Numerical investigations on the flowability of pulverized biomass are crucial for agriculture, aiding in optimizing biomass use, crop residue management, soil health improvement, and environmental impact mitigation. Rising interest in biomass and conversion processes necessitates deeper property understanding and technological process optimization. Moisture content is a key parameter influencing biomass quality. In this paper, computer simulations of shear tests depending on the moisture content using the discrete element method were carried out and compared with experimental results. An experimental study and modeling for Jenike’s direct shearing apparatus was carried out. A swelling bed model was proposed to account for the effect of moisture. The swelling bed model assumed an increase in biomass grain vorticity proportional to the moisture content. The model was solved using the discrete element method (DEM). The model considers the effect of moisture on the values of Young’s and Kirchoff’s moduli for biomass grains. The model assumed that moisture is not present in surface form, the total amount of moisture is absorbed into the interior of the material grains, and the volume of a single grain increases linearly with an increase in the volume of the absorbed moisture. The tested materials were pulverized sunflower husks, apple pomace, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), meat and bone meal (MBM), and sawdust. Samples with moisture contents of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% were tested. The best agreement of the model with the experimental data was observed for the most absorbent materials in which moisture was not present in surface form, such as apple pomace, DDGS, and sawdust. Research data are important for the proper design of biomass storage, transportation equipment, and utilization as feedstock for bioenergy production or soil enrichment. Full article

Enterococcus faecium B13, selected from fermentation chili, has been proven to promote animal growth by previous studies, but it belongs to opportunistic pathogens, so a comprehensive evaluation of its probiotic properties and safety is necessary. In this study, the probiotic properties and safety of B13 were evaluated at the genetic and phenotype levels in vitro and then confirmed in vivo. The genome of B13 contains one chromosome and two plasmids. The average nucleotide identity indicated that B13 was most closely related to the fermentation-plant-derived strain. The strain does not carry the major virulence genes of the clinical E. faecium strains but contains aac(6′)-Ii, ant (6)-Ia, msrC genes. The strain had a higher tolerance to acid at pH 3.0, 4.0, and 0.3% bile salt and a 32.83% free radical DPPH clearance rate. It can adhere to Caco-2 cells and reduce the adhesion of E. coli to Caco-2 cells. The safety assessment revealed that the strain showed no hemolysis and did not exhibit gelatinase, ornithine decarboxylase, lysine decarboxylase, or tryptophanase activity. It was sensitive to twelve antibiotics but was resistant to erythromycin, rifampicin, tetracycline, doxycycline, and minocycline. Experiments in vivo have shown that B13 can be located in the ileum and colon and has no adverse effects on experiment animals. After 28 days of feeding, B13 did not remarkable change the α-diversity of the gut flora or increase the virulence genes. Our study demonstrated that E. faecium B13 may be used as a probiotic candidate. Full article

We apply a static oligopolistic general equilibrium model to investigate the effects of an environmental tax on labor incomes, capital incomes, profits, and the distribution of income. The study is motivated by the fact that environmental taxation is one main political tool to realize environmental sustainability and support sustainable development. However, to ensure social and economic sustainability, the taxes applied must be perceived as fair by the majority of the civil society. Moreover, efforts to determine a fair taxation policy would ensure, inter alia, responsible consumption and production, and lower inequality in the economy, which are one of the two priorities of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 10 and 12). Therefore, it is necessary to determine the tax incidence to inform policymakers regarding the distribution of the tax burden. To examine environmental policy, we assume the government applies a policy objective to realize strong environmental sustainability, as proposed by the Dutch economist Rofie Hueting. The main result is that oligopolistic firms can shift the whole tax burden resulting from environmental taxes to workers and capital owners. Consequently, we show that environmental taxes can lead to more income inequality, and the more concentrated the markets, the bigger the social and economic inequality. Noting that addressing environmental problems is a priority of the UN SDGs, our analysis shows that approaching the issue using just environmental tax propositions is not advisable. These results of the analysis also provide a justification of why many members of the society tend to oppose environmental taxes. Full article

Virus infection causes the metabolic disorder of host cells, whereas the metabolic disorder of cells is one of the major causes of tumorigenesis, suggesting that antiviral molecules might possess anti-tumor activities by regulating cell metabolism. As the key regulators of gene expression, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in the regulation of cell metabolism. However, the influence of antiviral lncRNAs on tumorigenesis has not been explored. To address this issue, the antiviral and anti-tumor capacities of shrimp lncRNAs were characterized in this study. The results revealed that shrimp lncRNA06, having antiviral activity in shrimp, could suppress the tumorigenesis of human gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs) via triggering apoptosis of GCSCs in a cross-species manner. Shrimp lncRNA06 could sponge human miR-17-5p to suppress the stemness of GCSCs via the miR-17-5p-p21 axis. At the same time, shrimp lncRNA06 could bind to ATP synthase subunit beta (ATP5F1B) to enhance the stability of the ATP5F1B protein in GCSCs, thus suppressing the tumorigenesis of GCSCs. The in vivo data demonstrated that shrimp lncRNA06 promoted apoptosis and inhibited the stemness of GCSCs through interactions with ATP5F1B and miR-17-5p, leading to the suppression of the tumorigenesis of GCSCs. Therefore, our findings highlighted that antiviral lncRNAs possessed anti-tumor capacities and that antiviral lncRNAs could be the anti-tumor reservoir for the treatment of human cancers. Full article

Electrochemical wastewater treatment technologies are increasingly being used in practice, and the combination of electrocoagulation with advanced oxidation processes has been shown to increase treatment efficiency. The treatment of oily wastewater produces electrocoagulated metal sludge (EMS). In this work, the possibility of using different ratios of EMS produced during oily wastewater treatment was investigated. EMS was dried conventionally in an oven at 105 °C and used as a partial substitute for clay in the manufacture of laboratory bricks. The main research objectives of this study were to examine the possibility and justification of introducing EMS in brick production. The results show that an increase in the proportion of EMS in the manufacturing of bricks leads to a deterioration in the quality of the bricks. Bricks with an addition of 1 wt% and 5 wt% EMS showed the best properties. The loss on ignition (LOI), compressive strength, boiling water absorption and initial water absorption were determined at 5.7%; 49 N/mm², 16%, 14 g/min/200 cm², 15% for modified bricks with 1 wt% EMS and 6.3%, 48 N/mm², 20%, 15 g/min/200 cm² for modified brick with 5 wt%. Full article

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is one of the most aggressive forms of gynaecological malignancies. Survival rates for women diagnosed with OC remain poor as most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease. Debulking surgery and platinum-based therapies are the current mainstay for OC treatment. However, and despite achieving initial remission, a significant portion of patients will relapse because of innate and acquired resistance, at which point the disease is considered incurable. In view of this, novel detection strategies and therapeutic approaches are needed to improve outcomes and survival of OC patients. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge of the genetic landscape and molecular pathways underpinning OC and its many subtypes. By examining therapeutic strategies explored in preclinical and clinical settings, we highlight the importance of decoding how single and convergent genetic alterations co-exist and drive OC progression and resistance to current treatments. We also propose that core signalling pathways such as the PI3K and MAPK pathways play critical roles in the origin of diverse OC subtypes and can become new targets in combination with known DNA damage repair pathways for the development of tailored and more effective anti-cancer treatments. Full article

There are ongoing debates and controversies about whether genderqueer individuals have specific sexual-reproductive healthcare services and needs (SRHSNs). This study intended to identify and explore queer-specific SRHSNs among healthcare providers (HCPs) in Gauteng Province, South Africa. This was an exploratory sequential mixed-methods study, and this article focuses on the qualitative findings of that investigation. Thirty-three HCPs were purposively sampled, and semi-structured one-on-one interviews were used to collect data between September and November 2023. The data were analyzed using thematic content analysis (TCA). The results of this study revealed nine main themes: a crucial need for inclusive healthcare facilities; a need for psychological, counseling, and therapeutic support in sexual and reproductive healthcare; access to sexual-reproductive education and integrating support; suggested reproductive health services for queer sexual wellness; improved accessibility and particular queer reproductive healthcare; optimizing services related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) access, and sexually transmitted illness (STI) treatment; genderqueer persons’ parenthood aspirations and empowerment; the safe availability of intimacy tools; and navigation transitions. A holistic and inclusive healthcare approach that fits psychological support, comprehensive sexual-reproductive education, and specialized services to accommodate the unique needs of queer individuals should be implemented and made easily accessible. Full article

CMOS image sensor (CIS) semiconductor products are integral to mobile phones and photographic devices, necessitating ongoing enhancements in efficiency and quality for superior photographic outcomes. The presence of white pixels serves as a crucial metric for assessing CIS product performance, primarily arising from metal impurity contamination during the wafer production process or from defects introduced by the grinding blade process. While immediately addressing metal impurity contamination during production presents challenges, refining the handling of defects attributed to grinding blade processing can notably mitigate white pixel issues in CIS products. This study zeroes in on silicon wafer manufacturers in Taiwan, analyzing white pixel defects reported by customers and leveraging machine learning to pinpoint and predict key factors leading to white pixel defects from grinding blade operations. Such pioneering practical studies are rare. The findings reveal that the classification and regression tree (CART) and random forest (RF) models deliver the most accurate predictions (95.18%) of white pixel defects caused by grinding blade operations in a default parameter setting. The analysis further elucidates critical factors like grinding load and torque, vital for the genesis of white pixel defects. The insights garnered from this study aim to arm operators with proactive measures to diminish the potential for customer complaints. Full article

Calamitaceae was the predominant arborescent element of the Late Paleozoic plant assemblages. However, there is currently controversy surrounding the evolutionary relationships of their four reproductive organs, and there is no unified understanding of the geographical distribution and species richness characteristics. This paper is based on the detailed description of the macro- and microstructures of Calamites and Macrostachya discovered in the Shanxi Formation of the Cisuralian in the eastern Hexi Corridor of northwestern China, and it discusses the evolutionary patterns of calamitean reproductive organs. The results indicate that the current specimens can be identified as the Calamites cistii and Macrostachya sp., and the in situ spores should exhibit distinct trilete marks, indicating that they belong to the Punctatisporites punctatus. The abundant fossil records suggest that the “Calamostachys” type should be considered as the ancestral type of strobili. Additionally, Calamitaceae was widely distributed in mid to low latitudes globally from the Pennsylvanian to the Cisuralian and coupled with paleogeographic distribution characteristics. Full article

Landward displacements of coastal boulders are geomorphological signatures of sea flooding and erosion processes. In this study, using open-access resources that do not require the integration of specialist software, the 2017 to 2021 annual mobility of medium, coarse, and very coarse boulders spread over about 100 km of the eastern coast of the Gulf of Taranto (Italy, Mediterranean Sea) was explored. The boulder displacement data obtained from remote sensing imagery were verified and refined by means of geomorphological field investigation. The main results are the following: (1) A large interannual variability in the boulder mobility was found; (2) storm Detlef, which crossed over the Mediterranean during 11–13 November 2019, was recognized as the cause of a massive displacement phenomenon; and (3) the marine weather conditions driving the investigated morphodynamic process were inferred. Full article

Naturally derived essential oils and their active components are known to possess various properties, ranging from anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-cancer activities. Numerous types of essential oils and active components have been discovered, and their permissive roles have been addressed in various fields. In this comprehensive review, we focused on the roles of essential oils and active components in skin diseases and cancers as discovered over the past three decades. In particular, we opted to highlight the effectiveness of essential oils and their active components in developing strategies against various skin diseases and skin cancers and to describe the effects of the identified essential-oil-derived major components from physiological and pathological perspectives. Overall, this review provides a basis for the development of novel therapies for skin diseases and cancers, especially melanoma. Full article

The immunocompromised host is usually vulnerable to infectious diseases due to broad-spectrum treatments and immunological dysregulation. The Enterococcus genus consists of normal gut commensals, which acquire a leading role in infective processes among individuals with compromised immune systems. These microorganisms may express a potential virulence and resistance spectrum, enabling their function as severe pathogens. The Enterococcus spp. infections in immunocompromised hosts appear to be difficult to resolve due to the immunological response impairment and the possibility of facing antimicrobial-resistant strains. As regards the related risk factors, several data demonstrated that prior antibiotic exposure, medical device insertion, prolonged hospitalization and surgical interventions may lead to Enterococcus overgrowth, antibiotic resistance and spread among critical healthcare settings. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of Enterococcus spp. in the immunocompromised host, summarizing the available knowledge about virulence factors, antimicrobial-resistance mechanisms and host-pathogen interaction. The review ultimately yearns for more substantial support to further investigations about enterococcal infections and immunocompromised host response. Full article

Treatment methods for high-salt wastewater mainly consist of physical methods, chemical methods and biological methods. However, there are some problems, such as slow treatment speed, high investment costs and low treatment efficiency. To address NaCl solutions, in this study, a circulatory flash system was designed based on gas–liquid equilibrium, mass conservation equation and energy conservation equation. A circulatory flash evaporation simulation and a static flash evaporation experiment were conducted on NaCl solutions under various operating conditions to investigate the effects of heating temperature, flash pressure and initial NaCl concentration on the circulatory flash evaporation system. The significance of each factor’s influence on the evaporation fraction and energy consumption was examined through static flash experiments. The simulation results demonstrated that increasing the heating temperature, decreasing the flash pressure and having a higher initial NaCl concentration could enhance the treatment capacity of high-salt wastewater. The flow rate of vapor outlets increased with higher heating temperature but decreased as the flash pressure rose. The experimental results demonstrated that flash evaporation pressure was the primary factor influencing both the evaporation fraction and the energy consumption per unit mass of vapor produced. It was observed that with an increase in heating temperature, the flash pressure decreased and there was a corresponding decrease in energy consumption per unit mass of vapor produced. The optimal experimental conditions were achieved at a heating temperature of 99 °C, a flash pressure of 15 kPa, and an initial NaCl concentration of 20%. Full article

Construction and demolition waste (C&DW) recycling products have drawn worldwide attention over the past few decades. There is a general agreement among researchers that C&DW recycling is an important means for curbing the deterioration of the environment. Previous papers mainly focused on the decision-making behavior of dual stakeholders or tripartite stakeholders, as well as the lack of cooperation among multiple stakeholders. This study explored a dynamic evolutionary game model with three different parameter conditions to research the decision-making behaviors and stable strategies of the multi-stakeholders involved in the C&DW recycling product industry, including government departments and some enterprises. This research also investigated how the government’s supervision costs, penalties applied to enterprises, and resource taxes affect the dynamic evolution process of C&DW recycling. This research conducted numerical simulations using Python to analyze stakeholders’ behavioral evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) and the sensitivity to main factors in each stage of the C&DW recycling process to accelerate the development of construction waste resource utilization. Based on the results of the evolutionary game, this paper proposed that the roles of multi-stakeholders are different at different stages of industry development, and that supervision costs, penalties, and resource tax have their own impacts on the C&DW recycling product industry. The paper suggests a range of discussions and simulation studies to highlight the significance of the government’s refined and moderate adjustments to the regulatory incentive system and the level of government regulation and involvement at different stages of the process. These adjustments are aimed at promoting the sustainable recycling and utilization of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) products within some countries’ construction industry. Full article

This study aims to explore the static mechanical characteristics of coral aggregate seawater shotcrete (CASS) using an appropriate mix proportion. The orthogonal experiments consisting of four-factor and three-level were conducted to explore an optimal mix proportion of CASS. On a macro-scale, quasi-static compression and splitting tests of CASS with optimal mix proportion at various curing ages employed a combination of acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC) techniques were carried out using an electro-hydraulic servo-controlled test machine. A comparative analysis of static mechanical properties at different curing ages was conducted between the CASS and ordinary aggregate seawater shotcrete (OASS). On a micro-scale, the numerical specimens based on particle flow code (PFC) were subjected to multi-level microcracks division for quantitive analysis of the failure mechanism of specimens. The results show that the optimal mix proportion of CASS consists of 700 kg/m³ of cementitious materials content, a water–binder ratio of 0.45, a sand ratio of 60%, and a dosage of 8% for the accelerator amount. The tensile failure is the primary failure mechanism under uniaxial compression and Brazilian splitting, and the specimens will be closer to the brittle material with increased curing age. The Brazilian splitting failure caused by the arc-shaped main crack initiates from the loading points and propagates along the loading line to the center. Compared with OASS, the CASS has an approximately equal early and low later strength mainly because of the minerals’ filling or unfilling effect on coral pores. The rate of increase in CASS is swifter during the initial strength phase and decelerates during the subsequent stages of strength development. The failure in CASS is experienced primarily within the cement mortar and bonding surface between the cement mortar and aggregate. Full article

Poly (glycerol sebacate) is a widely studied elastomeric copolymer obtained from the polycondensation of two bioresorbable monomers, glycerol and sebacic acid. Due to its biocompatibility and the possibility to tailor its biodegradability rate and mechanical properties, PGS has gained lots of interest in the last two decades, especially in the soft tissue engineering field. Different synthetic approaches have been proposed, ranging from classic thermal polyesterification and curing to microwave-assisted organic synthesis, UV crosslinking and enzymatic catalysis. Each technique, characterized by its advantages and disadvantages, can be tailored by controlling the crosslinking density, which depends on specific synthetic parameters. In this work, classic and alternative synthetic methods, as well as characterisation and tailoring techniques, are critically reviewed with the aim to provide a valuable tool for the reproducible and customized production of PGS for tissue engineering applications. Full article

Background: This work aimed to determine the optimum VOLO^TM Ultra algorithm parameters for tomotherapy treatments. Methods: 1056 treatment plans were generated with VOLO^TM Ultra for 36 patients and six anatomical locations. The impact of varying four parameters was studied: the accelerated treatment (AT), leaf open/close time (LOT) cutoff, normal tissue objective (NTO) weight, and number of iterations. The beam-on time and dosimetric metrics were quantified for the target volumes and organs at risk (OARs). Delivery quality assurance measurements were obtained for 36 plans to assess the delivery accuracy. Results: The mean beam-on time for the helical tomotherapy and TomoDirect (TD) plans decreased by 26.6 ± 2.8% and 17.4 ± 4.3%, respectively, when the accelerated treatment parameter was increased from 0 to 10, at the expense of the planning target volume (PTV) coverage (2% lower D_98%) and OAR dose (up to 15% increase). For TD plans, it seems preferable to systematically use an AT value of 10. Increasing the number of iterations beyond six seems unnecessary. In this study, an NTO weight of approximately 10 appears to be ideal and eliminates the need to use rings in the treatment plan. Finally, no correlation was found between the leaf open/close time cutoff and the delivery accuracy, while a leaf open/close cutoff of 60 ms seemed to degrade dosimetry quality. Conclusion: Optimal values for the AT, LOT cutoff, NTO weight, and number of optimization rounds were identified and should help improve the management of patients whose tomotherapy treatments are planned with VOLO^TM Ultra. Full article

The fatigue behavior of a high-strength bearing steel tempered under three different temperatures was investigated with ultrasonic frequency and conventional frequency loading. Three kinds of specimens with various yield strengths exhibited obvious higher fatigue strengths under ultrasonic frequency loading. Then, a 2D crystal plasticity finite element method was adopted to simulate the local stress distribution under different applied loads and loading frequencies. Simulations showed that the maximum residual local stress was much smaller under ultrasonic frequency loading in contrast to that under conventional frequency at the same applied load. It was also revealed that the maximum local stress increases with the applied load under both loading frequencies. The accumulated plastic strain was adopted as a fatigue indicator parameter to characterize the frequency effect, which was several orders smaller than that obtained under conventional loading frequencies when the applied load was fixed. The increment of accumulated plastic strain and the load stress amplitude exhibited a linear relationship in the double logarithmic coordinate system, and an improved fatigue life prediction model was established. Full article

Neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) include a range of chronic conditions characterized by progressive neuronal loss, leading to cognitive, motor, and behavioral impairments. Common examples include Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). The global prevalence of NDs is on the rise, imposing significant economic and social burdens. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms underlying NDs remain incompletely understood, hampering the development of effective treatments. Excitotoxicity, particularly glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity, is a key pathological process implicated in NDs. Targeting the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, which plays a central role in excitotoxicity, holds therapeutic promise. However, challenges, such as blood–brain barrier penetration and adverse effects, such as extrapyramidal effects, have hindered the success of many NMDA receptor antagonists in clinical trials. This review explores the molecular mechanisms of NMDA receptor antagonists, emphasizing their structure, function, types, challenges, and future prospects in treating NDs. Despite extensive research on competitive and noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists, the quest for effective treatments still faces significant hurdles. This is partly because the same NMDA receptor that necessitates blockage under pathological conditions is also responsible for the normal physiological function of NMDA receptors. Allosteric modulation of NMDA receptors presents a potential alternative, with the GluN2B subunit emerging as a particularly attractive target due to its enrichment in presynaptic and extrasynaptic NMDA receptors, which are major contributors to excitotoxic-induced neuronal cell death. Despite their low side-effect profiles, selective GluN2B antagonists like ifenprodil and radiprodil have encountered obstacles such as poor bioavailability in clinical trials. Moreover, the selectivity of these antagonists is often relative, as they have been shown to bind to other GluN2 subunits, albeit minimally. Recent advancements in developing phenanthroic and naphthoic acid derivatives offer promise for enhanced GluN2B, GluN2A or GluN2C/GluN2D selectivity and improved pharmacodynamic properties. Additional challenges in NMDA receptor antagonist development include conflicting preclinical and clinical results, as well as the complexity of neurodegenerative disorders and poorly defined NMDA receptor subtypes. Although multifunctional agents targeting multiple degenerative processes are also being explored, clinical data are limited. Designing and developing selective GluN2B antagonists/modulators with polycyclic moieties and multitarget properties would be significant in addressing neurodegenerative disorders. However, advancements in understanding NMDA receptor structure and function, coupled with collaborative efforts in drug design, are imperative for realizing the therapeutic potential of these NMDA receptor antagonists/modulators. Full article

As a popular energy storage equipment, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have many advantages, such as high energy density and long cycle life. At this stage, with the increasing demand for energy storage materials, the industrialization of batteries is facing new challenges such as enhancing efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and improving battery performance. In particular, the challenges mentioned above are particularly critical in advanced next-generation battery manufacturing. For batteries, the electrode processing process plays a crucial role in advancing lithium-ion battery technology and has a significant impact on battery energy density, manufacturing cost, and yield. Dry electrode technology is an emerging technology that has attracted extensive attention from both academia and the manufacturing industry due to its unique advantages and compatibility. This paper provides a detailed introduction to the development status and application examples of various dry electrode technologies. It discusses the latest advancements in commonly used binders for different dry processes and offers insights into future electrode manufacturing. Full article

Induction motors (IMs) must meet high reliability and safety standards in mission-critical applications, such as electric vehicles (EVs), where sensorless control strategies are fundamental. However, sensorless rotor speed estimation demands improvements to overcome filtering distortions, tuning complexities, and sensitivity to IM model mismatch. Algebraic methods offer inherent filtering capabilities and design flexibility to address these challenges without introducing additional dynamics into the control system. The objective of this paper is to provide an algebraic estimation strategy that yields an accurate rotor speed estimate for sensorless IM control. The strategy includes an algebraic estimator with single-parameter tuning and inherent filtering action. We propose an EV case study to experimentally evaluate and compare its performance with a typical drive cycle and a dynamic torque load that emulates a small-scale EV power train. The algebraic estimator exhibited a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 43 dB. The closed-loop experiment for the EV case study showed average tracking errors below 1 rad/s and similar performance compared to a well-known sensorless strategy. Our results show that the proposed algebraic estimation strategy works effectively in a nominal speed range for a practical IM sensorless application. The algebraic estimator only requires single-parameter tuning and potentially facilitates IM model updates using a resetting scheme. Full article

Reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels are highly susceptible to irradiation embrittlement due to prolonged exposure to high temperature, high pressure, and intense neutron irradiation. This leads to the shift in nil-ductility transition reference temperature—∆RT_NDT. The change in ∆RT_NDT follows a certain distribution pattern and is impacted by factors including chemical composition, neutron fluence, and irradiation temperature. Existing empirical procedures can estimate ∆RT_NDT based on fitting extensive irradiation embrittlement data, but their reliability has not been thoroughly investigated. Probability statistical distributions and the Gamma stochastic process were performed to model material property degradation in RPV steels from a pressurized water reactor due to irradiation embrittlement, with the probability models considered being normal, Weibull, and lognormal distributions. Comparisons with existing empirical procedures showed that the Weibull distribution model and the Gamma stochastic model demonstrate good reliability in predicting ∆RT_NDT for RPV steels. This provides a valuable reference for studying irradiation embrittlement in RPV materials. Full article