Artiles
Open Access
Article
01 June 2026Regional Inequalities in Age at First Marriage: Evidence from Rural and Urban Howrah, India
The present study aimed to examines regional inequalities in age at first marriage among Bengali-speaking women in Howrah district, West Bengal, It hypothesized that women in urban areas were more likely to marry after 18 years compared to rural women. The analysis draws on cross-sectional data collected from 665 ever-married women, of whom 60.15% resided in urban areas and 39.85% in rural areas. Bivariate analysis, independent sample t-tests, and binary logistic regression were employed, complemented by qualitative in-depth interviews from each region. The mean age at marriage was 22.25 years (±4.4), with a pronounced rural–urban regional difference: rural women married significantly earlier (19.83 years) than urban women (23.85 years) (t = 12.80; p < 0.001). Nearly 48.30% of rural women were married at or below 18 years, compared to only 7.25% of urban women (p < 0.001). Logistic regression results reveal strong and persistent regional disparities. In the unadjusted Model I, urban women had significantly higher odds of marrying after 18 years than rural women (OR = 11.95; p < 0.001). After adjusting for socio-demographic, familial, and economic factors in Model II, the association remained robust (OR = 9.67; p < 0.001). Generational patterns were non linear: women from Generation II were more likely to marry after 18 years (OR = 1.09; p < 0.01), while those from Generation III had significantly lower odds (OR = 0.39; p < 0.01). Higher education of respondents (OR = 1.66; p < 0.01), respondents’ fathers (OR = 3.12; p < 0.01), and mothers (OR = 3.58; p < 0.01) substantially increased the likelihood of delayed marriage. Respondents (OR = 1.51; p < 0.05) and respondents’ fathers (OR = 1.92; p < 0.05) with white-collar jobs significantly increase the likelihood of being delayed in marriage. Respondents belonging to the upper wealth quintile (OR = 1.92; p < 0.05) were more likely to marry at later ages. Respondents with ≥3 siblings(OR = 0.65; p < 0.05)and those whose husbands had 1–2 siblings (OR = 0.37; p < 0.01) and ≥3 siblings (OR = 0.39; p < 0.01) were significantly less likely to marry after 18 years compared to the reference category. The qualitative findings reveal the intersection of socio-cultural and kinship obligation in marital timing. The finding underscores that delaying marriage requires interventions beyond legal enforcement and schooling alone, highlighting the need for rural-specific, intergenerational, and economically grounded policy strategies.
Open Access
Review
01 June 2026Next-Generation Immunotherapy Strategies Driven by Tumor Microenvironment Modulation
Next-generation cancer immunotherapy increasingly recognizes the tumor microenvironment (TME) as a decisive regulator of therapeutic efficacy and durability. While immune checkpoint blockade and other immunotherapies have achieved remarkable clinical success, sustained benefit remains limited to a subset of patients, underscoring the insufficiency of immune activation alone. Accumulating evidence reveals that the TME functions as a dynamic immune ecosystem that shapes immune cell infiltration, metabolic fitness, spatial organization, and effector function. Static or reductionist biomarker frameworks fail to capture the temporal and functional heterogeneity of TME states that govern immunotherapy sensitivity and resistance. Importantly, immunotherapeutic interventions themselves induce adaptive TME remodelling, frequently triggering compensatory immunosuppressive circuits and acquired resistance. In this review, we synthesize recent advances in understanding functional and evolving TME states and discuss how strategic modulation of the microenvironment can enable more durable and context-dependent immunotherapy responses. By reframing immunotherapy as a process of TME state management rather than isolated immune stimulation, this perspective outlines guiding principles for designing adaptive, TME-driven immunotherapeutic strategies.
Open Access
Review
01 June 2026Machine Learning Approaches to Identify and Classify ADHD: A Narrative Review with Tabular Performance Synthesis and Human–AI Mapping
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) presents diagnostic challenges due to heterogeneity, comorbidity rates, and reliance on subjective, phenomenological criteria, resulting in misdiagnosis or treatment delays. This structured narrative review with quantitative tabular synthesis, conceptual mapping, and clinical workflow integration employed a sunflower life-cycle metaphor to bridge clinical expertise and machine learning (ML) technologies, while surveying recent empirical studies (2017–2023) to capture methodological variation in ADHD assessment workflows. Ten studies were selected based on relevance to ML applications for ADHD identification and classification, with deliberate representation of diversity in study design, sample characteristics, data modalities, and ML model-type. The method comprised (a) broad interpretive literature searches, (b) extraction of study-level data, and (c) mapping of ML approaches onto a standardized evidence-based ADHD assessment workflow. Analyses included qualitative synthesis of sample characteristics (youth-focused, N = 38–238,696), data modalities (behavioral surveys, EHR, neuroimaging, genetics), ML models (RF, SVM, DNN), performance metrics, phenotype- and genotype-based distinctions; quantitative aggregation of reported performance metrics (accuracy 66–93%, AUC 0.66–0.94); cross-validation practice, and model-level considerations; and tabular summarization of limitations and multidimensional predictors. Syntheses produced comparative tables, a human–AI diagnostic workflow diagram, and explicit alignment of ML applications with each clinical stage to highlight integration points and gaps.
Open Access
Article
01 June 2026Optimizing Material Selection for Hydrogen Storage Tanks Using Finite Element Analysis for Sustainable Energy Applications
This study deals with optimizing material selection for hydrogen storage tanks using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for sustainable energy applications. A cylindrical tank with hemispherical ends was modelled in Fusion 360 and evaluated in ANSYS 2024 R1 under a uniform internal pressure of 70 MPa. Four candidate materials (carbon fibre, titanium alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum alloy) were comparatively assessed through structural, thermal, and modal analyses. Results show that carbon fibre exhibited the lowest von Mises stress of 85 MPa with moderate deformation of 1.2 mm, indicating high stress efficiency but limited stiffness. Titanium alloy demonstrated a balanced response of 201 MPa stress and 1.8 mm deformation, while stainless steel recorded the highest stress of 320 MPa with controlled deformation of 2.1 mm. Aluminum alloy showed the largest deformation of 2.8 mm, reducing its suitability for standalone high-pressure use. Thermal analysis confirmed carbon fibre’s superior insulation performance, whereas metallic materials exhibited higher heat flux. Overall, titanium alloy emerged as the most structurally reliable material, while carbon fibre is better suited for insulation or hybrid reinforcement. The findings provide a comparative design framework for safe and sustainable hydrogen storage applications.
Open Access
Review
29 May 2026Progress and Prospects in Breeding Research on Key Aromatic Species of the Lamiaceae Family
Aromatic herbs of the family Lamiaceae are mainly represented by several economically important genera in the subfamily Nepetoideae, including Mentha, Ocimum, Origanum, Rosmarinus, Thymus, Lavandula, and Perilla. These plants originated mainly in the Mediterranean region, Southwest Asia, and tropical America, and are now widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. This paper systematically reviews the global history of breeding within this taxonomic group of, key aromatic genera of Lamiaceae synthesizes the patterns of its utilization and dissemination, and divides its development and evolution into four key phases: The first phase is the pre-breeding stage (before 1000 BCE), driven primarily by basic human survival needs, during which wild resources were utilized directly without the development of artificial cultivation or directed selection; The second stage is the early introduction and preliminary domestication stage (1000–500 BCE), during which the expansion of ancient trade facilitated the cross-regional dissemination of species, and the domestication of germplasm began through simple phenotypic selection under artificial cultivation; The third phase is the conventional breeding stage, from 500 BCE to the late 20th century, which was driven by increasing commercial demand. During this period, clonal selection, phenotypic selection, and hybridization were gradually developed and widely applied, enabling the stable retention of desirable traits and the formation of diverse regionally distinctive local germplasm. The fourth phase is the modern molecular breeding stage, from the 21st century to the present, which has developed alongside scientific and technological advances. This stage includes molecular breeding strategies based on genome sequencing, identification of genes associated with essential oil biosynthesis and stress tolerance, and marker-assisted selection. However, despite significant progress in the breeding of these key aromatic plant genera of Lamiaceae, the commercialization process still faces multiple bottlenecks: low genetic conversion efficiency in most species, scarcity of genomic resources for niche groups, lengthy traditional breeding cycles, and the lack of a comprehensive germplasm evaluation system, as well as the fragmentation of phenotype-genotype association databases. Future research priorities include: (1) establishing a globally standardized database of Lamiaceae aromatic germplasm resources; (2) integrating multi-omics approaches, including transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics, to elucidate the genetic regulatory networks underlying essential oil biosynthesis and stress resistance; and (3) optimizing gene-editing and genetic transformation protocols for both major and underutilized aromatic Lamiaceae species. This review provides a historical and theoretical framework for the genetic improvement, germplasm utilization, and industrial development of key aromatic genera of Lamiaceae.
Open Access
Article
29 May 2026Levelized Cost of Storage Analysis of Subsea Isobaric Hydrogen Storage
Floating offshore wind-based green hydrogen production has emerged as a viable alternative to conventional electricity generation and transmission. Large scale, long duration offshore hydrogen storage is a critical component. A subsea isobaric hydrogen storage concept is proposed in this study. A detailed levelized cost of storage (LCOS) analysis is conducted from the perspective of life cycle assessment for the first time. The findings yield several new insights and provide recommendations for optimizing the techno-economic performance of subsea isobaric hydrogen storage technology. Transportation and installation costs are significant contributors to overall expenses. In the benchmark scenario with a 200-m water depth and a weekly cycling rate, the calculated LCOS is 0.52 USD/kg H2, which is substantially lower than that of conventional pressurized container storage with the value of 1.33 USD/kg H2. And the LCOS decreases with the increasing water depth. The LCOS is 0.14 USD/kg H2 when the water depth is 800 m. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the LCOS is primarily influenced by the hydrogen storage accumulator, while the impact of the wind farm is marginal. The LCOS demonstrates high sensitivity to water depth of storage, storage volume per hydrogen accumulator, and the lifetime of hydrogen accumulators. These results provide valuable guidance for the design and deployment of cost-effective subsea isobaric hydrogen storage systems.
Open Access
Review
29 May 2026Immobilization Strategies of Cyclodextrins on Ferrimagnetic Nanoparticles for Dye Water Remediation: A Review
This paper provides a comprehensive review of the synthesis, use, and advantages of cyclodextrin-derivatized ferrimagnetic nanoparticles for the removal of textile dyes from natural waters. Dyes make their way into natural water systems and affect ecosystems and human health. Water soluble natural cyclodextrins (CD) are able to include dyes into their hydrophobic cavities. To extract the pollutant from water, the host molecules need to be tethered to insoluble supports, such as magnetic nanoparticles, making possible the extraction of the pollutant from the water using a simple magnet. Thus, after washing treatment, the pollutant is extracted, and the support is regenerated for a new remediation cycle. We report herein the synthetic strategies to immobilize β-cyclodextrin onto magnetic nanoparticles MNP@CD using weak to strong bindings, and the analytical methods used to characterize and monitor their effectiveness. Hydroxyl groups present on the CD scaffold can chelate iron cores by coprecipitation, solvothermal reaction, polymerization, carboxylic acid coordination, and silica bonding. An assessment of various dye adsorption capacities of MNP@CD is reported, spanning a range of 3 orders of magnitude, from 2.38 to 2780 mg of dye/g. The recyclability of the magnetic nanoparticles, with excellent removal rates of 90% after a few cycles, is also discussed.
Open Access
Review
28 May 2026Powder-Based Additive Manufacturing of Ti2AlNb Alloys: A Review of Processes, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties
Ti2AlNb alloy, a new generation of low-density titanium aluminide intermetallic compound, possesses excellent high-temperature strength, creep resistance, and moderate density, making it a promising candidate for high-temperature aerospace structural components. Powder-based additive manufacturing technology provides an effective approach for fabricating high-performance Ti2AlNb components, featuring high design freedom, efficient forming, and a controllable microstructure. This paper systematically reviews the research progress of powder-based additive manufacturing of Ti2AlNb alloys, focusing on three mainstream powder-based processes, including Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Selective Electron Beam Melting (SEBM), and Direct Laser Deposition (DLD). The regulation effect of the extreme non-equilibrium thermal cycle during powder-based additive manufacturing on the alloy microstructure is analyzed, and the correlation between process parameters and mechanical properties of components is summarized. Meanwhile, the key challenges in this field are identified, such as the difficulty in completely eliminating typical forming defects, insufficient precision of microstructure regulation, and a lack of theoretical guidance for process optimization. Finally, combined with technological development trends, future research directions are prospected from the aspects of defect control, microstructure, and mechanical property regulation, as well as engineering application.
Open Access
Review
28 May 2026Kv1.5 Inhibition in Atrial Fibrillation: Molecular Mechanisms, Translational Challenges, and Implications for Equitable Rhythm Control
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and a growing source of cardiovascular morbidity, stroke, heart failure, and death. Current pharmacologic rhythm-control strategies rely predominantly on antiarrhythmic agents with significant ventricular proarrhythmia risk and systemic toxicity, limiting their use in medically complex and underserved patient populations. The Kv1.5 channel, encoded by KCNA5, generates the atrial-selective ultrarapid delayed rectifier current (IKur) and has long been considered a promising target for safer rhythm control. This review focuses on the molecular biology of Kv1.5, including its regulation by auxiliary Kvβ1.2 subunits, redox signaling, oxidative stress, and extra-atrial vascular roles, and examines the preclinical and clinical evidence for Kv1.5-targeted therapy. We analyzed why selective IKur inhibitors, including XEN-D0103 and MK-0448, have failed to translate into effective antiarrhythmic therapy, with particular attention to the role of atrial electrical remodeling and reduced IKur density in established AF. We also review the limitations of existing class III and class Ic antiarrhythmic agents and discuss how genetic variation in KCNA5 across ethnic populations may inform more precise and equitable approaches to rhythm control. Together, these findings highlight the promise of Kv1.5 as an atrial-selective target and the major barriers limiting its clinical translation in AF.
Open Access
Review
28 May 2026Electrospun Scaffolds for Spinal Cord Injury Repair: Mechanisms, Strategies, and Advances
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating and irreversible damage to the central nervous system that can result in permanent disability or even death. Electrospinning technology, as a specialized fiber preparation method, possesses unique advantages such as high porosity, adjustable pore size, and an extremely high surface area-to-volume ratio. Despite the widespread attention this technology has garnered for its potential application in the treatment of SCI, there is still a lack of comprehensive and up-to-date reviews in the existing literature, and specific clinical treatment guidelines are also scarce. As a result, researchers and clinicians lack targeted guidance for practical implementation. To address this gap, the present article systematically summarizes the mechanisms by which electrospun scaffolds facilitate SCI repair and their current therapeutic applications. First, this review provides an in-depth analysis of the five core mechanisms underlying electrospinning therapy for SCI, including extracellular matrix (ECM) mimicry, axonal-extension guidance, multimodal signal regulation, drug loading and sustained release, and physical support and protection. Next, this review examines how key electrospinning parameters (fiber diameter, alignment, surface chemistry, biodegradation rate, and nanomorphology) influence these therapeutic mechanisms. Finally, this review explores the state-of-the-art applications of electrospun scaffolds in SCI treatment, including purely structural conduits, biochemical functionalization (drug loading and controlled release, immunomodulation and anti-inflammation, and coaxial electrospinning), and multi-component composite materials (hydrogel–electrospun hybrids, cell- and growth-factor co-delivery systems, and cell electrospinning).
