Search Results (10,902)

Accurate mapping of wetland vegetation is essential for ecological monitoring and conservation, yet it remains challenging due to the spatial heterogeneity of wetlands, the scarcity of ground-truth data, and the spread of invasive species. Invasive plants alter native vegetation patterns, making their early detection critical for preserving ecosystem integrity. This study proposes a novel framework that integrates self-supervised learning (SSL), supervised segmentation, and multi-sensor data fusion to enhance vegetation classification in the Bayinbuluke Alpine Wetland, China. High-resolution satellite imagery from PlanetScope-3 and Jilin-1 was fused, and SSL methods—including BYOL, DINO, and MoCo v3—were employed to learn transferable feature representations without extensive labeled data. The results show that SSL methods exhibit consistent variations in classification performance, while multi-sensor fusion significantly improves the detection of rare and fragmented vegetation patches and enables the early identification of invasive species. Overall, the proposed SSL–fusion strategy reduces reliance on labor-intensive field data collection and provides a scalable, high-precision solution for wetland monitoring and invasive species management. Full article

Background: Large-cell carcinoma (LCC) and large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) are kinds of rare lung tumors classified as distinct forms of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). They both differ in cellular morphology, neuroendocrine marker expression, and clinical outcomes. Thus, LCC and LCNEC exhibit different clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes. This study seeks to assess how clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features influence the need for adjuvant chemotherapy in individuals with early-stage, surgically resected LCC or LCNEC. Methods: This multicenter retrospective analysis included 79 patients who underwent surgical resection for large-cell carcinoma (LCC) or large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) between January 2008 and March 2025. We evaluated prognostic factors that influence survival in patients with LCC and LCNEC and assessed the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival outcomes. Results: This study included 79 patients—39 diagnosed with LCC and 40 diagnosed with LCNEC. All patients were in stages I–III and received curative surgery. The median age was 61 years for LCC patients and 58.5 years for LCNEC patients. The median overall survival (mOS) was 80.1 months for patients with LCC and 34.2 months for those with LCNEC. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that age (HR: 0.279), stage (HR: 0.198), and chromogranin A expression (HR: 0.088) were independent prognostic factors for overall survival in LCC patients. In LCNEC patients, stage (HR: 0.20), synaptophysin expression (HR: 0.30), type of surgery (HR: 0.31), and adjuvant chemotherapy (HR: 0.264) were identified as factors influencing overall survival. Adjuvant chemotherapy improved overall survival in LCNEC patients (67.0 vs. 17.8 months). Conclusions: Patients with LCNEC generally have poorer prognoses than those with LCC, exhibiting reduced overall survival periods. Disease stage is the most significant factor influencing overall survival for both groups. Notably, in LCNEC patients, adjuvant chemotherapy was found to independently improve survival outcomes regardless of stage. Full article

Fe–Cr–Nb–Al–C alloy coatings were firstly fabricated on a high-carbon forged steel surface via coaxial laser cladding. The morphological evolution with varying Nb contents and wear mechanisms of the coatings were systematically investigated through comprehensive analysis. The results indicate that Nb content critically governs the coating microstructure and mechanical properties. At low Nb levels, coarse grain-boundary networks of (Fe,Cr) solid solution embrittled by Cr₂₃C₆ are formed. Moderate Nb addition produces finely dispersed rod-shaped NbC precipitates. At higher Nb levels, the morphology evolves into a segregated martensite–ferrite dual-phase structure. The coating wear rate exhibits a parabolic dependence on Nb content, initially decreasing with moderate addition and then increasing with further Nb. Consequently, optimal wear resistance is achieved at a critical Nb content (3 wt.%) that establishes an optimal balance between NbC precipitation and phase uniformity, thereby minimizing debris generation and spalling. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mobility screening is standard practice in hospitalized geriatric patients, but clinical assessments alone may not fully capture functional capacity and related risks. This study aimed to describe the physical performance (gait analysis, postural stability and regulation) and clinical–functional status (e.g., Tinetti [TIN], Barthel Index [BI]) in geriatric inpatients, and to explore associations between measures from different domains. Methods: Fifty-five geriatric inpatients (mean age: 84.3 ± 5.47 years, range: 71–97; 49% female) underwent spatiotemporal gait analysis (inertial sensor system/RehaGait) and posturography (Interactive Balance System). Clinical assessments included TIN, BI, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Gait and postural data were compared with age-, sex-, and height-adjusted reference values. Results: Clinical data indicated a low fall risk (TIN: 24), moderate functional independence (BI: 54), and moderate frailty (CFS: 5). Deviations from reference values were more frequent in gait parameters (18/50%) than in postural parameters (6/17%), with postural stability consistently reduced. The largest differences for the geriatric patients compared with the reference gait data were found for stride length, walking speed, double and single support, roll-off angle, and landing angle. TIN showed the strongest correlation with walking speed (r = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.22–0.67), a relationship unaffected by gender (partial r = 0.52). Conclusions: Gait assessment revealed greater performance deficits than postural measures in this cohort. Full article

Background: Prolonged fever (PF) is one of the most challenging clinical conditions due to its complex molecular mechanisms and limited effective treatments. Objective: The current study aimed to explore the mechanism of action of Mo-Ha-Rak (MHR), a Thai traditional polyherbal remedy, in PF treatment. Methods: Integration of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages approaches were used. Results: The study identified 86 potential active compounds, 131 potential therapeutic targets, and 9 hub genes for MHR. Key targets with the highest degree of connectivity in PF, including TNF, IL6, IL1B, PTGS2, STAT3, and NFKB1, are closely associated with arachidonic acid metabolism pathways, which play critical roles in infections, inflammation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis in the PF microenvironment. Molecular docking analysis suggested that core compounds exhibited strong binding affinities for four key targets, viz. TNF, IL6, IL1B, and PTGS2, with binding energies ranging from −4.1 to −9.8 kJ/mol. MHR exhibited dose-dependent reduction of NO production at concentrations of 10–100 µg/mL. Among the biomarkers of MHR tested, ellagic acid, loureirin A, resveratrol, and rhein showed potential to inhibit NO production. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that MHR exerts its therapeutic effects on PF through a complex network of multiple compounds, targets, and pathways. These findings highlight the mechanisms of PF and the role of MHR in modulating the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway, which underlies the development of fever. Full article

Ammonia borane (AB) is recognized as a highly promising material for hydrogen storage owing to its exceptional safety and high hydrogen density, enabling controllable hydrogen release at room temperature through catalytic hydrolysis. The development of efficient catalysts to accelerate this process remains a critical research challenge. In this work, carbon nanotube (CNT)-supported Co-MoO₃ nanoparticles were synthesized through reduction with sodium borohydride. The catalyst with a Co/MoO₃ molar ratio of 1.0:0.1 (denoted as Co₁Mo_0.1/CNTs) showed optimal performance in AB hydrolysis, with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 19.15 mol_H2 mol_cat⁻¹ min⁻¹ and an activation energy (E_a) of 26.41 kJ mol⁻¹. The superior performance of the Co₁Mo_0.1/CNTs catalyst can be ascribed to the efficient proton-transfer promotion by carboxylated carbon nanotubes and the synergistic catalytic effect between Co and Mo in the system. This study offers a viable pathway for constructing high-efficiency noble metal-free catalysts for hydrogen production from AB hydrolysis. Full article

As the scaling of silicon-based CMOS technology approaches its physical limits, two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as promising alternatives for future electronic devices. Among them, MoS₂ is a leading candidate due to its fascinating semiconducting nature and compatibility with CMOS processes. However, high contact resistance at the metal–MoS₂ interface remains a major bottleneck, limiting device performance. In this study, we report the fabrication and characterization of graphene–MoS₂ (Gr–MoS₂) lateral heterostructure FETs, where monolayer graphene, synthesized by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD), is directly used as the source and drain. Bilayer MoS₂ is selectively grown along graphene edges via edge-guided CVD, forming a chemically bonded in-plane junction without transfer steps. Electrical measurements reveal that the Gr–MoS₂ FETs exhibit a threefold increase in average field-effect mobility (3.9 vs. 1.1 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹) compared to conventional MoS₂ FETs. Y-function analysis shows that the contact resistance is significantly reduced from 85.8 kΩ to 20.5 kΩ at V_G = 40 V. These improvements are attributed to the replacement of the conventional metal–MoS₂ contact with a graphene–metal contact. Our results demonstrate that lateral heterostructure engineering with graphene provides an effective and scalable strategy for high-performance 2D electronics. Full article

Background: Macular edema (ME) secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a significant cause of vision impairment. Many patients show suboptimal responses to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) monotherapy, prompting the exploration of alternative treatments. Faricimab is a bispecific antibody that targets VEGF-A and angiopoietin-2. We report 9-month real-world outcomes of switching to faricimab in therapy-resistant RVO-associated ME. Methods: In this retrospective study at a single tertiary center, patients with persistent or recurrent ME despite prior treatments (ranibizumab, aflibercept, or dexamethasone implant) were switched to faricimab. All eyes received a loading phase of four monthly faricimab injections, followed by a treat-and-extend regimen individualized per response. Key outcomes included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA, logMAR), the central subfield thickness (CST, μm), and the intraretinal fluid (IRF) status on optical coherence tomography, assessed from the baseline (month 0, mo0) through the loading phase (mo1–mo3) and at month 9 (mo9). Results: Nineteen eyes (19 patients, mean age 64.8 years) were analyzed. The median BCVA improved from 0.20 to 0.00 logMAR by month 3 (p < 0.01) and was maintained at month 9. The median CST decreased from 325 μm at the baseline to 285 μm at month 3 (p < 0.01) and remained at 285 μm at month 9. IRF was present in 100% of eyes at the baseline, 26% at month 3, and 26% at month 9 (p < 0.01 for the baseline vs. month 9). Among eyes previously on anti-VEGF therapy (n = 14), the median treatment interval increased from 45.50 days at the baseline to 56.50 days at month 9 (p = 0.01; δ = 0.86). No intraocular inflammation or other adverse events were observed in this cohort over nine months. Conclusions: In this retrospective series, switching to faricimab was associated with improvements in vision and retinal anatomy that were maintained over 9 months; injection intervals were extended in a subset of eyes. These exploratory findings warrant confirmation in larger, controlled studies to define long-term effectiveness, safety, and dosing strategies. Full article

This study reviews and experimentally investigates critical logistics and transport models in stainless-steel (SS) fluid storage tanks, focusing on stainless steel grades 316 and 304L. Conceptual vessel schematics emphasize hygienic drainability, refill uniformity, and thermal control, supported by representative 316L properties for heat-transfer, stress, and fluid–structure analyses. At the logistics scale, modelling integrates component-level simulations, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and Finite Element Method (FEM) with network-level approaches, such as Continuous Approximation, to address facility location, refilling schedules, and demand variability. Experimental characterization using EDS and XRF confirmed the expected Cr/Ni backbone and grade-consistent Mo in 316, while unexpected C, Mn, and Cu readings were attributed to instrumental limits or statistical variance. Unexpected detection of Europium in 304L highlights the need for further mechanical testing. Overall, combining simulation, logistics modelling, and compositional verification offers a coherent framework for safe, efficient, and thermally reliable stainless-steel tank design. Full article

High-speed laser cladding technology is an innovative process that reduces costs and enhances coating quality. In this study, CoCrMo wear-resistant coatings were fabricated on a 40Cr steel substrate using high-speed laser cladding technology and compared to CoCrMo coatings produced by traditional methods. The effects of both processes on the microstructure, nanoindentation characteristics, and wear behavior of CoCrMo coatings were examined. The results show that the phase compositions of both coatings include γ-Co solid solution and ε-Co solid solution. The high cooling rate of high-speed laser cladding significantly suppressed Mo precipitation, enhancing Mo solid solution strengthening. Additionally, the fine-grain strengthening effect induced by the high cooling rate contributed significantly to the coatings’ mechanical properties. The nano-hardness of the HS-CoCrMo coatings reached approximately 5.18 ± 0.23 GPa, 1.2 times higher than that of the N-CoCrMo coatings. Furthermore, the generalized hardness, H/E ratio, and H³/E² ratio of HS-CoCrMo coatings were improved. This increase in nano-hardness significantly boosted the wear resistance of HS-CoCrMo coatings, yielding an average friction coefficient of approximately 0.466, with wear volume and specific wear rate values of 6.55 × 10⁶ μm³ and 0.87 × 10⁻⁵ mm³/N·m, respectively, outperforming the N-CoCrMo coatings. The main wear mechanisms for the HS-CoCrMo coatings were abrasive wear, adhesive wear, and oxidative wear. In conclusion, high-speed laser cladding technology produces high-performance, wear-resistant coatings with high productivity, offering broader application prospects for the metallurgical and power industries, while effectively reducing production cycles and usage costs. Full article

Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) has been widely used in high-voltage cables due to its superior properties, but its thermoset cross-linked structure makes it difficult to recycle. Catalytic pyrolysis offers a feasible pathway for converting XLPE into high-value chemicals. In this study, a systematic study on the catalytic cracking of XLPE using metal ion-loaded ZSM-5 nanosheets was conducted, and ZSM-5 nanosheets loaded with Ag, Mo, Ni, and Ce were prepared via ion exchange. After metal loading, ZSM-5 retained the MFI framework structure, but the specific surface area and mesopore volume varied depending on the type of metal. Temperature-Programmed Desorption of Ammonia results indicated that metal–support interactions enhanced the acidity of ZSM-5. Among the catalysts, Ag-loaded ZSM-5 exhibited the highest efficiency: with 10 wt% Ag, at 380 °C, the conversion reached 94.1%, with 52.5% light olefins in the gas phase and 59.4% benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) in the liquid products. Further studies on different Ag loadings revealed that moderate Ag loading (5 wt%) provided the best overall balance, maintaining 92.3% conversion, 56.1% selectivity to light olefins, and 58.2% BTX in the liquid fraction. These findings demonstrate that tuning the metal loading effectively optimizes the acidity and pore structure of ZSM-5, thereby enabling controlled regulation of XLPE pyrolysis product distribution. Full article

Growing interest in sustainable hydrogen production has brought renewed attention to photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting as a promising route for direct solar-to-chemical energy conversion. This study explores how integrating hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) and cupric oxide (CuO) photoelectrodes with a series of nickel-based co-catalysts can improve photoelectrochemical activity. Photoanodic (NiO_x, NiFeO_x, NiWO₄) and photocathodic (Ni, NiCu, NiMo) co-catalysts were synthesized via co-precipitation and mechanochemical methods and characterized through X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Transmission Electron Microscopy–Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (TEM-EDX), Scanning Electron Microscopy–Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) gas-adsorption analyses to clarify their crystallographic, morphological, and compositional properties, as well as their surface chemistry and textural properties (surface area and porosity). Electrochemical tests under 1 SUN illumination showed that NiO_x significantly improves the photocurrent of hematite photoanodes. Among the cathodic co-catalysts, NiMo demonstrated the best performance when combined with CuO photocathodes. For both photoelectrodes, an optimal co-catalyst loading was identified, beyond which performance declined due to potential charge transfer limitations and light attenuation. These findings highlight the critical role of co-catalyst composition and loading in optimizing the efficiency of PEC systems based on earth-abundant materials, offering a pathway toward scalable and cost-effective hydrogen production. Full article

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized not only by motor dysfunction but also by widespread degeneration across cortico-striatal, limbic, and cortical circuits. Mounting evidence suggests that tau and α-synuclein pathology underlie these processes, though how these proteinopathies translate into affective and cognitive outcomes remains uncertain. Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent in PD, yet the biological correlates of these affective disturbances are poorly defined. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of existing data from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), geriatric depression scale (GDS), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to assess cognition, depression, and anxiety in PD, respectively. The CSF biomarkers evaluated were Aβ42, t-tau, and p-tau181, using Elecsys electro-chemiluminescence immunoassays on the cobas e601 platform (Roche Diagnostics). Results: From the 4380 patients who had GDS information, the MoCA test was collected from 438 patients, and 445 from the GDS test for depression, and the STAI screening for anxiety. There were no significant differences in biomarker levels between patients with depression (GDS ≥ 5) and those without (GDS < 5), nor between patients with anxiety (STAI > 40) and those with lower anxiety scores (STAI ≤ 40). In contrast, cognitive outcomes showed clear associations. Patients with cognitive impairment (MoCA < 26) demonstrated higher levels of pTau (p = 0.02) and tTau (p = 0.01), as well as elevated pTau/Aβ42 (p = 0.003) and tTau/Aβ42 (p = 0.002) ratios compared to those with MoCA ≥ 26. In multivariate analysis, both pTau/Aβ42 > 0.022 (OR 4.64, 95% CI 1.67–13.8) and tTau/Aβ42 > 0.26 (OR 4.18, 95% CI 1.6–11.5) remained significantly associated with cognitive decline. In a longitudinal analysis in the first 3 years of follow-up, cognition in PD remained lower than in controls, while CSF p-tau and Aβ42 remained higher in controls. Conclusions: In our cohort, no associations were found between CSF biomarkers and depression or anxiety, underscoring that mood disturbances in PD are likely mediated by alternative mechanisms such as monoaminergic dysregulation, neuroinflammation, and psychosocial factors. By contrast, cognitive performance (MoCA) was clearly linked to tau-related pathology, rather than α-synuclein or Aβ42 alone. While Aβ42 and α-synuclein remain useful for staging and assessing global disease risk, our findings highlight the specificity of tau-related pathology for cognitive outcomes in PD. Full article

High-throughput sequencing has significantly advanced the exploration of fish immune mechanisms, enabling a more detailed understanding of immune responses and their underlying molecular pathways. In this study, we applied comparative transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing to investigate the immune mechanisms of tilapia in response to different pathogenic bacteria. Our results demonstrated that nonspecific cytotoxic cells (NCCs) and monocytes/macrophages (Mos/Mφs) mounted the most pronounced responses to both Streptococcus agalactiae and Aeromonas hydrophila infections. Moreover, Mos/Mφs exhibited distinct differentiation patterns depending on the bacterial challenge. Collectively, these findings offer new insights into the antibacterial immune strategies of lower vertebrates. Full article

Electronic health records (EHRs) are typically stored in relational databases, making them difficult to query for nontechnical users, especially under privacy constraints. We evaluate two practical clinical NLP workflows, natural language to SQL (NL2SQL) for EHR querying and retrieval-augmented generation for clinical question answering (RAG-QA), with a focus on privacy-preserving deployment. We benchmark nine large language models, spanning open-weight options (DeepSeek V3/V3.1, Llama-3.3-70B, Qwen2.5-32B, Mixtral-8 × 22B, BioMistral-7B, and GPT-OSS-20B) and proprietary APIs (GPT-4o and GPT-5). The models were chosen to represent a diverse cross-section spanning sparse MoE, dense general-purpose, domain-adapted, and proprietary LLMs. On MIMICSQL (27,000 generations; nine models × three runs), the best NL2SQL execution accuracy (EX) is 66.1% (GPT-4o), followed by 64.6% (GPT-5). Among open-weight models, DeepSeek V3.1 reaches 59.8% EX, while DeepSeek V3 reaches 58.8%, with Llama-3.3-70B at 54.5% and BioMistral-7B achieving only 11.8%, underscoring a persistent gap relative to general-domain benchmarks. We introduce SQL-EC, a deterministic SQL error-classification framework with adjudication, revealing string mismatches as the dominant failure (86.3%), followed by query-join misinterpretations (49.7%), while incorrect aggregation-function usage accounts for only 6.7%. This highlights lexical/ontology grounding as the key bottleneck for NL2SQL in the biomedical domain. For RAG-QA, evaluated on 100 synthetic patient records across 20 questions (54,000 reference–generation pairs; three runs), BLEU and ROUGE-L fluctuate more strongly across models, whereas BERTScore remains high on most, with DeepSeek V3.1 and GPT-4o among the top performers; pairwise t-tests confirm that significant differences were observed among the LLMs. Cost–performance analysis based on measured token usage shows per-query costs ranging from USD 0.000285 (GPT-OSS-20B) to USD 0.005918 (GPT-4o); DeepSeek V3.1 offers the best open-weight cost–accuracy trade-off, and GPT-5 provides a balanced API alternative. Overall, the privacy-conscious RAG-QA attains strong semantic fidelity, whereas the clinical NL2SQL remains brittle under lexical variation. SQL-EC pinpoints actionable failure modes, motivating ontology-aware normalization and schema-linked prompting for robust clinical querying. Full article