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Intergenerational contact frequency and health outcomes among empty-nest older adults in China: a mediation analysis through physical exercise
Whale graveyard discovered 7km under the sea
CIEDE2000 colour difference formula for surface colour analysis of low-carbon grey and white portland cement pastes with high-volume GGBS replacement
Abstract The global movement towards sustainable concrete is accelerating the adoption of low-carbon cement within the construction sector. Many engineering properties of low-carbon cement-based materials (CBMs) containing supplementary cementitious materials have been extensively studied and are well understood, but information regarding colour properties is limited. In this study, a colour analysis was conducted on cement paste incorporating ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) as replacement material for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and white Portland cement (WPC). The replacement levels were set at 0%, 30%, 50% and 70% by OPC or WPC volume. Results from CIEDE2000 colour difference formula (∆ E 00 ) showed that the water-cured WPC paste had highest colour uniformity (∆ E 00 = 0.10 ± 0.03), whereas the OPC paste had the lowest (∆ E 00 = 1.29 ± 0.76). GGBS addition increases the lightness ( L *) of the OPC paste but decreases the L * of the WPC paste at similar rates. The highest colour difference (∆ E 00 ) between a control mix (has only OPC or WPC) and mixes containing 70% GGBS was approximately 7. When red iron oxide pigment was added, the ∆ E 00 value dropped to approximately 3.7 for the WPC mix and 1.5 for the OPC mix. This result shows that a notable colour change was observed when Portland cement was replaced with high-volume GGBS in the cement pastes, but this colour difference was considerably reduced in pigmented mixtures. This interesting result reveals that in construction products, Portland cement can be replaced with high-volume GGBS without compromising the products’ surface colour.
Deformation mechanism and mechanical response of coal mine roadway roof in the unsupported area during rapid tunneling
Daily briefing: Deep-sea whale graveyard is a treasure trove of fossils
Hierarchical meta-reinforcement learning
Shared neural substrates of prosocial and parenting behaviours
Enhancing UAV survivability through real-time stall detection and parachute assisted recovery
Abstract Ensuring the safety and survivability of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during stall conditions is critical for minimizing operational risks, financial losses, and system failures. This paper presents a novel stall detection and emergency recovery system that integrates an STM32-based flight controller with a multi-parameter, altitude-aware parachute deployment mecha- nism, distinguishing it from conventional approaches that rely solely on single-threshold pitch/roll triggers. Stall events are detected using gyroscope and accelerometer data from an onboard inertial measurement unit (IMU), combined with angular velocity, vertical acceleration, and motor saturation to accurately identify unrecoverable conditions. Emergency responses are triggered within 1.1 s of stall confirmation. System performance was validated through Mission Planner simulations and. Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing, demonstrating that parachute deployment at 25 m reduced impact velocity from 22.2 m/s to. 3.2 m/s (95% survival rate), while deployments at 10 m proved largely ineffective (survival rate ∼40%), emphasizing the need for low-altitude impact mitigation strategies below 15 m. Additionally, the system transmits GPS coordinates upon landing to facilitate rapid UAV retrieval. The proposed approach offers improved reliability, multi-parameter detection, and hybrid recovery. compared to existing methods, with direct applicability to delivery, surveillance, and industrial inspection drones. The design has been filed under Indian patent number 202,541,051,308.
FedAttn-Credit: attention-augmented federated learning with adaptive differential privacy for rural inclusive finance credit assessment
A CFD assessment of Weber number impacts on dropwise condensation heat transfer for an individual droplet
Revealed: how Venus flytraps snap shut with astonishing speed
TM4SF1 mediates YAP/TAZ regulation of coronary artery formation
Abstract Although the role of YAP/TAZ in mediating VEGF-driven angiogenesis is well established, their downstream effectors in coronary artery development remain elusive. In this study, we identify TM4SF1 as a novel downstream target of YAP/TAZ in coronary endothelial cells. Conditional deletion of YAP/TAZ in the endocardial lineage resulted in embryonic lethality due to congenital heart defects, including ventricular noncompaction. Mutant embryos exhibited severe coronary vessel defects, including the absence of major arteries. Loss of YAP/TAZ significantly inhibited endothelial cell proliferation and coronary angiogenesis. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that YAP/TAZ deficiency downregulated the expression of TM4SF1, a known regulator of angiogenesis, in the endocardium and coronary endothelium. Consistently, YAP/TAZ were required for VEGF-induced upregulation of TM4SF1 in endothelial cells. Moreover, YAP/TAZ-mediated upregulation of TM4SF1 was essential for VEGF-driven angiogenesis in HUVECs. Together, these findings indicate that TM4SF1 functions downstream of YAP/TAZ to regulate endothelial angiogenic processes, suggesting a potential role for TM4SF1 in coronary artery development.
Skeletal muscle mitochondrial impairment in patients with newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis revealed by ¹H/³¹P magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Abstract Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) and may contribute to its fatigue and muscle weakness. Whether skeletal muscle metabolic changes are present at disease onset is unclear. In this observational matched case-control study we investigated muscle metabolism and its relation to systemic metabolic measures in newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve patients with MS (PwMS) and matched healthy controls. Gastrocnemius metabolism was assessed using static and dynamic 7 T 1 H/ 31 P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), measuring energy metabolites, membrane-related compounds, and post-exercise phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery. Systemic metabolism was assessed by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) measuring glucose, insulin, and GLP-1. Static MRS revealed lower carnosine ( p = 0.044) and a trend toward lower acetylcarnitine in PwMS. Dynamic ³¹P-MRS showed elevated pre-exercise inorganic phosphate (Pi; p = 0.012), trend toward reduced PCr/Pi ratio, and prolonged PCr recovery ( p = 0.031) in PwMS. PwMS also had reduced GLP-1 response during OGTT ( p = 0.032) despite preserved insulin sensitivity. Higher PCr levels were associated with greater GLP-1 response in PwMS only; longer PCr recovery was associated with insulin resistance parameters in controls only. Newly diagnosed MS is associated with skeletal muscle mitochondrial impairment during energetic stress, despite largely preserved systemic metabolic status. Altered metabolites, delayed recovery, and association with reduced GLP-1 response suggest impaired muscle bioenergetics and altered systemic metabolic regulation present at disease onset. Targeting mitochondrial and metabolic pathways offers therapeutic potential in early MS. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03052595, date of registration: 14th Feb 2017.
Numerical investigation of subtle feature of geometry effects on magneto-active elastomer cylindrical actuators
Virulence determinants, antifungal resistance, and genotype-phenotype associations in Candida bloodstream isolates: a three-year surveillance study from Northern India
In silico study of 14-3-3σ and Nipah virus W proteins interaction
Abstract Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic zoonotic RNA virus that causes severe encephalitis, systemic vasculitis, and multiorgan damage in humans, with a case fatality rate of 40–75%. Among the viral factors implicated in NiV pathogenicity is the W protein, an intrinsically disordered product of the P gene. By binding to members of the 14-3-3 protein family, which regulate critical processes such as the cell cycle, apoptosis, and immune responses, W protein is thought to modulate host signaling pathways. Yet the molecular and structural basis of this interaction remains poorly understood. Here, we employed the AlphaFold 3 algorithm to predict 1000 models of the heterotetrameric complex formed by W protein dimers and the 14-3-3σ dimer. Candidate structures were filtered according to two structural criteria—potential disulfide bond formation between Cys421 residues of the W dimer, and preservation of interactions between phosphorylated Ser449 (Sep449) and residues Arg56, Arg129, and Tyr130 in the 14-3-3σ binding site. Nine models that satisfied these criteria were further refined and evaluated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in the OpenMM environment. Following 100-ns MD simulations, three models were selected for extended microsecond-scale simulations to assess their stability over extended timescales. The simulations indicated that all three complexes remained stable over the simulated timescales and displayed structural features consistent with interactions involving intrinsically disordered proteins. Among them, one model (Model 3) showed the most favorable combination of structural and energetic features. Our findings support the structural feasibility of the proposed interaction and demonstrate that the modeled heterotetrameric complex is capable of adopting stable conformations. These results provide a basis for further in silico studies and exploratory small-molecule screening aimed at modulating this protein–protein interaction in the context of viral host–pathogen interactions.