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A unified predefined-time hybrid control framework for swing-stance stability in legged locomotion
No full textThis article presents a hierarchical control framework that integrates predefined-time convergence and adaptive compliance control to achieve robust and stable quadruped locomotion over complex and irregular terrains. The proposed framework addresses the challenges posed by terrain uncertainties and dynamic interactions during locomotion. Specifically, a predefined-time nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode controller (PTNFTSMC) is developed for the swing phase to ensure fast and accurate trajectory tracking within a predefined time bound, while avoiding singularities and being independent of initial conditions. For the stance phase, a disturbance-aware adaptive impedance controller is proposed, which enables real-time stiffness estimation and damping adjustment based on variations in contact forces, thereby improving ground contact stability and enhancing terrain adaptability. A unified Lyapunov-based theoretical framework is employed to guarantee global predefined-time stability across all gait phases, ensuring reliable performance even in uncertain environments. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed control strategy are validated through extensive simulations and real-world hardware experiments. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach significantly improves tracking accuracy, reduces convergence time, and enhances the quadruped robot's ability to maintain stable locomotion under various terrain conditions and external disturbances.<br/
Longitudinal analysis of male fertility using an Acr-Luc knock-in mouse model: a preclinical platform for reproductive toxicity testing
No full textReproductive toxicity testing is essential for evaluating whether xenobiotics, including pharmaceuticals, environmental chemicals, or ionizing radiation, adversely affect reproductive function. However, conventional assessments rely on mating outcomes or histopathology, which are labor‐intensive, variable, and require large numbers of animals. Acrosin, a serine protease encoded by the Acr gene and localized in the acrosome of spermatozoa, plays a critical role in sperm penetration of the zona pellucida. To exploit this germ cell‐specific expression, we generated a genetically engineered mouse model in which the Luciferase (Luc) reporter gene is driven by the Acr promoter. This Acr‐Luc knock‐in (KI) model enables longitudinal and quantitative imaging of spermatogenesis using bioluminescence. We demonstrate that this platform captures radiation‐induced impairments in male fertility in real time, eliminating the need for terminal analyses. By allowing repeated evaluation within the same individuals, our approach reduces interindividual variability and enables a substantial reduction in animal use, aligning with the “Reduction” principle of the 3Rs. Moreover, it reveals both the onset and recovery phases of spermatogenic disruption with high temporal resolution. The Acr‐Luc KI model provides a reliable preclinical platform for reproductive toxicity testing and offers broad utility for studies in reproductive biology, toxicology, and oncofertility research
Accurate internal methane dry reforming kinetic models for solid oxide fuel cells
No full textCoupling with solid oxide fuel cells, methane dry reforming is a promising pathway for energy production from two greenhouse gases. However, the influence of carbon dioxide and electrochemical reactions on the internal dry reforming reaction within the fuel cells remains debatable, requiring accurate kinetic models to describe the internal reforming behaviors. In this study, we investigated the Power-Law and Langmuir Hinshelwood–Hougen Watson models in an electrolyte-supported solid oxide fuel cell with a NiO-GDC-YSZ anode to get accurate models for internal dry methane reforming. The current density used in this study ranges from 0 to 1000 A/m2 at 973 K to 1173 K to estimate various kinetic parameters. The influence of the electrochemical reactions on the adsorption terms, the equilibrium of the reactions, the activation energy, the pre-exponential factor of the rate constant, and the adsorption equilibrium constant were studied. Furthermore, the adsorption enthalpy and entropy were investigated for the first time to understand the Gibbs free energy of CO2 adsorption. The accuracy of kinetic models for estimating kinetic parameters was also evaluated. The dual-site models show better estimations than the other models and are then utilized to predict the reaction rate in the fuel cell. The derived kinetic parameters were consistent with values reported in the literature, confirming the reliability and general applicability of the developed models. For the first time, the adsorption enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy of CO2 adsorption were quantified in a DRM–SOFC system, providing new thermodynamic insight into electrochemically influenced adsorption behavior. However, the dual-site LHHW models’ accuracy was still insufficient, indicating a need for further research to develop a comprehensive kinetic model for internal dry reforming in fuel cells. This study provides essential parameters for future simulations and highlights the need for a more detailed examination of reforming kinetic models.<br/
Albert Venn Dicey, the law of the constitution
No full textIn this chapter, Conor McCormick examines Dicey's The Law of the Constitution, the archetypal leading work in British public law. After exploring the biographical and professional influences on the work, McCormick goes on to outline its key arguments and their shortcomings, some of which Dicey acknowledged himself in later editions. McCormick concludes by exploring the reasons for the book's extraordinary and continuing influence on public law
Characterisation of nucleases contributing to the DNA damage driven immune response in cancer
No full textCombatting stigma toward individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders: the role of nostalgia
No full textIntroductionThere is limited evidence on how to tackle stigma toward individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD). This study addressed this issue by examining how nostalgia (a sentimental longing for a personally experienced past) for experiences involving people with ADRD can be used to harness more positive attitudes and behavioral tendencies.MethodOne hundred student nurses were randomly assigned to either recall a nostalgic or (in the control condition) an ordinary interaction involving a person with ADRD, before completing questionnaire measures of inclusion of people with ADRD (i.e., an outgroup) in the self (IOGS), stigma toward those with ADRD, and tendency to approach those with ADRD.ResultsWe found that experimentally induced nostalgia led to higher inclusion of people with ADRD in the self (IOGS; F [1, 98] = 5.69, p = 0.02, η2 = 0.06) which was in turn linked to reduced stigma toward people with ADRD (F [, 98] = 8.07, p = 0.005, η2 = 0.08) and a greater tendency to approach them (F [1, 98] = 4.35, p = 0.04, η2 = 0.06).ConclusionInduced nostalgia can reduce stigma and promote approach behavioral tendencies toward people within a medical context by promoting inclusion of people with ADRD in the self. These findings have interventional potential in a context where negative perceptions of people with ADRD can be problematic.<br/
Ballistic response of composite helmets engineered with cellular metamaterials
No full textThis study investigates the integration of cellular metamaterials into combat helmet systems under ballistic loading, with a focus on realistic helmet geometries and both direct and oblique impact conditions. As global conflict zones increasingly demand lightweight and high-performance protective gear for enhanced mobility and survivability, auxetic structures, particularly the double arrowhead (DAH) topology, demonstrated substantial improvements in head protection, reducing injury metrics such as peak linear acceleration and head injury criterion (HIC) by over 50% compared to non-auxetic designs. Cellular helmet pad systems, explored here for the first time, achieved comparable or superior impact mitigation while halving system weight. Detailed damage evolution analysis revealed that DAH structures exhibited more gradual and confined failure compared to re-entrant designs, further supporting their superior performance. These results offer valuable insights into the mechanics of impact resistance and set a new benchmark for the design of lightweight, high-performance protective equipment
Translation and religion
No full textStarting from the premise that religion is one of the most fundamental social frameworks, this chapter discusses the various aspects of the relationship between translation and religion. Under historical perspectives, it considers the role of sacred languages and scriptures that call either for texts to be translated into new languages and forms of expression, or for converts to translate themselves into the linguistic and ceremonial tradition of the sacred text. Strong links between the secular and religious power structures are highlighted, and an explicitly translational paradigm is uncovered: Christian bishops and holy relics have historically been translated from one place to another. This broader concept of translation – encompassing linguistic, cultural, religious, administrative, and material practices – has been a prominent feature of various social phenomena over the centuries. Among critical issues and topics, the chapter discusses the troublesome notions of faithfulness/fidelity and equivalence, nuancing and problematizing them against the broader sociological frameworks. In relation to current contributions and future directions, it considers the ongoing translational efforts and the unique challenges they face both in the Global South and the Global North, and concludes with some comments on the intensifying, violent religious encounters worldwide.<br/
Tableaux New-Yorkaise: translation and the task of the documentary filmmaker
No full textThis chapter examines the relations between translation and documentary film through the conceptually kaleidoscopic lens of Water Benjamin’s seminal essay, “The Task of the Translator” (1923). Arguing that film translation studies either largely overlooks the documentary, or – worse still – presumes its formal transparency, the chapter draws on the content and tenor of “The Task of the Translator” to demonstrate how a Benjaminian way of thinking about documentaries situates correspondences between the untranslatable and the unrepresentable, the continually evolving and transformative histories of texts and images, and the creative essence of both translating and documentary filmmaking.<br/