Tranexamic acid (TXA) is widely used in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, its pharmacology suggests differences in effectiveness should exist based on fibrinolytic phenotype, particularly fibrinolytic shutdown. This study examined whether fibrinolytic shutdown is associated with increased mortality in TBI and whether TXA retains its benefit in this subgroup. This retrospective cohort study included TBI patients who had thromboelastography (TEG) upon presentation at three affiliated trauma centers. Patients were excluded if they received TXA before TEG, had TXA >3 hours postadmission, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS)=3 and a nonreactive pupil or a nonsurvivable injury. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality, either in-hospital or in-hospice, up to 28 days. Patients were stratified by fibrinolytic phenotype: shutdown (LY30<0.5%), physiologic (0.5-7.7%), or hyperfibrinolytic (>7.7%) and TXA receipt. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Of 394 patients (mean age 64±21 y; 56% ground-level falls; 74% mild TBI), fibrinolytic shutdown predominated [72% (n=285)], followed by physiologic [27% (n=107)], and hyperfibrinolysis [0.5% (n=2)]. Unadjusted mortality was 16% with shutdown versus 9.2% without (p=0.090). After controlling for age, ISS, GCS, multicompartmental head injury, neurosurgical intervention, and TXA, there was no association between shutdown phenotype and mortality [OR (95% CI) =1.37 (0.62-3.05)]. In patients with fibrinolytic shutdown, unadjusted mortality was lower in patients who received TXA [12% (24/196) vs. 24% (21/89), p=0.015]. After controlling for age, ISS, GCS, multicompartmental head injury, and neurosurgical intervention, mortality remained lower [OR (95% CI)=0.36 (0.16-0.77)]. In patients without fibrinolytic shutdown, no difference in mortality was noted [TXA, 9.6% (7/73) vs. no TXA, 8.3% (3/36), p=1.00]. These results did not change after controlling for the above confounders [OR (95% CI)=0.96 (0.16-5.78)]. TXA remained associated with lower mortality in TBI patients with fibrinolytic shutdown, despite pharmacologic expectations. Fibrinolytic shutdown was not independently associated with higher mortality. These findings support early TXA administration without delaying treatment for TEG interpretation. (J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2026;00:000-000 Copyright © 2026 Wolters Kluwer Health, LLC. All rights reserved.). Therapeutic/Care Management; Level IV.
The 2025 United States government shutdown (October 1-November 12) resulted in historic disruptions to benefit distribution for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The purpose of this study was to examine South Carolina SNAP recipients' perceptions of the 2025 government shutdown and how it impacted their food access. South Carolina issued SNAP benefits on November 14, 2025, after a maximum 14-day lapse, for households who typically get their benefits between the 1st and 14th of the month. Caregivers (n = 74) in SNAP participating in an ongoing clinical trial were invited to complete a brief online survey between November 19 and 27, 2025 to assess if/how November SNAP benefits were impacted and what strategies were used to access food during this time. Descriptive statistics were applied to survey items. Responses for open ended questions were coded into themes. Fifty-five caregivers completed the survey (76% response rate). Most (85.5%) reported their November SNAP benefits were impacted. Of those impacted, the most common response was a delay in distribution (80.9%). Some caregivers (43.6%) used new or different strategies to access food during the shutdown, the most common being community food resources (e.g., food banks; 62.5%) and support from friends and family (29.2%). When asked to describe these impacts in detail, caregivers described four main themes: constrained food choices, shift toward different foods, financial coping strategies, and emotional strain. These findings underscore the importance of continuous SNAP benefit distribution and enacting contingency plans during federal disruptions to prevent future undue hardship.
Hydraulic transients in drag-based in-pipe turbines during sudden operational changes can induce pressure pulsations, water hammer, cavitation, and column separation in pipeline components located both upstream and downstream of the turbine. Additionally, the torque imposed on turbine blades is a critical concern, as frequent operational changes can accelerate blade fatigue and potentially lead to structural failure. This study integrates the Method of Characteristics (MOC) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to model transient phenomena resulting from the abrupt stoppage of a hydrodynamic in-pipe turbine. The analysis evaluates how varying deceleration rates influence pressure surges, pressure pulsations, and torque amplification on blades across different blade counts. The results demonstrate that stoppage time significantly affects torque escalation and confirm that turbine blade count strongly influences the magnitude of pressure surges during transient events. Detailed scenario analyses further reveal that specific configurations exhibit greater susceptibility to extreme pressure fluctuations, thereby creating substantial operational and reliability challenges.
The ATR-enforced S/G2 checkpoint activates during DNA replication to restrain CDK1-dependent phosphorylation of FOXM1 and subsequent transactivation of the G2/M gene network until the end of S phase. However, the extent to which this checkpoint ensures the completion of DNA replication and whether it safeguards genomic integrity has remained unknown. Here, we induce S/G2 checkpoint failure throughout S phase in non-malignant human epithelial cells using multiple ATR pathway inhibitors. Consequently, the mitotic kinase complex cyclin B1-CDK1 prematurely shuts-down the DNA replication program, preventing the completion of genome duplication. In turn, this leads to the retention of inactive replisomes on chromatin and unfired origins into the G2 phase, which induce subsequent accumulation of pan-nuclear ᵧH2AX and mitotic failure. Collectively, these findings indicate the S/G2 checkpoint ensures replication completion and genome stability.
Temporal reproductive plasticity is a central life-history trait for most iteroparous animals, yet its underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. We utilize the reversible reproductive arrest experienced by honey bee queens during colony swarming to investigate how these reproductive specialists dynamically adapt their physiology. We demonstrate that pre-swarming nutritional restriction triggers a resource reallocation, whereby ovarian mass declines as flight muscle function is enhanced, providing empirical support for a flight-fecundity trade-off. This transition is accompanied by elevated juvenile hormone and suppressed ecdysteroid and vitellogenin levels, together with the engagement of three spatially distinct oogenesis checkpoints. These checkpoints engage programmed cell death pathways: autophagy predominates in germarial stem cells and follicle cells, while apoptosis is the primary mechanism in vitellarium oocytes and nurse cells, collectively orchestrating oogenesis arrest. Integrated whole-transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed broad molecular remodeling, including changes in FoxO-, Notch-, Wnt-, and Hippo-related signatures that accompanied oogenesis suppression. Our results indicate a "nutrition-hormone-checkpoint-programmed cell death" model that links colony-level swarming to individual ovary suppression. This work provides a systematic framework for understanding the molecular regulation of the reversible reproductive plasticity of honey bee queens.
An extreme winter icing event from 1 to 7 February 2024 in central-eastern China induced sequential hydrometeor phase transitions (freezing fog, freezing drizzle, intense freezing rain, and mixed-phase precipitation) at Hunan's Gutaishan wind farm. To investigate the underlying physical mechanisms, this study utilized multisource observational data, ERA5 reanalysis, and turbine operational records. The combined influence of the South Branch Trough and the Western Pacific Subtropical High drove a prolonged convergence of southwesterly warm-moist advection with easterly cold air, maintaining a stable temperature inversion. During the freezing-fog stage, this cold-warm-cold inversion structure trapped near-surface moisture, leading to the accumulation of supercooled droplets that ultimately caused a shutdown of 50% of the operational turbines. The freezing-drizzle stage was governed by the warm-rain mechanism. Due to the absence of ice-phase hydrometeors in shallow clouds (cloud-top temperatures > -10 °C), purely liquid drizzle drops fell through the underlying cold layer to become supercooled, triggering a farm-wide shutdown. The intense freezing-rain stage followed the melting mechanism. Abundant ice-phase hydrometeors from deep clouds (cloud-top temperatures < -20 °C) melted completely within a pronounced warm layer (vertical temperature inversion strength of 10.0 °C km- 1) and subsequently became supercooled in the underlying cold layer, accelerating blade icing. Finally, the mixed-phase stage was driven by a melting-refreezing mechanism. Mid-level dry-cold air intrusion weakened the warm layer, causing descending solid hydrometeors to undergo only partial melting. These hydrometeors then formed mixed-phase precipitation (coexisting ice pellets and trace supercooled rain) within the deep cold layer, maintaining the farm-wide shutdown.
The poor thermal stability of commercial polyethylene (PE) separators hinders the further application of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), yet previous modifications struggle to balance between safety and electrochemical performance. This study proposes an interface modification strategy by forming a poly(melamine terephthalamide) (PTM) coating on the PE separator surface, constructing a "thermal-mechanical-electrochemical synergistic barrier". The PTMs@PE separator achieves synergistic improvements in thermal shutdown behavior, thermal stability, mechanical strength, and electrochemical compatibility by taking advantage of the temperature-sensitive response of the PE separator, the flame-retardants of the rigid conjugated skeleton with the high nitrogen of PTM, and the electrolyte-affinity of its functional groups. Importantly, the principles between the molecular structure of the PTM coating and the thermal behavior is verified. The results demonstrate that PTM participates in the decomposition process of the PE separator and slows down the degradation rate of the PE chain structure, thereby resulting in a wide-temperature-range thermal shutdown temperature. The PTMs@PE effectively reduces the risk of runaway. The PTMs@PE separator achieves outstanding electrochemical compatibility, achieving a capacity retention rate of 99.27% at 2 C for 500 cycles. Notably, the separator shows high potential for scalable fabrication. This work provides a novel material system and technical pathway for developing highly safe and high-performance LIB separators.
The Human Silencing Hub (HUSH) complex safeguards genome integrity in human somatic cells, repressing transposable elements and regulating type I interferon (IFN-I) induction. Here, we use depletion of MPP8 in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as a tool to investigate epigenetic control of the IFN-I system in early development. We confirmed that human iPSCs display an attenuated IFN-I pathway, whereas iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) respond robustly to IFN-I pathway agonists. We found that, in iPSCs, depletion of MPP8 was sufficient to induce expression of young LINE-1 elements and genes linked to the IFN-I system including double-stranded RNA sensors and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). ISG upregulation occurred without IFN-I signalling, suggesting that, in contrast to differentiated cells, this ISG regulation is uncoupled from nucleic acid sensing specifically in early development. Chromatin profiling confirmed MPP8 enrichment at HUSH-regulated ISGs and revealed a bimodal binding profile of MPP8 to both ISGs and non-ISGs, the latter largely driven by young LINE-1 elements. We propose that shutdown of the IFN-I system in pluripotent stem cells is essential to prevent lethality from unwarranted self-nucleic acid sensing. This shutdown is achieved through a triple-layer of epigenetic lockdown targeting ligands, sensors, and effectors across the IFN-I pathway.
The paper focuses on detecting faults in tapered roller bearings to prevent unplanned shutdowns, accidents, and financial losses. Tapered roller bearings are an indispensable component used in mechanical applications, where handling of combined loads is required in rotating machinery. This study proposes a novel framework ConvECA-Net for advanced fault diagnosis of tapered roller bearings. This innovative architecture combines Efficient Channel Attention (ECA), adaptive kernel size strategy, and Leaky ReLU activation. This fault classification network is designed to classify five fault conditions in the tapered roller bearings. This proposed architecture is compared with deep learning algorithms such as ANN and ResNet50 and traditional machine learning algorithms such as SVM and RF. The proposed ConvECA-Net achieves a better classification accuracy of 95.07% and requires only 563 K trainable parameters and a model size of 2.2 MB. A systematic component-wise ablation study is conducted to validate that each component of this architectural design, namely ECA attention, adaptive kernel sizing, and Leaky-ReLU activation, individually and collectively contribute to the overall performance of this diagnostic model, as it achieves superior performance compared to its baseline variant by 5.45%. Cross-condition robustness is further established by evaluating this diagnostic model on three different rotational speeds and various load levels. Evaluation of noise robustness on this diagnostic model for various levels of Gaussian white noise and pink noise, further establishes its robustness of the proposed model. Further, Statistical validation of this diagnostic model is conducted by running this experiment ten times, using paired t-tests, Shapiro-Wilk normality tests, and stratified 5-fold cross-validation (94.82% ± 0.38%). Finally, analysis of computational efficiency of this diagnostic model reveals that it achieves 192 MFLOPs and an inference latency of 0.82 ms/sample, making it suitable for industrial condition monitoring systems of rotating machinery to prevent the plant shutdown.
Less than a week after its inauguration, the second Trump administration issued a blanket stop-work order for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the largest national humanitarian donor. The social and political effects of abrupt aid withdrawal are poorly understood, especially in fragile states where relief is a key safety net. We provide quasi-experimental evidence on the shutdown's impact on subnational conflict across Africa. Leveraging historical exposure to USAID programs, we show that conflict increased sharply after the shutdown in areas that previously received the most support. The increase spanned incidence and severity, including armed clashes, protests, and riots. The effects appeared immediately and persisted for months. Inclusive local institutions substantially mitigated these harms, underscoring vulnerability under weak governance and the capacity of institutions to buffer humanitarian and economic shocks.
Belt conveyor idlers frequently fail under high-load harsh conditions, causing system shutdowns. Existing deep learning-based fault diagnosis methods suffer from insufficient frequency resolution and poor dynamic adaptability. To address this, this paper proposes a fault diagnosis framework based on adaptive frequency-band KAN: First, an adaptive frequency-band Mel filter bank designed based on fault mechanisms enhances resolution in critical fault frequency bands through non-uniform frequency-axis remapping and third-order peak detection. Second, a temporal convolutional network is integrated to expand the receptive field and capture cross-period features. A Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks (KAN) layer is introduced to dynamically analyze nonlinear coupling relationships in the frequency domain using learnable B-spline basis functions. This model achieves synergistic optimization of feature resolution enhancement and dynamic modeling, significantly improving diagnostic accuracy and cross-condition generalization capability for roller faults. Under actual conveyor roller operating conditions, fault prediction accuracy reaches 81.25%, fully validating the model's adaptability to real-world industrial scenarios.
The IDEXX Legiolert test has been implemented for the quantification of Legionella pneumophila in a variety of potable and non-potable water matrices. For example, through coordination with the state regulatory agency, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) has implemented treatment strategies and corresponding L. pneumophila monitoring (via Legiolert) to ensure groundwater quality and public health protection. Because of its specificity to L. pneumophila, confirmation of a positive Legiolert test is often assumed to be unnecessary, although high false positive rates have previously been reported for Legiolert testing of groundwater systems. This study evaluated four confirmation methodologies on liquid media harvested from Legiolert-positive trays: latex agglutination, MALDI-MS, rapid qPCR for the mip and srkA genes, and BCYE plating (±L-cysteine). With the exception of BCYE, these confirmation methods provide results in <24 h, allowing for rapid regulatory and/or public health response. Of 108 presumptive positive analyses of groundwater samples collected in Southern Nevada, only two were ultimately determined to be false positive Legiolert results, although one prompted the shutdown of the corresponding groundwater well. qPCR of the mip gene had the highest L. pneumophila confirmation rate (96%), followed by MALDI-MS (92%), latex agglutination (88%), and BCYE (±L-cysteine) (88%). Although Legiolert alone proved to be effective and relatively accurate in detecting L. pneumophila, confirmation testing yielded valuable supporting information, including serogroup determination and false positive identification (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia). Collectively, these data highlight the benefits and drawbacks of various L. pneumophila confirmation methodologies for reporting and decision-making by SNWA and other drinking water utilities. In the United States, Legionella pneumophila is the leading cause of drinking water-associated illnesses, hospitalization, and deaths. It is the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease and the less severe Pontiac Fever. As awareness of L. pneumophila risks increases and monitoring plans are implemented, it is imperative that laboratory analysts, practitioners, and decision-makers understand the limitations of available methods and the value of confirmation in increasing data confidence and informing appropriate actions. Groundwater is commonly used as a drinking water source for public and private systems and generally has less stringent treatment requirements than other sources. Studies have described groundwater as an environmental reservoir for L. pneumophila, but there have also been reports of high false positive rates when monitoring groundwater, particularly when using IDEXX Legiolert. Therefore, the results from this study provide critical knowledge to those monitoring L. pneumophila and using the data for regulatory compliance and/or operational decision-making.
New half-sandwich iridium(III) compounds [Ir(η5-Cpx)Cl(L1-3)]PF6 (1-6), combining Cp* or Cpph with N,P-coordinated phosphinoalkylamines L1-L3, were tested in different cancer cells (2D and 3D cultures), including MOR/CPR cisplatin-resistant lung carcinoma. Best-performing compound 3 outperformed its Cpph analogue 6 and cisplatin in MOR/CPR cells while sparing noncancerous cells. Multiomics profiling shows a non-DNA-targeted mechanism: rapid integrated stress response with ER stress (DDIT3/CHOP) and oxidative stress (HMOX1, ATF3), nucleolar stress, and primary inhibition of ribosome biogenesis and mitochondrial translation. These changes drive translational shutdown, suppression of oxidative phosphorylation with a glycolytic shift, and G1 arrest, alongside endolysosomal remodeling (enhanced vesicular uptake, reduced degradative capacity) that favors intracellular retention. The phenotype is predominantly cytostatic with apoptotic priming. In vivo, 3 suppressed tumor growth and activated apoptosis with low systemic toxicity. Compound 3 thus emerges as a promising prototype Ir(III) metallodrug that disrupts nucleolar, mitochondrial, and lysosomal homeostasis to overcome resistance.
Tube boilers are extensively employed in oil and gas refineries, as well as in petroleum, energy, and power generation industries, where they serve critical functions in local steam-generation units and combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants. However, these boilers are prone to defects arising from waterside corrosion (e.g., thinning of U-bend tubes), fireside corrosion, and material degradation caused by stress or creeping. Among these issues, wall thinning of tube bends is particularly severe, as it results in localized metal loss, reduced structural integrity, and an elevated risk of tube rupture or failure under high-temperature and high-pressure operating conditions. Such failures can significantly compromise boiler safety and efficiency, potentially leading to forced outages, costly unplanned repairs, or catastrophic damage if not detected in time. The current condition-monitoring policy for U-bends relies on scheduled preventive maintenance and unscheduled corrective interventions. In practice, this involves randomly checking approximately 10-20% of the tubes through spot scanning, partial scanning, or full scanning, with repairs typically carried out only after an undetected failure occurs. Such maintenance strategies generally require plant shutdowns, making the process time-consuming, labor-intensive, and ultimately not cost-effective. This paper reviews existing solutions, technologies, and research addressing the problem, and introduces femtosecond laser micromachined fiber optic sensors as a transformative approach for real-time monitoring of wall thickness reduction in U-bend boiler tubes, thereby opening pathways for further research.
The integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) into energy systems poses considerable operational challenges, due to their intermittent and stochastic nature. Grid-connected energy storage systems (ESSs) present a compelling alternative for reliably accommodating various RESs. This paper presents an optimal scheduling for allocating wind-storage system capacity in high mountain regions with abundant wind resources and irrigation pumping demand. To capture uncertainty in wind and solar generation, a scenario-free stochastic formulation is adopted, enabling tractable and scalable uncertainty modelling. To reduce the overall lifecycle comprehensive cost (COC), a synergistic optimization model is developed by integrating features of wind energy, pumping unit parameters, and storage configurations. The model considers startup/shutdown losses, optimal flow distribution, and operating expenses of the pumping station while optimizing energy storage capacity. A single-battery system is compared with a hybrid battery-hydrogen storage strategy. Results show the hybrid solution reduces COC by 5.4%, alleviates battery operational stress, and maintains pumping station efficiency. The framework incorporates a reliability model for wind power generation, ensuring robust lifecycle cost optimization. This approach demonstrates the financial and technological benefits of hybrid storage in renewable energy-driven irrigation systems. Simulations in the case study validate the flexibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach across various practical settings.
Lost wages following living donation may deter patients from pursuing living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) and potential donors from being evaluated. We randomized patients undergoing transplant evaluation to 1 of 2 donor wage reimbursement groups ($1500 or $3000 maximum) and encouraged them to discuss this reimbursement program with their social network. These patients were compared with matched historical controls (HCs) on the likelihood of LDKT and ≥1 donor evaluation within 1 y of transplant evaluation. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for demographic and clinical factors known to be associated with LDKT. Access to any donor wage reimbursement (lost wages $1500 maximum reimbursement and lost wages $3000 maximum reimbursement combined versus HC) was not significantly associated with LDKT occurrence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39-1.85; P  = 0.68) or with the likelihood of having at least 1 donor evaluated within 1 y of initial evaluation (aOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.76-1.50; P  = 0.70) after covariate adjustment. Also, donor wage reimbursement level (lost wages $1500 maximum reimbursement versus lost wages $3000 maximum reimbursement) was not associated with LDKT (aOR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.22-2.44; P  = 0.61) or with having a donor evaluation initiated (aOR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.40-1.05; P  = 0.11). In an exploratory analysis extending follow-up to account for COVID-related shutdowns, access to wage reimbursement was associated with higher odds of LDKT compared with HC (aOR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.12-4.18; P  = 0.02). Donor wage reimbursement, at the levels tested, did not increase LDKT or living donor evaluation likelihood in primary analyses, although exploratory findings suggest that effects may emerge with longer follow-up. Wage reimbursement alone may be insufficient to meaningfully expand LDKT.
Digital technologies increasingly mediate social life, yet their relationship with social wellbeing in polycrisis settings where armed conflict, economic collapse, and surveillance coexist remains poorly understood. Nationwide evidence on multiple dimensions of digital connectivity and social wellbeing in active conflict settings remains scarce. Myanmar offers a critical case: rapid pre-2021 digital expansion has given way to recurrent shutdowns and worsening affordability amid conflict since 2021. We aimed to assess associations between multiple dimensions of digital connectivity and social wellbeing in Myanmar's polycrisis context, and describe national levels and inequalities in each. We used data from the Myanmar Household Welfare Survey (MHWS), a nationwide, population-weighted panel survey across eight rounds (December 2021 to December 2024) covering 310 of 330 townships. Across 34,783 unique respondents, 100,003 survey responses were completed. Longitudinal analyses drew on the full panel; cross-sectional analyses focused on 16,454 respondents in the final two rounds with social wellbeing data. Regression models assessed associations between four digital connectivity indicators and four social wellbeing outcomes, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic confounders. Digital disconnectivity was pervasive: over half lacked regular internet access (54.9% [8033/16,454], SE 0.6), computer ownership was rare (10.5% [2228/16,454], SE 0.3), and most households had fewer than one device per adult. Internet access ranged fivefold from 13.6% [117/502] (95% CI: 9.4-19.2%) in Rakhine to 70.1% [1770/2405] (95% CI: 67.3-72.8%) in Yangon. Intermittent internet use was associated with greater loneliness (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.15-1.58) and friend conflict (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.36-2.73); higher device density was independently associated with greater loneliness. Consistent internet access was protective against inability to contact friends. No digital indicator was significantly associated with social trust. Profound inequalities in digital connectivity persist across Myanmar's polycrisis, leaving conflict-affected populations most excluded. Where connectivity exists, its relationship with social wellbeing is nuanced: consistent internet access supports relational reach, but intermittent access may amplify loneliness and interpersonal conflict. Digital connectivity was not associated with social trust in this analysis; understanding what shapes trust will require measures of governance and community conditions beyond the scope of these data. Policies should prioritize service reliability; ongoing monitoring, broader crisis survey wellbeing measurement, and qualitative work are needed. This analysis received no specific funding; the implementation of MHWS survey was funded by the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT).
Intermittently operated, tankless reverse osmosis (RO) systems are widely used in decentralized and point-of-use applications, yet water stagnation during idle periods remains a critical challenge, leading to degraded water quality, accelerated fouling, and performance loss. This study presents an experimentally validated engineering solution that eliminates stagnant water in intermittently operated RO systems. A dual-membrane RO configuration with flexible series-parallel switching was developed, enabling membranes to alternate between production and flushing modes. An adaptive control strategy, integrated into the system hardware, regulates membrane switching and flushing based on real-time feed-water quality. The proposed configuration and control framework was evaluated under representative intermittent operating conditions. Experimental results show that the zero-stagnant-water strategy effectively prevents residual water accumulation during shutdown and maintains stable permeate quality, with total dissolved solids consistently below 10 mg/L. Long-term testing further demonstrates reduced membrane fouling and slower performance degradation compared with conventional fixed-operation schemes, resulting in enhanced desalination efficiency and operational stability. Owing to its modular design and simple control logic, the proposed approach is readily transferable to decentralized and point-of-use membrane water treatment systems requiring reliable, high-quality water under intermittent operation.
To assess experiences and psychological responses to large-scale production-animal depopulation events among a sample of veterinarians working predominantly in government and regulatory roles. A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was distributed from February 3 through April 11, 2026, via veterinary organizations, listservs, and social media. The instrument assessed depopulation experience, exposure to methods, psychological responses, perceptions of ventilation shutdown, and availability and use of mental health support. Descriptive statistics were calculated. The sample consisted of 220 licensed veterinarians. 144 of 220 [65.5%] reported involvement in ≥ 1 depopulation event. Distress varied by method; VSD was most distressing, with 11 of 18 (61.1%) rating it very or extremely distressing, followed by VSD with supplemental heat and humidity (20 of 53 [37.7%]). Other methods, including CO2-based systems and water-based foam, were associated with lower distress (< 12 of 84 [< 15%]). Common psychological responses included emotional numbness (45 of 144 [31.2%]), anger/frustration (38 of 144 [26.4%]), anxiety (36 of 144 [25.0%]), guilt/shame (36 of 144 [25.0%]), and sleep disturbance (35 of 144 [24.3%]). Most respondents (85 of 134 [63.4%]) reported no access to mental health support; 58 of 132 (44%) felt minimally supported. Respondents supported improved preparedness and policies addressing animal welfare and responder well-being. Depopulation events carry substantial psychological burden for veterinarians, with distress varying by method and shaped by organizational context, reflecting a broader One Welfare challenge. The findings support integrating psychological support into depopulation response planning, expanding access to higher-welfare methods, and strengthening preparedness structures.
Fungal germination is a critical developmental transition that underlies environmental adaptation and pathogenicity, yet how the cell wall is molecularly reprogrammed during this process remains poorly understood. Here we show that germination of Rhizopus delemar involves a developmentally programmed transition from a β-1,3-glucan-rich dormant scaffold to a chitin-chitosan-dominated polarized wall. Using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and cytochemistry approaches, we show that resting conidia contains a rigid β-1,3-glucan- and chitosan-rich core beneath a persistent melanin layer. During swelling, this architecture is largely maintained, but germ tube emergence triggers complete shutdown of β-1,3-glucan synthesis and extensive chitin-chitosan enrichment. Distinct chitosan polymorphs are selectively enriched, while mobile polysaccharides are progressively incorporated into the rigid scaffold. This remodeling enhances neutrophil recognition of swollen and germinating conidia. Our study reveals a molecular mechanism linking fungal morphogenesis, cell wall remodeling, and morphotype-specific immune exposure during mucormycosis.