Development and optimisation of bioelectronic monitoring techniques like microelectrode array-based field potential measurement and impedance spectroscopy for the functional, label-free and non-invasive monitoring of in vitro neuronal networks is widely investigated in the field of biosensors. Thus, these techniques were individually used to demonstrate the capabilities of, e.g., detecting compound-induced toxicity in neuronal culture models. In contrast, extended application for investigating the effects of central nervous system infecting viruses are rarely described. In this context, we wanted to analyse the effect of herpesviruses on functional neuronal networks. Therefore, we developed a unique hybrid bioelectronic monitoring platform that allows for performing field potential monitoring and impedance spectroscopy on the same microelectrode. In the first step, a neuronal culture model based on primary hippocampal cells from neonatal rats was established with reproducible and stable synchronised electrophysiological network activity after 21 days of cultivation on microelectrode arrays. For a proof of concept, the pseudorabies model virus PrV Kaplan-ΔgG-GFP was applied and the effect on the neuronal networks was monitored by impedance spectroscopy and field potential measurement for 72 h in a multiparametric mode. Analysis of several bioelectronic parameters revealed a virus concentration-dependent degeneration of the neuronal network within 24–48 h, with a significant early change in electrophysiological activity, subsequently leading to a loss of activity and network synchronicity. In conclusion, we successfully developed a microelectrode array-based hybrid bioelectronic measurement platform for quantitative monitoring of pathologic effects of a herpesvirus on electrophysiological active neuronal networks. Full article

Throughout the central nervous system, the spinal cord plays a very important role, namely, transmitting sensory and motor information inwardly so that it can be processed by the brain. There are many different ways this structure can be damaged, such as through traumatic injury or surgery, such as scoliosis correction, for instance. Consequently, damage may be caused to the nervous system as a result of this. There is no doubt that optical devices such as microscopes and cameras can have a significant impact on research, diagnosis, and treatment planning for patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). Additionally, these technologies contribute a great deal to our understanding of these injuries, and they are also essential in enhancing the quality of life of individuals with spinal cord injuries. Through increasingly powerful, accurate, and minimally invasive technologies that have been developed over the last decade or so, several new optical devices have been introduced that are capable of improving the accuracy of SCI diagnosis and treatment and promoting a better quality of life after surgery. We aim in this paper to present a timely overview of the various research fields that have been conducted on optical devices that can be used to diagnose spinal cord injuries as well as to manage the associated health complications that affected individuals may experience. Full article

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a widely applied technology for renewable energy generation using biogas as energy vector. The existing microbial consortium in this technology allows for the use of several types of biomass as substrates. A promising alternative for the production of high-value products (e.g., mixed volatile fatty acids–VFAs, hydrogen) is the use of modified AD. There are several techniques to achieve this objective by modifying the operating conditions of the process. The literature has described the best AD routes for generating renewable energy or high-value products based on specific substrate types and operating conditions. Few studies have reported the integral fraction valorization of the AD process applying the biorefinery concept. This article provides an analysis of the different routes that favor the production of energy carriers and high-value products involving key issues related to operating conditions and substrates. Moreover, AD is addressed through the biorefinery concept. Finally, a case study is presented where renewable energy and mixed VFAs are generated by applying the biorefinery concept in a number of proposed scenarios using organic kitchen food waste (OKFW) as feedstock. The case study involves an experimental and simulation stage. Then, the economic feasibility of the proposed scenarios is evaluated. In conclusion, AD is a promising and economically feasible technology to produce valuable products from several types of waste materials. Full article

This paper considers a nonlinear fractional-order boundary value problem ${}^H{\mathbb{D}}_{a,g}^{{\alpha }_1,\beta ,\mu }x\left(t\right)+f(t,x\left(t\right){,}^H{\mathbb{D}}_{a,g}^{{\alpha }_2,\beta ,\mu }x\left(t\right))=0,$ for $t\in [a,b]$, ${\alpha }_1\in (1,2]$, ${\alpha }_2\in (0,1]$, $\beta \in [0,1]$ with appropriate integral boundary conditions on the Hölder spaces. Here, f is a real-valued function that satisfies the Hölder condition, and ${}^H{\mathbb{D}}_{a,g}^{\alpha ,\beta ,\mu }$ represents the tempered-Hilfer fractional derivative of order $\alpha >0$ with parameter $\mu \in {\mathbb{R}}^{+}$ and type $\beta \in [0,1]$. The corresponding integral problem is introduced in the study of this issue. This paper addresses a fundamental issue in the field, namely the circumstances under which differential and integral problems are equivalent. This approach enables the study of differential problems using integral operators. In order to achieve this, tempered fractional calculus and the equivalence problem of the studied problems are introduced and studied. The selection of an appropriate function space is of fundamental importance. This paper investigates the applicability of these operators on Hölder spaces and provides a comprehensive rationale for this choice. Full article

BPA has demonstrated enormous multisystem and multi-organ toxicity shown mainly in animal models. Meanwhile, the effects of its exposure in humans still require years of observation, research, and answers to many questions. Even minimal and short-term exposure contributes to disorders or various types of dysfunction. It is released directly or indirectly into the environment at every stage of the product life cycle, demonstrating its ease of penetration into the body. The ubiquity and general prevalence of BPA influenced the main objective of the study, which was to assess the toxicity and health effects of BPA and its derivatives based on the available literature. In addition, the guidelines of various international institutions or regions of the world in terms of its reduction in individual products were checked. Bisphenol A is the most widely known chemical and perhaps even the most studied by virtually all international or national organizations, but nonetheless, it is still controversial. In general, the level of BPA biomonitoring is still too high and poses a potential threat to public health. It is beginning to be widely argued that future toxicity studies should focus on molecular biology and the assessment of human exposure to BPA, as well as its substitutes. The effects of its exposure still require years of observation, extensive research, and answers to many questions. It is necessary to continue to deepen the knowledge and interest of many organizations, companies, and consumers around the world in order to make rational purchases as well as future choices, not only consumer ones. Full article

The current challenges facing large-diameter timber forests include low yield and low eco-economic benefit. As a result, the development of large-diameter timber forests has become one of the most important strategies for the development of forestry in China. The present study employed bibliometric analysis and Citespace software v.6.1.R3 to examine the literature from CNKI and WOS databases spanning 2002–2021. This analysis aimed to identify the research hotspots and trends in large-diameter timber trees while providing theoretical support and guidance for developing large-diameter timber forests. The research results showed the following data. (1) The number of articles published increased year by year, approximately 4.8 times in 20 years. (2) The journal “Forest Ecology and Management”, where the number of papers is up to 53, has a significant impact on the field of large-diameter timber research. The Tropical Forestry Experimental Center of the Chinese Academy of Forestry and the Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands possess strong research capabilities, with average citation frequencies of the articles of 26.8 and 51.5, respectively. (3) Research on large-diameter trees focuses on “large-diameter timber cultivation technology and cultivation measures”, “forest conservation management”, “large-diameter timber stand structure”, and “dynamic monitoring of large-diameter timber growth”. “Selection of suitable seed sources”, “Innovation of large-diameter timber cultivation technology”, and “improvement of large-diameter timber forest management mode” are the future research trends of large-diameter trees. In the future, it will be a challenge to realize the sustainable development of large-diameter timber resources. Concurrently, long-term monitoring and scientific management of large-diameter timber forests will be a key issue in promoting the development of large-diameter timber forests. Full article

An aero engine, as the core power equipment of the aircraft, enables safe and stable operation with a very high reliability index, and is an important guarantee in flight. The open rotor turbine engines (contra-rotating propeller) have stood out as a research hotspot for aviation power equipment in recent years due to their outstanding advantages of low fuel consumption, high airspeed, and strong propulsion efficiency. Aiming at the problems of vibration exceeding the standard generated by imbalance during the operation of the dual-rotor system of aircraft development, the difficulty of identifying the coupled vibration under the micro-differential speed condition, and the complexity of the dynamic characteristic law, a kind of numerical simulation of the dynamics based on the finite element technology is proposed, together with an experimental research method for the fast and accurate identification of the coupled vibration of the dual-rotor system. Based on the existing open rotor engine structure design to build a simulation test bed, establish a double rotor finite element simulation digital twin model, and analyze and calculate the typical working conditions of the dynamic characteristics of parameters. The advanced algorithm of double rotor coupling vibration signal identification is utilized to carry out decoupling and dynamic balancing experimental tests, comparing the simulation results with the measured data to verify the accuracy of the technical means. The results of the study show that the vibration suppression rate of the finite element calculation simulation test carried out for the simulated double rotor is 98%, and the average vibration reduction ratio of the actual field test at 850 rpm, 1000 rpm, and 3000 rpm is over 50%, which achieves a good dynamic balancing effect, and has the merit of practical engineering application. Full article

This research presents an innovative technique for semantic segmentation of Hyperspectral Image (HSI) while focusing on its dimensionality reduction. A unique technique is applied to three distinct HSI landcover datasets, Indian Pines, Pavia University, and Salinas Valley, acquired from diverse sensors. HSIs are inherently multi-view structures, causing redundancy and computation overload due to their high dimensionality. The technique utilizes Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) variants, Pairwise CCA (PCCA) and Multiple Set CCA (MCCA), to extract features from multiple views of the input image simultaneously. The performance of PCCA and MCCA is compared with the traditional Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on all datasets. The superior performance of CCA variants, particularly MCCA, is demonstrated in achieving higher Overall Accuracy (OA) for semantic segmentation compared to PCA. The research extends the analysis by integrating machine learning classifiers for per pixel prediction, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed techniques i.e., PCCA-SVM and MCCA-SVM. Full article

Complex traits are widely considered to be the result of a compound regulation of genes, environmental factors, and genotype-by-environment interaction (G × E). The inclusion of G × E in genome-wide association analyses is essential to understand animal environmental adaptations and improve the efficiency of breeding decisions. Here, we systematically investigated the G × E of growth traits (including weaning weight, yearling weight, 18-month body weight, and 24-month body weight) with environmental factors (farm and temperature) using genome-wide genotype-by-environment interaction association studies (GWEIS) with a dataset of 1350 cattle. We validated the robust estimator’s effectiveness in GWEIS and detected 29 independent interacting SNPs with a significance threshold of 1.67 × 10⁻⁶, indicating that these SNPs, which do not show main effects in traditional genome-wide association studies (GWAS), may have non-additive effects across genotypes but are obliterated by environmental means. The gene-based analysis using MAGMA identified three genes that overlapped with the GEWIS results exhibiting G × E, namely SMAD2, PALMD, and MECOM. Further, the results of functional exploration in gene-set analysis revealed the bio-mechanisms of how cattle growth responds to environmental changes, such as mitotic or cytokinesis, fatty acid β-oxidation, neurotransmitter activity, gap junction, and keratan sulfate degradation. This study not only reveals novel genetic loci and underlying mechanisms influencing growth traits but also transforms our understanding of environmental adaptation in beef cattle, thereby paving the way for more targeted and efficient breeding strategies. Full article

Abstract: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) constitutes a major global public health issue, affecting millions of individuals. Despite the implementation of robust vaccination programs, the hepatitis B virus (HBV) significantly influences morbidity and mortality rates. CHB emerges as one of the leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), introducing a major challenge in the effective management of CHB patients. Therefore, it is of utmost clinical importance to diligently monitor individuals with CHB who are at high risk of HCC development. While various prognostic scores have been developed for surveillance and screening purposes, their accuracy in predicting HCC risk may be limited, particularly in patients under treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues. The PAGE-B model, incorporating age, gender, and platelet count, has exhibited remarkable accuracy, validity, and reliability in predicting HCC occurrence among CHB patients receiving HBV treatment. Its predictive performance stands out, whether considered independently or in comparison to alternative HCC risk scoring systems. Furthermore, the introduction of targeted adjustments to the calculation of the PAGE-B score might have the potential to further improve its predictive accuracy. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy of the PAGE-B score as a dependable tool for accurate prediction of the development of HCC in CHB patients. The evidence discussed aims to provide valuable insights for guiding recommendations on HCC surveillance within this specific population. Full article

Tumor heterogeneity poses a significant challenge in osteosarcoma (OS) treatment. In this regard, the “omics” era has constantly expanded our understanding of biomarkers and altered signaling pathways (i.e., PI3K/AKT/mTOR, WNT/β-catenin, NOTCH, SHH/GLI, among others) involved in OS pathophysiology. Despite different players and complexities, many commonalities have been described, among which the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) stands out. Its altered activation is pervasive in cancer, with pleiotropic action on many disease-relevant traits. Thus, in the scope of this article, we highlight the evidence of NF-κB dysregulation in OS and its integration with other cancer-related pathways while we summarize the repertoire of compounds that have been described to interfere with its action. In silico strategies were used to demonstrate that NF-κB is closely coordinated with other commonly dysregulated signaling pathways not only by functionally interacting with several of their members but also by actively participating in the regulation of their transcription. While existing inhibitors lack selectivity or act indirectly, the therapeutic potential of targeting NF-κB is indisputable, first for its multifunctionality on most cancer hallmarks, and secondly, because, as a common downstream effector of the many dysregulated pathways influencing OS aggressiveness, it turns complex regulatory networks into a simpler picture underneath molecular heterogeneity. Full article

This paper deals with the design of a complete state control for input unsigned, rank deficient matrix parameters of a linear system with system dynamics defined by ostensible structures of Metzler matrices. The proposed solution is based on the principle of diagonal stabilization of positive systems and uses a stabilizing additional component over the decomposition of the Metzler matrix in solving the incomplete internal positivity of such linear system structures. The novelty of the proposed approach is the unified representation of the parametric constraints of the Metzler matrix and the structurally constrained system inputs using linear matrix inequalities, which guarantees that the closed-loop system will be asymptotically stable. Despite the complexity of the constraint conditions on this class of linear continuous systems, the design conditions are formulated using sharp linear matrix inequalities only. A detailed design process is presented using a system-linearized mathematical model to verify the superiority and practicality of the proposed method. Full article

Direct contact condensation (DCC) is a phenomenon observed when steam interacts with subcooled water, exhibiting higher heat and mass transfer rates compared to wall condensation. It has garnered significant interest across industries such as nuclear, chemical, and power due to its advantageous characteristics. In the context of pressure-relief tanks, understanding and optimizing the DCC process are critical for safety and efficiency. The efficiency of pressure-relief tanks depends on the amount of steam condensed per unit of time, which directly affects their operational parameters and design. This study focuses on investigating the direct gas–liquid contact condensation process in pressure-relief tanks using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Through experimental validation and a sensitivity analysis, the study provides insights into the influence of inlet steam parameters and basin temperature on the steam plume characteristics. Furthermore, steady-state and transient calculation models are developed to simulate the behaviour of the pressure-relief tank, providing valuable data for safety analysis and design optimization. There is a relatively high-pressure area in the upper part of the bubble hole of the pressure-relief tube, and the value increases as it is closer to the holes. The steam velocity in the bubbling hole near the 90° elbow position is higher. This study contributes to the understanding of steam condensation dynamics in pressure-relief tanks. When the steam emission and pressure are fixed, the equilibrium temperature increases linearly as the initial temperature increases (where a = 1, b = 20 in y = a x+ b correlation), the equilibrium pressure increases nearly exponentially, and the equilibrium gas volume decreases. When the steam emission and initial temperature are fixed, the equilibrium temperature does not change as the steam discharge pressure increases. The correlations between the predicted equilibrium parameters and the inlet steam parameters and tank temperature provide valuable insights for optimizing a pressure-relief tank design and improving the operational safety in diverse industrial contexts. Full article

The length-biased lognormal distribution is a length-biased version of lognormal distribution, which is developed to model the length-biased lifetime data from, for example, biological investigation, medical research, and engineering fields. Owing to the existence of censoring phenomena in lifetime data, we study the change-point-testing problem of length-biased lognormal distribution under random censoring in this paper. A procedure based on the modified information criterion is developed to detect changes in parameters of this distribution. Under the sufficient condition of the Fisher information matrix being positive definite, it is proven that the null asymptotic distribution of the test statistic follows a chi-square distribution. In order to evaluate the uncertainty of change point location estimation, a way of calculating the coverage probabilities and average lengths of confidence sets of change point location based on the profile likelihood and deviation function is proposed. The simulations are conducted, under the scenarios of uniform censoring and exponential censoring, to investigate the validity of the proposed method. And the results indicate that the proposed approach performs better in terms of test power, coverage probabilities, and average lengths of confidence sets compared to the method based on the likelihood ratio test. Subsequently, the proposed approach is applied to the analysis of survival data from heart transplant patients, and the results show that there are differences in the median survival time post-heart transplantation among patients of different ages. Full article

Active power-assist lower limb exoskeleton robots aim to enhance wearer assistance while ensuring wearer comfort and simplifying the exoskeleton’s design and control. This study proposes an active assistance method known as Equivalent Force on Connection (EFOC). The EFOC method effectively addresses the limitations encountered in conventional Joint Torque Proportional Compensation (JTPC) approaches. These limitations include the necessity for exoskeleton robot configurations to align with human limb structures for parallel assistance at each lower limb joint, as well as the exoskeleton’s inability to contribute a greater proportion of assistance due to the excessive load on specific skeletal and muscular structures, resulting in wearer discomfort. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the EFOC method is evaluated and validated for assistance during both the stance and swing phases of single-leg movements. Finally, the proposed EFOC method is implemented on a hydraulic-driven lower limb exoskeleton robot to assist wearers in squatting, stepping, and jumping locomotion. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed EFOC method can effectively achieve the desired assistance effect. Full article

The optimization algorithm plays a crucial role in image recognition by neural networks. However, it is challenging to accelerate the model’s convergence and maintain high precision. As a commonly used stochastic gradient descent optimization algorithm, the momentum method requires many epochs to find the optimal parameters during model training. The velocity of its gradient descent depends solely on the historical gradients and is not subject to random fluctuations. To address this issue, an optimization algorithm to enhance the gradient descent velocity, i.e., the momentum reacceleration gradient descent (MRGD), is proposed. The algorithm utilizes the point division of the current momentum and the gradient relationship, multiplying it with the gradient. It can adjust the update rate and step size of the parameters based on the gradient descent state, so as to achieve faster convergence and higher precision in training the deep learning model. The effectiveness of this method is further proven by applying the reacceleration mechanism to the Adam optimizer, resulting in the MRGDAdam algorithm. We verify both algorithms using multiple image classification datasets, and the experimental results show that the proposed optimization algorithm enables the model to achieve higher recognition accuracy over a small number of training epochs, as well as speeding up model implementation. This study provides new ideas and expansions for future optimizer research. Full article

Abundant light and heat in the Hexi Oasis Irrigation Area in China provide superior natural conditions for agricultural development. To study the maize–soybean planting system of intercropping and determine superior group yield and economic benefits in the Hexi Oasis Irrigation Area, eight treatments were set up in 2022–2023: maize–soybean intercropping with a bandwidth of 1.8 m and a row ratio of 2:3 (M1S3), a bandwidth of 1.8 m and a row ratio of 2:4 (M1S4), a bandwidth of 2.0 m and a row ratio of 2:3 (M2S3), a bandwidth of 2.0 m and a row ratio of 2:4 (M2S4), a bandwidth of 2.2 m and a row ratio of 2:3 (M3S3), a bandwidth of 2.2 m and a row ratio of 2:4 (M3S4), monocropping maize (M), and monocropping soybean (S). We analyzed the effects of changes in bandwidth–row ratios on photosynthetic characteristics, yield, and interspecific relationships in these treatments during two crop reproductive periods. Our results showed the following: (1) Under the intercropping system, the photosynthetic capacity of maize was highest when the row ratio was 2∶3 and bandwidth was 1.8 m. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) increased by 1.72% to 48.90%, the transpiration rate (Tr) increased by 5.53% to 118.10%, and stomatal conductance (Gs) increased by 2.82% to 86.49% compared with other planting systems. Increasing the bandwidth from 1.8 m to 2.2 m improved the photosynthetic characteristics of soybean, increasing Pn, Tr, and Gs by 3.44% to 74.21%, 3.92% to 53.69%, and 2.41% to 55.22%, respectively. (2) The yield of maize and soybean under monocropping was significantly higher than that under intercropping. In the intercropping treatments, the average yield of crops in the M3S3 system was 16,519.4 kg ha⁻¹, an increase of 6.48% compared with the M3S4 system, indicating that the reduction of one row of soybean in the same bandwidth system increases crop yield; The average economic benefit of the M3S3 system over two years was 35,171.73 CNY ha⁻¹, which increased by 13.3 and 80% compared with the average economic benefit of maize and soybean monocropping, indicating that the intercropping system leads to better economic results for farmers than monocropping. (3) In the two-year experiment, the land equivalent ratio (LER) was highest in the M3S3 model, averaging 1.25 over the two years, showing better land productivity compared with other intercropping systems. (4) When bandwidth was 1.8, 2.0, or 2.2 m, the LER decreased by 8.3, 5.9, and 5.6% when planting an additional row of soybeans, the relative crowding coefficient of soybeans in the respective bandwidths increased by 4.59, 4.72, and 0.75%, the competition ratio of maize (CR_M) increased by 22.94, 16.97, and 12.74%, the competition ratio of soybean (CR_S) decreased by 20.47, 17.61, and 16.78%, and the competitive power of maize was greater than that of soybean, indicating that the increase in soybean rows in the same bandwidth system would weaken the competitive advantage of soybean, resulting in crop yield and economic benefit reduction. When the row ratio was 2:3 or 2:4, bandwidth increased from 1.8 m to 2.2 m, LER decreased by 3.31 and 0.86%, intercropping maize aggressiveness (A_M) decreased by 7.55 and 12.50%, CR_M decreased by 18.04 and 24.84%, and CR_S increased by 17.32 and 22.77%, respectively, which indicated that the increase in bandwidth under different row ratio systems could improve the competitive advantage of intercropping soybean, thereby improving crop yield and economic benefits. (5) The AHP method, entropy weight method, and TOPSIS analysis showed that M3S3 ranked first, with the highest comprehensive evaluation (0.6017). In conclusion, the M3S3 planting system can better coordinate crop interspecies relationships, with higher land yield and economic benefit, and can be used as a suitable maize–soybean intercropping system in the Hexi oasis irrigation area. Full article

During the operation of the longitudinal axis flow threshing device of a combine harvester, the threshed materials form accumulations and blockages on both sides of the screen surface, severely affecting the harvesting process. To evenly distribute the materials on the screen and solve the blockage issue, a multi-wing curved combination centrifugal fan is designed to match the mass distribution of the threshed materials. The movement mechanism of rice threshed materials in the cleaning shoe of a longitudinal axis flow combine harvester is investigated using the coupled CFD-DEM simulation method. The cleaning efficiency and performance of the traditional straight-blade fan screen device and the newly designed cleaning device are compared and analyzed, and field tests are conducted. The results show that the trajectory of the threshed materials cleaned by the device equipped with the multi-wing curved combination centrifugal fan is consistent with the mass distribution of the materials separated by the longitudinal axis flow threshing device. The absolute value of the centroid velocity of the material group in the X/Y direction is greater than that of the traditional fan, indicating that the movement speed of the particle group in the optimized fan is greater than that of the traditional fan. Therefore, in the actual cleaning process, the optimized fan’s air flow distribution more effectively accelerates the movement speed of the threshed materials, increasing the amount of materials cleaned per unit time, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency. Field comparative tests show that the designed cleaning device reduced the cleaning loss rate by up to 25.00% and the impurity content rate by 32.20%, achieving efficient and low-damage cleaning of the combine harvester. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method for evenly distributing the materials and provides important reference for the study of other piled particle distribution systems. Full article

Elasmobranchs have an ancestral reproductive system, which offers insights into vertebrate reproductive evolution. Despite their unchanged design over 400 million years, they evolved complex mechanisms ensuring reproductive success. However, human activities induced a significant decline in elasmobranch populations worldwide. In the Mediterranean basin, the smooth-hound shark (Mustelus mustelus) is one of the species that are considered vulnerable to human activities. Conservation efforts necessitate a thorough understanding of its reproductive strategy. This study focused on mature male specimens of smooth-hound sharks that were captured in the Adriatic area and successively analyzed to provide, for the first time, a histologically detailed description of testicular development in the species. Seven phases of the spermatogenesis process were identified, along with the macromolecular characterization of cells obtained using Fourier-transform infrared imaging. Histological analysis showed structural and cellular features similar to those documented in the spermatocysts of other elasmobranchs. The examination of the evolution and migration of both germinative and Sertoli cells at each phase revealed their close connection. Furthermore, different expression levels of lipids, proteins, and phosphates (DNA) at each spermatogenesis stage were observed. This research provided new information on spermatogenesis in the common smooth-hound shark, which is crucial for conservation efforts against population decline and anthropogenic pressures. Full article

LaFeO₃ thin films were successfully epitaxially grown on single-crystalline SrTiO₃ substrates by the one-step hydrothermal method at a temperature of 320 °C in a 10 mol/L KOH aqueous solution using La(NO₃)₃ and Fe(NO₃)₃ as the raw materials. The growth of the films was consistent with the island growth mode. Scanning electronic microscopy, elemental mapping, and atomic force microscopy demonstrate that the LaFeO₃ thin films cover the SrTiO₃ substrate thoroughly. The film subjected to hydrothermal treatment for 4 h exhibits a relatively smooth surface, with an average surface roughness of 10.1 nm. X-ray diffraction in conventional Bragg–Brentano mode shows that the LaFeO₃ thin films show the same out-of-plane orientation as that of the substrate (i.e., (001)_LaFeO3||(001)_SrTiO3). The in-plane orientation of the films was analyzed by φ-scanning, revealing that the orientational relationship is [001]_LaFeO3||[001]_SrTiO3. The ω-rocking curve indicates that the prepared LaFeO₃ films are of high quality with no significant mosaic defects. Full article

In recent years, the prevalence of and mortality associated with cardiovascular diseases have been rising in most countries and regions. AF is the most common arrhythmic condition, and there are several treatment options for AF. Pulmonary vein isolation is an effective treatment for AF and is the cornerstone of current ablation techniques, which have one major limitation: even when diagnosed and treated at a facility that specializes in ablation, patients have a greater chance of recurrence. Therefore, there is a need to develop better ablation techniques for the treatment of AF. This article first compares the current cryoablation (CBA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) techniques for the treatment of AF and discusses the utility and advantages of the development of pulsed-field ablation (PFA) technology. The current research on PFA is summarized from three perspectives, namely, simulation experiments, animal experiments, and clinical studies. The results of different stages of experiments are summarized, especially during animal studies, where pulmonary vein isolation was carried out effectively without causing injury to the phrenic nerve, esophagus, and pulmonary veins, with higher safety and shorter incision times. This paper focuses on a review of various a priori and clinical studies of this new technique for the treatment of AF. Full article

The main contribution of this paper is the proposal of a six-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) refueling robotic arm positioning and docking technology guided by RGB-D camera visual guidance, as well as conducting in-depth research and experimental validation on the technology. We have integrated the YOLOv8 algorithm with the Perspective-n-Point (PnP) algorithm to achieve precise detection and pose estimation of the target refueling interface. The focus is on resolving the recognition and positioning challenges of a specialized refueling interface by the 6-DoF robotic arm during the automated refueling process. To capture the unique characteristics of the refueling interface, we developed a dedicated dataset for the specialized refueling connectors, ensuring the YOLO algorithm’s accurate identification of the target interfaces. Subsequently, the detected interface information is converted into precise 6-DoF pose data using the PnP algorithm. These data are used to determine the desired end-effector pose of the robotic arm. The robotic arm’s movements are controlled through a trajectory planning algorithm to complete the refueling gun docking process. An experimental setup was established in the laboratory to validate the accuracy of the visual recognition and the applicability of the robotic arm’s docking posture. The experimental results demonstrate that under general lighting conditions, the recognition accuracy of this docking interface method meets the docking requirements. Compared to traditional vision-guided methods based on OpenCV, this visual guidance algorithm exhibits better adaptability and effectively provides pose information for the robotic arm. Full article