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Open AccessArticle

Antagonistic and Plant Growth-Promoting Potential of Endophytic Trichoderma Against Fusarium Root Rot in Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)

by Mubasshir Hussain, Ting Yuan, Peiqi Liu, Wenjun Shang, Yanzhi Zhang, Peng Yu, Xiuhong Gou, Qigao Guo, Guolu Liang and Di Wu

Horticulturae 2026, 12(7), 859; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070859 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is highly susceptible to destructive soil-borne Fusarium pathogens, which cause severe vascular wilt and root rot. While Trichoderma species are widely applied as biocontrol agents, the potential of endophytic Trichoderma strains from loquat remains largely unexplored. This study [...] Read more.

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is highly susceptible to destructive soil-borne Fusarium pathogens, which cause severe vascular wilt and root rot. While Trichoderma species are widely applied as biocontrol agents, the potential of endophytic Trichoderma strains from loquat remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to isolate and evaluate loquat endophytic Trichoderma strains for their antifungal and plant growth-promoting capabilities. Ten isolates were identified through morphological and phylogenetic analyses as belonging to T. asperellum, T. virens and T. hamatum. Antagonistic activity was initially screened in vitro via dual-culture assays, followed by in vivo greenhouse pot experiments. In vitro results revealed that T. asperellum strains (B077R1 and B077B3) and T. virens GFR9 strongly inhibited the mycelial growth of both F. oxysporum and F. solani (inhibition rates > 50.65%), whereas T. hamatum isolates exhibited weaker antagonism (<35.18%). Moreover, T. asperellum B077R1 demonstrated the highest biocontrol efficacy in the greenhouse pot assay, significantly reducing disease severity caused by F. oxysporum and F. solani by 45.99% and 55.50%, respectively. This strain also significantly enhanced plant height, total biomass (fresh and dry weight) and photosynthetic pigment content (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that newly isolated endophytic Trichoderma strains from loquat exhibit robust host compatibility, offering a promising sustainable strategy for managing root rot in perennial fruit crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant–Microbe Interactions and Their Importance for Horticultural Crop Productivity)

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Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Transformations of Optimal Process Control Problems That Simplify Their Solution

by Anatoliy M. Tsirlin and Alexander I. Balunov

Processes 2026, 14(14), 2309; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14142309 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

This paper considers the possibilities of simplifying the solution of certain classes of optimal control problems. These include reducing the problem dimension by switching to a new independent variable, Krotov’s transformation and converting state variables into controls, constructing an external reachability set, switching [...] Read more.

This paper considers the possibilities of simplifying the solution of certain classes of optimal control problems. These include reducing the problem dimension by switching to a new independent variable, Krotov’s transformation and converting state variables into controls, constructing an external reachability set, switching to new state variables, replacing linear differential equations with an integral convolution equation, and others. Examples of applying the presented approaches to real-world problems are given. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Process Control, Modeling and Optimization)

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Open AccessReview

Radiomodulation—The Final Frontier of Radiosurgery?

by Fred C. Lam, Evan Chau, Yazhen Shi, Bryan Martinez, Amar Hamdan, Jay L. Gill, Nirmeen Zagzoog, Neeraj Kalra, Yusuke S. Hori, Michael B. Schneider, John Adler, Jr., David J. Park and Steven D. Chang

Brain Sci. 2026, 16(7), 751; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16070751 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) delivers high doses of focused ionizing radiation (IR) to a defined target while sparing surrounding tissues. The delivery of focused doses of IR has proven to be an effective modality for the treatment of brain tumors, cerebrovascular lesions, and primary [...] Read more.

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) delivers high doses of focused ionizing radiation (IR) to a defined target while sparing surrounding tissues. The delivery of focused doses of IR has proven to be an effective modality for the treatment of brain tumors, cerebrovascular lesions, and primary neuropathic pain conditions. More recently, the emerging concept of “radiomodulation” to rewire neural circuitry through the delivery of focused IR to specific neural relay centers has emerged as an alternative way to treat neurological conditions, such as essential tremor, trigeminal neuralgia, and psychiatric illnesses. In this article, we performed a scoping review of the existing data supporting the ability of focused doses of ionizing radiation to achieve modulation of neural circuits for the treatment of neurological conditions. We review the current understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms of radiomodulation, the gaps in knowledge limiting its widespread use for in-human applications and stress the unmet need for ongoing research to rigorously prove that radiomodulation may be the “final frontier” as a non-invasive, non-pharmacological, versatile, and tunable modality for the treatment of a multitude of neurological conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modulation of the Tumor Microenvironment for the Treatment of Brain Tumors)

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Open AccessArticle

Development and Analytical Evaluation of Urine-Based Test for Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

by Maria Dekarz, Małgorzata Gawrońska, Bryan Mierzwa, Jakub Muchowski, Patrycja Ogonowska, Marzena Skowrońska and Katarzyna Stempnakowska

Diagnostics 2026, 16(14), 2215; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16142215 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a highly lethal malignancy lacking non-invasive functional diagnostic tools. The objective of this study was to develop and analytically validate a qualitative chromogenic urine assay (Panuri) detecting proteolytic activity associated with pancreatic cancer. Methods: This [...] Read more.

Background/Objectives: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a highly lethal malignancy lacking non-invasive functional diagnostic tools. The objective of this study was to develop and analytically validate a qualitative chromogenic urine assay (Panuri) detecting proteolytic activity associated with pancreatic cancer. Methods: This study reports on the analytical validation of a prototype configuration of the Panuri assay. The assay is based on enzymatic hydrolysis of synthetic peptide substrates measured spectrophotometrically at 410 nm. Results were interpreted qualitatively using predefined OD/h cut-off values (R1: 0.002206; R2: 0.003343; R3: 0.000766). Analytical validation included determination of sensitivity and specificity, precision assessment, and interference testing with microorganisms (10⁷ CFU/mL) and selected endogenous substances. Results: At the established OD/h cut-off, the assay demonstrated 89% sensitivity (95% CI: 78.5–94.9%) and 75% specificity (95% CI: 64.8–83.5%). Precision studies demonstrated repeatability, within-laboratory precision, and inter-laboratory reproducibility, with coefficients of variation below 10%. Interference from endogenous substances was limited under testing conditions, whereas high microbial contamination induced classification shifts. Further analytical studies are ongoing to assess the impact of exogenous interferents, including drugs and supplements, in accordance with extended interference evaluation requirements. Conclusions: The Panuri assay demonstrates predefined analytical performance characteristics for qualitative detection of proteolytic activity in the urine under the conditions evaluated in this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Clinical Laboratory Medicine)

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Open AccessArticle

Oxygen Vacancy-Enriched BiVO₄/TiO₂ S-Scheme Heterojunction for Efficient Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride

by Qiang Wang, Chao Zhou, Zhiyuan Zeng, Ying Tang, Tiantian Li, Min Gao, Xiaobo Yan, Jinfeng Yang, Xia Zhou and Feng Yu

Reactions 2026, 7(3), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/reactions7030043 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) contamination poses serious environmental risks due to its persistence and bioaccumulation. Here we present an oxygen-vacancy-enriched BiVO₄/TiO₂ S-scheme heterojunction (5% BVO/TO) synthesized via a one-step solvothermal method. Under visible light (λ > 420 nm), this composite achieves [...] Read more.

Tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) contamination poses serious environmental risks due to its persistence and bioaccumulation. Here we present an oxygen-vacancy-enriched BiVO₄/TiO₂ S-scheme heterojunction (5% BVO/TO) synthesized via a one-step solvothermal method. Under visible light (λ > 420 nm), this composite achieves 78.8% TCH degradation in 80 min, outperforming TiO₂ (69.5%) and BiVO₄ (34.1%). Its rate constant (0.0198 min⁻¹) is 1.4 and 4.0 times higher than TiO₂ and BiVO₄, respectively, while retaining over 70% activity after four cycles. XPS and EPR confirm that oxygen vacancies serve as electron traps to suppress recombination, and UPS combined with DFT calculations validates directional electron transfer from BiVO₄ to TiO₂. Radical scavenging tests and in situ EPR reveal h⁺ > •OH > •O₂⁻ as the dominant reactive species. This study offers a robust design strategy for OV-enhanced S-scheme photocatalysts toward efficient, sustainable degradation of antibiotic pollutants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Reactions in 2026)

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Open AccessArticle

Parental Burnout and Adolescents’ Growth Mindset: An Exploratory Two-Wave Study

by Dayu Zhao, Jia Luo, Jianqiang Wang, Wei Wang and Yongxin Li

Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(7), 1194; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16071194 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Purpose: Owing to rapid economic development and increasing social complexity, parenting stress has intensified for many families. When parents are exposed to parenting-related stress without sufficient coping resources, they may become vulnerable to parental burnout. Based on two-wave parent–adolescent dyadic data, this [...] Read more.

Purpose: Owing to rapid economic development and increasing social complexity, parenting stress has intensified for many families. When parents are exposed to parenting-related stress without sufficient coping resources, they may become vulnerable to parental burnout. Based on two-wave parent–adolescent dyadic data, this study explored whether parental neglect and parental violence may serve as potential indirect pathways linking parental burnout to adolescents’ growth mindset. Methods: Using a semi-longitudinal design, we collected two waves of survey data one month apart from 382 middle-school students and their parents in a city in Central China. An initial cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) was estimated based on the proposed hypotheses. Because the initial model showed poor fit, it was modified based on the modification indices and theoretical considerations, yielding the final model. Results: The final model showed acceptable fit, χ²(15) = 39.15, RMSEA = 0.065, CFI = 0.978, and TLI = 0.952. T1 parental burnout was significantly and positively associated with T2 neglect (β = 0.20, p < 0.001), and T1 neglect was significantly and negatively associated with T2 growth mindset (β = −0.13, p < 0.01). The indirect effect = −0.02, 95% CI [−0.033, −0.003], p < 0.05. Supplementary analyses also showed a generally consistent pattern of results. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary evidence that parental neglect may be an important linking pathway between parental burnout and lower levels of adolescents’ growth mindset. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Developmental Psychology)

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Open AccessCommunication

Synthesis of Titanium Dioxide-Based Pigments with Co-Precipitated Phosphate

by Hiroaki Onoda and Yurina Kita

Materials 2026, 19(14), 3052; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19143052 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Titanium dioxide is used as a white pigment in cosmetics and other products, but it possesses photocatalytic activity and has become problematic for decomposing sebum when exposed to sunlight. Consequently, titanium phosphate has been investigated as a new white pigment, with expectations for [...] Read more.

Titanium dioxide is used as a white pigment in cosmetics and other products, but it possesses photocatalytic activity and has become problematic for decomposing sebum when exposed to sunlight. Consequently, titanium phosphate has been investigated as a new white pigment, with expectations for its biocompatibility. However, this pigment had the drawback of having particles that were too large. Therefore, in this study, as a new process for cosmetic pigments, we prepared samples where titanium hydroxide and titanium phosphate were coprecipitated, and we attempted to create a mixed material of titanium oxide and titanium phosphate by heating. This method aimed to suppress photocatalytic activity and produce a novel pigment with particle sizes suitable for cosmetics. With this method, thorough rinsing with water is necessary to remove the sodium sulfate. Even in samples with a low phosphorus ratio of Ti/P = 10/1, photocatalytic activity was sufficiently suppressed. Under this Ti/P = 10/1 condition, the drawback of excessively large particle sizes typically found in phosphate pigments is not particularly noticeable. This study is expected to contribute to the development of new white pigments for use in cosmetics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Materials Chemistry)

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Open AccessArticle

A Panel-Scale 3D Block Modeling Framework for Operational Material Accounting in a Stratified Phosphate Deposit: A Basis for Future Selective Dumping Assessment

by Noaman Bouhlali, Abdellatif Elghali, Yassine Taha and Mostafa Benzaazoua

Mining 2026, 6(3), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/mining6030052 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Phosphate rock is a finite resource whose extraction in sedimentary deposits generates substantial volumes of waste rock. This study develops a panel-scale 3D geological modeling workflow for operational material accounting in a multilayer sedimentary phosphate deposit. Phosphate layers were modeled using a hanging [...] Read more.

Phosphate rock is a finite resource whose extraction in sedimentary deposits generates substantial volumes of waste rock. This study develops a panel-scale 3D geological modeling workflow for operational material accounting in a multilayer sedimentary phosphate deposit. Phosphate layers were modeled using a hanging wall–footwall approach and evaluated against independent well data. Bone Phosphate of Lime (BPL) grades were estimated from borehole-layer composite assay values using nearest neighbor, inverse distance weighting, and ordinary kriging. Domain-wise external validation showed that ordinary kriging provided the most consistent agreement with withheld observations in most mineable layers. Each mineable layer was treated as an independent estimation domain, with one composite BPL value retained per drillhole and per mineable layer. The validated block models were regularized to the mine plan and aggregated into operational strips, enabling strip-scale material accounting and mineability filtering under operation-specific technical criteria. To limit disclosure of confidential operational quantities, panel-scale resource, recoverable resource, and residual ore results are presented in relative rather than absolute terms. The results show that most modeled phosphate-bearing material satisfies the applied criteria and is classified as recoverable, whereas residual phosphate-bearing material excluded by the operational criteria remains concentrated in a limited subset of layers. The terms ‘resource,’ ‘recoverable resource,’ and ‘residual ore’ are used throughout in an operational material-accounting sense only and are not intended in the sense of any international mineral reporting code. Strip-based stripping ratio maps further reveal spatial variability in waste-to-ore and waste-to-grade relationships. The resulting workflow provides a quantitative spatial basis for future scenario-based assessment of waste management and selective dumping alternatives in sedimentary phosphate mining. Full article

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Open AccessArticle

AER-DCWGAN: Adversarial Encoder-Regularized Dual-Conditional Wasserstein GAN for Imbalanced Network Intrusion Detection

by Mingqi Wang, Yu Yang, Minna Gao and Jinliang Yuan

Sensors 2026, 26(14), 4506; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26144506 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Class imbalance remains a major obstacle to reliable network intrusion detection, particularly in Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor-network monitoring scenarios where rare attack categories are represented by only a small number of high-dimensional traffic samples. To improve minority-class augmentation, we propose an [...] Read more.

Class imbalance remains a major obstacle to reliable network intrusion detection, particularly in Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor-network monitoring scenarios where rare attack categories are represented by only a small number of high-dimensional traffic samples. To improve minority-class augmentation, we propose an adversarial encoder-regularized dual-conditional Wasserstein generative adversarial network (AER-DCWGAN), a class-aware latent-consistency framework operating in a normalized, feature-selected space. Unlike label-only conditional generation, AER-DCWGAN jointly models traffic features, latent codes, and class embeddings and is designed to encourage feature-, latent-, and label-conditioned consistency. The framework integrates a latent-code- and label-aware Wasserstein critic, encoder-guided reconstruction, adversarial prior alignment, and label-consistency filtering to reduce latent drifting and suppress semantically ambiguous generated samples. Experiments on NSL-KDD and CIC-IDS2017 show class-dependent effects rather than uniform improvement. On NSL-KDD, the Remote-to-Local (R2L) F1-score increases from 0.501 to 0.823, whereas the User-to-Root (U2R) F1-score increases only from 0.124 to 0.204 with a recall of 0.270, indicating that U2R detection remains weak. On CIC-IDS2017, Web Attack improves from 0.952 to 0.983, but Bot and PortScan decrease slightly from 0.828 to 0.817 and from 0.996 to 0.994, respectively. The improvement reported for Infiltration should also be interpreted cautiously because the test support is only seven samples. The controlled head-to-head comparison is restricted to the closely related WGAN-GP and AE-WGAN baselines, and the generated samples are evaluated and used only in the processed feature space; therefore, the study does not claim broad superiority over all imbalance-handling strategies or protocol-level validity of reconstructed raw traffic. Overall, AER-DCWGAN alleviates moderate class imbalance for several classes with sufficient representation, but it does not fully solve ultra-rare attack detection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Attack Detection and Intrusion Prevention for the Internet of Things)

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Open AccessArticle

Clinical and Prognostic Significance of a Squamous Cell Carcinoma Component in Endometrioid Endometrial Carcinoma: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

by Xiaohang Yang, Huixing Yan, Xinyue Ma, Chang Liu, Zhongshao Chen, Zhaoyang Zhang, Haocheng Zhang, Beihua Kong and Jingying Chen

Cancers 2026, 18(14), 2275; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18142275 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Contemporary endometrial cancer pathology integrates histological and molecular features for risk classification. Endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC) with a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) component was historically termed adenosquamous carcinoma but later incorporated into the squamous-differentiation subtype of EEC. This reclassification left an evidence [...] Read more.

Background/Objectives: Contemporary endometrial cancer pathology integrates histological and molecular features for risk classification. Endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC) with a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) component was historically termed adenosquamous carcinoma but later incorporated into the squamous-differentiation subtype of EEC. This reclassification left an evidence gap, and its prognostic significance remains insufficiently defined. We compared clinicopathological aggressiveness and evaluated associations of an SCC component with overall survival (OS) and lymph node (LN) involvement. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 7590 surgically staged patients from 24 institutions (2000–2019): 7495 pure EEC and 95 EEC with SCC components. Confounding was addressed using overlap weighting (OW), inverse probability of treatment weighting targeting the average treatment effect on the treated (IPTW-ATT), and 1:4 propensity score matching (PSM), each with doubly robust Cox regression. Survival machine-learning models with SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) assessed histological subtype contribution. LN involvement was assessed by OW/IPTW-ATT-weighted logistic regression. Results: EEC with SCC component had higher grade, deeper myometrial invasion, more advanced stage, and worse unadjusted OS (hazard ratio [HR] 7.04; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.50–14.16; p < 0.001). After adjustment, the OS disadvantage persisted: OW-adjusted HR 3.05 (95% CI, 1.36–6.85; p = 0.007), IPTW-ATT-adjusted HR 3.26 (95% CI, 1.51–7.01; p = 0.003), and PSM-adjusted HR 3.30 (95% CI, 1.24–8.77; p = 0.017). XGBoost-Survival showed stable discrimination (test C-index 0.797 ± 0.057; 5-year AUC 0.787 ± 0.065), and SHAP supported histological subtype as a prominent risk-associated contributor after class-imbalance correction. In contrast, adjusted LN involvement was not increased (OW odds ratio [OR] 1.000, 95% CI 0.505–1.979; p = 1.000; IPTW-ATT OR 1.035, 95% CI 0.527–2.035; p = 0.920). Conclusions: EEC with SCC component was associated with worse OS after adjustment, without an adjusted increase in LN involvement. These findings support explicit morphologic reporting and future validation incorporating systematically recorded molecular testing when available. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue What’s Behind the Scenes? New Insights in Endometrial Cancer Management and Risk Stratification (2nd Edition))

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Open AccessArticle

Lightweight Container Orchestration for Reproducible AI and Deep Learning Segmentation of Coronary Arteries and the Aorta in Coronary CT Angiography

by Michal Iwanski, Piotr Regulski and Piotr Wendykier

Diagnostics 2026, 16(14), 2214; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16142214 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Background: Deep learning segmentation of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) can support visualization, quantitative analysis, and patient-specific research workflows, but local deployment is often limited by the GPU configuration, dependency drift, heterogeneous operating systems, and limited DevOps resources. Objective: This study aimed [...] Read more.

Background: Deep learning segmentation of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) can support visualization, quantitative analysis, and patient-specific research workflows, but local deployment is often limited by the GPU configuration, dependency drift, heterogeneous operating systems, and limited DevOps resources. Objective: This study aimed to develop and evaluate a cross-platform orchestrator for the reproducible execution of containerized cardiovascular segmentation models without the need for Kubernetes. The segmentation models were used as representative demonstration workloads. Materials and Methods: A lightweight container orchestrator was developed using Podman and Podman Desktop Machine. The system provides a standardized REST API, asynchronous job execution, parallel and cascaded inference modes, persistent logging, and an external evaluation module. Two containerized nnU-Net v2 services were implemented for coronary artery and aortic segmentation from CCTA. Models were trained on the ImageCAS data and evaluated on an independent external cohort of 200 CCTA examinations. The performance was assessed using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and intersection-over-union (IoU). System latency, throughput, and resource utilization were also measured. Results: The mean end-to-end latency on Linux was 52.3 ± 7.1 s with GPU acceleration and 74.1 ± 8.3 s in CPU fallback mode. Parallel execution increased throughput from 44.4 to 62.1 cases/hour, with the expected latency increase due to resource contention. As workload validation, the coronary and aortic nnU-Net services achieved DSC values of 0.93 and 0.95, respectively. Conclusions: The proposed orchestrator enables reproducible, standardized, portable deployment of containerized CCTA segmentation models in on-premises research environments, reducing operational barriers while supporting visualization, validation, and downstream applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostics)

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Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Woven Hemp-Reinforced Polyfurfuryl Alcohol Resin Composites for High-Performance Natural Fibre Composite Applications

by Gilles Koolen, Dharmjeet Madhav, Alexandros Prapavesis, Jens Verbruggen, Xavier Gabrion, Briac Gricourt, Willem Bottger, Mark Lepelaar, Vincent Placet and Aart W. van Vuure

J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(7), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10070372 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

The escalating environmental concerns associated with the non-renewable nature of petrochemical-based composite constituents have accelerated the development of sustainable and renewable alternatives. This study evaluates the potential of woven hemp-reinforced polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA, furan) composites as fully bio-based composite materials. The use of [...] Read more.

The escalating environmental concerns associated with the non-renewable nature of petrochemical-based composite constituents have accelerated the development of sustainable and renewable alternatives. This study evaluates the potential of woven hemp-reinforced polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA, furan) composites as fully bio-based composite materials. The use of PFA, a fully bio-based resin renowned for its high rigidity and fire-retardant properties, has been hindered by challenges associated with water vapour evolution, acid-catalysed fibre degradation, and porosity formation. Novel woven long hemp fibres were combined with a polyfurfuryl alcohol resin formulated with a mild acid catalyst, while an early-stage venting procedure during compression moulding was investigated to mitigate porosity and fibre degradation. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to determine the venting moments during the moulding cycle. Despite the limited improvement in porosity reduction achieved through the investigated venting strategy, the hemp balanced satin 6/6 fabric–furan composites exhibited commendable stiffness with a maximum modulus of 17.0 ± 0.4 GPa. However, the inherent brittleness of the resin and possibly the presence of fire-retardant fillers limited the tensile strength (a maximum of 71.8 ± 4.2 MPa) and failure strain (a maximum of 0.72 ± 0.07%). The bending properties of neat furan resin produced using an improved curing protocol were comparable to those of conventional thermoset resins, with a modulus of 3.2 ± 0.2 GPa, strength of 110.5 ± 17.3 MPa, and failure strain of 4.1 ± 0.8%. Although several challenges remain, this study demonstrates the potential of natural fibre–furan composites for high-performance natural fibre composite applications and provides guidance for their further development. Future research should focus on optimising venting strategies, avoiding fire retardants to minimise resin brittleness, incorporating matrix tougheners, and enhancing the inherent toughness of the matrix. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Polymer Composites: Waste Reutilization and Valorization)

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Open AccessReview

Synaptic vs. Non-Synaptic Glycine Receptors: Physiological Role and Implications in Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology

by Eva Kiss, Joachim Kirsch, Stefan Kins and Jochen Kuhse

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(14), 6306; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27146306 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors (GlyRs) are pentameric ligand-gated chloride channels that mediate fast inhibitory neurotransmission in the central nervous system (CNS), with high expression in the spinal cord, brainstem, cerebellum, and retina. Beyond traditional postsynaptic phasic inhibition, emerging evidence highlights the importance of extrasynaptic [...] Read more.

Strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors (GlyRs) are pentameric ligand-gated chloride channels that mediate fast inhibitory neurotransmission in the central nervous system (CNS), with high expression in the spinal cord, brainstem, cerebellum, and retina. Beyond traditional postsynaptic phasic inhibition, emerging evidence highlights the importance of extrasynaptic GlyRs—expressed in both neuronal and non-neuronal cells—in mediating tonic inhibition by sensing ambient glycine levels, including in the forebrain. These non-synaptic receptors display high agonist affinity, unique subunit compositions, and distinct pharmacodynamics. Notably, recent studies have begun to implicate aberrant GlyR signaling in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology; however, its functional role in this specific neurodegenerative context remains only poorly understood. This review synthesizes the molecular properties and functional significance of these diverse GlyR populations, emphasizing their involvement in calcium signaling, inhibitory tone, and neural circuit modulation, while critically evaluating their emerging therapeutic potential in AD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism of Cellular Signaling, Dysfunction, and Drug Effects on Alzheimer's Disease)

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Open AccessArticle

Explainable Semi-Supervised Learning Framework for Alzheimer’s Disease Prediction Using SHAP-Based Feature Selection and Cost-Sensitive CatBoost

by Abdallah El Chakik, Bilal Nakhal and Ghalia Nassreddine

Sci 2026, 8(7), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/sci8070171 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains a critical global health challenge for which early diagnosis is essential for effective intervention. However, AD detection is a challenging and complex task due to the scarcity of labeled clinical data, class imbalance, and lack of prediction interpretability in [...] Read more.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains a critical global health challenge for which early diagnosis is essential for effective intervention. However, AD detection is a challenging and complex task due to the scarcity of labeled clinical data, class imbalance, and lack of prediction interpretability in healthcare systems. Although current machine learning frameworks are promising, they are frequently based on fully supervised environments and lack transparency, which limits their ability to be adopted in real-world clinical scenarios where labeled data are often scarce. This study proposes a new lightweight, semi-supervised, SHAP-enhanced CatBoost (LSSSC) framework that covers the challenges related to insufficient label data, interpretability of prediction models, and performance in a single learning paradigm. The proposed solution provides two major innovations: (i) a hybrid semi-supervised learning algorithm that incorporates the use of confidence-aware pseudo-labeling with cost-sensitive learning, allowing the effective use of the unlabeled data and alleviating the problem of class imbalance, and (ii) an intrinsic SHAP-based feature selection mechanism that assists not only in increasing interpretability but also in minimizing the dimensionality of the feature variables. The suggested approach is tested on a real AD dataset of 2149 patients and 34 diverse clinical, demographic, and lifestyle characteristics. Experimental findings show that LSSSC outperforms traditional supervised and ensemble frameworks, with an accuracy of 95.35%, macro-F1 score of 0.9490, and AUC of 0.9513. Moreover, the combination of SHAP and LIME provides global and local interpretability, permitting a meaningful understanding of the model’s predictions. These contributions make LSSSC a strong, scalable, and interpretable framework for early AD prediction and promise much with respect to its application to real-world clinical decision-support systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis, Prediction and Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases)

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Open AccessSystematic Review

Compound Spring Flood Hazards in Kazakhstan and Comparable Cold-Continental Regions: Mechanisms, Indicators, and Recovery Assessment

by Serik Nurakynov, Gulnara Iskaliyeva, Aibek Merekeyev, Tatyana Dedova, Jagriti Dabas, Nurmakhambet Sydyk and Aigerim Kalybayeva

Water 2026, 18(14), 1717; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18141717 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Compound spring floods in cold-continental and semi-arid interiors arise from interacting snowmelt, rain-on-snow events, intense precipitation, and frozen or saturated soils, yet these mechanisms remain poorly synthesized for Central Asia. This review develops a process-oriented framework linking preconditioning, triggers, propagation/amplification, impacts, and recovery [...] Read more.

Compound spring floods in cold-continental and semi-arid interiors arise from interacting snowmelt, rain-on-snow events, intense precipitation, and frozen or saturated soils, yet these mechanisms remain poorly synthesized for Central Asia. This review develops a process-oriented framework linking preconditioning, triggers, propagation/amplification, impacts, and recovery outcomes. The synthesis shows that the most destructive spring floods occur when substantial antecedent snow storage and restricted infiltration coincide with rapid warming and rainfall, producing efficient runoff generation and widespread impacts. Evidence from Kazakhstan and comparable continental regions indicates that mechanistic understanding is relatively robust, but standardized event-level reporting of snow-water equivalent, soil wetness, precipitation phase, routing constraints, and recovery indicators remains uneven. To support post-disaster comparison, we introduce and demonstrate a Recovery Effectiveness Index (REI) combining housing resettlement, compensation, infrastructure restoration, and equity of assistance. A proof-of-concept application to the 2024 Kazakhstan floods produced a 21 June 2024 snapshot REI of 0.607–0.757 and an end-year REI of 0.850–1.000, depending on the treatment of the equity component. The framework supports compound-driver monitoring, early warning, recovery benchmarking, and more harmonized flood-risk assessment in data-sparse continental regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Management and Geohazard Mitigation in a Changing Climate)

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Open AccessArticle

Marine Heatwaves and NAO-Related Ocean–Atmosphere Variability in the North Atlantic

by Beatriz Lopes, Ana Oliveira, Fabíola Silva, João Paixão and Célia Gouveia

Remote Sens. 2026, 18(14), 2363; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18142363 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Increasing greenhouse gas concentrations are placing severe pressure on the Earth system, particularly on the ocean, which plays a vital role in carbon and heat uptake, and overall climate regulation. Consequently, the ocean is experiencing an accelerated warming, leading to an increase in [...] Read more.

Increasing greenhouse gas concentrations are placing severe pressure on the Earth system, particularly on the ocean, which plays a vital role in carbon and heat uptake, and overall climate regulation. Consequently, the ocean is experiencing an accelerated warming, leading to an increase in the occurrence of extreme seawater temperature events, called Marine Heatwaves (MHWs). According to the most common definition, an MHW event is identified when local temperatures exceed the 90th percentile threshold of the climatology for at least five consecutive days. In this study, the definition was modified by calculating both the mean and the 90th percentile of SST over the entire available historical period (1982–2022), rather than using a fixed 30-year baseline. While MHWs can develop as a function of multiple drivers (including subsurface heat re-emergence, anomalously warm water masses, ocean heat advection, reduced vertical mixing, and mixed-layer stratification associated with surface heat gain), this study focuses on synoptic-scale atmospheric conditions associated with MHW occurrence and characteristics in the North Atlantic basin, from 1982 to 2022, with the objectives of identifying spatial-temporal trends of MHWs, examining the atmospheric conditions associated with their occurrence and exploring their relationship with prevalent climate variability modes. The results show positive trends in MHW frequency, duration, and intensity, albeit characterised by significant zonal and meridional variability, with noticeable differences between composite patterns of frequency and maximum intensity, according to the prevailing North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) mode. The annual NAO appears to modulate the spatial distribution of MHWs, with its positive phase favouring MHWs in mid-latitude regions, while the negative phase impacts subpolar and tropical regions. Furthermore, concerning case-specific events, the stationarity of high-pressure systems, with weak pressure gradients, reduced wind speeds and increased solar radiation appears to be associated with the occurrence of the analysed events, while atmospheric instability appears to signal their decline, likely linked to enhanced wind-induced ocean mixing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linking Marine Heatwaves/Cold-Spells, Eddies, and Sea Surface Features—2nd Edition)

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Open AccessArticle

Transformation from Military Fortresses to Modern Towns: Characteristics of the Morphological Evolution of Coastal Defense Garrisons in Wenzhou During the Ming Dynasty

by Faqin Lan, Yile Chen and Yuhao Huang

Buildings 2026, 16(14), 2818; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16142818 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

As a complex heritage site embodying maritime defense civilization, the Ming Dynasty Coastal Defense Garrisons face a profound contradiction between protection and development. Current research has failed to effectively explain the spatial mechanism of the transformation of coastal defense garrisons from military fortresses [...] Read more.

As a complex heritage site embodying maritime defense civilization, the Ming Dynasty Coastal Defense Garrisons face a profound contradiction between protection and development. Current research has failed to effectively explain the spatial mechanism of the transformation of coastal defense garrisons from military fortresses to modern towns. This study selects three coastal defense garrisons in southern Zhejiang—Jinxiang Garrison, Puzhuang Fort, and Hai’an Fort—and, based on long-term spatial data from 1969 to 2025, uses GIS, spatial syntax, and fractal index methods to construct a morphological analysis framework from four dimensions: architecture, land parcels, streets and alleys, and boundaries, revealing their evolutionary patterns and functional transformation mechanisms. The results show that (1) morphological evolution follows an asynchronous and coordinated rhythm of “buildings filling in first, road network updating lagging behind, and boundaries continuously constraining.” (2) Differences in urbanization pressure, industrial implantation intensity, and cultural heritage management drive the three garrisons to differentiate into three transformation paths: gradual preservation, radical reconstruction, and balanced regularization. The intensity of street and alley renovation is the core indicator for judging whether the historical fabric is preserved. (3) The boundaries of the garrison exhibit a “macroscopically regular but microscopically fragmented” characteristic, with a simple outer boundary and a complex inner boundary. Even after the city walls disintegrated, the moat still served as a morphological inertial line, maintaining the stability of the macroscopic outline. This research can provide quantitative evidence and empirical reference for the differentiated protection of coastal defensive heritage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Building Structures)

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Open AccessArticle

2ⁿ Pseudo-Random Coding Square-Wave Signal Injection Scheme for Sensorless Control of PMSM Drives

by Mingli Ji, Weijie Xue, Xiaoqiang Li, Miao Xie and Xiaojie Wu

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(14), 7113; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16147113 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) are widely used in various fields due to their advantages. However, mechanical position sensor failures will cause various serious safety issues. High-frequency square-wave injection (HF-SWI) enables sensorless control of PMSMs at low speeds; yet, the fixed-frequency nature of [...] Read more.

Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) are widely used in various fields due to their advantages. However, mechanical position sensor failures will cause various serious safety issues. High-frequency square-wave injection (HF-SWI) enables sensorless control of PMSMs at low speeds; yet, the fixed-frequency nature of conventional methods results in narrow current power spectral density (PSD), causing harsh noise and limiting the widespread application of sensorless control, especially in household appliances. To address this, this paper proposes a pseudo-random coding (PRC) injection strategy. First, a 2³ PRC-injection method (2³ PRC-IN) is introduced, which disrupts the signal periodicity by varying the injection frequency and amplitude, thereby significantly expanding the current PSD. To further suppress residual peaks in the 2³ PRC-IN, an improved 2^(3&1) PRC-IN method is developed. By optimizing the code transition logic, this approach can completely eliminate the sharp noise. Experiments on a 5.5 kW PMSM platform validate that the proposed methods effectively broaden the current PSD and reduce the noise without compromising position observation accuracy. Full article

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Open AccessReview

Beyond Performance: Cognitive Overload and Related Cognitive, Psychophysiological, and Performance States in Competitive Esports—A Scoping Review

by Maciej Lachowicz, Dariusz Jamro, Anna Zawadka, Zofia Tomala and Grzegorz Żurek

Med. Sci. 2026, 14(3), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci14030395 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Background: Competitive esports represents a rapidly developing digital performance environment in which players must regulate attention, affect, psychophysiological activation, and performance under dynamic, high-demand conditions. Although cognitive overload and related states are increasingly relevant to esports research, these constructs have not been consistently [...] Read more.

Background: Competitive esports represents a rapidly developing digital performance environment in which players must regulate attention, affect, psychophysiological activation, and performance under dynamic, high-demand conditions. Although cognitive overload and related states are increasingly relevant to esports research, these constructs have not been consistently defined, operationalized, or measured. Objective: This scoping review aimed to map empirical evidence on cognitive overload and related states in competitive esports, with emphasis on cognitive demands, psychophysiological and neurophysiological markers, coping and recovery approaches, game genres, and performance outcomes. Methods: The review followed Joanna Briggs Institute guidance and PRISMA-ScR reporting principles. Searches were conducted in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost on 5 May 2026. Eligible studies were peer-reviewed empirical articles involving ranked, collegiate, semi-professional, professional, elite, or otherwise competitive esports players and included at least one objective or semi-objective indicator relevant to overload-related states. Results: Forty-eight studies were included. Evidence was distributed across in-game performance, stress and arousal, cardiometabolic load, mental workload, sleep and recovery, perceptual-cognitive processing, neurophysiological markers, and intervention-oriented approaches. Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), eye-tracking, sleep or wearable measures, electroencephalography (EEG), event-related potential (ERP), cortisol, pupil diameter, electrodermal activity (EDA), cognitive tasks, and in-game metrics were used across the literature. However, these measures were rarely integrated into unified, multimodal models. Conclusions: Cognitive overload in esports is best understood as a dynamic, multidimensional state emerging from interactions between game demands, competitive context, player regulation, and performance consequences. Future research should develop genre-sensitive, multimodal, and time-synchronized models that distinguish workload, stress, fatigue, arousal, tilt, and performance decline. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Neurosciences)

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Open AccessArticle

Susceptibility of Cell Lines from Different Species to Porcine Deltacoronavirus

by Hui Jiang, Baoguo Lu, Yimin Chu, Mingyue Ma, Nannan Zhang, Yanyan Xu, Yanying Chen, Qingyang Xiao, Ting Wang and Qi Peng

Viruses 2026, 18(7), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18070776 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging swine enteric coronavirus that causes severe diarrhea in piglets, leading to extensive economic losses in the global swine industry. Previous studies have reported that PDCoV can experimentally infect multiple animal species. However, the replication capability of PDCoV [...] Read more.

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging swine enteric coronavirus that causes severe diarrhea in piglets, leading to extensive economic losses in the global swine industry. Previous studies have reported that PDCoV can experimentally infect multiple animal species. However, the replication capability of PDCoV in non-natural host cell lines remains largely unknown. Herein, we investigated the effects of exogenous trypsin on PDCoV replication and systematically evaluated the susceptibility of various cell lines derived from human, murine, and feline to PDCoV. The results showed that highly permissive cell lines (H1299, Caco-2, MC-38) supported efficient viral replication without the requirement for exogenous trypsin, and high concentrations of trypsin induced prominent syncytia formation in infected H1299, U251, and Neuro-2a cells. Furthermore, this study also found that trypsin can enhance PDCoV replication in a concentration-dependent manner in semi-permissive cell lines. PDCoV can replicate in multiple cell lines of human, murine, and feline origin. Human cells (H1299, Caco-2) and murine MC-38 are highly susceptible to PDCoV infection, whereas MCF-7, TE-10, and KYSE-410 cells were completely non-permissive. The results also revealed a potential correlation between basal APN expression and cellular susceptibility to PDCoV. Collectively, this study provides a basis for assessing the interspecies transmission and zoonotic risk of PDCoV. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Animal Viruses)

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Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of an Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Workflow for Complete Denture Fabrication in Completely Edentulous Patients: A Preliminary Within-Patient Clinical Case Series

by So-Yeong Choi, Jong-Won Choi, Jin-Hyeok Choi and Jung-Bo Huh

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(14), 7112; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16147112 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted denture design is increasingly being incorporated into digital complete denture workflows, but its clinical performance in edentulous patients remains insufficiently documented. This preliminary within-patient case series evaluated the immediate clinical feasibility and morphological characteristics of AI-assisted complete dentures (ADs) compared [...] Read more.

Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted denture design is increasingly being incorporated into digital complete denture workflows, but its clinical performance in edentulous patients remains insufficiently documented. This preliminary within-patient case series evaluated the immediate clinical feasibility and morphological characteristics of AI-assisted complete dentures (ADs) compared with conventionally arranged complete dentures (CDs). Six completely edentulous participants each received one pair of ADs and CDs fabricated from the same definitive impressions and jaw-relation records obtained using the JB Tray and POP-Bow. After delivery and routine adjustment, left–right occlusal force distribution and bilateral balanced occlusal contacts were assessed using T-Scan III. Facial scans were used to evaluate facial maxillary midline relationships and nasolabial angle, and digitized denture data were analyzed to measure maxillary arch dimensions. All dentures were successfully delivered. Occlusal force imbalance did not differ significantly between CDs and ADs (3.90 ± 3.20% and 5.25 ± 2.75%, respectively; p = 0.219), and bilateral balanced occlusal contacts were observed in both denture types for all participants. ADs showed smaller facial-maxillary midline discrepancies, smaller nasolabial angles, and narrower intercanine and intermolar widths (p = 0.031 for each). These preliminary findings suggest that AI-assisted denture design can be incorporated into a clinician-controlled complete denture workflow, although clinical superiority over conventional tooth arrangement was not established. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prosthodontics: Advanced Materials, Technologies and Applications)

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Open AccessReview

Regulatory Implications and Control Measures for Lumpy Skin Disease, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, and Foot-and-Mouth Disease in European Livestock

by Carolina Baptista, Bart de Leeuw, Valentina Busin, Jobke Van Hout-van Dijk, Max Bastian, Rachael Tarlinton, Nancy De Briyne and Wiebke Jansen

Viruses 2026, 18(7), 777; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18070777 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

(1) Background: Transboundary notifiable infectious viral diseases, such as lumpy skin disease (LSD), highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), continue to severely disrupt Europe’s animal health and welfare, food security, and the multi-burdened livestock sector. (2) Methods: Through an extensive [...] Read more.

(1) Background: Transboundary notifiable infectious viral diseases, such as lumpy skin disease (LSD), highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), continue to severely disrupt Europe’s animal health and welfare, food security, and the multi-burdened livestock sector. (2) Methods: Through an extensive literature search, with data collected from the scientific literature, outbreak notifications, and European Union (EU) policy reports, this study synthesises evidence on the economic and societal impacts of preventive mass vaccination compared with stamping out for listed viral animal diseases in Europe. (3) Results: Evidence from LSD, HPAI, and FMD indicates that preventive vaccination reduces outbreak size, duration, and associated economic losses, particularly in high-risk and endemic settings. For LSD, vaccination is essential in eradication, as culling alone fails. For HPAI, evolving epidemiology supports vaccination-to-live strategies. In contrast, for FMD, despite epidemiological benefits of vaccination, the maintenance of FMD-free status without vaccination remains the dominant policy objective, constraining adoption of vaccination-to-live due to trade implications. (4) Conclusions: Overall, findings support the following recommendations: shifting toward preventive vaccination tailored by country and disease, prioritising vaccine-to-live strategies within a harmonised regulatory framework, and strengthening differentiating infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA)-based surveillance and trade-compatible frameworks, all sensible approaches to protect animal welfare and economic stability in Europe’s livestock sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Findings in Animal Biosecurity Related to Viral Diseases)

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Open AccessArticle

Embedding Riemannian Collective Background Knowledge for Offline Signature Verification

by Evangelos Mitikas, Christos Chorianopoulos and Elias Zois

Mach. Learn. Knowl. Extr. 2026, 8(7), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/make8070208 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

While handwritten signatures are a staple of biometric authentication, conventional verification models typically rely on Euclidean space assumptions, restricting the capture of complex, intrinsic signature structures. To address this, offline signature verification has increasingly modeled signatures as points on the Symmetric Positive Definite [...] Read more.

While handwritten signatures are a staple of biometric authentication, conventional verification models typically rely on Euclidean space assumptions, restricting the capture of complex, intrinsic signature structures. To address this, offline signature verification has increasingly modeled signatures as points on the Symmetric Positive Definite (SPD) manifold. Nevertheless, selecting an appropriate metric on this manifold for a given problem remains a significant challenge, typically relying on heuristic trial-and-error processes. To solve this, our primary contribution is a novel, end-to-end Riemannian framework featuring the Collective Background Knowledge (CBK) mechanism. CBK establishes synthetic writers as Riemannian centers, utilizing a learnable

α β

-Log-Determinant divergence to adaptively discover the optimal local geometry from data. Instead of computing the direct distance between two SPD signature representations, we evaluate them relationally by measuring how each signature diverges from the shared CBK reference centers. These individual deviations form unique relational profiles for each signature, which are then compared using the dichotomy transform to create a dissimilarity vector. By jointly optimizing the CBK parameters under an SPD metric-learning approach, our model separates effectively similar and dissimilar pairs of signatures. Evaluated across five datasets under challenging blind intra- and cross-lingual conditions, our geometry-aware framework demonstrates robust generalization and competitive performance. Full article

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Open AccessArticle

Miniaturized Acoustic Sensing Platform for Spatial Mapping of Ultrasonic Fields in Small-Diameter Tube Bundles

by Luiz Artur dos Santos da Silva, André Jackson Ramos Simões, Vitor Leão Filardi, Vitor Pinheiro Ferreira, Geydison Gonzaga Demetino, Luiz Carlos Simões Soares, Júnior, Leandro do Rozário Teixeira, Lucas Gomes Pereira, Leonardo Rafael Teixeira Cotrim Gomes, Germano Pinto Guedes, Marcus Vinícius Santos da Silva, Juliane Grasiela de Carvalho Gomes, Pedro Eduardo Gonçalves Oliveira, Luís Gustavo Macêdo West, Fábio Oliveira de Mattos, André Luiz Andrade Simões and Iuri Muniz Pepe

Sensors 2026, 26(14), 4505; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26144505 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Shell-and-tube heat exchangers often operate under harsh conditions that induce fouling, leading to loss of thermal efficiency, production downtime, and increased maintenance costs. Conventional cleaning procedures generally require scheduled or unscheduled shutdowns, with direct operational and financial impacts. In this context, ultrasonic cavitation [...] Read more.

Shell-and-tube heat exchangers often operate under harsh conditions that induce fouling, leading to loss of thermal efficiency, production downtime, and increased maintenance costs. Conventional cleaning procedures generally require scheduled or unscheduled shutdowns, with direct operational and financial impacts. In this context, ultrasonic cavitation has been investigated as a strategy for fouling prevention and equipment cleaning, with the potential to reduce cleaning downtime or support in-service mitigation strategies. This work presents the development of an acquisition platform based on a miniaturized, waterproof acoustic probe designed for operation inside 8 mm tubes under cavitating ultrasonic fields, with the goal of experimentally mapping the relative acoustic response amplitude and dominant frequency in U-tube heat exchangers. The system integrates a piezoelectric sensing element embedded in protective encapsulation, signal-conditioning electronics, and a high-sampling-rate acquisition module. Experiments were conducted in a reduced-scale exchanger comprising 90 access ports and measurement depths up to 775 mm, using 28 kHz ultrasonic transducers. The probe successfully captured both the spectral content and the spatial variation of the voltage-based acoustic response along the tube bundle, revealing position-dependent amplitude variations and dominant-frequency measurements concentrated around the imposed excitation frequency. The analysis supported the definition of a reduced set of representative sampling locations, decreasing acquisition time while preserving the main spatial trends relevant to the objectives of this study. The procedures established here provide an experimental basis for future studies on the application of ultrasound to fouling-mitigation strategies in industrial thermal systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessReview

The Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs in the Pathogenesis of Coronary Heart Disease

by Paulina Plewa, Joanna Kulpa, Jacek Szulc, Marcin Szczepanik, Maria Domańska and Andrzej Pawlik

Genes 2026, 17(7), 807; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes17070807 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute an important group of regulatory RNA molecules involved in the control of gene expression at the epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional levels. In recent years, their crucial role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases, particularly coronary heart disease, has [...] Read more.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute an important group of regulatory RNA molecules involved in the control of gene expression at the epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional levels. In recent years, their crucial role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases, particularly coronary heart disease, has become increasingly evident. The aim of this review is to present current knowledge regarding the mechanisms of lncRNA action in the cardiovascular system, their involvement in the molecular processes associated with myocardial ischaemia, and their potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications. We discuss the molecular mechanisms responsible for the regulation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, angiogenesis, coronary vessel remodelling, and cardiac fibrosis. Particular attention is paid to selected lncRNAs involved in coronary heart disease, including MIAT, MALAT1, ANRIL, and H19, which influence inflammatory processes, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, responses to hypoxia, and cardiac fibrosis. The potential of lncRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in coronary artery disease is also discussed. Current evidence suggests that molecules such as MALAT1, MIAT, LIPCAR, and HCG11 may have considerable diagnostic and prognostic value, including for predicting major adverse cardiovascular events and the no-reflow phenomenon following percutaneous coronary intervention. Furthermore, contemporary therapeutic strategies targeting lncRNAs are presented, including antisense oligonucleotides, siRNAs, and CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technologies. Despite promising preclinical findings, the clinical application of lncRNA-based therapies remains limited by challenges related to safety, delivery of therapeutic molecules, and translation of experimental findings into clinical practice. Nevertheless, lncRNAs represent a promising avenue for the development of precision medicine and may play an important role in the future diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic and Molecular Insights into Cardiovascular Disease: From Mechanisms to Precision Medicine)

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Open AccessArticle

Metabolomic Profile, Antioxidant Capacity, and Preliminary Cellular Activity of Krugiodendron ferreum (Vahl) Urb., a Traditional Plant from Yucatan

by Brenda Pacheco-Hernández, Teresa Ayora-Talavera, Julia Cano-Sosa, Neith Pacheco, Emanuel Herrera-Pool, Ángel Virgilio Domínguez-May, Lilia G. Noriega, Martha Guevara-Cruz, Isabel Medina-Vera and Azalia Avila-Nava

Molecules 2026, 31(14), 2478; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31142478 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2026

Abstract

Krugiodendron ferreum (Vahl) Urb. (KF), commonly known as Ch’iin took’, is a species native to the Yucatan Mexico, whose phytochemical composition remains poorly characterized. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the metabolomic profile, antioxidant capacity, and preliminary cellular activity of [...] Read more.

Krugiodendron ferreum (Vahl) Urb. (KF), commonly known as Ch’iin took’, is a species native to the Yucatan Mexico, whose phytochemical composition remains poorly characterized. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the metabolomic profile, antioxidant capacity, and preliminary cellular activity of KF. An aqueous extract was obtained from KF bark (20 mg/mL). Antioxidant capacity was evaluated using ORAC and DPPH assays. Total phenolic content was evaluated by the Folin–Ciocalteu method. The phenolic profile was determined by UPLC-PDA-MS, and preliminary cellular activity was evaluated by estimating cell number based on the quantification of DAPI-stained nuclei after 72 h of treatment with extract concentrations ranging from 3 to 3000 μg/mL. The extract showed an antioxidant capacity of 1765 ± 59.1 Trolox equivalents/mL and 85.9 ± 0.34% of DPPH radical scavenging activity. The total polyphenol content was 1163 ± 61.5 mg GAE/L, and its phenolic profile was mainly characterized by catechin 3-O-rhamnoside, taxifolin 3-O-rhamnoside, and myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside. Cell activity analysis revealed that both the 3 and 300 μg/mL concentrations increased the number of cells and the area covered by them compared with the control group at 48 and 72 h. The 3000 μg/mL concentration showed no difference compared with the water control. Our results suggest that KF contains polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant properties without affecting cellular response. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products Chemistry in the Americas)

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