Applied Sciences doi: 10.3390/app16125798

Authors: Tianzhu Duan Jingcun Yu Huricha Wang

With the transition to deep coal mining, the transparent detection of hidden geological hazards in the floor strata is fundamental for production safety. In mine seismic exploration, gliding waves—inhomogeneous plane waves propagating along the coal–rock interface—offer a unique advantage for penetrating high-velocity floors via the skin effect, overcoming the total reflection limitations of conventional in-seam waves. This study investigates the propagation laws and anomaly response characteristics of floor gliding waves using super-critical incidence theory and high-order staggered-grid finite difference simulations. The results demonstrate that the apparent velocities of gliding P and S-waves are bounded by those of the coal and host rock, exhibiting minimal dispersion. Quantitative analysis using a penetration depth model reveals that while penetration depth is frequency-dependent—with lower frequencies providing deeper reach—high-frequency components remain essential for high-resolution imaging. Crucially, the proposed method was validated through a field Case Study at the 11123 working face. By utilizing a specialized deep-hole excitation strategy to ensure super-critical incidence, the inversion successfully identified a hidden fault extending up to 60 m below the floor, which was subsequently confirmed by rock roadway excavation. These findings establish a robust physical basis for designing underground floor-detection systems and provide a significant theoretical reference for addressing detection blind spots in deep mining environments.

Microplastics doi: 10.3390/microplastics5020116

Authors: Andros M. Po Rodolfo A. Romarate Cordulo P. Ascaño Christine Joy M. Pacilan Mei-Fang Chien Hernando P. Bacosa

Atmospheric microplastics are increasingly recognized as emerging contaminants in urban air, yet evidence from Philippine cities outside Metro Manila remains limited. This study provides a preliminary roadside baseline assessment of airborne microplastics in Cagayan de Oro City, southern Philippines. Atmospheric particles were collected from 12 roadside stations distributed across four urban roads, with three stations per road, during a standardized dry-season midday sampling period, and were subsequently subjected to alkaline digestion, microscopic screening, and ATR-FTIR confirmation. Of 99 visually suspected particles, 44 were verified as synthetic polymers and retained in the final dataset. Mean atmospheric microplastic concentrations ranged from 0.0079 to 0.0212 items m−3, with J.R. Borja Street showing the highest concentration and Nazareth Street the lowest. Abundance did not differ significantly among roads, whereas particle shape, color, and polymer composition showed significant differences within the confirmed dataset, while size-class distribution did not. Fibers were the dominant morphology (56.8%), transparent particles were the most common color class (52.3%), and polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate were the predominant polymers. Taken together, the findings confirm the presence of airborne microplastics across roadside environments in Cagayan de Oro City and suggest that, under the sampled conditions, spatial variation was more evident in particle characteristics than in overall abundance. This study contributes an initial polymer-confirmed roadside dataset for a secondary Philippine city and highlights the value of composition-based assessment in urban air quality monitoring.

Animals doi: 10.3390/ani16121777

Authors: Gábor Mátis Andrea Lajos Rege Anna Márton Ágnes Kemény Zsuzsanna Neogrády Máté Mackei

The reduction of antibiotic use in livestock production necessitates the development of reliable in vitro models for evaluating alternative immunomodulatory compounds. In this study, porcine hepatocyte–non-parenchymal (NP) cell co-cultures and small intestinal explants exposed to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoteichoic acid (LTA), flagellin and polyinosinic–polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), were established as inflammatory models. Hepatic co-cultures exhibited pronounced inflammatory responses, with LPS and LTA increasing hepatocellular interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α release, alongside elevated extracellular lactate dehydrogenase activity and maintained metabolic activity, indicating membrane perturbation without marked cytotoxicity. Poly I:C was found to be cytotoxic, accompanied by an altered cytokine profile. All PAMPs enhanced reactive oxygen species production without remarkable lipid peroxidation in most cases. In contrast, intestinal explants showed high resilience with unchanged viability and limited cytokine responses. Only IL-6 and IL-8 were detectable, with LPS elevating IL-8, while poly I:C and flagellin increased IL-6 levels. These findings demonstrate marked tissue-specific differences in inflammatory responsiveness. The hepatic co-culture model provides a sensitive system for studying robust inflammatory reactions, whereas intestinal explants are suitable for investigating moderate, gut-specific immune responses. In conclusion, these complementary models offer valuable tools for evaluating antibiotic alternatives in swine.

Materials doi: 10.3390/ma19122461

Authors: Dongkai Ma Zhongming He Yiwei Li Zhenhong Yan Chao Huang

The long-term deformation and stability of silty sand roadbeds subjected to repeated freeze–thaw cycles and traffic loading remain ongoing engineering concerns in seasonally frozen regions. To investigate the evolution and influencing factors of accumulative axial plastic deformation of silty sand under freeze–thaw cycles, this study focused on silty sand from a roadbed construction site in Inner Mongolia, China, a typical seasonally frozen region. Dynamic triaxial tests were conducted under loading stresses of 60–100 kPa, confining pressures of 20–60 kPa, water contents ranging from OMC to 1.2 OMC, and freeze–thaw cycles of 0–10. The results indicate that approximately 60–80% of the total accumulative axial plastic deformation occurs within the first 1000 loading cycles, after which the deformation growth rate gradually decreases. Increases in loading stress, water content, and freeze–thaw cycles promote deformation, whereas higher confining pressures suppress it. For example, increasing the confining pressure from 20 to 60 kPa reduced the final deformation from 0.16% to 0.07%, while increasing the number of freeze–thaw cycles from 0 to 10 increased the final deformation from 0.10% to 0.28%. Based on the experimental data, a new predictive model considering net stress, octahedral shear stress, water content ratio, and freeze–thaw cycles was developed. The model demonstrates high accuracy in predicting accumulative plastic deformation, with a coefficient of determination of 0.915, and is applicable to both plastically stable and weakly plastic creep conditions. This study provides a reference for the design, construction, and mitigation of subgrade damage in silty sand roadbeds in seasonally frozen regions.

Energies doi: 10.3390/en19122761

Authors: Stanisław Duer Konrad Zajkowski Marek Woźniak Tomasz Klimczak Atif Iqbal Jacek Paś Marek Stawowy Krzysztof Leonowicz

Medium-voltage distribution networks are an important element of the global power system, being responsible for the distribution of electrical energy from transformer stations to local points of delivery and to transformer stations of lower voltage levels. The reliability of the operation of these networks has a direct impact on the continuity of energy supply and the level of unmet energy demand in the power system. The article presents a reliability analysis of a selected segment of a medium-voltage distribution network located in northern Poland. In this study, a probabilistic model of the operation process based on an eight-state graph describing successive levels of technical degradation of the analyzed network was applied. Transitions between the states of the model were described by failure intensities and restoration intensities of the system elements. On the basis of the Kolmogorov–Chapman state equations, the probabilities of the system being in particular operational states were determined. The results obtained were then used to assess the energy-related consequences of failures by linking state probabilities with the share of unmet energy demand. The analysis conducted enabled the identification of the most critical elements of the analyzed network structure and the determination of their impact on the energy supply capability of the distribution network. The obtained results may constitute a basis for planning operational activities, maintenance strategies, and modernization processes of medium-voltage distribution networks.

Mathematics doi: 10.3390/math14122049

Authors: Ning Ma Lei Liu Yibo Tai Bin Feng Li Wang Zhenyong Yang Laiqing Yan

The turbine-driven coaxial boiler feed pump (TD-BFP) speed regulation system is a core auxiliary machine in thermal power generating units. Its complex physical characteristics, including strong square-law nonlinearity, multivariable coupling, and large inertia, pose significant challenges for conventional fixed-parameter PID controllers, which often suffer from severe regulation lag, integral windup, and high-frequency oscillation during wide-range operating condition transitions. To address these issues, an improved adaptive PID control strategy based on a Back Propagation (BP) neural network is proposed in this paper. Specifically, to overcome the negative control gradient loss caused by the square-law resistance in the physical model, a sign-preserving mapping logic (u∣u∣) is innovatively designed. Furthermore, a dynamic anti-integral windup mechanism with physical boundary constraints and a first-order inertial filtering algorithm is introduced. Comprehensive simulation experiments on the Matlab/Simulink platform under high-load step operating conditions (3683 r/min and 1104 t/h) reveal that the proposed algorithm achieves millisecond-level, zero-overshoot tracking. Quantitative evaluations demonstrate that, compared with the traditional PID controller, the proposed method reduces the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) by 88.29% and the Integral of Absolute Error (IAE) by 93.75%, achieving a near-perfect goodness of fit (R2) of 0.9998. Additionally, the Total Variation (TV) of the control command is substantially decreased. These results convincingly demonstrate that the proposed controller perfectly balances extremely high dynamic fitting accuracy with reduced mechanical wear, presenting exceptional engineering application value for the localization transformation of power plant control systems.

Energies doi: 10.3390/en19122760

Authors: Haval Kukha Hawez Shaee Radha Omar Layla Lateef Alwan

Hydrogen (H2) is becoming a meaningful way to store energy for long-term use and support thorough decarbonization in systems that use renewable energy. Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) has strategic benefits over above-ground systems because it can hold large volumes, is contained by geology, and is cheap to operate in cycles. This review compares four key geological formations for underground hydrogen storage (UHS): salt caverns, lined rock caverns, depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, and saline aquifers. Each system is evaluated based on storage mechanisms, efficiency, safety, technological maturity, and economic feasibility. This review also introduces a unified cross-media evaluation framework, a TRL-risk matrix, a technology development roadmap, and novel insights into AI-based monitoring, offering prescriptive guidance for large-scale UHS implementation. Salt caverns have high injectivity, maintain their purity, and undergo 6 to 12 cycles per year at pressures of 60 to 180 bar; however, they are only found in certain places. Lined rock caverns can be built anywhere, but sealing and economic issues make them difficult to use. Depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs with TWh-scale capacity and already built infrastructure. Saline aquifers, on the other hand, have the most potential in the world but need enhanced management of microbiological responses and cushion gas optimization. A synthesis of current studies highlights key research gaps in cyclic geomechanics, hydrogen–rock–microbe interactions, and liner performance for high-pressure storage. The review concludes with techno-economic and safety considerations and identifies future directions for deploying geological UHS as a critical component of a net-zero hydrogen economy.

Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su18125873

Authors: Ayman Khalleeefah Faraj Almajdoubi Muri Wole Adedokun

Climate change represents a major threat to environmental sustainability by accelerating ecological degradation and undermining long-term economic resilience, particularly in emerging economies. Motivated by the growing policy need to understand how energy structure and socioeconomic conditions shape environmental outcomes, this study examines the impact of energy consumption, structural change, human capital, financial development, and political risk on the ecological footprint of Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Türkiye (MINT economies). Guided by an extended Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework, the study examines whether environmental degradation follows a nonlinear trajectory in response to energy consumption, rising at the initial stages of energy expansion due to dominant scale effects, but declining beyond a critical threshold as efficiency gains, technological progress, and structural adjustments begin to offset environmental pressures. Energy consumption is disaggregated into oil-based energy, natural gas, and renewable energy to capture their distinct environmental effects. The empirical analysis employs the Panel-Corrected Standard Errors estimator as the baseline approach, complemented by Feasible Generalized Least Squares and Generalized Method of Moments estimators to ensure robustness and to address potential endogeneity and cross-sectional dependence. The results show that renewable energy and oil consumption exhibit inverted U-shaped relationships with environmental degradation, indicating nonlinear threshold effects consistent with EKC-type adjustments. In contrast, natural gas consumption demonstrates a predominantly linear and environmentally deteriorating effect, with no statistically significant turning point. Economic growth consistently intensifies environmental pressure, confirming the dominance of scale effects in rapidly industrializing economies. Structural change and human capital contribute to environmental improvement under certain specifications, while political risk exacerbates environmental degradation. Meanwhile, financial development shows an insignificant negative impact on environmental degradation. The results emphasize the importance of accelerating renewable energy expansion beyond critical penetration thresholds while progressively reducing fossil fuel dependence and strengthening institutional frameworks to ensure that economic growth translates into sustained environmental improvement.

Religions doi: 10.3390/rel17060692

Authors: Lesley Rice

This essay considers the ambiguities of over-reliance on medical–technological solutions to human problems, particularly the problem of mortality, and suggests that a recovery of dialogue and relationality, at multiple levels, would aid in restoring meaning to the experience of illness and dying. Drawing on the work of Atul Gawande, Daniel Callahan, and Ivan Illich, it examines the cultural losses that ensue when distorted understandings of medicine’s task are enshrined in conventional practice. Both authors suggest that something is to be gained, for individuals and for cultures, in learning not only to eliminate or assuage suffering but also to bear it. In view of their insights, the work of Pope John Paul II and Bishop Erik Varden, O.S.C.O., and the concrete examples of a Christian physician and Christian patients are all examined to illustrate the special contribution of Christianity to the interpretation and bearing of human suffering.

International Journal of Financial Studies doi: 10.3390/ijfs14060156

Authors: Muhammad Haroon Rasheed Rabia Farooq Abdulrahman Alomair Mohammed Alomair

The global financial system is constantly evolving through technological integration. This has led to the inception and rise in the cryptocurrency market, opening new avenues of comparative studies on market behavior. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify nuances in stock and cryptocurrency behavior. Based on the socionomic theory of finance, the study is a pioneer in considering the interplay of economic, market, and social media sentiments while providing a comparative view of cryptocurrencies and stocks. The study utilizes data of economic news sentiments, cryptocurrency fear and greed index, CNN fear and greed index, and Twitter sentiments against the movement of S&P Cryptocurrencies and S&P 500 stock index return spanning from 2018 to 2023. The study applied a vector autoregressive-based spillover model to assess the theorized linkage and applied robustness measures, including linear regression and the Granger causality test, for validation. The findings unveil distinct weak and moderate associations of sentiments across cryptocurrencies and stocks, respectively. The former is primarily driven by market sentiments while shaping economic news and social media sentiments. Meanwhile, the findings for stock return movements are found to be significantly associated with economic and market sentiments. This led to the inference that the cryptocurrency environment is an isolated system driven by internal sentiments, while stock markets are more economically integrated, and in both cases, social media sentiments are found to be the receiver of market spillover, weakly influencing economic news. The study is pioneering in its exploration of the interlinkage between selected macroeconomic sentiments; additionally, the comparative findings further add to the existing debate on influence of sentiment across financial markets. The varying realities identified in the findings hold significant practical implications for portfolio optimization, risk assessment and policy making.

International Journal of Financial Studies doi: 10.3390/ijfs14060158

Authors: Eddie Y. M. Lam Joseph K. W. Fung Calvin Y. C. Lee

This study revisits the winner’s curse hypothesis in Hong Kong’s Growth Enterprise Market, examining how public retail participation is associated with IPO first-day returns from 1999 to 2023. IPOs allocated through placement-only and placement plus sale methods deliver extraordinary first-day returns of 200.9% and 231.0%, while those with public subscription dropped to 32.5% and 10.5%. Regression analysis further confirms the negative correlation between retail allocation and first-day returns. The study also underscores policy implications of the 2018 reforms mandating at least 10% public allocation, which coincide with, and may have contributed to, the sharp decline in the number of Hong Kong’s GEM IPOs.

International Journal of Financial Studies doi: 10.3390/ijfs14060157

Authors: Birhanu Daba Chali Vilmos Lakatos

This bibliometric review examines the relationship between corporate governance and financial performance by synthesising evidence from a broad range of empirical studies. It also identifies key patterns in publication output, citation trends, and scholarly impact within the field. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a bibliometric review was conducted using articles indexed in the Scopus database. A total of 2095 articles published between 2020 and September 2025 were initially retrieved synthesising via a keyword search with the string “Corporate Governance” AND “Financial Performance.” After applying the inclusion criteria (full-text availability, English language, and relevance to the topic), 887 articles were retained for analysis. The findings indicate that most studies report a positive association between corporate governance practices and financial performance. The literature is primarily concentrated around themes such as corporate governance, financial performance, ESG practices, and board characteristics, with the connection between governance and a firm’s financial performance appearing generally positive, albeit context dependent. The results also reveal a growing research emphasis on sustainability-oriented governance, particularly ESG-related factors, reflecting a broader shift in the field towards long-term value creation. This review underscores the importance of nuanced corporate governance frameworks for stakeholders seeking to enhance the sustainability of financial performance, while also deepening understanding of the impact of governance on firm financial performance among both academics and practitioners. In addition, the review offers a broader perspective on the existing literature and identifies several gaps that warrant further investigation.

Materials doi: 10.3390/ma19122460

Authors: Manesh A. Yewale Santosh V. Mohite Siham El Otmani Annu Dong Kil Shin

In this work, we employed an easy hydrothermal method to prepare CuO and ZnO, as well as the prepared composite nanostructured electrodes of CuO@ZnO for supercapacitor applications. The systematic electrochemical performance evaluation of the prepared materials was conducted by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). CuO@ZnO nanocomposite reflected the best charge storing behavior with a specific capacitance of 513 F/g, followed by pristine CuO (190 F/g) and ZnO (416 F/g). The composite also demonstrated 25.67 Wh/kg and 400 W/kg for energy density and power density, respectively, suggesting improved electrochemical performance. Besides, the areal and volumetric capacitances were 0.77 F/cm2 and 4.81 F/cm3, respectively, supported by the structural integrity and enhancement in electroactive materials utilization of the electrode material. Kinetic analysis showed that b values of the samples had mixed capacitive/diffusion-controlled charge storage, while higher diffusion coefficients and standard rate constants were apparent for ion transport or redox kinetics. EIS results showed a 2.14 Ω solution resistance, indicative of a decreased electrical resistivity. An asymmetric supercapacitor device fabricated by CuO@ZnO as the positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as the negative electrode provided the specific capacitance of 48.57 F/g, energy density of 15.17 Wh/kg, and power density of 535 W/kg. After 10,000 cycles, the capacitance of the device was 76%, indicating good long-term stability.

Psychiatry International doi: 10.3390/psychiatryint7030130

Authors: Gniewko Więckiewicz

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, originally developed for type 2 diabetes and obesity, have recently attracted interest as potential modulators of addictive behavior. This narrative review summarizes current knowledge on the neurobiological basis, randomized controlled trials, and psychiatric relevance of GLP-1 analogs in substance use disorders. English-language articles available at the time of the search were reviewed between February and April 2026, with emphasis on topics most relevant to psychiatric practice. The literature suggests that GLP-1 signaling influences reward processing, cue reactivity, stress responses, relapse vulnerability, and executive control through actions in the gut–brain axis and mesocorticolimbic circuitry. Early clinical findings are most encouraging in alcohol-related outcomes, including reductions in alcohol cue reactivity, craving, alcohol self-administration, and some measures of heavy drinking, whereas evidence in nicotine dependence is mixed and appears more consistent for limiting post-cessation weight gain than for improving abstinence itself. Evidence for other substance use disorders remains preliminary. Across randomized controlled trials, interpretation is limited by small sample sizes, short follow-up, heterogeneous endpoints, and selective populations. In addition, psychiatric and behavioral safety requires careful attention, particularly regarding rapid weight loss, excessive appetite suppression, restrictive eating, dehydration, and psychological destabilization in vulnerable individuals. At present, GLP-1 receptor agonists should be regarded as promising but unproven adjunctive candidates in addiction psychiatry, warranting further rigorous trials, structured monitoring, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Nursing Reports doi: 10.3390/nursrep16060197

Authors: Marisa de Paula Diogo Folgado Ana João Ana Madeira

Background: The perioperative context is characterized by high complexity and a significant risk of adverse events, requiring highly developed technical and non-technical competencies. Structured clinical supervision has been identified as a relevant strategy for professional development and for promoting the quality and safety of care, although the specific evidence in this context remains dispersed. Objective: To analyze the available scientific evidence on the impact of structured clinical supervision on nurses’ professional development and on the quality and safety of care delivered in the perioperative setting. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 recommendations. The search was performed in the PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, SciELO, BVS, and CONSENSUS databases and included studies published between January 2020 and October 2025 in Portuguese, English, or Spanish with full-text availability. The research question was structured according to the PICO strategy. Study selection was carried out in multiple stages (duplicate removal, screening by title and abstract, and full-text review), performed by two independent reviewers. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklists. Data synthesis was conducted through thematic narrative analysis, given the methodological heterogeneity of the included studies. Results: Twelve studies were included, predominantly qualitative and observational in nature, as well as psychometric validation studies, one Delphi study, and one quasi-experimental study. The findings show consistent convergence regarding the association between structured clinical supervision and the development of technical and non-technical competencies, namely communication, leadership, teamwork, situational awareness, and decision-making. The use of structured assessment instruments demonstrated good psychometric reliability and improved the quality of supervisory feedback. Organizational factors, such as protected time, specific training for supervisors, and role clarification, were identified as determinants of the effectiveness of the supervisory process. However, the predominance of non-experimental designs and the scarcity of objective clinical outcomes limit direct causal inference between structured supervision and measurable reduction in adverse events. Conclusions: The available evidence suggests that structured clinical supervision is a relevant component for the professional development of perioperative nurses and for strengthening the safety culture in the operating room. Despite the high conceptual consistency of the findings, the overall strength of evidence is moderate, and experimental and longitudinal studies are needed to consolidate the impact of supervision on objective clinical indicators of care quality and safety.

Electronics doi: 10.3390/electronics15122539

Authors: Xianghong Chen Ziji Liu Wengang Huang Xiaozong Huang Yuan Yuan Chengshi Li

This paper proposes a cooled infrared focal plane circuit and detector imaging test system. The system features online acquisition, temperature monitoring, bias voltage programming, real-time imaging, and online testing capabilities, improving the testing and verification efficiency of infrared focal plane detector imaging systems. Temperature monitoring accuracy reaches ±0.02 K; bias voltage programming keeps bias noise below 100 nV/Hz1/2; and a 2 × 2 pixel image array is used for data transmission, enabling algorithmic computation on pixel data for convenient image processing. Furthermore, this paper proposes various image algorithms and overall algorithm structures based on a single-chip pixel-level ADC, the dynamic range is 141.8 dB, and the maximum input charge capacity is 4.46 Ge−. The overall structure of the multifunctional image algorithm for infrared focal plane detectors is summarized, including background subtraction, blind pixel compensation, non-uniformity correction, windowing, pixel merging, spatial filtering, histogram equalization, and time delay integration (TDI). Non-uniformity is improved by 98.3%, blind pixel rate is reduced by 92.3%, background subtraction performance is improved by 93%, and spatial filtering and TDI improve relative spatial noise by 63% and 89%, respectively. Pixel merging can increase the gray mean by 4.09 times, enabling arbitrary windowing and uniform histogram distribution. These highly practical research efforts will drive the further development of future larger-array cooled infrared focal plane array (IRFPA) detector imaging test technology and more intelligent infrared image algorithms.

Stresses doi: 10.3390/stresses6020033

Authors: Sultan Md Monwarul Islam Izzat Sidahmed Ali Tahir Kinya Akashi

High-temperature stress poses a major threat to wheat productivity across multiple developmental stages, including early seedling growth. Root system architecture (RSA) contributes to stress adaptation; however, its responses to high-temperature stress remain insufficiently characterized in genetically diverse wheat populations. In this study, RSA responses of representative genotypes from a Multiple Synthetic Derivative (MSD) wheat population were evaluated under control and high-air-temperature conditions using a time-resolved, two-dimensional phenotyping platform. High-air-temperature stress significantly affected most root traits, with traits associated with lateral root expansion, including the second-pair seminal root length, root system width, and convex hull area, being more responsive than vertical root traits. MSD417 and MSD034 maintained relatively higher root performance under high-temperature stress, whereas MSD392 showed pronounced sensitivity. In contrast, MSD054 exhibited relatively small changes in root traits but consistently low overall performance. Multivariate analyses and stress indices consistently differentiated tolerant, sensitive, and low-responsive genotypes. These findings highlight the importance of distinguishing active stress tolerance from passive stability and suggest that lateral-root-related traits may serve as useful targets for breeding heat-resilient wheat.

Foods doi: 10.3390/foods15122084

Authors: Sihui Chen Zhou Qin Tianxing Wang Junjun Zhang Roujia Zhang Yucheng Zou Jiyong Shi

Mass transfer is central to food processing but remains difficult to quantify because food materials are heterogeneous, multiphase, porous, biologically structured, and dynamically changing. Under these conditions, experiments alone cannot fully capture the spatiotemporal complexity of transport behavior, making modeling and simulation essential for mechanism interpretation, process prediction, and engineering optimization. Existing reviews mainly address specific operations or numerical methods, with limited synthesis of governing equations, simulation workflows, application implementation, and practical applicability. This review examines food mass transfer by linking coupled momentum, heat, and mass transfer laws with governing equation selection, simulation workflow, and representative food processing applications. Governing formulations for Fickian diffusion, conservation-based transport, heat–mass coupling, multicomponent transfer, Darcy-type porous-medium flow, and related model extensions are summarized, together with their assumptions, geometric applicability, and dimensionless criteria. A unified simulation workflow is then organized, covering transport type identification, governing equation and physical model selection, geometric representation, parameter determination, initial and boundary condition specifications, numerical method and simulation tool selection, numerical implementation, validation, and transferability assessment. Representative applications are discussed for drying, heat–mass coupled processes, multicomponent transfer, transport in porous foods, and redistribution in multi-ingredient or multilayer foods. Overall, future progress requires more integrated, structure-aware, experimentally validated, transferable, and application-oriented simulation frameworks.

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed11060155

Authors: Verónica Salomé Sánchez-Peralta Katherine Lizeth Moposa-Balarezo Fabio Marcelo Idrovo-Espín Rommy Terán

Cutaneous Larva Migrans (CLM) is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by zoonotic Ancylostomatidae larvae, mainly Ancylostoma braziliense and Ancylostoma caninum, which infect dogs and cats. Humans are accidental hosts, acquiring infection when L3 larvae in contaminated soil penetrate the skin, producing serpiginous, pruritic lesions. We report a 24-year-old female from Quito, Ecuador, who developed a pruritic lesion on her right foot nine days after walking barefoot on wet, potentially fecally contaminated sand at Atacames Beach. Initial self-treatment with benzyl benzoate and herbal washes, followed by misdiagnoses as scabies and plantar warts, delayed proper care. Lesions progressed over three weeks with intense pruritus and functional impairment. CLM was correctly diagnosed by a podiatric technician 26 days post-exposure. Oral albendazole (400 mg/day for 4 days) led to rapid symptomatic relief within three days, with complete resolution by day 50. A survey analyzed by the McNemar Test revealed difficulties in recognizing early-stage CLM, regardless of experience or region among participants. Prevention requires personal protection, environmental sanitation, and regular anthelmintic treatment of dogs and cats. This case underscores the clinical consequences of delayed or incorrect diagnosis and highlights the need for enhanced healthcare training and One Health measures to reduce zoonotic diseases in Ecuador.

Journal of Clinical Medicine doi: 10.3390/jcm15124440

Authors: Daiki Kuraoka Hiromasa Hirai Yu Morimoto Kazuya Sakai Akihiko Yoshizawa Satoru Kase

Objectives: To investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics and molecular biomarkers of atypical vasoproliferative retinal tumor (VPRT) with hemangioblastoma-like histopathologic features and concomitant von Willebrand factor (VWF) abnormalities. Methods: A 48-year-old woman undergoing phacoemulsification and 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy with tumor resection was evaluated. Histopathological findings and immunohistochemical study of the resected tumor were performed using CD34, α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) markers. Preoperative plasma and intraoperative vitreous fluid VWF antigen levels, as well as ristocetin cofactor activity, were quantified using latex immunoturbidimetry. Results: Ultra-widefield imaging and angiography demonstrated a peripheral retinal tumor with intense vascular leakage and surrounding capillary nonperfusion. Histopathology showed hyalinized vascular components supportive of VPRT, along with abundant CD34/α-SMA-positive microvessels and scant GFAP-positive glial cells. Notably, numerous foamy vacuolated poorly differentiated cells suggested mixed hemangioblastoma-like features. Preoperative plasma VWF antigen (182.6%) and ristocetin cofactor activity (147.7%) were elevated, and vitreous VWF antigen was successfully detected at a low but distinct level (7.7%).and suggests that VWF abnormalities in the plasma and vitreous may reflect endothelial activation and/or blood–retinal barrier disruption in a subset of vascularized retinal tumors. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that VPRT may exhibit mixed clinicopathologic features, including hemangioblastoma-like components, which underscores the necessity of immunohistochemical assessment for definitive diagnosis. Furthermore, the quantification of VWF abnormalities in the plasma and vitreous suggests that VWF serves as a potential biomarker reflecting endothelial activation and/or blood–retinal barrier disruption in vascularized retinal tumors.

Metals doi: 10.3390/met16060631

Authors: Peter Davies Sean John Helen Davies Martin Bache Kate Fox Christopher Collins Nigel Martin Rebecca Sandala

Four alpha-beta titanium alloys, containing increased beta stabilising elements when compared to the well established Ti-6Al-4V, were previously characterised for their low cycle fatigue behaviour and resistance to cold dwell sensitivity. The same four alloys are now assessed for high cycle fatigue performance, employing plain cylindrical and notched specimen geometries. Fatigue strength under load-controlled cycling was measured under two contrasting mean stress conditions, a fully reversed R = −1 waveform and a positive mean stress waveform of R = 0.3. The role of microstructure and micro-texture are considered to explain the relative high cycle fatigue behaviour of each alloy and in particular the mechanisms responsible for fatigue crack initiation. The data are subsequently employed to construct “safe stress” range-mean diagrams.

Fishes doi: 10.3390/fishes11060344

Authors: Margalida Vanrell-Valls José María Valencia Samuel Pons Amalia Grau Gaetano Catanese

Between November 2024 and February 2025, mass mortality events affecting grey mullets (Liza ramada and Mugil cephalus) were recorded in the Albufera des Grau, Menorca, resulting in approximately 5000 dead individuals. Gross examination revealed high levels of parasitic infestation and lesions, located on the skin and gills, typical of copepod infection. In addition, histological and molecular analyses were performed on selected potential pathogens to assess their possible contribution to fish mortality. This study focused on the molecular characterization of the ectoparasitic copepod Caligus pageti, providing the first genetic reference for the species. This enabled preliminary taxonomic and biological assessment despite the absence of previously available sequence data. Environmental measurements across the lagoon indicated conditions capable of sustaining the development, survival and proliferation of the copepod population. These findings highlight the importance of integrating morphological and molecular analyses to enhance understanding of the biology of C. pageti, providing a key reference for future studies on parasitic copepods in lagoon ecosystems.

Religions doi: 10.3390/rel17060689

Authors: Sarah Schulz

This paper reconsiders Immanuel Kant’s moral philosophy through the lens of early modern European encounters with Chinese ethics. Against the standard view that Kantian ethics excludes ritual and embodied practice, it argues that Kant’s formalism represents a critical transformation of a problem long addressed by Confucian moral philosophy: how stable moral judgment can be cultivated without reliance on revelation or external authority. By tracing the transmission of Confucian ethics through Jesuit mediation and Christian Wolff’s rational reconstruction, the paper situates Kant in a shared problem-space of moral formation, repetition, and regulation. It analyses the abstraction of ritual into form and the role of relational alignment in both Confucian li and Kant’s categorical imperative. The paper concludes by suggesting that Confucian models of cultivated action can illuminate the practical limits of modern moral formalism. This study distinguishes between intellectual history and comparative reconstruction: the former provides the historical context of early modern engagements with Chinese philosophy, while the latter interprets Kant not as an opponent of ritual, but as a philosopher who reformulates its stabilising function under the conditions of modern moral autonomy.

Photonics doi: 10.3390/photonics13060564

Authors: Tjorven Hilbert Florian Azendorf Hamzeh Beiranvand Johannes Diers Marco Liserre Annika Dochhan Stephan Pachnicke

The concept of Brillouin optical time domain reflectometry as a means of distributed temperature monitoring for battery systems is investigated and deemed feasible. The concept has been investigated regarding measurement speed, temperature accuracy, measurement range, and responsivity of the fiber material. The experiments show fast and accurate measurement results for surfaces with a uniformly distributed temperature, with an average absolute error of 0.51 K, a largest absolute error of 2.07 K, and a measurement time of approximately 60 s for a sampling point after 5 km. Additionally, hotspots only impacting 25% of the sensor fiber have been detected. Furthermore, the established concept provides a reliable and scalable solution for simultaneous temperature monitoring of spatially distributed sampling points without the need for individual cabling of every measurement sensor, like in commonly deployed electrical temperature detectors.

Materials doi: 10.3390/ma19122459

Authors: Natalia Howaniec

Sustainable management of natural resources remains one of the principal economic and environmental challenges [...]

Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su18125841

Authors: Emília Inês Come Zebra Henny J. van der Windt René M. J. Benders Debora Ghezzi Matteo V. Rocco Muhammad Shoaib Ahmed Khan Busola Dorcas Akintayo André P. C. Faaij

The deployment of rural electrification actions through off-grid mini-grid solutions is one of the most effective approaches to achieving universal access to electricity in an affordable, reliable, and sustainable way. To assess the sustainability of three mini-grid projects (Sembezea, Mawayela, and Dongane), this study applied a framework that integrates different methods (HOMER, LCA based on SimaPro, and Input–Output) and indicators under the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Data for the analysis were obtained through site visits in the case study areas, a literature review, and the HOMER and ecoinvent databases. Sembezea and Mawayela were assessed based on their operational experience, whereas the Dongane biogas system is analyzed based on a projected household biodigester experience. The results of this study revealed the considerable benefits of biogas in generating local employment (506 employees) compared to wind/solar PV (98 employees) and hydro/solar PV (91 employees), as it is expected to require a considerable number of employees for feedstock collection for the digester, under the assumed scale and conditions. Additionally, in the long term, biogas would present the lowest cost of electricity at $0.22/kWh compared to wind/solar PV ($0.28/kWh) and hydro/solar PV ($0.60/kWh), thereby improving the ability of the local community to pay for electricity. In contrast, this study concluded that, in terms of environmental impact—particularly CO2 emissions—biogas has relatively poor environmental performance (4.58 × 10−2 kg CO2 eq) compared to wind/solar PV (8.50 × 10−4 kg CO2 eq) and hydro/solar PV (3.94 × 10−4 kg CO2 eq) in the long term. Nevertheless, biogas presents carbon neutrality as an advantage, in the sense that the CO2 released during its combustion is assumed to be carbon-neutral. By applying the framework to the aforementioned case studies, the extent to which it is possible to provide an integrated overview of the economic, environmental, and social aspects, as well as the impacts of different HRES options in line with the SDGs, is demonstrated.

Sensors doi: 10.3390/s26123669

Authors: Brooke E. Peters Sherry Law Simon Dugré-Rezun Alana Gullison Chris A. McGibbon

Background: Full-body motion capture using commercial virtual reality (VR) systems offers unique opportunities for augmenting common functional assessment such as the timed up-and-go (TUG) test. The purpose of this study was to determine whether task performance (chair, walk, turns) during a VR version (vTUG) is parametrically equivalent to the standard test (sTUG). Methods: Twenty healthy adult participants (age 19–71 years) were evaluated with the sTUG followed by the vTUG version of the same test. Body trackers were used to capture kinematics during both tests. TUG time was measured manually with a stopwatch. Tracker data were used to automatically quantify total TUG time and sub-task times for chair, walk and turn portions. Absolute agreement was evaluated using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC(2,k)) and Bland–Altman analysis. A custom survey was used to evaluate user satisfaction. Results: Very good agreement (ICC > 0.8) was found between sTUG and vTUG for manual and automated measures of total time. ICCs for sub-task times were acceptable (ICC > 0.7) for chair rise, walks and first turn but less so for second turn and sit (ICC < 0.7). User satisfaction was high, and there were no adverse events. Interpretation: The vTUG and sTUG are parametrically equivalent, though sub-task segmentation may require more research. Nevertheless, VR body trackers are a value-added feature whether used with the vTUG or the sTUG and warrant further investigation.

Entropy doi: 10.3390/e28060648

Authors: Nueraminaimu Maihemuti Yimamujiang Aisan Jiayin Peng Jiangang Tang

In practical quantum communication, quantum channels are inevitably affected by noise and decoherence, leading to their degradation into non-maximally entangled or even mixed states. As a result, conventional quantum teleportation schemes based on non-maximally entangled channels are inherently probabilistic and cannot simultaneously achieve unit fidelity and unit success probability. To address this issue, we exploit the structural degrees of freedom of high-dimensional partially entangled channels and construct an asymmetric joint measurement basis matched to the Schmidt-coefficient distribution of the channel, thereby proposing a controlled multi-output perfect quantum teleportation scheme. First, based on a three-dimensional partially entangled five-qutrit channel, a controlled two-output teleportation model for unknown single-qubit states is established. Perfect transmission with both unit fidelity and unit success probability is achieved through the controller’s projective measurement, the sender’s asymmetric joint measurement, and the receivers’ corresponding local recovery operations. On this basis, the scheme is generalized to arbitrary d-dimensional partially entangled channels and further extended from the two-output configuration to the multi-output scenario. Our analysis shows that, when the two largest Schmidt coefficients of the channel are equal, deterministic perfect teleportation with both unit fidelity and unit success probability can still be achieved using non-maximally entangled resources. The proposed scheme is more consistent with realistic quantum communication environments and provides a theoretical foundation for efficient and controllable quantum information distribution in complex quantum networks.

Electronics doi: 10.3390/electronics15122538

Authors: Yang Yang Jinglong Wang Yang Li Shuliang Wang

In hybrid-series-converter-based LCC-HVDC systems, controllable capacitor modules can provide additional voltage–time area during commutation, thereby improving inverter-side fault tolerance under AC faults. However, their switching behavior makes the commutation path impedance state-dependent, while most existing commutation-failure prediction methods still rely on fixed-reactance assumptions. To address this problem, this paper proposes a reactance-corrected predictive control and coordinated switching method. First, a capacitor switching coefficient is introduced to describe the insertion state of the controllable capacitor modules, and an equivalent commutation reactance of the HSC valve arm is derived. Then, the corrected reactance is incorporated into an extinction-angle margin index and an energy-margin index to quantify the influence of reactance variation on commutation capability. A segmented firing-angle controller with smooth compensation is further designed, and energy-margin feedback is coordinated with capacitor insertion control. PSCAD/EMTDC simulations verify that the proposed method reduces prediction error, provides a prediction lead time of 0.7–4.5 ms, and improves fault ride-through capability.

Electronics doi: 10.3390/electronics15122536

Authors: Jiaoyang Xia Jin Zhang Jianbo Zheng

Hypergraph Neural Networks (HGNNs) have demonstrated exceptional capability in modeling high-order correlations; however, their vulnerability to adversarial attacks remains inadequately addressed due to the limited scope of existing security investigations. The prevailing white-box structural attack, HyperAttack, relies exclusively on gradient-derived information and overlooks the semantic affinities between nodes and hyperedges. This oversight limits attack efficacy because gradient signals can be noisy or ambiguous under certain conditions (e.g., saturated regions or local optima), whereas semantic similarities provide complementary cues that help identify hyperedges whose perturbation more reliably alters the target node’s representation. To mitigate this limitation, this paper introduces a semantic enhanced adversarial attack framework for hypergraph neural networks, termed SE-HyperAttack. Specifically, hyperedge features are first aggregated, and semantic similarity scores are computed based on the feature similarity between target nodes and their incident hyperedges to capture latent semantic correlations. These semantic similarity scores are subsequently integrated with integrated gradient scores via a weighted summation scheme, refining the precision of hyperedge selection. Extensive experiments on two datasets demonstrate that the proposed SE-HyperAttack achieves an optimal average attack success rate (ASR) of 79.4%, showing an improvement of 2.6% over HyperAttack. Ablation studies further ascertain that a semantic weight of 30% yields peak performance, beyond which degradation is observed. Notably, the proposed approach preserves computational efficiency commensurate with HyperAttack, incurring negligible additional overhead. These findings substantiate that the integration of semantic information effectively enhances adversarial attack effectiveness on hypergraph neural networks without compromising efficiency.

Pharmaceutics doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics18060707

Authors: Peng Shao Qiyu Feng Fangfang Pan Juan Zhang Yalan Guan Xiaoxia Sheng Jinqi Zheng

Background: Lidocaine and prilocaine cream is a compounded topical anesthetic formulation comprising lidocaine and prilocaine. Upon application, the active ingredients are locally released and permeate into the subcutaneous tissue, exerting anesthetic effects by blocking ion channels involved in nerve impulse transmission. Variations in drug permeation may influence the onset time, anesthetic efficacy, and duration of action. Methods: This study investigates the in vitro properties of the innovator formulation Emla® and five generic formulations through in vitro bioequivalence studies and Q3 Characterization tests. Results: With the exception of TS, the generic formulations exhibited notable differences compared to the innovator product. Specifically, TB and TL demonstrated significantly higher in vitro release than Emla®, yet exhibited lower in vitro permeation rates. In contrast, TH and TT showed release rates comparable to Emla®, while their permeation rates were similarly reduced. Conclusions: These findings indicate that in vitro release rate does not directly predict in vitro permeation. Permeation behavior is significantly influenced by emulsion globule size, rheological characteristics (viscosity and elasticity), and pH, collectively underscoring the multifactorial nature of this phenomenon.

Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research doi: 10.3390/jtaer21060181

Authors: Calvin Steve Nyagudi Wenbing Wu

Technology-driven content is increasingly reshaping how tourists perceive and evaluate destinations, yet the underlying content evaluative processes remain insufficiently investigated. This study, therefore, integrates the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework with Anthropomorphism Theory to examine how destination anthropomorphic content (DAC) relates to destination image (DI) and destination visitation intention (DVI) in digitally mediated environments. Using a cross-sectional survey design and multi-group Structural Equation Modeling, the study compares relationships across two information sources: AI- and social media influencer-generated content. The results show that DAC is positively associated with both DI and DVI across groups. Permutation-based multi-group analysis indicates that the differences in structural paths between AI and influencer groups are not statistically significant. This finding provides the basis for interpreting group comparisons, suggesting that the observed relationships do not differ meaningfully across content sources. While bootstrapping and effect size (f2) results indicate relatively stronger coefficients in the influencer group, these results are interpreted as descriptive tendencies rather than statistically confirmed differences. These findings suggest that tourists may respond positively to both human and technologically mediated agents’ content when human-like social cues are perceived. This study contributes to the growing discourse on AI and digital content in tourism by unveiling the critical concern of whether the content source matters in anthropomorphic perception. The study further extends the application of S–O–R in AI-mediated marketing contexts. The findings offer practical insights for destination marketers seeking to leverage both AI and influencer-based strategies in shaping tourist perceptions and intentions.

Electronics doi: 10.3390/electronics15122537

Authors: Nonchanutt Chudpooti Kitiphon Sukpreecha Kamol Boonlom Prayoot Akkaraekthalin

This paper presents a practical implementation of a 3D-printed spherical Luneburg lens for gain enhancement of a WR-28 open-ended waveguide antenna operating in the Ka-band. The lens is designed based on Luneburg theory and realized using a six-zone discretized gradient-index structure, providing a balance between theoretical performance and fabrication feasibility. The proposed design enables the realization of the required permittivity distribution using a single dielectric material, where the effective permittivity of each zone is controlled through infill variation in a fused deposition modeling (FDM) process. To facilitate fabrication, the lens is divided into two hemispherical parts, enabling reliable manufacturing and assembly while maintaining the intended dielectric profile. The antenna performance is experimentally evaluated through reflection coefficient (S11) measurements and radiation pattern characterization in both the XZ and YZ planes over the frequency range of 26.5–40 GHz, including co-polarized and cross-polarized responses. The proposed antenna achieves a simulated realized gain ranging from 17.6 dBi to 19.83 dBi, while the measured realized gain ranges from 16.42 dBi to 18.43 dBi, with a maximum deviation of 1.47 dB. In comparison, the standalone WR-28 open-ended waveguide exhibits a measured realized gain of 7.22–8.01 dBi. The integration of the six-zone Luneburg lens results in a realized gain enhancement of 9.20–10.97 dB across the operating band. These results confirm that the proposed approach provides a simple, low-cost, and experimentally validated solution for high-gain millimeter-wave antenna applications, while maintaining good agreement between simulation and measurement.

Polymers doi: 10.3390/polym18121435

Authors: Mai Mao Yuwei Hu Lidong Liang Tong Chen Yitong Ji Xueyuan Yang Xiaoxiao You Wenchao Huang

Sequential deposition (SD) processing offers advantages for morphology optimization of active layer and device stability in organic solar cells (OSCs). However, the insufficient solvent resistance of polymer donor layers often leads to uncontrolled interfacial mixing. Herein, we report a dual-step solvent vapor annealing (D-SVA) strategy to address this limitation, without requiring thermal annealing, making it suitable for ultrathin flexible OSCs. Sequential chlorobenzene (CB) and carbon disulfide (CS2) vapor treatments enhance the molecular ordering and solvent resistance of the underlying donor layer, while reducing residual solvent and improving interfacial properties. As a result, the rigid SD processed OSCs achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.3%. Moreover, ultrathin flexible devices deliver a PCE of 17.3% with good mechanical stability. This work provides a general and scalable pathway toward high-performance and stable SD organic solar cells.

Agriculture doi: 10.3390/agriculture16121271

Authors: Rui Ma Qiang Liu Guang Li Jun Wang Xiaoyi Ma Jiahui Liu

This study addresses how limited field observations can be extended into a defensible irrigation–nitrogen management range for plastic-mulched drip-fertigated silage maize in the Hexi Irrigation District. The Root Zone Water Quality Model 2 (RZWQM2) was calibrated using six fertilized treatments in 2022 and independently validated using the corresponding treatments in 2023. The calibrated model was then used to compare 25 irrigation–nitrogen scenarios based on dry matter at maturity, mean 0–30 cm soil moisture at maturity, interannual stability, and proximity to the field reference treatment. RZWQM2 reproduced both variables with acceptable accuracy. For dry matter, RMSE values were 0.40 and 0.80 t·hm−2 in 2022 and 2023, with corresponding nRMSE values of 1.61% and 3.18%, respectively. For soil moisture, based on 18 layer-specific observations per year, RMSE values were 0.0057 and 0.0064 m3·m−3, and nRMSE values were 3.65% and 4.14%, respectively. Dry matter reached its maximum under I1N4 in both years, but its advantage over the baseline scenario I3N3 was limited. When dry matter performance, soil-moisture deviation from the baseline scenario, interannual stability, and proximity to the baseline management level were considered jointly, I2N3, I2N4, and I3N4 were identified as priority scenarios. These scenarios corresponded to 4981.5–5535.0 m3·hm−2 irrigation and 280–308 kg N·hm−2 additional urea-N input. The results indicate that a slight irrigation reduction to baseline irrigation combined with baseline to moderately increased urea-N input represents a suitable local management range for plastic-mulched drip-fertigated silage maize under the tested soil–climate–management conditions.

Applied Sciences doi: 10.3390/app16125797

Authors: Omar Yaseen Saeed Carlos Roldán-Blay Carlos Roldán-Porta

This research introduces a unique optimization framework centered on the Geese V-Formation Algorithm to enhance the technical planning of distributed energy resources in renewable microgrid-oriented radial distribution systems. The proposed methodology addresses the optimal placement and sizing of photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, battery energy storage systems, and capacitor banks to provide comprehensive voltage support, minimize active power losses, and refine overall grid functionality. Drawing inspiration from the aerodynamic efficiency of migratory geese, the Geese V-Formation Algorithm integrates dynamic leader-follower coordination, adaptive role rotation, and cooperative information exchange mechanisms. These features allow the algorithm to effectively balance global exploration and local exploitation, making it uniquely suited to address the complex, nonlinear, and multi-objective nature of modern microgrid design. The effectiveness of this approach was evaluated through rigorous simulations on the IEEE-33 and IEEE-69 bus distribution systems utilizing the Python programming language. The empirical results indicate that the Geese V-Formation Algorithm achieves substantial power loss reductions, reaching 91.62% and 92.45%, respectively, when integrating solar and wind resources with energy storage and reactive power compensation. Furthermore, the optimized configurations significantly improved bus voltage profiles and enhanced substation power factors, confirming the technical effectiveness of the framework under the considered benchmark constraints. By providing a technical decision-support approach for engineers and utility planners, this framework facilitates the deployment of reliable, decentralized renewable energy systems that align with global energy transition objectives and promote sustainable infrastructure development.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16060275

Authors: Shaozhen Hong Yingqi Liu

Existing accounts of platform-mediated complementor growth rest on two limiting assumptions: that platform enablement constitutes a homogeneous environmental input and that firm growth is a unitary outcome. This double simplification obscures how distinct platform provisions generate qualitatively different forms of firm transformation. This study asks which combinations of mechanistically distinct platform enablement types and internal strategic response capabilities activate which forms of leapfrog growth among complementor firms operating under dual institutional governance. We employ fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) on survey data from 374 complementor firms in China’s autonomous driving platform ecosystem. Five antecedent conditions are examined across two dimensions: platform enablement, comprising rule-based enablement (RE) and business platform enablement (BPE); and strategic response capabilities, comprising network linkage capability (NLC), organizational ambidexterity (OA), and policy responsiveness (PR). Three outcome variables capture three non-reducible leapfrog dimensions: technology-chain (TL), value-chain (VL), and institutional-chain (IL) transitions. A reverse-causality robustness check and a common-method-bias assessment corroborate the validity of findings. The analysis identifies equifinal configurational pathways with distinct dominant logics across the three chains. Technology-chain transitions are predominantly network-linkage-driven; value-chain transitions are policy-responsiveness-anchored; institutional-chain transitions exhibit genuine equifinality between network-linkage and policy-responsiveness pathways, both requiring dual-platform enablement as a universal structural precondition. No single enabling condition or capability suffices; leapfrog growth is irreducibly configurational and causally asymmetric. The study offers a dual-enablement, three-chain configurational framework for understanding platform-mediated firm growth under dual institutional governance. For complementor firms, findings support dimension-selective capability investment over uniform accumulation strategies. For platform orchestrators, differentiated governance design calibrated to specific complementor upgrading trajectories outperforms homogeneous resource provisioning. For policymakers, institutionalized consultative channels linking private platform governance with public regulatory processes are recommended to facilitate coordinated digital industrial transformation.

Foods doi: 10.3390/foods15122083

Authors: Baijuan Wang Xiaoxue Guo Xin Fang He Ji Jihong Zhou Junjie He Shihao Zhang Yuefei Wang

To address the challenges of small foreign matter size, severe occlusion, and complex backgrounds in Pu-erh ripe tea processing, this study drew inspiration from primate visual mechanisms and proposed an improved YOLOv13-based network, AE-YOLOv13-S. To mitigate loss of fine details, the weakening of discriminative features, and the frequent occurrence of missed and false detections, the Adaptive Sparse Self-Attention Network was introduced to optimize the backbone of the network, inspired by the sequential cognitive pattern of primates involving target search, local verification, selective integration, and final decision making. To address insufficient long-range semantic associations and the submergence of fine-grained differences in background noise, Emulating Self-Attention with Convolution was employed to optimize part of the Conv modules of the network, drawing on the hierarchical information processing mechanisms of primates from peripheral perception to central fine analysis. In response to the limitations of bounding boxes, such as approximate target enclosure, the large amount of geometric supervision noise, the obvious localization deviation, and delayed model convergence, a Scale-based Dynamic Loss, inspired by primate visual perception mechanisms, was introduced to optimize the network’s loss function. The results showed that, during training, compared with the baseline, AE-YOLOv13-S achieved lower training loss values: Box Loss declined by 6.76%, Cls Loss by 6.52%, and DFL Loss by 8.65%. On the validation dataset, the model demonstrated reductions of 6.58%, 16.39%, and 8.33% for these respective metrics. After the overall improvements, AE-YOLOv13-S achieved increases of 1.43, 4.85, and 2.69 percentage points in precision, recall, and mAP@50, respectively, with only a 0.3 G increase in FLOPs. The improved model can classify and detect foreign matter in Pu-erh ripe tea efficiently and accurately, providing not only a new technical pathway for foreign matter detection in tea processing but also a practically meaningful technical solution for intelligent quality control and food safety assurance in the tea processing chain.

Hydrology doi: 10.3390/hydrology13060150

Authors: Jehangir Ijaz Bojan Đurin Yuping Su Muhammad Zahir Mobeen Jamshed Khattak Sheraz Akhtar Gil

Freshwater reservoirs face increasing threats from eutrophication and anthropogenic nutrient enrichment, yet practical multicriteria tools for ranking site-specific vulnerability remain underutilized. This study applies the PROMETHEE/GAIA multicriteria decision analysis framework to rank water quality vulnerability at five sampling sites (L1–L5) in Shanzai Reservoir, Fujian Province, China, using ten water quality parameters (TN, TP, COD, DO, Chl-a, pH, temperature, N:P ratio, transparency, and carbon ratio) measured monthly from April 2023 to April 2024. The PROMETHEE II complete ranking and the GAIA biplot together provide both a spatial vulnerability ranking and parameter-level diagnostic visualization. The Reservoir Centre (L5) ranked first (Φ = +0.32), exhibiting the most favorable water quality, while the River Channel (L3) ranked last (Φ = −0.44), with mean TN (1.15 mg/L) and TP (0.088 mg/L) exceeding Chinese Class III standards and Chl-a (35.89 µg/L) surpassing eutrophication thresholds. Intermediate rankings: L4 (Φ = +0.20), L1 (Φ = 0.00), L2 (Φ = −0.04). Spatial vulnerability followed a clear zone-level gradient: the riverine zone (L1, L3) was most vulnerable, the transitional zone (L4) showed intermediate performance, and the lacustrine zone (L2, L5) was most favorable, consistent with reservoir hydrodynamic theory. The GAIA biplot revealed that nutrient criteria (TN, TP, Chl-a) were the primary drivers separating site vulnerability classes. A sensitivity analysis across eight weighting scenarios confirmed that L3 ranked last in all scenarios (Φ = −0.450 to −0.694), demonstrating the robustness of the recommendation to prioritize intervention at the river channel inflow zone. These findings offer a practical, reproducible decision-support framework for water quality management prioritization in subtropical freshwater reservoirs, subject to confirmation through multi-year monitoring programs.

AI doi: 10.3390/ai7060209

Authors: Carmela Rita Balistreri Laura Asta Sabrina Nocerino Dario Tarantino Calogera Pisano Diego Gallo Salvatore Pasta

Aortic aneurysms (AAs), both abdominal and thoracic, remain one of the most lethal cardiovascular diseases, with increasing prevalence and incidence, especially in sporadic forms, in our populations, primarily represented by elderly individuals. The high mortality risk is primarily due to delayed management, although their management has shown progress, particularly regarding imaging techniques that facilitate diagnosis and otherwise complex surgical procedures. This is due to the clinical decision-making approach, which, unfortunately, is still based, according to guidelines, on the maximum aortic diameter. The maximum aortic diameter, as repeatedly emphasized, fails to capture the biological and biomechanical complexity of these pathological conditions, which are influenced, among other things, by highly individual factors (genetics, gender, lifestyle, etc.). Thanks to the advent of network medicine and omics sciences, diverse and complex clinical, imaging, and biomarker datasets are available. Artificial intelligence (AI) could process this data to facilitate the complex management of aneurysms and accurately predict risk. AI could prove an excellent tool for aneurysm management, improving risk prediction and radically transforming the way we understand, monitor, and manage aneurysm patients, despite some limitations, as well as improving its therapeutic applications towards personalized strategies. This narrative review provides an overview of these aspects based on current evidence.

Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su18125872

Authors: Nikolaos Sifakis Dimitrios Cholidis Maria Aryblia George Arampatzis

Energy-intensive industries deploying hybrid renewable energy systems require performance monitoring frameworks that evolve with phased system implementation. This paper introduces the performance and sustainability framework, a simulation-grounded evolution of the sustainability balanced scorecard for longitudinal assessment of renewable energy infrastructure. The framework requires that key performance indicators derive from validated techno-economic simulations, that assessment is repeated at temporal checkpoints corresponding to physical system changes, and that each balanced scorecard perspective includes at least one environmental or circular-economy indicator. The framework is demonstrated in a cheese manufacturing facility in Crete, Greece, where a 38 kW cheese whey biomass generator, 72.2 kW photovoltaic system, and 10 kW wind turbine are deployed over five years. Annual HOMER Pro re-simulations are combined with weighted SWOT scoring to track technical, economic, environmental, and organisational performance. By Year 5, the system achieves an 88.7% electrical renewable fraction, 60.0% gross-operational CO2-eq reduction, 0.1148 EUR/kWh levelised cost of energy, and 22.3% internal rate of return. The longitudinal trajectory also reveals declining delivered thermal renewable contribution and cheese whey utilisation, exposing operational trade-offs that single-point scorecard assessments would miss. Applicability of the PSF to community-scale governance under ISO 37101:2016 and to renewable energy communities under Directive (EU) 2018/2001 is examined exclusively as a conceptual scaling framework for future research. The present empirical demonstration is restricted to a single-facility case study, and no community-level stakeholder data are collected or analysed.

Sensors doi: 10.3390/s26123668

Authors: Yuxuan Huang Dongyu Lu Xinyi Bo Xiaolan Xie Shuiwang Li

UAV tracking is important for aerial surveillance, inspection, and autonomous perception, yet its progress is constrained by the tension between tracking robustness and limited onboard computation. Compared with existing UAV tracking surveys, this review examines UAV tracking from the perspective of architectural evolution under efficiency constraints, and incorporates Mamba- and SSM-based trackers into the analysis. Specifically, this review discusses UAV tracking as a deployment-constrained problem, analyzes CF, Siamese/CNN, Transformer, and Mamba/SSM trackers from a cross-paradigm perspective, and explains how the literature-reported benchmark results should be interpreted under heterogeneous evaluation settings. We then examine how these architectural paradigms, including recent state-space and Mamba-style models, balance representation ability, interaction strength, temporal modeling, and deployment cost under UAV tracking constraints. Finally, we summarize architecture-level trade-offs and outline open problems in preserving local details during sequence modeling, reproducible efficiency evaluation, hardware-aware design, and multimodal UAV tracking.

Minerals doi: 10.3390/min16060616

Authors: Georgi Milenkov Sylvina Georgieva Rossitsa D. Vassileva Yana Georgieva Elitsa Stefanova

The Djurkovo and Govedarnika deposits represent hydrothermal Pb-Zn systems spatially associated with the Eocene–Oligocene tectono-magmatic evolution of the Rhodope Metamorphic Complex. This study presents new mineralogical and geochemical data for galena, sphalerite, pyrite, and chalcopyrite obtained by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and LA-ICP-MS in order to evaluate the compositional variations of sulphides among the vein and metasomatic mineralization types and between the two deposits. The analysed sulphides exhibit distinct compositional signatures reflecting the different mineralization stages and hydrothermal environments. Sphalerite from the Govedarnika metasomatic ores is enriched in Mn (up to 5200 ppm), Fe (up to 5.13 wt.%) and Co due to interaction with Mn-rich skarn assemblages, whereas Djurkovo sphalerite shows elevated Cd (up to 3000 ppm), In and Hg concentrations. Trace-element systematics indicate coupled Fe-Mn incorporation, competitive Cd-Fe substitution and local re-equilibration processes associated with “chalcopyrite disease” textures. Late pyrite from the quartz-carbonate stage is enriched in As (up to 3.87 wt.%), Au (up to 78 ppm), Ag, Se, Sb and Tl, with positive Au-As and Au-Ag correlations suggesting invisible gold and possible submicroscopic precious-metal inclusions. The obtained data demonstrate prolonged hydrothermal evolution and highlight the potential role of the studied sulphides as concentrators of economically important elements.

Materials doi: 10.3390/ma19122458

Authors: Hongwei Fu Zhifeng Chu Sha Wang Haiwei Gao Nanxiang Zheng Zeyu Liu

The non-excavation grouting technology of composite polyurethane materials provides an efficient and economical treatment scheme for deep-seated distresses of asphalt pavements. To quantitatively evaluate the bonding performance between composite polyurethane and cracks in cement-stabilized macadam base, Image J(v1.54p) (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA) image recognition was adopted to analyze the gradation at the interface of cement-stabilized macadam base mixture. The surface free energy theory was applied to quantitatively study the work of adhesion at the interface between three types of nano-modified composite polyurethane materials (G1-2, T-1 (0.1 wt% MWCNTs and 0 NanoSiO2@KH550), and TG-1 (0.5 wt% MWCNTs and 0.5 wt% NanoSiO2@KH550)) and cement-stabilized macadam mixture, and predict the interfacial bonding performance. The results showed the bonding performance order as T-1 > G1-2 > TG-1. In addition, the micro-interface between nano-modified composite polyurethane materials and cement-stabilized macadam base was analyzed via SEM images, revealing the bonding mechanism at the interface between them.

Processes doi: 10.3390/pr14121859

Authors: Edvardas Vaiciukevičius Kristina Lekavičienė Sidona Buragienė Algirdas Jasinskas

Airflow is widely used in grain cleaning and sorting processes to separate grains according to their aerodynamic properties. However, separation efficiency depends on airflow parameters and grain physical characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the movement and sorting of wheat grains under different airflow conditions and to compare the effects of vertical and horizontal airflows on grain separation efficiency. A theoretical analysis was conducted to investigate grain motion in laminar and turbulent airflows by determining grain displacement and displacement differences. Theoretical calculations were used to predict the displacement behavior and separation potential of grains with different critical velocities under various airflow conditions. To evaluate these predictions, laboratory experiments were conducted in a horizontal airflow sorting chamber at grain feed rates of 1 and 2 kg min−1. The experimentally observed grain distributions were then compared with the theoretical predictions, allowing comparison between predicted and experimentally observed grain movement patterns. The average critical velocity of wheat grains was found to be 10.35 m s−1 at 14.2% moisture content, while the floating coefficient was approximately 0.092. The theoretical analysis showed that displacement differences between grains with different aerodynamic properties ranged from 0.103 to 0.185 m within 1 s, depending on airflow conditions. Experimental results revealed a non-uniform distribution of grains within the sorting chamber, with the majority of grains collected in the first boxes. Increasing the grain feed rate reduced separation efficiency to approximately 55%, indicating a significant influence of grain flow intensity on the separation process. The results demonstrate that efficient grain sorting requires the optimization of both airflow parameters and grain feeding conditions. The findings of this study may contribute to the design and improvement of grain cleaning and sorting equipment.

Applied Sciences doi: 10.3390/app16125796

Authors: Mariana Levkovych Stepan Lys Wojciech Zabierowski Oksana Oborska Mykhaylo Melnyk

Fractional differential operators provide an effective approach for modeling complex technological processes, particularly physical phenomena in continuum mechanics characterized by memory and non-local effects. Different types of fractional derivatives require different numerical approximation schemes; in this study, the Caputo and Grünwald–Letnikov derivatives are considered. The aim of this work was to develop and validate a fractional differential model of longitudinal oscillations in a suspended monorail system that accounts for nonlinear and memory-dependent effects. In contrast to classical integer-order approaches, the proposed framework incorporates multiscale surface irregularity effects, including rail roughness, friction, and other disturbances influencing system dynamics, through a fractional-order formulation. A fractional differential mathematical model describing the motion of longitudinal oscillations of a large-sized cargo transported along a suspended monorail is proposed. A numerical algorithm based on finite-difference approximation of fractional operators was developed for its implementation. The scientific contribution lies in integrating multiscale surface irregularity effects into a fractional-order modeling framework to improve the accuracy of dynamic response prediction. Numerical experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of the approach, and the results were validated through comparison with existing models of monorail dynamics. Additionally, statistical validation based on correlation analysis confirmed good agreement with the experimental data. The proposed model can be applied to the design and optimization of suspended transport systems, improving vibration control, reliability, and operational safety under real dynamic loading conditions.

Polymers doi: 10.3390/polym18121434

Authors: Erhan Şentürk Cem Alparslan Ramazan Ötüken Muhammed Furkan Erhan Şenol Bayraktar

Understanding the finishing behavior of hybrid structures produced by additive manufacturing based on FDM is critically important in systems where phases with different thermal and mechanical properties coexist. In this study, the drilling performance of hybrid structures with a PLA/17-4 PH/PLA layer arrangement was comprehensively investigated in terms of thrust force, moment, surface roughness, temperature variation, vibration behavior, and surface integrity. For this purpose, a total of 16 drilling tests were performed on 56 × 56 × 15 mm hybrid specimens with 100% infill density, in a full factorial configuration, at cutting speeds (V) of 80–170 m/min and feed rates (f) of 0.04–0.16 mm/rev. The middle layer was used in the as-printed green state as a 17-4 PH metal-filled filament containing metal particles and binder, without any debinding or sintering step. The results showed that increasing feed rate increased thrust force, moment, and surface roughness in all layers, whereas increasing cutting speed decreased these values and promoted a more stable drilling regime. The middle 17-4 PH layer exhibited lower surface roughness than the outer PLA layers, while thermal measurements indicated limited variation at the hole entrance and higher temperature accumulation at the hole exit. The most favorable drilling condition within the studied hybrid configuration was obtained at 170 m/min and 0.04 mm/rev, whereas the least favorable condition was obtained at 80 m/min and 0.16 mm/rev. Overall, the combination of high cutting speed and low feed rate provided the most suitable drilling window for the studied hybrid structure. The findings also indicated that surface quality was more strongly associated with cutting load and high-frequency vibration components than with vibration level alone.

Immuno doi: 10.3390/immuno6020040

Authors: Andrea Emanuele Guerini Sara Pedretti Althea Carlino Marta Maddalo Eneida Mataj Ludovica Pegurri Gianluca Cossali Paolo Borghetti Giorgio Facheris Luca Nicosia Chiara Valietti Marco Lorenzo Bonù Luca Triggiani Michela Buglione di Monale e Bastia

Background: A combination of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDKi) and radiotherapy (RT) may enhance antitumoral immunity, yet clinical evidence of this interaction in HR+/HER2− metastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains limited. This study evaluates the impact of combined CDKi and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) on immune biomarkers and treatment response. Methods: We report a case of a 51-year-old woman with oligometastatic HR+/HER2− MBC involving the sacrum. Clinical management included letrozole plus palbociclib and SBRT (30 Gy in 3 fractions). Serial Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) measurements, MRI, and PET-CT scans were used to monitor systemic immune modulation and treatment efficacy over a five-year period. Results: Baseline NLR was 1.068. Following four weeks of CDKi, NLR decreased by 44.7% (0.591). Post-SBRT, a further 17.8% reduction was observed (nadir 0.486). Five months post-RT, MRI showed a volumetric increase in sacral lesions despite clinical improvement. Subsequent PET-CT demonstrated a complete metabolic response, confirming the MRI findings as pseudoprogression. As of January 2026, the patient remains in sustained complete metabolic remission. Conclusion: The integration of CDKi and SBRT might induce an immune-mediated antitumoral response, evidenced by dynamic NLR reductions and radiologic pseudoprogression. Multimodal imaging is essential to differentiate immune-mediated swelling from true progression in this setting.

Nutrients doi: 10.3390/nu18121849

Authors: Nikola Jojić Mire Zloh Nataša Jovanović Lješković Suzana Miljković Svetlana Stojkov Marina Kalić Slađana Vojvodić Milan Ilić Aleksandra Jovanović Galović

Background: The use of sports supplements among adolescents is rising globally, driven by fitness trends and social media influence, yet knowledge gaps persist. This study aimed to assess supplement usage patterns, knowledge, attitudes, information sources, and the impact of a social media educational intervention among Serbian secondary school students. Methods: A single-group pre–post educational intervention study was conducted in secondary school students (aged 14–18) in Vojvodina, Serbia. A 21-question anonymous questionnaire was distributed to 1000 students along with parental informed consent forms. Pre-intervention survey assessed sociodemographics, physical activity and social media habits, supplement use information sources, and awareness of risks and banned substances. Based on the initial findings, an educational campaign delivered 56 short videos (≈70 s each) on Instagram and TikTok covering most frequently used supplements (e.g., creatine, proteins, caffeine, energy drinks). After, the intervention survey was repeated. The data were analyzed using the McNemar–Bowker test of symmetry. Results: In this study, 65% of Serbian secondary school adolescents reported being physically active, engaging predominantly in gym workouts and team sports. The majority of participants initiate dietary supplement use independently, without consulting healthcare professionals or adults. The most commonly used supplements were vitamins and minerals, while energy drinks ranked notably high. Social media intervention had a limited impact due to its short duration; however, certain changes were detected. Conclusions: Serbian adolescents frequently use sports supplements without adequate professional guidance. Long-term TikTok/Instagram interventions could be used in the future in order to influence behaviors and improve knowledge about sport supplement use.

Electronics doi: 10.3390/electronics15122535

Authors: Yeoleum Gang Hyewon Park Yohan Park

The Internet of Drones (IoD) has become an important platform for applications such as smart agriculture, industrial monitoring, and large-scale aerial sensing. However, securing IoD communications remains challenging because drones often operate in open environments and have limited computation, storage, and energy resources. Existing authentication and key agreement protocols still face practical limitations, including high computational overhead, exposure to physical capture attacks, and reliance on centralized servers for session-key generation. In this paper, we first analyze a recent IoD authentication scheme and show that it is vulnerable to session-key disclosure, offline identity/password guessing, and mobile device/drone impersonation attacks. To address these issues, we propose a lightweight Physically Unclonable Function (PUF)-based end-to-end authentication protocol for IoD environments. The proposed scheme avoids storing long-term secret keys in drone memory and enables the mobile device and drone to establish a session key directly, without involving the Ground Station Server in key derivation. The security of the proposed protocol is evaluated through informal analysis, BAN logic, the Real-or-Random model, and AVISPA simulation. The results show that the scheme resists common attacks, including replay, impersonation, stolen verifier, physical capture, and offline password guessing attacks. Performance evaluation further indicates that the protocol maintains low computational cost while providing stronger security guarantees, making it suitable for resource-constrained IoD deployments.

Water doi: 10.3390/w18121404

Authors: Weichuang Gou Zhifei Song Shiguo Sun Wenxiang Wu

Using an upstream tailings pond in Beijing as the prototype, this study constructed a 1:150 physical model to investigate the internal response and overtopping failure evolution of tailings dams under continuous rainfall (T1) and intermittent rainfall (T2). The results showed that the cumulative rainfall duration at failure in T2 was approximately 11.1% shorter than that in T1. The duration from local overtopping to overall failure in T2 was 40% shorter than that in T1. Under T2, during the first rainfall interval, the average rise rates of the phreatic line, volumetric water content, pore water pressure, and earth pressure were approximately 0.35, 0.42, 0.29, and 0.32 times the corresponding rise rates under T1, respectively. During the second rainfall interval, the average decline rates of the phreatic line, pore water pressure, and earth pressure were approximately 1.83, 2.79, and 3.52 times the corresponding rise rates under T1, respectively. Overtopping failure under both rainfall patterns was a composite instability process controlled by internal seepage weakening and overtopping erosion. The process can be divided into four stages: toe seepage, dam deformation, local overtopping, and overall sliding failure. These findings indicate that rainfall pattern and internal response should be considered in tailings dam risk identification.

Journal of Risk and Financial Management doi: 10.3390/jrfm19060414

Authors: Luís Pacheco António Carvalho

Capital structure theory remains a central concern within corporate finance, despite more than six decades of sustained scholarly inquiry. The seminal contributions of Modigliani and Miller established the analytical foundations from which subsequent frameworks emerged, notably the static trade-off theory and its later evolution into dynamic adjustment models. Although competing theoretical perspectives have advanced the debate, their respective limitations have increasingly encouraged a more integrative understanding of firms’ financing behaviour. This study critically examines the limitations of the dynamic trade-off model in explaining the financing decisions of Portuguese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the period 2015–2024. The article contributes to the literature by proposing an original comparative methodological framework and introducing an empirical indicator designed to assess the divergence between the model’s theoretical assumptions and observed financing practices. Using dynamic panel estimations based on the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), the findings reveal that, although SMEs exhibit partial adjustment behaviour towards target leverage rations, several core determinants predicted by the dynamic trade-off framework lose explanatory power when confronted with observed data. In particular, profitability displays patterns more consistent with pecking order behaviour, while variables traditionally associated with debt optimization and collateral effects become statistically weak or inconsistent. These results suggest that the financing behaviour of Portuguese SMEs cannot be fully explained by a single theoretical framework and is strongly shaped by institutional constraints, internal financing preferences, and contextual factors. The study therefore highlights both the continuing relevance and the empirical limitations of the dynamic trade-off model, while reinforcing the need for more pluralistic approaches to capital structure analysis. From a practical perspective, the findings indicate that SME financing decisions should not be interpreted solely through leverage optimization logic, carrying implications for managers, financial institutions, and policymakers involved in SME financing and fiscal policy design.

Diagnostics doi: 10.3390/diagnostics16121771

Authors: Mehmet Karagulle Tahsin Benlice Tuba Banaz Burak Kocak

Background: Dural venous sinus thrombosis (DVST) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening cerebrovascular disorder requiring early diagnosis to prevent serious complications. Although CE-MRV is the reference standard, routine brain MRI is often the first imaging study in patients with nonspecific neurological symptoms, and the sinus-specific diagnostic performance of individual sequences remains incompletely defined. Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic performance and inter-reader agreement of routine brain MRI sequences for DVST detection using a sinus-specific framework. Methods: This retrospective case–control study included 140 patients (34 with DVST, 106 age-matched controls) imaged on 1.5 T and 3.0 T scanners. Two blinded neuroradiologists evaluated six unenhanced sequences (sagittal/axial T1WI, T2WI, FLAIR, DWI [b = 1000 s/mm2], and SWI) across four dural sinuses, using CE-MRV and CE-3D T1WI as the reference standards. Logistic regression and Cohen’s κ assessed diagnostic performance and inter-reader agreement, respectively. Results: Globally, DWI with FLAIR achieved 97.9% accuracy, 91.2% sensitivity, and 100% specificity (AUC = 0.997). Optimal sequences varied by sinus: sagittal T1WI with SWI for the superior sagittal sinus (accuracy = 99.3%), DWI with SWI for the transverse sinus (97.9%), DWI with FLAIR and T2WI for the sigmoid sinus (98.6%), and SWI with axial T1 for the straight sinus (100%). Inter-reader agreement was substantial to almost perfect for routine sequences (mean κ = 0.874) and almost perfect for CE-MRV and CE-3D T1WI (κ = 0.98). Conclusions: Routine brain MRI provides reliable DVST detection with a sinus-tailored multisequence strategy. DWI and FLAIR offer robust diagnostic performance in global evaluation, while T1WI, SWI and T2WI add segment-specific value, reserving CE-MRV and CE-3D T1WI for equivocal or clinically suspicious cases.

Animals doi: 10.3390/ani16121776

Authors: Le Zhou Lin Zhu Fengying Ma Mingjuan Gu Risu Na Wenguang Zhang

GS in beef cattle faces challenges in cross-population prediction. Blind expansion of reference populations can reduce accuracy because of genetic noise, and traditional models such as GBLUP ignore functional heterogeneity of SNPs. In this study, we used three simulated beef cattle populations with different genetic relationships and a single trait corresponding to birth weight (heritability 0.42) to evaluate the effect of functional annotations on cross-population GS. We compared GBLUP, ssGBLUP and wGBLUP using either all SNPs or SNP sets annotated by GO and KEGG. Mixed reference populations were constructed with multidimensional scaling (MDS)- and fixation index (FST)-based screening. Functionally annotated SNPs increased cross-population prediction accuracy and stability compared with generic SNPs. In the population with close genetic relatedness (PopB), GO-wGBLUP achieved a prediction accuracy of 0.55–0.60 at a 10% reference proportion, higher than GBLUP (about 0.50) and ssGBLUP (about 0.52). In the population with high genetic differentiation (PopA), KEGG-wGBLUP showed a smaller loss of accuracy when the reference proportion increased from 10% to 20% (6.7% decline, from 0.45 to 0.42) than GO-wGBLUP (10% decline, from 0.50 to 0.45) and GBLUP (20% decline, from 0.35 to 0.28). Across scenarios, functional SNP sets reduced the loss of accuracy due to reference population expansion from 20.0% in GBLUP to 12.5% in GO-wGBLUP. These results indicate that wGBLUP combined with GO or KEGG annotations can improve the accuracy and robustness of cross-population GS for beef cattle birth weight traits. GO-based models are more suitable for closely related populations, whereas KEGG-based models are more suitable for highly differentiated populations. The proposed framework provides a practical reference for multi-population GS design in beef cattle breeding.

Applied Sciences doi: 10.3390/app16125795

Authors: Chen Chen Jinyu Tian Yuxi Lin Qisheng Xu

(1) Background: In the competitive landscape of shopping apps, strategically combining visual elements like color and mascots is crucial for capturing user attention. However, it remains unclear whether their effects are independent, synergistic, or stable, a gap that limits evidence-based design. This study is grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework. It investigates how color and mascots, as external stimuli, influence users’ internal attentional state (the organism), which in turn precedes behavioral responses. (2) Methods: Using eye-tracking technology, we conducted a mixed-design experiment with 82 participants. They viewed six sets of authentic app stimuli (icons, launch screens, promotional posters) across colored and non-colored conditions, with or without mascots. Fixation duration and count served as objective measures of attentional engagement. (3) Results: Results revealed significant main effects for both mascots (F(1, 80) = 57.976, p < 0.001) and color (F(1, 80) = 5.010, p = 0.028) on attention. Crucially, their interaction was non-significant (p = 0.450), indicating independent and additive effects. The mascot effect remained robust in both colored and non-colored conditions. (4) Conclusions: The findings, interpreted through the S-O-R lens, suggest that color and mascots operate via distinct pathways in shaping attentional engagement. This supports a hierarchical design strategy: mascots form a stable, foundational attentional attractor, while color provides an independent, enhancing layer. This mechanistic understanding offers a theoretical and practical guide for optimizing visual appeal in app design, particularly for the young, digitally native user demographic that constitutes the core market of the studied platforms.

Behavioral Sciences doi: 10.3390/bs16060942

Authors: Anabela Vieira Vasco Costa Tânia Brandão

Parents of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are responsible for intensive daily disease management and often experience high levels of emotional distress. This study examined whether fear of hypoglycemia mediates the association between parents’ emotion regulation strategies and diabetes-related distress. Participants were recruited through Facebook and WhatsApp groups for parents of children and adolescents with T1D, and data was collected via self-report online questionnaires. A total of 102 parents, 92.2% mothers (aged 32–58 years) of children with T1D aged 8–17 years, completed measures of fear of hypoglycemia (Hypoglycemia Fear Survey—Parent Version), diabetes distress (Problem Areas in Diabetes-Parent Revised) and emotion regulation strategies (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire), along with a sociodemographic questionnaire. Four mediation models were tested using PROCESS, including cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression as predictors and the worry and behavior subscales of fear of hypoglycemia as mediators. Results revealed a significant indirect effect of worry on the relationship between cognitive reappraisal and diabetes distress (indirect effect = −0.15, 95% CI [−0.35, −0.02]), highlighting worry as a potential mediator between these variables, while the direct effect was negative but non-significant. No significant indirect effects were found for expressive suppression on the behavior subscale (indirect effect = 0.12; 95% IC [−0.07; 0.36]) or on the worry subscale (indirect effect = 0.07; 95% IC [−0.08; 0.24]). These findings suggest that cognitive reappraisal may be associated with lower diabetes-related distress through lower levels of excessive worry about hypoglycemia. Clinically, the results highlight fear-related cognition can be a relevant intervention target, alongside emotion regulation skills, in psychosocial support programs for parents of youth with T1D.

Applied Sciences doi: 10.3390/app16125792

Authors: Olga Sharonova Anatoliy Zhizhaev Vladimir Yumashev

This study examines the microspherical high-calcium fly ash (HCFA) and the high-strength binder material based on it by method of scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The composition of 568 individual microspheres of the initial HCFA was determined and presented as ternary diagrams CaO–Al2O3–SiO2 and CaO–FeO–SiO2. The binder specimens have a compressive strength of 24–82 MPa at a curing time of 3–300 days. Their strength is close to that of CEM I 42.5N cement specimens with a curing time of up to 28 days, but exceeds it with a curing time of up to 300 days. The SEM-EDS method showed that the predominant composition of hydration products is concentrated in the high-calcium region of the CaO–Al2O3–SiO2 diagram with a CaO content of 60–80%. The SiO2 content in them is 15–30%, and their composition includes 1–15% Al2O3 and 5–14% FeO. It follows that the predominant products that provide the strength of the binder are calcium silicate hydrates with a CaO/SiO2 ratio of 1.7 to 4.2. The results contribute to the data for development of models for predicting the effect of HCFA on the properties of composite binders.

Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su18125871

Authors: Barbara Zgórska Piotr Lorens Dorota Kamrowska-Załuska

Medium-sized cities play an important role in regional settlement systems as intermediary centres linking metropolitan areas with smaller towns and rural regions. Due to their relatively compact spatial structure, such cities are often associated with the principles of the 15-min city concept, which promotes accessibility to key services and public spaces within walking distance. Urban regeneration is an important instrument supporting sustainable development and improving quality of life in these cities. This study examines the relationship between legal regulations, spatial delimitation patterns, and the spatial distribution of degraded and revitalised areas in medium-sized cities. The research is based on a comparative analysis of qualitative and quantitative criteria, GIS-based spatial analyses, and accessibility modelling conducted for five cities in the Pomeranian Voivodeship using planning documents and statistical data, verified through field surveys. The results indicate a high degree of spatial continuity of revitalisation areas despite changes in legal frameworks and delimitation methodologies. Revitalisation areas remained concentrated mainly within historic city centres and their multifunctional surroundings, while degraded areas gradually expanded toward residential districts. The findings also demonstrate a strong spatial relationship between revitalisation areas and 15 min walking accessibility zones. The study provides useful comparative insights for countries developing formal urban regeneration systems.

Social Sciences doi: 10.3390/socsci15060374

Authors: Hiu Hung Monica Wong

Background: Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to psychological distress following natural disasters, especially in low-resource settings. This study examined the short-term psychosocial outcomes associated with Narrative Drawing Intervention (NDI), a structured, trauma-informed, school-based group counselling program integrating expressive drawing and guided narrative reflection, among students affected by an earthquake in rural western China. Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, 30 trained educators facilitated eight NDI group sessions for 150 students. Of the 120 students who completed the intervention, a randomly selected subset completed standardized psychological assessments. The final analyzed sample included 64 participants (44 intervention; 20 control). Results: The intervention group demonstrated significant reductions in anxiety (p = 0.011, d = 0.40) and PTSD symptoms (p = 0.008, d = 0.42), with a reduction in stress approaching statistical significance (p = 0.063, d = 0.29). In contrast, the control group showed significant increases in anxiety, stress, and PTSD symptoms over the same period. Depressive symptoms did not significantly change in either group. Descriptive drawing comparisons indicated increased visual elaboration and more centralized figure placement following the intervention. Conclusions: Within the context of a quasi-experimental and exploratory design, the findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility of NDI and suggest potential short-term psychosocial benefits in post-disaster school settings. While baseline group differences and the lack of randomization suggest the need for further investigation, the results provide a foundation for future randomized and longitudinal studies that further examine causal pathways and the sustainability of observed effects.

Mathematics doi: 10.3390/math14122048

Authors: Ghulam Hussain Tipu Fengping Yao Abdul Mateen Taha Radwan Karim K. Ahmed Abeer S. Khalifa

This article studies the nonlinear wave dynamics of the recently introduced integrable combined Kairat-II-X (K-II-X) equation, which combines dynamical features of the Kairat-II and Kairat-X models. The considered model possesses relevance in nonlinear wave propagation, geometric curve dynamics, and localized optical pulse evolution, thereby providing a mathematical framework for describing curvature-driven nonlinear phenomena in higher-dimensional systems. To obtain exact analytical solutions, a symbolic neural analytical framework based on the improved Riccati neural networks (IRNNs) method is employed. The proposed framework integrates trial functions within multilayer neural network structures, where each neuron in the first hidden layer is constructed through solutions of the improved Riccati equation. The symbolic outputs obtained from the neural network computations are subsequently employed as trial functions for the integrable combined K-II-X equation. Using this framework, several classes of exact wave solutions are derived in the form of hyperbolic, trigonometric, rational, including localized solitary waves and interaction-type structures. In particular, the symbolic neural representation produces both single- and multisoliton wave profiles exhibiting nonlinear localization and interaction behavior. Furthermore, representative wave structures are illustrated through two-dimensional, three-dimensional, contour, and density visualizations to examine the qualitative influence of governing parameters on wave amplitude, localization, propagation behavior, and interaction patterns. The reported results demonstrate the capability of the IRNNs framework to generate diverse nonlinear wave structures in integrable higher-dimensional systems and provide a useful analytical reference for future investigations in nonlinear science and applied mathematical physics.

Lubricants doi: 10.3390/lubricants14060232

Authors: Lirong Huang Zhaoxiang Wang Kunpeng Zhang Binbin Su

To elucidate the mechanisms responsible for high friction in micro-pillared soft tribo-contacts under wet conditions, this study investigates the liquid migration behavior across elasticity interfaces featuring bionic surface textures and examines the influence of this migration on interfacial friction properties. Micro-pillar bionic surface textures were fabricated on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. In situ observation of liquid migration and corresponding friction tests were systematically conducted using custom-built experimental setups on soft interfaces textured with micro-pillars of varying area densities. The results demonstrate that both geometrical shape and area density of surface textures play a critical role in regulating liquid migration behavior. Surface textures with circular and hexagonal geometries exhibit optimal migration rates, attributed to their smooth structural profiles, which reduce flow resistance within the microchannels. Liquid migration efficiency is effectively improved with increasing area density of the bionic surface texture owing to strengthened capillary forces. Correspondingly, bionic surface textures exhibiting superior liquid migration characteristics show the smallest relative reduction in friction force during transitions from dry to wet frictional states. This behavior is primarily attributed to the surface’s exceptionally rapid drainage capability, which effectively mitigates the adverse effects of interfacial liquid films on friction. Specifically, rapid liquid removal increases the effective solid–solid contact area and enhances mechanical interlocking at the interface. Consequently, these surfaces maintain outstanding frictional performance even under humid or wet conditions. These findings provide important theoretical support for the rational design of surface microstructures and the optimized regulation of friction and liquid film in wet contact conditions.

Sensors doi: 10.3390/s26123666

Authors: Cheng Sun Danning Wu Zihao Wu Weibing Zhou Jin Zhang

Student behavior recognition in classroom environments is important for teaching quality assessment and intelligent education, yet it remains challenging due to dense student distributions, frequent occlusion, substantial scale variation, and the subtle nature of common classroom activities. To address these issues, this paper proposes RepYOLOv5-SF3D, a cascaded visual perception framework for fine-grained student behavior recognition in complex classroom scenes. The framework integrates a lightweight RepYOLOv5m detector with a dual-stream SlowFast-3D recognition branch, enabling automated inference from raw video input to behavior labels. To improve robustness in dense and occluded scenes, the front-end detector serves as a spatial-prior module, while a decoupled training strategy reduces the impact of localization instability on back-end spatiotemporal learning. In addition, two task-oriented modules are introduced in the recognition branch: the Spatiotemporal Depthwise-Separable 3D module (SDS3D) and the Normalization-Based Temporal Attention Mechanism (NTAM). Experimental results on a real classroom dataset show that RepYOLOv5-SF3D achieves a mean average precision (mAP) of 88.83%, outperforming the baseline SlowFast model by 3.36% and surpassing the existing LSTC method by 2.05%, while maintaining a front-end inference latency of 12.5 ms per frame and a total model size of 151.46 MB. These results demonstrate a favorable balance between fine-grained recognition accuracy and edge-deployment efficiency in practical classroom visual sensing.

Agriculture doi: 10.3390/agriculture16121273

Authors: Hao Zhang Chenkun Sun Yinqichen Cui Yanan Hu Tongde Chen

Grassland ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau play a critical role in the global carbon cycle, however, the quantitative influence of extreme climate events on their carbon sink dynamics remains insufficiently understood. This study focused on the Sanjiangyuan (Three-River-Source) region, a representative alpine pastoral area, employed net ecosystem productivity (NEP) estimation, Theil–Sen trend analysis, the coefficient of variation, the Hurst index, and ridge regression modeling to quantify the spatiotemporal characteristics of grassland carbon source/sink dynamics and the contributions of 13 extreme climate indices during 2000–2024. The results indicate that the regional mean NEP increased at a rate of 1.49 g C m−2 a−1, where 90.78% of the area functioned as a carbon sink, reflecting relatively weak ecosystem respiration and dominant vegetation carbon absorption. However, Hurst index analysis reveals that 85.68% of regions exhibit an inverse sustainability trend, suggesting a potential shift from carbon sinks to carbon sources in the future. This implies enhanced ecosystem respiration and the possible replacement of carbon sink functions by carbon source functions. The ridge regression analysis demonstrated that the extreme temperature indices, particularly the warm days (TX90p, 38.1% relative contribution), cool nights (TN10p), and warm spell duration (WSDI) indices, were the dominant drivers of NEP variation. These findings provide adaptive management strategies were proposed: in highly variable and inversely persistent regions, regulating grazing intensity, optimizing fencing management, and restoring degraded grasslands should be implemented to mitigate excessive respiration-related carbon emissions and maintain carbon sink stability, a scientific basis for optimizing pastoral agricultural carbon management and ecosystem respiration regulation under intensifying climate extremes on the Tibetan Plateau.

Pathogens doi: 10.3390/pathogens15060614

Authors: Mauro Serricchio Muriel Fragnière Jochen Gottschalk Caroline Tinguely Christoph Niederhauser

Transmission of malaria by blood transfusion is rare in non-endemic countries but can lead to serious complications in blood recipients. Increasing travel to and immigration from regions at risk for tropical diseases poses a challenge to blood donation services, which are striving to reduce the number of blood donor deferrals while ensuring a high level of blood safety. National guidelines of the Blood Transfusion Service of the Swiss Red Cross demand that donors at risk are serologically tested for malaria antibodies. Here, we summarize the numbers of malaria tests performed and the results obtained since the introduction of mandatory testing in Switzerland in 2007. From malaria-positive donors, information on travels to endemic areas and place of origin, or if malaria symptoms were experienced and if prophylaxis was taken, was requested in a post-donation questionnaire.

Applied Sciences doi: 10.3390/app16125794

Authors: Marius-Mihai Ciobanu Mihai Cătălin Ciobotaru Diana-Remina Manoliu

The incorporation of plant-based protein ingredients into processed meat products represents a promising strategy for reformulating meat products while addressing sustainability and resource efficiency concerns within the food industry. This study investigated the effect of sweet lupin flour incorporated at 2%, 4%, and 6% substitution levels on the quality characteristics of chicken meat sausages. Four batches were produced: a control (CB0%) and three lupin-enriched formulations (CLS2%, CLS4%, CLS6%), and evaluated for proximate composition, pH, water activity, colorimetric parameters, Warner–Bratzler shear force, and sensory acceptability. Lupin flour incorporation significantly modified all parameters, increasing ash, fat, carbohydrate, and energy content while moderately reducing moisture and protein. A progressive decrease in pH and water activity was observed alongside a colorimetric shift toward higher lightness and yellowness, with total color differences exceeding the visual perceptibility threshold of 5 at CLS4% and CLS6%. Shear force and work of cutting increased proportionally with substitution level, reflecting structural reinforcement of the protein matrix. Sensory evaluation confirmed that 2% substitution maintained overall acceptability within the positive range of the hedonic scale, while 4% remained acceptable but with some sensory decline, and the 6% received scores below the scale midpoint. These results suggest that lupin flour can be incorporated at up to 4%, while maintaining overall sensory scores within the positive range of the hedonic scale, supporting its potential as a plant-derived ingredient in the reformulation of poultry-based processed meat products.

Journal of Cybersecurity and Privacy doi: 10.3390/jcp6030101

Authors: Javier Alberto Vargas Valencia Carlos Alberto Marín Arango Jairo David García Rafael Uribe Guerra Luis Fernando Duque Gómez

Most image encryption schemes exhibit one or more of the following limitations: keystream bias, high residual pixel correlation, pattern leakage, low sensitivity to key changes, or a security-efficiency trade-off. We present a robust image encryption framework based on a chaotic system that operates across the red, green, and blue color channels and mitigates all of the above vulnerabilities. The scheme consists of a novel integration of strong bidirectional modular diffusion, inter-channel confusion using a six-state permutation table, and Secure Hash Algorithm 256-based key derivation. Thus, we achieve the following: lossless reconstruction, near-ideal entropy, negligible adjacency correlation, high sensitivity to infinitesimal changes in both the plaintext and the secret key, a complete diffusion effect confirmed by standard differential metrics, and resilience against known- and chosen-plaintext attacks. Furthermore, the results comply with the National Institute of Standards and Technology randomness tests. These results are obtained with competitive encryption times (∼0.37 s for 512 × 512 images) without any code optimization. All of these features make the scheme promising for secure real-time visual data transmission, particularly in telemedicine and Internet of Things surveillance.

Micromachines doi: 10.3390/mi17060704

Authors: Jianing Li Rujun Zhou Ji Wang Peishuai Wang Chenning Tao Si Luo Yusheng Zhang Bin Zhang Mingwei Tang Yadong Deng Zhangwei Yu Daru Chen

Metasurfaces have emerged as a powerful platform for subwavelength light manipulation, attracting widespread interest for their potential to replace bulky optical components. However, most metasurfaces are statically designed with fixed functionalities. Here, we demonstrate a high-efficiency tunable meta-waveplate by heterogeneously integrating a phase-change Sb2Se3 layer with a piezoelectric MEMS mirror. Leveraging the reversible amorphous–crystalline transition of Sb2Se3, combined with MEMS-enabled nanoscale air gap tuning, the metasurface achieves dynamic switching among zero-, half-, and quarter-waveplate functionalities at the communication wavelength of 1550 nm. The device exhibits stable polarization conversion performance under various rotation angles. Furthermore, we developed a nano-quarter-waveplate library on this platform, which provides extensive phase control over the reflected field and enables programmable beam deflection. This tunable architecture opens new avenues for adaptive photonics with dynamically switchable functionalities.

Electronics doi: 10.3390/electronics15122533

Authors: Yu-Feng Tan Xiao Liu Dong-Sheng La

In this paper, a high-gain wideband filtering antenna with metasurface structures is presented for Sub-6 GHz 5G applications. The proposed antenna consists of a 3 × 3 metasurface array, a driven patch, a short-circuited stepped impedance resonator (SIR) feedline, and two parasitic patches. The metasurface is used to manipulate the modal behavior of the radiator and to introduce an additional resonant mode for bandwidth enhancement. Meanwhile, two radiation nulls are generated by different mechanisms to realize filtering performance. The low-frequency radiation null at 2.81 GHz is introduced by the short-circuited SIR feedline, whereas the high-frequency radiation null at 5.76 GHz is produced by radiation cancelation among the driven patch, parasitic patches, and metasurface. The measured results show a 10 dB impedance bandwidth of 35.5% from 3.62 to 5.18 GHz and an average realized gain of 8.61 dBi. In addition, the proposed antenna achieves lower- and upper-band selectivity of 42.57 dB/GHz and 33.43 dB/GHz, respectively. The proposed antenna also achieves a compact radiation aperture of 0.60 × 0.60 λ02 and effective out-of-band radiation suppression, making it a promising candidate for integrated 5G RF front-ends.

Microorganisms doi: 10.3390/microorganisms14061295

Authors: Zheng Jiang Cong Wang Huifeng Sun Jining Zhang Xianxian Zhang Sheng Zhou

Soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization is largely governed by the accumulation of microbial necromass carbon, yet how stabilization is influenced by root exudation remains poorly understood, particularly under long-term nitrogen (N) fertilization. Here, we investigated SOC dynamics in paddy soil under long-term N fertilization (12 years, urea) at four application rates (0, 100, 200, and 300 kg N ha−1). We quantified root exudate inputs, microbial community composition, microbial necromass, and soil physicochemical properties to identify the primary drivers of SOC accumulation. Our results showed that SOC content increased progressively with N application rate and these changes were attributable to N-induced increases in root exudate inputs, alterations to microbial community structure, and enhanced accumulation of microbial necromass. Structural equation modeling further revealed that root exudates served as a critical linkage between N fertilization, microbial necromass accrual, and SOC stabilization. Taken together, our findings imply that long-term N fertilization enhances SOC accumulation by stimulating root exudate-driven microbial necromass accrual, highlighting the pivotal role of plant–soil interactions in regulating carbon dynamics in rice agroecosystems.

Biomedicines doi: 10.3390/biomedicines14061304

Authors: Assiya Boltaboyeva Bibars Amangeldy Zhanel Baigarayeva Baglan Imanbek Nurdaulet Tasmurzayev Adilet Kakharov Sultan Tuleukhanov Zhanar Omirbekova Balzhan Makhatova

Background/Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and related sleep disorders affect a substantial proportion of hospitalized patients, with an estimated 48% pooled prevalence of undiagnosed OSA in cardiac inpatients and up to 80% of moderate-to-severe community OSA cases carrying no formal diagnosis at the time of hospital admission. In parallel, frailty—a state of heightened physiological vulnerability arising from cumulative multi-system biological decline—is present in 40–80% of inpatients and shares deep, bidirectional neurobiological pathways with sleep-disordered breathing through circadian dysregulation, intermittent hypoxia, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activation, and chronic low-grade inflammation. Despite this convergence, no prior study has integrated validated, administratively computable frailty phenotyping with a machine learning framework specifically designed to predict inpatient sleep disorder diagnosis—and OSA in particular—at the point of hospital admission. The present study addresses this gap by developing an admission-time, explainable machine learning framework for the prediction of inpatient sleep disorder diagnoses (ICD-10 G47.x, encompassing OSA G47.3, insomnia G47.0, hypersomnia, and circadian rhythm disorders) and of insomnia specifically (ICD-10 G47.00). Methods: We developed and evaluated a suite of five binary classification models—XGBoost, Random Forest, LightGBM, CatBoost, and Decision Tree—using 9682 balanced hospitalization episodes from the MIMIC-IV (version 2.2) database. The predictor set comprised 23 admission-time structured features across three domains: (i) frailty and comorbidity burden, including the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) derived from ICD-10 codes, the Elixhauser comorbidity index, prior admission history, and six binary disease flags (obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, COPD, and depression/anxiety); (ii) physiological and laboratory biomarkers from the first 24 h of care, including minimum SpO2, heart rate variability, hemoglobin, creatinine, albumin, and arterial blood gas parameters; and (iii) sociodemographic and administrative variables encompassing age, sex, ethnicity, insurance type, and admission acuity. Model performance was assessed through five-fold stratified cross-validation and bootstrap confidence intervals (n = 1000 iterations), with predictor importance quantified using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Results: XGBoost achieved the strongest aggregate performance across all evaluation metrics, attaining an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.871 (95% CI: 0.856–0.887), accuracy of 79.6%, F1-score of 0.820, and sensitivity of 94.9%, correctly identifying 903 of 952 true positive cases in the held-out test set; all gradient boosting frameworks substantially outperformed the Decision Tree baseline (AUC 0.836). SHAP analysis identified the HFRS and Elixhauser index as the two dominant predictors, followed by depression/anxiety, obesity, hypertension, and minimum SpO2—a hierarchy that recapitulates the canonical clinical phenotype of obstructive sleep apnea in frail inpatients rather than that of primary insomnia, indicating that the model is preferentially capturing the OSA–frailty axis within the broader G47.x outcome. The predicted probability outputs were well-calibrated across all risk deciles. Conclusions: Frailty-derived features, in combination with admission-time clinical and physiological data, can predict inpatient sleep disorder diagnoses—predominantly OSA—with high sensitivity and well-calibrated risk estimates. The deployable, interpretable nature of the XGBoost model makes it directly suitable for integration into clinical decision support systems, offering a screening tool that requires no dedicated instrumentation beyond routine admission data. By flagging high-risk patients at the moment of admission, the framework provides a concrete mechanism for accelerating referral for definitive diagnostic confirmation (overnight oximetry, polysomnography) and earlier initiation of CPAP and related therapies, with direct implications for reducing the persistent diagnostic gap, perioperative risk, and preventable adverse outcomes in frail hospitalized populations.

Electronics doi: 10.3390/electronics15122534

Authors: Yu-Chieh Chang Jen-Wei Hu Tzung-Her Chen

This work investigates a hardware-aware, circuit-level emulation of BB84-like circuit primitives on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) processors. The motivation is to evaluate whether BB84-like basis sifting and intercept–resend-induced QBER behavior remain observable when selected BB84 operations are mapped to parallel single-qubit circuits on gate-based devices. The proposed mapping represents Alice’s preparation, optional Eve intercept–resend emulation, and Bob’s measurement as processor-internal circuit layers; it is therefore an on-chip emulation and not an end-to-end optical QKD implementation. Experiments combine real IBM superconducting processors with Qiskit, Cirq, and Azure/Q# simulator-based or noise-modeled evaluations. Baseline QBER was first calibrated for each backend, and intercept–resend experiments then produced a clear QBER separation from the no-eavesdropper condition. The observed sifted-bit utilization was close to the expected 50% BB84 basis-matching reference, while the constant-depth circuit structure supported scalable raw/sifted-bit generation before any classical post-processing. These observations are treated as implementation-level consistency checks and backend-dependent experimental metrics, rather than as new BB84 protocol-level results. Finite-shot uncertainty, calibration drift, and backend-specific noise are treated as limitations of the proposed QBER-based evaluation rule rather than as deployment-level security guarantees. Because the study does not implement a physical quantum channel, authenticated classical communication, error correction, privacy amplification, finite-key security analysis, or general QKD attack models, the reported metrics should be interpreted as raw/sifted-bit experimental metrics and QBER-based disturbance evaluation for BB84-like NISQ emulation, not as secure key rates, secure throughput, or practical QKD deployment results.

Applied Sciences doi: 10.3390/app16125791

Authors: Alima Mambetaliyeva Guldana Makasheva Lyaila Sabirova Madina Barmenshinova Tansholpan Tussupbekova Kanay Rysbekov Tanabayeva Alemgul

The flotation of oxidized lead–zinc ores is challenging due to the low floatability of oxidized minerals and their weak interaction with conventional reagents. This study investigates the influence of pulp electrochemical parameters, namely redox potential (Eh) and pH, on the flotation kinetics of oxidized lead–zinc ore from the Koskuduk deposit. The results showed that sodium sulfide selectively activates lead-bearing minerals, increasing Pb recovery to 40.74%, while Zn recovery remains low at approximately 12%. In contrast, the polysulfide–lime system S:CaO:H2O provides more uniform and stable sulfidization of oxidized mineral surfaces, increasing recovery to 65.10% for Pb and 56.89% for Zn. The highest recoveries were achieved within an Eh range of −120 to −180 mV at pH 11–12. Kinetic studies demonstrated that the main contribution to metal recovery occurs during the first 2–6 min of flotation. These results indicate that flotation efficiency is controlled not only by reagent type but also by the electrochemical state of the pulp, confirming that calcium polysulfide is a promising alternative sulfidizing reagent for processing oxidized lead–zinc ores.

Sensors doi: 10.3390/s26123667

Authors: Xiaoqin Zhang Daqi Gao Yuan Wang

Real-time online monitoring of key parameters such as the ammonium nitrogen (NH4+) concentration during biological fermentation is important for the optimization of a biological fermentation process. Traditional offline detection technologies like spectrophotometry need contact sampling, with drawbacks of monitoring lag, risk of contamination, etc. In this work, taking the gentamicin fermentation process as an example, we developed an intelligent electronic nose non-contact monitoring system on the basis of fermentation off-gas signals. We captured the typical signals of off-gas and established a quantitative relationship between the signals and the NH4+ concentration in fermentation broth; the system then realized non-contact real-time monitoring. The whole system consists of a gas-switching module, a sensor array module, a signal-processing module, and an intelligent prediction module. The system adopts a five-phase gas switching strategy to suppress sensor drift in metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) sensors and a light neural network for prediction, which improve both prediction speed and accuracy. Experiments were conducted using a 5 L fermenter, and the prediction result was consistent with the offline measured value (coefficient of determination, R2 = 0.9871, root mean square error, RMSE = 0.0317 g/L). This technique provides a new method for the non-contact measurement of key fermentation parameters, and it can be expanded to other fermentations.

Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su18125870

Authors: Xiao-Hui Dong Jia-Hua Mao Fan Ping Tian-Hui Tao Ning Wang Rui-Kai Yan Yi-Xue Jiang

Rapid urbanization and climate change are exerting unprecedented pressure on regional water resources, particularly in emerging megacities. This study examines the Xiong’an New Area (XNA) in the water-stressed North China Plain, where high-intensity urbanization coincides with rigorous ecological restoration mandates. To overcome the limitations of single-model assessments, a coupled SD–PLUS–InVEST framework was developed, integrating System Dynamics for socio-economic and policy drivers, Patch-Generating Land-Use Simulation for fine-scale urban expansion, and InVEST for hydrological process assessment. Projecting spatiotemporal water dynamics to 2035 under three Shared Socio-Economic Pathways (SSPs), results reveal that urbanization-driven water demand growth consistently outpaces climate-induced supply gains. While precipitation increases are projected to raise water yield by 8.91–19.58% by 2035, demand surges by up to ~26% under the extensive expansion scenario (SSP5–8.5), driven predominantly by impervious surface proliferation. External water transfers are projected to sustain 40–45% of total supply by 2035, yet this dependency introduces systemic vulnerabilities. Quantitative assessment further indicates severe spatiotemporal mismatches, with Seasonal Water Shortage Rates of 26.1–27.3% and a Spatial Mismatch Index rising from 0.44 to 0.98. These findings indicate that climate-driven precipitation increments alone cannot offset water deficits induced by unregulated urban sprawl, and that integrating strategic land-use planning, resilient infrastructure, and adaptive governance is essential for water security in rapidly developing regions.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph23060774

Authors: Pongjan Yoopat Nisakorn Julraksa Weerawat Liemmanee Karn Yongsiriwit Thannob Aribarg

Retail service workers face complex occupational demands across psychosocial, environmental, and physical domains; however, integrated multidomain workload assessments remain limited. A cross-sectional study among 253 retail workers used the Find My Stress Progressive Web Application (PWA)—a digital tool assessing subjective workload (Subjective Workload Index; SWI), psychosocial factors, environmental discomfort, musculoskeletal symptoms, and handgrip strength. Hierarchical multiple regression identified four significant SWI predictors: postural difficulty (β = 0.176, p = 0.012), workplace bullying (β = 0.175, p = 0.008), task duration (β = −0.179, p = 0.004), and air quality (β = 0.171, p = 0.011; Adjusted R2 = 0.199, ΔR2 = 0.227, p < 0.001; VIF: 1.03–1.57). Grip strength was retained as a functional capacity indicator. Sex-stratified analyses revealed distinct risk profiles: postural difficulty and task duration predicted SWI in men (Adjusted R2 = 0.224); workplace bullying was the sole predictor in women (Adjusted R2 = 0.170). The PWA demonstrated excellent reliability (α = 0.97) and usability (87%; n = 359). The Find My Stress PWA provides a scalable platform for multidomain stress screening. Integrated ergonomic, organisational, and environmental interventions guided by digital screening offer targeted strategies for reducing occupational workload burden in retail settings.

Energies doi: 10.3390/en19122759

Authors: Daniela Marasová Karolína Hrešková Peter Koščák Martina Koščáková

This review paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of current scientific knowledge on the integration of low-emission technologies into airport operational models. Attention is also given to the role of artificial intelligence techniques in predicting environmental risks, optimizing energy system design, and enhancing operational safety. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the synergy between renewable energy sources (solar and wind energy) and emerging propulsion technologies in aviation (hydrogen and electrification) from the perspective of safety and operational stability. The methodology is based on a systematic review of 78 scientific studies identified in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The analysis identifies critical technical and operational barriers, including electromagnetic interference caused by wind turbines, optical hazards associated with photovoltaic systems, and stability challenges in airport microgrids under peak loads resulting from the charging of electric aircraft. Particular attention is given to the safety of hydrogen infrastructure, where findings from the literature indicate the need to revise separation distances and highlight the potential reduction of airport stand capacity by 5% to 16%. The study synthesizes these findings into a strategic framework for “Smart Green Airports”, proposing solutions such as adaptive infrastructure design, the deployment of predictive models based on artificial intelligence, and the implementation of inherently safe energy storage systems. The paper concludes that achieving airport energy self-sufficiency while maintaining the integrity of flight operations is feasible only through the holistic integration of technical measures, simulation-based planning, and strict compliance with updated safety regulations.

Animals doi: 10.3390/ani16121775

Authors: Ping Chen Jian Zhang

The yak lung functions as a vital adaptive organ in cold, low-oxygen environments. Hypoxia can induce pathological remodeling in yak lung tissue, so we need to understand the molecular mechanisms of this remodeling. For this study, we used cross-omics comparative approaches, including transcriptomics, label-free proteomics, and untargeted metabolomics, to examine both normal and diseased yak lung tissues. From histological observations, the disease phenotype was identified as pulmonary emphysema. Our results showed a significant up-regulation of differentially expressed genes such as MTTP, CXCL8, RETN, and NNAT, while genes like SLC45A1, IL10, SDSL, and COL12A1 were clearly down-regulated. In the differential protein analysis, proteins such as RASSF4, EDC4, CTSC, and FECH were notably up-regulated, whereas CYP27A1, FKBP9, RAD23A, and PLSCR2 were significantly down-regulated. Metabolomic profiling revealed that palmitoyl-L-carnitine, decanoyl-L-carnitine, and o-acetylcarnitine were significantly higher in emphysematous lung tissue, whereas racemethionine and L-methionine S-oxide were significantly much lower. Also, when we compared of bulk RNA-seq, label-free proteomics, and untargeted metabolomics data revealed enrichment in three common pathways: the asthma pathway, the linoleic acid metabolism pathway, and the gastric acid secretion pathway. Of note, histamine levels were higher in both the asthma and gastric acid secretion pathways. While the mRNA expression level of BoLA-DQB was increased in the asthma pathway, its protein expression level was decreased. This study offers some initial cross-omics evidence about what happens. These findings give us a scientific basis for developing effective prevention and control strategies, which in turn can help the protection of yak health and the sustainable development of plateau animal husbandry.

Sensors doi: 10.3390/s26123665

Authors: Suchada Sitjongsataporn Panavy Pookaiyaudom Phimchanok Sakunpongpitiporn Pipat Sakarin Panlop Puntuprecharat Prajuab Pawarangkoon

This paper introduces an electrocardiogram (ECG) noise removal front-end amplifier circuit based on a current-feedback operational amplifier (CFOA) that uses the current feedback to detect error signals and control the output. This ECG circuit focuses on denoising the ECG noise to accentuate the ECG electrical signals from the heart. Noises in ECG refer to baseline wander (BW), powerline interference (PLI) and motion artifacts. We proposed a CFOA-based ECG pre-amplifier using the AD844 commercial operational amplifier built inside with a positive second-generation current conveyor (CCII+) and a voltage follower circuit. This work introduces an ECG noise removal front-end amplifier based on a CFOA. The primary innovation lies in the balancing instrumentation amplifier architecture that utilizes the high-speed and robust properties of the AD844 commercial operational amplifier to achieve superior noise rejection. To protect against high-frequency interference, we introduce a novel cascaded low-pass filter (LPF) stage that ensures a sharper cut-off compared to traditional single-stage designs. Experimental results validate the design’s effectiveness, achieving a high common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) of 75.4 dB and a mid-band gain of 46.5 dB. These performance metrics, combined with the circuit’s ability to eliminate BW and PLI, confirm its robust suitability for high-fidelity wearable ECG monitoring.

Diagnostics doi: 10.3390/diagnostics16121769

Authors: Yun-Wei Chiang Jia-Yuan Chang Chi-Hung Lee Ching-Wen Huang Shou-Chun Wei Shang-Min Yeh Shuan-Yu Huang Wei-Chin Hung Yuh-Ling Shyu

Background: High-level badminton performance requires rapid perceptual processing, visuomotor coordination, and precise movement responses under continuously changing spatial conditions. Although wearable sports vision interventions have shown potential for enhancing perceptual–motor performance, evidence regarding their longitudinal effects and transfer to sport-specific outcomes remains limited. Trial design: A single-center, exploratory randomized controlled trial using a parallel-group structure. Simple randomization without blocking or stratification resulted in a final allocation ratio of 16:10 (approximately 1.6:1) between the training and control groups. Methods: Twenty-six collegiate badminton athletes aged 18–25 were randomized into a wearable sports vision training group (n = 16) or a control group (n = 10). The intervention group completed wearable sports vision training using Automatic Dual Rotational Risley Prisms (ADRRPs) for 15 min twice weekly over 4 weeks. Results: Baseline-adjusted ANCOVA demonstrated significant between-group effects for reaction time (p = 0.003) and target-zone accurate hits (p = 0.004), whereas binocular visual function outcomes did not show statistically significant between-group differences. No adverse events were reported. Conclusions: Four weeks of wearable sports vision training may be associated with improvements in selected visuomotor outcomes, particularly reaction performance and target-zone hitting accuracy, in collegiate badminton players. Larger trials are needed to evaluate long-term retention and broader sport-specific applicability. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT07105462, registered 29 July 2025.

Diagnostics doi: 10.3390/diagnostics16121770

Authors: Tianci Zhao Cong Fu Wei Chen Chen Chen Huan Yu

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is frequently accompanied by autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction, which is closely associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases and elevated mortality risk. Heart rate variability (HRV) serves as a classic metric for evaluating sympathovagal balance; however, the specific impacts of four distinct types of respiratory events—obstructive apnea (OA), central apnea (CA), mixed apnea (MA), and hypopnea (HYP)—on HRV remain underinvestigated. Utilizing ultra-short-term HRV analysis, this study aimed to evaluate the immediate effects of different respiratory events on ANS function, while further exploring the modulatory roles of arousal, Apnea–Hypopnea Index (AHI) severity and sleep stages (non-rapid eye movement [NREM] vs. rapid eye movement [REM]). Methods: A total of 108 patients with SDB undergoing overnight polysomnography (PSG) were included. A total of 19,862 respiratory events, including obstructive apnea (OA), central apnea (CA), mixed apnea (MA), and hypopnea (HYP), were analyzed using 15 s ECG segments. Linear mixed-effects models (LMMs) and estimated marginal means (EMMs) with Sidak-adjusted pairwise comparisons were constructed to evaluate differences in ECG-derived features and to analyze differences between event types. Results: Central apnea (CA) was associated with significantly reduced HRV and heart rate indices, including Standard Deviation of Successive Differences (SDSD), Root Mean Square of the Successive (RMSSD), Standard Deviation 1 (SD1), and heart rate (HR), compared with other respiratory event types (all p < 0.05). Across all event types, HRV metrics exhibited consistent dynamic changes before, during, and after respiratory events (all p < 0.001), characterized by a decrease during the event followed by post-event recovery. In the interaction effect of sleep stage, SDSD was significantly lower in CA compared with both OA (estimate = −11.67, 95% CI −18.78 to −4.59, p < 0.001) and HYP (estimate = −11.38, 95% CI −18.55 to −4.20, p < 0.001) during NREM sleep. No significant differences in HRV parameters, heart rate, or QRS duration were observed between OA and HYP (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: This study is the first to elucidate the differential impacts of four distinct types of sleep respiratory events on ultra-short-term HRV, confirming that CA events exert the most profound effects on autonomic function. These findings suggest that the proportion of CA occurrences could serve as a more precise biomarker for identifying individuals at high risk for cardiovascular diseases within the SDB population.

Applied Sciences doi: 10.3390/app16125793

Authors: Joana Azevedo João Teixeira Margarida Mesquita Ricardo Cardoso Isabel Moreira-Silva Adérito Seixas

Joint-position sense (JPS) performance depends on the integration of sensory input from different mechanoreceptors, whose contribution may vary according to the protocol. Research on the influence of individual factors (sex, limb dominance and physical activity) on ankle JPS remains scarce or inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate the influence of individual and protocol-related factors on the ankle JPS of young healthy adults. Fifty individuals participated in this cross-sectional study. Ankle JPS was assessed by active repositioning toward three target angles: 10° dorsiflexion and 10°/20° plantarflexion. All procedures were video-recorded and analyzed using Kinovea. Absolute (AAE) and relative angular errors (RAE) were calculated. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess physical activity level. There were no significant differences in AAE regarding sex, dominance or physical activity level (p > 0.05). Mean AAE values ranged between 0.5° and 0.7°, with no significant differences between the tested angles (p > 0.05). RAE analysis revealed a tendency toward overestimation of joint position. In young healthy adults, ankle JPS appears to be independent of sex, limb dominance, physical activity level, or tested target angles. Furthermore, these individuals seem to present AAE values below 1°. This information may help to identify those with proprioceptive deficits and monitor intervention outcomes.

Gels doi: 10.3390/gels12060510

Authors: Aysun Çelik-Soysal Sevinç Şahbaz Ali Demir Sezer Timuçin Uğurlu

Wound healing remains a persistent health problem with no definitive solution. It is crucial to characterize the complex wound healing process and the various growth factors, cytokines, and polypeptides involved. Transforming growth factor beta1 (rhTGF-β1) stimulates different cell types, providing multifunctionality in the wound healing process. Since proteins are sensitive to proteases, drug delivery systems are needed. Developed polymeric carrier systems are as important as the active substance. The carrier systems used in our study aim to contribute to wound healing in addition to the rhTGF-β1. We hypothesized that PLGA nanoparticles embedded in PVA/Chitosan (PVA/Chi) hydrogels could enhance the therapeutic effect of rhTGF-β1. PVA/Chitosan hydrogels were prepared by the freezing/thawing method. Several characterization studies (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), texture analysis, and cell culture) were performed to investigate the potential of the prepared formulations to enhance the therapeutic effect of rhTGF-β1. Hydrogel formulations reduced the inhibitory effect of rhTGF-β1 on keratinocytes. The H5 hydrogel exhibited a proliferative effect on fibroblast cells, which play a crucial role in wound healing, resulting in a 78.8% increase compared to the control. As the PVA content in the hydrogel formulations increased, bioadhesion and viscosity also increased. Although TGF-β1 inhibited keratinocytes, it induced migration of both NIH-3T3 and HACAT cell lines. The formulations developed exhibit the potential to improve the therapeutic efficacy of rhTGF-β1 in wound healing. A small amount of the protein can have the same therapeutic efficacy and fewer side effects because the developed polymeric carrier systems contribute to the therapeutic efficacy.

Cancers doi: 10.3390/cancers18121875

Authors: Paola Di Carlo Nicola Serra Aducio Thiesen Vito Rodolico Antonio Cascio Teresa Maria Assunta Fasciana Anna Giammanco Valentina Caputo Gianfranco Cocorullo Giuseppe Salamone Giuseppe Carollo Consolato M. Sergi

Background: The biliary and pancreatic tract is increasingly recognized as a microbial ecosystem rather than a sterile environment. Dysbiosis contributes to inflammation, bile acid alterations, and carcinogenesis, with distinct microbiota profiles linked to progression from benign to malignant conditions. Clinical factors, including gut–liver axis disruption and biliary stenting, may further exacerbate microbial imbalance. Objective: The objective of this study is to synthesize current evidence and identify knowledge gaps on the role of biliary microbiota in pancreaticobiliary carcinogenesis and its implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Methods: This scoping review was conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus was performed for studies published between January 2015 and December 2025, guided by the PICo framework. Results: Included studies primarily characterized changes in microbiota composition to identify microbial biomarkers associated with pancreaticobiliary diseases. Predictive bioinformatics analyses suggest that dysbiosis may promote carcinogenesis through metabolic and inflammatory pathways. Machine learning approaches identified microbiota-based signatures with potential diagnostic value for precancerous lesions, although discrimination remains limited. Biliary dysbiosis was also associated with outcomes related to biliary stenting, chemoprophylaxis, postoperative complications, and responses to chemotherapy or surgery. Conclusions: Integration of microbiota profiling with predictive bioinformatics and machine learning may improve understanding of pancreaticobiliary carcinogenesis. Identifying microbial and functional biomarkers could enable personalized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering doi: 10.3390/jmse14121072

Authors: Bao Zhang Xusheng Xiang Xueqing Zhang Li Zou

To characterize the transport of the mining-induced sediment plume in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone (CCZ) nodule area, this study introduces a particle relative dispersion (RD) to assess material dispersion in 2D and 3D. In 2D, forward and backward RD results show clear sub-regional differences in particle aggregation and diffusion. Forward RD reaches a maximum ridge value of 40 km in regions of strong shear and strain. Backward RD effectively identifies upstream source regions and convergence pathways. High RD values align closely with strong strain-rate gradients, indicating that particle separation and mixing are primarily driven by transition regions between flow structures rather than uniform high- or low-strain areas. In the 3D, the vertical domain was limited to the 4500–4600 m depth range above the seabed. The overall RD patterns remain broadly consistent with the 2D results, while the maximum RD increases to approximately 80 km due to the inclusion of vertical displacement and local vertical shear effects. Within the 4500–4600 m depth range, horizontal transport remains dominant, whereas vertical variations are comparatively weak, and particle trajectories exhibit only minor local differences. Compared with the 2D case, the deep-layer 3D RD distribution exhibits lower skewness values, suggesting a more spatially balanced particle separation pattern with reduced directional asymmetry. Multi scale quasi-3D RD analysis provides essential insights into material dispersion and convergence patterns, offering valuable information for evaluating transport pathways, potential pollutant spread, and ecological risks associated with deep-sea mining.

Machines doi: 10.3390/machines14060669

Authors: Yanan Sun Zezheng Tian Na Li Haiyong Jiang Chao Yang Chongchong Chen Lei Yang Lei Xing Lijie Zhang

The brake–release stability of electro-hydraulic thrusters (EHTs) significantly affects the safety of hydraulic braking systems, especially under low-temperature conditions with varying fluid viscosity. Most existing studies have focused on macroscopic braking characteristics, while the internal flow field variation and vortex evolution mechanism during the brake–release process remain insufficiently explored. In this work, transient CFD simulations are conducted to investigate vortex formation rules and flow field characteristics inside an EHT. Three typical vortex structures denoted as α, β, and γ are identified, and the independent and coupling influences of fluid dynamic viscosity and motor speed on vortex intensity and piston-bottom pressure are quantitatively analyzed. The results show that vortices α and β trigger flow disorder and additional hydraulic energy loss, while vortex γ optimizes flow uniformity and assists piston extension. Higher fluid viscosity exacerbates vortex development and pressure fluctuation, while increasing motor speed accelerates transient flow field evolution. This study clarifies the internal flow mechanism of EHT brake–release behavior and provides reliable parametric guidance for optimizing the low-temperature performance of electro-hydraulic braking systems.

Telecom doi: 10.3390/telecom7030074

Authors: Shuo Yu Ahmed S. Khwaja Waleed Ejaz Alagan Anpalagan

With the rapid proliferation in communication devices and the expansion of applications, future sixth-generation (6G) networks are expected to enable a truly connected world. They will allow large-scale use cases, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), providing significantly faster and more innovative services ubiquitously. However, challenges remain, particularly in security. The growing number of devices and increased connectivity may lead to a larger attack surface. Many emerging technologies are actively addressing these security and privacy concerns, ensuring that we can benefit from the advantages of 6G networks and applications without falling victim to malicious attacks. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive literature review of emerging technologies for secure communication in 6G networks, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), blockchain technology, quantum-safe communication, and physical-layer security. First, we discuss the architecture of 6G networks from a security perspective. Second, we review existing surveys on 6G security issues and provide a quantitative analysis to identify research gaps, including technology-driven silos and domain fragmentation. Third, we develop a hierarchical taxonomy of security challenges and attacks in 6G networks, covering physical-layer attacks, network-level threats, device vulnerabilities, data privacy concerns, and emerging application-specific risks. We then examine the roles of key enabling technologies and present a mapping between security threats and corresponding technological solutions, along with a unified evaluation framework to facilitate cross-technology comparison. Furthermore, we propose an integrated multi-technology security framework and discuss practical deployment challenges by bridging the gap between simulation-based studies and real-world implementations. Finally, we outline concrete future research directions for advancing secure 6G communication systems.

Molecules doi: 10.3390/molecules31122009

Authors: Huy Truong Nguyen Thi-Minh Dinh Tran Thuc-Huy Duong Trong-Hieu Bui Nguyen-Kim-Tuyen Pham Mai-Dang-Truong Pham Hoang-Truc-Nguyen Phan Dinh-Tri Mai Warudee Pathummanee Duc-Dung Pham Tongsai Jamnongkan

Vitex rotundifolia is a medicinal plant rich in terpenoids and flavonoids, whereas the liverwort Ptychanthus striatus represents an underexplored bryophyte source of specialized metabolites. In this study, a bioassay-guided phytochemical investigation of Vietnamese V. rotundifolia leaves and P. striatus was conducted to identify natural inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). The crude methanol extracts and selected fractions showed inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, thereby guiding subsequent chromatographic separation. Thirteen compounds, including diterpenoids, lupane-type triterpenoids, and flavonoids, were isolated from V. rotundifolia, while ten terpenoid, phenolic, bibenzyl, and bisbibenzyl-type metabolites were obtained from P. striatus. Most isolated compounds are reported from these species for the first time, and compound P8 from P. striatus is described as a new natural product. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Among them, chrysoplenol D was the most potent inhibitor, with an IC50 value of 0.08 ± 0.01 µM, followed by selected phenolic/bibenzyl-type metabolites from P. striatus and other flavonoid derivatives from V. rotundifolia. Most diterpenoids showed weak or negligible inhibition. Molecular docking studies supported the experimental results by showing that representative active compounds could bind within the catalytic pocket of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and interact with key residues, including His41, Gly143, and Cys145. These findings expand the phytochemical knowledge of Vietnamese V. rotundifolia and P. striatus and highlight chrysoplenol D and related flavonoid or bibenzyl-type natural products as promising scaffolds for further development of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors.

Pharmaceuticals doi: 10.3390/ph19060909

Authors: Abdulaziz F. Alhussaini Mahmoud Elshal Sara H. Hazem

Background/Objectives: Abrupt impairment of liver functions, extensive hepatocellular necrosis, and high short-term mortality in patients without pre-existing liver disease are characteristic hallmarks of acute liver failure (ALF). Therapeutic options for ALF remain extremely limited, with liver transplantation representing the only definitive intervention in advanced cases, highlighting the urgent need for effective pharmacological strategies to limit early hepatic injury and disease progression. Honokiol (HON), a biphenolic lignan derived from Magnolia species, possesses documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; however, its protective potential and mechanisms in ALF remain incompletely defined. Methods: A lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced ALF murine model was employed to explore the hepatoprotective potential of HON (5 and 10 mg/kg) and its possible underlying mechanisms. Results: HON pretreatment significantly (i) attenuated hepatocellular injury, as evidenced by marked reductions in serum liver enzyme levels and suppression of necroinflammation and neutrophil infiltration. HON also (ii) restored hepatic redox homeostasis by enhancing antioxidant defenses and reducing lipid peroxidation and nitrosative stress. These effects were accompanied by (iii) activation of the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling axis; (iv) suppression of NF-κB activation with subsequent inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome and caspase-1 activation; and (v) reduction in hepatic TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-18 levels. In parallel, HON (vi) restored mitochondrial SIRT3 and AMPK signaling. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that HON effectively protects against LPS/D-GalN-induced ALF via coordinated enhancement of antioxidant defense and suppression of inflammatory signaling pathways, supporting its potential as a promising pleiotropic therapeutic candidate for ALF.

Energies doi: 10.3390/en19122758

Authors: Shuangyin He Jianli Zhao Chunxu Qin Guowei Cui Bing Han

To address the difficulty of directly measuring the internal conductor temperature and the complex influence of external environmental factors on gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), a three-dimensional thermal–fluid multiphysics coupling model was developed for a 110 kV three-phase common-enclosure GIS disconnect switch. The model incorporates contact resistance heating, natural convection of SF6 gas, wind speed, and solar radiation. The effects of contact resistance and environmental factors on the temperature field distribution were systematically investigated. The results show that an increase in contact resistance significantly raises the conductor temperature, while higher wind speeds effectively reduce the temperature rise of the equipment. Solar radiation substantially increases the enclosure temperature, whereas ambient temperature has little influence on temperature rise. Based on the enclosure temperature rise, a conductor temperature-rise prediction model and a multi-factor correction model were established. Validation results indicate that all models achieved coefficients of determination greater than 0.98, with prediction errors controlled within ±2 °C. The proposed method enables the accurate prediction of conductor temperature under complex environmental conditions and provides technical support for condition monitoring and overheating fault diagnosis of GIS equipment.

Buildings doi: 10.3390/buildings16122300

Authors: Sushmita Baral Ingrid Lande Dmitry Vysochinskiy

Three-dimensional printed concrete (3DPC) has received growing attention as digital fabrication technologies continue to influence construction workflows. This study presents a systematic review of research published between 2015 and 2026, following PRISMA guidelines. Based on the reviewed literature, six opportunity categories and six challenge categories were identified. The opportunities include design optimization, construction speed, materials innovation, labor reduction, remote area construction, and circular economy. The findings show that material innovation is the most extensively researched category; a substantial proportion of the literature focuses on materials, rheology, printability, and structural behavior, reflecting an emphasis on improving fresh-state properties, interlayer bonding, and mechanical performance. The second most researched opportunity is design optimization, followed by the circular economy. Research in the remaining three categories of construction speed, labor reduction, and remote area construction appears to be limited. The main challenges identified include reinforcement integration, structural performance, mixing and curing, high equipment costs, durability, and the lack of standards. High equipment costs and the lack of standards appear to be the least researched challenges, while the four remaining challenge categories are actively addressed by the research community.

Insects doi: 10.3390/insects17060604

Authors: Kun Yang Xuxiang Wu Yihan Chen Wenjing Ma Yijie Lin Xingzhou Ma Jiayong Zhang

Sungaya inexpectata is a tropical stick insect endemic to the Philippines, providing a useful system for investigating cold responses in tropical ectotherms. In this study, we exposed individuals to low temperature (8 °C) and normal temperature (25 °C) and characterized their transcriptomic responses. A total of 1656 differentially expressed genes were identified, including those involved in energy metabolism, cuticular proteins (CPs), and heat shock proteins. Since CP-related genes were notably enriched, we focused on this family. qPCR assessment provided preliminary expression profiles for selected candidate CP genes. Using comparative transcriptomics with eight New Zealand alpine stick insect species, we reconstructed the phylogeny of major CP families and annotated their conserved domains. Clade analysis revealed significant positive selection in the CPAP3-3 gene. In summary, this study reveals the transcriptional response of cuticular protein genes in S. inexpectata under cold exposure at 8 °C. These findings provide preliminary transcriptional data for understanding how this species responds to low temperature.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph23060773

Authors: Samara Nickel Rodrigues Bruno Veiga Guterres Maurício Tatsch Ximenes Carvalho Rodrigo Sudatti Delevatti Cristine Lima Alberton

Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) are at increased cardiovascular risk. Although exercise is an important strategy for reducing cardiometabolic risk, accessible and scalable intervention delivery strategies, such as synchronous telehealth programs, remain underexplored. This randomized clinical trial (RED Study; NCT05362071) investigated the effects of a 12-week synchronous telehealth exercise program on clinical, functional, and psychosocial outcomes in adults with T2D. Thirty-three participants (55.8 ± 10.1 years) were randomized to an intervention group (INT; n = 17), which performed supervised combined aerobic and resistance exercise via video calls (2–3 sessions/week), or a control group (CON; n = 16). Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included capillary blood glucose, blood pressure, functional performance, and psychosocial parameters. Assessments were conducted at baseline and post-intervention by blinded evaluators, and analyses were conducted using linear mixed-effects models in an intention-to-treat analysis. No significant interaction effect was observed for HbA1c (p > 0.05). However, significant group × time interactions favored the INT for functional performance outcomes, including the 30 s Chair Stand (p = 0.02), Arm Curl (p < 0.001), Timed Up and Go (p = 0.01), and 2-Minute Step Test (p = 0.01), as well as sleep quality (p < 0.001). Depressive symptoms decreased over time (p = 0.03) in both groups. Additionally, the INT showed reductions in post-session capillary blood glucose across mesocycles 1, 2, and 4 (p = 0.03). The synchronous telehealth exercise program was not superior to the control condition in reducing HbA1c; however, it improved functional performance, enhanced sleep quality, and promoted acute reductions in glycemic levels in individuals with T2D.

Journal of Market Access & Health Policy doi: 10.3390/jmahp14020035

Authors: Elaine Julian Mondher Toumi Fabrizio Gianfrate Renato Bernardini Stefano Capri Mira Pavlovic-Ganascia Oriol Solà-Morales Antonella Cardone Emilia Strycharz-Angrecka Valentina Strammiello Jean-François Bergmann Daniel Widmer Walter Van Dyck Frank-Ulrich Fricke Patrick Tilleul Jörg Ruof

Four years after the European Regulation on Health Technology Assessment (EU HTAR) came into force and a little over a year after the implementation phase of the Regulation started, with the publication of the first Joint Clinical Assessment (JCA) report imminent, it is good timing to take a step back and revisit what has been achieved and look at what the main challenges on the way forward are [...]

Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su18125868

Authors: Mai Elgazzar Zakaria Yahia Amr Eltawil

The increasing integration of renewable energy introduces uncertainty in microgrid operation, making effective energy management more challenging. Rolling-horizon optimization is used to address this challenge by enabling periodic decision updates; however, most existing approaches rely on fixed optimization horizons and predetermined update frequencies. When prediction accuracy decay (PAD) is considered in adaptive rolling-horizon approaches, it is represented using a fixed decay value, not an online indicator that compares forecasted and actual renewable generation during operation. This leads to suboptimal re-optimization timing, unnecessary computational effort, excessive battery switching, or delayed corrective actions. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a PAD-driven adaptive rolling horizon (ARH) approach, in which re-optimization is triggered using an online PAD indicator computed from the percentage deviation between forecasted and realized renewable generation data. Re-optimization is activated when the PAD indicator exceeds a predefined threshold, enabling adaptive scheduling updates according to real-time forecasting degradation. The problem is formulated as a robust mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model of a high renewable penetration microgrid, including battery degradation and switching penalties. The energy self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) is used as a key sustainability performance indicator to assess the extent to which local renewable generation and storage satisfy microgrid demand. The proposed approach is first compared with a fixed rolling-horizon approach using a fixed re-optimization interval of 1 h, where the results show a profit improvement of 10.5%. A sensitivity analysis tested the proposed approach under bounded renewable forecast uncertainty levels up to ±15 and different battery capacities. The results indicate that performance is strongly influenced by forecast accuracy and battery capacity, with higher economic gains under low uncertainty and more conservative operation under high uncertainty.

Healthcare doi: 10.3390/healthcare14121615

Authors: Ghadah H. Alshehri Layan S. Alaqil Linah M. Alghamdi Alaa A. Alsharif Nada A. Alsaleh Amani S. Alrossies Aseel S. Abuzour Asma M. Alshahrani Amani A. Al Shaban Douha F. Bannan

Background: In response to the World Health Organization’s Global Medication Safety Challenge, many countries, including Saudi Arabia, have launched implementation initiatives. This study examined how Saudi hospitals have addressed the WHO Global Medication Safety Challenge. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between January and June 2025 among medication safety officers at secondary and tertiary care hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Participants reported interventions implemented to enhance medication safety during or before 2025 using a self-administered survey adapted from a previously published tool. Interventions were categorized according to the domains, subdomains, and priority areas of the WHO Medication Safety Challenge framework. Descriptive statistics summarized responses, and thematic analysis was used to categorize interventions. Results: Twenty-eight hospitals reported 162 interventions. Most respondents were medication safety officers (75%). The most frequently reported domains were medication systems and practices (41.3%), followed by healthcare professionals (29%), medicines (22.5%), and patients/public (6.7%). Nearly 60% of interventions addressed WHO priority areas, primarily high-risk situations (81.4%), followed by transitions of care (11.3%) and polypharmacy (7.2%). Conclusions: The study findings suggest that selected hospitals in Saudi Arabia have primarily focused on medication systems, healthcare professionals, and high-risk situations. Expanding initiatives to address polypharmacy and patient/public engagement may further strengthen medication safety efforts.

Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su18125865

Authors: Adnan Abbas Saiqa Afzal Muhammad Waseem Muhammad Ahmad Dayong Xu

The urgent demand for sustainable carbon management and environmental remediation has accelerated research on biochar as a multifunctional material. This review critically evaluated over 250 peer-reviewed studies to elucidate the relationships between feedstock composition, thermochemical conversion processes, and the resulting physicochemical properties of biochar. The analysis revealed that pyrolysis temperature is the dominant parameter governing biochar yield and structure, contributing up to ~50% of the variability, while feedstock composition strongly influences surface functionality and pore architecture. Low-temperature biochar (300–400 °C) exhibits higher cation exchange capacity and functional group density, whereas high-temperature biochar (>600 °C) demonstrates enhanced aromaticity, stability, and carbon sequestration potential. Advanced modification strategies significantly improve the adsorption capacity, catalytic activity, and energy applications. Despite these advances, major challenges remain, including lack of process standardization, limited long-term field validation, and uncertainties in carbon stability. This review identifies key research gaps and proposes future directions focusing on scalable production, life-cycle assessment, and integration into circular economy systems, thereby providing a comprehensive framework for the development of high-performance biochar technologies.

Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su18125869

Authors: Fabrizio Cumo Valentina Sforzini Virginia Adele Tiburcio

Buildings are the primary energy consumption layer of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) and a key target for net-zero policy under the EPBD recast. This scoping review applies the PRISMA-ScR framework to map Digital Twin (DT) architectures for building-scale and community-scale energy management in REC configurations. A Scopus search yielded a final analytical corpus of 102 studies, coded through an eight-dimensional thematic matrix covering lifecycle phases, digitalization objectives, enabling technologies, DT capability dimensions, and data realism. DT is the dominant enabling technology (55.9%), followed by IoT (23.5%) and machine learning (22.5%). Research is concentrated in the Planning and Design phase (77.5%) and markedly underrepresented in Implementation and Commissioning (16.7%). Notably, only 10.8% of studies integrate real-time operational data, exposing a significant gap between simulation-based research and the deployment conditions required under current EPBD mandates. The evidence base supports building energy monitoring, demand forecasting, and flexible grid operation but remains limited for retrofit verification, standardized net-zero KPIs, and operational workflows in existing stock. Critical DT capability gaps persist in Data Services (7.8%) and User Experience (18.6%). Overall, DT architectures show genuine potential for grid-interactive, net-zero building management, yet the field presents unresolved structural challenges for large-scale real-world deployment.

Energies doi: 10.3390/en19122757

Authors: Oksana Liashenko Ihor Turskyy Tomasz Wołowiec Marcin Gąsior Sylwester Bogacki Oleksandr Dluhopolskyi

The European 2035 decarbonisation framework rests on a conditional premise—that higher renewable-electricity penetration accelerates battery electric vehicle (BEV) adoption—yet it has not been tested at the panel level. The question is timely: the December 2025 Automotive Package would soften the 2035 target from 100 to 90 percent CO2 reduction and permit continued production of plug-in hybrids beyond 2035, while the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) imposes binding charging-coverage targets from 2025 onwards. We assemble an annual panel of 31 European economies over 2015–2024 (310 country-year observations) and combine a two-way fixed-effects baseline on five disaggregated powertrain shares, an interaction model with public charging coverage as a moderator, and a Hansen-style threshold panel. The within-country BEV-share coefficient on renewable-electricity penetration is statistically null (β = +0.18, p = 0.247), rejecting the linear premise. The plug-in hybrid share, by contrast, responds positively and unconditionally (β = +0.36, p = 0.001)—a “PHEV paradox” of compositional response. The BEV channel, by contrast, is conditional on infrastructure: its marginal effect rises with public charging coverage and is positive only in the upper part of the charging distribution (interaction β3 = +0.13, p = 0.027). A formal Hansen-style threshold test in the renewable share does not reject the linear specification (sup-F = 0.73, bootstrap p = 0.97), so the BEV conditionality is identified through the charging-coverage interaction. The findings characterise a two-speed European transition. The first channel reflects compliance-led PHEV hedging; the second reflects BEV charging network complementarity enabled by AFIR-mandated coverage. Subsidy rebalancing away from PHEV eligibility, strict AFIR enforcement, and PHEV utility-factor reform are necessary policy levers for the 2035 framework to deliver full electrification rather than the partial electrification that current incentives yield.

Journal of Functional Biomaterials doi: 10.3390/jfb17060287

Authors: Nikolay Kanazirski Deyan Neychev Petya Kanazirska Tsonka Miteva-Katrandzhieva

Background: Er:YAG laser (λ = 2940 nm) biomodification of the implant osteotomy site removes the smear layer after rotary preparation and may enhance bone-implant contact. This randomized controlled clinical study evaluated implant stability dynamics following Er:YAG laser biomodification using resonance frequency analysis (RFA). Methods: Ninety patients were randomized 1:1 into a case group (n = 45; rotary osteotomy + Er:YAG biomodification; 400 mJ, 17 Hz) and a control group (n = 45; rotary osteotomy alone). Implant stability quotient (ISQ) was measured by RFA in vestibulo-oral (VO) and mesiodistal (MD) directions at placement, days 10, 20, 30, and month 3. Results: The case group showed significantly higher ISQ values at all time points in both directions (t-test, p < 0.05). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant time × group interaction in the MD direction (F = 14.461, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.341). Primary VO ISQ: 75.04 ± 4.27 (cases) vs. 72.29 ± 3.38 (controls); primary MD ISQ: 76.49 ± 4.29 vs. 72.89 ± 2.29. The proportion achieving ISQ ≥ 70 was consistently higher in the case group. Conclusions: Er:YAG laser biomodification combined with rotary osteotomy yields higher, more stable ISQ values throughout early healing in mandibular D2/D3 bone, potentially supporting shorter healing intervals and early loading in selected clinical situations.

Antioxidants doi: 10.3390/antiox15060727

Authors: Hassan Barakat Hani A. Alfheeaid

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represent intertwined global epidemics driven by gut dysbiosis, chronic inflammation, and impaired SCFA production, identifying the microbiome as a therapeutic target. This review synthesizes mechanistic insights and clinical evidence on the role of probiotics as microbiome modulators in the management of metabolic disease. A comprehensive literature search across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar up to May 2026 identified ~230 records using keywords such as probiotics, SCFAs, obesity, and T2DM; a narrative synthesis integrated preclinical, RCT, and meta-analytic data without formal pooling due to heterogeneity. Probiotics restore eubiosis via strain-specific mechanisms, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG enhances tight junctions (ZO-1), Bifidobacterium breve BBr60 boosts butyrate cross-feeding, and pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila remodels bile acids (FXR/FGF19), activating G-Protein Coupled Receptor 41 (GPR41)/43-GLP-1 signaling, Treg expansion, and NF-κB suppression. Beyond immunometabolic effects, probiotics mitigate obesity- and T2DM-related oxidative stress by upregulating endogenous antioxidant enzymes (e.g., SOD, catalase, GPx), modulating Nrf2/Keap1 signaling, and reducing lipid peroxidation and other oxidative stress markers in experimental and clinical settings. Meta-analyses of RCTs reveal modest benefits: BMI reductions (~0.3 kg m−2), waist circumference (WC) reductions (1–2 cm), HbA1c reductions (0.3–0.4%), and improvements in homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), especially with multi-strain (>109 CFU day−1, ≥12 weeks) synbiotics. Innovative strategies—synbiotics, postbiotics, AI-tailored consortia, and fermented dairy—address engraftment and response variability. Current guidelines recommend 109–1011 CFU day−1 using multi-strain formulations for 12–24 weeks alongside lifestyle measures, with regimen selection tailored to the dysbiosis phenotype (e.g., NAFLD). Future longitudinal RCTs integrating multi-omics endpoints with AI-driven strain selection should refine—and ultimately individualize—precision probiotic strategies for metabolic therapy.