Search Results (383)

Analysis of the EPR of dilute transition-ion complexes and metalloproteins in random phases, such as frozen solutions, powders, glasses, and gels, requires a model for the spectral ‘powder’ shape. Such a model comprises a description of the line shape and the linewidth of individual molecules as well as a notion of their physical origin. Spectral features sharpen up with decreasing temperature until the limit of constant linewidth of inhomogeneous broadening. At and below this temperature limit, each molecule has a linewidth that slightly differs from those of its congeners, and which is not related in a simple way to lifetime broadening. Choice of the model not only affects precise assignment of g-values, but also concentration determination (‘spin counting’), and therefore, calculation of stoichiometries in multi-center complexes. Forty years ago, the theoretically and experimentally well-founded statistical theory of g-strain was developed as a prime model for EPR powder patterns. In the intervening years until today, this model was universally ignored in favor of models that are incompatible with physical reality, resulting in many mistakes in EPR spectral interpretation. The purpose of this review is to outline the differences between the models, to reveal where analyses went astray, and thus to turn a very long standstill in EPR powder shape understanding into a new start towards proper methodology. Full article

Background/Objectives: Gut microbiota research has gained momentum in recent years broadening knowledge of microbial components and their potential effects on health and well-being. Strong association between explicit microbes and metabolic diseases associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, gastrointestinal disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and even cancers have been established. Akkermansia muciniphila is a budding next-generation probiotic that plays an important role in systemic metabolism, intestinal health, and immune regulation, establishing strong implications for its use as a potent therapeutic intervention in diverse diseases. This project aimed at evaluating whether bacterial cell extracts of VH Akkermansia muciniphila (Vidya Strain; VS) can stimulate insulin secretion in INS-1 pancreatic beta cells and GLP-1 secretion in NCI-H716 human L-cells, both established in vitro models for studying metabolic regulation. Methods: Cultured VH Akkermansia muciniphila extracts were administered in a dose-dependent manner on INS-1 cells, and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) was measured via ELISA. Treated Human L-cell lines (NCI-H716) were analyzed for GLP-1 secretion. Results: Our study demonstrated that VH Akkermansia muciniphila extracts modestly increase insulin secretion from INS-1 beta cells and, more notably, induce a robust, dose-dependent rise in GLP-1 secretion from NCI-H716 L-cells, with the highest dose achieving over a 2000% increase comparable to glutamine. Conclusions: These findings suggest that VH A. muciniphila extracts may offer metabolic benefits by enhancing GLP-1 release, highlighting their potential for managing type 2 diabetes and obesity. Full article

This paper presents a symmetry-driven broadband circularly polarized magnetoelectric dipole antenna with bandpass filtering response, where the principle of symmetry is strategically employed to enhance both radiation and filtering performance. The antenna’s circular polarization is achieved through a symmetrical arrangement of two orthogonally placed metallic ME dipoles combined with a phase delay line, creating balanced current distributions for optimal CP characteristics. The design further incorporates symmetrical parasitic elements—a pair of identical inverted L-shaped metallic structures placed perpendicular to the ground plane at −45° relative to the ME dipoles—which introduce an additional CP resonance through their mirror-symmetric configuration, thereby significantly broadening the axial ratio bandwidth. The filtering functionality is realized through a combination of symmetrical modifications: grid slots etched in the metallic ground plane and an open-circuited stub loaded on the microstrip feed line work in tandem to create two radiation nulls in the upper stopband, while the inherent symmetrical properties of the ME dipoles naturally produce a radiation null in the lower stopband. This comprehensive symmetry-based approach results in a well-balanced bandpass filtering response across a wide operating bandwidth. Experimental validation through prototype measurement confirms the effectiveness of the symmetric design with compact dimensions of 0.96${\lambda }_0$ × 0.55${\lambda }_0$ × 0.17${\lambda }_0$ (${\lambda }_0$ is the wavelength at the lowest operating frequency), demonstrating an impedance bandwidth of 66.4% (2.87–5.05 GHz), an AR bandwidth of 31.9% (3.32–4.58 GHz), an average passband gain of 5.5 dBi, and out-of-band suppression levels of 11.5 dB and 26.8 dB at the lower and upper stopbands, respectively, along with good filtering performance characterized by a gain-suppression index (GSI) of 0.93 and radiation skirt index (RSI) of 0.58. The proposed antenna is suitable for satellite communication terminals requiring wide AR bandwidth and strong interference rejection in L/S-bands. Full article

Traditional manual inspection methods for tunnel lining leakage are subjective and inefficient, while existing models lack sufficient recognition accuracy in complex scenarios. An intelligent leakage identification model adaptable to complex backgrounds is therefore needed. To address these issues, a Vision Transformer (ViT) was integrated into the UNet architecture, forming an SE-TransUNet model by incorporating SE-Block modules at skip connections between the encoder-decoder and the ViT output. Using a hybrid leakage dataset partitioned by k-fold cross-validation, the roles of SE-Block and ViT modules were examined through ablation experiments, and the model’s attention mechanism for leakage features was analyzed via Score-CAM heatmaps. Results indicate: (1) SE-TransUNet achieved mean values of 0.8318 (IoU), 0.8304 (Dice), 0.9394 (Recall), 0.8480 (Precision), 0.9733 (AUC), 0.8562 (MCC), 0.9218 (F1-score), and 6.53 (FPS) on the hybrid dataset, demonstrating robust generalization in scenarios with dent shadows, stain interference, and faint leakage traces. (2) Ablation experiments confirmed both modules’ necessity: The baseline model’s IoU exceeded the variant without the SE module by 4.50% and the variant without both the SE and ViT modules by 7.04%. (3) Score-CAM heatmaps showed the SE module broadened the model’s attention coverage of leakage areas, enhanced feature continuity, and improved anti-interference capability in complex environments. This research may provide a reference for related fields. Full article

We present high-angular resolution observations, conducted with the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Band 6, of high-excitation molecular lines of ${\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{CN}$, CH₃OH, and the H29$\alpha$ radio recombination line, towards the G333.6-0.2 ultracompact (UC) H ii region. Our observations reveal three hot molecular cores: A, B, and C, where emission is detected in ten components of the $J=14\to 13$ rotational ladder of ${\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{CN}$ and in the CH₃OH $J=5_{1,4}\to 4_{1,3}$ transition. Rotational diagram analysis of ${\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{CN}$ reveals excitation temperatures ranging from 380 to 430 K. First-order moment maps of ${\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{CN}$ and CH₃OH reveal distinct velocity gradients in all cores, suggesting rotating structures, with core A also showing evidence of expansion motions. The H29$\alpha$ recombination line shows a linewidth of $30.2\pm 0.12$ km s⁻¹, dominated by dynamical and thermal broadening, indicative of large-scale motions in ionized gas. Analysis of the ionized gas properties yields an electron density of $(4.8\pm 0.4)\times {10}^5$ cm⁻³, an emission measure of $(1.23\pm 0.06)\times {10}^9$ pc cm⁻⁶, and a Lyman continuum photon flux consistent with an O5–O6 V (Zero-Age Main Sequence; ZAMS) star. Our results suggest that G333.6-0.2 is in an intermediate evolutionary stage between hypercompact (HC) and ultracompact (UC) H ii regions, hosting active high-mass star formation with rotating hot cores and ionized gas dynamics. Full article

A straightforward and versatile numerical approach is proposed for the nonlinear analysis of single and double-curvature masonry structures. The method is designed to broaden accessibility to both experienced and less specialized users. Masonry units are discretized with elastic quadrilateral elements, while mortar joints are modeled with a combination of elastic orthotropic plate elements or shear panels and elastic perfectly brittle trusses (cutoff bars). This method employs the simplest inelastic finite element available in any commercial software to lump nonlinearities exclusively within the mortar joints. It effectively captures the failure of curved structures under Mode 1 deformation, reproducing the typical collapse mechanism of unreinforced arches and vaults via flexural plastic hinges. The proposed method is benchmarked through three case studies drawn from the literature, each supported by experimental data and numerical results of varying complexity. A comprehensive evaluation of the global force–displacement curves, along with the analysis of the thrust line and the evolution of nonlinearities within the model, demonstrates the effectiveness, reliability, and simplicity of the approach proposed. By bridging the gap between advanced simulation and practical application, the approach provides a robust tool suitable for a wide range of users. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the behavior of unreinforced curved masonry structures and lays a base for future advancements in the analysis and conservation of historical heritage. Full article

Wildfire detection in power transmission corridors is essential for providing timely warnings and ensuring the safe and stable operation of power lines. However, this task faces significant challenges due to the large number of smoke-like samples in the background, the complex and diverse target morphologies, and the difficulty of detecting small-scale smoke and flame objects. To address these issues, this paper proposed an improved Oriented R-CNN model enhanced with metric learning for wildfire detection in power transmission corridors. Specifically, a multi-center metric loss (MCM-Loss) module based on metric learning was introduced to enhance the model’s ability to differentiate features of similar targets, thereby improving the recognition accuracy in the presence of interference. Experimental results showed that the introduction of the MCM-Loss module increased the average precision (AP) for smoke targets by 2.7%. In addition, the group convolution-based network ResNeXt was adopted to replace the original backbone network ResNet, broadening the channel dimensions of the feature extraction network and enhancing the model’s capability to detect flame and smoke targets with diverse morphologies. This substitution led to a 0.6% improvement in mean average precision (mAP). Furthermore, an FPN-CARAFE module was designed by incorporating the content-aware up-sampling operator CARAFE, which improved multi-scale feature representation and significantly boosted performance in detecting small targets. In particular, the proposed FPN-CARAFE module improved the AP for fire targets by 8.1%. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed model achieved superior performance in wildfire detection within power transmission corridors, achieving a mAP of 90.4% on the test dataset—an improvement of 6.4% over the baseline model. Compared with other commonly used object detection algorithms, the model developed in this study exhibited improved detection performance on the test dataset, offering research support for wildfire monitoring in power transmission corridors. Full article

A conventional microchannel plate framing camera is typically utilized for inertial confinement fusion diagnosis. However, as a vacuum electronic device, it has inherent limitations, such as a complex structure and the inability to achieve single-line-of-sight imaging. To address these challenges, a CMOS image sensor that can be seamlessly integrated with an electronic pulse broadening system can provide a viable alternative to the microchannel plate detector. This paper introduces the design of an 8 × 8 pixel-array ultrashort shutter-time single-framing CMOS image sensor, which leverages silicon epitaxial processing and a 0.18 μm standard CMOS process. The focus of this study is on the photodiode and the readout pixel-array circuit. The photodiode, designed using the silicon epitaxial process, achieves a quantum efficiency exceeding 30% in the visible light band at a bias voltage of 1.8 V, with a temporal resolution greater than 200 ps for visible light. The readout pixel-array circuit, which is based on the 0.18 μm standard CMOS process, incorporates 5T structure pixel units, voltage-controlled delayers, clock trees, and row-column decoding and scanning circuits. Simulations of the pixel circuit demonstrate an optimal temporal resolution of 60 ps. Under the shutter condition with the best temporal resolution, the maximum output swing of the pixel circuit is 448 mV, and the output noise is 77.47 μV, resulting in a dynamic range of 75.2 dB for the pixel circuit; the small-signal responsivity is 1.93 × 10⁻⁷ V/e⁻, and the full-well capacity is 2.3 Me⁻. The maximum power consumption of the 8 × 8 pixel-array and its control circuits is 0.35 mW. Considering both the photodiode and the pixel circuit, the proposed CMOS image sensor achieves a temporal resolution better than 209 ps. Full article

The purpose of this research is to clarify the genetic groups associated with high-quality germplasms with different genotypes and investigate the responses of their yield and quality traits to varied fertilization regimes, thereby providing references for premium breeding and cultivation practices. A total of 29 samples, including 15 newly developed lines and 14 elite cultivars, were analyzed as to their genetic structure. A split-plot field experiment was conducted to evaluate the responses of yield, quality, and agronomic traits to different fertilization treatments. The 29 samples were classified into three genetic groups. Line 1, developed by our team, formed a unique group, while Lines 3 and 8 constituted another distinct group. In the 2022 trial, the protein content ranged from 6.8% to 9.0%, amylose content from 17.9% to 20.1%, and taste value from 73.8 to 85.7. The top five samples in yield were Line 4, Line 2, Line 5, Line 6, and Line 1, with significant differences among them (p < 0.05) and markedly higher yields compared to other samples. For taste value, Longdao 17029, Line 2, Line 4, Line 5, and Line 6 ranked highest, with Longdao 17029 exhibiting significantly superior taste scores (p < 0.05). Fertilizer treatments ranked by yield were as follows: Treatment 1 (N₁₂₀P₁₀₀K₁₀₀) > Treatment 4 (Longfutianxia slow-release fertilizer) > Treatment 2 (N₉₆P₁₀₀K₁₀₀ + bio-organic fertilizer) > Treatment 3 (N₀P₀K₀), with significant differences (p < 0.05). Treatment 2 achieved a significantly higher taste value than the others (p < 0.05). In the 2023 trial, Longdao 17029 demonstrated higher leaf color index and net photosynthetic rate during the grain-filling stage, compared to Longdao 18 and Longdao 21. Lines 1, 3, and 8 are valuable for broadening the genetic diversity of rice in cold regions. Line 4 and Longdao 17029 show potential as novel germplasms for improving yield and taste quality. Moderate nitrogen reduction, combined with bio-organic fertilizer application, enhances rice taste value. Full article

Interspecific and intersectional crosses have introduced valuable genetic traits for blueberry (Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus) cultivar improvement. Introgression from Vaccinium species at the diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid levels has been found in cultivated blueberries. Continued efforts to integrate wild blueberry genetic resources into blueberry breeding are essential to broaden the genetic diversity of cultivated blueberries. However, performing heteroploid crosses among Vaccinium species is challenging. Polyploid induction through tissue culture has been useful in bridging ploidy barriers. Mixoploid or chimeric shoots often are produced, along with solid polyploid mutants. These chimeras are mostly discarded because of their genome instability and the difficulty in identifying periclinal mutants carrying germline mutations. Since induced polyploidy in blueberries often results in a low frequency of solid mutant lines, it is important to recover solid polyploids through chimera dissociation. In this study, two vegetative propagation methods, i.e., axillary and adventitious shoot induction, were evaluated for their efficiency in chimera dissociation. Significantly higher rates of chimera dissociation were found in adventitious shoot induction compared to axillary shoot induction. Approximately 89% and 82% of the adventitious shoots induced from mixoploid lines 145.11 and 169.40 were solid polyploids, respectively, whereas only 25% and 53% of solid polyploids were recovered through axillary shoot induction in these lines. Effective chimera dissociation provides useful and stable genetic materials to enhance blueberry breeding. Full article

Background: Advancing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for solid tumors remains a major challenge in cancer immunotherapy. Prostate cancer (PCa), particularly in its aggressive forms, may be a suitable target for CAR-T therapy given the range of associated tumor antigens. However, due to the high plasticity and heterogeneity of aggressive PCa and the complexity of the tumor environment, there is a need to broaden the repertoire of targetable antigens and deepen our understanding of CAR-T behavior in stressed microenvironmental conditions. Growing evidence supports mesothelin as a promising cancer-associated marker and a compelling target for CAR-T cell approaches in solid tumors. Objectives and Methods: Here, we employed gene expression datasets to investigate mesothelin expression in both primary and metastatic PCa tumors. Additionally, we evaluated mesothelin expression across various preclinical PCa models and assessed the therapeutic efficacy of second-generation mesothelin-targeted CAR-T (meso-CAR-T) cells under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions, with hypoxia as a representative tumor-associated stress condition. Results: Our results revealed a significant enrichment of mesothelin in 3–10% of metastatic prostate tumors, contrasting with its minimal expression in primary tumors. In line with these findings, we observed increased mesothelin expression in an aggressive variant of the 22Rv1 cell line, which displayed an epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) phenotype. Meso-CAR-T cells demonstrated potent cytotoxicity and remarkable selectivity toward these carcinoma cells under both severe hypoxia (1% O₂) or normoxia (21% O₂), highlighting their ability to withstand metabolic stress within the tumor microenvironment. Conclusions: Our study underscores the potential of meso-CAR-T cells as a promising strategy for targeting specific subtypes of metastatic prostate cancer. Full article

The study investigates the spectral, structural, and phase changes occurring in austenitic steel 12Kh18N10T during cathodic electrolytic plasma nitriding (EPN) in a Na₂CO₃–CO(NH₂)₂–NH₄Cl electrolyte at 550 °C for 10 min. Emission spectroscopy revealed active plasma components: N₂⁺, N I, Hα, and O I. The electron density, calculated from the Hα line broadening, was approximately 8.5 × 10¹⁸ cm⁻³. X-ray phase analysis revealed the formation of CrN, Fe₃N phases, and a solid solution of nitrogen in γ-Fe. SEM analysis revealed a three-layer structure of the nitrided layer: a nitride zone, a transition region, and the austenitic matrix. The EDS profile confirmed a decrease in nitrogen concentration, accompanied by a reduction in microhardness from a maximum of 480 HV at the surface, both gradually decreasing with depth. The friction coefficient decreased from ~0.8 (in the initial state) to ~0.6 after EPN. The results confirm the effectiveness of EPN in strengthening and improving the wear resistance of stainless steel. Full article

Background/Objectives: Natural products are gaining increasing importance due to the large variety of biological activities exerted by their constituents. Among these, the products deriving from Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen can be exploited for their local anaesthetic, myorelaxant, anti-inflammatory/analgesic, and antifungal properties. In this regard, there is a need to develop novel formulations for the topical delivery of A. oleracea-derived extracts to widen their use in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields. Methods: Nanoformulations, i.e., nanoemulsions (NEs) and microemulsions (MEs), were investigated as a strategy to encapsulate an extract from A. oleracea at the nanoscale level in water and then incorporated into xanthan gum-based hydrogels. Results: Only NEs provided a physically stable formulation, while the precipitation of solid hydrophobic components from the extract was observed during ME preparation under all tested conditions despite the use of ethyl oleate as an oily co-solvent. The optimized NE-based hydrogel remained physically stable over six months, as confirmed by rheological measurements and polarized optical microscope observation, without a phase separation phenomenon. Therefore, NEs resulted more suitable nanodispersed systems than MEs for the encapsulation of A. oleracea extract, which contains a large amount of hydrophobic constituents that are solid at room temperature. Furthermore, the sustained spilanthol release across an artificial membrane (Franz cell apparatus) and the cytotoxic profile on HaCaT cell line support its potential topical application. Conclusions: The outcomes of this study provided valuable insights into the formulation of A. oleracea extract, broadening its fields of applicability, including topical administration. Full article

Background/Objectives: Carbamazepine is widely used as a first-line treatment for pediatric patients with benign epilepsy. However, most commercial formulations have doses of 100 mg or higher, limiting their suitability for pediatric use. The aim of this study was to develop mini orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) containing 50 mg of carbamazepine, utilizing direct compression technology, specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of pediatric patients. Methods: The development was carried out following a Quality by Design (QbD) approach, beginning with preformulation studies using the SeDeM expert system. Various co-processed excipients (PROSOLV^® ODT and PARTECK^® ODT) and non-co-processed excipients (L-HPC LH11 and L-HPC NBD-022) were evaluated. Additionally, modifications to the radius parameter of the SeDeM expert system were investigated to improve formulation design. Results: Optimized Formulations 13 and 14 achieved disintegration times below 1 min, hardness values between 25 and 60 N, and friability under 1%, fulfilling the predefined Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs). Tablets were successfully produced with a diameter of 5 mm and a weight below 100 mg. Moreover, reducing the SeDeM incidence radius from 5.0 to values between 4.0 and 3.5 proved viable, enabling the inclusion of excipients previously considered unsuitable and broadening formulation options without compromising quality. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the feasibility of producing small, fast-disintegrating, and mechanically robust 50 mg carbamazepine ODTs tailored for pediatric patients. It also validates the adjustment of SeDeM parameters as an effective strategy to expand excipient selection and enhance formulation flexibility in pediatric drug development. Full article

Urban sprawl and excessive reliance on motorization have led to many urban problems. The balance of supply and demand in the real estate market, as well as price fluctuations, also face many challenges. Urban rail transit not only alleviates traffic congestion and air pollution, but also significantly reduces residents’ commuting time, broadens urban accessibility, and reshapes the decision-making basis for residents when choosing residential locations. This study takes the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 11th, and 13th metro lines that have been opened in Qingdao City as examples. It selects 12,924 residential samples within a 2 km radius along the rail transit lines. By using GIS spatial analysis tools and the multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model, it analyzes the spatial differentiation characteristics of housing prices along the rail transit lines and the reasons and mechanisms behind them. The empirical results show that housing prices decrease to varying degrees with the increase in the distance from the rail transit. For every additional 1 km from the rail transit station, the housing price increases by 0.246%. Through model comparison, it was found that MGWR has a better fitting degree than the traditional ordinary least squares method (OLS) and the previous geographically weighted regression model (GWR), and reveals the spatial heterogeneity of the influence of urban rail transit on housing prices. Different indicator elements have different effects on housing prices along these lines. The urban rail transit factor in the location characteristics has a positive impact on housing prices, and has a significant negative correlation in some areas. The significant influence range of the distance to the nearest metro station on housing prices is concentrated within a radius of 373 m, and the effect decays beyond this range. The total floors, building area, green coverage rate, property management fee, and the distance to hospitals and parks in the neighborhood and structural characteristics have spatial heterogeneity. Analyzing the areas affected by the urban rail transit factor, it was found that the double location superposition effect, the networked transportation system, and the agglomeration of urban functional axes are important reasons for the significant phenomena in some local areas. This research provides a scientific basis for optimizing the sustainable development of rail transit in Qingdao and formulating differentiated housing policies. Meanwhile, it expands the application of the MGWR model in sustainable urban spatial governance and has practical significance for other cities to achieve sustainable urban development. Full article