Search Results (38,946)

Strain rockburst is a severe failure phenomenon caused by the release of elastic strain energy in intact rocks under high-stress conditions. They frequently occur in deep tunnels, causing significant economic losses, casualties, and construction delays. Understanding the factors influencing this disaster is of significance for tunnel construction. This paper first proposes a novel three-dimensional (3D) discrete element numerical analysis method for rockburst numerical analysis considering the full stress state energy based on the bonded block model and the mechanics, brittleness, integrity, and energy storage of the surrounding rock. This numerical method is first validated via laboratory tests and engineering-scale applications and then is applied to study the effects of compressive and tensile strengths of rock mass, tunnel depth, and lateral pressure coefficient on strain rockburst. Meanwhile, sensitivity analyses of these influencing factors are conducted using numerical results and systematic analysis methods, and the influence degree of each factor on the rockburst tendency is explored and ranked. The results reveal that laboratory tests and actual engineering conditions are consistent with numerical simulation results, which validates the rationality and applicability of the novel rockburst analysis method proposed in this paper. With the increase in compressive strength, the stress concentration degree, energy accumulation level, maximum stress difference, and maximum elastic strain energy within the rock mass all increase, leading to a stronger rockburst tendency. Tunnel depth and the lateral stress coefficient are positively correlated with rockburst tendency. As the lateral pressure coefficient and tunnel depth increase, rockburst tendency exponentially increases, while the maximum stress difference and maximum elastic strain energy within the rock mass also increase. The influence degree of each factor is ranked from highest to lowest as follows: tensile strength, lateral pressure coefficient, compressive strength, and tunnel depth. The research results provide theoretical support and technical guidance for the effective prediction, prevention, and control of rock burst disasters in deep tunnels. Full article

The use of sustainable energy sources is an alternative for fossil fuels, which can represent a positive factor to alleviate many current environmental issues. In that sense, not only sustainable industrial development is important, but also sustainable practices at the local level, including households. Specifically, heating and cooking are one of the most important activities that require energy in households, where the role of biomass could be of interest, as it can provide an energy source with lower environmental impact. However, there is room for improvement in biomass stoves, whose adaptability to specific wastes, as well as their improvement in efficiency, should be accomplished. The aim of this work was to assess the improvement of combustion performance of a domestic stove by the implementation of a programmable logic converter for a better adaptation to different biomass samples (holm oak, pear tree, poplar, and sugarcane bagasse pellets). This work provides further information about the current working protocol, being an alternative for better approaches that could be implemented in future works. Thus, the working regime of the stove was controlled, especially concerning the screw conveyor (to regulate pellet feeding) and flue gas fan (to change oxygen supply). As a result, better combustion performances were obtained, with heat capacities from 5.66 to 8.67 kW for the selected samples. Also, thermal capacities of the stove (1.43, 1.60, 2.22, and 1.83 kW for holm oak, pear tree, poplar, and sugarcane bagasse, respectively) were obtained, with a better combustion performance compared to previous studies (1600 and 120 ppm peak emissions for CO and NO_x, respectively, and 15% as the lowest O₂ concentration). On the other hand, different improvements of the combustion stove to avoid blockages, for instance, are proposed as further steps. Full article

Feline stomatitis or gingivostomatitis is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting approximately 0.7% of patients. The cause is multifactorial, involving infectious agents, genetic factors, and environmental influences. Therapeutic strategies include pharmacological and surgical interventions to controlling inflammation and enhancing patient quality of life. There are discussions in the literature regarding the potential involvement of adverse food reactions as a contributing factor to oral cavity lesions, without clear evidence. This case report describes the control of gingivostomatitis with a hypoallergenic diet in a cat that had oral lesions and who was refractory to conventional treatment with prednisolone and cyclosporine, even after periodontal treatment and partial tooth extraction. After 30 days of dietary change, there was complete remission of the lesions. The animal was then re-exposed to the previous food, with new lesions appearing after 7 days. Upon returning to the hypoallergenic food, there was new remission of the lesions. This report suggests that food sensitivity may play a role in the control of feline gingivostomatitis, as periods of hypoallergenic diet coincided with the remission of the condition, even without changes in medication. It reinforces the importance of investigating adverse food reactions as clinical signs in the oral cavity of cats. Full article

The body tracking systems on the current market offer a wide range of options for tracking the movements of objects, people, or extremities. The precision of this technology is often limited and determines its field of application. This work aimed to identify relevant technical and environmental factors that influence the performance of body tracking in industrial environments. The influence of light intensity, range of motion, speed of movement and direction of hand movement was analyzed individually and in combination. The hand movement of a test person was recorded with an Azure Kinect at a distance of 1.3 m. The joints in the center of the hand showed the highest accuracy compared to other joints. The best results were achieved at a luminous intensity of 500 lx, and movements in the x-axis direction were more precise than in the other directions. The greatest inaccuracy was found in the z-axis direction. A larger range of motion resulted in higher inaccuracy, with the lowest data scatter at a 100 mm range of motion. No significant difference was found at hand velocity of 370 mm/s, 670 mm/s and 1140 mm/s. This study emphasizes the potential of RGB-D camera technology for gesture control of industrial robots in industrial environments to increase efficiency and ease of use. Full article

Background. While prognostic guidelines for pneumonia have widely allowed clinicians to treat patients, poor prognostic factors for 1- or 2-year survival times have never been mentioned to our knowledge. Patients and methods. We conducted this retrospective study to evaluate whether malnutrition according to the GLIM criteria is a poor prognostic factor for 1- or 2-year survival among patients with aspiration pneumonia. All patients with community-onset aspiration pneumonia who were admitted to Aichi Medical University and had intervention from our nutrition support team (NST) in 2019 and 2020 were enrolled in this study. Results. A total of 56 patients were enrolled in the study. The mean age was 86 ± 6.5 and 25 (45%) were male. Thirty-one patients died during this observational period. Comparing the survival and death group, higher respiratory rate (RR) and malnutrition were seen more frequently in the death group than in the survival group. Then, the patients were divided into the following three groups: those with an RR ≥ 22 and malnutrition, those with malnutrition, and a control group [patients who were not malnourished and had a low RR (<22)]. Comparing the three groups, patients with an RR ≥ 22 and malnutrition had significantly shorter overall survival times (OSs) than those in the other groups (p = 0.009 by Log-Rank test) for 1-year prognosis. The result of 2-year prognosis displayed a statistical significance that was the same as that for 1-year prognosis (p = 0.004 by Log-Rank test). The Cox hazard regression model showed that a higher RR was an independent poor prognostic factor for 1- and 2-year survival among aspiration pneumonia patients. Conclusions. This pilot study showed that combined scores of higher RR and malnutrition according to the GLIM criteria (modified R-GLIM score) was an independent poor prognostic factor for 1 or 2-year survival among super-elderly patients (aged over 80 years) with aspiration pneumonia. Full article

The goal of the present research was to assess, under controlled laboratory conditions, the accuracy and precision of a prototype device (named ‘P.ALP’: Ph.D. Air-quality Low-cost Project) developed for PM_2.5 concentration level monitoring. Indeed, this study follows a complementary manuscript (previously published) focusing on the in-field evaluation of the device’s performance. Four P.ALP prototypes were co-located with the reference instrument in a calm-air aerosol chamber at the NIOSH laboratories in Pittsburgh, PA (USA), used by the Center for Direct Reading and Sensor Technologies. The devices were tested for 10 monitoring days under several exposure conditions. To evaluate the performance of the prototypes, different approaches were employed. After the data from the devices were stored and prepared for analysis, to assess the accuracy (comparing the reference instrument with the prototypes) and the precision (comparing all the possible pairs of devices) of the P.ALPs, linear regression analysis was performed. Moreover, to find out the applicability field of this device, the US EPA’s suggested criteria were adopted, and to assess error trends of the prototype in the process of data acquisition, Bland–Altman plots were built. The findings show that, by introducing ad hoc calibration factors, the P.ALP’s performance needs to be further implemented, but the device can monitor the concentration trend variations with satisfying accuracy. Overall, the P.ALP can be involved in and adapted to a wide range of applications because of the inexpensive nature of the components, the small dimensions, and the high data storage capacity. Full article

Virtual reality offers ordinary users the ability to observe and interact with various abstract or concrete objects visualized in a three-dimensional space from different angles. Users can manipulate, transform, or reconstruct these objects similarly to how they might in a real environment. Manipulating objects in virtual reality is not as effortless as in the real world, due to the lack of sensory feedback and limited input freedom. However, it also offers new advantages that the real world cannot provide, such as the ability to easily select and control remote objects and the support of various auxiliary user interfaces. In particular, when it is necessary to alternately manipulate objects of various sizes, scaling the user’s avatar symmetrically allows for more effective manipulation than in the real world. However, manual scaling interfaces can be cumbersome and may induce dizziness. This study proposes an interaction technique that allows users to conveniently manipulate objects of various sizes without manual scale adjustment, by automatically and instantly adjusting the scale factor according to the size of the selected object and its adjacent objects. To compensate for the change in scale, we also implement a position correction mechanism that adjusts the user’s position in the virtual environment. Preliminary experiments with a small group of participants confirmed that automatic scale adjustment produces significant effects. Based on the feedback from these experiments, a more refined distance calculation method and the timing for scale adjustment were derived. In the main experiment with 14 participants, it was confirmed that the automatic scale adjustment method proposed in this study led to higher accuracy and lower discomfort in task completion compared to the conventional manual scale adjustment method. We expect that the results of this study will effectively contribute to the creation of virtual reality content that requires interaction with objects of various sizes in the future. Full article

The joint involvement of family and society in elderly care is a crucial factor in improving the health status of older adults and narrowing health disparities, which are essential for achieving sustainable development goals. However, the interactions between these entities and their mechanisms of influence require further investigation. By utilizing data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) spanning 2014 to 2016 and employing the Kakwani index of individual relative deprivation in conjunction with a two-way fixed-effects model for unbalanced panel data, in this study, we investigated the mechanisms through which social elderly care security and familial support influence health inequalities among the elderly. The findings reveal that only senior benefits (=−0.009, p < 0.05) significantly mitigate relative health deprivation in this population. Enrollment in pension insurance amplifies the sense of relative health deprivation among the elderly, but this effect becomes insignificant after controlling for temporal effects. Both economic support (=−0.002, p < 0.05) and emotional support (=−0.004, p < 0.01) from offspring significantly reduce the level of relative health deprivation among the elderly. Mechanism testing results indicate that individual attitudes towards aging serve as a mediator in the relationship between relative health deprivation and preferential treatment, economic support, and emotional support. The results of further heterogeneity tests suggest that the impact of various elderly support models on relative health deprivation differs by age, gender, and residential area.These findings confirm that support from both society and family plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable health outcomes for the elderly. Consequently, it is recommended to enhance the social elderly care security system, bolster familial support functions, cultivate positive individual attitudes towards aging, and address health inequalities among the elderly in accordance with their distinct characteristics, thereby improving their quality of life and sense of fulfillment, and contributing to the broader goals of sustainable development. Full article

The prevalence of end-stage renal disease is increasing worldwide. Malignancies accompanying end-stage renal disease are detected in approximately 120 individuals per 10,000 person-years. Most studies have suggested that end-stage renal disease causes carcinogenesis and promotes tumor development; however, this theory remains questionable. Contrary to the theory that end-stage renal disease is predominantly carcinogenic, recent findings have suggested that after controlling for biases and sampling errors, the overall cancer risk in patients with end-stage renal disease might be lower than that in the general population, except for renal and urothelial cancer risks. Additionally, mortality rates associated with most cancers are lower in patients with end-stage renal disease than in the general population. Several biological mechanisms have been proposed to explain the anticancer effects of end-stage renal disease, including premature aging and senescence, enhanced cancer immunity, uremic tumoricidal effects, hormonal and metabolic changes, and dialysis therapy-related factors. Despite common beliefs that end-stage renal disease exacerbates cancer risk, emerging evidence suggests potential tumor-suppressive effects. This review highlights the potential anticancer effects of end-stage renal disease, proposing reconsideration of the hypothesis that end-stage renal disease promotes cancer development and progression. Full article

Purpose. Acromegaly is an uncommon condition but affects numerous organ systems. It has been found that patients with acromegaly can experience ocular changes, such as raised intraocular pressure (IOP). Numerous studies have since been carried out to determine whether there is a significant difference between IOP in patients with acromegaly and healthy controls and there is much disagreement in the literature. This study aims to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to establish whether there is a significant difference in IOP between the two groups in a larger population. Methods. A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to access relevant databases and to locate outcome studies. Eligibility criteria included type of publication, participant characteristics, and report of outcomes. Data analysis was conducted with a fixed-effects model. Results. Three articles were included in the final analysis. The mean value of IOP corrected for central corneal thickness (IOPcc) for the group of 102 patients with acromegaly was 15.33 with confidence levels of 13.05–17.62 [mmHg]. The mean difference between the control and acromegaly group was 1.17 with confidence levels of 0.64 to 1.70 [mmHg], which was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusion. The results of the meta-analysis indicate that acromegaly is associated with increased IOP. As raised IOP is a risk factor for the development of glaucoma, detailed IOPcc evaluation should be an important procedure in the follow-up visits of patients with acromegaly. Full article

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), a prominent spice crop, known as the “king of spices”, originated from India. The growth and development of black pepper are influenced by various environmental conditions. MYB transcription factors play a crucial role in controlling metabolic processes, abiotic stress management, and plant growth and development. In this study, we identified 160 PnMYB transcription factors in the black pepper genome. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using 125 R2R3-MYB proteins from black pepper and Arabidopsis thaliana, resulting in the mapping of 20 groups on the phylogenetic tree, each containing members from both species. Most members of the PnMYB family possess two introns, and motif 3 and motif 4 are conserved in all members. The number of genes on each chromosome ranges from 1 to 10. Collinear analysis indicated the creation of new members through gene fragments and tandem replication. The Ka/Ks ratio indicated that purifying selection and positive selection acted on PnMYB of pepper. The majority of pepper PnMYB family members were in the nucleus. Significant differences in gene expression levels were observed between different species and infection periods when Piper nigrum L. and Piper flaviflorum were infected with Phytophthora capsici. These findings are valuable for future studies on the biological role and molecular mechanism of the PnMYB gene. Full article

During the domestication of crops, seed dormancy has been reduced or eliminated to encourage faster and more consistent germination. This alteration makes cultivated crops particularly vulnerable to pre-harvest sprouting, which occurs when mature crops are subjected to adverse environmental conditions, such as excessive rainfall or high humidity. Consequently, some seeds may bypass the normal dormancy period and begin to germinate while still attached to the mother plant before harvest. Grains affected by pre-harvest sprouting are characterized by increased levels of α-amylase activity, resulting in poor processing quality and immediate grain downgrading. In the agriculture industry, pre-harvest sprouting causes annual economic losses exceeding USD 1 billion worldwide. This premature germination is influenced by a complex interplay of genetic, biochemical, and molecular factors closely linked to environmental conditions like rainfall. However, the exact mechanism behind this process is still unclear. Unlike pre-harvest sprouting, vivipary refers to the germination process and the activation of α-amylase during the soft dough stage, when the grains are still immature. Mature seeds with reduced levels of ABA or impaired ABA signaling (weak dormancy) are more susceptible to pre-harvest sprouting. While high seed dormancy can enhance resistance to pre-harvest sprouting, it can lead to undesirable outcomes for most crops, such as non-uniform seedling establishment after sowing. Thus, resistance to pre-harvest sprouting is crucial to ensuring productivity and sustainability and is an agronomically important trait affecting yield and grain quality. On the other hand, seed color is linked to sprouting resistance; however, the genetic relationship between both characteristics remains unresolved. The identification of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase-3 (MKK3) as the gene responsible for pre-harvest sprouting-1 (Phs-1) represents a significant advancement in our understanding of how sprouting in wheat is controlled at the molecular and genetic levels. In seed maturation, Viviparous-1 (Vp-1) plays a crucial role in managing pre-harvest sprouting by regulating seed maturation and inhibiting germination through the suppression of α-amylase and proteases. Vp-1 is a key player in ABA signaling and is essential for the activation of the seed maturation program. Mutants of Vp-1 exhibit an unpigmented aleurone cell layer and exhibit precocious germination due to decreased sensitivity to ABA. Recent research has also revealed that TaSRO-1 interacts with TaVp-1, contributing to the regulation of seed dormancy and resistance to pre-harvest sprouting in wheat. The goal of this review is to emphasize the latest research on pre-harvest sprouting in crops and to suggest possible directions for future studies. Full article

Physalis pubescens and Physalis alkekengi, members of the Physalis genus, are valued for their delicious and medicinal fruits as well as their different ripened fruit colors—golden for P. pubescens and scarlet for P. alkekengi. This study aimed to elucidate the pigment composition and genetic mechanisms during fruit maturation in these species. Fruit samples were collected at four development stages, analyzed using spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and complemented with transcriptome sequencing to assess gene expression related to pigment biosynthesis. β-carotene was identified as the dominant pigment in P. pubescens, contrasting with P. alkekengi, which contained both lycopene and β-carotene. The carotenoid biosynthesis pathway was central to fruit pigmentation in both species. Key genes pf02G043370 and pf06G178980 in P. pubescens, and TRINITY_DN20150_c1_g3, TRINITY_DN10183_c0_g1, and TRINITY_DN23805_c0_g3 in P. alkekengi were associated with carotenoid production. Notably, the MYB-related and bHLH transcription factors (TFs) regulated zeta-carotene isomerase and β-hydroxylase activities in P. pubescens with the MYB-related TF showing dual regulatory roles. In P. alkekengi, six TF families—bHLH, HSF, WRKY, M-type MADS, AP2, and NAC—were implicated in controlling carotenoid synthesis enzymes. Our findings highlight the intricate regulatory network governing pigmentation and provide insights into Physalis germplasm’s genetic improvement and conservation. Full article

Projects involve inter-organizational relationship cognition, which is central to collaborative engineering project value added. Interest in value added in the project lifecycle is mounting and gaining increasing attention in the research literature. However, little is known about how inter-organizational relationship cognition facilitates value added and how such cognition pushes a project toward higher end-states of value. The existing literature mainly analyzes and studies value added on functional analysis and cost control. There are predominantly static analyses of the factors that influence value added in studies. The guiding role of value added has not been adequately explored in the studies on the influencing factors of value added. Utilizing a combination of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs), this study addresses how inter-organizational relationship cognition influences engineering project value added, identifying complex structures of interaction and cognition dynamics. Results indicate that: (1) A hybrid SEM–FCM method can be able to model dynamic interactions between inter-organizational relationship cognition and value added; (2) trust and shared vision have positive effects on in-role behavior and extra-role behavior. Shared vision has a negative effect on opportunistic behavior. In-role behavior and extra-role behavior have a positive impact on value added, while opportunistic behavior has a negative impact. Organizational behavior is an important mediating variable to explain the interaction between inter-organizational relationship cognitions and value added. This hybrid method explores the potential mechanisms of inter-organizational relationship cognition on project value added from novel perspectives on construction project management practices, proposing practical advice for further project management. Full article

The vascular endothelium, a specialized monolayer of endothelial cells (ECs), is crucial for maintaining vascular homeostasis by controlling the passage of substances and cells. In the tumor microenvironment, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGF-A) drives tumor angiogenesis, leading to endothelial anergy and vascular immunosuppression—a state where ECs resist cytotoxic CD8⁺ T cell infiltration, hindering immune surveillance. Immunotherapies have shown clinical promise. However, their effectiveness is significantly reduced by tumor EC anergy. Anti-angiogenic treatments aim to normalize tumor vessels and improve immune cell infiltration. Despite their potential, these therapies often cause significant systemic toxicities, necessitating new treatments. The small GTPase Rap1B emerges as a critical regulator of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGFR2) signaling in ECs. Our studies using EC-specific Rap1B knockout mice show that the absence of Rap1B impairs tumor growth, alters vessel morphology, and increases CD8⁺ T cell infiltration and activation. This indicates that Rap1B mediates VEGF-A’s immunosuppressive effects, making it a promising target for overcoming vascular immunosuppression in cancer. Rap1B shares structural and functional similarities with RAS oncogenes. We propose that targeting Rap1B could enhance therapies’ efficacy while minimizing adverse effects by reversing endothelial anergy. We briefly discuss strategies successfully developed for targeting RAS as a model for developing anti-Rap1 therapies. Full article