The proposed synchronized multi-sensor framework provides an experimental approach for integrated crash assessment by combining vehicle structural response, restraint-system loading, and occupant biomechanical measurements within a common temporal reference. The experimental campaign comprised two full-scale crash events involving three vehicles and six Hybrid III 50th percentile male ATD exposures: a front-to-rear vehicle collision with standard occupant positioning and a full-frontal rigid-barrier impact with forward-leaning out-of-position (OOP) occupants. Triaxial thoracic accelerations, seat belt forces, and B-pillar accelerations were recorded simultaneously using synchronized data acquisition systems. The frontal OOP configuration produced the highest longitudinal (X-axis) thoracic acceleration, approximately 62 g, and the highest measured local belt-segment force, 9.80 kN, whereas the rear-impacted vehicle exhibited the highest local B-pillar acceleration. These configuration-specific observations demonstrate the capability of the proposed framework to characterize structural, restraint-system, and occupant responses simultaneously across different full-scale crash configurations.

To address the oversteering risk during aircraft ground towing with a towbarless towing vehicle, this study proposes a dual-LiDAR point-cloud detection and pose estimation method for aircraft rear-wheel targets. First, a complementary dual-LiDAR acquisition strategy is adopted to reduce rear-wheel point-cloud occlusion caused by the aircraft nose landing gear and towing mechanism. Second, considering the small size and distinctive local geometry of rear-wheel targets, vertical density enhanced encoding and a lightweight CNN-Transformer BEV backbone are introduced into the PointPillars framework. The vertical density enhanced encoding explicitly describes the normalized height-wise distribution of valid points within each pillar, thereby improving the representation of cylindrical wheel structures. The CNN-Transformer BEV backbone incorporates a window-based self-attention Transformer module into deep features to strengthen local contextual modeling in the BEV space. Based on the detected coordinates of the left and right rear wheels, the aircraft fuselage pose is then estimated in combination with the TLTV coordinate system. In three-seed experiments on the fixed validation split, the Full model achieves an mAP@0.5 of 0.8788±0.0161, which is 8.50 percentage points higher than the original PointPillars baseline. The model contains 4.1069 M parameters and runs at 38.0732 FPS. The towing-angle estimation error remains within the allowable engineering range. These results show that the task-specific adaptations improve rear-wheel detection while retaining a compact model and real-time processing capability.

On-skin non-invasive Wearable Health-Monitoring Devices (WHMDs) have rapidly evolved from laboratory prototypes into commercially viable systems capable of continuously tracking physiological and biochemical signals. By integrating epidermal temperature sensors, electrophysiological electrodes, biochemical sensing platforms, low-power electronics, and wireless communication technologies, these systems are emerging as key enablers of personalized and decentralized healthcare through the continuous acquisition of clinically relevant information directly from the skin surface. In this Perspective, we present our view on the state-of-the-art across the key technological pillars that define modern on-skin WHMDs, including non-invasive sensing strategies, advanced materials, processing and wireless communication units, energy-storage solutions, energy-harvesting techniques, and power-management architectures, with a particular focus on technologies that have already reached high Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). We highlight how the next-generation of on-skin WHMDs must balance performance with sustainability and long-term reliability. This includes the adoption of biodegradable and recyclable materials, low-power and reconfigurable electronics, solid-state batteries, and hybrid energy-harvesting systems. By aligning technological innovation with human-centric and eco-friendly design principles, on-skin WHMDs can evolve into scalable, equitable, and environmentally responsible tools for future digital healthcare.

Selective benzylic oxidations of pillar[5]arene have been carried out to generate all the possible oxidized derivatives containing from one up to five carbonyl subunits. By using a mild oxidizing agent, namely DDQ, the conditions have been optimized to preferentially generate the monoketone derivative. The corresponding polyketones have been obtained by oxidation of the pillar[5]arene with SeO2 under microwave irradiation. Six out of the seven oxidation products have been characterized by x-ray crystal structure analysis. Effects resulting from the homo- and the cross-conjugation within this series of compounds have been investigated and analyzed with the help of DFT calculations. Finally, binding studies have been also carried out with the pillar[5]arene and the pentaketone derivative in order to evaluate the effect of the C═O subunits on the affinity of the macrocyclic system for guest molecules.

Most neurodegenerative diseases are thought to spread through the brain by prion-like mechanisms, in which filamentous protein assemblies self-propagate by templated seeding1. Distinct conformations of amyloid filaments may provide the physical basis for the strains that lead to different diseases2. However, a central pillar of the prion hypothesis, that strains retain their structural identity upon transmission, has not been demonstrated. Here we show that the injection of tau filaments from the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease or corticobasal degeneration into the brains of wild-type mice leads to the seeded assembly of amyloid filaments made of mouse tau with the same structures as those of the seeds. Thus, we show that, similar to prion strains, tau filaments propagate through templated seeding, and that the mouse is a suitable model to study the molecular mechanisms by which distinct tau folds drive disease-specific pathology in the brain.

Health and education are interdependent pillars of human capital development, yet they are often treated in isolation within policy and economic models. This study presents a conceptual and empirical framework that integrates health and education interventions to assess their joint impact on educational attainment, population health, productivity, and economic development. Using a human capital approach, the study models the effects of four school-based health interventions-nutrition, deworming, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and mental health programmes-on education outcomes in 75 low- and middle-income countries. It also quantifies the long-term health benefits from reduced adolescent pregnancies, due to increased years of schooling, in the form of lower under-five and adult mortality. The immediate health benefits for adolescents of these school-based programmes are not modelled. Using an updated version of an education model combined with an employment benefits model, the study estimates the costs and returns of investing in these interventions from 2025 to 2050. Results show the interventions alone yield over 422 million additional school completions, with economic benefits exceeding US$15.3 trillion and a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 7.0. When health benefits of education in the form of reduced mortality are included, benefits rise to over US$25.2 trillion, with a BCR of 11.5. These findings demonstrate the powerful bidirectional relationship between health and education and support the case for integrated investments. The study also outlines methodological advancements in modelling the combined impact of education and health, while acknowledging limitations such as the focus on market-based outcomes and assumptions of uniform intervention effectiveness. Future research should include immediate economic benefits of health interventions, broader dimensions of human development, including equity, institutional quality, and social capital. The findings offer compelling evidence for policymakers to prioritize coordinated, cross-sectoral strategies that yield high returns in both education and health.

Though exergames attract considerable research interest as tools for preserving cognitive function in older adults, a decade of meta-analytic evidence reveals a persistent gap between theoretical promise and empirical demonstration: exergames rarely outperform conventional motor-cognitive training and do not generate the sustained engagement that preventive benefit requires. These results reflect limitations that are structural: the field focused predominantly on clinical populations rather than primary prevention; training concepts borrowed from rehabilitation protocols rather than grounded in the specific neuroplastic mechanisms of the exergaming medium; and virtual environments that are digitally sophisticated but culturally and esthetically neutral, systematically excluding the stimulation that converging evidence from neuroaesthetics, cultural epidemiology, and narrative neuroscience identifies as a core active ingredient of brain health promotion. To address these limitations simultaneously, this viewpoint introduces Motor-Cognitive Active Gamified Immersive Cultural (MAGIC) exergames, defined as "virtual reality solutions in which motor-cognitive interactions are embedded in artistic content, cultural heritage, or historically situated narrative to exploit optimal neurobiological substrates of the intervention." Drawing on an integrated theoretical framework, we develop mutually reinforcing mechanistic pillars: multimodal sensorimotor engagement within ecologically valid immersive environments; semantic and narrative activation of memory systems; emotional and autobiographical resonance as a dopaminergic driver of learning consolidation and sustained participation; and the re-engineering of physical effort evaluation from aversive to appetitive through aesthetic pleasure and narrative absorption. A fundamental implication is that in MAGIC exergames, motivation is not engineered through gamification mechanics-it is released by the intrinsic value of inhabiting a culturally meaningful world. We further argue MAGIC exergames correspond to a specific use that is, Cultural Snacking, which consists of the serialization of MAGIC content into brief, narratively open daily episodes of 5 to 10 minutes, designed for 3 to 5 daily consumptions across varied contexts. This dosing architecture is compatible with the motivational profile of healthy older adults who do not identify as patients or trainees. The paper opens perspectives with a design and research agenda structured around three priorities: characterizing MAGIC exergames by the type of motor-cognitive interactions they deliver rather than by the technology platform; conducting mechanistic neuroimaging investigations targeting the specific biomarkers of neuroplastic benefit that creative cultural engagement is expected to produce; and building the intersectoral innovation ecosystem that brings cultural institutions, digital health teams, and older adults together as co-designers. Without waiting for MAGIC-specific trials, we invite the digital medicine, public health, and silver economy communities to recognize that museums, heritage sites, and cultural institutions are potentially the most ecologically valid, intrinsically motivating, and cost-effective substrates for a new generation of brain health exergames that are as meaningful as they are effective. The scientific, institutional, and economic conditions for this convergence already exist.

Rapid deployment of autonomous sensor platforms in remote aquatic areas remains a challenge for environmental monitoring, disaster response, and ocean science. We present ALBATROSS (Airborne Lander with Buoyant AuToROtating Sailing Sensor), a hybrid bioinspired robot that passively autorotates for soft water landing and transitions into a wind-driven sailboat. Its dual-function rigid wingsails, acting as both sails and autorotating wings, enable efficient descent and propulsion. A freely rotating main sail, controlled by a tail rudder, and a directly actuated front sail enhance thrust and aerodynamic stability. A biomimetic caudal fin-inspired rudder enables propulsion during low-wind conditions and agile maneuvering in challenging upwind tacking. We empirically evaluated different wingsail airfoils through wind tunnel testing and optimized rudder design through hydrodynamic modeling, material selection, and speed-power efficiency analysis across different sizes and stiffnesses. Field experiments validate aerial deployment from 150 meters, autorotating descent, passive self-righting, and successful waypoint navigation using both rule-based control and a reinforcement learning approach. By integrating minimal actuation, bioinspired structures, and passive dynamics across aerial and marine operating regimes, this work extracts generalizable design principles for lightweight, aerially deployable sailing robots capable of robust, energy-efficient marine sensing.

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in football (soccer) players is associated with high return-to-competition rates but persistent deficits in performance and elevated risk of secondary injury. Whilst rehabilitation frameworks have evolved to optimise early, mid-, and late-stage recovery, limited guidance exists regarding the structured transition from typical return-to-sport clearance to sustained return-to-performance (RTPerf). Failure to adequately bridge this gap may contribute to early re-injury, suppressed match performance and compromised career longevity. This paper outlines a staged RTPerf continuum comprising: (1) structured on-field rehabilitation, (2) return to team training, (3) return to competitive match play and (4) early and sustained RTPerf. Four interdependent pillars underpin this process: (i) the restoration of movement quality under realistic football specific situations; (ii) progressive football-specific technical and tactical re-training; (iii) football-specific physical reconditioning including speed, acceleration, deceleration and change of direction ability, endurance and chronic workload development and (iv) maximal strength and explosive neuromuscular performance restoration.

Microbial bioelectrocatalysis demands more than electron-conducting surfaces-it demands living microenvironments that hydrate, protect, and nourish whole-cell biocatalysts. This biological imperative remains unaddressed by conventional electrode design. Here, we fundamentally reframe microbial biobattery architecture through living habitat engineering, drawing inspiration from the human small intestine-a biological interface evolutionarily optimized to sustain dense, metabolically active microbial communities through high-surface-area villi, mucus-mediated hydration, and short-path nutrient exchange. We translate these principles into spore-programmed conductive hydrogel pillar arrays, in which dormant Bacillus subtilis endospores are embedded within poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)-poly(vinyl alcohol)/reduced graphene oxide hydrogel villi that simultaneously serve as microbial reservoirs, bioelectrochemical scaffolds, and electron-harvesting conduits. Upon nutrient contact, spores germinate on demand into electroactive cells. This villi topology delivers an 8.3-fold volumetric power density enhancement (8.04 to 66.45 µW cm- 3) over planar controls under volume-matched conditions. A 24-device geometry matrix uncovers a coupled radius-height design rule, with peak single-villus power of 8.35 µW at optimal dimensions. Conformable villi patches demonstrate nutrient-triggered electricity generation in a simulated pipe environment using a wastewater-mimicking nutrient/electrolyte solution, while a separate self-powered array achieves spatially resolved bioelectrochemical sensing. This work establishes living habitat engineering as a transformative paradigm for activatable, architecture-programmed, and potentially shelf-stable microbial biobatteries.

Motor competence (MC) and physical literacy (PL) are associated with physical activity (PA) during adolescence, but the processes underlying this relationship remain unclear. This cross-sectional study examined whether perceived PL was associated with the relationship between MC and PA and whether this indirect association differed by sex. A total of 273 Spanish adolescents aged 12-17 years (46.9% girls) participated. MC was assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Short Form, PA using the Youth Activity Profile and perceived PL using the Spanish Physical Literacy Perception Instrument. Analyses adjusted for biological maturation, body mass index and socioeconomic status indicated a significant indirect association between MC and PA through perceived PL, whereas the direct association was not significant after adjustment. Only the social domain of perceived PL showed a significant indirect association, with no evidence of sex differences.

Mechanical forces play a key role in regulating cell behaviour, with dynamically changing mechanical cues governing processes such as morphogenesis, wound healing, and cancer progression in vivo. However, there is a lack of experimental platforms that enable localized, dynamic, and tuneable mechanical stimulation under real-time imaging. Here, we present a large deflection magnetic artificial cilia (ldMAC) platform that enables dynamic, microscale mechanical stimulation of cells with high spatial and temporal control. Arrays of ldMAC are fabricated via femtosecond lasermachining and hot embossing of a magnetic polymer, yielding robust ldMAC capable of tip deflections up to 25 μm under actuation by a custom-made, compact permanent magnet-based system, representing a several-fold increase in displacement compared to most reported magnetic pillar platforms. The setup is compatible with standard cell culture conditions and live fluorescence microscopy, a feature that is typically challenging due to the bulky and complex nature of conventional actuation systems. Using human dermal fibroblasts, we demonstrate that ldMAC actuation induces changes in cell morphology without affecting viability. Dynamic stimulation by cyclic ldMAC deflection leads to a shift toward more compact, rounded cell phenotypes, accompanied by reduced cell area. Time-lapse imaging reveals that cells actively reorganize cytoskeletal structures and reduce the amount of cilia attachments upon stimulation, reminiscent of strain avoidance behaviour. Compared to existing approaches, the presented platform uniquely combines localized, dynamic, controllable actuation with real-time imaging in a compact, user-friendly format. Importantly, it enables active and reversible ldMAC deformation with independently tuneable frequency and amplitude. This approach offers a practical tool for studying cellular responses to dynamic mechanical environments and opens new possibilities for mechanobiology research.

The biocatalytic production of nicotinic acid using nitrilases has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional chemical synthesis, offering improved selectivity and environmental sustainability. In this study, we developed a continuous-flow millireactor system employing Escherichia coli cells expressing a nitrilase from Paraburkholderia phymatum (NitPhym) for the continuous production of nicotinic acid. To enhance catalytic efficiency and stability, whole cells were immobilized using two different strategies: covalent attachment to the reactor walls and encapsulation in alginate microbeads. The performance of these immobilization techniques was evaluated in millireactors with two different geometries: pillar and zigzag configurations. Encapsulation of NitPhym-expressing E. coli cells in alginate microbeads was achieved through a centrifuge-assisted microencapsulation method, yielding beads with diameters of up to 350 µm. Continuous-flow reactions demonstrated that the microencapsulated cells maintained their activity over at least 7 days, achieving stable conversion rates of approximately 30% in both pillar and zigzag millireactors. Compared to direct covalent immobilization, microencapsulation significantly reduced cell leaching and contamination of the reaction product. These findings highlight the potential of whole-cell microencapsulation for enhancing the stability and efficiency of biocatalytic processes in continuous-flow millireactors.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are major causes of morbidity and mortality in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Contemporary CKD guidelines increasingly support incorporation of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) as an additional pillar of cardiorenal therapy alongside renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade, sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and finerenone. Semaglutide is the first GLP-1RA with kidney-outcome data from a dedicated trial in T2D-CKD: the Evaluate Renal Function with Semaglutide Once Weekly (FLOW) study. In FLOW, once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 1 mg reduced major kidney disease events by 24%, major adverse cardiovascular events by 18% and all-cause mortality by 20% versus placebo on a background of guideline-directed therapy. Here a multidisciplinary expert panel summarises Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration indications and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme restrictions, highlights common access barriers and outlines approaches to shared care between primary and tertiary services for use of GLP-1RAs. Guidance is also provided on treatment sequencing of GLP-1RA alongside RAAS blockade, SGLT2i and finerenone. Evidence from key GLP-1RA trials, in addition to FLOW, is reviewed and translated into practical, implementable prescribing strategies for Australian clinicians. The panel also identified priority patient groups for GLP-1RA therapy, including those with residual albuminuria, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, established CVD, obesity and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at high cardiorenal risk. Remaining evidence gaps, particularly for non-diabetic CKD, advanced CKD, dialysis and transplant populations and equity of access, are identified as priorities for future research and policy.