Shengkang Zhang¹, Yong Jin^2,*, Soon Poh Yap^1,*, Haoyun Fan¹, Shiyuan Li³, Ahmed El-Shafie⁴, Zainah Ibrahim¹, Amr El-Dieb⁵

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.146, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2025.075351 - 29 January 2026

Abstract Concrete-filled steel tubes (CFST) are widely utilized in civil engineering due to their superior load-bearing capacity, ductility, and seismic resistance. However, existing design codes, such as AISC and Eurocode 4, tend to be excessively conservative as they fail to account for the composite action between the steel tube and the concrete core. To address this limitation, this study proposes a hybrid model that integrates XGBoost with the Pied Kingfisher Optimizer (PKO), a nature-inspired algorithm, to enhance the accuracy of shear strength prediction for CFST columns. Additionally, quantile regression is employed to construct prediction intervals for… More >

Zhirong Jin^1,*, Xiaorui Hou¹, Yanrong Ge¹, Tiankui Guo², Ming Chen², Shuyi Li², Tianyu Niu²

Energy Engineering, Vol.123, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ee.2025.070750 - 27 January 2026

Abstract Hydraulic fracturing serves as a critical technology for reservoir stimulation in deep coalbed methane (CBM) development, where the mechanical properties of gangue layers exert a significant control on fracture propagation behavior. To address the unclear mechanisms governing fracture penetration across coal-gangue interfaces, this study employs the Continuum-Discontinuum Element Method (CDEM) to simulate and analyze the vertical propagation of hydraulic fractures initiating within coal seams, based on geomechanical parameters derived from the deep Benxi Formation coal seams in the southeastern Ordos Basin. The investigation systematically examines the influence of geological and operational parameters on cross-interfacial fracture… More >

Mehran Karimi¹, Hesamodin Heidarigoujani¹, Mehdi Jahangiri^1,*, Milad Torabi Anaraki², Daryosh Mohamadi Janaki³

Energy Engineering, Vol.123, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ee.2025.070190 - 27 January 2026

Abstract The technical, economic, and environmental performance of solar hot-water (SWH) systems for Swedish residential apartments—where approximately 80% of household energy is devoted to space heating and sanitary hot-water production—was assessed. Two collector types, flat plate (FP) and evacuated tube (ET), were simulated in TSOL Pro 5.5 for five major cities (Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö, Uppsala, Linköping). Climatic data and cold-water temperatures were sourced from Meteonorm 7.1, and economic parameters were derived from recent national statistics and literature. All calculations explicitly accounted for heat losses from collectors, storage tanks, and internal and external piping systems, and established… More >

Li Wang¹, Xuesong Xing¹, Yanan Hou¹, Heng Wen¹, Ying Zhu¹, Jingyu Zi¹, Qingwei Zeng^2,3,*

Energy Engineering, Vol.123, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ee.2025.068653 - 27 January 2026

Abstract The deep coal reservoir in Linxing-Shenfu block of Ordos Basin is an important part of China’s coalbed methane resources. In the process of reservoir reconstruction, the artificial fracture morphology of coal seam with gangue interaction is significantly different, which affects the efficient development of coalbed methane resources in this area. In this paper, the surface outcrop of Linxing-Shenfu block is selected, and three kinds of interaction modes between gangue and coal seam are set up, including single-component coal rock sample, coal rock sample with different thicknesses of gangue layer and coal rock sample with different… More >

Herlina Marta¹, Novita Indrianti^2,*, Allifiyah Josi Nur Aziza³, Enny Sholichah⁴, Titik Budiati³, Achmat Sarifudin⁵, Yana Cahyana¹, Nandi Sukri¹, Aldila Din Pangawikan¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.14, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2025.02025-0145 - 23 January 2026

Abstract Corn starch (CS) is a renewable, biodegradable polysaccharide valued for its film-forming ability, yet native CS films exhibit low mechanical strength, high water sensitivity, and limited thermal stability. This study improves CS-based films by blending with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) or glycerol (GLY) and using citric acid (CA) as a green, non-toxic cross-linker. Composite films were prepared by casting CS–PVA or CS–GLY with CA at 0%–0.20% (w/w of starch). The influence of CA on physicochemical, mechanical, optical, thermal, and water barrier properties was evaluated. CA crosslinking markedly enhanced the tensile strength, water resistance, and thermal stability More > Graphic Abstract

Zhitao Yang^1,#, Huanyu Cheng^1,#, Xinli Liu¹, Jie Li¹, Xin Ming¹, Beibei Li¹, Luyao Zhang¹, Chunqing MA¹, Yi Jiao¹, Shenjia Wu¹, Ibrar Muhammad Khan², Guanghua Xiong¹, Hongcheng Wang^1,*, Yong Liu^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.50, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2025.072736 - 23 January 2026

Abstract Objectives: Postmenopausal osteoporosis is the most common form of osteoporosis in clinical practice, affecting millions of postmenopausal women worldwide. Postmenopausal osteoporosis demands safe and effective therapies. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of hederagenin (Hed) for treating osteoporosis and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms of action. Methods: The anti-osteoporotic potential of Hed was assessed by investigating its effects on ovariectomy (OVX)-induced bone loss in mice and on receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation in RAW264.7 cells. Network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking were employed to identify key targets, which were subsequently validated experimentally. Results:… More >

Douglas M. Ruden^*

BIOCELL, Vol.50, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2025.072273 - 23 January 2026

Abstract Stem cell fate decisions are increasingly understood through the dynamic interplay of two fundamental stress-adaptive programs: the integrated stress response (ISR) and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). These pathways act as a Yin–Yang system, balancing beneficial and detrimental outcomes across development, tissue homeostasis, and disease. On the yin (protective) side, transient ISR activation and acute SASP signaling foster adaptation, embryonic patterning, wound healing, and regeneration. On the yang (maladaptive) side, chronic ISR signaling and unresolved SASP output drive stem cell exhaustion, fibrosis, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. This duality highlights their roles as both guardians and disruptors More > Graphic Abstract

Danping Niu¹, Yuan Ping^1,*, Chun Guo², Xiaojun Wang³, Bin Hao⁴

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.073630 - 12 January 2026

Abstract With the increasing complexity of malware attack techniques, traditional detection methods face significant challenges, such as privacy preservation, data heterogeneity, and lacking category information. To address these issues, we propose Federated Dynamic Prototype Learning (FedDPL) for malware classification by integrating Federated Learning with a specifically designed K-means. Under the Federated Learning framework, model training occurs locally without data sharing, effectively protecting user data privacy and preventing the leakage of sensitive information. Furthermore, to tackle the challenges of data heterogeneity and the lack of category information, FedDPL introduces a dynamic prototype learning mechanism, which adaptively adjusts the More >

Shuai Zhao, Zhiwei Zhang^*, Junkai Wang, Ye Yuan, Guoren Wang

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.073315 - 12 January 2026

Abstract With the development of sharded blockchains, high cross-shard rates and load imbalance have emerged as major challenges. Account partitioning based on hashing and real-time load faces the issue of high cross-shard rates. Account partitioning based on historical transaction graphs is effective in reducing cross-shard rates but suffers from load imbalance and limited adaptability to dynamic workloads. Meanwhile, because of the coupling between consensus and execution, a target shard must receive both the partitioned transactions and the partitioned accounts before initiating consensus and execution. However, we observe that transaction partitioning and subsequent consensus do not require… More >

Tai Liu^1,2, Mao Ye^2,*, Feng Wu³, Chao Zhu², Bo Chen², Guoyan Zhang^1,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.072692 - 12 January 2026

Abstract With the continuous advancement of unmanned technology in various application domains, the development and deployment of blind-spot-free panoramic video systems have gained increasing importance. Such systems are particularly critical in battlefield environments, where advanced panoramic video processing and wireless communication technologies are essential to enable remote control and autonomous operation of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). However, conventional video surveillance systems suffer from several limitations, including limited field of view, high processing latency, low reliability, excessive resource consumption, and significant transmission delays. These shortcomings impede the widespread adoption of UGVs in battlefield settings. To overcome these… More >