Search Results (15,652)

The effects of Ru on Re segregation and low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior were investigated in two model single-crystal superalloys, Ni-8.5Al-4Re and Ni-8.5Al-4Re-2Ru (wt.%). Microstructural morphology, elemental distribution, fatigue deformation behavior, and dislocation structures were systematically compared, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to examine the associated atomic and electronic effects. The results show that Re segregates at the γ′/γ interface in both alloys, whereas the addition of 2 wt.% Ru reduces the extent of interfacial Re segregation. The Gibbsian interfacial excess of Re decreases from 18.19 ± 1.75 to 11.42 ± 0.01 atom nm⁻², while the maximum interfacial Re concentration ratio decreases from 1.36 ± 0.01 to 1.17 ± 0.02 after Ru addition. DFT calculations further show that Re increases the unstable stacking-fault energy of the γ′/γ interface by 10.34% relative to the unalloyed interface, whereas the corresponding increase is 5.05% in the Re–Ru co-doped system. Fatigue-deformed NiAlRe exhibits interfacial dislocation networks along the γ′/γ interfaces, whereas more extensive dislocation penetration into the γ′ precipitates is observed in NiAlReRu. At a strain amplitude of 0.6%, the Ru-containing alloy exhibits a lower cyclic stress response and more pronounced crack initiation and coalescence. These results show that Ru modifies the interfacial segregation behavior of Re and is associated with changes in the post-fatigue dislocation structures and high-temperature LCF response of the model superalloys. Full article

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a leading cause of disability and is characterized by marked clinical heterogeneity. Structural imaging remains fundamental for diagnosis and treatment planning, yet anatomical abnormalities alone do not fully explain differences in pain, disability, physical performance, or treatment response. Increasing evidence implicates paraspinal muscle morphology, composition, neuromuscular behavior, endurance, and physical conditioning as complementary determinants of spinal function. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence within the concept of spinal muscle health, defined here as a multidimensional, region-specific construct reflecting the structural, compositional, neuromuscular, and functional capacity of the muscles contributing to spinal control and load management. The construct is not proposed as a new diagnosis or as a substitute for established concepts such as sarcopenia, myosteatosis, or deconditioning; rather, it provides an integrative framework for considering complementary muscle-related domains that cannot be represented adequately by a single imaging or performance measure. We review muscle-specific and level-specific findings, measurement approaches, sources of heterogeneity, longitudinal and interventional evidence, and the interaction of muscle-related features with systemic and psychosocial factors. Current evidence supports associations between selected paraspinal muscle abnormalities and CLBP, particularly for multifidus composition, but findings vary substantially across muscles, spinal levels, populations, and measurement methods. Most evidence remains cross-sectional, and causal direction is uncertain. Clinical improvement after exercise may occur without consistent normalization of imaging-derived muscle composition. Accordingly, spinal muscle health is best regarded at present as a research and clinical reasoning framework rather than a validated diagnostic phenotype. Standardized measurement, longitudinal studies, and intervention trials linking changes in muscle-related parameters to patient-centered outcomes are required before routine clinical implementation. Full article

This study evaluated the combined effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and two molybdenum (Mo) doses on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L., cv. Karnıkara) grown under saline and non-saline soil conditions. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using a 2 × 6 factorial design with three replications, and morphological, physiological, biochemical and mycorrhizal traits were measured. The Mo doses were deliberately set above the agronomic range in order to test how the symbiosis behaves under Mo excess. Salinity reduced fresh root weight by 53% and root length by 30%, whereas stomatal conductance and soil catalase activity increased by 87% and 379%, respectively. None of the treatments changed plant height, plant fresh weight, stomatal conductance, root length or root fresh weight: the main treatment effect and the treatment × soil interaction were not significant for any plant growth trait. Under saline conditions, AMF applied alone produced the highest mycorrhizal density (3.7%), and the addition of Mo reduced it, indicating a dose-dependent suppression of colonization rather than a synergistic enhancement. The AMF × Mo interaction was significant for soil enzyme activities but not for plant biomass, indicating that the combination acted mainly on the soil biochemical compartment. Overall, AMF and Mo influenced largely separable components of the cowpea plant–soil system under salinity. Under the experimental conditions, AMF application under salinity was associated with more favorable responses in terms of root development and stomatal characteristics, whereas the combined application of supra-optimal Mo doses with AMF did not provide a marked improvement in these responses. These results should be interpreted within the context of the application doses and experimental conditions used in this study. Further field studies encompassing different soil properties, salinity levels, Mo doses, and growing conditions are needed before these findings can be directly generalized to broader agronomic conditions. Full article

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease that seriously threatens livestock health. Protective immunity induced by vaccination is primarily associated with the generation of neutralizing antibodies; however, conventional virus neutralization tests are time-consuming and require the handling of live virus, limiting their suitability for rapid and repeated evaluation in routine settings. In this study, we established a surrogate neutralization assay for the functional evaluation of neutralizing antibody activity against FMD virus (FMDV) serotype O. The assay measures changes in luciferase-based luminescent signals generated following exposure of LgBiT-expressing cells to HiBiT-tagged virus-like particle (VLP) preparations. FMDV serotype O-derived VLPs exhibited stable capsid protein expression, assembly characteristics, and morphological integrity similar to those of virus particles, as confirmed by sucrose gradient fractionation and electron microscopy. In the presence of neutralizing antibodies, a reduction in luminescent signals was observed, enabling functional discrimination of antibody activity. The surrogate assay results showed a strong correlation with those of the conventional virus neutralization test for FMDV serotype O (R² = 0.9068). This study demonstrates the feasibility of the surrogate neutralization assay for assessing the functional activity of neutralizing antibodies and its potential applicability to vaccine immunogenicity assessment and functional antibody analysis. Full article

For Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT)−oriented condition monitoring of underwater propulsion systems, continuous visual observations can provide rich information on the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of cavitation, while the direct transmission of complete image sequences may impose a substantial data burden on underwater communication networks. To provide compact and physically interpretable visual monitoring information, this study develops an image-derived multi-domain feature−extraction method for hydrofoil cavitation monitoring. Cavitation image sequences of an original NACA0009 hydrofoil and a hydrofoil with hole−pit structures were analyzed as two experimental configurations exhibiting different cavitation behaviors. Static−background subtraction, RGB−channel−response processing, Canny edge detection, morphological processing, and threshold-based focusing were applied to extract cavitation regions. The normalized cavitation−area time series of the tip leakage vortex (TLV), tip separation vortex (TSV), and six local regions were then constructed from consecutive images and treated as image-derived monitoring signals. Time−domain and spatial features were used to characterize the overall cavitation level and regional distribution, while Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) were further employed to describe spectral fluctuations and multi-scale transient variations. The extracted monitoring features showed clear responses to changes in hydrofoil configuration and operating conditions. Under the baseline condition, the mean TLV and TSV cavitation−area features of the hydrofoil with hole−pit structures were approximately 40.0% and 85.0% lower than those of the original hydrofoil, respectively. Differences were also observed in the regional, frequency−domain, and time−frequency characteristics and remained observable under the two changed operating conditions. These results indicate that continuous cavitation images can be transformed into complementary multi-domain descriptors for characterizing variations in cavitation behavior. The proposed approach therefore provides a potential visual sensing and feature−extraction component for future IoUT-based condition monitoring of underwater propulsion systems, while reducing reliance on the transmission of complete image sequences. Full article

Bearing fault diagnosis under variable operating conditions is challenging because changes in rotational speed and load alter the vibration response and cause substantial distribution shifts between operating domains. To improve cross-condition fault recognition, this study proposes an MMDSC-CBAM-BiLSTM model that combines multi-scale depthwise separable convolution (MMDSC), convolutional block attention (CBAM), and bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM). The vibration signals are first transformed into time–frequency representations using a wavelet transform. MMDSC then extracts complementary fault features at multiple spatial scales with reduced convolutional cost, CBAM adaptively reweights informative channel and spatial responses, and BiLSTM models bidirectional temporal dependencies before feature fusion and Softmax classification. The physical interpretation of the diagnosis is linked to the characteristic vibration responses generated by localized defects on the inner race, outer race, and rolling element, while the network itself learns discriminative representations rather than explicitly reconstructing defect morphology. Cross-condition experiments on the CWRU and Jiangnan University bearing datasets yield average accuracies of 98.22% and 93.26%, respectively, demonstrating improved robustness and generalization under varying operating conditions. The results indicate that the proposed architecture provides an effective data-driven solution for variable-condition bearing fault diagnosis. Full article

English has a large and historically layered lexicon. The usual approach to vocabulary instruction, finding the unfamiliar words in an assigned passage and teaching them, improves comprehension of that passage but transfers poorly to broader measures. The problem has not been a lack of theory about which words merit instruction; frameworks for principled word selection have been well developed for more than a decade. What was lacking was a way for educators to apply those criteria, with the necessary corpus, morphological, and psycholinguistic analyses largely confined to research databases and the expertise of specialists. This review argues that large language models do not change what makes a word worth teaching, but rather they change what is now available to apply those criteria. Educators can now apply the criteria to a particular text and grade level using ordinary language. Drawing on four texts about hurricanes that hold the subject constant while varying genre and grade, the review develops three applications: domain-structured selection for informational text, semantic-cluster mapping for narrative, and the identification of a text’s latent lexicon that is particularly germane to narrative texts. It closes with the limits of these tools and identifies the points where teacher judgment is still required and the validation studies they still need. Full article

The transport mechanisms for substrates and nutrients within the heme pathway of the Toxoplasma gondii apicoplast remain poorly understood. However, studies on heme metabolic enzymes have employed disparate genetic manipulation approaches, limiting direct phenotypic comparisons among different enzymes. This research involved screening potential apicoplast proteins in Toxoplasma gondii by cross-referencing and analyzing protein–protein interaction networks. Within the heme enzyme pathway of the apicoplast, eight enzymes were found to be predominantly conserved in the Sarcocystide family. Utilizing the CRISPR-Cas9 system alongside a U1 snRNP-mediated gene-silencing approach, we developed inducible knockdown strains—iKD-PBGD, iKD-UROS, and iKD-UROD—targeting three key metabolic enzymes crucial for the parasite lytic cycle, as demonstrated through replication experiments. To investigate the transport mechanisms for heme-related nutrients or substrates, we knocked down these three enzymes, using TgGRA12 as an initial marker. Continuous fluorescence signals highlighted the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) membrane surrounding tachyzoites during both early and late replication stages, particularly at 48 h post-rapamycin treatment, indicating a transformation of the cyst-like PV resembling that in Toxoplasma gondii. Phenotypically, knockdown of these heme enzymes led to the formation of slowly replicating, cyst-like parasitophorous vacuoles. However, this morphological change did not significantly affect the acute virulence of the parasites in vivo, as determined by mouse survival assays. This study explored the functional roles of the three intermediate metabolic enzymes, offering a novel viewpoint on the gradual demise of Toxoplasma gondii as a potential target for drug development. Full article

Against the backdrop of industrialization and urbanization, China’s cropland resource utilization has changed significantly, yet existing research lacks integrated zoning and formation mechanisms. Taking the Huang–Huai–Hai region as a case, this study constructed an indicator system covering quantitative endowment, landscape morphology, natural background, and production functions from the perspective of dominant and recessive land-use transitions. Based on the general characteristics and spatiotemporal evolution of different cropland resource utilization forms, we used 3S technology and the CART algorithm to classify the 52 cities in the Huang–Huai–Hai region into five cropland resource utilization patterns. From 2000 to 2020, these patterns evolved from fragmented and extensive to large-scale, intensive, and functional. Market reforms and land tenure interventions were closely associated with this evolution, as they affected labor allocation, property rights, farming practices, technology, and farmers’ risk aversion. This study enriches cropland resource utilization theory and supports territorial optimization for high-quality agriculture in the region. Full article

Molluscan shells combine mineralized layers with distinct microstructures that can influence crack propagation. Here, we provide a through-thickness, multiscale characterization of the all-aragonitic shell of the striped venus clam Chamelea gallina and relate its hierarchical textural organization to observed fracture-surface trajectories. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and spatially resolved Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction resolve an outer region comprising (i) convergent and divergent fibrous sublayers separated by a preferred fracture plane, (ii) a porous transition layer with inverse-tulip microstructures, and (iii) a structurally distinct homogeneous inner layer whose crossed-lamellar organization becomes visible after etching. The key advance is the resolution of this outer architecture from nanogranule alignment to curved fibrous layers and a porous transition region, together with the identification of recurring changes in fracture-surface direction at its interfaces. FTIR and XRD reveal through-thickness variations in vibrational-band ratios and crystallographic parameters. As the fracture analysis is based on post-fracture morphology, crack steering and damage localization are discussed as plausible structure-related mechanisms supported by the observed features. The architecture suggests transferable design principles, including graded orientation, interface-guided deflection, and localized porosity, for mechanically robust bioinspired composites and provides a structural framework for future studies of shell evolution and function. Full article

The binary blend of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has emerged as the primary base material combination for biodegradable mulch films because of their favorable processability and biodegradability, offering a viable route to replace conventional polyethylene films in agricultural applications. However, the PBAT/PLA binary system suffers from thermodynamic incompatibility, limiting simultaneous achievement of mechanical, barrier, and optical properties. This study introduces poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) as the third component and investigates its content (0–20%) on the microstructure and performance of PBAT/PLA/PPC ternary films. At PPC ≤ 10%, the system maintains an amorphous homogeneous structure, and PPC enriches the surface and improves interfacial adhesion. When the PPC content is 10%, the blend exhibited a transverse tensile strength of 43.3 MPa, an elongation at break of 338%, and a 29.8% reduction in water vapor permeability versus the neat blend. At 15% PPC, the compatibility threshold is exceeded, causing severe phase separation, a sharp drop in melt strength, and deteriorated mechanics. At 20%, phase separation induces PBAT/PLA crystallization, further enhancing barrier performance but reducing thermal stability and transparency. Differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic rheological analysis confirm the compatibility threshold, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy reveal abrupt changes in surface chemistry, crystal structure, and morphology. Overall, 10% PPC offers the best balanced properties. This work elucidates structure and property relationships, providing a basis for the rational formulation design of biodegradable mulch film. Further field weathering and biodegradation tests are required to validate their practical agricultural performance. Full article

Mechanical activation (MA), an intensive milling process capable of inducing physicochemical changes in solid materials, was applied to a vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM) originating from the Lac Doré Complex, Chibougamau, QC, Canada. The objective of this study was to investigate the structural and microstructural evolution of VTM under intensive milling conditions and the associated changes in particle characteristics, with particular emphasis on X-ray diffraction (XRD) peak intensity and broadening, microstrain, phase composition, particle size, and specific surface area. Mechanical activation was investigated by varying three milling parameters: milling time (5 g powder, 10 Hz, variable milling time), ball-to-powder ratio (variable powder mass, 10 Hz, 15 min), and milling frequency (5 g powder, variable frequency, 15 min). The XRD results reveal significant changes in the diffraction pattern of chamosite, including variations in peak intensity and pronounced peak broadening under the more intensive milling conditions of 5 g powder, 15 Hz, and 15 min. In contrast, the diffraction peaks associated with ilmenite and magnetite became more pronounced, while the calculated microstrain increased. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed substantial changes in particle morphology following mechanical activation. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis further demonstrated an increase in specific surface area with increasing milling frequency, while laser diffraction measurements revealed systematic variations in particle-size distribution among the three experimental series. Overall, the results demonstrate that mechanical activation produces measurable modifications to the mineralogical, structural, microstructural, and particle characteristics of Lac Doré VTM. These findings provide a basis for further investigation of the relationship between milling-induced structural changes, VTM reactivity, and subsequent metal-extraction performance. Full article

α-linolenic acid (ALA) has been reported to benefit testicular function. However, dietary ALA is extensively metabolized in the rumen, whereas isolated cell models do not retain seminiferous tubule structure or interactions among testicular cells. This pilot study examined the effects of ALA on seminiferous tubule morphology, UCHL1-positive cells, and gene expression in cultured sheep testicular tissue fragments. Tissue from one 3-month-old Hu ram (n = 1) was cultured for 50 d in control medium (CK) or medium containing 5 μM ALA. Three independently cultured fragments per condition were analyzed. Histology, UCHL1 immunofluorescence, RNA sequencing, and qRT-PCR were performed. ALA-treated fragments showed greater seminiferous tubule diameter, a lower proportion of empty space, and more UCHL1-positive cells per seminiferous tubule. Gene sets related to ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling, DNA replication, and male meiotic nuclear division were enriched in ALA-treated fragments, whereas immune gene sets were enriched in CK fragments. The relative expression levels of SYCP3 and MKI67 were higher in ALA-treated fragments than in CK fragments. Overall, these preliminary findings suggest that ALA treatment was associated with morphological and transcriptional changes in cultured sheep testicular tissue. Further studies using tissues from multiple rams are needed to confirm these findings. Full article

Neuroblastoma is among the most aggressive pediatric cancers, and resistance to standard therapies highlights the need for alternative strategies targeting lipid metabolism and apoptosis-associated pathways. This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of fingolimod, ceranib-2, and carmofur, administered individually and in combination, in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, with particular emphasis on ceramide metabolism. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using the MTT assay, and morphological alterations were assessed by confocal microscopy. Colony-forming ability was examined using a soft agar assay, apoptosis-associated responses were evaluated by Annexin-V staining and caspase 3/7 activation analysis, and intracellular ceramide levels were determined using an ELISA-based method. The results showed that all three compounds reduced cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner and decreased clonogenic survival. The triple combination produced the most pronounced changes in apoptosis-associated parameters and showed marked inhibition of colony formation, although fingolimod alone exhibited the lowest IC₅₀ value and therefore remained the most potent treatment on an IC₅₀ basis. Confocal microscopy revealed prominent apoptosis-associated morphological alterations, including chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation, and cytoskeletal disruption, particularly in the triple-combination group. Annexin-V and caspase 3/7 analyses showed increased apoptotic cell populations, with the highest levels observed following triple-combination treatment. Intracellular ceramide levels were also significantly elevated, particularly in cells treated with ceranib-2 and the triple combination. Collectively, these findings indicate that simultaneous modulation of ceramide- and S1P-associated pathways influences apoptosis-associated responses, clonogenic growth, and intracellular ceramide levels in SH-SY5Y cells. However, because the study was conducted in a single neuroblastoma cell line and did not include comprehensive dose-by-time or formal combination-interaction analyses, the findings should be regarded as preliminary in vitro observations. Further validation in genetically distinct neuroblastoma models, together with systematic dose–response and time–response studies, will be required to determine the reproducibility, biological significance, and broader therapeutic relevance of this approach. Full article

Different coloured and intensity commercial shade nets are increasingly proposed as a low-cost tool for mitigating abiotic stress in semi-arid cropping systems, but cultivar-specific responses in grain legumes remain poorly documented. This study was conducted in an open field at the Faculty of Agriculture, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Türkiye, under rainfed conditions to evaluate the effects of unshaded sunlight and three-color commercial shading nets in different intensities (95% shaded dark green; 40% shaded blue–green; 75% shaded black net) on the pea cultivars Araka and Vining pea. The experiment was arranged as a randomised complete block design in split plots with three replications, and plants were sampled at the slow growth (DAE 25), full blooming (DAE 45), podding (DAE 60), seed filling (DAE 75), and physiological maturity (DAE 90) stages. At DAE 75, we recorded the tallest plants under a 75% shaded black net (53.17 cm), the longest roots under sunlight (20.75 cm), the highest number of leaves per plant under 95% shaded dark green net (70.83), the largest leaf area under 75% shaded black net (471.95 cm² plant⁻¹), and the highest dry biomass under sunlight (11.46 g). At physiological maturity, the 75% shaded black net increased pod length (8.50 cm), pod weight per plant (35.10 g), number of fresh seeds per plant (27.33), and fresh seed weight (15.45 g). Complementary analyses based on a specific leaf area proxy, a harvest-index proxy, and a yield–risk matrix revealed a qualitative cultivar × shade interaction in biomass-to-seed conversion, with Vining pea performing best under a 75% shaded black net and Araka under a 95% shaded dark green net. Shade nets are therefore not a one-size-fits-all tool and should be selected in a cultivar-aware manner. Full article