Search Results (6,161)

Objective: Conventional progesterone (P4) formulations suffer from low bioavailability, severe local irritation, and poor patient adherence due to P4’s poor aqueous solubility. This work aimed to develop and screen a biodegradable PLGA/NMP (Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) injectable in situ gel for sustained P4 delivery to overcome these clinical limitations. Significance: Commercial oral, vaginal, and oil-based intramuscular P4 preparations cannot maintain stable long-term drug exposure, and they cause injection-site pain/inflammation. The screened in situ depot system reduces administration frequency and local tissue irritation, supporting convenient luteal phase support and pregnancy maintenance. Methods: Nine formulations with variable P4 loading (10–50% w/w) and PLGA concentration (15–55% w/w) were fabricated. Formulations were screened via three core endpoints: injectability (injection force and discharge rate), in vitro sustained release in 10% Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD)-Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) sink medium, and 7-day subcutaneous histocompatibility in rats. high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was validated for progesterone quantification; Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining assessed local inflammatory responses. Results: Formulations with progesterone ≤ 30% w/w and PLGA ≤ 35% w/w exhibited acceptable injectability (injection force < 50 N; discharge rate > 79%). Higher PLGA concentrations suppressed initial burst release (16.74% at 8 h for 35% PLGA vs. 29.8% for 20% PLGA). All formulations formed stable ellipsoidal subcutaneous depots and completed progesterone release within 4 days. Histopathology revealed only mild local inflammation (histological score = 1) without severe necrosis, superior to highly irritating oil injections in formulation control groups. Conclusions: The screened PLGA-based progesterone in situ gel resolves critical drawbacks of traditional progesterone dosage forms. This low-irritation, sustained-release injectable platform provides a scalable industrial formulation candidate for long-acting hormone therapy. Full article

Background/Objectives: Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) is widely used for the diagnosis of nonpalpable breast cancer but is not considered definitive treatment because microscopic residual disease may persist within or around the biopsy cavity. The ARTHE phase I trial evaluated a cavity-targeted radionuclide strategy based on same-session sequential intralesional administration of avidin followed by [⁹⁰Y]Y-DOTA-biotin after VABB. Methods: Eighteen women with nonpalpable breast cancer measuring ≤15 mm and a skin-to-cavity distance ≥ 13 mm were treated in three sequential activity-escalation cohorts. The primary objective was to assess acute local and systemic safety, including dose-limiting toxicity. The protocol-specified co-primary objective was to evaluate preliminary antitumor activity, assessed as breast-only pathologic complete response (pCR) at surgery. Given the phase I single-arm design, pCR was analyzed descriptively. The protocol-specified secondary objective was patient-specific dosimetry. Additional exploratory assessments included post-injection biodistribution and integration with subsequent breast-conserving surgery. Results: No dose-limiting toxicities, grade ≥ 3 adverse events, clinically relevant hematologic toxicity, treatment discontinuations, hospitalizations, or treatment-related surgical delays were observed. Local toxicity was limited to grade 1 injection-site pain and/or erythema. Post-injection imaging consistently demonstrated focal intralesional localization without clinically relevant extra-lesional uptake. All patients underwent breast-conserving surgery 4–7 weeks after treatment. No residual tumor cellularity (RTC), from either invasive or in situ carcinoma, was identified in the breast surgical specimen in 5/18 patients (27.8%). However, because diagnostic VABB may have removed part or all of the malignant lesion, the absence of residual carcinoma at surgery cannot be attributed specifically to the radionuclide treatment. Conclusions: The intralesional avidin-mediated local trapping strategy using [⁹⁰Y]Y-DOTA-biotin after VABB was feasible, showed favorable acute and short-term tolerability, was associated with early focal localization on post-injection imaging, and was compatible with standard breast-conserving surgery. Controlled studies are warranted to determine the therapeutic contribution of this post-biopsy cavity-targeted strategy, optimize administered activity, and refine patient selection. Full article

In situ and operando small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS) have become powerful techniques for studying adsorption processes because they provide real-time information that traditional ex situ methods cannot capture. This review examines the use of these techniques in four major material groups: soft matter and polymers, carbon-based materials, biological systems and ceramics. Unlike conventional before-and-after characterization, in situ methods allow researchers to follow structural changes during adsorption as they happen, revealing adsorption kinetics, intermediate states and pore-filling mechanisms. Operando approaches further connect nanoscale structural evolution with overall adsorption performance, leading to deeper mechanistic understanding. Important developments include monitoring structural rearrangements in polymers during adsorption, studying sodium storage mechanisms in hard carbon anodes using combined small- and wide-angle neutron scattering, observing protein conformational changes at hydrated interfaces, and identifying organic functional groups in mesoporous ceramics in real time. SANS contrast variation, especially through hydrogen/deuterium substitution, allows selective visualization of different components in complex systems, while synchrotron SAXS enables kinetic studies with millisecond time resolution. Despite these advantages, several challenges remain, including model-dependent interpretation of scattering data, difficulties in separating real structural changes from contrast-related artifacts, limitations in accessible timescales and the technical complexity of isotopic labeling. Future research is expected to focus on improved contrast methods, machine learning-assisted data analysis, multimodal approaches combining scattering with spectroscopy or microscopy and the application of these techniques to more complex and disordered adsorbents such as activated carbons, coals and bio-based materials. Overall, this review summarizes current methodologies, compares adsorption-related structural changes across different materials and highlights both current limitations and future opportunities for in situ and operando SAS studies in adsorption research. Full article

The Dajing Cu-Sn polymetallic deposit, situated within the southern Great Xing’an Range of northern China, is a representative Mesozoic magmatic–hydrothermal system within a major Cu–Sn–Ag–Pb–Zn metallogenic belt. Located at the junction between the Siberian and North China plates, the deposit occurs within a composite tectonic domain overprinted by the Paleo-Asian, Mongol–Okhotsk, and Paleo-Pacific systems. Building on field geological constraints and detailed ore petrography, this study utilizes SEM–CL imaging and in situ LA–ICP–MS trace-element analysis of hydrothermal quartz to reconstruct the multistage physicochemical evolution and fluid dynamics of the ore-forming system. Three quartz generations record successive mineralization stages: early QI forms grain cores associated with Stage I cassiterite–arsenopyrite–quartz mineralization; main-stage QII crystallized during or shortly after Stage II chalcopyrite precipitation and exhibits well-developed oscillatory zoning; and late QIII occurs mainly as rim overgrowths and fracture fillings and postdates Stage III ore-mineral precipitation. Quartz is characteristically Ti-poor (4.7–22.8 ppm), and its trace-element systematics indicate a low- to intermediate-temperature hydrothermal signature and a granitic magmatic–hydrothermal affinity. Al, Li, Na, K, and Ge show coupled behavior consistent with heterovalent substitution and vary markedly among quartz generations, with CL-bright QIIa showing relatively higher Al, Ge, and Na relative to CL-dark QIIb, whereas QIII is generally characterized by lower Al, Li, and Ge. Localized anomalously high Cu and Sn values are mainly attributed to the co-ablation of fine-grained mineral inclusions, metal-rich fluid inclusions, or fracture-filling components. These features indicate a chemically heterogeneous fluid reservoir with inferred relatively acidic conditions during the initial Sn-mineralization stage. The fluid system subsequently experienced recurrent physicochemical fluctuations associated with pulsed fluid input during the principal Cu-mineralization stage. QIII records a trace element-depleted late-fluid system associated with the terminal pyrite–quartz stage. Late fluids migrated along earlier quartz boundaries and fractures and may have undergone further cooling and dilution through fluid mixing and/or water–rock interaction. Overall, the fluid system shows a progressive shift in inferred fluid chemistry, consistent with decreasing acidity during hydrothermal evolution. Full article

Understanding the interactions between rural household decision-making behavior and the environment is critical to promoting sustainable rural development. Analyzing the interrelationship between multidestination urban housing purchases, homestead improvement potential, and village environments can provide a theoretical basis for formulating rural revitalization policies. This study uses full-sample household survey data, applying multiscale geographically weighted regression to assess spatial variability and K-means clustering to categorize effects. The findings reveal significant spatial heterogeneity in village homestead improvement potential, most strongly associated with locational attributes, water network density, residential quality, and social factors. The association between multidestination urban housing purchases and improvement potential varies by destination: township purchases are positively associated with it, whereas purchases in county centers and beyond show negative associations. The spatial variability of different factors is significant, allowing villages to be classified into five zones based on dominant factors. Tailored, zone-specific policy directions—developing a county-level dual-core urban system, promoting rural tourism, and encouraging concentrated local habitation—are proposed as testable hypotheses for supporting in situ urbanization and homestead land improvement. Full article

Weld tracking aims to provide real-time compensation for weld deviations caused by groove assembly inaccuracies and thermal shrinkage during Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW). To achieve precise tracking control in swing-arc narrow-gap GMAW based on passive visual sensing, a Self-Adaptive Coefficient-of-Variation Recognition (SCVR) algorithm is proposed for adaptively detecting weld deviation by filtering out welding interference. SCVR adaptively constructs a data window by discriminating the original variation coefficient to acquire the raw data distribution of the groove centerline. It then designs an in situ bandpass data filter to locally search the data segment with the minimal coefficient of variation for adaptive bandwidth determination. By applying the filter to the raw data, the disturbed data are removed, in situ retaining the data with the globally minimized variation coefficient. Finally, SCVR recognizes the real groove center from the filtered data, accurately detecting a weld deviation by comparing this center to the torch position. Additionally, an SCVR-based real-time tracking control system incorporating a PLC-based actuator with a PI controller for optimal stability is developed to correct the torch position in real time, achieving a high tracking precision of −0.161~+0.126 mm. Experimental results demonstrate the robust adaptability and effectiveness of the SCVR-based weld detection and tracking control system. Full article

To address the limited cooling range of ventilation in deep, high-temperature development headings and the lack of coordinated design between coil-based cooling and the ventilation system, this study proposes a coupled “twin-forcing–coil” cooling scheme. Building on conventional overlap (forcing–exhausting) ventilation, a rear-mounted second forcing duct is added to the conventional overlap (force–exhaust combined) auxiliary ventilation system, forming a dual-duct forcing, single-exhausting configuration—hereafter termed the “twin-forcing–single-exhausting” (TFSE) system—that provides a booster (relay) air supply to mitigate the along-path attenuation of cooling capacity and the short-circuiting of cold air; an in situ heat-exchange coil wall further provides supplementary cooling where ventilation-based temperature control weakens. Using a development heading at the 790 m level of a metal mine in Yunnan as the engineering background, a three-dimensional numerical model coupling the roadway, ventilation system, and coil wall was established and validated against nine field monitoring points, showing average relative errors of approximately 1% for temperature and 2–3% for humidity, comparable to the measurement uncertainty of the field instrumentation. Because the numerical model does not account for evaporative and condensation phase-change processes, two supplementary development headings with standing water at the face were used for validation; results showed that model error increases with water accumulation and heading length, indicating the model’s applicability is limited to conditions with intact surrounding rock and minimal seepage. Six operating cases were designed with duct placement and coil spacing as variables. Results show that single-duct ventilation cooling decays markedly beyond 30 m from the face, whereas twin-forcing booster (relay) air supply effectively extends the cooling range, reducing the 30–70 m section temperature by 2.7–2.9 K; the second duct should be positioned where the first duct’s cooling capacity begins to attenuate but is not yet depleted. Based on only two spacing configurations tested (10 m and 15 m), coil-staggered spacing showed limited effect on cooling performance under the field conditions examined; this preliminary finding requires validation across a broader range of spacings. Among the chilled-water conditions tested, an inlet temperature of 280.65 K and a flow velocity of 0.5 m/s offered a reasonable trade-off between cooling uniformity and economic efficiency. Under the boundary conditions and equipment parameters of this case, energy consumption estimates further indicate that the cooling effect per unit electricity consumption of twin-forcing ventilation is roughly 6–8 times that of coil-based cooling, primarily due to pumping losses over the ~240 m chilled-water delivery distance. This energy penalty indicates that coil-based cooling is better suited as a localized, short-distance supplementary measure rather than as a means of extending the cooling range over long distances. Full article

The selective removal of electron-rich emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) from aquatic environments remains a critical challenge, as conventional radical-based oxidation processes suffer from poor selectivity and interference from background constituents. To address this issue, we report an electron-transfer-mediated catalytic oxidation system using peroxydisulfate (PDS) activated by hollow multi-shelled Co₃O₄ (HoMS Co₃O₄) nanoreactors derived from plant-based tannic acid. The triple-shelled hollow architecture affords a high specific surface area with abundant accessible active sites, enabling the HoMS Co₃O₄/PDS system to achieve complete bisphenol A (BPA, 0.04 mM) removal within 90 min (k = 0.045 min⁻¹). Mechanistic investigations, integrating electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, radical quenching, electrochemical analyses and in situ Raman/FTIR spectroscopy, reveal that the degradation proceeds via an electron-transfer-mediated non-radical pathway, in which surface-complexed PDS serves as the primary reactive species. This pathway enables selective oxidation of electron-rich pollutants and endows the system with broad pH adaptability, strong resistance to coexisting water constituents, and robust performance in real water matrices (>93% BPA removal). Moreover, the system maintains stable operation in a continuous flow-through reactor over 72 h with negligible Co²⁺ leaching, offering a sustainable strategy for the selective remediation of EOC-contaminated waters. Full article

Fe-cat and Ti-cat catalytic additives synthesized from converter slags of Qarmet JSC using acid activation followed by ex situ sulfidation were studied. By full-profile X-ray analysis, it was found that Fe-cat is mainly a sulphide system (FeS troilite + keilite, 52.8 wt% in total), while Ti-cat is mainly oxide (Mg(Ti₂O₅), 70.8 wt%). In model experiments for the hydrogenation of a mixture of phenanthrene and benzothiophene in the presence of polyethylene as a hydrogen donor, the catalytic additive Ti-cat provides preferential hydrogenation of aromatic structures (conversion of phenanthrene 47.2%), while Fe-cat is characterized by complete conversion of benzothiophene and high yield of cleavage products. During hydroconversion of the heavy fraction of primary coal tar, the yield of liquid products was 64.0% by weight, mainly in the form of a middle distillate fraction of 200–300 °C. The hydrogen balance showed that molecular hydrogen was in excess; an increase in the hydrogen content in liquid products (from 8.0 to 9.64 wt%) indicates the transfer of hydrogen from donors to the liquid phase. The optimum content of polyethylene is 1.0–1.5 wt%, providing maximum enrichment of liquid products with hydrogen (H/C = 1.53). Full article

Phenolic aerogels, owing to their low density, high char yield, large specific surface area, and well-defined three-dimensional topological networks, hold considerable promise for applications in extreme thermal protection and multifunctional material systems. The sol–gel process, a cornerstone methodology for constructing the three-dimensional nanoporous architecture of these materials, critically governs the resulting microstructural topology and macroscopic performance through its reaction kinetics, phase-separation behavior, and drying dynamics. This review systematically surveys recent advances in the sol–gel synthesis of phenolic aerogels, focusing on the polycondensation mechanisms operative under acidic and basic catalytic conditions, nucleation-and-growth kinetics, and strategies for tailoring multiscale pore structures. It further provides a comparative analysis of interfacial regulation mechanisms for capillary-stress elimination across supercritical drying, freeze-drying, and ambient-pressure drying routes. We also dissect the structure–property relationships underpinning Knudsen-effect-mediated gaseous thermal insulation, multi-scale hybrid network toughening, and inorganic phase-transition-induced in situ ceramization for thermal protection, demonstrating the synergistic optimization of thermal insulation, structural load-bearing, and ablation resistance. Finally, we summarise current applications in extreme thermal protection, environmental adsorption, electromagnetic interference shielding, and electrochemical energy storage and highlight future directions towards green, scalable manufacturing and intelligent materials design. Full article

Raw Chinese lacquer, tapped from the sap of Toxicodendron vernicifluum, is a natural water-in-oil microemulsion containing urushiol, polysaccharides, proteins, and laccase. Because this reactive system continues to oxidize and polymerize after harvesting, handling conditions directly determine water content, viscosity, and later film-forming performance. This review analyzes potential in situ stabilization routes that couple purification, low-temperature vacuum dehydration, and quality conditioning at, or near, the collection site. Emphasis is placed on how laccase retention, oxygen exposure, and urushiol polymerization are controlled together to limit transport losses and premature crusting. Portable filtration devices, reported centrifugal filtration systems, and proposed vacuum dehydration strategies are compared in terms of throughput, field compatibility, and process control. Physical and bio-based conditioning strategies, including shear adjustment, oxygen management, and natural film-forming aids, are further considered for on-site regulation. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and portable spectroscopic devices are examined as feedback tools for parameter adjustment under field temperatures, humidity, and storage variation; however, these signals are treated as decision-support indicators that still require lacquer-specific calibration after tapping. The central task is to define a field-compatible process window for water removal, laccase retention, viscosity control, drying behavior, and storage stability before downstream coating preparation. The remaining challenges involve miniaturized equipment, standardized evaluation, evidence-level classification, and dynamic control of coupled variables. Full article

Residual coal pillars retained in the overlying seam represent an important source of stress disturbance that can intensify mine pressure responses in underlying thick coal seam mining. Taking the downward mining of the Carboniferous–Permian dual-system extra-thick coal seam in the Xiao Coal Mine as the engineering context, this study integrates theoretical modeling and numerical simulation to characterize the disturbance extent of the underlying seam, the stress field redistribution in interlayer rock strata induced by the residual coal pillar, the evolution of advanced abutment pressure, and the variation in surrounding rock stress fields as the working face advances underneath the remaining coal pillar. A mechanical model is developed to describe the stress propagation and superposition induced by the coal pillar. Numerical simulation reveals that the vertical stress peak in the interlayer strata reaches 21.79 MPa near the overlying seam floor and 21.71 MPa at the underlying seam roof, and the peak stress in the coal seam roof beneath the pillar reaches 17.0 MPa, approximately 2.2 times the in situ stress, decreasing to 7.8 MPa at 42.5 m from the pillar. As the working face advances from 70 m to 10 m away from the monitoring section, the vertical stress peak on the goaf side increases from 21.19 MPa to 23.69 MPa, and on the solid coal side from 20.73 MPa to 23.46 MPa; the peak position shifts downward by approximately 0.7 m. The high floor stress from the overlying pillar superimposes strongly with the advanced abutment pressure, and the maximum disturbance width occurs at the peak abutment pressure point. Based on these findings, an optimized working face layout is proposed: an internal offset distance of 42.5 m between the mining roadway and the overlying remaining coal pillar. Following implementation of the optimized support scheme and floor grooving measures, field monitoring indicated reductions of 49.5% in roof subsidence and 60% in floor heave, with the maximum floor deformation limited to 256 mm. These results provide a theoretical basis for roadway layout and ground pressure control in downward mining of extra-thick coal seams under similar conditions. Full article

The position of the center of mass directly affects the attitude control and flight safety of moving bodies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Therefore, high-precision measurement of the center of mass is required. Existing methods require changing the posture of the measured object multiple times. This introduces repeated positioning errors and suffers from poor equipment versatility. To address these issues, this paper proposes a static and dynamic combined measurement method for the center of mass based on multi-view vision. First, the relationship between the swing period and the pendulum length under the simple pendulum principle is analyzed. The basic principle of determining the direction of the center of mass using the line of gravity is also examined. Second, an under-constrained compound pendulum fixture is designed. A binocular vision system is used to track circular markers, perform FFT-based period verification, and fit the gravity line using singular value decomposition (SVD). Third, using a standard cubic iron block as the test object, the influence of pendulum length and swing angle on measurement accuracy is studied. Finally, experiments verify that the proposed method can obtain three-dimensional coordinates of the center of mass under a single suspension condition. The results show that with a pendulum length of 330 mm and an initial swing angle of 4°, the root mean square error of the center of mass measurement is 0.70 mm, and the maximum deviation over five repeated measurements is 1.45 mm. This method does not require repeated lifting or changes in posture. It can meet the need for in-situ, high-precision center of mass measurement of UAVs and other aircraft. Full article

Drug delivery systems (DDSs) have attracted significant attention due to their ability to enhance therapeutic efficacy while minimizing side effects. In this study, vancomycin (VCM)-loaded calcium phosphate-liposome (CaPLip) composite nanoparticles were developed as a pH-responsive drug delivery system. The CaPLip nanoparticles were fabricated by in situ calcium phosphate precipitation on preformed liposomal templates in the presence of VCM, allowing the drug to be incorporated within the calcium phosphate matrix and adsorbed onto the CaP-coated surface (VCM-CaPLip). Structural and morphological characterization using FT-IR, XRD, and TEM confirmed the successful formation of calcium phosphate-coated liposomal nanoparticles with particle sizes ranging from 300 to 700 nm and a negative surface charge. The developed system exhibited an overall drug-loading efficiency of 47.28% and effectively reduced the initial burst release under physiological conditions. Equilibrium adsorption studies performed using preformed CaPLip nanoparticles demonstrated that VCM adsorption was well described by the Langmuir isotherm, indicating a high affinity of VCM for the CaP-coated surface under equilibrium conditions. Drug release studies at pH 4.0, 6.5, and 7.4 revealed pronounced pH-dependent behavior, with sustained release at pH 7.4 and accelerated release under acidic conditions. Changes in electrical conductivity provided supporting evidence for calcium phosphate dissolution accompanying drug release under acidic conditions. Kinetic analysis indicated a transition from predominantly diffusion-controlled release at physiological pH to diffusion-dissolution coupled release under acidic conditions. These findings demonstrate that CaPLip nanoparticles provide an effective pH-responsive antibiotic delivery platform and show potential for controlled drug release in infection-associated mildly acidic microenvironments. Full article

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), also referred to as terrestrial LiDAR, has become an essential close-range remote sensing technique for high-precision engineering surveying, deformation monitoring, industrial inspection, and cultural heritage documentation. The geometric reliability of TLS point clouds strongly depends on the effective compensation of instrumental systematic errors through in situ self-calibration. However, conventional target-based self-calibration often suffers from strong coupling between calibration parameters and exterior orientation parameters, whereas recently developed coplanarity-constrained formulations generally require highly redundant target networks, limiting their field efficiency. To address this limitation, this study proposes a variance inflation factor (VIF)-driven minimal network design strategy for efficient in situ geometric self-calibration of TLS systems. Unlike the commonly used geometric dilution of precision, VIF provides a dimensionless statistical alternative that effectively resolves the dimensional inconsistency inherent in traditional GDOP when handling mixed angular and distance parameters. A differential evolution algorithm is employed to search for hybrid calibration networks that minimize parameter coupling while preserving the physical interpretability of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 10-parameter instrumental error model. Five digital twin simulation experiments and a physical validation experiment using a Faro Focus 350 scanner were conducted to evaluate the proposed method. The results show that the optimized network substantially reduces the number of required targets while maintaining high calibration accuracy. The final configuration, which combines VIF-optimized target placement with a dual-station height-difference constraint, reduces the condition number of the normal equations to below 60 and yields a mean system VIF close to 10. The maximum parameter correlation coefficient among the key calibration parameters is constrained to approximately 0.75, indicating near-optimal parameter decoupling under the limited field-of-view geometry of the instrument. These findings demonstrate that the proposed VIF-driven network design provides a highly effective strategy for field-efficient TLS self-calibration and improves the geometric reliability of terrestrial LiDAR point clouds in high-precision remote sensing applications. Full article