Search Results (732)

Thick conglomerate reservoirs possess substantial storage capacity and pronounced heterogeneity, yet their genesis remains debated. This study investigates the Permian Jiamuhe Formation thick conglomerate reservoir in the Zhongguai Uplift, Junggar Basin, utilizing full-diameter core analysis, cast thin-section petrography, X-ray diffraction, fluorescence microscopy, and heavy mineral assemblage analysis. The conglomerates exhibit low compositional and textural maturity, negligible clay matrix, and abundant magmatic lithic fragments. The pore system comprises predominantly detrital-grain dissolution pores (57.5%), followed by cement dissolution pores (25.1%) and microfractures (17.4%). Proximal Carboniferous volcanic rocks supplied plagioclase, pyroxene, and amphibole, providing labile constituents for subsequent acidic dissolution. Parent-rock weathering released Ca, Si, and Al, facilitating early zeolite and calcite cementation that reinforced grain-support frameworks and preserved primary porosity. Protracted leaching by acidic meteoric water during subaerial exposure was critical for reservoir enhancement. Steep paleotopography and the Jiamuhe–Wuerhe unconformity facilitated sustained fluid infiltration and extensive dissolution. In Well ZJ142, integrated petrophysical, mineralogical, and petrographic evidence indicates pronounced meteoric-water modification within the uppermost approximately 75 m beneath the weathering crust, with meteoric dissolution contributing up to a cumulative absolute porosity increment of 25.7 percentage points. Late faults and fractures provided pathways for deep acidic fluids interpreted to contain organic acids associated with source-rock maturation, promoting localized secondary dissolution during deep burial. The development of relatively favorable reservoir intervals was governed by a multistage process involving proximal supply of readily dissolvable volcanic fragments, early zeolite cementation, prolonged meteoric-water dissolution, and fault-assisted deep-fluid modification. Proximal soluble volcanic supply, early zeolite cementation, protracted meteoric dissolution, and fault-assisted deep fluid modification. These findings provide a robust theoretical basis for exploring deep thick conglomerate reservoirs in the Junggar Basin. Full article

Rice husk-derived biochars with progressively modified surface properties were investigated for adsorbing flucloxacillin sodium (FLX-Na) from aqueous solution. Four materials—rice husk biochar (RHB), nitrogen-functionalized RHB (N-RHB), magnetic nitrogen-functionalized RHB (MN-RHB), and magnetic nitrogen/sulfur-functionalized RHB (MN,S-RHB)—were prepared and characterised using morphological, structural, textural, and surface-chemical techniques. The sequential preparation routes produced materials with different surface areas, pore structures, and surface functionalities. FLX-Na adsorption increased in the order RHB < MN-RHB < N-RHB < MN, S-RHB, with the highest equilibrium adsorption capacity obtained for MN,S-RHB (118.6 mg g⁻¹). Because chemical activation and a higher carbonisation temperature were introduced only for MN,S-RHB, the higher uptake is interpreted as an effect of the combined modification route rather than being attributed specifically to N/S co-doping. Kinetic and equilibrium data were described using several empirical models, with the pseudo-second-order and Sips models giving the highest coefficients of determination among the tested fits. The adsorption capacity of MN,S-RHB decreased from 84.60 ± 1.30 mg g⁻¹ in deionised water to 60.30 ± 1.80 mg g⁻¹ in a mixed inorganic/humic-acid matrix, corresponding to 71.3% capacity retention. Spectroscopic changes after adsorption were consistent with changes in the surface chemical environment, while the matrix experiments indicated that coexisting inorganic ions and dissolved organic matter influenced adsorption performance. These results show that the combined physicochemical modification route altered the adsorption behaviour of rice husk-derived biochar under the investigated conditions. Full article

Laser surface engineering is increasingly proposed for orthodontic alloys, yet “laser texturing”, “laser modification” and “laser cleaning” denote physically distinct processes that act on the surface in opposite directions. This critical review asks whether reported laboratory benefits for corrosion, metal-ion release, bacterial adhesion and friction transfer to the bracket–archwire couple in the oral environment. Evidence was appraised against a process → surface state → laboratory response → potential clinical performance framework that treats the laser-induced surface state as the mediating variable. First, the orthodontic bracket–archwire evidence base comprises three studies on stainless steel: two of bracket-slot texturing and one of laser welding. The only such work identified on other alloys is a further welding study. The stated searches identified no eligible study on laser-engineered orthodontic β-titanium. Second, no identified study measures metal-ion release from laser-textured metal in a dental context, and static electrochemical parameters cease to predict ion release where mechanical assistance dominates. Third, antibacterial and friction benefits are demonstrated under conditions—mono-species assays without a salivary pellicle and sliding velocities orders of magnitude above clinical—that cannot represent the oral interface. These are gaps in evidence, not evidence of no effect. A minimum reporting dataset is proposed. Full article

This short study presents the results of micro-Raman investigations performed on the alloy Ti-6Al-4V, which was additively manufactured via metal fused filament fabrication (MF³). Local laser micro-annealing was applied at different power intensities to distinct regions. The applied laser power density was varied in the range of ~0.05 kW/cm² to ~5 MW/cm². Laser-induced compositional changes in structures, approx. 1 µm in diameter, arranged in an array, are laterally limited. Simultaneously, the surrounding matrix maintains its initial pristine material properties down to ~500 nm in spacing between neighboring structures, reproducibly. The presented results confirmed that the material contains residues of the organic-based binder system and its decomposition products. Besides the characteristic Raman modes related to hydrocarbon compounds, TiC, and defect carbon phases were identified. Unexpectedly, micro-Raman mapping measurements performed on regions exposed to laser power densities above 2.5 MW/cm² for up to 2 min revealed the complete suppression of hydrocarbon modes. Additionally, laser micro-annealing applied under identical operating conditions initiates “carbonization” processes in regions predominantly composed of residues from the organic-based binder used in material preparation. This short initialization study is a prerequisite and first building block for the development of suitable laser annealing technology which allows the modification and functional texturization of Ti-6Al-4V alloys down to the sub-micro scale. The correlation between modified materials’ structural and mechanical properties will be the aim of our future studies. This would allow the design and fabrication of sophisticated tools using MF³ technology for, e.g., surgery biocompatible implants with locally tuned, favorable mechanical properties. Full article

Purpose: To investigate whether radiomic characteristics of visually unremarkable basal ganglia on preprocedural non-contrast computed tomography (CT) are associated with subsequent post-thrombectomy hyperdense transformation (HT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: This retrospective single-center study included a derivation cohort of 84 patients with preserved Alberta Stroke Programme Early CT Scores (ASPECTS ≥ 8), no visually appreciable basal ganglia abnormality, anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion, and complete reperfusion after mechanical thrombectomy between January 2022 and July 2023. An independent temporal validation cohort comprised 31 consecutive eligible patients treated between August and November 2023. The ipsilateral basal ganglia were manually segmented on preprocedural non-contrast CT, and radiomic features were extracted using LIFEx. Candidate features underwent interobserver reproducibility assessment and correlation filtering before least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression with 10-fold cross-validation. The final model was applied without modification to the temporal validation cohort. Nested cross-validation and learning-curve analysis were additionally performed to assess model-development optimism and stability. Results: The final model retained two texture features, Gray-Level Run Length Matrix Short Runs Emphasis and Gray-Level Size Zone Matrix Grey Level Variance. In the derivation cohort, the model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.760 (95% CI, 0.652–0.855), with 48.8% sensitivity, 95.3% specificity, and 72.6% accuracy. When applied without modification to the independent temporal validation cohort, the AUC was 0.677 (95% CI, 0.475–0.858), with 33.3% sensitivity, 93.8% specificity, and 64.5% accuracy. Nested cross-validation yielded a mean AUC of 0.673 ± 0.037, with variability in feature selection across resampling iterations. Learning-curve analysis showed an early plateau, with little improvement in cross-validated discrimination as the training sample increased within the evaluated range. Conclusions: Radiomic analysis of visually unremarkable basal ganglia on preprocedural non-contrast CT identified an exploratory two-feature imaging signature associated with subsequent post-thrombectomy HT. The model retained modest discriminatory ability in temporal validation, although internal resampling demonstrated model-development optimism and limited feature-selection stability. These findings should be considered hypothesis-generating and warrant further evaluation using larger datasets, alternative modeling approaches, and independent multicenter validation. Full article

Obesity is an important public health concern among children and adolescents. Effective weight management generally requires dietary modification, nutrition education, physical activity, and continued behavioral support. This study developed and evaluated Korat crispy chicken sticks (K) as a dietary component of a multicomponent weight management program for adolescents with obesity, with commercial chicken sticks (C) as the comparator. A mixture design was used to optimize the product formulation, and a reduced-sugar formulation was selected. The selected product had a hardness of 1548.52 ± 321.25 g, crispness of 54.00 ± 13.23 fracture peaks, water activity of 0.407 ± 0.001, and protein content of 56.90 ± 0.75% on a dry weight basis. Sensory evaluation showed significant differences between the tested products regarding color, aroma, texture, and overall liking (all p < 0.05), but no significant difference in flavor. A preliminary randomized controlled trial was conducted among 38 adolescents with obesity. Participants were randomly allocated to the K group (n = 20) or C group (n = 18) for at least two months. Both groups received the same nutrition education, dietary energy restriction, physical activity recommendations, and telemedicine follow-up. No formal a priori sample size calculation was performed; therefore, the clinical findings were considered exploratory. Both groups showed small reductions in body weight and BMI. BMI decreased by 0.90% in the K group and 1.05% in the C group; neither within-group change was statistically significant. LDL cholesterol decreased from 104.35 ± 17.06 to 101.78 ± 20.70 mg/dL in the K group, but the within-group change was not statistically significant (p = 0.894). In contrast, LDL cholesterol increased from 112.71 ± 24.40 to 123.81 ± 28.34 mg/dL in the C group (p = 0.046). The unadjusted comparison of post-intervention LDL values differed between the groups (p = 0.009), but this finding does not demonstrate a statistically significant LDL reduction within the K group. MDA levels decreased in both groups, but the changes were not statistically significant. These preliminary findings indicate that Korat crispy chicken sticks may be feasible as a dietary component of a multicomponent weight management program. However, the study did not establish an independent effect of the Korat product on BMI, LDL cholesterol, or oxidative stress. Larger adequately powered randomized controlled trials using prespecified outcomes and baseline-adjusted between-group analyses are required. Full article

Greater yam (Dioscorea alata L.) is a globally distributed yam species with high agronomic potential but variable culinary quality. The molecular basis of key tuber quality attributes, including flesh pigmentation, starch and sugar composition, texture after cooking, and moldability, remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we performed an integrative transcriptome analysis of six contrasting D. alata varieties representing diverse tuber quality profiles. RNA-seq data were integrated with biochemical, morphological, textural, and flesh-color phenotypes to identify genes associated with quality variation. Differential expression and pathway enrichment analyses revealed major changes in phenylpropanoid, flavonoid, carotenoid, galactose, zeatin, and photosynthesis-related pathways. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified 26 expression modules, five of which were associated with specific varieties and quality traits. Candidate genes were prioritized by integrating co-expression modules, differential expression patterns, and functional annotation. Anthocyanin- and flavonoid-related genes and regulators (including CCoAOMT, C3H, F3′H, F3′5′H, DFR, AP2, MYB, WD40) were associated with purple flesh, whereas carotenoid biosynthetic genes (PSY and NCED) were linked to yellow flesh. Modules associated with starch, sugar and moldability highlighted genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and cell wall modification, including beta-glucosidase, glycosyl hydrolases, pectinesterase, and galacturonidase. By simultaneously analyzing six genetically diverse varieties, this study extends previous pairwise transcriptomic comparisons and provides a comprehensive candidate-gene resource for improving tuber quality in D. alata. Full article

Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) of near-β titanium alloys typically produces coarse columnar grains and strong <001> textures, which induce anisotropic mechanical behavior. Here, 5 wt.% tantalum (Ta) particles were doped into Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr (Ti-5553) powder to concurrently inhibit microstructural anisotropy and contribute to enhanced strength–ductility synergy via solidification modification. During the L-PBF process, unmelted Ta particles provided heterogeneous nucleation sites, while dissolved Ta generated local constitutional undercooling. Together, these effects reduced the average β-grain size from 47.23 ± 27.5 to 12.28 ± 11.8 μm and weakened the <001> texture, as well as increased yield strength from 870 to 990 MPa while retaining 28% elongation. After solution treatment and aging, Ti-5553-Ta reached a yield strength of 1196 MPa and 16.0% elongation. Local Ta-enriched precipitate-free zones and refined α precipitates contributed to the improved post-treatment ductility. Full article

This review evaluates light-modifying films and coatings engineered to manipulate the solar spectrum and optimize crop development in protected and open-field agriculture. Traditional agricultural covers act as passive shading, whereas advanced functional polymers actively alter light quality to enhance photosynthesis and regulate morphogenesis. We analyze polymer matrices—such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and biodegradable polylactide (PLA)—integrated with luminescent agents, including rare-earth complexes, organic dyes, quantum dots, and carbon dots. These materials convert underutilized or harmful ultraviolet (UV) and green wavelengths into photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), specifically targeting blue–violet (400–480 nm) and red–orange (600–700 nm) spectral shifts. Additionally, structural modifications like micro-layer texturing for light diffusion, infrared-reflecting additives for thermal insulation, and selective UV-blocking thresholds are evaluated across high-value crop categories. Spectral optimization successfully triggers predictable photomorphogenic responses: blue–violet enrichment promotes compact vegetative architecture and prevents stem elongation in leafy greens, while red–orange matrices accelerate biomass accumulation and increase fresh fruit mass in vining crops by up to 25%. Fine-tuning the red-to-far-red (R:FR) ratio regulates ornamental morphogenesis. Furthermore, micro-layer diffusion eliminates canopy sunburn, thermal additives mitigate nocturnal flower abortion, and selective UV-B thresholds stimulate secondary metabolites in berries while disrupting pest navigation and fungal sporulation. Consequently, crop-specific light-modifying coatings offer a scalable, energy-free approach to maximize yields and enhance crop protection in sustainable agriculture. Full article

The effect of the composition and structure of shaped low-zeolite Al₂O₃-based catalysts on the catalytic cracking of M–100 heavy fuel oil was investigated. A series of γ-Al₂O₃-based catalysts was prepared, including an HY-containing catalyst and materials additionally modified with η-Al₂O₃, CaO, and Ni- and Cu-containing components. The physicochemical properties of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption. The pore volume and the mechanical strength of the catalyst granules were additionally measured. Catalytic cracking tests were carried out in a flow reactor at 450–550 °C. It was shown that the incorporation of 5 wt.% HY into γ-Al₂O₃ increased the combined yield of gasoline and light gas oil fractions at 450 °C from 16.3 to 38.3 wt.%. Modification of the alumina matrix further affected the catalyst selectivity: the γ+η–Al–HY catalyst provided the highest yield of light products (42.8 wt.%) and the lowest coke yield, whereas Ca–Al–HY exhibited the highest gasoline yield (23.7 wt.%) together with the lowest heavy residue yield. The effect of matrix composition became particularly pronounced at 500–550 °C, which can be attributed to changes in both pore structure and surface acid-base properties enhanced by modification. Product composition analysis showed that the incorporation of HY increased the content of light olefins, whereas modification of the matrix substantially altered the ratio of normal to branched paraffinic components in the gasoline fraction. The Ca–Al–HY sample exhibited the smallest changes in textural properties after catalytic testing and a more stable product distribution during consecutive reaction–regeneration cycles. These results demonstrate that, at a low HY content, the alumina matrix acts as an independent factor governing selectivity and stability of the catalyst in heavy residual feedstocks conversion. Full article

Arsenic contamination of drinking water threatens more than 100 million people worldwide, particularly in regions where decentralized, low-cost treatment solutions are urgently needed. Although biochar-based adsorbents have shown promise, the performance of seaweed-derived biochars—especially under environmentally relevant, low arsenic concentrations—remains poorly characterized. Here, we developed and evaluated a Fe-activated biochar derived from the kelp Macrocystis pyrifera for As(V) removal under drinking-water-relevant conditions. Fe activation with FeCl₂—rather than textural modification via KOH—was critical for introducing Fe–O surface complexes that governed chemisorption and drove high removal efficiency at low concentrations. The Fe-activated biochar exhibited a BET surface area of 22.23 m² g⁻¹, a point of zero charge near neutral pH (pH_PZC ≈ 6.36), and low ash content (<20%), all favoring arsenate adsorption. Adsorption kinetics were best described by the pseudo-second-order model (R² > 0.99), consistent with a strong contribution of surface chemical interactions under the tested conditions. Fe-activated biochar removed 53–67% of As(V) across initial concentrations of 0.01–0.20 mg L⁻¹, approaching an adsorption plateau within 12–20 h, positioning this sustainable, kelp-derived material as a promising candidate for point-of-use arsenic treatment in affected regions. Full article

Gellan gum (GG) is an anionic microbial polysaccharide widely used in foods because of its efficient gelation, thermal stability, and ion-responsive structuring. However, the contrasting limitations of high- and low-acyl GG, together with their sensitivity to molecular weight, ions, pH, thermal history, and food-matrix composition, restrict their performance in complex products. This review distinguishes four intervention levels of GG modification and structural regulation: covalent modification, chain-architecture regulation, supramolecular regulation, and food-matrix composite structuring. These modifications and structural regulations alter chain properties, helix association, junction-zone formation, interfacial organization, and phase connectivity, thereby affecting gelation, texture, water retention, emulsion stability, processability, and release behavior. Food applications are evaluated through their structure–function relationships across diverse food systems. Particular attention is given to gastrointestinal disassembly, nutrient digestion, bioactive release, and colonic fermentation. Current evidence strongly supports the role of GG structural regulation in food texture and physical stability, whereas evidence for digestive modulation and physiological effects remains limited and is largely based on formulation-specific in vitro studies. Overall, this review provides a structure-guided framework for application-specific selection of GG intervention strategies. Full article

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) enables near-net-shape fabrication of complex components, but process-induced defects and heterogeneities continue to limit performance and broader adoption. This review examines ex-situ and in-situ hybrid processing across multiple AM processes and alloy systems, including heat treatment, deformation-based processing, hot isostatic pressing, machining, friction stir processing, ultrasonic and magnetic-field assistance, alloying, stirring, and surface preparation. Ex-situ routes modify the completed build through bulk densification, homogenization, phase control, and surface improvement, whereas in-situ routes modify defects, microstructure, residual stress, and phase evolution during fabrication by interacting with the liquid melt pool, viscoplastic material, or solidified layer(s). The in-situ hybrid processing literature is dominated by wire-based directed energy deposition (DED) because its open architecture facilitates secondary-tool integration. Deformation-based methods were the most common and frequently promoted pore closure, recrystallization, texture modification, residual-stress redistribution, and improved mechanical performance. Hybrid processing was most effective when integrated to target the dominant material-specific limitation. Aluminum alloys benefited primarily from porosity control, stainless steels from grain and texture modification, titanium alloys from prior-β and α/β morphology control, nickel-based superalloys from segregation and Laves-phase mitigation, and steels from control of transformation microstructures. This material-state-aware framework may also extend to polymers and composites. Full article

Rail-surface defects are often small, low-contrast, and confused with steel texture or reflections, making it difficult to improve accuracy without increasing model cost. This study proposes ESiV-YOLOv8, a compact detector that assigns complementary modifications to feature selection, box regression, and multiscale fusion in YOLOv8n. EffectiveSE recalibrates deep backbone features, SIoU provides direction-aware regression, and a VoV-GSCSP/GSConv neck reduces redundant computation. Evaluation used a self-built four-class dataset of 4020 images, a near-duplicate-aware train-validation-test split, and matched seven-seed experiments. ESiV-YOLOv8 achieved 97.7% precision, 94.6% recall, 97.2% mAP@0.5, and 68.6% mAP@0.5:0.95. Relative to YOLOv8n, mAP@0.5:0.95 increased by 5.0 percentage points, while parameters and GFLOPs decreased by 17.1% and 12.2%, respectively. On the combined natural-condition subset, ESiV-YOLOv8 achieved 59.6% mAP@0.5:0.95, 5.6 percentage points above the baseline. The annotation audit yielded 98.0% class agreement and a mean box IoU of 0.89. Model-only and end-to-end latency increased by 1.4% and 2.2%, respectively. Overall, ESiV-YOLOv8 improves detection accuracy and reduces model scale with limited latency overhead on the tested backend. Full article

Bridge surface cracks are important early indicators of structural performance degradation. However, affected by complex environmental interferences and irregular morphologies, existing models still fall short in micro-crack recognition, accurate bounding-box localization, and lightweight. To address these challenges, this study proposes a multi-module collaborative lightweight model (MCL-YOLO) based on YOLOv12. Specifically, the existing ADown module from YOLOv9 is incorporated into the YOLOv12 architecture to reduce computational complexity while preserving critical information during feature downsampling. To enhance the representation of slender, curved, and branched crack patterns, a C3k2-RFAConv module is designed by integrating a receptive-field attention mechanism. Furthermore, an iEMA module is embedded before the high-resolution detection branch to strengthen the semantic response to weak-texture cracks. A bridge crack dataset containing 4029 images was constructed to evaluate the proposed model. Experimental results show that MCL-YOLO achieves Precision, Recall, mAP@50, and mAP@50:95 values of 0.891, 0.757, 0.844, and 0.675, with 5.5 GFLOPs, 2.240 M parameters, and a model-file size of 4.689 M. Compared with the YOLOv12n baseline, MCL-YOLO improves the four detection metrics by 2.30%, 4.56%, 4.07%, and 3.21%, while reducing GFLOPs and parameter count (Params) by 12.70% and 12.77%, respectively. Ablation experiments, model version comparisons, attention mechanism comparisons, and qualitative detection results collectively verify the effectiveness of the integrated architectural modifications. Full article