Search Results (2,395)

Cardiogenic shock secondary to acute myocardial infarction complicated by mechanical failure remains associated with high mortality despite advances in cardiac surgery and mechanical circulatory support. We report the case of a 42-year-old patient with posterior papillary muscle rupture leading to severe mitral regurgitation, managed with emergency surgical intervention and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The patient, with a history of Type I Bipolar Disorder under long-term lithium therapy and chronic Cannabis use, presented in critical condition with cardiogenic shock (Killip IV), acute pulmonary edema, and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in the infero-posterior territory. Coronary angiography revealed right coronary artery occlusion and involvement of an obtuse marginal branch. Emergency mitral valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis and aortocoronary bypass were performed. Due to failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass, central veno-arterial ECMO was initiated. The postoperative course was complicated by hemodynamic instability and recurrent pericardial collections requiring repeated surgical interventions and conversion to peripheral ECMO. Multiorgan dysfunction developed, including hepato-renal failure requiring hemofiltration, neurological injury, respiratory impairment, and neuropsychiatric complications. Despite these challenges, progressive recovery was achieved under intensive multidisciplinary management. This case emphasizes the importance of early surgical correction and tailored ECMO support in managing post-infarction mechanical complications. Full article

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) has emerged as a cost-effective and high-deposition-rate technique for fabricating large-scale metallic components; however, the complex thermal history inherent to the process leads to heterogeneous microstructures that can significantly influence tribological performance. In this study, the dry sliding wear behavior of WAAM-fabricated austenitic stainless steel 308L (SS308L) was systematically investigated using a pin-on-disk configuration. The influence of applied normal load (1.5–15 N) and sliding speed (0.03–0.229 m/s) on wear volume, specific wear rate, coefficient of friction (COF), and tangential force was evaluated. Optical microstructural observations indicated features consistent with a ferritic–austenitic solidification structure, including regions resembling polygonal ferrite, Widmanstätten ferrite, and austenitic dendritic morphologies. Wear results showed that wear volume and cross-sectional area increased monotonically with increasing load, while the effect of sliding speed was comparatively less significant. The specific wear rate remained on the order of 10⁻⁴ mm³/N·m with minor variations across test conditions. The COF decreased with increasing load up to 10 N, followed by a speed-dependent response at higher loads. The findings demonstrate that load is the dominant factor governing wear behavior in WAAM SS308L, while microstructural heterogeneity may contribute to frictional stability and wear resistance. This study provides valuable insight into the structure–tribology relationship of WAAM stainless steels and supports the optimization of process parameters for wear-critical applications. Full article

The coordinated variation between plant size and functional traits is a critical link connecting individual ecological strategies and community assembly. However, unlike angiosperms, the drivers of trait–size coordination in coexisting fern species remain unclear. This study sampled seven coexisting fern species in a subtropical secondary forest, measuring biomass (an indicator of plant size) and functional traits related to leaf and root morphology and elemental composition. The coordinated relationship between plant individual size and functional traits was investigated using regression and principal component analysis, while the relative contributions of phylogeny, species identity, and individual biomass to trait variation were quantified via Bayesian phylogenetic generalized linear mixed models. Results indicated that there is a clear trait–size coordination relationship. Specifically, significant linear or nonlinear relationships were identified between plant size and multiple functional traits (e.g., elemental concentrations, specific leaf area, and specific root length), indicating a transition from “fast-acquisitive” to “conservative” strategies. However, variance partitioning indicated that phylogeny and species identity together explained the majority of variation in leaf and root traits (71.4% on average), whereas the independent contribution of individual biomass was minimal (7.1% on average). The results suggest that although significant trait–size coordination exists in understory fern communities, this coordination is statistically dominated by evolutionary history (phylogeny and species identity), though the ecological significance of plant size remains evident in significant trait–size coordination patterns. Overall, the coordinated variation between plant size and functional traits is pivotal in forging resource-allocation strategies and fostering fern species coexistence, highlighting that evolutionary background must be foregrounded when disentangling the mechanisms of functional community assembly. Full article

The global emergence of the avian influenza virus (AIV) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4B since 2016 has caused substantial losses in wild bird and poultry populations, along with heightened risks of transmission to humans and other mammals. Vaccination of poultry has been a key strategy to curb the virus’s spread and mitigate its socioeconomic impact. This report describes an outbreak of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4B in a flock of 15,000 brown layer chickens (170 days old), all of which had received a four-dose vaccination regimen with H5N1/H5N8 commercial vaccines at 17, 50, 100, and 125 days of age. Despite this vaccination history, H5N1 infection was confirmed approximately seven weeks post-vaccination. H5N1 infection was confirmed by RT-qPCR, virus isolation, and full genome sequencing covering all eight gene segments, followed by phylogenetic and molecular analyses. Clinical signs included reduced feed intake, decreased egg production, and a cumulative mortality rate of 35% over 52 days. Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) testing with various H5 antigens revealed inconsistent antibody titers (geometric mean: 4.0 to 9.1 log2). Genetic analysis of the full-length HA and NA gene sequences further revealed strong similarity to contemporaneous H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4B strains circulating in Egypt, with multiple mutations in the HA head domain, particularly near immunogenic epitopes and receptor binding sites. These findings highlight the limitations of current vaccination strategies under conditions of antigenic mismatch and complex immunization schedules, emphasizing the need for improved vaccine matching and continuous molecular surveillance. To improve outbreak management in poultry, enhanced vaccination protocols, stringent biosecurity measures, and rigorous monitoring practices are critical. Full article

Modeling historically situated gender ideology remains challenging for language models, as contemporary embeddings struggle to reflect temporally specific semantic structures beyond surface lexical patterns. Although large language models exhibit extensive general-purpose performance, their direct use with history-specific semantic analysis is limited by the distributional mismatch between contemporary training data and historical linguistic patterns. These constraints encourage the distillation of temporally based semantic knowledge into small student architectures. To solve this issue, we propose Temporally Informed Distillation of Embedding Semantics (TIDES), which integrates continued pretraining on temporally specific corpora with feature-level distillation from large embedding teachers. We evaluate TIDES across teacher architectures with distinct pretraining objectives. While continued pretraining provides lexical and syntactic adaptation, our results show that improvements in ideological modeling cannot be attributed to additional training exposure alone. Rather, teacher–student structural alignment is also critical to transfer effectiveness. Contrastive, encoder-aligned teachers yield substantially more stable preservation of fine-grained, historically situated semantic distinctions. These findings suggest that temporal ideology transfer is representation-dependent: ideological meaning can be shaped by the geometry and training objectives of embedding spaces. By introducing TIDES and providing evidence that architectural compatibility can influence ideological inheritance, this study advances a representation-centered account of modeling ideology in temporally grounded semantic research. Full article

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has made significant advancements in personalized learning and adaptive instruction. However, current systems remain limited by three critical gaps: (a) fragmented architectures that decouple technical performance from ethical governance, (b) the treatment of fairness and accountability as external constraints rather than embedded design principles, and (c) reliance on single-modality data that inadequately represents complex learning environments. These restrictions hinder scalability and limit the capacity of AI systems to deliver equitable, transparent, and context-aware educational experiences. This study aims to address these challenges by designing and validating an ethics-aware, multi-agent conceptual framework for adaptive education in which personalization and responsible AI are co-developed as integrated system properties. The proposed architecture uses five coordinated agents: perception, pedagogy, assessment, feedback, and ethics monitoring. These five agents share one knowledge layer containing learner profiles, domain models, competency structures, interaction histories, and machine-readable policy rules. A four-stage feedback loop comprises: (a) outcome aggregation, (b) system evaluation and validation, (c) teacher review and intervention, and (d) agent update and policy refinement. It enables real-time adaptation, teacher oversight, and iterative system improvement. Adopting a design science research (DSR) methodology and mixed-methods evaluation across functional, pedagogical, ethical, and system-level dimensions, the proposed framework is expected to demonstrate improved learner modeling accuracy, enhanced knowledge tracing, and more robust multimodal engagement analysis compared to centralized and single-modality approaches. Based on design science evaluation against established benchmarks and component-level validation in a simulated learning management system (LMS), this theoretical framework is projected to improve learner modeling accuracy, enhance knowledge tracing, and enable more robust multimodal engagement analysis compared with centralized and single-modality approaches. These projections constitute theoretically derived hypothesis and remain subject to empirical validation in live deployment studies. This study’s theoretical contribution lies in demonstrating that ethics-by-design and adaptive personalization are architecturally compatible and mutually reinforcing design principles. Full article

The Southern Stuttering Frog, Mixophyes australis, is a newly described threatened species endemic to Australia that is suffering severe and ongoing declines. The species is currently presumed extinct from the southern two thirds of its range, primarily driven by the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; Bd). In response to the species’ decline, a conservation breeding program (CBP) was established at Symbio Wildlife Park to secure an insurance population and support future reintroductions. Herein, the establishment and management of the CBP for M. australis is described. We detail the captive husbandry framework and tracing progress from the collection of 200 wild-caught tadpoles in April 2022, through to the successful reproduction of the founder colony. Following the revision of husbandry and water management practices, and disease treatment in quarantine to overcome initial mortality, 89 Bd-free individuals were transferred to the breeding facility to establish the insurance colony. Critically, the program has achieved consistent and successful reproduction commencing in April 2024, within 2 years of tadpole collection. The breeding cohort exhibited a distinctive bimodal annual reproductive pattern in captivity, with clear peaks in breeding activity in Austral autumn (March–May) and mid-winter to early spring (July–September). We detail effective husbandry protocols for all life stages of the species, which has resulted in the generation of clutches exhibiting high fertility and high tadpole survivorship. Overall, the program to date has contributed to the reintroduction of over 7700 first-generation (F1) tadpoles and 59 head-started founder (F0) adults across 15 release sites within the species’ historical range in NSW. Herein, we provide important natural history data for the species and considerations for their breeding in captivity, which can inform future conservation efforts for this and other threatened frog species globally. Full article

Masonry structures are widely used in civil engineering due to their favorable load-bearing capacity and construction efficiency; however, the threat posed by long-duration blast loads from industrial accidents and large-yield explosions has become increasingly prominent. Existing research has primarily focused on the response of masonry walls under conventional short-duration explosions, while systematic investigations remain limited regarding the differentiated failure mechanisms induced by long-duration blasts. To address this gap, this study adopts and validates a full-scale simplified micro-modeling approach for clay brick masonry walls using LS-DYNA. The model enables systematic comparison of long-duration blast loads and conventional blast loads simulated by the CONWEP method under equal peak overpressure and equal impulse conditions. Numerical results indicate that, under equal peak overpressure (0.18 MPa), the long-duration blast load induces global deformation and cumulative damage leading to complete collapse, whereas the conventional blast load results in only elastic response. Under equal impulse (13.5 kPa·s), both loads cause severe damage, yet the conventional blast load triggers instantaneous localized fragmentation with a higher collapse rate, while the long-duration blast load governs failure through sustained overpressure-induced global deformation and crack propagation. The comparison of mid-span displacement–time histories across different loading cases further quantifies these distinct failure modes, revealing fundamentally different deformation development rates and collapse characteristics. The key contributions of this study are summarized as follows: A validated simplified micro-model is developed that reproduces the experimental damage patterns of masonry walls. A comparison identifies and mechanistically explains the differentiated failure modes between the two load types. Under the conditions considered in this study, critical transition thresholds of peak overpressure and impulse governing the damage mode shift from minor cracking to global collapse are determined. These findings provide a scientific basis for distinguishing blast-resistant design strategies for masonry structures according to explosion type. Full article

This study investigates Cambrian and Sinian carbonate outcrops in the Tarim Basin using 19 stratigraphically diverse rock samples. Through integrated X-ray diffraction mineralogical analysis, triaxial compression testing, and Brazilian splitting experiments, we systematically characterized rock mechanical properties and their correlations with microscopic mineral constituents. Key findings demonstrate remarkably distinct mechanical properties across formations: vuggy dolomites from the Xiaqiulitage formation exhibit the lowest compressive strength (minimum 200.0 MPa) and tensile strength (3.85 MPa), while the Yuertusi formation’s Y5 layer dolomites achieve exceptional tensile strength (21.69 MPa). Mineral composition fundamentally controls rock strength: dolomite or quartz concentrations exceeding 90% significantly enhance strength, whereas calcareous minerals (calcite, fluorapatite) degrade mechanical integrity. Most specimens display pronounced brittle failure characteristics; uniquely, basal dolostones of the Awatage formation exhibit distinctive plastic deformation. This research elucidates the synergistic effects of tectonic history, mineral assemblages, and microtextural attributes on rock mechanical behavior, providing critical theoretical underpinnings for deep carbonate reservoir development in overpressured basins. Full article

This study investigates the seismic response of a natural draft reinforced concrete cooling tower subjected to spatially varying earthquake ground motion, with particular emphasis on nonlinear material behavior, damage evolution, and stiffness degradation. The analysis is based on a constitutive description of concrete using the Concrete Damaged Plasticity (CDP) model, enabling the representation of tensile cracking, compressive crushing, and irreversible plastic deformation under cyclic dynamic loading. Two structural configurations of the lower shell region–a locally thickened shell and a bottom ring-stiffened solution–are examined from the perspective of material performance and damage control. Spatially varying seismic excitation is defined using a real earthquake record from the Carpathian Flysch region, with wave passage and incoherence effects calibrated from in-situ measurements. Nonlinear time-history analyses, performed to capture the coupling between material degradation mechanisms and global structural response, demonstrate that the seismic performance of the cooling tower is controlled primarily by local material behavior rather than global dynamic characteristics. Spatial variability of ground motion activates complex deformation modes, leading to pronounced tensile damage, plastic strain accumulation, and stiffness degradation in the lower shell region. The structural variant with thickened lower zone of the shell exhibits extensive material deterioration, including the formation of a continuous plastic zone and irreversible deformation associated with damage localization. In contrast, the ring-stiffened configuration effectively limits damage propagation, reduces plastic strain by up to 80%, and maintains predominantly elastic material response with significantly lower stiffness degradation. The bottom ring stiffener is shown to provide superior performance by mitigating damage evolution of the concrete structure under spatially non-uniform seismic loading. The study highlights the critical role of advanced constitutive material modeling in capturing the realistic seismic behavior of reinforced concrete shell structures and demonstrates that structural strengthening strategies should be evaluated based on their ability to control material degradation mechanisms. Full article

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is the point at which cirrhosis stops behaving as a chronic liver disease and becomes a rapidly destabilising systemic illness. It is the real tipping point in advanced liver disease: the moment when limited hepatic reserve is no longer the only issue, and the clinical picture is instead defined by systemic inflammation, extrahepatic organ dysfunction, and a high risk of short-term death. This has changed how we understand the natural history of cirrhosis. Rather than a simple linear progression toward liver failure, advanced chronic liver disease is now better seen as a dynamic continuum that may lead to first decompensation, recurrent decompensation, ACLF, end-stage disease, or, in selected cases, recompensation if the underlying driver is effectively controlled. This shift matters because patients with ACLF are not simply “sicker cirrhotics”. They are in a distinct pathophysiological state, marked by inflammation, circulatory dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and organ cross-talk that extends beyond the liver. In this setting, the boundaries between liver failure, sepsis, renal dysfunction, and critical illness become blurred, which is why ACLF remains such a difficult syndrome to manage. At the same time, recent guidance has improved the approach to decompensated cirrhosis, HRS-AKI, infection, transplantation, and palliative care, while newer consensus efforts have tried to reduce differences between ACLF definitions. In practice, management still depends on simple but disciplined principles: early recognition, rapid identification of precipitants, parallel organ support, prompt treatment of infection and HRS-AKI, repeated reassessment, and urgent transplant evaluation when appropriate. This review examines ACLF and end-stage liver disease as interconnected stages of advanced cirrhosis and discusses how care can be both aggressive when recovery is possible and humane when recovery is not. Full article

This article provides a critical evaluation of Giorgio Agamben’s argument that Adam Smith’s metaphor of the invisible hand is representative of economic theology and providential control. Although Agamben’s analysis does not explicate a nuanced view of the invisible hand, it does reveal the embedded economic theology in its misuse by neoliberal economists who characterise the invisible hand as a fundamental mechanism of market coordination consistent with a providential order. Conversely, this study argues that such perspectives fail to account for the intricacy and ambivalence inherent in Smith’s philosophy. Through textual analysis of the invisible hand in The Theory of Moral Sentiments, The Wealth of Nations, and The History of Astronomy, the manuscript highlights that Smith presents three distinct perspectives and that the theological interpretations do not adequately capture this divergence. Rather than endorsing a providential or theological framework, Smith’s use of the invisible hand is shown to be a conditional and intricate metaphor that serves as a critique, a form of social engagement, ethical commerce, and empirical analysis of irrational belief in markets that support the common good. Therefore, this interpretation transcends economic theology and reductive neoliberal economics, offering a more nuanced understanding with important implications for contemporary economics. Full article

This article offers a rhetorical close reading of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Report on Slavery and Racism in the History of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. While the report presents itself as an institutional reckoning with a legacy of slavery, racism, and white supremacy, this analysis argues that its rhetoric simultaneously minimizes the significance of those injustices. Three recurring rhetorical moves structure this dynamic. First, the report centers the experiences and dilemmas of the seminary’s white leadership, producing narrative empathy for institutional actors while decentering the experiences of those harmed by the institution’s history. Second, it employs subtly pejorative characterizations of external critics and other historical actors, reinforcing an evangelical “embattled identity.” Third, the report rhetorically constructs the concept of the “gospel” in a manner that separates core Christian doctrine from concerns of racial justice. Drawing on agenda-setting theory, this study introduces the concept of religious agenda-setting to describe how religious leaders rhetorically prioritize certain moral concerns while marginalizing others. Together, these strategies allow for the report to confess historical wrongdoing while simultaneously preserving institutional legitimacy and authority. Full article

Tropical lignocellulosic residues are increasingly relevant feedstocks for lignin-containing nanocellulose composites, but their performance cannot be predicted from botanical origin or bulk lignin percentage alone. This review defines the interface as the geometrical boundary between phases and the interphase as the finite, compositionally graded region in which lignin distribution, nanocellulose morphology, adsorbed water, and the surrounding matrix jointly govern stress transfer and mass transport. Using an evidence-weighted framework, the literature is organized into the following categories: residual-lignin nanofibrils, redeposited-lignin systems, lignin nanoparticle assemblies, compatibilized thermoplastic hybrids, and all-lignocellulosic sheets. Representative quantitative observations show that controlled residual lignin can the increase water contact angle from approximately 35 degrees to 78 degrees and reduce oxygen permeability by up to 200-fold in nanopapers, while selected PLA/LCNF systems show tensile-strength and modulus increases of 37% and 61%, respectively; however, high or poorly distributed lignin can suppress fibrillation, lower viscosity, weaken gel networks, and reduce reproducibility. The most defensible near-term product windows are packaging layers, grease/oil barrier papers, coatings, paper-like multilayers, and selected porous media. Thermoplastic matrices remain process-sensitive, and biomedical, additive-manufacturing, nano-reactor, and energy-material claims require stronger validation of the extractables, rheology, humidity history, TEA/LCA metrics, and end-of-life behavior. This review, therefore, provides a critical, application-backward roadmap for tropical biorefineries in which interfacial function, wet handling, drying energy, and process integration are assessed together rather than treated as independent variables. The abbreviations used in the abstract are defined as follows: CNFs, cellulose nanofibrils; CNC, cellulose nanocrystals; LCNF, lignin-containing cellulose nanofibrils; LCNCs, lignin-containing cellulose nanocrystals; PLA, poly(lactic acid); PHB, polyhydroxybutyrate; PHAs, polyhydroxyalkanoates; PVA, poly(vinyl alcohol); DESs, deep eutectic solvents; TEA, techno-economic analysis; LCA, life-cycle assessment; ML, machine learning. Full article

The crushing failure of sea ice is a critical design issue for polar offshore structures and ship structures because ice-induced loads may generate pronounced local damage and dynamic responses. Accurately modelling this process remains challenging because ice crushing involves localized fragmentation, crack propagation, rubble accumulation, and repeated contact release. This paper presents a controlled numerical sensitivity study of level-ice crushing against a vertical structure using a coupled LS-DYNA framework that combines the Structured Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (S-ALE) formulation with the Cohesive Element Method (CEM). The study focuses on a benchmark-scale indentation configuration and examines how mesh topology, mesh size, and imposed indentation velocity affect the predicted fracture morphology and load-time histories. The results show that random triangular meshes better reproduce stochastic fragmentation and lateral flaking than regular triangular or quadrilateral meshes, while finer meshes reduce excessive load oscillations and provide more stable force histories. The velocity study indicates a transition from gradual crushing and fragment retention at lower velocities to more rapid brittle chipping and stronger dynamic fluctuations at higher velocities. A benchmark-level comparison with published ice-indentation simulations shows that the predicted peak line load is of the same order of magnitude as reference results. The proposed framework is therefore useful for investigating numerical sensitivities and failure-mode trends in ice-crushing simulations, although final design-load application requires further calibration and formal mesh-independence assessment. Full article