Search Results (6,803)

The removal of toxic trace metals such as cadmium (Cd²⁺) and lead (Pb²⁺) from wastewater is critical due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and adverse health effects. In this study, a novel composite adsorbent was synthesized by integrating activated carbon with nickel–iron-layered double hydroxides (NiFe-LDH) and immobilizing the resulting nanocomposite within Polyether sulfone (PES) beads to improve stability, handling, and recyclability. The material was evaluated under varying pH, initial metal concentration, and contact time conditions. The adsorption behavior was investigated using four isotherm models and two kinetic models. The composite beads exhibited maximum adsorption capacities of 1.784 mg g⁻¹ for Cd²⁺ and 5.882 mg g⁻¹ for Pb²⁺. The Cd²⁺ adsorption followed the Langmuir isotherm model (R² = 0.995), indicating a homogeneous monolayer adsorption, whereas Pb²⁺ adsorption was best described by the Freundlich model (R² = 0.955), suggesting heterogeneous surface interactions and multiple binding sites. The kinetic analysis showed that the adsorption of both metals followed a pseudo-second-order model, supporting chemisorption as the dominant rate-controlling mechanism. The AC@NiFe-LDH/PES beads demonstrated high efficiency, structural integrity, and ease of recovery over multiple cycles, highlighting their potential as a sustainable and environmentally friendly adsorbent for trace metal removal from contaminated water. Full article

Connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) platoons face the dual challenge of maintaining longitudinal formation stability while ensuring lateral safety in dynamic traffic environments, yet existing control approaches often address these objectives in isolation. This paper proposes a hierarchical cooperative control framework that integrates a differential game-based longitudinal controller with a risk potential field-driven model predictive controller (MPC) for lateral motion. At the coordination control layer, a differential game formulation models inter-vehicle interactions, with analytical solutions derived for both open-loop Nash equilibrium under predecessor-following (PF) topology and an estimated Nash equilibrium under two-predecessor-following (TPF) topology. The motion control layer employs a risk potential field model that quantifies collision threats from surrounding obstacles and road boundaries, guiding the MPC to perform real-time trajectory optimization. A comprehensive co-simulation platform integrating MATLAB/Simulink, Prescan, and CarSim validates the proposed framework across three representative scenarios: ramp merging with aggressive cut-in maneuvers, emergency braking by a preceding obstacle vehicle, and multi-lane cooperative obstacle avoidance involving multiple dynamic obstacles. Across all scenarios, the CAV platoon achieves safe obstacle avoidance through autonomous decision-making, with spacing errors converging to zero and smooth velocity adjustments that ensure both formation stability and ride comfort. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework effectively adapts to diverse and complex traffic conditions. Full article

The large-scale deployment of electric power wireless private networks (EPWPNs) has significantly increased the number of base stations in substations, transmission corridors, and distribution terminals, leading to rapidly rising electricity expenditure for continuous wireless coverage and power-grid monitoring services. However, the increasing number of base stations deployed across substations and distribution networks has led to rising electricity expenditure, making cost-effective energy supply a critical challenge. To reduce the operating costs of base station clusters and enhance the economic efficiency of power supply, this paper proposes a multimodal power consumption optimization method that coordinates wind energy, solar energy, and energy storage based on user interaction behavior. First, considering user interaction characteristics and the complementarity of multiple energy sources, a dual-layer cellular network architecture consisting of macro- and micro-base stations is constructed. This architecture incorporates grid power purchases, wind power generation, and photovoltaic energy. An optimization model is then developed, which includes both equipment operation constraints and energy interaction constraints. Second, the key factors influencing energy consumption are analyzed using operational research methods. The existence of an optimal solution for the energy consumption function is demonstrated based on the Weierstrass optimization theorem. An energy-saving strategy for base stations under user group access is then derived using Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) conditions. Through spatio-temporal (ST) dynamic analysis, the coupling relationships among wind power, solar energy, energy storage, and grid electricity purchases are quantified. Based on this analysis, a multimodal cost optimization scheme utilizing dynamic bandwidth allocation is proposed. Simulation results demonstrate that, compared with traditional single-source power supply models and representative existing optimization schemes, the proposed multimodal energy scheduling framework can significantly reduce the operating cost of base station clusters while maintaining communication performance. Full article

Nanomaterial-based hole transport layers (HTLs) play a vital role in regulating interfacial charge extraction and recombination in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). To improve PSC efficiency, hydrothermally synthesized CeO₂@MoS₂ nanocomposites (CM NCs) were incorporated as an interfacial buffer layer into a NiO_X/MeO-2PACz HTL. The introduction of CM NCs induces strong interfacial interactions, where Mo sites in MoS₂ interact with NiO_X, modulating the Ni²⁺/Ni³⁺ ratio and reducing the interfacial trap density. Moreover, CeO₂ promotes the formation of oxygen vacancies, collectively improving the conductivity and hole transport capability of the NiO_X HTL. The MoS₂-grafted CeO₂ interlayer effectively tailors the interfacial energetics and creates an effective channel for hole transfer, thereby reducing open-circuit voltage (V_OC) loss and enhancing device performance. This interface modification efficiently enhances hole extraction, and non-radiative recombination is effectively suppressed at the NiO_X/MeO-2PACz/perovskite interface. Thereby, incorporating 2 vol% CM NCs into PSCs achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.93%, compared to 17.50% for a 1 vol% CM NCs-based device and 17.01% for the unmodified control device. The enhanced performance at the optimized CM NCs concentration is attributed to effective defect passivation, reduced V_OC loss, and improved interfacial band alignment, which together facilitate hole extraction and suppress non-radiative recombination. However, excessive CM NCs incorporation (4 vol%) leads to increased interfacial resistance, partial hole blocking effects associated with the n-type nature of CeO₂, and aggravated recombination, resulting in degraded device performance. These results demonstrate that precise control over CM NCs interlayer thickness and concentration is critical for maximizing device performance, providing a robust strategy for designing high-efficiency and stable NiO_X-based PSCs and advancing nanocomposite-enabled interfacial engineering for photovoltaic applications. Full article

High-speed jet-in-crossflow (JICF) configurations are central to several aerospace applications, including turbine-blade film cooling, thrust vectoring, and fuel or hydrogen injection in combusting or reacting flows. This study employs high-fidelity direct numerical simulations (DNS) to investigate the dynamics of a supersonic jet (Mach 3.73) interacting with a subsonic crossflow (Mach 0.8) at low Reynolds numbers. Three momentum-flux ratios (J = 2.8, 5.6, and 10.2) are considered, capturing a broad range of jet–crossflow interaction regimes. Turbulent inflow conditions are generated using the Dynamic Multiscale Approach (DMA), ensuring physically consistent boundary-layer turbulence and accurate representation of jet–crossflow interactions. Modal decomposition via proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and spectral POD (SPOD) is used to identify the dominant spatial and spectral features of the flow. Across the three configurations, near-wall mean shear enhances small-scale turbulence, while increasing J intensifies jet penetration and vortex dynamics, producing broadband spectral gains. Downstream of the jet injection, the spectra broadly preserve the expected standard pressure and velocity scaling across the frequency range, except at high frequencies. POD reveals coherent vortical structures associated with shear-layer roll-up, jet flapping, and counter-rotating vortex pair (CVP) formation, with increasing spatial organization at higher momentum ratios. Further, POD reveals a shift in dominant structures: shear-layer roll-up governs the leading mode at high J, whereas CVP and jet–wall interactions dominate at lower J. Spectral POD identifies global plume oscillations whose Strouhal number rises with J, reflecting a transition from slow, wall-controlled flapping to faster, jet-dominated dynamics. Overall, the results demonstrate that the momentum-flux ratio (J) regulates not only jet penetration and mixing but also the hierarchy and characteristic frequencies of coherent vortical, thermal, and pressure and acoustic structures. The predominance of shear-layer roll-up over counter-rotating vortex pair (CVP) dynamics at high J, the systematic upward shift of plume-oscillation frequencies, and the strong analogy with low-frequency shock–boundary-layer interaction (SBLI) dynamics collectively provide new mechanistic insight into the unsteady behavior of supersonic jet-in-crossflow flows. Full article

Contarinia citri Barnes is a major pest of Citrus grandis ‘Tomentosa’, damaging flowers, including abnormal development with lantern-like morphology, and substantially reducing yield. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this abnormal development remain unclear. Structural and anatomical observations combined with transcriptome analyses of normal and lantern-like flowers were performed to elucidate host regulatory pathways in response to C. citri. Infestation increased levels of salicylic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, and cis-zeatin, as well as chlorophyll and total flavonoid accumulation in petals. Simultaneously, an increased number of transverse petal cell layers led to petal thickening and lantern-like flower formation. Transcriptome sequencing identified 5601 differentially expressed genes. C. citri induced genes associated with increased petal cell number and enhanced photosynthesis and amino acid synthesis, likely providing nutrients for larvae. Most genes in the jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways were up-regulated, promoting the synthesis of resistance-related compounds, including terpenoids, flavonoids, lignin, and wax, thereby enhancing petal resistance to C. citri. These findings elucidate plant–insect interactions and provide a new framework for understanding insect-induced plant developmental reprogramming, while identifying potential targets for breeding resistant C. grandis ‘Tomentosa’ varieties and developing novel C. citri control strategies. Full article

Wind turbines operate in harsh environments where leading-edge blade erosion from particulates like sand, rain, and insects is prevalent, significantly degrading aerodynamic performance and reducing power output. To counteract this, this study proposes a novel flow-control method using detached micro-cylinders placed upstream of the leading edge of eroded S809 (a wind turbine blade profile) airfoils. The approach is inspired by the concept of symmetry recovery in disturbed flows, where strategically introduced perturbations can restore balance to an asymmetric separation pattern. The aerodynamic performance of the S809 airfoil was numerically investigated under three leading-edge erosion depths (0.2%, 0.5%, and 1% of chord length, *c*) with a fixed micro-cylinder diameter of 1% *c* positioned at fifteen different locations. Findings reveal that the strategic placement of micro-cylinders ahead of the leading edge or on the pressure side markedly enhances the aerodynamic efficiency of airfoils with 0.2% and 0.5% erosion, achieving a maximum improvement of 148.7% in the lift-to-drag ratio (L/D) difference function for the 0.5% eroded airfoil. This performance recovery is interpreted as a partial restoration of flow symmetry, disrupted by erosion-induced separation. The interaction between the cylinder wake and the spill-over stall vortex originating from the erosion groove was identified as the primary mechanism, injecting high-energy fluid into the boundary layer to suppress flow separation. This study systematically parametrizes the effect of erosion depth and cylinder placement, offering new insights for mitigating erosion-induced performance loss through controlled asymmetry introduction. Full article

The Xinding Basin is located in the high-heat-flow geothermal anomaly zone in the north-central part of China. Revealing the geothermal origin mechanism of the basin is of great significance for filling the measurement gap in heat flow values in China and providing a scientific basis for the evaluation and utilization of regional geothermal resources. Based on the hydrogeochemical characteristics of thermal reservoirs and borehole data in the Xinding Basin, this paper analyzes water–rock interaction process between geothermal water and heat reservoirs and discusses the types of geothermal systems in the basin. The results indicate that the fault structures in the basin are well-developed. The hydrochemical type of typical geothermal fields is dominated by the Cl·SO₄-Na type. Geothermal water is mainly immature water and receives recharge from shallow cold water with relatively rapid circulation. The discovered magma intrusion residues in the basin indicate that sections of the upper mantle with a shallow burial depth serve as the dynamic heat sources for regional thermal reservoirs. Intense extensional stretching in the Cenozoic Era resulted in high terrestrial heat flow values and an upward arching phenomenon of the Curie isothermal surface in the basin. Neotectonic movement is active in the basin. The regional geothermal reservoirs in the Xinding Basin occur in the glutenite beds of the Cenozoic Erathem and the rock formations of the New Archaean Erathem. The thick-layered Cenozoic loose sediments serve as the thermal cap rocks in this area. An efficient heat-convergent geothermal system integrating a heat source, heat channel, thermal reservoir, and cap rock (the “four-in-one” system) has promoted the formation of geothermal resources in the Xinding Basin. Full article

The mechanical behavior of assembled culverts under high rocky backfill presents significant challenges due to the complex interaction between the rigid structure and coarse-grained fill. This study investigates the full-process mechanical performance of an assembled culvert through comprehensive in situ monitoring and three-dimensional finite element numerical analysis. Key parameters, including earth pressure distribution, structural deformation, and joint strain, were continuously monitored throughout the backfilling process. A high-fidelity numerical model considering the soil-structure interaction was established and strictly validated against field data. The results indicate that the earth pressure growth rate gradually decreases with fill height, confirming the development of a soil arching effect within the rocky backfill. The numerical predictions show strong consistency with experimental measurements, verifying the model’s accuracy. Crucially, the culvert exhibited minimal deformation, with cumulative settlement less than 25 mm, fully meeting safety requirements. Furthermore, a distinct alternating tension-compression strain pattern was observed at the joints during early backfilling, highlighting the critical necessity of symmetrical layered compaction. These findings validate the safety of the proposed construction methodology and provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the design and quality control of high-fill infrastructure in mountainous terrain. Full article

Orbit determination for non-cooperative targets represents a significant focus of research within the domain of space situational awareness. In contrast to cooperative targets, non-cooperative targets do not provide their orbital parameters, necessitating the use of observation data for accurate orbit determination. The increasing prevalence of low-cost, low-thrust spacecraft has heightened the demand for advancements in real-time orbit determination and parameter estimation for low-thrust maneuvers. This paper presents a novel dual-layer filter approach designed to facilitate real-time acceleration estimation for non-cooperative targets. Initially, the method employs a square-root cubature Kalman filter (SRCKF) to handle the nonlinearity of the system and a Jerk model to address the challenges in acceleration modeling, thereby yielding a preliminary estimation of the acceleration produced by the thruster of the non-cooperative target. Subsequently, a specialized filtering structure is established for the estimated acceleration, and two filtering frameworks are integrated into a dual-layer filter model via the cubature transform, significantly enhancing the estimation accuracy of acceleration parameters. Finally, to adapt to the potential on/off states of the thrusters, the Interacting Multiple Model (IMM) algorithm is employed to bolster the robustness of the proposed solution. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method in achieving real-time orbit determination and acceleration estimation. Full article

Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) systems are highly sensitive to temporal delays. Conventional Dead Reckoning (DR) algorithms suffer from limited prediction accuracy and are often inadequate in mitigating simulation latency. To address these issues, a heuristic hybrid prediction model based on Polar Lights Optimization (PLO) is proposed. First, the Transformer architecture is modified by removing the decoder attention layer, and its temporal constraints are optimized to adapt to the one-way dependency of DR time series prediction. Then, a hybrid model integrating the modified Transformer and LSTM is designed, where Transformer captures global motion dependencies, and LSTM models local temporal details. Finally, the PLO algorithm is introduced to optimize the hyperparameters, which enhance global search capability and avoid premature convergence in PSO/GA. Furthermore, a closed-loop mechanism integrating error feedback and parameter updating is established to enhance adaptability. Experimental results for complex aerial target maneuvering scenarios show that the proposed model achieves a trajectory prediction $R^2$ value exceeding 0.95, reduces the Mean Squared Error (MSE) by 42% compared with the results for the traditional Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) model, and decreases the state synchronization frequency among simulation nodes by 67%. This model significantly enhances the prediction accuracy of DR and minimizes simulation latency, providing a new technical solution for improving the temporal consistency of DIS. Full article

The interface between synthetic materials and biological systems is a critical determinant of performance in medical devices and biosensors. This review examines the evolution of biointerface science through the lens of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of thiols on gold, a model system that offers atomic-level control over surface chemistry. We trace the field from the foundational structural characterization to the establishment of empirical design rules for bio-inertness. While early theoretical models attributed protein resistance to steric repulsion forces in polymer brushes, contemporary understanding has shifted toward the “water barrier” hypothesis, which posits that tightly bound interfacial water prevents direct biomolecular contact. We highlight recent studies that extend these concepts into “realistic” crowded biological environments. Their work reveals that fouling surfaces in crowded media generate a “viscous interphase layer” (VIL) that extends tens of nanometers into solution, whereas zwitterionic surfaces maintain a robust hydration shell that prevents this accumulation. Furthermore, this hydration barrier is shown to fundamentally alter bacterial mechanics, forcing microorganisms into a reversible, tethered “hovering” state at a significant biological interaction distance (>100 nm) from the surface, effectively precluding biofilm nucleation. These insights underscore that the future of antifouling material design lies in the precise engineering of interfacial hydration structures. Full article

Motor position sensors are critical parts for traction motors control in electrified automotive powertrains. As motors are becoming more compact due to the advance of technology the packaging space for motor position sensors is becoming increasingly restricted. This study presents a two-layer (2L) printed circuit board (PCB) routing strategy for inductive motor position sensors with limited area. A prototype was fabricated and tested on a test bench using a comprehensive design of experiments that contains 625 combinations of X- and Y-offsets, tilt angle, and airgap at various levels (±0.5 mm in X/Y, ±0.5° tilt, 1.9–3.1 mm airgap). Across the tolerance box, the accuracy under all test cases remained within ±1 electrical degree. The accuracy analysis through Fourier series on a circle shows that the DC offset and magnitude mismatches of the 3 Rx signals are the dominant error contributors due to the routing modification. An Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model was trained and validated with R² = 0.9951. A comparison with a Multiple Linear Regression baseline (R² = 0.0565) demonstrates that installation-induced accuracy degradation is inherently non-linear. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and interaction intensity analysis identified tilt and Y-offset as dominant error drivers, revealing a strong coupled influence (interaction intensity = 0.9581). The model revealed a mild Y-axis asymmetry introduced by routing modifications. This integrated workflow provides a general, quantitative framework for optimizing and analyzing inductive sensor layouts and establishing installation tolerances. Full article

Glaucoma progression differs markedly between individuals despite comparable intraocular pressure control, implying additional modifiable contributors to neurodegeneration. We evaluated the joint impact of sleep deficit and inflammatory cytokine trajectories on retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) loss. In this 24-month prospective longitudinal observational cohort, 57 participants (19 controls, 19 prostaglandin-treated glaucoma, 19 untreated glaucoma) underwent spectral-domain OCT, validated sleep assessment, and serial IL-6 and TNF-α profiling. Longitudinal models tested independent and interactive effects of sleep deficit and inflammation on RNFL change, and mediation analyses assessed whether inflammation explains the sleep–progression association. RNFL loss rates were −0.20 ± 0.10 μm/year (controls), −1.06 ± 0.89 μm/year (treated), and −1.94 ± 0.78 μm/year (untreated; p < 0.001). Sleep deficit correlated with RNFL loss in glaucoma (r = −0.41, p = 0.010) but not controls, with stronger effects in untreated disease (p = 0.034). Each hour of sleep deficit was associated with 0.09–0.11 μm/year faster RNFL loss (p < 0.05). A combined sleep–inflammation model improved risk stratification (C-statistic = 0.68). Mediation was not supported. Sleep deficit and inflammatory cytokines act as parallel, independent risk factors for glaucoma progression. Integrating sleep and inflammatory profiling may enhance personalized risk assessment beyond pressure-based management. Full article

With the continuous evolution of social media, users are increasingly inclined to express their personal emotions on digital platforms by integrating information presented in multiple modalities. Within this context, research on image–text sentiment analysis has garnered significant attention. Prior research efforts have made notable progress by leveraging shared emotional concepts across visual and textual modalities. However, existing cross-modal sentiment analysis methods face two key challenges: Previous approaches often focus excessively on fusion, resulting in learned features that may not achieve emotional alignment; traditional fusion strategies are not optimized for sentiment tasks, leading to insufficient robustness in final sentiment discrimination. To address the aforementioned issues, this paper proposes a Dual-path Interaction Network with Multi-level Consistency Learning (DINMCL). It employs a multi-level feature representation module to decouple the global and local features of both text and image. These decoupled features are then fed into the Global Congruity Learning (GCL) and Local Crossing-Congruity Learning (LCL) modules, respectively. GCL models global semantic associations using Crossing Prompter, while LCL captures local consistency in fine-grained emotional cues across modalities through cross-modal attention mechanisms and adaptive prompt injection. Finally, a CLIP-based adaptive fusion layer integrates the multi-modal representations in a sentiment-oriented manner. Experiments on the MVSA_Single, MVSA_Multiple, and TumEmo datasets with baseline models such as CTMWA and CLMLF demonstrate that DINMCL significantly outperforms mainstream models in sentiment classification accuracy and F1-score and exhibits strong robustness when handling samples containing highly noisy symbols. Full article