Search Results (237)

Owing to the inherent safety, environmental friendliness, and high theoretical capacity (820 mAh g⁻¹) of zinc metal, aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have emerged as up-and-coming alternatives to organic lithium-ion batteries. However, the insufficient electrochemically active sites, poor structural stability, and severe interfacial side reactions of cathode materials have always been key challenges, restricting battery gravimetric energy density and cycling stability. This article systematically reviews current mainstream AZIB cathode material systems, encompassing layered manganese- and vanadium-based metal oxides, Prussian blue analogs, and emerging organic polymers. It focuses on analyzing the energy storage mechanisms of different material systems and their structural evolution during Zn²⁺ (de)intercalation. Furthermore, mechanisms of innovative strategies for improving cathodes are thoroughly examined here, such as nanostructure engineering, lattice doping control, and surface coating modification, to address common issues like structural degradation, manganese/vanadium dissolution, and interface passivation. Finally, this article proposes future research directions: utilizing multi-scale in situ characterization to elucidate actual reaction pathways, constructing artificial interface layers to suppress side reactions, and optimizing full-cell design. This review provides a new perspective for developing practical AZIBs with high specific energy and long lifespans. Full article

Background: Antibodies have revolutionized therapeutics and diagnostics, but their applications are largely restricted to extracellular targets due to challenges in intracellular delivery and stability. Nanobodies, with their small size and lack of disulfide bonds, hold great promise for intracellular use but face challenges such as aggregation and rapid degradation in the cytosol. Methods: To overcome this, we engineered nanobodies by fusing them with subcellular localization motifs to redirect their localization within cells, including the mitochondrial surface, endoplasmic reticulum surface, endomembrane system, and cytoskeleton. Results: Our results demonstrate that nanobodies located in the cytoskeleton or endomembrane exhibit significantly reduced degradation rates and enhanced stability, while maintaining their target-binding capacity. Mechanistically, these modifications lowered ubiquitination levels and prolonged functional activity. Conclusions: This work provides a novel strategy to enhance the intracellular stability and efficacy of nanobodies, expanding their potential applications in functional proteomics, disease research, and therapeutic development. Full article

Starvation in horses presents critical welfare, economic, and management challenges with underlying molecular mechanisms of metabolic modification and recovery left poorly defined. Prolonged caloric deprivation induces significant systemic shifts in carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism, reflected in coordinated changes in tissue-specific gene expression. This review synthesizes current knowledge on equine metabolic responses to starvation, emphasizing pathways found through RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) studies. Molecular investigations using RNA-seq and RT-qPCR have provided insight into transcriptional reprogramming during starvation and subsequent refeeding. Shifts in gene expression reflect the metabolic transition from carbohydrate dependence to lipid use, suppression of anabolic signaling, and activation of proteolytic pathways. However, interpretation of these data requires caution, as factors such as post-mortem interval, tissue handling, and euthanasia methods particularly the use of sodium barbiturates can influence transcript stability and abundance, potentially confounding results. The literature shows that starvation-induced molecular changes are not uniform across tissues, with skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue showing distinct transcriptional signatures and variable recovery patterns during refeeding. Cross-species comparisons with hibernation, caloric restriction, and cachexia models provide context for understanding these changes, though equine-specific studies remain limited. Identified gaps include the scarcity of longitudinal data, inconsistent tissue sampling protocols, and lack of standardized reference genes for transcriptomic analyses in horses. Addressing these limitations will improve the accuracy of molecular evaluations and enhance our ability to predict recovery trajectories. A more comprehensive understanding of systemic and tissue-specific responses to starvation will inform evidence-based rehabilitation strategies, reduce the risk of refeeding syndrome, and improve survival and welfare outcomes for affected horses. Full article

Soil compaction is a major constraint on global agriculture productivity. It disrupts soil structure, reduces soil porosity and fertility, and increases mechanical impedance, thereby restricting root growth and crop yield. Recent studies on rice (Oryza sativa) reveal that the phytohormone ethylene serves as a primary signal and functions as a hub in orchestrating root response to soil compaction. Mechanical impedance promotes ethylene biosynthesis and compacted soil impedes ethylene diffusion, resulting in ethylene accumulation in root tissues and triggering a complex hormonal crosstalk network to orchestrate root system architectural modification to facilitate plant adaptation to compacted soil. This review summarizes the recent advances on rice root adaptation response to compacted soil and emphasizes the regulatory network triggered by ethylene, which will improve our understanding of the role of ethylene in root growth and development and provide a pathway for breeders to optimize crop performance under specific agronomic conditions. Full article

Smart meters (SMs) are essential components of modern smart grids, enabling real-time and accurate monitoring of electricity consumption. However, their evaluation is often hindered by proprietary communication protocols and the high cost of commercial testing tools. This study presents a low-cost, open-source experimental platform for smart meter validation, using a microcontroller and light sensor to detect optical pulses emitted by standard SMs. This non-intrusive approach circumvents proprietary restrictions while enabling transparent and reproducible comparisons. A case study was conducted comparing the static meter GAMA 300 model, manufactured by Elgama-Elektronika Ltd. (Vilnius, Lithuania), which is a closed-source commercial meter, with theTexas Instruments EVM430-F67641 evaluation module, manufactured by Texas Instruments Inc. (Dallas, TX, USA), which serves as an open-source reference design. Statistical analyses—based on confidence intervals and ANOVA—revealed a mean deviation of less than 1.5% between the devices, confirming the platform’s reliability. The system supports indirect power monitoring without hardware modification or access to internal data, making it suitable for both educational and applied contexts. Compared to existing tools, it offers enhanced accessibility, modularity, and open-source compatibility. Its scalable design supports IoT and environmental sensor integration, aligning with Internet of Energy (IoE) principles. The platform facilitates transparent, reproducible, and cost-effective smart meter evaluations, supporting the advancement of intelligent energy systems. Full article

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are central to food fermentation, probiotic delivery, and emerging synthetic biology applications, yet their robust cell envelopes and restriction–modification systems complicate DNA uptake. This review synthesizes practical routes for introducing DNA into LAB—natural competence, electroporation, conjugation, phage-mediated transduction, and biolistics—and outlines vector systems for expression and chromosomal editing, including food-grade strategies. We highlight recent advances that broaden strain tractability while noting strain-to-strain variability and host-specific barriers that still require tailored solutions. These advances directly enable applications in food and probiotic biotechnology, including improving starter robustness, tailoring flavor and texture pathways, and installing food-grade traits without residual selection markers. We close with near-term priorities for standardizing protocols, widening replicon compatibility, and leveraging modern genome-editing platforms to accelerate safe, marker-free engineering of industrial and probiotic LAB. Full article

Background: Sedentary behavior (SB) is a growing public health concern associated with cardiometabolic risk; yet few studies have assessed integrated physiological responses across the muscle–fat–vascular system. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional analysis used data from 13,637 participants (≥12 years) in the 2011–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Sedentary duration (SD) was self-reported via a validated questionnaire. Outcomes included the sarcopenic index (SI), fat distribution index (FDI), and pulse pressure index (PPI). Associations were examined using multivariable linear regression and restricted cubic spline models, adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Subgroup analyses explored effect modification by body mass index (BMI), sex, race/ethnicity, education, and self-rated health. Results: Each additional hour/day of SD was associated with a lower SI (β = −0.004, 95% CI: −0.005 to −0.002), lower FDI (β = −0.009, 95% CI: −0.012 to −0.007), and higher PPI (β = 0.001, 95% CI: 0.000 to 0.002). The SD–SI association was nonlinear, with a threshold at 10.73 h/day: below this point, the SI declined sharply (β = −0.001, p < 0.001), while above it the slope plateaued or reversed. The FDI showed consistent adverse associations across the SD range, particularly in men and individuals with lower education. The PPI was significantly elevated with SD only among non-Hispanic Black participants. Conclusions: SD is differentially associated with muscle mass, fat distribution, and vascular function, with overlapping inflection points indicating a coordinated multisystem response to sedentary stress. These findings support targeting <10.7 h/day sedentary time as a potential intervention threshold. Full article

Continuous decrease in inertia and sensitivity to load/generation fluctuation are significant challenges for present-day power networks. The primary reason for these issues is the increased penetration capabilities of renewable energy sources. An imbalanced load with significant power output has a substantial impact on the frequency and voltage characteristics of electrical networks. Various load frequency control (LFC) technologies are widely used to address these issues. Existing LFC approaches in the literature are inadequate in addressing system uncertainty, parameter fluctuation, structural changes, and disturbance rejection. As a result, the purpose of this work is to suggest a better LFC approach that makes use of a combination of a one plus tilt fractional filtered derivative (1+TDF^λ) cascaded controller and a fractional order proportional–integral–derivative (PI^λD^μ) controller, which is referred to as the recommended 1+TDF^λ/PI^λD^μ controller. Drawing inspiration from the dynamics of religious societies, including the roles of followers, missionaries, and leaders, and the organization into religious and political schools, this paper proposes a new application of the efficient divine religions algorithm (DRA) to improve the design of the 1+TDF^λ/PI^λD^μ controller. A triple-area test system is constructed to analyze a realistic power system, taking into account certain physical restrictions such as nonlinearities as well as the impact of PV and wind energy integration. The effectiveness of the presented 1+TDF^λ/PI^λD^μ controller is evaluated by comparing their frequency responses to those of other current controllers like PID, FOPID, 2DOF-PID, and 2DOF-TID^μ. The integral time absolute error (ITAE) criterion was employed as the objective function in the optimization process. Comparative simulation studies were conducted using the proposed controller, which was fine-tuned by three recent metaheuristic algorithms: the divine religions algorithm (DRA), the artificial rabbits optimizer (ARO), and the wild horse optimizer (WHO). Among these, the DRA demonstrated superior performance, yielding an ITAE value nearly twice as optimal as those obtained by the ARO and WHO. Notably, the implementation of the advanced 1+TDF^λ/PI^λD^μ controller, optimized via the DRA, significantly minimized the objective function to $0.4704\times {10}^{-4}$. This reflects an approximate enhancement of $99.5\%$ over conventional PID, FOPID, and 2DOF-TID^μ controllers, and a $99\%$ improvement relative to the 2DOF-PID controller. The suggested case study takes into account performance comparisons, system modifications, parameter uncertainties, and variations in load/generation profiles. Through the combination of the suggested 1+TDF^λ/PI^λD^μ controller and DRA optimization capabilities, outcomes demonstrated that frequency stability has been significantly improved. Full article

Background/Objectives: Suicide in prison is a significant medico-legal and public health concern, with rates several times higher than in the general population. Vulnerability is heightened by psychiatric disorders, substance use, and custodial stressors such as isolation, overcrowding, and restricted healthcare access. This study examines custodial suicides to identify diagnostic complexities, systemic shortcomings, and possible prevention strategies, including technological innovations. Methods: We conducted a retrospective forensic investigation of sixteen confirmed custodial suicides between 2022 and 2024. Each underwent a standardized protocol comprising crime scene inspection, complete autopsy, histopathology, toxicology, and review of prison medical and psychiatric records. Data on suicide methods, psychiatric comorbidities, and substance use were analyzed. Results: Hanging was the predominant method (12/16), displaying classical forensic signs such as pale, oblique ligature marks and petechial hemorrhages. Four cases involved acute intoxication, often with non-prescribed drugs. Psychiatric disorders were identified in 14 cases, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorder. Toxicological analyses revealed both prescribed and illicit substances, highlighting unauthorized exchanges within facilities. Autopsy findings consistently excluded homicide or natural causes, confirming the vitality of lesions and the mechanism of death. Conclusions: Custodial suicides are strongly associated with untreated or inadequately managed psychiatric conditions, compounded by restrictive prison environments. Comprehensive forensic autopsies are essential for accurate cause-of-death determination and institutional accountability. Preventive strategies should combine psychiatric care, architectural modifications to reduce ligature points, and ethical integration of AI-based surveillance for early detection of suicidal behavior. A multidisciplinary, rights-based approach is crucial to reduce suicide rates and safeguard the dignity and life of incarcerated individuals. Full article

Epigenetic biomarkers, such as DNA methylation, histone alterations, and non-coding RNAs, are increasingly recognized as essential instruments in disease diagnoses, prognostics, and customized therapy. As their clinical significance increases, so does the necessity for robust, interpretable, and scalable techniques that can accurately detect these molecular alterations. This review provides a critical and organized overview of contemporary technologies employed to characterize the principal categories of epigenetic modifications, encompassing PCR- and sequencing-based methods, high-resolution immunoprecipitation techniques, and CRISPR-enhanced detection systems. Although numerous procedures are technically well-established, their implementation outside research laboratories frequently faces substantial challenges: elevated prices, data intricacy, absence of standardization, and restricted translational frameworks. Furthermore, the interpretation of epigenetic data continues to pose a significant difficulty, especially for heterogeneous clinical samples and the swiftly advancing computational techniques. We examine the advantages and drawbacks of existing approaches, focusing on their incorporation into biomedical engineering platforms, including biosensors, lab-on-a-chip devices, and AI-assisted diagnostics. This review seeks to assist researchers, physicians, and engineers in choosing suitable technologies, comprehending their limitations, and pinpointing areas requiring urgent innovation by merging analytical rigor with a pragmatic viewpoint. Full article

Type I restriction-modification (RMI) systems play a crucial role in bacterial defense against mobile elements by distinguishing self and foreign DNA through sequence-specific methylation and cleavage. Here, we characterize BlihIA, a novel RMI system from Bacillus licheniformis DSM13 which features redundancy in its hsdS gene copies. Using ONT sequencing, we identify the bipartite recognition site of BlihIA as RTAC(N)₅GCT. We demonstrate the system’s activity both in vivo through efficiency of plaquing (EOP) assay and in vitro in a nuclease reaction with purified BlihIA complex. Notably, mutation of the recognition site abolished in vitro DNA cleavage, confirming sequence specificity. Furthermore, we show that the antirestriction protein ArdB from plasmid R64 effectively prevents DNA cleavage by BlihIA, suggesting a direct mechanism of inhibition. This study provides the first functional characterization of a novel RM system BlihIA, extending the diversity of RM systems in Bacillus species and suggesting potential applications for improving genetic transformation in industrial strains. Full article

Particle accelerator laboratories, which enable world-class research across many scientific fields, depend on the magnets used to manipulate their particle beams for successful operation. The community employs various techniques, typically based on Hall probes and induction sensors/coils, to verify the performance of these accelerator magnets. When the transverse access around a magnet is restricted, conventional Hall probe systems cannot be deployed or require significant modification, while moving wire/coil systems tend to provide information only on the magnetic field’s integral. This research builds upon a vibrating wire setup first commissioned to locate the magnetic center of quadrupole magnets. Scans up to the n = 200 wire harmonic (∼10 kHz drive frequency) were measured to reconstruct the magnetic field across a wire strung through a test magnet. New software was developed to systematically process the many frequency response scans needed for a detailed field reconstruction. This research investigated the speed and precision of the measurement, identifying limitations due to both instrumentation and nonlinear wire behavior. The vibrating wire data agreed with a reference Hall probe scan on the order of 6%; roughly 0.7% RMS error persisted after calibrating the vibrating wire data to the reference scan via scaling factor. Full article

Maternal undernutrition (MUN) causes severe metabolic disruption in the offspring of mammals. Here we determined the role of histone modification in hepatic gene expression in late-gestation fetuses of nutritionally restricted cows, an established model using low-nutrition (LN) and high-nutrition (HN) conditions. The chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing results show that genes with an altered trimethylation of histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) are associated with cortisol synthesis and secretion, the PPAR signaling pathway, and aldosterone synthesis and secretion. Genes with the H3K27me3 alteration were associated with glutamatergic synapse and gastric acid secretion. Compared to HN fetuses, promoter H3K4me3 levels in LN fetuses were higher in GDF15, IRF2BP2, PPP1R3B, and QRFPR but lower in ANGPTL4 and APOA5. Intriguingly, genes with the greatest expression changes (>1.5-fold) exhibited the anticipated up-/downregulation from elevated or reduced H3K4me3 levels; however, a significant relationship was not observed between promoter CpG methylation or H3K27me3 and the gene set with the greatest expression changes. Furthermore, the stress response genes EIF2A, ATF4, DDIT3, and TRIB3 were upregulated in the MUN fetal liver, suggesting involvement of the response in GDF15 activation. Thus, H3K4me3 likely plays a crucial role in MUN-induced physiological adaptation, altering the hepatic gene expression responsible for the integrated stress response and systemic energy metabolism, especially circulating lipoprotein lipase regulation. Full article

This research develops a dual physics-based machine learning system to forecast fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions for a 100 m oil tanker across six operational scenarios: Original, Paint, Advanced Propeller, Fin, Bulbous Bow, and Combined. The combination of hydrodynamic calculations with Monte Carlo simulations provides a solid foundation for training machine learning models, particularly in cases where dataset restrictions are present. The XGBoost model demonstrated superior performance compared to Support Vector Regression, Gaussian Process Regression, Random Forest, and Shallow Neural Network models, achieving near-zero prediction errors that closely matched physics-based calculations. The physics-based analysis demonstrated that the Combined scenario, which combines hull coatings with bulbous bow modifications, produced the largest fuel consumption reduction (5.37% at 15 knots), followed by the Advanced Propeller scenario. The results demonstrate that user inputs (e.g., engine power: 870 kW, speed: 12.7 knots) match the Advanced Propeller scenario, followed by Paint, which indicates that advanced propellers or hull coatings would optimize efficiency. The obtained insights help ship operators modify their operational parameters and designers select essential modifications for sustainable operations. The model maintains its strength at low speeds, where fuel consumption is minimal, making it applicable to other oil tankers. The hybrid approach provides a new tool for maritime efficiency analysis, yielding interpretable results that support International Maritime Organization objectives, despite starting with a limited dataset. The model requires additional research to enhance its predictive accuracy using larger datasets and real-time data collection, which will aid in achieving global environmental stewardship. Full article

Background/Objectives: A nanostructured membrane of polycaprolactone (a synthetic polymer) was synthesized using an electrospinning technique aiming to enhance its hydrophilicity and rate of degradation by surface modification via aminolysis. Since polycaprolactone nanofibrous films are naturally hydrophobic and with slow degradation, which restricts their use in biological systems, amino groups were added to the fiber surface using the aminolysis technique, greatly increasing the wettability of the membranes. Methods: Polycaprolactone nanofibrous membranes were synthesized via the electrospinning technique and surface modification by aminolysis. Trypsin, pepsin, and pancreatin were conjugated onto the aminolyzed PNF surface to further strengthen biocompatibility by enhancing the hydrophilicity, porosity, and biodegradation rate. SEM, FTIR, EDX, and liquid displacement method were performed to investigate proteolytic efficiency and morphological and physical characteristics such as hydrophilicity, porosity, and degradation rates. Results: Enzyme activity tests, which showed a zone of clearance, validated the successful enzyme conjugation and stability over a wide range of pH and temperatures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirms the smooth morphology of nanofibers with diameters ranging from 150 to 950 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed the presence of O–H, C–O, C=O, C–N, C–H, and O–H functional groups. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) elemental analysis indicates the presence of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms owing to the presence of peptide and amide bonds. The liquid displacement technique and contact angle proved that Pepsin-PNFs possess notably increased porosity (88.50% ± 0.31%) and hydrophilicity (57.6° ± 2.3 (L), 57.9° ± 2.5 (R)), respectively. Pancreatin-PNFs demonstrated enhanced enzyme activity and degradation rate on day 28 (34.61%). Conclusions: These enzyme-conjugated PNFs thus show improvements in physicochemical properties, making them ideal candidates for various biomedical applications. Future studies must aim for optimization of enzyme conjugation and in vitro and in vivo performance to investigate the versatility of these scaffolds. Full article