Search Results (24,504)

Background: Implant-prosthetic rehabilitation of single-tooth edentulism often requires orthodontic reshaping of the potential implant-prosthetic space because its dimensions change due to the migration of adjacent teeth. In this context, it is very important to understand the force system generated by orthodontic arches in order to control tooth movement and to achieve, at the end of orthodontic treatment, the correct dimensions of the potential implant-prosthetic space for dental implant placement. Materials and Methods: The study was based on CBCT images acquired from a 25-year-old female patient with maxillary and mandibular lateral edentulism. The images were processed using InVesalius and Geomagic to obtain a patient-specific three-dimensional reconstruction of the dento-maxillary structures. Orthodontic brackets, adhesive components, and round-section nickel–titanium archwires were subsequently modeled and positioned within a common three-dimensional coordinate system. The reconstructed geometry was used to extract local geometric parameters of the archwire. These parameters were subsequently introduced into a local equivalent Euler–Bernoulli beam formulation to estimate elastic force components and transverse reactions associated with the bracket-related points. Results: The study revealed an uneven distribution of forces along the orthodontic arches. For the upper arch, the elastic force values ranged from 0.044 to 0.383 N, and for the lower arch, from 0.050 to 0.308 N. The calculated reactions at the bracket components also varied depending on the orthodontic archwire geometry and the position of the support points. Conclusions: Patient-specific three-dimensional reconstruction combined with a local analytical beam approximation provides a framework for estimating geometry-dependent elastic force components within an orthodontic appliance. The calculated values should be interpreted as equivalent local force estimates derived from the reconstructed geometry and not as a complete three-dimensional force–moment system. Full article

Waste calcareous opoka rock (WCOR) was investigated as a mass-based replacement for 0.5–1.5 mm granulated dolomite aggregate in thin-layer silicate and mineral renders intended for external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS). Eight formulations with replacement levels ranging from 0% to 100% were evaluated in terms of fresh-state properties, moisture transport, adhesion, freeze–thaw and sodium sulphate crystallisation resistance, and microstructure using SEM/EDS. Increasing WCOR content reduced fresh-mixture density and flow diameter while increasing resistance to manual surface texturing. In silicate renders, capillary water absorption decreased by 84%, from 1.55 kg/(m²·24 h) for the WCOR-free reference to 0.25 kg/(m²·24 h) at 75% replacement. Conversely, in mineral renders, it increased by 52%, from 17.2 to 26.2 kg/(m²·24 h) at complete replacement. At 100% replacement, freeze–thaw resistance increased from 150 to 308 cycles in silicate renders and from 105 to 251 cycles in mineral renders, while salt-crystallisation resistance increased from 25 to 52 and from 16 to 52 cycles, respectively. Adhesion increased from 0.27 to 0.30 N/mm² in silicate renders but decreased from 0.31 to 0.19 N/mm² in mineral renders. SEM/EDS showed matrix-dependent differences in local morphology and aggregate–binder interfaces. Multi-criteria assessment identified 75% replacement as the most balanced option for silicate renders, whereas 25–50% provided the preferred compromise for mineral renders. Overall, the influence and preferred content of WCOR were strongly matrix-dependent. Full article

Nowadays, the application of different materials is quite common to optimise the performance of structural components. In this context, bonding between metals and composites becomes a frequent strategy. However, the appropriate design requires special care owing to the complex stress profile in the adhesive layer, caused by the stiffness mismatch inherent to these solutions. A crucial aspect relies on fracture characterisation under mode I loading of bi-material bonded joints. Therefore, in this work, two different approaches are analysed regarding the attainment of an almost pure mode I of Carbon–Epoxy/Aluminium bonded joints using the asymmetric double cantilever beam test. One method relies on a global approach that matches the bending stiffness of the specimen arms, while the second, the longitudinal strain-based criterion, matches the longitudinal strain distributions of the two adherends at the bondline, making it a local method. The global process was validated against experimental results and subsequently compared to the local methodology. Additionally, several combinations of metallic and fibre-reinforced polymers were analysed numerically using the finite element method with a cohesive zone model to compare results from the two procedures. The consistently low presence of mode II loading across all cases demonstrates that both the local and global approaches accurately capture a predominant mode I loading condition under the investigated scenarios. Full article

Stable circulation and limited mechanical loading are key requirements in the fluidized-bed coating of small vegetable seeds. For Chinese cabbage seeds, their small mass, irregular geometry, and mechanical sensitivity make it difficult to evaluate operating conditions using only global indicators, such as mean particle velocity and bed expansion height. In this study, a two-way coupled computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method (CFD-DEM) model was developed for a draft-tube fluidized-bed seed coater. Chinese cabbage seeds were represented by seven-sphere clumps, and an L9(3³) orthogonal array was used as a screening design to examine inlet air velocity, initial bed height, and bottom circulation inlet gap. The evaluation combined cycle time distribution (CTD), the global low-speed particle fraction R_s, the 95th-percentile normal contact force F_95,n, and the normalized high-percentile contact-load ratio η_c,95. Because the L9 array cannot resolve interactions or support a full quadratic model, factor effects were interpreted descriptively within the investigated range rather than as a confirmatory global optimization. Initial bed height produced the largest descriptive contribution to the circulation period, R_s, and F_95,n. Increasing inlet air velocity shortened the circulation period and reduced Rs but increased high-percentile contact loading. Across the nine cases, F_95,n ranged from 7.50 to 14.50 mN and η_c,95 from 0.18% to 0.35%; η_c,95 is used only as a normalized load ratio and not as a validated probability of seed damage. Case 4 ranked first under equal weighting and contact-load-priority weighting, whereas Case 7 ranked first under circulation-priority weighting. Case 4 is therefore described as a weight-dependent balanced candidate within the tested parameter range. Prototype experiments reproduced the ordering of circulation periods for three dry operating conditions, supporting qualitative consistency between simulated and observed circulation behavior. Visible breakage remained below 0.5%, but this observation provides only preliminary qualitative correspondence with the simulated contact-load trend. The proposed framework is intended for dry-stage screening and does not directly predict wet-coating quality, adhesion, agglomeration, or germination performance. Full article

Reliable train speed estimation requires wheel-speed and Doppler-radar measurements to be fused with acceleration propagation and sparse trackside positioning. Adaptive maximum correntropy filtering can suppress abnormal speed observations. However, because it weights each innovation relative to the predicted state, an accelerometer error that shifts the prediction may cause valid wheel and radar observations to be rejected. This paper proposes a consistency-aided adaptive maximum correntropy robust filter, termed CA-AMCRF, for asynchronous multi-sensor train speed estimation. The filter uses a five-state bias-augmented model to fuse acceleration, wheel speed, Doppler-radar speed, and sparse balise position measurements. During each direct-speed update, a consistency support mechanism compares the bias-compensated wheel–radar disagreement with their common departure from the predicted speed. The resulting evidence corrects the AMCRF measurement weights, recovering reliable direct-speed information during prediction-side errors while preserving robust downweighting when either direct-speed group is abnormal. Controlled simulations show that the method remains robust to isolated wheel- or radar-speed errors and improves accuracy when an accelerometer error shifts the prediction while both direct-speed groups remain reliable. Physics-based adhesion simulations further show the same benefit when an accelerometer error coexists with adhesion-induced wheel-speed distortion. Full article

A high-performance plasmonic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor with a tunable detection range is suggested in this paper. It uses gold (Au) in conjunction with yttrium lithium fluoride (YLiF₄) as the adhesive layers, ensuring better sensing performance. We examined the impact of attachment-enhancing material on the sensor’s performance through simulation. According to the results, the AuYLiF₄ combination has a maximum wavelength sensitivity (WS) of 24,000 nm/RIU within the analyte refractive index (RI) range of 1.33–1.335 by measuring shifts in their respective resonance wavelengths, which are distinctive at the sensing medium’s RI. Additionally, the proposed sensor attained a maximum amplitude sensitivity (AS) of 848.94 /RIU at RI = 1.33 and a figure of merit (FoM) of 111.6/RIU, achieved at maximum confinement loss. Furthermore, the suggested sensor’s application-oriented sensing performance is examined for blood plasma and krypton, showcasing its capacity to identify minute changes in RI using both wavelength and amplitude interrogation. Other key performance metrics, such as detection accuracy (DA), resolution, and full width at half maximum (FWHM), are also assessed. The sensor’s high sensitivity to analyte RI (1.33,1.335) demonstrates its ability to detect even minute variations in the sensing environment, making it well-suited for precise biomolecule sensing applications. Full article

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (AC) incidence has increased markedly in the United States and other Western countries over recent decades. Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) can cause Barrett’s esophagus, which is strongly associated with the development of AC. However, the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of AC remain poorly elucidated. In this exploratory pilot study, we performed transcriptomic profiling by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on six normal esophagus (WT), four Barrett’s esophagus with low-grade dysplasia (BL), and six esophageal adenocarcinoma (AC) samples using RNA extracted via laser capture microdissection (LCM) of histologically confirmed formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) esophageal biopsies. Differential gene expression analysis demonstrated partial separation according to histological group, with overlap between BL and AC. BL and AC groups displayed a multitude of differentially expressed genes relative to WT samples; however, fewer differentially expressed genes were found when comparing BL and AC groups. We identified 3062 differentially expressed genes across comparisons (2289 WT vs. AC; 1854 WT vs. BL; 130 BL vs. AC). Using KEGG pathway analysis and functional annotation, candidate genes and pathways were identified. Genes related to the extracellular matrix, focal adhesion, and PI3K-AKT pathways were upregulated in BL and AC versus WT, while genes relating to keratinization, Ras/Rap1, and Hippo signaling were downregulated in BL and AC versus WT. A small set of genes (e.g., ANPEP, REG4, MEP1A) distinguished BL from AC and represent differentially expressed candidates for further investigation. This exploratory transcriptomic profiling provides insights into gene expression changes associated with AC pathogenesis and identifies candidate genes and pathways that warrant independent validation by qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and functional studies. Full article

This work evaluates agarose (AG)- and chitosan (CS)-based hydrogels incorporating a dexamethasone–cyclodextrin complex (Dex) as potential bioink candidates for wound healing applications. For this purpose, biopolymer hydrogels were formulated and tested to determine their structure, morphology, and rheological behavior under different strain, frequency, and temperature conditions, as well as their swelling behavior, surface functionality, protein adhesion capability, and antibacterial activity. Scanning electron microscopy revealed an interconnected membrane-like porous structure in the agarose/chitosan (BAC) hydrogels, which also showed a fibril-like microstructure when Dex was added. X-ray diffraction showed that these structures had a semicrystalline nature, with a main broad peak from approximately 15 to 20°. Rheological tests confirmed the viscoelastic behavior of the developed hydrogels. Chitosan incorporation reduced the rigidity of the formulations, whereas dexamethasone did not significantly affect the viscoelastic response of the BAC hydrogel. Additionally, the temperature sweep showed that Dex did not substantially alter the viscoelastic response of the BAC hydrogel while reducing mass loss after immersion in phosphate-buffered saline and not significantly affecting the swelling behavior. Further, Coomassie blue staining tests demonstrated favorable protein interaction with the BAC-based hydrogels, indicating that Dex incorporation did not compromise their adsorption capacity. Regarding their antibacterial activity, the hydrogels showed no major effects on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in disk diffusion tests. However, liquid diffusion tests showed almost no bacterial growth for hydrogels incorporating CS. Thus, the present results demonstrate the potential of the BAC hydrogel system for biomedical and cosmetic applications. Full article

Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and bacterial infection were the important obstacles to impaired wound healing. Herein, by the use of innate bioactivities of natural polysaccharides and flavonoid glycosides, a multifunctional hydrogel was engineered through the Schiff base reaction between oxidized fucoidan (oFu) and lysine-modified chitosan (CS-Ly) for wound dressing. Rutin and silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-modified polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles were incorporated into the hydrogel matrix, thereby exhibiting favorable ROS scavenging ability and adhesive property. Moreover, the hydrogel demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), with antibacterial rates of 81.8% and 78.2%, respectively. Moreover, the dynamic crosslinking endowed the hydrogel with adjustable degradation behavior and self-healing ability. When cocultured with NIH-3T3 cells, the hydrogel exhibited good biocompatibility. Based on the above results, these multifunctional hydrogels with excellent performance have great appealing potential in clinical materials for wound healing. Full article

Aedes aegypti surveillance is essential for guiding arbovirus control strategies. The BG-Sentinel (BGS) trap is a widely used reference trap for monitoring adult Ae. aegypti, but its cost and need for electricity limit its use in resource-constrained settings. This study evaluated locally made, low-cost oviposition-based traps relative to the BGS trap. The Ovillanta trap was modified with internal adhesive surfaces to capture adult mosquitoes. Six trap types were evaluated at six outdoor locations, including (1) Ovillanta with yeast (2) Ovillanta with only water, (3) BG-Gravid Aedes Trap (BG-GAT) with yeast, (4) one modified GAT (1MoGAT) with yeast, (5) four modified GATs (4MoGAT) with yeast, and (6) a standard BGS trap with BG-Lure. Traps were deployed for three consecutive 24 h sampling periods before rotation. This process was repeated four times resulting in a total of 72 experimental days. The primary outcome was total number of captured female Ae. aegypti. The yeast-baited modified Ovillanta captured more Ae. aegypti than the other oviposition-based traps (n = 468), with catches comparable to the BGS trap (n = 497; IRR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.76–1.41; p = 0.859). Removing yeast from the Ovillanta reduced captures by 31% (n = 321; IRR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.51–0.95; p = 0.023). The BG-GAT (n = 95), 4MoGAT (n = 35), and 1MoGAT (n = 31) captured significantly fewer Ae. aegypti than the yeast-baited modified Ovillanta (all p < 0.0001). Around 95% of captured mosquitoes were unfed across all trap types. These findings suggest that the yeast-baited modified Ovillanta may provide a low-cost alternative for adult female Ae. aegypti surveillance, but further evaluation across diverse ecological and operational settings is needed. Full article

Polymeric membrane systems have emerged as an effective approach for water separations due to their high separation efficiency, simplicity, and adaptability to a wide range of water treatment applications. However, traditional membrane fabrication processes often rely on toxic organic solvents, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethylacetamide (DMAc), which pose environmental and health risks. Eco-friendly solvents have been investigated as an alternative to traditional toxic solvents. This study investigates the fabrication and performance of polymeric membranes using eco-friendly solvent systems, with a focus on bilayer membranes designed to improve separation performance over traditional single-layer membranes. Membranes were fabricated using eco-friendly solvents, Rhodiasolv© PolarClean and gamma-valerolactone in combination with polymers polysulfone (PSf) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP). Membranes were fabricated using nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) through doctor blade extrusion (DBE) and slot-die coating (SDC) methods in order to compare traditional laboratory-scale casting methods (DBE) with scalable fabrication techniques (SDC). Bilayer membranes were investigated to address limitations presented by single-layer membranes, with polydopamine (PDA) incorporated as an adhesion-promoting additive. Membrane characterization included scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurements, and tensile testing, along with water permeability and solute rejection tests. Results showed that polymer concentration and casting method influenced permeability and solute rejection, with the SDC bilayers reaching the highest initial BSA rejection. Filtration used deionized water and model aqueous feeds containing 100 ppm NaCl, 100 ppm CaCl₂, and 100 ppm bovine serum albumin (BSA). Full article

Background/Objectives: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may have health implications beyond the gastrointestinal tract, but its association with incident hypertension remains unclear. Methods: We analyzed 355,404 UK Biobank participants without recorded hypertension at baseline using multivariable Cox regression, propensity score matching, and sensitivity analyses addressing early events, baseline medication use and blood pressure, and competing mortality. Bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR), Bayesian colocalization, and intestinal transcriptomic analyses examined genetic and tissue-level evidence. Results: During a median follow-up of 14.09 years, IBS was associated with incident hypertension (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.22–1.30). The association persisted after matching (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.16–1.28) and across sensitivity analyses. Forward MR provided suggestive support: the primary inverse-variance weighted estimate was positive but imprecise (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.78–1.77), while weighted median and outlier-corrected analyses showed positive associations. Reverse MR showed no clear association. SuSiE-based colocalization supported shared signals for IBS with diastolic and systolic blood pressure at the NCAM1 locus (PP.H4, 0.903 and 0.890, respectively). Intestinal NCAM1 expression was lower in IBS, and correlated transcriptional programs involved epithelial remodeling, adhesion, and mucosal immune processes. Conclusions: IBS was associated with increased long-term hypertension risk, with suggestive genetic support and shared susceptibility signals at NCAM1. These findings support a potential biological link and prioritize NCAM1 for mechanistic investigation. Full article

Uremia is the most common pathophysiological symptom in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, particularly in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients. Uremia can lead to several vein-specific vascular diseases, such as renal vein thrombosis (RVT), deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and dialysis access-induced venous stenosis. One of our previous studies demonstrated that uremic serum exposure induced different cellular responses in pig venous smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) compared with arterial smooth muscle cells (aSMCs). To explore the underlying mechanisms responsible for vein-specific cellular responses, bulk RNA sequencing was utilized to examine differential gene expression in porcine vSMCs after uremic serum exposure. Differentially expressed genes (DEG) analysis revealed that 408 genes were upregulated, and 387 genes were downregulated after uremic serum treatment. Gene Ontology Biological Process analysis demonstrated that uremic serum exposure led to transcriptomic downregulation of cellular energy expenditure activities, such as the Cell Cycle, and positive transcriptomic enrichment of Cellular Response to Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress, unfolded protein response and hypoxia. Both Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Overrepresentation Analysis (ORA) obtained similar results. ORA revealed additional signaling pathways predicted to be transcriptomically downregulated, such as the Hippo signaling pathway and Focal Adhesion and Cytoskeletal Structure Regulating pathways. ORA also predicted several positively enriched signaling pathways related to cellular stress responses and waste disposal. To precisely identify vSMC-specific alterations, an interaction-based KEGG GSEA was performed. The analysis revealed several significantly different responses between vSMCs and aSMCs, such as Protein Processing in the Endoplasmic Reticulum, Integrated Stress Response signaling pathway and Mitophagy, which showed more positive responses in vSMCs, while oxidative phosphorylation showed a more positive response in aSMCs. These altered signaling pathways may be responsible for vein-specific clinical symptoms, such as venous segment stenosis in arteriovenous fistula, observed in CKD/ESKD patients. Full article

Candida tropicalis has emerged as one of the most clinically relevant non-albicans Candida species, owing to its increasing global prevalence, high mortality associated with invasive infections, and rising rates of antifungal resistance. Although traditionally considered an opportunistic pathogen, growing evidence indicates that its remarkable adaptive capacity is driven by the coordinated regulation of multiple biological processes that promote host colonization, persistence, and immune evasion. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the epidemiology, biology, genomic organization, virulence factors, and host–pathogen interactions of C. tropicalis. Particular emphasis is placed on recent advances in comparative genomics and functional studies that have expanded our understanding of the molecular determinants underlying adhesion, biofilm formation, morphogenesis, extracellular hydrolytic enzyme production, thermotolerance, cell wall remodeling, and immune evasion. We also integrate orthology analyses identifying putative C. tropicalis homologs of well-characterized Candida albicans virulence genes, highlighting the evolutionary conservation of key pathogenic mechanisms while emphasizing species-specific adaptations that remain functionally unexplored. Finally, we discuss current knowledge of antifungal resistance and the emerging relationship between genomic plasticity, stress adaptation, and pathogenicity. Together, this review provides an updated and comprehensive overview of the biological mechanisms that contribute to the success of C. tropicalis as an emerging opportunistic pathogen and identifies key areas requiring further investigation to improve diagnosis, treatment, and the development of novel antifungal strategies. 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