Search Results (1,356)

Pipelines, as critical infrastructure in energy transmission, municipal facilities, industrial production, and specialized equipment, are essential to national economic security and social stability. This paper systematically reviews the domestic and international research status of pipeline in-line inspection (ILI) technologies, with a focus on four major technological systems: electromagnetic, acoustic, optical, and robotic technologies. The operational principles, application scenarios, advantages, and limitations of each technology are analyzed in detail. Although existing technologies have achieved significant progress in defect detection accuracy and environmental adaptability, they still face challenges including insufficient adaptability to complex environments, the inherent trade-off between detection accuracy and efficiency, and high equipment costs. Future research directions are identified as follows: intelligent algorithm optimization for multi-physics collaborative detection, miniaturized and integrated design of inspection devices, and scenario-specific development for specialized environments. Through technological innovation and multidisciplinary integration, pipeline ILI technologies are expected to progressively realize efficient, precise, and low-cost lifecycle safety monitoring of pipelines. Full article

The composition of the gut and/or tumor microbiome has been intricately involved in the onset of carcinogenesis, tumor progression, therapy response, and patient outcomes in diverse solid cancers. The microbiome type, composition, and their metabolome have been functionally implicated in the multifarious cellular processes, transformation, proliferation, tumor immune evasion, cellular migration, etc. Despite such compelling evidence on the role of microbiome interactions in cancer, the realization of their role in neuroblastoma (NB), the deadly extracranial tumor in infants is few and fragmentary. This review comprehends the composition, diversity, and significance of microbiota in human health. Further, this review discusses the microbiota composition, their mode of action, and their signaling flow through and cellular processes in diverse cancers including NB. Precisely, this study for the first time has realized the functional relevance and clinical significance of the gut and tumor microbiome for NB. Interestingly, large cohort clinical and preclinical in vivo models of NB realized the following: gut microbiota predicts the risk for NB; postnatal (and or not maternal transmission) microbiome rearrangements; gut microbial effect on NB pathogenesis; tumor-altering gut microbial composition; microbial composition predicts treatment outcomes in NB; prebiotic remedies for stabilizing NB-associated microbial rearrangements; microbial composition in tumor-infiltrating microbiota predicts NB outcomes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mumps remains a relevant vaccine-preventable disease globally, especially in settings where immunization coverage fluctuates or vaccine-induced immunity wanes. This study aimed to assess long-term trends in mumps incidence, vaccination coverage, clinical outcomes, and demographic characteristics in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (AP Vojvodina), Serbia, over a 47-year period. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study using surveillance data from the Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina. Analyses included annual mumps incidence rates (1978–2024), coverage with mumps-containing vaccines (MuCVs; 1986–2024), monthly case counts, and individual-level case data for the 1997–2024 period. Variables analyzed included age, month of notification, gender, vaccination status, presence of clinical complications, and the method used for case confirmation. Results: Following the introduction of MuCV in 1986, the mumps incidence markedly declined, with limited resurgences in 2000, 2009, and 2012. Between 1997 and 2024, a total of 1358 cases were reported, with 62.7% occurring in males. Over time, the age distribution shifted, with adolescents and young adults being increasingly affected during the later (2011–2024) observed period. In 2012, the highest age-specific incidence was observed among individuals aged 10–19 and 20–39 years (49.1 and 45.5 per 100,000, respectively). Vaccination coverage for both MuCV doses was suboptimal in several years. The proportion of unvaccinated cases decreased over time, while the proportion with unknown vaccination status increased. Mumps-related complications—such as orchitis, pancreatitis, and meningitis—were rare and predominantly affected unvaccinated individuals: 84.2% of orchitis, 40.0% of pancreatitis, and all meningitis cases. Only two pancreatitis cases (40.0%) were reported after one MMR dose, while fully vaccinated individuals (two doses) had one orchitis case (5.3%) and no other complications. Laboratory confirmation was applied more consistently from 2009 onward, with 49.6% of cases confirmed that year (58 out of 117), and, in several years after 2020, only laboratory-confirmed cases were reported, indicating improved diagnostic capacity. Conclusions: Despite substantial progress in controlling mumps, gaps in vaccine coverage, waning immunity, and incomplete vaccination records continue to pose a risk for mumps transmission. Strengthening routine immunization, ensuring high two-dose MuCV coverage, improving vaccination record keeping, and enhancing laboratory-based case confirmation are critical. Consideration should be given to booster doses in high-risk populations and to conducting a seroepidemiological study to estimate the susceptible population for mumps in AP Vojvodina. Full article

Terahertz (THz) communication is regarded as a key technology for achieving high-speed data transmission and wireless communication due to its ultra-high frequency and large bandwidth characteristics. In this study, we focus on a single-carrier THz communication system and propose a two-stage deep learning-based time-domain equalization method, specifically designed to mitigate the nonlinear distortions in such systems, thereby enhancing communication reliability and performance. The method adopts a progressive learning strategy, whereby global characteristics are initially captured before progressing to local levels. This enables the effective identification and equalization of channel characteristics, particularly in the mitigation of nonlinear distortion and random interference, which can otherwise negatively impact communication quality. In an experimental setting at a frequency of 230 GHz and a channel distance of 2.1 m, this method demonstrated a substantial reduction in the system’s bit error rate (BER), exhibiting particularly noteworthy performance enhancements in comparison to before equalization. To validate the model’s generalization capability, data collection and testing were also conducted at a frequency of 310 GHz and a channel distance of 1.5 m. Experimental results show that the proposed time-domain equalizer, trained using the two-stage DL framework, achieved significant BER reductions of approximately 92.15% at 230 GHz (2.1 m) and 83.33% at 310 GHz (1.5 m), compared to the system’s performance prior to equalization. The method exhibits stable performance under varying conditions, supporting its use in future THz communication studies. Full article

The rapid advancement of underwater wireless communication technologies is critical to unlocking the full potential of marine resource exploration and environmental monitoring. This paper reviews recent progress in three primary modalities: underwater acoustic communication, radio frequency (RF) communication, and underwater optical wireless communication (UWOC), each designed to address specific challenges posed by complex underwater environments. Acoustic communication, while effective for long-range transmission, is constrained by ambient noise and high latency; recent innovations in noise reduction and data rate enhancement have notably improved its reliability. RF communication offers high-speed, short-range capabilities in shallow waters, but still faces challenges in hardware miniaturization and accurate channel modeling. UWOC has emerged as a promising solution, enabling multi-gigabit data rates over medium distances through advanced modulation techniques and turbulence mitigation. Additionally, bio-inspired approaches such as electric field communication provide energy-efficient and robust alternatives under turbid conditions. This paper further examines the practical integration of these technologies in underwater platforms, including autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), highlighting trade-offs between energy efficiency, system complexity, and communication performance. By synthesizing recent advancements, this review outlines the advantages and limitations of current underwater communication methods and their real-world applications, offering insights to guide the future development of underwater communication systems for robotic and vehicular platforms. Full article

Strengthening climate resilience constitutes a foundational approach through which cities adapt to climate change and mitigate associated environmental risks. However, research on the influence of economic policy environments on climate resilience remains limited. Guided by institutional theory and dynamic capability theory, this study employs a panel dataset comprising 272 Chinese cities at the prefecture level and above, covering the period from 2009 to 2023. It constructs a composite index framework for evaluating the green business environment (GBE) and urban climate resilience (UCR) using the entropy weight method. Employing a two-way fixed-effect regression model, it examined the impact of GBE optimization on UCR empirically and also explored the underlying mechanisms. The results show that improvements in the GBE significantly enhance UCR, with green innovation (GI) in technology functioning as an intermediary mechanism within this relationship. Moreover, climate policy uncertainty (CPU) exerts a moderating effect along this transmission pathway: on the one hand, it amplifies the beneficial effect of the GBE on GI; on the other hand, it hampers the transformation of GI into improved GBEs. The former effect dominates, indicating that optimizing the GBE becomes particularly critical for enhancing UCR under high CPU. To eliminate potential endogenous issues, this paper adopts a two-stage regression model based on the instrumental variable method (2SLS). The above conclusion still holds after undergoing a series of robustness tests. This study reveals the mechanism by which a GBE enhances its growth through GI. By incorporating CPU as a heterogeneous factor, the findings suggest that governments should balance policy incentives with environmental regulations in climate resilience governance. Furthermore, maintaining awareness of the risks stemming from climate policy volatility is of critical importance. By providing a stable and supportive institutional environment, governments can foster steady progress in green innovation and comprehensively improve urban adaptive capacity to climate change. Full article

This study investigates the strengthening mechanisms of char in silicon dioxide thermal reduction through systematic high-temperature experiments using three char types (YQ1, CW1, HY1) characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. HY1 char demonstrated superior reactivity due to its highly ordered microcrystalline structure, characterized by the largest aromatic cluster size (L_a) and lowest defect ratio (I_D/I_G = 0.37), which directly correlated with enhanced reaction completeness. The carbon–silicon reaction reactivity increased progressively with temperature, achieving optimal performance at 1550 °C. Addition of Fe and Fe₂O₃ significantly accelerated the reduction process, with Fe₂O₃ exhibiting superior catalytic performance by reducing activation energy and optimizing reaction kinetics. The ferrosilicon formation mechanism proceeds through a two-stage pathway: initial char-SiO₂ reaction producing SiC and CO, followed by SiC–iron interaction generating FeSi, which catalytically promotes further reduction. These findings establish critical structure–performance relationships for char selection in industrial silicon production, where microcrystalline ordering emerges as the primary performance determinant. The identification of optimal temperature and additive conditions provides practical pathways to enhance energy efficiency and product quality in silicon metallurgy, enabling informed raw material selection and process optimization to reduce energy consumption and improve operational stability. Full article

Hydrogels, characterized by their high water content, tunable mechanical properties, and excellent biocompatibility, have emerged as a promising material platform for the preservation of cultural heritage. Their unique physicochemical features enable non-invasive and adaptable solutions for environmental regulation, structural stabilization, and antifungal protection. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent progress in hydrogel-based strategies specifically developed for the conservation of cultural relics, with a particular focus on antifungal performance—an essential factor in preventing biodeterioration. Current hydrogel systems, composed of natural or synthetic polymer networks integrated with antifungal agents, demonstrate the ability to suppress fungal growth, regulate humidity, alleviate mechanical stress, and ensure minimal damage to artifacts during application. This review also highlights future research directions, such as the application prospects of novel materials, including stimuli-responsive hydrogels and self-dissolving hydrogels. As an early exploration of the use of hydrogels in antifungal protection and broader cultural heritage conservation, this work is expected to promote the wider application of this emerging technology, contributing to the effective preservation and long-term transmission of cultural heritage worldwide. Full article

Objective: This study aimed to determine the possibility of creating a new animal model in which diabetic retinopathy (DR) progresses due to hypertension caused by salt loading. Methods: Male Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) fatty rats were divided into two groups: one group received 0.3% saline water starting at 8 weeks of age for a duration of 16 weeks (salt SDT fatty group), while the control group was provided with tap water (SDT fatty group). In addition, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats receiving tap water served as normal controls. Retinal function was assessed by electroretinography (ERG) at 8 and 24 weeks of age. At 24 weeks, following perfusion with fluorescein dextran, the eyes were enucleated, and retinal flat mounts were prepared for vascular evaluation. Retinal thickness and the number of retinal folds were assessed histologically, and ultrastructural changes in the retina were examined using transmission electron microscopy. Results: Saline administration did not lead to significant changes in food consumption or body weight among the groups. In the salt SDT fatty group, blood pressure was significantly elevated, while blood glucose levels showed a slight reduction. ERG analysis showed that the amplitude of oscillatory potential (OP)1 waves was suppressed, and the latencies of OP3, OP4, and OP5 waves were prolonged. Although no significant changes were noted in retinal thickness or the number of retinal folds, thickening of the retinal capillary basement membrane was evident in the salt SDT fatty group. Conclusions: Hypertension induced by 0.3% saline promotes DR progression in SDT fatty rats. This model may help clarify the role of hypertension in DR. Full article

This study endeavors to elucidate the mechanisms and pathways through which the digital economy shapes agricultural green development, providing theoretical underpinnings and practical guidance for the green transformation of regional agriculture. (1) Using panel data from 18 prefecture-level cities in Sichuan Province (2013–2022), a comprehensive evaluation index system for agricultural green development was formulated. Fixed-effects, mediating-effects, and threshold-effects models were employed to systematically analyze the direct effects, transmission pathways, and nonlinear characteristics of the digital economy on agricultural green development. (2) The fixed-effects model shows that the digital economy markedly propels agricultural green development in Sichuan Province. The mediating-effects model verifies two transmission pathways: “digital economy → technological progression → agricultural green development” and “digital economy → industrial structure upgrading → agricultural green development”. The threshold-effects model suggests that when the digital economy is in the low-threshold interval, it exerts a suppressive impact on agricultural green development; however, once the threshold is surpassed, its promoting effect strengthens significantly. (3) The results demonstrate the following findings: First, the digital economy exerts a significant positive effect on agricultural green development. Second, this promoting effect exhibits significant nonlinear characteristics that vary with the level of digital economy development. Third, the impact manifests remarkable regional heterogeneity, necessitating context-specific development strategies. (4) Five optimization recommendations are proposed: promote the categorized development of agricultural digital technologies and industrial upgrading; advance digital infrastructure and technology adaptation in phases; design differentiated regional policies; establish a hierarchical and classified long-term guarantee mechanism; and strengthen the “industry-university-research-application” collaborative innovation and dynamic monitoring system. Full article

The global elimination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been prioritized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a key public health target, with a deadline set for 2030. This initiative aims to significantly reduce both new infection rates and HCV-associated mortality. A major breakthrough in achieving this goal has been the development of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs), which offer cure rates exceeding 95%, along with excellent safety and tolerability. Nevertheless, transmission via parenteral routes continues to be the dominant pathway, particularly among high-risk groups, such as individuals who inject drugs, incarcerated populations, those exposed to unsafe medical practices, and healthcare professionals. Identifying, monitoring, and delivering tailored interventions to these groups is crucial to interrupt ongoing transmission and to reduce the burden of chronic liver disease. On a global scale, several nations have demonstrated measurable progress toward HCV elimination, with some nearing the targets set by WHO. These achievements have largely resulted from context-adapted policies that enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic access while emphasizing outreach to vulnerable communities. This review synthesizes current advancements in HCV prevention and control and proposes strategic frameworks to expedite global elimination efforts. Full article

Bruising in ‘Korla’ pears represents a prevalent phenomenon that leads to progressive fruit decay and substantial economic losses. The detection of early-stage bruising proves challenging due to the absence of visible external characteristics, and existing deep learning models have limitations in weak feature extraction under complex optical interference. To address the postharvest latent damage detection challenges in ‘Korla’ pears, this study proposes a collaborative detection framework integrating structured-illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) with multi-order gated attention mechanisms. Initially, an SIRI optical system was constructed, employing 150 cycles·m⁻¹ spatial frequency modulation and a three-phase demodulation algorithm to extract subtle interference signal variations, thereby generating RT (Relative Transmission) images with significantly enhanced contrast in subsurface damage regions. To improve the detection accuracy of latent damage areas, the MOGA-UNet model was developed with three key innovations: 1. Integrate the lightweight VGG16 encoder structure into the feature extraction network to improve computational efficiency while retaining details. 2. Add a multi-order gated aggregation module at the end of the encoder to realize the fusion of features at different scales through a special convolution method. 3. Embed the channel attention mechanism in the decoding stage to dynamically enhance the weight of feature channels related to damage. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model achieves 94.38% mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) and 97.02% Dice coefficient on RT images, outperforming the baseline UNet model by 2.80% with superior segmentation accuracy and boundary localization capabilities compared with mainstream models. This approach provides an efficient and reliable technical solution for intelligent postharvest agricultural product sorting. Full article

During a prolonged domestication and environmental selection, Brassica rapa has formed diverse morphological types during a cultivation process of up to 8000 years, such as root-type turnips (Brassica rapa var. rapa), leaf-type Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. pekinensis), oil-type rapeseed (Brassica rapa L.), and other rich types. China is one of the origins of Brassica rapa L., which is spread all over the east, west, south, and north of China. Studying its origin and evolution holds significant importance for unraveling the cultivation history of Chinese oilseed crops, intraspecific evolutionary relationships, and the utilization value of genetic resources. This article summarizes the cultivation history, evolution, classification research progress, and germplasm resource diversity of Brassica rapa var. oleifera in China. Combining karyotype analysis, genomic information, and wild relatives of Brassica rapa var. oleifera discovered on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, it is proposed that Brassica rapa var. oleifera has the characteristic of polycentric origin, and Gansu Province in China is one of the earliest regions for its cultivation. Brassica rapa var. oleifera, originating from the Mediterranean region, was diffused to the East Asian continent through two independent transmission paths (one via the Turkish Plateau and the other via Central Asia and Siberia). Analyzing the genetic diversity characteristics and evolutionary trajectories of these two transmission paths lays a foundation for clarifying the origin and evolutionary process of Brassica rapa var. oleifera and accelerating the breeding of Brassica rapa var. oleifera in China. Despite existing research on the origin of Brassica rapa L., the domestication process of this species remains unresolved. Future studies will employ whole-genome resequencing to address this fundamental question. Full article

Lindane, a persistent organochlorine pesticide, exerts toxic effects on the female reproductive system, compromising oocyte quality and maturation. However, the effects of this pesticide on mammalian oocyte morphology and ultrastructure remain unknown. This study investigated the effects of Lindane on mouse oocyte ultrastructure using an in vitro model with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) at concentrations from 1 to 100 μM. The results revealed a progressive dose-related trend of alterations: at 1 μM, mild swelling of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) vesicles; at 10 μM, increased SER dilation and cytoplasmic disorganization; and at 100 μM, pronounced vacuolization, mitochondrial swelling, dense lamellar bodies (dlbs), and multivesicular bodies (MVBs) indicative of autophagic activity. Mitochondrial alterations increased significantly with concentration: 3.2 ± 0.8 (control), 5.7 ± 1.0 (1 μM), 9.4 ± 1.5 (10 μM), and 16.8 ± 2.3 (100 μM) altered mitochondria per oocyte (p < 0.01). Vacuole frequency was notably elevated at 100 μM (4.3 ± 1.1 vs. 0.7 ± 0.5 in controls), and mislocalization of organelles within the ooplasm was observed. In conclusion, Lindane-induced oocyte ultrastructural alterations were observed at all tested concentrations but were more pronounced at 100 μM. These results highlight its impact on female fertility and may guide the search for protective agents, as well as efforts to reduce environmental exposure to endocrine disruptors. Full article

Renewable energy sources are being progressively incorporated into modern power grids to increase sustainability, stability, and resilience. To ensure that residential, commercial, and industrial customers have a dependable and efficient power supply, the transmission system must deliver electricity to end-users via the distribution network. To improve the performance of the distribution system, this study employs distributed generator (DG) units and focuses on determining their optimal placement, sizing, and power factor. A novel metaheuristic algorithm, referred to as Rüppell’s fox optimizer (RFO), is proposed to address this optimization problem under various scenarios. In the first scenario, where the DG operates at unity power factor, it is modeled as a photovoltaic system. In the second and third scenarios, the DG is modeled as a wind turbine system with fixed and optimal power factors, respectively. The performance of the proposed RFO algorithm is benchmarked against five well-known metaheuristic techniques to validate its effectiveness and competitiveness. Simulations are conducted on the IEEE 33-bus and IEEE 69-bus radial distribution test systems to demonstrate the applicability and robustness of the proposed approach. Full article