Search Results (2,047,327)

Arid oasis–desert systems in inland basins are increasingly threatened by human-induced land-use transformation and aggravated dust storm hazards, whereas the nonlinear coupling mechanisms and critical land-use thresholds controlling dust pollution remain poorly understood. Taking township units of southern Xinjiang as the research scope over a 25-year period, this study integrated remote sensing and geographic information system techniques, geographically weighted regression, and piecewise threshold analysis to explore the long-term spatial coupling relationship between land-use transitions and dust-related PM10 variations, and to identify the threshold effects of diverse land-use types on dust emissions. The results indicate evident spatial non-stationarity in the co-variation patterns of land-use change and dust pollution. Intensive land-use disturbance and elevated dust risks are concentrated in oasis–desert ecotones, while desert hinterlands and high mountainous areas exhibit stable land-use conditions and weak human interference. Land-use factors exert limited explanatory capacity for dust variation due to dominant meteorological background controls. Distinct threshold effects exist among different land-use categories. Bare land and impervious surfaces function as dust-promoting land types with sharp increases in dust pollution beyond their respective critical proportions. Cropland exhibits a dual nonlinear effect, providing dust-suppression benefits within a reasonable proportion range but aggravating dust risks under excessive reclamation through the destruction of ecological buffer zones. Snow cover, forest, grassland, and water bodies serve as effective dust-suppressing land types, whose mitigation benefits stabilize after reaching minimum critical coverage, while shrubs show no significant regulatory effect on dust pollution. The oasis–desert ecotone represents the most sensitive zone for dust prevention. Targeted zoning management guided by land-use threshold constraints is essential to optimize regional ecological regulation, replace blind single afforestation strategies, and integrate ecological threshold criteria into territorial spatial planning. Land-use adjustment can effectively mitigate anthropogenic dust emissions, yet comprehensive dust control requires coordinated meteorological early warning systems and balanced management of agricultural production and ecological risk prevention. Full article

Wide-bandgap mixed-halide perovskites are attractive top-cell absorbers for tandem photovoltaics owing to their high-voltage potential and complementary spectral response. However, ionic defects generated during solution processing promote nonradiative recombination, ion migration, etc. Here, NdCl₃ is introduced into Cs_0.17FA_0.83PbI_1.8Br_1.2 perovskites to synergistically regulate ionic defects. Structural analyses suggest that Nd³⁺ preferentially incorporates into interstitial sites, where its strong electrostatic interaction with neighboring halide ions may contribute to restricting their migration. The reduced defect density observed upon NdCl₃ modification points to effective defect passivation as a primary outcome. Meanwhile, Cl⁻ compensates for halide vacancies, improves the local coordination environment, and suppresses trap-assisted nonradiative recombination. This synergistic regulation promotes grain growth, reduces defect density, facilitates carrier transport, and improves interfacial energy-level alignment. Consequently, the NdCl₃-modified device achieves the highest power conversion efficiency of 19.87%. Moreover, the unencapsulated device retains 92.5% of its initial efficiency after 1680 h of ambient shelf storage (~25 °C, ~20% RH). These results demonstrate that the cooperative regulation of cation-associated ion migration and anion vacancies provides an effective route toward efficient and stable wide-bandgap perovskite photovoltaics. Full article

The yanglou buildings of Quanzhou are composite architectural heritage shaped by overseas Chinese and local traditions whose front facades provide an observable interface for comparing local and foreign cultural combinations. As existing studies emphasize plan typology and lack quantitative facade comparison, this study takes 40 yanglou buildings built by overseas Chinese between the late Qing dynasty and the 1960s in urban Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Shishi, and Nan’an and constructs a workflow of data survey, acculturation quantification, stage identification, and discriminative contribution analysis. The results show marked heterogeneity: the veranda presents strong object culture expressions, the wall elements are dominated by subject culture, and the hierarchy in the composition is unstable. FCM results show that the facades approximate continuous transitions rather than a single linear sequence. PLSR results show that the subject and object culture proportions in the veranda and wall elements and the object and renewal culture proportions in their compositions contribute more discriminatively to stage identification. This study shows that Quanzhou yanglou buildings are not direct transplantations of Western styles but composite heritage grounded in subject culture, absorbing object culture features and generating only limited renewal culture, providing a quantitative framework for stage identification, value interpretation, and differentiated conservation. Full article

Radar signal sorting is a fundamental task in passive electromagnetic sensing that separates pulses emitted by multiple radars from densely interleaved streams. Existing supervised deep learning methods often require large labeled datasets and iterative optimization, limiting their applicability in non-cooperative, latency-sensitive electronic-support-measure scenarios. This article proposes a dual-layer multi-head attention broad learning system (DMHA-BLS). Conventional random feature mapping is replaced by two attention blocks with fixed random-orthogonal query, key, and value projections. A residual branch maps first-layer attention features to the input dimension through closed-form ridge regression, preserving physical pulse attributes. The output weights are also solved analytically, and accumulated Gram statistics enable batchwise updates. On an 8000-pulse simulated stream, DMHA-BLS reaches 83.17% macro F1 with 200 samples and 91.88% with 8000 samples. It provides a clear advantage over the temporal baselines in the small-sample condition, while their performance gradually approaches DMHA-BLS as the number of labeled pulses increases. In a second 1000-pulse scenario with eight emitters and strongly overlapping PDW ranges, DMHA-BLS remains the top-performing method across the evaluated sample sizes. Full-data training requires 1.57 s, compared with 100–109 s for the evaluated deep networks, indicating a favorable trade-off between sorting performance and computational efficiency. Full article

Gastrodin (GAS), a bioactive glycoside from Gastrodia elata, shows anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activity in preclinical models. This narrative review evaluates whether autophagy, mitochondrial quality control, and NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)-dependent pyroptosis may contribute to its effects on microglia. Studies in microglial cultures and animal models report reduced inflammatory activation and changes in microglial phenotype after GAS treatment. Related studies in endothelial cells, neurons, macrophages, and whole brain tissue associate GAS with AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling, mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition, autophagy or mitophagy markers, and lower inflammasome or pyroptosis markers. These findings support an AMPK/mTOR/NLRP3-centered working model, but the complete causal chain has not been demonstrated in microglia within a single experimental system. We distinguish microglia-specific observations from evidence extrapolated across cell types and disease models, compare GAS with its metabolite p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, and discuss limitations of inhibitor-based experiments and variation in dose and sampling time. Inducible microglial genetic deletion, flux measurements, target-engagement assays, and matched pharmacokinetic studies are needed to test this model. Human evidence remains insufficient to confirm the proposed microglial mechanism or its clinical relevance. Full article

Coolants containing glycols, corrosion inhibitors and anti-foaming additives pose a significant environmental risk due to their limited susceptibility to natural degradation. At the same time, glycols are valuable raw materials widely used across industrial sectors, and global consumption of ethylene glycol, the principal component of most coolants, has been steadily increasing. Microbial biodegradation offers an economically and environmentally attractive route for treating spent coolants. In this study, fourteen environment-derived strains from a culture collection, thirteen bacteria and one yeast, were screened for the ability to grow on two chemically distinct industrial coolant matrices: an unused, ethylene-glycol-based product (Petrygo Q NEW) and a propylene-glycol-dominated spent fluid drained from an engine cooling system. Six strains (AC2/2, B3J, 5A, B9F, B16B and 17E) showing the highest growth potential were subjected to adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) by serial passaging for ten transfers in a minimal medium containing 1.5 g L⁻¹ yeast extract, in which the coolant provided the principal carbon and energy source. Growth dynamics of evolved and ancestral strains were compared by microplate cultivation, glycol depletion was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in shake-flask cultures, and tolerance was assessed by spot assays. Adaptation was strain-specific and was generally more pronounced on the spent, propylene-glycol-dominated fluid than on the unused, ethylene-glycol-based product. After selection, removal of ethylene glycol from the spent fluid within 96 h increased from 33.3% to 79.7% for Wickerhamomyces anomalus B16B and from 24.8% to 60.1% for Bacillus sp. B9F, while Pseudomonas sp. AC2/2 depleted 64.3% of the propylene glycol present that is 25.6 g L⁻¹ and the largest mass removed from either matrix. In the unused, ethylene-glycol-based product, removal also increased after ALE, reaching 10.9 g L⁻¹ for AC2/2 from an initial load of about 50 g L⁻¹, but none of these differences were significant. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of ALE to an intact commercial coolant and to a spent fluid drained from an engine cooling system, and it demonstrates that non-modified environmental isolates can be improved for the treatment of this hazardous waste stream without genetic modification. Full article

Background: Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne neglected tropical disease caused by obligate intracellular protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania and transmitted by bites from infected female phlebotomine sand flies. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), the most severe clinical form, remains a major public health concern in Eastern Africa and a priority for control and elimination. Although Baringo County is a well-established endemic focus in Kenya, the spatial distribution of human exposure and the socio-environmental determinants of infection remain inadequately characterized. This hospital-based cross-sectional study therefore estimated Leishmania seroprevalence. It assessed the sociodemographic, behavioral, and environmental predictors of seropositivity among patients presenting with clinical features suggestive of VL in two endemic sub-counties of Baringo County. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2026 at Marigat and Chemolingot Sub-County Hospitals. We enrolled 260 patients with clinical features suggestive of VL through systematic sampling and tested them using the rK39 rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We collected sociodemographic, behavioral, household, and environmental data using a structured questionnaire. Associations between explanatory variables and ELISA seropositivity were evaluated using Pearson’s chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. We included variables with p < 0.25 in multivariable logistic regression to identify independent predictors of seropositivity. Agreement between the rK39 RDT and ELISA was assessed using Cohen’s kappa statistics. We confirmed classical positive cases using bone marrow aspirates. Results: Overall Leishmania seroprevalence was 18.5% (95% CI: 14.2–23.7) by rK39 RDT and 20.8% (95% CI: 16.2–26.2) by ELISA. ELISA seroprevalence was substantially higher in Tiaty Sub-County (36.6%) than in Baringo South Sub-County (4.7%). Residence in Tiaty was independently associated with markedly higher odds of seropositivity than residence in Baringo South [aOR] = 11.30, 95% CI: 1.96–64.97; p = 0.007. Compared with children aged < 15 years, participants aged 15–44 years had lower odds of seropositivity (aOR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.11–0.93; p = 0.037). Residents without a dog had higher odds of seropositivity (aOR = 3.17, 95% CI: 1.06–9.50; p = 0.039) than those with a dog. After adjustment, no other predicted factors were independently associated with seropositivity, suggesting that geographical differences may have confounded the unadjusted associations. Conclusion: Leishmania seroprevalence was substantial and unevenly distributed, with Tiaty Sub-County and children under 15 years bearing the greatest burden. Therefore, targeted, child-focused surveillance and integrated One Health interventions, including early case detection, improved housing, personal protection, vector-habitat management, and community education, are needed to strengthen VL control and advance the WHO 2030 targets for the Neglected Tropical Diseases Roadmap 2021–2030. Full article

Background/Objectives: Minzasolmin is a weakly basic drug developed as a potential therapy in Parkinson’s. Amongst the strategies that have been developed to enhance API solubility, pH modification is an effective and patient-centric approach that improves solubility by creating a microenvironmental pH around the drug. The objective of this study was to evaluate different formulation approaches to develop an immediate-release tablet or capsule containing fumaric acid as a pH modifier. Methods: Ten formulations were developed, varying the degree of contact between the API and pH modifier. These formulations were then assessed in three biorelevant dissolution conditions to estimate their robustness towards variations in gastric pH. Results: In highly buffered conditions, only the over-encapsulated tablet showed a clear improvement in the dissolution profile, with up to 5.1 times the percentage dissolved compared to the capsule without acid and up to 1.4 times compared to the target granule-in-capsule with acid. In low-buffered conditions, though, all prototypes with acid showed an improvement in the percentage dissolved, between 54 and 79 times compared to that of the capsule without acid, regardless of the degree of contact between the organic acid and the API. This was associated with a decrease in pH to 5 in the gastric compartment. Conclusions: These results suggested that the acidic microenvironment, estimated via the bulk pH, and hence the dissolution rate may not require such a high degree of contact between the API and the pH modifier. Based on in vitro results, the over-encapsulated tablet as well as prototypes with a lower degree of contact between the acid and PI will be evaluated in vivo in a future study to evaluate the bio-relevance of the approach. Full article

Background/Objectives: Anthracyclines carry considerable cardiotoxicity risk, and atrial fibrillation (AF) during cancer treatment adversely affects morbidity and mortality. We compared the incidence of clinically documented AF and explored its early clinical correlates between anthracycline-containing and non-anthracycline adjuvant regimens in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods: This single-centre retrospective cohort included consecutive women with stage II TNBC treated with breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant doxorubicin–cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel (AC-T) or docetaxel–cyclophosphamide (TC) between 2018 and 2023. ECG and echocardiography were performed at baseline, month one, and month six. Clinically documented AF was defined as AF documented on a scheduled or symptom-triggered 12-lead ECG or as AF lasting ≥30 s on symptom-triggered 72 h Holter monitoring. Patients with structural or coronary heart disease, complete bundle branch block, or non-sinus rhythm were excluded. Results: Among 140 women (mean age, 64 ± 12 years; 64 AC-T), 17 (12.1%) developed clinically documented AF within six months. AF was more frequent with AC-T (18.8% vs. 6.6%; absolute risk difference, 12.2% [95% CI, 1.1–23.3%]; risk ratio, 2.85 [1.07–7.58]; log-rank p = 0.030), and the association persisted after inverse probability of treatment weighting (OR, 3.28 [1.05–10.24]). At one month, PR prolongation > 20 ms was associated with incident AF (OR, 5.16 [1.79–14.89]), whereas conventional echocardiographic changes did not differ between regimens. Conclusions: The AC-T regimen was associated with more clinically documented incident AF than TC. Early PR prolongation, occurring without detectable changes in conventional echocardiographic parameters, may be an informative early electrical signal of AF risk, although prospective validation is required. Full article