Search Results (41,995)

Rice is a staple food for more than half of the global population, but its production is threatened by insect pests such as planthoppers, stem borers, leafhoppers, and defoliators. The widespread use of chemical pesticides has raised concerns regarding environmental contamination, pest resistance, and negative effects on beneficial arthropods. This review examines the role of biological control and habitat management in sustainable rice pest management. It highlights the diversity and ecological roles of natural enemies, including parasitoid wasps, mirid bugs, ladybird beetles, and spiders, which help suppress pest populations in rice ecosystems. Key habitat management approaches, such as conservation biological control, ecological engineering, banker plant systems, flower strips, and the preservation of non-crop habitats, are discussed for their capacity to enhance the abundance and effectiveness of natural enemies. The review also considers integrating these approaches into IPM programs to reduce reliance on pesticides while maintaining crop productivity. Evidence from rice-growing regions demonstrates the effectiveness of habitat-based strategies in improving pest suppression and strengthening ecosystem resilience. However, challenges related to landscape complexity, farmer adoption, long-term implementation, and the need for a clear roadmap for future landscape-scale entomological research remain. Future research should focus on optimizing habitat management practices and integrating ecological approaches with modern agricultural technologies to support sustainable rice production. Full article

In mining methods such as the “three-underground” shortwall strip mining and other methods involving coal pillar retention, research on the instability mechanism of overburden–coal pillar groups considering the rheological properties of coal and rock is of great significance for ensuring the long-term safety and stability of the coal pillar system, the safe and efficient production of mines, and the safety of surface structures. Based on the interaction between the coal pillar and the surrounding rock, a plane strain model of residual coal pillars in inclined coal seams is established, and analytical expressions for the stress and displacement fields of the coal pillar are derived using the Ritz method. Combined with the actual conditions of strip mining in a certain village, a three-dimensional numerical calculation model for coal pillar group stability is established, which incorporates the rheological characteristics of coal-rock media. The influence of time effect on the long-term stability of coal pillar group is investigated. The impact of coal pillar width, mining depth, and coal seam dip angle on the plastic zone, stress distribution, and deformation characteristics of coal pillar groups is further studied. Research findings indicate that under the long-term action of the gravity of the overlying strata, the two sides of each coal pillar entered the plastic yielding state after 1 day of creep, and present a shear failure form. With the width of coal pillars increasing, both the extent of plastic zones and stress and deformation within each pillar decrease to varying degrees. When the pillar width reaches 40 m, the disparity in plastic zone coverage between pillars diminishes from a maximum of 21.14% to 10.16%. As mining depth increases, the rate of growth in plastic zones, stress, and deformation across coal pillars gradually accelerates, with the range of plastic zones expanding from 3.55% to 11.36%. An increase in coal seam dip angle similarly accelerates the development of the plastic zone within the coal pillar group. However, the vertical stress and vertical displacement of individual coal pillars exhibit varying degrees of reduction, while the maximum shear stress and horizontal deformation of the coal pillar group increase more rapidly. Full article

Chronic pain affects hundreds of millions of people and remains poorly managed, as the most effective drugs, including opioids, carry side effects that limit long-term use. Because inflammation drives both the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain, anti-inflammatory mechanisms are an attractive analgesic target. We investigated human alpha-1 antitrypsin (hAAT), a serine proteinase inhibitor with potent anti-inflammatory activity and established protection across disease models, as a candidate analgesic, using Aralast NP^®, a clinical-grade, already-approved formulation that makes findings directly translatable. Using calcium imaging and patch-clamp electrophysiology in mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, we found that hAAT reduced activation of low-voltage-activated Ca²⁺ channels and dampened intrinsic excitability. Veratridine-evoked Ca²⁺ responses, a sodium-channel-dependent readout of nociceptor activity, were suppressed by hAAT to a degree comparable to the selective sodium channel inhibitors ProTx-II (Na_V1.7) and VX-548 (Na_V1.8), driven by loss of the nociceptor-associated response profiles. In vivo, hAAT decreased pain sensitivity and pain-associated behaviors in both inflammatory and neuropathic models. Together, these findings reveal a mechanism by which hAAT suppresses nociceptor activity and position Aralast NP^® as a safe, effective candidate for treating chronic pain. Full article

Ti6Al4V alloy is widely used in biomedical and engineering applications; however, its limited wear resistance and lack of intrinsic antibacterial activity restrict its long-term performance. Although multi-element nitride coatings prepared by cathodic arc evaporation (CAE) have shown considerable potential, the influence of substrate bias voltage on their microstructural evolution and multifunctional performance remains insufficiently understood. In this study, (TiCrCuZrAlAg)N multi-element nitride coatings were deposited on Ti6Al4V substrates by CAE under substrate bias voltages of 50, 100, and 150 V. The effects of bias voltage on coating composition, crystal structure, hardness, wear behavior, and antibacterial performance were systematically investigated. Increasing the bias voltage enhanced ion bombardment, leading to reduced coating thickness, lower Cu/Ag incorporation, and degraded crystallinity, which consequently affected coating performance. Among the investigated conditions, the coating deposited at 50 V exhibited the highest hardness (1628.4 HV), the lowest wear rate (0.08 × 10⁻⁷ g/m), and the highest antibacterial efficiency (99.2%). This study establishes a correlation between substrate bias voltage, microstructural evolution, and multifunctional performance in CAE-deposited (TiCrCuZrAlAg)N coatings, providing practical guidance for the design of multifunctional protective coatings. Full article

Accurate ocean wave sensing in polar and other low-temperature marine environments is of great significance for marine environmental observation, climate research, and navigation safety. However, conventional wave sensors rely on external power supplies and suffer from poor stability under low-temperature and high-salinity conditions, making long-term self-powered waves sensing a significant challenge. Herein, a highly stable composite eutectogel electrode is developed by integrating sodium lignosulfonate, Fe³⁺ crosslinking, Zn²⁺-carboxylate coordination interactions, and a choline chloride/urea deep eutectic solvent (DES). The DES effectively suppresses solvent crystallization and endows the gel with excellent low-temperature tolerance, while the synergistic effect of metal coordination and multiple non-covalent interactions constructs a robust ion-conducting network with enhanced structural stability. Furthermore, eutectogel-based composite electrode architecture is designed to improve electrical conductivity and charge collection efficiency, thereby enabling stable electrical output under harsh marine conditions. Based on the as-prepared eutectogel electrode, a self-powered solid–liquid triboelectric nanogenerator is fabricated for ocean wave-motion sensing. The device can detect the wave amplitude, with an accuracy of 0.2 cm, and sense the frequency of waves ranging from 0.2 Hz to 1.6 Hz. More importantly, the SL-TENG exhibits excellent environmental adaptability, operating reliably in 3.5 wt% simulated seawater and at 0 °C. The current retention ratio reaches approximately 91% at 0 °C, which is significantly higher than that of the hydrogel-based device (≈6%). The remarkably low-temperature and salt-tolerant performance originates from the stable ion-transport network and anti-freezing characteristics of the eutectogel electrode. This work provides an effective strategy for constructing environmentally resilient eutectogel-based triboelectric devices and offers a promising route toward self-powered wave sensing systems for long-term deployment in harsh marine environments. Full article

The ternary strategy has emerged as an effective approach to enhance the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells (OSCs), yet simultaneously improving both efficiency and stability remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we report a small-molecule donor (TiC12), featuring a thieno[3,2-c]isochromene unit, as a third component to fabricate ternary fullerene-based OSCs using the low-cost PTB7-Th:PC₇₁BM host matrix. The influence of TiC12 on the active-layer morphology, device efficiency, and long-term stability is systematically investigated. The results reveal that the incorporation of TiC12 enables precise regulation of the blend film morphology, leading to a marked improvement in photovoltaic performance. Consequently, the optimized ternary devices achieve a notable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.42%, which significantly surpasses that of the corresponding binary PTB7-Th:PC₇₁BM counterparts (9.16%). More importantly, the ternary system simultaneously exhibits substantially enhanced operational stability, retaining 82.7% of its initial PCE after 2304 h under ambient storage in a N₂-filled glovebox. This work demonstrates that TiC12, with its unique thieno[3,2-c]isochromene framework, represents a promising third-component candidate for achieving both high efficiency and superior stability in ternary fullerene OSCs. Full article

This PRISMA-guided scoping review examines the use of waste materials in civil engineering as a sustainable approach to reducing environmental impacts, conserving natural resources, and supporting circular economy principles. The rapid growth of urbanization, industrialization, mining, and agricultural activities generates large amounts of waste materials, including fly ash, ground granulated blast-furnace slag, bauxite residue, mining tailings, waste rock, acid-mine drainage sludge, waste plastics, post-consumer vulcanized rubber, recycled construction materials, and agricultural ashes. The disposal of these materials often creates serious environmental and land-use problems, making their reuse increasingly important. In this context, civil engineering is one of the most promising sectors for large-scale waste valorization because of its high material demand and its ability to use different waste streams into practical applications such as concrete and cementitious systems, pavement and asphalt engineering, geotechnical works, and other infrastructure sectors. This review critically evaluates the global availability, material characteristics, engineering applications, environmental and economic benefits, recent advances, and key challenges related to major industrial, mining, agricultural, polymeric, and construction-derived wastes. Although significant progress has been made in this field, wider implementation is still limited by variations in material properties, technical and environmental challenges, economic constraints, and limited field validation of long-term performance. By bringing together current knowledge from different waste streams and civil engineering sectors, this review highlights important research gaps and future directions to support more sustainable, resilient, and resource-efficient infrastructure development. The effective use of waste materials in civil engineering can play an important role in reducing carbon emissions, improving resource efficiency, and supporting global sustainability. Full article

This paper proposes an improved state-of-charge (SOC)-based adaptive droop control strategy for photovoltaic DC microgrids with distributed energy storage units (DESUs). To overcome the slow SOC equalization and limited adaptability of conventional droop control methods, a nonlinear arctangent-based droop coefficient adjustment mechanism is introduced to enhance regulation sensitivity under small SOC deviations. In addition, a capacity compensation factor and an acceleration term are incorporated to improve proportional power sharing and SOC convergence speed among heterogeneous storage units. To further evaluate the engineering significance of SOC balancing performance, a time-integrated SOC deviation index is introduced to analyze the cumulative imbalance effect on battery degradation and lifecycle operation. By reducing the SOC imbalance duration, the proposed strategy contributes to mitigating uneven battery aging and may potentially reduce long-term battery replacement costs. Simulation results under discharging, charging, and irradiance-variation scenarios demonstrate that the proposed strategy significantly improves SOC-balancing performance compared with conventional SOC-based droop control. Across the three operating modes, the average SOC balancing time has been reduced by 52.6%. The proposed method provides an effective and economically sustainable control framework for distributed energy storage coordination in DC microgrids. Full article

Background and Objectives: Hyperphosphatemia is a key component of chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder and is associated with higher rates of cardiovascular events and mortality in patients undergoing dialysis. Phosphate binders are essential for phosphorus reduction, and their evaluation relies on several factors, such as chemical composition, binding capacity, and safety profile. Unfortunately, long-term management is hindered by high pill burden and poor adherence. Magnesium phosphate binders have proven effectiveness in reducing phosphate levels. Nevertheless, despite their efficacy, they are not widely used in clinical settings because of concerns related to their use. This study assessed the efficacy of low-dose magnesium carbonate as a phosphate binder in patients undergoing chronic dialysis, focusing on its biochemical control, tolerability, and cost-effectiveness. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted on 54 hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease at a single dialysis center. Patients were taking either 250 mg magnesium carbonate or 2400 mg sevelamer carbonate for 3 months. Results: Both groups showed decreased phosphorus levels, with a 14.2% significant reduction in the magnesium carbonate group (p < 0.001) and a 5.1% reduction in the sevelamer carbonate group. At the end of the study, no significant differences were observed between the groups (p = 0.682). In the magnesium carbonate group at month 3, compared to baseline, no significant differences were detected in other laboratory parameters reflecting calcium–phosphorus metabolism (Ca—p = 0.681, PTH—p = 0.126). Simultaneously, good compliance without clinically relevant gastrointestinal side effects was observed, including the absence of clinically significant hypermagnesemia. Conclusions: The phosphorus-lowering potential of low-dose magnesium carbonate is non-inferior to that of low-dose sevelamer carbonate. However, its favorable safety profile, low incidence of adverse effects, and cost-effectiveness make it a promising option in clinical practice, further highlighting the need for better recognition by physicians. Full article

Although radon measurements have been carried out in most countries for several decades, a rigorous methodology for assessing the reliability (as well as the effectiveness) of indoor radon testing between short-term and long-term measurements has not yet been established at either the national or international level. National regulators, lacking scientific justification, arbitrarily set the duration of indoor radon testing (from a few minutes to several months) preferring long-term measurements simply because it “seems more reliable”. To solve this fundamental regulation problem, an original (innovative) methodology is proposed based on the algorithms of the previously published Rational Method for indoor radon testing, which ensures 95% decision-making reliability within modern metrological concepts. A comparison of the reliability (and effectiveness) between short-term and long-term measurements can be made by taking into account the radon situation at both national and global levels. The obtained dependence of the mean (among 26 countries) percentage of definite (reliable) decisions vs. the duration of measurements indicates: (i) the greater effectiveness of using short-term measurements compared to long-term ones, as well as (ii) the excessive focus of national and international regulators only on instrumental uncertainty within QA/QC to the detriment of temporal (key) uncertainty in decision-making. Key conclusion: The established practice of radon regulation on both global and national levels contains a number of underlying myths, and therefore clearly needs to be rethought and updated within a rational (scientific) strategy. A vital necessity are specific experimental (field) studies to verify (clarify) the national values of the temporal (key) uncertainty of indoor radon (and thoron EEC), as well as the creation of simple and effective (inexpensive but reliable) IoT tools for large-scale measurements of indoor radon through the involvement (and at the expense) of the population. Full article

Nut quality is of great economic concern because nuts are rich in oil, which can be rapidly oxidised if the nuts are not properly handled. Tree nuts are often maintained in-shell after harvest so that they can be processed later and marketed out of season. Poor handling procedures prior to kernel storage, and suboptimal temperatures during storage, may compromise quality and lead to colour development, particularly for tree nuts with high oil content that are susceptible to oxidative rancidity. However, there is limited information on the effects of in-shell handling procedures or kernel storage temperatures on the quality and colour development of tree nuts during long-term storage. We determined how the freezing of kernels from the tropical tree, canarium (Canarium indicum), affected their subsequent kernel quality when stored at 25 °C for up to 9 months. Pre-frozen kernels had significantly higher peroxide values than non-frozen kernels (3.90 and 0.35 meq O₂/kg oil, respectively) after 3 months of storage. However, pre-frozen kernels had significantly lower peroxide values than non-frozen kernels after 9 months of storage, most likely due to degradation of peroxides to secondary compounds over time. We also evaluated how the prolonged maintenance of nuts-in-shell prior to processing affected kernel quality, oil composition and colour development during storage at 4 °C or 25 °C for up to 15 months. Storage at 25 °C led to higher free fatty acid levels from 9 months onwards than storage at 4 °C, both for the kernels that had been maintained previously in-shell and for the fresh kernels. Nonetheless, peroxide values and free fatty acid levels of the previously stored in-shell and of the fresh kernels were still below the acceptable quality limits for tree nuts. The concentrations of palmitic, stearic and linoleic acid in fresh kernels stored at 4 °C or 25 °C did not differ between the storage temperatures. However, the oleic acid concentration was higher in refrigerated kernels than unrefrigerated kernels. Kernels stored in-shell had lower reflectance at 25 °C than those stored at 4 °C at 12 months of storage. Our findings demonstrate that freezing of canarium kernels accelerates lipid oxidation and quality loss, but that refrigeration suppresses lipid oxidation. Kernels stored at room temperature were still below the maximum acceptable limits for peroxide values and free fatty acid levels, although they would likely develop rancidity if stored for more than 15 months. We recommend that the kernels of tropical tree nuts with high oil content like canarium not be frozen, but should be freshly processed, kept at 4 °C if shelled, and stored immediately, to ensure high quality. Full article

Background/Objectives: Functional secondary hypogonadism is frequent in men with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but whether testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) produces clinically relevant metabolic benefits remains uncertain. This systematic review evaluated double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trials of TRT in obese men with functional secondary hypogonadism and either T2DM or metabolic syndrome. Methods: PubMed and Scopus were searched up to May 2026. Eligible studies enrolled adult men with biochemical hypogonadism and T2DM or metabolic syndrome, compared TRT with placebo, and reported metabolic outcomes. Open-label, single-blind, and non-randomized studies were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane RoB 2 framework and certainty of evidence with GRADE. Results: Eight trials were included. The most consistent signal was improvement in body composition, mainly increased lean mass and reduced fat mass. Effects on insulin resistance were favorable in several trials but heterogeneous. GRADE certainty was low for fat mass, lean mass, and Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), and it was very low for clamp-derived insulin sensitivity, HbA1c, fasting glucose, lipid outcomes, inflammatory and vascular surrogate markers, and long-term safety. Conclusions: Low-certainty evidence suggests that TRT may improve body composition and HOMA-IR in carefully selected men with functional secondary hypogonadism and metabolic disease, whereas effects on glycemic and lipid outcomes remain very uncertain. TRT should not be regarded as an antidiabetic or lipid-lowering intervention. Larger phenotype-specific trials with longer follow-up are needed. Full article

Coastal and offshore steel infrastructures such as transmission towers and wind turbine towers are prone to coating degradation after long-term exposure to salt fog, high humidity, and ultraviolet radiation. The subsequent uniform corrosion significantly reduces the cross-sectional load-carrying capacity and threatens structural safety. This paper presents a numerical parametric analysis on the compression behavior of circular steel tube (CST) members subjected to uniform corrosion induced by coating failure, based on 18 accelerated corrosion tests. The effectiveness of the wall thickness reduction method for simulating uniform corrosion after coating degradation is verified, and the influence of key parameters on load-carrying capacity degradation is systematically investigated. A simplified formula for elastic local buckling of corroded CSTs is derived, and a direct strength method (DSM) calculation framework considering both global buckling and local–global interactive buckling is established. The results show that the uniform corrosion ratio is the dominant factor affecting load-carrying capacity degradation, while sectional dimension, slenderness ratio, and eccentricity have negligible influence. The proposed DSM method achieves a prediction error within 5% compared with test and numerical results. It is primarily applicable to uniformly corroded steel tubes represented by equivalent wall thickness loss, and its applicability to scenarios with localized corrosion, pitting corrosion, weld-zone corrosion, or non-uniform wall thickness reduction requires further validation. This method provides a rapid and accurate tool for residual load-carrying capacity assessment and life cycle management of coastal steel infrastructures after coating failure. Full article

Chylopericardium is an extremely rare disorder in dogs, and its underlying mechanisms and optimal management strategies remain poorly defined. This report describes a dog with chylopericardium complicated by concurrent chylothorax, bilateral brachiocephalic vein thrombosis, and mesothelioma. A 6-year-old neutered male Shiba Inu presented with respiratory distress and was diagnosed with chylothorax and chylopericardium based on fluid analysis. Computed tomography revealed multiple thoracic ducts and bilateral brachiocephalic vein thrombosis but no definitive site of lymphatic leakage. Surgical management included thoracic duct ligation, subtotal pericardiectomy, and cisterna chyli ablation. Histopathological examination of resected pericardial and mediastinal tissues confirmed mesothelioma. Postoperatively, pleural effusion initially decreased but subsequently recurred, and intrathoracic chemotherapy with carboplatin was administered, resulting in long-term control of chylous effusion. Antithrombotic therapy was also initiated for venous thrombosis. The dog remained free of chylous fluid accumulation until death from an unrelated disease. This case highlights the complex interactions among lymphatic, vascular, and neoplastic disorders and suggests that a comprehensive, multimodal diagnostic and therapeutic approach may be effective for managing complicated cases of chylopericardium in dogs. Full article

This study evaluated the effect of sports and energy drinks on the surface roughness of three commonly used restorative dental materials: resin-based composites (RBCs), resin-modified glass ionomer cements (RMGICs), and conventional glass ionomer cements (GICs). Sixty-three A2-shade specimens of each material were fabricated, stored in distilled water for 24 h, and then immersed in six commercially available beverages or distilled water (control) for 6, 30, or 60 h. Surface roughness was assessed after each immersion period using contact profilometry, and the effects of material type, immersion medium, and exposure time were compared. Surface roughness increased with longer immersion times for all materials, although the magnitude of change varied significantly among material types. RBCs showed the greatest resistance to surface degradation, whereas RMGICs and particularly GICs exhibited progressively higher roughness values over time. Beverages generally produced greater surface roughness than distilled water, with sugar-containing formulations showing higher roughness values than their sugar-free counterparts. Prolonged exposure to sports and energy drinks may adversely affect the surface integrity of restorative materials. Resin-based composites demonstrated the highest resistance to roughness changes, whereas glass ionomer cements were the most susceptible. Increased surface roughness may contribute to plaque accumulation, staining, and material wear, potentially compromising the long-term clinical performance of restorations. Full article