Search Results (6,013)

This article introduces an experimental approach to evaluating the thermal resistance of industrial resistance temperature sensors and demonstrates their use for estimating the flow rate of the surrounding medium. A new method, the Self-Heating Effect Anemometry (SHEA) method, is proposed. Experimental studies were conducted for various flow rates (up to 6 m/s) and excitation current values (up to 5 mA) to evaluate the thermal properties of the sensors under dynamic operating conditions. The results obtained show that the proposed method can be effectively used to select an appropriate measurement current that minimises the self-heating effect and keeps the temperature measurement error within an acceptable range. At the same time, the method allows one to determine the flow rate of the surrounding medium from the measured thermal resistance of the sensor. The presented approach can be applied in both precise temperature measurements and flow monitoring systems using thermoresistive sensors. The proposed method simultaneously provides measurements of both the temperature and the flow rate of the surrounding medium. The research contributes to a better understanding of the self-heating effect in industrial measurement applications and provides practical guidance to improve measurement accuracy and sensor operating conditions. Full article

Traditional brick masonry buildings in China are commonly constructed using fired clay grey bricks bonded with glutinous rice mortar, forming a unique historical masonry system with significant cultural value. During long-term service, these structures are vulnerable to environmental deterioration, material aging, and seismic actions, resulting in cracking, deformation, and degradation of structural integrity and load-carrying capacity. Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets have been increasingly applied for strengthening masonry structures due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and convenient installation. However, most existing studies on Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)–masonry interfaces have focused on conventional masonry systems, while the interfacial bond behavior and load-transfer characteristics between CFRP sheets and traditional grey brick masonry bonded with glutinous rice mortar remain insufficiently investigated. This study investigates the interfacial bond behavior of CFRP-strengthened traditional grey brick masonry through combined experimental testing and numerical analysis. First, uniaxial compression tests were conducted to determine the mechanical properties of glutinous rice mortar and fired clay grey bricks. Subsequently, double-shear tests considering different CFRP bond widths, bond lengths, and interface integrity conditions were performed to characterize the failure modes, force–displacement responses, and interfacial load-carrying behavior. The effects of interface geometric and integrity conditions were considered to evaluate the load-transfer characteristics of the strengthened interface. Based on the experimental results, a finite element model considering interface behavior was established and verified through comparison with the experimental results, which was subsequently employed to investigate the influence of bond width on interfacial stress transfer behavior beyond the experimental conditions. The results show that interfacial debonding accompanied by near-surface masonry damage dominates the failure process of CFRP–glutinous rice mortar masonry interfaces. Increasing the CFRP bond width enhances the interfacial load-carrying capacity and initial stiffness, while the ultimate capacity exhibits an approximately linear relationship with bond width within the investigated range. Numerical analyses further demonstrate that increasing bond width expands the effective load-transfer region, redistributes interfacial stresses, and delays stiffness degradation. These findings improve the understanding of interfacial bond behavior and load-transfer characteristics in CFRP-strengthened traditional masonry systems and provide references for the design and performance evaluation of strengthening applications in historic masonry structures. Full article

Bufalin is a naturally occurring bufadienolide with broad-spectrum anticancer activity. Unlike conventional cytotoxic agents, bufalin exerts pleiotropic antitumour effects by directly modulating oncogenic proteins and promoting their degradation. It also disrupts metabolic plasticity, induces multiple forms of regulated cell death, counteracts therapeutic resistance, and remodels the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. However, the further application of bufalin is hindered by poor aqueous solubility, rapid systemic clearance, a narrow therapeutic window, and dose-limiting toxicity. Nanodrug delivery systems (NDDSs) offer a promising strategy for translating these interconnected pharmacological effects into spatially and temporally controlled therapeutic responses. This review summarises the distinctive anticancer mechanisms of bufalin and systematically evaluates the organic, inorganic, biomimetic, and hybrid nanocarriers developed for its delivery. Particular attention is given to tumour-responsive drug release, the targeting of cancer stem cells, the induction of ferroptosis and pyroptosis, metabolic modulation, sensitisation to phototherapy, and the activation of antitumour immunity. Finally, the major translational challenges are critically examined to inform the further rational development of bufalin-based nanomedicines. Full article

Fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) have gained widespread application in civil engineering due to their light weight, high strength, and excellent corrosion resistance. Among various fibers, natural fibers have recently attracted increasing attention because of their renewability, low cost, and reduced environmental impact. However, natural fiber reinforced polymer composites (NFRPs) suffer from high moisture absorption and inferior mechanical properties, which are further deteriorated under hygrothermal environments, severely limiting their service conditions. This study focuses on flax fiber reinforced polymer composites (FFRPs) and, through systematic experimental testing, investigates their durability under hygrothermal conditions. Hygrothermal aging was conducted at 90% relative humidity and 40 °C for up to 30 days. Water uptake, mechanical properties, and thermomechanical behavior were evaluated for composites fabricated by two molding processes (autoclave and hand-laying) with varying ply numbers (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 layers). The optimal ply number for mechanical performance was identified, and the influence of the different resin systems and fiber forms between the two processes on the cross-process comparison, as well as the rationale for the 30-layer laminate and the effect of laminate thickness, were clarified. Microstructural changes were examined via scanning electron microscopy. This work provides systematic experimental evidence and data for assessing the long-term durability of FFRP composites in humid and warm environments, offering valuable guidance for their practical application in civil infrastructure. Full article

Climate change is reshaping veterinary parasite transmission by altering thermal and hydrological suitability, environmental stage persistence, vector and intermediate host ecology, and contact across livestock–wildlife–companion animal interfaces. These effects are nonlinear; while warming may extend transmission in some systems, heat, desiccation, habitat loss, or disrupted hydrology can reduce the risk or concentrate transmission in local refugia. This critical narrative review compares pasture-transmitted helminths, snail-borne trematodes, environmentally transmitted protozoa, vector-borne parasites, and multi-host cycles. We propose an attribution framework that classifies observed changes across four dimensions (geographic range, seasonal timing, transmission intensity, and host-interface structure) and evaluates them through five analytical filters: suitability, parasite life-cycle response, vector or intermediate-host response, host-interface change, and surveillance artifacts. This framework prevents improved detection, land-use change, animal movement, management shifts and improved detection from being mistaken for climate-driven emergence. We also propose a climate–refugia paradox hypothesis, requiring empirical validation, in which drought or heat may reduce unselected parasite refugia and intensify selection for anthelmintic resistance. Finally, we connect a tiered diagnostic approach from field tools to reference molecular surveillance to support attribution-aware, risk-based One Health strategies that protect animal production, biodiversity, and public health. Full article

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, encompassing a spectrum from simple steatosis to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Increasing evidence indicates that disease progression is driven not by hepatic triglyceride accumulation alone but by the metabolic partitioning of excess fatty acids between adaptive and maladaptive pathways. Ketogenesis, traditionally viewed as a fasting-induced mechanism for disposing of excess acetyl-CoA, is now recognized as a key regulator of hepatic metabolic homeostasis, coordinating mitochondrial substrate utilization, carbon flux and systemic metabolic adaptation. In addition to serving as oxidative fuels, ketone bodies, particularly β-hydroxybutyrate, function as signalling metabolites that modulate inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function and epigenetic regulation. Despite increased fatty acid delivery in obesity and insulin resistance, ketogenic capacity becomes progressively impaired during MASLD, promoting mitochondrial acetyl-CoA accumulation, oxidative stress and diversion of carbon toward lipotoxic lipid synthesis while reducing protective β-hydroxybutyrate signalling. This review examines ketogenesis as an integrative metabolic checkpoint linking fatty acid oxidation, lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function and immune signalling in MASLD. We discuss how impaired ketogenic flux contributes to hepatocellular injury, fibrosis and metabolic inflexibility, and evaluate the therapeutic potential of restoring ketogenesis to prevent disease progression. Full article

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) lintels are conventionally reinforced with steel grids, which are susceptible to long-term corrosion due to moisture penetration and carbonation through the open porous matrix. This study investigates the structural performance and feasibility of AAC lintels reinforced with alternative composite grids—carbon mesh, glass rebar grids, and glass mesh—as corrosion-resistant substitutes for steel. Specimens were evaluated through four-point bending tests to evaluate flexural behavior, capacity, toughness, and production costs. The steel grid achieved the highest peak load (17.20 kN) but showed brittle failure. Carbon mesh showed a pseudo-ductile plateau over a wider deflection range (10.30 mm) and the highest flexural toughness (81,308 N·mm), yielding an 18% toughness increase over the steel control. The glass rebar grid provided the largest displacement tolerance (15.5 mm) through crack-bridging, while lightweight glass mesh showed limited load capacity (3.64 kN). Economic analysis showed that the ready-to-use nature of textile meshes simplifies handling, reduces labor, lowers pre-processing costs to about €0.004 per unit, and eliminates anti-corrosion coatings. Within the tested configurations (n = 3), these findings indicate that carbon mesh and glass rebar grids represent viable alternative reinforcement systems for AAC lintels, offering adequate load-bearing capacity, enhanced deformation tolerance, and simplified, corrosion-free pre-processing. Full article

Objectives: Robot-assisted stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) is increasingly used for invasive presurgical evaluation in drug-resistant epilepsy. Feasibility and accuracy data for robotic alignment systems remain limited. We analyzed our initial institutional experience and compared the results with the contemporary literature. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed nine consecutive patients who underwent SEEG depth electrode implantation using the Brainlab Cirq robotic alignment system and intraoperative MRI for registration. Demographic and operative variables were extracted from institutional records. Implantation accuracy was measured on fused postoperative imaging as Euclidean entry point error (EPE) and target point error (TPE). A PubMed-focused literature screen was performed to identify studies reporting robotic SEEG implantation accuracy and/or efficiency metrics for comparison. Results: Nine patients underwent implantation of 69 SEEG electrodes. Mean age was 21.7 ± 11.4 years. A mean of 7.7 ± 2.1 electrodes was implanted per patient. Mean operative time was 120.2 ± 31.9 min, corresponding to 16.0 ± 3.4 min per electrode. Mean EPE was 1.36 ± 0.60 mm and mean TPE was 1.79 ± 0.69 mm. Moreover, the maximum projected skull-entry angle was not independently associated with either EPE or TPE. In comparison with published robotic SEEG series and meta-analyses, our accuracy results fall within the established high-precision range and compare favorably with the most recent robotic-arm-specific data. Conclusions: In this initial consecutive series, our robotic arm alignment system enabled accurate SEEG implantation with sub-2-mm mean target error. These findings support robotic arm systems as effective robotic alignment platforms for invasive epilepsy monitoring, while larger multicenter studies remain necessary to define comparative accuracy, learning curve effects, and complication profiles. Full article

The inspection of conventional door locks in public buildings is a repetitive security task commonly performed manually at predefined times. This paper presents the development and experimental validation of a non-invasive, low-complexity robotic system designed for autonomous door lock-state verification. The core contribution is a novel physical-interaction method integrated into an indoor omnidirectional mobile robot that infers the lock state of a lever-type door handle without infrastructure modifications. The system executes a three-stage operational workflow: 2D LiDAR-based global positioning in front of target doors, depth-camera-based local realignment of the robot and the door handle, and physical actuation coupled with state inference via kinematic feedback. By depressing the handle during a controlled forward motion, forward displacement identifies an unlocked door, whereas motion resistance signals a locked state. The system was evaluated in a real facility across 18 target doors during eight complete inspection missions. Out of 144 verification attempts, the system achieved a 97.9% success rate; LiDAR global positioning enabled immediate handle actuation in 96 cases (66.7%), while depth-camera realignment successfully corrected 45 handle misalignments. These results validate the reliability and low-complexity of physical-feedback inference for routine autonomous facility security. Full article

The global spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, alongside the rising burden of oncological diseases, poses an increasing threat to human health and public healthcare systems worldwide. Substantial efforts are underway to discover new drugs and to reposition or repurpose existing ones. Recently, nifuroxazide introduced into clinical practice in the late 1960s has attracted considerable attention due to its antitumor potential. However, its poor absorption in the intestinal tract limits its applicability as a systemic antitumor agent, a limitation that can be addressed through chemical modification. In this study, we evaluated 11 nifuroxazide analogs featuring systematic modifications to both the five-membered ring (replacement of furan with thiophene) and the six-membered aromatic ring (variation in the position and nature of substituents). MTT cytotoxicity assays performed on HCT116 and HEK293 cell lines revealed that 5-nitrofurfurylidene hydrazide of 2-pyridinecarboxylic acid and 5-nitrothien-2-yl hydrazide of 2-pyridinecarboxylic acid exhibit selective toxicity toward tumor cells while showing significantly lower toxicity to non-tumor cells, indicating potential for further investigation in more complex biological models. Antimicrobial activity testing identified 5-nitrofurfurylidene hydrazide of 3-hydroxybenzoic acid and 5-nitrofurfurylidene hydrazide of 3-pyridinecarboxylic acid as particularly potent. Full article

Background: The 2026 outbreak of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease (BDBV) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), centered in Ituri Province, represents the largest documented outbreak caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus since its discovery in Uganda in 2007. The outbreak evolved within a complex humanitarian setting characterized by armed conflict, population displacement, mining-related migration, weak health systems, extensive population mobility, and an infodemic environment marked by misinformation and reduced public trust. We conducted a field investigation to assess epidemiological, operational, laboratory, infection prevention and control (IPC), community engagement, risk communication, and infodemic management challenges and identify priority interventions to strengthen outbreak control. Methods: A rapid field assessment was conducted between 12–15 June 2026 in Bunia, Rwampara Health Zone, and the Ituri Provincial Public Health Laboratory. Data were collected through direct observation, review of surveillance and laboratory reports, health facility assessments, stakeholder interviews, and analysis of outbreak response indicators. Epidemiological trends, surveillance performance, laboratory capacity, clinical care, IPC activities, logistics, risk communication, community engagement, and infodemic management approaches were evaluated. Results: As of 12 July 2026, the outbreak had resulted in 1926 laboratory-confirmed cases and 702 deaths, corresponding to an overall case fatality rate (CFR) of 36.4% across affected provinces. Ituri Province remained the epicenter, accounting for 90.8% of confirmed cases (1705/1877) and 85.5% of reported deaths (577/675). During the preceding 24 h, 53 new confirmed cases and 30 deaths were reported, including 20 community deaths (66.7%), highlighting persistent delays in detection, referral, and access to care. Surveillance systems identified 766 alerts, of which 678 (88.5%) were investigated, resulting in 235 suspected cases. Contact tracing remained a major challenge, with only 64.4% (4171/6475) of registered contacts successfully followed, below the recommended ≥95% target. Laboratory activities included testing of 137 specimens, with 29 positive results and an overall positivity rate of 21.2%. Decentralized molecular diagnostic platforms improved access to testing; however, data inconsistencies, delayed investigations, and gaps in outcome classification affected response monitoring. Major operational challenges included limited treatment capacity, high occupancy of Ebola treatment centres, shortages of trained personnel and IPC supplies, insecurity affecting response teams, and insufficient preparedness in newly affected areas. Community resistance, attacks on burial teams, detention of frontline responders, misinformation, and rumors contributed to delayed care-seeking, reduced acceptance of public health measures, and incomplete cooperation with contact tracing. Risk communication and community engagement efforts were constrained by limited outreach capacity, language barriers, low trust, and inadequate systems for rumor detection and infodemic response. Conclusions: The ongoing BDBV outbreak in eastern DRC demonstrates the difficulty of controlling Ebola transmission in conflict-affected and socially complex settings. Sustained transmission, community deaths, geographic expansion, and operational constraints highlight the urgent need to strengthen surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory systems, IPC capacity, clinical care, and integrated risk communication and infodemic management strategies. Building trust through community-centered approaches, proactive misinformation management, and engagement of trusted local actors will be essential to accelerate outbreak containment and strengthen preparedness across the Great Lakes region. Full article

Additional loads from new buildings spanning existing underground utility tunnels, together with seismic action, may induce uneven settlement and structural damage in tunnel systems. To mitigate this risk, a precast cavity structure is proposed to replace the soil above the tunnel, isolating load transfer and controlling settlement. In the proposed structure, precast reinforced concrete shear walls with openings serve as key vertical load-carrying and lateral-force-resisting members. To clarify the cyclic behavior, two shear walls with openings were designed to possess the same geometry and reinforcement details but were tested under reversed cyclic loading in two orthogonal in-plane orientations. The failure modes, hysteretic behavior, backbone curves, stiffness degradation, and energy-dissipation capacity were analyzed. The results show that flexural-shear failure occurred in both wall limbs under horizontal cyclic loading, whereas flexural-shear failure developed only in the right wall limb under vertical cyclic loading. The initial stiffness, peak load, peak drift ratio, and ultimate drift ratio under horizontal cyclic loading were 1.87, 2.06, 1.76, and 1.64 times those under vertical cyclic loading, respectively, indicating that the performance of the shear wall with opening is more unfavorable under vertical cyclic loading. Further, existing models were used to predict the loading-carrying capacity. The results indicate that the strut-and-tie model (STM) and GB 50010-2010 gave the best and acceptable overall predictions, respectively. The findings provide experimental evidence for component design and seismic performance evaluation of cavity replacement structures used in projects spanning underground utility tunnels. Full article

While the individual effects of sustainable fillers on cementitious systems are widely known, their combined tribological and fracture behaviors within a polymer concrete matrix remain largely unexplored. Addressing this gap, this study experimentally investigates the physical, mechanical, and tribological characteristics of polyester-based polymer concrete (PC). In addition to reference specimens produced with polyester resin and silica sand, modified mixtures were developed by replacing the silica sand with ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) and recycled waste concrete aggregate (WC) at various substitution ratios (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%). To evaluate the performance of the developed PCs, parameters including unit weight, water absorption capacity, flexural and compressive strengths, Shore D hardness, surface roughness, acid resistance, Bohme abrasion resistance, and fracture energy were analyzed. Furthermore, temperature variations on the friction surfaces were monitored in real time using a thermal camera during the Bohme abrasion tests. To elucidate the fracture mechanisms, the fractured surfaces were examined via digital microscopy. The quantitative findings indicate that a 25% GGBS replacement optimizes mechanical performance, increasing the compressive and flexural strengths by 21.2% (108.30 MPa) and 30.6% (35.29 MPa), respectively, alongside a 27% improvement in Bohme abrasion resistance. However, this modification significantly increases material brittleness, reducing the fracture energy by 53.3% compared to the reference. Conversely, although incorporating WC offers sustainability advantages, it limits mechanical performance, leading to decreases of up to 9.9% (80.46 MPa) in compressive strength and 15% (22.97 MPa) in flexural strength at a 20% substitution rate. Regarding fracture energy, while the W20 series absorbed more energy than the B25 series, it still remained 47.8% lower than the reference. Additionally, the GGBS-incorporated series demonstrated higher susceptibility to sulfuric acid attack compared to the WC-incorporated series. Full article

Greywater reuse has emerged as a promising strategy to reduce pressure on freshwater resources, but little is known about the impact that emerging contaminants may have on its safe application. This study evaluated the performance of hollow fiber membrane bioreactors (HFMBs) for synthetic greywater treatment under control conditions and exposure to two widely used pharmaceutical compounds: ibuprofen and diclofenac. Nine HFMBs were operated for 11 days using synthetic greywater without pharmaceuticals (control), ibuprofen-amended greywater, or diclofenac-amended greywater. Reactor performance was assessed through physicochemical parameters and microbial community analysis. Turbidity and soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) decreased in all reactors and were adequately described by an empirical temporal stabilization model. Turbidity removal was comparable among treatments, whereas final sCOD removal differed among reactor conditions. Anionic surfactants were markedly reduced, with removal efficiencies above 98% in all systems. In contrast, ibuprofen and diclofenac showed small and variable decrease in measured concentrations, but no statistically significant differences were detected between initial and final concentrations. Microbial community analysis revealed that Pseudomonadota was the dominant phylum in the HFMB reactors. Functional prediction further indicated an enrichment of pathways associated with aromatic compound degradation and biofilm-related processes across the reactor configuration and operating conditions. Moreover, the diclofenac treatment exhibited an additional enrichment of functions related to environmental stress resistance and an enhanced potential for aromatic compound degradation compared with the control treatment. Full article

Vibriosis causes substantial losses in marine and brackish-water aquaculture, while increasing antimicrobial resistance limits the effectiveness of conventional antibiotic treatment. Biofilm formation and quorum-sensing-controlled virulence further contribute to the persistence of pathogenic Vibrio species. Prophages integrated into Vibrio genomes encode proteins and regulatory elements that may provide alternative approaches for controlling these pathogens. This review evaluates endolysins, polysaccharide depolymerases, nucleases, holins, spanins, tailocins, regulatory proteins, and small RNAs associated with prophages and related phages. The available evidence was classified according to molecular origin to distinguish validated prophage-derived molecules from those obtained from temperate or lytic phages and from molecules characterized in non-Vibrio bacteria. Endolysins and depolymerases can disrupt bacterial cells and biofilm matrices, whereas prophage regulatory elements may influence quorum sensing, adhesion, motility, toxin production, and secretion systems. However, the evidence directly supporting prophage-derived anti-Vibrio agents remains limited. Most experimentally demonstrated activity has been reported for endolysins and one validated depolymerase, and many of these molecules originated from lytic rather than temperate phages. No direct Vibrio-specific evidence is currently available for phage-derived nucleases, holins, spanins, or tailocins as isolated control agents. Prophage genomes nevertheless provide an extensive source of regulatory and antimicrobial candidates for further investigation. Progress toward aquaculture application will require experimental validation, effective delivery methods, safety assessment, scalable production, and clear regulatory standards. Full article