Search Results (1,165)

This study examined the impact of fluid type and grain diameter on the interfacial area between different pairs of non-wetting and wetting fluids in natural porous media. Synchrotron X-ray microtomography was used to obtain high-resolution, three-dimensional images of multi-phase porous media systems. Multiple porous media, comprising a range of physical and geochemical properties, were used in this study. The four pairs of non-wetting/wetting fluids used were dense OIL/water, light OIL/water, air/dense OIL, and air/water. Images were obtained over a broad range of wetting phase saturation and for both wetting phase drainage and imbibition conditions. The results showed that for each fluid pair, the total (capillary + film) interfacial area increased with decreasing wetting fluid saturation. Interfacial areas were similar among all fluid pairs for a given porous medium. They were also similar for drainage and imbibition conditions. The maximum specific interfacial area (A_m) was shown to correlate well with inverse median grain diameter. The physical properties of the porous medium appear to have a greater influence on the magnitude of specific total interfacial area for a given saturation than fluid properties or wetting phase history. Full article

With the recently acquired knowledge of the use of a multiphase mixture of precursors under electron beam irradiation (EBI), new possibilities were opened for this technique. In the present work, we obtained quantum dots, nanocrystals, nanoparticles, and grains of PbSe with a sintered appearance using a biphasic mixture of PbSe and PbSeO₃ under EBI. High-energy milling was used to obtain the biphasic mixture of precursors, which is composed of agglomerates with sizes ranging from ~400 to ~1700 nm, but nanoparticles were also present. The structural details of the biphasic mixture were studied using X-ray diffraction and the Rietveld method. The driving force of the EBI caused instantaneous physical and chemical changes due to the high internal energy of the biphasic mixture of precursors. The abrupt release of high internal energy, due to localized heating effects during EBI, gave way to the formation of multi-scale PbSe structures. Large particles with a sintered appearance formed near the electron beam impact point and in regions between ~800 nm and ~1400 nm, while well-defined faceted nanostructures were predominantly observed beyond ~1400 nm. The latter tended to be surrounded by {200} facets as the main growth direction. Furthermore, coalescence was anticipated to occur during EBI. It occurred simultaneously with the sublimation mechanism when the particle size was below the critical size of 10 nm. Multi-scale PbSe structures, obtained via EBI, are promising for developing thermoelectric devices due to their crystallinity and nanostructured features. Full article

This paper contributes to the knowledge of binderless tungsten carbide (WC), which attracts the attention of many engineers and scientists for its superior properties, but its application is limited due to difficulties with the consolidation of initial powders. In the present study, the microstructure and mechanical properties of binderless WC, sintered with the electroconsolidation technique from the initial powder of a grain size of 100–200 nm, were investigated. The material was compared with nWC sintered with the same method from a nanopowder with particles of size ca. 70 nm. The binderless μWC demonstrated hardness of HV = 30.06 ± 0.09 GPa, which is almost 14% higher than that of nWC, but its fracture toughness was lower (K_IC = 6.59 ± 0.46 MPa·m^1/2 under 1 kg load). These differences can be attributed to the improved homogeneity of the μWC microstructure, where no large agglomerates appeared to be present in nWC. The measured plastic properties, with no signs of brittle fracture, further confirm the applicability of the binderless WC under contact stress conditions. Full article

Visual–language tracking often faces challenges like target deformation and confusion caused by similar objects. These issues can disrupt the alignment between visual inputs and their textual descriptions, leading to cross-modal semantic drift and feature-matching errors. To address these issues, we propose SATrack, a Semantic-Aware Alignment framework for visual–language tracking. Specifically, we first propose the Semantically Aware Contrastive Alignment module, which leverages attention-guided semantic distance modeling to identify hard negative samples that are semantically similar but carry different labels. This helps the model better distinguish confusing instances and capture fine-grained cross-modal differences. Secondly, we design the Cross-Modal Token Filtering strategy, which leverages attention responses guided by both the visual template and the textual description to filter out irrelevant or weakly related tokens in the search region. This helps the model focus more precisely on the target. Finally, we propose a Confidence-Guided Template Memory mechanism, which evaluates the prediction quality of each frame using convolutional operations and confidence thresholding. High-confidence frames are stored to selectively update the template memory, enabling the model to adapt to appearance changes over time. Extensive experiments show that SATrack achieves a 65.8% success rate on the TNL2K benchmark, surpassing the previous state-of-the-art UVLTrack by 3.1% and demonstrating superior robustness and accuracy. Full article

This study investigated the physicochemical and rheological properties of floury rice powder (FRP) with different particle sizes and their effects on the quality characteristics of gluten-free butter sponge cake. Soft rice grain (Baromi2 variety) was dry-milled and sieved into four fractions: FR1 (60 mesh overs), FR2 (60–80 mesh), FR3 (80–100 mesh), and FR4 (100 mesh throughs). FRP fractions were analyzed for chemical composition, swelling power, solubility, gelatinization, pasting viscosity, and viscoelastic property. Gluten-free cakes made using a whole-egg foam method were evaluated for morphological structure, baking loss, moisture, specific volume and firmness. With decreasing FRP particle size, there were increasing trends in solubility, pasting viscosity, resistance to deformation, viscoelastic attributes (G′ and G″), and gel rigidity. FR3 and FR4 cakes exhibited flat and puffy loaves compared to FR1 and FR2 cakes with loaf collapses. The finer FRP enhanced the morphological balances of the cakes. Increasing trends in specific volume and firmness were observed as FRP particle size decreased. These results paralleled the solubility, pasting, rheological, and gelling properties of FRP itself. Overall, the results suggest that the rheological and gelling properties of FRP may play a role in determining the quality of gluten-free sponge cakes. In addition, FRP with a particle size of 80–100 mesh appears most appropriate for gluten-free sponge cake. Full article

We report here, for the first time on the Nubian Shield, the western half of the Arabian–Nubian Shield (ANS), pegmatite-hosted pockets with a unique mineralogy, including pyroxmangite. It represents the second discovery on the ANS, where the first one was at Jabal Aja on the Arabian Shield, the eastern half of the ANS. One of the most remarkable aspects of pyroxmangite is its rarity and the potential economic value of its use in jewelry and decorative applications. Pegmatites are associated with A-type granites of the Gabal El-Bakriya intrusion (GEBI), Eastern Desert, Egypt. Mineralized pegmatites occur at the margin of the alkali-feldspar granite and exhibit gradational contacts with the host rocks. The pegmatites were emplaced as plugs and dikes within the intrusion and along its periphery. Pyroxmangite appears as coarse-grained, massive black aggregates or as disseminated crystals. The pegmatites are composed of K-feldspars and quartz, with subordinate amounts of albite, micas, and mafic minerals. Accessory phases include monazite-(Ce), zircon, fergusonite, xenotime, fluorite, pyrochlore, allanite, thorite, bastnäsite, samarskite, cassiterite, beryl, and pyrochlore. Pyroxmangite-bearing assemblages consist essentially of pyroxmangite and garnet, with accessory pyrochroite, quartz, zircon, magnetite, and fluorite. Geochemically, the pegmatites are highly evolved, with elevated SiO₂ content (76.51–80.69 wt.%) and variable concentrations of trace elements. They show significant enrichment in Nb (Nb > Ta), Y, REE, Zr, Th, U, and F, consistent with NYF-type pegmatites. REE contents range from 173.94 to 518.21 ppm, reflecting diverse accessory mineral assemblages. Tectonically, the pegmatites crystallized in a post-collisional setting, representing a late-stage differentiate of the A-type GEBI magma. Mineralization is concentrated in the apical and marginal zones of the granitic cupola and is dominated by barite, fluorite, Nb-Ta oxides, REE minerals, and uranium-bearing phases. The highly evolved granites, greisens, pegmatites, and quartz-fluorite veins of the GEBI have a high economic potential, deserving further exploration. Full article

Myanmar blue jadeite jade is a rare and highly prized gemstone, yet its coloration and formative mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, petrographic analysis, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) were performed on a sample of Myanmar blue jadeite with small white blocks to investigate its mineral composition, trace element distribution, and coloration mechanisms. Most of the sample was found to be blue, with surrounding white areas occurring in small ball-shaped blocks. The main mineral component in both the blue and white domains was jadeite. Although both areas underwent recrystallization, their textures differed significantly. The blue areas retained primary structural features within a medium- to fine-grained texture, reflecting relatively weaker recrystallization. The white areas, however, were recrystallized into a micro-grained texture, reflecting relatively stronger recrystallization, with the superimposed effects of external stress producing a fragmented appearance. The blue jadeite had relatively higher contents of Ti, Fe, Ca, and Mg, while the white jadeite contained compositions close to those of near-end-member jadeite. It was noted that, while white jadeite may have a high Ti content, its Fe content is low. UV–Vis spectra showed a broad absorption band at 610 nm associated with Fe²⁺-Ti⁴⁺ charge transfer and a gradually increasing absorption band starting at 480 nm related to V⁴⁺. Combining the chemical composition and the characteristics of the UV–Vis spectra, we infer that the blue coloration of jadeite is attributed to Fe²⁺-Ti⁴⁺ charge transfer; i.e., the presence of both Ti and Fe in blue jadeite plays a key role in its color formation. V⁴⁺ exhibited no significant linear correlation with the development of blue coloration. Prominent oscillatory zoning was observed in the jadeite, transitioning from NaAlSi₂O₆-dominant cores to Ca-Mg-Fe-Ti-enriched rims, reflecting the trend of fluid evolution during blue jadeite crystallization. Petrographic analysis indicated that the formation of the Myanmar blue jadeite occurred in two or three stages, with the blue regions forming earlier than the white regions. The blue jadeite also underwent significant recrystallization. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the formation of blue jadeite and the diversity of colors in jadeite jade. Full article

Low energy N⁺ ion beam implantation has been used to create the novel rice mutant “shuangli”, which produces partially fertile spikelets containing double grains. Abnormal ovule development is a major cause of partial fertility and grain diversity in rice mutants. To elucidate the developmental mechanism of ovule diversity in shuangli, ovules undergoing development were stained using eosin Y and H33342 and observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Different developmental abnormalities were observed in the ovary, embryo sac, and ovule. Abnormal development was observed in 35.18% of the ovary structures, primarily manifesting as “tumor” like cell clusters, “false ovaries”, stamen degeneration, and double ovaries. In the embryo sac, abnormal development occurred in about 17.35% of the megaspore cells, including the formation of three nuclei, two daughter cells of asynchronously divided dyads, multiple megaspore tetrads, and “narrow and elongated” cavities. At the female gametogenesis stage, the abnormal development rate was 27.53%, mainly involving the degeneration of the central polar nucleus, egg apparatus, antipodal cell mass, or female germ unit. In shuangli, abnormal development occurred in 28.06% of the ovule structures, including lateral tissue, nucellar tissue, double ovules and double embryo sacs. Of the observed lateral tissues, 8.27% did not differentiate into sexual reproductive tissue, which affected the fertilization of the embryo sac, leading to atrophy and degeneration. A new abnormal tissue similar to the inner integument was found on both sides of the nucellar tissue, and the two specialized nucellar tissues appeared to have “staggered” growth within a single ovary. Of the examined ovules, 10.79% exhibited different types of double ovules, including heart-shaped, “anatropous”, “conjoined” structures. However, the double ovules typically developed synchronously, explaining the production of different sizes of the two grains in shuangli. In addition, “double” embryo sacs from two “twinborn” nucelli were found in one ovule, and the frequency of “double” embryo sacs was 3.60%. Therefore, ovule development diversity may result in fertilization or gradual degeneration after fertilization, explaining the lower fertility of shuangli at the embryological level. Full article

Teff [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is a globally recognized ancient grain renowned for its attractive nutritional profile and diverse potential applications. Considering its physicochemical characteristics, nutritional value, and probable applications is essential for optimizing its benefits across various food industries. This review aims to comprehensively investigate teff, its physicochemical characteristics, diverse dietary applications, and health benefits. Teff is rich in macro- and micronutrients, making it an excellent addition to various food products. Bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, also enhance their functionality. Therefore, teff appears to be a whole grain with favorable technological characteristics and nutritional benefits for various food applications. Also, being gluten-free, teff is acceptable for individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Also, it reduces cholesterol levels, supports heart health, stabilizes blood sugar levels, strengthens bone density and strength, and provides immune system support. In conclusion, teff shows excellent potential for developing innovative and nutritious solutions to meet the growing needs of consumers. Full article

We present a freeze-out approach for describing the formation of heavy elements in expanding nuclear matter. Applying concepts used in modeling heavy-ion collisions or ternary fission, we determine the abundances of heavy elements taking into account in-medium effects such as Pauli blocking and the Mott effect, which describes the dissolution of nuclei at high densities of nuclear matter. With this approach, we search for a universal initial distribution in a quasi-equilibrium state from which the coarse-grained pattern of the solar abundances of heavy elements freezes out and evolves by radioactive decay of the excited states. The universal initial state is characterized by the Lagrange parameters, which are related to temperature and chemical potentials of neutrons and protons. We show that such a state exists and determine a temperature of 5.266 MeV, a neutron chemical potential of 940.317 MeV and a proton chemical potential of 845.069 MeV, with a baryon number density of 0.013 fm⁻³ and a proton fraction of $0.13$. Heavy neutron-rich nuclei such as the hypothetical double-magic nucleus ³⁵⁸Sn appear in the initial distribution and contribute to the observed abundances after fission. We discuss astrophysical scenarios for the realization of this universal initial distribution for heavy-element nucleosynthesis, including supernova explosions, neutron star mergers and the inhomogeneous Big Bang. The latter scenario may be of interest in the light of early massive objects observed with the James Webb Space Telescope and opens new perspectives on the universality of the observed r-process patterns and the lack of observations of population III stars. Full article

Maize, one of the most cultivated crops worldwide, has multiple uses, one of which is human food. Maize flour intended for human consumption is preferably produced from var. indurata. This maize variety, although it has some desirable traits, generally has a lower yield capacity. In order to obtain high-yielding hybrids that would have some traits necessary to obtain flour for human consumption, fourteen lines with dent or semi-dent grains were crossed with four inbred lines with flint grain in a cyclic system. The 56 resulting hybrids were tested in two experimental years for yield, the percentage of unlodged plants, grain dry matter at harvest, as well as other traits, such as ASI (anthesis-to-silking interval), the interval from sowing to the appearance of stigmas and to physiological maturity, and plant senescence. The maternal lines A478 and A480 were noted for transmitting higher yields. Three hybrids were identified with higher yields, good silking–flowering coincidence, stay-green, and a high unlodged plants percentage: A478 × D328, A480 × B330, and A480 × D328. Full article

(1) Background: Soccer action recognition (SAR) is essential in modern sports analytics, supporting automated performance evaluation, tactical strategy analysis, and detailed player behavior modeling. Although recent advances in deep learning and computer vision have enhanced SAR capabilities, many existing methods remain limited to coarse-grained classifications, grouping actions into broad categories such as attacking, defending, or goalkeeping. These models often fall short in capturing fine-grained distinctions, contextual nuances, and long-range temporal dependencies. Transformer-based approaches offer potential improvements but are typically constrained by the need for large-scale datasets and high computational demands, limiting their practical applicability. Moreover, current SAR systems frequently encounter difficulties in handling occlusions, background clutter, and variable camera angles, which contribute to misclassifications and reduced accuracy. (2) Methods: To overcome these challenges, we propose TAT-SARNet, a structured framework designed for accurate and fine-grained SAR. The model begins by applying Sparse Dilated Attention (SDA) to emphasize relevant spatial dependencies while mitigating background noise. Refined spatial features are then processed through the Split-Stream Feature Processing Module (SSFPM), which separately extracts appearance-based (RGB) and motion-based (optical flow) features using ResNet and 3D CNNs. These features are temporally refined by the Multi-Granular Temporal Processing (MGTP) module, which integrates ResIncept Patch Consolidation (RIPC) and Progressive Scale Construction Module (PSCM) to capture both short- and long-range temporal patterns. The output is then fused via the Context-Guided Dual Transformer (CGDT), which models spatiotemporal interactions through a Bi-Transformer Connector (BTC) and Channel–Spatial Attention Block (CSAB); (3) Results: Finally, the Cascaded Temporal Classification (CTC) module maps these features to fine-grained action categories, enabling robust recognition even under challenging conditions such as occlusions and rapid movements. (4) Conclusions: This end-to-end architecture ensures high precision in complex real-world soccer scenarios. Full article

3D Multi-Object Tracking (3D MOT) is a critical task in autonomous systems, where accurate and robust tracking of multiple objects in dynamic environments is essential. Traditional approaches primarily rely on visual or geometric features, often neglecting the rich semantic information available in textual modalities. In this paper, we propose Text-Guided 3D Multi-Object Tracking (TG3MOT), a novel framework that incorporates Vision-Language Models (VLMs) into the YONTD architecture to improve 3D MOT performance. Our framework leverages RegionCLIP, a multimodal open-vocabulary detector, to achieve fine-grained alignment between image regions and textual concepts, enabling the incorporation of semantic information into the tracking process. To address challenges such as occlusion, blurring, and ambiguous object appearances, we introduce the Target Semantic Matching Module (TSM), which quantifies the uncertainty of semantic alignment and filters out unreliable regions. Additionally, we propose the 3D Feature Exponential Moving Average Module (3D F-EMA) to incorporate temporal information, improving robustness in noisy or occluded scenarios. Furthermore, the Gaussian Confidence Fusion Module (GCF) is introduced to weight historical trajectory confidences based on temporal proximity, enhancing the accuracy of trajectory management. We evaluate our framework on the KITTI dataset and compare it with the YONTD baseline. Extensive experiments demonstrate that although the overall HOTA gain of TG3MOT is modest (+0.64%), our method achieves substantial improvements in association accuracy (+0.83%) and significantly reduces ID switches (−16.7%). These improvements are particularly valuable in real-world autonomous driving scenarios, where maintaining consistent trajectories under occlusion and ambiguous appearances is crucial for downstream tasks such as trajectory prediction and motion planning. The code will be made publicly available. Full article

Water scarcity and inefficient nitrogen (N) use are major constraints on wheat production in arid regions. Drip irrigation offers a precise method for optimizing water and nutrient delivery, but integrated management strategies are needed to maximize yield and resource use efficiency. In Egypt, water shortages and inadequate fertilizer necessitate effective resource management for sustainable agriculture and crop productivity. This study investigates the effects of integrated water and nitrogen fertilizer management under drip irrigation on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) performance in arid zones of Egypt. A two-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate wheat yield, productivity of applied water (PAW), crop water productivity (CWP), and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) under varying irrigation regimes and nitrogen application rates. This study evaluated two irrigation regimes: 100% (I₁) and 80% (I₂) of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) in combination with three nitrogen application rates: 142.8 kg N ha⁻¹ (N₁), 190.4 kg N ha⁻¹ (N₂), and 238 kg N ha⁻¹ (N₃). Irrigation at 100% of ETc (I₁) significantly enhanced plant height, straw yield, biological output, grain yield, seed index, NUE, and CWP in comparison with the 80% ETc treatment (I₂). However, I₂ demonstrated a higher PAW and grain protein content than I₁. Furthermore, applying nitrogen at a rate of 238 kg N ha⁻¹ (N₃) resulted in notable improvements in these parameters relative to the lower rate of 142.8 kg N ha⁻¹ (N₁). I₁N₃ and I₁N₂ treatments increased CWP by 29% and 22%, respectively, compared to I₁N₁ across both growing seasons. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the application of 238 kg N ha⁻¹ (N₃) may represent the most effective nitrogen management strategy for optimizing winter wheat production under drip irrigation systems. Moreover, PCA suggested that combining deficit irrigation with a high nitrogen application rate (I₂N₃) enhances the productivity of applied water (PAW) and grain quality. In contrast, full irrigation with the lowest nitrogen rate (I₁N₁) appeared to be the most effective strategy for maximizing NUE. These findings highlight the potential of integrated strategies to sustainably boost wheat yields in environments suffering from water shortage. Full article

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. is an important traditional medicinal plant. Lignans, the main active components of S. chinensis, have pharmacological effects, including liver protection, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. In this study, we investigated the dynamic changes and differences in appearance quality, contents of key lignan compounds, and antioxidant capacity of three S. chinensis varieties during the ripening of fruits and seeds. The lignan content in the seeds of the three varieties reached up to 91.9%, it showed an ‘M’-type trend of ‘increase–decrease–increase–decrease’ during fruit ripening; this lignan content was significantly higher than that measured in the fruit. The antioxidant capacity of the seeds surpassed that of the grains, and the maturation trends of the grains and seeds remained relatively aligned. The overall change in free radical (DPPH)-scavenging ability in the seeds during ripening exhibited an inverted ‘N’-type trend of ‘decrease–increase–decrease’. The trends in TFC and TPC were consistent with this ‘N’-type pattern of ‘increase–decrease–increase’. In summary, our results suggest 104 days after flowering as the best harvesting period for S. chinensis. Additionally, this study elucidates the synthesis patterns of lignan content and the corresponding changes in antioxidant capacity in S. chinensis, thereby providing a foundation for the evaluation and screening of germplasm resources. Full article