Search Results (2,337)

Static mixers are commonly used for process intensification in a wide range of industrial applications. For the design and selection of a static mixer, an accurate prediction of the hydraulic performance, particularly the pressure drop, is essential. This experimental study examines the pressure drop for turbulent single-phase and gas–liquid two-phase flows through a Komax triple-action static mixer placed on a horizontal pipeline. New values of friction factor and z-factor are reported for fully turbulent liquid single-phase flow (11,700 ≤ Re_L ≤ 18,700). For two-phase flow, the pressure drop for stratified and intermittent flows (0.07 m/s ≤ U_L ≤ 0.28 m/s and 0.46 m/s ≤ U_G ≤ 3.05 m/s) is modeled using the Lockhart–Martinelli approach, with a coefficient, C, correlated to the homogenous void fraction. Conversely, the analysis of power dissipation reveals a dependence on both liquid and gas superficial velocities. For conditions corresponding to intermittent flow upstream of the mixer, flow visualization revealed the emergence of a swirling flow in the Komax static mixer. It is interesting to note that an increase in slug frequency leads to an increase, followed by stabilization of the pressure drop. The results offer valuable insights for improving the design and optimization of Komax static mixers operating under single-phase and two-phase flow conditions. In particular, the reported correlations can serve as practical tools for predicting hydraulic losses during the design and scale-up. Moreover, the observed influence of the slug frequency on the pressure drop provides guidance for selecting operating conditions that minimize energy consumption while ensuring efficient mixing. Full article

Background/Objectives: National Football League (NFL) American football players are exposed to osteoarthritis risk factors of obesity and high joint loads. We sought to examine the association between total body mass (TBM), lean body mass (LBM), body fat percentage (BF%), and normalized compressive knee joint reaction forces (JRFcomp), peak knee adductor moments (KAM), and vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF) in NFL draft-eligible players during a high-speed run. Methods: A total of 125 participants ran a single trial at 5.5–6.5 m/s for 5 s on an instrumented treadmill. Bilateral vGRF and knee joint kinetics were calculated using inverse dynamics. Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance. Results: LBM demonstrated significant moderate associations with vGRF (left, r(123) = −0.56, p < 0.001; right, r(123) = −0.60, p < 0.001) and low-to-negligible associations with KAM (left, r(123) = −0.20, p = 0.026; right, r(123) = −0.30, p < 0.001) and JRFcomp (left, r(123) = −0.39, p = 0.020; right, r(123) = −0.38, p = 0.015), respectively. TBM showed significant moderate negative associations with vGRF (left, r(123) = −0.56, p < 0.001; right, r(123) = −0.61, p < 0.001) and low-to-negligible associations with KAM (left, r(123) = −0.21, p = 0.021; right, r(123) = −0.28, p = 0.002) and JRFcomp (left, r(123) = −0.39, p < 0.001; right, r(123) = −0.37, p < 0.001), respectively. BF% showed significant low-to-negligible negative associations with JRFcomp (left, r(123) = −0.21, p < 0.001; right, r(123) = −0.22, p < 0.001) and vGRF (left, r(123) = −0.39, p < 0.001; right, r(123) = −0.41, p < 0.001), respectively, and no significant associations with KAM, p > 0.05. The heavier group exhibited significantly lower normalized JRFcomp, and vGRF, p < 0.05. Conclusions: Heavier, but not fatter, players attenuate knee loads. Dampening may be a short-term protective strategy for joints of heavier players. Full article

With the rapid expansion of offshore wind power, efficient installation methods for 10 MW offshore wind turbines (OWTs) are increasingly being required. Conventional approaches using installation vessels, heavy-lift barges, and mooring systems incur high costs, long schedules, and weather-related constraints, particularly in harsh seas such as the West Sea and Jeju. This study investigates an anchor-free installation method for jack-up-type OWTs employing tugboats instead of specialized vessels. Environmental loads were estimated with MOSES and AQWA, and frequency-domain analyses were performed to evaluate wave responses and towline tensions. Results showed that maximum tensions remained below both the Safe Working Load of towlines and the Effective Bollard Pull of tugboats during all spudcan lowering stages. Even under conservative OPLIM conditions, feasibility was confirmed. The findings indicate that the proposed tug-assisted method ensures adequate station-keeping capability while reducing cost, construction time, and weather dependency, presenting a practical alternative for large-scale OWT installation. Full article

A systematic review of toxoplasmosis cases in patients receiving targeted immunotherapy with biologics or small molecules was performed. This systematic review searched for case reports, case series and observational studies in PubMed; last search was on 19 July 2025. The review identified 46 toxoplasmosis cases among patients receiving biologics (including CAR T-Cell Therapies) or small molecules for diverse autoimmune, oncologic and transplant conditions. These cases were reported from 18 countries, including the United States and several European countries. Most patients developed severe disease. Fifty percent (23/46) presented with cerebral toxoplasmosis, 33% (15/46) with ocular toxoplasmosis, 7% (3/46) with lymphadenopathy, 4% (2/46) with disseminated disease, 2% (1/46) with both cerebral and ocular disease, 2% (1/46) with pneumonic toxoplasmosis, and 2% (1/46) with severe fetal congenital toxoplasmosis. Among those were also four cases with fatal outcomes due to toxoplasmosis and eight cases with permanent ocular or neurological deficits. In addition, there was a case of fetal congenital toxoplasmosis that occurred despite maternal discontinuation of adalimumab five months before conception, resulting in elective pregnancy termination due to severe fetal cerebral disease. Overall, 44% (20/46) of cases were due to reactivation of chronic latent Toxoplasma infections and 39% (18/46) due to acute primary infections; 17% did not report this information. One case of disseminated acute toxoplasmosis was also identified after eating wild boar sausages, and two cases of severe acute ocular toxoplasmosis after eating undercooked venison meat, and undercooked unspecified type of meat respectively, while on small molecules or biologics. Details on the clinical presentations, management and clinical outcomes of these cases were reported. Recommendations for the management of toxoplasmosis in patients with targeted immunotherapies were also provided. Health care providers should consider toxoplasmosis in patients on biologics or small molecules who present with compatible clinical syndromes. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can be lifesaving. Full article

In offshore drilling and geological exploration, the stability of jack-up rigs is predominantly determined by the bearing capacities of spudcan foundations during seabed penetration. The penetration depth of spudcans is relatively shallow in hard clay. The formation of a cavity on the top surface of a spudcan often complicates accurate estimation of its capacity. This study employs the finite element method, in conjunction with the Swipe and Probe loading techniques, to examine the failure surfaces of soils of varying strengths. Numerical simulations that consider different gradients of undrained shear strength and cavity depths demonstrate that cavity depth significantly influences the failure envelope. The findings indicate that higher soil strength increases the bearing capacity and reduces the area of soil displacement at failure. Moreover, an enhanced theoretical equation for predicting the vertical-horizontal-moment (V-H-M) failure envelope in hard clay strata is proposed. The equation’s accuracy has been verified against numerical simulation results, revealing an error margin of 3–10% under high vertical loads. This model serves as a practical and valuable tool for assessing the stability of jack-up rigs in hard clay, providing critical insights for engineering design safety and risk assessment. Full article

Amazon River dolphins often form multi-species aggregations at water confluences. This study used a multi-year data set to examine dolphins, fish, and geomorphology at dolphin aggregations. Methods included dolphin transect surveys, dolphin point counts, net and line fish captures, side-scan sonar, and eDNA analyses at five dolphin aggregations and two control sites. Amazon River dolphins (Inia geoffrensis and Sotalia fluviatlis) are typically found at aggregation sites that occur at water confluences that have greater dolphin numbers than control sites. The confluences had riverbed depressions averaging six metres in depth where fish were concentrated. Pink river dolphins preferred to form aggregations in flooded forest tributaries and large rivers, while grey river dolphins preferred the larger rivers. There were eighty-nine fish species at the confluences within the size of fish consumed by dolphins, and a higher abundance of fish occurred in and around the aggregation sites compared to control sites. The number of dolphins present at the aggregation sites correlated with fish abundance. Dolphin life history, such as fishing, resting, raising calves, and social interactions, occur at the aggregation sites. The aggregation sites are important conservation areas of the endangered pink and grey river dolphins, and through their folklore, Indigenous people living at confluence sites assist in the conservation of the aggregations and have lived with dolphins at confluences for thousands of years, contributing to their survival. Full article

High-intensity functional training (HIFT) has grown in popularity in the past several decades, yet previous research has largely focused on the dietary habits and body composition of elite HIFT athletes and utilized only quantitative study designs, potentially limiting our understanding of typical HIFT athletes. This study aimed to comprehensively describe the common dietary habits and body composition of HIFT athletes. Data were only analyzed descriptively. Among 62 HIFT athletes (age: 36 ± 11.7 years), we estimated body fat percentage (BF%) using a Siri 3-compartment model, and we assessed dietary habits, dietary supplement (DS) use, and open-response rationales for DS use/disuse via an online questionnaire. Qualitative data from open-response questions were coded and grouped via inductive thematic analysis. Body composition varied among both male (n = 36, BF% = 6.5–27.6%) and female participants (n = 26, BF% = 10.6–37.6%). Most participants reported regular consumption of lean meats and home-cooked meals, yet few participants (~20%) regularly consumed the recommended twice daily servings of dairy, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Most (77.4%) HIFT athletes reported DS use, with the average HIFT athlete using approximately six DS; dairy protein, creatine, caffeine, and electrolyte drinks were the most reported DS. Improving health, recovery, and nutrient intake were common reasons for using DS, whereas a lack of noticeable results was the most common reason for discontinuation. Some HIFT athletes may rely on DS to address nutrient gaps rather than whole foods. Full article

Background/Objectives: Laboratory tests are a cornerstone of modern medicine, and their interpretation depends on reference intervals (RIs) that define expected values in healthy populations. Standard RIs are obtained in cohort studies that are costly and time-consuming and typically do not account for demographic factors such as age, sex, and ethnicity that strongly influence biomarker distributions. This study establishes a data-driven approach for deriving RIs directly from routinely collected laboratory results. Methods: Multidimensional joint distributions of lipid biomarkers were estimated from large-scale real-world laboratory data from the Puerto Rican population using a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM). GMM and additional statistical analyses were used to enable separation of healthy and pathological subpopulations and exclude the influence of comorbidities all without the use of diagnostic codes. Selective mortality patterns were examined to explain counterintuitive age trends in lipid values while comorbidity implication networks were constructed to characterize interdependencies between conditions. Results: The approach yielded sex- and age-stratified RIs for lipid panel biomarkers estimated from the inferred distributions (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides). Apparent improvements in biomarker profiles after midlife were explained by selective survival. Comorbidities exerted pronounced effects on the 95% ranges, with their broader influence captured through network analysis. Beyond fixed limits, the method yields full distributions, allowing each individual result to be mapped to a percentile and interpreted as a continuous measure of risk. Conclusions: Population-specific and sex- and age-segmented RIs can be derived from real-world laboratory data without recruiting healthy cohorts. Incorporating selective mortality effects and comorbidity networks provides additional insight into population health dynamics. Full article

Blending is a promising strategy during the partial replacement of plant with animal proteins. This, however, may lead to alteration in the technofunctional properties of the resultant blends. In this study, partial replacement of milk protein concentrate (MPC) with different plant proteins including soy, rice and pea protein concentrates (SPC, RPC and PPC, respectively) was conducted to determine the effect of blending at different ratios on the technofunctional properties relevant to their emulsification behavior, e.g., emulsion stability, viscosity and water holding capacity (WHC) and oil binding capacity (OBC). It was observed that at equivalent concentrations, the plant protein concentrates had higher apparent viscosities compared to MPC and the blends. RPC–MPC, at all ratios (25:75, 50:50, and 75:25), had a lower OBC when compared with the SPC–MPC and PPC–MPC blends. The lowest OBC was 32.5, for RCP–MPC 25:75, and the highest was 116.0 for SPC–MPC 25:75. The highest solubility of PPC, RPC, and SPC was observed in their blend form at 50:50 (73.2%), 75:25 (86.5%) and 25:75 (71.1%) ratios, respectively. Plant protein–MPC blends showed higher emulsion stability than the individual plant protein concentrates. The highest emulsion stability was 100%, for RPC–MPC 50:50 and 75:25 ratios, PPC–MPC at 50:50 ratio, and SPC–MPC at 25:75 and 100:0 ratios. Among the blends, SPC–MPC 25:75, PPC–MPC 50:50 and RPC–MPC 50:50 showed the most suitable overall emulsification properties. Based on the results, blending MPC with plant protein concentrates led to promising improvements in emulsification behavior relevant to different composite protein ingredient applications. Full article

The genus Oxyuranus, which includes some of the most venomous snakes in the world, presents a complex venom composition with potent neurotoxic and procoagulant effects. This study provides a comparative proteomic analysis of the venom of Oxyuranus microlepidotus (Inland Taipan) and Oxyuranus scutellatus (Coastal Taipan), aiming to elucidate the molecular basis underlying their distinct toxicological profiles. Using high-resolution chromatographic fractionation and LC-MS/MS, we identified a core set of nine protein families shared between both species, including phospholipases A₂ (PLA₂), three-finger toxins (3FTx), natriuretic peptides (NTP), nerve growth factors (NGF), and prothrombin activators (PTA). O. microlepidotus venom exhibited greater diversity of 3FTxs and unique protein families, such as Waprin and 5′-nucleotidases, suggesting lineage-specific functional adaptations. Quantitative analysis revealed a greater relative abundance of PLA₂s in O. scutellatus (66%) compared to O. microlepidotus (47%), whereas 3FTXs were more prominent in O. microlepidotus (33% vs. 9%). These interspecific differences likely underlie the distinct clinical manifestations of envenomation and reflect evolutionary divergence in the venom composition. Our findings provide molecular insights into taipan venom complexity and highlight novel toxin candidates with potential biomedical applications in neurobiology, hemostasis, and anti-infective therapy. Full article

The overall survival rate of brain malignancies such as glioblastoma is currently a little under two years, at most, and treatment options for malignant brain tumors have demonstrated limited efficacy. The current standard of care to treat brain cancer includes surgical resection, radiation, and chemotherapy. Historically, an observed interaction between malignancies and concurrent viral infection has shown therapeutic potential that can perhaps be better leveraged in brain cancer with the technological advances that we have today. We aim to discuss a variety of viral vector designs to harness their oncolytic potential and explore how some of these ideas have performed in clinical trials. In our review, three major viral candidates that have gained traction in this field of research—Herpes simplex virus-1, adenovirus, and poliovirus—are highlighted. How the field has manipulated aspects of their virology and combined these viral platforms with other immune modulating strategies to treat both adult and pediatric tumors is also surveyed. Finally, the work exploring the possibility of other neurotropic viral candidates has been elaborated. More insight into the biological interactions between tumor, brain, and body is needed to address this particularly difficult clinical challenge. While there is still no clear, effective treatment for brain malignancies, the utilization of oncolytic viruses shows potential both as a treatment and as a tool to better understand the immune microenvironment of this pathology. Full article

The highly heterogeneous and invasive nature characteristic of high-grade gliomas (HGG) has historically limited the efficacy of standard-of-care approaches, resulting in poor prognosis and treatment outcomes. Novel immunotherapies have shown remarkable potential to promote antitumoral immune responses and allow for long-term tumor remission. However, the complexity of the HGG tumor microenvironment and the dynamic immunological changes associated with immunotherapy response can limit the diagnostic utility of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) approaches. Consequently, distinguishing true tumor progression from immunotherapy-related effects often requires prolonged clinical follow-up over several months. To address this, novel quantitative MRI and PET-based approaches are being evaluated in preclinical studies and clinical trials. These advanced imaging methods target key biological features of the tumor microenvironment, including vascularity, cellularity, intratumoral habitats, tracer pharmacokinetics and immune infiltration, and can provide metrics to stratify patient response at earlier timepoints to support clinical decision making and improve treatment outcomes. This review highlights key HGG biological characteristics, describes standard-of-care and emerging therapeutic strategies, and discusses both conventional and advanced imaging methods to characterize immunotherapeutic responses. Full article

Neuroblastoma (NB) is an aggressive childhood cancer requiring intensive multimodal therapies in high-risk (HRNB) patients. Currently, invasive surgical biopsies are required to classify NB risk group and assign treatment based on the tumour genetic profile. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) obtained from blood samples can be used to identify tumour biomarkers. Here we applied targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) using a panel of 42 genes to analyse 32 NB ctDNA samples for the presence of single-nucleotide variants and copy number changes from 28 patients in all NB risk groups. In two additional ctDNA samples, droplet digital PCR was used to detect hotspot ALK variants. Pathogenic mutations with a variant allele frequency (VAF) > 1% were identified in 13/32 (41%) ctDNA samples. ALK and PTPN11 were the most frequent, each being detected in 4/32 (13%) samples, together with oncogene amplifications. Targeted NGS of ctDNA detected actionable variants, including those absent in the diagnostic primary tumour due to spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Our findings confirm the usefulness of ctDNA in detecting genetic abnormalities in NB. Full article

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries have become a popular choice for energy storage, electrified mobility, and plants. All lithium-based batteries produce flammable vent gas as a result of failure through thermal runaway. LFP cells produce less gas by volume than nickel-based cells, but the composition of this gas most often contains less carbon dioxide and more hydrogen. However, when LFP cells fail, they generate lower temperatures, so the vent gas is rarely ignited. Therefore, the hazard presented by a LFP cell in thermal runaway is less of a direct battery fire hazard but more of a flammable gas source hazard. This research identified the constituents and components of the vent gas for different sized LFP prismatic cells when overcharged to failure. This data was used to calculate the maximum homogenous concentration of gas that would be released into a 1.73 m³ test rig and the percentage of the lower explosive limit (LEL). Overcharge experiments were conducted using the same type of cells in the test rig in the presence of remote ignition sources. Ignition and deflagration of the vent gas were possible at concentrations below the theoretical LEL of the vent gas if it was homogeneously mixed. Full article

Jack-up offshore platforms, supported by truss legs, are integral to the development of marine energy resources, including oil, gas, and offshore wind. Due to the structural complexity of truss legs, accurately quantifying wave loads is crucial for ensuring the safety and efficiency of energy extraction operations. In this work, a numerical wave tank approach combined with theoretical analysis is employed comprehensively to investigate wave loads on truss legs, with a particular emphasis on the effects of component forces and inflow angle. The results demonstrate that wave loads are not solely dependent on member dimensions. The influencing factors affecting component forces include water depth and phase differences between structural units, which amplify the contribution of the component forces of members near the free surface and without phase difference to the total force. Furthermore, the total force varies periodically with the inflow angle in cycles of 60°. Notably, the influence of inflow angle on the total force becomes negligible when the wavelength substantially exceeds the pile spacing. This framework fundamentally provides a theoretical basis for the structural optimization of Jack-up offshore platform support systems, thereby enhancing the safety and reliability of energy infrastructure. Full article