Browse Articles

Effects of dysprosium oxide addition on the structural, mechanical, optical, and radiation shielding properties of borate tellurite germanate glasses

Abstract The current work seeks to fabricate a series of four bulk glasses using the melt-quenching method according to the chemical formula of (35-x) B 2 O 3  + 10GeO 2  + 20TeO 2  + 35MgO + x Dy 2 O 3 , where x = 1.25, 2.5, 3.75, and 5 mol%. XRD detected the amorphous nature of the fabricated glasses with a 2θ range from 10 to 80°, whereas the glasses’ absorption spectra were explored in the 350–1000 nm wavelength region. The band gap (E g ) values were calculated using Mott and Davis’s concept while calculating several optical parameters, including the optical basicity (Λ), reflection loss (R), optical electronegativity (χ), electron polarizability (αₒ), metallization, and transmission (T). The impact of substitution of B 2 O 3 by Dy 2 O 3 on the mechanical properties was examined utilizing the Makishima and Mackenzie method. Moreover, the prepared glasses’ γ-ray shielding was found via a Monte Carlo simulation. The simulated data showed that the increase in B 2 O 3 ’s partial substitution by Dy 2 O 3 content enhances the prepared glasses’ shielding properties. The highest linear attenuation coefficient in the current study was achieved for the 5 mol% Dy 2 O 3 -doped glass sample, where its LACs decreased over the range of 152.849–0.124 cm −1 , with the gamma-ray energy raised throughout 0.015–15 MeV, respectively.

Antimicrobial activity and antifungal mechanistic study of 3‑substituted oxindoles against Aspergillus niger

Abstract A series of 3-substituted oxindole derivatives 3a-j was synthesized. The target compounds 3a-j were investigated for their potential antibacterial and antifungal activities. S. aureus, MRSA, E. faecalis, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumonia, and E. coli were used for testing the antibacterial activity, while Candida albicans and Aspergillus spp, were used for antifungal activity of the tested compounds. Compounds 3i and 3j exhibited the strongest activity, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria. Antifungal activity was tested against Aspergillus spp . and Candida albicans using the agar diffusion method, with a final concentration of 10,000 µg/mL per well. Eight compounds inhibited Aspergillus spp., while only compound 3g was active against C. albicans . Compound 3f displayed the highest antifungal activity (inhibition zone = 20 mm) compared with itraconazole with a final concentration of 100 µg/mL per well (30 mm). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) testing confirmed compound 3f as the most potent antifungal, with an MIC of 7.5 µg/mL against Aspergillus niger , lower than that of clotrimazole (12.5 µg/mL). Further investigations showed that compound 3f exerted its effect by disrupting fungal cell wall integrity without binding ergosterol. Docking studies of compound 3f in the active sites of chitin deacetylase AngCDA (PDB ID: 7BLY) and the 1,3-β-glucan synthase (8JZN) enzymes proved its dual-target mechanism ability to inhibit the cell wall biosynthesis. These findings highlight compound 3f as a promising lead scaffold for the development of new antifungal agents targeting fungal cell wall biosynthesis.

Information interaction and optimal scheduling method for prosumers in an energy community considering the profit driven degree

Multi-strategy secretary bird optimization algorithm for UAV path planning in complex environment

Abstract This paper proposes a UAV path planning method based on a Multi-strategy Secretary Bird Optimization Algorithm (MSBOA) to address the challenges of navigating complex terrain. First, a pooling mechanism is introduced to enhance population diversity and improve the algorithm’s optimization capabilities, balancing global exploration and local exploitation. Second, a dynamic fitness distance balance technique is incorporated to balance exploration and exploitation, preventing the population from becoming trapped in local optima while improving convergence accuracy. Finally, a greedy selection-based centroid reverse learning approach is used to update the population, enhancing the algorithm’s exploratory performance. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed improved algorithm, the proposed MSBOA is compared with classical and advanced intelligent algorithms by solving the CEC2017 benchmark test functions and a designed UAV environment model. Comparative analysis of simulation results indicates that the proposed MSBOA converges faster and achieves higher accuracy than the traditional SBOA. It effectively handles complex UAV path planning problems, enabling the design of faster, shorter and safer flight paths. This further demonstrates the excellent performance of the multi-strategy SBOA in UAV path planning, highlighting its broad application prospects.

Synthesis and insecticidal activity of some pyrazole, pyridine, and pyrimidine candidates against Culex pipiens L. larvae

Abstract The expansion of the Culex pipiens population has increased the spread of arboviruses, due to the ineffectiveness of several traditional insecticides available to control this vector. Some heterocycles bearing a benzoquinoline moiety, such as pyrazoline, pyridine, pyridone, and pyrimidine derivatives, were synthesized from the reaction of 3-(3-chlorobenzo[f]quinolin-2-yl)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)prop-2-en-1-one with some nitrogen and carbon nucleophiles. The synthesized compounds were investigated against laboratory and field strains of C. pipiens larvae. The activities of prepared derivatives were varied, where compounds 7 , 5 , and 9 showed good toxicities with LC 50 of 180.35, 222.87, and 235.25 µg/mL, respectively, for the lab strain. At the same time, their potencies decreased to 242.44, 265.83, and 280.84 µg/mL, respectively, for the field strain. In contrast, pyridone 10 was the least effective compound with an LC 50 of 336.93 and 346.60 µg/mL for the lab and field strain, respectively. The field strain exhibited low resistance levels against all tested compounds. Structure-activity relationship was studied to demonstrate the effect of each substitution on activity against C. pipiens. Therefore, more substitutions should be inserted to enhance the activity of chalcone to be used in the mosquito larvae control programs, especially the field strain showed low resistance levels.

Histological prognostic factors in canine appendicular osteosarcoma: 57 cases (2014–2022)

A pilot study of pre-diagnosis dietary patterns and lifestyle factors in physically active and inactive women with breast cancer

Maximization of bioactive potential of Fomes fomentarius via artificial Intelligence-Assisted optimization

Data driven pedagogy in physical education a new paradigm in teaching effectiveness

The effect of prone position on oxygen saturation, blood gas parameters, and respiratory rate in intensive care patients with COVID-19-induced ARDS

Safety and quality outcomes of same-day discharge for gender-affirming mastectomy during the pandemic

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread postponement of elective procedures—including transplant, oncologic, and breast surgeries—prompting global expansion of ambulatory discharge pathways to preserve capacity and reduce exposure. However, the safety of this approach for transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) patients has not been well established. Gender-affirming mastectomy is a common procedure for TGD individuals, yet perioperative outcomes during the pandemic period remain poorly characterized. While several studies have examined ambulatory mastectomy in oncologic or reconstructive contexts, few have evaluated pandemic-era shifts in discharge practices or their implications for safety and patient experience in gender-affirming surgery. A retrospective review was conducted of 57 consecutive adults who underwent gender-affirming mastectomy at a single academic center from 2018 to 2021, spanning pre- and peri-pandemic periods. Primary outcomes included postoperative complications and unplanned health care utilization within 30 days (emergency department visit, reoperation, or patient-initiated call/message). Chart-documented misgendering (use of incorrect name or pronouns) was evaluated as a cultural complication. Forty-five patients (79%) were discharged the same day and 12 (21%) stayed overnight. Complications occurred in 2.2% of ambulatory vs. 8.3% of overnight cases, an absolute difference of 6% points. Although this difference did not achieve statistical significance ( p  = 0.38), the effect magnitude suggests a potential clinical signal that a larger, adequately powered study could better define. Unplanned emergency visits (8.9% vs. 16.7%, p  = 0.60) and reoperations (0% vs. 8.3%, p  = 0.22) showed similar directional patterns. Taken together, these trends indicate possible differences in postoperative trajectories that may be obscured by the limited power of the current analysis. Patient-initiated calls or messages occurred in 71.1% of ambulatory and 41.7% of overnight cases, suggesting possible differences in reassurance-seeking or access to remote communication. Misgendering appeared in 38.6% of charts overall and was more frequently documented among overnight patients (66.7% vs. 22.2%), an absolute difference of ≈ 45% points ( p  = 0.04). We conducted a retrospective cohort study examining perioperative outcomes during a period of restricted surgical volume associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Within the inherent limitations of pandemic-era cohort size and inferential power, same-day discharge after gender-affirming mastectomy was implemented without clear evidence of increased short-term surgical complications or unplanned health care utilization. The trends observed in our patient population may nonetheless hold clinical relevance and warrant confirmation in larger, adequately powered studies. The higher frequency of documented misgendering among overnight patients underscores both the cultural and clinical dimensions of postoperative and psychological safety. Taken together, these findings suggest that ambulatory management is feasible and promising for appropriately selected transgender and gender-diverse patients, while emphasizing the need for multi-institutional research to better estimate effect sizes and to strengthen affirming communication practices across care settings.

Microstructural, mechanical and statistical evaluation of concrete incorporating waste glass wool exposed to elevated temperatures

Evaluation of a flexible thyroid shield in dental panoramic radiography utilizing bismuth oxide silicone rubber composite and Rando phantom

Inhomogeneous spatio-temporal epidemic-type aftershock sequence model incorporating seismicity-triggering slow slip events

Abstract Clarifying the relationship between regular earthquakes and slow fault slip is essential for understanding the mechanisms behind seismic activity. We hypothesize that the background seismic activity is partially triggered by interplate slow-slip events (SSEs). Consequently, we present an extension of the spatio-temporal epidemic-type aftershock sequence (ETAS) model, which incorporates background seismicity as a piecewise constant function over time based on recent advances in the inference of space–time inhomogeneous point processes. In this study, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data is employed to identify the occurrence periods of SSEs, thereby delineating the intervals during which changes in background seismicity may occur. Due to the technical complexity of performing inference with an inhomogeneous ETAS model, this work employs a maximum likelihood inference method using the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm. This approach also enables the inference of the branching process for aftershocks, allowing for the estimation of earthquake genealogy. This study elucidates how the background seismicity increases during the periods of SSEs in Guerrero, Mexico and Boso Peninsula, Japan, which allows for a more comprehensive understanding of seismic activity and the relationship between slow and fast earthquakes.

Effectiveness of local Tocilizumab administration in mitigating alveolar bone loss and inflammation in experimental periodontitis

Radiation induced preparation of polymer blends based on poly(vinyl alcohol/xanthan) polymers as gas sensors for food packing

Abstract Poly vinyl alcohol/xanthan gum (PVA/XG) blend films were fabricated via solution casting and then exposed to various doses of electron beam (EB) irradiation. The results indicated that the EB treatment has been significantly modified the structural and mechanical properties of the blends compared to pristine PVA. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated the formation of hydrogen bonding and enhanced the interfacial adhesion and compatibility between the components. These findings were further supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and tensile testing. Notably, the irradiated PVA/XG films exhibited rapid color changes in response to fish spoilage, highlighting their potential as reliable, antimicrobial-resistant freshness indicators for food packaging applications.

Optical fiber laser system for torsion measurement using a three-core fiber and a nanocrystal-based reflector

Evaluation of IoT based smart safety systems for women and children using machine learning techniques

A hybrid evolutionary and structural method for AI-guided peptide inhibitor design using AlphaFold and Rosetta

Beyond effective mass increase: Optimal range of carrier concentration for thermoelectric efficiency enhancement in Pb-doped Sb1.85In0.15Te3 alloys

Sb2Te3-based alloys have excellent thermoelectric transport properties in the medium-temperature range of 500–700 K, and In-doped Sb2Te3 compositions are widely recognized as having high thermoelectric-transport efficiencies. This study investigated the thermoelectric properties of systematically Pb-doped Sb1.85In0.15Te3 (Sb1.85−xPbxIn0.15Te3, where x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, or 0.05). It was found that Pb2+ substitution at Sb3+ sites generated holes very effectively; thus, significantly large increases in the carrier concentration and electrical conductivity were observed. Meanwhile, the Seebeck coefficient decreased moderately owing to a large increase in the density-of-state effective mass, resulting in an increase in the power factor, especially for temperatures over 500 K. The total thermal conductivity increased with the doping as a result of a large increase in electrical conductivity, while the lattice thermal conductivity gradually decreased with an increase in doping owing to the additional point defect scattering. Consequently, a high maximum zT of 0.87 at 600 K was achieved for the Sb1.84Pb0.01In0.15Te3 (x = 0.01) composition, representing a 45% increase compared with that of pristine Sb1.85In0.15Te3, while a decrease in zT was seen for x ≥ 0.02 at temperatures lower than 500 K, even though the thermoelectric quality factor increased for all of the Pb-doped compositions. Further analysis using a single parabolic band model demonstrated that the significant increase in carrier concentration constrained any possible further increase in zT by deoptimizing the power factor and total thermal conductivity for compositions where x ≥ 0.02 with a carrier concentration of greater than 1020 cm−3.