Search Results (1,260)

This study investigates the carbonation degree of reclaimed water (RW) and its potential use as mixing water for cementitious materials under controlled laboratory conditions using a simplified CO₂ injection method. To reproduce the chemical environment of actual RW, a synthetic reclaimed water (SRW) system with a cement-to-sand ratio of 8:2 was prepared and used throughout the evaluation. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the cementitious solids suspended in SRW exhibit high reactivity with CO₂, achieving a net CO₂ uptake of 16.8%, equivalent to 8.31 g of CO₂ sequestered per kilogram of RW. The use of untreated RW as mixing water slightly reduced flowability and increased superplasticizer demand compared with distilled water, whereas carbonation treatment of RW improved workability and mitigated the rapid initial setting typically observed with untreated RW. Notably, replacing 3% of the cement with carbonated RW solids did not cause any reduction in compressive strength, indicating that the carbonated solids can be incorporated without compromising mechanical performance. These results confirm that the CaCO₃ formed during RW carbonation remains stably retained within mortar and concrete, demonstrating the feasibility of using carbonated RW as a dual-function material—serving both as mixing water and as a medium for CO₂ sequestration. Full article

This study presents an integrated ex-post evaluation of a municipal window-retrofit program in Goyang, Republic of Korea (heating-dominated, Dwa). Using field surveys and pre- and post-utility bills for 36 dwellings, mainly pre-2000 low-rise reinforced-concrete buildings, we normalize climate with HDD and CDD and prices with CPI-deflated tariffs to isolate the intrinsic effect of window replacement. Area-normalized indicators ($∆e$, $\eta$, DPB, NPV, AC) were computed. Average annual savings were 30.2 kWh per m² per year ($\eta$ ≈ 16 percent), consisting of 10.6 kWh per m² per year of gas and 19.6 kWh per m² per year of electricity (n = 36). The median discounted payback was 7.0 years. Under a 50 percent subsidy, about 80 percent of projects recovered private investment within 15 years and showed positive NPV with a median of about USD 4944. The electricity-tariff multiplier had the largest influence on cash flows and payback. The median abatement cost was about USD 352 per tCO₂-eq. A portfolio view indicates that prioritizing low-cost cases maximizes total abatement, and that higher-cost cases merit design or cost review. Using the first post-retrofit year 2023, portfolio abatement is about 623 tCO₂-eq per year. The framework jointly normalizes climate and price effects and yields policy-relevant estimates for heating-dominated contexts. Full article

The growing use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in warm-mix asphalt (WMA) presents significant challenges when RAP originates from aged polymer-modified binder (PMB) pavements, where severe oxidation and polymer degradation lead to excessive stiffness and poor cracking resistance. This study presents a multi-scale evaluation of a hybrid modification strategy combining recycled engine oil waste (REOW, 3 wt.%) and styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS, 1–4 wt.%) to restore aged PMB-containing RAP systems under controlled binder conditions. Three binders (control, REOW-modified, and REOW–SBS hybrid) were prepared using a fixed 70/30 virgin-to-RAP binder blend and characterized through rheological analysis, and multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR). The findings show that REOW softened the binder but reduced elastic recovery, whereas SBS modification restored elastic response. Corresponding WMA mixtures with 30 wt.% RAP and 5.0 wt.% total binder content were evaluated for moisture damage, raveling, rutting, and cracking resistance. At the mixture scale, the hybrid system achieved a TSR of 83%, reduced Hamburg rut depth by ~20%, and increased SCB fracture energy by ~30% compared with the control. These findings demonstrate that combined rejuvenation–reinforcement effectively re-mobilizes aged PMB chemistry and restores polymer elasticity, enabling high-performance WMA production with RAP derived from polymer-modified pavements. Full article

Background: Multiple meta-analyses have compared liver resection (LR) with liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but overlapping primary studies and heterogeneous outcome definitions have complicated interpretation. Methods: A PRISMA/PRIOR-compliant umbrella review (PROSPERO CRD420251069248) was conducted. PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched for meta-analyses published between 1 January 2000 and 30 September 2025. Quantitative meta-analyses comparing LT and LR were included, while one systematic review of meta-analyses was synthesised narratively. Effect directions were standardised; hazard ratio (HR)-based summaries (LR:LT; values > 1 favour LT) were pooled using random-effects models, whereas odds ratio (OR)-based summaries were described qualitatively because of heterogeneity in endpoint definitions. Results: Four quantitative meta-analyses and one systematic review of meta-analyses met the inclusion criteria. Pooled HRs confirmed LT superiority: overall survival (OS) HR 1.35 (95% CI 1.17–1.55) and disease-free survival (DFS) HR 2.58 (95% CI 2.25–2.96). OR-based summaries from recent meta-analyses were directionally consistent but were not pooled. Conclusions: This umbrella synthesis demonstrates that LT provides superior long-term OS and DFS compared with LR for HCC, with consistent robustness across both Milan and extended selection criteria. Methodological safeguards against study overlap and subgroup insights—including intention-to-treat analyses, viral etiology (hepatitis B virus/hepatitis C virus), era, and geographic region—reinforce LT as the preferred strategy for eligible patients, while LR remains a critical option where graft availability is limited. Full article

This study deals with the successful exploitation of easily available and renewable potato peel waste (PPW) as an excellent feedstock in the production of PHA using Ralstonia eutropha. The process entailed the extraction of bioactive components from PPW by use of solvent-based procedures and screening of their antioxidant and antidiabetic activity. The extracted PPW biomass was subject to acid hydrolysis using different concentrations of sulfuric acid for hydrolysis and solubilization of sugar components. The obtained liquid (acid) hydrolysates were initially assessed to biosynthesize PHA. Activated charcoal-based detoxification of acid hydrolysates was observed to be more efficient in promoting bacterial growth and accumulation of PHA. Acid-pretreated PPW biomass was further enzymatically hydrolysed to accomplish full saccharification and used to produce PHA. The effects of provision of nutrients and employing stress state conditions were assessed to improve bacterial growth and PHA accumulation. In both hydrolysates under optimal conditions, R. eutropha demonstrated the highest biomass productivity of 7.41 g/L and 7.75 g/L, PHA accumulation of 66% and 67% and PHA yield of 4.85 g/L and 5.19 g/L, respectively. XRD, FT-IR, TGA and DSC analysis of produced PHA were studied. The results showed that the produced PHA displayed similar physicochemical and thermal properties to commercially available PHB. Overall, this work illustrates the possibilities of abundantly available PPW, which can be transformed into bioactive compounds and high-value bioplastics via a coupled bioprocess. This approach can develop process economics and sustainability within a cyclic biorefinery system and serve further industry applications. Full article

Freshwater cladocerans such as Daphnia magna (D. magna) are keystone grazers whose hormone-regulated life history traits make them sensitive sentinels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The organophosphate flame-retardant tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) and perfluoroethylcyclohexane sulfonate (PFECHS) now co-occur at ng L⁻¹–µg L⁻¹ in surface waters, yet their chronic sub-lethal impacts on invertebrate endocrine networks remain unclear. We analysed two publicly available 21-day microarray datasets (TBOEP: GSE55132; PFECHS: GSE75607) using gene ontology enrichment, STRING protein interaction networks, Drosophila phenotype mapping, and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes)-anchored frameworks to build putative adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) for D. magna. Differentially expressed genes were clustered into functional modules and hub nodes were ranked by degree and betweenness. TBOEP suppressed moulting and growth, altering 1157 genes enriched for metabolism and membrane processes; hubs VRK1, MIB2, and adenylosuccinate synthetase formed a muscle anatomical development sub-network. PFECHS down-regulated vitellogenin and shifted 879 genes dominated by oxidative-stress and glutathione-metabolism signatures; central nodes UBC9, eIF4A-III, Tra-2α, and HDAC1 linked meiotic-cycle, oogenesis, and cyclic-compound binding. Despite chemical dissimilarity, both compounds converged on Wnt-signalling nodes—TBOEP via presenilin-1, and PFECHS via CK1ε/CK2—thereby reducing TCF/LEF-dependent transcription. Predicted outcomes include impaired oocyte maturation, reduced fecundity, and stunted body size, consistent with observed decreases in length and vitellogenin protein. Our network analysis, based on high-dose, sub-lethal exposures used in the underlying microarray studies, indicates that TBOEP- and PFECHS-induced perturbations can destabilise endocrine, developmental, and metabolic pathways in D. magna without overt lethality, and highlights Wnt-centred key events and hub genes as candidate biomarkers to be evaluated in future low-dose studies that use environmentally realistic exposure scenarios. Hub genes and Wnt-mediated key events emerge as sensitive biomarkers for monitoring mixed EDC exposure. Full article

Urban UAV imagery presents challenges for reliable feature matching owing to complex 3D structures and depth discontinuities. Conventional 2D-based outlier rejection methods often fail to maintain geometric consistency under significant altitude variations or viewpoint differences, resulting in the rejection of valid correspondences. To overcome these limitations, a depth-guided local outlier rejection methodology is proposed which integrates monocular depth estimation, DBSCAN-based clustering, and local geometric model estimation. Depth information estimated from single UAV images is combined with feature correspondences to form pseudo-3D coordinates, enabling spatially localized registration. The proposed method was quantitatively evaluated in terms of Precision, Recall, F1-score, and Number of Matches, and was applied as a depth-guided front-end to three representative 2D-based outlier rejection schemes (RANSAC, LMedS, and MAGSAC++). Across all image sets, the depth-guided variants consistently achieved higher Recall and F1-score than their conventional 2D counterparts, while maintaining comparable Precision and keeping mismatches low. These results indicate that introducing depth-guided pseudo-3D constraints into the outlier rejection stage enhances geometric stability and correspondence reliability in complex urban UAV imagery. Accordingly, the proposed methodology provides a practical and scalable solution for accurate registration in depth-varying urban environments. Full article

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection is closely associated with gastric cancer, yet its role in m6A-dependent gene regulation remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated how EBV infection alters the m6A methylation pattern in gastric cancer cells and examined its impact on TSC22D1 mRNA stability through interaction with the m6A reader protein YTHDF1. m6A RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) revealed a significant reduction in m6A methylation of TSC22D1 in EBV-infected gastric cancer cells (AGS-EBV) compared with EBV-negative cells (AGS). Moreover, YTHDF1 knockdown increased both the stability and expression of TSC22D1. These findings demonstrate that YTHDF1 binds to TSC22D1 mRNA and promotes its m6A-dependent degradation. Collectively, our results suggest that EBV infection modulates m6A modification to regulate gene stability and identify the YTHDF1–TSC22D1 axis as a potential therapeutic target in EBV-associated gastric cancer. Full article

Antibody-based therapeutics targeting tumor surface markers have transformed cancer treatment; however, their efficacy is frequently limited by tumor escape mechanisms such as antigen loss, phenotypic switching, and heterogeneous target expression. Beyond genetic or transcriptional changes, RNA alternative splicing (AS) has emerged as a central post-transcriptional mechanism driving antigenic diversity and immune escape. This review outlines how AS-generated isoforms remodel surface antigen structure and function across key therapeutic targets—including CD/19/CD20/CD22, EGFR/HER2, VEGF, and PD-1/PD-L1—thereby promoting resistance to monoclonal antibodies, antibody–drug conjugates, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. The aberrant activity of splicing regulators disrupts canonical exon selection, leading to altered receptor signaling or the secretion of soluble decoy isoforms that evade immune recognition. Emerging therapeutic strategies aim to counteract these processes through antisense oligonucleotide-mediated splicing correction, pharmacologic modulation of splicing regulators, and isoform-selective antibody or CAR-T designs. Collectively, understanding splicing-driven antigenic plasticity reveals an additional, dynamic layer of resistance regulation and provides a framework for developing RNA-informed precision antibody therapies designed to restore antigen expression, overcome immune escape, and enhance durable clinical responses. Full article

The growing frequency of extreme weather, earthquakes, fires, and environmental hazards underscores the need for real-time monitoring and predictive management at the urban scale. Conventional three-dimensional spatial information systems, which rely on orthophotos and ground surveys, often suffer from computational inefficiency and data overload when processing large and heterogeneous datasets. To address these limitations, this study introduces a three-dimensional GeoHash-based geocoding algorithm designed for lightweight, real-time, and attribute-driven digital twin operations. The proposed method comprises five integrated steps: generation of 3D GeoHash grids using longitude, latitude, and altitude coordinates; integration with GIS-based urban 3D models; level optimization using the Shape Overlap Ratio (SOR) with a threshold of 0.90; representative object labeling through weighted volume ratios; and altitude correction using DEM interpolation. Validation using a testbed in Sillim-dong, Seoul (10.19 km²), demonstrated that the framework achieved approximately 9.8 times faster 3D modeling performance than conventional orthophoto-based methods, while maintaining complete object recognition accuracy. The results confirm that the 3D GeoHash framework provides a unified spatial key structure that enhances data interoperability across querying, visualization, and simulation. This approach offers a practical foundation for operational digital twins, supporting high-efficiency 3D mapping and predictive disaster management toward resilient and data-driven urban systems. Full article

Understanding the interaction between land use and climate variability in regulating the hydrology of tropical watersheds remains a significant scientific and policy challenge, particularly in regions with limited data. This study applied the InVEST Annual Water Yield model to assess hydrological dynamics in the Asa watershed, Nigeria, over the period 1991–2020, using three decades of precipitation and land-use/land-cover (LULC) data, along with uncertainty quantification. The results revealed a non-linear trend in water yield, with total annual yield increasing by 6.89% between 2000 and 2010, despite declining precipitation and rising evaporative demand, primarily driven by land-use modifications. Between 2010 and 2020, yield declined by 5.39% under further precipitation reduction, where precipitation sensitivity increased eightfold, marking a shift from land-use-dominated to precipitation-dominated hydrological controls. Surrogate modeling further confirmed precipitation as the dominant driver after 2010, highlighting that cumulative land degradation weakened the watershed’s natural buffering capacity and amplified climatic responses. These findings establish a threshold at which cumulative land degradation transforms watershed hydrology from land-use-dominated to climate-sensitive regimes, providing a transferable framework for identifying vulnerability thresholds in data-scarce African tropical watersheds. Full article

This study presents a modular diagnostic framework for evaluating thermal degradation in aging building envelopes by integrating infrared thermography, panoramic reconstruction, and deep learning-based semantic segmentation into a unified workflow. The methodology combines image registration, panoramic synthesis, façade component segmentation, and quantitative surface temperature analysis to provide scalable and reproducible diagnostics. By excluding fenestration zones—where infrared measurements are physically unreliable—the framework focuses on opaque wall regions and window surroundings to ensure physically meaningful evaluation. Field validation was conducted on a multi-story office building constructed in 1996. The diagnostic indicators revealed a mean wall surface temperature of 14.3 °C with a standard deviation of 5.6 °C, and a temperature factor ranging from 0.67 to 0.78 under measured conditions. The vulnerable area ratio reached 9.1% for walls, while window areas showed greater vulnerability at 12.74%, with anomalies concentrated at frame–glass interfaces and perimeter seals. These quantitative results confirmed the framework’s ability to detect thermal irregularities and visualize localized anomalies. More importantly, the contribution of this study lies in establishing a systematic and extensible diagnostic pipeline that advances building envelope analysis, supporting large-scale energy audits, retrofit prioritization, and sustainable building management. Full article

This study assessed whether permitting certified recycled aggregate companies to assign both quality and environmental management responsibilities to a single individual affects the effectiveness of post-certification quality management. Using data from 242 post-certification audits conducted in 2023, six regulatory audit items were quantified using a binary scoring scheme to produce a six-point score for each company. Audit outcomes were compared between companies employing dedicated quality managers (n = 147) and those operating with concurrently appointed managers (n = 95). Before conducting hypothesis testing, skewness, kurtosis, and F-tests were used to verify approximate normality and homogeneity of variances. Two-sample t-tests assuming equal variances revealed no statistically significant differences between the two personnel structures, and the effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.072) indicated negligible practical differences. Additionally, 52 companies (22%) experienced changes in their quality management personnel during the audit period. A separate comparison between companies with and without such changes also showed no statistically significant differences, with a small effect size (d = 0.276). These results suggest that the 2022 regulatory revision authorizing concurrent appointments did not exert any discernible adverse influence on post-certification audit performance and that additional administrative requirements for managing personnel changes may be unnecessary. The findings also highlight recurring deficiencies—particularly in quality testing and equipment management—which warrant continued attention from policymakers, certification bodies, and certified companies seeking to enhance the effectiveness of the recycled aggregate quality certification system. Full article

Background/Objectives: Accumulating evidence suggests that dietary factors such as nuts may play a role in depressive symptoms. Yet, existing evidence regarding the relationship between nut consumption and depressive symptoms remains inconsistent. To clarify this association, we conducted a meta-analysis. Methods: PubMed and Embase were searched for observational studies on the relationship between nut consumption and depressive symptoms published up to September 2025. Summary relative risks (SRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using the DerSimonian–Laird random effects model. Results: A total of seven observational studies, comprising 70,136 participants, were included. Higher nut consumption was significantly associated with a lower risk of depressive symptoms (SRRs = 0.75, 95% CIs, 0.67–0.85; p < 0.001, I² = 15%, P_{heterogeneity} = 0.31). Compared to <1 time/week of nut consumption, the inverse relationship was significant for ≥3 times/week of nut consumption (SRRs = 0.75, 95% CIs = 0.63–0.89, p = 0.001, I² = 0%, P_{heterogeneity} = 0.93), but not for 1 to <3 times/week of nut consumption (SRRs = 0.93, 95% CIs = 0.69–1.24, p = 0.62, I² = 52%, P_{heterogeneity} = 0.10). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis of observational studies found that higher nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of depressive symptoms, particularly when intake reached at least three servings per week. Further research, especially randomized controlled trials, is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms. Full article

To support national carbon neutrality goals, enhancing the thermal insulation of building envelopes has emerged as a crucial strategy in reducing building energy consumption. This study conducted a detailed quantitative analysis of energy performance improvements achieved through enhanced insulation levels in four representative non-residential building types: office, accommodation, educational, and sales facilities. Based on four scenarios—Baseline (2019), Insulation Reinforced, Passive House, and Zero Energy Building (ZEB)—EnergyPlus simulations were performed to calculate end-use energy demand and consumption. The results revealed that office buildings achieved the highest improvement, with up to 34.7% energy reduction, while educational and sales facilities showed moderate and limited improvements, respectively. These findings provide quantitative evidence for prioritizing insulation-based policies and differentiated ZEB strategies tailored to each building type. The proposed RB models and scenario-based methodology offer a robust foundation for establishing future ZEB regulations and performance-based energy policies in South Korea. To ensure clarity, the study explicitly referenced verified data sources and field measurements. The IdealLoadsAirSystem used in the simulation assumes 100% system efficiency; thus, the reported outcomes represent building system loads rather than final energy consumption. The ZEB-level scenario analyzed in this study focuses on envelope and lighting improvements only, not on HVAC system optimization. Full article