Browse Articles
Discover research articles across all indexed journals
Machine learning based variance estimation under two phase sampling using health and education sector data
Movement speed of an autonomous prosthetic limb shapes embodiment, usability and robotic social attributes in virtual reality
Abstract Autonomous robotic prostheses can aid individuals with limb loss regain functionality and near-normal appearance. However, to psychologically integrate such limbs into one’s body image, it is necessary to understand how movement characteristics, such as movement speed, affect the sense of embodiment. Using a VR simulation, we investigated how the speed of autonomous lower-arm movements affects embodiment and user-perception. Nineteen healthy participants embodied an amputated virtual avatar with a prosthetic lower left-arm moving autonomously at six different speeds following minimum-jerk trajectories. Participants rated sense of body ownership, sense of agency, usability, competence, warmth, and discomfort after performing a reaching task at each speed. Ownership, sense of agency, and usability were highest for moderate speeds (autonomous movements lasting 1 s), and were significantly lower for both faster (125 ms) and slower (4 s) movements ( p < 0.05). Competence was significantly higher at moderate and moderately fast speeds compared to slower speeds. Discomfort was significantly higher at the fastest speed compared to moderate and slower speeds. Overall, the results show a tendency of moderate movement speeds being favorable for user perception of autonomous limbs and hint at the existence of an optimal speed or a speed range for enhancing embodiment and usability.
Part-level 3D shape generation driven by user intention inference with preferential Bayesian optimization
Clinical superiority of belly-tendon montage over others for recording air-conducted ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential
Enhanced resistance and resilience of anaerobic digestion microbiome after single and dual short-term disturbances
Spatio-temporal evolution and driving factors of China’s foreign aid: a country-level analysis
The expression of MALAT1 long non-coding RNA is associated with good prognosis in mantle cell lymphoma
Analytical evaluations using neural network-based method for wave solutions of combined Kairat-II-X differential equation in fluid mechanics
Orbital-resolved tuning of electronic thermal conductivity in monolayer h-B2O via doping in the diffusive regime
Abstract The highly stable two-dimensional monolayer honeycomb borophene oxide (h-B 2 O) has attracted considerable interest due to its unique topological features and potential superconducting behavior. In this study, a tight-binding Hamiltonian is constructed by incorporating the P y and P z orbitals of boron, effectively capturing the essential physics governing the material’s low-energy electronic behavior. Additionally, for the first time, the electronic thermal conductivity (ETC) of monolayer h-B2O is calculated using the Kubo-Greenwood formalism within the diffusive transport regime. The results reveal strong anisotropy ( $$\:{\kappa\:}_{yy}\gg\:{\kappa\:}_{xx}$$ ), with room-temperature ETC values of $$\:5.9\times\:{10}^{-2}$$ mW m $$\:{}^{-1}$$ K $$\:{}^{-1}$$ , 1 mW m $$\:{}^{-1}$$ K $$\:{}^{-1}$$ , and 0.17 mW m $$\:{}^{-1}$$ K $$\:{}^{-1}$$ along the armchair $$\:({\kappa\:}_{xx}$$ ), zigzag $$\:({\kappa\:}_{yy}$$ ), and anomalous Righi-Leduc effect $$\:({\kappa\:}_{xy}$$ ) directions, respectively. Furthermore, we systematically investigate the impact of impurity-induced disorder on ETC in h-B 2 O under both n-type and p-type doping, employing the T-matrix approximation. In the n-type regime, increasing impurity concentration $$\:{n}_{i}$$ = 2%, 4%, 6% leads to a significant enhancement of the ETC associated with the out-of-plane P z orbital, attributed to its favorable spatial orientation and higher carrier occupancy. Conversely, the in-plane P y orbital exhibits a reduction in ETC due to increased localization and enhanced electron-electron scattering. Despite this orbital contrast, the total ETC rises along all crystallographic directions, governed by the dominant contribution of the P z orbital, thereby revealing strong orbital-resolved behavior and pronounced directional anisotropy. In contrast, p-type doping induces only modest changes: the ETC contribution from the P y orbital slightly increases, while that of the P z orbital is marginally reduced, resulting in an overall weak response of the total ETC. These findings highlight the crucial role of orbital symmetry, spatial orientation, and dopant type in shaping the anisotropic and tunable thermal transport properties of h-B 2 O. The thermal resilience under p-type doping, alongside the direction-dependent enhancement under n-type doping, positions h-B 2 O as a promising candidate for nanoscale thermoelectric and thermal management technologies.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in waters associated with oil and gas development in the Denver Basin
Abstract Use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the petroleum industry could be a cause for concern due to the large volumes of produced water (PW) generated during oil and gas extraction, the reuse of these wastes in water-stressed regions, and adverse health outcomes related to PFAS exposures. However, PW PFAS characterization is nearly absent in the literature, and hydraulic fracturing (HF) chemical disclosures often omit the identities of additives as proprietary. Here we evaluate PFAS in PW samples from three petroleum wells in the Denver Basin during their first year of production. Total concentrations of targeted PFAS (Σ 40 PFAS) were < 35 ng/L in PW samples, with short-chain PFAS like perfluorobutanoic acid persisting throughout the sampled duration. Analysis of freshwater inputs for hydraulic fracturing (Σ 40 PFAS ~ 113 ng/L) and mixed fracture fluid (Σ 40 PFAS ~ 69 ng/L) indicated much of the targeted PFAS content was derived from the input water, and not from HF additives, however samples subjected to oxidation indicated the presence of PFAS precursors that would not be detected by targeted analysis. This study highlights that while PFAS content is low in the studied PWs, the potential for redistribution of PFAS in the environment may be a consideration for reuse applications.
Inhibition of galanin receptor 3 slows down retina degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa through modulation of inflammatory and oxidative stress response
Soliton structures and dynamical characteristics of fractional nonlinear waves in the classical Boussinesq framework
Abstract This paper investigates the time–space fractional classical Boussinesq equation, a nonlinear partial differential equation that describes long-wave propagation in shallow water. The modified extended tanh function formalism yields bright and dark solitons, breather-type waves, and periodic waves. The dynamical behavior of these solutions is revealed with bifurcation theory and phase-plane analysis: stable and unstable wave profiles change, and there may be chaotic interactions among them. The sensitivity analysis and the linear stability analysis have guaranteed the robustness of the solutions to small perturbations. The key results indicate that the equation facilitates a deep set of stable nonlinear wave forms, which exhibit predictable dynamical actions, to promote research into nonlinear fractional wave phenomena. Shallow water hydrodynamics, plasma physics, and nonlinear lattice systems can utilize these findings. The future research could take these findings to a new level by adding stochastic effects, fractional systems of higher dimensions, and numerical simulations to make the analysis and feasible validation more thorough.
Improving end-bearing capacity prediction of rock-socketed shafts using Gaussian-augmented optimized extreme gradient boosting models
SHH pathway inhibition and astrocyte co-culture induce distinct responses in glioblastoma and cancer stem cells
Establishment and application of a duplex RPA-LFS detection system for Candida glabrata and Candida krusei
Abstract Based on the differences in drug resistance characteristics between Candida glabrata and Candida krusei and the clinical need for rapid discrimination, this study established a duplex recombinase polymerase amplification-lateral flow strip (RPA-LFS) detection system using dual-labeled probes. By optimizing ITS2-targeted primers and probes (5′-end labeled with FITC/DIG, 3′-end labeled with biotin) and integrating dual test lines on the strip (streptavidin-T line for directional capture), simultaneous visual detection of both targets was achieved. Performance validation demonstrated: a detection limit of 10 copies/mL and 100 copies/mL, matching qPCR sensitivity; 100% detection rate for 30 target strains (including 12 reference and clinical isolates) with strict discrimination from 8 closely related pathogens (0% cross-reactivity); high concordance with qPCR in 328 clinical samples (sensitivity, specificity, and total concordance all 100%). The system delivers “sample-to-result” output within 30 min without complex instrumentation, providing technical support for precise point-of-care discrimination of drug-resistant Candida infections and rational antifungal drug use, particularly in primary healthcare settings and outbreak scenarios.
High-performance temperature regulation of nonlinear CSTRs via a hybrid stellar oscillation optimizer and differential evolution-based PID-F control
Abstract This study introduces a hybrid stellar oscillation optimizer with differential evolution (hSOO-DE) for high-performance tuning of PID controllers with derivative filtering (PID-F) in nonlinear temperature regulation of continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs). The hybrid approach combines the global exploration capability of the stellar oscillation optimizer (SOO) with the local exploitation strength of differential evolution, ensuring a well-balanced search between diversification and intensification during parameter optimization. The proposed algorithm was applied to a benchmark nonlinear CSTR model and comprehensively compared with state-of-the-art metaheuristic optimizers SOO, birds of prey-based optimization (BPBO), covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy (CMA-ES) and differential evolution (DE) as well as classical tuning techniques including Ziegler-Nichols, Tyreus-Luyben, and Simulink Tuner. The optimization objective jointly minimizes overshoot and integral absolute error to enhance transient and steady-state control quality. Statistical analyses, including boxplot evaluations and Mann-Whitney U-tests, demonstrate that hSOO-DE achieves the lowest mean objective value with minimal variance compared to recent optimizers. Time-domain results confirm superior transient performance, reflected in reduced rise and settling times and minimal overshoot, while integral performance indices verify improved steady-state precision. Validation against conventional PID-F tuning methods further highlights the robustness and reliability of the proposed design. The findings demonstrate that embedding DE within the oscillatory structure of the SOO yields a robust and efficient framework for PID-F controller tuning in nonlinear chemical reactor systems.