Search Results (81,030)

Rapid urbanization has significantly altered land use patterns in Deqing County, placing increasing pressure on its ecosystem. This study establishes a Driving Force–Pressure–State–Impact (DPSI) framework and selects ten indicators to evaluate ecological sensitivity for 2014, 2019, and 2024. It then couples this framework with the PLUS model to simulate land use and ecological sensitivity changes under the following three 2034 scenarios: natural development (ND), ecological protection (EP), and urban development (UD). Results show that ecological sensitivity exhibits a “high west, low east” spatial pattern and it fluctuated with an initial decline followed by a rise from 2014 to 2024, though the overall trend was a slow decrease. Land use type (weight 0.342), distance to rivers (weight 0.191), and distance to roads (weight 0.146) were the dominant influencing factors, together depicting Deqing’s ecological landscape of “western forests, eastern farmlands, and dense water networks”. The PLUS model demonstrated good validation accuracy (Kappa = 0.81), and the contributions of driving factors shifted over time. Multi-scenario simulation indicates that the ecological protection (EP) scenario is more suitable for sustainable urban development. We recommend implementing differentiated ecological control zones, integrating sensitivity evaluation into planning decisions, and improving the differentiated ecological compensation mechanism. Full article

Permafrost thawing induced by heat transfer from circulating drilling fluid poses a significant threat to wellbore integrity and drilling safety in Arctic hydrocarbon exploration. The absence of clear application boundaries for the two primary mitigation strategies, passive insulation and active cooling, impedes the cost-effective selection of engineering measures. This study presents a comparative numerical evaluation of insulated-casing technology and refrigerant-fluid circulation technology using a coupled hydrothermal heat transfer model solved via the finite difference method. Passive insulation reduces thawed volume by increasing radial thermal resistance, with performance improving sharply as apparent thermal conductivity declines below 0.02 W/(m·K). At an optimal conductivity of 0.006 W/(m·K), insulated casing achieves a thawed volume of 2.3 m³ after 7 days, comparable to aggressive active cooling at −15 °C and 20 L/s, demonstrating its viability as an energy-free alternative. Active cooling offers superior operational controllability, yet its effectiveness hinges critically on inlet temperature; lowering this temperature exerts a dominant influence on thaw suppression, whereas increasing flow rate yields diminishing returns beyond 12.5 to 15.0 L/s. A critical caveat is that operating at 0 °C and 5 L/s paradoxically reverses the cooling effect and exacerbates thawing. Sensitivity analyses reveal that refrigerant-fluid circulation technology excels in permafrost layers up to 500 m, reducing thaw volume by a factor of two to three compared with high-performance insulation. This advantage diminishes for thicknesses exceeding 600 m, where insulated casing provides robust, thickness-independent protection. These findings establish a quantitative framework for context-specific technology selection, enabling engineers to balance thermal performance, operational controllability, and energy efficiency in permafrost drilling operations. Full article

Hearing aid technology adaptation and user satisfaction are influenced by multiple interacting demographic, clinical, and behavioral factors, making reliable prediction of outcomes challenging with conventional statistical approaches alone. This study proposes an explainable machine learning framework to investigate the multidimensional determinants of hearing aid satisfaction by integrating demographic characteristics, hearing aid-related variables, and patient-reported outcomes obtained from the Hearing Aid Technology Adaptation and Satisfaction Scale (HATASS). Five regression algorithms—Linear Regression, Decision Tree Regression (DTR), Random Forest Regression (RFR), Support Vector Regression, and Gradient Boosting Regression (GBR)—were comparatively evaluated using a five-fold cross-validation strategy. Predictive performance was assessed using the root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and the coefficient of determination ($R^2$), while model interpretability was investigated through cross-validated out-of-bag permutation feature importance analysis. Among the evaluated algorithms, Random Forest Regression achieved the most consistent predictive performance, yielding the lowest average RMSE (14.225) and the highest average $R^2$ (0.146) under the adopted validation framework. Although the overall predictive performance remained modest, the explainability analysis consistently identified age as the most influential predictor, followed by onset year, education level, hearing aid usage duration, and daily hearing aid use. In contrast, gender, battery type, tinnitus, and vertigo contributed comparatively less to model predictions. These findings indicate that hearing aid adaptation and satisfaction arise from complex nonlinear interactions among demographic, behavioral, clinical, and device-related characteristics rather than isolated linear associations. The proposed framework provides an interpretable, internally validated analytical approach for investigating hearing aid technology adaptation and satisfaction and establishes a foundation for future studies that integrate comprehensive audiological measurements, longitudinal follow-up data, and independent external validation to support the development of more transparent and personalized hearing healthcare systems. Full article

Nanomaterials (NMs) have shown broad application potential in wastewater deep treatment, but the actual application is constrained by some issues such as nanoparticle (NP) aggregation and poor recyclability. Different from previous comprehensive reviews, this article systematically synthesizes data from over 100 peer-reviewed studies (2012 to 2026) to review the preparation methods, purification mechanisms, and removal efficiencies for various pollutants, and the technical and economic feasibility of NMs, with an emphasis on carrier-assisted immobilization and NM–microbial aggregate interactions. To start with, the methods of preparation were roughly distinguished into two categories which were “top-down” and “bottom-up” methods. The advantages, disadvantages, and utilities of the physical, chemical, and eco-friendly methods of biosynthesis were investigated while paying particular attention to the function of the loading technique in preventing NP aggregation and improving recyclability. By using the technique of loading in the carrier, the growth of NPs could be restricted up to 2–50 nm. Secondly, seven basic mechanisms that underlie the process of removing pollutants by using NPs were explained: adsorption, catalytic degradation, ion exchange, surface complexation, antibacterial action, redox transformation, and waste recycling. Particular focus was placed on understanding the interactions between NMs, microbial aggregates, and extracellular polymeric substances in wastewater treatment systems. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) could capture >90% NMs and mitigate their toxicity. Once again, the removal efficiency and main influencing factors associated with different types of NMs, for the treatment of heavy metals, dyes, antibiotics, and pathogenic microorganisms were summarized. Removal efficiencies of the pollutants ranged from 70% to over 99%, but these values were strongly influenced by pH and matrix and often decreased substantially in real wastewater. The existing literature was used to classify the experimental substrates (single-solute systems, multi-solute synthetic systems, municipal wastewater, industrial wastewater, secondary effluent). The performance of NMs in different categories was compared, revealing the huge performance gap between ideal laboratory conditions and practical applications. Lastly, the economic viability of the methods based on the use of NMs for purifying water was assessed taking into consideration various factors such as raw materials’ prices, energy costs of the process of making materials, recyclability of the materials, and the possibility of introducing the use of NMs on a larger scale. Unlike existing reviews, this article aims to provide a quantitative mechanistic framework bridging the rational design, safe application, and engineering promotion of NMs in deep wastewater treatment. Full article

Metal additive manufacturing based on Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) of metal-filled polymers is emerging as a cost-effective alternative to conventional processes such as Metal Injection Molding (MIM), but its industrial relevance remains limited by challenges in densification and mechanical performance. This study presents an exploratory investigation of a low-cost FFF process using 316L stainless steel filament for industrial applications in railway maintenance. A Taguchi L8 design was employed as a screening approach to evaluate the influence of key printing parameters, followed by sintering using both internal and external configurations. The mechanical response depended strongly on sintering temperature: sintering at 1350 °C increased the ultimate tensile strength to 216–278 MPa and Young’s modulus to 63–109 GPa, while the apparent porosity remained between 12.6% and 16.9%. In the exploratory main-effects analysis of variance ANOVA, none of the investigated printing parameters had a statistically significant effect on the measured responses (p > 0.05). For porosity at 1350 °C, nozzle diameter nevertheless showed the largest descriptive contribution (23.81%, F = 2.06, p = 0.2241). Overall, porosity introduced during the printing stage remained a major limitation of the process. Although the achieved properties remain below those of conventionally processed 316L, the process demonstrates potential for non-structural and cost-sensitive applications. Because each factor combination was tested once, the ANOVA and signal-to-noise S/N results are interpreted as exploratory screening and response ranking rather than confirmatory inference or independent evidence of robustness. Full article

Crop rotation and fertilization are two of the most important agrotechnical measures that influence the chemical properties of the soil and its capacity to support stable agricultural production, especially in areas affected by erosion and climate change. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of crop rotation and fertilization on the main soil properties (pH, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and potassium, humus content) in moderately eroded cambic chernozems of the Bârlad Plateau, as well as the effect of experimental factors on wheat yield. The research was carried out in the period 2021–2025 in a stationary experiment located on a slope with a slope of 12–13% at “Mircea Moțoc” Soil Erosion Research and Development Station (M.M.S.E.R.D.S.) Perieni. Two wheat cropping systems were analyzed, namely, monoculture and five-year rotation, in combination with five fertilization variants (N₀P₀, N₃₂P₃₂, N₉₆P₉₆, N₁₂₈P₁₂₈ kg ha⁻¹ and 50 t ha⁻¹ manure). The determinations targeted pH, total nitrogen, mobile phosphorus, mobile potassium, humus content in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm soil layers and yield. The results highlight the depletion in available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium reserves, alteration of soil reaction in monoculture, and significant improvement in N (from 0.1% to 0.19%), P (from 95.5 to 485.5 mg ha⁻¹) and K (from 188.4 to 227.5 mg ha⁻¹) soil content at the time of final sample collection in the five-year rotation. The application of manure as well as the inclusion of legumes and perennial crops in the rotation contributed to the accumulation of organic matter, to the improvement in soil reaction and to the optimization of nutrient cycling. The highest yields, significant at p ≤ 0.001, were obtained with the application of N₉₆P₉₆ 2858 kg ha⁻¹ in monoculture and 3689 kg ha⁻¹ in the five-year rotation. The study confirms that long rotations associated with organic fertilization represent an effective strategy for the conservation of agricultural soil fertility in areas vulnerable to erosion and drought. Full article

The equitable allocation of health resources is fundamental to building healthy cities and advancing sustainable regional development. Using panel data for 122 county-level units in Hunan Province, China, from 2011 to 2022, this study constructs an evaluation index system for healthcare resource allocation and applies trend surface analysis, spatial autocorrelation, the Dagum Gini coefficient, and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) to examine the spatiotemporal evolution, equity, and driving factors of health resource allocation. The results show the following. (1) The level of health resource allocation in Hunan Province rose steadily, with the composite score increasing by 74%, yet a persistent spatial pattern of higher allocation in the east and north than in the west and south remained; hot spots clustered in Changsha, while cold spots concentrated in parts of Southern Hunan and Western Hunan. (2) Regional disparities narrowed gradually, and the Dagum decomposition identified transvariation density as the dominant source of inequality, with an average contribution of 53.58%, exceeding intra-group and inter-group differences. (3) The effects of the drivers exhibited marked spatiotemporal heterogeneity. Per capita GDP promoted health resource allocation mainly in developed regions, while urbanization exerted stronger positive effects in less-developed regions. The positive effect of per capita disposable income gradually shifted from less-developed to developed regions over time, and population density generally showed a positive effect, with stronger influences concentrated in the Greater Western Hunan region. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how regional disparities and heterogeneous driving mechanisms shape health resource allocation, providing evidence for more adaptive and equitable healthcare governance. Full article

The urokinase plasminogen activator or urokinase is a highly specific extracellular protease involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Its activity is a consequence of its interplay with its inhibitor, PAI1, and receptor, uPAR, and is finely regulated at several levels. The aim of the work was to investigate whether endoplasmic reticulum stress can modulate urokinase activity. Two tumor cell lines grown in cell culture were treated with Thapsigargin and sodium salicylate, inducers of ER stress response. Urokinase activity was determined in the conditioned media, and expression of uPA system molecules and molecules involved in response to ER stress in cell lysates was measured. ER stress influenced urokinase activity: while in the glioblastoma line its activity was increased, in breast cancer cells it was decreased. Differences in activity were a consequence of urokinase and PAI1 expression at the protein and RNA level. However, ER stress decreased cell migration, invasion, and proliferation regardless of the changes in urokinase activity. Gene expression analysis indicated that cell specific activation of some transcription factors and pathways could be responsible for different urokinase activity regulation. Full article

The influence of blade number and rotor solidity on cyclorotor hover performance remains insufficiently understood because previous studies have generally varied these parameters simultaneously or investigated them through separate one-factor analyses. This work examines their independent effects using a two-dimensional unsteady Reynolds–Averaged Navier–Stokes model in which blade number (2–8) and rotor solidity (0.24–0.60) are varied independently across 26 geometrically feasible design points, at constant rotor radius and rotational speed. The model is validated against published experimental data for the same rotor before the parametric analysis is performed. At fixed rotational speed, increasing solidity raises both the thrust and power coefficients and lowers power loading. Because power loading is disk-loading-dependent even for an ideal rotor, however, this apparent penalty largely reflects a change in operating point rather than a loss of aerodynamic efficiency: compared at matched disk loading, efficiency varies only weakly with solidity except in the corner of the design space that combines high solidity with a long blade chord, and an interior efficiency optimum emerges near $\sigma \approx 0.36$ for blade counts $N=4$–8, reconciling the present results with the chord-to-radius optimum reported in the literature. Blade number has only a secondary influence on mean performance at constant solidity, consistent with classical rotor theory; azimuthally resolved loads, however, show peak-to-mean thrust ratios of 3–4 for two- and three-bladed rotors, a design constraint invisible in cycle-averaged metrics. Full article

Social anxiety is a common and persistent mental health problem associated with substantial functional impairment. It comprises distinct subtypes, including social interaction anxiety and performance anxiety, which differ in their cognitive characteristics and may arise through different developmental pathways. Previous research has identified parental psychological control as an important risk factor for social anxiety and has linked rejection sensitivity and dysfunctional perfectionism to social anxiety symptoms. However, little is known about whether different forms of parental psychological control contribute to distinct social anxiety subtypes through different cognitive mechanisms. Addressing this gap, the present study examined whether rejection sensitivity and dysfunctional perfectionism differentially mediate the relationships between dependency-oriented and achievement-oriented psychological control and social interaction anxiety and performance anxiety. Using a cross-sectional design, 189 Korean college students completed validated self-report measures of parental psychological control, rejection n sensitivity, dysfunctional perfectionism, and social anxiety. Mediation effects were examined using regression analyses, Sobel tests, and multiple mediation analyses. The results indicated that rejection sensitivity partially mediated the relationship between dependency-oriented psychological control and social interaction anxiety. In contrast, achievement-oriented psychological control influenced performance anxiety through both dysfunctional perfectionism and rejection sensitivity, with dysfunctional perfectionism showing the stronger indirect effect. Furthermore, dependency-oriented psychological control was more strongly associated with rejection sensitivity, whereas achievement-oriented psychological control was more strongly associated with dysfunctional perfectionism, supporting distinct developmental pathways for the two social anxiety subtypes. These findings extend previous research by demonstrating that different forms of parental psychological control contribute to different cognitive vulnerabilities underlying social anxiety. The findings suggest that interventions may be more effective when tailored to social anxiety subtype by targeting rejection sensitivity in individuals with social interaction anxiety and dysfunctional perfectionism in those with performance anxiety. However, because the study employed a cross-sectional design and relied exclusively on self-report measures, causal inferences cannot be drawn, and the generalizability of the findings may be limited. Full article

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced immune thrombocytopenia (ICI-ITP) is a rare but severe adverse event that may lead to bleeding complications and may require therapeutic changes or interventions. The clinical condition and interventions are highly complex; there are certainly tumour-type and combination-therapy differences, as well as individual ICI-agent factors that modify the risk of thrombocytopenia. ICI-ITP shares some common features, even though its pathogenesis differs markedly from that of traditional ITP. However, ICI-ITP is a clinically important complication; a deeper analysis of factors related to ICI–platelet interactions is also necessary. White blood cell–lymphocyte and platelet count ratios may have prognostic value in predicting the development of a low platelet count. Platelet counts themselves might influence the effectiveness of ICI-type anticancer interventions by facilitating T-cell-induced neoexpression of PD-1 on platelet surfaces. Baseline platelet counts and immunoglobulin levels may also modify treatment outcomes. Platelet activation can also promote immune-related adverse events. ICI-induced ITP-like syndrome’s prognostic factors are not only experimental facts but also clinically important. The connections among platelet counts, activation, immunoglobulins, and cell ratios are likely important factors influencing ICI-induced ITP risk reduction and the improvement of tumour-directed immune response by tailoring ICI selection to tumour type and specific baseline cellular characteristics. Full article

Rainfall-induced instability of highway slopes with a soil–rock binary structure may be strongly influenced by the hydraulic barrier effect of low-permeability shale. This study investigated the right-side slope along the D-ramp section from DK0+230 to DK0+660 at Deze Interchange on the Zhanhui Expressway, China. A two-dimensional coupled seepage–stress model was developed based on the engineering geological conditions and rainfall records to simulate the slope response under a 72 h extreme rainfall scenario with an intensity of 175.6 mm/d. Field displacement monitoring data were used to validate the modeled deformation pattern under natural conditions. Under natural conditions, the reinforced toe zone remained stable, deformation was concentrated along the interface between the block-stone layer and strongly weathered limestone in the middle and rear portions of the slope, and the factor of safety was 1.1344, indicating a basically stable state. During prolonged rainfall, infiltrating water accumulated near the interface between the strongly weathered shale and the underlying shale owing to the hydraulic barrier effect of the low-permeability shale, forming a continuous transient saturated zone. The plastic zone progressively extended from the upper shallow weak interface to the lower deep interface and eventually became fully connected, while the factor of safety decreased to 0.9886, indicating overall instability. The results reveal a coupled mechanism involving interfacial water accumulation, increased pore-water pressure, the formation of a transient saturated zone, and a shift in the controlling zone of slope deformation and failure from shallow to deeper layers. These findings provide a reference for disaster prevention and mitigation of similar soil–rock binary-structure slopes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) has substantially advanced perioperative care across multiple surgical disciplines. Research in colorectal surgery has clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of ERAS programs; however, evidence regarding the application of these protocols in elderly patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal (GI) surgery remains limited. This population has a high prevalence of multimorbidity, frailty, and diminished physiological reserve, factors that collectively increase vulnerability to postoperative complications and may influence adherence to ERAS pathways. Methods: This narrative review is based on a structured literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published between 2000 and 2025. The search identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies, meta-analyses, and clinical guidelines evaluating ERAS protocols in elderly patients undergoing upper GI surgery. Results: Available evidence indicates that ERAS protocols are feasible and safe in elderly patients undergoing upper GI surgery, including gastrectomy and esophagectomy. Studies consistently associate their implementation with shorter hospital stays, faster gastrointestinal recovery, and no significant increase in postoperative complications or readmission rates. However, heterogeneity in study designs, ERAS components, and definitions of ‘elderly’ limits comparability across studies. Conclusions: ERAS protocols represent a promising perioperative strategy for elderly patients undergoing upper GI surgery. When implemented within a multidisciplinary framework and tailored to patients’ frailty and comorbidities, these protocols may improve postoperative recovery while maintaining safety. Future research should prioritize multicenter RCTs to identify the most effective ERAS components and evaluate long-term clinical and functional outcomes in this population. Full article

Extreme precipitation events have grown more common as a result of global climate change, and conventional static hazard assessments find it difficult to account for the dynamic progression of flood disasters. This study considers extreme precipitation factors for different return times and creates different extreme precipitation scenarios based on multiyear historical precipitation data and actual storm events. The study proposes a method for the dynamic assessment of regional flood hazard that takes extreme rainfall scenarios into account by simulating the dynamic flood inundation processes under each scenario using the Accumulated Runoff and Flood Estimation Model (AccRo v.1.0), iterative flow accumulation, and hydrological calculations. A dynamic assessment and zoning of flood hazards was carried out in Laiyuan County, Hebei Province. The results reveal that high-hazard zones coincide with the distribution of historically badly damaged townships, concentrated in the river valley plains along the Juma River. The results show that spatial patterns are simultaneously influenced by precipitation, terrain, and the river network. In the temporal dimension, under Scenario 3, the superimposition of the 50-year return period daily maximum rainfall at the 12th hour increased the high-hazard area by approximately 110% compared with that at the 11th hour. In addition, the non-uniform multi-peak rainfall pattern in Scenario 4 represented the rise, peak, and recession stages of the flood process. A combined assessment of water depth and flow velocity can effectively distinguish between two disaster-causing modes—deep water with low flow velocity and shallow water with high flow velocity—thereby addressing the underestimation of hazard in transition zones associated with the use of water depth as a single indicator. Full article

Rainfall-induced seepage instability is a major concern for internal waste dump slopes in cold-region open-pit coal mines, where slope performance is influenced by groundwater conditions, moisture state, and seasonal temperature variations. This study investigates the internal waste dump slope of the Chaoyang open-pit coal mine and evaluates its seepage and stability responses under prescribed moisture and temperature states before and after rainfall, together with the effectiveness of drainage control. Soil specimens with moisture contents of 14%, 17.6% (natural), 23%, and 26% were tested at ambient temperature, −5 °C, and −15 °C by uniaxial compression and direct shear tests. The mechanical parameters measured under the prescribed moisture and temperature states were assigned to a GTS NX seepage–stability model. Twenty-four parametric cases, comprising four moisture contents, three temperature states, and pre- and post-rainfall conditions, were evaluated using the strength-reduction method, and an HDPE perforated drainage scheme was subsequently assessed. Under the ambient-temperature parameter state, increasing specimen moisture content from 14% to 26% reduced the pre-rainfall factor of safety from 1.41 to 1.18 and the post-rainfall value from 1.38 to 1.17. Parameter sets obtained from low-temperature-conditioned specimens produced higher calculated factors of safety; however, these cases represent prescribed mechanical states rather than the actual winter condition of the full-scale slope. Under the idealized drainage boundary, the pre- and post-rainfall factors of safety increased from 1.22 and 1.18 to 1.40 and 1.39, respectively. The results demonstrate the relative effects of laboratory-derived mechanical parameters, rainfall-induced seepage, and idealized drainage under the prescribed scenarios. Full article