Search Results (861)

Water and mud inrush is a major hazard impeding the construction sustainability of tunnel crossings of water-rich active faults, where seismic-induced fracturing may compromise the integrity of water-resisting rock masses. Natural rock masses commonly contain pre-existing cracks and mineral veins, but their influences on dynamic failure under coupled geostress, hydraulic pressure, and seismic loading remain insufficiently understood. Taking the Kangding No. 2 Tunnel of the Sichuan–Tibet Railway crossing the Yunongxi active fault as the engineering background, a coupled hydro-mechanical discrete element model was established to investigate representative pre-existing crack and quartz-vein configurations corresponding to inclinations of 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°. The model was subjected to principal stresses of 23.7 and 12.7 MPa, a groundwater pressure of 3.33 MPa, and combined horizontal and vertical seismic loading, with the horizontal component prescribed at 0.8 g and 5 Hz. The results show that pre-existing crack tips acted as preferential sites for fracture initiation, whereas quartz veins generally impeded fracture propagation before vein rupture. Shear fractures dominated the dynamic failure process in all investigated cases. The tensile-fracture ratios ranged from 7.90% to 13.15% for the crack-containing models, with the maximum value occurring in the 30° configuration, compared with only 7.01–7.84% for the vein-containing models. The AE b values of the crack-containing models ranged from 2.14 to 2.94 and exhibited a trapezoid-shaped variation among the investigated configurations, whereas the vein-containing models showed an oblique N-shaped variation, with a maximum b value of 2.23 in the 90° configuration. Abrupt increases and pronounced fluctuations in AE counts and energy accompanied intensified fracture propagation and model failure. These results provide numerical indications of potentially fracture-prone structural configurations, which can guide precise directional grouting, early warning and ecological protection in the migration of water and mud inrush, eventually supporting the construction sustainability of the tunnel. Full article

In addition to their antihypertensive effects, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors possess endothelial protective properties. It has been shown that ACE inhibitors reduce fibrosis and adhesion during the tendon healing process by suppressing angiotensin II. In this experimental study, we aimed to investigate the effect of fosinopril, a commonly used ACE inhibitor in the treatment of hypertension, on Achilles tendon healing in rats. A total of 80 Sprague–Dawley rats were used and divided into four groups: healthy control group (Group 1), Achilles tendon rupture and repair group (Group 2), Achilles tendon rupture and repair with fosinopril administration (Group 3), and healthy rats treated with fosinopril only (Group 4). At the end of the experiment, rats were sacrificed at the 1st, 2nd, and 4th weeks, and the groups were compared using biochemical and histological methods. For statistical analysis, data distribution was assessed for normality. Group comparisons were conducted using one-way ANOVA or the Kruskal–Wallis test as appropriate, followed by post hoc pairwise comparisons with correction for multiple testing. According to the biochemical analysis, the levels of TBARS (a marker of oxidative stress) were significantly lower, and total thiol levels (an antioxidant marker) were significantly higher in the fosinopril-treated groups compared to those without fosinopril treatment. In histopathological evaluations using a damage scoring system for edema, hemorrhage, and inflammation, scores were lower in the fosinopril-treated groups. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that the expression levels of VEGF, collagen I, and collagen III were lower in the fosinopril-treated groups compared to the untreated groups at the same time points. This study demonstrates that fosinopril exerts antioxidant effects during the Achilles tendon healing process and provides favorable histopathological findings during the evaluated period of tendon healing. Full article

Nickel-based superalloys remain the material of choice for gas turbine engines, nuclear reactors, and other extreme environment applications because they retain their exceptional tensile strength, creep resistance and fatigue performance at critical temperatures reaching or exceeding 80% of their melting point. This extraordinary behavior arises from carefully engineered finely tuned dual-phase (γ/γ′) microstructure, developed through decades of alloy design, processing innovation, and mechanistic understanding. This review examines the coupled roles of alloy design, manufacturing and in service degradation in long term performance and failure. Emphasis is made on how processing induced microstructural features, which include segregation, grain morphology, residual stress, porosity, precipitate distributions, and interface structures, can influence tensile deformation, creep damage, oxidation, and fatigue crack initiation and growth during service. Conventional wrought processing methods are evaluated alongside emerging additive manufacturing routes which both challenge the established alloy design rules and increase complex geometries. Recently, advances concerning size effects, heterostructure interfaces, and interacting damage, especially the coupling of creep, fatigue, and oxidation, are integrated within a single framework connecting processing history to service behavior. This review argues that the most important unsolved problems do not lie in the alloy design, manufacturing, or failure mechanisms individually (including tensile overload, creep rupture, and fatigue crack growth), but in predicting and controlling their interactions across the life cycle of the material. Design strategies based on solid solution strengthening, precipitation hardening, grain boundary engineering, and environmental resistance are therefore discussed as responses to specific degradation and failure risks across microstructural architectures ranging from equiaxed polycrystals to directionally solidified and single crystal forms. Full article

Background: α-Amanitin (α-AMA) is the primary lethal toxin found in poisonous mushrooms of the genus Amanita; accidental ingestion can lead to severe liver injury, and there is currently no specific antidote. Due to its significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, Sulforaphane (SFN) has attracted increasing attention for its role in preventing liver injury. However, it remains unclear whether SFN can alleviate α-AMA-induced liver injury. This study aimed to elucidate the protective effects of SFN against α-AMA-induced liver injury and its potential molecular mechanisms. Methods and Results: The results showed that SFN significantly reduced serum ALT and AST levels in α-AMA-intoxicated mice (p < 0.01), alleviated pathological damage such as hepatic edema, lobular rupture, and inflammatory infiltration, reduced apoptosis, lowered MDA levels, and simultaneously increased CAT activity (p < 0.01). In AML-12 cells, SFN effectively reversed α-AMA-induced cellular damage (including reduced cell viability and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential). This study further found that SFN significantly upregulated the expression of Pink1 and Parkin. Furthermore, the overexpression of Pink1 significantly alleviated α-AMA-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and apoptosis. Conclusions: The above results indicate that SFN may alleviate α-AMA-induced liver damage by promoting the expression of Pink1 and Parkin, improving mitochondrial dysfunction, and inhibiting apoptosis. Full article

Progressive failure of rock slopes with intermittent joints involves crack propagation through intact rock bridges and the development of differential deformation. This study uses a stabilized non-ordinary state-based peridynamics model to investigate these processes. The model combines bond-level deformation gradient stabilization with a tensile strength criterion and a triple shear energy criterion. Its applicability is first assessed using a three-section landslide model containing an intact locking section. The predicted fracture path through the locking section agrees qualitatively with previous experimental and numerical results. Three slope configurations are then analyzed: parallel joints, nonparallel joints, and an irregular arrangement of three joints. Joint configuration influences crack initiation, propagation paths, rock bridge failure, and the deformation response. The parallel joints configuration is characterized by distributed crack initiation and progressive fracture through the intervening rock bridges, whereas the nonparallel joints configuration exhibits more localized initiation and a more branched crack network. In the irregular joint configuration, secondary cracks extending to the slope surface divide the deforming rock into regions with distinct displacements. These differences reflect the combined influence of joint geometry and spatial arrangement in each configuration rather than the isolated effect of a single geometric parameter. Analysis of the crack patterns, displacement fields, and stress fields indicates that progressive rock bridge failure controls the formation of the principal rupture path, while secondary cracks govern the development of differential deformation. These results clarify how fracture through rock bridges and secondary crack growth contribute to progressive slope failure. Full article

Chronic cutaneous wounds are often described as disorders of inflammation, infection, perfusion, or extracellular matrix turnover, yet these categories do not fully explain why a wound that initially detects injury fails to re-enter a coordinated program of repair. This Perspective proposes a unifying model in which the nucleus acts as a damage integrator at the wound edge. Mechanical strain, osmotic swelling, oxidative stress, chromatin fragmentation, and mitochondrial injury converge on nuclear-envelope tension, nuclear rupture, cytoplasmic deoxyribonucleic acid sensing, and senescence-associated transcription. When the signal is brief and spatially restricted, it can support leukocyte recruitment, keratinocyte migration, matrix remodeling, and early host defense. When it is amplified by diabetes, aging, tissue stiffness, biofilm-compatible inflammation, or defective autophagic and efferocytic clearance, the same pathway becomes a self-reinforcing loop that sustains interferon signaling, inflammasome activity, endothelial dysfunction, fibroblast memory, and impaired epidermal differentiation. The review integrates evidence from single-cell wound atlases, mechanobiology, innate immune deoxyribonucleic acid sensing, mitochondrial stress, macrophage biology, senescence, microbiome studies, and smart biomaterials. It argues that future wound therapeutics should not simply accelerate closure, but should classify and reset the temporal polarity of nuclear damage responses. Nucleus-aware dressings, local signal-gated inhibitors, senolytic or senomorphic interfaces, and biomaterials that reduce pathological mechanical memory may provide more precise ways to convert chronic wound fields into regenerative ones. Full article

To address the degradation of seepage-control linings and structural instability of water-conveyance channels under coupled wetting-drying-freeze-thaw conditions in cold regions, this study investigated rehabilitated channels founded on expansive mudstone in northern Xinjiang. A two-dimensional transient finite-element model with fully coupled seepage, thermal, and mechanical fields was established in COMSOL Multiphysics 6.0 (COMSOL AB, Stockholm, Sweden) and validated against field monitoring data from three canal sections to explore the interactions among seepage evolution, frost-heave deformation, and structural responses over the full operational cycle. Numerical results showed that within five months after impoundment, the groundwater table in the channel foundation rose by approximately 4 m, supplying moisture for winter frost heave. During the four-month freezing period, the maximum frost-heave displacement reached 8 cm, and cyclic tensile stress could trigger geomembrane fatigue cracking mainly within the horizontal zone of 3.5–4.5 m along the channel base. In the subsequent phase after channel shutdown, foundation soil deformation increased to 16 cm, double the magnitude of initial frost heave, and the slope safety factor dropped to 1.305, implying an elevated landslide-failure risk. As a risk-mitigation measure, an acrylic polymer-based coating was adopted for surface seepage-control with favorable water-facing impermeability. Reverse seepage occurred above a backwater pressure of 0.01 MPa for unreinforced coatings, while this threshold can be enhanced by applying reinforcing fabric and interfacial agents. This work quantitatively identifies the progressive failure chain of seepage accumulation, frost heave, geomembrane rupture and slope instability, and evaluates the applicability and limitations of the proposed anti-seepage coating. It further elucidates bypass-seepage and reverse seepage hazards arising at coated-uncoated boundaries under partial surface-sealing schemes. The findings offer theoretical support and practical references for implementing a prevention-oriented strategy integrating surface waterproofing and internal drainage for cold-region water-conveyance infrastructure. Full article

The clinical management of intracranial aneurysms is undergoing a transformative shift from traditional luminal evaluation to advanced vessel wall characterization. Conventional “lumenography,” including DSA, CTA, and MRA, provides essential morphological data but fails to capture the biological processes, such as inflammation and wall remodeling, that drive aneurysm instability and rupture. This review evaluates the development of high-resolution vessel wall MRI (VW-MRI) and emerging modalities like photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) and 4D-Flow MRI. VW-MRI, particularly at 3T and 7T field strengths, utilizing “black-blood” sequences, has introduced Aneurysm Wall Enhancement (AWE) as a promising adjunctive imaging biomarker. AWE correlates with macrophage infiltration and neovascularization, offering a non-invasive means to identify “vulnerable” lesions that may be more prone to rupture. Furthermore, PCD-CT provides unprecedented spatial resolution and metal artifact reduction, while 4D-Flow MRI enables the quantification of hemodynamic stressors like wall shear stress. The integration of artificial intelligence and radiomics further enhances diagnostic precision through automated detection and quantitative risk scoring. By synthesizing technical principles with clinical applications, this review illustrates how these advanced modalities are moving neurovascular care toward a more personalized, biology-based approach to stroke prevention and aneurysm management. Full article

On 24 June 2026, two earthquakes struck northwestern Venezuela 39 s apart, according to the ISC Bulletin. We integrate International Seismological Centre data with four-track Sentinel-1 interferometry to constrain the rupture and tectonic setting. Joint hypocentral determination relocated 225 events, all pre-dating the doublet, and reduced travel-time RMS from 1.79 to 1.11 s; no event of the 2026 sequence was relocated. Tomographic recovery tests support broad interpretation at approximately 30 km and coarser. A joint inversion of 10,000 line-of-sight observations on the east–west nodal plane of the reviewed USGS W-phase solution places dextral moment release along the coastal fault system, increasing eastwards. The length scan reaches a misfit plateau beyond 225 km; the preferred 300 × 30 km model gives M₀ = 2.51 × 10²⁰ N m (Mw 7.53), 84% of the summed W-phase moment, and peak slip of 2.32 m near 10.55°N, 67.23°W. Synthetic sources of prescribed moment are recovered at 97–124%, so the geodetic moment is reported as a model-dependent estimate. Broad along-strike slip is better resolved than patch-scale amplitude or depth. A warm-started two-plane inversion reduces LOS RMS from 19.79 to 19.46 mm, a 0.33 mm (1.7%) gain, demonstrating source non-uniqueness rather than uniquely separating the subevents. Thirteen conditional first-event stress scenarios give positive median loading at the second hypocentre in twelve cases, with positive medians of +0.31 to +2.35 MPa at effective friction of 0.4. The results are consistent with rapid interaction along the Morón–western San Sebastián plate-boundary system. Full article

Polyanion-based K₃V₂(PO₄)₃ (KVP) has emerged as a promising cathode material for potassium-ion batteries (KIBs); however, its practical application is severely hindered by intrinsically low electronic conductivity and structural degradation during cycling. Although spray-drying (SD) has been suggested as a scalable solution for constructing uniform 3D microspheres, conventional empirical optimization leaves a critical knowledge gap regarding how synthesis variables dictate the microstructural evolution. Herein, we systematically engineer high-performance KVP/carbon microspheres by precisely elucidating the process–structure–property relationships. We comprehensively investigate the synergistic effects of the calcination temperature and the citric acid (CA) ratio, where CA acts as a vital dual agent for precursor chelation and in situ carbonization. Our analysis reveals that precise parameter control is imperative to prevent premature crust-induced droplet rupture and multi-phase impurity formation. Consequently, the optimized KVP-0.5-750 composite secures a highly crystalline framework integrated with a conformal, conductive carbon network (9.2 wt %). This tailored architecture drastically accelerates electron/ion transport kinetics and effectively buffers mechanical stress during repeated K⁺ (de)intercalation. As visually confirmed by ex situ analysis, this matrix completely prevents particle pulverization, enabling outstanding cycling stability with 42 mA h g⁻¹ retained after 200 cycles, while exhibiting exceptional practical viability in full-cell configurations. Full article

Microalgae endemic to desert ecosystems possess exceptional stress-resistance traits; however, the physiological and molecular drought-adaptation mechanisms of desert-dwelling Chlorella remain largely uncharacterized. Herein, we combined physiological–biochemical assays, ultrastructural observation, transcriptomics and metabolomics to dissect drought responses in Taklamakan-desert-origin Chlorella sp. under polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG-6000)-simulated mild (10%), moderate (20%), and severe (30%) drought stress, with mechanistic focus on moderate-drought conditions. Moderate drought repressed algal biomass (−26.32%), chlorophyll a (−24.40%), maximum photosystem II quantum yield (Fv/Fm, −16.55%) and effective quantum yield of photosystem II (ΦPSII, −24.35%). Malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulated (+50.69%), alongside elevated activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD, +156.74%) and catalase (CAT, +11.61%). Compatible solutes, including proline, soluble sugars, total protein and total lipid, increased significantly by 39.00%, 39.36%, 26.35% and 23.06%, respectively (p < 0.05). Moderate drought triggered cell swelling, partial cell-wall rupture and prominent enlargement of intracellular starch granules and lipid droplets. Transcriptomic profiling demonstrated up-regulation of transcription–translation and DNA-repair machinery, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, abscisic acid (ABA)/jasmonic acid (JA) signaling, and biosynthetic pathways for protective metabolites, whereas catabolic pathways and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling were suppressed. Untargeted metabolomics further validated accumulation of trehalose, stress-protective amino acids, vitamins and functional lipids, while chloroplast-membrane-related metabolites and catabolic intermediates declined. This multi-omics study systematically reveals physiological and molecular regulatory cascades underlying drought tolerance in desert Chlorella sp., providing candidate genes and metabolites to support microalgal resource exploitation for arid-zone applications. Full article

CoCrMo-based alloy wires manufactured by powder metallurgy and casting processes for wear-resistant coatings of aerospace turbine blades are taken as the research objects in this study, and TIG hardfacing experiments are carried out. Microstructure characteristics of the two wires are systematically compared. Furthermore, microstructure differences among the hardfaced layer, transition zone and base metal are analyzed. High-temperature hardness, tensile strength, and stress rupture resistance, as well as friction and wear properties, are measured. The results indicate that favorable weldability is possessed by both wires, whereas obvious discrepancies are found in the morphology of the Laves phase. Better comprehensive mechanical properties are exhibited by hardfaced specimens deposited with powder metallurgy wire. Slightly superior friction and wear properties are shown by hardfaced specimens from cast wire. The intrinsic relationships among wire manufacturing processes, hardfaced specimen microstructures and mechanical properties are elucidated in this study. Theoretical guidance and experimental support are provided for the structural design and engineering application of CoCrMo-based alloy wires. Full article

Geological CO₂ storage must operate within pressure and stress limits that preserve caprock, fault, and well integrity while sustaining climate-relevant injection. Existing reviews often treat multiphysics simulation, machine learning, and physics-informed learning separately, which obscures the different evidence required for stability screening, first slip, aseismic deformation, dynamic rupture, monitoring analytics, and containment consequences. This structured critical review integrates direct CO₂ storage observations, laboratory studies, injection analogues, multiphysics numerical methods, data-driven machine learning, and scientific machine learning within a target-specific evidence framework. We compare continuum, discontinuum, interface, and diffuse fracture formulations; one-way, staggered, and monolithic coupling; field and laboratory validation; seismic, deformation, pressure, and fiber optic monitoring; and physics-informed neural networks, neural operators, and reduced-order models. The synthesis herein identifies the strongest evidence base for pressure and deformation modeling and seismic signal processing, for which repeated field or operational applications and task-specific evaluation are available. By contrast, prospective fault slip and seismicity forecasting remain at a limited evidence level because of uncertain in situ stress, fault connectivity, CO₂-conditioned friction, monitoring detection limits, model discrepancy, and scarce cross-site validation. We propose task-appropriate metrics, explicit method maturity criteria, a validation ladder, and a staged, human-supervised digital twin roadmap. Machine learning and physics-informed methods are most credible as bounded complements to verified simulators and monitoring systems, and operational readiness should be judged by uncertainty-calibrated prospective evidence rather than algorithm novelty. Full article

Strain-hardening cementitious composites (SHCCs) achieve tensile strain hardening and distributed multiple cracking through coordinated matrix cracking, fiber bridging, and interfacial stress transfer. This structured narrative review synthesizes evidence on single- and hybrid-fiber systems using a multiscale framework linking fiber properties and geometry, dispersion and orientation, fiber–matrix interfaces, crack-bridging response, strain-hardening criteria, and engineering performance. The evidence shows that no fiber is universally optimal: performance depends on matching fiber strength and geometry with matrix fracture properties, controlled debonding and frictional sliding, and reliable processing. Excessively weak interfaces provide insufficient bridging stress, whereas excessively strong interfaces promote fiber rupture and crack localization. Nominal fiber volume fraction does not equal the effective bridging population because dispersion and orientation vary with mixing, casting, pumping, spraying, and extrusion. Hybrid systems may broaden the crack-bridging range, but a positive hybrid effect requires comparison with single-fiber controls using the same matrix and total fiber volume fraction; poor rheology and competition among fibers can instead reduce performance. Engineering selection should therefore be application-specific and evidence-limited, with direct tensile behavior, crack control, durability, constructability, and life-cycle performance evaluated together. Full article

This study investigates the influence of interpass temperature on the dynamic tensile deformation behavior of 316L stainless steel. Specimens were fabricated using cold metal transfer (CMT)-based wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) at interpass temperatures of room temperature (RT), 200 °C, and 400 °C, and tested at nominal strain rates of 100 s⁻¹, 500 s⁻¹, and 1000 s⁻¹. Increasing interpass temperature promoted microstructural coarsening, reduced the continuity of the retained δ-ferrite network, and resulted in differences in the coincidence site lattice (CSL) Σ3 boundary fraction and the intensity of the ⟨001⟩ texture parallel to the build direction (BD), while decreasing the average hardness from 182 HV1 for RT to 173 HV1 and 161 HV1 for 200 °C and 400 °C, respectively. The RT condition exhibited the highest 0.2% proof stress, particularly at 100 s⁻¹ and 500 s⁻¹, whereas the tensile response tended to converge at 1000 s⁻¹. Digital image correlation (DIC) revealed that the local strain distribution depended on both interpass temperature and strain rate, with more homogeneous centerline strain profiles at the highest strain rate. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) fractography showed predominantly ductile failure by dimple rupture and microvoid coalescence. The screening results indicate that interpass temperature influences the dynamic tensile response of WAAM-fabricated 316L through changes in the as-deposited microstructure and the resulting plastic strain distribution, rather than through a change in the dominant fracture mode. These findings highlight interpass temperature as a relevant processing parameter for balancing interlayer waiting time, as-deposited microstructure, and dynamic mechanical response in WAAM-fabricated 316L. Full article