Effects of Virtual Reality (VR) Rehabilitation on Mental Health in SCI Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial investigates the effects of virtual reality (VR) rehabilitation on mental health in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Seventy-four participants were randomized to 12 weeks of VR-based or traditional rehabilitation, with mental health assessed via the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). The VR group showed significantly greater reductions in HADS scores at 6 weeks (mean change: −4.2 vs. −2.4, p < 0.001) and 12 weeks (mean change: −6.4 vs. −3.9, p < 0.001), with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.21). VR also improved WHOQOL-BREF psychological health scores (+13.5 vs. +6.4, p < 0.001), self-esteem (+7.2 vs. +3.2, p < 0.001), and sleep quality (−5.1 vs. −2.8, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis indicated greater benefits for younger patients and those with incomplete SCI. VR rehabilitation outperforms traditional methods in enhancing mental health, supporting its integration into comprehensive SCI care.

Air Conditioning Heat Exchanger Intelligent Production Line: Design Methodologies and Applications

As a key component in modern building environmental control systems, the production quality and performance of multi-split central air conditioning systems directly influence the comfort, energy efficiency, and operational stability of buildings. However, the current manufacturing process primarily relies on a combination of traditional manual labor and automated equipment, resulting in low efficiency, high energy consumption, and limited automation. This paper first presents an optimized design for an intelligent manufacturing production line for multi-split central air conditioning heat exchangers to address these issues. It details the design of key systems for the intelligent production line and ensures continuous production and processing. Additionally, the paper analyzes the production process of the intelligent manufacturing line, with particular emphasis on the mechanism of the heat exchanger tube expansion process. Furthermore, it designs the fixture structure of the transfer robot for each process in the production line and discusses the principles of workpiece positioning and clamping. Utilizing technologies such as sensor networks, PLC, and industrial Ethernet, the system completes the closed-loop process of perception, transmission, analysis, decision-making, and execution within the production line, enabling transparency, fault predictability, and automated management. The results show that the intelligent assembly production line has significantly improved the assembly efficiency, achieving a 300% increase in the daily production capacity of a single line. While enabling the continuous and intelligent production of multi-split central air conditioning heat exchangers.

Commentary on “Nephrectomy and High-Salt Diet Inducing Pulmonary Hypertension and Kidney Damage by Increasing Ang II Concentration in Rats”

Laser-Assisted Forming of Ultra-High Strength Steels: A Critical Review of Mechanisms, Processes, and Future Directions

Ultra-high strength steels (UHSS) are critical for lightweighting in the automotive and aerospace industries, but their poor room-temperature formability presents a significant manufacturing barrier. Laser-assisted forming (LAF) has emerged as a key enabling technology that utilizes localized laser heating to reduce forming forces, enhance ductility, and mitigate springback. This paper provides a critical review of the state-of-the-art in LAF of UHSS. It begins by elucidating the governing principles, including the coupled thermo-mechanical and metallurgical mechanisms such as thermal softening, dynamic microstructure evolution, and non-equilibrium phase transformations. The review then systematically surveys the major LAF process variants—including bending, roll forming, and incremental forming—and their applications in fabricating complex UHSS components. Despite its proven advantages, significant challenges impede its widespread industrial adoption. The most critical issues are identified and discussed, including local mechanical property degradation due to uncontrolled thermal cycles, the complexity of predictive multi-physics modeling, and the need for robust in-situ process monitoring and control. Ultimately, this review presents a forward-looking perspective, proposing future research directions that focus on microstructure management, the development of high-fidelity digital twins, and the implementation of intelligent closed-loop control systems to ensure process stability and part integrity. This work provides a comprehensive roadmap for advancing the science and technology of LAF for next-generation lightweight manufacturing.

Investigating Touch DNA Success Rates in Vehicle Sites for Hit-and-Run Casework

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Touch DNA recovery from four key vehicle contact points—steering wheel (SW), gear shift (GS), interior door handle (IDH), and exterior door handle (EDH)—in the context of hit-and-run forensic casework. 1769 samples were collected from 359 vehicles processed between 2020 and 2023. Statistically significant differences were observed in the quantity and quality of DNA recovered across these sites (p < 0.05). The steering wheel yielded the highest DNA success rates, followed by the gear shift, whereas the exterior and interior door handles demonstrated substantially lower recovery efficiency. These findings underscore the critical role of strategic sampling site selection in maximizing evidentiary outcomes. The results support prioritizing the steering wheel and gear shift as primary targets for DNA collection in vehicle-based investigations. The study highlights the practical utility of Touch DNA in linking individuals to vehicular crimes and calls for further research into alternative sampling techniques and contamination control measures to optimize forensic DNA recovery protocols in real-world hit-and-run scenarios.

The Semantic Evolution and Cultural Cognition of the English Basic Color Term “Green”—A Diachronic Analysis Based on Cognitive Anthropology

Based on cognitive anthropology theory, this study systematically explores the semantic evolution path and cultural cognitive mechanisms of the English basic color term “green”. Through analyzing the etymology, semantic extension, and usage frequency of the color term “green” in English, the study reveals its complex transformation from a natural attribute to a socio-cultural symbol. The results indicate that the semantic evolution of the color term “green” is influenced not only by the universality of human visual cognitive mechanisms, but also profoundly reflects the ecological concepts, political ideologies, and socio-psychological characteristics present in English culture. These findings provide a new analytical dimension for research on color terms and deepen the understanding of the relationship between language and culture.

Harnessing Nature’s Colours: Experimental and Computational Insights into Bixa orellana Pigments for Next-Generation Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

The potential of Bixa orellana (annatto) pigments, specifically bixin and norbixin, as sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was investigated. The pigments were extracted using various solvents (acetone, methanol, ethanol, and hexane), and their optical and photo-electrical properties were investigated using UV-Vis spectroscopy and photoelectrical analysis. Results indicate that acetone extract (a-AP) exhibited the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.786%, attributed to its broad absorption spectrum and optimal electronic properties. Quantum chemical calculations revealed that both bixin and norbixin exhibit favourable frontier orbital energies and energy gaps, making them well-suited for efficient electron injection and light absorption. These findings position Bixa orellana pigments as promising, eco-friendly alternatives to conventional synthetic sensitizers, offering a pathway toward more sustainable, locally adaptable, and efficient solar energy harvesting.

The Importance of Methods in Assessing Conservation Status of Abundant Fish Species through Genetic Diversity Estimates

This study compares the accuracy of two genomic approaches in estimating genetic diversity levels, which could be useful for informing species conservation assessments of abundant, exploited fish species. The first approach (SNP-calling-based) is the commonly used pipeline of SNP calling followed by SNP filtering at a determined Minor Allele Frequency (MAF). The second approach (genotype-likelihood-based) does not perform SNP calling but estimates the Site Spectrum Frequency (SFS) based on alignment quality and sample size. The results show up to two-fold differences in the magnitude of the estimated nucleotide diversities among the analyzed datasets. The SNP-calling-based approach produces overestimates when missing data are considered in the analysis and shows pronounced deviations of the SFS towards high-frequency SNPs when filtering by MAF > 5%. The genotype likelihood-based approach showed that nucleotide diversity estimates significantly deviated from neutral expectations, as expected based on the known history of the case-study fish population analyzed here, regardless of whether missing data were considered. In contrast, the SNP-calling-based approach only shows this expected difference when no missing data are included and no MAF filtering is performed. Overall, the results indicate that using the SNP-calling-based approach may hide the effects of population size declines in abundant exploited fish species, while genotype-likelihood-based estimates of nucleotide diversity can effectively contribute to informing conservation assessments.

Rapid Production of High-Titer d-Mannitol and Gluconate Catalyzed by a Combination of Whole-Cell and an Enzyme at High Temperatures

d-Mannitol and d-gluconate are value-added biobased chemicals with diverse applications in food, medical, and chemical industries. d-Mannitol can be hydrogenated from hexoses (e.g., d-fructose) catalyzed by microbial fermentation, whole-cell biocatalysis, and purified-enzyme cascade biocatalysis. Here we designed a cell–enzyme system comprised of the whole cells co-expressing both hyperthermophilic mannitol dehydrogenase (MDH) and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) as well as a hyperthermophilic xylose isomerase (XI). The whole cells have its inherent NAD enabled to implement NAD-self sufficient coupled redox reactions without externally-added NAD and aeration. Four cases of whole cells co-expressed MDH and GDH in E. coli BL21(DE3) were compared and optimized by expressing two genes separately or in tandem and changing gene alignment. Also, two-step biotransformation was developed to convert 300 g/L glucose to 129 g/L mannitol and 161 g/L gluconate in a pH-controlled bioreactor at 70 °C. This cell–enzyme system had a high volumetric productivity (10.7 g/L/h mannitol and 13.4 g/L/h gluconate) and a high product yield (91.7%). This study implied that using hyperthermophilic enzymes and cell–enzyme system could open great opportunities for industrial biomanufacturing.

Fuel Oil Combustion Pollution and Hydrogen-Water Blending Technologies for Emission Mitigation: Current Advancements and Future Challenges

In recent years, researchers have focused on exploring alternative fuel technologies that enhance engine performance and combustion efficiency while reducing nitrogen oxide (NO_x) and particulate matter (PM) emissions. Water-diesel emulsified fuel, which requires no engine modifications, has emerged as a critical pathway for cleaner diesel engine applications. This review systematically examines the combustion characteristics, emission performance, and energy efficiency of emulsified fuels in compression ignition (CI) engines. Studies indicate that compared to conventional pure diesel, emulsified fuels significantly optimize combustion processes through micro-explosion phenomena, shorten ignition delays, and improve combustion efficiency. Notably, NO_x and PM emissions are simultaneously reduced, effectively resolving the traditional trade-off dilemma between pollutant reduction targets. Emulsified fuel exhibits comparable power output and fuel consumption rates to those of pure diesel, while delivering enhanced environmental benefits. Additionally, innovative technologies such as hydrogen nanobubbles further enhance combustion dynamics by improving fuel atomization and radical generation, though challenges persist in stabilizing non-aqueous nanobubbles and scaling up production. Despite ongoing advancements in policy incentives (e.g., green hydrogen subsidies) and combustion mechanism research, industrial adoption of emulsified fuels still faces technical hurdles, including equipment corrosion and issues with long-term storage stability issues. In conclusion, water-based emulsified fuels and hydrogen-water blending technologies provide efficient and low-cost transitional solutions for reducing diesel engine emissions, with their multi-component synergistic optimization mechanisms laying a theoretical and practical foundation for future clean fuel development.