Browse Articles

A novel rolling bearing fault detect method based on feature mode decomposition and subtraction-average-based optimizer

Large rotating machinery is an essential piece of equipment in modern industry, playing a critical role in industrial production. However, the complex working environment complicates the extraction of fault-related information. This paper proposes a fault diagnosis method based on the subtraction-average-based optimizer (SABO) and feature mode decomposition (FMD). To address the issue that FMD’s decomposition performance is highly sensitive to its parameter settings, this paper uses the minimum envelope entropy as the fitness function and employs the SABO algorithm to adaptively optimize FMD’s two key parameters: the mode number (n) and filter length (L). Additionally, for the intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) obtained from FMD decomposition, the maximum kurtosis value is used to filter IMFs containing fault information, and envelope spectrum analysis is applied to achieve fault diagnosis. When applied to experimental signals of rolling bearing faults, the results demonstrate that the proposed method can extract the amplitude of the fault characteristic frequency from the envelope spectrum and accurately diagnose the fault type. Compared with methods based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and fixed-parameter FMD, the proposed method provides a more prominent representation of the fault characteristic frequency and its harmonics in the envelope spectrum. Furthermore, the proposed method achieves a more prominent representation of the fault eigenfrequency in the envelope spectrum and a lower error rate. The proposed method demonstrates significant potential and value for rolling bearing fault diagnosis.

Dietary intake of omega-3 PUFAs and fish in relation to mother-to-infant bonding in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

How researchers are shining a light on the ‘invisible’ contributions of small-scale fishers

Cooperative Jahn-Teller effect and engineered long-range strain in manganese oxide/graphene superlattice for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Genomic characterization of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in Norwegian poultry

Vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) are a globally leading cause of nosocomial infections in humans, and a potential animal VRE reservoir, especially in poultry, is of concern. It has been suggested that the presence of VRE in broilers has been prolonged due to co-selection of narasin resistance (narAB genes) and vancomycin resistance (vanA genes), and that these genes may be present on the same plasmids. The aim of this study was to use whole genome sequencing to characterize and compare both the chromosomes and plasmids of VRE isolates from poultry in Norway, and to elucidate whether co-localisation of narAB and vanA genes on the same genetic elements, or clonal spread, could explain the persistence of VRE. A total of 30 VRE isolates from the years 2002–2013 were included, 23 from broiler flocks and seven from turkey flocks. WGS analyses showed that the isolates were genetically diverse with the number of SNPs ranging from 10 to 2807. The isolates belonged to 15 different sequence types, though all carried a plasmid similar to pVEF plasmids, and contained both vanA and narAB. A comparative gene analysis indicated that narAB is carried on a composite transposon, and that interspecies transfer of the plasmid between Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus hirae may occur. The absence of transfer genes on the pVEF-like plasmids and their presence on a megaplasmid suggest that the megaplasmid probably act as a helper plasmid. Overall, the results support that the use of narasin in broilers may be a risk factor for a persistent reservoir of VRE in broilers.

Examining the contributions of radial and lamellar optic flow gain to quiet stance

IvoryOS: an interoperable web interface for orchestrating Python-based self-driving laboratories

Abstract Self-driving laboratories (SDLs), powered by robotics, automation and artificial intelligence, accelerate scientific discoveries through autonomous experimentation. However, their adoption and transferability are limited by the lack of standardized software across diverse SDLs. In this work, we introduce IvoryOS – an open-source orchestrator that automatically generates web interfaces for Python-based SDLs. It ensures interoperability by dynamically updating the user interfaces with the plugged components and their functionalities. The interfaces enable users to directly control SDLs and design workflows through a drag-and-drop user interface. Additionally, the workflow manager provides no-code configuration for iterative execution, supporting both human-in-the-loop and closed-loop experimentation. We demonstrate the integration of IvoryOS with six SDLs across two institutes, showcasing its adaptability and utility across platforms at various development stages. The plug-and-play and low-code feature of IvoryOS addresses the rapidly evolving demands of SDL development and significantly lowers the barrier to entry for building and managing SDLs.

Mulberry leaf disease detection by CNN-ViT with XAI integration

Mulberry leaf disease detection is vital for maintaining the health and productivity of mulberry crops. In this paper, a novel approach was proposed by integrating explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) techniques with a convolutional neural network (CNN) and vision transformer (ViT) for effective mulberry leaf disease classification with three disease classes. Initially, in this proposed CNN-ViT model, features are extracted using a customized CNN architecture, and then the extracted features are fed into ViT for leaf disease classification in a more streamlined approach. The CNN-ViT model achieved promising results with a projection dimension of 64, utilizing 8 heads and 8 transformer layers, yielding an accuracy of 95.60% with notable precision of 94.75%, recalls of 92.40%, and F1-scores of 93.45%. The proposed method also took 0.0017 seconds to predict an individual image. The accuracy of the proposed method was comparable to that of other state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods reported in the literature. Finally, Grad-CAM was utilized for detecting precise region of interest for diseased leaves, leaf spots, and leaf rust, providing interpretability and insights into the model’s decision-making process. This comprehensive approach demonstrates the effectiveness of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) integration in the CNN-ViT model for mulberry leaf disease detection, paving the way for improved agricultural disease management strategies.

Association between gastrointestinal symptoms and insomnia among healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study

The impact of long COVID on physical and cardiorespiratory parameters: A systematic review

Background Since the emergence of COVID-19, millions worldwide have continued to experience persistent symptoms months after infection. Among these, physical and cardiorespiratory impairments are frequently reported, but remain poorly understood. This systematic review aimed to identify and synthesize evidence regarding physical and cardiorespiratory impairments in individuals with long COVID, defined as symptoms persisting for at least three months post-infection. Methods and findings A structured search was conducted across the MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases to identify cross-sectional and longitudinal cohort studies on physical and cardiorespiratory deficits in adults with long COVID. Twenty-two studies involving 3,041 adults with long COVID were included. Critical appraisal using the JBI-APT indicated that most studies had clear inclusion criteria (17/22), well-defined study populations (17/22), and valid exposure measurements (16/22), though confounding factors were often unaddressed (9/22 unclear or not reported). Findings indicate that while adults with long COVID displayed normal pulmonary function at rest, including Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV 1 ), Total Lung Capacity (TLC), and resting Arterial oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) , significant impairments in exercise capacity were identified. Notably, all studies assessing the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) reported reduced distances, consistently falling below the 50 th percentile of normative values. Additionally, VO₂ peak was decreased in most studies (7/10), falling below 80% of the predicted value, indicating impaired aerobic capacity. Lower Diffusing Capacity of the Lungs for Carbon Monoxide (DLCO) values were observed in three out of six studies, with values below 75% of predicted, suggesting impaired gas exchange efficiency during exertion. Conclusion Despite preserved resting lung function, these findings highlight significant physical deconditioning in Long COVID adults, with substantial reduction in exercise capacity. Routine assessments should include more sensitive measures, such as the 6MWT and VO₂peak, to detect subtle exercise limitations, even in patients with normal resting SpO₂, to better inform rehabilitation interventions.

Intratracheal instillation of RSV is superior to intranasal inoculation as a model method inducing critical immune cell infiltration

Science-integrity project will root out bad medical papers ‘and tell everyone’

Longitudinal changes in each retinal layer thickness in patients with moderate or more severe diabetic retinopathy taking calcium dobesilate

Purpose To longitudinally analyze the impact of calcium dobesilate (CaD) treatment on retinal layer thicknesses in patients with moderate or more severe diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods In this retrospective, longitudinal study, patients with DR exhibiting moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) or more advanced stages were enrolled and divided into two groups: those prescribed CaD for more than 6 months (Group 1) and those not prescribed CaD (Group 2). After the baseline visits, three additional examinations were conducted at 1-year intervals. Results In total, 128 eyes were included: 38 in Group 1 and 90 in Group 2. Over time, group 2 exhibited significant decreases in ganglion cell complex (GCC) and inner nuclear layer (INL) thicknesses (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively), while Group 1 did not. Both groups experienced significant reductions in outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness (P = 0.030 for Group 1 and P < 0.001 for Group 2). Group 2 exhibited a significantly greater decrease in GCC thickness compared with Group 1(P = 0.026). Conclusions In patients with moderate or more severe DR, the group taking CaD did not show significant reductions in GCC and INL thicknesses over time compared with the group not taking CaD. These findings suggest that CaD could have a protective effect on the inner retina, even in those with more advanced stages than mild DR.

Over one-third of professionals in French ART centers experience job strain

Daily briefing: Inside the wild-animal markets that could start the next pandemic

Mechanical properties of vertical-inclined pile foundation for onshore wind turbines

This study proposes an innovative Vertical-Inclined Pile Foundation to optimize the bearing performance of onshore wind turbine foundations. The Vertical-Inclined Pile Foundation (VIPF) and Vertical Pile Foundation (VPF) mechanical response mechanisms under wind turbine loading are compared based on the Hardening Soil (HS) model. Investigating the displacement distribution patterns, bearing platform deformations, pile internal force transfer, and pile-soil interaction laws of both foundation systems reveals the efficiency improvement mechanism of the VIPF. The results demonstrate that under identical loading conditions, the maximum displacement of the VIPF (20.63 mm) is 23.8% lower than that of the VPF (27.06 mm). The outer ring of inclined piles in the VIPF significantly enhances structural stiffness through spatial synergy, achieving uniform load distribution and effective redistribution of pile-body internal forces. Damage mode analysis indicates that the bearing platform primarily undergoes local tensile and compressive damage at the foundation ring-pile body connection, while the inclined piles establish an active pile-soil interaction system by strengthening soil confinement effects. Furthermore, parametric studies reveal that the pile base displacement exhibits a non-linear trend of initially decreasing and then increasing with larger inclination angles of the inclined piles. These findings provide a novel structural solution and theoretical basis for onshore wind turbine foundation engineering.

Multi-dimensional feature extraction of EEG signal and its application in stroke classification

An empirically-based scenario for the evolution of cultural transmission in the human lineage during the last 3.3 million years

Humans accumulate an ever-growing body of knowledge that far exceeds the capacity of any single individual or generation. Social learning and transmission are essential for this process. However, how cultural transmission strategies evolved in our lineage remains unclear. Here we assess the transmission strategies needed to ensure the perpetuation across generations of 103 cultural traits that emerged in the Paleolithic. Our study provides a novel approach to assessing the transmission behaviors implicated in Paleolithic cultural traits and the evolution of cultural transmission over the last 3.3 million years. The results identify trends in the evolution of cultural transmission and reveal a coevolutionary dynamic between the emergence of novel cultural traits and the complexification of transmission strategies. While effective means of overt explanation, perhaps associating gesture and verbal expression, were already present at least 600,000 years ago, the period between 200,000 and 100,000 years ago appears as a crucial tipping point for the emergence of modern language.

Neural correlates of implicit emotion regulation in mood and anxiety disorders: an fMRI meta-analytic review

Abstract Maladaptive implicit emotion regulation has been highlighted as a transdiagnostic characteristic of mood and anxiety disorders. Whilst clinical diagnosis has relied on signs and symptoms, the integration of clinical neurosciences is becoming more important as a means of enhancing assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Thus, activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis was conducted for whole-brain foci comparing implicit emotion regulation in a large sample of patients with mood and anxiety disorders and healthy controls. Twenty-four clinical studies were identified based on established criteria (e.g., DSM-5). ALE meta-analysis reported convergence of hypoactivation in patients (n = 432) in the right medial frontal gyrus (BA9), spreading to the right anterior cingulate gyrus (BA32); and in the left middle temporal gyrus (BA21), spreading to the left superior temporal gyrus (BA22). Convergence of hyperactivation was reported in patients (n = 536) in the left medial frontal gyrus (BA9), spreading to the left superior frontal gyrus and the left middle frontal gyrus. Separate analysis of the mood disorders subgroup further highlighted convergence of hyperactivation in the insula and claustrum. The implications of the current findings are discussed within the context of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework of developing diagnostic systems that are more predictive of treatment outcomes.

Radioprotective effects of asiaticoside and asiatic acid in neural stem cells derived from human stem cells from apical papilla through increasing dose-reduction factor and their lowering effects on SH-SY5Y cell viability

Objective To investigate the effects of asiaticoside (AS) and asiatic acid (AA) against radiotherapy on neural stem cells induced from human stem cells from apical papilla (NSCs-hSCAPs) through dose-reduction factor (DRF) evaluation and their radiosensitization on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Methods NSCs-hSCAPs were treated with AS or AA (0–500 μM) and radiation (0–8 Gy). Isolated hSCAPs were verified mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) properties according to standard protocol. Subsequently, NSCs-hSCAPs were characterized by Cresyl violet staining and immunocytochemistry. A culture plate containing the cells was embedded into the solid water and bolus phantom. After CT simulation and treatment planning, dose uniformity to the plate was evaluated. X-ray, AS, and AA toxicity were investigated using cell viability (MTT) assay. Finally, DRF50 was calculated from dose-response curves at 50% cell viability for both cell lines. Results hSCAPs presented MSCs markers. NSCs-hSCAPs were successfully generated due to the Nissl substance, Nestin, and SOX2 positively stained. Dose homogeneity was represented as isodose at 100% covered the cells in the phantom, suggesting that they were received according to prescribed doses. MTT results revealed that AA was more toxic than AS in both cells. X-ray reduced significantly in a number of tested cells and more radiosensitivity was observed in SH-SY5Y. However, the reduction affected by 4 Gy was diminished after AA or AS at 2 μM applied to NSCs-hSCAPs. Moreover, a significant increase of DRF50 was found at 2 μM of AA (6.72 ± 2.35) and AS (3.84 ± 1.41) in NSCs-hSCAPs whereas it did not show in SH-SY5Y. Interestingly, 20 μM AA could reduce SH-SY5Y cell viability (mean of the cell viability (%) was 25.22 ± 1.53 compared to 30.22 ± 1.46 in the control group), showing a very large in terms of its effect size (Cohen’s d value = 1.37). Conclusion AA and AS had a specific radioprotective effect on NSCs-hSCAPs without affecting SH-SY5Y. However, AA might be a better therapeutic agent due to expressing a lethal effect on the irradiated cancer cells.