Search Results (40,798)

Background/Objectives: This GLP (Good laboratory practice) study evaluates the MRI compatibility and occlusion performance of the Nuvascular Harbor intrasaccular device for the treatment of bifurcation and sidewall aneurysms in a rabbit aneurysm model. Methods: A total of 27 New Zealand White rabbits with 33 surgically created aneurysms (22 bifurcation, 11 side wall) were included and allocated to 90-day (n = 12) or 180-day (n = 15) follow-up. After exclusion of one aneurysm due to parent vessel occlusion and one aneurysm unsuitable for treatment, 31 treated aneurysms remained for analysis. All animals underwent DSA and 3T MRI, including TOF-MRA, FLAIR, DWI, and SWI sequences. Occlusion status was independently graded using the Raymond–Roy Occlusion Classification (RROC), and intermodality agreement was assessed. Results: MR-based occlusion assessment demonstrated strong agreement with DSA, with exact Raymond–Roy class concordance in 80.6% of cases and clinically relevant agreement (adequate vs. incomplete occlusion) in 96.8%. Agreement analysis showed substantial concordance (Cohen’s κ = 0.65) and a strong positive correlation (r = 0.79). Adequate occlusion rates were comparable between modalities (87.1% on MRA vs. 83.9% on DSA), supporting the reliability of MR imaging for non-invasive occlusion assessment, reflecting consistent device visibility on MR imaging. Conclusions: The Harbor device provides a promising solution for follow up aneurysm occlusion with increased MR visibility, enabling safer, contrast- and radiation-free follow-up. This study emphasizes the need for future endovascular devices to integrate imaging compatibility into their design to enhance long-term patient follow up. Full article

This paper provides experimental and numerical evidence supporting the occurrence of liposome congregation at the floors of meteor craters on Early Earth. This work builds on our earlier research, which demonstrated that liposomes submerged in a shallow Archean pond are protected from harmful UV radiation. This protection enables them to survive sufficiently long for autocatalytic amphiphile replication and for the mutation and selection of assemblies that enhance membrane stability. For liposomes to fuse, grow, exchange contents and membrane components, and divide, they must establish a population, i.e., form a dense conglomerate that enables close physical contact. The study demonstrates that such a congregation is feasible in bowl-shaped meteor craters on Early Earth, especially under periodic seismic disturbances. Full article

In X-ray imaging, tissue scattering is an important factor that degrades image clarity, especially using a portable gridless X-ray imaging device. This study focuses on using Monte Carlo simulation to quantify the effect of scatter radiation on image resolution, by analyzing the point spread function (PSF) and the corresponding modulation transfer function (MTF). Lateral energy absorption profiles in tissue and a cesium iodide (CsI) scintillator were calculated at different X-ray tube voltages (70–90 kV) and filter configurations. Results showed that 85.7% of the total scattered radiation is concentrated at a distance of 4 cm from the central axis for the tissue and 67.37% for the CsI scintillator. The MTF remained high at low spatial frequencies (23% at 0.04 cycles/cm) but dropped at mid frequencies (0.015–0.025 at 0.3–0.6 cycles/cm) and was almost zero at high frequencies (0.004 at 0.8 cycles/cm), indicating loss of detail due to scattering. Increasing the thickness of the filter or adding a copper (Cu) filter reduced the contrast at low spatial frequencies (from 23% to 21%). The study quantitatively investigated the MTF degradation in portable X-ray imaging devices without grid, due to scatter. These results may aid in the development of scatter correction algorithms to improve image quality without the need for an anti-scatter grid. Full article

Short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation can impair biological systems by causing DNA damage, oxidative stress, and disruption of photosynthetic processes. Although ultraviolet C (UVC) at 254 nm is widely used as a controlled laboratory stressor, the extent to which trophic condition influences repeated UVC tolerance in phototrophic protists remains unclear. Here, we examined the response of Euglena gracilis grown under photoautotrophic or ethanol-supported mixotrophic conditions and exposed to daily UVC pulses for five days. Cell growth, photosynthetic pigments, intracellular oxidative stress measured by 2′,7′ dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate fluorescence, and lipid peroxidation estimated as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances equivalent malondialdehyde were assessed, together with qualitative fluorescence microscopy. Repeated UVC exposure reduced cell density in both trophic conditions, with stronger inhibition under photoautotrophy. Photoautotrophic UVC-treated cultures showed the highest oxidative stress signal, whereas malondialdehyde displayed only a non-significant directional increase. Mixotrophic cultures maintained higher cell density under UVC and showed lower oxidative stress signals than photoautotrophic UVC-treated cultures. Pigment responses also differed between trophic conditions, with increased chlorophyll a and carotenoids per cell under photoautotrophic UVC treatment, while mixotrophic pigment levels remained comparatively stable. These findings show that trophic condition shapes repeated UVC stress responses in E. gracilis and that ethanol-supported mixotrophy is associated with improved physiological robustness under the present experimental conditions. Full article

As urbanization intensifies, improving street thermal comfort has become a critical issue in urban renewal. While existing studies generally assume that increasing the Green View Index (GVI) linearly improves pedestrian thermal comfort, this study identifies a significant “Decoupling Effect” in high-density commercial areas through field measurements and numerical simulations of three typical street types (commercial–service, ecological–recreational, and historical–cultural) in Shenyang. Integrating DeepLab V3 semantic segmentation with ENVI-met version 5.1.1 microclimate simulation, the results demonstrate a robust monotonic negative correlation between GVI and Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) in ecological streets (Spearman’s ρ = −0.692, p < 0.001), confirming the consistent cooling benefit of greenery in nature-dominated environments. However, a distinct “Threshold Effect” was identified in commercial streets using Piecewise Linear Regression (PLR). A critical breakpoint was detected at GVI = 22.08%. Below this threshold, visual greenery effectively contributes to cooling (slope = −0.454); yet, once GVI exceeds 22.08%, the cooling efficacy diminishes significantly (slope = −0.109), marking the onset of a “decoupling” phase. Specifically, despite Wenhua Road achieving a GVI of ~24.5% with a complex “three-board, four-belt” structure, its PET peak reaches 46.15 °C, approximately 5.5 °C higher than ecological streets. Mechanism analysis reveals that under peak thermal stress (Traffic Heat ≈ 75 W/m²), the high-intensity anthropogenic heat and hardscape radiation exceed the evaporative cooling threshold of vegetation. This study reveals the non-linear relationship between visual greenery and the physical thermal environment, suggesting that simply pursuing visual green quantity is ineffective in commercial canyon renewal; instead, a threshold-based synergistic optimization of canopy shading and pavement thermal performance is required. These findings provide a quantitative basis for sustainable street landscape planning and urban climate adaptation strategies in high-density cities. Full article

Desertification is one of the main threats to high Andean ecosystems, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions subject to increasing climatic and anthropogenic pressures. This study evaluated the spatial-temporal dynamics of desertification in the province of Candarave (Tacna, Peru) by integrating the Remote Sensing-based Desertification Index (RSDI), constructed from a principal component analysis incorporating four biophysical indicators: vegetation greenness, surface moisture, soil grain size, and fraction of solar radiation reflected (albedo), derived from Landsat 5 and 8 satellite images processed in Google Earth Engine. Temporal trends were analyzed using the Mann–Kendall test, while system stability was evaluated using the coefficient of variation, allowing different degrees of stability and environmental degradation to be characterized during the period 2010–2025. The results show that moderate and severe desertification classes predominate in higher altitude areas, covering approximately 92% of the study area, and are characterized by insignificant to weakly significant negative trends associated with high to relatively high temporal volatility. In contrast, stable areas with no significant changes represent 5.3% of the territory, while restoration processes occupy a small proportion, close to 2.7%. The high variability observed in the high Andean sectors is mainly linked to the interaction between reduced water availability, climate variability, and extreme events, as well as anthropogenic pressures, particularly overgrazing and aquifer exploitation. This multitemporal analysis allows us to anticipate the evolution of desertification and highlights the need to strengthen conservation planning in order to reduce the degradation of strategic high Andean ecosystems in the Tacna region. Full article

Microbial cutinases are promising biocatalysts for polymer recycling. Here, we investigated the structural basis of catalytic activation in a thermophilic cutinase from Chaetomium thermophilum (CtCut). Differential scanning calorimetry revealed a three-state thermal unfolding pathway (Tm = 66.4 °C and 69.5 °C), indicating hierarchical stability. To capture distinct conformational states while avoiding affinity-tag artifacts, we employed both tag-free and tagged constructs. We determined apo-structures of wild-type and S136A mutant CtCut at 1.7 Å resolution and a complementary inhibitor complex at 2.65 Å. In the apo-state, a chloride ion coordinated the electrostatically pre-organized active site, while the catalytic H204 adopted a solvent-exposed, inactive loop conformation. In the inhibitor complex, p-nitrophenol displaced the chloride, establishing a characteristic oxyanion hole network. Concomitantly, the “lid” loop transitioned to an open state, with H204 exhibiting pronounced conformational heterogeneity across eight independent molecules. These complementary structures provide structural evidence for conformational dynamics of the catalytic lid loop, consistent with the conformational cycling model previously proposed for a mesophilic homolog. Full article

One of the strongest electromagnetic engineering approaches for enhancing antenna performance is the use of photonic crystal (PhC) substrates. This technique can be efficiently applied to antenna design and offers notable advantages, such as gain improvement, increased bandwidth, and frequency-dependent beam scanning. In this paper, a bow-tie dipole antenna has been developed for terahertz operation over the 0.39–1.3 THz band, presenting a novel structure capable of producing strong ultra-wideband (UWB) field enhancement within its feed gap. The feed gap between the two metallic arms has a slot width of 1.24 λ0 (λ0 is the wavelength in free space at a center range of 0.8 THz), which facilitates the generation of an enhanced electric field. The PhC substrate enables surface-wave control through dispersion engineering, thereby enhancing the radiation efficiency of the antenna. The proposed antenna exhibits a radiation efficiency of approximately 73–93% over the entire UWB frequency band. Furthermore, the PhC substrate antenna achieves a maximum gain of 21 dB, exceeding that of a homogeneous-substrate THz bow-tie antenna by at least 3.3 dB. The results indicate that the antenna achieves |S₁₁| < −10 dB impedance matching over the bandwidth of 105.9%, ranging from 0.4 to 1.3 THz. The proposed bow-tie dipole antenna integrated with a PhC substrate demonstrates a wide beam-scanning capability from −54° to +74° across the 0.39–1.16 THz band, while maintaining a compact footprint of 14.9 λ₀ × 22.4 λ₀. This combination of wide scanning, broad bandwidth, and ultra-low profile represents a notable advancement in the development of compact THz radiating structures. Full article

Low-dose ionizing radiation exposure remains a major challenge for long-term health risk assessment, particularly in retrospective cohorts with heterogeneous exposure scenarios and limited biological material. Although next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies dominate contemporary molecular research, DNA microarrays remain relevant in radiation biology due to their standardization, reproducibility, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility with archived biospecimens. This narrative review examines the contribution of microarray-based transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling to the study of low-dose radiation effects (≤100 mSv, millisievert), with emphasis on human observational studies, radiation epidemiology, and biodosimetric applications. The literature was identified through targeted searches in PubMed and Web of Science (2000–2025). Evidence from experimental models and exposed populations is synthesized to identify recurrent molecular pathways, major sources of variability, and challenges affecting reproducibility and cross-cohort comparability. Based on this evidence, a conceptual framework is proposed to define conditions under which microarray-based analyses remain interpretable and translationally informative. Machine learning approaches are discussed in a supportive role, with emphasis on interpretability and biological plausibility. Overall, DNA microarrays are positioned as a mature, niche technology that complements next-generation sequencing platforms and remains particularly suited for retrospective cohort studies and long-term molecular monitoring in radiation research. Full article

To address the suboptimal radiometric calibration accuracy observed in specific beam codes of the GaoFen-3 (GF-3) series satellite for sea surface wind speed (SSWS) retrieval, this study introduces a calibration constant correction method based on the geophysical model function (GMF). This approach enables high-precision SSWS retrieval from GF-3B data. Conventional SAR-based SSWS retrieval models typically rely on pointwise mapping relationships, which overlook the spatial characteristics inherent in dynamic sea surface wind fields. To overcome this limitation, this study proposes an attention-guided dual-branch feature-fusion network (ADBFF-NET). The first branch, implemented as a backpropagation neural network (BPNN), learns nonlinear mappings between the normalized radar cross-section (NRCS, σ⁰), incidence angle, azimuth look direction, and wind vectors (speed and direction). The second branch, designed as a residual convolutional neural network, extracts spatial features of wind fields. An attention mechanism fuses the outputs of both branches, thereby enhancing retrieval accuracy. Experiments conducted with GF-3 series satellite data were validated against the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Reanalysis V5 (ERA5), Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) wind fields, and altimeter-derived wind speeds. The results indicate that the SSWS retrieved from GF-3B SAR data using the corrected calibration constants achieve a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1 m/s against ERA5 wind speeds, representing an approximately 40% reduction compared with the RMSE obtained using the original calibration constant. Furthermore, compared to ERA5 and ASCAT data, the RMSE of the wind speeds retrieved by the ADBFF-NET model reaches 1.17 m/s and 1.03 m/s, respectively. Full article

Electric vehicles (EVs) experience substantially reduced driving range in cold weather, primarily due to cabin heating energy demands. This paper proposes a control allocation strategy for positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater-based electric minibus cabin thermal management, aimed at minimizing energy consumption. The strategy is of a hierarchical structure, where a supervisory PI cabin temperature controller commands the heating power demand, which is then achieved through optimal allocation and low-level control of the cabin inlet air temperature, coolant pump flow, and radiator blower air flow control inputs. Based on the assumption of fast heating system dynamics relative to cabin thermal dynamics, quasi-steady-state optimization of control input allocation is carried out by employing a grid-search algorithm over a dataset resulting from high-fidelity simulations. For the system heat-up transient conditions, where the steady-state allocation proves to be suboptimal, dynamic programming is applied on a validated reduced-order model to optimize the control trajectories. Insights gained through control trajectory optimization are then used to develop a rule-based modification of the control allocation strategy for the heat-up scenario. Simulation verification of the overall control system demonstrates energy consumption reduction in the range from 4 to 12% when compared to the industrial baseline system across both steady-state and transient operating conditions. Full article

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive tumor among gliomas, and recurrence remains inevitable despite aggressive therapies. Resistance to existing treatment modalities is attributed in part to the presence of glioma stem cells, which comprise a distinct cell subpopulation that sustains cell renewal and tumor evasion through multiple mechanisms. Therapeutic strategies using herpesviruses have been evaluated following the discovery of differential human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) expression in glioblastoma tumor cells. The absence of expression in normal brain tissue led to multiple clinical trials demonstrating the potential clinical utility of targeted HCMV via herpesvirus-based oncolytic therapeutic strategies. This review provides a comprehensive overview of existing studies evaluating the expression and biological significance of HCMV within glioma stem cells. Targeting HCMV in this cellular compartment may disrupt the continuous cellular support and resilience of glioblastoma stem cells, thereby enhancing the efficacy of current treatments. Full article

Cancer immunotherapy has recently become an essential approach for treating cancer, showing considerable promise as a substitute for surgery, radiation therapy, and conventional chemotherapy. It primarily aims to boost the host’s natural defense system to combat cancer malignancies by utilizing components of immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs), mainly programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), along with elements of adoptive cellular therapies (ACTs) like Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) therapy, T Cell Receptor (TCR) therapy and Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) therapy. However, cancer cells tend to undermine the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapeutic strategies by employing one or more immune evasion mechanisms. This review briefly highlights how key mechanisms of cancer immune evasion confer resistance to immunotherapy and how the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Cas9 (CRISPR)/Cas9 systems, as gene-editing tools, are poised to enhance cancer immunotherapy for treating challenging cancers. We emphasize that CRISPR/Cas9 systems can be used to explore and positively alter the genes of the immune system, boosting the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy by editing immune checkpoints, TILs, and CAR-T cells, and disrupting genes, facilitating tumors’ evasion of the immune system. Furthermore, we highlight the growing interest in emerging base editor technology to engineer natural killer (NK) cells to overcome NK-cell-based immunotherapy challenges, particularly human leukocyte antigens (HLA)-mediated limitations, and to engineer CAR-T cells for improved immunotherapy outcomes. Full article

Chiral bound states in the continuum (BIC) metasurfaces have emerged as a promising platform for enhancing light–matter interactions, which have potential applications in advanced photonic and quantum information devices. However, simultaneously achieving near-perfect circular dichroism and highly efficient nonlinear conversion with highly symmetric structures in metasurfaces remains an open challenge. In this work, we design a $C_4$-symmetric chiral metasurface composed of eight elliptical silicon nanorods on a ${\mathrm{SiO}}_2$ substrate, where monocrystalline silicon is used as the nonlinear optical material. By combining simulations and nonlinear time-domain coupled-mode theory (TCMT), we discovered that both the optimal chirality and the nonlinear conversion efficiency can be attained simultaneously due to the critical coupling between the metasurface mode and the quasi-BIC mode. Meanwhile, a near-perfect circular dichroism (CD = 0.99) and a high nonlinear conversion efficiency of $7\times {10}^{-5}$ under a radiation intensity of $5{\mathrm{kW}/\mathrm{cm}}^2$ are numerically achieved due to the robustness of bound states in the continuum. This work offers a promising route toward high-performance chiral nonlinear photonic components, which is of great importance for the development of ultra-compact optical devices such as circular polarization detectors, chiral sensors, and nonlinear photonic chips for integrated optical and quantum information systems. Our research not only contributes to the fundamental understanding of chiral metasurfaces but also provides a practical approach for achieving high-efficiency nonlinear optical devices. Full article

Renewable energy is an important pillar of decarbonization in reducing the impact of climate change. Among the renewable energy sources, solar photovoltaic energy is one of the fastest-growing across West Africa, especially in Côte d’Ivoire. However, its dependence on weather and climate could affect future power system operations. This study aims to quantify how climate change could affect future solar PV potential in Côte d’Ivoire under the RCP8.5 scenario. For this purpose, we used three regional climate model simulations (RCMs) generated by the new high-resolution Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) for the Africa domain (AFR-22). Future changes were computed for two time slices: the near future (2021–2040) and the middle future (2041–2060), relative to the reference period (1986–2005). The performance of the RCMs and their ensemble mean in simulating relevant climate variables was first evaluated with respect to the ERA5 reanalysis and satellite-based (SARAH-2) data during the reference period. Our results indicate that all available RCMs and their ensemble mean reasonably simulate the annual cycle and the spatial patterns features of surface solar radiation, near-air temperature and solar PV potential in Côte d’Ivoire. We also conclude that Côte d’Ivoire is expected to experience a moderate decrease in annual mean solar PV potential during the mid-21st century. The average decrease in solar PV potential over Côte d’Ivoire could range from 0.55% to 2.16% in the near future and from 1.30% to 3.50% during the middle future, according to the considered RCMs. This decline in solar PV potential will be particularly noticeable during the period from June to October in all climatic zones. Overall, these findings provide valuable information for renewable energy planners to ensure the long-term success of solar PV energy projects in the context of climate change in Côte d’Ivoire. Full article