Search Results (6,430)

A warped extra dimension in a five-dimensional (5D) anti-de Sitter (AdS) background was introduced in 1999 by Lisa Randall and Raman Sundrum to solve the gauge hierarchy problem in particle physics. As a bonus, a holographic interpretation in terms of four-dimensional (4D) conformal field theories (CFTs) was found. Interestingly enough, another 5D background, linear dilaton (LD), was found to have a holographic interpretation in terms of Little String Theory. In this review, we will show how a set of 5D backgrounds, parametrized in terms of a real parameter $\nu$, generalizes both theories and gives rise, in particular, to AdS for $\nu =0$ and to LD for $\nu =1$. Furthermore, working in the 5D theory, we will consider applications of the LD background to: (i) particle physics, so that the 5D Planck scale can be lowered to sub-Planckian values, and (ii) Brane World Cosmology (BWC), based on the appearance of an extra vacuum characterized by a 5D black hole. In all cases, we find a gapped continuum for bulk propagating fields, which makes a connection with unparticles. In the case of BWC, we also point out the existence of a pressureless holographic fluid that could play the role of dark matter (DM), with feeble (gravitational) interactions with the Standard Model (SM), decoupled from the thermal SM bath, and generated by a freeze-in mechanism after inflation. We also point out the additional possibility of identifying DM with a long-lived, feebly interacting massive graviton, as an isolated resonance generated by radiative corrections to the continuum graviton propagator self-energy. Full article

Flat tempered glass sheets subjected to cold bending have been increasingly used in modern architectural curtain walls due to its extremely low production and processing costs and construction flexibility. However, existing studies mainly focus on small-size specimens, and there is still a lack of systematic understanding of the mechanical behavior of large-size monolithic tempered glass under long-edge cold bending. This knowledge gap leads to either unsafe or overly conservative curtain wall designs, limiting the popularization and application of flat tempered glass subjected to cold bending in large-curved curtain walls. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation into the bending behavior of flat tempered glass sheets—3200 mm × 1700 mm × 8 mm monolithic tempered glass—under long-edge cold bending conditions, through full-scale tests, finite element simulations and theoretical derivations. Firstly, cold bending tests on three full-scale tempered glass specimens were completed to obtain the failure process, failure modes, ultimate loads, failure displacements and stress distribution laws. The initial tempered residual stress of each specimen was measured to consider its influence on the mechanical response. Secondly, a refined finite element model was established in ABAQUS, which incorporated the initial tempered stress field, self-weight deformation and contact nonlinear effects. The accuracy of the model was verified through failure location, ultimate load, displacement and load-displacement curves, with average errors of less than 5.1% for both load and displacement predictions. Finally, parametric analysis was carried out based on the validated model to reveal the influence laws of glass width and thickness on the cold bending performance. The results show that glass thickness has the most significant influence on the bearing capacity, followed by length, while width has a relatively minor effect. This study provides basic data and model support for the safe application of flat tempered glass sheets subjected to long-edge bending. Full article

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in interventions among individuals with neurodevelopmental and cognitive disorders, offering personalized and adaptive approaches that advance traditional therapeutic practices. Although previous reviews have focused on symptom detection or alleviation, less attention has been paid to the impact of AI in fostering the acquisition of higher-order skills essential for being functional and independent. This review uniquely addresses this gap by synthesizing evidence from randomized controlled trials on AI-driven skill acquisition across multiple domains. Objectives: The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of AI-driven interventions in promoting skillfulness. More specifically, it investigates the acquisition of neurocognitive, self-regulation, and adaptive and related skills among individuals with neurodevelopmental and cognitive disorders, including attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and cognitive impairment. Methods: A systematic search, according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, was conducted, selecting randomized controlled trials published between 2019 and 2026. Eligible technologies included conversational agents, intelligent tutoring systems, adaptive training platforms, and machine learning-based interventions. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. Results: Twenty-four randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. The findings demonstrated improvements in a wide range of skills, such as attention, working memory, mental flexibility, metacognitive control, emotional regulation, inhibition control, and social and communication skills. Generative AI showed efficacy for language and communication skills, while machine learning-based systems demonstrated positive effects on attention regulation and self-regulation. Conclusions: This review concludes that artificial intelligence can effectively assist conventional interventions for individuals with neurodevelopmental and cognitive disorders. However, the heterogeneity in intervention designs, outcome measures, and participant populations limits generalizability and highlights the need for standardized assessment frameworks, larger-scale longitudinal trials, and mechanistic investigations to translate these preliminary gains into long-term functional improvements across diverse clinical and cultural contexts. Full article

Digital television is an integral part of modern society, and the quality of the service its has exceeded all expectations. Television stations are divided into national and regional licensing categories, governed by the broadcasting regulations of each European Union member state. DVB-T gap fillers are used to provide and enhance the television signal in rural areas using satellite transport streams (TS) as feeds. However, for regional television stations—particularly in areas lacking network coverage—retransmitting their transport streams via standard digital terrestrial reception and rebroadcasting is often insufficient. This direct Re-transmission method frequently suffers from severe signal intermittency and broadcast interruptions. This paper presents the design, field deployment, and long-term evaluation (8760 h) of an ultra-low-cost, license-exempt DVB-over-IP gap filler architecture. The proposed system integrates Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) devices to convert a pristine DVB-T transport stream into an IP data stream, transmit it via a 5.64 GHz wireless bridge to bypass natural obstacles, and accurately reconstruct the digital TV signal at the remote gap filler. Empirical results demonstrate that the proposed IP stream method yields a 95.51% reduction in total annual downtime, elevating link availability from 86.26% to 99.38%. The system virtually eliminates environmental signal interruptions, with the only recorded downtime caused by a local power outage. Notably, this robust reliability is achieved at approximately 5% of the CEcapital expenditure (CapEx) required for conventional professional microwave backhaul solutions. Furthermore, the residual bandwidth of the wireless IP backbone provides a ready-made foundation for deploying future municipal network services, such as local Wi-Fi hotspots and LoRa-based Internet of Things (IoT) telemetry networks. Full article

Coastal zones rank among the most productive, densely populated, and rapidly transforming systems on Earth, yet the very development that sustains them increasingly compromises their long-term viability. Drawing on the international coastal management and marine science literature, this narrative review traces the ways in which human development along the coast drives environmental degradation and, in turn, elicits institutional and ecological responses. It shows that three principal activities—land reclamation, mariculture and marine aquaculture, and urban coastal sprawl—recur as the sources of a recurring suite of environmental harms, spanning shoreline erosion, plastic and heavy-metal pollution, invasive-species incursions, and the loss of blue-carbon habitat. In response, a growing literature documents integrated coastal management, marine functional zoning, carrying-capacity assessment, and climate-adaptive and nature-based solutions as progressively more integrated instruments of governance. The review argues that these three stages form a single development–degradation–response cycle, and that whether that cycle closes constructively depends less on the mere presence of development than on the quality of the governance response it elicits. Across the cases synthesized here, the most acute pressure–degradation couplings arise where rapid urbanization and intensive coastal use coincide with weak or fragmented governance, whereas durable institutions of integrated coastal management and zoning have demonstrably contained or reversed degradation. The review closes by identifying the most pressing research gaps and the policy levers available to decision-makers seeking to reconcile coastal development with sustainability. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite the high prevalence of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathic pain (CIPNp), its management remains challenging, and reliable preventive strategies are still lacking. Current treatment is largely symptomatic and often provides only modest benefits, as available pharmacological therapies have shown limited and inconsistent efficacy. In this context, acupuncture has been investigated as a non-pharmacological intervention, but the certainty and clinical applicability of the available evidence remain unclear. This critical narrative review examines the clinical evidence, mechanistic plausibility, and current research gaps concerning acupuncture for CIPNp. Methods: A non-systematic narrative review was conducted with preference given to peer-reviewed articles published in English, including clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical guidelines, mechanistic studies, and narrative reviews considered relevant to the objectives. Publications were not selected according to a predefined systematic protocol, and no formal quality assessment, risk-of-bias analysis, or meta-analysis was performed. The extracted information was organized thematically rather than quantitatively. Results: Clinical trials and evidence syntheses suggest that acupuncture may be associated with reductions in pain and sensory symptoms in some patients with CIPN. However, confidence in these findings is limited by small samples sizes, heterogeneous acupuncture protocols, variable comparators and outcome measures, and limited long-term follow-up. Much of the proposed mechanistic rationale derives from animal models or human studies in non-CIPN pain conditions. Conclusions: Acupuncture may be considered a monitored adjunctive option for selected patients with persistent CIPNp. More rigorous and adequately powered trials are required to determine efficacy, optimal treatment protocols, durability of benefit, and potential treatment-response modifiers. Full article

Early detection of cancer remains challenging due to the extremely low concentration of biomarkers present during initial disease stages. Dysregulation of key signaling pathways, including cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) networks, drives uncontrolled cell proliferation and tumor progression, underscoring the need for highly sensitive, label-free biosensing technologies. Conventional analytical methods such as ELISA and PCR offer reliable detection but require complex sample preparation, fluorescent labeling, and long processing times, limiting their suitability for rapid diagnostics. This work introduces a novel label-free Biological Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical System (BioMEMS) platform based on an unbalanced Michelson interferometer with DBR mirrors to interrogate the minute spectral shifts induced by biomolecular interactions. A microcantilever is suspended above a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguide, where the specific binding of biomarkers generates compressive surface stress, causing a downward deflection that reduces the cantilever-to-waveguide gap. This displacement modulates the effective refractive index of the sensing arm through enhanced evanescent-field coupling. The resulting phase variation is further detected through the high-sensitivity Michelson interferometric architecture, enabling ultrasensitive spectral interrogation. Numerical simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics demonstrate a narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 27.6 nm, a quality factor (Q) of 53.34, and an overall sensitivity of 75.74 $\mathsf{\mu }$m/(N/m). These results highlight the potential of the proposed platform for early cancer detection and precise monitoring of dysregulated signaling pathways. Full article

Background: Digital impression technology is widely used in conventional dental fixed restorations and single-unit tooth implant supported fixed restorations, but faces challenges in accurate impressions for multiple implants. The conventional method currently used in clinical practice still requires a large amount of manual operation, long chairside time, and the quality of impression is difficult to guarantee. To overcome these limitations, this study proposed a novel personalized alternative method of impression making for multiple implant-supported fixed restorations based on digital technology and additive manufacturing. Methods: An intraoral scanner was used to obtain 3D data of the impression copings and the surrounding oral soft tissue. A hierarchical structuring was designed using computer-aided design (CAD) software, comprising a novel splinting framework and a corresponding patient-specific custom impression tray. The entire system was fabricated via additive manufacturing. The splinting framework was rigidly connected to the copings using resin, and the tray was guided into position by the splinting framework. The workflow was assessed via an in vitro impression simulation using a four-implant mandibular model and a clinical application in an edentulous patient with three implants. Results: The 3D-printed splinting framework achieved a passive fit in both in vitro and clinical applications. The gap between the splinting framework and copings was effectively filled with resin to establish a rigid connection. The annular step structure accurately guided the custom impression tray to the predetermined vertical position, ensuring uniform impression material thickness. In both the in vitro and the clinical case, the custom tray, splinting framework, and impression copings were removed as a single stable unit without separation or distortion. Conclusions: The proposed CAD-designed, 3D-printed splinting framework combined with a patient-specific custom impression tray demonstrated technical feasibility for multiple implant-supported fixed restorations. It may potentially reduce the face-to-face treatment time and facilitate fast and efficient chairside impression making. Full article

Background/Objectives: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are rare biologically heterogeneous neoplasms but with increasing incidence in recent years. Surgery remains the backbone of treatment; however, long-term recurrence is common even after curative resection. Despite expanding treatment options, the optimal perioperative integration of adjunct therapies in conjunction with surgery remains incompletely defined, as available evidence is largely retrospective and heterogeneous. This review critically synthesizes available evidence on the role of perioperative therapies in the surgical management of GEP-NENs, identifies key knowledge gaps, and highlights areas where multidisciplinary decision-making is required. Methods: A targeted narrative literature review was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE (2001–2026), supplemented by ClinicalTrials.gov and major society guidelines. Predefined search terms were used to include “gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor”, “GEP-NET”, “pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor”, “surgery”, “palliative surgery”, “neoadjuvant”, “adjuvant”, “PRRT”, “somatostatin analogue”, “chemotherapy”, “targeted therapy”, “immune checkpoint inhibitor”, and “liver-directed therapy”. Studies were selected based on relevance, with emphasis on comprehensive reviews, key clinical studies, and major guideline statements. This approach was chosen due to varied literature and scarce high-quality prospective evidence. Results: Neoadjuvant PRRT and CAPTEM-based chemotherapy demonstrate encouraging activity in selected patients with SSTR-positive or borderline resectable pNETs, though evidence is predominantly retrospective and R0 resection rates are inconsistent across modalities. Adjuvant systemic therapy lacks high-quality evidence of benefit in well-differentiated GEP-NETs whereas platinum-based chemotherapy following resection of NEC represents the only setting where adjuvant treatment is commonly recommended, albeit without randomized trial support. Liver-directed therapies, including thermal ablation, TACE, and TARE, play complementary roles in selected patients with hepatic metastases. The overall evidence base is largely retrospective and heterogenous. Management should be individualized through multidisciplinary discussion. Full article

Cu is central to electrification and low-carbon technologies, while declining ore grades and environmental pressures increase interest in recovery from secondary liquid resources. This review critically evaluates copper separation from mine-affected waters, copper-smelting waste acids, electroplating wastewaters, and secondary-material leachates. Cu is the principal target; co-occurring metals are treated as competitors or sequential recovery targets. Feed origin, Cu concentration and speciation, pH/free acidity, ionic strength, ligands, and polymetallic composition are related to process performance and product form. Conventional precipitation, solvent extraction, ion exchange, and electrowinning are compared with microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, supported liquid membranes, emulsion liquid membranes, and polymer inclusion membranes. High Cu removal or rejection does not by itself demonstrate Cu-selective recovery. MF and UF require conversion of dissolved Cu into retainable species; NF and RO mainly recover water and preconcentrate metals; ED becomes more selective with speciation control; and carrier-mediated membranes can fractionate metals but face stability constraints. Most membrane processes generate a Cu-rich retentate, concentrate, or stripping solution rather than metallic Cu and therefore require downstream crystallisation or electrowinning. Key gaps are long-term operation with variable industrial feeds, fouling and scaling control, mass balances and product-purity reporting, membrane/carrier durability, and consistent techno-economic validation. Full article

The Chang 8 reservoir in the Baima Middle Block of the Ordos Basin is an ultra-low-permeability reservoir that has faced formation-pressure depletion, a rising water cut, and poor remaining-oil recovery during long-term water-injection development. CO₂ flooding in CCUS can simultaneously enhance oil recovery and achieve carbon sequestration; however, comprehensive and integrated research on the CO₂–crude oil phase behavior, miscibility characteristics, and nonlinear flow in porous media for this block is still lacking. To address this gap, this study used crude oil and natural cores from the block and natural cores to conduct a series of experiments at 70 °C, including PVT high-pressure physical-property tests, CO₂ constant-mass-expansion tests, slim-tube minimum-miscibility-pressure (MMP) tests, pendant-drop oil–gas interfacial-tension measurements, and CO₂-flooding threshold-pressure-gradient measurements in cores of different permeability. The results showed that as the CO₂ mole fraction increased from 0% to 61.78%, the bubble-point pressure of the crude oil rose from 17.424 to 22.575 MPa, the viscosity decreased from 9.026 to 4.906 mPa·s, and the volumetric expansion coefficient increased from 1.0000 to 1.1454. As the water cut increased from 0% to 80%, the apparent MMP of CO₂ increased from 15.83 to 17.69 MPa. The oil–gas interfacial tension gradually decreased with increasing system pressure, and droplet instability and atomization occurred under near-miscible high-pressure conditions. The CO₂-flooding threshold pressure gradient decreased with core permeability following a power-law relationship, and a knee-like trend appeared near 0.5 mD within the limited permeability dataset of this study; this trend cannot be generalized without further experimental evidence. This study comprehensively reveals the coupled mechanisms of phase behavior, miscibility, and nonlinear flow during CO₂ flooding in the target block, providing experimental and theoretical support for optimizing the injection pressure and reservoir-stimulation schemes of CCUS-EOR in ultra-low-permeability reservoirs. Full article

Background: Congenital syphilis remains a significant cause of adverse birth outcomes despite effective screening and treatment. Data on its epidemiology in Saudi Arabia are limited. This study aims to describe the incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of congenital syphilis at a tertiary pediatric center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and to identify gaps in antenatal care and prevention. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all infants diagnosed with congenital syphilis (aged 0–24 months) and pregnant women with positive syphilis serology who presented to our center between January 2021 and December 2025. Cases were classified as highly probable, possible, less likely, or unlikely based on Center for Disease Control (CDC) and European criteria. Incidence rates were calculated per 1000 live births. Results: Over the five-year study period, there were 11,722 live births and 12 cases of probable or possible congenital syphilis, yielding an incidence rate of 1 per 1000 live births. An additional two cases were classified as less likely due to successful prevention of mother-to-child transmission. The majority of cases (n = 7) were attributed to inadequate maternal treatment. Three cases of abortion and intrauterine fetal demise were identified, probably due to untreated maternal syphilis. Most infants were asymptomatic at birth; however, one patient presented with hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenia, and cholestasis, while two had abnormal long bone findings. No cases of neurosyphilis were identified. Five infants were born to mothers with suspected false-positive serology but were managed as possible cases due to incomplete follow-up. Favorable neurodevelopmental outcomes were observed in all patients who completed follow-up (n = 5). Conclusions: We report congenital syphilis incidence rates that align with the global upward trend. We also identified multiple missed opportunities for screening and early treatment—findings that can inform future guidelines and enhance awareness among healthcare providers and the public. Full article

High-grade canine B-cell lymphoma (cBCL) is a spontaneous cancer in dogs with similar pathologic features as human diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The value of comparative oncology to both dogs and humans has long been recognized, but the progress in cBCL research has been hampered by a scarcity of preclinical models. This study aimed to establish and characterize novel patient-derived xenograft (PDX) and cell line models from primary cBCL tumors to address this critical gap. To this end, primary cBCL tumors from three canine patients were surgically excised and serially transplanted into immunodeficient NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice. The resulting PDX models were characterized across passages in mice using histology, flow cytometry, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping, and RNA sequencing. The results show that the samples retain many of their original characteristics, even after multiple NSG passages. Cancer cells from two of the PDX lines were successfully adapted to in vitro culture, creating two new established cell lines which were then used in drug sensitivity assays. The successful generation and characterization of these cBCL PDX and cell lines provides a valuable resource for canine cancer research and associated comparative oncology approaches. Full article

Growing wind and photovoltaic generation increases the demand for large-scale, long-duration energy storage. Pumped hydro compressed-air energy storage (PHCAES) stores and releases energy through pressure transfer between water and compressed air, using air pressure to provide an equivalent hydraulic head and thereby reducing dependence on natural elevation while retaining hydraulic energy conversion and the potential for near-isothermal operation. This review establishes a taxonomy of hydraulically coupled compressed-air storage comprising PHCAES, liquid-piston systems, hydraulically compensated constant-pressure CAES, and hydraulic–pneumatic cascade or hybrid systems. Variable- and constant-pressure PHCAES are compared with pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) and compressed-air energy storage (CAES) in terms of efficiency, economics and environmental implications; this is followed by a critical analysis of the mechanisms governing PHCAES performance. The results show that improved siting flexibility is the principal conditional advantage of PHCAES, rather than inherently higher efficiency or lower cost. Its net performance depends on pressure–volume matching, gas–liquid heat transfer, hydraulic-machine operation, auxiliary consumption and storage infrastructure. Pressure regulation and thermal enhancement are beneficial only when their gains exceed the associated compression, throttling and auxiliary losses. The principal research gap is the lack of engineering-scale, full-cycle validation using consistent electrical, economic and lifecycle assessment boundaries, which currently prevents robust comparison with PHES and CAES. Full article

North African oases constitute critical socio-ecosystems characterised by complex agro-biodiversity and millennia of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). Nevertheless, such fragile landscapes are confronted with mounting pressures from climate change and an-thropogenic activities driven by agri-industrial modernisation. This systematic review, executed in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, appraises the contemporary state of scientific literature concerning agrobiodiversity and local knowledge in North African oases, with the objective of identifying evolutionary trends and crucial research gaps. A comprehensive search of the Web of Science database yielded a substantial corpus of 270 studies, which were subsequently subjected to a rigorous, standardised analysis to ascertain the reliability and validity of the results. The results obtained demonstrate a significant structural imbalance in the distribution of research efforts. Geographically, there is a notable concentration of studies in the Maghreb region (Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco), which collectively account for over 80% of the extant literature. In contrast, the Sahelo-Saharan arc remains significantly under-researched. The thematic orientation of re-search remains predominantly reductionist and species-centric, with a preponderance of studies focused on date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) and conventional agronomy. This narrow focus obscures the functional intricacies of the three-tiered stratified system and its agropastoral interconnections. Moreover, although the need to assess landscape degradation and knowledge erosion is urgent, the integration of geospatial technologies (GIS), accounting for a mere 1.5% of studies, with ethnobotanical approaches remains marginal. The necessity for a paradigm shift is emphasised by these findings. It is essential that future research adopts transdisciplinary frameworks, which should integrate advanced geospatial monitoring with the socio-economic revitalisation of TEK. This transition is required to occur from a utilitarian perspective to holistic, locally grounded conservation strategies. The latter should ensure the long-term resilience of such agroecosystems. Full article