Search Results (2,470)

In response to the issues of insufficient shredding efficiency, severe straw entanglement with equipment, and prone blade damage in existing banana straw crushing and returning machines, this paper innovatively proposes a liquid nitrogen (LN₂) cryo-pretreatment combined with a mechanical incorporation method by, firstly, conducting shear, tensile, and cooling timeliness mechanical experiments on banana straw sheaths using LN₂ low-temperature pretreatment, and then designing a corresponding spray device. Subsequently, an improved BAO-Fuzzy-PID control algorithm is presented, which significantly enhances the control performance of the fuzzy PID controller, with the steady-state error, overshoot, rise time, and settling time being 0, 0, 0.31 s, and 0.25 s, respectively. Finally, field experiments are executed, and the flow control accuracy test results indicated a maximum error of 3.32%, meeting the test requirements. Using spray height and spray angle as experimental factors and banana straw crushing qualification rate as the experimental indicator, a two-factor and five-level banana straw crushing experiment is presented. The optimal spray parameters are determined to be a spray height of 250 mm and a spray angle of 90°. At this point, the banana straw crushing qualification rate is 96.98%, meeting the quality requirements for banana straw crushing and significantly reducing straw entanglement. Full article

Background/Objectives: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) inhibitors have markedly improved outcomes in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. Clinical treatment often involves the sequential or combined use of multiple HER2 inhibitors, making it essential to clarify their distinct adverse event (AE) profiles. However, AE trends remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze characteristic AEs associated with HER2 inhibitors. Methods: Using the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS, January 2004–September 2024), we conducted disproportionality analyses of AEs associated with HER2 inhibitors approved for breast cancer. Based on the natural logarithm of the reporting odds ratio (lnROR), hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed. Results: Disproportionality analysis treating HER2 inhibitors as a single group identified several signals, with hair disorder (ROR 39.93 [95% CI: 37.68–42.32]) as a representative example. Hierarchical clustering showed that monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) diverged early in the dendrogram, and clusters broadly corresponded to pharmacological classes. The cluster of hair-related AEs closely corresponded to mAbs. PCA indicated that the first component reflected AE occurrence risk (R² = 0.655, p < 0.0001), the second component distinguished mAbs from TKIs (tucatinib: r = 0.667; trastuzumab: r = −0.567), and the third component separated molecular targeted agents from antibody–drug conjugates (neratinib: r = 0.521; T-DXd: r = −0.440). Conclusions: FAERS-based analyses enabled visualization of the distinct AE profiles of HER2 inhibitors. These findings may support safe drug selection, risk stratification, and improved AE management strategies. Full article

Background and Objectives: Albuminuria is a key clinical marker for early detection of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a simple surrogate of insulin resistance, has been increasingly investigated for its potential association with renal complications. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the TyG index and albuminuria in patients with T2DM and assess its clinical utility as an accessible metabolic marker reflecting early renal involvement. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 570 adult patients with confirmed T2DM who were followed at a tertiary internal medicine outpatient clinic between January and December 2024. Participants were classified as albuminuric or non-albuminuric based on spot urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) values. Clinical and biochemical parameters were collected from medical records, and the TyG index was calculated as ln [fasting triglyceride (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL)/2]. Logistic regression models were used to identify independent factors associated with albuminuria. ROC analysis was performed to evaluate the discriminatory accuracy of the TyG index. Results: The median TyG index was significantly higher in the albuminuric group compared to the non-albuminuric group (10.0 vs. 9.1; p < 0.001) and increased progressively with albuminuria severity (p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, elevated TyG index, hyperlipidemia, and reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate were independently associated with albuminuria. When evaluated as a continuous variable, the TyG index showed strong discriminatory ability (area under curve (AUC) = 0.949; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.933–0.964). Using the optimal cut-off threshold of 9.6, the TyG index maintained high diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.870; 95% CI: 0.839–0.902; sensitivity 87.7%, specificity 86.3%). Subgroup analyses confirmed the robustness of this association across clinical and demographic variables. Conclusions: In this study, higher TyG index values were significantly associated with the presence and severity of albuminuria in individuals with T2DM. While causality cannot be inferred, the findings suggest that the TyG index may serve as a practical, cost-effective tool for identifying patients at increased risk for early diabetic kidney involvement. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to confirm its predictive value and clinical applicability. Full article

By using the Ekeland variational principle and Nehari manifold, we study the following fractional p-Laplacian Kirchhoff equations: $M\left({\left[u\right]}_{s,p}^p+{\int }_{{\mathbb{R}}^N}V\left(x\right){\left|u\right|}^{p}dx\right)[{(-\Delta )}_p^{s}u+$${V\left(x\right)\left|u\right|}^{p-2}u]={\lambda \left|u\right|}^{q-2}u\ln \left|u\right|,x\in {\mathbb{R}}^N,\left(\mathrm{P}\right)$. In these equations, $\lambda \in \mathbb{R}\setminus \left\{0\right\},$$p\in (1,+\infty )$, $s\in (0,1),sp<N,$$p_s^{*}={\displaystyle \frac{Np}{N-sp}}$, $M\left(\tau \right)=a+b{\tau }^{\theta -1}$, $a,b\in {\mathbb{R}}^{+},$$1<\theta <{\displaystyle \frac{p_s^{*}}{p}}$, $V\left(x\right)\in C({\mathbb{R}}^N,\mathbb{R})$ is a potential function and ${(-\Delta )}_p^s$ is the fractional p-Laplacian operator. The existence of solutions is deeply influenced by the positive and negative signs of $\lambda$. More precisely, (i) Equation (P) has one ground state solution for $\lambda >0$ and $p\theta <q<p_s^{*}$, with a positive corresponding energy value; and (ii) Equation (P) has at least two nontrivial solutions for $\lambda <0$ and $p<q<p_s^{*}$, with positive and negative corresponding energy values, respectively. Full article

NaNbO₃ (NN), known for the complexity of its phase transition sequence, is antiferroelectric (AFE) at room temperature, while both LiNbO₃ (LN) and KNbO₃ (KN) are ferroelectric (FE). The origin of ferroelectricity in ABO₃ perovskites is believed to lie in the B-O hybridization, but the origin of antiferroelectricity remains unclear. Recent ab initio studies have shown that the same B-O hybridization is necessary in AFE and proposed an additional, anharmonic contribution to the potential of the A-site atom as the crucial difference between FE and AFE perovskites. We used structure factors obtained from X-ray diffraction experiments in combination with the Maximum Entropy Method to obtain electron densities for LN, KN, and NN and identify differences in their bonding behavior. We present experimental evidence for anharmonic A-site contributions of varying strength in alkali niobates, pointing at a new path for the design of (anti-)ferroelectric materials. Full article

Reliable clinical markers for predicting sustained renal remission remain poorly understood in patients with lupus nephritis (LN). We investigated whether achieving complete renal remission (CRR) within 6 months of induction therapy, compared to within 12 months, was associated with a higher likelihood of attaining CRR at 24 months. We conducted a retrospective observational study of biopsy-proven patients with class III or IV ± V LN treated at a lupus clinic in Australia. CRR was defined as a urine protein: creatinine ratio (UPCR) of <0.05 g/mmol with no worsening of eGFR > 10% from baseline. CRR responders at 6, 12, and 24 months were determined. Associations between 6- and 12-month CRR status and 24-month CRR were examined using logistic regression. In total, 60 patients were included; 49 (82%) were female, with a median age of 27 years (IQR: 19, 39) at LN diagnosis. CRR was attained at 6, 12, and 24 months by 23 (40%), 26 (47%), and 24 (44%) of patients, respectively. Both 6- and 12-month CRR attainment were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of CRR achievement at 24 months (adjusted odds ratios 11.23 (95% CI 2.53, 49.88) and 11.39 (95% CI 2.41, 53.80), respectively). Achieving CRR at 6 and 12 months was a strong independent predictor for attaining subsequent renal remission. Full article

Background/Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is strongly associated with cardiovascular morbidity, and depressive symptoms are common in affected individuals. Both OSA and depression have been linked to autonomic dysfunction, but the independent contribution of depressive symptoms to autonomic dysfunction in OSA remains unclear. We investigated whether depressive symptom severity is associated with autonomic function, indexed by heart-rate variability (HRV), in patients with OSA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 1713 adults with OSA at a university-affiliated sleep center from 2011 to 2024. HRV was derived from electrocardiography during polysomnography, and frequency-domain indices (natural log-transformed LF, HF, VLF, TP, and LF/HF) were computed. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Associations between BDI-II and HRV indices were evaluated using univariable and multivariable linear regressions. Results: In univariable regression analyses, higher BDI-II scores were significantly associated with lower HRV indices (ln LF, ln HF, ln VLF, ln TP; all p < 0.01). In multivariable analyses, higher BDI-II scores were independently associated with lower ln LF, ln HF, and ln TP (all p < 0.05), adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, apnea–hypopnea index, arousal index, and sleep quality. Conclusions: Greater depressive symptom burden is independently associated with reductions in multiple HRV indices, suggesting attenuated parasympathetic activity and autonomic dysregulation in patients with OSA. These findings support integrated management strategies that address both physiological and psychological domains in OSA and motivate longitudinal studies to test whether effective depression treatment improves HRV and mitigates long-term cardiovascular risk. Full article

Isothermal hot compression tests were performed on an Al-4.8Cu-0.25Mg-0.32Mn-0.17Si alloy using a Gleeble-3500 thermomechanical simulator within the temperature range of 350–510 °C and strain rate range of 0.001–10 s⁻¹, achieving a true strain of 0.9. The constitutive equation and hot processing maps were established to predict the flow behavior of the alloy. The hot deformation mechanisms were investigated through microstructural characterization using inverse pole figure (IPF), grain boundary (GB), and grain orientation spread (GOS) analysis. The results demonstrate that both dynamic recovery (DRV) and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) occur during hot deformation. At high lnZ values (high strain rates and low deformation temperatures), discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) dominates. Under middle lnZ conditions (low strain rate or high deformation temperature), both continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) and DDRX are the primary mechanisms. Conversely, at low lnZ values (low strain rates and high temperatures), CDRX and geometric dynamic recrystallization (GDRX) become predominant. The DRX process in the Al-Cu-Mg alloy is controlled by the deformation temperature and strain rate. Full article

Climate change poses a significant threat to crop production, particularly in tropical and semi-arid regions. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), a resilient C₄ cereal, has high photosynthetic efficiency and abiotic stress tolerance, making it a key crop for food, fodder, and feed security. This study evaluated agronomic and physiological traits influencing the yield performance of 20 sorghum varieties under field conditions in Kerala, India. The data were analyzed using a randomized block design (RBD) in GRAPES software, and a principal component analysis was performed in R. Variety CSV 17 exhibited the highest grain yield (GY) (3760 kg ha⁻¹) and harvest index (HI) (43), with early flowering, early maturity, a high chlorophyll content (CHL), and minimal nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium uptake. Conversely, CSV 20 produced the highest stover yield (22.5 t ha⁻¹), associated with greater leaf thickness (LT), lower canopy temperature, taller plant height (PH), increased leaf number (LN), and extended maturity. Leaf temperature (T_leaf) was negatively correlated with the quantum yield of photosystem II (ΦPSII) and panicle length (PL), which were strong predictors of grain weight. The principal component analysis revealed that PC1 and PC2 explained 21% and 19% of the variation in the grain and stover yield, respectively. Hierarchical partitioning identified the potassium content (K%), CHL, T_leaf, leaf area index (LAI), ΦPSII, and LT as key contributors to the GY, while the SY was primarily influenced by the LN, nitrogen content (N%), maturity duration, PH, and ΦPSII. These findings highlight the potential of exploiting physiological traits for enhancing sorghum productivity under summer conditions in Kerala and similar environments. Full article

Catalytic upgrading of vacuum residue (VR) is critical for enhancing fuel yield and reducing waste in petroleum refining. This study explores VR cracking over a novel cerium-loaded acidified metakaolinite catalyst (MKA800–20%Ce) prepared via calcination at 800 °C, acid leaching, and wet impregnation with 20 wt.% Ce. The catalyst was characterized using FTIR, BET, XRD, TGA, and GC–MS to assess structural, textural, and thermal properties. Catalytic cracking was carried out in a fixed-bed batch reactor at 350 °C, 400 °C, and 450 °C. The MKA800@Ce20% catalyst showed excellent thermal stability and surface activity, especially at higher temperatures. At 450 °C, the catalyst yielded approximately 11.72 g of total liquid product per 20 g of VR (representing a ~61% yield), with ~3.81 g of coke (~19.1%) and the rest as gaseous products (~19.2%). GC-MS analysis revealed enhanced production of light naphtha (LN), heavy naphtha (HN), and kerosene in the 400–450 °C range, with a clear temperature-dependent shift in product distribution. Structural analysis confirmed that cerium incorporation enhanced surface acidity, redox activity, and thermal stability, promoting deeper cracking and better product selectivity. Kinetics were investigated using an eight-lump first-order model comprising 28 reactions, with kinetic parameters optimized through a genetic algorithm implemented in MATLAB. The model demonstrated strong predictive accuracy taking into account the mean relative error (MRE = 9.64%) and the mean absolute error (MAE = 0.015) [MAE: It is the absolute difference between experimental and predicted values; MAE is dimensionless (reported simply as a number, not %). MRE is relative to the experimental value; it is usually expressed as a percentage (%)] across multiple operating conditions. The above findings highlight the potential of Ce-modified kaolinite-based catalysts for efficient atmospheric pressure VR upgrading and provide validated kinetic parameters for process optimization. Full article

Lithium niobate (LN) materials have become a key platform for constructing core optoelectronic devices such as electro-optic (EO) modulators, optical frequency combs, and integrated optical waveguides, owing to their broad transparent window, mature waveguide processes, and excellent electro-optic effect. They demonstrate revolutionary application value in light source generation, signal transmission, and intensity modulation of optical communication systems, and are hailed as the “silicon of the photonics field,” attracting significant attention from both academia and industry. Especially with the commercialization of high-quality thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) materials, the performance of thin-film optoelectronic devices based on waveguide structures has achieved leapfrog improvements, with their loss characteristics and modulation bandwidth far exceeding those of traditional bulk material devices. This paper systematically combs the photonic properties of LN materials, introduces in detail the electro-optic effect and electro-optic modulation principle of LN electro-optic modulators, reviews some recent research achievements of scholars, focuses on expounding the preparation processes of waveguide-based TFLN, the types of waveguide-based optoelectronic devices, and the research progress of these devices, and discusses and compares the advantages and development potential of different routes. Full article

Background: Alpiniae oxyphyllae-Saposhnikovia divaricata (AS), a traditional Chinese dietary supplement, exhibits potential therapeutic effects against diabetic kidney disease (DKD), though its active compounds and mechanisms require elucidation. Methods: Animal experiments integrated with UHPLC-QE-MS, bioinformatics, and experimental validation were employed to investigate AS’s pharmacodynamic basis against DKD. Results: Thirty-nine compounds were identified in AS, including four key flavonoids (daidzein, kaempferol, tectoridin, baicalin). Bioinformatics screening revealed 516 potential AS targets from PubChem/TCMSP/ETCM databases. Analysis of the GEO dataset (GSE30529) identified 482 DKD-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Venny 2.1 analysis yielded 42 co-DEGs and 6 co-core DEGs. Functional enrichment (GO/KEGG/GSEA) demonstrated AS’s modulation of apoptosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) pathways via these DEGs. ROC profiling and renal single-cell sequencing highlighted FOS as a specific regulator of podocyte apoptosis in DKD. Molecular docking confirmed stable binding between the four flavonoids and FOS. Experimentally, AS significantly suppressed expression of ECM-related proteins (Col-IV, LN, IL-6, IL-17) and pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, Caspase-3), while restoring anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 levels and inhibiting phosphorylation of MEK4, JNK1, c-Jun, and FOS in DKD mice. Conclusion: This study elucidates that AS alleviates DKD by inhibiting the MAPK/FOS pathway, thereby attenuating podocyte apoptosis and ECM accumulation. These findings establish a foundation for targeted AS therapy in DKD. Full article

Externally governed hydrogel swelling is a highly convenient yet inherently challenging process, as it requires both responsive materials and appropriately tuned external stimuli. In this work, for the first time, the influence of simultaneous action of external physical fields—ultrasound (US) and microwave heating (MW), combined with cooling—on the isothermal swelling kinetics of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) hydrogel was investigated and compared with swelling under conventional thermal heating (TH) under isothermal conditions. Swelling kinetics were monitored over a temperature range of 248–318 K, under simultaneous cooling with either US, MW, or TH. The well-established Peppas model was used to determine swelling kinetics parameters, revealing a significant acceleration in the swelling process under MW (up to 48.8 times at 313 K), as well as different water penetrating mechanisms (non-Fickian diffusion) compared to TH and US (Super-case II). Additionally, it was demonstrated that the swelling conversion curves could be mathematically described using a “shrinking boundary surfaces” model. Isothermal swelling constants and the corresponding kinetic parameters (activation energy E_a and pre-exponential factor ln A) were calculated. The results confirmed that external physical fields significantly influence the thermal activation and swelling behavior of PMAA xerogels, offering insight into field-responsive transport processes in hydrogel networks. Full article

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare systems globally, raising concerns about delays in CRC diagnosis and treatment, and their potential negative effects on surgical outcomes. However, the extent of this impact remains uncertain. Aim: To compare the clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and outcomes of CRC patients between the Pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 Era groups, and to identify independent predictors of metastasis and mortality. Methods: This retrospective multicenter study included 397 CRC patients who underwent surgical treatment between 1 July 2018, and 1 August 2021, at three tertiary medical centers. Patients were divided into two groups: Pre-COVID-19 (n = 213) and COVID-19 Era (n = 184). Demographic data, tumor characteristics, surgical approach, postoperative complications, and survival outcomes were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent predictors of metastasis and mortality. Results: The median age was 64 years (95% CI: 63–66), with 59.2% being male. Compared to the Pre-COVID-19 group, patients in the COVID-19 Era had significantly larger tumors (p < 0.001), with a significantly higher total LN retrieved (p = 0.006), more advanced T-stage (p = 0.007), higher N2 lymph node involvement (p = 0.027), and poorer tumor differentiation (p = 0.030). Intestinal perforation was more frequent in the Pre-COVID-19 group (p = 0.042). Multivariate analysis revealed increased odds of mortality associated with the positive LN retrieved (OR: 1.14; p = 0.001), moderate tumor differentiation (OR: 2.99; p = 0.043), poor differentiation (OR: 4.57; p = 0.023), undifferentiated histology (OR: 6.95; p = 0.028), intestinal obstruction (OR: 2.67; p = 0.007), intestinal perforation (OR: 11.76; p < 0.001), and distant metastasis (OR: 2.86; p = 0.008). Regarding metastasis, elevated preoperative CEA (OR: 1.02; p = 0.002), lymph node involvement (OR: 4.87; p = 0.002), and perineural invasion (OR: 2.17; p = 0.033) were independently associated with increased odds of metastasis. Conclusions: Although overall survival did not differ significantly between groups, patients treated during the COVID-19 Era exhibited more advanced histopathological characteristics, including a higher proportion of T4 tumors, increased N2 lymph node involvement, and poorer differentiation grades. Despite no significant differences in postoperative complications between groups, it is noteworthy that preoperative intestinal perforation was less frequent in the COVID-19 Era cohort. Full article

To address the challenges posed by harmonic distortion and DC offset in the power grid, this paper proposes a novel Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) architecture tailored for single-phase grid-connected systems. The design integrates an Enhanced Adaptive Second-Order Generalized Integrator (EA-SOGI) with a Quasi-Proportional Resonant (QPR) controller. The proposed EA-SOGI extends the conventional SOGI by incorporating an all-pass filter and an additional integrator, which enhance the symmetry of the orthogonal signals and effectively suppress the estimation errors caused by DC offset. In addition, the conventional PI controller is replaced by a QPR controller, whose parameters are tuned using a hybrid Levy-AsyLnCPSO optimization algorithm to improve frequency locking performance and enhance system robustness under steady-state conditions. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed PLL achieves a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) as low as 2.8653% based on Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis, indicating superior adaptability compared to conventional PLL structures and validating its effectiveness in DC offset suppression and harmonic mitigation. Full article