Browse Articles

Effects of AI-assisted review presentation formats on consumer decision-making efficiency from a cognitive load perspective

Urine microscopy can identify cholemic nephropathy as a distinct form of kidney dysfunction in patients with acute on chronic liver failure

Determination of design requirements and characteristic analysis of powertrain configurations for electric tractors based on actual agricultural workload

Abstract Determining the design requirements for an electric tractor is crucial for its optimal configuration, as specifications vary across different agricultural operations, field sizes, and field characteristics. This study delineates the design requirements for electric tractors based on agricultural workload assessments. Subsequently, electric-tractor powertrain configurations were proposed, and their performance characteristics were analyzed. Initially, the agricultural workload for tractors with internal combustion engines of comparable class was measured during plow tillage, rotary tillage, and driving operations. Following this, the design requirements for electric tractors were conceptualized as power envelope curves derived from the measured agricultural workloads. These requirements were categorized into traction power and PTO (power take-off) power design requirements, considering the distinctive features of tractor operations in agriculture. Based on these stipulated requirements, three electric-tractor powertrain configurations were suggested. The performance of these configurations was evaluated concerning motor specifications, structural complexity, powertrain efficiency, and control difficulty. The results can be used as a basis for a methodology for establishing electric-tractor design requirements and for devising powertrain configurations, serving as a significant resource for future electric-tractor design and development.

Position tracking control of electro-hydrostatic actuators via adaptive finite-time backstepping and state observation

Abstract In this paper, the adaptive finite-time backstepping control approach is proposed for electro-hydrostatic actuator with symmetrical cylinder (EHSC) under the unmeasured states and disturbances. The state observer (SOB) is constructed to estimate the unmeasured states. To address the unknown dynamic system during design control procedure, the adaptive law based on the maximum norm of the radial basis function neural network (NN) is introduced for EHSC. In addition, the adaptive finite-time backstepping control scheme using SOB is synthesized to enrich the tracking performance of the EHSC. It is exhibited by theoretical Lyapunov analysis and backstepping approach that the finite-time stability is guaranteed under unmeasured states and disturbances. Ultimately, both simulation and experiment results are conducted to further confirm the workability of the suggested control algorithm.

Targeting STAT3 pathway attenuates macrophages inflammation and cardiovascular injury in a model of Kawasaki disease

TCF4 trinucleotide repeat expansion drives distinct proteomic signatures in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy

Abstract The aims of this study were to use an isogenic cell model system to investigate the proteomic consequences of TCF4 trinucleotide repeat expansion in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) and to identify potential molecular pathways contributing to disease pathogenesis. We used our previously established immortalized FECD cells (iFECD) that harbor CTG repeat expansion in TCF4 and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to generate an isogenic counterpart (iFECD TCF4 ΔCTG) in which the expansion was deleted. Comprehensive proteomic analysis was then performed using tandem mass tag (TMT)-labeled quantitative LC-MS/MS. The resulting data were subjected to differential expression analysis, functional enrichment analysis, and protein-protein interaction network construction to elucidate the molecular impact of the CTG repeat expansion. Deletion of the CTG repeat expansion significantly altered the corneal endothelial proteome, with 90 upregulated and 111 downregulated proteins (|log 2 fold change| ≥ 0.5, P -value < 0.05). Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the downregulated proteins were predominantly associated with extracellular matrix organization and cell–substrate adhesion pathways, while the upregulated proteins were enriched in interferon signaling and antigen-processing pathways. The most significantly upregulated proteins included neuropilin-1, Cip1-interacting zinc finger protein, and protein-glutamine gamma-glutamyltransferase 2, while protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 14 C, alpha-crystallin B chain, and 14-3-3 protein sigma showed the greatest downregulation. Our findings demonstrate that TCF4 CTG repeat expansion significantly impacts the corneal endothelial proteome, particularly affecting the extracellular matrix and cell adhesion proteins that likely contribute to guttae formation. These proteomic alterations provide mechanistic insights connecting trinucleotide repeat expansion to endothelial dysfunction and suggest potential therapeutic targets for FECD.

A multi-scale adaptive filtering and AtRes_SRU–transformer synergy for breast cancer histopathology classification

SVPWM based active filtering control of dual inverter fed open-end winding induction motor drive for harmonic mitigation

BGC-LiteNet: BeiDou grid code embedded lightweight neural architecture for real-time UAV fire detection and localization

Reproducible magnetophosphene thresholds induced by transcranial alternating magnetic stimulation in humans: a replication study

Reliability analysis in stress-strength model under record values with practical verification

Unstructured, disulfide-bridged C-terminus in helminth α-helical antimicrobial peptides enhances and modulates their activity

A predictive model for PICC-related thrombosis in sepsis patients using XGBoost algorithm

Optimization and characterization of Sida acuta mediated synthesis of nickeloxide nanoparticles using Taguchi–Grey method

Spatiotemporal bidding for multi-energy systems with photovoltaic dominance: a scenario-based Stackelberg–Nash game formulation

Hibernating bear serum triggers an anti-fibrotic signature in human fibroblasts, involving ECM remodeling and MAPK signaling activation

Abstract Some hibernating species, such as the brown bear ( Ursus arctos ), can endure several months of physical inactivity and fasting without suffering the typical deterioration observed in inactive or starved non-hibernators, such as muscle atrophy, bone loss or systemic inflammation. The underlying physiological and molecular adaptive mechanisms may involve humoral factors circulating in the blood, which could help maintain cellular and tissue homeostasis under prolonged stress. To investigate the intracellular mechanisms triggered by blood components from hibernating bears, we treated human fibroblast cells with serum from either active bears, hibernating bears, or fetal bovine serum as controls. We then performed an untargeted proteomics analysis to identify changes in the treated cells. This revealed remodeling of extracellular matrix (ECM) and modulation of key regulatory pathways, indicating an anti-fibrotic signature in cells treated with hibernating bear serum. In particular, it was characterized by reduced levels of fibrotic markers such as collagens (COL2A1, COL11A1, COL9A1) and the TGF-β1-associated signaling component TGFBI, as well as activation of the MAPK cascade. Additionally, a decrease in the levels of inflammatory markers (IFI16, HMGB2, and HMGB), which play a key role in the fibrosis process, was observed. Overall, our study provides new evidence that hibernation-related circulating factors are associated with changes in pro-fibrosis pathways and ECM homeostasis in human cells. These findings suggest that hibernating bear serum may serve as a valuable model to explore mechanisms underlying anti-fibrotic gene expression programs and to identify potential targets for tissue preservation.

Pendulum column with inclined negative stiffness as a novel hybrid seismic isolation mechanism integrated into soil with pile-like characteristics

Analytical analysis of the nonlinear fractional order Pochhammer-Chree equation with power-law nonlinearity in elastic materials

Recycling paper waste into structural cellulose composites with enhanced mechanical and thermal performance

Abstract Recycling post-consumer cellulose waste for use in construction materials has largely been limited to board-type composite materials. While the wood-panel market is dominated by OSB and MDF, there is limited research concerning structural boards produced directly from recycled paper waste through simple processing methods. This work examines the potential to produce rigid polyurethane–cellulose composite boards using ground waste newspapers as a filler material without a catalyst. Composite boards containing 10–50 wt.% cellulose were manufactured by hot pressing and evaluated for tensile and compressive strengths, Charpy impact testing, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, and water vapour permeability. The modulus of elasticity increased nearly three times from 10% cellulose content to 50% cellulose content due to the increased cellulose content. The maximum compressive strength was achieved at 30% cellulose content. Impact strength was not significantly impacted by filler content, resulting in consistent values for all compositions. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that, with increasing cellulose fraction, thermal stability improved (e.g., the peak decomposition temperature (PDT) increased). Dynamic mechanical analysis results confirmed that, for boards with high cellulose content, stiffness and energy dissipation increased with each incremental increase in cellulose content. The results of the study indicate that paper recycling waste can be processed into a mechanically stable material, Polyurethane-Cellulose Boards, for use in many non-load-bearing applications within the construction sector. Using these boards represents a viable and scalable means of converting cellulose waste into a usable product in the construction industry.

Clinical and hemodynamic evaluation of schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension from Egyptian pulmonary hypertension centers: epidemiology, risk factors, and survival determinants

Abstract Schistosomiasis-associated PAH (Sch-PAH) falls under group I pulmonary hypertension and it affects 230 million people, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. This significant burden has prompted studies on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of Sch-PAH to improve awareness and management, particularly in developing regions. This study investigates the characteristics of Sch-PAH, including demographics, clinical and hemodynamic features, and survival outcomes compared to idiopathic Pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), while evaluating the prognosis and current clinical practices. A cohort of 83 patients, including 41 with Sch-PAH and 42 with IPAH, were studied retrospectively over five years (2019–2024) from 3 pulmonary hypertension centres in Egypt. Data collection focused on demographic details, comorbidities, echocardiographic findings, and survival rates. Sch-PAH patients were significantly older (50.4 ± 12 years) and predominantly male ( P  < 0.001) compared to IPAH patients (34.5 ± 9.7 years). Higher comorbidity rates, chiefly chest and hepatic disorders, were observed in Sch-PAH. The Sch-PAH group exhibited more WHO functional class IV cases and greater left atrium (LA) and pulmonary artery (PA) dilation ( P  = 0.007, P  = 0.006, P  = 0.01, respectively). Lower ejection fraction (EF%) and absence of PA dilation and portal hypertension were linked to improved survival, with EF% emerging as an independent survival predictor (OR = 0.72 and 0.55; P  = 0.002 and < 0.001). The EF% cutoff below 66% showed high predictive accuracy for survival (AUC = 0.85, P  = 0.008). Sch-PAH affects primarily older males with significant comorbidities. Its prevalence poses a public health challenge, making the identification of mortality predictors crucial for early patient risk assessment and improved prognosis management.