This article reports on a new study published in Engineering that presents a reliability-based code calibration procedure for pultruded glass fiber-reinforced polymer I-section beams. The research focuses on determining optimal partial safety factors for web-crippling under end-two-flange and interior-two-flange loading cases, contributing to more reliable design guidelines for these materials in civil engineering applications.

Researchers from China Agricultural University and Jiangsu University have developed a new control mechanism for electric tractors. Their study, published in Engineering, details a system that enhances operational quality and energy efficiency through real-time data interaction and collaborative task management. The innovations include a high-performance controller and a hierarchical real-time operating system that optimize tractor performance.

This study introduces a variational quantum metrology scheme based on Loschmidt echo and experimentally demonstrates its quantum-enhanced characteristic, providing a promising framework for quantum metrology across diverse practical quantum systems.

Delayed complications following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare and poorly understood. This case report describes a patient who developed cyst formation ten years after SRS, which later progressed to a chronic encapsulated expanding hematoma (CEEH). The study highlights a likely pathophysiological link between cyst formation and CEEH and emphasizes the importance of complete surgical removal to prevent recurrence and ensure long-term resolution of such late-onset complications.

The pilot work of the 10K Chinese People Genomic Diversity Project (10K_CPGDP) has uncovered a complex genetic admixture landscape and biological adaptations among ethno-linguistically diverse groups in the Silk Road region of China. In this study, 1,207 individuals from four linguistically diverse groups were sequenced or genotyped, and a population split between Northwest Chinese minority ethnic groups and Han Chinese dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period was observed. The research provides new insights into the genetic architecture and adaptative history of these groups, shedding light on their genomic and phenotypic diversity and the complex evolutionary influences on human disease and health.

A groundbreaking study reveals how strain rate influences anthracite crack characteristic Sstress under dynamic loading, offering a predictive model to assess crack stress thresholds. This research provides critical insights into damage evolution mechanisms, advancing strategies to predict and mitigate catastrophic events like rock bursts in underground mining.

How do piezoelectric actuators perform under extreme conditions such as high temperatures, strong vibrations, and nanoscale precision tasks?

In a review published in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, researchers examine their use in five major areas including positioning and alignment, biomedical devices, microrobotics, vibration mitigation, and advanced manufacturing.

The study highlights recent progress in materials, control methods, and system design that could support the development of more reliable and efficient precision technologies.

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have solved a 60-year-old mystery in bacterial cell envelope biology, defining the primary function of an important protein complex responsible for maintaining the stability of the outer membrane (OM).