Search Results (691)

Zr alloy-shaped charge liners (SCLs) offer broad application prospects due to their multiple post-penetration damage effects. However, research on these liners is still in its early stages. The mechanisms of jet formation and penetration for Zr alloys SCL remain unclear, and the specific contribution of different liner regions to the penetration process is not yet understood. This gap in knowledge has limited their structural design to a black-box correlation between global structural parameters and macroscopic penetration efficiency. To address this gap, a region-tracing Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulation was employed. Following a strategy of “wall thickness layering + axial segmentation,” the Zr alloy liner was partitioned into ten characteristic regions. This methodology facilitated the tracking of material transport from each region during jet formation and penetration into an AISI 1045 steel target. The contribution of each region to the penetration depth was then quantitatively assessed via post-processing. For the first time, the “critical region” contributing most to penetration depth was identified, and the influence of the liner’s cone angle and wall thickness on the contribution of each region was revealed. This study enhances the theoretical framework for understanding the damage effects of Zr alloy shaped charge liners. It not only advances the fundamental understanding of jet penetration mechanisms but also provides a theoretical basis for the refined design and performance optimization of these liners. Full article

Factor XII (FXII) is a central mediator at the intersection of coagulation, fibrinolysis, inflammation, and immunity. It is activated upon contact with negatively charged surfaces, triggering the intrinsic coagulation pathway and driving thrombus formation and stabilization. Beyond clotting, FXII contributes to activation of the kallikrein–kinin system, generation of bradykinin, and modulation of inflammatory and immune responses. Congenital FXII deficiency does not increase bleeding risk, highlighting its unique role and making FXII inhibition an attractive strategy for anticoagulation and immune modulation with a potentially superior safety profile. Preclinical studies provide compelling evidence for this concept. In models of ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury, FXII blockade significantly reduced infarct volume, improved neurological outcomes, and attenuated neuroinflammation without increasing hemorrhage. Similarly, in extracorporeal circulation and vascular stent implantation, FXII inhibition prevented thrombus formation and reduced fibrin deposition, achieving effects comparable to heparin but with markedly lower bleeding risk. Several classes of FXII inhibitors are currently in development, including antisense oligonucleotides, peptides, recombinant proteins, and monoclonal antibodies. Among them, Ixodes ricinus contact phase inhibitor (Ir-CPI) and recombinant human albumin-fused Infestin-4 (rHA-Infestin-4) have demonstrated strong antithrombotic efficacy in animal models. Most notably, garadacimab, a monoclonal anti-FXIIa antibody, has completed phase 3 trials and received regulatory approval for hereditary angioedema (HAE) prophylaxis, where it markedly reduces attack frequency with a favorable safety profile. This review summarizes current knowledge on FXII biology and evaluates its translational potential as a novel target for anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory therapies. Full article

Non-dilute emulsions are emulsions where the concentration of the droplets is high enough for the neighbouring droplets to interact with each other hydrodynamically but is still smaller than the packed bed concentration where the droplets are packed and deformed against each other. Thus, they cover a broad range of droplet concentrations. Many emulsions encountered in industrial applications fall under this category. Non-dilute emulsions exhibit rich rheological behaviour, from a simple Newtonian fluid to a highly non-Newtonian fluid, reflecting shear-thinning, shear-thickening, yield stress, viscoelasticity, etc. In this article, the rheology of non-dilute emulsions is reviewed comprehensively. Emulsions of hard-sphere-type droplets and deformable droplets, with and without surfactants, are covered. The mathematical models describing the rheological behaviour of non-dilute emulsions are discussed. The influences of electric charge and interfacial rheology on the rheological behaviour of emulsions are covered in detail. The flocculation of droplets caused by different mechanisms, such as depletion and bridging induced by additives, and their effect on emulsion rheology are investigated thoroughly. Finally, the dynamic rheology of non-dilute emulsions is discussed, covering both pure oil–water interfaces and additive-laden interfaces. The mathematical models describing the dynamic rheological behaviour of non-dilute emulsions are described. Based on the existing theoretical and empirical models, it is possible to a priori predict the rheology of non-dilute emulsions. However, serious gaps in the existing knowledge on non-dilute emulsion rheology remain. This review identifies the gaps in existing knowledge and points out future directions in research related to non-dilute emulsion rheology. Full article

The utilization and chemical transformation of carbon dioxide remains a pressing problem in modern chemistry. Numerous experimental and theoretical studies have focused on the interaction of CO₂ with amines. In this work, quantum chemical density functional theory (DFT) calculations of equilibrium geometries, energies, electronic and vibrational characteristics of CO₂-sensitive mono-, di-, tris-hydroxyamidines and their associates were carried out by the B3LYP/6-31G(d, p) method. The harmonic vibrational frequencies were scaled and compared with the experimental FTIR spectra for supporting wavenumber assignments. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis of the atomic charges and charge delocalization was employed to investigate the nature of hydrogen bonding in hydroxyamidine associates. We also used the intrinsically polarizable continuum model (IEFPCM), and the DFT-D3 method was applied to account for dispersion effects during associate formation. Using the 6-311+G(2d, p) basis set for tris-hydroxyamidine, and its adducts, a comparative analysis of the experimental and calculated ¹H NMR spectra was performed. Here, we considered non-trivial sites of carbon dioxide absorption and hydroxyamidine protonation, which, to our knowledge, have hardly been considered by other authors. Present DFT results agree rather well with the experimental data and support new insight into the formation of the PIL structure. Full article

Osmium is an element of the Periodic Table with an atomic number Z equal to 76. In Tokamaks with divertors made of tungsten ($Z=74$), it is produced in the neutron-induced transmutation of the latter. Therefore one can expect that their sputtering may generate ionic impurities of all possible charge states in the fusion plasma. As a consequence, these could contribute to radiation losses in these controlled nuclear devices. The knowledge of radiative rates in all the spectra of osmium is thus important in this field. In this framework, a multiplatform approach has been used to determine the Os V radiative properties and estimate their accuracy. The transition probabilities have been computed for the 2677 electric dipole (E1) transitions falling in the spectral range from 400 Å to 12,000 Å. Three independent atomic structure models have been considered; one based on the fully relativistic ab initio multiconfiguration Dirac–Hartree–Fock (MCDHF) method and two based on the semi-empirical pseudo-relativistic Hartree–Fock (HFR) method. Full article

The transportation sector is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, making electric vehicle (EV) adoption critical for decarbonization. This study investigates EV adoption determinants in Turkey using explainable machine learning, focusing on economic, infrastructure, and attitudinal factors while exploring driver behavior and fuel-efficiency awareness. Data from 304 participants were collected; after excluding undecided responses, the final analytical sample comprised 232 participants. Multiple algorithms (Random Forest, XGBoost, Logistic Regression, and SVM) were evaluated, addressing class imbalance via SMOTETomek. SHAP analysis identified policy-relevant predictors. Results reveal that EV adoption intentions are primarily driven by perceived cost impact, EV knowledge, and charging infrastructure accessibility, showing substantially stronger effects than driver behavior. Exploratory analysis indicates that aggressive driving correlates with lower fuel-efficiency awareness, whereas maintenance and eco-driving support higher awareness. The best-performing Random Forest model achieved 89.36% accuracy and a 0.9348 F1-score. Rather than claiming novelty in ML application, this study contributes an interpretable framework and emerging-market evidence contrasting economic/infrastructure factors against behavioral variables. Findings provide actionable insights for policy, highlighting cost-focused incentives, infrastructure deployment, and targeted awareness campaigns. Full article

Widening participation policy in England is increasingly collaborative. Since 2018, higher education (HE) institutions charging above the basic tuition fee limit are required to set out strategies to mitigate ‘risks to equality of opportunity’ for people from more disadvantaged backgrounds and their ability to access and progress through and from higher education’. Universities are encouraged to work with schools to implement outreach initiatives such as supporting raising attainment—stimulating prospects for strategic collaboration and leadership across organisational boundaries. While the majority of leadership studies in the educational research literature showcase individual settings or sectors, our study of a schools–university partnership investigates collaborative leadership practices across institutional and sector borders. Drawing ethnomethodological insights from rich qualitative data compiled 15 months into the partnership—comprising semi-structured interviews with school leaders and teachers, meeting observations, and researcher field notes—we present a unique school stakeholders’ perspective of a boundary-spanning partnership focused on university outreach and educational improvement. Venturing across institutional borders revealed pathways to develop more diffuse forms of coordinated action around a common goal—activating increased leadership-based collaboration and creativity among school stakeholders alongside a need for greater shared understanding to avoid potential misalignments. Facilitated by ‘knowledge brokering’ between school and university stakeholders, features of collaborative leadership manifested as a blended phenomenon—with teachers and leaders signalling pragmatic shifts in attainment-raising framing and practice. Implications for both schools and HE sectors are offered, distinctively at the intersection of school leadership and widening participation. Full article

Globally, one in eight people experience a mental disorder, which constitutes a leading cause of years lived with disability and disproportionately affects young people. Gaps in scientific knowledge have been identified, with limited studies in university students. This article presents an open-access database on mental health and family functioning, collected through a survey of undergraduate students in health sciences programs at a private university in Cali (Colombia). The purpose was to explore suicide risk, substance abuse and family functioning using three structured questionnaires (Family APGAR, Dast-10, and PANSI), together with sociodemographic variables, organized in four sections (family and peer support, substance use, suicidal ideation, and background). The results of the article correspond to the database description, which includes finally 574 records obtained from students of health sciences programs (medicine, dentistry, psychology, prehospital care, nursing, dental mechanics). The data are provided as raw, analyzable files (spreadsheet formats) free of charge from Mendeley Data. In conclusion, the scientific impact of these data lies in their potential to be reused by researchers and higher-education decision-makers for secondary analyses that guide the development of mental and family health interventions for groups linked to undergraduate programs in the health sector. Full article

The deployment of Discrete Variable Quantum Key Distribution (DV-QKD) in high-traffic, short-reach environments, such as intra-data center networks, is currently constrained by the saturation of single-photon detectors. While CMOS Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) offer a cost-effective solution, their Secure Key Rate (SKR) is limited by detector dead time. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first to derive a generalized detection rate model for SiPMs that addresses the dead-time bottlenecks of gigahertz-rate quantum cryptography. While methods for managing deadtime via active optical switching have been proposed, our model quantifies the benefits of passive spatial multiplexing inherent in standard SiPM arrays. Furthermore, contrasting with models designed to optimize energy resolution or characterize nonlinear charge response to light pulses, our work focuses on maximizing the detection count rate. We derive exact detection rate models for both analog (paralyzable) and digital (non-paralyzable) SiPM architectures, incorporating correlated noise sources such as optical crosstalk and afterpulsing. Simulation results indicate that SiPMs can increase detection rates by over an order of magnitude compared to single SPADs. Full article

Electrochemical water splitting requires electrocatalysts that operate efficiently and durably under disparate electrolyte environments. Herein, pristine CuCoO₂ particles were synthesized via a hydrothermal route as a single-phase rhombohedral (3R) delafossite structure composed of hexagonal, single-crystalline particles (~2.6 μm) with a uniform elemental distribution. The prepared CuCoO₂ was then evaluated as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for the alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the acidic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), with a deliberate separation of electrode-level performance and intrinsic per-site activity. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed mixed Cu⁺/Cu²⁺ and Co²⁺/Co³⁺ states, together with signatures of copper and oxygen vacancies, indicating a defect-rich surface chemistry. In 1 M KOH, the CuCoO₂ loaded on carbon fiber paper (CFP) delivered an OER overpotential of 404.38 mV at 10 mA/cm² in 1 M KOH (Tafel slope = 102.39 mV/dec; charge-transfer resistance (R_ct) decreased from 19.32 to 5.78 Ω with increasing potential) and an HER overpotential of 246.46 mV at −10 mA/cm² in 0.5 M H₂SO₄, with sluggish kinetics (Tafel slope = 429.17 mV/dec; high R_ct = ~1.0–1.1 kΩ). Despite this, CuCoO₂ exhibited markedly higher intrinsic activity in acidic HER (ECSA = 82.97 cm²; TOF = 0.1432 s⁻¹ at −0.2 V vs. RHE) than in alkaline OER (ECSA = 9.56 cm²; TOF = 0.079 s⁻¹ at 1.5 V vs. RHE), indicating that acidic HER performance is primarily limited by electrode-level microstructural factors. This work provides, to the best of our knowledge, the first evaluation of acidic HER activity of delafossite CuCoO₂ and underscores electrode-level microstructural engineering as a key route to better harness its intrinsic activity for practical water electrolysis. Full article

This study presents the implementation of a project-based learning (PjBL) methodology in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to enhance experiential and collaborative learning within an introductory engineering course. The primary objective was to deepen students’ understanding of electrical energy storage principles, with a particular focus on charging processes and energy conservation, through the emulation of an electrochemical supercapacitor. Engineering students at Tecnológico de Monterrey designed, modeled, and analyzed a double-loop RC equivalent circuit comprising two capacitors, utilizing both computer simulations and laboratory experiments. The PjBL methodology was structured into three phases: engagement, which contextualizes the problem and emphasizes the significance of supercapacitors; research, which encompasses system design, mathematical modeling, and simulation; and action, which entails circuit assembly and the resolution of differential equations using Kirchhoff’s laws. The results indicate that this approach effectively integrates theoretical and practical knowledge, develops technical skills, and promotes collaboration. Furthermore, it aligns learning outcomes with explicit assessment criteria, illustrating compatibility with outcome-based pedagogical frameworks such as Outcome-Based Education (OBE). Full article

RNA viruses pose a persistent global threat due to their high mutation rates, zoonotic potential, and rapid adaptability. Emergence events have risen steadily, as demonstrated by major outbreaks caused by Influenza A, Ebola, Zika, and Chikungunya viruses, followed by the coronavirus epidemics of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and culminating in the COVID-19 pandemic. These characteristics frequently compromise the durability of existing vaccines and antiviral therapies, highlighting the urgent need for new antiviral agents. Alkaloids, a structurally diverse class of nitrogen-containing natural compounds, have gained attention for their ability to interfere with multiple stages of the viral life cycle, including entry, replication, protein synthesis, and host immune modulation. To our knowledge, this review compiles all currently reported alkaloids with antiviral activity against RNA viruses and summarizes their proposed mechanisms of action, distinguishing evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies. Quaternary alkaloids are discussed separately because their permanent ionic charge enables distinctive interactions with membranes and host pathways. Although many findings are promising, clinical translation remains limited by incomplete mechanistic validation, scarce in vivo data, suboptimal bioavailability, narrow therapeutic windows, and inconsistent experimental methodologies. To advance the field, future research should prioritize RT-qPCR–based antiviral evaluation to accurately quantify viral replication, incorporate mechanistic assays to clarify modes of action, apply structure–activity relationship (SAR) approaches for rational optimization, and expand in vivo pharmacokinetic and efficacy studies to assess therapeutic feasibility. Overall, alkaloids represent a promising yet underdeveloped reservoir for next-generation antiviral discovery against rapidly evolving RNA viruses. Full article

To establish the best approach for conserving a species, it is necessary to understand the biology of that species. To better understand the behavior of American black bears (Ursus americanus), we observed 246 black bears for 7950 h in nature over a 24-year period to quantify how the bears communicated. Black bears communicated using several different behaviors. These included thirteen types of vocalizations, eight olfactory behaviors, eight marking behaviors, sixteen different body postures and gestures constituting their body language, and various emotional expressions. Some behaviors appeared to be automatic, including facial expression, ear movements, some forms of body language, the intensity of various vocalizations, and various moans. Other behaviors appeared to be intentional, including mechanically generated sounds and actions that could be used to bluff or deceive, such as the chomping of teeth, huffing, swatting, false charging, and various vocalizations. The conservation of black bears can be improved by establishing management strategies that take into account the vocal and non-vocal communication of the bears. Conflicts and negative encounters between humans and bears can be reduced through behavioral modifications by humans based on our new understanding of the communication system of bears. Knowledge of the communication system of the black bear provides a basis for improved conservation through the non-lethal management of bears involved in bear–human conflicts. Full article

“The Construction Site of Tomorrow” is a 3-year collaboration of a consortium of seven contractors, two knowledge institutes, and the construction machinery supplier on the deployment of heavy-duty electric excavators. The practical experiences of “The Construction Site of Tomorrow” have resulted in technical improvements of the machines, new insights about energy consumption in different use cases, experience with the deployment of the machines, and practicalities around charging the machines’ batteries in different situations. In this paper, we elaborate on the findings of the project, including the usability of the machines, their energy consumption, and total costs of ownership. This work has been coordinated by FIER Sustainable Mobility. The project was sponsored by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. Full article

Fiber-forming polymers are increasingly used to control blood coagulation, either by accelerating the onset of hemostasis or by limiting thrombogenic events in contact with blood. Despite rapid progress in materials engineering, a unified view linking the molecular mechanisms of the coagulation cascade with specific design strategies of procoagulant and anticoagulant polymeric fibers is still missing. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on how natural and synthetic polymers interact with plasma proteins, platelets, and coagulation factors, emphasizing the role of fiber morphology, surface chemistry, charge distribution, and functionalization. Particular attention was paid to systems based on natural polysaccharides (e.g., chitosan, alginate, and cellulose derivatives), as well as synthetic polymers (e.g., PLA, PCL, polyurethanes, and zwitterionic materials). Two possible courses of action were described: their bioactivity may activate the contact pathway and/or support platelet adhesion or their ability to minimize protein adsorption and inhibit thrombin generation. We discuss how metal–polymer coordination, surface immobilization of heparin or nitric oxide donors, and nanoscale texturing modulate coagulation kinetics in opposite directions. Finally, we highlight emerging fiber-based strategies for achieving either rapid hemostasis or long-term hemocompatibility and propose design principles enabling precise tuning of coagulation responses for wound dressings, vascular grafts, and blood-contacting devices. This general compendium of knowledge on blood–material interactions provides a foundation for further design of biomaterials based on fiber-forming polymers and the development of manufacturing processes. Full article