Search Results (13,027)

The reliability of engineering structures is essential to ensure safety, durability, and sustainability. In reinforced concrete (RC), shear resistance is one of the most uncertain design aspects due to the natural variability of material properties and construction quality. Conventional design methods defined by Eurocode rely on characteristic values and partial safety factors that may not reflect the actual performance of in situ concrete. This study proposes a probabilistic framework for shear assessment that integrates material variability derived from conformity testing. Statistical parameters, including mean value and coefficients of variation (COV) of compressive strength, are incorporated into comparative reliability analysis using the First-Order Reliability Method (FORM) and Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS). Parametric analyses are performed to quantify the influence of material variability on the reliability index β and failure probability P_f. The effect of varying the coefficient of variation (CoV) of the concrete compressive strength is investigated in the range from 0.01 to 0.2, both under the assumption of statistical independence and with consideration of correlation between selected variables. The sensitivity analysis is carried out to provide clear insight into the influence of uncertainty in the input parameters on the reliability of the considered limit state. The proposed framework provides a more realistic representation of structural safety and supports data-driven, performance-based management of concrete infrastructures. Full article

Wood-based panels are increasingly used in exterior applications; however, comprehensive evaluations of their durability under standardized aging conditions remain limited. This study evaluates the dimensional stability and mechanical performance of three industrial panels designed for exterior use: a three-layer particleboard (PB1) and a single-layer particleboard (PB2), both bonded with phenol–formaldehyde adhesive, and a medium-density fibreboard (MDF), bonded with polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate through accelerated aging. The panels were subjected to six accelerated aging cycles according to the ASTM D1037-12 (2020) standard. Equilibrium moisture content, residual thickness swelling (Residual-TS), bending modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE) in both parallel and perpendicular directions, and internal bond (IB) strength were measured under aged and non-aged conditions. PB2 demonstrated superior dimensional stability (Residual-TS: 0.49%) and strong mechanical retention (MOR: 67%, MOE: 56%–64%, IB: 75%). PB1 showed intermediate dimensional stability and mechanical retention (Residual-TS: 1.58%; MOR: 66%–74%, MOE: 56%–58%, IB: 71%), while MDF exhibited higher sensitivity to aging, with excessive Residual-TS (5.43%) and lower IB strength retention (30%). Specimen orientation did not affect dimensional stability but did influence the bending properties of the particleboard after aging, specifically MOR in PB2 and MOE in PB1. The results demonstrate that PB2 offers superior performance for demanding exterior applications, while PB1 and MDF are suitable for semi-protected uses. All panels were tested in an unfinished state, although surface coatings in actual applications may further enhance the resistance to aging. Full article

The comparison of the ability of poly(phenylene sulfone) (PPSU), a recently introduced alternative membrane polymer, with established poly(ether sulfone) (PESU), both in combination with tailored amphiphilic block copolymer additives to improve ultrafiltration (UF) membrane separation and anti-fouling performance is the focus of this work. Different poly(alkylene oxide)-containing tri- and multiblock polymers with hydrophobic blocks analogous to the respective base polymer, PPSU or PESU, of varied length were used as additives in the casting solution. Membranes were subsequently prepared via film casting and a liquid non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) process. The rheological properties and thermodynamic stability of the casting solutions were investigated. At the same mass concentration, PPSU-based casting solutions show overall higher viscosity that is also more sensitive to the presence of additives compared with PESU-based solutions. PPSU-based casting solutions also have lower tolerance to non-solvents. By adding certain block copolymers in ratios of up 10 wt.% relative to the base polymer, it is possible to increase the UF performance of the membranes of PPSU and PESU. An increase in the block length of the hydrophobic block of PESU leads to a reduction in pure water permeance (PWP), whereas for PPSU, PWP is increased by the addition of additives. Especially additives with shorter PESU or PPSU block length, i.e., with a larger fraction of poly(ethylene oxide) blocks in the casting solution, seem to act as additional pore-forming agents. The water contact angle can be decreased for both additive systems, indicating a more hydrophilic membrane surface. Finally, using flower soil extract as a model substance for surface water, interesting candidates of additives that enable fouling reduction with competitive UF performance were identified for PESU and PPSU membranes. Full article

Collagen V is a minor fibrillar collagen that regulates type I collagen fibrillogenesis; however, its time-dependent role during the stages of adult tendon healing remains unclear. We investigated the stage-specific effects of inducible Col5a1 knockdown during tendon repair in a murine injury model. Collagen V expression was transiently suppressed during either the late inflammatory phase (tamoxifen-induced knockdown at 5 days post-injury; TM5) or early remodeling phase (tamoxifen-induced knockdown at 21 days post-injury; TM21), with outcomes assessed using gene expression, ultrastructural, and mechanical analyses. Early knockdown at 5 days post-injury, TM5, was associated with increased fibril diameter, greater fibril heterogeneity, and reduced structural mechanical properties, including decreased stiffness and maximum load. In contrast, delayed knockdown at 21 days post-injury, TM21, imposed after initial fibril organization, resulted in minimal changes in quasi-static mechanics but altered viscoelastic behavior and late-stage gene expression. An allele dose-dependent response was observed, with complete Col5a1 knockdown producing greater structural disorganization and mechanical deficits. Transcriptional changes suggested time-dependent effects on extracellular matrix regulation, including proteoglycans, remodeling enzymes, and tenogenic markers. Collectively, these findings indicate that collagen V may function as a time- and dose-sensitive contributor to tendon healing, with a critical role during early fibril organization. Disruption during this time window has lasting effects on tendon structure and mechanics, informing stage-specific therapeutic strategies for tendon repair. Full article

Soil nematodes are integral to soil micro-food webs and serve as sensitive bioindicators of soil ecological condition. However, how forest vegetation and soil properties interact to shape nematode community assembly, network structure, and functional stability remains inadequately understood. Using 18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing coupled with phylogenetic null modeling, we examined soil nematode communities across four forest types along a succession gradient. Although taxonomic diversity (e.g., Shannon and Pielou indices) differed significantly among forest types, network topology and stochastic assembly processes were more closely associated with community restructuring and co-occurrence patterns. This suggests that, while diversity is not irrelevant, network- and assembly-based metrics provide complementary and often more sensitive indicators of nematode community responses to forest type. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that mixed forests fostered more complex and potentially stable networks, whereas plantations formed dense but potentially vulnerable networks. Assembly processes were not dominated by strong deterministic selection (|βNTI| ≤ 2 for most comparisons), a pattern consistent with undominated processes (e.g., ecological drift, weak environmental filtering). Dispersal limitation played a negligible role in this system. Partial Least Square Path Modeling identified spatial factors and key soil properties (e.g., pH, electrical conductivity, soil water content, and organic carbon) as primary drivers of community structure. Our findings indicate that assessing soil food web health should integrate network analysis and stochasticity metrics rather than rely solely on taxonomic diversity. For sustainable forest management, mixed-species stands are preferable to monoculture plantations, and maintaining soil physicochemical heterogeneity is critical for community stability. Full article

Background/Objectives: Chronic ethanol consumption damages erythrocyte membranes, reducing their deformability and disrupting erythropoiesis. Dopaminergic signalling plays an important role in regulating haematopoietic stem cells. However, the impact of genetic alterations in the dopamine system on the functional properties of erythrocytes and their resistance to the toxic effects of alcohol remains understudied. In this study, we evaluated haematological parameters and the sensitivity of erythrocytes to chronic ethanol exposure in DAT-HET rats (heterozygous for the dopamine transporter gene) compared to Wistar rats. Methods: Both lines of rats were subjected to chronic alcoholisation (10% ethanol for six months). Flow cytometry was used to assess reticulocyte production, intracellular esterase activity (cell viability), and membrane lipid asymmetry disruptions. Laser diffraction was used to evaluate osmotic resistance (deformability). Results: The partial knockout of the DAT gene significantly altered the baseline haematological profile, resulting in pronounced leukopenia, moderate thrombocytopenia, moderate erythrocyte macrocytosis, and reduced intracellular esterase activity. The consequences of chronic ethanol consumption in Wistar rats (anaemia, decreased reticulocyte count, increased osmotic rigidity of erythrocytes, and an increased proportion of annexin-positive cells) were similar to those observed in humans, thus confirming the validity of the experimental model. In contrast, chronic alcohol exposure did not significantly influence haematopoiesis parameters or erythrocyte biophysical properties in DAT-HET rats, indicating that even a 50% loss of the dopamine transporter strongly prevented ethanol’s damaging effects on blood cells. Conclusions: The marked contrast between Wistar rats (which develop alcohol-induced anaemia and erythrocyte dysfunction similar to humans) and DAT-HET rats (which remain largely unaffected) demonstrates that dopaminergic signalling plays a previously unrecognised role in determining erythrocyte sensitivity to alcohol toxicity. Full article

Background/Objectives: The blood–brain barrier (BBB) presents a major challenge for delivering therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS) due to its highly selective permeability. Human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs), the principal cellular component of the BBB, tightly regulate molecular transport and restrict the entry of many CNS-targeted therapies. Lipid-based nanoparticles have emerged as promising carriers for BBB transport because of their biocompatibility, tunable surface properties, and cargo encapsulation capabilities. One strategy to enhance nanoparticle transport involves surface functionalization with ligands that exploit endogenous transcytosis pathways. Mannose-6-phosphate (M6P), a glycan implicated in the brain entry of certain proteins and viruses, represents a potential targeting ligand for this purpose. Methods: In this study, we established a physiologically relevant in vitro BBB model using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived brain microvascular endothelial cells (hiPSC-BMECs) to evaluate M6P-functionalized liposomes for BBB transport. Fluorophore-labeled liposomes were used to monitor nanoparticle uptake and transcytosis. Results: M6P-functionalized liposomes exhibited significantly enhanced uptake in hiPSC-BMECs compared with non-functionalized control liposomes. Pharmacological inhibition studies supported the involvement of a clathrin-sensitive endocytic pathway. Transcytosis assays demonstrated enhanced BBB crossing of M6P-functionalized liposomes, with transport increasing according to ligand density and reaching approximately 55% of the transport observed for transferrin under the same experimental conditions. Following transcytosis, intact M6P-functionalized liposomes showed significantly higher uptake by downstream hiPSC-derived neurons and astrocytoma cells compared with control formulations. Conclusions: Together, these findings support M6P-functionalization as a promising strategy to enhance liposome uptake and transcytosis across a human-relevant in vitro BBB model. This work provides a proof-of-concept framework for the development and optimization of glycan-functionalized nanocarriers for CNS-directed delivery. Full article

This study investigates the dielectric behavior and NO_x storage properties of Pt/Ba–Al₂O₃ NO_x storage materials using microwave cavity perturbation, operando DRIFTS, and impedance spectroscopy with respect to their applicability in a radio-frequency-based NO_x dosimeter-type sensor. Dielectric losses (ε″) are identified as the most sensitive indicator of NO_x storage, exhibiting a clear linear correlation with both the accumulated NO_x dose and the utilization of Ba storage sites. Approximately 35% of the available Ba sites participate in nitrite and nitrate formation, and the absolute dielectric loss response increases proportionally with the Ba content of the NOx storage catalyst. In contrast, the permittivity (ε′) shows only minor changes, which are mainly influenced by temperature. Temperature-dependent experiments reveal stable NO_x storage with negligible desorption up to 350 °C, whereas pronounced desorption processes at 400 °C significantly limit the linear dosimeter behavior. Operando DRIFTS measurements on Pt/Ba–Al₂O₃ functional films confirm temperature-dependent formation of nitrites and nitrates, with nitrates dominating the NO_x storage at elevated temperatures. Capacitance measurements show a slight increase during NO_x storage, indicating a moderate increase in permittivity. Overall, Pt/Ba–Al₂O₃ NO_x storage materials exhibit a robust, quantitatively interpretable dielectric response that is well suited for radio-frequency-based, dosimeter-type NO_x sensing. Full article

Background: The plant Griffonia simplicifolia is marketed as a dietary supplement; it is said to have antidepressant and sleep-promoting properties. Its main ingredient, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), is the immediate precursor of serotonin and crosses the blood–brain barrier, thereby enhancing central serotonergic neurotransmission. Reduced serotonergic activity has been associated with affective disorders, sleep disturbances, and impaired central pain modulation. Despite this neurobiological rationale, evidence for analgesic efficacy remains limited. This study investigated the effects of Griffonia simplicifolia on peripheral and central sensitization and descending pain inhibition. Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, 18 healthy volunteers underwent quantitative sensory testing (QST). Participants received 100 mg Griffonia simplicifolia orally once daily for 28 days or matching placebo. Sensory parameters were reassessed, followed by repetitive phasic heat application (RPHA) to induce short-term peripheral and central sensitization. After a 4-week washout period, participants crossed over to the alternate intervention. Results: A total of 17 participants completed the study. Griffonia simplicifolia showed no significant effect on acute pain perception after RPHA (β = −4.17; 95% CI −14.44 to 6.10; p = 0.401). The only significant difference was an increased distance of mechanical allodynia in the verum group (β = 0.82; 95% CI 0.05–1.59; p = 0.038). No differences were observed in thermal detection or pain thresholds, pressure pain thresholds, conditioned pain modulation, wind-up ratio, mechanical pain sensitivity, or flare area. Mild, transient adverse events occurred in two participants (11%) during Griffonia simplicifolia intake. Conclusions: Griffonia simplicifolia demonstrated limited effects on experimentally induced pain mechanisms compared with placebo and was well tolerated. Increased distance of allodynia may reflect serotonergic facilitation of pronociceptive pathways, suggesting an enhanced central and peripheral sensitization. Larger controlled trials are required to clarify its impact on pain perception. Full article

Objectives: To systematically synthesize existing evidence on functional biomechanical tests of the foot and ankle in physiotherapy and sports, focusing on their outcome measures, compatibility with wearable sensor technologies, and psychometric properties. Methods: We performed a systematic review (PRISMA-guided) of PubMed, Web of Science, PEDro, and SPORTDiscus from inception to December 2025. Eligible studies evaluated functional foot/ankle biomechanics in athletes, healthy adults, or adults with musculoskeletal foot/ankle conditions using wearable sensors (e.g., IMUs, wireless pressure insoles). Two reviewers independently screened, extracted data, and appraised methodological quality using the COSMIN Risk of Bias tool, applying property-specific ratings. Heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis; findings were narratively synthesized and tabulated. Results: Twenty full texts were reviewed; four studies (n = 83 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Wearable devices included foot- or trunk-mounted IMUs and wireless pressure insoles. Reported outcomes spanned temporal gait events and inner-stance phases, vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) and centre-of-pressure trajectories, running step rate/stride length, and jump counts in competition. Validity was most frequently assessed: foot-worn IMUs showed millisecond-level agreement with in-shoe pressure references for stance and inner-stance events; pressure insoles demonstrated acceptable agreement with force plates for vGRF/COP alongside fair-to-excellent test–retest reliability; foot- vs. shank-mounted IMUs provided strong agreement for running step rate and stride length; and competition-based jump detection using IMUs achieved high sensitivity. Across studies, reliability indices were inconsistently reported, measurement error (SEM/MDC) was sparse, and MCID was not reported. The COSMIN appraisal ranged from very good/adequate to inadequate, driven primarily by small sample sizes, non-gold-standard comparators, and incomplete psychometric reporting. Full article

Novel highly sensitive two-dimensional gas-sensing materials for detecting hazardous gases are crucial for human health, climate protection, and industrial development. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) was employed to investigate the adsorption and sensing properties of four representative hazardous gas molecules (NO, NO₂, F₂, and Cl₂) on pristine and vacancy-defective (S vacancy and Te vacancy) Janus MoSTe monolayer. The introduction of a vacancy into the MoSTe monolayer significantly reduces the adsorption distances and enhances the adsorption energies and charge transfers. Notably, an S vacancy induces a transition in the adsorption behaviors of NO, NO₂, and Cl₂ on MoSTe from physisorption to chemisorption, and a Te vacancy leads to strong physisorption of NO and NO₂ on the MoSTe monolayer. Electronic structure analysis further reveals that gas molecule adsorption can modulate band gaps. Adsorption of F₂ and Cl₂ on the Te surface of pristine MoSTe converts the indirect bandgap into a direct bandgap. However, the calculation results for O₂ adsorption indicate that the S and Te vacancies in Janus MoSTe may be readily occupied by O₂, suggesting that it is not a good sensing material under atmospheric conditions. This study provides valuable theoretical insights and guidance for future experiments on vacancy-defective Janus MoSTe monolayer. Full article

Maritime emergency response requires broadband and reliable communications in sea areas where shore coverage is limited or emergency connectivity is temporarily unavailable, making rapid on-demand aerial networking essential. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) acting as aerial base stations can be rapidly deployed to provide on-demand coverage; however, ship mobility, heterogeneous emergency priorities, and UAV endurance limitations make the joint optimization of user association and multi-UAV deployment a challenging mixed-integer, long-horizon decision problem. This paper considers a multi-UAV maritime emergency communication system where ships are categorized into multiple priority classes and served links must satisfy a minimum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) constraint. We formulate a long-term system-utility maximization problem that jointly determines (i) per-slot association between UAVs and ships under capacity, priority, and SNR constraints, and (ii) dynamic UAV deployment under mobility, geofencing, and battery constraints. To obtain tractable and high-quality solutions, we decompose the problem into two coupled subproblems. For user association, we propose a Priority-Aware Branch-and-Cut (PA-BAC) algorithm that integrates linear programming relaxation, cutting-plane tightening, and priority-guided branching, with a priority-greedy feasible initialization to accelerate incumbent improvement. For dynamic deployment, we develop an Enhanced Multi-Agent Proximal Policy Optimization (E-MAPPO) method featuring a global value network, entropy regularization, and sequential actor updates to enhance learning stability and exploration. Importantly, the PA-BAC association is embedded into the learning loop to provide reliable, constraint-satisfying per-slot rewards and reduce the burden of end-to-end learning over hybrid-action spaces. Simulation results demonstrate that PA-BAC consistently improves normalized priority-weighted throughput over heuristic association baselines. Moreover, by mathematically enforcing priority and QoS feasibility at every slot and delegating only continuous mobility to MARL, the integrated E-MAPPO-PA-BAC framework achieves higher long-term system utility, improved energy efficiency, and strong robustness across varying ship densities—properties that are vital for time-sensitive maritime emergency communications. Additional runtime, sensitivity, and AIS-driven trace evaluations further verify the computational practicality of PA-BAC and the applicability of the proposed framework under realistic ship mobility patterns. Full article

Carbon/polymer composites are increasingly designed as microstructure-engineered multifunctional materials that combine mechanical reinforcement with electrical/thermal transport, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and sensing. Performance is governed less by filler fraction than by the coupled control of network topology, junction resistance, and interfacial thermal boundary resistance under processing-induced shear and thermal histories. Electrical response follows percolation combined with tunneling/contact-controlled junctions, producing nonlinear σ(φ) behavior and high piezoresistive sensitivity near the percolation threshold. In contrast, thermal transport is commonly limited by Kapitza resistance and filler–filler junction resistance, restricting exploitation of the intrinsic conductivity of CNTs and graphene. Recent advances emphasize hybrid and 3D carbon architectures that densify connectivity, reduce junction losses, and enable programmable anisotropy via scalable routes such as masterbatch extrusion and additive manufacturing. However, translation remains constrained by dispersion-driven variability, transport–toughness trade-offs, and incomplete durability assessment under cycling, humidity, and reprocessing. This review consolidates mechanistic structure–processing–property relationships and provides application-driven design rules for sensors, EMI shielding, and thermal management. Full article

Spaceborne detection of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) requires extremely high radiometric accuracy, and the polarization characteristics of an ultra-wide swath spaceborne fluorescence ultraspectral camera directly affect the accuracy of SIF retrieval. This study takes an ultra-wide swath camera based on an off-axis three-mirror anastigmat telescope combined with a Littrow–Offner spectrometer as the research object. A full-field-of-view (FOV), full-spectral, pixel-by-pixel polarization testing system was established based on the Stokes–Muller formalism, achieving for the first time fine characterization and calibration of the pixel-level polarization properties of such a payload. The results show that: (1) polarization sensitivity (LPS) exhibits a strong linear positive correlation with wavelength (R² > 0.97), with good uniformity (fluctuation < 1%) across the full ±15° FOV; (2) the polarization sensitive axis (PSA) shows a symmetric distribution across the FOV and gradually approaches 90° as the wavelength increases, with a clear deviation in the short-wavelength bands and stabilization in the mid-to-long wavelength bands; (3) through multiple sets of cross-validation and Monte Carlo statistics, the calibration accuracy reaches 0.1%, and the system uncertainty is better than 0.05%. This study can provide data support and a reference basis for high-accuracy spaceborne SIF retrieval, payload polarization correction, and optical design optimization. Full article

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Mutations in the TP53 gene lead to a loss of tumor suppressor function and an oncogenic gain of function for the protein, resulting in a more invasive, metastatic, and chemoresistant phenotype. Diverse structural studies have demonstrated that mutant p53 core domain unfolding is not irreversible. Thus, reactivation toward its wild-type-like conformation or inactivation of its mutant p53 capacities may restore the expression of genes in its tumor suppressor pathways, resulting in enhanced responses to current therapies. Resveratrol (3,4′,5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a phytoalexin naturally found in more than 70 plant species that has widely proven antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic properties, as well as a capacity to reverse multidrug resistance in various cancer types. Interestingly, it has recently been demonstrated that resveratrol directly interacts with the p53 core domain and reduces mutant p53 aberrant aggregation. In this context, our study aims to elucidate whether resveratrol may induce antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic pathways regardless of a mutant background. We observed that resveratrol has an antiproliferative effect in cancer cells, independent of p53 status, and leads to apoptosis after 48 h of treatment. Resveratrol also induces the expression of p53 tumor suppressor target genes, which are involved in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Even though the previous effects are more significant in cells expressing wild-type p53, resveratrol drastically sensitizes all cancer cell lines, regardless of p53 status, to cisplatin treatment, making it a promising enhancer compound to overcome chemoresistance associated with p53. Full article