagnetic(BSTEM) field. This study starts from the time-domain electric field diffusion equation and discretizes the calculation area in space using tetrahedral meshes. The Galerkin method is used to derive the finite element equation of the electric field, and the vector interpolation basis function is used to approximate the electric field in any arbitrary tetrahedral mesh in the free space, thus achieving the three-dimensional forward simulation of the BSTEM field based on the finite element method. Following validation of the numerical simulation method, we further analyze the electromagnetic field response excited by vertical line sources.. Through comparison, it is concluded that measuring the radial electric field is the most intuitive and effective layout method for BSTEM, with a focus on the propagation characteristics of the electromagnetic field in both low-resistance and high-resistance anomalies at different positions. Numerical simulations reveal that BSTEM demonstrates superior resolution capability for low-resistivity anomalies, while showing limited detectability for high-resistivity anomalies Numerical simulation results of BSTEM with realistic orebody models, the correctness of this rule is further verified. This has important implications for our understanding of the propagation laws of BSTEM as well as for subsequent data processing and interpretation. Full article

Methionine residues in proteins and peptides are frequently oxidized by losing one electron. The presence of nearby amide groups is crucial for this process, enabling methionine to participate in long-range electron transfer. Hydroxyl radical (HO^•) plays an important role being generated in aerobic organisms by cellular metabolisms as well as by exogenous sources such as ionizing radiations. The reaction of HO^• with methionine mainly affords the one-electron oxidation of the thioether moiety through two consecutive steps (HO^• addition to the sulfur followed by HO⁻ elimination). We recently investigated the reaction of HO^• with model peptides mimicking methionine and its cysteine-methylated counterpart, i.e., CH₃C(O)NHCHXC(O)NHCH₃, where X = CH₂CH₂SCH₃ or CH₂SCH₃ at pH 7. The reaction mechanism varied depending on the distance between the sulfur atom and the peptide backbone, but, for a better understanding of various suggested equilibria, the analysis of the flux of protons is required. We extended the previous study to the present work at pH 4 using pulse radiolysis techniques with conductivity and optical detection of transient species, as well as analysis of final products by LC-MS and high-resolution MS/MS following γ-radiolysis. Comparing all the data provided a better understanding of how the presence of nearby amide groups influences the one-electron oxidation mechanism. Full article

Due to their clinical heterogeneity, nonspecific symptoms, and the limitations of existing biomarkers and imaging modalities, metabolic brain diseases (MBDs), such as mitochondrial encephalopathies, lysosomal storage disorders, and glucose metabolism syndromes, pose significant diagnostic challenges. This review examines the growing potential of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) derived from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) epigenetic profiling as a dynamic, cell-type-specific, minimally invasive biomarker approach for MBD diagnosis and monitoring. We review important technological platforms and their use in identifying CNS-specific DNA methylation patterns indicative of neuronal injury, neuroinflammation, and metabolic reprogramming, including cfMeDIP-seq, enzymatic methyl sequencing (EM-seq), and targeted bisulfite sequencing. By synthesizing current findings across disorders such as MELAS, Niemann–Pick disease, Gaucher disease, GLUT1 deficiency syndrome, and diabetes-associated cognitive decline, we highlight the superior diagnostic and prognostic resolution offered by CSF cfDNA methylation signatures relative to conventional CSF markers or neuroimaging. We also address technical limitations, interpretive challenges, and translational barriers to clinical implementation. Ultimately, this review explores CSF cfDNA epigenetic analysis as a liquid biopsy modality. The central objective is to assess whether epigenetic profiling of CSF-derived cfDNA can serve as a reliable and clinically actionable biomarker for improving the diagnosis and longitudinal monitoring of metabolic brain diseases. Full article

Complex oxides with the general formula Gd₂(Ti_1−xZr_x)₂O₇ are promising candidates for radioactive waste immobilization due to their capacity to withstand radiation by dissipating part of the free energy driving defect creation and phase transitions. In this study, samples with varying zirconium content (xZr = 0.00, 0.15, 0.25, 0.375, 0.56, 0.75, 0.85, 1.00) were synthesized via the sol–gel method and thermally treated at 500 °C to obtain nanosized powders mimicking the defective structure of irradiated materials. Synchrotron-based techniques were employed to investigate their structural properties: High-Resolution X-ray Powder Diffraction (HR-XRPD) was used to assess long-range structure, while Pair Distribution Function (PDF) analysis and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy provided insights into the local structure. HR-XRPD data revealed that samples with low Zr content (xZr ≤ 0.25) are amorphous. Increasing Zr concentration led to the emergence of a crystalline phase identified as defective fluorite (xZr = 0.375, 0.56). Samples with the highest Zr content (xZr ≥ 0.75) were fully crystalline and exhibited only the fluorite phase. The experimental G(r) functions of the fully crystalline samples in the low r range are suitably fitted by the Weberite structure, mapping the relaxations induced by structural disorder in defective fluorite. These structural insights informed the subsequent EXAFS analysis at the Zr-K and Gd-L₃ edges, confirming the splitting of the cation–cation distances associated with different metal species. Moreover, EXAFS provided a local structural description of the amorphous phases, identifying a consistent Gd-O distance across all compositions. Full article

The growing need for developing safer and more effective methods for obtaining enantiomers of chiral compounds, particularly those with pharmacological activity, highlights the potential of biocatalysis as an appropriate pharmaceutical research direction. However, low catalytic activity and stability of free enzymes are often among the substantial limitations to the wide application of biocatalysis. Therefore, to overcome these obstacles, new technological procedures are being designed. In this study, we present optimized protocols for the immobilization of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) on an octyl- agarose support, ensuring high enantioselectivity in an organic reaction medium. The immobilization procedures (with drying step), including buffers with different pH values and concentrations, as well as the study of the influence of temperature and immobilization time, were presented. It was found that the optimal conditions were provided by citrate buffer with a pH of 4 and a concentration of 300 mM. The immobilized CALB on the octyl-agarose support exhibited high catalytic activity in the kinetic resolution of (R,S)-1-phenylethanol via enantioselective transesterification with isopropenyl acetate in 1,2-dichloropropane (DCP), as a model reaction for lipase activity monitoring on an analytical scale. HPLC analysis demonstrated that the (R)-1-phenylethyl acetate was obtained in an enantiomeric excess of ee_p > 99% at a conversion of approximately 40%, and the enantiomeric ratio was E > 200. Thermal and storage stability studies performed on the immobilized CALB octyl-agarose support confirmed its excellent stability. After 7 days of thermal stability testing at 65 °C in a climatic chamber, the (R)-1-phenylethyl acetate was characterized by enantiomeric excess of ee_p > 99% at a conversion of around 40% (similar values of catalytic parameters to those achieved using a non-stored lipase). The documented high catalytic activity and stability of the developed CALB-octyl-agarose support allow us to consider it as a useful tool for enantioselective transesterification in organic medium. Full article

Environmental persistent free radicals (EPFRs) represent a class of long-lived, redox-active species with half lives spanning minutes to months. Emerging as critical environmental pollutants, EPFRs pose significant risks due to their persistence, potential for bioaccumulation, and adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. This review critically synthesizes recent advancements in understanding EPFR formation mechanisms, analytical detection methodologies, environmental distribution patterns, and toxicological impacts. While progress has been made in characterization techniques, challenges persist—particularly in overcoming limitations of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and spin-trapping methods in complex environmental matrices. Key knowledge gaps remain, including molecular-level dynamics of EPFR formation, long-term environmental fate under varying geochemical conditions, and quantitative relationships between chronic EPFR exposure and health outcomes. Future research priorities could focus on: (1) atomic-scale mechanistic investigations using advanced computational modeling to resolve formation pathways; (2) development of next-generation detection tools to improve sensitivity and spatial resolution; and (3) integration of EPFR data into region-specific air-quality indices to enhance risk assessment and inform mitigation strategies. Addressing these gaps will advance our capacity to mitigate EPFR persistence and safeguard environmental and public health. Full article

In order to solve the problem of mainlobe interference in small hydroacoustic array signal processing, this paper proposes a beamforming method based on the high-resolution direction of arrival (DOA) estimation and interference coherence matrix (ICM) reconstruction. The DOA estimation is first performed using an improved sparse iterative covariance-based (SPICE) method, unaffected by the coherent signal, and it can provide highly accurate DOA estimation for multiple targets. The fitted signal energy distribution obtained from the SPICE is then utilized for the reconstruction of the signal coherence matrix. The reconstructed ICM matrix is used to construct a blocking masking matrix and an eigen-projection matrix to suppress the mainlobe interference signal. Compared with existing methods, the method in this paper possesses better mainlobe interference suppression ability. Within the mainlobe interference interval angle of 3° to 13.5° from the signal of interest (SOI) based on eight-element uniform linear arrays, the method in this paper can enhance the signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) by about 15.59 dB on average compared with the interference-free suppression of conventional beamforming (CBF) and outperforms the other interference suppression methods simultaneously. Simulations and experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in mainlobe interference scenarios. Full article

Background: Reliable and non-invasive methods for assessing welfare in poultry are essential for improving evidence-based welfare monitoring and advancing management practices in commercial production systems. The iris-to-pupil (IP) ratio, previously validated by our group in primates and cattle, reflects autonomic nervous system balance and may serve as a physiological indicator of stress in laying hens. This study evaluated the utility of the IP ratio under field conditions across diverse commercial layer housing systems. Materials and Methods: In total, 296 laying hens (Lohmann Brown, n = 269; White Leghorn, n = 27) were studied across four locations in Canada housed under different systems: Guelph (indoor; pen), Spring Island (outdoor and scratch; organic), Ottawa (outdoor, indoor and scratch; free-range), and Toronto (outdoor and hobby; free-range). High-resolution photographs of the eye were taken under ambient lighting. Light intensity was measured using the light meter app. The IP ratio was calculated using NIH ImageJ software (Version 1.54p). Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA and linear regression using GraphPad Prism (Version 5). Results: Birds housed outdoors had the highest IP ratios, followed by those in scratch systems, while indoor and pen-housed birds had the lowest IP ratios (p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses of birds in Ottawa and Spring Island farms confirmed significantly higher IP ratios in outdoor environments compared to indoor and scratch systems (p < 0.001). The IP ratio correlated weakly with ambient light intensity (r² = 0.25) and age (r² = 0.05), indicating minimal influence of these variables. Although White Leghorn hens showed lower IP ratios than Lohmann Browns, this difference was confounded by housing type; all White Leghorns were housed in pens. Thus, housing system but not breed was the primary driver of IP variation. Conclusions: The IP ratio is a robust, non-invasive physiological marker of welfare assessment in laying hens, sensitive to housing environment but minimally influenced by light or age. Its potential for integration with digital imaging technologies supports its use in scalable welfare assessment protocols. Full article

With special consideration for complex scenes and densely distributed small objects, this frequently leads to serious false and missed detections for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images in small object detection scenarios. Consequently, we propose a UAV image small object detection algorithm, termed SMA-YOLO. Firstly, a parameter-free simple slicing convolution (SSC) module is integrated in the backbone network to slice the feature maps and enhance the features so as to effectively retain the features of small objects. Subsequently, to enhance the information exchange between upper and lower layers, we design a special multi-cross-scale feature pyramid network (M-FPN). The C2f-Hierarchical-Phantom Convolution (C2f-HPC) module in the network effectively reduces information loss by fine-grained multi-scale feature fusion. Ultimately, adaptive spatial feature fusion detection Head (ASFFDHead) introduces an additional P2 detection head to enhance the resolution of feature maps to better locate small objects. Moreover, the ASFF mechanism is employed to optimize the detection process by filtering out information conflicts during multi-scale feature fusion, thereby significantly optimizing small object detection capability. Using YOLOv8n as the baseline, SMA-YOLO is evaluated on the VisDrone2019 dataset, achieving a 7.4% improvement in mAP@0.5 and a 13.3% reduction in model parameters, and we also verified its generalization ability on VAUDT and RSOD datasets, which demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach. Full article

The accurate mapping of crop planting patterns is vital for sustainable agriculture and food security, particularly in regions with complex cropping systems and limited cloud-free observations. This research focuses on the Jianghan Plain in southern China, where diverse planting structures and persistent cloud cover make consistent monitoring challenging. We integrated multi-temporal Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 imagery from 2017 to 2021 on the Google Earth Engine platform and applied a sample migration strategy to construct multi-year training data. A random forest classifier was used to identify nine major planting patterns at a 10 m resolution. The classification achieved an average overall accuracy of 88.3%, with annual Kappa coefficients ranging from 0.81 to 0.88. A spatial analysis revealed that single rice was the dominant pattern, covering more than 60% of the area. Temporal variations in cropping patterns were categorized into four frequency levels (0, 1, 2, and 3 changes), with more dynamic transitions concentrated in the central-western and northern subregions. A multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model revealed that economic and production-related factors had strong positive associations with crop planting patterns, while natural factors showed relatively weaker explanatory power. This research presents a scalable method for mapping fine-resolution crop patterns in complex agroecosystems, providing quantitative support for regional land-use optimization and the development of agricultural policies. Full article

Stripe noise along the scanning direction significantly degrades the quality of high-resolution infrared line-scan images and impairs downstream tasks such as target detection and radiometric analysis. This paper presents a lightweight, single-frame, reference-free non-uniformity correction (NUC) method tailored for such images. The proposed approach enhances the directionality of stripe noise by projecting the 2D image into a 1D row-mean signal, followed by adaptive guided filtering driven by local median absolute deviation (MAD) to ensure spatial adaptivity and structure preservation. A spectral-entropy-constrained frequency-domain masking strategy is further introduced to suppress periodic and non-periodic interference. Extensive experiments on simulated and real datasets demonstrate that the method consistently outperforms six state-of-the-art algorithms across multiple metrics while maintaining the fastest runtime. The proposed method is highly suitable for real-time deployment in airborne, satellite-based, and embedded infrared imaging systems. It provides a robust and interpretable framework for future infrared enhancement tasks. Full article

The semi-synthesis of the (5R,7R,11bR)-9-(di(1H-indol-3-yl)methyl)-4,4,7,11b-tetramethyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,6a,7,11,11a,11b-dodecahydrophenanthro[3,2-b]furan-5-yl acetate was performed via a pseudo-multicomponent reaction involving a double Friedel–Crafts alkylation between the natural product-derived aldehyde 6β-acetoxyvouacapane and the corresponding indole. The transformation was carried out under solvent-free mechanochemical conditions using mortar and pestle grinding, with ZnCl₂ as the catalyst. Structural elucidation of the target compound was accomplished using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, COSY, HSQC, and HMBC), FT-IR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Full article

Seismic data processing is essential in hydrocarbon exploration, with normal moveout (NMO) correction being a pivotal step in enhancing seismic signal quality. However, conventional NMO correction often suffers from the stretch effect, which distorts seismic reflections and degrades data quality, especially in long-offset data. This study addresses the issue by analyzing synthetic models and proposing a nonhyperbolic stretch-free NMO correction technique. The proposed method significantly improves seismic data quality by preserving up to 90% of the original amplitude, maintaining frequency content stability at 30 Hz, and achieving a high reduction of stretch-related distortions. Compared to conventional NMO, our technique results in clearer seismic gathers, enhanced temporal resolution, and more accurate velocity models. These improvements have substantial implications for high-resolution subsurface imaging and precise reservoir characterization.This work offers a robust and computationally efficient solution to a longstanding limitation in seismic processing, advancing the reliability of exploration in geologically complex environments. Full article