This study presents an innovative, fully automated pipeline routing model that integrates multilayer geophysical and regulatory datasets into a single cost surface model. Unlike conventional techniques that rely on manual route selection or simplified cost estimates, the proposed method allows for a systematic assessment of tradeoffs among cost, length, safety, and environmental impact. The proposed method leverages Geospatial analysis tools to convert geophysical data, environmental restrictions, and platform locations into a detailed cell-based geophysical model. This model is used to generate a composite cost surface that reflects real-world challenges such as seabed topography, geohazards, and protected marine areas. Using graph-based optimization algorithms, the system computes the least-cost main and lateral pipeline routes that interconnect source and destination nodes. The approach was tested on actual offshore field scenarios, where it successfully identified optimal pipeline alignments that cut overall project cost by up to 15% compared to conventional routing methods. The system demonstrated a significant reduction in pipeline crossings and length and ensured full compliance with environmental and safety regulations. These results confirm the effectiveness of the geospatial cost surface approach in delivering robust, efficient, and sustainable subsea pipeline designs.

Up to 20% of patients report dissatisfaction after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), often due to unexplained long-term pain. Component malrotation has been proposed as a contributing factor. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the association between component malrotation and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). A systematic search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Studies assessing the effect of femoral, tibial, combined rotation, or rotational mismatch on PROMs were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) manual, and evidence levels were assigned based on the Oxford Levels of Evidence. 22 studies involving 1,943 patients met the inclusion criteria. No consistent association was found between component rotation, whether femoral, tibial, combined, or mismatch, and PROMs. There is no clear consensus on the impact of component malrotation on PROMs. However, combined malrotation and rotational mismatch may influence outcomes more than isolated femoral or tibial rotation. Further high-quality, level 1 studies are needed to define optimal rotational alignment in TKA.

Positioning of an osteosynthesis plate is a key step in the preoperative 3D planning processes for the design of patient-specific guides. This step requires considerable time and expertise. To increase 3D planning efficiency, this study aims to develop an automated plate positioning algorithm. A robust algorithm was developed to optimize osteosynthesis plate positioning on the distal radius, using STL properties and anatomical landmarks. The algorithm involved alignment, landmark detection, initial placement, and final optimization. Retrospective data of 34 planned radii and corresponding plate positions, including decimated and refined mesh versions, were used to compare algorithm output to manual placement based on runtime, Hausdorff distance, translation, and rotation (mean ± SD, 95% CI), thereby assessing robustness across different mesh resolutions. The average run time for the algorithm was 18.3 ± 16.8 s (95% CI 12.4-24.1 s) compared to a manual placement time of 12.45 ± 4.56 min (single expert, n = 10, 95% CI 9.22-16.28 min). The mean unpaired maximum Hausdorff distance between manual and algorithm placements was 5.5 ± 2.5 mm (95% CI 4.6-6.4 mm). The mean rotation and translation differences were 4.9 ± 3.2° (95% CI 3.8-6.0°) and 3.3 ± 1.7 mm (95% CI 2.8-3.9 mm), respectively. In conclusion, while some manual adjustment remains necessary, the algorithm aids in reducing planning time and offers a modular, generalizable framework adaptable to other osteotomy-plate procedures, supporting clinical 3D planning.

Accurate apple detection in complex orchards remains challenging due to foliage occlusion, illumination variations, and cluttered backgrounds. This study proposes an enhanced YOLOv11n framework integrating three architectural innovations. First, the EMCSP (EMA-enhanced Cross-Stage Partial) module is introduced into the backbone, synergistically incorporating multi-scale attention within cross-stage partial topology to strengthen discriminative feature extraction. Second, the ELA-HSFPN (Efficient Local Attention enhanced Hierarchical Scale Feature Pyramid Network) is devised for the neck, leveraging decoupled spatial attention and bidirectional hierarchical fusion to enhance multi-scale representation. Third, the TADDH (Task-Aligned Dynamic Detection Head) supersedes the conventional head, employing task decomposition, dynamic deformable convolution, and probabilistic feature modulation to achieve optimal classification-localization alignment. Extensive experiments demonstrate substantial improvements over baseline YOLOv11n: Precision+1.4%, Recall+2.3%, mAP@0.5+3.0%, and mAP@0.5:0.95 +1.7%. These results validate the efficacy of our methodology for intelligent fruit harvesting applications.

Retrospective cohort study from a single academic institution. To identify clinical and radiographic predictors for sacral extension (SE) during revision lumbar fusion. Lumbar fusion is common, with revision rates up to 25.9% within two years. When planning a revision of lumbar fusion, surgeons may extend constructs from L5 to the sacrum to improve stability, decompression, or alignment, but sacral extension alters biomechanics and increases risks such as pseudoarthrosis, adjacent segment disease, and proximal junctional kyphosis. Predictors for sacral extension during revision remain poorly defined. Adult patients undergoing anterior or transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF or TLIF) between 2017-2022 at a single academic institution, and those referred for revision with sacral extension, were reviewed. Eligible patients had an index fusion spanning L1-L4 to L5 or above. Sacral extension was defined as instrumentation to S1 or the pelvis within two years. Demographics, frailty indices, radiographic parameters, and complications were collected. Operative notes were reviewed to identify indications. Analyses included t-tests, chi-square, and multivariable logistic regression. Of 181 patients, 50 (27.6%) underwent SE and 131 (72.4%) remained fused between L1-L5. SE patients had higher frailty scores (MFI-5, P=0.018) and lower L4-L5 lordosis (P=0.020). Independent predictors included increased frailty (OR 7.015, P=0.032), greater fusion length (OR 1.796, P=0.012), and reduced L4-S1 lordosis (OR 1.137, P=0.007). Closer alignment of L1PA to ideal was protective (OR 0.81 per degree, P=0.009). Common indications were distal junctional degeneration (58%), foraminal stenosis (40%), and pseudoarthrosis (38%). Frailty, longer constructs, and inadequate caudal lordosis independently predicted sacral extension during revision, while optimal L1PA alignment was protective. The most common indications were distal junctional degeneration, pseudoarthrosis, foraminal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis. These findings may aid preoperative risk stratification and surgical planning.

While significant progress has been made in the fabrication of n-type contacts for two-dimensional field-effect transistors (2D FETs), the development of high-performance p-type counterparts using compatible techniques remains insufficient to realize competitive complementary circuits. Here, we demonstrate the growth of metallic-phase tellurium (m-Te) on MoTe2 via evaporation as an efficient p-type contact. The atomic arrangement at the Te/MoTe2 interface stabilizes m-Te under ambient conditions, forming an atomically sharp van der Waals gap with optimal band alignment and suppressed metal-induced gap states. Combined with hole doping and tellurium vacancies compensation, the interface enables barrier-free hole injection. Bilayer MoTe2 FETs employing m-Te contacts achieve a contact resistance as low as 1.6 kΩ μm, an on-state current up to 124 μA μm-1, and a maximum on/off ratio of 107, which are among the best values obtained for p-type 2D FETs. Our work unveils metallic-phase chalcogen as a promising approach for contact optimization.

Consumers increasingly seek vibrant, healthy-looking hair characterized by enhanced shine, colour longevity, smoothness and optimal fibre alignment. This attribute significantly influences self-confidence and aesthetic satisfaction. However, the beauty industry lacks standardized, quantifiable parameters for measuring hair vibrancy, creating a critical gap between consumer expectations and scientific validation. This study aimed to establish a standardized, quantifiable framework for assessing hair vibrancy by integrating consumer perceptions, expert evaluations and instrumental analyses, thereby bridging the industry's measurement gap. We characterized hair vibrancy by integrating consumer perception (n = 24, across two age cohorts), expert evaluation and instrumental analysis. The investigation used internal hair colour formulas shade 3 (dark brown) and fashion shade 6 (cherry red) on grey hair. Instrumental analyses included spectrophotometry for L* values, BNT lustre measurements for shine and the Dia-Stron MTT175 for smoothness and fibre alignment. Strong invitro correlations (r = 0.86) were observed between instrumental and expert assessments for colour and shine. Instrumental studies on treated versus untreated hair further demonstrated product impact on colour, shine, alignment and smoothness. Hair vibrancy is operationally defined as a multidimensional perceptual attribute, integrating luminosity (colour/shine), structural integrity (smoothness/alignment) and apparent vitality, perceived visually and tactilely. These findings provide a robust framework for understanding hair vibrancy, facilitating faster product formulation and stronger claim substantiation. This study clarifies key attributes for ideal hair colour vibrancy, guiding product development to meet consumer expectations.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) incorporating photoredox-active motifs show great promise as heterogeneous catalysts, yet their applications have been largely confined to one-step transformations. In this work, we design and synthesize a series of three-dimensional (3D) COFs with different π-extended dihydrophenazine cores to achieve superior photocatalytic performance. These 3D COFs exhibit excellent crystallinity, high surface areas, and remarkable chemical stability. More importantly, they can work as highly efficient and recyclable catalysts for photocatalytic tandem polymerization reactions using styrene and fluoroalkyl anhydrides as substrates, yielding fluoroalkylated polystyrene polymers with narrow dispersity. These COFs constitute the first examples as tandem photocatalysts toward polymerization reactions. Moreover, optimal energy level alignment and enhanced photophysical properties are identified as key factors contributing to their high efficacy. This work not only provides a viable design strategy for multifunctional COF catalysts, but also expands their utility in complex synthetic sequences involving tandem catalytic processes.

Geometric optimization of femoral rotational alignment in total knee arthroplasty using minimal surface theory versus anatomical reference axes: a computational simulation study.

Phenotyping the knee joint - a narrative review of current literature.

Are there differences in phenotypes between Asian and Caucasian osteoarthritic knees?

A hybrid proximal policy optimization and particle swarm algorithm for highway alignment optimization

Alignment optimization in digital implantology: evaluating the role of scan body modifications and different software.

Coronary access after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an increasingly relevant issue, particularly in patients who may require future coronary interventions or redo-TAVI procedures. Although commissural alignment is routinely achieved in surgical valve replacement, it remains challenging during TAVI because of anatomical variability and reliance on two-dimensional fluoroscopic guidance. Moreover, optimal commissural alignment does not necessarily ensure adequate coronary alignment, as the spatial relationship between native commissures and coronary ostia varies substantially among individuals. This work describes a patient-specific, CT- and fluoroscopy-guided strategy to optimize coronary alignment during TAVI using the Evolut FX+ platform. The proposed approach integrates systematic pre-procedural CT analysis of coronary ostial position, intercoronary angle, and valve geometry with the identification of a customized fluoroscopic implantation view, termed the Coronary Customized Projection. This projection is applied during valve deployment to guide valve orientation and enable mono-coronary or bi-coronary alignment according to individual anatomy. The strategy enhances procedural control and aims to preserve coronary access without increasing procedural complexity. Prospective studies are warranted to evaluate its impact on coronary reaccess and long-term clinical outcomes.

ABSTRACT This study proposes DK-POL, integrating deep reinforcement learning with dynamic knowledge graph reasoning. Through semantic alignment, dual-channel fusion, and adaptive constraint optimisation, DK-POL consistently outperforms DQN, PPA, and SCA. Task success rates reach 91% on Freebase, 94% on CompGCN, and over 80% on MAG240M, with constraint violations nearly eliminated. Under 30% feature noise, DK-POL maintains 83.8% accuracy. Reasoning analysis reveals deeper relational traversal with low overhead (4.8 ms), demonstrating strong robustness, interpretability, and scalability across diverse decision-making scenarios.

The strategic molecular design of interfacial layers presents a critical pathway to mitigate losses in perovskite photovoltaics. Here, we engineer two carbazole-based polymers with distinct connectivity patterns, 3,6-3,6-Cbz and 3,6-2,7-Cbz, to systematically investigate molecular connectivity-dependent interfacial phenomena in planar n-i-p PSCs. Comprehensive structure-property analyses reveal that the 3,6-2,7-Cbz architecture enables exceptional π-electron delocalization and optimal energy level alignment, simultaneously achieving (i) superior perovskite surface defect passivation and (ii) interfacial recombination suppression. When implemented as an interfacial modifier, the 3,6-2,7-Cbz polymer delivers a champion device efficiency of 24.16% (Voc = 1.16 V, Jsc = 25.60 mA/cm2, FF = 80.86%) with Spiro-OMeTAD as the HTL representing a significant improvement over both the control (22.61%) and 3,6-3,6-Cbz analogue (22.58%). Strikingly, this approach maintains high performance (23.17% PCE) even with undoped carbazole HTLs (Cz-Pyr), demonstrating remarkable versatility. Through correlated XPS and SCLC characterization, we establish clear structure-performance relationships between polymer connectivity and charge transport dynamics. This work provides fundamental insights into molecular topology engineering for advanced interfacial materials in next-generation photovoltaics.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials demonstrate significant potential in photodetector technology. They offer high sensitivity, wide spectral range, flexibility and transparency, especially in infrared detection, promising advancements in wearable and flexible electronics. This study explores the application of 2D materials in high-performance photodetectors. Rhenium diselenide (ReSe2) was used as the channel, and graphene (Gr) was inserted between ReSe2 and SiO2 as the gate electrode to enhance device performance. A ReSe2/Gr heterostructure field-effect transistor (FET) was fabricated to investigate the role of Gr in improving the optoelectronic properties of ReSe2 phototransistors. Specifically, the ReSe2 FET without Gr auxiliary layer demonstrates a responsivity (R) of 294 mA/W, an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 68.75%, and response times as brief as 40/62 ms. Compared with the ReSe2 phototransistor, the ReSe2/Gr phototransistor exhibits significantly improved photoresponsivity and EQE, with the photoresponsivity enhanced by a factor of ap-proximately 3.58 and the EQE enhanced by a factor of approximately 3.59. These enhancements are mainly attributed to optimization of interfacial band alignment and the strengthened photogating effect by Gr auxiliary layer. This research not only underscores the pivotal role of Gr in boosting the capabilities of 2D photodetectors but also offers a viable strategy for developing high-performance photodetectors with 2D materials.

Medical image registration is critical for clinical applications, and fair benchmarking of different methods is essential for monitoring ongoing progress in the field. To date, the Learn2Reg 2020-2023 challenges have released several complementary datasets and established metrics for evaluations. Building on this foundation, the 2024 edition expands the challenge’s scope to cover a wider range of registration scenarios, particularly in terms of modality diversity and task complexity, by introducing three new tasks, including large-scale multi-modal registration and unsupervised inter-subject brain registration, as well as the first microscopy-focused benchmark within Learn2Reg. The new datasets also inspired new method developments, including invertibility constraints, pyramid features, keypoints alignment and instance optimisation.

Given the extreme toxicity and carcinogenicity of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in foodstuffs and medicinal products, ultrasensitive detection for it is critically important. Herein, we engineered a type-II dual WO3/g-C3N4/Cu2O-Au heterojunction via hydrothermal synthesis and photoreduction, which synergistically integrates the structural stability of WO3, the visible-light response of Cu2O, the optimal band alignment of g-C3N4, and the plasmonic enhancement effect of Au nanoparticles. Leveraging the band structure differences among these constituent semiconductor components, this architecture enables efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, resulting in a 6.7-fold enhancement in photocurrent compared to pristine WO3. Integrating this optimized photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor platform with aptamer-based specific recognition, the biosensor achieves ultrasensitive quantification of AFB1 across a 7-order-of-magnitude linear range (10⁻⁵ ng/mL to 100 ng/mL) and an ultra-low limit of detection (LOD) of 2.29fg/mL. Validation through highly sensitive determination of AFB1 in real Astragalus samples (a widely used Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)) yielding recoveries ranging from 98.5% to 102.1% verifies its applicability for quality control of medicinal products. This work presents a high-performance PEC biosensor for AFB1 and establishes a generalized component integration strategy for designing heterostructured nanomaterials aimed at detecting ultra-trace mycotoxins in complex food and pharmaceutical matrices.

Electron cryo-tomography (cryo-ET) enables 3D imaging of complex, radiation-sensitive structures with molecular detail. However, image contrast from the interference of scattered electrons is nonlinear with atomic density and multiple scattering further complicates interpretation. These effects degrade resolution, particularly in conventional reconstruction algorithms, which assume linearity. Particle averaging can reduce such issues but is unsuitable for heterogeneous or dynamic samples ubiquitous in biology, chemistry, and materials sciences. Here, we develop a phase retrieval-based cryo-ET method, PhaseT3M. We experimentally demonstrate its application to an approximately 7 nm Co3O4 nanoparticle on an approximately 30 nm carbon substrate, achieving a maximum resolution of 1.6 Å, surpassing conventional limits using standard cryo-TEM equipment. PhaseT3M uses a multislice model for multiple scattering and Bayesian optimization for alignment and computational aberration correction, with a positivity constraint to recover ‘missing wedge’ information. Applied directly to biological particles, it enhances reconstruction quality and reduces artifacts, establishing a standard for routine 3D imaging with phase contrast.