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Comparative analysis of copper and graphite electrodes in EDM of Al–SiC metal matrix composites

Fast identification of the charging pile plug materials using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

The electric vehicles (EVs) is showing rapid growing, with charging piles playing a critical role as essential infrastructure. The performance and reliability of charging plugs directly influence grid efficiency, while conventional copper-based materials present several limitations. Tellurium copper is an alloy well-suited for charging plugs. Identification of the materials is crucial for ensuring the electrical performance and safety, and recycling value. In this study, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was utilized for rapid identification of tellurium copper, red copper and brass. The tellurium in the alloy was identified and the LIBS parameters were optimized. K-nearest neighbor (KNN), random forest (RF), and convolutional neural networks (CNN) models were built for discrimination of three kinds of materials. Knowledge-driven feature extraction based on database and two data-driven feature extraction methods, successive projections algorithm (SPA) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), were used to select feature bands. The optimal models achieved accuracy of 100% both for training set and testing set, indicating that the LIBS could realizing the rapid identification of charging plug materials. The proposed LIBS-based identification method helps ensure the safety and reliability of charging stations, support the healthy development of the EV industry.

Research on plug-and-play correlation enhancement modules in deep multi-label learning

Early ethics: Exploring moral intuition and maternal Influence in preschool children

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the moral intuitions of mothers and children aged 3–6 (n = 75). Methods: Five dilemmas were applied. The agreement between mother and child responses was evaluated, as were trends in agreement between girls and boys. Kappa statistics and Spearman’s correlation analyses were conducted. McNemar’s test was administered to assess the Double Effect Doctrine and the Contact Principle. Outcome: In general, children responded to moral dilemmas similarly to their mothers. However, no significant agreement was found between mothers and children when evaluating each dilemma. Although the children’s answer patterns were similar to those of their mothers, the presence of neither the Double Effect Doctrine nor the Contact Principle could be identified in children. Conclusions: While there are some similarities between preschoolers and their mothers when responding to moral dilemmas, the integration of deontological principles in the resolution of ethical dilemmas in the children studied has not been achieved. Mothers in the study use these principles, which support the previous related evidence.

Comparative evaluation of sand sources based on physical and morphological characteristics for cement concrete applications

Impact of tumor location on oncological and perioperative outcomes after robot-assisted radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma

Objective to investigate the effect of tumor location on oncological outcomes in patients receiving robot-assisted radical nephroureterectomy (RANU) for upper urinary tract carcinoma (UTUC). Methods A retrospective single-center cohort study of 54 patients with UTUC who underwent RANU by a single surgeon between July 2019 and July 2025, without neoadjuvant chemotherapy or previous or simultaneous cystectomy, were included. Patients were divided into two groups based on tumor location: 18 patients (33%) with ureteral tumors (Group 1) and 36 patients (67%) with renal pelvis tumors (Group 2). Demographics, perioperative data, and pathological results were analyzed. The primary endpoints Cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan–Meier and univariable log-rank test. Results Console time, blood transfusion, complications, and readmission were comparable in both groups. Group 1 experienced longer hospital stays (8 days vs. 6.5 days, p = 0.03). 48% of patients had ≥ pT2 disease, with a similar T-stage distribution across groups. Of 26 candidates for adjuvant therapy, 10 received chemotherapy with gemcitabine/cisplatin, 2 received nivolumab, and one patient received enfortumab vedotin with pembrolizumab. During a median 26.5-month follow-up, six patients developed bladder recurrence, (median 9 months) after RANU (p = 0.10), and four developed distant metastases (median 4 months) (p = 0.72), resulting in a disease-free survival of 81% (p = 0.08)Cancer-specific survival was 94%, overall survival 89%, with no significant group differences (p = 0.24 and 0.49). Conclusion In our series, we observed that tumor location does not impact postoperative and oncological outcomes after RANU for UTUC, regardless of adjuvant therapy. However, further studies are needed to explore this proposed hypothesis.

A preclinical study of device dependent therapeutic effects of cold atmospheric plasmas on atopic dermatitis induced by DNCB

Correction: Open Science practices in a Portuguese nursing higher education institution: An exploratory, descriptive study

Ovarian reserve and oxidative stress in sickle cell anaemia: a comparative cross-sectional study

Resveratrol inhibits bladder cancer proliferation by targeting the AURKA/STAT3 axis: From computational analysis to experimental validation

Introduction Given the high recurrence rate of bladder cancer (BCa) and the significant adverse effects associated with conventional treatments, it is urgent to search for new clinical therapeutic targets and safer natural-derived compounds. Resveratrol (Res) has been demonstrated to exhibit cytotoxicity against various tumors. However, the signaling pathways and targets involved in inhibition of BCa cells still need further exploration. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of Res in Bca via suppression of the AURKA/STAT3 axis, providing important theoretical basis for subsequent further researches on Res for treating BCa. Methods Differentially expressed genes were identified through bioinformatics methods and the binding sites of resveratrol were also identified. The cell survival rate was detected by the CCK8 method to calculate the concentrations of Res for 30% inhibition and for 50% inhibition. Then, flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle and apoptosis after treatment with different concentrations of Res. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the effects of Res and MLN8237 on the expression of STAT3. Western blot and qPCR analyses were used to verify the reliability of the effects of Res and MLN8237 on target proteins. Results AURKA was identified as the potential target of Res by computational analysis. Further validation through CCK8 assays and flow cytometry demonstrated that Res could inhibit BCa cells and their cell cycle in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Immunofluorescence staining revealed both Res and MLN8237 suppressed STAT3 expression in BCa cells. Additionally, western blot and qPCR analysis confirmed that Res and MLN8237 inhibited the expression of AURKA and known target genes (VEGF, Bcl-2, and Cyclin D1). Conclusion Our findings suggest that Res may regulate BCa cell expression through the AURKA/STAT3 axis, providing a theoretical foundation for the structural optimization of Res and the development of multi-target drugs for clinical application.

Incorporating river morphodynamics in the characterization of key ecological system units for conservation in the western Amazon

Evaluating the impact of a rapid response system on survival of patients with cancer undergoing emergency surgery for acute abdomen: A single-center retrospective cohort study

Patients with cancer who develop acute abdomen are at high risk of rapid clinical deterioration and often require emergency surgery and intensive care. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the impact of implementing a Rapid Response System (RRS) on survival among 274 patients admitted for emergency surgery at a tertiary cancer center in Korea (145 pre-RRS, 129 post-RRS). Although the post-RRS group had a higher burden of severe illness, including more metastatic disease and higher APACHE II scores, key time intervals from diagnosis to ICU admission, surgery, and antibiotic administration were significantly shorter following RRS implementation. The post-RRS group also demonstrated more favorable postoperative physiological trajectories, including lower postoperative day 7 SOFA scores and greater reductions in SOFA from baseline. Survival to discharge was higher after RRS implementation (85.27% vs. 74.48%, p = 0.039), and RRS activation remained independently associated with improved survival in multivariable analysis (adjusted odds ratio: 3.554, p = 0.021). Patients presenting outside RRS coverage hours had higher severity, longer delays to intervention, and lower survival; in an exploratory counterfactual model, predicted survival increased from 59.4% to 71.0% when RRS availability was hypothetically extended. These findings suggest that RRS implementation may attenuate progression of organ dysfunction and improve survival among high-risk cancer patients with acute abdomen. Expanding RRS operational hours, including continuous 24-hour coverage, may offer additional clinical benefit.

The effect of the composite of Aloe vera gel and peppermint essential oil as natural coatings on the postharvest characteristics of kiwifruits

Pore network modeling of water and gas transport characteristics in synthetic porous media

The flow characteristics of water and gas are closely linked to pore structure of porous media, which is of critical importance across various scientific and industrial fields. In this study, synthetic porous media with varying grain sizes and porosity were generated, and their corresponding pore structures were characterized using pore network modeling. Furthermore, the intrinsic permeability, water retention curve, water-gas relative permeability and relative gas diffusivity of the synthetic porous media were simulated via pore network modeling. The results demonstrate that the pore networks extracted from images can effectively distinguish pore structural characteristics. Specifically, the mean pore diameter, throat diameter, and throat length were larger in coarse-grained media compared to fine-grained media of the same porosity. In contrast, fine-grained media exhibited higher values for pore number, throat number, and coordination number. Additionally, the distributions of pore diameter, throat diameter, throat length and coordination were found to follow a lognormal distribution. Porous media with coarse grains and larger porosity exhibit greater intrinsic permeability and relative gas diffusivity compared to media composed of finer grains or lower porosity. The water-retention curves were fitting by van Genuchten model, revealing an exponential relationship between parameter α and throat diameter (or pore diameter). But the parameter n did not show a clear trend across various synthetic porous media, which is attributed to the relatively narrow range of pore size distribution. Similarly, for water-gas relative permeability, the critical water saturation did not vary significantly across different porous media. A strong correlation was observed among the pore structural parameters, irrespective of grain shape and size. Both intrinsic permeability and relative gas diffusivity exhibited a power-law relation with the porosity as well as with pore or throat radius. Moreover, the relationship between intrinsic permeability and relative gas diffusivity can be expressed as k  = 166.51( D p / D 0 ) 0.98 , which provides a direct means of estimating relative gas diffusion from intrinsic permeability directly.

Analysis of nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, total particulate matter, water, benzo[a]pyrene, and humectants in cigarettes and bidis from India and Myanmar

Abstract Tobacco use poses a major public health challenge in the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Region, where it contributes to approximately 2.3 million deaths each year. In 2020 alone, tobacco smoking was responsible for around 1.6 million of these deaths. The region faces a dual burden of high prevalence of both smoking and smokeless tobacco use, underscoring the urgent need for strengthened tobacco control measures. The toxic substances found in the emissions of smoked tobacco products are inadequately researched. This study presents primary scientific information on levels of nicotine, water, and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in mainstream smoke deliveries from popular cigarettes from India and Myanmar, and bidis from India; additionally, flavours and humectants were tested in fillers. Globally accepted methods from the World Health Organization’s Tobacco Laboratory Network (TobLabNet), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Cooperation Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco (CORESTA) were used. When comparing Indian and Myanmar cigarettes, we discovered that nicotine and carbon monoxide (CO) levels in Myanmar cigarettes were slightly higher than those in Indian ones, though the difference was not statistically significant. Water, tar, and total particulate matter (TPM) also exhibited no statistically significant variations. Significantly higher (p  =  0.008) concentrations of BaP, ranging from 8.02 to 14.90 ng/cigarette (median, 9.95 ng/cigarette), were observed in Myanmar-origin cigarettes, indicating increased exposure risks for users. Among humectants, only propylene glycol showed significant variation ( p  = 0.023). Compared with Indian cigarettes, bidis showed significantly higher nicotine and CO ( p  = 0.023), as well as water and TPM ( p  = 0.008). When bidis were compared with cigarettes from both countries, nicotine (p = 0.041), water, and TPM differed significantly (both p  < 0.001). The intended flavours were not detected in the mainstream smoke of the cigarettes and bidis examined. The findings of this study can be leveraged to enhance public health by identifying harmful chemicals that exceed established limits and potentially motivating manufacturers to produce less harmful products by conforming to toxicant emission standards.

Developing and validating a holistic welfare assessment tool for zoo-housed great apes: Integrating resource-based measures with behavioural ecology insights

Assessing the welfare of zoo-housed great apes is essential to ensure high standards of care, maintain zoos’ ethical and educational credibility, and support their conservation roles. However, welfare assessment remains challenging due to the complex cognitive, social, and behavioural needs of great apes and the limitations of existing evaluation methods. Many zoos rely on resource-based measures, which are easy to collect but lack the specificity needed to assess welfare accurately. In this study, we developed and tested a new standardized, evidence-based approach that integrated resource-based data with ecological and behavioural insights. This Ape Welfare Assessment, Resources and Ecology (AWARE) Tool was developed through collaboration with the Great Ape Welfare group (GAWg) and aimed to: (1) collect a holistic suite of resource and husbandry data that measures the constraints on the apes opportunities to express key naturalistic behaviours, (2) contextualize results within species-specific research on wild and captive great ape behavioural ecology and welfare, and (3) extend beyond existing zoo accreditation standards to support zoos aspirations for higher levels of welfare. Using data from zoo-housed chimpanzees, we tested whether this approach enhanced the validity of resource-based welfare assessments. Results demonstrate that the approach strengthens welfare evaluations and provides a more nuanced understanding of captive great ape wellbeing. We also propose a new validation framework for holistic welfare assessment tools such as this, where validating all individual indicators is neither feasible nor informative. Ultimately, we aim for the AWARE Tool to serve as a web-based resource for independent zoo use and formal welfare assessments. Future research will expand its application to gorillas and orangutans. This study represents a major leap towards establishing robust, species-informed and validated welfare assessment methodologies for zoo-housed great apes.

Machine learning prediction of food addiction in university students using demographic, anthropometric and personality traits

Aligning cardiac monitoring with American Heart Association Guidelines: Impact on utilization, hemodynamic monitoring, and outcomes

Background Overuse of continuous cardiac monitoring can lead to poor patient experience, increased costs, and decreased efficiency. Because significant variation in continuous cardiac monitoring ordering exists, implementation strategies that promote care in alignment with practice standards and an examination of use cases that fall outside of standards are needed. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to evaluate if implementation of American Heart Association (AHA) practice standards on continuous cardiac monitoring could reduce utilization without jeopardizing patient safety. Methods We conducted a prospective pre-post study including a 2 year prospectively collected baseline against a 10-month post intervention period within a 10-hospital health system. An electronic health record (EHR) order set was implemented to align care with AHA continuous cardiac monitoring practice standards. We compared continuous cardiac monitoring utilization, adherence to standards, as well as clinical outcomes including mortality and length of stay. Finally, we investigated the rate and impact of hemodynamically significant events (hypotension, bradycardia, and tachycardia) before and after the intervention. Results We compared 117,814 hospitalizations pre-implementation against 49,006 post implementation finding significant reductions in total telemetry use, and no significant change in outcomes. Overall, patients with telemetry use outside of standards had higher mortality, longer length of stay, and higher readmission rates. The intervention was associated with a higher rate of hypotensive events which occurred off cardiac monitoring. This was not associated with worse outcomes. Conclusions An EHR tool to align care with continuous cardiac monitoring practice standards safely reduced overall continuous cardiac monitoring utilization. Use outside of practice standards persisted and was primarily focused on monitoring for potential hemodynamic instability. We found no evidence that continuous cardiac monitoring was associated with improved outcomes in unstable patients. Continuous cardiac monitoring for potentially unstable patients can likely be replaced for non-cardiac indications with continuous heart rate monitoring.

Machine learning-based estimation and optimization of phoenix Dactylifera Seed Powder reinforced vinyl ester bio-composites

Statistical analysis of winning percentages in Japanese professional baseball using the Wins above Replacement indicator

This study examines a previously unexplored concept in the field of sabermetrics. By employing a novel correction that accounts for player position differences, it investigates the impact of the designated hitter (DH) system on team wins in Japanese professional baseball using the Wins above Replacement metric. We applied this innovative correction to Pacific League data from 2014 to 2023, accounting for positional differences in player contributions. Our results indicate no significant difference in the correlation coefficients between team average wins above replacement (WAR) and winning percentage under conditions including and excluding the DH position, suggesting that the DH system does not substantially impact team performance. These findings offer a nuanced understanding of the DH system’s role in baseball strategy and team dynamics.