Search Results (25,369)

The thermal coal supply chain serves as core infrastructure for ensuring the safe and stable supply of electricity in China. Effective risk management and control of this supply chain are therefore critical to national energy security and socio-economic development. However, the thermal coal supply chain involves multiple complex risk dimensions, including cross-regional multi-entity coordination, a complex network structure, and a dynamic policy environment. Traditional risk analysis methods often fall short in depicting the concurrent events and dynamic propagation characteristics inherent to such a system. This necessitates systematically investigating the thermal coal supply chain within the Coal–Electricity Joint Venture (CEJV) operational framework, which primarily involves equity-based consolidation and long-term contractual coordination between coal producers and power generators, to comprehensively analyze its critical risk factors and transmission mechanisms. Initially, based on the integration of coal-fired power joint operation policy evolution and industry characteristics, 28 risk factors were identified across three dimensions: internal enterprise, external environment, and overall structure. These encompassed production fluctuation risks, thermal coal transport process risks, and insufficient supply chain flexibility. A dynamic behavior model for the thermal coal supply chain was constructed by analyzing the causal relationships among these risk factors, based on the operational processes of each link. Utilizing Petri net simulation technology enables a quantitative analysis of supply chain risks, facilitating the identification of bottleneck links and potential risk points. Through model simulation, 18 key risk factors were determined, providing a theoretical basis for optimizing supply chain resilience within CEJV enterprises. The limitations of traditional methods in dynamic process modeling and industrial applicability were addressed through a Petri net-based methodology, thereby establishing a novel analytical paradigm for risk management in complex energy supply chains. Full article

This study investigates the immunomodulatory effects of a well-characterized cannabidiol (CBD)-rich cannabis extract, CAN296, on T lymphocytes (T cells), particularly Cluster of Differentiation 4 (CD4⁺) helper and Cluster of Differentiation 8 (CD8⁺) cytotoxic subsets, by examining T-cell activation, cytokine secretion, and cytotoxic molecule expression in comparison with the conventional treatments dexamethasone (DEX) and tacrolimus (TAC). It addresses key processes involved in the formation of premalignant immune-mediated lesions, such as those seen in oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral manifestations of graft-versus-host disease (oGVHD). CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells were isolated from healthy donors and assessed in vitro for T cell activation via CD69 expression, secreted tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) levels according to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and cytotoxic molecule expression Granzyme B, Perforin, Fas Ligand (Fas-L) quantified by flow cytometry. Cells were treated with different doses of CAN296 (2, 4, 8 µg/mL), DEX (0.4, 4, 40 µg/mL), or TAC (0.1, 1, 10 ng/mL), and all parameters were compared to untreated controls. CAN296 significantly inhibited T cell activation, reducing CD69 expression in CD4⁺ T cells to 2–11% and in CD8⁺ T cells to 5–17%. It also markedly suppressed TNF-α secretion in CD4⁺ T cells at all concentrations (p < 0.0001). In CD8⁺ T cells, CAN296 led to a near-complete reduction in TNF-α and IFN-γ, leaving both cytokines barely detectable at all tested doses (p < 0.0001). The effect of cell inhibition was significantly more pronounced than that observed with DEX or TAC, displaying dose-dependent reductions. TAC inconsistently lowered TNF-α while paradoxically increasing IFN-γ at lower concentrations. Additionally, CAN296 consistently suppressed cytotoxic molecule expression, reducing Granzyme B by 81–82%, Perforin by 40–53%, and Fas-L by 40–44%. DEX showed variable effects on cytotoxic molecule expression. At the same time, TAC demonstrated inconsistent modulation of Perforin and Granzyme B. Overall, CAN296 outperformed DEX and TAC, demonstrating more potent and consistent immunomodulatory effects. CBD-rich cannabis extract, CAN296, exhibits potent immunomodulatory properties by effectively inhibiting T cell activation, lowering pro-inflammatory cytokines, and suppressing cytotoxic molecule expression. Its efficacy surpasses conventional therapies like DEX and TAC, offering a promising novel treatment modality for T cell-mediated disorders, including OLP and oGVHD. These findings support further development of CAN296 formulations to optimize dosing and delivery, followed by clinical trials to validate its therapeutic potential. Full article

This study presents a novel family of operators, referred to as tempered quantum fractional operators, and investigates the well-posedness of related tempered quantum fractional differential equations. The q-Adams predictor–corrector method is employed to conduct the analysis. By carefully adjusting the scheme’s parameters, the convergence rate can be controlled, while computational expenses increase linearly with time. Numerical simulations confirm the effectiveness and precision of the introduced algorithm. Full article

This paper presents a global fixed-time control framework to address the target circumnavigation tracking problem of underactuated unmanned surface vehicles (USV) under unknown velocity states, lumped uncertainties, and actuator saturation. At the core of this approach is a novel fixed-time target-enclosing line-of-sight (FTTELOS) guidance law, designed to generate the desired heading angle and surge velocity. To estimate unknown velocities, external disturbances, and unmeasured system states, a set of fixed-time observers is constructed, consisting of a velocity observer, a disturbance observer, and a high-dimensional extended state observer (HFTESO). Moreover, to enhance robustness and effectively tackle actuator saturation, the control scheme incorporates a fixed-time sliding mode controller, a dynamic auxiliary system, and a fixed-threshold event-triggered mechanism. Simulation results using SimuNPS demonstrate that the proposed method enables rapid and smooth target circumnavigation, with all system errors converging to an arbitrarily small neighborhood of the origin within a fixed time. Theoretical analysis and simulation studies confirm the effectiveness and robustness of both the FTTELOS guidance law and the integrated control strategy. Quantitatively, compared with the traditional target-enclosing line-of-sight (TELOS) method, the proposed FTTELOS reduces the convergence time of the distance error ${\delta }_e$ from 13.64 s to 10.22 s and the angular error ${\varphi }_e$ from 10.46 s to 7.52 s, demonstrating a significant improvement in convergence speed and overall control performance. Full article

Coeliac disease (CeD) is a gastrointestinal enteropathy triggered by the consumption of gluten in predisposed individuals. A recent study showed that individuals were at more than 10% risk of having CeD if a first-degree relative also had the disease. However, only around 50% of CeD genetic heritability is attributable to specific loci, with the majority of this heritable risk attributed to the HLA loci, while the remaining 50% of disease risk is currently unidentified. We investigated the butyrophilin family of immunomodulators as novel CeD risk loci. We sequenced the butyrophilin loci of 48 CeD and 46 control patients and carried out gene-based burden testing on the captured single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We found a significantly increased BTN2A1 gene burden in CeD patients. To validate these results, the SNP data of 3094 CeD patients and 29,762 control participants from the UK Biobank database were subjected to single-variant analyses. Fourteen BTN2A1, ten BTN3A1, and thirteen BTN3A2 SNPs were significantly associated with CeD status. These results are interesting, as BTN2A1 and BTN3A2 have not been associated with CeD risk previously but are known to modulate the activation of Vγ9+ γδ T cells and NK cells. Twenty of the 37 SNPs above were associated with CeD status independent of the risk-associated HLA genotypes. All twenty of these SNPs, alongside a novel SNP not included in the above SNPs, were associated with CeD in HLA-DQ2.5-matched case-control groups. We reaffirm the association of the BTN3A2 locus with CeD risk and identify BTN2A1 and BTN3A1 as putative novel CeD risk loci. Full article

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using a modified literature method involving aqueous AgNO₃ (3 mM) and plant extract (LCE) at a constant ratio, under alkaline conditions and controlled temperature. The nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential analysis and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The UV-Vis spectra displayed a broad absorption band around 450 nm, indicative of polydispersity, while DLS revealed a hydrodynamic diameter of 90.3 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.3366. Zeta potential values suggested reduced electrostatic stability compared with previously reported plant-derived AgNPs, although STEM images confirmed predominantly spherical, well-dispersed nanoparticles with sizes between 15 and 20 nm. Functional assays in zebrafish demonstrated the biological relevance of AgNPs. In scopolamine-induced models of cognitive and behavioral deficits, AgNPs treatment significantly improved memory and locomotor activity, as assessed by the Y-Maze, Novel Tank Diving Test and Novel Object Recognition Test. Full article

This paper proposes a novel fixed-time super-twisting sliding mode control (ST-SMC) strategy for uncertain robotic arm systems, aiming to address the issues of control chattering and the uncontrollable upper bound of convergence time in traditional sliding mode control algorithms. The proposed approach enhances system robustness, suppresses chattering, and ensures that the convergence time of the robotic arm can be explicitly bounded. First, a sliding surface with fixed-time convergence characteristics is constructed to guarantee that the tracking errors on this surface converge to the origin within a prescribed time. Then, an immersion and invariance (I&I) disturbance observer with exponential convergence properties is designed to estimate large, time-varying disturbances in real time, thereby compensating for system uncertainties. Based on this observer, a new super-twisting sliding mode controller is developed to drive the trajectory tracking errors toward the sliding surface within fixed time, achieving global fixed-time convergence of the tracking errors. Simulation results demonstrate that, regardless of the initial conditions, the proposed controller ensures fixed-time convergence of the tracking errors, effectively eliminates control torque chattering, and achieves a tracking error accuracy as low as 2 × 10⁻⁹. These results validate the proposed method’s applicability and robustness for high-precision robotic systems. Full article

The detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at low operating temperatures is critical for public health, environmental monitoring, and industrial safety, yet it remains a significant challenge for conventional sensor technologies. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as highly versatile precursors for creating advanced sensing materials. This review critically examines the transformation of MOFs into functional catalytic interfaces for low-temperature chemiresistive VOC sensing. We survey the key synthetic strategies, with a focus on controlled pyrolysis, that enable the conversion of insulating MOF precursors into semiconducting derivatives with tailored porosity, morphology, and catalytically active sites. This review establishes the crucial synthesis-structure-performance relationships that govern sensing behavior, analyzing how factors like calcination temperature and precursor composition dictate the final material’s properties. We delve into the underlying chemiresistive sensing mechanisms, supported by evidence from advanced characterization techniques such as in situ DRIFTS and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which elucidate the role of oxygen vacancies and heterojunctions in enhancing low-temperature catalytic activity. A central focus is placed on the persistent challenges of achieving high selectivity and robust performance in complex, real-world environments. We critically evaluate and compare strategies to mitigate interference from confounding gases and ambient humidity, including intrinsic material design and extrinsic system-level solutions like sensor arrays coupled with machine learning. Finally, this review synthesizes the current state of the art, identifies key bottlenecks related to stability and scalability, and provides a forward-looking perspective on emerging frontiers, including novel device architectures and computational co-design, to guide the future development of practical MOF-derived VOC sensors. Full article

Marine magnetic surveys are vast and time-consuming, and researchers have long been seeking an economical mode for large-area data acquisition. A towed magnetic measurement system was developed based on the motion characteristics of the wave glider. By modifying the SeaSPY2 magnetometer, a twin-body towed configuration was developed, in which an S-shaped towing cable mitigates motion-induced impacts from the platform, and a high-precision GNSS positioning module was integrated into the system. Sea trials were conducted in the coastal waters near Qingdao. The results indicated that the system achieved an average cruising speed of 0.56 m/s, with the towed body’s pitch and roll angles controlled within ±5° and ±1°, respectively. The dynamic noise was measured at 0.0639 nT (Level 1), and the internal consistency for repeated survey lines and cross lines was 1.832 nT and 1.956 nT, respectively, meeting the requirements of marine magnetic survey standards. The system offers unmanned operation, zero carbon emissions, and a minimal environmental footprint, and long endurance, supporting applications such as nearshore exploration, mapping in sensitive marine areas, and underwater magnetic target detection. The research provides a novel unmanned technological solution for deep-sea magnetic surveys and lays the foundation for low-cost, cluster-based operations. Full article

Non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) emits a significant amount of NO_x and particulate matter (PM), yet there is still a lack of economically feasible purification technologies up to now. In response to this issue, and taking into account the relatively flexible installation conditions for exhaust purification systems in NRMM, this study proposes a novel technical approach for the simultaneous removal of NO_x and PM based on gas-phase O₃ oxidation combined with Venturi scrubbing. The effects of O₃ oxidation on the PM physicochemical properties, O₃ concentration, liquid-to-gas (L/G) ratio, and surfactant addition in the scrubbing liquid on the PM removal and simultaneous removal of PM and NO_x were investigated. The results showed that O₃ oxidation significantly promoted PM removal in the absence of NO, which was attributed to the increase in the hydrophilicity of PM resulting from O₃ oxidation. However, O₃ preferentially reacted with NO, thereby reducing the removal efficiency of PM under the conditions when PM and NO coexisted. Adding surfactants to the scrubbing liquid improved PM removal and increasing the liquid-to-gas ratio improved the removal of both PM and NO_x. When both the O₃/NO molar ratio and liquid-to-gas ratio were 1.5, the removal efficiencies of NO_x and PM reached 87% and 92%, respectively, and O₃ escape was also effectively controlled. These findings demonstrated that the combination of gas-phase O₃ oxidation and Venturi scrubbing is a promising purification technology for NRMM exhausts. Full article

The global rise of multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogens, including the widespread resistance to beta-lactams through the production of β-lactamases, like extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), has led to the increasing use of last-line antibiotics such as carbapenems. Subsequently, the worldwide emergence of carbapenemase-producing pathogens poses a formidable challenge. The combination ceftazidime/avibactam (CAZ/AVI) has emerged as a pivotal agent in the management of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections. Avibactam, a novel β-lactamase inhibitor, demonstrates a wider spectrum of activity against Ambler Class A, C, and partially D β-lactamases in comparison to older inhibitors, thus enhancing the antimicrobial activity of ceftazidime against organisms producing ESBL and carbapenemases, such as oxacillinase (OXA)-type and Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase (KPC). This review synthesizes findings from randomized controlled trials and cohort studies, evaluating the efficacy of CAZ/AVI across diverse clinical settings, including complicated intra-abdominal infections, urinary tract infections, nosocomial pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections, and bloodstream infections. The non-inferiority of CAZ-AVI with respect to carbapenems and superiority over polymyxins in terms of both clinical outcomes and safety are outlined, along with evidence supporting the use of CAZ/AVI in high-risk populations such as immunocompromised and critically ill patients. Overall, CAZ/AVI represents a compelling therapeutic option with favorable efficacy and safety, thus appearing as a reasonable frontline treatment for resistant Gram-negative infections. Full article

CO₂ fracturing (CO₂-Frac) is a novel technology for coal mine gas control, which is distinct from CO₂ Enhanced Coalbed Methane, and has been applied to alleviate in situ stress concentration and to eliminate coal and gas outbursts in coal mines. However, the reasons for the greatly varying effects of CO₂-Frac application among different regions remains largely unknown, and the influence of geological structures, particularly pre-existing fracture orientations, remains poorly understood. The equipment system of phase fracturing and permeability improvement of low-permeability coalbed methane and the gas phase fracturing and permeability improvement technology are studied and analyzed, and the engineering application is carried out in the head face of Xinyuan Coal Mine. This study conducted three CO₂-Frac experiments in the Xinyuan coal mine in which borehole orientations were varied, with the primary fracture strike of coal seam #3 in the Shanxi Formation ranging from N3°E to N15°E. The characteristics of reservoir stress redistribution after CO₂-Frac and its mechanism controlled by the orientation of primary fractures were explored based on the analysis of microseismic focal mechanisms. The results showed that (1) Both the fracturing section and the buffer section determined the stress relief effect of CO₂-Frac. While the different experiments showed largely similar stress relief effects of the fracturing section, the effects of the buffer section greatly differed. (2) The microseismic events generated by the CO₂-Frac in the borehole with an N–S orientation showed a more concentrated spatial distribution, with higher proportions of tensile and dip-slip events. (3) The range of the stress relief in the buffer section of the borehole with an N–S orientation exceeded those of the other sections. Further geological analysis revealed that higher stress relief was achieved in both boreholes with a N–S orientation and a smaller angle between the borehole direction and the primary fracture orientation (angle BF). An improved numerical calculation model that integrated fracture mechanics and gas reservoir engineering was used in this study; the result showed that an improved CO₂-Frac effect was achieved under a BF angle of 0–21°, in good agreement with the field experiment results. The results of this study can help improve the effectiveness of CO₂-Frac and reduce the occurrence of coal and gas outbursts. Full article

Plants play critical roles as nature-based solutions to maintaining air quality and regulating biogeochemical cycles, yet the mechanisms underlying these complex systems remain poorly understood. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), a globally present atmospheric oxidant, shows well-documented diurnal variation, but no direct link to plant transpiration has previously been reported. This study aimed to determine whether plants can produce exogenous H₂O₂ through transpiration and condensation, thereby revealing a novel pathway by which plants influence proximal and potentially global atmospheric chemistry. To investigate this, we examined a natural plant system undergoing photosynthesis and transpiration; our work was inspired by recent laboratory findings where spontaneous H₂O₂ was generated during the condensation of water vapour into microdroplets in engineered systems. Condensed water collected near leaf surfaces revealed H₂O₂ concentrations of 1–5 ppm, verified using both commercial peroxide test strips and spectrophotometric titration. Importantly, H₂O₂ production occurred only under light conditions when plants were transpiring, while controls without plants or without light showed no detectable levels. A strong distance-dependence was also observed, with minimal to no H₂O₂ detected beyond 40 cm from leaves. These findings suggest that plant-driven formation of water vapour and subsequent condensation produces measurable H₂O₂, establishing a previously unrecognized mechanism with implications for air quality improvement, atmospheric oxidation processes, and climate change modelling and mitigation. Full article

Leaf color, as a key ornamental and quality trait in leafy vegetable sweet potato, is controlled by the coordinated regulation of multiple pigment metabolic pathways. To dissect the mechanisms underlying leaf color variation, the integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed on three contrasting phenotypes: green (G), yellow (Y), and purple-red (R). The results showed that purplish-red leaves accumulated the highest levels of anthocyanins (16.36 mg·g⁻¹) and total chlorophyll (2.54 mg·g⁻¹), indicating that the synergistic accumulation of anthocyanins and chlorophyll contributes to their dark pigmentation. In contrast, yellow leaves contained the lowest carotenoid content yet displayed the highest carotenoid-to-chlorophyll ratio (6.44), suggesting that reduced chlorophyll levels coupled with a relatively higher carotenoid proportion underlie the yellow phenotype. Green leaves exhibited a more balanced pigment profile, with a total chlorophyll content of 1.94 mg·g⁻¹. Transcriptomic profiling revealed elevated expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes CHS, CHI, F3H, and chlorophyll metabolism-related genes CHLG and CAO in purplish-red leaves, whereas carotenoid biosynthesis genes LCY and CYP97A3 showed specific regulation in yellow leaves. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that leaf color formation in leafy vegetable sweet potato is determined by the relative accumulation of chlorophylls, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, together with differential regulation of their biosynthetic pathways. This work provides novel insights into the molecular basis of leaf color variation and offers a theoretical foundation for genetic improvement of leafy vegetable sweet potato. Full article

Severe asthma is a heterogeneous condition often resistant to conventional corticosteroid therapy, necessitating the identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This study investigates immunological, transcriptional, and proteomic biomarkers in severe asthma patients from the Brazilian ProAR cohort. Cytokines were measured using a multiplex technology and the differential sputum cell count was performed by cytospin preparations. Sputum transcriptomics was performed by RNA-seq using Ion S5 next-generation sequencing platform. The proteomic study of sputum was performed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) using Q Exactive Orbitrap technology. Compared to mild-to-moderate asthma (MMA) and treatment-controlled severe asthma (SAC), the treatment-resistant severe asthma (SAR) group exhibited increased sputum neutrophilia, eosinophilia, and elevated IL-6 and TNF levels, correlating with impaired lung function. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed a Th2-independent molecular signature characterized by downregulation of the Hippo signaling pathway and upregulation of JAK–STAT inflammatory cascades. Distinctive microRNA profiles suggest regulatory involvement in inflammatory and proliferative processes. These findings align with prior studies, reinforcing the presence of an IL-6- and TNF-high severe asthma phenotype across diverse populations. Our results highlight key inflammatory pathways that may underlie corticosteroid resistance, offering potential targets for personalized therapeutic interventions in severe asthma. Full article