Search Results (298)

Background/Objectives: Dysregulated macrophage M1/M2 polarization is implicated in glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (GONFH). Reprogramming M1 to M2 macrophages represents a potential therapeutic strategy. Kaempferol (KPF), a natural flavonoid with anti-inflammatory properties, may offer benefits, but its mechanism in GONFH is unknown. Purpose: This study aims to explore the therapeutic impact of KPF on GONFH and the mechanisms involved. Methods: In vitro, macrophage viability (CCK-8 assay) and polarization (RT-qPCR, flow cytometry) were assessed. Conditioned medium from KPF-treated macrophages was co-cultured with BMSCs and HUVECs to evaluate osteogenic and angiogenic effects. Mechanisms were analyzed using Western blot, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry. A rat GONFH model validated in vivo effects. Results: In vitro experiments revealed that KPF significantly augmented the ratio of M2 macrophages while concurrently diminishing the proportion of M1 macrophages. The conditioned medium derived from macrophages treated with KPF markedly improved the osteogenic and angiogenic capabilities of BMSCs and HUVECs. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot revealed that KPF regulated macrophage polarization by enhancing mitophagy, which was reversed by the addition of a mitophagy inhibitor. Further experiments confirmed that KPF activated mitophagy by inhibiting the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway. In vivo, KPF increased the proportion of M2 macrophages and promoted the expression of osteogenic and angiogenic markers. Conclusions: In conclusion, our study demonstrates that KPF alleviates GONFH by modulating macrophage M1/M2 polarization through RhoA/ROCK-mediated mitophagy activation. These findings provide novel insights into the treatment of GONFH. Full article

Reverse engineering (RE) is essential in the automotive and aerospace industries for reconstructing high-precision components, such as exhaust valves, when design documentation is unavailable. However, different measurement methods introduce varied errors that can affect engine performance and safety. This study presents a comparative analysis of contact and optical measurement systems—specifically the CMM Accura II (ZEISS Group, Oberkochen, Germany), Mahr MarSurf XC 20 (Esslingen am Neckar, Germany), GOM Scan 1 (ZEISS/GOM, Braunschweig/Oberkochen, Germany) and MCA-II with an MMD×100 laser head (Nikon Metrology, Leuven, Belgium)—to assess their accuracy in reconstructing exhaust valve geometry. The research procedure involved measuring global surface deviations and critical functional parameters, including stem diameter, straightness, and seat angle. The results indicate that tactile methods (CMM and Mahr) provide significantly higher accuracy and lower dispersion than optical methods. The Mahr system was the most effective for stem precision, while the CMM was the only system to pass the seat angle tolerance requirement unambiguously. In contrast, the MCA-II laser system failed to meet the required precision–mechanical tolerances. The findings suggest that an optimal industrial strategy should adopt a hybrid methodology: utilizing rapid optical scanning (GOM) for general geometry and high-precision tactile systems (CMM, Mahr) for critical functional features. This approach can reduce total inspection time by 30–40% while ensuring technical safety and preventing catastrophic engine failures. Full article

Fucoxanthin, a marine carotenoid abundantly derived from brown algae, has been increasingly recognized for its broad-spectrum antitumor activities; however, its role in regulating ferroptosis remains insufficiently defined. Hypopharyngeal carcinoma is a highly aggressive head and neck malignancy with limited therapeutic options, highlighting the need for novel marine-derived anticancer agents. In this study, we investigated whether fucoxanthin induces ferroptosis in human hypopharyngeal carcinoma cells (Fadu) and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms. Transcriptome profiling combined with in vitro validation revealed that fucoxanthin markedly upregulated heme oxygenase−1 (HO−1), leading to increased intracellular Fe²⁺ levels, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and pronounced lipid peroxide accumulation. Fucoxanthin simultaneously reduced cysteine and glutathione (GSH) levels, disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential, and triggered ferroptotic cell death, which was significantly reversed by the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin−1. Mechanistically, fucoxanthin activated the p53 pathway while suppressing SLC7A11 and GPX4, thereby impairing antioxidant defenses. Pharmacological inhibition of p53 with Pifithrin−α markedly attenuated fucoxanthin-induced cytotoxicity and ferroptosis. Together, these findings identify fucoxanthin as a promising marine-derived compound capable of inducing ferroptosis via modulation of the p53/SLC7A11/GPX4 axis, providing new insights into its potential application in hypopharyngeal carcinoma therapy. Full article

To investigate the complex interaction in multi-structure systems, this study establishes a refined 3D numerical model based on a transportation hub project in Tianjin to analyze the asymmetric coupling deformation mechanism of a deep excavation adjacent to a shared-wall metro station and elevated bridge piles. This study highlights the transition from soil-mediated interaction mechanisms to those dominated by structures under shared-wall constraints. Results show that the existing station acts as a high-stiffness boundary, effectively suppressing lateral-wall deflection and basal heave on the proximal side. A critical finding is the reversal of the station’s deformation mode: while stations with a soil buffer typically tilt toward the excavation, the shared-wall station exhibits a clockwise rotation away from the excavation; this phenomenon is driven by excavation-induced basal rebound directly transferred through the common diaphragm wall. Furthermore, the station exerts a significant “shielding effect” on adjacent bridge piles, shifting their maximum lateral displacement from the pile head to the toe and reducing overall deformation. Parametric analyses reveal that optimizing shared-wall thickness is more effective for controlling lateral deformation, whereas increasing wall depth primarily mediates vertical heave. This study concludes that, for shared-wall systems, design priorities must shift from settlement control to anti-heave measures, and pile monitoring should extend to the deeper critical zones identified in this study. Full article

Background/Objectives: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a non-invasive imaging method that enables accurate in vivo visualisation and quantification of the macular and optic nerve head microvasculature, providing an indirect assessment of local retinal perfusion. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in OCTA perfusion parameters of macula and optic nerve head in healthy individuals following different isometric exercises and to determine their association with intraocular pressure alterations. Methods: Each subject performed four isometric exercises: elbow plank, reverse plank, right-side plank, and wall sit. Measurements of intraocular pressure, systemic blood pressure, heart rate, and OCT angiography of macula and optic nerve head were conducted before each exercise, immediately after its completion, and after a five-minute rest period. Intraocular pressure was measured using a Perkins applanation tonometer, and systemic blood pressure and heart rate were recorded using an automated sphygmomanometer. The relationship between changes in intraocular pressure and OCTA perfusion parameters was analysed. Results: A total of 12 eyes of 12 healthy subjects were included in the study, with a mean age of 28.67 ± 2.39 years. An immediate reduction in optic nerve head vessel density was observed after each exercise (elbow plank: p = 0.012; wall sit: p = 0.009; reverse plank: p < 0.001; right-side plank: p < 0.001), with a sustained decrease during the rest period following right-side plank. No significant changes in vessel density were observed in the macular region. Heart rate and systemic blood pressure increased after each exercise, while intraocular pressure increased following all exercises except the wall sit. Changes in intraocular pressure were significantly negatively associated with changes in optic nerve head vessel density in the post-rest period following elbow plank (inside disc sector: b = −1.153, p = 0.02, peripapillary sector: b = −0.369, p = 0.009) and reverse plank (whole image sector: b = −0.589, p = 0.031). Conclusions: The performance of isometric exercises induced an acute reduction in optic nerve head vessel density, and a significant association with intraocular pressure changes was observed. OCTA represents a promising research tool not only for the assessment of retinal microcirculation but also in the field of sports medicine. Full article

Migration is as old as human history. Over the centuries, there was never a time when migration stopped. The nineteenth century was characterised by the migration of Europeans to Africa. These movements were attributed to colonisation, commerce, and Christianisation. Christianity was used as a conduit of colonisation and the deculturation of the recipients of the missionary gospel. At the turn of the twenty-first century, there was a significant influx of Africans migrating to Europe. Among these migrants were worshippers from the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Zimbabwe (WMCZ). Using a missiological framework, this paper employs a qualitative research methodology to argue that the establishment of the WMCZ Fellowship, grounded in the mission and ecclesiology of the home church in the United Kingdom, is both a reverse and distant mission. To achieve this aim, this paper unpacks the methodology and the theoretical framework. It will also trace the development of the WMCZ in the United Kingdom (UK), discuss the hybridisation of Christianity, and justify the notion that the Fellowship is both a reverse and distant mission. The study makes recommendations that support the growth of the Fellowship. It concludes by arguing that the development of migrant churches in the UK can turn the MCB into a church with a white history, a black/multiracial face, and a white head that will eventually use a multiracial mind to survive in a white historical ecclesiology. Full article

Visual Relationship Prediction (VRP) is crucial for advancing structured scene understanding, yet existing methods struggle with ineffective multimodal fusion, static relationship representations, and a lack of logical consistency. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a Hierarchical CLIP model (H-CLIP) for structured scene parsing. Our approach leverages a pre-trained CLIP backbone to extract aligned visual, textual, and spatial features for entities and their union regions. A multi-head self-attention mechanism then performs deep, dynamic multimodal fusion. The core innovation is a consistency and reversibility verification mechanism, which imposes algebraic constraints as a regularization loss to enforce logical coherence in the learned relation space. Extensive experiments on the Visual Genome dataset demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method. H-CLIP significantly outperforms state-of-the-art baselines on the predicate classification task, achieving a Recall@50 score of 64.31% and a Mean Recall@50 of 36.02%, thereby validating its effectiveness in generating accurate and logically consistent scene graphs even under long-tailed distributions. Full article

As power systems expand and grow smarter, the safe and steady operation of substation equipment has become a prerequisite for grid reliability. In cluttered substation scenes, however, existing deep learning detectors still struggle with small targets, multi-scale feature fusion, and precise localization. To overcome these limitations, we introduce PBZGNet, a defect-detection network that couples a gradual parallel-branch backbone, a zoom-fusion neck, and a global channel-recalibration module. First, BiCoreNet is embedded in the feature extractor: dual-core parallel paths, reversible residual links, and channel recalibration cooperate to mine fault-sensitive cues. Second, cross-scale ZFusion and Concat-CBFuse are dynamically merged so that no scale loses information; a hierarchical composite feature pyramid is then formed, strengthening the representation of both complex objects and tiny flaws. Third, an attention-guided decoupled detection head (ADHead) refines responses to obscured and minute defect patterns. Finally, within the Generalized Focal Loss framework, a quality rating scheme suppresses background interference while distribution regression sharpens the localization of small targets. Across all scales, PBZGNet clearly outperforms YOLOv11. Its lightweight variant, PBZGNet-n, attains 83.9% mAP@50 with only 2.91 M parameters and 7.7 GFLOPs—9.3% above YOLOv11-n. The full PBZGNet surpasses the current best substation model, YOLO-SD, by 7.3% mAP@50, setting a new state of the art (SOTA). Full article

Fusarium head blight (FHB) severely impacts wheat yield and grain quality, threatening global food security. In a field experiment, key photosynthetic, water relations, and leaf angular (morphological) traits were measured in the flag leaves of FHB-resistant and FHB-susceptible wheat genotypes under Fusarium-inoculated conditions. Measurements were conducted at 10 and 18 days post-inoculation (dpi) to evaluate the genotype- and time-dependent physiological and structural responses of resistant vs. susceptible genotypes to FHB infection over time. Fusarium infection induced distinct time- and genotype-specific changes across multiple physiological traits. At 10 dpi, when no visible symptoms were observed in either genotype, the resistant variety exhibited increased stomatal and total conductance, enhanced transpiration, earlier reductions in vapor pressure and H₂O mole fractions, improved photosynthetic efficiency, and dynamic leaf pitch adjustments, while the susceptible variety decreased them. By 18 dpi, the resistant genotype had recovered water vapor dynamics and reversed leaf pitch changes, whereas the susceptible variety continued to exhibit physiological disruption. These results are consistent with the possibility that the coordinated regulation of water vapor conductance, leaf water status, photosynthetic performance, and leaf orientation contributes to FHB resistance. Understanding the interplay between physiological and morphological traits at early infection could guide targeted breeding strategies and early phenotypic selection tools. Full article

Vertical axial-flow pumps with bidirectional passages are widely used in applications requiring flow reversal. However, their unique inlet geometry often leads to asymmetric impeller inflow conditions. This study investigates the internal flow behavior and pressure pulsation characteristics of a vertical bidirectional axial-flow pump under design, critical stall, and deep stall conditions using unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations combined with Fast Fourier Transform and wavelet analysis. Results show that the pump reaches peak efficiency at the design point, with critical and deep stall occurring at 0.6 Q_des and 0.5 Q_des, respectively. The head at the deep stall condition shows a further drop of 7.51% compared to the critical stall condition. This progressive performance degradation is attributed to vortex-induced blockage: it initiates with the intensification of the tip leakage vortex and evolves into large-scale separation vortices covering the suction surface under deep stall—a mechanism distinctly influenced by the bidirectional inlet’s stagnant water zone. Inlet asymmetry, reflected by a normalized velocity coefficient (V_n) below 0.6 in the stagnant water zone under design flow, is partially mitigated during stall due to flow confinement. Pressure pulsations at the blade leading edge are dominated by the blade passing frequency (BPF), with amplitudes under critical stall about 3.2 times those at design conditions. At the impeller outlet, critical stall produces a mixed dominant frequency (shaft frequency and BPF), whereas deep stall yields the highest pulsation amplitude (BPF ≈ 4.8 × the design value) resulting from extreme passage blockage. These findings clarify how bidirectional-inlet-induced vortices modulate stall progression and provide theoretical guidance for enhancing the operational stability of such pumps under off-design conditions. Full article

Because antigenic drift primarily generates amino-acid changes in the membrane-distal hemagglutinin (HA) head, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) are being developed to target conserved epitopes in the membrane-proximal stem. Mutations to HA2 residue A44, a buried residue beneath the central stem epitope, in 2009 H1N1 viruses have been shown to cause resistance to stem-binding bNAbs. Here, we introduced A44V and A44T mutations into A/Tennessee/1-560/2009 (TN09) and A/Puerto Rico/15/2018 (PR18) and investigated their effects in cell culture, mice, and ferrets. In both virus strains, the mutations decreased HA and virus stability and decreased bNAb binding and neutralization in vitro. The mutations reduced pathogenicity and lung replication in DBA/2J mice. Ferrets were inoculated with PR18 wild-type (WT) or A44V virus, and the A44V mutation reduced day-1 and peak nasal virus titers. Airborne transmission in the A44V group occurred only after genotypic reversion (HA2-V44A) or acquisition of a distal re-stabilizing mutation (HA2-I77M). Compared to WT, an engineered PR18 virus containing both HA2 mutations (A44V and I77M) had similar growth and pathogenicity in mice in addition to decreased binding and neutralization by bNAbs. Overall, this work provides insight into the role of HA stability during HA stem-epitope remodeling that results in virus resistance to stem-binding bNAbs. Full article

The safe operation of drainage pumping stations, which are core flood-control facilities in eastern coastal areas of China, is paramount due to frequent typhoons and short-duration heavy rainfall. To enhance the operational safety against water hammer during pump trips caused by power failure, a water hammer protection method based on the combined application of flap valves and sluice gates is proposed. Only the scenario of all pumps tripping simultaneously was considered. A one-dimensional simulation model of the pumping station’s hydraulic transient process, which included pumps, pipelines, flap valves, and sluice gates, was established to analyze the system response under three scenarios: (i) only the flap valve closes normally, with the sluice gates remaining open, (ii) the flap valve fails, only the sluice gates operate, and (iii) the combined application of flap valve and sluice gates. In scenario (i), the maximum and minimum channel pressure heads were 13.53 m and −2.22 m, respectively, with no pump reversal occurred. However, continuous pressure fluctuations were observed downstream of the flap valve, posing a threat to the flow channel’s safety. In scenario (ii), the channel pressure heads all met the control requirements. Employing a 60 s single-stage linear closure rule for Gate #1 maintained the pump’s reverse speed within the safe range, peaking at −147.25% of the rated speed, with a reversal duration of 60 s. In scenario (iii), all channel pressure heads met basic control requirements, and no pump reversal occurred. The optimal strategy was found to be the adoption of a 60 s single-stage linear closure rule for both sluice gates. Compared to the scenario (i), the combined application reduced the amplitude of pressure fluctuations and damped these fluctuations rapidly, thus shortening the oscillation duration. The combined approach innovatively utilizes existing infrastructure for water hammer control, providing an economical and reliable solution for water hammer protection in urban drainage pumping stations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Reversibility of glaucomatous optic-disc cupping, following intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction, represents a fascinating structural response observed in both pediatric and adult patients. This review summarizes evidence on its mechanisms, diagnostic evaluation, and clinical significance. Methods: A comprehensive review of experimental, clinical, and imaging-based studies investigating optic-disc cupping reversibility was conducted. Findings were categorized by patient population, imaging technique, and follow-up duration. Results: Experimental models established a strong correlation between IOP reduction and optic-disc structural recovery. Pediatric glaucoma demonstrated the greatest reversibility due to enhanced ocular tissue elasticity, whereas adult cases showed limited yet measurable structural changes after sustained IOP lowering. Imaging modalities, including confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), consistently confirmed quantitative disc-shape changes correlated with pressure reduction. Conclusions: Although optic-disc cupping reversal reflects biomechanical and glial remodeling rather than true neuronal recovery, it remains an important biomarker of successful IOP control. Advanced imaging provides valuable insights into optic-nerve-head (ONH) biomechanics and may improve glaucoma management. Full article

This study addresses the fabrication challenges associated with producing diverse geometries for concrete dry connections, particularly regarding cost, time, and geometric limitations. The research investigates methods for fabricating precise, rebar-free dry connections in concrete, focusing on stamping and green-state computer numerical control (CNC) milling. These methods are evaluated using metrics such as dimensional accuracy, tool abrasion, and energy consumption. In the stamping process, a design of experiments (DOE) approach varied water content, concrete age, stamping load, and operational factors (vibration and formwork) across cone, truncated cone, truncated pyramid, and pyramid geometries. An optimal age range of 90 to 105 min, within a broader operational window of 90 to 120 min, was identified. Geometry-specific exceptions, such as approximately 68 min for the truncated cone and 130 min for the pyramid, were attributed to interactions between shape and age rather than deviations from general guidance. Within the tested parameters, water fraction primarily influenced lateral geometric error (diameter or width), while age most significantly affected vertical error. For green-state milling, both extrusion- and shotcrete-printed stock were machined at 90 min, 1 day, and 1 week. From 90 min to 1 week, the total milling energy increased on average by about 35%, and at one week end-face (head) passes caused substantially higher tool wear, with mean circumference losses of about 3.2 mm for head engagement and about 1.0 mm for side passes. Tool abrasion and energy demand increased with curing time, and extrusion required marginally more energy at equivalent ages. Milling was conducted in two engagement modes: side (flank) and end-face (head), which were evaluated separately. End-face engagement resulted in substantially greater tool abrasion than side passes, providing a clear explanation for tolerance drift in final joint geometries. Additionally, soil-based forming, which involves imprinting the stamp into soft, oil-treated fine sand to create a reversible mold, produced high-fidelity replicas with clean release for intricate patterns. This approach offers a practical alternative where friction and demolding constraints limit the effectiveness of direct stamping. Full article

Background: Trabeculectomy remains gold-standard surgical approach for intraocular pressure (IOP) control in glaucoma, yet its impact on optic nerve head (ONH) morphology and retinal microvasculature has not been fully clarified. This study aimed to investigate structural and vascular changes of the ONH and macula after trabeculectomy using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). Methods: In this retrospective study, data from 22 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma who underwent uncomplicated trabeculectomy were reviewed. The fellow eye served as control. Structural parameters, including Bruch’s membrane opening (BMO), maximum cup depth (MCD), and cup area, were measured with SD-OCT. Vessel density (VD) of the optic disc, peripapillary retina, and macular superficial (SCP) and deep (DCP) capillary plexuses were analyzed with OCTA. Preoperative and two-month postoperative data were compared using paired statistical tests. Results: Mean IOP decreased from 23.1 ± 3.9 mmHg to 13.2 ± 3.2 mmHg (p < 0.001). Significant postoperative reductions were observed in BMO (−5 ± 6%, p = 0.004), MCD (−31 ± 8%, p < 0.001), and cup area (−44 ± 18%, p < 0.001). RNFL thickness and ONH vascular parameters remained stable. In contrast, DCP vessel density increased in the foveal (p = 0.002) and parafoveal (p = 0.023) regions, while SCP density showed no significant change. Conclusions: Trabeculectomy was associated with measurable reversal of optic disc cupping, indicating partial structural recovery of the ONH following IOP reduction. The selective improvement in deep retinal vessel density suggests a layer-specific microvascular response. These findings provide further insight into the interplay between mechanical and vascular mechanisms in glaucoma and may inform postoperative monitoring strategies. Full article