Search Results (622)

The global transition away from di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)-plasticized blood storage systems has raised important questions regarding platelet storage biology, transfusion performance, and recipient exposure to plasticizer-derived compounds. This systematic review evaluated platelet quality, plasticizer migration, and modeled transfusion exposure associated with DEHP-containing and DEHP-free platelet storage systems, including di(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHT), diisononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH), butyryl trihexyl citrate (BTHC), and tri(2-ethylhexyl) trimellitate (TOTM). English-language studies reporting quantitative platelet storage, migration, or exposure endpoints were identified through structured Google Scholar searches through 1 May 2025, supplemented by manual reference screening. Eligible studies were required to specify plasticizer composition and report quantitative biologic, migration, or exposure outcomes. Narrative reviews, opinion articles, and studies lacking extractable quantitative data were excluded. The risk of bias and the certainty of the evidence were assessed using adapted domain- and GRADE-based frameworks for mechanistic and preclinical studies. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed for day 7 platelet pH, while the remaining endpoints were synthesized descriptively. Thirty-three studies were included, comprising experimental platelet storage studies, biomaterial migration analyses, toxicologic investigations, and exposure-modeling studies. Platelet metabolic stability, including pH, glucose consumption, lactate accumulation, and mitochondrial membrane potential, was preserved across plasticizer systems. Meta-analysis demonstrated no significant difference in pooled day 7 platelet pH between DEHP and non-DEHP systems (mean difference +0.025; 95% confidence interval −0.081 to +0.131). Platelet aggregation and agonist-induced activation responses were maintained in DEHP-free systems. Selected activation and apoptotic markers, including CD62P expression and Annexin V binding, were reduced in fully DEHP-free systems, suggesting decreased storage-related membrane stress. Migration studies consistently demonstrated substantially greater DEHP leaching than DINCH and DEHT, resulting in higher modeled cumulative transfusion exposure, particularly among pediatric and neonatal recipients. Evidence further indicated that DEHP-containing whole-blood collection systems contribute to downstream contamination of platelet products with DEHP and mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP). Interpretation is limited by heterogeneity in study design, storage platforms, assay methodologies, and the predominance of in vitro evidence. Overall, replacing DEHP with modern alternative plasticizers helps preserve transfusion-relevant platelet quality while potentially reducing plasticizer migration and modeled recipient exposure, thereby supporting the biologic and toxicologic rationale for transitioning to phthalate-free blood collection and storage systems. Full article

Accurate detection and counting of open cotton bolls from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) RGB imagery are essential for organ-level cotton phenotyping and field monitoring, but remain challenging in high-density cotton fields because open bolls are small, densely distributed, partially occluded, and visually similar to plastic mulch, branches, senescent leaves, shadows, and drip-irrigation belts. To address these challenges, this study proposes OpenBoll-YOLO, a lightweight small-object detector designed for open cotton boll detection and counting in UAV nadir-view images. A UAV RGB dataset was collected at the boll-opening stage in Alar, Xinjiang, China, covering two cotton varieties and two acquisition dates. Based on YOLOv11s, OpenBoll-YOLO integrates three task-oriented components: a multi-kernel small-object enhancement pyramid (MSOEP) to preserve shallow spatial details and strengthen multi-scale feature fusion, a cross-stage partial block with a dynamic mixing layer (C2DML) to improve local structural discrimination under complex backgrounds, and a lightweight mixed aggregation network (LMANet) to enhance contextual representation with reduced model complexity. On the independent test set, OpenBoll-YOLO achieved 86.7% precision, 84.5% recall, 85.6% F1-score, 92.9% mAP@0.5, 81.5% mAP@0.75, and 71.7% mAP@0.5:0.95, with only 3.1 M parameters and an inference speed of 86 frames s⁻¹. Compared with YOLOv11s, it improved mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.5:0.95 by 2.4 and 5.9 percentage points, respectively, while reducing the parameter count by 67.0%. Counting evaluation further showed that OpenBoll-YOLO reduced the mean absolute error from 11.98 to 10.12 bolls image⁻¹ and increased R² from 0.87 to 0.91. These results demonstrate that OpenBoll-YOLO provides an accurate and lightweight solution for dense open cotton boll detection and counting in high-density field conditions. Full article

Direct air capture (DAC) requires carbon capture interfaces that operate under highly dilute CO₂ conditions while minimizing thermal and chemical regeneration penalties. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) accelerates the reversible hydration of CO₂ to bicarbonate and is therefore a strong biocatalytic candidate for low-temperature CO₂ capture, but its implementation depends on candidate support materials that combine wet-state accessibility, chemical reactivity, mechanical processability and compatibility with membrane architectures. This study reports the preparation and screening of N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS)-reactive biopolymer composite membranes for future carbonic anhydrase (CA) immobilization. Chitosan particles were precipitated with citrate or tripolyphosphate under high-shear homogenization and compared after lyophilization or convective drying. Chitosan-, shellac-, agarose- and cellulose-acetate-based films plasticized with glycerol and/or polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) were then evaluated by optical microscopy, dry-state penetrometric puncture testing, qualitative EDC/NHS-reactivity mapping and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Freshly precipitated chitosan particles showed dendrite-like high-surface morphologies, while lyophilization preserved porous flocculated aggregates and convective drying produced denser collapsed structures. Neat chitosan showed the highest dry-state puncture force (2.230 ± 0.173 N), whereas chitosan/shellac (0.377 ± 0.044 N) and agarose/chitosan/PEG-400 (0.386 ± 0.038 N) provided the strongest reactive-composite compromise between dry-state puncture resistance and EDC/NHS compatibility. The EDC/NHS reactivity map identified chitosan- and shellac-containing films as the chemically most relevant supports because they provide amine and/or carboxyl functionality, whereas agarose and cellulose acetate alone were not directly suitable for zero-length amidation. FTIR spectra confirmed polymer-specific functional signatures and EDC/NHS-associated changes in carbonyl, amide and C-O/C-O-C regions, especially in shellac- and chitosan-containing composites. The results identify chitosan/shellac as the lead candidate membrane and agarose/chitosan/PEG-400 as a hydration-rich comparator for subsequent carbonic anhydrase immobilization studies. This work should be interpreted as a first-stage materials-screening study of candidate membranes for enzyme immobilization. Full article

This study investigates the combined use of fly ash (FA) and plastic waste (PW) as partial replacements for cement and coarse aggregates in the production of paver blocks. Experimental mixes were developed with a substitution level of FA (10% to 30%) and PW (3% to 15%). The performance of the modified concrete block was evaluated in terms of compressive strength (CS), flexural strength (FS), ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), water absorption (WA), Cantabro abrasion resistance (CAR), and rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT). Experimental results revealed that the optimal mixture, containing 25% FA and 12% PW (M4), exhibited superior performance. Compared with the control mix, the 56-day compressive and flexural strengths increased by 14.1% and 15.3%, respectively. The UPV value increased to 5.1 km/s, indicating improved concrete quality and matrix densification. Durability performance was significantly enhanced, with water absorption reduced by 25.4%, Cantabro abrasion mass loss decreased by 23.7%, and chloride ion penetrability reduced by 50.0% at 56 days. Statistical analysis using two-way ANOVA confirmed that FA and PW contents significantly influenced paver block performance (p < 0.05). The economic assessment further demonstrated cost savings of up to 3.0% compared with conventional concrete paver blocks. The study demonstrates that FA and PW can be effectively valorized in paver block production, offering both economic and environmental benefits. This green approach supports sustainable construction practices and promotes efficient waste management. Full article

Background: Facial trauma is frequently managed by multiple surgical specialties, but department-specific case distribution within a single institution has not been well characterized. This study aimed to describe the distribution of facial trauma cases managed by Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) and Plastic Surgery (PS) from 2016 to May 2025 and to evaluate department-specific patterns according to injury type, anatomical site, demographic characteristics, and temporal changes during the COVID-19 period. Methods: This single-center retrospective observational study included facial trauma cases managed by OMFS or PS after presentation to the emergency department at Chosun University Hospital between 1 January 2016 and 31 May 2025. Aggregated count data on demographic characteristics, fracture sites, laceration sites, injury mechanisms, dental trauma diagnoses, and annual case numbers were analyzed using cross-tabulation and chi-square tests. Results: A total of 6611 facial fracture patients and 17,133 facial laceration cases were analyzed. PS managed a larger number of facial fracture and laceration cases overall, whereas OMFS-managed cases were more concentrated in mandibular fractures and dental trauma. Sex distribution did not differ significantly between departments (p = 0.126), whereas age distribution differed significantly (p < 0.001). The annual distributions of facial fracture and laceration cases also differed between departments (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively). Zygomatic arch fractures represented the largest midfacial fracture-site category managed by PS, whereas condylar and angle fractures were the two most frequently recorded mandibular fracture-site categories managed by OMFS. Conclusions: This study describes department-specific distributions of facial trauma cases in a single tertiary institution. The findings should be interpreted as reflecting institutional case routing and documentation patterns rather than intrinsic differences between specialties. These data may support local audit of department-managed case distributions and generate hypotheses for future multicenter research. Full article

Waste plastic aggregate (WPA) is a promising recycled material for asphalt mixtures, but its polymeric surface can weaken binder adhesion and increase moisture-related damage, even in SBS-modified systems. Therefore, a clear need exists to identify anti-stripping agents that are compatible with WPA, rather than simply increasing WPA content in asphalt mixtures. This study evaluates the interfacial and mixture-scale performance of SBS-modified asphalt mixtures containing two WPA types, namely coarse WPA and fine WPA, treated with three liquid anti-stripping agents: amine-based agent (AS-Am), organosilane coupling-type adhesion promoter (AS-OS), and ester/surfactant-based wetting agent (AS-Es). The novelty of this study lies in selecting the anti-stripping system based on WPA–binder adhesion compatibility and validating it through moisture, rutting, rheological, and fracture performance. Binder bond strength, tensile bond strength, shear bond strength, indirect tensile strength/tensile strength ratio (ITS/TSR), Hamburg wheel tracking (HWT), multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR), and semi-circular bending (SCB) tests were conducted. AS-OS showed the best overall performance. It increased binder bond strength (BBS) by 52.8% for coarse WPA and 61.5% for fine WPA, while the optimum 0.5% dosage improved tensile bond strength by 81.0% and 97.2%, respectively. AS-OS also increased shear strength by 58.8–68.3% and improved TSR to 89.0% and 86.2%. In HWT, C-OS and F-OS reduced final rut depth by 44.0% and 45.8%, respectively. SCB results further showed higher fracture work, especially for F-OS. The findings indicate that proper anti-stripping chemistry is essential for durable WPA–SBS asphalt mixtures. Full article

Cutin, a natural polyester, has attracted attention as a precursor for bio-based materials mimicking plant cuticles, particularly in food packaging. Most studies focus on polycondensation of hydrolyzed cutin fractions or combining cutin hydrolysates with other components; however, cutin precipitation, conditions affecting it, and cutin isolate film properties, without addition of other filmogenic material, remain insufficiently understood. Owing to the pH-dependent solubility of cutin, which progressively decreases as pH is lowered from strongly alkaline to acidic conditions, this study investigates the influence of pH on cutin dispersion formation and characteristics, and evaluates the impact of these dispersion properties on the formation and performance of self-assembled cutin isolate films, with a view to developing films with improved water-barrier and moisture-resistance properties. The influence of three plasticizers, glycerol, propylene glycol, and polyethylene glycol 400, at two concentrations was also evaluated. Results demonstrated that pH is the primary factor influencing cutin isolate dispersion characteristics and film performance, with decreasing pH promoting cutin precipitation and particle aggregation, thereby inducing changes in film structure. The strongest effects were observed for swelling, solubility, and tensile strength, followed by water vapor permeability, elongation at break, and thickness. Plasticizer type mainly affected moisture content and significantly influenced permeability and thickness, while concentration of plasticizer primarily impacted permeability. Interactions between pH and plasticizer significantly influenced most properties. Films prepared from cutin dispersions at pH 6.5 and pH 5 with polyethylene glycol (10%) showed the best balance of mechanical and barrier properties. Additionally, films prepared from the cutin solutions at pH 12 with glycerol (20%) exhibited good mechanical performance and high solubility, suitable for specific applications. Full article

To clarify the spreading law of river crab pellet feed in a centrifugal spreading mechanism and provide a physical basis for the path planning of automatic feeding boats, this study took 4.0 mm sinking extruded river crab feed as the research object. A systematic research method combining physical experiments and Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulation was established. Physical experiments were conducted to calibrate the intrinsic parameters (density, Poisson’s ratio, elastic modulus) and contact parameters (friction coefficients and restitution coefficients between feed and 304 stainless steel/ABS plastic, as well as between feed particles) of the pellet feed. On this basis, a DEM simulation model of a vibration blanking-dual disc centrifugal spreading mechanism was constructed using the multi-sphere aggregation method and the Hertz-Mindlin (no-slip) contact model. A Central Composite Design (CCD) response surface experiment was employed to investigate the spreading law, with boat speed (0.5–1.5 m/s) and spreading disc rotation speed (800–1000 rpm) as independent variables, and unilateral spreading width (W), track superposition uniformity (ω), and transverse coefficient of variation ($Cv$) as response indicators to characterize spreading range and particle distribution. The results showed that the spreading disc rotation speed had an extremely significant effect (p < 0.0001) on all three response indicators, while boat speed had no significant effect. The feed exhibited a characteristic double fan-shaped superposition distribution pattern. Through multi-objective optimization, the optimal operational parameters were determined as a boat speed of 1.0 m/s and a spreading disc rotation speed of 879 rpm, yielding a unilateral spreading width of 2.9 m, a track superposition uniformity of 88.31%, and a transverse coefficient of variation of 8.33%. This study establishes a quantitative method for analyzing feed spreading characteristics and clarifies the spreading range and particle distribution law, providing a reliable physical basis for full-coverage path planning of crab pond feeding boats. Full article

Plastic-covered greenhouses (PCGs) are an important form of intensive agricultural land use, but their long-term spatial dynamics are difficult to summarize from annual maps alone. This study mapped PCGs in Weifang, China, from 2016 to 2025 using Sentinel-2 imagery processed in Google Earth Engine. A Random Forest model trained with pooled multi-year samples was used to generate annual probability maps, which were converted to binary maps using a fixed threshold (T = 0.45) to improve cross-year comparability. Pixel-wise annual sequences were then summarized into four process classes: stable, gain, loss, and flip. These process classes, together with annual greenhouse coverage, were aggregated to a 16 km² hexagon grid. Current coverage, long-term change, and process composition were further combined to produce an exploratory rule-based zoning interpretation. Independent year-specific validation showed overall accuracies of 0.969–0.983 and Kappa values of 0.740–0.841. Greenhouse precision remained high, while recall was lower, indicating a conservative detection tendency. From 2016 to 2025, mapped greenhouse area increased by 21.3%, reaching 752 km². Shouguang, Qingzhou, and Changle accounted for 77.7% of the 2025 total. The results show a persistent high-intensity core and more dynamic marginal areas, providing spatial evidence for differentiated monitoring and targeted verification. Full article

Reproductive biology is fundamental for understanding fish population dynamics and for guiding fisheries management and aquaculture practices. Key reproductive and fishery-related variables such as catch size, age at maturity, spawning season, aggregation behavior, and the implementation of seasonal closures are critical to ensuring fish population sustainability. Snappers have been targeted for commercial aquaculture development due to their plasticity and ability to adapt to captive conditions. In Mexico, reproductive biology information on snappers remains fragmented and largely species-specific along both Pacific and Gulf coasts. This review reveals a lack of integrated perspective on snappers’ reproductive biology and identifies key knowledge gaps that may limit the development of effective conservation measures and aquaculture strategies. The absence of species-specific regulations for many snapper species along the Mexican Pacific coast reflects limited biological information and restricts the development of effective management policies. Increasing catch rates may indicate overexploitation, highlighting the need for targeted research to address existing information gaps and support effective conservation strategies for snapper populations. This review synthesizes available information on snapper reproductive biology and discusses how these traits can inform broodstock management, spawning control, and seed production in snappers from the Mexican coastal regions. Full article

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) is a key presynaptic protein, primarily known for its role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other synucleinopathies, including dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Although much of the research has focused on the nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) pathway, there is growing recognition that the accumulation of misfolded α-Syn in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a critical driver of non-motor symptoms and cognitive deficits in PD and DLB. This review examines the dual role of α-Syn in the PFC circuitry, initially exploring its regulation of synaptic vesicle (SV) dynamics and recycling to maintain stable neurotransmission. We highlight its contribution to the modulation of glutamatergic (Glu) and GABAergic (γ-aminobutyric acid, GABA) synapses, which ensures the functional excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance of prefrontal circuits. Conversely, in PD and DLB, the transition of functional α-Syn monomers to pathological oligomers triggers a cascade of synaptic failures. We analyze how α-Syn aggregation causes pathology in dendritic spines, leads to a progressive reduction in the density of synaptic markers, and impairs cortical plasticity. Synthesizing evidence from neuroimaging studies, post-mortem human cortical samples, and animal models, this review emphasizes the PFC as a vulnerable brain region where α-Syn-mediated synaptic dysfunction translates into cognitive and emotional deficits. Deciphering these early synaptic alterations is essential for developing neuroprotective strategies that preserve cortical function in PD and DLB. Full article

This study examined the mechanical and hygrothermal response of cement mortars incorporating recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as a partial replacement of fine aggregate at levels of 2.5%, 5.0%, and 7.5% by weight of sand. A reference mixture without polymer was also prepared. The experimental program included determining density, workability, and compressive strength at 7 and 28 days. Based on the mechanical results, the formulation containing 2.5% LDPE was selected for further hygrothermal assessment in 1:5 scale chambers coated with conventional and modified mortars. LDPE incorporation progressively decreased density and generally reduced compressive strength relative to the control mixture, although a non-monotonic 28-day response was observed between the 2.5% and 5.0% LDPE mixtures. At 28 days, the reference mortar reached 5.243 MPa, whereas the mixture with 2.5% LDPE attained 1.461 MPa. Hygrothermal monitoring showed no substantial improvement in indoor temperature regulation; however, the LDPE-modified coating maintained higher indoor relative humidity than the conventional system during the test period. These results indicate that recycled LDPE can be incorporated into cement-based mortars at low replacement levels for exploratory non-structural applications. However, the resulting decrease in mechanical strength restricts its wider applicability and highlights the necessity for further verification to satisfy performance standards tailored to specific applications. Full article

Geopolymeric concrete beams are gaining increasing attention as sustainable structural members. The paper presents an experimental investigation on the deflection and cracking behavior of geopolymeric recycled aggregate concrete (GRAC) beams, with emphasis on effects of the longitudinal reinforcement ratio and the recycled aggregate (RA) replacement ratio. Using digital image correlation (DIC) technology, the failure modes, load–deflection curves, deflection characteristics, stiffness, and cracking behavior were systematically analyzed. The results indicated that increasing the reinforcement ratio leads to the same trend in GRAC beams as that observed in ordinary reinforced concrete beams. At 50% RA replacement, GRAC beams exhibit improved cracking resistance, 13.41% higher cracking stiffness, 6.93% lower deflection, and enhanced ductility compared to specimens without RA, attributed to the enhanced RA–matrix interface. However, a further increase in the RA replacement ratio leads to poorer flexural performance of the GRAC beams. In addition, predictive models for cracking moment, stiffness, deflection, and maximum crack width of GRAC beams were proposed based on the experimental results, incorporating the plastic influence coefficient, the comprehensive coefficient for the average strain at the extreme compression zone of concrete and the maximum crack width correction factor. The calculated values agreed well with the test data, offering a basis for structural design and engineering application. Full article

Concrete bricks have been used in construction for over a century, often used for foundations and retaining walls. Its production contributes significantly to carbon emissions and the depletion of natural resources. Thus, this study aims to develop an outdoor brick using crushed bivalve shell (Vivipara angularis), locally known as “Ige”, as an aggregate to reduce the need for natural aggregates, which are a finite resource, and molasses as an admixture to improve the brick’s workability and strength. A series of experiments was conducted to test the bricks’ fire resistance, water absorption, and compression, aiming to determine the feasibility of making bricks from crushed bivalve shells, shredded plastic bottles, cement, sand, water, and molasses. The project used an experimental and developmental research approach. The study was conducted at the Caraga State University, Cabadbaran Campus. Results showed that (a.) Sample 2, which contains 400 g of cement, 800 g of sand, and 1200 g of bivalve freshwater shell with the ratio of 1:2:3, has good fire resistance characteristics (b.) Sample 5, which contains more plastic bottles rather than freshwater shells, performed well in water absorption and (c.) Sample 2, a mixture of 400 g of cement, 800 g of sand, and 1200 g of bivalve freshwater shell with a ratio of 1:2:3, exhibits good comprehensive strength. The study revealed that using bivalve freshwater shells can improve the durability of concrete bricks and, when combined with plastic bottles, reduce water absorption; however, it can also compromise brick durability. Full article

This study addresses the pressing issue of utilising plastic from electronic waste as a filler to replace mineral sand. Currently, the use of plastic in construction concrete is limited due to a significant deterioration in the mechanical properties of modified concrete when plastic filler is added at levels exceeding 15–20%. As a result of the research, it was established that the addition of a nano-preparation—fullerene—in amounts as low as 0.001% significantly improves the mechanical properties of concrete with plastic aggregate. Replacing 50% of the mineral aggregate with plastic aggregate, combined with the addition of fullerene at a concentration of 0.01% of the mixing water mass, more than doubles the mechanical properties of the concrete compared to concrete without the nano-additive, with compressive strength increasing by 65.2%, from 16.33 MPa to 26.97 MPa. The impact strength and freeze–thaw resistance of the concrete were also significantly increased. This makes it possible to use concrete with a high plastic aggregate content of up to 50% without a significant reduction in mechanical properties. The use of machine learning and AI data processing methods such as AdaBoost and Random Forest allows for highly accurate prediction of the characteristics of the resulting materials, with a coefficient of determination (R²) for the resulting models close to 1. Full article