Browse Articles

Mechanical behavior of cemented paste backfill under the coupled effect of loading rate and moisture content

This study investigates the coupled effects of loading rate and moisture condition on the mechanical behavior of cemented paste backfill (CPB). Uniaxial compression tests were conducted on CPB specimens under dry (0%), nature (18%), and saturated (32%) moisture conditions at loading rates ranging from 0.05 to 2.0 mm/min. The results show that uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) follows a second-order polynomial relation with loading rate and exhibits an overall rise-then-fall trend, with a common transition region around 1.0 mm/min. Relative to the nature condition, the dry condition generally enhances strength and stiffness, whereas the saturated condition weakens them but increases peak strain over the low-to-intermediate loading-rate range. Failure mode is also moisture dependent, with dry specimens showing more brittle behavior and saturated specimens exhibiting more tensile-dominated failure. The nonlinear index is likewise sensitive to loading rate and moisture condition, and saturated CPB exhibits the highest nonlinear index before the transition region. Based on UCPI analysis, the fitted optimal loading rates are 1.20, 1.23, and 0.97 mm/min for the dry, nature, and saturated conditions, respectively. Although the fitted optima differ slightly, they remain clustered around 1.0 mm/min. These findings indicate that loading-rate regulation in underground backfill-supported environments should account for the prevailing moisture condition rather than rely on a single fixed loading-rate criterion.

Intelligent hybrid decision support systems for education policy and institutional performance optimization

Single-parameter programmed thermomechanical actuation via 3D-printed helical director fields in liquid crystal elastomers

Abstract Stimuli-responsive material like liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) hold great promise for untethered soft machines, yet conventional extrusion-based 3D printing restricts their molecular alignment strictly to the uniaxial deposition path. This inherent constraint strongly couples the actuation mode to the printed geometry, typically requiring complex multi-material architectures or spatially structured stimuli to achieve multimodal behaviors. Here we introduce a rotational 3D printing approach that embeds a helical director field within LCE filaments, enabling multimodal actuation controlled by a single fabrication parameter: the helix angle ( θ ). Tuning θ programs each filament to contract, elongate, twist or remain macroscopically invariant when heated, decoupling actuation from device geometry. Spatial gradients in θ create a hierarchy of activation temperatures, yielding sequential shape changes under uniform heating. Localized heating of the magnetic-LCE composite segments allows their magnetic domains to be reoriented, making the shape programs rewritable and enabling switchable volatile and non-volatile memory. We demonstrate these capabilities in self-partitioning grippers, multimodal/color robots and reprogrammable guidewires that perform multi-step or adaptive tasks without external circuitry. By encoding actuation modes, deformation sequences, and memory in a single parameter, this approach establishes a paradigm of material-encoded programmability and points toward monolithic soft robots and reconfigurable structures.

Evaluation of Colombian silk fibroin hydrogels functionalized with recombinant LSECtin for intervertebral disc tissue engineering

This study evaluated the potential of Colombian silk fibroin hydrogels functionalized with recombinant LSECtin (rLSECtin) for intervertebral disc tissue engineering. In silico analysis indicated that rLSECtin may interact with glycans similar to those found in human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) through residues Asn105, Asp106, Glu93, Asn87, and Glu85, which coordinate calcium to form hydrogen bonds with GlcNAc hydroxyl groups. rLSECtin was successfully produced, purified, and incorporated into silk fibroin hydrogels. Thermal analysis showed that the hydrogels were resistant to sterilization, and rheological studies demonstrated predominantly elastic, gel-like behavior. The secondary structure of the hydrogels was largely determined by α-helical content, which is related to silk I with β-sheets also contributing as a result of sonication-induced structuring. Metabolic activity assays indicated that rLSECtin was associated with increased ADSC metabolic activity under two-dimensional conditions, whereas hydrogels containing rLSECtin maintained cell viability, as confirmed by cell viability assays. Differentiated constructs exhibited glycosaminoglycan-rich extracellular matrix and chondrocyte-like morphology, whereas rLSECtin-functionalized hydrogels showed increased transcription of SOX9 , ACAN , and COL2A1 , along with elevated COL10A1 of uncertain significance for nucleus pulposus stability. Overall, Colombian silk fibroin hydrogels provide a mechanically stable and cytocompatible platform relevant for nucleus pulposus tissue engineering, in which rLSECtin appears to act primarily as a biochemical modulator rather than a structural modifier. These findings support a proof of concept for lectin-functionalized biomaterials in intervertebral disc regeneration. However, further studies, including mechanistic validation of glycan–lectin interactions, protein-level confirmation, quantitative extracellular matrix analysis, and evaluation of signaling pathways, are required to establish functional and translational relevance.

Monogenic kidney disease and monogenic diabetes are present in renal clinic patients with non-genetic diagnoses

Tocilizumab versus sarilumab among adults hospitalised with COVID-19: target trial emulation across England and Scotland

Abstract The interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors tocilizumab and sarilumab have been repurposed for COVID-19 treatment. However, discrepancies exist across global and national COVID-19 guidelines, with limited data on the comparative effectiveness between these therapeutics especially during the delta/omicron periods. With the approval of NHS England and Public Health Scotland, we compared their effectiveness among adults hospitalised with COVID-19 using electronic health records data through the OpenSAFELY-TPP (England) and EAVE II (Scotland) platforms. Following the target trial emulation framework, 10,487 patients treated between July 2021 and February 2022, when both drugs were frequently prescribed, were included. In England, 1150 (20.1%) of 5710 participants receiving tocilizumab died by day 28 compared with 820 (20.4%) of 4025 participants receiving sarilumab (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.07, 95% CI 0.96-1.19). In Scotland, 114 (29.4%) of 388 participants receiving tocilizumab died by day 28 compared with 97 (27.0%) of 359 participants receiving sarilumab (aHR 0.92, 95% CI 0.68-1.23). There was no evidence of a difference in time to hospital discharge between the groups, and no credible effect modification by variant of concern, vaccination status, age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index, or comorbidities. Our findings provide supportive evidence for both drugs as alternative therapeutic options in COVID-19 in-patient management.

Adaptive transgenerational plasticity through priming in response to neighbor density in Mimulus platycalyx

Transgenerational plasticity (TGP) allows organisms to epigenetically alter offspring phenotypes based on their own environmental experience. TGP is adaptive if offspring perform better when their conditions match those experienced by parents. TGP is now a well-established phenomenon in plants with current research focusing on the range of environmental causes and the mechanisms that epigenetically translate environmental experiences into phenotypic responses. Neighbor density is here tested as potential environmental driver of TPG, either through induction (response determined only by parental experience) or priming (response determined by the combination of parental and offspring experience). Replicate individuals of a single genotype of Mimulus platycalyx were grown to maturity under three conditions: No neighbors, Moderate neighbor density, High neighbor density. Offspring produced by selfing plants within each parental treatment were grown under both crowded and uncrowded conditions and measured for height, plant size traits, and flower number. Offspring growing under crowded conditions were relatively taller, had bigger leaves, and produced more flowers if their parents experienced neighbor competition than if their parents did not. In contrast, offspring grown alone performed relatively better when their parents did not experience competition. This pattern of performance variation, where plants did relatively better when the environmental conditions that they experienced matched those of their parents, suggests adaptive transgenerational priming in this species.

The impact of core stability training on jump serve speed in male volleyball players

Chang’e-6 farside anorthosites indicate hemispherically comparable magma ocean solidification

Abstract Ferroan anorthosites (FANs) reflect the nature of the Moon’s crust formed during the late-stage lunar magma ocean (LMO). Remote sensing suggests a hemispheric dichotomy in crustal composition, with the farside anorthositic highlands being more magnesian than the nearside. Lacking direct compositional and chronological constraints from farside anorthosites, whether this crustal dichotomy reflects asynchronous LMO solidification or post-LMO crustal reworking remains uncertain. Here we present an integrated petrological, geochemical, and geochronological study of farside anorthosite clasts returned by the Chang’e-6 mission. These clasts exhibit both mineralogical and compositional similarity with nearside Apollo FANs, supporting a comparable LMO-derived primary crust on both hemispheres. A zircon-bearing anorthosite domain contains recrystallised plagioclase enriched in rare earth elements (REE), thorium, and phosphorus, suggesting thermal reworking and metasomatism by a KREEP (potassium, REE, and phosphorus)-rich magma. High-precision lead-lead dating of zircon constrains this reworking event to 4,410 ± 8 Ma, establishing a local lower bound for farside LMO solidification. These findings establish a critical chronological benchmark for farside LMO solidification and offer direct evidence of a comparable primary crust across the Moon, constraining the origin of the crustal dichotomy to post-LMO reworking.

The prognostic value of systemic inflammatory indices in elderly patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

Background Very old patients represent the fastest-growing age subgroup among patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), which justifies studying age-specific prognostic behavior in this population. While systemic inflammatory indices are increasingly recognized for their prognostic potential in various conditions, their specific value in this rapidly expanding geriatric cohort remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether specific indices, particularly the Monocyte-to-Albumin Ratio (MAR) and Systemic Inflammatory Response Index (SIRI), provide independent prognostic information for case-fatality in this population. Methods and findings We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of patients aged ≥65 years with spontaneous ICH admitted to a single tertiary emergency department between 2020 and 2025. Of 326 patients initially screened, 118 consecutive patients met inclusion criteria and constituted the cohort. Inflammatory indices were calculated from admission blood tests. Admission non-contrast cranial computed tomography scans were utilized to measure initial hematoma volume using the validated ABC/2 and ABC/2-derived compartmental methods. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause case-fatality; secondary outcomes included 48-hour and 90-day case-fatality. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression models were adjusted for age, sex, hemorrhage type, and treatment type. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess predictive performance. Both MAR and SIRI were significantly higher in the deceased patient group at 30 days (p = 0.049 and p = 0.029, respectively). ROC analysis showed modest predictive value for 30-day case-fatality (MAR AUC = 0.606; SIRI AUC = 0.617). In multivariable analysis, MAR > 0.018 was independently associated with increased odds of 30-day (OR=3.57, 95% CI: 1.44–8.85) and 90-day case-fatality (OR=3.18, 95% CI: 1.28–7.92), while SIRI was not significant. Cox regression confirmed that patients with MAR ≤ 0.018 had a significantly lower 90-day case-fatality risk (HR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.26–0.74). Multiple linear regression analysis identified MAR as the sole significant independent predictor of initial hematoma volume (p = 0.037), whereas other indices showed no such association. Furthermore, logistic regression confirmed that each one-unit (1 mL) increase in hemorrhage volume significantly elevated the odds of case-fatality by 9.8% (OR=1.098,95%CI:1.058–1.140,p < 0.001). Study limitations include its retrospective single-center design, and sample size constraints that limited multivariable modeling. Conclusions In elderly patients with spontaneous ICH, admission MAR is independently associated with short- and medium-term case-fatality, whereas SIRI offers limited additional prognostic value. MAR may serve as a useful adjunctive marker for risk stratification, but its data-driven cut-offs and modest discrimination necessitate external validation and prospective assessment before clinical adoption.

Debris flow disaster information representation and perception based on knowledge graphs and virtual geographic environments

A Bayesian modelling framework to improve antibody titer estimation applied to RSV dilution series data

Prevalence and risk factors of abuse against older adult women: A cross-sectional community study in Eastern Andalusia, Spain

Abuse against older adult women remains a serious public health issue and a flagrant violation of human rights in Spain. However, research specifically addressing abuse against older adult women is still limited, contributing to a significant gap in scientific knowledge. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of overall abuse, and its different forms, experienced by older adult women (≥ 60 years) in a specific area of Eastern Andalusia, Spain, over the past twelve months, and to identify associated risk factors. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 209 non-institutionalised older adult women, using the Geriatric Mistreatment Scale and collecting sociodemographic and lifestyle data. A high prevalence of abuse was found, with 49.3% of participants reporting some type of abuse, with psychological abuse being the most common (36.4%), followed by physical (23.0%), economic (13.9%), sexual (11.0%) and neglect (7.7%). Factors such as age, marital status, self-perceived health status and feelings of loneliness were identified as significant risk factors. These findings highlight the need to strengthen detection, prevention and response strategies within community and household settings, particularly by equipping primary care, social services and other community-based professionals—especially social workers—with the skills to identify both overt and subtle forms of abuse experienced by older adult women living at home.

Exploring stressors in paediatric dentistry clinical training among Polish and international dental students at the Medical University of Lodz

Analysis of computational tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer from the results of the TIGER challenge

Abstract Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is a recognized prognostic biomarker in breast cancer. However, poor interobserver agreement and limited reproducibility highlight the need for computational approaches. Despite advances, adoption of computational models has been hindered by lack of standardized methods and robust benchmarks. To address this, we launched TIGER, an international competition to build open-source computational TILs (cTILs) models. Here, we present a multi-centric analysis of cTILs methods on resections and biopsies from 3,708 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) or triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) from clinical practice and phase 3 trials. We report benchmarks on image analysis performance, show strong agreement of cTILs with pathologists, and demonstrate positive association of cTILs with neoadjuvant therapy response in HER2+, superior to visually scored TILs. We also show that cTILs add independent prognostic information to clinical variables in TNBC resections. Data, methods and benchmarks are publicly available: https://tiger.grand-challenge.org/ .

Trends in admission, resource use and outcomes among elderly patients admitted to an intensive care unit in China

Background Population aging, coupled with improvements in healthcare, may influence ICU admission trends and care practices among critically ill elderly patients (≥80 years), longitudinal data evaluating this remain limited in China. Our aim was to analyze and compare trends in ICU admissions, clinical outcomes, and resource use among critically ill elderly patients (≥80 years), in comparison with older (65–79 years) and younger (16–64 years) cohorts. Methods We retrospectively analyzed ICU patients aged ≥16 years admitted to a tertiary referral hospital in China from January 2014 to December 2021. A total of 31,535 patients were categorized into three age groups: ≥ 80 years (11.5%), 65–79 years (30.7%), and <65 years (57.8%). Results ICU admission rates for elderly patients declined significantly from 13.2% in 2014 to 9.0% in 2021 (p < 0.001, relative decrease 31.8%), particularly among nonsurgical admissions. Elderly patients had higher comorbidities, greater disease severity scores, but lower daily average TISS-28 scores compared to younger cohorts. They were more likely to receive inotropic/vasopressor support and nutritional interventions, had higher blood loss due to frequent laboratory testing, and required more red blood cell transfusions. However, they were less likely to undergo invasive ventilation. The proportion of elderly patients requiring invasive ventilation decreased significantly over the study period. Despite a higher hospital mortality rate (elderly 14.1%, older 6.1%, younger 3.1%; p < 0.001), elderly patients demonstrated a more significant reduction in risk-adjusted mortality over time compared to younger patients (elderly vs. younger, 12.5% vs. 6.3%, relative reduction per year, p < 0.001). Conclusion ICU admission rates for elderly patients are declining, particularly in nonsurgical cases. Less invasive life support modalities have been increasingly utilized in their care. While mortality remains higher among elderly patients, they demonstrate a more significant improvement in survival over time compared to younger cohorts.

Cardiometabolic associations of SGLT-2 inhibitors on epicardial adiposity and left ventricular function in type 2 diabetes mellitus with coronary artery disease: insights from Malaysian EpiCAD study

Learning the PTM code through a coarse-to-fine mechanism-aware framework

Abstract Post-translational modifications (PTMs) form a complex combinatorial “code” that orchestrates protein function and cellular signaling. However, deciphering this code by predicting PTM sites and linking sites to their regulatory enzymes remains a fundamental challenge. Here, we present COMPASS-PTM, a mechanism-aware, coarse-to-fine learning framework that unifies residue-level multi-label PTM prediction with enzyme-substrate assignment by jointly modeling PTM patterns and their catalytic regulators. COMPASS-PTM builds upon protein language models, integrating physicochemical descriptors and a crosstalk-aware prompting mechanism to learn biologically coherent patterns of cooperative and antagonistic modifications, while addressing the dual long-tail distribution inherent in PTM data. Across multiple proteome-scale benchmarks, COMPASS-PTM improves over the strongest evaluated baselines, with a 122% relative improvement in F1-score for multi-label site prediction and a 54% gain in zero-shot enzyme assignment. Furthermore, the model demonstrates interpretable generalization, recovering canonical kinase motifs and mechanistically linking missense variants to both local PTM disruptions and global rewiring of enzyme-substrate networks. By coupling statistical learning with explicit biochemical knowledge, COMPASS-PTM unifies site-level and enzyme-level prediction into a single framework that learns the grammar underlying protein regulation and signaling.

Content-qualified antenatal care coverage in Lesotho: An ordinal logistic regression analysis of the 2023–2024 demographic and health survey

Background Despite high antenatal care contact coverage in Lesotho, the content and quality of care remains suboptimal. This study assessed the level and determinants of content-qualified antenatal care coverage using the 2023–2024 Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey. Methods Data were analyzed from 1,112 women aged 15–49 who had a live birth or stillbirth in the 2 years preceding the survey. Content-qualified antenatal care was constructed as a composite score (0–16) incorporating the timing of initiation, number of contacts, attendance of skilled providers, and receipt of 10 key content components. The score was categorized into ordered tertiles (low: 0–12, moderate: 13, high: 14–16). Survey-weighted ordinal logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with receiving higher content-qualified antenatal care. Results Overall, 28.1% of women had low, 32.4% moderate, and 39.5% high content-qualified antenatal care scores. Higher coverage was significantly associated with being married or living with a partner (AOR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.12–2.83), having secondary (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.34–3.14) and higher education (AOR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.21–2.98), using the internet at least once per week (AOR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.08–2.40), wanted pregnancy (AOR = 2.87, 95% CI: 1.65–5.01), a smaller household (AOR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.05–1.76), and higher community education (AOR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09–1.75). Conclusion Although antenatal care contact coverage is high in Lesotho, content-qualified coverage remains low and inequitable. Targeted interventions to improve maternal and community education, internet access, and pregnancy planning are essential to close the quality-coverage gap.

Thermal‐Driven Diode Polarity Switching From Competing Helical Superconducting States in WTe ₂ /α‐Fe ₂ O ₃ Heterostructures

ABSTRACT The superconducting diode effect has recently received considerable attention in condensed matter physics as a sensitive probe of symmetry‐broken and unconventional superconducting states. Here, we explore the superconducting diode effect in lateral Nb‐proximitized Josephson junctions composed of WTe 2 and antiferromagnetic insulating α‐Fe 2 O 3 , a heterostructure that exhibits both pronounced Rashba spin‐orbit coupling and a small net magnetization. We observe a robust and nonvolatile Josephson diode response, where the diode polarity can be initialized through pre‐training with both in‐plane and out‐of‐plane magnetic fields. Moreover, we uncover a thermal‐driven polarity switching, in which the diode polarity is reversed by heating above the superconducting transition and cooling back into the superconducting state, indicating a deterministic transition between competing superconducting states. Our theoretical calculations substantiate that these behaviors can be attributed to the formation of distinct helical superconducting states associated with opposite‐directed center‐of‐mass momenta. These findings establish the Josephson diode effect as a powerful probe of competing superconducting states in systems with broken inversion and time‐reversal symmetries, providing insight into the interplay between spin–orbit coupling, magnetism, and unconventional superconductivity.