Axial load-settlement (P-S) curves govern pile serviceability checks and support performance-based foundation decisions, yet full static load tests to high load levels remain expensive and are often unavailable. This paper presents PILE-STACK, a physics-guided, monotone stacked ensemble that predicts the complete P-S response of single piles from routine site investigation inputs, including SPT-[Formula: see text] depth profiles and pile geometry. The method combines mechanics-aware feature design with diverse level-0 experts and a monotone-constrained meta-learner, then applies a pile-wise isotonic projection that guarantees non-decreasing settlement with increasing load. The framework also quantifies uncertainty using quantile models that are calibrated with split-conformal prediction to obtain distribution-free prediction intervals. Evaluation follows a leakage-safe protocol using GroupKFold by PileID and a disjoint 20% PileID-wise holdout. On the external test set, PILE-STACK achieves [Formula: see text], RMSE [Formula: see text] mm, and MAE [Formula: see text] mm. Service-range accuracy remains stable (SMAPE[Formula: see text], WAPE[Formula: see text]), while curve-level agreement is strong (mean normalized AUC error [Formula: see text]; mean DTW [Formula: see text] mm). The monotonicity audit reports zero predicted violations. Conformalized intervals deliver near-nominal pile-wise coverage, stay tight at working loads, and widen logically as nonlinearity increases. Ablation results show that including a lightweight mechanistic base and expert diversity reduces RMSE by ∼12% and MAE by ∼17% relative to a no-physics variant. The proposed approach produces accurate, mechanically admissible, and uncertainty-aware settlement curves from widely available SPT-[Formula: see text] data, enabling direct serviceability screening when load tests are limited.
Uplift forces are an important parameter that geotechnical engineers are keen to study for their impact on shallow footings to reduce the risks resulting from them by inventing methods and techniques that limit these effects; one of these methods is the use of piles. This research paper examines the behavior of using structural skirts under shallow footing exposed to uplift loading as a promising alternative to using piles foundations. A data logger connected to the loading system, a square footing model, two groups of skirts (chamfered and straight corners) with different properties (length to width ratio, inclination angle, and wings), and two types of single piles with different embedment ratios were utilized under 0.5 and 2 mm/min displacement rates. The behavior and performance of an unmodified footing model, which was placed on loose sand with a relative density of 30%, were examined and compared to those of skirted footing and piled footing under uplift forces. The findings indicated that augmenting L/B to 2 (where L is the footing length and B is the footing width), the inclination angle to 45° of the skirt with wings, and 0.5 mm/min displacement rate substantially enhanced uplift resistance by 9 times more than the single pile in comparison to the unmodified footing and 10.25 times for L/B to 2, 45° inclination angle with wings, and 2 mm/min, displacement rate. A significant increase in the uplift capacity of soil was observed by improving its properties by adding a skirt to the shallow footing and making modifications to it using wings. The use of a skirt achieved higher uplift capacity than that obtained from using a pile. Skirted footing demonstrates better performance than the single pile.
The construction of cofferdams poses significant challenges in hydraulic engineering, where optimized design is essential for risk mitigation and construction safety. This study investigates the performance of a Larssen pile-reinforced cofferdam in a field ridge remediation project through integrated numerical modeling and limit equilibrium analysis. A coupled hydro-mechanical model was established, incorporating saturated-unsaturated seepage theory and an elastic-plastic constitutive model to simulate groundwater movement and slope stability. The results demonstrate that the Larssen sheet piles serve as an effective subsurface barrier, significantly impeding both soil and water flow. The implemented seepage cutoff measures induced a substantial hydraulic head difference across the cofferdam, leading to a marked reduction in both hydraulic gradient and water flux. Notably, simulated vertical displacements at pile tops during groundwater drawdown showed strong agreement with field measurements. The magnitude and variation trend of vertical displacements at the pile tops closely match field measurements during groundwater drawdown. Underwater side filling causes minimal pile-top settlement, while top filling results in greater settlement. Additionally, the zone of maximum ground surface settlement migrated from the cofferdam top toward the downstream slope-face. These results suggest that well-engineered Larssen sheet pile reinforcement can effectively control seepage, enhance the slope stability, and improve the structural integrity of earth-rock cofferdams.
Coffee leaves are a promising raw material for functional beverages due to their distinctive phytochemical profile. In this study, sun-dried Arabica coffee leaves were processed into coffee leaf dark tea using Pu-erh-style pile fermentation with three treatments: spontaneous pile fermentation (SPPF), Saccharomyces cerevisiae-inoculated fermentation (SIPF) and Aspergillus niger-inoculated fermentation (AIPF). Changes in basic components, tea pigments, key phytochemicals, antioxidant capacity, in vitro hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities, and sensory properties were evaluated over 25 days. Pile fermentation reduced water extract, free amino acids and several phenolic constituents, while promoting the formation of theabrownins, particularly in SIPF and AIPF. Total phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities increased initially and then declined, with higher bioactivities observed at intermediate fermentation times. Coffee leaf dark tea also exhibited in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition, glucose diffusion retardation, reduced starch digestibility, and pancreatic lipase inhibition, with SIPF and AIPF outperforming SPPF. Sensory evaluation showed that inoculated fermentations, especially AIPF at 15 days and SIPF at 10 days, produced teas with superior overall quality. These results suggest that Pu-erh-style pile fermentation with targeted microbial inoculation may be a feasible strategy to obtain coffee leaf dark tea with enhanced in vitro functional-related properties and desirable sensory characteristics.
Tunnelling-induced safety risks from adjacent piles have become increasingly severe with the rapid development of urban underground space. Model tests have become essential for revealing the complex pile-tunnel interaction mechanism. This paper reviews the research progress of model tests on the influence of single-line tunnelling on adjacent piles, focusing on test soil materials, tunnel simulation methodologies, analysis of test results, and research prospects. However, current model test studies are constrained by several critical limitations, including insufficient similarity between soil materials and prototype conditions, and overly idealized simulation of tunnel excavation. This paper identifies a significant research gap: the inability of current volume-loss techniques to capture 3D dynamic factors (e.g., face pressure and grouting timing) and the lack of meso-scale observation at the pile-soil interface. This review provides a systematic synthesis of these methodological challenges and proposes future research prospects to provide a more scientific basis for engineering design and risk control.
Precast concrete-cored cemented soil piles (PCCS) are widely used to improve the bearing capacity of soft ground. However, existing design models usually assume perfect bonding between the concrete core and cemented soil shell, ignoring progressive interface damage under external loads, which leads to inaccuracies in bearing capacity predictions. This study proposes a dual-interface load transfer model that explicitly simulates progressive interface damage. Its innovation lies in the coupling of an exponential damage constitutive model for the inner concrete-cemented soil interface calibrated by direct shear tests with an elastoplastic model for the outer cemented soil-surrounding soil interface, along with a convergent iterative algorithm for solving the governing equations. Verified by field measurements of the test pile in Jiangxi Province, China, the model shows strong agreement with measured data [Formula: see text]. Quantitative analysis shows that the concrete core bears more than 90% of the pile-head load, and the cemented soil shows a distinctive C-shaped axial force distribution along the pile shaft. The model captures the coupled evolution of load sharing and skin friction at both interfaces, providing theoretical support for the refined design and safety assessment of PCCS foundations.
The global expansion of offshore wind energy as a climate mitigation strategy is increasing anthropogenic sound in coastal marine environments. Pile driving during construction produces intense impulsive sound that propagates over kilometers underwater, yet its ecophysiological consequences for locally abundant benthic invertebrates remain poorly understood. We investigated behavioural and metabolic responses of juvenile Pecten maximus to pile driving sound playback under controlled laboratory conditions simulating received levels expected approximately at 2-20 km from an offshore wind farm construction site, depending on pile diameter. An integrated framework combining continuous valve activity monitoring with repeated measurements of metabolic rates was implemented in a before-during-after exposure design. No clear behavioural or metabolic responses were detected under the simulated exposure conditions reproduced in this study. Although metabolic rates varied across experimental sequences, these changes were independent of acoustic treatment, suggesting intrinsic temporal or feeding-related dynamics. Indeed, oxygen consumption was strongly and positively associated with spontaneous swimming activity, reflecting the energetic cost of phasic adductor muscle contractions and subsequent oxygen debt repayment. These findings indicate that pile driving sound playback at kilometer-scale exposure may not induce detectable short-term energetic disruption in juvenile P. maximus. Effects at closer range, under higher intensities, or during prolonged exposure warrant further investigation to better assess ecological risk in scallop-dominated ecosystems.
This study investigates the load-settlement behavior of micro-piled raft foundations in clay, focusing on key factors such as raft and micro-pile geometry and critical soil properties. A comprehensive dataset comprising 480 experimental records. sourced from both small-scale laboratory and large-scale field tests. was used to evaluate the predictive capabilities of six supervised machine learning algorithms: Gaussian process regression (GPR), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), gradient boosting machine (GBM), random forest (RF), K-nearest neighbors (KNN), and support vector regression (SVR). Each model was optimized using Bayesian optimization with 5-fold cross-validation to ensure robust performance. Model evaluation was conducted using statistical metrics, visual diagnostics (predicted-versus-actual plots), Regression error characteristics curves, score analysis, and hyperparameter tuning. Among the tested models, GPR demonstrated superior accuracy and generalization, effectively capturing the nonlinear soil-structure interaction typical of micro-piled raft foundations. Probabilistic analysis using Monte Carlo simulations, incorporating realistic variability in geometric and geotechnical input parameters, further validated the model's robustness. The close agreement between predicted and experimental load-settlement responses, along with consistently narrow 95% confidence intervals, confirms the reliability of GPR. These findings position GPR as a highly promising approach for practical geotechnical design applications. Future research should focus on expanding dataset diversity, improving parameter independence, and applying advanced tuning techniques to further enhance model reliability and applicability to full-scale foundation systems.
Anthropogenic ocean noise is an emerging pollutant with poorly understood ecological impacts on sessile bivalve mollusks. Although sessile bivalve mollusks may be more susceptible to anthropogenic noise than free-swimming species, the impacts and underlying mechanism of this pollutant on bivalve species metabolism remain largely unknown. In this study, using thick-shell mussel (Mytilus coruscus) as representatives, the effects of pile-driving noise (80 dB re 1 μPa) for two weeks and three days on oxygen consumption rate (OR), ammonia excretion rate (AR), and the O:N ratio over a 24-h period were assessed. In addition to monitoring heart rate and clock gene expression (PER2, CRY, and BMAL1) for 24 h, the expression of key metabolism-related genes and neurotransmitters at representative time points were also estimated. The results demonstrated that noise exposure significantly disrupted metabolism, evidenced by notable alterations in OR, AR, and O:N ratio, accompanied by evident changes of diurnal pattern (i.e., a complete loss of heart rate periodicity after a two-week exposure period and a marked shift in the diurnal expression of clock genes). In addition to a tight coupling between metabolic shifts and clock gene expression revealed by multiple regression analyses, the expression of key metabolism-related genes and neurotransmitter homeostasis were markedly altered by noise exposure. These findings indicated pile-driving noise adversely affect metabolism by disrupting diurnal pattern, which directly modulated the transcription of metabolic genes and indirectly obstructed neural regulation of metabolism. Our findings suggest that pile-driving noise can be a significant threat to sessile bivalve species, thereby warranting further attention.
Nitrogen loss during straw composting substantially undermines nutrient recycling efficiency and the agronomic value of finished compost products. Clarifying how different nitrogen sources mediate nitrogen transformation and nitrogen retention in organic fractions is therefore essential for improving compost maturity and nitrogen retention. This study evaluated how three nitrogen-rich amendments with divergent chemical characteristics (chicken manure, fish meal, and soybean powder) influenced nitrogen transformation, organic nitrogen fractionation, enzyme dynamics, and microbial succession during static pile composting of rice straw. Compost maturity varied significantly among treatments (P < 0.05), with germination indices of 100% for soybean powder, 90.1% for fish meal, and 84.9% for chicken manure. Chicken manure primarily promoted a mineralization-oriented nitrogen transformation pattern characterized by rapid ammonium accumulation and subsequent nitrification, accompanied by elevated urease activity and enrichment of Firmicutes. In contrast, fish meal and soybean powder were associated with nitrogen transformation patterns involving stronger proteolytic and oxidative enzyme activities and greater nitrogen retention in relatively stable organic fractions, resulting in significant increases in amine nitrogen and hydrolysable unknown nitrogen (HUN), a relatively stable organic nitrogen fraction, by 45.1-139% relative to the control (P < 0.05). Coordinated proteolytic and oxidative enzyme activities, together with enrichment of Thermobifida, Actinobacteriota, and Aspergillus, were strongly associated with HUN formation. Overall, protein-rich nitrogen sources were more conducive to microbial-enzymatic interactions associated with organic nitrogen stabilization, whereas chicken manure favored nitrogen mineralization. These findings demonstrate that nitrogen sources can shape nitrogen transformation toward greater inorganic nitrogen production or higher organic nitrogen retention, thereby providing practical insights for improving nitrogen retention and compost quality in straw composting systems.
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.5c02164.].
This study evaluates wellpoint and drain dewatering systems through laboratory experiments and sequentially coupled flow-deformation numerical modeling at full-scale geometry (× 20). A 1/20-scale physical model with sixteen pumping wells and six observation wells monitored groundwater drawdown around a 30 × 30 cm2 excavation. The internal deep drain (h1) achieved the greatest groundwater reduction and highest vertical base settlement (ratio Uvmax/Uhmax = 2.48; 81.8% increase relative to the dry reference), whereas the wellpoint system minimized lateral wall displacement while maintaining moderate uplift (Uvmax/Uhmax = 2.55; 24.6% rate of change), providing balanced internal stress reduction with lower shear and bending forces. Construction sequencing significantly influenced excavation response: pre-dewatering ("dewatering then excavation") reduced excavation uplift by up to - 283.5% compared with the dry reference, while the global factor of safety remained nearly insensitive (< 0.86% variation). These results indicate that combining the wellpoint system with optimized execution sequencing offers the most effective strategy to control groundwater, limit lateral wall movements, and reduce basal heave in excavations in loose to medium-dense sandy soils.
Exposure to ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) puts humans and their companion animals at risk of tick bites and potential pathogen transmission. Bites often occur when humans encounter ticks outdoors, but there may also be a risk in the home given the propensity of ticks to hitchhike on clothes and pets. We assessed survival of two tick species widely distributed across the southeastern United States, Amblyomma maculatum Koch and A. americanum Linnaeus, on different types of flooring commonly found in residential homes. We placed ticks individually onto one of five different types of flooring (tile, wood, vinyl, short pile carpet, and long pile carpet; n = 180 total, 36 ticks per species per floor type). Ticks were contained in plastic cups fixed in place on each floor type to reduce movement and/or escape and promote tick contact with the flooring. Survival was assessed as a function of the interaction between species and floor type. We found that A. maculatum ticks survived for significantly longer periods of time than A. americanum (median survival/mean survival) on vinyl (22.5/25.4 vs. 11.5/10.4 d), wood (18.5/16.1 vs. 11.0/12.2 d), tile (21.0/20.4 vs. 6.5/7.33 d) and short pile carpet (20.0/20.8 vs. 10.5/10.8 d), but A. americanum lived longer overall on long pile carpet (13.0/10.4 vs. 13.0/14.9 d). Our findings help clarify expected tick survival following entry into the home, and how floor type can mediate in-home tick exposure. Furthermore, this work emphasizes the necessity of performing tick checks, wearing protective clothing, and applying appropriate acaricides to people and pets to prevent tick transportation into the home.
The deposition of volcanic ash in areas affected by erupting volcanoes can contaminate the soil with heavy metals, thereby jeopardizing food security and public health. This study focused on the use of compost for the bioremediation of this type of contaminated soil and on evaluating the effectiveness of this remediation technique in a horticultural crop. To this end, composts made from organic waste generated in the areas with volcanic-ash-affected soil, such as crop residues, cow manure, and cheese whey, were used. The design and optimization of the composting process for these wastes were described using three piles with the same proportion of crop residues and cow manure but different doses of whey (pile 1: without whey, pile 2: whey diluted with water (1:2 (v:v)); and pile 3: with undiluted whey) and by monitoring the evolution of physicochemical and biological parameters throughout the compositing process. The effectiveness of the composts obtained for soil remediation was evaluated by assessing the physiological response of a lettuce crop in pots. Five treatments were used: control soil without fertilization, inorganic fertilization, and the three composts obtained. The main agronomic properties of the soil and heavy metal availability were measured, along with the physiological and chemical parameters of the lettuce, including growth and macronutrient and heavy metal content. The results obtained in the composting experiment showed that the addition of cheese whey only affected the rate of organic matter degradation and the salt content of the final composts, without negatively affecting the stability and humification of their organic matter or their plant nutrient content. In the pot experiment, all composts improved soil fertility and reduced the availability of Ni, As, Cd, and Pb, but this did not consistently reduce uptake into lettuce, except in the case of Pb. Therefore, it is advisable to adjust the compost application rate and optimize crop selection to minimize the impact of heavy metals on the food chain, thereby ensuring safe production.
We present a series of experiments investigating the local microstructure of cylindrical piles composed of highly concave particles. By systematically varying particle geometry-from spheres to strongly nonconvex polypods-as well as frictional properties and the number of branches, we explore how these parameters, together with the preparation protocol, shape the internal structure of the system. Using x-ray tomography combined with a dedicated image-analysis pipeline, we accurately extract the position, orientation, and contacts of every particle in each pile. This allows us to quantify the evolution of key structural observables as a function of particle geometry and preparation method. In particular, we measure the distributions of local packing fraction, coordination number, number of neighbors, and contact locations, along with particle-particle positional and orientational correlations. More importantly, we construct a new stability indicator that correlates perfectly with the observed pile stabilities, enabling us to identify the fundamental mechanisms responsible for geometrically induced cohesion in granular systems composed of noninterlocking particle shapes: interdigitation, rotational constraint, friction-mediated cohesion, and the ability of a pile to restabilize.
Industrial waste sites containing naturally occurring radioactive material represent long-term and globally relevant environmental challenges, particularly where chemical and radiological stressors affect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The study site is a legacy alum shale mining waste pile and is one of the most contaminated sites in Sweden. Ongoing exothermic reactions within the pile maintain elevated temperatures, creating a challenging and complex environment with evolving contaminant mobility and exposure pathways. As the pile cools, increased water infiltration is expected to increase leaching of heavy metals and radionuclides into the environment. Thus, a comprehensive radiological characterisation and ecological risk assessment was conducted across multiple compartments to evaluate current and future environmental impacts. A total of 68 samples of soil, shale ash, sediment, surface water, groundwater, and plants were analysed for radionuclides from the 238U and 232 Th decay series. Ambient dose rates were measured in situ, and radiological risk to humans and non-human biota was assessed using the ERICA Tool. Activity concentrations and dose rates across the surface of the site showed pronounced spatial variability associated with the presence of alum shale residues. Among the analysed radionuclides, 230Th dominated in soil and shale ash, uranium isotopes in surface water, and 210Po in vegetation. Soil-to-plant concentration ratios for uranium, thorium, radium, and polonium were generally low, averaging a few percent across 15 plant species, indicating limited bioavailability despite elevated source term concentrations. Similar ratios were observed for isotopes of the same element, suggesting that gamma spectrometry, when applicable, could provide a cost-effective alternative for large-scale environmental risk assessment. The ecological risk assessment indicated that radiological risk to biota at the waste pile and aquatic systems cannot be considered negligible. Although radiological risk to members of the public from external exposure was low, prolonged daily visits revealed potential doses approaching regulatory reference levels.
Membrane-covered aerobic composting (MCAC) has shown potential for mitigating gaseous emissions; however, the coupled mechanisms governing gas distribution and transport within the system remain unclear. In this study, pore-gas distributions and emission characteristics of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ammonia (NH3) were investigated in an MCAC system. Meanwhile, a coupled heat-mass-momentum transfer model was developed to simulate the spatiotemporal evolution of temperature and oxygen concentration under membrane-covered conditions. Results showed that pore-gas concentrations exhibited no significant vertical differences (p > 0.05), indicating relatively homogeneous gas distribution within the pile under MCAC conditions. MCAC reduced cumulative greenhouse gas emissions by 2.46%-11.32% and NH3 emissions by 3.86%-10.86%. NH3 emissions were significantly correlated with temperature and oxygen concentration (p < 0.01), whereas CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions showed no significant correlations. The developed model successfully reproduced the transient dynamics of temperature and oxygen concentration, with R2 values of 0.92-0.93 and 0.89-0.93, respectively. Simulation results revealed pronounced temperature stratification but comparatively weaker oxygen gradients within the pile. In contrast, pore-gas concentrations remained relatively uniform, suggesting that membrane covering coupled with forced aeration substantially enhanced airflow-driven gas mixing. These findings indicate that gas distribution in MCAC systems is governed primarily by convective transport induced by modified boundary conditions, whereas temperature and oxygen distributions are regulated by coupled heat generation, transport, and oxygen consumption processes. This study provides a physically based heat-mass-momentum coupled framework for understanding gas transport behavior during MCAC.
Understanding the long-term aroma evolution of ripened Pu-erh tea (RPET) is critical for vintage authentication. Sensory and chemical changes in 23 RPET samples (aged 2 to >40 years) were characterized by QDA, E-nose, HS-SPME/GC × GC-QTOFMS, and GC-O. Sensory profiling revealed a progression from fruity-sweet and pile aromas in young teas toward herbal-woody-stale attributes in aged samples, with a potential integration stage observed at approximately 15-20 years. Among 276 volatiles, 11 robust markers (e.g., 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene, |r| > 0.8) enabled reliable age prediction. Nineteen key odorants underpinning sensory evolution were identified. Based on correlative evidence, aroma maturation appeared to be associated with carotenoid degradation, lipid oxidation, terpenoid/Maillard transformations, and potential microbial methylation. A sequential microbial methylation pathway converting 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene to 3,4,5-trimethoxytoluene is tentatively proposed as a possible contributor to pile aroma attenuation and aged aroma formation. This study provides a mechanistic basis for RPET aroma aging and molecular markers for age authentication.
Background: Anal fissure is a common benign condition, yet its management varies widely. The International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ISUCRS) conducted a global snapshot audit to describe contemporary real-world management patterns. Methods: During a 2-week period (June-July 2022), 56 colorectal surgeons from 21 countries prospectively recorded data for consecutive patients presenting with anal fissure. Exclusion criteria included inflammatory bowel disease, pregnancy or lactation, psychiatric disorders, immunosuppression, and anorectal sepsis. Acute fissure was defined as symptoms <6 weeks without sentinel pile; chronic fissure as >6 weeks or fibrotic edges/sentinel pile. The "Cure" was defined as complete symptom resolution or healed fissure on clinical or tele-follow-up. Results: A total of 302 patients were analyzed (mean age 41 ± 13 years; 52% women). Acute fissure was present in 42%, chronic in 58%. Conservative treatment (dietary advice, stool-softeners, topical agents, botulin toxin, pelvic-floor training) was initiated in 236 (78%) patients, while 66 (22%) underwent surgery, most commonly lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS). At 8-week follow-up, 73% of patients treated conservatively and 88% of those treated surgically achieved clinical resolution of symptoms or healed fissure. Conclusions: Global management of anal fissure remains heterogeneous. Most surgeons favor conservative measures such as first-line therapy, reserving LIS for chronic or refractory fissures. Standardized definitions and outcome reporting are needed to improve comparability and guide future international guidelines.
The aim of this study is to describe the baseline characteristics of an Italian, real-world cohort of patients with symptomatic hemorrhoidal disease (HD) and to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of phlebotonic drugs, in addition to standard of care. This is a prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study (VIVI2022/01/VIVALDI, ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT07376928) on adults with symptomatic Goligher grade I-II-III HD. The primary endpoint was the improvement in the hemorrhoidal disease symptom score (HDSS). Secondary endpoints were based on the resolution of bleeding (Giamundo score), improvement in quality of life (Short Health Scale adapted for HD), Goligher grading, Single Pile Hemorrhoid Classification (SPHC), adverse events, satisfaction with treatment, and change in treatment strategy during the 30-day observational period. Patients were evaluated by visits and questionnaires at baseline and after 30 days; at day 30, the evaluation also included the assessment of surgical indication. At day 15, patients were also interviewed through a phone call in order to verify adherence and unexpected effects. A total of 115 patients (70% male), with a mean (SD) age of 51.4 years and HD diagnosed since an average of 4.6 (8.3) years, were enrolled. The mean HDSS decreased from 7.8 (3.6) at baseline to 3.7 (2.6) at day 30 (p < 0.001). Bleeding was reported by 94.8% of patients at baseline vs. 58.3% at day 30 (p < 0.0001). At day 30, 39.1% of patients displayed a Goligher downstaging. The mean SHS-HD score decreased from 11.29 (3.8) at baseline to 7.56 (2.8) at day 30 (p < 0.0001). The average number of piles per patient was 2.72 (1.6) at baseline and 2.51 (1.3) at day 30 [mean change: -0.32 (1.42); p = 0.0026]. Only one patient (<1%) reported one non-serious adverse event (moderate abdominal distension), which was deemed not related to the studied drug and did not lead to treatment discontinuation during the 30-day follow-up. Treatment was deemed satisfactory by 73% of patients, with none discontinuing within day 30. A 30-day course of conservative therapy with oral phlebotonics was found to be safe and effective in improving a variety of clinical measures in adults with symptomatic Goligher grade I-II-III HD.