Search Results (3,306)

The development of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) capable of extreme fast charging (XFC) while preserving safety, durability, and practical energy density remains a central challenge for next-generation electric transportation and grid-scale storage. Conventional graphite anodes are fundamentally limited at high current densities by sluggish intercalation kinetics, which cause lithium plating, motivating the exploration of alternative insertion materials. This review provides a comprehensive and internally consistent assessment of titanium-based oxide anodes, encompassing TiO₂ polymorphs, lithium titanate (Li₄Ti₅O₁₂), and Wadsley–Roth titanium niobium oxides, through the combined lenses of crystal topology, diffusion pathways, redox chemistry, interfacial behavior, and resource scalability. By systematically comparing structural frameworks and electrochemical mechanisms across these material classes, we demonstrate that fast-charging performance is governed not by nano-structuring alone, but by the intrinsic coupling between operating potential, framework rigidity, and multi-electron redox activity. While Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ establishes the benchmark for safety and cyclability, and TiO₂ polymorphs provide structural versatility, titanium niobium oxides uniquely reconcile high theoretical capacity with minimal lithiation strain and open diffusion channels, positioning them as highly promising candidates for sub-10 min charging without catastrophic degradation. This review highlights the persistent obstacles these materials suffer, such as limited round-trip energy efficiency (RTE), interfacial gas evolution, poor dopant stability, and unsustainable extraction, while simultaneously exploring targeted design strategies to overcome them. Finally, this review provides a materials design and comparison framework for the development of safe, high-power, and commercially viable ultrafast-charging LIBs. Full article

The research presented in this work focuses on the structural optimization of a multilayer CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) laminate integrated within a railway carbody frame. The primary objective is to implement a systematic design methodology aimed at achieving significant mass reduction while preserving the mechanical performance and safety margins required by railway standards. To this end, a multi-stage optimization framework was developed to explore the sensitivity of fiber orientation on the laminate’s failure behavior, directly coupled with high-fidelity finite element models for objective performance extraction. The investigation was initially conducted using an asynchronous optimization strategy, where the orientation of each individual ply was decoupled and analyzed independently. This phase revealed that a tailored, ply-specific approach is essential to address the varying structural requirements across the laminate thickness. Through this methodology, an optimal sequence of 36°/54°/126° was identified, achieving a significant 40.83% reduction in the Tsai–Wu failure index compared to a standard 0°/0°/0° baseline. Subsequently, a synchronous rotation analysis was performed to compare these results against conventional single-orientation design strategies. While the synchronous optimum was identified at 54°, it yielded a lower failure index reduction of 24.81%. The comparison highlights a further 16% performance gain enabled by the asynchronous method. Finally, the validation confirmed that these in-plane improvements were achieved without compromising interlaminar integrity, as the interlaminar shear stress (ILSS) remained constant and safe. This framework provides an objective and rigorous tool for the railway industry, replacing empirical design methods with a high-performance, data-driven approach. Full article

Background/Objectives: Simulation has become an integral part of contemporary surgical training, allowing safe acquisition of technical skills with objective performance assessment. Microsurgery and robotic surgery share several technical features, including fine bimanual coordination, precise instrument control, and stereoscopic vision. This study aimed to evaluate whether a structured microsurgical course is associated with improved performance on a robotic surgical simulator and to explore its potential role within robotic training pathways. Methods: A prospective study was conducted between October 2022 and November 2025 at a single academic center, including 56 participants divided into three groups. Group A consisted of surgical residents attending a 3-day Basic Microsurgery Course; Group B included residents who did not undergo training during the same period; and Group C comprised experienced microsurgeons. Groups A and B performed two robotic simulation tasks at baseline (T0) and after three days (T1). Group C was assessed at T1 only as a reference benchmark. Performance was evaluated using simulator-derived metrics. Statistical analysis was performed using paired and unpaired t-tests. Results: Group A showed significant improvement across several performance parameters following training, whereas no comparable changes were observed in Group B. At T1, Group A demonstrated better performance than Group B in multiple metrics. Group C achieved the highest scores and was considered a reference group. Conclusions: Structured microsurgical training was associated with improved performance in a robotic simulation setting. These findings suggest that microsurgical skills may be transferable to robotic tasks and may contribute to the early phases of robotic skill acquisition. Further studies are required to assess their impact in clinical practice. Full article

To address the challenges of coordinated optimization in building integrated energy systems (IES) under the dual-carbon targets—characterized by strong multi-energy coupling, significant uncertainty in renewable generation, and stringent safety constraints—a novel safe deep reinforcement learning algorithm, Safe-DDPG, is proposed. Traditional deep reinforcement learning methods often suffer from high constraint-violation risk and limited policy reliability due to coupled objectives in building IES optimization. To overcome these limitations, a dual-channel critic architecture is designed to independently evaluate and decouple economic and safety objectives. In addition, a dynamic safety–penalty mechanism based on logarithmic barrier functions is introduced, together with an adaptive exploration strategy, enabling dynamic balancing between economic cost and constraint satisfaction according to system states during training. Experimental results demonstrate that, compared with mainstream algorithms, Safe-DDPG achieves substantial improvements across multiple key performance indicators: safety violations are reduced by up to 96.7%, average daily operating costs decrease by 18.5%, and cumulative rewards increase by more than 30%. Ablation studies further confirm the effectiveness and necessity of each core component. Two DRL methods from reference papers are reproduced, and their performance is compared with the proposed method in the existing experimental results, showing that the proposed method has significant advantages in reward value and economic cost. This work provides a safe, reliable, and efficient reinforcement-learning-based approach for optimization and scheduling of building energy systems under complex operational constraints. Full article

Background/Objectives: Doxorubicin is an anthracycline chemotherapeutic agent widely used in the treatment of breast cancer. However, its clinical utility is limited by the drug’s resistance development, low oral bioavailability, and dose-dependent side effects. The semi-essential amino acid, L-arginine, has gained attention as a potential adjuvant that could improve the drug distribution and cytotoxic effectiveness of chemotherapeutics. This study aimed to explore the multifunctional effect of L-arginine on the intestinal absorption and anti-breast cancer activity of doxorubicin. Methods: The rabbit in situ intestinal perfusion technique was employed to investigate the membrane transport parameters of doxorubicin both in the absence and presence of L-arginine. Furthermore, the effect of L-arginine on the cytotoxic activity of doxorubicin against breast cancer cells (MCF-7) was assessed using the MTT assay. Results: Co-perfusion of L-arginine with doxorubicin enhanced the fraction of doxorubicin absorbed, with a recorded 4.3-fold enhancement in the jejuno-ileum and a 1.5-fold enhancement in the colon segment. In MCF-7 cells, co-treatment with L-arginine resulted in a significant potentiation of doxorubicin cytotoxicity. At L-arginine concentrations of 10 μM and 50 μM, the recorded IC₅₀ decreased from 41.3 μM to 8.2 μM and to 22.1 μM, respectively. The superior efficacy of 10 μM L-arginine compared to 50 μM reflected a biphasic concentration-dependent response. Conclusions: L-arginine modulated two critical aspects of doxorubicin efficacy, intestinal absorption and cytotoxic activity. The biphasic response emphasizes the importance of L-arginine dose optimization. These findings support the potential of L-arginine as a safe adjuvant for developing oral doxorubicin formulations. This approach can reduce the dose-related toxicity of doxorubicin and improve therapeutic outcomes. Full article

The surrounding soil in mining areas generally suffers from severe pollution, characterized primarily by multi-metal contamination, and poses significant challenges in restoration and safe utilization. Therefore, it is urgent to explore low-cost restoration and safe utilization technologies that can achieve simultaneous treatment and utilization. This study selected a typical lead-zinc mining area in eastern Yunnan, China, where there is severe heavy metal pollution. It collected 15 common varieties of castor plants and systematically studied their absorption, accumulation, translocation, and removal characteristics of four heavy metal elements (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn). The results showed that the heavy metal pollution in the mining area was extremely severe. Castor plants have a strong tolerance to heavy metal stress. There were significant differences in the absorption and accumulation of heavy metals among different castor varieties. The root parts mainly accumulated Pb, the stem parts mainly accumulated Cd, and the seeds had a higher ability to accumulate Cu. In terms of restoration potential, the Tong Castor No. 24, Fen Castor No. 10, and Zi Castor No. 3 plants had relatively large restoration potential. However, considering both biomass and heavy metal removal capacity, Dian Castor No, 2 Zi Castor No. 3, Dian Castor No. 5 plants were more ideal and could be applied in the restoration of heavy metal complex pollution soil in mining areas. Full article

Background/Objectives: Chronic traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes persistent neurological deficits for which no clinically effective regenerative therapy is currently available. Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs), particularly Wharton’s jelly-derived MSCs (WJ-MSCs), demonstrate immunomodulatory and neurotrophic potential. This phase I/II study evaluated the safety and efficacy of intrathecal allogeneic WJ-MSC administration in individuals with chronic incomplete cervical SCI. Methods: In this multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (NCT05054803, EudraCT 2021-000346-18), 18 participants with chronic (1–5 years post-injury) incomplete cervical SCI (AIS B–D) received two intrathecal injections of WJ-MSCs (0.7–1.3 × 10⁶ viable cells/kg) or a placebo at baseline and 3 months. Seventeen participants completed the 12-month follow-up. Primary outcomes assessed safety, and secondary endpoints included International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) motor and sensory scores, spasticity, neuropathic pain, functional independence, neurophysiological measures, and quality of life. Results: Intrathecal WJ-MSC administration was safe and well tolerated. Eighty adverse events occurred (placebo: 26; WJ-MSC: 54), predominantly mild or moderate; four severe events were unrelated to treatment. Both groups demonstrated significant within-group improvements in total motor scores at 12 months, with no between-group difference. No treatment effects were observed for sensory scores, electrophysiological measures, functional independence, spasticity, pain, or patient-reported outcomes. Conclusions: In this first randomised, placebo-controlled trial evaluating intrathecal WJ-MSCs in chronic incomplete cervical SCI, WJ-MSC administration demonstrated a favourable safety profile; however, no significant between-group differences were detected relative to the placebo. Given the limited sample size and early-phase design, the efficacy findings should be interpreted cautiously. Future research should explore enhanced cell products, intensified dosing schedules, optimised delivery strategies, early intervention, and multimodal therapeutic combinations. Full article

Edible coatings (ECs) derived from natural biopolymers represent an effective preservation strategy for fruits and vegetables and a promising postharvest approach aligned with the increasing demand for sustainable agricultural practices. These Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)-based coatings, which are mainly polysaccharide-, protein-, and lipid-based, can extend shelf-life with minimal impact on texture, flavor, and nutritional value, reducing reliance on synthetic packaging and helping mitigate food loss and waste. Beyond acting as a physical barrier, ECs can significantly influence fruit and vegetable metabolism by modulating biochemical and molecular processes. This review focuses on these effects by summarizing evidence from conventional analytical methods, including targeted metabolite analyses, as well as omics-based approaches, primarily transcriptomics and metabolomics, which remain poorly explored in the current EC research literature. Furthermore, integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses are examined, as they offer a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying quality attributes, stress responses, and preservation outcomes. Collectively, this work offers detailed insights into coating-induced changes in metabolite profiles and gene expression in coated fruits and vegetables, including formulations derived from agri-food by-products and coatings enriched with bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties. Overall, by addressing a current gap in the literature, it provides an integrative and innovative framework for interpreting coating performance at both applied and molecular levels, with potential relevance for the agri-food industry and for future research aimed at developing more sustainable, effective, and commodity-tailored postharvest technologies. Full article

Immunosuppression is associated with impaired immune responses and increased susceptibility to disease, highlighting the need for safe and effective immunomodulatory strategies. Oligosaccharides derived from natural sources have attracted growing interest due to their bioactivity and regulatory effects on host immunity. The present study was designed to evaluate the immune-enhancing potential of Periplaneta americana oligosaccharides (PAOSs) and to explore their association with SCFA-producing gut microbiota and metabolic regulation in an immunosuppressed mouse model. PAOS administration significantly increased serum immunoglobulin levels (IgG and IgM), promoted the secretion of immunoregulatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-4), and elevated the proportion of CD4⁺ T cells in the spleen. In addition, PAOSs alleviated oxidative stress by reducing malondialdehyde accumulation while promoting the activity of key antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. Metabolomic analysis revealed that PAOSs altered host metabolic profiles, particularly enhancing pyrimidine metabolism. Furthermore, PAOSs markedly enriched short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria, and elevated colonic short-chain fatty acid levels. These changes were closely associated with the observed improvement in immune function. Collectively, this study demonstrated that PAOSs exerted immunomodulatory effects through coordinated regulation of SCFA-producing gut microbiota and host metabolism, elucidating the mechanisms underlying the bioactivity of insect-derived oligosaccharides. Full article

People with special needs often face barriers to participating in adapted outdoor leisure physical activities. A participatory action research project involving a nonprofit organization, a citizen with motor disabilities, and researchers aimed to co-develop a digital platform connecting people with special needs interested in outdoor leisure physical activities with trained volunteers. The adopted co-design methodology followed four stages: (1) Exploration (identifying users’ needs and preferences), (2) Co-design (defining key information and platform features), (3) Validation (prioritizing features), and (4) Development (implementing and testing the platform). This article focuses on stages 2, 3, and 4. During stage 2, key information and features were identified to support matching people with special needs and volunteers and informing users about adapted outdoor leisure physical activities. In stage 3, these elements were prioritized using eight key considerations, including technological (e.g., ease of use), environmental (e.g., avoiding redundancy with existing initiatives), organizational (e.g., availability of human resources), and financial factors (e.g., grant planning). Stage 4 resulted in the launch of Tandem Actif, followed by user testing to document user experience and guide improvements. This article details the application of co-design within a participatory action research project aimed at promoting safe, ethical, and accessible participation in outdoor leisure physical activities for people with special needs. Full article

Most camera view planning algorithms are employed in exploration tasks that maximise information gain, but few address the specific challenge of observing targeted surface areas with optimal image quality. This paper presents a novel camera view planning algorithm designed for dermoscopic mole mapping, which is crucial for early melanoma detection. Traditional full-body scanners, though beneficial, suffer from fixed camera positions that can compromise image quality due to varying body contours and patient sizes. Our algorithm addresses this limitation by dynamically optimizing the camera position on a set of collaborative robot (cobot) arms to enhance image resolution, safety, and viewing angles during skin examinations. The proposed method formulates the problem as a non-linear least-squares optimisation that ensures no camera occlusion and a safe distance from the end effector encapsulating the camera to the patient while adjusting the pose of the camera based on the topography of the body. This approach not only maintains optimal imaging conditions by considering resolution and angle of incidence but also prioritises patient safety by preventing physical contact between the camera and the patient. Extensive testing demonstrates that our algorithm adapts effectively to different body shapes and sizes, ensuring high-resolution images across various patient demographics. Moreover, the integration of our camera view planning algorithm into an intelligent dermoscopy system has shown promising results in improving the efficiency and geometric quality of dermoscopic image acquisition, which could lead to more reliable and faster diagnoses. This technology holds significant potential to transform melanoma screening and diagnosis, providing a scalable, safer, and more precise approach to dermatological imaging. Full article

Interest in artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly growing. In healthcare, especially through machine learning and deep learning, AI is emerging as a promising tool to support the diagnosis, management, and prevention of lung diseases and to advance personalized care, although it requires large, well-structured datasets. Clinicians must learn how to integrate AI into routine practice for conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while ensuring patient safety and building trust in these tools. Chronic respiratory diseases are major global causes of morbidity and mortality and place a substantial burden on healthcare systems; among them, asthma and COPD are chronic disorders characterized by airway obstruction and inflammation. This review highlights the rapid advancement of AI, and it aims to explore the literature’s evidence of its applicability in controlling chronic respiratory disorders, particularly in asthma and COPD. We conducted a narrative literature review by searching ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar for English-language studies on artificial intelligence applications in asthma and COPD and by screening the references of relevant articles. The reviewed literature suggests that AI-based approaches are being applied across the asthma–COPD spectrum to support diagnosis and phenotyping, improve risk stratification and prediction of clinically relevant outcomes, and enable more continuous monitoring using heterogeneous data sources (e.g., clinical records, imaging, and digital health data). AI-based tools are poised to support clinicians in asthma and COPD across diagnosis, phenotyping, and monitoring; however, their safe implementation in routine care will require robust validation, transparency, and governance to ensure reliability and patient safety. Full article

The widespread commercialization of wireless chargers for electric vehicles generally suffers from one main problem, which is the perfect alignment between the two coils, leading to a decrease in mutual inductance, which causes a drop in magnetic coupling and even a failure to transfer power. To address this persistent problem, this work proposes a comprehensive and integrated method for optimizing the coils and control architecture for reliable and safe battery charging. To address the challenges of a complex, nonlinear design space and the need for misalignment-tolerant geometries, we employ a memetic algorithm (MA) that hybridizes Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) for broad global exploration with Mesh Adaptive Direct Search (MADS) for precise local refinement. This combination effectively avoids poor local solutions—a limitation of standalone PSO or GA approaches reported in recent studies—while efficiently converging to coil geometries that maintain strong magnetic coupling under misalignment. After the coils have been designed, electromagnetic validation is tested using finite element analysis (FEA), which allows the magnetic field distribution to be evaluated, as well as the coupling coefficient under different scenarios of misalignment and variation in the air gap between the ground side and the vehicle side. At the same time, a comprehensive control strategy for the primary side of the system has been developed. This control method ensures power management on the primary side, enabling system interoperability for charging multiple types of vehicles, as well as reducing vehicle weight for greater range. All this is combined with an innovative pulsed current charging method, chosen for its advantages in terms of thermal stability, ensuring safe and efficient recharging that is mindful of battery health. Simulation and experimental validation demonstrate that the proposed framework maintains stable wireless power transfer and achieves over 87% DC–DC efficiency under lateral misalignments up to 100 mm, fully complying with SAE J2954 alignment tolerance requirements. Full article

The introduction of significantly shorter, all-oral regimens has significantly shifted the management of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) towards a more tolerable and patient-centred therapeutic approach that aims to enhance treatment adherence, clinical outcomes, and quality of life among patients. Nigeria has gradually adopted this all-oral, shorter regimen, but the impact of this regimen in programmatic settings has not yet been studied. In 2022, a longitudinal, two-armed cohort study was conducted to explore the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of the all-oral shorter regimen in the programmatic management of RR/MDR-TB in Nigeria. Consenting and eligible RR/MDR-TB patients receiving the all-oral regimen (intervention group) in four states were consecutively enrolled and compared to those receiving the standard of care (SOC). Treatment effectiveness, proportion, and 95% confidence intervals of favourable and unfavourable outcomes were measured at the end of treatment and during follow-up (six and 12 months post-treatment). In total 383 Participants were followed monthly throughout the 9–12-month treatment phase and then reassessed at 6 and 12 months after treatment completion, giving a total possible observation period of up to 24 months (185 received the intervention and 198 the standard of care). At the end of follow-up, there was a higher but non-significant proportion of favourable outcomes among the intervention vs. SOC group (80% vs. 69.7%); a higher proportion of favourable outcomes was also noted at the end of treatment among intervention participants (81.1 vs. 76.8%). Around one third of patients reported at least one serious adverse event (SAE), with no significant differences between arms, and none were deemed related to the use of medication. Intervention participants reported greater improvements in health-related quality of life between baseline and four months compared to those receiving the SOC. These findings support the programmatic use of all-oral shorter treatment for RR/MDR-TB as a regimen that is effective, tolerable, safe, and associated with enhanced health-related quality of life for patients in Nigeria. Full article

African swine fever (ASF), a highly contagious and lethal viral disease caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), poses a severe threat to the global swine industry. Recent outbreaks across Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean are exacerbating the challenge. Current control measures rely mainly on early detection, culling and strict biosecurity practices, underscoring the urgent need for a safe and effective vaccine. Since the mid-1960s, diverse vaccine strategies, including inactivated, subunit, DNA/mRNA, vectored, and live attenuated virus (LAV) vaccines, have been explored. Inactivated vaccines have consistently failed to confer protection due to insufficient functional antigen presentation and weak cellular immune activation. Subunit vaccines targeting single or multiple ASFV antigens have also shown limited success, often failing to induce sterile or long-lasting immunity. Among these approaches, LAV vaccines have demonstrated the greatest promise in eliciting robust and durable immune responses. However, major knowledge gaps remain regarding ASFV biology, ASFV–host interactions, ASFV immune evasion mechanisms, protective and cross-protective immunity, stable cell lines for LAV production, virulence reversion of LAVs, and the lack of harmonized standards for evaluating vaccine safety and efficacy, all of which impede the development of safe and broadly effective ASF vaccines. This narrative review summarizes recent advances in ASF vaccine research and highlights the critical obstacles that must be overcome to achieve successful ASF vaccine development. Full article